3e. Ernst Christian Bartholin Engellenner (1805–1880)

The story of Ernst Christian Bartholin is known to a large degree. He becomes a cabinet maker, marries Ida Margaretha Ebenhausen (sometimes spelled Ebenhusen) and they get nine children:

In 1835 the family lives in Gaarden, near Kiel, and he is a carpenter and day labourer. At that time, Gaarden was still a town of its own, these days it is a part of Kiel. By then, the couple has two children, Hans Christian and Heinrich Nicolaus. When Ernst Christian dies in 1880, he is back in Schleswig where he was born.

Ida’s family is originally from Kletkamp (near Lüneburg). Her father, Carl Hinrich Ebenhusen, is a day labourer and lives with his wife Maria Catharina (born Stegman or Stegelmann) in Schönwohld near Kiel in 1835 (parish of Flemhude). Ida’s younger sister Caroline is 16 years old at that time. Interestingly, the 1835 census also lists two illegitimate children: Hans Christian Engelenner and Christina Jöhnk. It is not clear whether both these children are from Ida or whether her sister Caroline is the mother of Christina Jöhnk. It seems though that Hans Christian was bon illegitimately in 1832. At the same time, however, he is listed in the 1835 census of Gaarden together with his parents. Whether he is with his parents in Gaarden or with his grand parents, remains a mystery. Ten years later, in 1845, Ida’s parent are already 73 and 74 years old and live in Sprenge in Dänischenhagen. They now live alone in a cottage and get alms, a typical fate for day labourers of this time. Ida’s sister Caroline is, nonetheless, not far away, where she works on a dairy farm. She is not married and states that she is from Sprenge. Didn’t she know her real birth place?