George Wenzel
Mainz, Germany to Baltimore, Maryland

First Record in America

The above record is the first known written account in the United States that mentions our immigrant ancestor, George Wenzel. After a thorough search, he has not been located in the 1850 Census. He likely had not immigrated to the United States by July of 1850, though it is possible he was missed by the census taker. Another possibility is that he immigrated before July 1850 but was not living at a fixed location. [When searching for Wenzel in 1850, serious census taker and transcriber misinterpretations and spelling errors were considered — any name starting with W, V, or M with a third letter of N, M, or T.]

In the 1920s, Annie Virginia Wenzel gave Neva Day Moser an old purse. Found in the old purse was a photo made from one of the earliest photographic processes — two curved pieces of glass pressed against one another. On the back of one of the curved pieces of glass, brushstrokes create the image to be seen on the other side. The substance put on the glass is very fragile; the subject's left cheek had a hole where the substance had come loose. Photo editing software was used to better represent the photo. The estimate is that the photo dates from the 1850s. Based on the age of the man in the photo, the date of the photo, and where it came from, the best guess is that this is George Wenzel.

Bürgermeister & the German Revolution

Bürgermeister of a German Town

A bit of information passed down through the generations is that George Wenzel was a Bürgermeister (mayor) of a town in Germany. Four older family members confirmed this: the late grandmother Helen Collins, two of her sister's daughters Virginia and Leona, and Donald Collins. Unfortunately none had any more details. George Wenzel's gravestone shows he was born April 13, 1826, confirmed by the 1860, 1870, and 1880 Census records and his death certificate. So how could a person so young attain the position of mayor at age 22 — and why would he leave that position and his homeland for America?

The German Revolution of 1848

The answer is quite possibly the German Revolution of 1848. In the German states, violent uprisings of peasants and liberals erupted, sparked by a strong desire for reform among various groups — the educated, the wealthy, the peasants. Events began on February 27, 1848 in Mannheim, where a Badische Volksversammlung (Assembly of the people from Baden) adopted a resolution demanding a bill of rights. Similar resolutions were adopted in Württemberg, Hessen-Darmstadt, Nassau, Bavaria, and other areas. The surprisingly strong popular support forced rulers to give in to many of the Märzforderungen (demands of March), almost without resistance. Märzministerien (liberal governments) were installed to calm the unruly masses, contain the spread of revolutionary ideas, and salvage the monarchies by offering concessions.

However, overall success depended upon the course of events in the two major German states, Austria and Prussia. In May 1848, the National Assembly convened in Frankfurt to prepare for unification. After dissensions between Prussia and Austria, Prussia attempted to unify Germany under its kleindeutsch plan — all German states except Austria, with Prussia in control.

Within just a few months, liberal hopes for a reformed Germany were disappointed. Conservative forces saw that the liberal movement was divided into several groups with sharply different aims. Furthermore, the liberals had little support left among the lower classes, who had supported them in the first weeks of the revolution. Few liberals desired popular democracy or were willing to enact radical economic reforms that would help farmers and artisans. As a result, the masses deserted the liberals, and conservatives were able to win sizable elements of these groups to their side.

Once the conservatives regrouped and launched their successful counterattack, many of the reforms promised in March 1848 were forgotten. The National Assembly published a constitution proposing the unification of Germany as a federation with a hereditary emperor and a directly elected parliament. The Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm IV (r. 1840–58), was elected as united Germany's first emperor. He refused the crown, stating he could only be elected by other kings — at which point the assembly disbanded. A few subsequent rebellions in 1849 drew some popular support but were easily crushed and their leaders executed or imprisoned.

Many Germans who had hoped for the success of the Revolution were unwilling to return to life under the restored authoritarian regimes and chose emigration, mostly to the United States. German citizens who left Germany almost tripled, reaching a peak of 252,000 in 1854. While previous emigrants often left for religious or economic reasons, this new wave brought many highly educated people who fled for political reasons.

The German Revolution may explain how George Wenzel, age 22, attained the position of Bürgermeister, only to leave Germany for America a year or two later. It would be safe to hypothesize that George Wenzel was educated, likely a college student, and probably an active revolutionary. Of course the old family story could be wrong — perhaps his father was the Bürgermeister. Online research turned up Christoph Bathelt, a local historian in Mainz, Germany, who determined that Nikolaus Nack was the Bürgermeister of Mainz after the Revolution. He stated that George Wenzel could possibly have been mayor of one of the suburbs of Mainz such as Gonsenheim, Finthen, Bretzenheim, or similar — independent communities with their own mayors in 1848.

Birthplace in Germany

We have established that George Wenzel was born on April 13, 1826 in Germany, but where exactly? Various census records help narrow the area. His 1860 Census record states he was born in "Hesse C G." His 1870 Census record states "Hesse Darmstadt." His 1880 Census record states he and his parents were born in "Maine." At first this seems to be an error — however, a careful analysis of a map of Germany reveals the city of Mainz. From 1815 to 1871, Mainz was part of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Almost all Census records (1880 to 1930) for George Wenzel's children state their father was born in Germany. Two records are more revealing: the 1920 Census for Charles F. Wenzel shows his father was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, and the 1920 Census for Joshua H. Wenzel confirms his father's birthplace as Mainz — this time spelled with a 'z.'

