Victors Dābolinš, Latvijas Universitātes Latvijas vēstures institūts, Assistent (50%), Rīgas vēstures un kuģniecības muzejs, Teadur (50%), PhD-student Turku, Eesti, thevektors@gmail.com
CH-653
Bilthoven, 1 juli 2018
Anders or Henric Meijer was raised in Swedish nobilty 1674 with the name Meijerfeldt (Mejerfelt) and died Reval 1687. He married (Anna) Catharina Wulff, daughter of Martin Wulff (Mårten Wolf) and Ursula Marqvard. She died Swedish-Pomerania 1725. They had three sons in Oberpahlen in 1662, 1664 and 1667 who visited the European battlegrounds. See further www.meijenfeldt.nl (in the Dutch language).My information goes back to A.A. von Stiernmann, “Matrikel öfver Swea Rikes Ridderskap och Adel”, Stockholm 1754, pg 45; J.C. Brotze, “Sammlung verschiedene Liefländischer Monumente”, Riga 1771, 1. Teil, 2. Heft, pg 163B; G. Anrep, “Svenska ätter-taflor”, Stockholm 1861, pg 888 and many more.
Hugo von Meijenfeldt
Riga, 2 juli 2018
Dear Hugo von Meijenfeldt,
Thank you very much for your letter.
I am happy to get in touch with you and hear your part in the story about Wulff’s.
The members of Wulff dynasty have been a subject of my research for at least 5 years now. Not a long time ago all seemed clear about Wulff biographies, but the more I studied written sources, I realized that there were much more things to find out. Genealogical data was one of the main things I wanted clarify, because it changes the way how we, numismatists, attribute coins. On the other hand, already now, few months after publishing my article, I’ve found new materials and facts, which only proves that histories are never completed…
Regarding Henric Meijer – your question is of importance for me, because in my article I couldn’t offer a 100% trustworthy answer. In my article I refer to online resource, which seemed to me good because of the sources used.
On the other hand, I think you have more sources at hand than I had. In addition to the sources you mentioned, we can also refer to J.C.Brotze “Sammlungen…” 3.Teil, S. 237v. J.C.Brotze was always well informed and from my experience I can tell that you can always rely on him. In the third volume he gives a quite detailed overview of the successors of both brothers Marten and Henrick. And yes, it says that Martin had daughters Catharina and Anna. Catharina, the one you are speaking about, was married to Heinrich v. Meyerfeld in her second marriage. However, Anna, the one I am speaking about, was married to Dietrich v. Loewenstern. Basically, I do not mention the daughter who was married to H.Meijer in my article, we are speaking about two different daughters.
I hope that my comment is of use for you future studies of your family roots.
Good luck in your research and if you happen to have anything else to ask about Wulff’s, I will be glad to help you.
Best regards,
Viktors Dabolins
Bilthoven, 3 juli 2018
Dear Viktors,
Thank you very much for your quick and conclusive response. You helped me a lot.
Catharina Wulff was thus the fourth child of Martin Wulff II and Ursula Marquard. The source of the Marquard family stipulates that Hindrich Wulffenschildt was their son, but in fact he was the brother, who succeeded Martin as Mint Master. To make our work even more complicated: daughter Anna Wulffenschildt married Valentin von Meijer. Swedish sources understandingly but wrongfully link him to the Von Meijerfeldt family. In fact, the Swedish kind changed the name of Hendrich Meijer into Meijerfeldt, to avoid confusion with Valentin von Meijer from Riga, whom he ennobled 30 years earlier.
Catharina Wulff must have been born somewhere between 1624 and 1632. “Frau Obristen von Meyerfeldt” was buried 21-06-1725 in the “Familiengruft, St. Andreas Kirche in Nehringen, Schwedisch-Pommern”. In that case she must have reached the age of around 100 years, quite an achievement, even in our times. Perhaps the one who has been buried was Anna Christina Hastfehr, wife or her oldest son Karl Friedrich von Meijerfeldt (1662-1709).
Best regards,
Hugo
Riga, 4 juli 2018
Dear Hugo,
yes, you are right in many points. However, it’s not certain whether Catharina was the fourth or maybe the third child (what differences does it make anyway?) According to Brotze (3.Teil, fol. 237v), Martin and Ursula Marquard had 5 daughters and 1 son, who died childless. Brotze lists Catharina as the third child, but we do not know if this was according to the date of birth.
Exactly, H.Wulffenschild’s daughter Anna was married in her second marriage to Gen.Maj. Valentin Meyer, who was later ennobled. We do not know the exact date of her birth, but if she was the one who was buried in 1725, then she was indeed enjoying long life. Btw, have you visited this family grave in Nehringen? Is it still there? If lucky, they must have some Church books with records on the birth, death, baptize, etc.
Kind regards and greetings from Riga,
Viktors
Bilthoven, 5 juli 2018
Again thank you very much, Viktors.
On my website I will not call Catharine the “fourth” child, just one of the children. The only point of relevance to me is her year of birth and we cannot be certain about that.
In 1988 (still in DDR-times!!!) I indeed visited the “Familiengruft” inside the St. Andreas Kirche, opposite the Nehringen Gutshaus. The Koster explained he had found five coffins under the big floor stone during the restauration. Then I went to the Pastor in Glewitz and looked into “Nehringsches Kirchen Buech Worinnen Verzeichurt Welche 1. Vertrauert 2. Getauft 3. Begraben”. The text reads in the year 1725: “d. 21. Juni die Frau Obristen Meyerfeldten in hiesiges patronats Begraebnis des Abends in der Stille beygesetzt worden.” I’m afraid that’s all, no clue about her birth or marriage.
My assumption that Anna Christina Hastfer, the widow of her son Karl Friedrich von Meijerfeldt, could also be the buried person is not right. She was born 1681 and died Kårtorp 30-09-1762. The only possible person is thus Catharina Wulff.
I must add here that the book of A.C. Meurling, : Svenk domstolförvaltning i Livland 1634-1700″, Lund 1967 is not too reliable. She claims Anna Christina Hastfer was not the daughter-in-law, but the mother of Andreas Meijer. All other sources know she was the daughter of Jakob Johan Hastfer, the Swedish gouvernor-general of Livland.
Another interesting issue is what year the marriage between Catharina Wulff and Andreas or Henric Meijer took place. Andreas left the Swedish army in 1660 after the peace with Denmark. Karl Friedrich was born in 1662. The marriage was consumed in between. The first husband Herm. Rötelsdorf probably died earlier, but I cannot find any data on him. Andreas Meijerfeldt continued his work as Chief Inspector of Oberpahlen (Polsamaa) and died around 1687.
All the best,
Hugo