Occupations?

bonniesamuel1

My German ancestors lived on the "Windfuhr Estate" in the 1600s through early 1700s. (www.meyersgaz.org/place/21160048). Meyers puts it in the parish of Kierspe .

Peter Windfuhr (died about 1681) was described as OSEMUNDSMITH. Later his son, Diederich is said to have inherited half of the HAMMER MILL in Windfuhr.

So what was this industry in the Windfuhr colony? Some kind of metal production?

Thanks, Bonnie Samuel

Robert Seal_1

Hello @bonniesamuel1,

Osemund is a soft and malleable iron.

Here is a link from the German Wikipedia about Osemund: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osemund (Use your browser's translate function to translate to English.)

An "Osemundsmith" would be a smith who worked with osemund.

The hammer mill was where the osemund was worked and perhaps stamped.

Broadly you could say that your ancestors worked in the iron industry.

bonniesamuel1

My German ancestors lived on the "Windfuhr Estate" in the 1600s through early 1700s. (www.meyersgaz.org/place/21160048). Meyers puts it in the parish of Kierspe .

Peter Windfuhr (died about 1681) was described as OSEMUNDSMITH. Later his son, Diederich is said to have inherited half of the HAMMER MILL in Windfuhr.

So what was this industry in the Windfuhr colony? Some kind of metal production?

Thanks, Bonnie Samuel

bonniesamuel1

Thank you, Robert Seal.

Robert Seal_1

You're welcome, @bonniesamuel1.