Mainz, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany

Mainz has been a busy trading center since Roman times. It is situated on the Rhine River, just across from the mouth of the Main River and the city of Frankfurt. The town grew on the site of the Roman camp of Mogontiacum (founded 1st century B.C.). In 746 the city was made the seat of the first German archbishop (St. Boniface). The later archbishops acquired considerable territory around Mainz and in Franconia, ruling as princes of the Holy Roman Empire.

Under the archbishops-electors, Mainz flourished as a commercial and cultural center. Johannes Gutenberg (ca. 1397–1468) lived in Mainz, making it the first printing center of Europe. Mainz was at the center of many battles in the aftermath of the French Revolution — attacked by the French in 1792, by the Prussians and Austrians in 1793, ceded to France by treaties in 1797 and 1801, then returned to Germany in 1816 after the fall of Napoleon. Mainz served as a fortress of the German Empire from 1873 to 1918. The University of Mainz was founded in 1477, discontinued in 1816, and reestablished in 1946 as Johannes Gutenberg University.

Mainz shared the fate of many important German cities during the Second World War — severely damaged but largely restored after 1945. Among the most important monuments in the old inner city: the six-towered Romanesque cathedral (consecrated 1009; restored 19th century), the Renaissance-style electoral palace (17th–18th century) housing an art gallery and a museum of Roman and Germanic antiquities, and the Church of St. Peter (18th century).

The Mainz Petition

Since George Wenzel was born in Mainz and was likely part of the 1848 German Revolution, the Mainz Petition is of great interest. Drafted June 11–14, 1848, the document was signed by the mayor, local officials, and citizens of the town of Mainz. The entire document is available in English, though not yet on the web. Although the family story holds that George Wenzel was a Bürgermeister, and we know he was described as being born in Mainz, he was not likely the Bürgermeister of Mainz itself. Viewing the signers of the Mainz Petition may provide information helpful to Wenzel research. The demands stated in the document are:

1. Unconditionally free press.
2. Retention of our existing Rhenish legislation.
3. Withdrawal of the penal code which has already been published.
4. The greatest possible reduction in the standing army.
5. The immediate swearing of an oath of loyalty by the military to the constitution.
6. General arming of the people with free election of officers.
7. Full equality of all religious confessions.
8. An appropriate revision of the constitution and the local government ordinance.
9. A free system of local administration without the patronizing constraints imposed by government officials.
10. Free discussion of public interests in general meetings and an unqualified right to bring forward popular wishes by means of petitions to their representatives.
11. A general German parliament.

Arriving in Baltimore

Immigrating to Baltimore

The best theory at present is that George Wenzel arrived in the United States sometime around July 1850. Partly to alleviate overcrowding on passenger ships, Congress enacted legislation (3 Stat. 489) on March 2, 1819 regulating the transport of passengers in ships arriving from foreign ports. Masters of such ships were required to submit a list of all passengers to the collector of customs. In addition, a Maryland State law of March 22, 1833 (effective September 1833 until October 1866) required that masters of vessels submit lists of passengers arriving at Baltimore to the mayor. These "city lists" reported the age and occupation of passengers, sworn to by the master of the vessel in the presence of the mayor. Between 1820 and 1833, fewer than 100 individuals were recorded on Baltimore passenger lists. Between 1833 and 1852, more than 89,000 individuals were recorded.

Unfortunately, books and online sources indexing passenger arrivals — such as Germans to America (Glazier/Filby) and Baltimore 1820–1850, Passenger and Immigration Lists — have errors and omissions. Our George Wenzel is not mentioned in either series for any time period. A George Wenzel is listed more than once, but further research on these men proves they are not our George Wenzel. There is hope that the immigration or emigration record for our George Wenzel can be found, but it may take hours of research analyzing microfilmed indexes. The original passenger arrival lists are on microfilm at the National Archives. Departure lists for selected cities such as Hamburg, Germany are available on microfilm from the Family History Libraries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Old Otterbein Church

Old Otterbein Church is significant to the history of the German community in Baltimore as well as the history of United Methodism. It is the oldest church in continuous use in Baltimore City. The sanctuary, erected in 1785–86, was built of ballast bricks discarded by ships in the nearby harbor. All the nails used in construction were handmade. The church bells were cast in London by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which also cast the Liberty Bell. The bells were installed in 1789 and have been sounded for nearly every important event in American history since the end of the Revolutionary War. When immigrant ships arrived in Baltimore Harbor, the church would ring its bells to welcome the new arrivals. Services at Old Otterbein Church were conducted in German until 1918, at the start of World War I.

