Friday, March 02, 2007

John Jacob Lindauer (1840-1888) biography

John Jacob Lindauer (1840-1888) Broker; Policy Dealer; and Cigar Maker with Lindauer and Company, Tobacco (b. 1840, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - d. January 05, 1888, Manhattan, New York or Jersey City, New Jersey, USA)

Birth:
John is the son of Oscar Arthur Moritz Lindauer (1815-1866) and Sophia Weber (1815-1891).

Siblings:
His siblings include: Charles Frederick Lindauer (1835-1921) who married Anna Augusta Kershaw (1841-1931); Louis Julius Lindauer (1842-1915) who married Mary Sheehan (1842-1888); and Eloise Lindauer I (1852-1942) who married William Arthur Ensko II (1850-1889).

Philadelphia to New York City:
John's parents moved from Philadelphia to New York City around 1845-1850.

Marriage:
Around 1868 John married Nellie X (1853-1887). Nellie was born in Massachusetts.

Children:
Together John and Nellie had the following children: George Lindauer (1866-?); Lottie Lindauer (1869-?) aka Charlotte Lindauer; Lulu Lindauer (1871-?); Oscar Arthur Lindauer (1873-c1947) who married Jean Louise Courter (1879-1963) and had children and grandchildren; and Edwin Lindauer (1874-?). All the children were born in New York City. If George is Nellie's son, she would have had him when she was just 13 years old, so there may be an error in the list of children. There possibly was an un-named child born in New Jersey in 1885 according to a birth certificate found in the New Jersey archive.

Manhattan, New York:
In 1869 John was listed in the Manhattan City Directory as a "broker" with his brother, Charles Frederick Lindauer. Both were working at 148 Mercer Street, and both were living at 165 Spring Street in Manhattan. There was also a "John Lindauer", born in 1840, in the 1870 Census in Manhattan married to an "Elizabeth". The 1870 Census lists John Lindauer as born in New York and working as a "policy dealer". It is possible there are two John Lindauers born roughly the same time, both living in Manhattan.

Jersey City, New Jersey:
John appears in the 1880 US Census living in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey under the name "John Lindauner" and working as a "cigar maker". In 1881 John was listed as a "cigar maker" in the Jersey City directory, where he is living or working at 172 Railroad Avenue. His two brothers were also listed in the directory dealing in cigars.

Un-named Child:
There is a birth recorded on August 23, 1885 in Jersey City with "John J. Lindauer", born in 1840, as the father and "Mary L. Smith", born in 1846, as the mother. The child was unnamed at the time of birth and the parents were living at 297 Newark Avenue in Jersey City and John was working in "tobacco". This was their fifth child.

Death:
John died in 1888 and his death was recorded in the Lindauer family bible, which is now archived with Eloise Ensko Higgins (1950- ) in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

Burial:
John Lindauer and Nellie were both buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn in the Lindauer family plot.

Lindauer & Company, Tobacconists:
On June 02, 1889, the Brooklyn Eagle reported the following "News from Jersey City: "August Mueller, who was the collector in this city for Lindauer & Co., tobacconist, was sent to jail this morning for contempt of court. His employers were dissatisfied with his returns and had a receiver appointed to examine his accounts. Mueller refused to surrender his books and his arrest followed."

Legacy:
No picture of him is known to exist. He has living descendants though his son Oscar Arthur Lindauer (1873-c1950). Others may exist through his daughters.

Unfinished Tasks:
His birth certificate has not been located in Philadelphia yet. He may have died in New Jersey and not New York as originally suspected. He may have a will that would have been probated in Manhattan or in New Jersey. He may have served in the US Civil War.

Relationship:
John Jacob Lindauer (1840-1888) was the second great-granduncle of Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ). He was the great-grandfather of John Howard Lindauer II (1937- ).