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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: Scott_M on Saturday 03 October 15 21:19 BST (UK)
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George Newton Spencer (Originally from Glasgow B 1882) Lived Hamburg 1908 - 1980s married to German wife Joanna & child Marion
Hi readers, I am a family relation to the following... I am very interested to track down information of the family of George Newton Spencer.. (Christened Samuel but changed name to George) Born in Glasgow to a George Spencer and Hannah McGee he moved to Hamburg Germany around the 1908 and made his living as a merchant in the Ship industry, I have picked up that he married a German lady named Joanna L Spencer (Nee????) and they had a daughter named Marion (May have went as Maria) Maria was listed in a passenger List as age 12 in 0ct 1937 listed as Marion E Spencer All listed as British nationality But Joanna was German and daughter was to..
George (Samuel) was involved in the ship industry and I have picked up in archives information suggesting that his business was Spencer & co based in Hamburg up to the war years address details from phone book private listing was George N Spencer ... Othm ... 1943 ... Keu- landsweg31 P GFlottb ... Hamburg
His business details from phone book was in 1937 - Spencer & Co .... Listed address Schiffsmakler... Hamburg...36 Esplanade 6. G.N. Spencer private address - in 1937 Othm, Neu- Jandsweg 31, P. GFlottb. Hamburg
I have followed a G.N. Spencer through the archive phone book up to the year 1980 and I think it is the same person however he may not have been living at this stage and this being his listed estate possibly with someone else living there ???? His wife was listed as being 10 years younger in the 1937 Ship passenger listing I viewed and if so and still alive would have been abt 88 years of age in 1980 .. Her name again being Joanna... Daughter Marion (Maria) would have been abt 55 years old..
The last address listed in Hamburg for G.N. Spencer in 1980 was 52 Borchligsweg, 31 Hamburg Ph no 8 80 66 12
Hoping for a miracle in a lead to this family..
Fingers crossed
Scott Morland
NZ
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Some information I just picked up on George Spencer.. Wrong place at the wrong time ? maybe create some interest given the case that unfolded..
Read following... ( a few minor typos from transcription )
Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1914, Page 2
Article view.
TRADING WITH THE ENEMY
— .» SHIPPING CLERK SENTENCED (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 16th October. The first conviction under the Trad*ing-with-the-Ertetny Act was recorded yesterday at the Old Bailey, when George Newton Spencer was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. Spencer pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with inviting Mr. Frank Henry Houlder and others to trade with the enemy. Mr. R. D. If uir, for the prosecution, said prisonor, who was a British Bubject, was a clerk to a Hamburg firm of shipowners. On 23rd September, having a passport granted to him by the American Consul in Hamburg, and a safe conduct from the German General of that city, prisoner came to London on a mission for his firm. Tliis German firm apparently thought, owing to the efficiency of the British Navy, that their ships were no longer of use to them, being either in neutral ports or seized as prizes of war by the King's ships. Some of the vessels were mortgaged to Messrs. Houlder Bros., and Messrs. Holman and Sons, insurance agents. To these two English firms prisoner proposed that they should pay to his firm large sums of money, and take in exchange the ships on which they had mortgages, and run them as their own property. If the transaction had been earned out, the result would have been that from Houlder Bros, there would have gone through a Rotterdam bank the sum of £16,000, and through Messrs. Hobnan and Sons the BUtn of £13,410— £28,410 from the King's subjects to the King's enemy. Messrs. Houlder and Holmau at once said such a, thing could not be done under our proclamations, and the former firm set tho law in motion against prisoner. Mr. Frank Henry Houlder, chairman of Iloulder Brothers, said Spencer declared that he had an authority from the German Government to transfer the vessels, and he produced a letter from the German Home Office c6nsenting- to the sale. One of the ships proposed to be sold was already a British prize of war at Gibraltar. Cyril Henrjr Walton, shipping manager of Messrs. John Holmes and Sons, of LloydVavenue, said accused showed him a document suggesting that witness's firm should take over a steamer in Alexandria by cancelling a mortgage of £16,590 and paying another £13,000. The vessel w;w worth about £20,000. He went to the Foreign Office, and informed prisoner on the following day that ho was advised that Alexandria was being treated as a British port, and that the ship had been seized as a prize. Prisoner said in Germany Alexandria was considered to be * neutral port. The jury returned a verdict of " Guilty," and the Judge, in passing sentence f said : " You are, I understand, an Englishman or a Scotsman by birth, and a British subject. You must, indeed, have been blind to the interest's of your native country or you must have been singularly incapable of appreciating the state of affairs, or you must have thought that the British merchants would do anything for money. It is my duty to pass on you a sentence which will prevent other people thinking that in the way of business they can set the interests of this country at naught. You cannot be sent to penal servitude or be ordered to hard labour, but in the interest of the country I must pass on you the sentence that you be imprisoned for eighteen months."
