Finding Fred Bourman
Location: South Australia, Australia
Surnames/tags: bormann bourman
Contents |
The Fred Bourman Mystery
Fred Bourman marries Louisa Williams in South Australia in 1865, has eleven children with her, and dies in 1903. We currently have no evidence for his birth.
- Obituary. — We have to record this week the sudden death of Mr. Frederick Bourman, which took place at his residence, Kooringa, on Friday. The deceased was taken with a fit of vomiting at 3 o'clock, and three hours later he expired. He was well known in Burra, having resided here for the past 38 years, principally following the occupation of a drover. He leaves four daughters — Mrs. W. Gillett (Hampton); Minnie, Annie, Albina and Tilly (Burra); and five sons — John and William (W.A.), Benjamin, Walter and Alfred (Burra). The funeral took place on Saturday afternoon. He was born in Germany, and was 68 years of age.[1]
This is an attempt to document the evidence for the birth of Friedrich Rudolph Bormann a.k.a. Frederick Rudolph Bourman. It was created in response to the G2G thread Bourman Australia Brick Wall
General Info
German Vornamen are pretty fluid, they might have four and use them interchangeably depending on mood (at least it seems). I have noticed that they may even adopt new names that appeal to them. This may be the case for Fred.
Common variations of the surname found in sources are: Bourman(n), Bor(r)man(n), Barman, Boermann.
Steve edit: Searched nineteenth century emigration records from the German state of Lower Saxony. Found 65 references to Bormann, 4 to Borrmann and 0 Bourman. Bourman is an English variation of Bormann.
Family Lore
Gary - still to locate my physical files but do remember that Fred came across from a Polish area of Prussia as a seaman on a boat, got to Melbourne and abandoned that ship and came to Adelaide on the Mary Clarke in 1853 I believe (to be confirmed). Stayed in the Adelaide area for a while then moved to Burra. Recollection is that Fred was pretty illiterate and was a shepherd.
There is a copy of a publication "Bourman's of Burra" which I had a third hand copy of, should be in the family tree documents when I find them, the photos are very blurred due to being photocopies of photocopies. Finding the originals of this will be a treasure trove.
Things Supported by Evidence
- Fred is born around 1835-1840 in "Germany",
- Gottfried Bormann appears to gift Fred a parcel of land in Lobethal in 1862,
- Emilie Friederike (Borrmann) Stabernack is allowed to use Fred's land in Lobethal after the death of her husband (who owns an interest in it)
- The 1862 title lists him as a labourer and his obit as a drover,
- Fred marries in 1865 at age 25 (gives date of birth as 1840),
- He's in Burra by the time his first child is born (February 1868) - obit suggests 1865,
- His cows are wandering the streets of Burra in 1894[2],
- His daughter is shot in the arm in Kooringa in 1894[3],
- Fred dies in 1903 at age 68 (gives date of birth as 1835).
The current earliest definitive record of Fred is 1862. All earlier dates and mentions are speculative.
Current Theories
- That Fred is the son of Johann Gottfried Bormann and his third wife Johanne Christiane Wilhelmine Minke:
- We're missing only one male child in the known Gottfried Bormann family - Carl Rudolph Bormann
- Carl Rudolph Bormann is Christened on the 2nd December 1834 in Meseritz which aligns closely with Fred's date of birth calculated from his age at death,
- They share the name Rudolph
- It is documented that the Bormann family lived in Meseritz, Posen, Prussia [4]. This town was in the region returned to Poland at the end of WWI, and now known as Międzyrzecz. The history is consistent with the family lore that Fred came from the Polish area of Prussia,
- That he's from the Harz mountains or another mining area and made his way to the Burra mines:
- Leandra Ford: "In the early 1850s there were 2000 or so German miners who came to SA from the Harz Mountains, and of course they settled in the mining communities in SA. Was Frederick a miner?"
- Dieter Lewerenz: "I also have some ancestors with the name Bormann in my family tree. They come from the Harz region and from the area between Harz and Magdeburg. This region belonged to the province Saxony of the Kingdom of Prussia at that time."
- The mining link seems tenuous - he's a labourer, farmer, and drover from the evidence so far.
- He came to Australia as crew, jumped ship in Melbourne, arrived via Mary Clarke in 1853
- According to https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/2352A0B5-F7F0-11E9-AE98-37CE4C9AA9A3?image=393 the Bourman arriving on the Mary Clarke in 1853 is 27 years old. This would make this person born in 1826 which is much earlier than the range we have for Fred.
Mentions of Fred in Australia
TO DO:
- Find all Land Titles and check for family relationships and transfers
- Check Sand's and Mac for addresses
- Look for newspaper family notices - especially those for deaths to see if family relationships are mentioned - the search for family notices should include the newspapers printed in German, starting with the 'Süd-Australien' https://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/record=b1191751~S1
- Other newspapers references
- Did Johann Gottlieb Bormann leave a will?
- Lutheran Archives
- Lobethal Archives and Historical Museum - Query Submitted
- If he came via Melbourne can we find him there?
- Gary to find his previous research
- See if "Browsing the Bormanns" by Lorraine Willoughby has any info: http://worldcat.org/title/1164079229 — the book cites no sources, and doesn't mention Fred. The book is missing quite a few early family members and appears to conflate two families. More research needed, the book is in the Nuriootpa Library but is not available for borrowing.
