52 Ancestors Week 3: Long Line

Ever since I was a child and first saw one in action, I have harbored a secret desire to become a blacksmith. It wasn't until decades later that I discovered that my desire may be quite natural; I come from a long line of blacksmiths. Perhaps it is in my blood.

"medieval blacksmith making a new hammer" by Hans Splinter
Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

The blacksmiths are on my Stroesser line. The first known one, my 4great-grandfather, Nicolas Strösser, was born in Fischbach, Mersch, Luxembourg on 7 Apr 1753. Unfortunately, the parochial records of that time do not indicate professions, so I cannot comment on his father's occupation, but by the time that Nicolas died on 1 Dec 1815 in Beringen, Mersch, Luxembourg, civil registration had been implemented and occupations were recorded. Nicolas was a "hufschmidt," a blacksmith or farrier. A farrier, of course, is a type of blacksmith that specializes in horseshoes and caring for horses' hooves.

Nicolas passed on his profession to at least some, if not all, of his sons. I have unsourced notes in my database that his sons Nicolas and Adam were farriers, and sources for his sons Pierre and Theodore also being farriers. Pierre, who was my 3great-grandfather, was born in Beringen on 5 Mar 1796. In the 1843 census he is recorded as a "maréchal ferrant," the French term for farrier. He is also recorded as a "hufschmiedt" on his death certificate. Theodore was married twice, and the civil marriage certificate for his second marriage in 1831 gives his occupation as "hufschmit."

In my direct line, the third generation was Peter's son Peter, my 2great-grandfather. He was born in Ettelbrück, Diekirch, Luxembourg on 3 June 1834. He seems to have taken the family business in a slightly different direction. On his child Michel's 1873 birth certificate he is recorded as an "eisenhändeler," or ironmonger. An ironmonger runs what we (in the U.S.) would term a hardware store. He may or may not have manufactured his own goods. Given his family history, I rather suspect that he did manufacture them. Or perhaps his brothers did. His brother Jacques, his brother Michael, and his brother Dominique were all recorded as hufschmieds on their marriage records, and they were all residing in the municipality of Wahl. 

Sources:

"Luxembourg, registres paroissiaux, 1601-1948," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-32461-2121-64?cc=2037955&wc=STH8-3Y2:1500941901,1501121838 : accessed 15 February 2015), Fischbach (Mersch) > Baptêmes 1742-1770, mariages 1737-1770, sépultures 1738-1770 > image 56 of 68; paroisses, Luxembourg [parishes, Luxembourg].

Luxembourg Civil Registration, 1793-1923. Index and Images FamilySearch.[1]: 2009. Municipality: Beringen. "Mariages 1846-1890--PETTINGEN: Décès 1796-1823--Décès 1796-1851." Image #866. (death record for Nicolas STROESSER, died 20 Dec 1815.) Accessed 9 Dec 2010.

Paroisse de Mersch (Mersch, Mersch, Luxembourg), Luxembourg Church Records, 1601-1948, "Baptêmes 1791-1796," Petrus Streser baptismal record, image #62 of 73 (1796); digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 8 Mar 2015).

1843 census of Luxembourg, Ettelbrück, Ettelbrück, image #570, household of Pierre Stroesser; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "Luxembourg, Census Records, 1843-1900," FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 Oct 2014); citing Archives de l'Etat.

Wahl, Redange, Luxembourg, death certificate no. 10 (1860), Peter Strösser; digital image #341 of 682, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "Décès 1829-1890," FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 22 Nov 2014).

"Luxembourg, Registres d'état civil, 1796-1941," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6GVC-TF?cc=1709358&wc=9RYQ-L29%3A130076401%2C130674101 : 17 July 2014), Mersch > Naissances 1870-1890 Mariages 1796-1823, 1796-1847 > image 1267 of 1495; Archives nationales de Luxembourg (National Archives), Luxembourg.

Ettelbrück, Diekirch, Luxembourg, birth certificate no. 61 (1834), Peter Stroesser; digital image #1295 of 1477, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "Naissances 1797-1804 Naissances, mariages, décès 1804-1805 Naissances 1805-1838," FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 Oct 2014).

Wahl, Redange, Luxembourg, birth certificate no. 32 (1873), Michel Stroesser; digital image #99, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "Naissances 1867-1890-- RINDSCHLEIDEN: Mariages 1796-1797, 1800-1804, 1805-1823 -- WAHL: Mariages 1796-1803, 1805-1890 -.," FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 30 May 2010).

"Luxembourg, Registres d'état civil, 1796-1941," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6G2W-D25?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-C68%3A130534201%2C130651301 : 17 July 2014), Wahl > Naissances 1867-1890 Mariages 1796-1797, 1800-1804, 1805-1823, 1796-1803, 1805-1890 Décès 1797-1803, 1805-1828 > image 1042 of 1475; Archives nationales de Luxembourg (National Archives), Luxembourg. Jacques Stroesser's marriage certificate.

"Luxembourg, Registres d'état civil, 1796-1941," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6G2W-N2V?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-C68%3A130534201%2C130651301 : 17 July 2014), Wahl > Naissances 1867-1890 Mariages 1796-1797, 1800-1804, 1805-1823, 1796-1803, 1805-1890 Décès 1797-1803, 1805-1828 > image 1095 of 1475; Archives nationales de Luxembourg (National Archives), Luxembourg. Michael Stroesser's marriage certificate.

"Luxembourg, Registres d'état civil, 1796-1941," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6G2W-FKT?cc=1709358&wc=9RYZ-C68%3A130534201%2C130651301 : 17 July 2014), Wahl > Naissances 1867-1890 Mariages 1796-1797, 1800-1804, 1805-1823, 1796-1803, 1805-1890 Décès 1797-1803, 1805-1828 > image 1144 of 1475; Archives nationales de Luxembourg (National Archives), Luxembourg. Dominique Stroesser's marriage certificate.