2. CARL HEINRICK CHRISTIAN2 BARTH (CHRISTIANWILHELM1) was born November 27, 1823 in Leipzig, Germany, and died December 05, 1887 in New York City, N.Y.. He married ANNA MARIA (WITSCHI) WITSCHEY, daughter of JOHN WITSCHEY and MARIE HAFLINGER. She was born November 05, 1835 in Jegenstorf, Berne,Switz., and died 1916 in Wetzel County,WV.
Notes for CARL HEINRICK CHRISTIAN BARTH:
Served in the U.S. and Mexican War. Left home in 1881 for New York City. Rumor was, his wife personality was more than he could stand. He had owned land at Limestone Ridge,Wetzel County,WV. He had moved to Limestone Ridge from Clarington, Ohio.
HENRY HERMAN BARTH
(CHRISTENED : CARL HEINRICK CHRISTIAN BARTH)
1823-1887?
Grandfather was born in Leipzig, Germany on November 27, 1823 and was christened Carl Heinrick (Henry) Christian in the Evangelical Lutheran of Saint Nicolai, December 3, 1823.
His parents: Christian Wilhelm (William) Barth (Department Store Clerk)
Maria Christiana (born) Leidhold
Grandfather's name was placed on the military roll in April 1843, and facing the inevitable call to the German army, he chose to emigrate to America to avoided the draft. He came to the states, departing from the Port of Breman on the Bark Hudson, arriving in New York June 4, 1844. (The Bark Hudson was owned by Konitzky & Theirman. This ship was lost in January 1849 on a voyage from Puerto Rico to Bremen. The Hudson was employed in the North Atlantic to carry emigrants to New York and returning to Europe with tobacco and cotton. The Master of the Bark Hudson was Hermann Hohorst. He was also the Captain of a second ship purchased by Konitzky & Theirman, also named the Hudson, until 1847.)
What he did during the intervening years until his marriage in 1855, we have no knowledge of, but he was married December 13,1855, in Wheeling, West Virginia to Mary Witschey (Witschi), he being 32 and she 20. At the time of their marriage, they were living in Martinsville, Ohio( now Matins Ferry, Ohio); but they must have lived in Wheeling for a period of time after their marriage since Dad always said that he was born in Wheeling. However, some time later, we find the family located on "Possum Creek" near Clarington, Ohio and it is there ( we believe) that most of their nine children were born ( in this order): Rose, William, Albert, Charlie, Fred, Lewis, Ed, Levi, and Cindy.
On September 6, 1870, they bought the farm on Limestone Ridge( probably at Grandmother's insistence since she had a brother ( John) and a sister (Ann Hassig) in that area), near New Martinsville, West Virginia, where Uncle Ed and Aunt Emma lived in years later. While the family lived on Limestone, Grandfather, being employed in a tannery at Clarington, Ohio had lodgings from Monday through Friday in Clarington. He spent the weekends with the his family on Limestone.
From 1870 to 1882, Grandfather commuted to and from Clarington. He had ( by this time--1882) contracted a cough which caused him concern, and thinking that it might prove fatal, he expressed the wish to return to Germany to visit whatever surviving relatives he may have there at that time--possibly both parents were still living. Grandmother opposed his making the trip, and it is probable that she said: " If you go, you need not come back!" Grandmother was capable of such a statement.
In all justice to Grandfather, who was looked upon as a deserter of his family, we must include in the record that Grandmother was a shew. Those who knew her, said that when Grandfather came home on weekends, she would take all his money, and then scarcely permit him in the house. Also, ( and this is utterly diabolical) she taught the children to be unkind to him. What a wretched existence for a man of whom Mother said He was the kindest, most gentleman that I ever knew."
According to the story, Grandfather left home on Monday morning (presumably to return to his work in Clarington)--- and never returned. At the time, there was much speculation as to what had happened to him, and there was even a rumor that Grandmother may have pushed him down the well. (He was a small man) However, after a period of time, Grandmother heard from him and he also sent her money. Then the payments ceased, and it was assumed that he had died. Later, someone living on Limestone Ridge who was a subscriber to a New York newspaper, said he saw an account of Grandfather's death in that paper( Grandfather had relatives in New York).
I have a death recorded which shows that one Henry Barth died at 357 East 72nd Street, New York City, on December 5, 1887, the cause of death being phthisis pulmonitis ( the Latin name for pulmonary tuberculosis). He was buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Queensbrough. I visited the grave site in 1962, but found no markings there. Th plot contains the bodies of three children and one adult-- Henry Barth. ( the children bore a different name). In the absence of certainty, we can only assume that this may have been Grandfather. I intend to continue my search, but it is difficult to get any information from Leipzig, that city being now in Russian control.
