Germans living in Pembroke in 1851

[brickb]

My great great grandfather was John (Johan) Brickle (Brickel) who lived in Pembroke in 1851. Previously he was listed in the 1841 census as John Spille or Spiller and was living in Llanelly. He had a daughter Abigail who was born in Cae-draw, Merthyr Tydfil on 1 April 1840 and her father is named as John Brickel and mother as Elizabeth Brickel formerly Michael. The father John was a musician or fiddler.
I would like to know why this family moved to Pembroke and where they came from in Germany, as both John and Elizabeth were born in Germany.
Does anybody have any information that could help me trace the German family?
Thanks

[crisane]

These are from a public tree on ancestry
Bremer Musterungslisten der Schiffe, 1815-1917 Bremen, Germany Ships Crew Lists, 1815-1917
Name - Johann Spille
Born = Ritzenbuttel, Deutschland (Germany)
Residence  - Ritzenbuttel, Deutschland (Germany)
Mustered on 7 Jun 1826
Ship - Seemann
Port of Departure - Bremen
Archive Name:   Bremen Staatsarchiv
Archive Collection:   4,24-E.5 Anmusterungen von Seeleuten in Bremen, chronologisch, 1815-1832
Microfilm:   FS_5363

Johann Spille
Age - 16 born about 1810
Born - Ritzenbüttel
Residing at Ritzenbüttel
Date Mustered - 3 Nov 1826
Ship - Samann
Port of Departure - Bremen
Destination - England
Archive Name - Bremen Staatsarchiv
Archive Collection - 4,24-E.6 Heuerbuch des Bremer Wasserschouts, 1821-1837 Juli 1
Microfilm:   FS_5364

[Orielbenfro]

For your interest, whilst I was long aware of the German connection to the surname in Pembroke, I have done limited research on the Monkton side of the family and related 'in-laws', who lost sons in both world wars.
See posting http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,640310.0.html

I have of course much information on the family and who they mrd into, from my transcripts of the parish registers of Pembroke St Mary, Pembroke St Michael, & Monkton St Nicholas for 1711 to the 1930's, but ofcourse you will have already done your own transcription.

I wonder if their move to Pembroke was caused by viewing the many advertisements that appeared around the locations in the U.K. for work at or in conjunction with the 'new' Dockyards, or was it due to the expansion of the railways and the building of the new railway station at Pembroke Town and line to the Dock.

The town did not only benefit from incomers from Germany but also families from Italy who followed much the same route once landing on UK shores to set up routes in the Town and area that remain to this day.

Rgds
Owen Ap Benfro

[brickb]

Reply to Crisane: Thank you for your reply regarding John Spille or Johan Spille. Although I believe that John Spille, as given in the 1841 census living in Llanelly is the same person as John Brickle living in Pembroke in the 1851 census, I have a copy of their daughter Abigails birth certificate. She was born in Merthyr Tydvil in 1840 and her father is given as John Brickel.
Spiler or Spiler is the German word for player. Therefore I think that whoever compiled the 1841 census made a mistake and put down Spille as his name. He was German born and illiterate (he signed Abigail's birth certificate with an X). Therefore I think that we should be looking in shipping records or German records for John Brickel  or Johann Brickel and not John Spille.
After all why would he change his name in 1840 from Brickel to Spille? In all the records onwards until his death he is John Brickle.

[brickb]

Reply to Orielpenfro:Thank you for your information and I think we have exchanged information elsewhere. I have researched all the Brickle family in Pembroke descending from John Brickle who came from Germany.
As you say their are several Brickle's listed on the war memorial in Pembroke and I have information on all of them. My own father is one of those listed. He was killed in Oran in 1942. His ship HMS Walney was the first ship to enter the harbour and the Vichy French battleships anchored their opened up at point blank range. Just about everybody on the Walney was killed.
I would be interested to know why John Brickle moved from Germany to Pembroke and perhaps it was the dockyard as you suggest. He was a musician who is later listed as a wooden box maker but he never actually worked in the Dockyard. He was in Merthyr Tydvil in 1840, Llanelly in 1841 and then Pembroke in 1851 and onwards.

