Some questions were asked about the last note which I really can’t answer, but I will try. Craig Kilby asked what would happen if a Meinersmann had to change his name because his sister inherited the farm. I am sure it would not go to Meinersmannmann. But I might ask if a person who was disinherited, and thereby became a Meinersmann, would ever be faced with the problem. Craig also noted that in the case of his ancestor (the youngest daughter) that her brothers did not change their name. Practices did vary with the region. (In Trupbach, Hans Jacob Richter, who sold his house, did so under his wife’s maiden name of Fischbach. That is, he signed the deed as Hans Jacob Fischbach.)
Lee Hoffman asks about the meaning of Hoffman. A Hofmann could mean a courtier who attended to a prince at the court, or could mean a villein* farmer (approximately a free peasant), or could mean a steward in a mansion.
(*Villein: usually, a class of feudal serfs who held the legal status of freemen in their dealings with all people except their Lord. GWD, Webmaster )
To continue with more comments about the Hof of the last note, there were set fees and duties on the Hof, which were assessed and collected annually by the Gutsherr. This could be a mixed bag of money, goods, and services. Two beef cattle might have to be handed over. And so many "bushels" of grain might be due. There could be a specified number of days of labor, with or without a team of draft animals. As an alternative to the goods, some monies might be due.
It was not exactly a free country. To leave the Hof or even the Mark (the district), a fee would have to be paid to the Gutsherr. In part, the aim was to provide a stable population while allowing some freedom to move (and providing some income to the Gutsherr). Typical fees to leave were a year’s income. On the other hand, the freedom could be procured before a child’s third birthday at a very low fee. In essence, the child was not a citizen of the Mark. If later, he wanted to become a citizen of the Mark, it would be necessary to purchase citizenship.
One of the most onerous fees paid to the Gutsherr was the death tax, which was 50 percent of the value of the movable chattels. This was paid in coin, not in goods, and could prove to be a real burden on the family. Attempts were made to circumvent this tax by transferring property to the children before death. (So what is new in the world?)
The Meinert Hof consisted of about 120 acres. The inhabitants of the Richterhof in 1772 were as follows: In the main house there lived Caspar Richter, his wife, one son over 14, two sons under 14, one servant, and one maid. Caspar Richter was the owner of the Hof. The retired owner was the widow Gastmann with apparently four people with her. In a cottage, lived Jürgen Middelberg, a laborer, his wife, one son, and three daughters. In another cottage, lived the sawyer Brömstrup with his wife and four children. In another cottage, Mathias Voights (farm laborer), his wife, four children lived.
(15 Feb 01)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.