My ancestors, the Stiers were from a small farming village in Germany called Siggelkow. Siggelkow is in the far north eastern area of Germany. At the time my ancestors left Germany for America in 1856, Siggelkow was in the Mecklenburg-Schwerin part of Germany. The earliest recorded documentation of Siggelkow existing is from 1235 c.e. Recently, archeologists confirmed finding the remains of a Roman "smelting operation" in Siggelkow. To see recent aerial views of Siggelkow, click here.
A lot of the earliest information leading up to those who leave for America will be listed in chronological order. All of the following dates and names DO pertain directly to our ancestors. I have copies of the actual German documents that this information came from. I will be adding copies of all of these documents to the website as time permits. I will also add information as to how and where I found all of this information on this website in the near future.
1789 April 10: Maria Elizabeth Dorothea Stier is born to parents 'Jochen' Heinrich Stier and Sophia Dorothea (ne'e Ebeln) in Siggelkow Germany.
1791 May 7: Twins are born to 'Jochen' Heinrich Stier and Dorothea (ne'e Ebeln). They are named Catharina Sophia Stier and Jochen Wilhelm Stier.
1792 March 13: Catharina Sophia Stier (one of the twins) dies of smallpox at the age of ten months.
1793 Feb. 9: Dorothea Magdalena Christine Stier is born. Her father is Jochen Heinrich Stier listed on this document as being from Malow which is a very small village near Siggelkow.
1793 July 8: Maria Magdalena Christine Stier is born to parents Johann Stier and Magdalena Dorothea (ne'e Finck) in Siggelkow. This is the only record of 'Johann Stier' I have found. In the 'godparent' column of this birth record it lists a Hans Christoph Stier of Greven.
1800 : Anna Friederica Stier is born. Her father is Jochim Heinrich Stier.
1807 Oct 25: Although I have documents from Germany regarding everybody on the 'Stier Family Tree', our first ancestor that we will focus on is Heinrich Jacob Stier. Heinrich was born October 25, 1807 in Siggelkow Germany to parents Jochim Heinrich Stier and Maria Dorothea (nee Becken) Stier. To see the German record of Heinrich's birth click here. Heinrich would be our ancestor who comes to America with three of his children, which is why we are focused on him. Heinrich was confirmed in 1822.
The German records that I have found indicate that Heinrich had six children prior to leaving Germany in 1856.
1811 June 11: Johann Christian Jacob Stier is born. His father is Jochim Heinrich Stier This would make him a brother of Heinrich Jacob. Heinrich Jacob is the person who brings his children to America and starts our family here.
1811 : Anna Sophia Elizabeth Bauer is born to parents Friederich Bauer and Maria Elizabeth Dorothea (ne'e Stier).
1815 : Anna Maria Friederica is confirmed. The confirmation record lists her father as Jochen Heinrich Stier. Her birth record in 1800 listed him as 'Jochim'. You can see how exact spelling wasn't a science back then. People wrote down what they thought they heard and spelled it how they thought it should be spelled.
1819 June 19: Twins are born to Jochim Christian Strohm and Hanna Dorothea (ne'e Stier).
June 20: They are:
1. Magdalena Louise Dorothea Strohm (b. June 19)
2. Jochim Heinrich Friederich Strohm (b. June 20)
1819 Nov 29: Sophia Friederica Dorothea Bauer is born to parents Friederich Bauer and Maria Elizabeth Dorothea (ne'e Stier) in Siggelkow.
1822 : Heinrich Jacob Stier is confirmed. He is the son of Jochim Heinrich Stier. To see the original German record of this confirmation , click here.
1824 Oct 8 : Anna Sophia Maria Brandt is born to parents Christian Jacob Brandt and Anna Maria Friederica (ne'e Stier) in Siggelkow.
1825 April 5: Christian Jacob Brandt marries Anna Maria Friederica Stier. She (Anna Maria) is the daughter of Jochim Heinrich Stier of Siggelkow, which also makes her Heinrich Jacob's sister.
1827 Dec 27: Johann Jochim Heinrich Stier is born to parents Heinrich Jacob Stier and Johanna Sophia Catharina Schroder of Siggelkow.
1831 March 18: Heinrich Jacob Stier marries Catharina Sophia Dorothea (ne'e) Schroder in Siggelkow. Is this the same person as Johanna Sophia Catharina ? as her name is used both ways many times in all of the records. She is the daughter of Matthias Schroder of Siggelkow. To see the German marriage record, click here.
1831 July 16: Maria Christiane Henriette Stier is born to parents Heinrich Jacob Stier and Catharina Sophia Dorothea (ne'e Schroder) in Siggelkow. This is the birth of 'Henriette' who would become the oldest of the three children to come to America with their father (Heinrich) in 1856. To see Henriette's German birth record, click here.
