Steffens, Joseph Hubert

1786 - 1868  (82 years)    Has no ancestors but more than 100 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Steffens, Joseph Hubert
  Born	24 Jan 1786	Schüttburg-Chateau, Wiltz, , Diekirch, Luxembourg
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	15 May 1856	New York, New York, New York, USA
  on the ship Matilda from
  1860 Census	1860	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Ward 1 Page 01 Line 37
  Joseph Steffens age 76, soldier, Margaret Steffens age 66 housewife.
  Biography	Steffens Family Biography
  THE STEFFENS FAMILY undated, written by Albert P Schimberg (b. 1885, d. 1949) Nicholas Steffens lived in Ernster, Province of Luxemburg, Europe. Was a farmer of the better class. Married Antoine Hardy; had Jean Baptiste, born at Ernster, Oct. 8,th, 1761; He was a farmer in the employ of M. Hubert Joseph Charneaux, and was made overseer of his large estate a position of much responsibility; He managed so well he obtained the entire confidence of his employer. The Charneaux family occupied the Chateau Chibourg, and young Steffens lived in the chateau with them and the many farmhands and attendants. He became enamored of the masters daughter, the eldest daughter, and asked the father for her hand in marriage. Her parents were much opposed to the match and told her that if she married out of the class to which she belonged she must take the consequences and take care of herself in the future. She persisted and they were married about 1780. They continued living at the chateau for several years and she presided inside while he managed the estate outside. Her two sisters who felt much contempt for her, and would not help her with any of the household duties, married apparently much better; viz. Josephine Frederique married M. Hollenfeltz, and Marie Anne married count Duchenest, while Marie Elizabeth, the eldest, had married a farmer. Meantime Steffens found himself able to hire a place of his own, and accordingly rented an estate called Bois Rond (Round Woods) to which he removed with his family, which was now increased by children born at the chateau. He conducted the estate with much energy and intelligence. Being naturally poor soiil he greatly enriched it and made it very productive and profitable.The estate which was then the property of the heirs to the inheritance was to become his own property after a certain number of yearly payments; and when these were made the heirs set up a claim of higher rates of payments. Steffens was inclined to pay the unjust claim and avoid trouble, but to this his wife would not consent. Marie Elizabeth Charneaux was a woman of great energy and strength of character and had the high spirit of her family strong in her. She was a good manager, and probably much of the success of the farm depended on her; but her pride without discretion and she influenced her husband to resist by litigation and a series of lawsuits, stretching through many years, was the results.The younger sister who married so brilliantly was soon impoverished by her husbands gambling habits, so that M. Charneaux was obliged to pay his debts to keep his daughter from dishonor. This continued until his entire estate was used up, and the family including the proud younger daughter, were glad to find refuge at Bois Rond. Bois Rond was a large stone chateau, with great rooms, and the floors above and below paved with iron stone, scarcely any wood being used in the construction. It is remembered by the children who were born and passed their childhood there as a great, rambling, castle-like place where there was plenty of room for everybody; and has a kitchen of sufficient capacity and accommodations to feed a small army. The farm hands and attendants, male and female were very numerous, and during the prosperous time it was a lordly estate. It was situated in the commune of Hachy, province of Luxemburg. The protracted lawsuits finally exhausted their means of carrying on the unequal strife and compelled them to leave the grand house; after some moving about they at last settled at Heinstert about 1836, where the family remained until the final breaking up and emigration in 1856. Mrs. Steffens died at the farm of the Bois Rond June 1st, 1834; He died at Heinstert, Nov 23rd, 1839. The great stone house of Bois Rond finally fell of its own weight into a heap of ruins. They had four children--I. --Ambroise - a farmer died unmarried age 24 years, at Bois Rond, Feb 12, 1818. II. --Marianne Constance-married (1) M. Elyen; (2) Captain Boyle, an officer of gendarnerie; died in 1865.III. -- Charlotte-married Captain Tiery, an officer in the French army; lived in Paris, died in 1840.IV. --Joseph Hubert--the eldest, born Jan. 24th, 1786, at the chateau Chibourg. He received his first education from the Abbe Du Cheret, a French emigrant, who was domiciled with her father from 1790 to the return of Louis 18th to the throne of France. He assisted his father on the farm until he was conscripted into the French army in 1804. He served in the 108th regiment of the line under Napoleon from 1804 to 1809 and made the campaigns of Germany and Poland. He was in the great battles of that time, including Austerlitz, Friedland, Radisbon, and Qagram, in which he received a wound in the knee which disabled him from further service. After about a year in the hospital he received his discharge from the army and a pension for the like of 446 francs a year.He married Marguerite Mathelin May 24th, 1814. After returning from the war he received the appointment of Forester, an office of some consequence in the rural districts. He lived at his fathers house at the Bois Rond till a year after his marriage; he then bought a house of his sister, Marianne C., which he used as a tavern til 1822; he then returned to the Bois Rond and carried on the farm.After the revolution of 1830, successive reverses of fortune obliged him to leave the farm and take up the position of school teacher. In 1836 he settled with his parents and family at Heinstert and again received the appointment of forester, which office he held till 1854. In 1856, in company with his wife, two sons, two daughters and two grandchildren, he emigrated to America and settled in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he remained until his death, Aug. 28, 1868. His wife died August 4th, 1872. They had ten children of whom the eldest was: ALEXANDRINE---Died unmarried at Heinstert about 1854. LEOCADIE Edouard JOSEPH LEOPOLDINE Born at Bois Rond. THEOPHILE. " " " " ALFREN. " " " " APHASIE. " " " " AUGUST " " " " . July 29th, 1832. LEOPOLD Born at Hachy 1834, died young at Heinstert, 1839.
  Family History Researcher	Genealogist researching this line Carin Email carinemily@gmail.com http://carinemily.com/family
  Died	28 Aug 1868	Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA
  Buried	St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
  	Steffens, Joseph St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
  Person ID	I27325	1FamilyTree
  Last Modified	5 Oct 2016