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I have picked up that he married a German lady named Joanna L Spencer (Nee?) and they had a daughter named Marion (May have went as Maria) Maria was listed in a passenger List as age 12 in 0ct 1937 listed as Marion E Spencer All listed as British nationality But Joanna was German and daughter was to..
Joanna [more likely Johanna if German} would have acquired British citizenship upon her marriage & the daughter would have been British through her father.
Have you tried writing a letter to the latest address you found asking for help?
Added- just found previous topic :-\
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=650598.0
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Thanks for sharing the link.. Great idea and great idea about a letter :)
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Yes I did write a letter and had it transcribed into German so an English and German version was sent.. Unfortunately no success ..
Would be great to understand George (Samuel) Newton Spencer's fate... If anyone can offer a look up on deaths around the Hamburg area I would be so grateful ..
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Hi
Did you look at archion or ancestry if there are the marriage record of
Spencer and Joanna and the birth record of their daughter Marion?
If both the marriage and the birth took place in Hamburg the records could be on one of this websites.
I have just read that the Einwohnermeldekarteien of Hamburg still exist but they are not online.
State Archives of Hamburg, Genealogy
http://www.hamburg.de/bkm/familienforschung/4307636/tipps-fuer-die-familienforschung/
http://www.hamburg.de/bkm/benutzung/4330728/benutzung-von-personenstandsunterlagen/
BMD Records of Hamburg are online on ancestry:
Births: 1874/1876 - 1901
Marriages: 1874/1876 - 1920
Deaths: 1874/1876 - 1950
BMD Records in the State Archives of Hamburg:
Births: 1874/1876 – 1906
Marriages: 1874/1876 – 1936
Deaths: 1874/1876 – 1986
Einwohnermeldekarteien in the State Archives of Hamburg:
01.02. 1892 – 31.12.1925 Meldekartei Alt-Hamburg
01.08. 1943 – 31.12.1945 Meldekartei Hamburg
01.01. 1946 - 31.07.1957 Meldekartei Hamburg
Regards
Svenja
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Thank you for the detail offered.. Can you access the archives in English?