COMPLETED TASKS:
- Check all Fred* born between 1834 and 1846 in SA - DONE
- Check all Fried* born between 1834 and 1846 in SA - DONE
- Hospital records - DONE
- Skjold has parents and five(?) children - attempt to reconstruct children from birth records. - DONE - All the SA civil Birth records between 1836 and 1902 can traced back to 3 points of origin. (Johann Gottfried Bormann, Friedrich Rudolph Bourman (abt.1840-1903), and the unrelated parents of Friedrich Heinrich Bormann (1860-1926)); commented by Steve Thomas 06:03, 27 July 2022 (UTC)
Possibly arrived on the Mary Clarke from Melbourne in 1853 - though he'd be very young (13 to 18 years old).
- PASSENGERS INWARDS.
- Passengers per Mary Clarke—Misses Gilfillan and Cook, Messrs Hanson, Styles, Roberts, Frenellick, in the cabin. Messrs Nichols, Raker, Ford, Warul, Wilson, Lanley, Andrews, Smart, Saiby, Oliver, Hodson, Bourman, in the steerage.[5]
Gary edit: going through the Public Record Office Victoria site to ascertain if there is record of Bormann/Bourman coming through Victoria in the lists, will advise progress. There is every chance that I will need to check Geelong, Port Fairy and Tasmania lists as well.
PROV: https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/63E8C029-FA01-11E9-AE98-F33C30B7AB7B?image=124
Frederick BOORMAN at PROV: https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/3B010F26-F96C-11E9-AE98-2719F500BDE6?image=187 PLEASE DISREGARD - STARTLED FAWN IS THE SHIP, DATE OF LEAVING LONDON IS 31ST JULY 1856???
Land Transactions
It appears that crown title XXXVI/66 in the Hundred of Onkaparinga is given to him by Johann Gottfried BORMANN on the 19th December 1862. We know this because the notifications of land sales in the newspapers only list Johann:
- TOWNSHIP LOBETHAL.-Lots 7, 8, 74, 75, of Sections 5124 and 5125; and Lot 9, part of Section 5171, Hundred Onkaparinga; Johann Gottfried Bormann; Residence, Lobethal.[6]
These lots are contained in two titles: Johann Gottfried Bormann keeps Lots 7, 8, 74, 75 of Sections 5124 and 5125 (CT36/65), but Friedrich's CT36/66 contains Lot 9 of Section 5171.[7].
|
| Relationship between Gottfried's and Fred's land parcels |
From the title we can infer that Fred's preferred name (at the time) is Friedrich Rudolph Bormann. The title is transferred to his wife Louisa when he dies in 1903 - confirming we have the correct individual.
|
| Lobethal title passes to Louisa - we have the right Fred. |
There is very likely a family relationship to Johann Gottfried BORMANN - so it is possible that Fred arrived with the family on the SKJOLD in 1841. He would have been a child.
The Will of Ferdinand Julius Stabernack, dated 2nd July 1898, states in part:
- I also give unto my son Ferdinand Julius Stabernack all my interest in that piece of land known as Frederick Bormann's containing three acres or thereabouts and being part section 5171 Hundred of Onkaparinga provided always that Fredericka Stabernack whom I hereby acknowledge as my wife is allowed free and unrestricted right to occupy for her own use and benefit—...[8]
If Fred is the son of Gottfried, then "Fredericka Stabernack" is his sister and Ferdinand Julius Stabernack is his brother-in-law. This seems to further strengthen this link.
GRO Research
The following items, from https://localwiki.org/adelaide-hills/GRO_Merge_%27Bed%27_-_%27Bow%27 should be viewed at the Grenfell Street Land Services Office:
- BORMANN, Ernst Gustav linked with Section 195 Hundred of Finniss 1890 Memorial 220/401
- BORMANN, Johann Gottfried shoemaker Lobethal 1850 Memorial 238/26
- BORMANN, Gottfried farmer Lobethal 1855 Memorial 87/80
- BORMANN, Johann Gottfried shoemaker Lobethal 1862, linked with Friedrich Rudolph Bormann labourer Lobethal Application 3390
- BORMANN, Wilhelm farmer near Palmer Hundred of Finniss land grant 1891 Grant Book 58 Page 44 County Sturt
The Family of Johann Gottfried Bormann
We know that Johann Gottfried Bormann and his family fled persecution in Prussia for their Lutheran beliefs. There are two records here that need to be considered carefully as they are marked as Catholic records.
