The conclusion of the Jahnke Heinritz mystery

New York City, 1900 from the Library of Congress

One of the bigger family brick walls on my husband’s side tumbled last fall.  Some of you may remember the post The Proof is in the Documents from November 2013[1].  Those documents provided the answers I needed to finally solve that puzzle.  Since then I have received questions about how I put it all together, and never one to disappoint, below is the 2 year journey that lead to the final discovery. 

My husband’s paternal family gave me fits from day one.  First there was the Double Enumeration problem for two family members[2].  Then there is the ongoing issue that Bennett is not an uncommon name, and Bennett’s from Ireland are everywhere!  However, the mystery concerning the parents of Augusta Jahnke always weighed on my mind.  There was something just not right and I just couldn’t put my finger on it for a long time. 

As with many beginning searches I started with the US Federal Census.  The information I gleaned from the 1900-1930 censuses became the basis for my next steps in research.  Augusta Jahnke and George Bennett were married in about 1895 and had two sons, George and Walter, in 1900.[3]  They were both born in New York, and in their late 20s, with George Sr.’s parents coming from Ireland and Augusta’s parents from Germany.[4]

By 1910 the family had grown to 5 children (George, Walter, Frank, Marie, and James) and now an Emil Jahnke, father-in-law, joined the family unit.[5]  This was my first clue to what Augusta’s maiden name could have been.  His description also showed he was a widower, 51 years old, born in Germany, and in 1875 he came to the US eventually becoming a naturalized citizen.[6]  Look at all those clues!

I made a to-do list with the information I gathered and searched for records that might corroborate the facts.  FamilySearch.org was a great help with the New York City records.  While they didn’t give me images to look at I did find the certificate numbers to the marriage and birth records that could help.   However, money now was an issue.  The New York City Department of Records charges $15 per document, non-refundable, whether or not they find anything.[7]  I decided to order the marriage certificate of Augusta and George first.  Praying, with fingers and toes crossed, that I would get more detailed information from it to figure out which way I would go next.

The months of waiting was filled with more searches.  I grabbed the name Emil and searched backwards for him.  That is all I had, a name and an age.  In New York City I knew I could be in trouble.  However, I lucked out.  Going back to the 19000 Census and checking forward and backward a few pages I found Emil.  He lived in the next building over from his daughter and son-in-law.[8]  In 1900 he was still listed as a widower[9], but now I have another family member to add to the growing list.  Mary Jahnke, daughter, aged 13 was also listed on the page.[10] 

At this point I did a shotgun approach to people and family groups that could possibly fit the profile I developed for this family unit.  The one thing that kept pestering me were the dates.  Augusta was born about 1872.[11]  Emil immigrated to the US about 1875.[12]  How do these two facts fit together?

Now, I knew that these were estimates on Census records.  Most likely they would be close but not exactly correct.  It could be that he traveled here several times, maybe got married and went back before he stayed.  The one piece of the puzzle that was not working were the ages.  If Emil was Augusta’s father, she was born when he was about 15.  That seemed incredibly unlikely.

To make matters worse, the marriage certificate came in.  There, in black and white, were the bride’s parents: Emil Jahnke and Mary Meyer.[13]  I think I cussed out loud at this point.  What was going on with this family?  Clearly I needed to find the marriage record of Emil and Mary.  Maybe then things would start to come together. 

While I was at it, I ordered the marriage certificate for Mary, Augusta’s sister, using the information I found online.[14]  On the off chance I might find something I also put in a request for the birth record of Augusta Jahnke.  You never know right?  I also tried to find them on the 1892 New York State Census.  Augusta was about 20 so she might not appear, however her sister Mary should be about 5.  That information, a cohesive family group, would add credence to the family unit developing.

No such luck on finding additional new information from those leads.  Disappointed and frustrated was just the beginning.  Emil and his wife Mary were on the 1892 census but no daughters.[15]  Maybe they were with family somewhere else.  Anything was possible.  The trail was cold and all I had were a bunch of theories and about 3 different possible immigrant families Emil could have been a part of.

It was the marriage certificate for Mary and Emil that busted down those last remaining bricks and made it all come into perspective.  Emil really was young, 26 when they were married. Mary (or Maria) was 31.[16]  In addition, she was a widow.  The second page of the marriage return showed a written declaration from the minster.  In it he stated “I hereby certify that Emil Herman George Jahnke and Widow Maria Heinritz were joined in marriage.”[17] Bingo!

