Gottlieb Georgii of Württemberg, Germany, New Jersey, and Connecticut Michael A. Messier Santa Barbara, California www. MessierFamily.info 5 January 2021 Cover photo: Gottlieb Georgii family portrait taken in New York City about 1897. Gottlieb is holding baby Adolph. William August is standing in front of his mother Louise Ober Georgii. The oldest son, Charles, born Jacob Gottlob Ober, is standing on the left side of the photo. Gottlieb Georgii History 2 1. Introduction The descendants of Gottlieb Georgii have been described in a previous monograph: “The Daniel O’Connell Family of Southington, Connecticut” from the point of view of the O’Connell family. We will refer to this document as the “O’Connell History”. Gottlieb’s son, William August, married Daniel O’Connell’s daughter, Sarah. In this monograph, we wish to expand the family tree of Gottlieb to include his German ancestry. The current history will be referred to as the “Georgii History”. Some of the material from the O’Connell History will be repeated for the purpose of continuity, but the emphasis will be on Gottlieb and his ancestors. New material concerning his life in the United States will also be included. Some of this new history will be concerned with his early life, and the life of his descendants in New Jersey. 2. Gottlieb: The Early Years Gottlieb Georgii was born in the municipality of Plüderhausen in the Stuttgart administrative region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg on 12 March 1869. His parents were Jacob Friederich Georgii and Luise Wilhelmine “Elise” Ober. Jacob’s parents were Georg Christoph Georgii and Anna Maria Banzhaf. On 12 January 1889, a boy is born to Luise Maria Ober in Leonberg, also within the Stuttgart administrative region of Baden-Württemberg. The boy is named Jacob Gottlob Ober. He is illegitimate and the father is not named. The witnesses to the baptism on 21 January 1889 are Jacob Georgii of Plüderhausen and Maria Ober. Luise Maria Ober will later marry Gottlieb Georgii. Her parents are Carl Gottlieb Ober and Anna Maria Georgii. Anna Maria is the daughter of Georg Christoph Georgii and Anna Maria Banzhaf. Gottlieb Georgii and Luise Maria Ober are first cousins. Gottlieb Georgii arrived in New York City on 31 May 1893 and passed through Ellis Island. He travelled aboard the German Ship Bremen in compartment B, amidships, and gave his intended destination as New York City. His occupation is basket maker. Gottlieb was listed as 26 years old; he was therefore born about 1869. His family name is spelled “Georgi” in the passenger manifest. Luise Ober, now listed as Louise Ober, arrives in New York on 26 October 1893 and passed through Ellis Island. She departed from Bremen, Germany, on the ship Aller. Her age is given as 26, yielding a birth year of about 1867. Gottlieb Georgii and Luise Ober were married on 12 May 1894 in Manhattan, New York. According to the marriage certificate, both were living at 537 E 11 Street in Manhattan. He was 25 years of age and she was 26; both are single. The birth places and parent names are the same as given above. The marriage was performed by a minister, whose name appears to be Francis G. Schneider, who lives at 109 2nd Avenue. The witnesses were Ernst and Barbara Strecker. Gottlieb Georgii History 1 On 29 January 1895, a child by the name of Gottlob Georgii arrives in New York and passes through Ellis Island. Gottlob is 6 years old (born about 1889) and is accompanied by a 21 year, 9 month, old woman by the name of Mina Ober. Mina would have been born in the 1873 to 1874-time frame. Gottlob Georgii is Jacob Gottlob Ober, soon to be known as Charles Georgii. A WWI draft card gives Charles birth date as 12- January 1889 in Germany. We believe that Mina Ober is the sister of Luise Maria Ober: Wilhelmina Magdelina Ober, born 10 March 1873 in Leonberg, Baden Württemberg, Germany. The New York City directories for 1897 and 1898 show Gottlieb Georgii, a basket maker, living at 634 E. 13th St. Note that the family name is spelled Georgii and there are a number of directory entries with the family name Georgi. The 1900 census for Manhattan shows Gottlieb and Louisa living on Avenue A with three children. Louisa claims to have been married 12 years. 1. Georgii, Gottlieb: Head. Born March 1870 in Germany, age 30, married 12 years. Immigration: 1893, occupation: basket maker. 2. Georgii, Louisa: wife. Born September 1867, Germany, age 32, married 12 years, 3 children, 3 children living. Immigration: 1893. 3. Georgii, Charles: son. Born January 1888, Germany, age 11. Occupation: school. 4. Georgii, William, son. Born April 1895, New York, age 5. 