Johann Steuding - Today's subject is Godparents in German society in the 1800s.... and family connections.
It was typical for a child to have 3 godparents and sometimes more, the godparent's role was to care for the child if anything happened to their parents, and gifts were often given at the baptism of the child.
It was a usual custom for the godparent's name to be one of the given names for the child as well. Johann Theodor Wendel Kleinsteuber's (my 3rd great grandfather) first godfather was Johann Wendel Thomas, and very likely was his mother's brother.
Theodor Kleinsteuber (1804 – 1866) and Dorothea Heym (1805 - ) had 14 children; of these, 4 did not survive past 1859, 9 eventually immigrated to Canada (as well as their mother Dorothea), and 1 daughter, Leontine Charlotte Agnes Eugenie Kleinsteuber but known as Annie, stayed in Gotha and in 1869 married Ernst August Ferdinand Steuding.
Annie was the 3rd great grandmother of our cousin Ines Müller who lives in Eisenach, not very far from Gotha.
Now, the family connection. My 2nd great grandfather, born in 1834, was Johann Heinrich Lorenz Kleinsteuber. One of his godfathers was Johann Steuding, likely born 1800 – 1810.
A Johann Friedrich Steuding, born 1806, was the father of Ernst August Ferdinand Steuding (and who married Annie Kleinsteuber).
It is likely the 2 Johann Steudings were the same person, though cannot be proven. And who knows what the other family connections may have been, related by marriage or just friendship.
These are the tiny elements that make genealogy research fascinating.
The following is an example of Godparents, the attached photo is the parish church baptismal record for Johann Theodor Wendel Kleinsteuber, and following is the translated text;
Church Book Gotha, Baptism of
Johann Theodor Wendel Kleinsteuber,
No. 68, Page 121, 1804
Date of Birth: May 7th at 10 AM
Date of Baptism: May 10th
On May 10th Johann Theodor Wendel, a son of Johann Michael Kleinsteuber, ranger outside the Brühler Gate, and of his wife Anna Maria née Thomas was baptized by the above1.
Godparents were:
1) Johann Wendel Thomas, his Excellency’s, the Privy Councilor von Frankenburg’s coachman, godfather;
2) the wife of master potter Georg Heinrich Erdmann, Mrs. Eva Dorothee Maria née Kohlstock;
3) estate administrator2 Johann Georg Christoph Thomas, godfather.
Added Remark in Margin:
+ 30 September 1866
1966 August3
1 see preceding record: Pastor Gasterstädt
2 administrator or farmer
3 both remarks added in different handwriting: apparently the second scribe was not in agreement, and noted August instead of September
It was typical for a child to have 3 godparents and sometimes more, the godparent's role was to care for the child if anything happened to their parents, and gifts were often given at the baptism of the child.
It was a usual custom for the godparent's name to be one of the given names for the child as well. Johann Theodor Wendel Kleinsteuber's (my 3rd great grandfather) first godfather was Johann Wendel Thomas, and very likely was his mother's brother.
Theodor Kleinsteuber (1804 – 1866) and Dorothea Heym (1805 - ) had 14 children; of these, 4 did not survive past 1859, 9 eventually immigrated to Canada (as well as their mother Dorothea), and 1 daughter, Leontine Charlotte Agnes Eugenie Kleinsteuber but known as Annie, stayed in Gotha and in 1869 married Ernst August Ferdinand Steuding.
Annie was the 3rd great grandmother of our cousin Ines Müller who lives in Eisenach, not very far from Gotha.
Now, the family connection. My 2nd great grandfather, born in 1834, was Johann Heinrich Lorenz Kleinsteuber. One of his godfathers was Johann Steuding, likely born 1800 – 1810.
A Johann Friedrich Steuding, born 1806, was the father of Ernst August Ferdinand Steuding (and who married Annie Kleinsteuber).
It is likely the 2 Johann Steudings were the same person, though cannot be proven. And who knows what the other family connections may have been, related by marriage or just friendship.
These are the tiny elements that make genealogy research fascinating.
The following is an example of Godparents, the attached photo is the parish church baptismal record for Johann Theodor Wendel Kleinsteuber, and following is the translated text;
Church Book Gotha, Baptism of
Johann Theodor Wendel Kleinsteuber,
No. 68, Page 121, 1804
Date of Birth: May 7th at 10 AM
Date of Baptism: May 10th
On May 10th Johann Theodor Wendel, a son of Johann Michael Kleinsteuber, ranger outside the Brühler Gate, and of his wife Anna Maria née Thomas was baptized by the above1.
Godparents were:
1) Johann Wendel Thomas, his Excellency’s, the Privy Councilor von Frankenburg’s coachman, godfather;
2) the wife of master potter Georg Heinrich Erdmann, Mrs. Eva Dorothee Maria née Kohlstock;
3) estate administrator2 Johann Georg Christoph Thomas, godfather.
Added Remark in Margin:
+ 30 September 1866
1966 August3
1 see preceding record: Pastor Gasterstädt
2 administrator or farmer
3 both remarks added in different handwriting: apparently the second scribe was not in agreement, and noted August instead of September
