Amanuensis Monday: Michel STROESSER’s marriage certificate

I am going to pause at this point in my Luxembourg record transcription project and back up a bit. You may recall that in the post recording the birth certificate of my great-grandfather’s eldest brother, “Mike” STROESSER, I claimed it was the only Luxembourgish civil registration document for him. I was wrong. Recently, while browsing through the Tables décennales for Folschette, I stumbled across a marriage for Michel STROESSER. Naturally, I hastened to find the certificate and see who this Michel STROESSER was. Lo and behold, it was my great-grandfather’s brother!

A little more browsing through the Tables décennales and tracing the records showed that not only was Michel married in Luxembourg, but had at least three children there before his emigration. Incidentally, all this information turned out to be the key to proving that the Michael STROESSER of Manitoba, Canada was indeed my Michel STROESSER—and led me into communication with a new cousin! This post will present Michel’s marriage record.

This image has been trimmed from the original at FamilySearch.

Transcription (the italicized parts were handwritten on the record):

Im Jahre tausend acht hundert acht und neunzig, den sechsten des Monats Juni

um acht Uhr nach mittags, sind vor Uns Michel Glesener

Bürgermeister, Beamter des Civilstandes der Gemeinde Folscheid,

Burgermeister Officials of the Civil State of the Commune Folschette

im Kanton Redingen, im GroßHerzogthum Luxemburg eschienen Stroesser

Michel, Schreiner, alt zwanzig vier Jahre, geboren zu

Heispelt, Gemeinde Wahl , den dritten Dezember tausend acht

hundert siebenzig drei, wohnhaft zu Rambruch

groß jähriger Sohn des zu Schwiedelbruch am

elften Juni tausend acht hundert drei und neunzig verstorbenen Peter

Stroesser und der zu selbigem Schwiedelbruch am achten Juni

tausend acht hundert neunzig verstorbenen Barbara Thines.

Das Geburtsdatum des Brautigams ist laut Beilage bestätigt,

die Sterbedaten seiner eltern sind laut den hiesigen Civilstands-

registern bestätigt einerseits.

Und Stomp Regina, ohne Stand , alt zwanzig Jahre

geboren zu Ospern, den

zwanzig siebenten April achtzehnhundert siebenzig acht, wohnhaft

zu Eltz, Sektion Ospern, minder jährige Zochter

des zu Ospern (Eltz) am acht und zwanzigsten April tausend acht

hundert acht und neunzig verstorbenen Heinrich Stomp, zeit-

lebens Kalkbrenner, und der hier anwesenden und in diese

Heirath einwilligenden Catharina Charpentier, alt ein und

fünfzig Jahre ohne Stand, wohnhaft zu genanntem Eltz.

Das Geburtsdatum der Braut und der Sterbetag ihres

Vaters sind laut Beilagen bestätigt anderseits.

Welche uns ersucht haben, zu der unter ihnen übereingekommenen Vollziehung ihrer Heirath zu schreiten, und deren Verkündigungen

in den Gemeinden Folscheid und Redingen an den Sonntagen

zwanzig zweiten und zwanzig neunten Mai des laufenden

twenty second and twenty ninth of May of the current

Jahres dem Gesetze gemäß

Statt gehabt haben.

Da uns kein Widerspruch genen gedachte Heirath verkündet worden ist, so lassen wir ihrem Begehren Recht wiedersahren; und nachdem wir alle

obenerwähnten Akten und das 6. Kapitel des Civilgesetzbuches, von der Heirath betitelt, vorgelesen, haben wir den Bräutigam und die Braut

gefragt, ob sie sich zum Mann und zur Frau nehmen wollen; da beide jedes besonders und bejahend, geantwortet haben, so erklären wir im Namen

des Gesetzes, daß Stroesser Michel und Stomp Regina

durch die Heirath vereinigt sind.

Und vor Abschluß der gegenwärtigen Urkunde richteten wir sowohl an die Brautleute als an die obbenannten Erscheinenden,

welche zu dieser Ehe ihre Einwilligung ertheilten, die Aufforderung zu erklären, ob ein notarieller Ehevertrag die Civilbestim=

mungen selber Ehe geregelt hätte und, im bejahenden Falle, wann und vor welchem Notar, worauf die Gefragten uns erklärten

ein solcher Ehevertrag sei nicht

beurkundet worden.

Von allem diesem haben wir diese Urkunde errichtet, und zwar in Gegenwart des Reuter

Peter, Wegewärter, alt fünfzig ein Jahre,

wohnhaft zu Schwiedelbruch, Oheim der Braut;

Des Charpentier Johann, Schneider alt fünfzig sechs Jahre,

wohnhaft zu Rambruch, Vetter der Braut;

Des Heiderscheid Peter, Förster, alt fünfzig vier Jahre,

wohnhaft zu Folscheid, nicht verwandt;

Und des Glesener Johann, Ackerer, alt zwanzig vier Jahre,

wohnhaft zu Foldscheid, nicht verwandt.

Welche, nachdem sie ihnen vorgelesen worden ist, dieselbe mit uns unterschrieben haben. die Mutter

der Braut hat jedoch erklärt, nicht schreiben zu wissen.

