The First Schömbs Emigrant:
The story is designed to be read on a computer or tablet, not on a smart phone.
The first confirmation that Thomas and his family emigrated is the entry in the Dittlesheim Baptismal Register from 1825 for their daughter Anna Elisabetha (*1825). Under her name in the left column is the (circled) comment "Father with family emigrated to Brazil in 1825". But also the passenger list of the ship Kranich below lists the family members and ages. And finally documentation from their first days in Brazil confirms the family members names.
It is curious that many of the first German emigrants to the western hemisphere went to Brazil. But there is a very good reason. Brazil gained its independence from Portugal in the period from 1822 to 1825. In 1822 Brazil declared it's independence from Portugal. Formal recognition by the Portuguese government happened three years later in 1825.
It should be pointed out that various spellings of Thomas's family name appear in the records, as well as in this story. "Schembs" was the name at baptism. But other spellings in Germany include "Schömbs" and "Schems" and others. In Brazil there were still others but the "Schemes" spelling is the one which became predominant with his descendants.
 |
| St. Albans Hof from the Courtyard, 1999 Click image to enlarge |
Zacharias was the Hofmeister/Hofmann of St. Albans Hof in Undenheim for many years. The home in Undenheim remains today. He was followed in the Hofmeister role by two of his sons. His sons also served as Bürgermeister of Undenheim.
Zacharias and his wife Anna Magdalena had four sons of whom we are aware. Those in the direct line to Thomas are:
Johann Heinrich (*1674) succeeded his father Zacharias as the Hofmann of St. Albans. He served in this position from 1708 to 1719.
In 1727 he became the Schultheiß (mayor) of Undenheim, a responsibility he held until his death in 1743. The Mayor's office was the most important and best known public office at the time. It was normally bestowed only on the most reputable citizens. The Mayor sat as the Chairman of the village court, adjudicating disputes and other legal matters. Besides his judicial function, he was to be the spokesman for the upper class, while simultaneously being the representative of the village community (peasants). This sometimes led to conflicts of interest. While in the minority in Undenheim and economically less well off, most of the applications for Mayor came from the Catholics.
The church scribe in Herrnsheim spelled the name "Schembs" in the church book rather than "Schömbs". Hence the first spelling variation of the family name became established.
For a number of years we believed that the Thomas Schembs family lived in Heßloch. Further research, however, has been convincing that they lived in Dittelsheim. Dittelsheim and Heßloch were two villages perhaps as much as a kilometer (.6 miles) apart. They both had Catholic churches. The Mormon transcriptions of the records said Heßloch. Perhaps this was because his first wife, Maria Theresia Conradi, was from Heßloch as noted in the baptismal register.
We asked the town historian how he interpreted the baptismal records. His response: "Die eingekreisten Stellen bedeuten, dass diese Personen in Dittelsheim getauft wurden. Diese Daten sind aus dem Taufbuch der damaligen Zeit. Wo sie später gelebt oder verstorben sind weiß ich nicht." Or in Englisch: "The circled places mean that these persons were baptized in Dittelsheim. These dates are from the baptismal register of that time. Where they lived or died later I do not know." But all the children then were baptised in Dittelsheim.
There are two other records, however, which indicates they lived in Dittelsheim. The record of Thomas's emigration indicates Dittelsheim as his hometown ("Herkunft"). This record is from the Hessen State Archives of emigrants. "Herkunft" translates to "place of Origin" or "hometown". The second is the death of Thomas's mother Sophia Bertges Schembs.
The dates given for births are actually dates of baptism extracted from the church books. In most cases German babies were baptised within a very few days of their birth.
11.7.....Margaretha Schems (*19.12.1816 Dittelsheim, +11.10.1825 at sea)
11.8.....Jakob Anton Schems (*05.03.1819 Dittelsheim, +Brazil)
11.9.....Johannes Schems (*03.05.1821 Dittelsheim, +02.05.1910 Gravatai, RS Brazil)
11.10.....Elisabetha Schems (*16.09.1823 Dittelsheim, +04.02.1824 Dittelsheim)
11.11.....Anna Elisabetha Schems (*15.03.1825 Dittelsheim, +Brazil)
In 2005 Fernando Gusmão, husband of Adriana Schemes, was researching the history of the Schemes family in Brazil. An internet search produced an interesting finding, the "Zacharias Schömbs Worldsite" with spelling variations incuding Schoembs and Schembs. Fernando replied on the Website's Contact Link, suggesting that the Schemes family was descended from Thomas Schembs (*1770). He said he would continue with his research which would hopefully confirm this belief. As shown below his research was successful.