Church & Bible Records

Church Records — Membership Rolls

In 1867 Old Otterbein Church sponsored a mission church at Fulton Avenue and Lombard Street, giving it a large charter membership of 339 names. Among those names were:

Membership Roll 1867

Membership Roll 1870–1874

Wenzel is a common name in various parts of Germany. By searching Census records, the birthplaces of the other Wenzels listed in the records of Old Otterbein Church can be determined. None of the other Wenzels were born in Hesse-Darmstadt, so it is unlikely any are related to George Wenzel.

Church Records — Baptisms & Deaths

The names, birth dates, death dates, baptism dates, and parents of many of George and Catherine Wenzel's children are found in the records of Old Otterbein Church:

Bible Records

The Wenzel Family Bible records the births of all of George and Catherine (Kibler) Wenzel's children as well as many marriages and deaths:

Census Records & City Directory

Hours upon hours were spent searching the 1850 Census for George Wenzel, including the index for every person named George in 1850 in Baltimore, analyzing any name that looked like a garbled version of Wenzel. He does not appear. The 1860, 1870, and 1880 Census records for the George and Catherine Wenzel family are, however, very revealing:

Death of George Wenzel

George Wenzel died at age 68 on June 6, 1894 in Baltimore, Maryland. His death certificate lists his address as 1415 Patterson Ave, Baltimore, Maryland. His occupation was Gardener. He was born in Germany and, according to the death certificate, had lived in Baltimore for 50 years. The cause of death was (primary) apoplexy, (secondary) exhaustion. He was sick for 2½ days. He was buried at Loudon Park Cemetery on June 8, 1894.

The statement that George Wenzel "lived in Baltimore for 50 years" was almost certainly an estimate by the person providing information for the death certificate. If George Wenzel had indeed come to Baltimore in 1844, he could not possibly have been a Bürgermeister, he would have been listed somewhere in the 1850 Census, and he possibly would have appeared in an earlier record at Old Otterbein Church. The person providing the death certificate information most likely estimated how many years George Wenzel had lived in Baltimore.

The Wenzel Family of Mainz & Baltimore

George Wenzel (1826–1894) married Catherina Frederica Kibler (1832–1900) and together they raised thirteen children in Baltimore County, Maryland. The family tree below lists each child with their lifespan, spouse, and descendants. Individual pages for each child are available on CollinsFactor.

• 1 Olive Elizabeth Wenzel (1851–1927)  married Samuel S. Frock (1845–1883)
  • 1. Cora Virginia Frock (1873–1896)
  • 2. George Wenzel Frock (1876–1884)
  • 3. Lily A. Frock (1879–1953)
  • 4. Mary Anna Frock (1881–1964)
  • 5. Kate W. Frock (1881–1949)
• 2 George F. Wenzel (1853–1859)
• 3 Catherine Frederica Wenzel (1854–1860)
• 4 Sophia Coots Wenzel (1857–1893)  married George F. Frock (1856–1923)
  • 1. John Sand Frock (1878–1938)
  • 2. Mary E. Frock (1879–1937)
  • 3. Samuel William Frock (1882–1925)
  • 4. Sophia B. Frock (1884–1973)
  • 5. George W. Frock (1884–1884)
  • 6. Clarence Emory Frock (1885–1950)
  • 7. George Washington Knell Frock (1889–1967)
  • 8. Elsie Mae Frock (1891–1971)
• 5 Henry Valentine Wenzel (1860–1893)  married Kate E. Davis (1862–ca. 1895)
• 6 Mary Elizabeth Wenzel (1862–1914)  married Joseph Sherlock Lloyd (–1910)
  • 1. Warren Sherlock Lloyd (1891–1949)
  • 2. Charles Weiner Lloyd (1895–1977)
• 7 Charles Frederick Wenzel (1864–1926)  married Georgia Trenary (1865–1936)
  • 1. Charles Arthur Wenzel (1892–1960)
  • 2. May Wenzel (1893–1985)
• 8 Annie Virginia Wenzel (1866–1937)  married William Henry Wolfe (1859–1928)
  • 1. Ethel Sherlock Wolfe (1890–1983)
  • 2. Myrtle Daphine Wolfe (1898–1967)
  • 3. May Virginia Wolfe (1900–1907)
  • 4. Ida Elizabeth Wolfe (1903–1982)
  • 5. Caroline Brown Wolfe (1905–1994)
  • 6. Helen Isabel Wolfe (1908–1998)
• 9 Edward F. Wenzel (1868–1869)
• 10 Lillie A. Wenzel (1869–1876)
• 11 Joshua Hamden Wenzel (1871–1948)  first married Margaret Augusta Meisel (1873–1922)
  • 1. Elsie Mae Wenzel (1896–1987)
  • 2. Charles Edward Wenzel (1897–1980)
  • 3. Grace Augusta Wenzel (1899–1985)
  • 4. Margaret Wilhelmina Wenzel (1901–1993)
  • 5. Anna Elizabeth Wenzel (1904–1997)
  • 6. Helen C. Wenzel (1906–1907)
  • 7. George Earl Wenzel (1924– )  — by second wife Nelle Virginia Musgrove (1885–1964)
• 12 William C. Wenzel (1873–1875)
• 13 George W. Wenzel (1877–1945)  first married Maud (1875– ); later married Kit