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Name and gender
samuel Spencer b1882
Birth
8 September 1882 • Glasgow, Lanarkshire
10 Sources 1 Media
1882
(AGE)
Residence
1901 • Glasgow Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Age: 18; Relationship: Son
1 Source
1901
19
Departure
4 Oct 1921 • Hamburg
Age: 39
1 Source
1921
39
Marriage Contract
14 November 1922 • Hamburg, Germany
Marriage of George Spencer and Johanna Singenstrueh
Johanna Louise Auguste Singenstrueh (1892–1986)
1922
40
Departure
24 Apr 1923 • Hamburg
Age: 40
1 Source
1923
40
Departure
24 Sept 1924 • Hamburg
1 Source
1924
42
Departure
14 Aug 1926 • Hamburg
2 Sources
1926
43
Departure
24 Sep 1927 • Glasgow, Scotland
Age: 45
1 Source
1927
45
Arrival
2 October 1927 • New York, New York
Age: 45 George travels to USA. It may be business but his half sister is in New York area at this time Mary Newton Young (Nee Ledgerwood)
1 Source
1927
45
Residence
1931 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1931
49
Residence
1935 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1935
53
Residence
1936 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1936
54
Arrival
25 October 1937 • New York, New York
. His Sponsor for travelling to USA was M.N. Young (Mary Newton Young (His half sister)
1 Source
1937
55
Residence
1937 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1937
55
Residence
1938 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1938
56
Departure
3 Jun 1939 • London, England
Age: 56
1 Source
1939
56
Residence
1939 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1939
57
Residence
1940 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1940
58
Residence
1941 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1941
59
EDIT
Residence
1943 • Hamburg, Hamburg, Deutschland
1 Source
1943
61
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• George (Samuel) Newton Spencer B1882 – Glasgow
• 2nd March 1895 His mother died in Glasgow
• 1901 was living in Glasgow
• 1906 his sister Elizabeth Franklin Spencer died age 26 (was born 1880)
• 4th Feb 1914 His father George Spencer died in Glasgow
• 4th Oct 1921 – I have George travelling on a ships passenger list
• 14th November 1922 marriage of George Spencer & Johanna Louise Auguste Singenstrueh
• 24th April 1923 – I have George travelling on a ships passenger list
• Abt 1925/26 – George & Johanna have a daughter named Marion
• Sept / Oct 1927 – I have George travelling on a ships passenger List (USA) His half sister is living in New York
• 1931 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• 1935 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• 1936 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• Oct 1937 – I have George travelling on a ships passenger List (USA) His half sister is living in New York and is noted his sponsor
• 1938 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• 1939 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• June 1939 – I have George travelling on a ships passenger list Portugal the listed country travelling to
• 1940 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• 1941 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• 1943 – Have a residence for George in Hamburg
• 9th June 1945 – Death of Georges half brother – William Ledgerwood (My 2x Grt Grandfather) - Glasgow
• 30 July 1961 – Death of Georges brother Albert Edward Spencer – Glasgow
• 1961 – Death of half sister Mary Newton Ledgerwood
• Johanna died in Hamburg on 30 June 1986 – Germany (to be confirmed)
• Abt 3/4 years ago death of only daughter Marion (to be confirmed)
• I have a listing of G N Spencer residence in Hamburg phone book up to 1981 address Borchligsweg 31 (I have no idea when & where George Spencer died and would guess that he is deceased well before 1981) so a guess is that his estate is still active. Possibly wife Johanna is living here at this stage in 1981??? Possibly Marion??? (To be confirmed)
• I had been advised that George and Johanna lived in Sweden for a period of time - To confirm
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Research Challenge – Samuel Spencer / George Newton Spencer (1882–?)
I'm researching a fascinating Scottish-born ancestor whose life took an unexpected turn and I'm hoping fellow researchers may be able to help fill some gaps.
What We Know
Samuel Spencer
Born 8 September 1882 at 159 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, Scotland.
Son of George Spencer and Hannah McGee.
Later appears to have adopted the name George Spencer or George Newton Spencer.
By 1914 he was living and working in Hamburg, Germany, for a German shipping concern and became involved in a major maritime financial transaction shortly after the outbreak of WWI.
The Old Bailey Case
George was prosecuted under the newly introduced Trading with the Enemy Act 1914.
The case involved:
Three German ships interned in neutral ports.
German-held mortgages over those vessels.
A proposed transaction worth approximately £545,000 (a huge sum at the time).
Funds intended to be routed through a Dutch firm before ultimately reaching Germany.
George was:
Tried at the Old Bailey.
Convicted on 14 October 1914.
Sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.
Appealed the conviction.
Appeal dismissed on 9 November 1915.
He appears to have been one of the earliest, and possibly the first, individuals convicted under the Trading with the Enemy Act.
After Prison
Remarkably, he returned to Hamburg after the war.
He married:
Johanna Louise Auguste Singenstrueh
(1892–1986)
in Hamburg on 14 November 1922.
They had one known daughter:
Marion E Spencer
(1926–2012)
who later married into the Wittesch family.