For the next three years there were numerous email and video-conference (over internet) contacts between the Gusmãos and Jim Schembs. In 2008 four Brazilians came to the third Schömbs Familientreffen in Herrnsheim, Germany. This was the first meeting of the Schemes family and their Schömbs cousins in 183 years! Then in 2011 Pamela and Jim Schembs visited two different branches of the Schemes family in Brazil, the first time family had come to Brazil to visit in 186 years! Both reunions were wonderful.
The Brazilian story of Thomas Schembs and his descendants is told by Fernando Gusmão.
The local Catholic priests (in Brazil) during the 19th Century were mostly Portuguese or Italian. They did not speak the German language. German names were strange to them. Researcher Gesmar Borges on page 168 in Torres Marcas do Tempo 175 anos book by Nilza Huyer Ely, explains that "the writing of names and germanic last names was not familiar, was not routine to the notaries or substitutes in the North Coast in century XIX and beginnings of century XX." Hilda Agnes Hübner Flores in História da Imigração Alemã no Rio Grande do Sul says that "the 184 catholics had been in São Pedro das Torres, attended by the local Portuguese priest, who did not speak the German language, but performed marriages and gave collective absolution." [2]
Researcher Carlos Hunsche in O Ano 1826 da Imigração e Colonização Alemã no Rio Grande do Sul mentions "the consequences of this assimilation alleged for the P. Amstad relating to the writing of the names, was so significant that many of these names are today unrecognizable. As we read the mentioned Livro de Receitas e Despesas (Source n.o 10) of the Colony of São Pedro de Alcântara, we had the chance to observe this unfortunate development, favored, of course, for the parish priest recorded history, not knowing the language of his faithfuls." [2]
In our present day research of those old documents we find the following variations of the Schemes name: Schems, Schömbs, Schaemes, Schaems, Schembs, Schumbs, Chems, Chemse and Chemez.
Nr - Name - age - relationship status - profession - religion - origin - observations
- 146 - SCHÖMBS, Tomás, 55, married, farmhand, catholic, Hessen/Darmstadt
- 147 - Margarida, 2nd wife, 35, married, catholic
- 148 - Catarina, daughter (from 1st wife), 22, "obtained a license to be married with Jorge Spohr on Rio, 1st February 1826"
- 149 - Ana Maria, daughter (1st wife) 18, single, catholic
- 150 - Catarina Bárbara, daughter (1st wife), 14, single, catholic
- 151 - Margarida, daughter (2nd wife), 9, died on the high seas on 11 Nov 1825
- 152 - Jacob Antônio, son, 6, single, catholic
- 153 - João, son, 4, single, catholic
- 154 - Elisabeta, daughter, 9 months, single, catholic
- 31 August 1825 is made the contract of freightage under number 5,176 of the ship Kranich for Major Schaeffer, in Hamburg.
- 20 September 1825 the Kranich begins loading supplies and passengers at the port of Hamburg, with a destination of Brazil.
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
- 03 October 1825 the Kranich leaves Hamburg, beginning the voyage of the Thomas Schömbs family and others to Brazil.
 |
The original passenger list of the Kranich showing the Schembs family Click image to enlarge |
| If you zoom in on the passenger list above for Thomas on line 1, it clearly appears there is an umlaut (¨) over the center of his family name, i.e. "Schömbs" | |
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
- 19 January 1826 arrive at the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
 |
Arrival Document in Rio Click image to enlarge |
-
20 January 1826 disembark at Armação da Praia Grande (Rio de Janeiro/RJ).
During their two week stay in Armação da Praia Grande, Catharina (*1804) was married to Jorge Spohr. The wedding was 1 Feb 1826. Catharina and Jorge apparently did not accompany the family on the next leg of their trip to Porto Alegre.
