Surname: HOFFMAN
Given Name(s): Michael Laurence

Occupation(s): Shepherd/Horse Driver

Birth Details
Birth County, Region, Province: Bavaria
Birth Country: Germany

Death Details
Death Town: Toowoomba
Death State/Territory: Queensland
Death Country: Australia
Death Date: 1860

Immigration Details
Air/Port Landed: Moreton Bay
Ship/Plane: Marbz
Year Arrived: 1855

Surname: SCHMIDT
Given Name(s): Margarethe

Birth Details
Birth Country: Germany

Immigration Details
Air/Port Landed: Moreton Bay
Ship/Plane: Solon
Year Arrived: 1859

Family Stories

Life in Australia:

Laurence emigrated from Bavaria to Queensland on the 'Marbs' which departed 15 November 1854 as Michel Merlein from Bayreuth in Bavaria, Schäfer (shepherd). The most obvious reason for using an alias would be that he was an illegitimate son - MERLEIN and HOFFMANN being the names of mother and father (or vice versa). For an illegitimate child to be known by the father's surname was not all that uncommon. Another possibility was that his mother might have remarried (or even married for the first time) and Michael Lawrence might have sometimes found it more convenient to take the surname of the step father. Or, it might have been that he wanted to get out of the country without the authorities being aware of it. For young men between 16 and 25 years of age, this was often to avoid conscription into the army. However, Lawrence appears far too old for that - but there are many other reasons that a man might wish to slip away - some less honourable than others. To emigrate, a person had to seek permission from the authorities. Part of the process involved advertising the intention in the local paper so that debts could be cleared before departure. Bayreuth is a city in Oberfranken (upper Franconia) region of Bavaria with a population in 1956 of 60,500. The first two German immigrant ships to sail from Hamburg direct to Moreton Bay, entered the bay on Wednesday the 21st March 1855. These ships, the "Aurora" and the "Marbs" (also referred to as the "Merbz"), landed a total of 506 people - described as "fine and able looking people who will, without doubt, form a valuable addition to our labouring population". Some of the immigrants were taken by steamer, "City of Melbourne" to Wide Bay, where they had been engaged for employers in that area. The steamboat "Swallow" took others directly up the Brisbane River to Ipswich, while the remainder came up the river by the "Palermo" and "Brothers" to the immigration depot at Brisbane, where they "enlivened the town with their glee and choruses, appearing to be highly pleased with the appearance of their new home. Unfortunately the voyages of both ships were marked with tragedy and disaster. The "Aurora", a barque of 132 tons, left Hamburg on October 20th 1854 under Captain Mign. On entering Moreton Bay, it appears that she mistook the entrance, and coming in by the south passage went aground on the seaward side of Moreton Island. No casualties occurred and the crew and passengers were safely landed, some of the island and the others on Cleveland Point from where they were transferred to their various destinations. The "Aurora" was not so fortunate - left high and dry on the shore, there was no profitable way of getting her off, so she was stripped of her sails and other salvageable fittings. The "Merbs", a barque of 178 tons, under Captain Wilder, left Hamburg on November 26th 1854. Sickness struck on the first day out of port and typhus, cholera and measles plagued those on board up until the last twelve days of the voyage. In all 47 deaths occurred on the voyage - 28 of these were children whose deaths were attributed to measles. This high mortality rate - 2% and complaints of insufficient provisioning led the Health Officer for Brisbane, Dr. William Hobbs, to report the matter to the authorities. His report led to an inquiry into the conditions aboard the ship. Dr. Hobbs was very critical of the insufficiency of clothing and the absence of fresh provisions and basic comforts. He attributed the high mortality to the lack of these necessities and suggested that unless the system was changed, it could be expected that other ships would suffer similar losses. He pointed out that the character of the vessel had to pay for each adult passenger - alive or dead - but would stand to lose nothing if all the passengers were to die, as he insured each of their lives. Included in Dr. Hobb's report was the following scale of provisions and food allowance on which the "Marbs" immigrant existed for almost four months. The ship sailed direct - no ports were visited on the voyage from which fresh provision could have been obtained. The weekly menu was thus - Sunday - Half a pound of salt beef, and plum pudding. Monday - Half a pound of salt pork, potatoes and sour cabbage. Tuesday - Half a pound of salt beef, and peas. Wednesday - Two salt herrings per adult, potatoes and beans Thursday - Half a pound of beef, rice and treacle Friday - Half a pound of pork, potatoes and peas Saturday - Half a pound barley per adult and plums. The allowance of bread per adult was five pound per week, of coffee, 31 pounds amongst the whole passengers. The allowance of butter was one half pound per week per adult, and of sugar a quarter of a pound per week per adult. Medical comforts for the voyage consisted of - wine (claret) - 80 bottles, Arrowroot - six pounds, sago - forty pounds, Oatmeal - sixty pounds, Vinegar - 4 Hogsheads. There were no supplies of milk for the children, no porter (port), no spirits, no lime juice, no clothing, no soap. Little wonder that on arriving in Brisbane, the immigrants "enlivened the town with their glee" - they were no doubt very pleased to leave the ship. (Shipping information courtesy Mr C. F. Joy and Mrs J. Ruig). On arrival, Lawrence gained employment near Toowoomba as a horse driver to the Taylor family. Just five years later he died. A death certificate for Lorenz (Laurence) Hoffman has been located for 16th September, 1860 at Toowoomba. It states: Michael Mierlin alias Hoffman. The certificate denotes him as a labourer, six years in the colony, aged 37 years, and:

