Jacob Steiner settling Fiji in 1860s

Language Corner
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Hi There,

I am a descendant of a Swiss German called Jacob Steiner whom settled in Fiji way back in 1860s and lived amongst the Fijians during a difficult period of time. Jacob was from Diemtigen, Bern and it was family knowledge that he got to Fiji by a whaling ship. I have got help in acquiring his birth certificate, now just seeking help if any one here can interpret this Swiss German text shown below word for word into English.

Any help on this is much appreciated.

Thank you.

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WOW! What a document. Texts written in joined cursive like this one are in this day and age almost impossible to read, also it looks like a lot of the words are archaic and no longer written in this way. But I ́ll bet that the EFers will be sinking their teeth into this.

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It is not in Swiss German, but High German. My knowledge in Sütterlin type is not great, there might be people who can help better.

What I gather: Jakob jun. was born June 15th 1827.

Parents: Jakob Steiner and Anna Barbara Steuri? .......

It looks like they had been married February 24th, 1826

Testes:Jakob Mani, Johannes Räber...... Katharina? Blattner, born Ringgenberg, zu Krattigen. Having three godparents is not unusual in the Canton of Berne. A boy will get two male godparents and one godmother/girls vice versa.

Jacob Steiner junior might be the one who landed in Fidji.

Found some infos about their move from Diemtigen to Ohio:

Jacob Steiner father made cheese in Ohio (Sugarcreek, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, USA) The Fidjian Jacob Steiner junior was maybe his son. Two daughters died in Ohio, but no son was buried there: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/.../jacob-steiner

«Jacob Steiner was born in Diemtigen, Canton Bern, Switzerland, on July 7, 1803. On February 24, 1826, he and Anna Barbara Steuri were married at the Evangelical Reformed Church, in Diemtigen, Canton Bern, Switzerland. Jacob, Anna Barbara, their three oldest children, and Jacob's father, Mathias Steiner, arrived in New York City on June 20, 1833. They had sailed from Le Havre, France, aboard a ship named "Havre". Shortly thereafter, Jacob and his family settled two miles east of Ragersville, off present County Road 52 and Township Road 334 (Steiner Road) on land located in Sections 24 and 25 of what is now Auburn (then York) Township. Jacob established a farm on the property and was the first in Tuscarawas County to commercially produce Swiss cheese.»

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We love these sort of challenges !

Check the records at Ellis Island, New York.

You'll need to make a free login to access the records:

https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-result

You can read this old newspaper article about the "Feejee Islands" which relates to that time:

http://fijigenealogy.com/general-inf...-islands-1847/

Here's an article about the whalers in Fiji:

http://virtual.fijimuseum.org.fj/ind...=objects&id=54

https://www.whalingmuseum.org/learn/whaling-heights

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http://www.maritimeheritage.org/ports/fiji.html

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http://www.fijitimes.com/naivevu-hom...many-memories/

http://fijisun.com.fj/2010/12/11/the...for-the-glide/

“Her husband’s ancestor, Jacob Steiner had seven wives from different villages.”

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http://newcloudfto.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=435848

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arrival record new york:

http://www.castlegarden.org/quick_se...p?p_id=7966498

http://www.castlegarden.org/quick_se...p?p_id=7966501

http://www.castlegarden.org/quick_se...p?p_id=8333833

STEINER JACOB 6 M 20 Jun 1833

STEINER JACOB 33 M 20 Jun 1833

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Marischi, Thank you so much for the swift response. That has further confirmed and authenticated that is indeed the birth certificate of my ancestor. Thank you also for the additional info, I have already covered those as part of my research. Old Jacob Steiner was a planter and a gunsmith in Fiji and helped a provincial chief in his wars against other factions also including a King from the country of Tonga called Ma'afu. In payment for his services to the Fijian Chief called Ratu Ritova he was given alot of land including 2 islands and also daughters of chiefs as his wives. His two wives had children and today there are hundreds of his descendants alive today. Jacob Steiner never returned to Ragersville Ohio and he only taught his daughters about the names of the states. However about 3 years ago 2 Steiner Americans visited my cousin Jacob Steiner (Junior) on an inherited island of Nukubati and that has helped in retracing back Jacobs tracks all the way back to Bern.

Thank you swisspea for the additional info.

Very much appreciated.

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Lad.

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That's very cool - do you know what ship he arrived on from the USA ? That is the only 'missing link' that I could not find online easily...

In Switzerland, the births are all recorded in the family town of origin (they call it 'Heimatort' - home town - in German. It's not where you were born, but the town of your ancestors... so you can directly link him back to Diemtigen, in the 'Berber Oberland' (high country near Bern). http://www.diemtigen.ch/

You could also try writing to the town hall directly to ask where the historical records are held and is there someone who can do a search for you:

http://www.diemtigen.ch/kontakt

Normally, even though it's all in German, someone can write to you in English...

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Hi Swisspea,

The name of the ship was 'Havre' that left Le Harve France for New York in 1833, I got it off the passenger listing search on Ancestry.com. I did write a letter to the archive center in Bern and 2 very kind gentlemen helped and me out one gave me that certificate. However, they had trouble with the interpretation on the birth certificate. I will definitely write a letter to the Diemtigen Town Hall as suggested.

My challenges at the moment are pinpointing the Steiner 's actual home location in Diemtigen and also the whaling ship that took him to Fiji.

Thank you.

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[QUOTE=swisspea;2959804]That's very cool - do you know what ship he arrived on from the USA ? That is the only 'missing link' that I could not find online easily...

Are you trying to find the whaler? Couldn't find that either.

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At familysearch, the vessel is called MARZE.

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Hi Marishi, Are able to the bit about Mathias on the birth register, I know it mentions about him being from Trub, are you able to expand on the other bits after that and Ana Steuri?

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Is this from USA to Fiji ? That's what I was wondering...

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It is quite hard to read the old Sütterlin handwriting. Found out some details, though:

Hier getauft in (not readable)

Jakob, Mathias Sohn, von Trub. Trub could be the Heimatort of the Steiner Family, they might have moved to Diemtigen.

Johannes Räber (Godfather)

Johannes Tochter (Anna Barbara), von Eri/Aargau. Don't know and have not found any hamlet with that name, might be the name of a home/Homestead. Might also be an abbreviation.

I'm at the end of my wits - now you have to find someone else with more knowledge :-)

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Here is the link for 'Heimatort 'Trub:

https://www.trub.ch/home.html

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Amazing, brilliant, and just plain very kind. Thank you.

Now, could you please tell me who I am and where I'm going?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtKADQnjQmc