52 Ancestors: #30 Challenging-To-Research But So Rewarding, The SCHWARTZ-TRIERWEILER Family

Week 30 (July 23-29) – Challenging: It’s a good time to take a look at another challenging-to-research ancestor.

Challenging-To-Research But So Rewarding

My children’s 4th great-grandfather Mathias SCHWARTZ 1791-1860 has always been a challenge to research. I still remember the day I obtained his marriage record. It was in 1996 and sadly followed by the death of my father-in-law which put an end to my interest in genealogy research for several years. But the challenge of researching Mathias has also been rewarding.

In 1996 I took at short trip, less than 9 km from where I live, to visit the records office at the town hall of Rosport. The plan was to ask if they would look up several marriage records and make copies for me to take home. They opened the vault and gave me permission to look through the old ledgers and find the documents on my own. At the time I was very new to genealogy but I already knew one of the secrets to researching in Luxembourg. Get the marriage records! If you have followed my posts on the Luxembourgish families this year you will by now know these records include information on two to three generations. Today, if I had known they would open the vault for me, I would have had a better plan. But in the end I came away with marriage records of several generations of SCHWARTZ couples.

Mathias’ marriage record was in a very tightly bound ledger and the name of his mother was not complete on the photocopy they made. For years I thought the Ha… I saw could only be HASTERT. As in Dennis HASTERT,  Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, whose ancestors came from Osweiler, the village the SCHWARTZ family lived in.

As the years passed I neglected researching in Luxembourg while concentrating on my families in America. When FamilySearch uploaded the Luxembourg Civil Registration collection, I learned to use the browse only collection and found the digital copies of the marriage records I had laid aside so many years ago. Mathias’ mother was a HALER and not a HASTERT and the challenge continued.

In order to write about Mathias, his wife and children, I had to get my records for the family cited and all missing records needed to be found. From the beginning I knew Mathias was born on 22 November 1791 in Osweiler per his 1820 marriage record. But I didn’t have the birth or baptismal record. Civil records have been kept since 1796 which meant a civil record would not be found for Mathias. When the Luxembourg Church Records went online 9 January 2015 I made a resolution to not jump in and search haphazardly. I would only use them when I was working on a specific family from the time period.

As Mathias was born in Osweiler, a village belonging to the commune of Rosport, I checked this parish first and then Echternach, the next closest town, but did not find his baptismal record. What if the year of birth was wrong on the marriage record? To answer this question I checked for the marriage of his parents. I was rewarded with the 1790 marriage record of his parents Lorentz SCHWARTZ and Magdalena HALER, as well as the 1757 and 1759 marriage records of both of their parents, Mathias’ grandparents. These records gave the names of Mathias’ four great-grandfathers, two deceased before 1757 and two living in 1759. [Note: the links are to the index cards which include the volume and page numbers of the parish record. Links to the records will be shared upon request.]

I had gotten carried away with my searches but before doing anything else I shared this information with my husband’s 5C1R Julie Cahill Tarr of Julie’s Genealogy & History Hub. Julie descends from Mathias’ brother Heinrich b. 1796 – she was also rewarded by my challenging research.

I had already found Mathias’ census records and along with the missing baptismal record they had me questioning the date of birth listed on the marriage record. Three of the eight census records found included dates of birth – all conflicting. In 1843 he was seen as born 15 July 1789, in 1846 on 2 November 1794, and in 1849 on 1 May 1795. I went back to the church records of Rosport to check from 1789 to 1795 even though I was sure he had to have been born after his parents’ 1790 marriage. As the parish was quite small at the time the search was quick but in vain.

Once again I went through the church records of Echternach for the time period 1789-1795. Working my way backwards I discovered a quirk in the records I had missed the first time I searched only for 1791 baptismal records. I had not looked at pages 197-203 in the parish book because I found the 1791 baptismal records on pages 205-220. I had erroneously assumed the pages before 205 would be for 1790 but they were another group of records for 1791. Finally I found Mathias’ baptismal record on page 202 but it did not confirm the date of birth given on his marriage record, 22 November 1791. He was actually born and baptized a day earlier on 21 November 1791.

The SCHWARTZ-TRIERWEILER Family

The baptismal record of Mathias SCHWARTZ is in latin and begins with, “Die vigesima prima…” – On the twenty-first… I haven’t studied Latin which makes it difficult to transcribe the handwriting even when I use a translator. But the most important information can be deciphered.

1791 Baptismal Record [1]

Mathias SCHWARTZ was born on 21 November 1891 in Osweiler to Laurentius (Lorentz) SCHWARTZ and Magdalena HALER, both of Osweiler. His godparents were Mathias HALER of Osweiler and Magdalena WILLEMS of Frombourg, a farm near Osweiler.[1] Although the obvious conclusion would be the child was named after his maternal grandfather, I haven’t researched the HALER family and I don’t know if Mathias HALER the grandfather was still living or if Magdalena had a brother named Mathias.

