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The Küsters of Kuventhal and Delligsen

Her father, Johann Ludwig Küster, was probably the grinding miller (Mahlmüller) “Joh. Ludwig Küster,” son of the late Joh. Friedrich Küster, miller at Kuventhal, who was proclaimed at Einbeck in the summer of 1775 with Marie Margrete [Erxen?], daughter of the late Joh. Andr. [..], miller at (probably) Delligsen, and married her at Delligsen. That groom was probably Johann Friedrich Küster’s son Johann Ludewig, baptized at Einbeck on 24 May 1747, the only son of that name, and so aged 27 or 28 at his marriage. He came to the Delligsen mill by marrying the late miller’s daughter. He was a different man from the Salzhemmendorf miller of 1764 to 1775, and from another Johann Ludwig Küster, a farmer at Kuventhal, who married at Einbeck in 1774. Justine Marie’s marriage entry calls him “former” master miller (the word may also be read “present”), and he was dead by 15 October 1807.

Delligsen had two mills. A village description of 1760, quoted in a history of the Delligsen mills, gives the upper mill, with an oil mill and one grinding run, to the cottager Johann Fricke and the lower mill to Conrad Vespermann; in the late 1800s the miller of the upper mill was Wilhelm Küster. In 1781 the miller L. Fricke of Delligsen sued the miller J. L. Küster of Delligsen over a dowry (Mitgabe); the file is missing. Johann Ludwig Küster possibly came to the upper mill by marrying into the Fricke family between about 1775 and 1781, but the bride of 1775 was not named Fricke, so the two accounts are not reconciled. Küsters held a Delligsen mill from at least 1781 into the twentieth century. In 1836 the Delligsen master miller Johann Heinrich Christian Küster left a will. It is the one known record that may name the family, but its catalog entry lists no heirs, and it has not been read.

Her grandparents were probably Johann Friedrich Küster, miller at Kuventhal, and Catharina Hedwig Eggers. Johann Friedrich married “Jfr. [Ma.?] Eggers” at Einbeck on 14 September 1728, probably Catharina Hedwig. They had ten children baptized in 1731 to 1747, Johann Ludewig the youngest; the mother is Catharina Hedwig Eggers in 1731 to 1744, written Catharina Friederica once in 1742, and is not named in 1746 and 1747. Johann Friedrich was still master miller at Kuventhal in November 1762, when his daughter Engel Rosine married a miller of Mackersen. Three Küster grooms married Eggers daughters of Kuventhal between 1728 and 1739, so the family was rooted there. In 1742 “Joh. Jac. Küster, miller at Kuventhal” stood sponsor at Einbeck beside “Joh. Ludowig Küster, miller at Valdagsen”; no Johann Jacob is among the Kuventhal baptisms, so he was either of another branch or a slip for Johann Friedrich. Whether the Kuventhal Küsters descend from the Salzderhelden Küsters of Christine Kampen’s mother is not known. The two Küster ties of the Wesemanns ran through two different families.

Justine Marie’s brothers and sisters stood close to her. Two Küster men of Delligsen stood godparent to her children, probably her brothers: Heinrich Küster, whose wife stood in 1805, and Heinrich Christoph Küster, a godfather in 1814; “the miller Küster” of Delligsen was a godfather at Linse in 1804, and the will-maker of 1836 may be either brother. Wilhelmine Küster, “daughter of the late Ludwig Küster, miller at Delligsen,” probably her sister, married the innkeeper Heinrich Christian Ludwig Brünig at Bodenwerder on 15 October 1807. She was probably also the Hanne Marie Caroline née Küster whose son Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Ludewig Brünig was born on 4 August 1812 and baptized at Bodenwerder on the 13th, and the Karoline Küster who was the innkeeper Brünig’s wife in 1848, one wife called by different forenames at different times. The “Ludewig Brünig of Bodenwerder” who stood godfather to Justine Marie’s son in August 1808, ten months after that wedding, was probably the innkeeper, her brother-in-law.

