Joh. Heinrich Schoembs of New York City

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This Chapter is about Joh. Heinrich Schoembs (*1830) and his two sons, all of whom emigrated. Almost nothing is known of their lives in Amerika.

Johann "Heinrich" Schoembs (*1830) of New York City

Before discussing the emigration of Joh. Heinrich to Amerika it is worthwhile remembering the entries in the family chronicle by Franziska Ruckel Schoembs (*1872, *1955). Franziska's husband Philipp "Carl" (*1856) was the nephew of Johann Heinrich (*1830). In 1954 she wrote:

"When the debt burden had become too heavy for the father (meaning Johann Heinrich Schoembs (*1830), he preferred to emigrate to America with his eldest son and abandon the family. We never heard from them again."

It is from this entry we are certain that Johann Heinrich (*1830) did emigrate and emigrate "with" his son. In fact, from the immigration record we know that the father Joh. Heinrich (*1830) arrived in New York on 30 September 1882, one month after his son Joh. Heinrich Friedrich Schoembs (*1865). The father's passage had been aboard the ocean liner "Daniel Steinmann" from Antwerp (Belgium). The entry in the passenger list is simply "H. Schoembs, age 59, merchant". It is curious that the age is 59 years, for it is known the correct year of birth was 1830, making his age at emigration of about 52 years. But given that Joh. Heinrich was leaving Germany under somewhat of a dark cloud, perhaps he gave misleading information to the ship's recorder. The passenger list, signed by Captain Henry Schoonhoven, was turned in to the Port of New York per regulations.

As a side note, the Daniel Steinmann ran aground and sank within minutes in stormy seas two years later near the Sambro Island lighthouse at the entrance to Halifax Harbor, Canada. Of the 130 people on board only nine were rescued. One of the survivors was Captain Schoonhoven, age 26.

In 2020 a newspaper article from a major Frankfurt (Germany) newspaper was discovered. It provides clarity to the reasons and circumstances surrounding the emigration of Joh. Heinrich (*1830) to New York in 1882. The details are provided in the Reinhold Schembs book on the German story. Click here to Link to that book, then return to the Amerikan story of Johann Heinrich (*1830).

Joh. Heinrich Schoembs (*1830) died in New York City eleven months after arriving in Amerika. The death record is consistent with the immigration record as to age. Perhaps a part of his new life in Amerika was to change his age? We have no Johann Heinrich or Heinrich Schömbs or Schoembs born in the 1820's in the family database.

It is assumed that he was with his son Joh. Heinrich Friedrich (*1865) in New York but that is now known.

9.4 Johann Heinrich Friedrich Schoembs (*03.05.1865 Frankfurt am Main)

With the discovery of the birth record for Joh. Heinrich Friedrich Schoembs, the third child and first son of Joh. Heinrich Schoembs (*1830) and his second wife Mathilde a great deal was learned. Church and civil records have provided the basis of genealogical research. In some cases the records are brief, disclosing limited information and difficult to read. In others the information is clearly presented and comprehensive. In occasional cases notes were sometimes added later in the life of the person, giving significant insight into their later years. And reasonably assuring that the later information matched the correct original person. Such was the case of the birth record for Joh. Heinrich Friedrich (*1865). The record is from the "Civil Registry of the Free City of Frankfurt".

Birth Record of Joh. Heinrich Friedrich Schoembs (*1865) Click to enlarge

The left column begins:

"N°. 670
Schömbs"

The right column then reports:

"1865 May

Johann Heinrich Friedrich, legitimate son and 3rd child of the local citizen and merchant Johann Heinrich Schömbs and his wife Mathilde Georgina, née Thomas, marriage on 14 Aug 1861 was born here Sandweg N°11 Wednesday the 3rd of May 1865 in the afternoon at 2 1/2 p.m. Basis of the entry. Explanation of the father and testimony of the Doctor giving birth Dr. Friedleben Registered on 10 May 1865 For certification..."

Seventeen years later in the left column was added (Note the difference in handwriting):

"According to the deed of the royal government to Wiesbaden of 27 March 1882 N° 6595 I A from the German state association released to America."

This is a notation that Joh. Heinrich Friedrich had received on 27 March 1882 his official authorization allowing him to emigrate.

The next document is an immigration record from New York City of Heinrich Schoemb's arrival dated 31 July 1882. He was a seventeen year old German arriving on the ship "Rhein" which departed Bremen with a stopover in Southampton, England. He was reportedly "Staying in the the USA". He is entered on Line 5 of the passenger list page. He does not appear to be traveling with any other family members.

No records have been located of Heinrich Friedrich's life in Amerika. Nor a possible return to Germany. We do know that his father emigrated and settled in New York City a month after Heinrich Friedrich. But then his father passed away a year later. One distinct possibility is that Heinrich Friedrich changed his surname.

9.7 Ludwig Paul Schoembs (*16.02.1874 Frankfurt/Offenbach, +06.08.1941)

As the chapter in Reinhold's book Die Familie von Zacharias Schömbs relates, Paul as well as some of his siblings had a difficult childhood. His father had emigrated from Germany to New York when Paul was eight years old. After Paul was released from prison for petty larceny, his cousin Carl Schoembs bought him a ticket for passage to Amerika. On 26 March 1896 Ludwig Paul Schembs departed aboard the "Albano" for his passage to New York City. Paul, traveling under the name "Paul Schembs" was twenty-one years old.

At this time Paul's father had been dead for fourteen years. Paul's older brother Joh. Heinrich Friedrich Schoembs, who had also emigrated in 1882, was probably still living in the United States, although this is not known. From the passenger list of the Albano, it appears Paul was traveling with no family members. No other people from Offenbach were listed near Paul.

We have no information of Paul's life in Amerika. Just that at some point in time Paul decided to return to Germany. By the 1930's he was institutionalised at Hadamar-Mönchberg, a facility originally built as a Franciscan monastery, converted to confine the poor and people in trouble with the law. Under the Third Reich and its Berlin T4 headquarters, Hadamar became a death camp where in the first eight months of 1941 10,072 "patients" were put to death in gas chambers. A partial list of patients, including physically and mentall ill together with Jews, shows Ludwig Paul Schömbs together with his birth and death dates. He is reported to have died 6 August 1941. His death date is written in the left column of his birth register from Offenbach.

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