According to the Scheeßel marriage record of Jochim Meÿer and Maria Holsten, Jochim Meÿer’s father was listed as Hans Meÿer. In a previous chapter, Wenkeloh and the Meÿer Houses, the Meÿer families in Wenkeloh were identified. And, according to the Wenkeloh list of house owners, Jochim (Joachim)[1] was from House No. 2 which was owned by a series of Hans Meÿers. The question is which Hans was the father of Jochim Meÿer?
Gen_Pluswin Database Records
Wilhelm Kranz created an online database repository, Gen_PluswinOFB (Ortsfamilienbuch) Sittensen, of family history data for the Sittensen church parish and includes data from the Scheeßel parish. Entered in OFB Sittensen is baptism, birth, burial, death and marriage data from 45 years of research. While the family data in the database have been found to be very reliable, it is not all inclusive as many of the children are not included. Hans Meÿer I (1698-1773) and Hans Meÿer II (1726-1795) of House No. 2, given their life spans, are candidates for being the father of Jochim Meÿer and are in the database.
Hans Meÿer II (1726-1795)
Gen_Pluswin OFB Sittensen Database Record
Translation
5457 MEYER, Hans (Lutheran) – Parents: M, Hans and MEYER, Maria Magdalena (5450.1)
Born in Wenkeloh. Christened on 13 Oct 1726 in Scheeßel. Occupation: Halbhöfner in Wenkeloh. Farm name / house :: Dittmer, No. 2 Wenkeloh. Died in Wenkeloh. Buried on 20 Oct 1795 in Scheeßel.
Church Marriage on 06 Nov 1755 in Scheeßel.
with HEITMANN (HEYDMANN), Anna “Trine” (Lutheran)
Born on 28 Jul 1737 in Wohlsdorf. Christened on 29 Jul 1737 in Scheeßel. Died in Wenkeloh. ((KB 1796: 59 years old)). Buried on 18 Aug 1796 in Scheeßel.
Child:
1. Hans (Lutheran) Born about Dec 1759 in Wenkeloh. Christened about Dec 1759 in Scheeßel. Occupation: Halbhöfner in Wenkeloh. Farm name / house :: Dittmer, no. 2 Wenkeloh. Died on 02 Mar 1812 in Wenkeloh. <(KB 1812: 52 years old 9 weeks)> Buried on 05 mar 1812 in Scheeßel. ((His baptismal record is untraceable in Scheeßel KB)) Church Marriage on 20 Oct 1789 in Scheeßel with Engel GERKEN (5463)
Discussion
As noted above, Hans Meÿer (1726-1795) married Anna Catharina “Trine” Heitmann on 5 Nov 1755. And, Jochim Meÿer, grandfather of Peter Meÿer/Meier), married Maria Holsten on 14 Jan 1773. So, Jochim Meÿer would have been less than 17 years old ((14 Jan 1773)-(5 Nov 1755)- 9 months)=<17) when he married Maria Holsten. Hence Hans Meÿer (1726-1795) is not likely the father of Jochim Meÿer.
Hans Meÿer I (1698-1773)
Gen_Pluswin OFB Sittensen Database Record
Translation
5450 MEYER, Hans (Lutheran) – Parents: M, Hans and HEEßEL Catharina (5446.5)
Born in Helvesiek. Christened on 21 Aug 1698 in Scheeßel. Occupation: Halbhöfner in Wenkeloh. Farm name / house :: Dittmer, No. 2 Wenkeloh. Died in Wenkeloh. Buried on 10 Mar 1773 in Scheeßel.
Church Marriage on 01 Nov 1725 in Scheeßel.
with MEYER , Maria Magdalena (Lutheran) – Parents: M, Johann and GERKEN, Dorothea (5641.8)
Born in Varel (KSPL Scheeßel). Christened on 6 Apr 1704 in Scheeßel. Died in 1773 in Wenkeloh. Buried before 1773 in Scheeßel.
Children:
1. Hans (Lutheran) Born in Wenkeloh. Christened on 13 Oct 1726 in Scheeßel. Occupation: Halbhöfner in Wenkeloh. Farm name / house :: Dittmer, No. 2 Wenkeloh. Died in Wenkeloh. Buried on 20 Oct 1795 in Scheeßel. Church Marriage on 6 Nov 1755 in Scheeßel with Anna “Trine” HEITMANN (5457)
2. Johann Hinrich (Lutheran) Born on 06 Sep 1731 in Wenkeloh. Christened on 09 Sep 1731 in Scheeßel. Occupation: Vollhöfner in Jeersdorf. Farm name / number :: Mahnken, Nr. 1 Jeersdorf. Died in Jeersdorf. Buried on 03 Sep 1797 in Scheeßel. Church Marriage on 20 Nov 1760 in Scheeßel with Anna Maria MAHNKE (5738)
Discussion
Maria Magdalena Meÿer(1704-1773) was 5 years younger than her husband Hans Meÿer(1759-1812) and would have been beyond childbearing age in about 1744. Hans Meÿer (1726-1795) was born 1 year after his parents marriage. So, the possible range for the birth date of Jochim Meÿer would have been about 1727-1744. Jochim Meÿer could have been about 29-46 years old when he married Maria Holsten on 14 Jan 1773. Hence, Hans Meÿer I (1698-1773) appears to likely be the father of Jochim Meÿer and the great grandfather of Peter Meier.
Birth Record
The Scheeßel church birth record for Jochim Meÿer would likely resolve the issue. However, no birth records for Scheeßel are in the Ancestry Elbe-Weser Triangle, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1574-1945 database for the years 1727-1745 which include the likely years of Jochim Meÿer’s birth.
An option is to order the Scheeßel parish microfilm records from Familysearch.org and search for the birth record. Since the birth date of Jochim is probably in the range 1727-1744 and he was likely born in Wenkeloh, this should help narrow the search. I will probably do this later as I continue research on family members from the Scheeßel.
Death Record
Death records can sometimes provide the approximate birth date of a person. Given Jochim Meÿer’s estimated birth range of 1727-1744 and that his youngest child found so far was Johann born in 1788, his estimated death date range is 1787-1824 assuming that he could have lived to be 80 years old.
A search of the Ancestry Elbe-Weser Triangle, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1574-1945 database found a Jochim Meÿer who died 11 Feb 1801 and was buried at Scheeßel on 14 Feb 1801. He was 77 years old, hence he was born about 1727. This would put his approximate birth date in the expected birth range of 1727-1744 for Jochim Meÿer. However, according to the Scheeßel church records, he was a Köthner in Helvesiek when he died. Hence,this Jochim does not appear to be Jochim Meÿer that we seek who would likely have been a Baumann from Wenkeloh[5]. No other possible candidates were found.
Conclusions
- Jochim Meÿer, a great-grandfather of Peter Meier (Meÿer):
- Probably was the son of Hans Meÿer I (1698-1773) and Maria Magdalena Meÿer(1704-1773).
- Probably was born 1727-1744 in Wenkeloh.
- Possibly possibly died 1787-1824 in Wenkeloh.
- While a birth record would give hard evidence that Hans Meÿer I (1698-1773) was the father of Jochim Meÿer, I am satisfied for now.
Notes
- The first name of the great-grandfather of Peter Meier (Meÿer) has several spellings in the records. In the Scheeßel parish records the spelling is Jochim and Johen while in the list of Wenkeloh house owners, his first name is spelled Joachim. See chapter Wenkeloh and the Meÿer Houses, I have chosen to use Jochim.
- Thanks to Daniel Oetjen for translating the Scheeßel church burial record and noting the reason this burial record is not the correct one for our Jochim Meÿer.