Georg (1834-1909)

Georg SCHIMPF 1834-1909

Georg was the third son of Ambrosius Schimpf, appointed by the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt to be his representative in Nieder-Weisel. From his father’s first marriage to Anna Elisabetha Maas, he had a half-brother Johannes; from the second marriage to Anna Elisabetha Hauser, he had an older brother, Ambrosius. Ten daughters had been born to the two marriages, but five of these had not survived infancy.

When Georg was only 7, his father died suddenly in his 47th year, and his widow was to survive him for only eight more years. In 1855, Georg decided to emigrate to Victoria, and he left the village with two of his Hauser cousins, Jakob and Konrad. On 6th November they sailed from Liverpool aboard “Ocean Chief”, arriving at Melbourne on 26th January 1856.

The trio went first to Ballarat and then to the newer field at Smythe’s Creek. Ambrose and his wife followed the next year but, after the tragic death of Ambrose’s wife Elisabetha in 1858, Georg and his brother went back to Ballarat where they established a business of carting goods in the area. This venture ended when Ambrose died prematurely in 187O. Georg then joined his brother-in-law, John Kissler, (who had married Elisabetha Schimpf in 1841) in his blacksmithing business, where Georg no doubt used his carpentry skills in fashioning wheel rims and the like. Unfortunately John developed an illness from which he soon died and Georg had to look for work in places such as Daylesford and Bendigo. Eventually he had to go 3OO km into New South Wales to get suitable work at Mossgiel.

Georg had considerable assets in Nieder-Weisel, for which Johannes was acting as trustee. Georg intended to use his real estate for the benefit of his sisters as each married, but his inability to get work in his trade resulted in him instructing his trustee to sell all his holdings to raise the capital needed to set himself up in a furniture-making business. Johannes carried out this instruction in such a way as to cause distress to the tenant farmer, who sued the estate. Although he was in touch with his cousin, Philipp Hauser, Georg seemed not to be aware of the problems caused. The money realised remained in the Loan Fund; it amounted to over 7OOO Marks (about £5OO sterling, a very substantial sum in 188O).

Georg’s movements after leaving Mossgiel are obscure. He eventually appeared in Ballarat, where he seemed to have a connection with a German firm distributing its products in Victoria. He did not marry. In 1895 a presentation was made to him of a gold watch. Soon after this, he returned to Nieder-Weisel, where he lived with his youngest sister Katharina (who was married to Wenzel Haffer II). In 19O6, Georg Schimpf, pensioner, was living at 34 Staatstrasse; he died there on 21st January 19O9. Five weeks later, his only other close relative, Elisabetha Kissler, died in faraway Victoria.