We currently have 10 candidates for the 4 or 5 children on the Skjold. We need to try to match children born Prussia with events in South Australia. In this way we can work out which children emigrated. Some my have died before 1841 - the oldest child in 1841 would have been 21 (just old enough to marry).
| Child | Mother | Birth | Marriage | Death |
| 1 | 1 | Gustav Adolph Bornemann Born 22 Oct 1820, Baptised 29 Oct 1820, Meseritz | ||
| 2 | 1 | Mathilde Wilhelmine Bornemann Born 22 Aug 1823, Baptised 24 Aug 1823, Meseritz | None | 6 Sep 1823, Meseritz |
| 3 | 1 | Wilhelmine Amalie Bormann Born 29 Sep 1824, Baptised 3 Oct 1824, Meseritz | ||
| 4 | 2 | Johanne Caroline Bormann Born 9 Sep 1827, Baptised 23 Sep 1827, Meseritz | None | 8 Nov 1827, Meseritz |
| 5 | 3 | Christened Ernst Wilhelm Eduard Bormann 29 Apr 1829 Posen | Eduard Karl BORMANN 19-Dec-1857 Inverbrackie (DOB~1828) | Carl Edward BORMANN 22-Jul-1907 Milendella (DOB~1828) |
| 6 | 3 | Christened Carl Wilhelm Bormann 8 Aug 1831 Meseritz | Wilhelm BORMANN 20-Jun-1862 Blumberg (DOB~1831) | Wilhelm BORMANN 16-Jul-1894 Milendella (DOB~1831) |
| 7 | 3 | Christened Carl Rudolph Borrmann 2 Dec 1834 Meseritz | ||
| 8 | 3 | Christened Maria Herrmine Bormann 21 Jul 1837 Posen | Maria Hermine BORMAN 28-Aug-1856 Inverbrackie (DOB~1837) | Hermina M Beeck 24 Sep 1914 Katanning (DOB~1837) |
| 9 | 3 | Ernestine Emilie Borrmann Born 21 Jun 1837, Baptised 14 Nov 1837, Meseritz | ||
| 10 | 3 | Born Borrmann 20 Sep 1839 Meseritz, Christened Friederike Emilie Bormann 12 Dec 1839 Posen | Friderica Emilie BORRMANN 10-Jul-1862 Inverbrackie (DOB~1840) | Emilie STABERNACK 9 May 1904 Lobethal (DOB~1840) |
- Why are 8 and 10 christened Catholic? Where they prevented from practising their own religion? See https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1464322/is-hermine-maria-bormann-a-twin for discussion
- 8 and 9 are christened very close, are the corresponding births separated by at least nine months? See https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1464322/is-hermine-maria-bormann-a-twin for discussion
- Try to find birth records
- Assuming christenings are close to births, try to match up with known Australian events
The Lutherans
Given that Fred may be a member of Gottfried's family it is worth contacting the following Lutheran organisations to see if they have any info.
- https://www.lca.org.au/departments/ministry-support/lutheran-archives/
- https://milendella.lutheran.org.au/
Early History of Lobethal
Johann Friedrich Krummnow was born in 1811 in Posen, Prussia and in 1839 arrived at Port Adelaide on the ship, Catharina. During the voyage he taught girls but later was not deemed suitable to teach and become a pastor in Australia. In the following years, he was able to become a naturalised British citizen and thus able to purchase land. The Germans who arrived later on the Skjold were not British subjects and so were not able to buy land. Some number of German settlers provided Krummnow with the funds for land purchases at Lobethal to establish a community: Krummnow wanted it based on his own principles of shared property and fervent prayer. The Lobethal settlers rejected Krummnow's vision and legally disputed his right to the land titles.
It seems likely that Johann Gottfried Bormann was part of the group that acquired land from Johann Friedrich Krummnow. The Bormann family could be prominent in the history of the settlement of Lobethal.
- In May 1842, the settlers purchased sections 5124 and 5125 from J F Krumnow by an arrangement where he retained the title as he was the only naturalised British subject of Fritsche’s congregation. These sections were divided between the 18 families and included four acres for a church and school, two acres of which were donated by Müller. The heads of the 18 founding families were: Carl Meier; Gottfried Krause; Christian Wentzel; Samuel Gottlob Hoffman; Johann Kleinitz; Daniel Menzel; Gottlieb Felsch; Emanuel Klar; Ferdinand and August Müller; Gottfried Hauffe; Christian Hentschke; Gottfried Bormann; Christoph and Friedrich Kowald; and Traugott, August and Dienegott Weinert. Several of these original settlers of Lobethal constructed buildings which survive to this day.[9]
Note: the links to profiles above have only had preliminary verification - please take them with a grain of salt.
According to the document above:
- 5 Bridge St, Lobethal, Cottage, (1850s, Bormann, Lunn)
- 101 Main Street, Lobethal, House & former shop ‘Rosedale’, (1860, Bormann)
are both credited as Gottfried's.
Images of "Rosedale" at: https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1109371742427723&type=3
Apparently occupied by his daughter Johanne Lydia Muhlberg in 1902.
A view inside "Rosedale" in 2015: https://autopsyofadelaide.com/2015/11/21/the-ghosts-of-christmas-past/
Resources
- https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/heritage-surveys/2-Lobethal-Valley-of-Praise-1983.pdf
- https://localwiki.org/adelaide-hills/Ship_Skjold_%2828Oct1841%29
- There is a Bormann Road near Milendella probably named after Gottfried
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milendella,_South_Australia
- https://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/milendella.htm
- https://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/c.php?g=410329&p=2795763
- http://www.archivaria.com/EmigList/
- https://sailis.lssa.com.au/products/search/historicalNameIndexImageSearch?form
- https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx
- https://sappa.plan.sa.gov.au/
- https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/?
