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After World War 11 Württemberg and Baden were occupied by the USA and were joined into one state to become part of the Federal German Republic of Germany they merged officially on 25 April 1952. The principal city is Stuttgart. The Rhine forms the western border as well as large portions of the southern border. The Black Forest rises east of the Rhine valley. Baden-Württemberg shares both Lake Constance and the foothills of the Alps with Switzerland. The state houses some of the oldest and most prestigious universtities in Germany. In many areas of Baden-Würtemberg residents speak the distinctive dialects of Swabian (Schwäbisch), being almost unintelligible to northern Germans, especially in its stronger forms in the countryside.

Not only were Janice and Alastair (Watson) brought up with an abundance of stories about their Bird Childs and Goldsmith ancestry on their maternal side, it transpires the same thing happened on the paternal side as well. Also now we are in contact with other Rothermel cousins it appears the same thing happened in their families as well. We can only asume this was because of the very sensitive German issue in the 20th century.

Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire
Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs

This database contains Meyers Geographical and Commercial Gazetteer of the German Empire (or Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs in German). This gazetteer of the German Empire is the gazetteer to use to locate place names in German research. It was originally compiled in 1912. This gazetteer is the gazetteer to use because it includes all areas that were part of the pre-World War I (WWI) German Empire. Gazetteers published after WWI may not include parts of the Empire that were lost to bordering countries. Overall, this gazetteer includes more than 210,000 cities, town, hamlets, villages, etc.

Dear Ms Carrera

Thanks for your email of 28 June

Sadly there are no references to the Rothermels in our general index to documents in the Record Office.
I also could not find them listed in the 1874 and 1877 trade directories for Northamptonshire. These are the only two we have between 1873 and 1881. George Rothermel appears in the 1886 directory at 12 High Street.

George Rothermel appears in the 1881 electoral register for Wellingborough. These are annual so it should be possible to trace him backwards to the register he first appears in. You would be welcome to visit the Record Office to see these, and the later trade directories but it is not possible to access the electoral registers online.
There are no Rothermels in the current Northamptonshire telephone directory.
I hope I have been of some assistance.
Yours sincerely
Crispin Powell
Archivist

This is the first time that the Rothermel brothers appeared on a UK Census, born in Germany but already British Subjects. Sadly younger brother Frederick Martin had died aged 21 of Peritonitis

Julius Rothermel was born on 12.03.1909 at no 8 Dirkhill Street Horton Bradford. His mother Barbara Lena gave her address as 67 Rugby Place when she registered the birth six weeks later. There was no father or father's occupation on the certificate. The only name appearing under surname and maiden name of mother is Watson - Confidential Clerk.
We have no idea what Barbara Lena was doing in Bradford around the summer of 1909 when Julius was born. On the 1901 Census she was living at home in Wellingborough and working as a Drapers Assistant.
There were only five Watson families living in Wellingborough in 1901 all married any of them could have been a likely candidate as father. She may have become pregnant by one of them and was 'sent away' to have the baby. There were many living in Bradford mostly working in the Mills it seemed a fairly common name. However a Joshua Watson aged 61 years was living in Horton and was a Debt Collector. He had a wife Elizabeth and on tracing back the couple had never had children. Joshua moved from Grantham Road to Listerhills, very near to where Lena was living and Julius was born. Perhaps he was her employer? As a Debt Collector he possibly had a Confidential Clerk. There was a vast age difference between them of 44 years.
We have no idea what happened to Julius and where he was brought up, the only piece of information we have is that he attended Wellingborough Public School.

