Tübinger family - 18th century Untertürkheim (Germany)

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Untertürkheim, Württemberg, Germany

^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

Intent

This free-space profile collects in one place a body of research that applies to the profiles of Ludwig Tübinger, Georg Ludwig Tübinger and Georg Heinrich Tübinger, three members of a family in 18th century Germany, specifically, in Untertürkheim, Württemberg. By collecting everything here it is hoped that any future research changing the facts can be maintained and updated in one central location.

The issue

There is a confusion in the church records of Untertürkheim, Württemberg, Germany, regarding the three brothers Ludwig (born 5 Sep 1734)^[1], Georg Ludwig (born 16 Apr 1736)^[2] and Georg Heinrich (born 19 Oct 1737)^[3] Tübinger. There are three baptismal records^[1][2][3], a record of two church confirmations in 1751^[8], two marriage records^[4][5], and two death records^[6][7]. The two marriage records are for Georg Ludwig and Georg Heinrich, which seems clear enough, but the two existing burial records are both for Georg Heinrich!

The first burial record of 29 Mar 1739^[6] indicates that Georg Heinrich died at the age of two during a smallpox epidemic, while the second record has Georg Heinrich surviving until 29 Jan 1806 to the age of 68^[7]. The second version is repeated in the family tables^[9].

The 1739 burial record^[6] could conceivably describe both Georg Ludwig (not quite three years old) and Georg Heinrich (one-and-a-half), but it does not seem to fit the four-and-a-half year-old Ludwig. This would suggest --- barring further evidence to the contrary --- that Ludwig did not die in Mar 1739, and that either Georg Heinrich or Georg Ludwig did. Given the second burial record^[7] for Georg Heinrich, it seems that the first record of 1739 must refer to Georg Ludwig instead and that Georg Heinrich's name appears there in error.

However, both Georg Heinrich and Georg Ludwig appear on the list of candidates for confirmation in 1751 and are identified by their birth dates. Moreover, the death of Ludwig occurred in the midst of a smallpox outbreak, and the accuracy of record keeping may have been somewhat compromised in such a time of crisis.

In addition, changing "Georg Heinrich" to "Georg Ludwig" on the burial record of 1739^[6] leads to further problems, as of the two marriage records of 11 Aug 1761^[4] (naming Georg Ludwig as the groom --- now presumed to have died in 1739) and of 22 Jul 1766^[5] (naming the groom as Georg Heinrich --- the original name on the burial record of 1739), one would still refer to a dead person! Further disentanglement is needed.

The explanation that seems to make the most sense is that the 1739 burial record indeed describes the death of Ludwig, and that the wrong name and age of the deceased child were written down. The other church records are not affected by this change. The marriage record of 1761 indeed refers to Georg Ludwig, and the marriage record of 1766 indeed refers to Georg Heinrich. The biographies of the three brothers have been prepared according to this hypothesis.

Further research, such as the location of a third burial record, might be able to shed more light on the situation.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Evangelische Landeskirche Württemberg. Untertürkheimer Kirchenbuch, 1694-1913, vol.1, Baptisms, marriages and deaths 1694-1800, available online at Ancestry.com in collection Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1985, Stuttgart u Untertürkheim, https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61023/1055947-00082, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Ibid., https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61023/1055947-00085, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Ibid., https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61023/1055947-00089, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Ibid., https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61023/1055947-00511, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Ibid., https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61023/1055947-00516, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} Ibid., https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61023/1055947-00374, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Ibid., vol.2, Marriages and deaths 1795-1829, https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61023/1055947-00569, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Ibid., vol.11, Konfirmandenregister 1723-1806, available online at Ancestry.com in collection Württemberg, Germany, Family Tables, 1550-1985, Stuttgart u. Untertürkheim, Konfirmationen u· Familienbuch 1723-1871, https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61389/1055968-00021, accessed 5 Nov 2020.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Ibid., vol.13, Family tables, 1808, available online at Ancestry.com in collection Württemberg, Germany, Family Tables, 1550-1985, Stuttgart u. Untertürkheim, Konfirmationen u· Familienbuch 1723-1871, https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/interactive/61389/1055968-00557, accessed 18 Feb 2020.