- https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/
- https://www.familyhistorysa.org/colonists.html
- https://www.genealogysa.org.au/resources/online-database-search
Sources
- ↑ No title (1903, March 25). Burra Record (SA : 1878 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36015572
- ↑ MAGISTRATES' COURT. (1894, May 30). Burra Record (SA : 1878 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved September 3, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36058721
- ↑ SHOOTING ACCIDENT AT KOORINGA. (1894, January 11). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), p. 6. Retrieved May 30, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25674931
- ↑ Iwan, William (Wilhelm) (2003). Name list of "Old Lutheran" emigration of the mid-19th century from eastern Germany (mainly Pomerania and Lower Silesia) to Australia, Canada, and the United States (Rev. ed. 2003). Freistadt Historial Society, Trinity Lutheran Church of Freistadt, Mequon, WI"
http://www.archivaria.com/EmigList/ Webpage 2, Page 247 of German text, half way down the page under Kreis Meseritz is a reference, which translates "shoemaker Borrmann (45) with wife and five children;" - ↑ SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. (1853, February 28). Adelaide Times (SA : 1848 - 1858), p. 2. Retrieved August 25, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207010815
- ↑ Advertising (1862, October 4). The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1858 - 1889), p. 4. Retrieved August 27, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31815454
- ↑ https://sailis.lssa.com.au/products/imageDelivery/historicalNameIndex/B/1858-1863/PRIVATE/46
- ↑ "Australia, South Australia, Will and Probate Records," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q55Y-PKT2 : 26 September 2019), Ferdinand Julius Stabernack, 6 Dec 1900; citing Will, South Australia, Australia, Probate and Administration Books, Supreme Court of South Australia, Adelaide; FHL microfilm 103505917.
- ↑ https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/heritage-surveys/2-Onkaparinga-Valley-Heritage-Survey-Pt-1-2003-Revised-Edition.pdf
The search used to produce this list
Marriage to Johanne Carolina Elisabeth Schultz
- Name: Johann Gottfried Bormann
- Event Type: Marriage
- Event Date: 25 Jan 1820
- Event Place: Tirschtiegel, Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Event Place (Original): Tirschtiegel, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Sex: Male
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Johann Christian Bormann
- Spouse's Name: Johanna Carolina Elisabeth Schulz
- Spouse's Sex: Female
- Spouse's Father's Name: Johann Christian Schulz
- Volume: 1455 - 1460
- Volume Date Range: 1455 - 1460, 1817-1825
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DYVQ-NFP?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJ4LS-MHV
Children of Johann Gottfried Bormann and Johanna Caroline Elisabeth Schultz
- Name: Wilhelmine Amalie Bormann
- Sex: Female
- Christening Date: 3 Oct 1824
- Christening Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Johann Gottfried Bormann
- Mother's Name: Caroline Elisabeth Schultz
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-4HM?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQBP-NMK
Death of Johanne Carolina Elisabeth Schultz
- Name: Caroline Elisabeth Schultze
- Event Type: Death
- Event Date: 14 Jul 1825
- Event Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Event Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Sex: Female
- Age: 26
- Religion: Evangelische
- Birth Year (Estimated): 1799
- Spouse's Name: Johann Gottfried Bormann
- Spouse's Sex: Male
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- Volume Date Range: 1416 - 1426, 1824-1835
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-WTR?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQB5-Z5W
Marriage to Johanne Caroline Minke
Gottfried's marriage to Caroline is short-lived - both she and their daughter die shortly after the birth.
- Name: Johann Gottfried Bormann
- Event Type: Marriage
- Event Date: 12 Apr 1826
- Event Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Event Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Sex: Male
- Age: 33
- Religion: Evangelische
- Birth Year (Estimated): 1793
- Spouse's Name: Hanne Caroline Minke
- Spouse's Sex: Female
- Spouse's Age: 23
- Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1803
- Spouse's Father's Name: Christian Minke
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- Volume Date Range: 1416 - 1426, 1824-1835
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-H4J?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQB5-JMY
Children of Johann Gottfried Bormann and Johanne Caroline Minke
- Name: Johanne Caroline Bormann
- Sex: Female
- Christening Date: 9 Sep 1827
- Christening Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Joh Gottfried Bormann
- Mother's Name: Johanne Caroline Minke
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-C2F?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQBR-FH2
- Name: Johanna Carolina Bormann
- Sex: Female
- Age: 0
- Death Date: 8 Nov 1827
- Death Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Death Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Birth Year (Estimated): 1827
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Joh Gottfried Bormann
- Mother's Name: Johanna Carolina Minke
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-W2W?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQBR-58H
Death of Johanne Caroline Minke
- Name: Johanne Caroline Minke
- Event Type: Death
- Event Date: 21 Sep 1827
- Event Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Event Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Sex: Female
- Age: 25
- Religion: Evangelische
- Birth Year (Estimated): 1802
- Spouse's Name: Joh Gottfried Bormann
- Spouse's Sex: Male
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- Volume Date Range: 1416 - 1426, 1824-1835
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-CSN?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQBR-5Z7
Marriage to Johanna Christiane Minke
Gottfried marries Caroline's sister, Christiane.
