The Simshauser story begins with Conrad and Louisa, who came to Australia in 1862. The details that have been located take us back to Conrad’s great-grandparents, Christian and Anna Simshauser, who were born in the late 18th century, probably in Roeddenau near Frankenberg, on the Eder River, Germany.
Their son Conrad was born on 29 July 1793 at Roeddenau and baptised in the Evangelic/Lutheran church in Rocddenau on the following day. His godfather was Conrad Schaefer. Conrad Simshauser married Anna Gertraud Hofmann on 3 December 1816, also in the Evangelic/Lutheran Church, Roeddenau. Anna Gertraud Hofmann, daughter of Heinrich Hofmann, was born at Rennertehausen. Conrad died on 6 April 1856.
Two children of this marriage have been traced – Johann Christian, born 1818, and Heinrich, born two years later on 8 November 1820. On 1 January 1843, Johann Christian (k/a Christian), day-labourer, aged 25 years, married Elisabeth Kessler – 29 year-old daughter of Heinrich Kessler and his second wife, Anna Gertraud (nee Bach). They were living at Roeddenau at the time of their marriage. Christian died on 10 November 1891, at 73 years of age, and his wife Elisabeth died on 15 February 1864.
Records of two children of this marriage include – Conrad and Anna Elisabeth. Anna Elisabeth, second child of Johann Christian Simshauser and his wife Anna Elisabeth (nee Kessler), was born on 31 July 1843 at Roeddenau. She was baptised a week later (her godmother being her mother’s sister, Anna Elisabeth Grantz – nee Kessler). Anna Elisabeth died on 9 October 1918. Her father Johann Christian’s occupation was given as “ackermann” (farmer, farm-hand). There may have been other younger children of this marriage.
Conrad (our ancestor who came to Australia), born on 22 November 1837, was registered Conrad Kessler – later Simshauser – son of Elisabeth Kessler and Christian Simshauser (confirmed by signature as the father). Conrad was baptised a week later, on the 29 November in the Roeddenau parish church with Conrad Simshauser (grandfather) as his godfather. At the time of his birth Conrad’s father, Christian Simshauser, was 19 years old, and his mother Elisabeth Kessler was 23.
According to details copied into the family bible by Conrad and Louisa –
Conrad was born at Frankenberg Castle. It is believed that his mother, Anna Elisabeth Kessler, was a parlour maid at the castle at the time of his birth. Efforts have been made to find details regarding his birth, other than church records.
However, nothing to date has been found to substantiate the recording.
On the 24 November 1861, Conrad married Catharina Louise Weber. Catharina Louise was born on 3 May 1837, the fifth daughter and ninth child of Johann Daniel Weber (k/a Daniel) the shoemaker, and his wife Catharina Elisabeth (nee Backhaus) from Schmittlotheim.
Daniel Weber married Catharine Elisabeth on 11 April 1817 at Schmittlotheim (north of Frankenberg). Daniel, 27 years of age, was the son of Friedrick Weber and Catherina Elisabetha, nee Muetzin. Daniel’s wife, Catharine Elisabeth was the 20 year old daughter of Peter Backhause and Catharina Elisabetha, nee Baumann.
The Weber family included the names Muetzin, Backhaus, Baumann and Schaefer, from villages a short distance to the north of Frankenberg, along the Eder River – Schmittlotheim, Altenlotheim and Kirchlotheim. The families were of the Lutheran religion and details are recorded in the Evangelic/Lutheran church in Kirchlotheim.
It is appropriate to add the following information regarding Heinrich Simshauser, uncle to our Conrad. Heinrich, born on 8 November 1820, was the son of Conrad Simshauser and Anna Gertraud Hofmann. At 25 years of age, Heinrich married Katharina Elisabeth Pfeifer. The only son of this marriage died early in childhood. A daughter Anna Elizabeth was born on 19 September 1847. At the time of her birth Heinrich was a tailor. His wife Katharina died in 1858, 13 years after their marriage. In 1859 Heinrich married his second wife, Anna Catharine Truss (from Roeddenau). Shortly after, they emigrated to Australia.
Shipping details record that Heinrich Simshauser departed from Hamburg (Germany) on 25 October 1861, accompanied by his wife Anna Catharine and Anna (18 years) and Elisabeth (14 years). (Elisabeth was Heinrich’s daughter, Anna Elisabeth, and Anna, recorded on shipping details, was probably Anna Catharine’s daughter from a previous marriage.) They arrived at Moreton Bay early in 1862 on board the sailing ship “Cesar Godeffroy”. Heinrich’s occupation was listed as a shepherd. Attempts have been made to find details regarding Heinrich after his arrival in Australia, but results are sketchy.
Queensland records indicate that in 1866, Elisabeth Simshauser (aged 21), daughter of Henry (Heinrich) Simshauser and Catharine Truss, married Frederick Kleucker at Gayndah (near Bundaberg), in the District Registry Office. Henry was registered as a shepherd, Frederick Kleucker as a hawker (aged 28), and Frederick’s father a locksmith.
Obviously Elisabeth put her age up as she was a minor at the time of her marriage.
Anna (daughter of Heinrich’s wife Anna Catharine), married Johann Popp, a shoemaker – also from Germany, in 1864. Anna died in Maryborough, Queensland in 1900. (Source: M. Charles – Torquay, QLD)
(Sources: Shipping Records from Staatsarchiv, Hamburg
Church Records from the Church Office, Frankenberg for the Church Parish of Roeddenau
Translations by Helga Froheen)