I have my ancestor's 1819 Mecklenburg-Vorpomm census entry. It states that she was born in the Lewtzow,Thüronow parish. The only Lewtzow I can find is 100+ miles east near Cammin, and a genealogist has told me that people did not make those distant moves in the late 1700s-early 1800s. He feels that the place mentioned is near Gross Ridsenow/Polchow, where the family lived in 1819. Lewtzow might be smaller than a town; a farm? Still, no luck finding this location. Maybe I am mis-reading. Census snippet is attached -- can anyone come up with a different interpretation of the handwriting?

It's Levitzow, parish Thuerkow. If you go to expediamaps.com you can input Levitzow and it will take
you right to it.

I am quite familiar with this area, so if you need more help, you can write me offline at unfoldinglineages@prodigy.net

Good luck in your research.

Robert Albert

Thank you very much. I see that Levitzow is very near to Polchow and Ridsenow, and that the LDS has records for Levitzow. Your interpretation is much appreciated.
Janet

No problem. Here is a link to a picture of the church in Levitzow:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kirche_in_Levitzow_1....

If you end up having lines that go into nearby Jördenstorf parish are vicinity, I also have some history books written in German that have alot of early history up through the 1970's. Lots of old photos and data on early residents. In one of the books it mentions the town of Levitzow, and likely its namesake, Johann Lewetzow/Leuetzow back in 1304. There were Levitzows and Thürkows of course throughout this area. Not sure what surnames you are working with in the 1800's.

Robert

Here is another link that mentions the town and also shows the mill powered by water and a much newer catholic church in town/area.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukow-Levitzow

It appears that the villages of Sukow and Levitzow have now grown together possibly, hence the listing of Sukow-Levitzow.

Robert

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the nice pictures and information.

The 1819 census gives my ancestor's name as Sophie Bock, nee "Babenoüsch". That's how Ancestry indexed her maiden name, anyway. I haven't come across Babenoüsch anywhere else, and wonder if it was misspelled. Someone suggested that it might be Babenrüsch.

I know only a little about Sophie and her husband, Christian Bock. The census gives her birth date as 6.Juli.1787 in Lewtzow/Levitzow and Christian's as 9.March.1789, in Cammin.
Their children were born at Drüsewitz (1811, 1814) and Depzower Mühle (1819). Christian still lived at Depzower Mühle when his son married in 1848. Sophie was not mentioned in the marriage record so, I suppose she was deceased by then.
Christian's sister or sister-in-law Maria Bock was born 08.Oct.1791 at Cammin.

That's the extent of what I know. I had the LDS film for Depzower Mühle and found the son's birth, but nothing else about the family. The handwriting on the film was difficult to read, so I might have missed something.

Thanks again for helping.

Janet

I see why the indexed the surname that way, but I would say it better reads BabenRüsch. This isn't much better though. I checked my books and in Levitzow/Thurkow I don't see any marriage with the surname in the area.

I would be glad to hear back from you once you get to the church records to see what the surname ends up being. I would make an educated guess ahead of time, although the surname I "think" they may be trying to write down also doesn't show up in my books. If you think sort of phonetically, it could be :
(what they wrote)
Bah-Ben-Roosh or Babenrüsch

and my guess is

Paw-Pen-Foos or Papenfuß/Papenfuss

At least this surname does exist, and I know there are families in the Pommern area and believe that I have run across the name in Mecklenburg-Schwerin and/or Strelitz too. Of course I could be way off here as well. There is a PAPENHUSEN in the area, but that is farther removed from what they originally were trying to write.

Good luck and let me know when you locate the christening record for Sophia Bock, nee ....whatever! :)

Robert Albert

Wow! Papenfuß..?? That is just as unusual as Babenousch. Well, I looking forward to getting the church record microfilm. Since I have her birthdate it might not be difficult to find her. Probably will take a month or two, but I will let you know. Thank you!
Janet

I didn't have much time yesterday, but on a whim I dropped by my FHC across town to see if I could find the christening record for Sophia quickly. Well, that was an exercise in futility. I first checked of course in Levitzow records in 1787 for it. There is a gap in records prior to 1787 back into earlier records (you will see when film arrives).

You may not know this, but the census data that gets reported in most censuses (whether here or other places) is often incorrect. I bet well over 50% of the time the date they list for births is not even close! Well, no Sophia anything close to Babenousch or on the date of the census.

So I checked the Thurkow books as well, and did not find her there. So then I went to the Vilz records to find Christian and Sophia's first two children born during the years you mentioned (didn't have the census with me), and neither show on those birthdates, nor during any years from 1805-1815!! I figured it was possible that the couple could have married in Vilz, since that is parish for Druesewitz, but no luck. I did run across a a Vollrath Christian Bock/Buck that was married to Sophia Mamerow, and had a child Druesewitz, but unsure if that could be them or not.