1819 Marriage Proclamation [2]

Mathias SCHWARTZ and Anna TRIERWEILER’s proclamation of marriage was published on 13 December 1819. The banns had been read and hung out on the 5th and 12th at the city hall in Rosport.[2]

They were married at 9 in the morning of 17 January 1820 in Rosport by the mayor Peter MICHELS. The military commander had signed the required certificate concerning Mathias’ military service on 15 January. The bride, Anna TRIERWEILER, was born on 22 July 1794 in Olk (Germany) to Nicolas TRIERWEILER and Catharina HOFFMANN, both deceased at the time of the marriage. The bride and groom declared not being able to write and the marriage record was signed by four witnesses and the mayor. The witnesses do not appear to have been related to the bridal couple. The parents of the groom were both living but may not have been present for the marriage – they did not sign and there is no note of their not being able to write.[3]

Mathias’ father Lorentz SCHWARTZ died 10 days after the marriage.[4] Lorentz’s wife Magdalena HALER may have been caring for him at home while their son married.

Mathias and Anna were the parents of seven sons. Two of their sons died young, two others have not been located after the December 1852/1855 census. The three oldest sons married and continued the SCHWARTZ line in Osweiler and in Echternach.

1. Heinrich “Hari” SCHWARTZ b. 31 July 1821[5] d. 12 April 1892[6]
2. Johann SCHWARTZ b. 10 March 1823[7] d. 13 February 1898[8]
3. Peter SCHWARTZ b. 23 November 1824[9] d. 21 November 1893[10]
4. Christophe SCHWARTZ b. 19 May 1827[11] d. after December 1852[12] (no marriage or death found)
5. Guillaume SCHWARTZ b. 14 August 1830[13] d. 9 May 1833[14]
6. Mathias SCHWARTZ b. 3 March 1833[15] d. after December 1855[16] (no mariage or death found)
7. Nicolas SCHWARTZ b. 1 February 1836[17] d. 18 December 1836[18]

Anna TRIERWEILER and Mathias SCHWARTZ were present for the marriage of their son Hari to Christina HANSEN on 6 January 1847 in Rosport[19] and of their son Peter to Maria ERNZEN on 22 January 1851 in Rosport.[20]

Anna TRIERWEILER did not live long enough to see her son Johann marry in 1855. She died on 21 March 1853 in Osweiler, her son Peter was the informant. Although she was only 58 her age was reported as 63. Her husband Mathias who was 61 at the time was mentioned as being 65. Peter who was 28 at the time may not have gotten his parents’ ages correct but he did know his own age.[21]

A year later Mathias’ mother Magdalena HALER died at the hospital in Echternach on 20 April 1854.[22] The hospital was also a home for the elderly run by the Catholic nuns. Madgalena may have been living there from as early as 1846 when she was seen on the census with other older ladies.[23] The census records for 1843, 1847, 1849, 1851, and 1852 may confirm this. [To-do list]

The last of Mathias’ sons to marry was my husband’s 2nd great-grandfather Johann SCHWARTZ. He married Catharina SCHMITT on 27 January 1855 in Rosport.[24]

Mathias SCHWARTZ lived with his son Johann from 1855 until his death on 20 February 1860 in Osweiler. His death took placed at the home of his son Johann and was reported by his oldest son Heinrich who signed “Hari Schwartz” – the name seen on his birth record.[25]

One more marriage was to take place after Mathias’ death. In 1865 Peter SCHWARTZ’s lost his wife[26] and married his sister-in-law Anna Maria ERNZEN on 16 May 1866.[27]

The research for this family has been challenging and there are still loose ends which need to be taken care of. What happened to the sons Christophe and Mathias? They do not appear to have remained in the Rosport or Echternach area. Did they remain in Luxembourg or did they go to work in France or Germany or even emigrate to America?