Another Küster woman was tied to the Thran mill. In March 1817 “the wife of the [Thran?] miller Lüders, Amalie born Küster,” was godmother to Georg Ludewig’s daughter Dorothea Luise Friederike, and in 1841 “Amalie Lüders born Küster, wife of the master machine-miller Georg Lüders,” was a godmother at Linse. The two entries are almost certainly one woman. The widow Lüders held the Thran mill in 1811, and Georg Ludewig’s son took the Thran lease in 1832. That Amalie was kin to Justine Marie, and that the Thran tenancy came to the family through her, is possible. Her marriage, before March 1817, has not been found.

References

  • The Küster millers’ registers and files: Archion, Salzderhelden Kirchenbuch 1674–1727 (382747; Bild 115, the baptism of 23 March 1696 of August Wilhelm, son of Ludewig Küster); Hohnstedt Kirchenbuch 1637–1749 (382882); Einbeck-Alexandri Trauungen 1730–1829 (382586; Bilder 32–34, the marriages of 1740 to May 1742; Bild 90, the 1775 Küster marriage at Delligsen); and NLA HA, Hann. 74 Einbeck Nr. 813 (the lease of the Salzderhelden lordship mill, 1723–1740). Also Salzderhelden 382747: Bild 9 (the marriage of 19 October 1686), Bild 23 (the marriages of 1709), Bilder 95–124 (the baptisms of 1687–1700) and Bilder 172–173 and 189 (the burials of 1711 and 1721); and Hohnstedt 382882: Bild 130 (the baptism of 24 August 1725), Bilder 163–178 (the baptisms of 1742–1749), Bild 217 (the marriages of 1741) and Bilder 284 and 293 (the burials of 1735 and 1747). Also Einbeck-Alexandri Taufen 1730–1774 (382582; Bilder 8–116, the Kuventhal Küster baptisms of 1731–1747, with Bild 103, no. 14, the baptism of Johann Ludewig, 24 May 1747; Bild 80, 1742 no. 60, the two Küster sponsors); and Einbeck-Alexandri Trauungen 1730–1829 (382586): Bild 14 (the marriages of 1728 and 1729), Bilder 24, 25 and 30 (1734, 1735, 1739), Bild 67 (1762, no. 19), Bild 87 (1774) and Bild 90 (1775, no. 6).
  • Salzhemmendorf Kirchenbuch 1750–1803 (churchRegister 200156), Landeskirchliches Archiv der Evangelisch-lutherischen Landeskirche Hannovers, Kirchenkreis Elze-Coppenbrügge, Archion online viewer. Bild 94, pp. 558–559, the “Copulirte” lists of 1764–1770, with 1770 no. 5, the marriage of Johann Heinrich Wesemann “aus Grubenhagen” and Clara Christina Campen (18 November 1770); Bild 47, p. 466, 1767 no. 26, the mill hand Heinrich Weseman[n] as godfather; the baptisms of 1750 to September 1772 (Bilder 3–56), with the 1772 baptism of Johann Conrad Ludewig Wesemann and its godfather Ludewig Küster “aus Salz der Helden.” Also Bild 4, p. 380, 1750 no. 7 (the baptism of Clara Christina Maria, daughter of Johann Wilhelm von Campe and Maria Eleonora Küster); Bild 56 and Bilder 59–60 (the Küster entries of 1772–1775); Bild 90, p. 551 (the marriage of 13 April 1751); Bilder 93–95, pp. 558–560 (the marriage lists of 1764 to 1772, with the notes that no one was married in 1771 or 1772); Bilder 121, 124 and 127 (the Küster burials of 1761, 1763 and 1766); and Bild 133 (the burials of 1772, nos. 23 and 24). Also Bild 55 (1772 no. 1); Bilder 57–60 (the baptisms of 27 December 1772 – 4 May 1775, read entry by entry); Bilder 98–102 (the marriages of 1786–1802, with Bild 101, p. 572, the Alwes and Westermann marriage of 29 August 1798); Bild 169, p. 727 (burials of 1802, no. 14); and Bilder 211, 214, 215 and 216 (the baptisms of 1800–1802).