Lastly I checked the Cammin records for marriage record for the couple and came up dead end. I had to leave and return to the business at hand yesterday, so will maybe take another stab at it next week if time permits. I didn't check for Christian's birth record, so maybe he will show up in Cammin records.

Sorry for the lack of good news, but that's what happens in research. Sometimes it goes smoothly, and others it is a struggle.

Robert

How very kind of you to do that for me. I have found many errors while using U.S. censuses, but this is my first experience with a European one. How disappointing it is going to be if they are not in those locations. Where would I look next, I wonder.

I do know that the birthdate and place given for Johan Bock, Christian and Sophie's son, is correct, as I have both from other records.

It's surprising that NONE of the other family members were born where they were said to be... seems like I would get lucky with at least one of them. I ordered the Levitzow film, but it sounds like I will not find my Sophie there.

I keyed the names Babenrüsch, Babenoüsch & Papenfuss into the IGI, the Mecklenburg Contact database, and the Genealogy.Net databases. Only found Papenfuss, though many surnames began with Baben- or Boben-, but ended differently.
I wonder what Babenrüsch translates to (if anything). Keyed it into Babelfish but it wouldn't translate.

Would you happen to know if any Mecklenburg archive has an online catalog/index? I've been looking online. So far haven't found one, but that doesn't mean I haven't missed it somehow.

Thank you for your thoughts and the time you've spent.

Janet

When was Johann born and does he appear on the 1819 census? There are not any records online to speak of in one central location. I have an extensive book collection that you can find in a few centers in the US and abroad for Mecklenburg. The Immigrant Genealogical Society in Burbank, CA has a nice collection. These are mostly census and marriage records, and a few citizen books for a handful of towns.

I will bring along a copy of the census so that I have something to work with. I had only printed out your reply that mentioned years that children were born in Drusewitz, and I was hopping around from parish to parish in much to much of a rush to be 100% certain that something wasn't missed.

You mentioned that you had the film for the last parish they were living near in 1848. Did that roll have confirmation records? If so, then the other children born outside of that town may list their town of birth too, just to see if anything matches the census data. If I have this other parish I will check to see if they do if you don't remember.

Hang in there and eventually a missing piece to this puzzle will show up!!!

Robert

Okay, I printed out the census and see Johann born in 1819, and that is likely why they got THAT date correct! I mean it was during the year the census was taken. Our fascination and/or celebration of birthdays is relatively recent I believe. Most people in 1819 were more interested in where their next meal was coming from and if they had shelter from the elements.

I checked my film list and I have every one of these parishes films here in Bakersfield (I told you that I had done a lot of research in this area for others over the years)and there are confirmation records supposedly on the 69455 film for Alt Polchow. I will see if I can find any of these other children there as well.

Did you check Alt Polchow for death records for Christian or Sophia? I know you mentioned that he was still living when his son married there in 1848. Did they immigrate or do you know? I assume the son did, but let who did and what year if you can.

Robert

Hi Robert,

I answered your post from 6/26 the evening of 6/27; however, in checking tonight I see that my post did not make it to the board, so I'll try to reconstruct it.

It was known in my family that our ancestors Johan and Charlotte Hauer BOCK and their daughter Auguste immigrated to Chicago from Altenwillershagen, Pomerania. (Called BUCK on the passenger manifests.) They left through Hamburg on Oct. 18, 1882 and arrived at Castle Garden in November. An older daughter, Marie DINSE, had come in 1880 with her husband and other members of his family. The Dinses were from Tribohm, Pommern, which is just south of Altenwillershagen. Earlier records for the Dinses showed them living in various locations in Pommern.
After immigrating, all the families lived in the same south Chicago neighborhood for many years.

I contacted the Chicago church they attended and got records of family events. Among other things were Johan & Charlotte's full names and birth dates:

Johan Joachim Ludwig BOCK, born 06.Feb.1819
Marie Charlotte Caroline Friedericke Joachine Hauer, born 28.Nov.1825

I then wrote to the German parish where Altenwillershagen records are kept (Ahrenshagen) and in time they answered with a detailed letter. The letter verified Johan and Charlotte's birth dates and marriage date, named those present and where the events took place. This is when I learned that Johan was born at Depzow Mill in Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His father Christian BOCK was present at his marriage (12.Nov.1848) and was a day laborer at Depzow Mill. His mother not mentioned in her son's marriage record. Johan was a day laborer at Altenwillershagen when he married Charlotte (she was born there).

After receiving the letter it was easy to find the BOCKS in the 1819 M-S census.
I did check the Polchow record for Christian and Sophie's deaths and did not find those records. However I might have missed something due to difficulty reading the handwriting and copy. I am certain that neither Christian nor Sophie immigrated.