Known Timeline
✔ Glasgow 1882–1901
✔ Hamburg before 1914
✔ Old Bailey conviction 1914
✔ Appeal rejected 1915
✔ Marriage in Hamburg 1922
✔ Daughter Marion born Hamburg 1926
✔ Travel to New York with wife and daughter in 1937
✔ Residence records continue in Hamburg through WWII
✔ Family appears to have survived the Hamburg bombing of 1943
✔ Wife died Hamburg-Altona in 1986
✔ Daughter died about 2012
The Big Mystery
Despite all of this, I have never found:
❓ Samuel/George's death record
❓ His final resting place
❓ Confirmation of what happened to him after WWII
❓ Details of a possible Hamburg business called Spencer & Co.
Looking For
Any assistance with:
Hamburg death records
Hamburg business directories
Trade/shipping records
Spencer & Co. Hamburg
Marion Spencer / Marion Wittesch records
Post-war Hamburg records
Newspaper references
Probate records
would be greatly appreciated.
This Glasgow-born shipping agent somehow became part of British legal history, rebuilt his life in Germany, and then seemingly vanished from the historical record.
I'd love to finally discover how his story ended.
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Hi Scott
Newspapers of Hamburg can be found here: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/newspaper
I found "George Newton Spencer" three times in the Handelsregister in the "Deutscher Reichsanzeiger".
I also found him under "Spencer, George Newton" living in Gotenburg, Sweden in 1941 and 1942.
Regards
Svenja
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Thank you Svenja.. I have a German Friend I am hoping can have a play for me to drill into this link.. I am very grateful for the share ..
Best Regards
Scott
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He‘s mentioned in this Book, Page 67
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41457
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Thanks guys. Really interesting finds and clues within. Using some AI tools to help understand...
Thanks Dave & Svenja
Simplifying ......
What the German Records Revealed
1920
George Newton Spencer was granted:
Prokura
This means he was trusted with significant commercial authority within a Hamburg business.
1923
George was officially recorded as:
George Newton Spencer
Klein Flottbek
Kaufmann (Merchant)
This confirms he was living in Hamburg and working as a merchant.
1923–1926
George became a partner in:
Ascher & Spencer
1926
Official records confirm:
Spencer & Co.
belonged to George Newton Spencer.
He became sole proprietor of the company.
1930
Hamburg shipping newspapers show:
Spencer & Co. – Makler
Meaning:
Shipbroker / Shipping Agent
This finally revealed the nature of George's business.
1941–1942
German wartime notices place George in:
Sweden
and later
Göteborg (Gothenburg)
This suggests a strong connection with Sweden during WWII.
Property
Records also identify:
Neulandsweg 31
Hamburg-Othmarschen
showing George retained property interests in Hamburg.
What the 1915 Book Added
The book:
The German Spy System From Within (1915)
provided new information about George during the 1914 court case.
It records:
George Newton Spencer.
Living at 33 Lübeckerstrasse, Hamburg.
Working for a Hamburg shipping company.
Sent to Britain by his employers in 1914.
Involved in the shipping transaction that led to his prosecution.
Important
The book is about wartime espionage, but:
George was not convicted of spying.
He was convicted of:
Trading with the Enemy.
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https://actapro-benutzung.hamburg.de/actaproweb/archive.xhtml?id=Vz++++++3933cf5c-4d6c-5c62-be58-33e74a96bab8#Vz______3933cf5c-4d6c-5c62-be58-33e74a96bab8
Hamburg Archive deaths
I could‘nt find him
Happy hunting
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Dave, Thanks for that great link. It took me a good while, but I found my Relative. That helps bring a closure to this gentleman. .. Appreciate the help here team .. These were great links you shared..
Born Samuel Spencer in Glasgow, Scotland, on 8 September 1882 and died in Hamburg, Germany, on 16 March 1967.
Led an interesting eventful life..
Outstanding Research Questions that I will pick away at.
1. When exactly did he leave Scotland?
2. When did he first arrive in Hamburg?
3. Why did he adopt the name George?
4. Full extent of Spencer & Co.
5. Nature of the Gothenburg connection.
6. Exact place of death in Hamburg.
7. Burial location.
8. Whether probate/will records survive. These questions represent the next stage of the research journey.
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The death entry is in the Registry 332-5 Deaths
File no AL (Altona) 0571 - year 67 - Born 16.3.1967
The file will hold more Info
You can oder reproductions from the Archive
They cooperate with a sheltered workshop that do the work
Costs around 13 €
I have done this myself a few years ago. Found it quite complicated.
https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/behoerde-fuer-kultur-und-medien/einrichtungen/staatsarchiv/archivgutbestellung-110998
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Thats great Dave! I actually was in that area and yes it appears a bit complicated I was stuck at that actual reference .... Just to be clear though ... Born 16.3.1967 .... That would be his death date ? I have his birth date 8.9.1882
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Yes of course
Death Date 🙈
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Do you want me to See if can Get through the Jungle ?
I‘ll have Go if you like
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Thanks Dave .. Ill give it a go .. Will let u know how I go.. If I raise the white flag maybe u can help .. :) ... Again to you and Svenja.. thank you
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Here‘s a member of his company
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Brilliant Dave... Julius Gross (1891–1935) was the authorized manager of Spencer & Co. in Hamburg and appears to have been George Spencer's principal representative within the business. The archive records show he died in an accident in 1935 and it was important enough to have a dedicated newspaper file preserved by the Hamburg State Archive.
Thinking...
Julius Gross was not an ordinary employee—he was a senior executive of Spencer & Co. and may have been George Spencer's right-hand man in Hamburg.
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Hi
There are three death notices of Julius Gross in the newspaper "Hamburger Fremdenblatt" (17.07.1935). https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/newspaper/item/RYGWHEOAJIG44R4YVWAIWTLDABSLSPZ3?query=%22Julius%20Gross%22&issuepage=4
And here is another notice about Spencer & Co. in the Handelsregister, when G. N. Spencer left the business and it changed its name from Spencer & Co. to Helmts & Co. (17.09.1941) https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/newspaper/item/ZJHUMVNOL5K5HWSP4HINWQTMKEIPL22M?query=%22G.%20N.%20Spencer%22&issuepage=4
Regards
Svenja
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Hi
There are three death notices of Julius Gross in the newspaper "Hamburger Fremdenblatt" (17.07.1935). https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/newspaper/item/RYGWHEOAJIG44R4YVWAIWTLDABSLSPZ3?query=%22Julius%20Gross%22&issuepage=4
Regards
Svenja
Great info again.. I have used AI tools but sharing the highlights in reference to the links and the learnings ...
This is a very valuable find. It contains three separate death notices for Dr. Julius Gross, two of them directly from Spencer & Co.
Top Left Notice (Family Notice)
Suddenly and unexpectedly, as the result of an accident, my beloved husband, the good father of my children, our dear son, son-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle
Dr. Julius Gross
passed away at the age of 44 years.
In deep sorrow:
Mrs. Else Gross, née Dunker
Theo and Ulli
Hamburg, 13 July 1935
Hansastraße 13
Funeral: Friday at 12 noon, Chapel 7, Ohlsdorf Cemetery.
Top Right Notice (From George Newton Spencer)
As the result of a tragic accident, my dear friend and loyal colleague
Dr. Julius Gross
was called away from his active life on 15 July.
Since the founding of our company, he contributed outstandingly to the development of the firm through his extensive knowledge and experience.
I shall always cherish his memory with gratitude.
G. N. Spencer
Spencer & Co.
Hamburg, 17 July 1935
What is important here?
This is perhaps the strongest evidence yet of the relationship between George Newton Spencer and Julius Gross.
George does not describe him merely as an employee.
He writes:
"my dear friend and loyal colleague"
and
"Since the founding of our company..."
This strongly suggests Gross was involved from the very beginning of Spencer & Co.'s Hamburg operation.
