Christian Gottlileb Klinckhardt

1778 -

• Name	Christian Gottlileb Klinckhardt
  Born	29 Jun 1778	Netzschkau, , Sachsen, Germany
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/272029289
  Immigration	Oct 1829	New York City, New York, USA.
  Land	1835	Wilmot Township - Concession South of Bleam's Road Lot 10, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Residence	, St. Clair Co., Illinois, USA
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-488107
  Died	, St. Clair Co., Illinois, USA
  Person ID	I488107	Generations
  Last Modified	9 Sep 2024

  
  

  Family	Friederike Schmidt,   b. CA 1788,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Dr. Edward Adolph Klinckhardt,   b. 25 Jul 1808, Schneeberg, , Sachsen, Germany ,   d. 1 Jan 1889, New Athens, St. Clair, Illinois, United States  (Age 80 years)   2. Agnes Cecilie Klinckhardt,   b. Nov 1810, , Saxony, Germany ,   d. 10 May 1863, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 52 years)   3. Karl Julius "Julius" Klinckhardt,   b. 17 Mar 1815, , Saxony, Germany ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	11 Sep 2024
  Family ID	F299872	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  The Klinckhardt Letters [In 1829 a bankrupt Saxon lawyer, Christian Gottlieb Klinckhardt, emigrated to Upper Canada (Ontario) to seek his fortune. His sons Louis and Julius followed in 1831. In 1833 Pastor C.G. Temper published a collection of their letters home as a fund-raising effort to finance the emigration of Christian's wife and the rest of their children . It is from this letter collection, entitled C.G. Klinckhardt's Reise Nach Nord= Amerika and dessen erste Ansiedlung daselbst . . . , that the following excerpts are taken.] Regarding the people in this area, they arc to a large extent totally without education, and religious fanatics besides, among whom the devil plays almost as important a role as the worship of God . I had the opportunity to hear a Tunker preacher this winter . . . whose sermon was nothing but nonsense and crude fanaticism . He said among other things that he remembers quite well when his sins left him, and he is very happy that he no longer finds pleasure in riotous company and the like . Another preacher once said that he could recall when the devil departed from him; he saw him running away along the fencerow. Next summer I may have the opportunity to copy down such a sermon, and then I will not neglect to send you a copy. In their meetings, these people show the greatest contrition, and sometimes one cannot understand a word of the sermon because of their groaning and sighing. Everything which can make life pleasant and comfortable is worldly lust among them: hence, it follows that a lot of them are lazy . Dancing and the like are strictly forbidden. Our neighbour, who is a Tunker, said to Julius, who had expressed himself that he would dance if he had the chance: "You can also dance in hell ." In short, it is almost unbelievable how unenlightened these people are. Whoever can read, write and cipher is [considered] an intellectual. I believe I can declare that thev are about as well educated as the Indians . Concerning these, they are the most peaceable people, and a large number of them are Christians, of the Methodist sect ... Among the Tunkers one finds very many moral attitudes, but great ignorance. Among the Mennonites more education is obvious. However, among the Amish, provincialism, ignorance, contempt for other sects, intolerance, and insubordination towards the political system prevails . . . I live among the Amish, as well as among Tunkers. These [former] as a whole have very good principles, but a large part of their divine service consists of superficial ceremonies. All the men, except the young ones, were long beards because the Lord Jesus, as pictured in the Nurenberg bible, wears just such a beard. For the same reason, buttons are not permitted on men's clothing; no-one may wear suspenders, and the shape of hats is prescribed . Women may wear only plain, solid-coloured clothing . Women wear a white cap and girls wear a black cap of a prescribed cut. None of them may wear a coloured ribbon, and more of the same nonsense. Their ministers are chosen from among them, are farmers, talk gross nonsense in their worship services, and tyrannize their church, since they have the right to place their fellow members under the church ban, or totally excommunicate them. The Tunkers are less obscure, although still foolish enough . The Mennonites who generally live in Waterloo, are the most intelligent. I am on good terms with them all, and entertain a deep respect in the whole township, for which I can thank my spiritual superiority. Amish and Tunkers Critiqued ca. 1830 edited by Reg Good Mennogesprach, Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario, March, 1992 Vol. 10, No. 1 ____________ CHRISTIAN GOTTLIEB KLINCKHARDT Although C. G. Klinckhardt did not remain in Canada, his writings add much to our understanding of life in the German Block during the early 1830s. He was a lawyer from Vogtland, Germany, near the Czechoslovakian border. He bought farms at Unterheinsdorf, near Reichenbach, and when these investments turned out badly, he left his wife and children to seek his fortune in America. On his arrival in New York in October, 1829, Klinckhardt learned about the Canada Company and settlement possibilities in Upper Canada. He travelled up the Albany River, took the Erie Canal to Lockport. From there he took the mail coach to Niagara-on-the Lake and then crossed the lake to York. His letters gave interesting details of the travel route to Canada. His wife shared his letters with her pastor, who had them published in 1833. [C. G. Klinckhardt s Reise nach Nord-Amerika und dessen erste Ansiedelung daselbst, aus Briefen von demselben gezogen und herausgegeben von C. G. Temper, Pastor in Ruppertsgrun. Leipzig, bei Carl Andra, 1833. Translation by Isaac Horst.] Klinckhardt spent about a year in the Huron Tract. On his way back to Buffalo for his mail, he stopped in Wilmot Township. He was so favourably impressed with the land and the settlement that he decided to settle there. In the summer of 1831, two of Klinckhardt's sons, Louis and Julius, joined their father in the German Block. Klinckhardt acquired the rights to Lot 10, SBR, originally claimed by Joseph Hewil/Hewitt. He received the patent in 1835, and in 1836, sold eight acres to Henry Liersch, who was married to his daughter Agnes. This document was witnessed by Edward A. Klinckhart, MD, and Louis Klinckhardt, jobber, both of Wilmot. [UWRBR, # 2 0 , Copy Book C, J No. 1016.] In 1840, Christian and "Friedericke" Klinckhardt sold the remaining acreage to Samuel Hunsperger, [UWRBR, # 7 0 , Copy Book Z-4, A N o .8 7.] also selling to Hunsperger their interest in the 150 acres. This transfer, however, was not registered with King's College. To correct that oversight, Edward, Lewis, Julius, and Hermann Klinckhardt, the heirs of C. G. Klinckhardt, "deceased, late of St. Clair Co., Illinois," signed a transfer of the above property to Jacob Hallman in 1851, [UTA, A 6 8 -0 0 1 0 /047, File SBR, Lot 10.] Agnes Cecilie Klinckhart, wife of Henry Liersch died in 1863 and is buried at Wilmot Centre. Agnes and Henry had at least two daughters. Caroline married Philip Erbach. Louisa was married on June 10, 1861 to James Livingston, and eventually became the mistress of Castle Kilbride. THE AMISH AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS, The German Block, Wilmot Township, 1822-1860 by Lorraine Roth, Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario, Waterloo, Ontario, 1998

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 29 Jun 1778 - Netzschkau, , Sachsen, Germany Immigration - Oct 1829 - New York City, New York, USA.  = Link to Google Earth