BIOGRAPHY OF FREDERICK WERSEBE

Frederick Wersebe was born 15 May 1831 in the village of Hagen-by-Bremen in the kingdom of Hannover, now part of united Germany. (Germany, at that time, consisted of the kingdoms of Hannover, Prussia and three smaller kingdoms with Prussia being the dominant kingdom.) He was the first born of nine children born to Jurgen Frederick and Margerethe Heissenbuttel Wersebe. He was christened in the Church at Bramsedt in the Lutheran faith on 18 May 1831. All nine children were born in Hagen-by-Bremen and christened in the Church at Bramsedt. Hagen-by-Bremen is identified by some United States Wersebes as Amt-Hagen. Amt means office in German and is not used for identification of a village or town in Germany. Hagen-by-Bremen is twelve miles from Bremen which is now a huge town. The Wersebes have been associated with the villages/towns Meyenburg, Wersabe and Hagen-by-Bremen since A.D. 800. These villages are close to the North Sea and on the Weser River which flows into the North Sea.

The name Wersebe was originally spelled Wersabe. In A.D. 1600 the spelling was changed to Wersebe.

Just when Frederick Wersebe left his home in Hannover is unknown. It is known that he served for some years in the British Royal Navy. On leaving the Royal Navy, he became a Captian in the Merchant Marine. With the exception of his sister Margarethe, all of his siblings immigrated to Brooklyn, New York in the United States for religious reasons. When their father died in 1858 the son Hinrich returned to Hannover to help his mother run the family farm.

In October of 1852/1853 Fredererick Wersebe made a public declaration in the Common Pleas Court of New York City that it was his intention to become a citizen of the United States. He renounced all allegiance to the King of Hannover in doing so.

Frederick Wersebe married Phoebe(in England, Phebe) Ann Alcock Wilkins in Stalham, Norfolk Co. England. The date of marriage is unknown. He had been previously married to her sister who died shortly after they were wed. There was no issue of this marriage. All of his children are by Phoebe. Phoebe(Phebe) Ann Alcock Wilkins was born in 1843 in Stalham, Northfolk County, England which borders on the North Sea, known also as the German Sea. She was adopted by relatives. Her parents are unknown. Frederick and Phoebe Wersebe were the parents of the following children:

Prior to Hannah’s birth, Phoebe became very homesick for her ancestral home in England. The homesickness was injurious to her health so she made a visit home. It was on this visit that her daughter Hannah was born. The return trip to Texas was too dangerous for a new born so Hannah was left with her grandparents in Stalham, England. It was her mother’s intentions to return to England to bring Hannah home. For reasons unknown, Phoebe never returned to England for Hannah. Hannah’s birth was the last visit Phoebe made to England. Probably because she became pregnant right away and had successive children.

Frederick Wersebe became a citizen of the United States on 11 November 1871 in New York City, N.Y. Mr. Patrick Kenny of New York City signed as a witness that Frederick Wersebe "has resided in the United States for the continued term of five years, next preceding the present time, and within the State of New York, one year at least immediately preceding this application;"

Frederick and Phoebe moved first to San Antonio, Texas from Brooklyn, New York City, N.Y. and then to Caldwell County, Texas to the Joliet Community. Frederick Wersebe died in 1892 in the Joliet Community and is buried in the Mineral Springs Cemetery in Joliet. Phoebe went to live with her son Frederick Henry in Jeddo, Bastrop Co., Texas and died there in 1911. She is buried in the Delhi Cemetery in Delhi, Caldwell County, Texas.