Did Susanna Sievert of Joliet, Illinois, Speak English?

Susanna Sievert emigrated with her husband Vincent, and son, August, aboard the ship Johanna Elise on 15 May 1852.[1] They arrived in New York City on 23 June 1852.[2] They settled in Joliet, Will County, Illinois, first appearing on the 1860 census as a farmer, next door to his brother, John.[3]

They attended St. John the Baptist German Catholic Church and their son, Peter, was baptized on 5 July 1857.[4] The records begin in 1855, so the baptism of their daughter, Julia Ann in 1854 is not at this church.

Not only Vincent and John emigrated, but their sisters did also: Eva, who married Christoph Wienke, and Henrietta, who married Joseph Freitag. Susanna’s sister, Wilhelmine Hartung, also emigrated to the area. These families attended the German Catholic church. So, it is likely when they first came to America that they continued speaking German.

Census Records Give Clues
The 1860 census doesn’t give any indication of the language spoken. There is a column about reading and writing, but the enumerator in Joliet, Will County, did not fill out that column for anyone on the sheet. He did it for people several pages later. These all seemed to be people from Ireland but those from Prussia were not marked. Perhaps the Sievert family could read and write in German.

However, in 1870, Vincent and Susanna were marked that they could not write, meaning that they could read? By now, Vincent worked as a stone mason and owned $2000 worth of real estate.[5]

The 1880 census also asked about reading and writing, but like the 1860 census, there were no checks for Vincent and Susanna, nor for anyone on the page, which included many foreign-born residents. Their children attended school. Looking at how Vincent’s name was rendered on the page, he spoke with a strong German accent. It is also possible that the numerator, J.H. Dumermoth, was also of German descent.[6]

By the 1900 census, Vincent had died and Susanna was heading a household with three of her children. Her oldest son, John, was 41 and single. Susanna’s birth month of May was written as Mai, the German word for May, which at first suggested she spoke German to the enumerator. But the enumerator, William Schrauff, wrote “Mai” for everyone with a birth in May. Under the education columns, Susanna was marked as not being able to read and write, but she could speak English.[7]

The 1910 census was the last before she died in 1911. There the language spoken was asked and she could speak English, however, she could not read or write.”[8]

Land Sales
The selling of any of their land might also give clues about their ability to read, write, and speak English. Newspaper articles of land transactions hint that Susana bought and sold Joliet lots.[9] There are not many filmed items at FamilySearch, so I have not done any deed research and will likely have to go to Will County to do that. I did check the Will County website and the online imaged deeds start at 1965. Earlier deeds must be searched in the office or a request can be made, but I have no way to discover the volume and page number without seeing the index.

Probate Record
Vincent died in 1890. The will that his son, John, brought in for probate shows he signed it with his mark.[10] So, either Vincent was too infirm to write or couldn’t even sign his name.

Conclusion
The family likely spoke German when they arrived and sometime over the fifty years they lived in Joliet, they learned to speak English. However, it appears they never learned to read or write. Their son, John, who remained single and lived with his parents, likely took care of any duties that needed reading and writing.

#52Ancestors-Week 10: Language

This is my seventh year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.

I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

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[1] “Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1068) > 1850-1859 > Direkt Band 003 (1Mär 1852-1 Jul 1852) > image 191 of 246, Johanna Elise, 15 Mai, W. Sievert from Schneidemühe; citing Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Hamburger Passagierlisten, vol 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 003.

[2] : "Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1957," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7488/) > Date > 1852 > June > 23 > Johanna Elise > image 2 of 4, no. 52-54, Winzent Severt; Records of the U.S. Customs Service, RG 36, NARA M237, roll 115.

[3] 1860 U.S. census, Will Co, Illinois, pop sched, Joliet, p. 377, dwelling 2791, Wincent Sever.

[4] “Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62097) > St John the Baptist, Joliet > Combined Register, 1855-1869 > image 21 of 207, p. 17, no. 23, Peter Sievert, July 1857.

[5] 1870 U.S. census, Will Co, Illinois, pop. sched, Joliet, p. 211 (stamped), dwelling 133, Vincent Seivert.

[6] 1880 U.S. census, Will Co, Illinois, pop. sched, Joliet, ED 202, p. 263b (stamped), dwelling 163, Vincenes Zepert.

[7] 1900 U.S. census, Will Co, Illinois, pop. sched, Joliet, ED 122, p. 79 (stamped), dwelling 15, Susana Sivert.

[8] 1910 U.S. census, Will Co, Illinois, pop. sched., Joliet, ED 168, p. 56 (stamped), dwelling 256, Susanna Sievert.

[9] For a purchase, see “Transfers,” The Daily News, 24 Mar 1887, p. 3. For an example of a sale, see “Transfers,” Joliet Daily Republic and Sun, 22 May 1890, p. 3, col. 3. These newspapers can be viewed at NewspaperArchive.

[10] Will County, Illinois, probate, Will Record, vol. F, p. 115, Vincent Sievert, 28 Nov 1888, proved 7 Feb 1890; “Illinois, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999,” Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9048) > Will > Will Records, Vol F, 1888-1892 > image 138 of 221.

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