• cause of death unknown; date of death 16th September, 1860 at Toowoomba; father's name: Lawrence Hoffman, mother's name unknown, married to Margaret Lund
• married 1836
• survived by two daughters and nine children deceased. Buried 17th September, 1860 at Toowoomba.
• (Questions of accuracy here. Often death certificate information was provided by the undertaker, who may not even know the deceased person, from information supplied by someone who may not have been a close family member). Margarethe, with daughters, Katharina and Annie departed Bavaria for Moreton Bay in May, 1859. She married Andreas Adam H Ettinger on 31 May 1861 at Toowoomba.
  

Descendants

Children
HOFFMAN, Katharina Annie 1 HOFFMAN, Annie Katharina 2

Grandchildren
WIENEKE, Alice (Queenie) 1 WIENEKE, Alice (Queenie) 1 WIENEKE, Anna Catharina 1
WIENEKE, Catharina (Kate) 1 WIENEKE, Fanny (Win) 1 WIENEKE, Frederick 1
WIENEKE, Jessie Amelia 1 WIENEKE, John Julius (Jack) 1 WIENEKE, Lawrence (George) 1
WIENEKE, Louisa (Lucy) 1 WIENEKE, Margaret 1 WIENEKE, Philip Henry (Harry) 1
WIENEKE, William Frederick (Fred) 1

Great Grandchildren
WIENEKE, Ella Isobel Doris 1 WIENEKE, Iris Ina 1 WIENEKE, Lawrence George 1
WIENEKE, Lorna Helen Macrae 1 WIENEKE, Marjorie 1

Great Great Grandchildren
ARMSTRONG, Ronald 1 GARDNER, Gordon Edmund Ferguson 1 GARDNER, Jean Iris 1
GARDNER, Lorna (Diana) Ferguson 1 GARDNER, Marnock Tolmie (Snow) 1

Great Great Great Grandchildren
MCGLASHAN, Bruce 1 MCGLASHAN, Gail 1 MCGLASHAN, Jill 1
MCGLASHAN, Ross 1

Great Great Great Great Grandchildren
DODD, Hayley Sharon 1 DODD, Kane Michael 1

NB: Superscript behind each descendant name represents the lineage number of that descendant.
This family information was last updated by GAIL DODD on the 24 January, 1999.