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Note: John George MENZ was born in the year 1834 in the village of TUCHEIM, NASSAU, PRUSSIA (now GERMANY). He was a shoemaker by trade. He arrived in South Australia at Port Adelaide with his mother ELISABETH MENZ (nee Forant), brother Martin and sister-in-law Maria WOLTER (JEGER), brothers Peter and Johann Friedrich on the ship "WANDRAHM" in August 1854 after having left the port of Hamburg, Germany in April of that year. John George's father MARTIN was not with them, leading me to believe that he may have passed away before they came to this land or during the voyage. John George left South Australia in abt 1856 and travelled as far as CAMDEN, New South Wales Australia. Brother Martin and his family stayed in South Australia for 14 years whilst mother, Elisabeth and brother Peter appear to have stayed there for about 12 years. Elisabeth Mary BIEGER was born in the year 1842 in the village of ETFILLE, NASSAU, PRUSSIA. Her parents were Jacob Bieger and Elizabeth HESS. At the age of 9 she arrived in Sydney on the 31 March 1852 on the ship "SAN FRANCISCO" with her uncle ANTON BIEGER and his family. Why her family did not accompany her, I am not sure. At the age of 27 John George (known as George) married Elisabeth (who was then 19 years old) at St Johns Church of England, CAMDEN, New South Wales Australia, Australiaon the 1st April 1861. Their witness at the wedding was BERNARD HERZOG. Bernard was a tinsmith who set up his workshop on Argyle Street, Camden in 1857, supplying store-keepers as far away as Nattai. He later married Anton Biegers' daughter Christina. They alongside Anton, are buried in the Camden Church of England cemetery. [info from Veronica Wilkinson 1989]. John George and Elisabeth first resided in the village of ELDERSLIE, just north of Camden. They had two children there. They then went to BROWNLOW HILL, just south-west of Camden. Another four children were born there including my great-grandfather JOHN JAMES MENZ, born 4 November 1865. One child, Mary, passed away at only 13 days old at Brownlow Hill. On the original papers of Jeremiah Downs (the then owner of Brownlow Hill Estate) it is written that John George Menz's annual rent was 15 shillings. They remained at Brownlow Hill until approximately 1873, when they moved to the German Settlement of JINDERA in the Riverina near Albury. Two more children were born there. Once again they moved in 1878 - this time to COLLINGULLIE (formerly Crossroads) just west of WAGGA WAGGA. They had another three children and then moved to MANGOPLAH, where John Gorge took up free selection and had their last child. John george was Naturalized on the 28 May 1886 at the age of 53 years. He passed away three years later at the age of 56 years on the 25 February 1889. Elisabeth passed away on the 6 March 1912 - she died in a housefire while going about her domestic duties. John George and Elisabeth are both buried in the Wagga Wagga cemetery, but unfortunately the graves are now unmarked. According to the death certificate transcript - George's children at the time of his death were:- George 27, John 22, Elizabeth 21, Harry 16, Mary 15, Henry 13, Peter 10, Rose 7, Eliza 4. Born Germany, 2 years South Australia, 24 years New South Wales Australia. According to a 4th cousin of mine - Marjorie DICKASON (nee Watson) - John George and his brothers worked at the Lutheran Co-op SA when they first arrived in the Colony. She is following this up for me. - Nov 1999.
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