Hoff family name London/ Alsace Lorraine

[J.H]

Hi there,

Anyone any connections to the Hoff family?

My husbands great great grandmother came from Alsace Lorraine.

Her name was Marie Matilda Hoff. On the 1881 census she was living at 64 Westbourne Terrace London Middlesex aged 27yrs.

She was the governess for a family named Freshfield. On the day of the census she was acting as head of the household.

She was unmarried although she had a son called Percy who was living at 3 Avenue Terrace Prittlewell Essex aged 4. This was a lodging house, Mary Ann Knott was the house keeper.

We would be very interested if anyone has any connections to the Hoff family or indeed to the Freshfield family?

We would like to trace Marie Hoff's origins in Alsace Lorraine but would not know where to start as my husbands grandfather, (Percy's son), would not talk about her. She remains a family mystery.

Regrds JH

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Jan,

Have a look on the "immigrants" board. There are various tips and links there.

I looked in http://search.geneanet.org/ for "Hoff alsace" and got 484 hits.
Can you narrow it down at all, within Alsace-Lorraine ??

If you know any other info. at all about your husbands great great grandmother then why not post it on the "Immigrants" board, where more people will see it, and maybe someone can find something.

Good luck !

[Bryant]

JH

You need to guide people as to your requirements!

Excuse my ignorance, but what is:
Alsace-Lorraine ? where is it? what is it?

If Marie Matilda Hoff was on the 1881 census, where was she born ?
Alsace-Lorraine

Would she have been around in the 1871 census?

The only Percy (Edward F) Hoff of the age quoted on the 1881 census is born in the March qtr of 1877 at Kensington, vol 1a, page 166, is he the Percy Hoff in your family?

It looks as if Berlin Bob has an inkling, tell the rest of us amateur detectives out here in the Rootschat world.

Bryant

[J.H]

Hi Bryant,

v.sorry for the lack of info regarding Alsace & Lorraine. It is a region which is sandwiched between France , Germany, Switzerland & Luxembourg.

In 1870-71 Germany attacked France. Germany considered Alsace & Lorraine to be rightfully theirs even though the majority of people living there were French, (obviously!).

Finally, the French amassed a large army & secured their defenses in order to keep the Germans out once & for all!!!

During this conflict a lot of people had to flee, Marie-Matilda being one of them, (we think???).

Thank you also for your info on Percy. We do know that Percy died a relatively young man, (early 40's). We were told that he suffered from a long term mental illness? It could have been depression of some kind, who knows??? we are not sure?  his life was also a little sketchy??? I will certainly follow your lead up.

Thank & regards JH

I will

[J.H]

Hi Berlin-Bob,

Thankyou for your help! I will follow your leads up, sounds like it will put us on the right road!!!

It would probably be a good idea for my husband take a look too as he may see something that might trigger his memory from way back, although I doubt it??

He once tried to ply Grandma Hoff with sherry in order to get more info from her! Bless her, she was very loyal to Grandpa and would give nothing away!!!
(To be fair she probably didn't know much about the family either as she was an inlaw & Percy died when Grandpa Hoff was only a boy!!).

Thanks again Bob & kind regards - JH