Franciscus Xaverius Moll

Birth

Marriage

Death

April 1, 1825, Beuren an der Aach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Dorothea Luise Ristow née Heydtke, on December 1, 1858, at the private dwelling of X. Moll, at Braunschweig, in the Parish of Stutterheim, District of British Kaffraria

December 25, 1889, at his son's house, Frankfort, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Burial: Frankfort cemetery (Baptist section).

Parents

Siblings

Children

Antonius Moll, Johana Abrel

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Anna Maria Louisa Moll, Ernestine Wilhelmine Moll, Franz Xaver Moll

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Franciscus Xaverius Moll was born in the small town of Beuren an der Aach in the south of Germany, near the Swiss border. He was a potter. He joined the British German legion in 1856, becoming a member of the C company. He did not see service in the Crimea as the war ended when his company reached Constantinople. He opted to go to South Africa. He is recorded in the lists of military settlers in the eastern Cape (see J.F. Schwär and B.E. Pape, Germans in Kaffraria 1858-1958) as number 1420, in Regiment number 49, Regiment 3, Company 1, with rank of private. Xaver Moll was allotted land initially in Braunschweig between King William's Town and Stutterheim. He married Dorothea Luise Ristow, née Heydtke, in 1858. Dorothea Luise, also an immigrant from Germany, was a widow with three children, her husband Michel Ristow having died shortly after arrival in South Africa. The family moved from Braunschweig to Wiesbaden (which later became part of Frankfort)., living with Luise's father Gottfried Heydtke (who owned lot 31, now lot 358 in Frankfort). Later Xaver and Dorothea Luise built a house at Dwarana near Frankfort. Xaver and Dorothea Luise had three children, of which one, Ernestine, died young.

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Baptism notice of Xaverius Moll (Sr.), 1825.

Transcription: Den 1. April Morgend zwischen 6 und 7 Uhr wurde hier geboren, und am 11 Uhr in der Kirche getauft: Xaver dessen Vater Anton Moll, Taglöhner, Mutter Johana Abrel, Taufezeugen Christian Brunnstein, und Sophia Tümel, beide von hier. Beuren den 1 April 1825. Burkhart Pfarrer. (On the 1st of April in the morning between 6 and 7 a.m., Xaver was born here, and was baptized at 11 a.m. in the church. His father is Anton Moll, day labourer, his mother is Johana Abrel, and witnesses of baptism were Christian Brunnstein and Sophia Tümel, both from here. Beuren, 1 April 1825. Burkhart, priest.)

Source: Reference (1) in Home Page.

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Xaverius Moll's entry in the list of German military settlers

Transcription: Number 1420; regiment 3, company 1, rank Private, name Xaver Moll, town of birth Bayern, state of birth Baden, no address of next-of-kin provided.

Source: List of German Military Settlers. Handwritten list, photocopied, in the East London Museum. The original is in the possession of a Lutheran pastor in Stutterheim.

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 Marriage notice of Xaver Moll and Dorothea Luise Ristow née Heydtke

Transcription: Marriages solemnized at Braunschweig, in the Parish of Stutterheim, District of British Kaffraria, 1858. Number 37 [top right of page]. / When married: December 1st 1858. Names and Surnames: Xaver Moll, Dorothea Luise Ristow born Heydtke. Ages: Full age. Condition: Bachelor; Widow. Rank or Profession: Private 1. Comp. 3. Regt. Gem. S. [presumably German settler, as in Dorothea Sophie Heidtke's marriage notice]. Residence at the time of marriage: Braunschweig. After Banns or Licence: Banns. Consent by whom given or Judge's Order: Capt. Münter. / Married in the private dwelling of X. Moll at Braunschweig aforesaid after banns by me. A. Kroft, Chaplain of 3. Regt. Germ. S. [presumably German Settler.] / This marriage was solemnized between us: [signed] Xaver Moll, Dorothea Luisa Ristow born Heydtke her X mark in the presence of ___ [illegible], ___ [illegible].

Note that the spelling of Dorothea Luisa's second name is here "Luise" on two occasions. Also, the spelling of her surname is "Heydtke", where the "dt" appears like a "d" with the cross of a "t".

Note that this document is one of the two records of a signature by Xaver Moll. (The other is in his attestation in England for the British German Legion.)

Source: King William's Town museum, in turn obtained by Ms. Walma Meier in 1997.

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Location of the Moll house, at Dwarana, near Frankfort, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The house no longer exists. The foreground of the picture is the approximate location, according to memories of Theodor Arthur Moll in 1996.

The name Dwarana is pronounced using the Xhosa spelling: the "r" is as the "ch" in "loch".

Source: Photograph by Terence Moll in 1996.

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Death notice of Franciscus Xaverius Moll

Note that the notice was signed by F.X. Moll's "step-son", W.F. Ristow. This was the essential clue that led to our discovering the identity of his wife.

Transcription by Peter G. Moll, March 1991.

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Gravestone of Xaverius Moll (Sr.), 1889,

at the Baptist cemetery in Frankfort, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Epitaph: Hier ruht in Gott. Xaver Moll. Geb. 1 Ap in Deutschland. Ges. 25 Dec. 1889 zu Frankfort. (Here rests in God. Xaver Moll. Born 1 April in Germany. Died 25 December 1889 in Frankfort.)

Source: Photograph by Terence Moll in 1996.

 

Sources:

(1) Birth: Tombstone in Frankfort cemetery (Baptist section); from his Death Notice; and from the birth notice in Beuren church records, microfilmed by LDS.

(2) Year of marriage: Death Notice, date being inferred.

(3) Marriage date and details: Marriage notice. Obtained by Ms. Walma Meier from the museum in King William's Town.

(4) Daughter Ernestine Wilhelmine: information from Ms. Walma Meier of Kingwilliamstown, who informed Lorraine Burger. Information in turn from church records.

 

 

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