Carl L. Schnaath emigrated from Wahrendahl to Missouri (USA)

In 1847, Carl Ludwig Schnaath settled in Femme Osage township, west of St. Louis. He came from Wahrendahl, which belonged to the parish of Hemeringen in the kingdom of Hannover, not far from the border of Grafschaft Schaumburg. His ancestors came from there, from Goldbeck to be precise. The spelling of the surnames often changed in former times. Some of the descendants of Hermann Schnaden (*1580 in Goldbeck), which are spelled sometimes also Schnadt, Schnaat, Schnath or Schnaath moved from Goldbeck in the middle of the 18th century. His descendants in Missouri kept the spelling "Schnaath" as it was used in Hemeringen. Carl's parents were Karl Heinrich Ludwig Schnaath and Justine Melusine Sophie Schnüll. The datas of his descent leave some unanswered questions. Some data contradict each other or are wrong. The first names in the following biography which in 1895 was originally written in English are "americanized", meaning Heinrich is changed to Henry, Melusine to Melozene. The question is: Is that Carl Schnaath from Femme Osage, Missouri identical to that Carl Ludwig Schnaath of Wahrendahl? I strongly believe it, but you can decide for yourself checking the existing sources.

There are two problems:

1. birth date: December 13, 1810  or  December 31, 1813 

2. mothers name: Melusine versus Wilhelmine  

ad 1: The right date of birth, Dec. 31, 1813, has been recorded in the church records of the Lutheran Church of Hemeringen (see below). The gravestone is chiselled "13. Dec. 1810". According to the Missouri Census of 1860 Carl was listed as "age of 46 years, from Hannover“. That means born in 1813 ! The question is, how it came to the difference with the date on the tombstone?

ad 2: Carl Schnaath was born illegitimate. His parents got married in 1816 and had had 6 more children. Then the mother died in 1831. The father married two further times. Eight further children were from second marriage with Caroline Wilhelmine Schnaath. At the time of departure of Carl Schnaath to America twelve siblings were still living. This is equivalent to the statement made in his biography of 1895 "that he had been the eldest of the 12 kids". Contrary to entrance in the birth record, Juergen Ritter named Carl's mother's name as "Justine Melusine Sophie Schnüll"  in his book "Ortsfamilienbuch Hemeringen" (see below).

 

Church record of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hemeringen

born 1814

 

Wahrendahl

on Dec. 31 born, baptized on January 9

Carl Ludwig Schnaath

illegitimate son of Wilhelmine Justine Sophie Schnüll, daughter of Cord Adolph Schnüll, 22 years old, allegedly of Heinrich Schnaath.

Godfathers. Joh. Friedr. Ludw. Pook, Joh. Fr. Schefelmeier, Christian Schnüll, Caroline Grabbe, Wilhelmine Budde, Caroline Schnaath

source: Jürgen Ritter +, Ortsfamilienbuch Hemeringen 1604-1874, Band II, N-Z, page 624, Hannover 2002

The home village of the Schnaath families from Missouri

©

Quelle: Auszug aus Topografischen Karten und/oder Geobasisdaten ©LGN

Wahrendahl  south of Hessisch-Oldendorf

Source: Portrait and biographical records of St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren Counties, Missouri, Author: unknown, 1895, Chicago, Chapman Publisher Co.  

Biography of Charles L. Schnaath (1813-1896)

Charles Schnaath, a venerable and highly respected farmer of Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, is a native of the Fatherland, but for about forty-five years he has been identified with the inhabitants and fortunes of his adopted country.  Though he has reached a ripe old age, he enjoys the best of health and is still vigorous and active both in mind and body, bidding fair to enjoy more years of his life.  His homestead, upon which he located about  1847, is situated on section 18, and here he has dwelt uninterruptedly since becoming the owner of the place.

In a family of twelve children born to Henry and Melozene Schnaath, Charles is the eldest, his birth having occurred in 1810.  His parents were born and passed their entire lives in the Fatherland, where their deaths occurred. Our subject received a good education in his mother tongue, and spent the first forty years of his life in Germany.  In 1848 he embarked for America to seek his fortunes, as he felt confident that better opportunities awaited him on the shores of the New World.

 On landing in the United States Charles Schnaath proceeded straight to this county, where for a number of years following he hired out to farmers, and during this period regularly put aside the main portion of his earnings. When he had a sufficient sum he invested this money in land, the farm upon which he still lives.   He has been very industrious, and by strict

attention to business and economy he has gained a competence which stands him in good stead now that he is advanced in years.   His farm, which is improved with good buildings and fences, comprises one hundred and twenty four acres within its boundries.  He has passed through many hardships, but has bravely surmounted the difficulties in his pathway, and is truly deserving of properity.  When he first come to this country he received only $5 per month and board for his services, and from this it may be judged how difficult it was to obtain money sufficient to buy a farm.

In 1852 Mr. Schnaath married Miss Charlotte Brinkmeyer, whose home was in this county. Four children have been born to the worthy couple, two sons and two daughters, who are all useful and well-to-do citizens of the communities in which they reside.  Richard, the second son, lives on the old homestead, while the other children, Gustav, Amelia (wife of Henry Alvis) and Edna (Mrs. Lewis Shafer), are all living in Franklin County, Mo.  The mother of these children was called to her final rest in 1885, and since that sad event our subject has made his home with his different children.

In his religious beliefs Mr. Schnaath adheres to the denomination in which he was reared, being identified with the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  He has never served in an official capacity, but is an ardent Republican politically.

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remark: the correct birth date is December 31, 1813

Grave of Carl and Charlotte Schnaath in Augusta, MO

Does anybody have references to descendants of these families in the United States? I would appreciate any notes and additions.

last update: September 2,  2004