Line by line Translation:

In the Year one thousand eight hundred ninety-eight, the sixth of the Month of June

at eight O’clock after noon, before Us Michel Glesener

Burgermeister Officials of the Civil State of the Commune Folschette

in the Canton of Redange in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, appeared Stroesser

Michel, Carpenter, age twenty four Years, born in

Heispelt, Commune Wahl , on the third of December one thousand eight

hundred seventy three, residing in Rambrouch

of age Sohn of at Schwiedelbrouch on

the eleventh of June one thousand eight hundred ninety three died Peter

Stroesser and of the selfsame Schwiedelbrouch on the eighth of June

One thousand eight hundred ninety died Barbara Thines.

The Birthdate of the Bridegroom is according to Enclosure confirmed,

the Death Dates of his parents are according to the local Civil

registers confirmed on the one hand.

And Stomp Regina, without Occupation , age twenty Years

born in Ospern on the

twenty seventh of April eighteen hundred seventy eight residing

in Eltz, Section Ospern, minor Daughter

to the Ospern (Eltz) on the twenty eighth of April one thousand eight

hundred ninety eight the late Heinrich Stomp, in

life Lime Burner, and the here present and in this

Marriage consenting Catharina Charpentier, aged one and

fifty Years without Occupation, residing in so-called Eltz.

The Birthdate of the Bride and the Death Date of her

Father are according to Enclosures confirmed on the other hand.

Who have asked us, to proceed with the mutually agreed upon Execution of their Marriage, and their Pronouncements

in the Communes of Folschette and Redange on the Sundays

twenty second and twenty ninth of May of the current

Year in accordance with the Law

Have been held.

Since no contradiction to the intended marriage has been announced, we can honor their desire; and after we all

the above document and the 6^th chapter of the Civil Code, of the Marriage titled, read, we have the Groom and the Bride

questioned, whether it be that they want to take one another for Man and Wife; because both, each particularly and affirming, have responded, as we explained in the Name

of the Law, that Stroesser Michel and Stomp Regina

are united in Marriage.

And before Entering into the current Act we addressed both the Bride and Groom as to the above distinct Presenters,

which to this marriage their Consent give, the Request to declare, if a notarized Marriage Settlement the Civil

Provisions themselves the Marriage would have settled and, in the affirmative Case, when and before which Notary, whereupon the Requested to us declared

such a Marriage Settlement was not

has been certified.

From all this we have made this Certificate, and in the Presence of Reuter

Peter, Road Watchman, age fifty one Years,

residing in Schwiedelbrouch, Uncle of the Bride;

Of Charpentier Johann, Tailor age fifty six Years,

residing in Rambrouch, Cousin of the Bride;

Of Heiderscheid Peter, Forester, age fifty four Years,

residing in Folschette, not related;

And of Glesener Johann, Farmer, age twenty four Years,

residing in Folschette, not related;

Who, after having it read to them, have undersigned. the Mother

of the Bride has however declared, to not know how to write.

Looking carefully over this record, we learn that Michel STROESSER was a carpenter. For some reason, his birth date is given as 3 Dec 1873, when, according to his birth certificate, he was born on the second. At first, I thought perhaps it was a mistake in which the marriage registrar wrote the date of the birth certificate itself rather than the date of birth, but the certificate was recorded on the fourth, not the third.

However, if the mistake of one day was enough to raise some doubt as to the identity of this Michel STROESSER, the identification of his parents immediately removes that doubt. The names and death dates of both his parents are given. Had I not already been in possession of their death dates, this would have been very convenient information. As it is, it only confirms Michel’s identity.

We also learn that Michel’s bride was Regina STOMP, along with her birth date and birthplace, and the names of her parents. Her father has died, but her mother is still alive and approves the marriage. This is important because Regina is still a minor, and parental consent is required for her to marry.

The marriage had been pronounced in both Folschette and Redange on the two previous Sundays, which, I assume, would have been the publication of banns. In Luxembourg, civil banns must be published for at least ten days before the marriage takes place. (That is the current law; I have not yet uncovered the history of the marriage laws, but it was likely similar in 1898.) If, on the other hand, this refers to church banns, there is a slight problem. The Catholic Church required three weeks of banns prior to a marriage.

There was not a marriage settlement. It would take much more research to delve into all the implications of that statement, but for now it will suffice to say that they did not make out a contract regarding property.

The witnesses included two relatives of the bride: Peter REUTER, her uncle, and Johann CHARPENTIER, her cousin, as well as two men said not to be related to either party: Peter HEIDERSCHEID and Johann GLESENER. Lastly, we learn that Catharina CHARPENTIER, the mother of the bride, did not know how to write.

This being the first 1898 marriage license I have had occasion to transcribe and translate, I created a new template for myself. You can view it here. 

 

Source:

Folschette, Luxembourg marriage certificate 11 (1898), Stroesser-Stomp; digital image #368 of 659, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, “Mariages 1851-1923 Décès 1894-1902,” FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 21 Nov 2014).