The J. H. Bastian Family

The J. H. Bastian family and "Joe" Smith

We wondered about the family connection between the Bastians and the Smiths. The German church records show that brothers Johann Heinrich Schmidt and Johann Jost Schmidt from Langenaubach married sisters Catherina Elisabeth Schmitt and Anna Margretha Schmitt from Breitscheid.

One of Johann Jost Schmidt's daughters, Maria Johannetta, married Johann Heinrich Bastian from the nearby village of Steinbach, Nassau, Germany in May 1862. Their first three children were born in Germany between 1863 and 1866. Maria's mother had died in 1850 and her father joined the family in Waupaca sometime before 1870, when this picture would have been taken. Their fifth child was born in May 1869. The photo seems to show the Bastian family with "Grandfather Joe," as he was called in the newspaper article.

Maria Bastian and John Henry Smith, Jr. were cousins.

A Charlotte Hales Mystery

I was able to look at Charlotte's probate file this week and was surprised to note two bequests. Charlotte willed the 40-acre farm to her brother Robert. However, she left $10 each to "Edward Durrant, son of Martin Durrant, deceased" and "John Durrant, son of Thomas Durrant, deceased." Both men acknowledged receipt of the bequests. 

Edward Durrant was married to Susanna Smith who was Robert Hales' sister-in-law. John Durrant seems to have no connection to the Hales family.  The Thomas Durrant family arrived in Waupaca via Nova Scotia. The Martin Durrant family was living in Onandago County, New York in 1850, arriving in Waupaca County sometime before the 1860 census. Could it be that the three Durrant families in Waupaca County were all related in some way? 

Charlotte Hales Durrant Venner 1806 - 1891

Robert Hales had one sister, Charlotte, who encouraged him to join her in Wisconsin. According to the 1851 England census, Charlotte was born in Thurlton, Norfolk while Robert was born in Oulton, Suffolk. Both locations are near the county borders. In 1851 a John and Charlotte Durrant are living in Haddiscoe, Norfolk where the census taker noted that John had 70 acres of land and "employed one lad." Charlotte and John Durrant purchased 40 acres in the Town of Waupaca in 1854. John died in 1866 and Charlotte married Thomas Venner in 1869. They both passed away in the spring of 1891.


Many times further research changes the story. When I continued to check the English census records, I found the same John and Charlotte Durrant living in Haddiscoe every year through 1891, when John finally declared he was "retired." They cannot be the couple that immigrated to Wisconsin. 

John Hales 1784 - 1856

John Hales was living at the Oulton Workhouse at the time of the 1851 census, and his place of birth is given as Blundeston, Suffolk, England. (This village is also called Blundeston with Flixton.)  A baptismal record from Blundeston states that John, son of John Hales and Mary Goffin was born January 30 and baptized April 10, 1784.  Other children born to the same parents include Robert, born 1787; William, born 1789; and Ann, born 1794. John Hales and Mary Goffin were married 29 December, 1774.