Sources:
[1] Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Echternach > Baptêmes, mariages, décès 1788-1797 > image 97 of 331. 1791 Baptismal Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32401-8510-60?cc=2037955&wc=STHZ-4W5:1500937901,1500937902 : accessed 27 July 2015).
[2] Luxembourg, Registres d’état civil, 1793-1923 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1800-1815 > image 277 of 385. 1820 Marriage Banns. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11676-85875-96?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-JWL:130314401,130827901 : accessed 11 April 2013 and 22 July 2015).
[3] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1800-1815 > image 280 of 385. 1820 Marriage Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11676-83258-61?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-JWL:130314401,130827901 : accessed 11 April 2013 and 22 July 2015).
[4] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 29 of 1499. 1820 Death Record. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-24932-24?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6K:n1548117469 : accessed 11 Apr 2013).
[5] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1800-1815 > image 168 of 385. 1821 Birth Record No. 14. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11676-88657-8?cc=1709358&wc=9RYS-JWL:130314401,130827901 : accessed 22 May 2011 and 22 July 2015).
[6] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1891-1894 > image 130 of 176. 1892 Death Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12165-230236-73?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-92Q:130314401,129717601 : accessed 21 May 2011).
[7] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 643 of 1410. 1855 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-10947-44?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6L:n1038283664 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[8] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages 1895-1923 Décès 1895-1902 > image 764 of 823. 1898 Death Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-32046-4125-42?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6G:2025664037 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[9] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 304 of 1499. 1824 Birth Record No. 43. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-15476-12?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 Apr 2010).
[10] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances, mariages, décès 1891-1894 > image 149 of 176. 1893 Death Record No. 37. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12165-230319-15?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-92Q:130314401,129717601 : accessed 21 May 2011).
[11] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 339 of 1499. 1827 Birth Record No. 16. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-24326-32?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 20 July 2015).
[12] Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900 (images), FamilySearch (original records at Luxembourg National Archives, Plateau du Saint-Esprit, Luxembourg), Rosport > 1852 > image 178 of 325. Schwartz-Trierweiler household. “Luxembourg, Volkszählungen 1843-1900,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32379-16445-47?cc=2037957&wc=M5LB-44H:346331501,345865501 : accessed 26 March 2015).
[13] Luxembourg Civil Records, Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 386 of 1499. 1830 Birth Record No. 34. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-23095-32?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[14] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 1170 of 1410. 1833 Death Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-13906-73?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[15] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 434 of 1499. 1833 Birth Record No. 12.  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-25836-5?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[16] Luxembourg Census, Rosport > 1855 > image 162 of 290. Mathias Schwartz household. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-32381-20546-60?cc=2037957&wc=M5GS-J47:346331501,345866501 : accessed 1 April 2015).
[17] Luxembourg Civil Records, Rosport > Décès 1815-1823 Naissances 1797-1888 > image 492 of 1499. 1836 Birth Record No. 6. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11618-20593-39?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-RM9:130314401,130314402 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[18] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 1200 of 1410. 1836 Death Record No. 23. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-12716-49?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 20 July 2015).
[19] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 576 of 1410. 1847 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-10348-99?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 April 2010).
[20] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 612 of 1410. 1851 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-7639-89?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 Apr 2010).
[21] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1853-1891 > image 4 of 510. 1853 Death Record No. 13. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11627-96341-81?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L62:1818144340 : accessed 19 May 2011).
[22] Ibid., Echternach > Décès 1854-1855 > image 9 of 59. 1854 Death Record No. 28. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11022-10578-17?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-2V8:n1816692577 : accessed 13 May 2012).
[23] Luxembourg Census, Echternach > 1846 > image 317 of 722. Schwartz, Madelaine 1769 Osweiler veuve. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32357-26948-34?cc=2037957&wc=M9MV-MMQ:716415365 : accessed 27 July 2015).
[24] Luxembourg Civil Records, Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 643 of 1410. 1855 Marriage Record No. 2. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-10947-44?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L6L:n1038283664 : accessed 02 Apr 2013).
[25] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1853-1891 > image 90 of 510. 1860 Death Record No. 7. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11627-94599-71?cc=1709358&wc=M9M6-L62:1818144340 : accessed 05 Apr 2013).
[26] Ibid., Rosport > Décès 1853-1891 > image 161 of 510. 1865 Death Record No. 30. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11627-95600-7?cc=1709358&wc=9RY9-16X:130314401,130472201 : accessed 28 July 2015).
[27] Ibid., Rosport > Naissances 1889-1890 Mariages 1797-1890 Décès 1797-1853 > image 734 of 1410. 1866 Marriage Record No. 8. (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11613-11631-95?cc=1709358&wc=9RY4-3TL:130314401,130555301 : accessed 4 April 2010).

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Mathias SCHWARTZ
Parents: Lorentz SCHWARTZ and Magdalena HALER
Spouse: Anna TRIERWEILER
Parents of spouse: Nicolas TRIERWEILER and Catharina HOFFMANN
Whereabouts: Osweiler, Rosport, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Relationship to Cathy Meder-Dempsey: husband’s 3rd great-grandfather

1. Mathias SCHWARTZ
2. Johann SCHWARTZ
3. Johann SCHWARTZ
4. Catharina “Catherine” “Ketty” “Ged” SCHWARTZ
5. Marcel Mathias MEDER
6. husband of Cathy Meder-Dempsey

© 2015 Cathy Meder-Dempsey

This is my weekly entry for Amy Johnson Crow’s challenge:
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2015 Edition. It was so successful in 2014 that genealogists wanted to continue or join in on the fun in 2015. Be sure to check out the other great posts by visiting Amy’s blog No Story Too Small where she’ll be posting the weekly recap on Thurdays and allowing all participants to leave a link to their post(s) in the comments.