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| The search for the Legendary Rudolph Wiedhofft (the handsome man of Baldwins Gardens), who, according to the family legend escaped from Prussia/Germany to England in fear of his life, hidden inside an apple barrel. The other family connection was that he was related to the German Chancellor, Prince Otto von Bismarck, (family went into black when he died). Other family stories relate to Rudolph being fluent in many languages and holding a position of translator in a London Hotel. Set out are the facts and family memories of this fascinating family that led to my obsession with the family history. Pictured right is William Daniel Wiedhof(f)t the first of the family that I have found evidence of living in Baldwins Gardens, (Holborn, London, England), the son of Daniel Chrystal Wiedhofft, who according to a later census was born in "Germany". Our London tale starts with (probably) two brothers Frederick Gottlieb and Daniel Chrystal Wiedhofft born in Germany 1795 and 1797 who marry in central London in the 1820's. As our history unravels, this is what I know, but I would love to hear from anyone who could help us piece together the history, present and future of this rare and precious name in the history of Europe, the USA and Australia (as far as I know,so far!) |
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| Although it seems probable that our family were connected to the ruling house of Wied (a principality near Koblenz) that may have been connected by marriage to the house of Bismarck,The earliest official record found so far of a member of the Wiedhofft family in Great Britain are Banns and the marriage record of Frederick Gottlieb Wiedhofft to Mary Elizabeth Ruppersberg on the 28th July 1822 at St Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, City of London. This was closely followed by the Banns and marriage of Daniel Chrystal Wiedhofft to Martha Baker at St Martins in the Fields, London.on the 9th May 1824 | ||
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Generation
One
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Generation Two
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Frederick
Augustus Wiedhofft & Family |
Frederick Wiedhofft was shown as a son of Daniel & Martha in the 1851 census. He was listed as a 25 year old labourer. So far this is the only information we have. |
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Johann
George Wiedhofft & Wife |
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Charles
James Wiedhofft & Family USA |
Martha
Eliza Wiedhofft (Palmer) & Family |
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William
Louis Wiedhofft USA |
Daniel Christian Weidhofft, was born on the 13th of November 1838 at 5 Rampstone Villas, Hoxton. (Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch,) London Unfortunately, young Daniel Christian died on the12th June 1839 The certificate records the death of 7month old Daniel Christian Weidhofft at Rampstone Place, Hoxton, child of a brass worker, "Accidental death from an overdose of a Narcotic medicine" The burial of young Daniel took place at St Michaels Church, Hoxton. | |
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Family
of Alfred Henry Wiedhofft USA |
Christiana
Caroline Wiedhofft (Pemberton) & Family 1842-???? Born Shoreditch, London married Alfred Pemberton and was last found living in Clerkenwell in 1891 and probably remarried 1893/4 |
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Family
of Louisa Ann Wiedhofft (Filler) |
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Family
of Mary Wiedhofft (Fleming) |
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Frederick
Gottlieb Wiedhofft
Daniel
Chrystal Wiedhofft 
William
Daniel Wiedhof(f)t |
Generation
Three
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Amelia
Wiedhofft (Cooper) & Family |
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William
Edward Frederick Wiedhoft & Family |
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Edwin
Edgar Wiedhoft |
| Charlotte Wiedhofft was born on the 20th January 1855 at 6 Singleton St. Hoxton, Shoreditch, London but died of inflammation and supperation after vaccination on the 22nd of April of the same year. Daughter of Fred Aug. and Amelia. Buried in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London |
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| Charles Wiedhofft was born in the June quarter of 1856 son of Fred Aug. and Amelia but once again the grim reaper took his toll, taking this young soul in the June quarter of 1858 | Arthur Henry Wiedhoft & Family |
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.Ann
Wiedhofft (Gough) & Family |
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.William
Alfred Wiedhofft/Whitcroft & Family |
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Louisa
Florence Wiedhofft (Large) & Family |
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.Emma
Wiedhofft (Smith) |
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General
Information
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| Directory Entries - Various occurrences of the Wiedhofft (and variant) names that have appeared in assorted directories | |
| Loose Branches - Names and known details of people that may belong to our family tree. | |
 Rudy
Wiedoeft - During the period from
1900 to 1930 in America, there was a saxophone craze which made the electric
guitar phenomenon of the 1960's look like nothing in comparison. The one
person who best personifies this period is perhaps the biggest
musical star of the 1920's, Rudy Wiedoeft. From the information gathered
it looks like Rudy's father Adolph Cornelius Wiedoeft was born in Gdanskiego,
Poland on 21st April 1862 and married Anna
Elizabeth Dunst. Their sons were:- Al (Adolph), born Salt Lake City, USA
1881: Guy
(Gerhard) born 3rd April 1885 in California, USA:
Herb (Herbert Arther) born 22 November 1887 Neuenburg, Germany: and
Rudy born in Detroit, USA on 3rd January 1893. |
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Elizabeth
Agnes Wiedhoft (Peck) & Family
Mary
Wiedhofft (Salmon) & Family 
Emily
Mary Ann Wiedhoft (Hewitt) & Family
Alfred
Albert Wiedhoft & Family
Caroline
Mary Wiedhofft (Hartnell) & Family USA| Births - Listing the Wiedhof(f)t names from the GRO Registers for Births | |||||||
| Marriages - Listing the Wiedhof(f)t names from the GRO Registers for Marriages | |||||||
| Deaths- Listing the Wiedhof(f)t names from the GRO Registers for Deaths | |||||||
| My thanks must go my mum, not just for her enthusiasm for finding out about the Wiedhoffts, but also the tremendous amount of information that she "knew" about her ancestors. Not only starting me off but financing my obsession by buying the birth, marriage and death certificates required to piece the "jigsaw" together. From another branch of the family, Clifford Crewe fuelled the fire and set me off in the right direction, also providing an enormous amount of information and photographs of the family. (Photographs of the family is something that I never dreamed that I would ever see.) He confirmed much of the history "that I had taken with a pinch of salt". (eg. the fortune lost to Chancery - with documentary evidence.) The seven generation link to the Prince of Wied and the cousin to Count (later, Prince) Maximillian (of Wied.)? ( I will return later to this connection as it is currently under review). Also from Daryle Stevenson in America a great deal of information on the descendants of William James in America. There are a number of photographs and a wealth of information from Jean Alderton, John Whitgift and Lauren Payne that have gone an enormous way to "flesh out the bones" of our family history. This site is under constant development, in order to add as much information as possible. Please contact me if you have anything to add (or disagree with!) mark@sussexbarn.com |