Known generally as George Wicke, Johann Georg Wicke was baptised in Berge, near Homberg, Hessen, on 22 October 1752, to Johann Georg Wicke of Unshausen and his wife Katharina Elisabeth Wicke, nŽe Pfeiffer. They had married in 1741 and had at least 6 children. I've not found details of when Georg came to London, however the earliest evidence I have for him, in both land tax records and trade directories, is 1790, but these are both as a partner in a sugarhouse in Church Lane, Whitechapel, with John Walton. We have to assume he had been here for sometime in order to become established and trusted before being made a partner. George became a naturalised British Subject in 1799, though the surviving records only give Unshausen as the place of his birth and the names of his parents - unfortunately no memorials from trusted Englishmen. John Walton died in 1804, and stated in his will that he was to be taken by sea back to his native Yorkshire. He left his partner £200, and generous small amounts to each of his sugarhouse workers. There's no mention of the sugarhouse, so we can probably assume that George Wicke bought his partner's share in the property, utensils and stock, as he continued to run the business through to his death in 1829. George had a second sugarhouse in Wellclose Sq leased by Messrs Schlencker. In his will he left this property and his dwelling house in Stratford to the children of his late nephew, also George Wicke. This George had died in 1824 having worked his own sugarhouse in Gowers Walk, close to his uncle's premises. * |
The 1829 will of Johann George Wicke can be found at The National Archives. # He appreciated that when he died a considerable number of people, many with dependants, would be out of work and he made provision for their immediate future ... * To the person who shall hold the situation of Boiler in his sugarhouse at the time of his death £100, and if he works more than one sugarhouse a like sum to each Boiler.
# He left money to assist and promote churches, institutions and charities in London ... * To the German Chapel Hooper Square where he is a member £300.
# He left money to be invested in order to provide education for children in his 'home' parishes in German ... * To the Minister Trustees or Elders of the the parish of Unshaussen in Germany "his native place" £400 to be invested for the purchase of freehold lands or other permanent security, the rents etc from which to pay for the education of deserving children.
# And as well as leaving legacies to friends and family in London, he instructed that family members in German should also receive large sums, much of which was used to build new family houses ... * To his nephew George Meyfarth of Unshausen £5000 ...
* To his nephew Johann Christopher Wicke of Berge £5000 ...
* To his nephew Conrad Wittich of Lendorf £5000 ...
* To his niece Mrs Metz widow of the late Mr Metz of Zennern £5000 ...
[However, London refiner Johann Herman (Harman) Harbusch, in his will of 1824, left £3000 to each of a nephew and 2 nieces who had been baptised in Zennern, and his brother Werner Harbusch, in his will of 1834, left a total of £3000 to family members in Zennern, so this house may be connected to that family instead.]
The Heimatkundliches Archiv Homberg has photographed more of the local houses built with inheritances from England ... it's now a matter of trying to find just which inheritance each was built with !
In July 2016 a small exhibition explained the origins of these houses to the local community ...
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I'm very grateful to Eva Busch for getting in touch regarding this unexpected aspect of sugar research,
My thanks also to Mr. Preushof and Mr. MŠnken of the Heimatkundliches Archiv Homberg for permission to use their images of the houses. |
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