Before marrying the Three Loeck Sisters Nth great grandmother, Susannah Berlich, their Nth great grandfather Georg Adam Struve had married Anna Maria Richter, the daughter of Christoph Philipp Richter (1602 – 1673). She was born on 11th April, 1634, and she married Struve on the 6th November 1648, and they lived together for fourteen years, during which time they had eight children, five of whom appear to have survived into adulthood and they were:
- Friedrich August (1660 – 1694) who inherited the property of his maternal grandfather;
- Johann Wilhelm (1648 – 1662), a practicing lawyer of considerable eminence, resident in Darmstadt;
- Georg Christoph Struve (* October 7, 1649 at Jena; deceased May 25, 1669 (aged 19) as a student at Altdorf, Landshut, Bavaria);
- Johann Philip (1652 – 1685), a medical doctor; and
- Christoph Barthold Struve (1641 – 1665) a lawyer and the author of a number of books.
This page looks at the above children of this marriage.
Several books celebrating the nuptials of Georg Adam and Ann Maria were published in 1648 which would make Anna Maria 14 or 15 years old at the time of her marriage:
Two of Georg Adam’s brothers – Johann August and Christopher Berthold – made contributions:
In 1662 Anna Maria died aged 27 and a number of funeral books were published upon her death such as: Thesaurus Pie morientium pretiosissimus .,. and Victoria Jacobi; Oder Sieg des Ertzvaters Jacobs Da er Genes. 32. v. 24.
The funeral book Victoria Jacobi; Oder Sieg des Ertzvaters Jacobs Da er Genes. 32. V. 24. Mit dem Mann gerungen und … gesagt/ v. 30. Ich habe Gott von Angesicht gesehen und meine Seele ist genesen … tella us that Ann Marie died on the 18th February and was buried at the parish church of St. Michael at Jena on 21st February. Her four sons: Georg Christoph, Johann Philipp, Johann Wilhelm, and Friedrich August are listed as well as shown below:
Another funeral book for Anna was titled: Frewd-und Glückwünsch Gedichte Auff den Hochzeitlichen Ehrentag Desz … And again, two of Georg Adam’s brothers, Johann August and Christopher Barthold, contributed eulogies.
Below, the inscription on Anna Marie’s ‘sepulcher’ was transcribed and printed a year later as shown below (left):
Georg Adam Struve’s father-in-law, Christoph Philipp Richter, was born on August 26, 1602 in Eisleben. On May 20, 1630 he received his doctorate in Jena under Prof. Dominicus Arumaus (1579 – 1637), of law 1631, court advocate, 1637 professor of law, winter semester 1643/44 rector, 1647 imperial count palatine (Comites Palatini Caesaraei, traveling chief judge), 1659 full professor, summer semester 1654 and 1666 rector of the Jena University. Richter was married twice: in 1622 with Margaretha Hiemerus and in 1630 with Catharina Heinzin. Of his children, only Anna Maria (baptized April 11, 1634 in Jena) is said to have reached adulthood.
He was almost as prolific an author as his son in law and some of the title pages of his books were quite elaborate, two examples of which are shown below:
When Christoph Philipp Richter, died three of the sons from his marriage to Anna Marie Richter – Johann Philipp, Johann Wilhelm, and Friedrich August, contributed to their grandfather’s funeral book: Geistliche Sehnsucht Nach dem Schatten und Ende der Arbeit Bey Hochansehnlicher Leichbegängnüß Des … Herrn Christoph Philipp Richters. From the title we learn that on 31st December 1673 Richter reached the end of his life and “fell asleep after supper” and that on the first Sunday of the new year 1674 he was “brought to his bed” (grave) prepared in the collegiate church.
THE SONS OF GEORG ADAM AND ANNA MARIE (RICHTER) STRUVE
1. Georg Christoph Struve (* October 7, 1649 at Jena, Thuringia, Germany; deceased May 25, 1669 (aged 19) at Altdorf, Landshut, Bavaria. Johann Philip (1652 – 1685).
In 1658 Georg Christoph and his brother Johann Philip are mentioned in the title of a book celebrating their maternal grandfather: Strenæ loco Viro Magnifico … Dn Christophoro Philippo Richtero, Jcto. Celeberrimo, Com Palat. Cæs. Cod. Professori Publ. famigeratissimo, Consilario Saxonico, Facultatis Jurid. Seniori, Curæ Provincialis & Scabinatûs Assessori Gravissi, Avo suo materno omni Honoris & Amoris cultû … [not yet digitized]
On Georg Christoph’s death, a number of funeral books were published including: Christliche Abschieds-Begierde Bey Ansehnlichen und Volckreichen Leichbegängnüß Herrn Georg Christoph Struvens … which tells us that he died at the University Altdorf on 25th May 1669 and buried there on 28th May.
Other funeral books included: Rector Universitatis Altdorffinae Lucas Friedericus Reinhart/ Theol. P.P. Et Eccl. Minister Cives Academicos Ad Exequias Praestantissimi Ac Erudite Docti Iuvenis Dn. Georgii Christophori Struvii,… And, BeVergängliche Blume : welche bey der nach Seel. Hintritt Herrn Georg Christoph Struvens uff Uhlstedt Studiosi zu Altdorff … (right).
JOHANN PHILIPP STRUVE
Another son from Georg Adam’s first marriage was Johann Philipp Struve (d. 1685) who qualified as a medical doctor and whose name appeared as a joint author on a number of publications as shown below. He married Maria Magdalena Engelbrecht who, after Struve died, married Johann Gottfried Olearius (1635 – 1711).
