Maria Regina (Grabert) Schoeneck (1803 - 1874)

Born 4 Jun 1803 in Windischenbach, Württemberg, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Wife of Johann Gottlieb (Schönek) Schoeneck — married 10 Feb 1828 (to 18 Jun 1863) in Schwabbach, Oberamt Weinsberg, Königreich Württemberg, Deutscher Bund

Descendants

Died 19 Jun 1874 at age 71 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Susan Stopford [send private message]

Biography

Bio Researched and Written by Susan Stopford. First Publ.16 Aug 2020. Last updated: 14 April 2023. ©2020-2023 Susan Stopford

This profile is a work in progress. If you would like to contribute or have any additional information, please leave a Comment below or send me a Private Message. Thanks, Susan.

Early years in Windischenbach Württemberg

Regina (Grabert) Schoeneck has German Roots.

Regina (Grabert) Schoeneck has roots in the region now known as Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Maria Regina Grabert was born in the Duchy of Württemberg

Maria Regina Grabert was born on 4 June 1803 in Windischenbach, a small township about 2 km west of Pfedelbach. She was the youngest child of seven born to Johann Christoph Grabert (bef.1785-aft.1803), a burgher and Hirschwirth (literally "deer owner") in Windischenbach, and his wife Anna Magdalena (born Metz) (bef.1765-), both also born in Windischenbach . In 1803, Windischenbach was located in the Duchy of Württemberg [German: Herzogtum Württemberg] in the south-western part of the Holy Roman Empire [Deutsches Heiliges Römisches Reich ]. Now it is part of Baden-Württemberg.

Her family was Protestant and she was baptised in the Lutheran Church in Pfedelbach when she was just one day old.^[1][2][3]

She was confirmed in the same Church in 1817.

Marriage in Schwabbach Württemberg

She married Johann Gottlieb Schoeneck (1801-1863), a burgher and farmer of Schwabbach (bürger u. bauer zu Schwabbach / "b. u. bauer...Schwabbach") in 1828. Gottlieb as he was known probably worked on a vineyard (when he arrived in Australia in 1849, his occupation was recorded as "vine dresser"). He was also Protestant.

Banns were read in the bride's parish in Pfedelbach and the groom's parish in Schwabbach on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Sundays after Epiphany. The marriage physically took place in the Lutheran (evangelische) Church in Schwabbach on Sunday 10 Feb 1828 (as shown in the Schwabbach register).^[3]

Note: The Pfedlbach Register shows the couple married in Schwabbach on 12 Feb 1828. This date is almost certainly wrong as 12 Feb 1828 was a Tuesday and the couple would have needed special dispensation to marry on a day other than Sunday.^[4]

The couple had eleven children. Only four survived childhood. The youngest child died at sea when the family later migrated to Australia.

1. Regina Catharina, born 4 Oct 1828, confirmed 1842 in Schwabbach; died 1858 in New South Wales (Australia). See: Regina Catherine (Schoeneck) Hutchison (1828-1858)^[5]
2. Johann Heinrich, born 12 Sep 1830, confirmed 1844 in Schwabbach; died 1900 in New South Wales (Australia). Later known as "Henry Schoeneck / John Henry Schaanak". See: Johann Heinrich Schoeneck (1830-1900)^[6]
3. Johann Christoph Schoeneck (1833-1833) born 8 Jan 1833, died 15 Jan 1833, bur. 17 Jan 1833 in Schwabbach^[7]
4. Anonymous, born and died 23 April 1834 in Schwabbach^[8]
5. Sophie Friederike Schoeneck (1835-1837) born 1 Jul 1835, died 1 Jan 1837 in Schwabbach
6. Johann Jakob Schoeneck (1837-1837) born 1 Aug 1837, died 16 Nov 1837 in Schwabbach
7. Sophie Friederike, born 4 Feb 1839 in Schwabbach; died in 1912 in New South Wales, Australia. Later known as "Rachel Davis". See: Sophie Friederike Schoeneck / Rachel Davis (1839-1912)
8. Johanne Dorothea, born 12 Feb 1841 in Schwabbach; died in 1921 in New South Wales, Australia. Later known as "Johanna / Hannah Davis". See: Johanna Dorothee (Schoeneck) Davis (1841-1921)
9. Anonymous, born and died 28 Jan 1843 in Schwabbach^[9]
10. Johann Christoph Schoeneck (1844-1844) born 17 Jan 1844, died 30 Jan 1844 in Schwabbach
11. Sophie Jakobine, born 27 Dec 1846 in Schwabbach. Died at sea.

