Jacob Schömbs/Schembs of Elizabeth, New Jersey

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The End of the American Civil War

On 9 April 1865 General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army, surrendered at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. This brought the Civil War to an end and emigration from Europe to the United States re-commenced. Very few had immigrated during the War. One of the first of the Zacharias Schömbs descendants after the War was Jacob Schömbs (*8.07.1842 Dielkirchen), the son of Heinrich (*1804 Friesenheim) and Margaretha Conrad Schömbs. Jaob's parents are identified in the record of his death.

Jacob's Emigration, Army Service and Names in Amerika

Jacob arrived at the Port of New York on 4 August 1866. He had made the passage aboard the Adolphine, which had sailed from the German port of Bremen. He was 23 years old according to the passenger list. His name was spelled "Schembs" in the ship's record.

Soon after arriving Jacob entered the U.S. Army, as will be seen later in pension records. It is not clear for how long he was in the Army, nor where, but he apparently was seriously injured. Later records indicate Jacob was an "Army invalid".

Marriage

Six years after Jacob had immigrated he married Anna E. Cacual (*1851, +11.09.1911 Morristown NJ). Their marriage record spells her name "Cueuel". But in the Probate record for Jacob Schembs the spelling is "Cacual". It is assumed that the Probate document is more reliable than the marriage record.

The marriage took place in Elizabeth, New Jersey on 28 March 1872. Elizabeth NJ is south of Newark and just south of today's Newark Airport. The ceremony was led by James G. Fritz, pastor, with a residence given as No. 20, Amity Street.

Jacob's Occupations

In the birth records of his sons it was recorded that Jacob was a tailor in 1873. Then in 1875 he was a mechanic. Perhaps there are inaccuracies regarding his occupation. It seems like an unusual transition or combination of skills.

The Death and Probate of Jacob

In late December 1875 Jacob passed away. One record gives the date as 22 December, while another 25 December. Whether the later date was the date of his death or of his burial is not known, although a burial on Christmas Day seems unusual. From the original registers of his death can be seen that he died of consumption. The register images are of the left and right sides of the page. Jacob is on Line 168, the last line. In still a different register the parents of Jacob are entered as "Henry and Margaret Schemps". Jacob was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Elizabeth.

At the time of his death Jacob was 33 years old. He left behind his wife of less than four years and their son Jacob, Jr., age 28 months. Their second son had died six months before his father.

Less than two weeks later, on 4 January 1876, in the Surrogate Court in Elizabeth, Anna Schembs filed probate papers establishing herself as the Administratrix of the estate. Apparently Jacob did not have a will. Signatories to the Probate filing were Anna's brother Jacob Cacual and a Jacob Brucklacher. It seems Annie only dealt with men with the given name "Jacob". No further documentation has been found relating to the estate.

The Census of 1885, City Directories from Elizabeth

Enumerated in the 1885 New Jersey State Census, and the original page, are Annie and her son Jacob. . The information gathered in the census was very minimal. They then appear in the City Directory for Elizabeth in 1895 living at 1173 Elizabeth Avenue. Anna is shown to be the widow of Jacob. Two years later Anna appears again in the City Directory.

Jacob's Military Pension

The records of Jacob's military pension give us much information, but only some of which do we fully understand. The first record is that from December, 1890. It was apparently filed by the attorney for Annie Schembs, F.S. Jones. It identifies Jacob as having been a private in the New Jersey Infantry, Regiment No. 7. of Company K. This must have been Annie collecting her widow's pension. But it also indicates that Jacob may have used the family name "James" or "Schems" while he was in the army. An attempt was made to drill down into the Application and Certificate, as the numbers are given on the form. They appear to relate to his "Invalid" classification. But nothing was discovered.

Another filing was made in February, 1907. The event type is given as "Pension".

And in 1914 a third filing was made. Curiously it give a death date of 7 December 1913. But who was this? Jacob Senior died in 1875. Annie died in 1911. Could this be Jacob Jr. dying in 1913? He would only have been 40 years old. The three different filings coincide with congressional actions increasing the benefits for veterans, their spouses and children. Click for a synopsis of the Dependent Pension Act of 1890.

These filings are the only records we have of Jacob's being in the U.S. Army.

The Death Anna Schembs

It is possible, perhaps even likely, that Annie Schembs had a mental breakdown after losing her husband and son Charles. There is an Annie "Schemp" buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Morristown, New Jersey. Carolyn Stewart, who assisted significantly in finding original records for Jacob's family, talked with a person at Evergreen Cemetery In Morristown. They looked into the record and stated that Annie was originally from Elizabeth. She had died in the New Jersey State Hospital, a mental institution nearby. Noted on the Find-A-Grave memorial is the plot number: 457 Plot: asylum.

Descendants of Jacob Schembs

Children: (2)

2.1.....Jacob Schembs (*17.08.1873 Elizabeth NJ)

Jacob Jr.'s birth was recorded on Line 41, about 2/3 of the way down the page.

Little is known of Jacob Jr. He is listed in the 1895 City Directory of Elizabeth, living with his mother. He would have been 22 years old. He is shown to be in the produce business. No records from the 20th Century (i.e. after 1900) have been located.

2.2.....Charles Schembs (*3.01.1875 Elizabeth, +27.06.1875 Elizabeth)

Charles, listed on Line 32, died at the age of six months of hydrocephalus, an accumulation of fluid within the brain.

It is possible (the register is difficult to read) that Charles was born on 3 June, rather than 3 January. If this is true then Charles died when he was three weeks old.

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