There is evidence in the bibliographic record that Johann Philip may have had at least a son and a grandson. The name of this son is not known but he appears to have died young in 1680 and the occasion was marked by a funeral book titled: Wohlriechendes Blumen-Kräntzlein welches bey Beerdigung … : [Trauerschrift auf den Sohn von Johann Philip Struve] – Fragrant flower crown at the funeral …: [Funeral inscription on the son of Johann Philip Struve].
As mentioned, after Struve died, his widow married Johann Gottfried Olearius who is shown below as a young man aged 35 and then (right) an older man:
Christoph Barthold Struve (1641 – 1665) was the on of George Adam Struve and his first wife Anna Maria Richter. He was also a lawyer and the author of a number of books such as: Disputatio Inauguralis Iuridica De Actione Familiae Erciscundae. – 1663 and Disputatio De Acquirendo Rerum Dominio with his father.
On his death in 1665 a funeral sermon book was published titled: Epicedia in praematurum beatumque obitum Domini Christophori Bartoldi Struvii, I. U. Doctoris a fautoribus & amicis condolentibus scripta. Which included a contribution (among others) Friederich Wilhelm Leyser:
Friedrich August Struve, inherited the Küchenhof in Lobeda
On November 25, 1660, Georg Adam Struve had his son Friedricus Augustus baptized in Jena. Mathematics professor Erhard Weigel was one of the godparents. Friedrich married (at only nineteen years old) on September 20, 1680 in Lobeda Maria Elisabeth Lober, daughter of the pastor Magister Friedrich Wilhelm Lober. Maria Elisabeth (baptized September 26, 1664) was not quite sixteen years old. In the marriage register (in Lobeda and in Jena) Friedrich August Struve is referred to as a ‘hereditary and freedman’ of Lobeda. Friedrich August Struve had inherited the farm from his grandfather and his late mother. His mother is said to have been the only one of Prof. Richter’s children who did not die in childhood.
Friedrich August Struve lived with his family on the KUchenhof and wanted to keep sheep there, but his grandfather had not kept any sheep there before and so Friedrich August had to apply to the town for the right to raise sheep in 1682. But not until 1700 was there a settlement that allowed him and his biological descendants to keep twenty-five sheep. His wife had inherited one hundred and fifty guilders from her grandfather, Mayor Dyonisos Heberle. The city owed the mayor the money and so instead of returning the guilders the City gave permission for Struve to keep sheep.
The marriage of Friedrich August Struves and Maria Elisabeth Lober had ten children:
- Susanna Margarethe, baptized September 7th, 1781 (under the godparents Jgfr. Dorothea Susanna Struve, daughter of Georg Adam), married in 1709 Johann Georg Finke, organ builder in Saalfeld.
- Maria Elisabeth, baptized in 1683, married the Lobeda Council Chamberlain Michael Wagner in 1701, the public wedding took place in the “kitchen courtyard”. From this marriage, the daughter Judith Elisabeth. was baptized in 1717. She was married in Lobeda in 1733 to the merchant Johann Heinrich Thierbach, the second son of an Apolda mayor. Johann Heinrich Thierbach (dated June 29, 1760, tombstone on the church still preserved) and his wealthy family then gained great influence in the town of Lobeda. They also acquired the KUchenhof in 1860 and developed it into the “Rittergut Lobeda”.
- Georg Friedrich, baptized August 21, 1684 (godparents: grandfather Georg Adam Struve, consistory of Jena president, grandfather and pastor M. Friedrich Wilhelm Lober and secretary Johann Wilhelm Struve zu Naumburg), became a wig maker and married in 1714 at Regensburg.
- Christian Wilhelm, baptized February 14, 1686 (godparents including Margaretha Struve, Mr. Georg Adam Struve,),
- Susanna Eleonora, baptized June 15, 1687 (godmother: Mrs. Susanna (Berlich) Struve, Mr. Georg Adam Struve), married Johann Ludwig Shirtorff, princely valet and surgeon in Arnstadt in 1706.
- Christian Gottlob, baptized November 20, 1688 (godfather — Wipprecht Johann von Treschau ), 1710 as theol. Studioso godfather in Lobeda.
- Christian Heinrich, baptized September 24, 1690 (godparents: Heinrich Munch, heir to WUrghausen, Hans Ernst von Croyff to Schiebelau and Johann Christian, Count von Solms), died on January 12, 1691 of the Blattern.
- Christian Philipp, baptized February 7, 1692 (godfather Johann Wilhelm Struve), buried on March 29, 1693.
- Maria Juliana, baptized February 15, 1693 (godfather the widow of Johann Philipp Struve Maria Magdalena).
- Ernst Gottfried, baptized May 28, 1695.
On June 2, 1696, Friedrich August Struve, heir and freedman, was buried in Lobeda (he was thirty-six years old). His widow Maria Elisabeth stayed at the KUchenhof with the underage children. According to Friedrich August’s will, she inherited six hundred guilders and was allowed to carry on living freely at the kitchen courtyard. The Freihof belonged to the children. She then wanted to acquire civil rights in Lobea and justified this with the fact that she was raised and born in the city by legitimate parents. and also was formerly married to Friedrich August Struve. However, she was denied these civil rights and so a court master had to be hired again.
Maria Elisabeth Struve was only forty-six years old when she died and was buried on June 10, 1710. In the same year Friedrich August Struve’s eldest son Georg Friedrich can be found in the Lobeda baptismal register as heir and free member. But he could not hold the KUchenhof, because the inheritance had to be shared among the siblings.
Another possible son of Georg Adam Struve and Anna Marie Richter’s was Georg Samuel who is mentioned as co-author of a work by his maternal grandfather titled: Decisiones juris variae : in III partes divisae jam quarta vice publici juris factae multisque quaestionibus controversiis praejudiciis auctae ; accessit succincta elaboration … [1699] but this is the only evidence we have for his having existed.