John Frederick
Immigrant 1852
The politics & economy of Hesse Cassel in 1850: "Hesse-Kassel or Electoral Hesse (Kurhessen) (was) a mid-size German state, strategically located between the main part of Prussia and the Prussian provinces of Westphalia in western Germany, traversed by two Prussian military roads. In the 1830s and 1840s, Hesse-Kassel was known chiefly for its poverty, its archaic agrarian structure, and its acrimonious constitutional politics. In the aftermath of the 1848 revolution, the very same issues which fed the constitutional conflict of the Vormärz resurfaced and, in 1850, jelled with the Austro-Prussian contest in Germany to produce a diplomatic crisis of the first order..."
See: www.ohio.edu/chastain/dh/hessek.htm
The story of John Frederick has long fascinated his descendants, and provoked much speculation. The kernel of information was that he had been forced to leave Germany and could not return, so his wife met him in England for the trip to America. She was pregnant with their first child at the time. It was joked that "Aunt Mary" crossed the ocean but never saw it; Mary Frederick was born in August not long after they arrived in America in 1852. The theories for why he had to leave included having hunted deer in the forest of the local noble landowner, a crime for which the penalty could be severe. (Hitzerode belonged to the noble of Eschwege until 1823; Frankershausen to the noble of Doernberg.) It seems doubtful however that this was the reason. John Frederick's grandson, Fred Kline, said he knew the reason but wouldn't tell it; shooting a deer would surely not have caused such reticence. Another theory put forth was that the church forced him to leave because Anna Catherine was pregnant but unmarried. Church records have however been found for their marriage in 1851, before they came to America in 1852. Unless he was involved in a brawl and caused physical injury to another, the most likely explaination for his trouble is that he was simply avoiding the military draft. (See complete biography)
Note that John Frederick Dietrich was born in Hitzerode Germany in 1822, the same town and year as our ancestor John Frederick. John Frederick Dietrich settled in Allegheny County PA in 1840; his brother Wilhelm "William" Dietrich, also born in Hitzerode but in 1827, settled in Clarion Co. PA (date unknown to us) as did our John Frederick in 1852. Our John Frederick is thought to have made his initial trip to Pennsylvania in 1852, alone, perhaps to purchase land before returning for the 2nd voyage with his wife in 1852. It is possible he met with John Frederick Dietrich or brother William at the time of this first trip, to confer about available land; John Frederick Dietrich, and possibly brother William, having arrived in 1840 would have been well settled by 1852. Eventually two children of Johan Frederick would marry children of John Frederick Dietrich.
(Emlenton, Pennsylvania)
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 17 Aug 1822 | Hitzerode, Germany | [7][15] | |
| Marriage | 12 Oct 1850; 20 Oct 1851 |
Hitzerode, Ger. | To Anna Catherine Kenemuth | [7][15] |
| Death | 12 Apr 1912[8] expect 1926 or later[12] See source notes |
Ashland Twp., Clarion Co. PA | [8][12] | |
| Burial | Lieberum "Dutch" Cemetery | [8][13][14] |
Ancestry chart segment
Generation 4 Generation 5 Generation 6
+-- Johannes Friedrich
| (~1784-1831)
+-- John Frederick ------+
| (1822-1912) |
Elizabeth Anna Frederick --+ +-- Anna Margarethe Speck
(1865-1921) | (1785->1851)
+-- Anna Catherine Kenemuth
(1827-1889)
Source: [12][15]
Children
(all children with Anna Catherine Kenemuth
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Frederick | F | 13 Aug 1852 | William "Will" Dietrich | [2][3][12] | ||
| Jacob C. Frederick | M | 31 Oct 1854 | died 1875, age 20 | [2][3][12] | ||
| Frank J. Frederick | M | 6 Nov 1856 | Louisa Dietrich | [2][3][4][12] | ||
| Emma B. Frederick | F | 1858 | 1) William Lintz 2) John Henry Jury |
[2[3][4][12] | ||
| John Valentine Frederick | M | 14 Feb 1862 | Dena C. Lieberum | [3][4][5][6][12] | ||
| Elizabeth "Ella" Anna Frederick | F | 13 Feb 1865 | John Abram Kline | Direct line | [3][4][12] | |
| Josephine Frederick | F | (died young) |
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitzerode, Germany | b. 1822 | [7][15] | |
| possibly Frankserhausen, Ger | by ( married)1851-1852 | ||
| Fern, Ashland Twp., Clarion Co. PA | 1852-d. 1912 |
Photo Gallery
Photo of John Frederick & wife Anna Catherine, and access to Frederick family Bible provided Sept.1991 by Della Frederick Francisco, now deceased.
From Complete Calling Card Book of Ella A. Frederick
These photos of John Frederick appear to be at the home of John Abram Kline and Elizabeth Frederick Kline. The photo at left shows him by the side porch before it was converted to a closed-in porch. Some of the stone steps used at this house were found down nearer the woods, the remains of the first house built on the property. The woman in the doorway could be his granddaughter Annie Kline. The center photo shows the front yard and a
