Carl Neumann, Consul to Puerto Plata

Beginning of Ledger Entry May 3, 1854
 Appointment for the merchant Carl Neumann as consul to Porto Plata.

I have written before (HERE ) about my husband's Neumann family, his grandmother Julia, and her father Victor.  I knew that the head of the family was his second great grandfather, known as Luis Carlos Neumann in Puerto Plata in what is now the Dominican Republic.  Family lore had said that he was the Prussian consul and that he had been born in "Germany" (which wasn't a  unified country until 1871).  I didn't have much further information about Carlos except that his wife was Maria Francisca Enriqueta Paris, and they had six children (Anna Maria Alicia, Carlos Henrique, Clementina Ragaela, Amelia, and Alberto in addition to the aforementioned Victor.)  The family referred to his German name as Karl.

Not one to give up on brick walls, I recently Googled Carlos Neumann and to my surprise got a hit on a Spanish language economics journal that had an article about the impact of the Dominican Restoration War of 1863-1865 on commerce in Puerto Plata1.  With the help of my Spanish neighbor, I found that there were several references to Carlos Neumann as the proprietor of businesses with an analysis of the impact on his business based on inventories and reports he filed as consul to the government of Prussia.  There were also footnotes providing references to the archive holding those reports in Germany.  With the help of my German neighbor (I live in a very multicultural neighborhood), I corresponded with the Geheimes Staatsarchiv PreuBischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian State Archive) in Berlin and they sent me images of 59 pages of letters and reports related to Carl Neumann of Karsruhe Prussia including the one shown above naming him consul to Puerto Plata (or Porto Plata as they called it).  I had to hire a professional translator as these were handwritten in old German, and they are still being worked on, but shown above is part of one page of the official ledger where they copied official correspondence showing the letter naming him as consul.  The paragraph shown above reads:

"We, Friedrich Wilhelm by the grace of God King of Prussia, etc. do hereby declare and add:, that, having found it convenient  to appoint a consul in Porto Plata, we have chosen and accepted there in grace Carl Neumann, a merchant who is acclaimed for his knowledge of business and other good qualities”2.

It seems that in the official correspondence his name was spelled with a C, and that the often signed his letters as Charles!  The remaining correspondence in addition to business information seems to include references provided in connection with his appointment with information about Carl's business, his character, and possibly about his origins in Karlsruhe. There are also some hints in the Spanish article that may lead to further information on the family in Puerto Plata.  I will have lots to do to follow up on these new hints, but for now, it's good to know that the family story about Carlos being the consul is correct even if the assumption about the "German" spelling of his name was wrong.

1. Donation de Capital de la Sociedad Rural Dominicana en el Siglo XIX Segunda Parte” by Manfred Wilckens. Ciencia Y Sociedad,  Voumen XXVII, Numero 2 Abril-Junio 2002.

2. Geheimes Staatsarchiv PreuBischer Kulturbesitz. Zentrales Staatsarchiv Hist. Abt. 11 2.4.1. Abt. II Nr. 642 Vol. II vom Sep. 1845 bis December 1862. May 3, 1854. no 5913 Article p. 102.

Neuman family - part 1

 Julia Henriette Neuman Fondeur
about 1912

My husband's grandmother was the lovely young lady shown above.  She was born on January 13, 1887, in Santa Barbara de Samana in what is now the Dominican Republic (DR), and baptized there as Julia Margarita Neumann Fondeur1.  (This uses the Spanish convention of putting the father's surname followed by the mother's surname).  In various records, she was known as Julia Henriette, Julia Andriette Marie, and Julieta Henriqueta.

Julia was born into a large, prosperous family of seven girls and one boy.   Her parents were Victor Newman Paris, (born May 30, 1863, in Puerto Plata, DR)2 and Juliana Fondeur Guzman (b. ca. 1869 in Moca, Espaillat, DR).  According to "Hombres y Mujeres Notables y Benefactores de Samana (1493-1910)"  by Gregorio Elias Penzo, her father (Victor) "... emigrated with his brother Alberto to the city of Samana sometime between 1880 and 1890.  On January 9, 1896, he married Juliana Fondeur, from Moca, their children were:  Julieta Enriqueta, Maria Juliana Clementina, Maria Luisa Virginia, Lois Henry Victor, Maria Francisca, Maria Theresa, and Luisa Angela Marguerita (7 girls and 1 boy).  Victor appears in a list of businessmen (comerciantes) in 1896 as the proprietor of a commercial establishment.  He held several municipal posts, including the mayor. On March 1, 1903, professor Vicente Martinez, jointly with Victor Neumann, mayor, founded a school, Escuela Aurora, in Las Terrenas.  Victor was a founding member of the Auxilliary Fire Department of Samana (March 22, 1922).  On March 31, 1902, his wife died; years later he remarried: Theresa Horton Drullard,  and had an additional seven children: Celida Altagracia, Atenaida Maria, Celeste Ondina, Elsa Mercedes, Clara Aurora, Rhina Teresa, and Sergio Hector (6 girls and one boy).