After much cogitation over Grandfather's story ( two or three years), the thought occurred to me that if Grandfather had actually returned to Germany, there might be some public record. I telephoned the local Passport Office to inquire about the matter, and learned that passports as such were not issued until shortly before World War I, in 1914. However, a paper was filled out by those who wished to travel abroad, and I was told that if I would supply the name and probable date of Grandfather's going, that they would check the records to see what was there, if anything. In a few days I received a letter saying that they had a record and if I would send the customary fee, they would provide me with a copy. So, imagine my surprise and delight to receive immediately thereafter a paper duplicated all the information contained on Grandfather's Naturalization paper and also gave a rather through description of his person:
Age- 58(in 1882)
Mouth- small
Stature- 5ft. 3 ½ in.
Chin- round
Forehead- high
Hair- brown
Eyes- blue
Complexion- fair
Nose- medium
Face- oval
The details on the paper confirmed everything that I had ever heard about Grandfather, namely, that he was a small man, fair complexioned, etc. ( We got our dark coloring from Grandmother's line apparently).
Attached to the paper was Grandfather's signature: "Henry Barth". ( Where the name "Herman" came from I do not know. Perhaps Grandmother re-christened him. But my brother, Henry Herman Barth, was names for Grandfather, and he (Grandfather) was known by the name of "Herman or Harman," while the family live don Limestone. However, on most of his official papers the name used is simply "Henry Barth")
Grandfather was naturalized June 9, 1855, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Passport paper was applied for March 14, 1882 and issued March 16, 1882 in Cincinnati, Ohio. I believe we can rightly assume that Grandfather used it shortly thereafter.
**** This was written by Cecil B. Rice. There was no date on this document. I assume that it was also written in the mid 1960s.
More About CARL HEINRICK CHRISTIAN BARTH:
Burial: Queensbrough, New York
Cause of Death: Pulmonary tuberculosis
Christening: December 03, 1823, Lutheran Church of Saint Nicolai
Emigration: June 04, 1844, From Bremen, Germany to New York, New York
Naturalization: June 09, 1855, Cincinnati, Ohio
Occupation: Worked in a Tannery
Notes for ANNA MARIA (WITSCHI) WITSCHEY:
MARY WITSCHI BARTH
At the time of her marriage Grandmother's family was (apparently) living at Martin's Ferry, Ohio.
From the time of Grandfather Barth's departure ( in the spring of 1882) Grandmother lived in the state of widowhood until her death on March 26, 1915. Years previously, she had been struck on the forehead by the handle of the mechanism used in drawing water from an old-fashion well( the "Old Oaken Bucket" type) when it slipped from her grasp. A cancer developed on the site, culminating in her death on the above mentioned date.
Grandmother had characteristic that left a lasting impression on me. I recall seeing her place cotton in the keyholes to keep cold air out. In retrospect, I wonder if the lack of fresh air had anything to do with the unusually high incidence of TB in Grandmother's family. Also, it was her habit to wash doorknobs whenever a caller departed. ( This act impressed me that I have become a doorknob washer myself--- not washing them as soon as a guest leaves-- but at the office I like to know that there is no accumulated dirt on the doorknobs!)
Mother was sometimes vexed with Grandmother whenever she came to visit because she had a habit of turning the children ears inside out ( presumably) to see whether they were clean. ( Toilet soap was not always available at our house- but we did have the homemade variety for laundry purposes, and it, more often than not, doubled for the other type).
Being a meticulous housekeeper, tidy in every respect, Grandmother related the following incident, not unmixed with horror: while on board ship, she noticed a group of women who wore wool head coverings, and sitting behind them, she could see vermin ( lice) crawling over those head coverings.
Also, while on board ship, an epidemic of scarlet fever broke out and upon her recovery, Grandmother's hearing was thought to be impaired. Thus, she sometimes heard what was not intended for her ears.
I recall hearing Grandmother describe an "Old World" custom which I thought pleasing: the occupants of all the houses facing a front street were expected to have flower boxes in their windows in summertime. ( That custom prevails today).
Another "Old World" custom not so pleasing was Grandmother's habit of punishing her children by pulling their ears. Dad said that sore ears were a common complaint in his family.
In appearance, Grandmother was somewhat short and stout, and dark complexioned. I never saw her wear anything but black, and whenever she sat down to eat, she would place a head covering on her head.
In addition to bringing up her own family, Grandmother provided a home for two grandchildren: Viola (now Mrs. E.W. Cropp)a and Frederick ( Freddy).
Grandmother lived in New Martinsville, WV during her final years, attended by her daughter, Cindy. She was buried in the German Apostolic churchyard on Limestone Ridge, she being a communicant of that congregation.
*** This was prepared by Cecil B. Rice January 26, 1967. Information came from Mary E. Witschi, Ida Steele and Bessie E. Barth. I gained this copy from Donald E. Williams.
From Bill Cunningham, a researcher in Wetzel County, in the 1860 census he found:
960 Witche
John(farm.) 50 Swit
Mary 50 Swit
Jacob 20 Swit
Frederick 14 PA
Rode Ann 10 VA