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
-
05 February 1826 embark at Rio de Janeiro on the "Americana" sumaca * (Costeiro no 4), with destination of Porto Alegre in the southern-most state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS). The boat sails down the coast From Rio de Janeiro and through Lagoon dos Patos and Lagoon Itapoã to Porto Alegre/RS.
In Porto Alegre they change boats and go up the Guaiba and Sinos Rivers to São Leopoldo
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
- 07 March 1826 arrive at the Colony of São Leopoldo/RS, where they were registered with Dr. João Daniel Hillebrand, Director of the German Colony of São Leopoldo. The family remained a few months in São Leopoldo. For unknown reasons, perhaps not receiving their property or not liking the property that was offered to them, they decided to move to a different colony. In this period, the government of the Province of São Pedro was forming a new colony on the North Coast of the Rio Grande do Sul state. In which Thomas decided to settle with his family.
 |
Page 47 - Codex 333 of the AHRS. The number 61 indicates that Thomas was the 61st immigrant in the month of March and 484 that he was the 484th immigrant in the year 1826 to arrive in São Leopoldo. 61 - 484 - Thomas Schems 62 - 485 - Margarida - wife 63 - 486 - Anna Maria - daughter 64 - 487 - Barbara - daughter 65 - 488 - João - son 66 - 489 - Elisabeth – daughter Of the family members who disembarked in Rio de Janeiro, missing are Catharina (*1804) and Jacob Antonio (*1819) in São Leopoldo. |
| Registration Book of Dr. Hillebrand |
- 24 September 1826 arrive in four yachts at Porto Alegre from São Leopoldo and are part of the 1st group of immigrants (352 people) with the destination of Torres ("Towers").
- 28 September 1826 a 2nd group (66 people) arrives at Porto Alegre from São Leopoldo in a yacht, also with the destination Torres.
- 28 September 1826 until 31 October 1826 the groups are delayed in Porto Alegre on their voyage to Torres, "originated already for true difficuldades, already for reasons that I leave in I silence" (Gordilho de Barbuda).
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
- 01 November 1826 leave Porto Alegre for Torres (they totaled 421 people: 237 protestants and 184 catholics) in the two groups, five yachts; saw rivers Guaíba, Lagoon Itapoã, Lagoon dos Patos, and finally the Capivari river.
- 03 November 1826 arrived at the mouth of the Capivari river.
- 04 November 1826 landed and discharged the five yachts in the Capivari river.
- 05 November 1826 commencement of the overland trip in ox carts. Some families delayed because 4 carts,which had been ordered, did not arrive.
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
- 07 November 1826 arrive at Passo de Tramandaí (the place to ford the river Tramandaí), after passing through the area of Quilombo.
- 13 November 1826 begin an overland trek near, and sometimes on the beach for the final 80 km (50 miles) in 5-6 days, for lack of canoes and the oarsmen.
 |
The picture on the book cover is an artist's concept of the German emigrants' arrival in Torres from Tramandai in 1826. On the right is the Atlantic Ocean, on the left the forest and ahead the Torres (towers). Click image to enlarge |
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
-
17 November 1826 arrive at Torres. Thomas and Margaretha are listed as German Catholic members of the São Domingo parish of Torres. Their names are on page 207 of Paroquia de São Domingos.
The stories of the colonies of Três Forquilhas and São Pedro de Alcântara, both in the Rio Grande do Sul state, mention the heavy rains in late 1826, and the unusual experiences that the German colonists had endured.
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
- 18 July 1827 Lieutenant-Colonel Inspector Francisco de Paula Soares Gusmão, director of the Colony of the Torres, writes to the President of the Province Salvador José Maciel, saying that "Twenty-eight catholics had arrived to plead in a signed petition to the presidency of the Province, for land in the region of Tramandaí or other places".
 |
 |
The Letter requesting other Lands Original on the left, transcription on the right Click images to enlarge. Thomas Schömbs' signature is in the first column of the document, highlighted by the red arrow. Immediately below Thomas is Philipp Schaefer, probably his son-in-law (married to his daughter Anna Maria). |
- Sometime after 1827 the family leaves Torres and lives in Dom Pedro de Alcântara for a period of time. Click here for modern day pictures from Dom Pedro de Alcântara.
 |
| Click to Enlarge |
- Final move to Gravatai The timing and route are not known but Thomas and parts of his family then later moved to Gravatai.
