New and Exciting Discoveries Part I: Cruse

As the number of collaborators on this project grow, so too does our knowledge of the history of our ancestors and their descendants. Recently, there have been three new and exciting discoveries on different branches of the tree: Cruse, Fegel, and the "Royal" Holzgraefe Lineage.

Cruse

After several months of emailing with a contact in Germany, I have learned more about the ancient history of the Cruse family in Bermbeck Nr. 3. The following are two short papers written by Mr. Heinz Hoepner of the Herford Genealogical society.

And here is my best translation of the second document using Google Translate: 

"The Kruse’s estate in Bermbeck

When the Meyerhof (Amtshof) arose after 800 AD in Schweicheln, there arose also the individual Kötterstellen (cottage sites) near it in the immediate neighborhood as also in Bermbeck on the "Bermbecker Bach". They were all a gift from the Emperor Louis the Pious and became the property of Herford Ladies monastery, which later became the Imperial Abbey of Herford. Over the centuries, the Abbey made independent farms ​​out of these Kötterstellen, which were then separated from the Meyerhof to be mortgaged.

By 1333 there was already a Cruse estate in Bermbeck, because in the Heberegister of the Imperial Abbey of Herford a Henricus Cruse appeared in Bermbeck for the first time. By the end of the 14th century, the Cruse estate had been divided and from then on appeared in the documents as an upper and a lower Cruse estate. While the Upper Cruse estate became Bermbeck No. 2, another division came about. In 1446, the Lower Cruse estate was divided again into two Hofstatten. Johann "Goltgreve" (Holzgrafe) of Schweicheln got the smaller Hofstatte. From 1636-1637, the families of the two lower Cruse estates became extinct due to the plague. About 10 years later, these estates were reassigned by the Imperial Abby of Herford. In 1647 Alhard Holtzgrafe (1626-1702) of Schweicheln received a portion and in 1649 Tonnies uff der Breden (1626-1696) received the other.

Between said Alhard Holtzgrafe (now Alherd Cruse), and his neighbor (now Tonnies Unter dem Brinke), it quickly came to litigations. Several documents report about it. Alhard Cruse tried various ways to regain part of the Lower cruse estate which had been separated off in 1546. This separated part consisted of a "House and a cottage, equipped with various Landereien ". However, at the time of this request by Alhard Cruse, his successor and son Casper Henrich Cruse died (1647-1702). In 1721 Tonnies’ estate was still known as Unter dem Brinke in the documents of the Enger Jurisdiction. It wasn’t until 1731 that the abbess Johanne Charlotte, later known as Markgräfin of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1729-1750) brought the separated estates back together after being separated 185 years. For this reason it can now be assumed that the joining of the estates did not cause the dying out of Unter dem Brinke

In Bermbeck No. 3, Erbwöhner Johann Albert Cruse (21.10.1708-11.12.1785) died on 12.11.1785, without leaving a male heir. He handed over the farm to the son of his only surviving daughter Catharine Margarethe Nagel born Cruse (25.5.1734-24.8.1802), Otto Heinrich Nagel (16.2.1755-17.7. 1817)."

For more exciting information about this line and how it connects to the Holzgraefe tree, click here.