Maria/Mary’s maiden name was also listed as Meyer.[18]  The pieces were locking together and I was on a roll.  Augusta had to be from her first marriage!  That really made the most sense and explained why New York had no records for Augusta Jahnke.[19]  When this all came together I wrote about it on my blog and you can read about it here.[20]

Once I knew all the players it was much easier to find the correct people.  First I found a likely candidate for the family on the 1880 US Census.  Thankfully, there was Mary and Augusta but they were not alone.  Listed as head was an A. Hennritz with wife Mary and daughters Gussie and Hattie.[21]  Gussie was a common nickname for Augusta and likewise Hattie was a nickname for Harriett.[22]  Searching online for records I found birth indexes for an Augusta[23] and a Henrietta[24] (close to Harriett) both born to Augustus Henritz and Maria/Mary Meyer.  Unfortunately, even though I had the record numbers New York was not able to find the original birth records for either girl.[25]

On the bright side, they did have the marriage record for Augustus and Maria. They were married in New York City 13 February 1871.[26]  A full year before Augusta was born.  Of course, the most incredible information was the listing of the places in Germany they were born and their parents’ names.  My husband just happened to be home when I opened the mail.  Let’s just say he was worried about his wife for a while as she whooped and hollered around the living room.

The search didn’t stop there.  I am still working on filling out the families as best as I can. Oh, and that darn Irish Bennett family.  However, I now have this fantastic tree:

  

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[1] Shannon Combs-Bennett, “The Proof is in the Documents,” Trials and Tribulations of A Self-Taught Family Historian, 13 November 2013 (http://tntfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-proof-is-in-thedocuments.html)

[2] Family Tree Firsts article http://www.familytreeuniversity.com/one-family-double-enumeration-a-tale-of-two-georges

[3] 1900 U.S. census, New York County, New York, population schedule, Borough of Bronx, p. 226A (stamped), dwelling 170, family 196, George Bennett family.; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2012); citing FHL microfilm: 1241126.

[4] 1900 U.S. census, New York Co., New York, pop. sch., p. 226A (stamped), dwell. 170, fam. 196, George Bennett family.

[5] 1910 U.S. census New York County, New York, population schedule, Borough of Manhattan, p. 420A (written), dwelling 12, family 69, George W. Bennett family and Emil Jahnke; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2012); citing FHL microfilm: 1375026.

[6] 1910 U.S. census New York Co., New York, pop. sch., p. 420A (written), dwell. 12, fam. 69, George W. Bennett family and Emil Jahnke.

[7] NYC Department of Records, Municipal Archives, Genealogy section http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/archives/geneology.shtml

[8] 1900 U.S. census, New York County, New York, population schedule, Borough of Bronx, p. 11B (written), dwelling 171, family 205, Emil and Mary Jahnke; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2012); citing FHL microfilm: 1241126.

[9] 1900 U.S. census, New York Co., New York, pop. sch., p. 11B (written), dwell. 171, fam. 205, Emil and Mary Jahnke

[10] Ibid.

[11] 1900 U.S. census, New York Co., New York, pop. sch., p. 226A (stamped), dwell. 170, fam. 196, George Bennett family. 1910 U.S. census New York Co., New York, pop. sch., p. 420A (written), dwell. 12, fam. 69, George W. Bennett family and Emil Jahnke.  1920 U.S. census, Hartford County, Connecticut, population schedule, Hartford City, p. 8A (written), dwelling 112, family 182, George Bennett family; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancerty.com : accessed July 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication roll: T625_184; Page: 8A; 

Enumeration District: 114; Image: 68. 

[12] 1910 U.S. census New York Co., New York, pop. sch., p. 420A (written), dwell. 12, fam. 69, George W. Bennett family and Emil Jahnke.

[13] New York County, New York, marriage certificate no. 9443 (1894), Bennett-Jahnke; New York City Department of Records and Information Services, Municipal Archives, New York City.

[14] "New York, Marriages, 1686-1980," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F63S-B4J : accessed 17 Mar 2014), John William Charles Frode and Mary Marie Jahnke, 25 Nov 1906; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 1940028.

[15] 1892 New York State census, Queens County, New York, population schedule, Long Island City, p. 10 (stamped), column 2, Amile Jahnke and Mary Jahnke; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancersty.com: accessed December 2012); citing New York State Education Department, Office of Cultural Education. 1892 New York State Census. Albany, NY: New York State Library.

[16] New York County, New York, marriage certificate no. 45182 (stamped) (1884), Jahnke-Heinritz; New York City Department of Records and Information Services, Municipal Archives, New York City.

[17] New York Co., NY, marriage certificate no. 45182 (stamped) (1884), Jahnke-Heinritz.

[18] Ibid.

[19] NYC Department of Records Municipal Archives, New York City, letter, 19 September 2011, no birth records found for Augusta Jahnke for the years 1871/1872 in Manhattan.