- Name: Johann Gottfried Bormann
- Event Type: Marriage
- Event Date: 17 Jul 1828
- Event Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Event Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Sex: Male
- Age: 37
- Religion: Evangelische
- Birth Year (Estimated): 1791
- Father's Name: Joh Christian Bormann
- Mother's Name: Anna Margretha Steltzer
- Spouse's Name: Johanna Christiane Minke
- Spouse's Sex: Female
- Spouse's Age: 22
- Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1806
- Spouse's Father's Name: Christian Minke
- Spouse's Mother's Name: Anna Catharina Kloss
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- Volume Date Range: 1416 - 1426, 1824-1835
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-CFY?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQBT-S68
Children of Johann Gottfried Bormann and Johanne Christiane Minke
- Name: Ernst Wilhelm Eduard Bormann
- Sex: Male
- Christening Date: 29 Apr 1829
- Christening Place: Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Posen, Preuben, Germany
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Joh. Gottfried Bormann
- Mother's Name: Johanna Christiane Minke
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-41S?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQBT-LR4
- Name: Carl Wilhelm Bormann
- Sex: Male
- Christening Date: 8 Aug 1831
- Christening Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Joh. Gottfried Bormann
- Mother's Name: Christiana Minke
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-W74?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQBB-38J
- Name: Carl Rudolph Borrmann
- Sex: Male
- Christening Date: 2 Dec 1834
- Christening Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Johann Gottfr. Borrmann
- Mother's Name: Johanne Minke
- Volume: 1416 - 1426
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYWS-487?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJQ19-9HK
- Name: Maria Herrmine Bormann
- Sex: Female
- Christening Date: 21 Jul 1837
- Christening Place: Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Prittish, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Katholische
- Father's Name: Gottfr. Bormann
- Mother's Name: Johanne Muenke
- Volume: 1331, 1332
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QPS-QMK?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJ389-3P8
- Name: Ernestine Emilie Borrmann
- Sex: Female
- Christening Date: 14 Nov 1837
- Christening Place: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Joh. Gottfried Borrmann
- Mother's Name: Joh. Christiane Münke
- Volume: 1426 - 1428
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SGF-QF?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJ3GT-VZ9
Note: Tochter = Daughter, it's not a name.
- Name: Tochter Borrmann
- Sex: Female
- Birth Date: 20 Sep 1839
- Birthplace: Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Birthplace (Original): Meseritz, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Evangelische
- Father's Name: Joh. Gottfr. Borrmann
- Mother's Name: Johanne Christiane Muenke
- Volume: 1426 - 1428
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6SGV-LS?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJ3GY-Z5T
- Name: Friederike Emilie Bormann
- Sex: Female
- Christening Date: 12 Dec 1839
- Christening Place: Posen, Preußen, Deutschland
- Christening Place (Original): Prittish, Posen, Preußen, Germany
- Religion: Katholische
- Father's Name: Gottfr. Bormann
- Mother's Name: Johannae Muenke
- Volume: 1331, 1332
- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QPS-QMK?cc=1491272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AJ389-3PP
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I finally was able to get a copy emailed to me by one of my father's first cousins once removed.
Have also been browsing through Facebook groups in relation to the vornammen issue and it appears that it is not just likely but probably guaranteed that Fred was not born with any semblance of that as his first or even second name.
If anyone wants a copy of the Bourmans of Burra please email me, It was quite a large file so had to be through a fileshare site
We have to smash this through, I have tried to contact the Bormann's in South Australia but no answer when I call. I will keep at it. It may *ugh* be me having to go into Ancestry and paying money,
I'm currently looking on Ancestry (I succumbed and paid) - I'm not sure we'll find anything more definitive there.
I think this page is probably the most comprehensive document search for Frederick you'll find - and many on Ancestry have made the assumption that "Carl Rudolph BORMANN" became "Frederick Rudolph BOURMAN" on his arrival in South Australia (possibly based on the research here).
It would still be worth doing a DNA test - Ancestry would get you the most matches, and you can then upload your DNA file to MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA and GEDMatch for free.
Will update as things develop. I had tried the telephone numbers initially suggested a number of times and this one was answered!
Awesome news. Keep us posted!
Thanks for your offer, I'll take it up (I'll send a direct message with my email address). Does it mention any origins for Fred, or why he had land in Lobethal? Thanks, Chris.
Apologies to all, I have had some other things that have diverted my attention again but now wanting to smash through this wall - I am determined to solve this.
From memory the Bourmans of Burra didnt mention anything about Fred's beginnings other than Prussia, I havent heard back from the people listed in the URL below but will have another go at that this week,
Thanks all for all of your help.....would love to get this over the line and solved so I can start linking up.
Chris - the author of the Browsing the Bormann's is Lorraine Willoughby?
edited by Gary Bourman
There is a small thing about real living that can get in the way of family research.
I have tried to find more information at Library of South Australia without success. There might be something in the archives of newspapers and church records of Lobethal.
edited by Steve Thomas
Thank you for all the help. We must be close to breaking the wall surely.
Yes, Lorraine is the author of "Browsing the Bormanns". No relation to me, that I know if.
There are copies in various libraries. I've taken a look, but research has moved on since it was written.
Nothing on Fred.
The archives in Lobethal would be a great start.
Still dead keen to break through this wall.
I am still very interested in breaking this wall. Not so much with your family in particular but the history of Lobethal is also very important.
I would not expect any information from the descendants of Johann Gottfried Bormann. I have corresponded with one in Wikitree and she knows nothing. Whatever the reason, I think Fred moved away from the family. I am sure that he has been forgotten by the rest of the family.
