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My (most likely) direct forefathers:
Preamble:
During the years 1709-1711 the pestilence raged in East Prussia. Large parts of the country became uninhabited. Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia urgently needed people.
Settlers from all over Prussia were lured to move to the East, but only 4.000 of 10.000 desolated farms could be settled again.
On the 31.10.1731 the bigot , intolerant Archbishop of Salzburg Leopold Anton Freiherr von Firmian issued the so called emigration decree.
Protestants, that were unwilling to become catholics again were forced to leave the country. The Protestants from the Salzburger Land rejected this, although they were put under enormous pressure, specifically by Jesuits that were called in to convert them back.
Therefore, in the middle of winter and just before Christmas they were forced to leave the country. Children below the age of twelve had to stay behind.
This was a clear violation of the agreements of the “Peace of Westfalia” from 1648 (after the 30 year war) in which it was agreed, that “subjects of other faith were not to be discriminated”. But that was no problem for Firmian and his sophistic Jesuits. It was declared, that the protestants did not have to leave because of their religion, but because they were agitators, rebels and heretics.
When Friedrich Wilhelm heard about this, he invited the people from Salzburg by an “immigration patent” dated February 2nd 1732.
On 29th April 1732 33 ships with 10.625 Sal;zburger’s arrived (515 had died on the way). A few weeks later 5,533 arrived by land (290 died on the way).
And this way Maria Louysa Raich came to Darkehmen in East Prussia and married, probably in 1746, Johann Joachim Grawert,surgeon of the Prussian army.
The name Raich can be found on the list of Salzburger Exilanten.
Salzburger Exilanten Index extracted by Susan Ferril
Hermann Gollub: “Stammbaum der Salzburger Exilanten”
Surname Helper Salzburger Exilanten list managed by Charles Wardell
As the Salzburger’s came to East Prussia in 1732 and as Maria must have been at least
twelve years old (otherwise she would have had to stay behind) she must have been minimum 26 years old at the time of marriage.
Johann Joachim Grawert was a surgeon with the Prussian 5th cavaly regiment. (schwarze Husaren).
The 5th regiment was founded on August 9th 1741 “in a camp near Goettin" (west of Potsdam) and stationed in Potsdam, Berlin and Koepenick (now a suburb of Berlin), in 1743 for a short time in East Prussia incl. Darkehmen, but was then involved from 1744 until the end of 1745 in the 1st and 2nd Silesian Wars (Austrian succession war, last battle at Zittau on 28.November 1745).
As Johann Joachim came to Darkehmen only at the end of 1745 and as the first child was born in May 1747 it can be fairly well assumed, that they married in 1746.
As he was a trained doctor and had probably been with the regiment since at least 1743, he must have been at minimum 30 years old then.
The couple had five children, that are documented:
The oldest son Johann Friedrich was born 04.05.1747 in Darkehmen and he is the forefather of Martin Grawert.
Friederike Elizabeth born 01.07.1749 in Marggrabova (after 1928: Treuburg)
Carl Ludwig born 13.10.1750 in Marggrabova
Christian Leopold born 1751 in Marggrabova
Carl Ludwig born 26.05.1754 in Marggrabova
So far I was convinced, that the youngest son Carl Ludwig was my next ancestor.
This seems very logical, as the chain would look as follows:
Johann Joachim – surgeon with the Schwarzen Husaren
Carl Ludwig – smith with the Schwarzen Husaren, later master smith
Johann – nail smith master
Wilhelm – nail smith master
And so on.
But as you might have noticed, there were two Carl Ludwigs (3rd and 5th child).
I assumed, that the first one must have died young and the second was named in memory of his deceased brother.
Carl Ludwig the younger married Gottlieb Caroline Weinrich 20.01.1785 at Drengfurth.
My first proven forefather ( by documents I have) was Johann Grawert, born 1790 in Nikolaiken.
But Gottlieb Caroline died in 1790 at the age of 43 in Drengfurth of diarrhoea.
Theoretically she could have had a child at age 42/43 and died soon after, weakened by giving birth.
Drengfurth is only about 50 km from Nikolaiken, but it looks a bit doubtful.
May be his older brother Carl Ludwig did not die young.
May be Christian Leopold was the father. Even if he was no smith, his son could have learned the trade at his uncle’s smithy.
To confuse the issue even more, Carl Ludwig (the younger) married again (Anna Charlotte Ottin) and had three children with her (Samuel Gotthardt 16.08.1792, Luise Charlotte 22.11.1794, Johann Fridrich 24.08.1799).
In the birth certificate of the daughter he is named as Johann Carl Ludwig, in those of the sons only as Carl Ludwig. May be his older brother did not die young.
Whatever:
Johann Joachim most likely came from near Berlin. ( The regiment was established there, Grawert’s lived for centuries in the Altmark nearby, the commander of the regiment Oberstleutnant von Broesicke was the godfather of two of his children and the von Broesickes come out of the Havelland, which is Altmark, just west of Berlin, and are documented there since 1430).
Darkehmen had only 1,000 inhabitants at that time and the name Grawert is very rare.
Whether his grandchild, my proven ancestor Johann Grawert was the son of Carl Ludwig the older, the younger or Christian Leopold might never be found out.
Johann Grawert’s son Wilhelm Grawert, born Nikolaiken 05.12.1818 then was my Great-great-grandfather. Like his father and possibly his grandfather he was a smith master. He lived in Landsberg/East Prussia.
There he married Caroline Jock born 1820 (parents: Johann Jock and ? Brenner).
Johann Grawert had at least one other child: Elizabeth Grawert born 18.10.1820.
Wilhelm Grawert had at least six children:
Carl August Wilhelm bon 23.10.1850 +17.12.1851
Friedrich August born 30.04.1852 + 13.06.1853 (these must have been hard times)
Johanna Emilie Martha 06.04.1854
Ferdinand Adolph Hugo born 03.12.1857
Wilhelm Gustav Adolphborn 27.08.1863
Karl Adolph born 27.08.1863 (my Great-grandfather)
( birth registry Nr. 151 / 1863 Pfarramt der ev. Kirche Landsberg)
Thus my Great-great-grandmother had twins at age 43!!!