  
  

  Family	Mathelin, Marguerite,   b. 31 Jan 1793, Neufchateau, Luxembourg ,   d. 4 Aug 1872, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 79 years)
  Married	24 May 1814	, , , Luxembourg
  	Steffens, Joseph Hubert and Marguerite Josephine Mathelin Golden Wedding Anniversary On the back it reads: "To Mary Schimberg Gillen From a collection of Lambert Heintz Appleton Wisc circa 1870 Golden Wedding of Great Grandfather [Steffens] and Great Grandmother" Grandfather & Grandmother Henry Franz Mother Franz Schimberg
  News Mention (Family)	13 Jul 1865
  Milwaukee Sentinel
  GOLDEN WEDDING Mr. Joseph Steffens and wife celebrated their fiftieth anniversary of their marriage at Appleton, on the 5th. Mr. Steffens is over 80 and his wife upwards of 70 years of age. Mr. Steffens fought in the Emporer Napoleon's Army at the famous battles of Ho, Jena, Wagram, Austerlits, etc., and is still drawing 500 francs per year, awarded to him by the Emporer Napoleon I." Milwaukee Sentinel, July 13, 1865
  Children	1. Steffens, Alexandria,   b. 3 Sep 1815, Hachy, , Luxembourg, Belgium ,   d. 13 Oct 1884, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 69 years)   2. Steffens, Edward,   b. Abt 1819, Hachy, , Luxembourg, Belgium ,   d. Abt 1895, , Clark County, Wisconsin, USA  (Age ~ 76 years) + 3. Steffens, Leopoldine,   b. 8 Oct 1820, Boisrond, Belgium ,   d. 28 Jul 1894, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age 73 years) + 4. Steffens, Joseph J.,   b. Abt 1824, Hachy, , Luxembourg, Belgium ,   d. 4 May 1886, Freedom, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA  (Age ~ 62 years) + 5. Steffens, Pauline,   b. Abt 1828, , , , France ,   d. 15 Jun 1911  (Age ~ 83 years) + 6. Steffens, Asphasia,   b. Abt 1830,   d. 21 Aug 1858  (Age ~ 28 years)   7. Steffens, Augustus,   b. 29 Jul 1832, Hachy, , Luxembourg, Belgium ,   d. 7 Jul 1878, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA  (Age 45 years)
  Last Modified	5 Oct 2016
  Family ID	F7763	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Load the map	Born - 24 Jan 1786 - Schuttburg-Chateau, Wiltz, , Diekirch, Luxembourg Married - 24 May 1814 - , , , Luxembourg Immigration - on the ship Matilda from - 15 May 1856 - New York, New York, New York, USA 1860 Census - Ward 1 Page 01 Line 37 - 1860 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA Died - 28 Aug 1868 - Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA Buried - - St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA  = Link to Google Earth
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