In my view Lobethal is the key. The most direct approach is to approach the Lutheran Church and see if there are any records that might help. Something related to Births, Marriages and Deaths between 1842 and 1852 might refer to Johann Gottfried Bormann having six children or four sons in that era.
edited by Steve Thomas
Their reply included information that a Bormann reunion had occurred there some years ago - I suspect at the publishing of the book "Browsing the Bormanns". Given the incomplete, unsourced, and erroneous information in the book about the early family, I'm not surprised that Fred is not listed in its pages. Our work on FamilySearch and here is much more complete (especially back in the "old country"). Given that new records appear online as time moves on, this is also not surprising.
They did suggest that by organising a visit one can search through their archives for earlier records and artifacts related to the Skjold and the Bormann family.
Given that at least two land transfers link Fred to the Bormann's and Stabernack's of Lobethal I think this is the next logical step.
The reply from the museum said, in part: "I have spent some time in the office searching for the history required. It has been recorded in our records. However, there is a lot to plough through and I suggest you make the time to visit here, if possible, and we can research together and that way you take what is relevant with you. Hope this is possible."
edited by Chris Willoughby
Johann Gottfried Bormann and someone whom I suspect is his missing son (Gustav Adolph Bormann) is in the 1847 Act.
I will add more notes about the persecution of the Old Lutherans in the era. One pastor, L.F.E. Krause. was jailed for 2 years after July 1835. He is credited with being the Lutheran first pastor in Wisconsin, USA, returned to Prussia, the went to Lobethal where he died 17th May 1885.
edited by Steve Thomas
Is there any evidence between 1842 and 1862 that Friedrich Rudolph was the son of Johann Gottfried ?
edited by Steve Thomas
A Bornemann arrived in 1849 on the Steinwaerder - he seems to be listed as a joiner from Hamburg at the Ships List, though.
I note that Fred married Louisa WILLIAMS in 1865 as 'Frederick BOURMANN' and in the registration of the birth of James Benjamin BOURMANN (1879), Fred's name was given 'Frederick Rudolph BOURMANN'.
BORMANN possibly changed to BOURMAN when the name was firstly written phonetically, then changed to standard English, i.e MANN changed to MAN.
edited by Steve Thomas
The bullet entered and passed through the left arm of a servant, Minnie Bourmann, daughter of Fred Bourmann, of Kooringa, who was unfortunately passing across the yard at the time.
SHOOTING ACCIDENT AT KOORINGA. (1894, January 11). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), p. 6. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25674931
In 1943 the theological historian, Wilhelm Iwan, compiled a list of religious refugees to the US and South Australia . The Bormann family registered to leave Prussia in 1838 with 5 children German page 247 in Iwan's list.
The Bormann family actually emigrated 3 years later, 1841, on the Skjold. There may have been only 4 children that travelled with them and Fred was left behind.
[Later edited to correct year of registration to leave from 1839 to 1838. The Bormann family was not the only family in Posen Province to register to leave then migrated on the Skjold in 1841]
edited by Steve Thomas
Been away a lot as life has thrown me two very hard knocks but I am getting the head up again. I obviously haven't been able to this but am rekindling the thread. I am at the point of offering a financial reward for the person who knocks the wall down - is this against the rules here?
One strategy I have adopted, is to offer DNA tests to likely candidates.
In the Willoughby case, I have taken an autosomal and Y-DNA test at FamilyTreeDNA. I then uploaded the autosomal test to other sites such as MyHeritage and looked for matches with the same surname. I then approached those who were male and offered to pay for their Y-DNA test. Results are not in yet, but I'm hopeful that this approach will break down our brick wall.
edited by Chris Willoughby
They may have recorded family history that will confirm or abolish the theory that Fred is related to Johann Gottfried Bormann.
Last year I looked for the book 'Bourmans of Burra' in the State Library of South Australia. I had assistance from a helpful librarian but did not find anything. Our conclusion at the time is that the book was an unpublished manuscript.
Coincidently a descendant of the Bormanns of Milendella has just joined Wikitree and started adding to the Bormann profiles I created. I will write to her and ask if there is any family story of a lost uncle Fred.
Folk lore is that the Bourman/Bormann's came from an area in Poland so I think we are heading in the right direction with Posen, I guess it is now how we get the information on that end.
Appears a 27 year old Bourman departing heading to Adelaide on the Mary Clarke. In 1853 this would make this person born in 1826 which shoots down I believe that the Bourman arriving on the Mary Clarke in February 1853 is Fred. Maybe,
Need to find this Patricia Hughes and see if she is still with us and how she knows so much. I have emailed the Burra Historical Society and am waiting.
We've got no living children of Gottfried born in 1826 - Wilhelmine is closest at 1824 - so it looks like it's someone else.
Given Patricia Hughes is the author about a family in Burra I'm hoping she has some relationship to the place and maybe the family.
William joined the merchant navy (1845 (age 14) -1854 (age 23)), discharged at Adelaide, worked on farms then got acquired land near Yacka.
My main point is that he arrived at South Australia as a crew-man, not a passenger. He is not on any passenger list.