He was named administrator of the soap company, Jabonerias Unidas del Cibao, by the board of directors, and he carried out his responsibilities with efficiency and honesty, which was an integral part of his character.  Although he had a sober expression, he enjoyed simple humor and loved music.  He frequently hired a local band, Orquesta Altagracia to play for his parties.  He was a well-mannered gentleman, and was the governor of a social club, Club Peninsular, for several terms.  He died on October 20, 1932."3

Alexander Crime
 taken in San Juan PR about 1913 

In 1913 Julia married Alexander Crime from St Thomas, Danish West Indies but living in Samana. In a 1906 guide to the DR he is shown as an import/export merchant operating from an office in a pharmacy, and  Vice-Consul for Norway for Samana.  He is listed as living in Samana with his father Matthew and "Crime Senoritas" (probably unmarried sisters) on Avenida la Marina in Samana. Victor Neumann is also listed on Marina at that time, although his family is not shown.  It is likely that that is how the couple became acquainted. Victor's brother Alberto is shown as living on Colon Street.4.

Because of Alejandro's (Alexander) business, the couple moved back and forth between Samana and St Thomas.  They had seven children born as they moved from one to the other. Born in Samana:  Ilma Ethelvina (1914), Mildred Virginia (1915) Daphne Maria (1918), and Alda Alexandrina (1920).  Born in St Thomas: Vera Tanya (1917), Alexander (1922), and Erle Edward (1924).  This movement became an issue after the 1917 transfer of St Thomas from Denmark to the United States and the granting of US citizenship to Danish resident citizens in 1927.  That will be the subject of another blog post.5

Ad for Alexander Crime
in Guia General of 1906

Alexander, (as he was known in St Thomas) acquired some land on Estate Dorothea on St Thomas in 1907 and established a residence there to maintain his Danish citizenship despite his absences in the DR. 6 By 1921 when his first son was born, the family was residing at 11 Crystal Gade in Charlotte Amelie, St Thomas.7  By 1929 they had moved to 83 Kronprindsens Gade where Julia died on November 7 from cancer of the uterus.8  Alexander died on June 11, 1936.  They both were buried in the Western Cemetery in Charlotte Amalie.9

1.  Baptism records, FHL, Julia Margarita Neumann Fondeur born Jan 13, 1887, Baptized June 15, 1887, in Santa Barbara de Samana. Parents Victor Neumann and Juliana Fondeur.
2.  Hombres y Mujeres Notables y Benefactores de Samana (1493-1910)"  by Gregorio Elias Penzo.  pp 209-210.  Citation and rough translation provided via e-mail Feb 23, 2004, from Jacqueline Jacques to Mary-Jane Roth
3.  Ibid.
4. "La Republica Dominicana Directorio y Guia General" Enrique Deschamps, 1906.  Copies of pages 186-188, 315-317  several unmarked pages sent to Erle Crime by Jacqueline Jacques in 2004. Given to Mary-Jane Roth in 2004.
5. Ibid., unmarked page of advertisements.
6. Copy of letter October 30, 1938, from C.L. Root, Collector of Customs St. Thomas, to The Commissioner of Emigration & Naturalization, Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. concerning the citizenship of Miss Mildred Crime.  Copy given to Mary-Jane Roth by Daphne Crime Kushnereit.
7. Ibid.
8. As told to Mary-Jane Roth by Erle Crime and Daphne Crime Kushnereit.
9. Photos of the crypt in Western Cemetery, Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas showing birth and death dates for Julia N. Crime and Alexander Crime. Provided by e-mail July 26, 2006, from Maria Smith to Mary-Jane Roth.

In the beginning...

  

Mary-Jane Roth Summer 1949

 As you may know, I began tracing my family tree about 20 years ago.  I had always enjoyed visits with our extended family, and listening to the stories told around many dinner tables.  As the years went by and older family members slipped away, my desire to record our stories for those who come after me got stronger and stronger.  As I have gotten older the task seemed more urgent, and I have put a lot of effort into collecting information about all of the branches of my family tree, Roth, Lieberman, Grosser, Tepper, Fried, Kandel, and their siblings, spouses, and in-laws.  Over time, I have learned a lot about documenting sources,  how to research all sort of records, and how to ask leading questions.  I have collected hundreds of photos and continue to track down and meet cousins who I had not seen in many years, or perhaps whose existence I had never suspected.   I have also expanded my search to include my husband Steve's family, the Crimes and Neumanns, Gormans, Fergusons, and McCanns.
    Today's technology has made it easier to share information with many people.  I have connected with many relatives over Facebook and with e-mail.  This blog is the next step in sharing my adventures in genealogy with everyone out there who may be interested.  As time goes on, I plan to highlight relatives I know about, sharing what I know of their stories, a photo if I have one, or a copy of some record I have found (naturalization, birth, tombstone, newspaper article etc), and my adventures in archives, libraries, and other repositories as I continue to work on the family history.  I hope that you will enjoy the stories I share, and perhaps add to my trove with some stories of your own about the person I highlight.  Feel free to share this blog with your other relatives if you think they will be interested.  I'd love to hear from them.