Bottom Right Notice (From Employees of Spencer & Co.)
As a result of injuries sustained in an earlier accident, our esteemed
Dr. Julius Gross
has been taken from us on 15 July.
He was a kind and always considerate superior to us all.
We shall never forget him.
The Employees of Spencer & Co.
Hamburg, 17 July 1935
Another Important Clue
The employees refer to him as:
"Vorgesetzter" (superior, manager, boss)
This confirms Julius Gross held a senior management role within Spencer & Co.
Historical Summary:
Dr. Julius Gross (1891–1935) was a senior executive and authorised representative (Prokurist) of Spencer & Co. in Hamburg. Newspaper death notices following his accidental death in July 1935 reveal that he was regarded by George Newton Spencer as both a close friend and trusted colleague. Spencer stated that Gross had played a key role in building the company from its foundation. Employees of Spencer & Co. remembered him as a respected and considerate manager, indicating that he occupied one of the most senior positions within the firm.
For me, the standout phrase is:
"Seit Gründung unserer Firma..."
"Since the founding of our company..."
That single sentence suggests Julius Gross may have been with George Spencer from the very beginning of the Hamburg venture, making him one of the most significant non-family figures yet discovered in the history of Spencer & Co. Hamburg.
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And here is another notice about Spencer & Co. in the Handelsregister, when G. N. Spencer left the business and it changed its name from Spencer & Co. to Helmts & Co. (17.09.1941) https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/newspaper/item/ZJHUMVNOL5K5HWSP4HINWQTMKEIPL22M?query=%22G.%20N.%20Spencer%22&issuepage=4
Regards
Svenja
This notice appeared in:
Hamburger Fremdenblatt
17 September 1941
Page 4
So we can now place the event firmly in the wartime period.
More Accurate Translation
Spencer & Co., Shipbrokers, Esplanade 61
A female limited partner (Kommanditistin) has joined the company.
At the same time, the partner G. N. Spencer has withdrawn from the partnership.
The business will continue as a limited partnership (Kommanditgesellschaft).
The company name has been changed to Helmrich & Co.
Historical Interpretation
The timing is fascinating.
17 September 1941 was during the Second World War, when Britain and Germany were at war.
George Newton Spencer was:
Scottish-born
British by birth
Operating a Hamburg shipping business
Yet he appears to have remained associated with Spencer & Co. until at least 1941.
This notice suggests one of two possibilities:
A forced withdrawal due to wartime regulations concerning British nationals and enemy property.
A voluntary transfer of the business to German ownership to allow it to continue operating during the war.
The renaming from Spencer & Co. to Helmrich & Co. is especially telling. During wartime Germany, an English-sounding company name could attract unwanted attention or administrative complications.
The Most Important Line
"Gleichzeitig ist der Gesellschafter G. N. Spencer aus der Gesellschaft ausgeschieden."
Literally:
"At the same time, the partner G. N. Spencer has withdrawn from the partnership."
This is direct evidence that George Newton Spencer was still officially a partner in Spencer & Co. immediately before September 1941.
That is a remarkable find.
17 September 1941 – Hamburg
Summarizing;
A legal notice published in the Hamburger Fremdenblatt announced that shipbrokers Spencer & Co., Esplanade 61, Hamburg, had been reorganised. The partner G. N. Spencer withdrew from the firm, a female limited partner entered the business, and the company was renamed Helmrich & Co.. This appears to mark the end of George Newton Spencer's formal association with the company he had founded in Hamburg and may have been connected to wartime conditions affecting British nationals in Germany.
What would be of great interest is whether there is a shared full name of the incoming Kommanditistin (female limited partner). If it was Johanna Louise Auguste Spencer (née Singenstrüh), that would be a major breakthrough because it would indicate the business remained within the Spencer family rather than being sold outright.
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For many years, George Newton Spencer had built Spencer & Co. into a respected Hamburg shipping brokerage operating from prestigious offices at Esplanade 61. The company was supported by trusted colleagues, most notably Dr. Julius Gross, who George later described as a "dear friend and loyal colleague" and one of the key figures responsible for the firm's growth from its foundation.
