German ?? MEEVE. August abt 1853?

[Rourkous]

Not sure where to go to ask this.... My Gr Gr grandfather -
August Christian Alex Amandus Meeve
1853–1926
Birth ABT. 1853 • Germany,
Death 30 NOVEMBER 1926 • Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. I have tried for years to understand where he may be from and when he was born, who are his parents... To start at the beginning of our knowledge of him, He landed in Tasmania, jumped off a ship then married 1879 Ellen Anne Hurley. 2 boys Michael William MEEVE 1880 and John William Meeve 1882. After his wife died when boys about 2yrs, he left his boys in Tasmania and went to Sydney where he married again and had a lot more children. Never seeing his boys in Tas. again. I have attached his death cert. But would dearly love if someone that reads German registries could search him for me?? His death cert. does say Sweden... but family legend says he is German.?? Can You help? I am also asking on the FaceBook "German Genealogy" site.

[jamcat95]

Hi
I took a look in Sweden for the name Meeve or any other variation and nothing came up. So I would think the name would be German.

Looking here: https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/search/ and adding "Slesvig-Holsten" (the German part of Denmark) in the county box and searching for "Meeves" you will get a number of hits. Only one "Meeve" comes up.

I can't help out much more than that unfortunately.


Ian

[wivenhoe]

At National Archives of Australia
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/search/index.aspx
find naturalization file for Augustus MEEVE.....12 months Melbourne, five years Tasmania.....born 10 January 1854, Altona, Germany.....

[jamcat95]

Nice find wivenhoe.
Altona was in Slesvig-Holsten at that time.

Ian

[Rena]

As all the given names suggest, I think your ancestor was from one of the Germanic states (At the time of his birth there wasn't a country called "Germany").  Unfortunately your man isn't shown on the Familysearch website but the European collection only shows that surname as being German with none being Swedish. 

I see Wivenhoe has found his birth place.  Looking at a map Altona was near the Port Of Hamburg and that district used to be ruled by Denmark.  Looking at the map you can see how easy it would be for him or his family to nip over the Danish border into Sweden.  As Sweden plays a big part in the family story, it could be that when Bismarck of Prussia waged war on the smaller Gemanic states in the 1860s, this might possibly be when the family moved northward.   

[wivenhoe]

NSW BDM marriage
882 / 1883 MEEVE August  m.  QUINLAN Ellen    @ Sydney

This certificate would ask for age, birthplace, parents' names, father's occupation, for August and Ellen.

[jamcat95]

Did a quick search on Ancestry:

There are 2 names that come up from the Germany and Surrounding Areas, Address Books, 1829-1974 - F. Meeve and Marie, Schneiderin Meeve in Altona, 1916

also

A death of a Josephine Amalie Mathilde Meeve in 1922, born 23 Nov 1853 in Hamburg.


Ian

[jamcat95]

Here is a "Meve" family in Altona from the 1803 Census:
https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid1975205


Ian

[jamcat95]

His name would seem to have been Mewe: