Marriage Contract

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

On a recent trip to the Generallandesarchiv in Karlsruhe, we found an example of a marriage contract. These are similar to today’s prenuptial agreements. These particular ones were under the category “Eheberedungen.”

 

Essentially, this one contains two pages and is dated 30 May 1794. It involves a widower, Joseph Anton Dottino, who was had five minor children from his first marriage. He was marrying Helena Hüger. Joseph Anton’s deceased wife and mother of his children was Franziska Braun. The children were represented in this case by their maternal grandfather, Joseph Braun. 

 

There are five sections of this document. The summary of each section follows:

 

§  First, the children were named with their ages: Theresia, 12, Franziska, 10, Katharina, 8, Maria Anna 6, and Magdalena, 2. The five children were to receive 300 florin plus a bed and the associated bedding. If any child should die, the others will received the deceased child’s share.

§  Second, the bride, Helena Hüger, is bringing her parental inheritance to the marriage. She remains entitled to that property, which was not specified.

§  Third, the house owned by the groom, which is encumbered by debt, will be shared jointly by the children from the first and second marriages.

§  Fourth, children from the pending marriage, along with the children from the first marriage and the surviving spouse, will share an equal inheritance.

§  Fifth, the marital bed will remain with the surviving spouse.[1]

This document is not related to either of our families. It was a type of document that so far we have not found for ourselves. It is fun to “adopt” other families momentarily to see their records.

 

 

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[1] Oppenau, Oberkirch Herrschaft, Bistum Straßburg, Eheberedungen, 1794–1800, pp. 3–4, no. 2, Dottino-Hüger; Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe, 61 Nr. 14082, http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=4-746258.  

 

Gen 1: Mary Jane Beal - Parentage

What are the origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl?

We continued our Biehl research project with the end goal of identifying the German origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl. I continued research on the first generation, which is Mary Jane Beal. You can find that post here.

 

Parentage of Mary Jane Beal

 

As research is accomplished on an objective, it is helpful to keep a summary of the progress towards answering that objective, especially when it is not straight forward. To that end, the following provides the evidence that supports the hypothesis that Peter and Elizabeth (Painter) Beal are the parents of Mary Jane Beal.

 

Parentage: Summary Comments

·      A 14 January 1850 court record set forth the new route for the West Fork road extension.  This source details that Peter Beal and James Henry live near each other.[1]

·      The James & Mary Henry household was enumerated adjacent to Peter & Elizabeth Beal in 1850. Madison Painter was enumerated 8 households away.[2] This was the only Peter Beal household in1850 in Arkansas.[3]

·      Further supporting the close geographical proximity of James Henry and Peter Beal is the 12 April 1853 court order that appointed James Henry as the overseer of the 4^th district of the West Fork Road “commencing at Madison Panters and terminating at the … Crawford County line, Said Henry was appointed in place of Peter Beal.”[4]

·      Madison “Panter” witnessed the 1854 deed of James & Mary Jane Henry to William Covington.[5]

·      On 2 December 1861, a quitclaim deed was executed by the siblings of John Painter, deceased, conveying their interest in John’s property to William Painter. Peter and Elizabeth Beal and Madison Painter were part of that transaction. Madison Painter was Elizabeth (Painter) Beal’s brother and Mary Jane Beal’s uncle.[6]

·      The James & Mary Henry household was enumerated adjacent to Albert Beal in 1860, who was 27 years old and born in Tennessee.[7] Peter Beal’s household in 1850 contained 18-year-old Albert Beal, born in Tennessee.[8]

 

At this point, the above evidence supports that Peter and Elizabeth (Painter) Beal are the parents of Mary Jane Beal. Next week’s post will start to focus on researching Peter Beal. Research will continue on James Henry, and all his children and updates will be provided for notable finds.

 

Next up: Begin research on Peter Beal.

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[1] Washington County, Arkansas, Court Records, 1835–1878, vol. C, 1848–1856, pp. 86–7, entry for West Fork Road, 14 January   1850; image 71 of 644, DGS no. 7,899,278, item 1, FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[2] 1850 U.S. census, Washington County, Arkansas, population schedule, West Fork Township, p. 752 (penned), dwelling 30, family 30, James Henry; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 October 2025).

[3] 1850 U.S. census, Arkansas, population schedule, search for Peter Beal; database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 February 2026). The only result was this household, 1850 U.S. census, Washington County, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 376 (stamped), p. 751 (penned), dwelling 29, family 29, Peter Beal; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 January 2016).

[4] Washington County, Arkansas, Court Records, 1835–1878, vol. C, 1848–1856, p. 390, appointment of overseer, 12 April 1853; image 218 of 644, DGS no. 7899278, item 1, FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[5] Washington County, Arkansas, Deeds, Liber I: 521, deed, James Henry et ux to William Covington, 15 January 1855; digital images, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 2025), image 289 of 635, DGS no. 8,197,821, item 1; FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City.

[6] Washington County, Arkansas, Deeds, Liber R: 159–60, quitclaim deed, Sidney Painter et al to William Painter, 24 January 1868; images 319-20 of 540, DGS no. 8,582,402, item 2, FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[7] 1860 U.S. census, Benton County, Arkansas, population schedule, Beatie township, Maysville post office, p. 78 (penned), dwelling 491, family 489, James Henry; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 October 2025).

[8] 1850 U.S. census, Washington County, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 376 (stamped), p. 751 (penned), dwelling 29, family 29, Peter Beal; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 January 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 286.

Military Recruitment and Payments

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

On a recent trip to the Haupstaatsarchiv in Stuttgart, we found some interesting military-related documents. One of them was a volume of payments made to military personnel in 1804. At the front of the book were Assentscheine [recruitment certificates]. 

 

Assentschein

 

An Assentschein was created for each person who entered the military. It contains some great information about the person. The samples we reviewed have the name and birth place of the soldier, his height, age, marital status, religion, and occupation.[1]

 

Height was measured in Fuß [feet], Zoll [inches], and Strich [parts of an inch]. A Strich is 1/12 of an inch and is a measurement no longer used. Matheus Lindenmeier was recruited 3 March 1804 into the Chur Prinz Batallion. 

 

The full translation follows:

 

Nro. 212                                                                                                                                                              Inf.

  9

fol.

Recruitment Certificate                          32t

 

Neu-Würtembergische Lande.                                             Oberamt   Giengen.

                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

Recruit                Matheus Lindenmeier                                                                      born in

Giengen                                 height    5.  feet,  9. inches, 1. Strich [1/12 of an inch]

18   years old, unmarried Status, Lutheran.  Reli-

gion, by Profession a beer brewer, admitted by Joh.

                                                                        Georg Reute von Giengen.

                  Is fit for military service

 

                                                      T.   tenZ Regl. Chirurg.

                                                                        Nick dte[?]

 

The same is provisioned  ___________ until 3. Merz. and is enlisted for

6  years with a surety of, 50. florin, und 450 fl. Enlistment bonus

into the Bataill. Chur Prinz.    

 

Payment Register 

 

The second half of this document contains a register of payments made to the military personnel for the months of March and April 1804. Presumably the payments were in Florin and Kreuzer, though it does not say. The military personnel were listed in order of rank, with the Gemeine [privates] last.[2]

 

 

Here is a translation of Matheus’s entry.

 

Nro.	Name and Birth place	Wages, Salary and small monthly allowance				Bread portions		Additions and Departures and other observations
		Pro März		Pro April		Pro März	Pro April
109	Private Matheus Lindenmeyer Giengen	2	42	3		27	30

 

Matheus didn’t get paid for the full month of March, since he didn’t get recruited until the third. Those privates who had been present for the full month of March were paid 3 Florin. They apparently did not factor in how many days were in the month, as the payment was the same for March and April.

 

It is interesting to see what the privates were paid versus other personnel. For example, a cadet was paid 8 Florin per month. A Hauptmann [captain] was paid 75 Florin.

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] “Bataillon Chur Printz Zahlungsliste pro Martio et Aprile 1804, » nr. 1014, fol. 644, Assentschein no. 212, Matheus Lindenmeier ; Haupstaastarchiv Stuttgart, A32-Bd 63. 

[2] “Bataillon Chur Printz Zahlungsliste pro Martio et Aprile 1804, » nr. 1014, fol. 644, Zahlungsliste, p. 33, no. 109, Matheus Lindenmeier ; Haupstaastarchiv Stuttgart, A32-Bd 63.

Gen 1: Mary Jane Beal - James Henry's Military Service

What are the origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl?

We continued our Biehl research project with the end goal of identifying the German origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl. I continued research on the first generation, which is Mary Jane Beal. You can find that post here.

 

Military Service

 

James Henry’s FindaGrave memorial has a transcription of a newspaper notice that was published on 22 July 1910 in The Fayetteville News. The notice reads “Mrs. Alphurnia Henry, widow of James Henry of Springdale, has been granted a pension of $12 per month from June 5, 1910. Mr. Henry was a Mexican War soldier.[1] His tombstone states that he was in the Ark. Mounted Inf. Vol. from 1847 to 1848.[2]

 

Pension

 

Whenever there is military service, if there is a pension, it can provide some great genealogical information. FamilySearch has the index to Mexican War pension files. James Henry has two index cards. One relates to his request for a pension, and one is for Alphurnia’s request for a pension after James’s death in 1910. 

The first card provides the following information:[3]

 

MEXICAN WAR

Name of Soldier: Henry, James

Service: Rank Private, Enyarts Co Ark Mtd Inf

 

DATE OF FILING.	CLASS.	APPLICATION NO.	CERTIFICATE NO.	FILE NO.	ACT.	STATE.
1907 Feb 26					Age
1887 Feb. 11	Mex Sur	3025	3409		Jany 29, 1887	Arkansas
	“ Wid	19582	15486		“ “ “
REMARKS: Ind Sur. O 61 John Peerson (alias) Pearson Evan’s Co. [?] [?] Ark. Vols. Fla. War

 

The second card provides the following information:[4]

MEXICAN WAR

Name of Soldier: Henry, James

Name and Class of Dependent: Henry, Alphurnia     Widow

Service: Rank Pri., Enyart’s Indpt. Co. Ark. Mtd. Vol. Inf.

 

DATE OF FILING.	CLASS.	APPLICATION NO.	CERTIFICATE NO.	FILE NO.	ACT.	STATE.
	Mex. Sur.	3025	3409
1910, June 9	Mex. Wid.	19582	15486		Jan. 29, 1887	Ark.
REMARKS: Formerly Wid. of John Peerson alias Pearson. Ind. Sur. O. 61 Evans Co. Ark. Vols. Fla. War.

 

The pension file images are not yet digitized and online yet. That means either a request or a trip to the National Archives to obtain a copy of the files. 

 

James Henry was a member of an Independent Company of Arkansas Mounted Volunteers. Stephen B. Enyart was the captain. The company was received on 15 June 1847 and disbanded in June 1848. It mainly served in New Mexico and on the Rio Grande.[5] On 29 January 1887, Congress passed an act providing a pension to volunteers, among others, that 1) served 60 days in the Mexican War, 2) to widows that had not remarried, 3) and those who are 62 years old and/or disabled. It did not include any one who engaged in the “late rebellion” against the United States. The rate of pay was $8/month.[6]

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[1] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 8 December 2025), memorial 32241713, James Henry (23 Sep 1822–5 Jun 1910), maintained by contributor 46510018, Rosa Cline; citing Friendship Cemetery, Springdale, Washington County, Arkansas, USA; accompanying marker photo from contributor 47287035, Gerry Stanley, added 16 May 2014.

[2] James Henry tombstone, Original Cemetery Section, Friendship Cemetery, Springdale, Arkansas; photographed by Debra A. Hoffman on 26 August 2024.

[3] “Index to Mexican War Pension Files, 1887–1926,” database and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 17 March 2026), Griffin, William-Howard, Joshua, v. 6 1887-1926, image 2521 of 4075, James Henry; DGS no. 5,189,105, FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah; citing NARA microfilm publication T317, roll 6, National Archives, Washington, DC.

[4] “Index to Mexican War Pension Files, 1887–1926,” database and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 17 March 2026), Griffin, William-Howard, Joshua, v. 6 1887-1926, image 2522 of 4075, widow, Alphurnia Henry; DGS no. 5,189,105, FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah; citing NARA microfilm publication T317, roll 6, National Archives, Washington, DC.

[5] William Hugh Robarts, Mexican War veterans : a complete roster of the regular and volunteer troops in the war between the United States and Mexico, from 1846 to 1848 ; the volunteers are arranged by states, alphabetically (Washington, D. C.: Brentano's, (A.S. Witherbee & Co., Proprietors, 1887), 41; digital image, Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/mexicanwarvetera00roba/page/16/mode/2up : accessed 2026).

[6] William Hugh Robarts, Mexican War veterans : a complete roster of the regular and volunteer troops in the war between the United States and Mexico, from 1846 to 1848 ; the volunteers are arranged by states, alphabetically (Washington, D. C.: Brentano's, (A.S. Witherbee & Co., Proprietors, 1887), preface, “The Mexican Veteran Pension Law”; digital image, Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/mexicanwarvetera00roba/page/16/mode/2up : accessed 2026).