Immigration

Regina (Grabert) Schoeneck migrated from Königreich Württemberg to the Colony of New South Wales in 1849.

Regina (Grabert) Schoeneck was a Bounty Immigrant to New South Wales.

Regina (also known as "Rega") immigrated to the Colony of New South Wales with her husband Gottlieb and their 5 surviving children on the "Beulah" which sailed from London, England on December 14, 1848.

The “Beulah” carried 180 German bounty immigrants from the Rheingau (Rhine district) in the heart of German wine country. The 47 families on board were the first group to arrive through a new bounty scheme initiated by German merchant Karl Ludwig Wilhelm (William) Kirchner to address a labour shortage in New South Wales in certain specialised fields in which skilled British labour was not available – primarily the cultivation of vines, olives and silk. Under Kirchner’s scheme, immigrants were contracted to work for two years for the colonist who paid their bounty.^[10]

The voyage took just under 5 months. When they arrived in Port Jackson on April 4, 1849, Gottlieb was 47, Maria Regina 45, daughter Regina Catherina 20, son Johann Heinrich 18, and younger daughters Frederika 10 and Johanna 8. Sadly, the youngest Schoeneck child, Sophia, was one of four infants that died on the voyage. The family was literate. The Beulah log shows Gottlieb, Maria, Catherina and Heinrich could read and write on arrival (presumably German) although 10 year old Frederika was only able to read.^[11][12]

Life in the Colony of New South Wales

After their arrival, it seems the Schoeneck family headed for the Maitland area. Researcher Sandra Shephard (1988) believes Gottlieb was engaged by "Caswell" to work on his property.^[13]

This is possible. William Caswell (1789-1859) had three properties in the Hunter Valley and he established vineyards on at least two - Tanilba and Balickera. The Caswell family moved from Tanilba to the Balickera estate in 1844 and resided at Balickera permanently through to at least 1850. Records suggest Caswell had trouble with convict labourers at Tanilba and couldn't afford to pay labourers to work on his properties when the supply of convict labourers started to dwindle in the early 1840s forcing his family to move to Balickera. Bounty immigrants like the Schönecks were very attractive to struggling settlers like Caswell who lacked the know-how to raise the vines and make the wine themselves. Vine dressers like Gottlieb not only provided the technical expertise that the settlers lacked but were also cheaper as indentured workers were paid significantly less than local non-indentured labourers. Further, the female bounty immigrants that accompanied the vine dressers made good domestic servants. Again, they were paid less than non-indentured workers. The Caswells had at least 11 children born between 1830 and 1847 and would certainly have wanted domestic help. However, there are no records which definitively show Caswell engaged Gottlieb Schöneck, and no records which place the Schöneck family at Balickerra or Tanilba.

The Schönecks apparently remained in the Maitland are for many years. Daughters Catherine and Frederika both married in the area - Catherine in Scone in 1853 and Fredericka in what is now Raymond Terrace in 1855.

The family had a tough life in the Colony. In 1858, her daughter Catherina died in tragic circumstances at the hands of her husband James Hutchison (a former convict). Hutchison was charged with murder but found guilty of manslaughter. He was incarcerated for a period of time and their two young sons sent to the Parramatta Orphan home. It seems unlikely she saw them again (if indeed she ever met them).

