Tracing German during ww1 living/married in England - disappeared in 1915

[KGarrad]

Beryl,

It may have been that your man was one of those interned on the Isle of Man - see this link:
https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2020601/contributions_3969.html
(scroll down a fair way to find the content: Civilian Prisoners in the UK).

Willyam

That is brilliant... is there a similar site for internees on IoM during WWll ?

as far as I know there is nothing on the Isle of Man - any records will be at TNA.
I also suspect they will not be public yet - there's the usual 100 years closure period I think?

(Happy to be proved wrong)

[GrahamSimons]

Beryl,

It may have been that your man was one of those interned on the Isle of Man - see this link:
https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2020601/contributions_3969.html
(scroll down a fair way to find the content: Civilian Prisoners in the UK).

Willyam

That is brilliant... is there a similar site for internees on IoM during WWll ?

as far as I know there is nothing on the Isle of Man - any records will be at TNA.
I also suspect they will not be public yet - there's the usual 100 years closure period I think?

(Happy to be proved wrong)

There's quite a bit of WW2 material at TNA - I've looked at some files, and some is available via FindMyPast. However it's patchy!

[Mowsehowse]

That is brilliant... is there a similar site for internees on IoM during WWll ?

I also suspect they will not be public yet - there's the usual 100 years closure period I think?

(Happy to be proved wrong)

Oh of course...    Good point. Thanks.

[Rena]

You might be lucky and find the County archives have some Police files regarding "Aliens" in WWI.

It was the Police's job to record all German "Aliens";  some of whom were sent to camps and others were Registered, given a Permit and allowed to stay with their families, but had to report to the local police station daily.   Some areas in towns were "sensitive", such as near the coast, near defence structures, etc., and possibly the family would have to remove to a less restricted zone.
Even though your ancestor's wife was English, she became a German once she married your German born ancestor. and she too would have been registered as such - see 1917 "Aliens Dept" attachment.

[Beryl Ninian]

Beryl - Are we talking about events in Lancashire or elsewhere?

The German man's name is HerrCurt Adolf Behrendt born 1885, (I think in Metz. France) married in Chorlton, s.manchester 1909 to Madge Price at registry office.  He fathered 2 children, last child named Joseph Behrendt b.1915, lived at 22 Witton Street, Chorlton on Medlock, s.manchester.  then I have lost him and his wife remarried in 1921 to Englishman and declared herself a widow. However I have Herr Behrendt from 1925 sailing backwards and forwards from various European ports to various US ports.

What I need to know is why he didn't come back to English wife after leaving sometime in 1915 (son born 23.6.1915) was he interned or did he go back to Germany   I know Herr Behrendt was a German Jew. His father was Adolf Behrendt on Curt's marriage certificate and that father was listed on same as brickmaker "master". Curt Adolf Behrendt was listed on marriage certificate as shippers clerk

Any help really appreciated

[Beryl Ninian]

You might be lucky and find the County archives have some Police files regarding "Aliens" in WWI.

It was the Police's job to record all German "Aliens";  some of whom were sent to camps and others were Registered, given a Permit and allowed to stay with their families, but had to report to the local police station daily.   Some areas in towns were "sensitive", such as near the coast, near defence structures, etc., and possibly the family would have to remove to a less restricted zone.
Even though your ancestor's wife was English, she became a German once she married your German born ancestor. and she too would have been registered as such - see 1917 "Aliens Dept" attachment.

[Maiden Stone]

The German man's name is HerrCurt Adolf Behrendt born 1885, (I think in Metz. France) married in Chorlton, s.manchester 1909 to Madge Price at registry office.  He fathered 2 children, last child named Joseph Behrendt b.1915, lived at 22 Witton Street, Chorlton on Medlock, s.manchester.  then I have lost him and his wife remarried in 1921 to Englishman and declared herself a widow. However I have Herr Behrendt from 1925 sailing backwards and forwards from various European ports to various US ports.

What I need to know is why he didn't come back to English wife after leaving sometime in 1915 (son born 23.6.1915) was he interned or did he go back to Germany.

If he'd been gone 7 or so years by 1921 then his wife may have thought she was entitled to regard herself as a widow. Did Curt register birth of Joseph, 1915? If not, he might have been gone by then.
Perhaps he and wife parted so that she could make a new life for herself with an English husband. Were the children brought up with the surname Behrendt?
Perhaps he didn't return to his wife, fearing anti-German feelings. It may have been difficult for him to get work in Britain. Consider economic and social conditions in post-war Britain. Returned British soldiers got priority in employment. Clerical positions were needed for those who were physically disabled. 
If he'd returned to Germany he may have joined up for war service. War didn't end officially until 1919. When would he have ceased being an enemy alien?

[bbart]

However I have Herr Behrendt from 1925 sailing backwards and forwards from various European ports to various US ports.

Im not convinced this is the same fellow, as the one sailing around (born Metz) is an architect, and first name (handwritten on one of the ledgers) was Walter.

I did find a marriage in Hamburg, in 1919, for a Curt Adolf Behrendt, son of Gustav Adolf Behrendt.  Unfortunately, I can't read German, so I have no idea if he was single/widowed etc.  He gives a birth date of 13 Dec 1884.

However, he may very well have died just as Madge claimed on her remarriage.

[youngtug]

1915 was when the Lusitania was sunk, not a good time to be a German in England.
  http://web.archive.org/web/20070101225713/http://www.mcrh.mmu.ac.uk/pubs/pdf/mrhr_02ii_panayi.pdf