5. Georgii, Adolph, son. Born December 1897, New York, age 2. Note that the census states that the youngest son, Adolph, was born in 1897. Adolph’s WWI draft card, filed in 1918, states that he was born on 25 December 1896. The New York City birth index states, in one case, that he was born on 23 December 1896. Another New York index states that he was born on the 25th of December 1896. Assuming Adolph knew his own birth date, we will place it on Christmas Day, 25 December 1896. William Georgii was born with the name Wilhelm August Georgii on 30 April 1895 in Manhattan. According to the birth certificate, the address of the birth is W535 11th Street, which is also the residence of his parents Gottlieb and Louise Marie Georgii. William will marry Sarah O’Connell. Their marriage is discussed in the O’Connell History. GOTTLIEB AND LUISE GEORGII IN MANHATTEN ABOUT 1898 WITH THEIR THREE SONS (LEFT TO RIGHT) CHARLES, ADOLPH, AND WILLIAM Gottlieb Georgii History 2 By 1902, Gottlieb Georgii is listed in the city directory for Passaic, New Jersey. He is a basket maker living on Van Dyke Avenue near Jordan Avenue. The same is true in 1904 and 1906, though the area he lives is called Wallington. His family name is again spelled “Georgi”. A 1905 New Jersey census lists him as a basket maker living in Carlstadt, Bergen County. Since city directories are usually a little out of date, The Georgii family probably moved to Carlstadt in the 1904 to 1905 time frame. The family name is spelled “Georgi”. 1. Georgi, Gottlieb, born March 1868 in Germany, age 37. He is an alien living in the U.S. 11 years. Occupation: basket maker. Can read, write, and speak English. 2. Georgi, Louisa, born September 1867, in Germany, age37, Occupation: house work. Can read write, and speak English 3. Georgi, Charles, born January 1889 in Germany, age 16. Occupation: apprentice. 4. Georgi, Willie, born April 1895, New York, age 10. 5. Georgi, Adolph, born December 1896, New York, age 8. The 1909 Carlstadt city directory shows Gottlieb Georgii as a brass worker who works across the river in New York. He lives at 114 1st street in Carlstadt. Also listed at that location is Charles, a driver. Louisa Ober Georgii died on 27 January in East Rutherford (Carlstadt) New Jersey. She is buried in the Berrylawn Cemetery. Louisa was only 41 years old. The 1910 federal census for Carlstadt lists Gottlieb and his three sons living on Monroe Street. The census was taken on 23 April 1910. Note that the family name is spelled Georgi. 1. Georgi, Gottlieb, Head, age 42, widower. CHARLES, ADOLPH, AND WILLIAM GEORGII. Born in Germany, immigrated 1880. Occupation: polisher at brass works. 2. Georgi, Charles, son, age 21, born New York. Occupation: driver of grocery wagon. 3. Georgi, William, son, age 15, born New York. 4. Georgi, Eddie, son, age 13, born New York. On 23 May 1912, Gottlieb applied for a passport. The application was made in Hoboken, Hudson, New Jersey. The family name is spelled Georgi. The document states that he was born in “Briedehausen”, Wurttemberg, Germany on or about 12 March 1869. He probably had a strong German accent, so Plüderhausen became Briederhausen. The application continues to state that he emigrated to the United States, sailing on board the EMS from Bremen on or about 30 May 1893; that he resided 19 Gottlieb Georgii History 3 years uninterruptedly in the United States from 1893 to 1912 at Carlstadt, New Jersey. He was nationalized as a citizen of the United States before the Open Court of Common Pleas at Hackensack, New Jersey on 22 September 1905. Hackensack is in Bergen County. Gottlieb further testifies that his permanent residence is Carlstadt with the occupation of “foundry”. He plans to go abroad temporarily and return within two years. The physical description of Gottlieb is as follows: age 43; height 5 feet 10 inches; forehead high; eyes blue; nose small; mouth mustache; chin broad; hair blonde; complexion light; face oval. There is a passenger record for the arrival of a Gottlieb Georgi in New York on 1 August 1912. This Gottlieb arrived aboard the ship President Grant, which had departed Cuxhaven Germany on 20 July 1912. The age is correct for our Gottlieb (43), but other information is difficult to read. It is possible that Gottlieb returned to Germany for a short visit shortly after he received his passport. The year 1914 shows the first foray of the Georgii family into Southington, Connecticut. Gottlieb “Georgi” is listed as a farmer with a home at Wonx Spring Road. near Marion Avenue in Plantsville (a village within Southington). Boarding at the same location are Adolph and William Georgi. Adolph and William are employed by H.D.