By early 1863, Gottlieb, Regina and their son had settled at "Munderkook Estate" (probably a misspelling of "Moondrooke Estate") at Tinonee, then in Manning River, where they were growing maize.^[14] They were probably tenant farmers. However, it seems they intended to purchase land for themselves as son Henry (as he was known in Australia) sought naturalization in late 1862 for this purpose.

Tragically, however, Gottlieb drowned in a canoeing accident in Moondrooke Creek, near Tinonee, in June 1963, leaving her a widow.^[14][15]

Regina's fate after his death is unknown. She probably remained with her son at Moondrooke Estate for a period but may have joined one of her daughters - either Rachel and her husband James Davis at Tarree, or Johanna and John Davis.

She is almost certainly the "Rebecca or Regina Shenick" who died at the Hyde Park Asylum in Sydney on 19 June 1874, a pauper, aged 72 years, born in Germany. However, no family members are listed in the civil death records, her father and mother are shown as "unknown", there are no details about a marriage and no children listed. The Informant was a Matron at the hospital so it is possible this information was not available to her.^[16] The civil death records show her cause of death as "Chronic Cerebritis, Apoplexy" which she had suffered for 1 year and 10 months. She was possibly sent to the Asylum after suffering a paralysing stroke, or because she was destitute. The same records show she was buried in the "Necropolis" (probably at what was then "Haslams Creek Cemetery", now Rookwood Cemetery).

Research Notes

1. Her name is handwritten "Rega Krabert" on her husband's death certificate. This document also shows the couple married in 1830 rather than 1828. Her son, recorded as "John Henry Shaanack Son Moondrooke" was the informant. At the time, this information was usually provided orally so it is likely the spelling errors were made by the official responsible for recording the information. In other words, he wrote what he heard. See attached image (Death Certificate-Godliep Shaanack (1863), issued 16 October 2018). Her son was born in 1830; he possibly guessed their year of marriage.
2. Moondrook Creek is spelt "Moondrooke Creek" on Gottlieb's Death Certificate. At one point, it was was Moonadrook Creek but its name was officially changed to Moondrook Creek in 1973. It is sometimes also spelt "Moondrooke Creek".^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth & Baptism (index): "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHQN-ZJW : 26 October 2021), Maria Regina Grabert, 1803.
2. ↑ Marriage (Index): "Deutschland Heiraten, 1558-1929", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J4F1-Q2R : 26 October 2021), Maria Regina Grabert in entry for Johann Gottlieb Schoeneck, 1828.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Marriage (Schwabbach record): Lutherische Kirchenbücher, 1500-1985. Landeskirchliches Archiv Stutt. Kirchenbücher des Kirchenbezirks Weinsberg. Schwabbach. Available at: Ancestry.com. Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
   Search: Schwabbach >Taufen, Heiraten, Tote, Konfirmationen, Kommunionen u Notizen 1558-1981>Image 1081 of 1352. Accessed on ancestry.com, 5 November 2021.* View Ancestry Record 61023 #12202425
   Indexed as:
   Name: Johann Gottlieb Schwäub
   Birth Date: 19 Jul 1801
   Marriage Date: 10 Feb 1828
   Marriage Place: Schwabbach, Württemberg, Deutschland
   Father: Georg Friedrich Schwäub
   Mother: Marie Christina Schwäub
   Spouse: Maria Regine Gerbert
   Author: Evangelische Kirche Schwabbach (OA. Weinsberg)
   