I did not check the confirmation records on the Polchow film... I was feeling a bit hopeless about the handwriting at that point. I can only partially read Johan's birth record, just enough to believe that I have the right record. I can make out Depzow Mill and BOCK but the names of godparents and other words are a mystery. I am glad to have it nonetheless.

I'm sorry that you had to wait for this info. It appeared to have been posted and I didn’t think to check it until just now. I tried attaching copies of Johan's birth/baptismal record the other night and just now. Neither got posted so here is my reply to you, minus those attachments.

Janet

That's okay. The FHC here is only open on Wed and Thursday and it's just now Monday evening. Thanks for the additional information. I'll see if I can shake any new clues out of the parish records for you.

Robert

Thank you, Robert. Janet

Well I can tell you more what I didn't find that what I did unfortunately! :)

I checked the Polchow records for confirmations for any of the children listed in the 1819 census and NOT ONE was confirmed at the church in Polchow. The 1819 census does state that this family had only been living in Depzower Mühle for a year and a quarter, so they also had moved elsewhere by 1832, or Johann Bock, born in 1819 would have shown up in the confirmation records.

We do have a surname though for the wife of Christian Bock, and it is Sophia MAMEROW. That is listed on the 1819 christening record for Johann Jochim Ludwig Bock b. 6 Feb 1819, and christened 10 Feb 1819. This is the only date on the census that appears to be valid.

I went back then to the Vilz records and DID NOT find a Maria Bock born on 1 Sep 1811 or years before or after for that matter in this parish. If she was their child (and the census does not list relationship strangely for just this family, if you look at the entire page)then her birth and christening WAS NOT in Vilz!!! After the parish listing column it lists occupation or relationship/status and for Maria, Christian and Johann Bock are blank. Why is a good question and I don't have an answer for you.

I DID THOUGH find a christening record for CHRISTIAN Bock, son of Christian Bock and Sophia Mamerow. The dates are off of course, but it is a definite match:

born 11 Sep 1815
christened 14 sept 1815
Jochim Friedrich Christian Buck
father- Christian Friedrich Buck, of Drusewitz
mother-Sophia Augusta Mamerow

Although the last name is spelled differently there is no doubt that this is the Christian supposedly born on 4 Sep 1814 in Drusewitz.

I then went to the Thürkow and Lewitzow parish records looking for the daughter possibly born there.... nothing.

I looked for a Sophia Mamerow born around 1787, and there are Mamerows living in the area, I couldn't definitively find her, although once again this is the census talking, and they have her maiden name as Babenousch!!!

I then went to the Cammin records and looked for a Christian Bock born in 1789. Nope! I did though find a Heinrich Christian Bock/Buck born in Cammin in 1786, whose father was Christian Friedrich Bock/Buck and mother a Miss Kindt. I did then also find a Maria Bock, a sister, but she was born in 1793 if memory serves me correctly. This "could" be your line. I am not concerned about the name not matching exactly. The 1786 birth of Heinrich Christian, could just have left off Friedrich, and then he would have been Heinrich Christian Friedrich. The father's name is Christian Friedrich, which is probably why Christian Bock named his firstborn male child Jochim CHRISTIAN Friedrich Bock. The problem still is though that I did not locate a marriage for Christian Bock to Sophia Mamerow in this parish either. There are a great many parishes in the vicinity and so it would be quite the task to continue to dig and I will leave that to you I think.

At least you now know that Christian Bock's wife was a MAMEROW, and that 2 of the three children are at least in the towns they claimed to have been born/christened. Where the first child listed in 1819 was born is still a mystery.

Good luck with your research.

Robert

Robert-- I can't thank you enough! I could not read some parts of Johan's baptism record, and, though I knew his mother should be named, didn't realize that I had it in front of me. I am ecstatic to learn that her name was MAMEROW and NOT Babenousch or Babenrush.

I will keep in mind the idea that the Bocks moved from Gross Ridsenow by 1832. They moved a lot during the few years I know of them. Were they victims of a bad economy, or looking for a better situation, I wonder. Was Pomerania a significantly different or better place to live than Mecklenburg in those times?

Someone pointed out to me that Maria Bock lived in Gross Ridsenow briefly before Christian & Sophie moved there (per census info), so, maybe they followed her there. I believe the Maria Bock listed as godparent on Johan's christening record is the same woman.

You have given me a lot of information to start with. I hope I can carry it further, especially with the marriage record for Christian and Sophie. I certainly am going to try.

I would be pleased to help you in return, if there is anything you would like from the Midwest. I am near enough to Newberry that I go there occasionally. Many Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin records are online, but others can only be gotten locally. Let me know, if anything.

Thanks again, Robert! I am grateful to you.

Janet