  • Halle Kirchenbuch “Taufen Beerdigungen 1800–1814” (04-03075, churchRegister 390649, 188 images) and “Trauungen 1800–1808” (04-03076, churchRegister 390650), Kirchenkreis Bodenwerder, Archion online viewer. Also: Trauungen, Jg. 1804, Nr. 3 (Brand–Sporleder); Begrabene, Jg. 1803, Nr. 36 (Bild 167, written p. 310, the Brünig child) and Jg. 1800, Nr. 24 (Johanne Marie Brand); Begrabene, Jg. 1804, Nr. 27 (Bild 170, the Mittelmüller infant); Taufen, Jg. 1805, Nr. 21, Jg. 1809, Nrs. 16 and 17 (Bild 96, written p. 187), Jg. 1810, Nr. 36 (Bild 110), Jg. 1812, Nr. 20 and Jg. 1813, Nr. 36. The volume has no surname index of its own; images 185 to 188 run to an Ende marker. Also Begrabene, Jg. 1805, Bild 172, Nr. 18 (the Leibzüchter Johann Heinrich Waßmann, 29 November 1805, aged 76). Also: Trauungen 1800–1808, Bilder 3–20 (every entry), Bild 14, p. 22, entry 1 (the 1803 marriage of Ludewig Wesemann and Justine Marie Küster) and Bild 18, p. 31, entry 5 (the 1807 marriage of Friedrich Wilhelm Brand and Caroline Louise Wesemann); Taufen, Bild 87 (1808), Bild 109, no. 33 (8 August 1810) and Bild 143, no. 31 (20 November 1813). Also: Trauungen 1800–1808 (390650), 1804 no. 3; Begrabene, Bild 167, 1803 no. 35 (Georg Ludwig Sporleder); Taufen, Bild 100 (1810 nos. 1 and 2) and Bild 129 (1812 no. 20); the baptisms of August 1809 – 1814 (about Bild 94–152).
  • Bodenwerder Kirchenbuch 1749–1814 (churchRegister 390579), Kirchenkreis Bodenwerder, Archion online viewer: Bild 38, 1768 baptism no. 3 (Catharina Louise Wilhelmina, daughter of Wilhelm Bergmüller); Bilder 250–251 (the Bergmüller marriages of 1790/1791 and 1792); Bild 274 (the marriage of 15 October 1807 of Wilhelmine Küster of Delligsen and Heinrich Christian Ludwig Brünig). Also Bilder 250–265 (the marriages of 1786–1800), Bilder 270–283 (the marriages of 1804–1813), Bild 276, 1808 no. 16 (the banns of Johann Ernst Wesemann and Caroline Melusine Bechmann [Beckmann?]) and Bild 406, 1812 no. 28 (the baptism of Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Ludewig Brünig, 13 August 1812).
  • Friedel Heise, “Auch in der Hilsmulde drehten sich die Mühlenräder” (the mills of Delligsen), Heimatverein Delligsen, www.heimatverein-delligsen.de/?page_id=259.
  • Arcinsys Niedersachsen und Bremen, catalogue titles for Delligsen: NLA WO, 7 Alt Fb. 2 V Nr. 1550 (1762), Nr. 1830 (1778) and Nr. 1551 (1781); NLA WO, 39 Neu 6 Nr. 1186 (the testament of the Mühlenmeister Johann Heinrich Christian Küster, 1836). Catalogue level only. Also NLA WO, 40 Neu 6 Nr. 3501 (the testament of the Kleinköter and mill owner Wilhelm Küster, 1878–1908), 129 Neu Fb. 2 Nr. 5422 (the Küster grist mill’s weir, 1850–1933), K 3049 (rebuilding W. Küster’s mill, 1866) and 40 Neu 6 Nr. 66 (the sale of the Küster mill, 1909–1910).
