August Friederich Schott and Martha Hamann – Immigrant Ancestors

My granddaughters’ 4th great-grandparents on their mother’s maternal line…

On December 30, 1872 (exactly 144 years ago as I write this) August Schott married Martha Hamann in the German Reformed Church in Hoboken, New Jersey. 

They were both German immigrants and at the time of their marriage August was probably living across the Hudson River in New York City.  He had settled there after his immigration in 1859 when he was 25 years old.  August and Martha spent the rest of their lives in the city, living in tenement buildings that likely held other immigrants and their American-born children.  On the 1880 census they are living on Ludlow Street with sons August (8) and Paul (3) and daughter Martha (6).  In 1900 the census notes that Martha had 7 children and that three were living.  The family is living on East 96th Street with son Adolph (16), daughter Martha (27) and her son Andrew (2).  Son Paul had married and was living on East 74th Street.  In 1905 the family was on West 68th Street with son Adolph (21) and grandson Andrew (8).

[Click here to see larger map]

August likely died around 1907, for it was then that Martha filed for a widow’s pension based on his service during the Civil War.  Martha has not been found after that date.  Sons Paul and Adolph and their families were still in the city in 1910.  August was buried in Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens, New York.

Not much is known about August’s life in New York City. Piecing together information from census records and city directories, he most likely moved from job to job as they became available.  Those listed include clerk, porter, and laborer.  Both he and Martha could read, write and speak English. August had filed for an invalid pension in 1892 so that probably impacted his ability to work.  One research goal is to obtain a copy of the pension files to fill in some of the gaps.  There could also be church records to be explored.

               

As noted earlier, August had immigrated to the US from Germany in 1859.  He is found on the passenger list for the ship Gutenberg that sailed from Hamburg and arrived in New York December 20th.  Less than a year later he filed his intent to become a citizen.  Then, in April of 1861, he enlisted in CompanyF, 8th NY Infantry and spent two years serving in the Civil War.

“First came the Regiment of German Rifles from New York over 1000 strong sturdy fine looking fellows… their dress is entirely of grey trimmed with red, serviceable and handsome, They are armed with the minie rifle and sabre bayonet, revolvers and all the required fixing for effective warfare, on which business they have come expressly.” From Washington, Detroit Daily Tribune, June 1 1861, p. 2, col. 3.

8th Infantry Encampment

On October 22, 1864, August signed his oath of allegiance to the United States, renouncing all allegiance to the Duke of Mecklenburg and became a naturalized citizen.

The 1900 census notes that Martha immigrated in 1871 so she would have been a recent immigrant when she married.  Since the marriage took place in the German Reformed Church, she could have been a member of that faith.  But no other information has been found about her immigration or first year in America.

So where did they come from?  Luckily, the church record of their marriage is available and gives the birth dates and places for each.

August was born 10 February 1934 in Groß Salitz, Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Martha was born 8 March 1846 in Stargard, Mecklenburg-Strelitz

At the times of their births, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Schwerin were independent duchies but later became part of Germany.  They were poor states, conditions were harsh and people most likely left for economic reasons.

There are church records that show Joachim August Friederich Schott was baptized in the Evangelische Kirche Groß Salitz (Lutheran Church) on February 14, 1834.   

There are probably records for both families that are not online.  More research to be done…