The death of Dr. Julius Gross in July 1935 deprived Spencer & Co. of one of its most important executives. Newspaper tributes from George Newton Spencer and the company's employees reveal the esteem in which Gross was held and confirm that he had played a central role in developing the business.
Six years later, another pivotal event occurred.
A notice published in the Hamburger Fremdenblatt on 17 September 1941 announced a major restructuring of the company. The notice stated that:
"The partner G. N. Spencer has withdrawn from the partnership."
At the same time, a female limited partner (Kommanditistin) entered the business, and the firm ceased trading under the name Spencer & Co., being renamed Helmrich & Co.
This announcement marks the final known occasion on which George Newton Spencer appears as an active partner in the company he had founded.
The timing is significant. By September 1941, Germany and Great Britain had been at war for two years. As a Scottish-born British national living in Hamburg, Spencer occupied a unique and increasingly difficult position. Whether his withdrawal was voluntary, commercially necessary, or influenced by wartime regulations remains uncertain. However, the public notice demonstrates that Spencer remained formally connected to the company until this date.
The identity of the incoming female partner has yet to be confirmed. Should further records reveal her to be George's wife, Johanna Louise Auguste Singenstrüh Spencer, it would suggest that the business remained under family influence despite the name change.
For now, the 1941 notice stands as the closing chapter of George Newton Spencer's direct involvement in Hamburg's shipping industry. Although the company name disappeared, George himself remained in Hamburg, where he would live for another twenty-six years before his death on 16 March 1967.
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The Company changed its Name to Helmst and Co
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https://adressbuecher.sub.uni-hamburg.de/recherche/detail?tx_dlf%5Bdouble%5D=0&tx_dlf%5Bid%5D=390203&tx_dlf%5Bpage%5D=739&tx_dlf_navigation%5Baction%5D=main&tx_dlf_navigation%5Bcontroller%5D=Navigation&cHash=55218bfa3f720643e0d38cb279cb447e
1943
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The Company changed its Name to Helmst and Co
Hi Dave - Is there a date on the page to accompany this detail?
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Top right
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The Company changed its Name to Helmst and Co
confirming 1943?
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On the top righthandside of the Page
1943
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Company Entry (Supported by AI)
Spencer & Co.
Schiffsmakler = Shipbroker / Shipping Broker
Hmb 36 Esplanade 6
Hamburg postal district 36
Office address: Esplanade 6
One of Hamburg's principal commercial streets near the Binnenalster.
✶ 34 25 55
Company's telephone number.
Person 1 – Karl Helmts
priv. Karl Helmts
Hmb 26 Vikarienweg 8
26 86 24
Translation:
priv. = private telephone/contact
Karl Helmts
Residence: Vikarienweg 8
Telephone: 26 86 24
This suggests Karl Helmts was sufficiently important to be listed under Spencer & Co.
Possibilities:
Partner
Senior broker
Director
Authorized signatory (Prokurist)
Successor-in-waiting
Person 2 – Hans Menzell
Befrachter Hans Menzell
Hmb 39 Willistr. 25
52 07 03
"Befrachter" is very important.
A Befrachter is:
Chartering agent
Freight broker
Cargo broker
In shipping this is a specialist role.
This suggests Hans Menzell was not simply an employee but a named chartering professional associated with Spencer & Co.
Residence:
Willistraße 25
Telephone:
52 07 03
Person 3 – Wilhelm Klein
priv. Wilhelm Klein
Hmb 26 Rumpffsweg 15
26 56 28
Another named individual listed under Spencer & Co.
Again:
Private address
Private telephone
His inclusion suggests he held a significant role within the firm.
Person 4 – George Newton Spencer
Spencer George N.
Othm. Neulandsweg 31
P
G Flottb
49 24 81
This is the most interesting line.
Othm.
Almost certainly:
Othmarschen
An affluent district in western Hamburg.
Neulandsweg 31
George's residence.