4. ↑ Marriage (Pfedelbach Records): Lutherische Kirchenbücher. Landesk. Archiv Stgt. Bez. Oehringen Pfedelbach Bd. 9. Available at: Ancestry.com. Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Search: Pfedelbach>Taufen (Uneheliche), Geburten, Heiraten u Tote 1764-1897>image 708 of 1116. Accessed on ancestry.com, 5 November 2021.* View Ancestry Record 61023 #1061341343
   Note: Currently, the indexed record at Ancestry.com shows this couple married in Pfedelbach on 12 Aug 1828. However, this is an error. Although Banns were read in Pfedelbach, both the Pfedelbach and Schwabbach parish registers show the couple married in Schwabbach. The actual marriage date was almost certainly 10 Feb 1828 as shown in the Schwabbach Register rather than 12 Feb 1828 as shown in the Pfedelbach record.
   Indexed on Ancestry.com as:
   Name: Johann Gottlieb Schoeneck...
   Birth Date: 19 Jul 1801
   Event type: Marriage
   Marriage Date: 12 Feb 1828
   Marriage Place: Pfedelbach, Württemberg, Deutschland
   Page number: 151;152
   Father: Georg Friedrich Schoeneck
   Mother: Maria Christina Schoeneck (Note: her maiden name appears on the image but has not been transcribed or indexed at Ancestry.com)
   Spouse: Maria Regina Grabert
   Author: Evangelische Kirche Pfedelbach (OA. Öhringen)
5. ↑ Baptism of dau Regine Catharine: "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPPB-DNSQ : 24 October 2021), Johann Gottlieb Schnek in entry for Regina Catharine Schnek, 8 Oct 1828; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Schwabbach, Schwabbach, Weinsberg, Württemberg, Deutschland, Schwabbach, German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
6. ↑ Baptism of son Johann Heinrich: "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPPB-HQ4B : 24 October 2021), Gottlieb Schuneck in entry for Johann Heinrich Schuneck, 15 Sep 1830; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Schwabbach, Schwabbach, Weinsberg, Württemberg, Deutschland, Schwabbach, German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
7. ↑ Baptism of son Johann Christoph (1833): "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPPB-X6ZQ : 24 October 2021), Johann Christoph Schöneck, 17 Jan 1833; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Burial, Schwabbach, Schwabbach, Weinsberg, Württemberg, Deutschland, Schwabbach, German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
8. ↑ Death of unnamed infant (1834): "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPPB-L7WH : 24 October 2021), Schuneek, 23 Apr 1834; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Birth, Schwabbach, Schwabbach, Weinsberg, Württemberg, Deutschland, Schwabbach, German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
9. ↑ Death of unnamed infant (1843): "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPPB-D4GD : 24 October 2021), Schönack, 28 Jan 1843; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Schwabbach, Schwabbach, Weinsberg, Württemberg, Deutschland, Schwabbach, German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
10. ↑ https://www.sea.museum/2019/04/04/vinedressers-and-vintners--german-bounty-immigrants. Accessed 28 November 2020
11. ↑ Warner, M., 2007. BEULAH. [online] Marinersandships.com.au. Available at: <http://marinersandships.com.au/1849/04/115beu.htm> [Accessed 29 November 2020]. Original Source: State Records Authority of New South Wales: Shipping Master's Office; Passengers Arriving 1826 - 1900; Part Colonial Secretary series covering 1845 - 1853, reels 1272 [4/5227] -1280 [4/5244]. Transcribed by Gloria Sheehan. Three images available.
12. ↑ NRS5316/4_4820/Beulah_4 Apr 1849/
13. ↑ Marsh, A , Shepherd, S and others 1988, 'James Davis & Rachel Shannoch', in Davis family & descendants : 140 years in Australia, 1848-1988, compiled by Ann Marsh. Privately published by A. Marsh Grafton, N.S.W. ISBN:0731642880. Notes: Available for viewing in NSW Library Reading Rooms. https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/22647114. See pages: 127-130.
    Sandra Shephard is a descendant of James Davis & Friederike Schöneck.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Newspaper Artcile (Husband's Death): 1863 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), 7 July, p. 4. , viewed 18 Oct Nov 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18698427
15. ↑ Newspaper Artcile (Husband's Death): 1863 'MANNING RIVER.', Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), 2 July, p. 3. , viewed 16 Oct 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63133782
16. ↑ Death Registration (index): New South Wales BDM Registration: 835/1874. SHENICK REGINA. Father: AGE 72 YEARS. Mother: DIED SYDNEY. District: SYDNEY
17. ↑ Moondrook Creek "GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ACT, 1966" Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001) 7 September 1973: 3927. Web. 28 Jan 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220218236>.

• Additional sources to be added by Author