On 5th August 1916 Barbara Lena married Ernest Albert Butler in the Methodist Chapel Shardlow Long Eaton Derbyshire. The Butler family lived in Wellingborough just around the corner to Barbara Lena. A son Ernest Derek was born but he has been very difficult to trace.
We now have news that he was alive in 1998 and living in Preston Lancs where he was desperately trying to trace his family roots. He says he was brought up by his mother and grandmother after his parents separated.
Julius was very secretative about his upbringing, we were told many stories as children including an incorrect date of birth, resulting in 'major' birthdays such as 50th, 60th. etc being celebrated in the wrong year! There was always a 'hint' of German ancestry in several guarded answers to childhood questioning. The name Butler was never discussed and always remained a complete mystery. Julius was seven when Barbara Lena married Ernest Butler in Derbyshire, so must have known his stepfather.
Sadly Janice and Alastair had nothing to do with their grandmother or their father's half brother Derek whilst growing up due to a family fued never explained so she probably did not know that she had a great grand child Andrea.

Translated by Folker Frank:
Else Ziegler is about 80 years old, but in good form. She told me something about her life in Hörlebach. In April 1945 the men of the Nazi SS fought very strongly in this region against the Americans who were based in the east. The Americans had first to go back. But returned a second time with great force and destroyed the nice town of Crailsheim and the village of Hörlebach! Half of Hörlebach was destroyed in April 1945, the northern part in the direction of Langenburg. Else was as a young girl (18-19) very strong, but hurt through a phosphorgranade, her legs were totally burnt, she was over 32 weeks in a hospital and is today a 75% a war invalide. But your Rothermel and her house were not destroyed in 1945. You really have had so much luck meeting Else Ziegler. She told me that the Rothermels went to “Ölhaus” = Oelhaus (the name is Ölhaus) 4 km south of Ilshofen. Oelhaus is not a village only 3-4 houses. Else recently had a birthday and there she heared that the family formerly called Rothermel in Ölhaus now has the name Hermann. I think there was at the end only a daughter called Rothermel and she married probably a Hermann. But all these Rothermels must be descended from Heinrich Rothermel, he was the only one left (in Germany) and the last son of Georg Rothermel, Heinrich (half-brother of your greatgrandfather Michael Rothermel) was also the only male Rothermel who lived in Hörlebach.

John George Michael and Naomi had five children
Fritz Martin
George Carl
Barbara Lena
Gretchen M
Olga Katherine

John George (brother) had three children
Fritz Pendred
Albert George (died at a few months old)
Regina

Fritz Martin never married (Frederick)
George Carl - Elizabeth Hargreaves 1912
Olga Katherine - Arthur Gardner
Barbara Lena - one illegitimate son (Julius 'Watson' b 1909) - Ernest Albert Butler 1916
Gretchen - FR Tilley

George and Lizzie were married 15 July 1912 at St George Church in Newcastle Under Lyme in Staffordshire. I haven''t got the original copy of their marriage but I do have all the information from it. Elizabeth Hargreaves age 28 living at 1 Foden Street - Father Charles deceased Time-keeper
George Carl Rothermel 29 living at 60 Broad Street Worcester, Butcher, Father George deceased Butcher
Witnesses William Bourne and Adelaide Maria Hargreaves.

- Information supplied by Wendy Hargreaves-


Fritz Martin (Frederick) Died 1955
George Carl died Blackpool ?
Barbara Lena died Torquay 1976 aged 90

Albert George died 1894 (c 6mths old)
Rosina Regina Died 1955
Fritz Pendred died 1952

More research to be carried out on the family birth marriages and deaths

Barbara Lena Rothermel had another son Derek whose surname was Butler. No one seemed to know who 'Mr Butler' was. She arrived with Derek alone in Torquay just before the second world war. Harry Bird initially provided them with accommodation in Esdaile. According to older family members there was never a 'Mr Butler' around, stories of him 'being in India'.
John Julius did not speak to his mother for around 30 years (cause never explained but a strange 'religion and sect and turning to Russia' was mentioned ) many secrets were kept. At her death in 1976 as a Barbara Lena Butler aged 91 yrs he received a letter from Derek who was living in Wales. She is described as the widow of Albert Ernest Butler - Journeyman Carpenter (retired)
If Derek and his family could be traced we may be able to continue with the story.
This is our next task!

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