Some of my family (including Elisabeth Qualmann) first migrated to New Zealand in 1844, abandoned the settlement and came to South Australia on the Palmyra from Hobart in 1845. I am sorry, but I agree that it is a good idea to check passenger lists from Tasmania as well. The ironic part of this story is that they travelled on the same ship 'Skjold', but to Nelson, New Zealand, in 1844. Not to South Australia in 1841.
I am sure you want less theories, not more. The good news is that a lot the possibilities are being eliminated.
edited by Steve Thomas
My key question will never be answered. Why would Gottfried leave behind a son? I have seen examples where the eldest daughter was left to care more elderly grandparents, then migrate late, but not a young child.
For whatever reason, it is credible that Fred is Gottfried's son, and later drawn to South Australia. If he didn't enter the merchant navy then he could have paid for trip as a cabin boy or servant to some family. Whatever path taken, then it is then easy to imagine that Fred did not feel a lot of connection with the Germans in the Adelaide Hills. In that path he acquired the English spelling of his surname.
edited by Steve Thomas
Maybe the gift of land was meant to appease the abandoned son but instead he immediately uses it to raise capital and leaves. We may never know.
Gary: On the DNA/Family History side - there are at least 4 Bormanns listed in the White Pages as still in Milendella/Palmer/Punthari/Frayville (indeed one is still on Bormann Road). These are almost certainly descended from Eduard and Wilhelm. A call or letter may reveal more. My father has approached many across the country in our attempt to find family, with much success. On one occasion he turned up to a distant relative's house in Perth, announced he was the son of a Klenk and the reply was that he resembled her husband (also a Klenk). If the family lore on their side has a black-sheep named Fred, I think you can call it done. If they are male, and are willing to take a DNA test, the good news is that a Y-DNA test would settle it once and for all.
edited by Chris Willoughby
Current theory "That he's from the Harz mountains and made his way to Burra via Melbourne". doesn't work for me.
The sponsorship by the Kingdom of Hanover to South Australia was very clear and well documented. I am looking at the the records from Hanover to see if there as another Fred Bormann. I need time to work through the possible name variations.
edited by Steve Thomas
I am still loving the page you have put together for this discussion.
This whole page is a work of art. I will not edit it but I may add comments if I find anything. I will spend a bit of time copying the marriage information and sources back into the profiles I manage. As Chris has already done feel free to add information to 'my' profiles.
I concur that Bormann road is very likely to be named after Gottfried or his descendants if they stayed on the farm. There's been a lot of renaming of roads in South Australia after local folk. I grew up next to Thomas Road.
I don't agree that Meseritz was necessarily a mining community. As per the historian Wilhelm Iwan, Gottfried Bormann was a shoemaker in Prussia. (page 247 of the German copy in http://www.archivaria.com/EmigList/EmigList2.html). He registered his family to emigrate in 1836. If the family had left with most emigrants from Meseritz in 1838, they would have migrated on the ship Catharina with some of my ancestors. I think Fred went looking for work to Burra because it was a busy place. Looking at the birth places of his children in the region (Kooringa, Hanson, Mintaro and Clare) I guess that Fred was a farm-worker or trades-man. Clare sits away from mining areas and the copper transport routes.
edited by Steve Thomas
I didn't mean to imply that Meseritz was a mining community - I was referring to Leandra's suggestion: "In the early 1850s there were 2000 or so German miners who came to SA from the Harz Mountains, and of course they settled in the mining communities in SA. Was Frederick a miner?" and Dieter's response "I also have some ancestors with the name Bormann in my family tree. They come from the Harz region and from the area between Harz and Magdeburg. This region belonged to the province Saxony of the Kingdom of Prussia at that time."
I will correct to make clearer.
Another of Leandra's good lines are worth highlighting in bold print. She did understate that passenger's records were lost. In the early days many of the immigrants to SA were not named. The official records kept the names of the passengers travelling in the cabins, but absolutely none in the hull (steerage).
Any list of steerage passengers before 1842 has been reconstructed from family history and research. Part of that research would include the original papers and documents from the Lutheran Church that Wilhelm Iwan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Iwan) collated. His work is >99% accurate. I am quite confident that Gottried had a fifth child, and that they did not travel with the rest of the family on the Skjold - it could be Fred.
edited by Steve Thomas
I, too, am unconvinced by the mining link. Given that he is a labourer on the 1862 title and he possesses cattle in 1894 I'm more inclined to think he is a farmer. https://www.burrasa.info/ states that many came to the mines but moved on to other things. They mention the Gebhardt family in particular as doing so (the Willoughbys have a link to the Gebhardts, as do the Bormanns).
The land title link to Gottfried suggests very strongly that he is one of the 7 children that are still living in 1841 (assuming no more deaths are found). The family did the usual thing, started in Klemzig, settled Lobethal and then moved to Tunkillo/Milendella.
Fred is the only one to marry outside the German community, and to head off to Burra. He still possessed the land in Lobethal when he died but clearly didn't stay within the community like his siblings. Is this a sign of his arriving independently? I don't know.
I was travelling down a slightly different path. Was there a another, distinct Fred Bormann?
I have ugly memories of unravelling Friedrich Heinrich, William Whitbread, Samuel Thomas but the worst was Eleanore Pfeiffer.