1832 Jan 18: Johann Heinrich Christoph Stier of Siggelkow dies.
1833 Oct 13: Christina Friederica Elizabeth Stier is born to parents Heinrich Jacob Stier and Johanna Sophia Catharina (ne'e Schroder).
1835 Aug 27: Johann Christian Jacob Stier marries Catharina Maria Louise ne'e Sidon. Johann Christian is Heinrich Jacob's brother.
1836 Jan 11: Jochim Heinrich Christian Stier is born to parents Johann Christian Jacob Stier and Catharina Maria Louise (ne'e Sidon).
1836 Jan 18: Catharina Maria Louise (ne'e Sidon) Stier dies seven days after giving birth.
1836 Jan 27: Jochim Heinrich Christian Stier aged 16 days dies nine days after his mother.
1836 Feb 9: Louise Sophia Christina Stier is born to parents Heinrich Jacob Stier and Johanna Sophia Catharina (ne'e Schroder) in Siggelkow. See German record here.
1836 April 8: Johann Christian Jacob Stier marries Anna Catharina Maria (ne'e Moller).
1838 Feb 22: Carl Christian Stier is born to parents Heinrich Jacob Stier and Johanna Sophia Catharina (ne'e Schroder) in Siggelkow. Carl is one of the three children to come to America with their father in 1856. Carl would become my great-great grandfather as his youngest son is my great grandfather George Stair. See Carl's German birth record here.
1839 March 8: Hanna Sophia Henrica Stier is born to parents Johann Christian Jacob Stier and Anna Catharina Maria (ne'e Moller).
1841 Sept 25: Heinrich Christian Theador Stier is born to parents Johann Christian Jacob Stier and Anna Catharina Maria (ne'e Moller).
1842 Oct 21: Friederica Sophia Esther Brandt is born to parents Christian Jacob Brandt and Anna Maria Friederica (ne'e Stier).
1842 : Johann Jochim Heinrich Stier is confirmed. He was born December 27, 1827 and is the son of Heinrich Jacob Stier of Siggelkow.
1843 Dec 24: Dorothea Sophia Henriette Stier is born to parents Johann Christian Jacob Stier and Anna Catharina Maria (ne'e Moller).
1844 April 18: Henrica Maria Johanna Stier is born to parents Heinrich Jacob Stier and Johanna Sophia Catharina (ne'e Schroder) in Siggelkow.
1846 Dec 12: Johanna Maria Catharina Stier is born to parents Johann Christian Jacob Stier and Anna Catharina Maria (ne'e Moller).
1846 : Maria Christiane Henriette Stier (b. July 16, 1831) daughter of Heinrich Jacob Stier, and Hanna Louise Maria Stier (b. Dec 3, 1831) daughter of Johann Christian Jacob Stier are both confirmed.
1848 April 16: Christiane Friederica Elizabeth Stier is confirmed. She was born October October 13, 1833 and is the daughter of Heinrich Jacob Stier of Siggelkow.
1850 April 3: Johann Christian Jacob Stier and his wife Anna Catharina Maria (ne'e Moller) have a stillborn child.
1851 April 13: Heinrich Friederich Christian Stier is confirmed. He was born April 25, 1837 and is the son of Johann Christian Jacob Stier of Siggelkow.
1852 April 4: Carl Christian Stier is confirmed. He was born on Feb. 22, 1838 and is the son of Heinrich Jacob Stier of Siggelkow.
1856 June 30-
July 19: On June 30, 1856 Heinrich Jacob Stier , along with his daughters Henriette and Marie, and son Carl Christian, board the steamship HAMMONIA at a port in Hamburg Germany. The following day, July 1, 1856 the ship leaves port and is headed for New York-the Stiers are on their way to America! 18 days later, on July 19th , 1856 the Hammonia enters port in New York and the Stiers are in America! This was the maiden voyage, or FIRST trans-Atlantic voyage for this ship.
The oldest of the three children who travel to America with their father Heinrich is listed as 'Henriette'.
Henriette was born Maria Christiane Henriette on July 16, 1831 In Siggelkow Germany.Henriette was confirmed in 1846.
On February 22, 1838, Carl Christian Stier is born to parents Heinrich Jacob Stier and Johanna Sophia Catharina ne'e Schroder in Siggelkow Germany. To see Carl Christian's German birth record click here. Carl Christian is confirmed on April 4, 1852. To see Carl Christian's confirmation record, click here.
The third child listed on the ship's passenger list is listed as "Marie" age 9. I have noticed that ages were "approximate" that people were not as specific about their age as we are today. It appears as though when asked ages people approximated their age. Throughout the records I have found (on census and other records), ages (when not correct) are typically off by a year or two one way or the other.
To continue with the CHRONOLOGICAL History, click here, or go to the "...to America" page
from Germany...
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