Christian Kruschke

At 17 Christian was polling logs down the Oder River to Lebus. Along with his brother They are both conscripted in to the Prussian army and fight in the 1st Schleswig War. Christians brother did not survive. Christian served in the 1st Batallion, 12th Regiment, 5th Brigade, 5th Division of the 3rd Army Corps and was based at Radniz. In 1843 Christian Kruschke met Johanna Clocke who lived in the town of Kay located seven miles west of the River Oder, Prussia. At the time Christian was based at Crossen whilst serving in the 1st Battalion, Prussia. He had no Prussian allegiance as his father was from Krushka, Bulgaria and his mother was a Dane from the Jutland Peninsula. Christian was conscripted into the army and his beliefs were one of anti-war. In early 1844 Christian & Johanna were married & later that year a son John Ferdinand (Fennit) was born. 1846 A second son Wilhelm is born. 1850 Christian & Johanna's first daughter Augusta is born. 1851 Their third son Charles is born. 1853 Frederick their fourth son is born 10th May 1855 Fearing further conscription in the 2nd looming war he fled with his wife & five children to Van Diemens Land. Christian accepts paid fares for he & his family & boards the Wilhelmsburg at the inland port of Hamburg, Germany, sails down the River Elbe and onto Van Diemens Land arriving Hobart Town 26th August 1955. During the voyage a second daughter Wilhelmina is born. Her name was not added to the passenger manifest and no birth certificate was issued on arrival in Hobart Town, Van Deimens Land. Van Diemens Land / Tasmania 1855 KRUSCHKE to KRUSHKA It appears after 3 Births and 4 Deaths at Richmond Tasmania the name was changed to Krushka The confusion may have been caused because it appears only Johanna could speak a poor broken English. In the diary of Aimee Krushka at Northview Ringarooma the entries indicate both her Grandfather (Christian) and Christopher (Father) were still speaking in a very poor and broken English. It is only when Aimee went to Braodland House (Launceston) did her diary entries improve. This suggests that in the early days at Richmond the family were still speaking German and the doctor may have mistakenly confused the family origin (Town of Krushka, Bulgaria) with the surname of Kruschke. As the certificates were now issued it was easier to change the surname and Anglicise their christian names. One of Christians later marriage records Shows the surname of Kruschke. Christian & his family move into a small workers cottage beside the Coal River at Laburnum Park 5 miles north of Richmond where he works as a farm labourer to pay off his family passage debt. 25th April 1857 fifth son is born in the cottage at Laburnum Park but dies a few hours later. His birth & death is registered as Wilhelm Miene Krushka January 1858 Wilhelmina dies & is buried at Richmond 1858 Christopher the sixth son is born at Richmond. 1860 The third daughter Louisa is born at Richmond. 1861 Wilhelm at the age of 15 joins the Waikato Militia and leaves for New Zealand to fight in the Maori Wars. 1861 Fennit moves to Hobart Town to find work. 1863 The family surname & the christian names are changed. As previously suggested the names changes may have occurred due to difficulty with language barrier between the clerk & the family, hence the name change (Kruschke to Krushka , Clocke to Clarke & Johanna to Jane Louisa etc) ? The VDL government had failed to record all family details in 1855 including the details of Wilhelmina. 1863 Johanna dies in the cottage of TB & is buried at Richmond. No record ? 1864 Fennit marries Mary Gowan at Richmond. 3rd July 1867 Fennit dies of tuberculosis leaving a wife with a 6 months old baby daughter. Death Certificate indicates he is buried in Hobart Town. The family has no record of what happened to Mary or the baby girl. 1869 Christian aged 51, Augusta 21, Charles 18, Frederick 16, Christopher 12 & Louisa 9 leave Richmond for Mathinna. They travelled in two horse drawn carts with all their possession & a family dog. The trip takes 7 days. Wilhelm was still in New Zealand but would soon join them in Mathinna. In the spring of 1870 with two pack horses, a cow and calf, Christian, Augusta, Christopher & Louisa depart Mathinna & travel over the mountains to the district of Upper Ringarooma. They settle on land beside the south side of the Dorset River where it is easily crossed & commences to build a small cottage . Christian calls the cottage Ford View. 1871 A young 13 year old Christopher meets George Renison Bell 31 when he arrives at the unfinished cottage of Ford View. 1872 Wilhelm arrives in Mathinna from New Zealand with his pregnant wife Esther in time to celebrate Charles's 21st birthday. The following day they all depart Mathinna for Upper Ringarooma. 1872 The rest of the Krushka brothers meet & become lifelong friends with George Renison Bell who they affectionately name "Little Bell". Renison Bell teaches them how to identify possible ore bearing rock formations & how to prospect for minerals. Between 1872 & 1875 the family finish building Ford View, establish a garden & do a little prospecting in the area.