The father of Albert Elling, my great grandfather, Heinrich Friedrich Elling (known as Fred), was born in the village of Stellichte, Germany on October 24, 1852. I am proud of the two documents above that verify this birth and baptism. .
The birth record - Tauf-Urkunde - states that this record is in the Lutheran Church of Stellichte 1852 church book, page 41, number XV. Family Name - Elling,
Given Name - Heinrich Friedrich, born 24 October 1852 in Stellichte.
Parents - Friedrich Elling, kothne or cottager and his wife Anna Marie Engel born Fuhrhop.
Baptised 28 Nov 1852 in the church in Stellichte
Godparents - Heinrich Friedrich Engelke and Johann Heinrich Rohr (?)
At the bottom of the record is the church seal and repository for the record (Walsrode) and the date it was released to me.
The top image is a copy of the actual baptismal record as it appeared in the church book. Quite a challenge for most of us to read.
Heinrich Friedrich's father, (Johann) Friedrich, my great-great grandfather, was described as a kothner in Stellichte in the above birth record. This was a term for his occupation/social standing. What did it mean to be a kothne/ koetner in the 1850's in northern Germany? Most agree that this means the man had a little house with a stable for one or two cows, pigs, or sheep and perhaps some chickens. Koetners did not have horses, but instead used the cows for farming their small fields. The owner of those fields would have been a nobleman and the koetner was a renter of the field, usually paying 10% (den Zehnten) of his profits as rent. This rent would be paid in grain, brought to a special storehouse. The koetner was also obligated to work for the nobleman in other ways - constructing buildings or roads or cutting wood. It was a humble life. One source called the koetners "free slaves." When our ancestors heard about America, it mus have been very enticing to emigrate to a place where they could own land quite cheaply.
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