[Orielbenfro]

My research has highlighted a few artisans artists and musicians over the 19th century who appear to land up in the area, perhaps word of mouth attracted whose to work in a rather small working community.
At the risk of teaching you "to suck eggs" and you knowing far more, the following is the little I have added in my book thingy for Monkton Headstones on the Brickle's ;
William George Brickle 1909 ~ 1942. Canteen Manager service nbr C/NX 195 died 08 Nov 1942 aged 33 yrs, served Royal Naval Canteen Service H.M.S. Watney, he was the son of William and Sarah Brickle, and husband of Mary Margaret Annie Brickle of Goodwick Pembs. He is remembered also on the Chatham Naval Memorial Panel 66 Col 3. Baptised at Monkton St Nicholas 7th August 1909 he was the son of William & Sarah Brickle nee’ Dawkins a Painter of Back Lane Monkton. In 1938 William George married Mary Margaret Ann Vaughan who had been born in the Pembroke area in 1910, they later moved to Goodwick. Whilst CWGC show the ship’s name as the HMS Watney, it is believe that it should read the HMS WALNEY. This ship was an ex- USA coast guard vessel named the Sebago and was classed as a Banff class sloop. Transferred to the Royal Navy in 1941 she was lost in Oran Harbour on the 08th Nov 1942 as part of ‘Operation Reservist’ forming part of Operation Torch. Her Captain Frederick T. Peters received the V.C. for gallantry during the operation in which William George died.

L/Cpl Herbert James Brickle 1877 ~ 1916. Welsh Regt 8th Bn age 39 yrs died 10 Mar 1916 nbr 38286. Son of John & Elizabeth Brickle of 8 Monkton Village Pembroke. Age according to CWGC shows  Herbert born 1877, whereas his birth was only registered in the 2nd Qtr of 1881 and baptised at Monkton in 1881. Herbert’s parents are John & Elizabeth Brickle nee’ Morgans who reside at Monkton in 1881 with their 2 sons William & James. John & Elizabeth mrd in 4th qtr 1873 in Pembroke Reg Dist, prob at Monkton. Herbert’s Grandfather was also a John Brickle who had been born in Germany in 1816 as had John’s wife Elizabeth but in circa 1812, the family are shown of the Eastend at the baptism of John Brickle (Herbert’s father) 11 Feb 1849 at Pembs St Mary with occupation of Musician. By 1881 John Brickle aged 65 had turned his hand to Trunkmaker in the Eastend of Pembroke.

Again forgive me for any repeated repetition of your research.
Rgds
Owen Ap Benfo

[mothball]

I hope to put some light or interest in your research.  I will put a link to articles in Pembrokeshire Life.  By the way my family is related to Edith Lilian Brickle born 1903.

https://picasaweb.google.com/109958571604815114197/ForeignersWhoSettledInPembrokeMid1800s?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPrqs_2r2Oe44wE&feat=directlink   

[brickb]

Reply to Orielpenfro (2): Thank you for your information, most of which I already knew. The ship on which my father, William George Brickle, was killed was definitely called HMS Walney (previously Sebago). Apart from the war memorials you mention his name also appears in Goodwick Church and in the Book of Remembrance in St David's Cathedral. Here there are two other Brickle's on the same page, Leading Stoker Gilbert George Charles Brickle, HMS Hunter, died 10 April 1940 and Able Seaman Lewis Henry Hubert Brickle, HMS Britomart, died 27 August 1944.
My mother Mary Margaret Annie Vaughan was born in 1910 in 23 Waterloo, Pembroke Dock, baptised in St John's Church Pembroke Dock, later lived at 1 Llanion, Pembroke Dock and died in Goodwick in 1976. 

[brickb]

Reply to Mothball: Thank you for the information and the articles from Pembrokeshire Life. I had not read the article by Steven Devoke although I have been in contact with both him and Bill Griffiths who wrote the first article.

I have come across Edith Lilian Brickle, b. 1903 in my research. I believe that her father was Lewis Brickle, b.1871 and her mother was Annie Maria Hodge, b.1872.
Lewis Brickle's father was William Brickle, b.1847 and his father was John Brickle (Brickel) b. abt. 1818 in Germany. This is my great great grandfather whom I am trying to track down!
If you are related to Edith Lilian Brickle then we must be related!