  • Halle Kirchenbuch 1845–1868 (churchRegister 390652), Bild 96, the 1848 marriage naming Karoline Küster, wife of the Bodenwerder innkeeper Heinrich Christian Ludewig Lönig.), Bild 22 (1849 no. 21) and the burials of 1852 – early 1868 (Bild 131–148), with p. 353 (1863 no. 1). Also the marriage lists of 1845–1852 (Bild 93–101) and of 1853–1868, every entry; the volume’s layout, sections I (baptisms), III (marriages) and IV (burials), with no confirmation section.
  • Linse Kirchenbuch 1815–1853 (signature 04-03142, churchRegister 390716) and Linse Kirchenbuch 1854–1875, Kirchenkreis Bodenwerder, Archion online viewer. Full variant-name sweep of images 2–90 of the earlier volume, producing 29 hits and the bound-in W surname index at image 89; high-resolution reading of the 1832 marriage and baptism, the 1855, 1858 and 1861 death entries, and the 1857 baptism, 30–31 August 2026. Transcriptions:); the 1832 infant death (Verstorbene, Jg. 1832, Nr. 2); the 1838 stillbirth (Geborene, Jg. 1838, Nr. 10 and the unnumbered row following, Bild 27, written pp. 46–47); the 1846 marriage (Proclamierte und Copulierte, Jg. 1846, Nr. 1, Bild 58, written p. 149); the 1847 deaths (Verstorbene, Jg. 1847, Nrs. 1, 3 and 4); the 1852 death of Hanne Caroline Wilhelmine Waßemann geborene Brand (Verstorbene, Jg. 1852, Nr. 1, Bild 81, written p. 194); the volume’s own alphabetical surname index at written p. c. 197, Bild 83, B section read in full; and, in the 1854–1875 volume, the 1855, 1858 and 1861 deaths (Bild 46, 47 and 48, written pp. 215, 217 and 219) and the 1858 Leßing marriage (Trauungen, Jg. 1858, Nr. 3, Bild 35). Also, in Linse 390716: Bild 6 (1817 no. 3, the godparents of Dorothea Louise Friederike Wesemann), Bild 9 (1820 no. 2), Bild 10 (1822 no. 1), Bild 30 (1841 no. 6, the godmother Amalie Lüders née Küster) and Bilder 48–57 (the marriages of 1815–1841). Also, in Linse 390716: Bild 4–11, written pp. 2–15 (the baptisms of 1815 – January 1823, with 1815 no. 4, 1816 no. 2, 1818 nos. 2 and 4, 1821 no. 2 and the margin note of 5 September 1852 beside it, Bild 10, p. 13, and 1822 no. 2); Bild 14–19 (the godparents of 1827–1832); Bild 30 (1841 no. 8); Bild 33–46 (the baptisms of 1843–1853), with Bild 38 (1847 no. 3), 40 (1848 no. 2), 42 (1850 no. 1) and 46 (1852 no. 5); Bild 50–62 (the marriages of 1824, 1836, 1838, 1843, 1851 and 1853); Bild 64 (1817 burials, no. 1, written p. 161); Bild 66 (1822 no. 3 and 1823 no. 2, written p. 164); Bild 76–81 (the burials of 1847–1852, with the 1852 death re-read on enlarged crops). In Linse 390717: Bild 36 (1859 baptisms, no. 1); Bild 46–57 (the burials of 1854–1875, with 1855 and 1856 no. 2, Bild 46–47); the volume’s W index. Also, in Linse 390716: Bild 69 (the burials of 1830, no. 1, written p. 171). In Linse 390717: the marriage section of 1854–1875, read entry by entry.
  • Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv, Abteilung Wolfenbüttel: NLA WO, 13 W Nr. 1690, Aufn. 045–046 (the valuation of the commune of Linse, 6 December 1811), and 13 W Nr. 1747, Aufn. 0282–0287 (the land-tax roll of the Canton Eschershausen, 1812, Commune Linse), Arcinsys online viewer.