With a surname like Thomas I know there is a lot of room for confusion. Bormann doesn't offer so much space for mistaken identity.
edited by Steve Thomas
I am wondering if we go back to birth records back in Prussia and check off.
So whether he put down the money, or just reserved it for Fred, we don't know.
The alternate theory carries a lot of weight around 1850 when the Kingdom was financially supporting emigration to Amerika, South Australia and Brasil.
The records in the German State of Lower Saxony are very comprehensive. I have seen 0 records for Bourman. 14 records for Bormanns. Most to the USA but one family to Australia. The family of Andreas Bormann (with wife Dorothea and son Joseph (date of birth 12 June 1837) ) could easily have been in Burra in 1853. I am still looking.
edited by Steve Thomas
Regarding the children christened Catholic. People were strongly discouraged from practising their own religion, including seizure of assets and imprisonment of pastors. I don't know with certainty that is true in this case, however I have seen migrant husband and wives declared illegitimate because the State did not recognise marriages performed by Evangelical Lutheran pastors. I can imagine a situation where the local pastor is in prison or otherwise unavailable and a decision made that a Roman Catholic christening is better than no christening. Pure speculation on my part.
The four listed marriages in the table occurred quite close together. Blumberg was renamed Birdwood during WW1 and 20km away from Inverbrackie.
The elder daughter Hermina Bormann-47 settled in Katanning in Western Australia. WA offered incentives to develop the land.
edited by Steve Thomas
The reference to a fifth (un-named) child in the passenger list of the Skjold in 1841 could be inaccurate. One possible way to reconcile the difference between 5 children registered to emigrate with 4 arriving would be that one died during the journey. The author of https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:%27SKJOLD%27_From_Hamburg_to_South_Australia_1841 has been very diligent recording the names of people that died and the list does not include any Bormann.
I'll copy information from 'The Biographical Index of South Australians' : "Surname: BOURMAN Given Names: Friedrich Rudolph Parents: Not Recorded Life Information: Birth c1840. Death 19.3.1903 Kooringa SA. Occupation: Drover, Labourer. Residence: Kooringa, Burra, Bundaleer. Spouse(s): Louisa WILLIAMS (1.8.1865 Bundaleer SA) Children: With Louisa WILLIAMS: Amelia (1873-), John Fredk. (1876-), Wm. Henry (1877-), Benjamin (1879-), Walter (1881-)."
Most of this has already been noted in this page. The new information in the record is the occupation: Drover, Labourer. The occupations fit with the variety of birth locations for Friedrich's children (Kooringa, Hanson, Mintaro and Clare). One of my grandfathers drove horses for Sidney Kidman before settling as a farmer.
edited by Steve Thomas
https://passengers.history.sa.gov.au/node/575927
I am thinking that my enquiries with Melbourne shipping which is very slow will have to continue, I have a suspicion that I will also have to look at Tasmania as well as I have saved somewhere (ugh) a copy of a newspaper article with the mention of a Bormann/Bourman in the time period as well.
Also trying and quite fully failing to see if I can delve into the shipping lists coming out of Prussia/Germany around that time.
Lobethal does have church records but most of them are still not online.
The land registration that we have with Fred acquiring land also shows another Bourman/Bormann above them - is this more of the family? The enquiry continues to grow sadly, I would love to be able to have the wall smashed, but I guess I am learning a large amount in a very small time in relation to family tree research.
I really appreciate the help one and all and will be so appreciative if it can continue.
I know something about the German migration. In Wikitree we have this page: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Prussian_Immigrant_Ships_to_South_Australia If there is a category or free space page for any ship, then they are underlined. Before 1850, the only ship I can see carrying Bormanns was the Skjold in 1841 (I didn't find any Bourmans). There were Bormanns on Reiherstieg (1854), Cesar Godeffroy (1854) and Wandrahm (1854). If you know for sure that Fred was in Burra in 1853 then we don't have to look any later.
I know a bit about the Lutheran emigrants: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Name_list_of_%27Old_Lutheran%27_Emigrants_to_Australia
There is another Wikitree user, Michael Schindler who is an expert about emigration of miners from the Kingdom of Hanover. This is one of the profiles he created: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Schindler-1125
This page resembles the Google docs that my brother and I collaborate on when hunting other ancestors down. It just seemed a natural way to collaborate.
I'm not sure that we do know that Fred is in Burra by 1853 - do we? I think it's based on the Bourman in steerage on the Mary Clarke (which is surname only). Given DOB from 1835 to 1840, he would be 13-18 years old.
edited by Chris Willoughby
Working hard on finding Patricia Hughes who compiled the Bourmans of Burra booklet but that is yet again another rabbit hole, I can't find her so I can't find the publication.
The Bourman allegedly lived in Kooringa. I have located a photo of my paternal grandfather Les visiting his old house, he died in 1980 sadly and I was only 15 years old. The photo would have been in the late 1970's I would suggest.
edited by Gary Bourman
I've tried finding the "Bourmans of Burra" booklet online - to no avail. Thanks for the author info, that will help. Contacting the local history group in Burra and seeing if they have a copy (or know the author) might be one way - I've noticed you've posted on their website before.
It's a pity that many people don't realise that the state libraries are there to archive *everything* published within the state - no matter how small the print run or obscure the publication.