Hermann Friedrich DÖRRIEN & his wife, Agneta WOLTERS

6 Hermann Friedrich DÖRRIEN & his wife, Agneta WOLTERS
place on the 27th of April, 1701; and Mr. Dorrien‟s residence may be taken
as having been in Bush Lane at the time of the baptism of his eldest child,
Liebert on the 4th of July of the same year, it is quite possible – if not likely
– that this was also the address of the house he shared with his partner, Mr.
Stehn (I think it more likely that the correct form of his name was „Stehn‟)
together with their apprentices a few months earlier.
“Anno 1701 ... 4 Juli | Liebertus Dorrien Son to M r . Friederic Dorrien in
Bushlane” 54
Bush Lane remains the address given at the baptisms of most of Mr.
Frederick (he has now dropped the use of his first name Herman) Dorrien‟s
children to follow his first born, Liebert. The last time Bush Lane was so
given was at the 14 December, 1709 baptism of his seventh child Anna.
“Anno1709 ... 14 Decemb r . | Anna Dorryens, daughter to M r . Dorryen
March d in Bush Lane” 55
The next address that appears for the family is St. Swithin‟s Lane – given at
the baptism of his ninth child and youngest daughter, Elizabeth.
“Anno1712 ... 19 Nov. | Elizabeth Dorryens, daughter to M r . Fr. Dorryen
March d in Sweathin’s Lane” 56
As to how much longer after 1707 Mr. Dorrien remained in partnership with
Mr. Stehn – I have found no source or record to tell me. However, while
there appears to be very little information for George Stehn (or Stein) – aside
from those references already mentioned, I have found two other possible
references: firstly, a marriage in the London diocese between a George Stehn
and an Anne Peltzer in 1704; 57 and secondly, the will of a “George Stehn of
Uburne in the County of Bucks Esquire” written on January 24th 1728 and
probated on July 23rd 1735. 58
In this will Mr. Stehn does not mention a wife Anne; but he does make his
first bequest to a “Sarah Peltzir [sic] Daughter of Mr Matthew Peltzir late of
London Merchant deceased ...” This does rather indicate he was the same
George Stehn who had married Anne Peltzer some twenty-four years earlier.
And – although he does not mention any occupation for himself beyond
„Esquire‟ – the identification of Mr. Matthew Peltzir (Peltzer) as a merchant
is quite suggestive. Furthermore another of his beneficiaries provides a
connection to the Lutheran church in Trinity Lane, London. He makes a
bequest to his “Daughter in Law Mrs. Anne Ludolph the wife of Mr. Martin
Ludolph.” The „Hamburg Lutheran Church Register‟ has an entry for the
naturalization of Martin Ludolf in 1717 – immediately following a similar
entry for one Abraham Boetefeur.
59 Abraham Boetefeur – as already
mentioned above – would later marry Frederick Dorrien‟s daughter Ann in
1735.
And then there is the reference in Dr. Johann Martin Lappenberg‟s
Urkundliche Geschichte des Hansischen Stahlhofes zu London to that
indenture of September 5th 1729 (already quoted on the previous page)
which links the names of “... Herman Frederick Dorrien of Hamburgh,
Merchant, ... and George Stehn of London, Merchants, of the one part, and
Martin Ludolph of London, Merchant, of the other part ....” 60 But although
they were named as party to the same indenture in 1729, there is no
indication that Messrs. Dorrien and Stehn were still in partnership at that
time. Nor that they were not.
Aside from the trade to the Spanish West Indies circa 1707 (also mentioned
on the previous page), Frederick Dorrien can be found listed amongst other
English merchants who were engaged in trade with Portugal around 1724. In
this instance he has signed his name to a petition requesting the appointment
of the Rev. Arthur Young, LL.B., as chaplain to the factory at Lisbon. 61 This
was following on several complaints over the years at the alleged
mistreatment of English Protestant merchants and their families residing in
Portugal.
At this point we might remember that, according to just one source,
Frederick Dorrien‟s wife Agnata died sometime in 1726 62 – and not
presumably in or near London – there appearing to be no record of her
having been buried at the Lutheran church in Trinity Lane. 63 Early the next
year on January 16th their eldest surviving daughter Agatha was married in
Hamburg to Charles Halsey. 64
On January 6th 1732 their second surviving daughter Ann married Abraham
Boetefeur at the Holy Trinity Church. 65 And the following year Frederick
Dorrien died and was buried at the church on November 26th 1733. 66
by Robin Cary Askew
– updated September 2011 –