Johann Korfhage Jr & Anna Maria Brandt are the parents of my immigrant ancestor, Peter Westerhouse. Described below is their life until the death of Johann Korfhage Jr.
Johann Heinrich Korfhage Jr was born 29 Mar 1800, in Farm #18, Lenzinghausen, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (current location is Herforder Straße 50, Lenzinghausen, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, GPS Coordinates 52.126417, 8.496594). He was the son of Johann Heinrich Korfhage and Anne Ilsabein Lüersen. Before marriage, he helped with farming and caring for younger siblings. He worshiped with his family at the St. Martin Lutheran Church in Spenge, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (current location is Lange Straße 72, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, GPS GPS 52.126417, 8.496594).
Johann Korfhage St Martin Lutheran Church birth record (Farm number 18 in Lenzinghausen, birth no. 31) – left page, top entry
Johann Korfhage St Martin Lutheran Church birth record (birth Mar 29, baptized Apr 6 in 1800, father colon) – right page, top entry
St Martin Lutheran Church at Spenge, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (Lange Straße 72, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) - 2014
St Martin Lutheran Church at Spenge, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (Lange Straße 72, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) - 2014
Anna Maria Ilsabein Brandt was born 9 May 1803 in Farm #16, Diemke, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (current location Dammstraße 43, Wallenbrück, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, GPS 52.134126, 8.458269). She was the daughter of Caspar Heinrich Brandt and Catharina Ilsabein Kleinegödinghaus. Before marriage, Anna helped with house duties and caring for younger siblings. She worshiped with her family at the Lutheran Church in Wallenbrück, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (current location Neuenkirchener Straβe 256, Wallenbrück, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, GPS 52.149476, 8.444507).
Anna Brandt St Marien Lutheran Church birth record (birth No.30, farm number is Diemke No.16) – left page, bottom entry
Anna Brandt St Marien Lutheran Church birth record – right page, bottom entry
St Marien Lutheran Church at Wallenbrück, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (Neuenkirchener Straβe 256, Wallenbrück, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) – 2014
St Marien Lutheran Church at Wallenbrück, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (Neuenkirchener Straβe 256, Wallenbrück, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) – 2014
At the age of 21, Johann married Anna Maria Ilsabein Brandt 30 Sep 1821, in Evangelisch, Wallenbrück, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (current location Dammstraße 43, Wallenbrück, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, GPS 52.134126, 8.458269), when she was 18 years old. They had six children: Catharina Ilsabein Korfhage (1822–), Anna Catharina Ilsabein Korfhage (1823–1882), Caspar Heinrich Korfhage (1825–1896), Anna Elisabeth Korfhage (1827–1827), Peter Heinrich Korfhage (1828 1875) and Anna Ilsabein Korfhage (1830–1904)
Johann Heinrich Korfhage and Anna Maria Brandt St Marien Lutheran Church marriage record left page, bottom entry
Johann Heinrich Korfhage and Anna Maria Brandt St Marien Lutheran Church marriage record right page, bottom entry
After marriage, Johann and Anna made their home at the Korfhage farm, where Johann grew up. Johann's farm home had a thatched roof and walls made of straw and mud. The home served as a barn for various livestock (pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, geese, milk cows, horses) and a place to store animal feed, farming items and food (grains, vegetables). Crops grown on the farm may have been wheat, corn, flax, and potatoes. There also was a vegetable garden with cabbage, lettuce, carrots, onions, and beets. The original farm buildings no longer exist. They were rebuilt after World War I. The property is currently owned by elderly retired city government official. He was a World War II French Prisoner of War working in Vineyards.
Example of exterior farmhouse/barn of 1800s
Example of interior farmhouse/barn of 1800s
Korfhage farm at Farm #18, Lenzinghausen, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (Herforder Straße 50, Lenzinghausen, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) - 2014
Johann, a colon (farm owner), was required to pay 10% of the crop value as a yearly tax to the farm landlord in the area. Some years, the income from farming was not enough to pay the tax, and he would fall into debt for those years. He had one or two tenant farmers working to pay rent for their families to live on the farm. Johann was not able to pay the required taxes after a bad farming year in 1828. After many generations of Korfhage’s, dating back to the 1600’s, Johann was forced to sell and buy another farm with remaining profit from sale of farm during 1829.
Colon (owner, farm #14) Heinrich Jürgen Westerhaus died in 1786. His widow, Anne Elisabeth Lepelmann then became Colona (owner, farm #14). She died during 1812 and according to the Right of Inheritance dated 4 Jan 1821, Heinrich Wilhelm Westerhaus, youngest son, was recorded as the new owner. According to the property register the farm consists of the following:
1 Wohnhaus (residential house)
1 Leibzuchthaus (a smaller one, built for the parents)
1 Kotten (small house for the family/families who were working for the farmer)
1 Schoppen (barn)
1 Backhaus (baking-house)
1 pigsty
Henrich Wilhelm Westerhaus, original owner of farm #14 in Lenzinghausen, sold it to dealer, Benedix Aron Weinberg, on 14 Feb 1829 for $4800. Johann purchased farm #14 in Lenzinghausen, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (current location Herforder Straβe 81, Lenzinghausen, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, GPS 52.127720, 8.498626) for $5500 from dealer, Benedix Aron Weinberg 13 Apr 1829. This property was across from farm #18, where the Korfhage family was living.
It was Prussia tradition to take on the farm name as your surname, so after the family moved to the Westerhaus farm #14, they gradually changed their last name from Korfhage to Westerhaus, in keeping with the name of the farm they had purchased. Today, Westerhaus farm #14 has no structures and not being used for farming.
Westerhaus farm at Farm #14, Lenzinghausen, Herford, Westphalia, Prussia (Herforder Straße 81, Lenzinghausen, Spenge, Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) – 2014
Johann Heinrich Korfhage died 23 Sep 1835, on the Westerhaus farm #14, which he had purchased five years earlier. He was only thirty-five old. Local historians believe he was buried in the St Martin Lutheran Church cemetery or adjoining cemetery across the street. Germany historically reused cemetery plots every 30 to 50 years. For this reason, Johann Korfhage's headstone is not visible today, as other people have been buried in the same plot over time.
Johann Heinrich Korfhage died, leaving his wife, Anna Maria, to raise the family and run the farm. At the time of Johann's death, their children were:
Catherina Ilsabein - age 13
Anna Catherina Ilsabein - age 12
Casper Heinrich - age 10
Peter Heinrich - age 7
Anna Ilsabein - age 5
Johann (Korfhage) Westerhaus burial at adjoining cemetery across the street from St Martin Lutheran Church in Spenge, Germany. - 2014
