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ANCESTORS OF JOHN DAVID MULLER
John David Muller, immigrant, came from the hamlet of Grosszschepa near
Hohburg, east of Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. Three generations of his
ancestors have been traced to this region. Although we know only where and
when they lived we can assume some information from the history of the
region.
The villages of Grosszschepa, Hohburg, Leuptitz and several others form
the municipality of Muldentalkreis. [Roughly translated, Muldentalkreis
means “the hollow of a vein of magnesium oxide.”] The names of the
villages are documented to the 12th century, and from the third century up
the end of the middle ages five castles were built in the area of Hohburg.
The villages remained nearly unchanged until the early 19th century. The
area was, for centuries, populated by peasant farms and manors, and became
well known for its stone and porcelain clay factory, which brought in
workers who did not farm the land. A large trade area developed in the
village of Leuptitz and individual home ownership eventually became part
of the landscape in Grosszschepa.
 During the
eighteenth century the Mullers migrated from Collmen, a hamlet of
Thallwitz, and the Kolditz family came from Doben. The opportunities for
work in Grosszschepa were most likely attractive to the young couples. The
Muller ancestors undoubtedly worked for, or were involved in, the
porcelain factory enterprise.
High Resolution Map
When John David Muller immigrated in 1853, shortly after his marriage to
Louisa Jagusch, he opened a shop in the lower east side of Manhattan. He
was a cooper, but he also sold “crockery.” We like to assume that he
imported some of his wares from Germany, and possibly he had received a
stipend, either before or after his arrival, from the factory or family
members to help him in his enterprise. By 1870 he was living on 2nd Street
between Avenue C & D, an opportune location to set up shop. This is only
two blocks from the East River, and less than a block from East Houston
St. Before the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the only connection
between Brooklyn and Manhattan was the Ferry that docked at the foot of
East Houston Street. John David Muller was in the perfect place, not only
for receiving the boats that brought wares from Germany, but also to take
advantage of the human traffic the ferry drew. It is interesting to note
that magnesium oxide, which was in abundance in Grosszschepa produces
wonderful satin surfaces on porcelain. If he sold these wares in New York
City they were probably quite desirable to more than the poor immigrants
living on the Lower East Side. One can only assume John David Muller was
an exceptional businessman.
Generation 1:
Johann Georg Muller (1726 – 21 Sep1796) was from the village of
Collmen by Thallwitz. He married Anna Marie Werner (1730 – 27 Feb
1785) who was also of Collmen, and they moved to the nearby hamlet of
Grosszschepa where they died. They had four children: Maria Elisabeth,
Hans Gottfried, Hans Georg and Johann Christian.
Generation II:
Hans Georg Muller (Nov. 1758 – 12 Jan 1827) was born in
Grosszschepa and married in 1781 Hanna Elisabeth Kolditz (abt.1760
– 11 Nov 1839) of Doben, daughter of Christian Kolditz. They lived
and died in Grosszschepa. They had three known children: Hanna Christiana,
Hanna Friederica and Johann Gottfried.
Johann Christian Hartig (1735 – 11 Mar1835) was from Hohburg and
married Johanna Elisabeth Unverdorben (1760 – 12 May 1833) of
Hohburg. They moved after the birth of their daughter Hannah Elizabeth in
1856, and both died in Grosszschepa. They had eight known children:
Johanna Christiana, Hanna Elisabeth, Johann Gottlob, Johann
Friedrich Gottlob, Carl Friedrich, Maria Elisabeth, Hanna Rosina, and a
son who died at birth.
Generation III:
Johann Gottfried Muller (24 Jan 1791 – 14 Jun 1818), married
Hanna Elisabeth Hartig (16 Dec 1789 – 28 Jun 1856). It’s not clear
where they died, but probably in Grosszschepa. They had two children:
John David (the immigrant) and Hanna Christiane.
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ANCESTORS OF LOUISE FRIEDERIKA CHARLOTTA JAGUSCH
 John
David Muller, immigrant, married Auguste Ludowica Jagusch (born 14
Aug 1809), the daughter of
Carl Wilhelm Jagusch and Auguste Friederike Kluge. We
know nothing more of her parents, but they probably lived in Berlin Stadt,
Brandenburg, Prussia, as John and Augusta were married there at Sankt
Georgen. How John came to know Auguste is not known. Perhaps her father
imported items from the porcelain factory in Grosszschepa, or John
traveled to Berlin to deliver wares from the factory.
The Saint George Hospital stands on the Muhlenstrasse and still exists
today. It has been endowed by the wealthy cloth-makers guild since the
year 1328. The building was burned down by the Hussites and rebuilt in the
15th century.
[Translated from the German. For Original text and photograph see the Bernau bei Berlin website at:
http://www.bernau.de/tourismus/sehenswertes.php?s=6&b=1 ]
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