German Pork Butchers in Britain

[Histres]

Dear MeenzHunters,
After all the research I did, I would suggest that the name Meenz is an anglicised version of "Münz". There were several Münz families in England, all of them living in and around Bradford. Therefore it would be useful to know a forename and perhaps a hint when your Münz forefather was born or came to England.
The Münz families I know of, all emigrated from Hohebach on the river Jagst.
It would also be of much use to me if I knew how the Meenz' were related to the Schwabs. The Schwabs most probably emigrated from Künzelsau. Here again a forename and a year would be useful.

Kind regards
Histres

[MeenzHunters]

Hi Histres,

I am happy to accept any suggestions.

Frederick John Meenz was born in 1831 and was naturalised in 1860
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-2201552

He was married to Susannah Dorothea Schwab (1825) and had 5 sons one of whom is my ancestor born in 1960 in wakefield

Susannahs Brother was called John Louis William Schwab (1816) and he was naturalised in 1955
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-2200354

Both Frederick and Susannah are described as pork butchers in the censuses as are the Schwabs.

Best wishes,

MeenzHunters

[johnbhoy]

Good evening Johnbhoy,
It's great to hear from you again my friend. The news you got are very promising. I hope the IRC archives can deliver you some substantial information on the internment of Christian Frederick Wall. I'm very excited to hear from you soon.

Best wishes
Histres

You'll be the first to know mate, I'll mail you as soon as I receive them 

[johnbhoy]

Hi Histres,

I am happy to accept any suggestions.

Frederick John Meenz was born in 1831 and was naturalised in 1860
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-2201552

He was married to Susannah Dorothea Schwab (1825) and had 5 sons one of whom is my ancestor born in 1960 in wakefield

Susannahs Brother was called John Louis William Schwab (1816) and he was naturalised in 1955
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-2200354

Both Frederick and Susannah are described as pork butchers in the censuses as are the Schwabs.

Best wishes,

MeenzHunters

Hi MeenzHunters and welcome to the thread.
You are very fortunate that you have found the Naturalisation papers in the NA, as some of the posters on this thread, myself included,  had ancestors that did not become British Nationals and it then becomes a nightmare LOL.
I wish you all the best

Johnbhoy

[MeenzHunters]

Thanks JohnbHoy,

I havent yet had the chance to view them - does anyone know how much info they contain?

Thanks, i'll keep the forum posted as i find out what i can!

MeenzHunters

[Histres]

Dear MeenzHunter,
The Schwab family that is described by you, came from Künzelsau. John Louis William Schwab was born there on 8th December 1815 (not in 1816 as you wrote) and emigrated to England on 1st June 1844 only a couple of days after his marriage (Town archive “Stadtarchiv” Künzelsau, B 502). In White's West Riding Yorkshire Directory of 1857-8 he is listed on p. 590 as Louis Schwab of 27 Kirkgate in Wakefield.
Frederick Meenz is listed on the same page at 93 Westgate and in 117 Kirkgate there was a Frederick Roll and in 151 Kirkgate a Henry Roll. The Roll brothers were also from Künzelsau. It is most likely that the Meenz family also came from Künzelsau or its surroundings.
There is much evidence that all these Künzelsau people knew each other and went to England in some kind of family based chain migration.

Best wishes
Histres

[MeenzHunters]

Dear Histres,

Thanks so much for this information, is there any mention of John Louis William Schwab's parents? or even his sister?

I think it is likely that more of the family came over too - seeing as atleast one other of the JLW Schwab's siblings came.

How do i search the Künzelsau archives?

Best wishes and many thanks,

MeenzHunter

[glen_roger]

Dear Histres,
Are you aware of the immigration routes taken by our Pork Butcher ancestors.  Can you tell us more of what the journey would have been like in the 1850s?
Thanks.

Glen

"The Münz families I know of, all emigrated from Hohebach on the river Jagst."

[Histres]

Hi, I am researching my own family tree and have stumbled across German Pork Butchers...
'Mine' are from Wakefield and the names are Meenz and Schwab
(on the NA website they have naturalisation papers - does anyone know what info they can provide?)

Hello MeenzHunters and all the others who want to know what information the naturalisation papers can provide. On the following BBC website you can find some useful information:

http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/take-it-further/overseas/german-%E2%80%93%C2%A0emigration-documents

Quote:
“Many immigrants naturalised in the UK after some years – especially in the late 19th or 20th centuries. However, the proportion doing so was tiny up to 1914. The process was expensive and not necessary to stay here.
Those who did naturalise will have given their date and place of birth and their parents' names and you can find these details on their naturalisation certificate and in their Home Office file at the National Archives at Kew”.
Best regards
Histres