[20] Shannon Combs-Bennett, “The Puzzle of Maria Meier Henritz Jahnke,” Trials and Tribulations of A Self-taught Family Historian, 11 December 2013 (http://tntfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-puzzle-of-maria-meier-heinritz.html)

[21] 1880 U.S. census, Queens County, New York, population schedule, Queens, p. 16 (written), dwelling 135, family 138, Hennritz A, Mary, Gussie, Hattie; digital image, Ancesrty.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed December 2012); citing Family History Film: 1254917, Image: 0555.

[22] Christine Rose, Nicknames Past and Present (San Jose, CA, 2007), pgs. 2 & 8. 

[23] "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," index, FamilySearch 

(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FDRB-T1S : accessed September 2013), Maria Mayer in entry for Auguste Heinritz, 13 Mar 1872; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, USA, reference ; FHL microfilm 1322048.

[24] "New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," index, FamilySearch 

(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FD5L-P9G : accessed 17 Mar 2014), Henrietta Heinretz, 22 Jul 1873; citing BIRTH CERTIFICATES, MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, reference ; FHL microfilm 1322065.

[25] NYC Department of Records Municipal Archives, New York City, letter, 20 November 2013, no birth records found for Augusta or Henrietta Hienritz for the years 1872 and 1873 in Manhattan.

[26] New York County, New York, marriage certificate no. 1543 (stamped) (1871), Heinritz-Meier; New York City Department of Records and Information Services, Municipal Archives, New York City.

The Bennett and Jahnke Familes of NYC

Presumed to be the children and
grandchildren of George and Augusta Bennett
George and Augusta are seated in the front row

For the past 6 months I have searched to bust down the brick wall on my husband’s paternal family line.  I have had little luck and it can be very aggravating because the two family names are not that uncommon in turn of the 20^th Century New York City.  I have to know the story of George Bennett and Augusta Jahnke, even if it takes me years to put the puzzle pieces together.

James and Isabella “Bella” Bennett appear together on the 1880 US Federal Census with their children at 1529 1^st Ave New York, New York.  The Next time I was able to find this family was in 1920 with Isabella living with her son George Bennett and his family in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Emil Jahnke, widower, appears with his Daughter, Augusta Jahnke Bennett, and her family in the 1910 Census at 408 east 108^th Street New York, New York.  By back tracking a little I find him living with Mary Jahnke, age 13, in 1900 2 blocks away From George and Augusta in the Bronx.

Then a hint fell into my lap.  A fantastic breakthrough!   On Family Search I found an index listing for George and Augusta’s marriage, in Manhattan, during August 1894.  On it  had the most amazing bits of information.  The grooms parents were listed as Jas. Bennett and Isabella Ruddy and the bride’s parents were listed as Emil Jahnke and Mary Meyer.  BINGO!  I know, not a lot to go on, but hey I will take what I can get.

Even better, when I put Emil Jahnke and Mary Meyer into Family Search I came up with a listing for a possible marriage certificate for them.  My only problem, it is 10 years after his eldest daughter was born, in 1884.  So, who do Augusta and Mary belong too, really?  Or, is this even the correct family?  The pieces all fit just the dates are all screwy.  Am I at square one again or this a trail that could lead me to the right people?

On the Emil and Mary indexed marriage record it listed his full name as Emil Herman George Jahnke and hers as Maria Meyer Heinritz.  His parents were listed as Ferdinand Jahnke and Louise Engelman.  I had several hits on this family showing that he had a brother named George.  It appears that they immigrated to the US in the 1870’s.  Odd part, both boys are listed as living with their parents on every US and NY state census I can find; even when they are in their 30’s.  This was getting stranger and stranger by the minute. 

I have a father that immigrates with his parents after his daughter was born, marries her mother 10 years later, lives with his parents for decades while appearing to live on his own or with his children, and then disappears after 1910.  Owie, my brain is starting to hurt.  I have ordered the marriage certificates from New York, maybe seeing the real thing will help.

Hidden people in photographs

I love looking at old photographs.  They tell you so much about the person, where they lived, when they lived, and in some cases how they lived.  It is a bonus when you are related to them too.  I spent hours looking a pictures as a child trying to determine which features had been passed down to me and my parents. 

Last year a cousin of my father-in-law was kind of enough to share some photographs with me of their side of the family.  One of them was a large family portrait, supposedly taken at the family house in Connecticut.  The picture was not labeled, but family tradition says that it is George and Augusta Bennett with their children, children's spouses, and grandchildren at that time.

What an amazing photograph!  I originally guessed that the image was taken in the 1910-1920 time frame. Anyone have any idea if I am correct?  The reason I am asking is that I am not sure it could be George and Augusta after all.  Look at the dates below, for there to be grandchildren I think that this picture must have been taken in the 1920's at the earliest.  Would those clothes be appropriate for that time?

