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.
