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Archiver > GEN-DE > 1999-05 > 0925861303


From: R R M Tweek< >
Subject: Re: Women traveling alone, common?
Date: Tue, 4 May 1999 23:41:43 GMT


<> wrote:
>Karl Sigerist Sr. <> says:
>
>: I found that traveling "alone" was often because of economic,
>: practical, etc. reasons very common in these days 1850-1900.
>
>My wife's ancestors came from Scotland in much that fashion;
>apparently it was not at all uncommon for part of the family
>(typically the father) to go on ahead to secure a job and a home,
>and then send money so the remainder of the family could join him.

Completely different from the two families I've researched so far in
my line.

My great grandmother at age 13, her sister and their parents came over
together on 1857 on the Von Stein and settled as a family where the
ship records indicated they were heading (per GTA. I haven't looked at
any film on this yet) and the family (minus my GGM) remained there for
life. No idea why they left where ever in West Prussia they were though.

My great grandfather on the other hand, traveled completely by himself
(haven't found anything on his passage yet... but there really wasn't
anyone else who could have been with him) in 1860. No idea WHY he
choose that time to travel to America. One story is that his Brewery
in Mainz flooded... "or perhaps he was running from the draft" was
suggested by the uncle who mentioned the flooded brewery story.
Regardless of the reason he left, he had nothing to keep him in
Ebersheim (Mainz). His father died when he was 11 months 28 days old,
his older brother when he was 8, and his mother died when he was 16.

Several books (published in America... perhaps with the stories coming
directly from his mouth) mention that at 16 he traveled to Munich and
France to learn the art of brewing. In 1860 (purely from the books
with no supporting records) he came to America.

By 1878, his half brother, Valentin was in America, and I'd suspect that
Valentin was here as early as 1866, when Valentin's father (and my GGF's
step father) died.

As far as a woman traveling alone... At this time I haven't figured out
how Valentin's future wife came to America. I figure it unlikely that
they knew each other from the old country since she was six when
Valentin's father died, and only 18 when widowed in 1878 (probably as a
newlywed) I'm assuming she came over with the rest of her family, and
other relatives on her mother's side were also in Chicago. (of course
she was also a cousin of my GGF on his father's side, besides being a
half sister-in-law.)

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