"From the passenger list of the Kranich, we know that Thomas Schömbs emigrated to Brazil with two sons: Jacob Anton (*1819, name would generally translate to Jacob Antônio); and Johannes (*1821, name would generally translate to João). Yet in my research I have only been able to find the connection of the Schemes family back to José Monteiro Schemes.
The only documents that show a clear link to the family of Thomas Schömbs are of marriage and baptism. It is through this analysis that I draw my conclusion of the kinship.
When analyzing the document of the marriage of Antonio Jorge Selister and Maria José Schemes (27-09-1883), we see that Antônio is legitimate son of João Jorge Selister and Felisberta Schemes (Anna Elisabetha Schömbs) and that Maria José is natural daughter of Maria Sophia dos Anjos (Maria Sophia born in this State around 1834. She died in Gravataí city in 02 October 1925. Was daughter of Custódia Luiza dos Anjos (born 17 May 1788 in San Antonio da Patrulha-RS). Her maternal grandfather's was Antônio dos Santos Coitinho, from Cananéia city-SP, and Victoria Luiza de Queiroz, from Rio Grande city-RS.
Notice that Maria José, for being declared natural daughter, demonstrates that her mother Maria Sophia dos Anjos was not married. The document does not identify the father of Maria José Schemes. But the most important fact in the document declares "without any impediment, except of a second degree of consanguinity of lateral line, which was excused by Provision of Mr Reverend." This indicates that the fiancés are cousins in first degree and, therefore, their parents are siblings.
But who would be the brother of Felisberta Schemes?
We discover this by analyzing the baptism document of Adalberto Selister (31-05-1887), where appears the name of José Monteiro Schemes as maternal grandfather and Maria Sophia dos Anjos, as maternal grandmother. Next appears João Jorge Selister and of Felisberta (Schemes) Selister, respectively paternal grandmothers. There are two possibilities: First, José Monteiro Schemes is another son of Thomas Schömbs, born after their arrival in Brazil; or second, that José Monteiro Schemes is the Brazilian name of either Jacob Anton Schömbs or Johannes Schömbs. I think the latter is more probable."
According to Aurélio Porto in O Trabalho Alemão no Rio Grande do Sul "Torres, that is, the Colony São Pedro de Alcântara, had a development with the initial intention of settlement, stopping, later, from 1830 to 1846, for several reasons, especially because of the upheaval in the Province, that also echoed deeply there." [2]
Jean Roche in A Colonização Alemã e o Rio Grande do Sul "This maneuver of the Parliament condemned any new attempt and risked to annihilate the already existing colonies. In São Leopoldo, the settlers got agitated because of the damage they had suffered, since neither the overdue indemnities, nor the ones that had been promised to them for the two first years of settlement, had been paid". [2]
Such political, geographic, climatic and cultural factors had affected the life of these first immigrants to the North Coast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In the search of a new place to settle, it is possible that Thomas went to other places where they had been before Torres, as for example the areas next to the Tramandaí river, near Santo Antônio da Patrulha, Gravataí (where marriages and baptisms of the families Schemes and Selister took place) or even returning to the colony of São Leopoldo, in the Vale do Rio do Sinos (Valley of the Bells River).
Regardless, Thomas and Margaretha lived their latter years in Gravatai city. It is there that Margaretha died on 09 July 1855 at the age of 65 and Thomas less than a year later on 24 May 1856 at the age of 86.
 |
 |
| Death Record for Margaretha Schemes Click image to enlarge Click here for full page |
Death Record for Thomas Schemes Click image to enlarge Click here for full page |
 |
| The States of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina (in circle) Click image to enlarge |
In the early years most of the family lived in the far eastern tip of Rio Grande do Sul, generally in the area of Porto Alegre. Over the years they spread out but mostly still in RS and the state of Santa Catarina (SC) shown in the circle on the map. Today almost all of the descendants continue to live in these two southern states. Click on the map to enlarge the picture.