P
Likely:
Privatanschluss (private telephone listing).
G Flottb
Almost certainly:
Groß-Flottbek
Another district immediately adjacent to Othmarschen.
So the directory is locating him geographically within the Othmarschen / Groß-Flottbek area.
Telephone
49 24 81
George's private residential number.
What This Tells Us About Spencer & Co.
The company directory entry identifies four key people:
Person Role
George N. Spencer Principal / Owner
Karl Helmts Senior associate
Hans Menzell Chartering broker
Wilhelm Klein Senior associate
This is not a random list.
Directories typically only listed people who were important to the business.
If this directory is wartime (or close to wartime), then Spencer & Co. appears to have been a small but established brokerage with at least:
George Spencer leading it.
Karl Helmts in a senior capacity.
Hans Menzell handling freight and chartering.
Wilhelm Klein in another key role.
When you later find: Helmts & Co. Schiffsmakler
it becomes understandable why the company evolved into Helmts & Co.
Not because the names are similar, but because Karl Helmts was already deeply embedded within Spencer & Co.
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On the top righthandside of the Page
1943
Thanks
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https://adressbuecher.sub.uni-hamburg.de/recherche/detail?tx_dlf%5Bdouble%5D=0&tx_dlf%5Bid%5D=390206&tx_dlf%5Bpage%5D=1053&tx_dlf_navigation%5Baction%5D=main&tx_dlf_navigation%5Bcontroller%5D=Navigation&cHash=73eb284c937b602a37015a55bb3d4510
1950. address, Beim alten Weisenhaus 1
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Thanks Dave, appreciate the share - Again with the help of AI...
This is a 1950 Hamburg Commercial Directory, and it is arranged alphabetically under the heading Schiffsmakler (Shipbrokers).
Here's what stands out.
1. Karl Helmts is Here
About halfway down the middle column you have:
Helmts & Co.
Beim alten Waisenhause 11
This is significant because it confirms that Helmts & Co. was still trading in 1950.
Notice that this is not the same address as the 1943 directory.
Year Address
1943 Neuer Jungfernstieg 7/8
1950 Beim alten Waisenhause 11
So the firm had relocated sometime between 1943 and 1950.
2. Menzel & Co. is Also Here
Further down the same column:
Menzel & Co., Schiffsmakler
Hamburg 11
Bei den Mühren 67/71
That suggests Menzel had established his own brokerage by 1950.
This strengthens the idea that the people listed under Spencer & Co. in the wartime directory were experienced shipping professionals who later followed their own careers.
3. Spencer & Co. is Missing
I do not see:
Spencer & Co.
George Spencer
That absence is meaningful.
It tells us that by 1950 either:
Spencer had retired,
the company had ceased trading,
the business had been absorbed,
or George was no longer advertising commercially.
Since we know George was still alive until 1967, it doesn't mean he had left Hamburg—it only tells us the firm was no longer listed under its former name.
The Address Change is Interesting
1943
Helmts & Co.
Neuer Jungfernstieg 7/8
↓
1950
Helmts & Co.
Beim alten Waisenhause 11
Companies often moved offices after the war because:
bomb damage,
reconstruction,
changing business needs,
or post-war property reallocations.
So the address change is not surprising.
A Timeline is Emerging
Year Spencer & Co. Helmts & Co. Menzel
1943 ✔ Operating ✔ Operating Listed with Spencer
1950 ✘ Gone ✔ Still operating ✔ Own company
This suggests that Helmts & Co. was not simply a renamed Spencer & Co. Instead, it appears to have been an independent shipbroker that survived the war.
One Detail I Find Especially Interesting
Look closely at the sequence:
George Spencer employed or worked closely with Karl Helmts.
George Spencer employed or worked closely with Hans Menzel.
By 1950:
Helmts had an established brokerage.
Menzel had an established brokerage.
Spencer's company had disappeared.
That pattern may suggest Spencer may have acted as a senior figure or mentor within a network of Hamburg shipbrokers, with trusted associates later continuing independently after the war.