The family (as I have it today) is:
George Bennett and Augusta Jahnke (both born 1872 in NYC)
George Jr (born 1897 in NYC) married Ruby Taylor
Walter (born 1900 in NYC) married Margaret Unknown
Frank (born 1902 in NYC) married Mildred Unknown
James (born1905 in NYC) married Unknown
Maire (born 1909 in NYC) married Unknown
Marian (born 1913 in Connecticut) married Frank Acebal

Looks like I need to do some research on the siblings to find out who their spouses and children were. If this picture is from before 1917 my husband's grandfather and his siblings are not in it.

I have looked at it dozens of times, trying to place who might be who in the image.  Then, the other day I noticed something odd in the picture.  There is a young boy peeking out from behind a tree in the middle of the picture!  Now who in the world could that be sneaking around?

Look... more questions to answer!

Family Tree Firsts is up: The case of the two George Bennetts

My next post from Family Tree Firsts is up!  The picture is one of my favorites.  George Sr. and George Jr. near the home in 1900 (1965 Webster Ave, New York) today a grocery store in the Bronx.

To put it lightly I wanted to bang my head against the wall doing this research on more than one occasion, and I even traced back the wrong family for 3 months because of it.  Bound to happen a couple times right?

How could George Bennett and his brother-in-law Alton Taylor be enumerated two times in the 1920 census?  My two best guesses are that they were visiting George's parents the day the Census taker came and were enumerated as being at the house.  Or one family enumerated the sons as living with them not realizing they were only supposed to state the names of the people in the house on the census date.  Weird, but my best guess.  Hence the reason I listed my sources at the end.  If anyone has a better idea I am all ears!

From the census I know that George and Ruby lived at 23 Harbison Ave, Hartford, CT and were enumerated on January 7th.  George and Augusta lived at 45 Summer St, Hartford, CT and were enumerated on January 6th.  I plugged it into Google Maps and it is only a little less than 4 miles apart.  Not right next door, but easy to get to via public transportation or driving.  Benjamin and Annie Taylor (enumerated January 12th) lived on their farm in Coventry Connecticut about 20 miles away. 

Doing a little digging I found the address (56 Arbor Street) for the Underwood Typewriter Factory.  It is not far from where the George's live, which makes sense that Alton would live in Hartford and not travel 20 miles into town, in 1920, to work at the factory.  Today the old factory is the home of Real Art Ways.

I also discovered this NY Times Article from August 11, 1919 during my searching that announced the closure of the Hartford, Connecticut Underwood Typewriter Company plant due to strikes.  It must have been back up and running again by the time the Census was taken in January 1920.  The best find of all has to be this image of the inside of the typewriter factory.  I can't believe I didn't find it before! 

Off to find more discoveries!!

The Taylors of Rhode Island

The Taylor Family is my husband’s paternal grandfathers, mother’s line.

The Lineage:

My Husband
His Father
Howard Bennett married to Stella Coad
George Bennett married Ruby Cindonia Taylor
Benjamin Taylor married Anna C
James J Taylor married Nancy Wilbur
John Taylor married Cindonia Yeaw

I discovered a record from a genealogy book of Rhode Island families that lead me to the last name of Yeaw for the matriarch of this family.

Cindonia Yeaw Taylor was the matriarch of a large family.  She and John had 12 children; they also had a constant houseful of people.  Some of those living in her house at various censuses were her children and grandchildren, but there also appears to be boarders.  Everyone worked in the cotton mills; there are even teenagers on the census listed as working the mills.  Cindonia appears to be taking care of her grandkids so that their parents can go work in the later census.

Cindonia seems to be a family name, and I am hoping it will help trace her family back as well.  The Cindonia’s I have found:

Cindonia Yeaw Taylor

Harriett Cindonia Taylor Whipple
Cindonia Taylor (died infancy)
Ruby Cindonia Taylor Bennett

There is a nice trail of the family starting in 1910 and going back.  I do have census records for 1920 and 1930 for some of the family as well.  Thinking about expanding that search a bit as my father in law said that one of Ruby’s relatives took over the family farm in Coventry.  He thought it was Clarence, but knew the name started with a “C”.  Ruby’s father had a brother Charles, but I am trying to see if her brother or sister may have had kids that fit this description as well.  Benjamin and his mom Nancy (Ruby’s father and grandmother) had farms one house apart on the 1900/1910/1920 census.

Interesting thing on the 1920 Census.  Ruby’s brother Alton and Her husband George appear to have been working at the same place.  George was a screw setter and Alton a mechanic at the Underwood Typewriter factory in Hartford.

According to the 1850 Census John Taylor (husband of Cindonia Yeaw) was born in Rhode Island about 1791, with an occupation of Laborer. He is not on the 1860 census and Cindonia is listed as head of the house and a widow so we know he died sometime between 1850-60. There are tons of John Taylor’s in RI so I am trying to piece who is who still.