In the 19th Century there were many Germans who emigrated to Brasil. They mostly settled in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. In some small towns German is still the principal spoken language today.
This section presents only a small fraction of the descendants of Thomas. There are several branches which have not been researched and recorded. Also the list does not include those born after about 1940.
The "Schaems" spelling of the family name below is one of those found in Brazilian documents from the time.
Catharina married Jorge Spohr (without more notice) days after the Kranich arrived in Rio de Janeiro. The wedding was the 1st of February, 1826. As we have previously seen, the family disembarked in Rio de Janeiro on 20 January, and left Rio de Janeiro on 5 February. It is believed that Catharina and Jorge did not continue to Porto Alegre with the family.
 |
"Felipe Chefa and Anna Maria On the eighteenth of June, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six, in this my house of God, I married the widower Felipe Chefa, on account of the death of Catherina, to Anna Maria, the legitimate daughter of Thomaz, and Margarida Genaipe, and I gave the blessings thereto, of which João Mendes Carlos Jose had been witness, and to which I made this term, which I sign. The chaplain Antonio Nunes da Silva" |
| Marriage of Anna Maria Schaems and Philipp Schaefer Click image to enlarge |
Philipp and Anna Maria Schemes, after their marriage, decided to follow most of the Schemes family to live in Torres.
The documents providing the information on the Schaefer family are somewhat in conflict with each other. The births of the first three of Philipp and Anna Maria's children are from the Church Book of Baptisms in Torres. The births of the later children were found in a family history written in 2003 by a Schaeffer descendant. Yet the Civil Record from Torres at the time of Anna Maria's death gives different birth years for several of the children. The translation of the Civil Record is provided by Fernando Gusmão. We believe that the church and family provided information might be more reliable than the Civil Record. Should more records be found, some of these dates could change.
As discussed above in the section "The Evidence that the Schemes Family is Schömbs", the mother of the children of José Monteiro was Maria Sophia dos Anjos (*08.10.1834).
As noted, Francisca passed away in 1920 when she and Oscar Monteiro had had eleven children. Oscar Monteiro then four years later married Francisca Antunes de Castro (*02.04.1906 Santa Catarina). The wedding took place on 22 March 1924 in Cerro Negro - SC. They then went on to have an additional twelve children, making Oscar Monteiro the father of twenty-three in total.
From his first marriage with Francisca Rodriegues Varella:
 |
"On the twenty seventh day of September of One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty Three (27 Sep 1883) at around 5:30 PM, in this parish church, after the usual bans of marriage and without any impediment, except of a second degree of consanguinity of lateral line, which was excused by Provision of Mr Reverend on The Fifteenth Day of September, in the presence of the undersigned witnesses Felisberto Pereira Gomes Sobrinho and Balduino Antonio Vieira, I, Priest Bartholomeu Tiecher, solemnly received in marriage by word in the face of the church to Antonio Jorge Selister and Maria José Schemes. He, a legitimate son of João Jorge Selister and Felisberta Schemes and she, natural daughter of Maria Sophia dos Anjos, both born and living in this village. I have made this term that I sign. At the request of Felisberto Pereira Gomes Sobrinho and Baldino Antônio Vieira, witnesses. " |
| Marriage of Antonio Jorge Selister and Maria José Schemes Click image to enlarge |
 |
"On the thirty first day of May of One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty Seven (31 May 1887), in this parish church, I solemnly baptized Adalberto, born on the twenty fifth day of October of One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty Four; legitimate son of Antonio Jorge Selister and Maria José Schemes, free and brazilian. He, carpinter and she, housewife; paternal grandson of João Jorge Selister and Felisberta Selister and maternal grandson of José Monteiro Schemes and Maria Sofia dos Anjos. The godparents were the maternal grandparents. I have made this term that I sign. Vicar Nicolau." |
| Baptism of Adalberto Selister, son of Antonio Jorge and Maria José Click image to enlarge |