Sunday, July 24, 2022

Dog Happy Hour

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. Sunset at Folly Beach, SC. 17 July 2022.

We're back from an extended trip to South Carolina visiting family and enjoying a week at Folly Beach. As we enter the last week of July, the dog days of summer settle into the DC area. Our black lab also liked the beach but is happy to be back home.

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Strasbourg

 

Google Arts & Culture. Strasbourg.

The largest city in the Alsace region is Strasbourg. It is the seat of the European Parliament and the largest city in the Grand Est region of France. Strasbourg dates back to Roman times as a town and celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1988. As the historic capital of the Bas-Rhin region, Strasbourg was also a location that likely would have been known to my wife's Halter, Hamm, Sigrist and Perisau branches of the family.

With all its history and importance as a European political locale, it is still a place I have not visited. Perhaps that changes in the near future.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

An Alsatian Wedding

 

Library of Congress. Trichon/Massias/Brion. C. 1874?

My previous post of the marriage record for Jean Pierre Halter and Anne Marie Hamm in 1814 spurred a search for drawings, paintings or other images related to Birkenwald, Bas-Rhin and Alsace from the period. The image above is from the Library of Congress collection, and according to the description shows a wedding procession in Alsace circa 1814.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Going back another generation

 

Bas-Rhine, France Marriages, 1781. FamilySearch.

Building from yesterday's post, above is a marriage record between Antoine Hamm and Anne Marie Parisau (spelled Perissot in the document), my wife's 6th-great-grandparents. Antoine and Anne Marie were the parents of Anna Marie Hamm, wife of Jean Pierre Halter. 

This record is written in Latin, and while there is a lot here that I cannot read, I can see the names of Antoine and Anne Marie's parents. His parents are listed as Joannes (Jean) Hamm and Catharina Rebmann, while hers are Francisi (François) Joseph Perissot and Anna Maria Birnel. The marriage was entered on 1 February 1781 in Birkenwald, Bas-Rhin, France.

Monday, July 11, 2022

Revisiting the Halter Family in France

 

Birth Registration, 1814. FamilySearch.

Back in October 2021, I wrote about the succession document in Louisiana Wills and Probates file for Frank Halter. FamilySearch recently indexed the Bas-Rhin, France Parish and Civil Registration documents. Above is an image of his birth record, entered as François Halter, to parents Jean Pierre Halter and Anna Marie Hamm on 16 August 1814. His profession is listed as journalier, or a day laborer. François was born in the Alsatian town of Birkenwald in Northeastern France.

I was also able to find the marriage record for Jean Pierre and Anna Marie, on 27 April 1814. This record shows his parents as Francois Halter and Elisabeth Sigrist, and her parents as Antoine Hamm and Anne Marie Perisau. Doing some math, this means that Anna Marie was already pregnant with François when they married. Francois' profession is listed as cultivateur et voiturier, or farmer and valet.

Marriage record, 1814.

Jean Pierre's baptism record was entered on 15 January 1790 in Bas-Rhin, and shows his parents. This document is in Latin, and his name is entered as Joannes Petrus Halter.

Further back, I found the baptism record for Jean Pierre's father Francois. This document was entered on 27 September 1763. Francois' parents were Joannes Petrus Halter and Margretha Gehl.

Jean Pierre and Anna Marie had at least the following children:

- François Halter, 1814-1879
- Elisabeth Halter, 1818
- Pierre Halter, 1820-1820
- Charles Halter, 1821-1824
- Marie Sophie Halter, 1824-1824
- Sophia Halter, 1825-1863
- Josephine Marie Antoinette Halter, 1826
- Jean John Halter, 1828-1905
- George Halter, 1830

Saturday, July 9, 2022