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Purchase of Land in Tanunda by Wilhelm May and Hermann Juncken

The following information was extracted basically 'as is' from Reg Butler's (Hahndorf Historian) unpublished computer working files as at c2014. In association with this page is May Family Ancestors  (Ch4-March 2007) Additionally to the above, JK Stokes information regarding the May Family (Mt Barker) is also available.

On the evening of 20 March 2006, my genealogy colleague Kingsley IRELAND went to the Brauhaus restaurant in Tanunda for the birthday of his wife, Lynley, together with Don ROSS and others. Don ROSS is a well known local Barossa historian who descended from one of the Bethany pioneers. In the course of conversation, Kingsley said he was researching an early MAY family who appeared to be the only MAY family to come from Germany and to settle in the Barossa in the 19^th century. Don provided Kingsley with some information- a Wilhelm MAY had purchased land in the heart of Tanunda about 1850, a fact that he remembered from his contribution to the excellent historial account of the Barossa in “The Barossa A Vision Realised,” published in 2001. This was indeed important information because it eventuated that this was the first of many land transactions undertaken by the MAY family that enabled me to track the journey of the family through the Barossa and beyond. Phone Don on 85632108.

The earliest record of the MAY family that I can locate, relates to the Certificate of Naturalization for the elder son Heinrich Julius Wilhelm MAY (that is “Carl”), issued on 13 December 1848. The certificate stated that he was 21 years of age, a native of Clausthal, had been in South Australia for 3 years, and his occupation was that of a “farmer” at Tanunda. Three years later, his father, the patriarch, with the same name, that is Heinrich Julius Wilhelm MAY, was also granted his Certificate to Naturalization. Dated 28 October 1851, the Certificate stated that Wilhelm was 48 years of age, was a native of Clausthal and had been in the Colony for five years, and was a “farmer” at Tanunda. Thus, upon arrival or soon after arrival in the Colony in 1846, the MAY family settled at Tanunda where they farmed (I have a copy of the patriarchs certificate- need to scan)

Wilhelm MAY, the patriarch, bought 20 acres of land that was part of the original plan for the “Township of Tanunda” drawn up by Charles FLAXMAN. He bought this land from FLAXMAN and the cost was 122 pounds. The Memorial of transfer, that is the registration of the deed, was dated 26 April 1851. A copy of the Memorial of transfer was obtained from the General Registry Office at 33 Carrington Street (footnote 1). The actual purchase of this land would have occurred much earlier because there was always a long delay before legal requirements had been satisfied and registration confirmed. The land bought by Wilhelm was a portion of Section 39 of the Hundred of Moorooroo (each Section was 80 acres) and Section 39 was owned by Charles FLAXMAN as part of his share of land from the Seven Special Surveys (see earlier chapter).

Thus FLAXMAN was responsible for the establishment of the township of Tanunda. His original plan for Tanunda was initiated around 1845 and when finally registered in 1854 was entitled “Plan of the township Tanunda situated on the bank of the river Gawler in Angas Park the property of Chas Flaxman Esquire”.

The copy of the original plan is very faint, and I have redrawn it. In this plan, a small square was located at the centre and envisaged as the market place and central meeting area for the township. (This did not eventuate because the Main Road, that is Murray Street, soon developed in the early 1850s as the major commercial centre of activity). The square became known as Goat Market or “Ziegenmarkt” and now is called Goat Square. The reason for it being known as Goat Market is discussed later. Radiating out from the Square were John Street, Charles Street (later Maria Street), Samuel Street (later John Street) and Maria Street. The town was bordered by the Road to the Murray (now Murray Street), Jane Place, Ellen Place parallel to the Gawler River (now called the North Para River) and Elizabeth Place (now Elizabeth Street). Hence the town was planned around the Square and was surveyed into 67 one acre lots. FLAXMAN, who lived in Adelaide with his wife Jane, named the streets after his children.

The land bought by Wilhelm (lots 37-67, each about 1 acre) lay between Murray Street, John Street, Maria Street and Elizabeth Street and therefore represented about one quarter of the original township of Tanunda.

The small township of Tanunda conceived by FLAXMAN nestled between the German pioneer Village of Langmeil, of about 500 acres, to the north and the Langmeil Lutheran Church in section 40 to the south and the earliest German settlement in the Barossa, Bethanien (later Bethany), to the east (I have redrawn the original plans). Langmeil Church was erected in 1846 and lay south of Langmeil Village so that it was within easy walking distance of its members from Bethanien. The Church was replaced by the current Langmeil Church that was opened on November 25 ,1888.

Eventually, Tanunda consumed Langmeil. By 1851, Tanunda was described as a “rising” township “in itself not yet very populous” but maintaining “about sixty tenements, among them several good-looking stores. There are butchers, bakers, shoemakers, and other usual tradesmen, Germans” (footnote” from Don Ross book). As well there was a steam flour mill and two hotels. By the 1880s Tanunda was “the focal point of numerous German settlements in a fertile region between the north-to-south-bound Barossa Range and the meandering Gawler or Para River”.

A public meeting was held at Tanunda in May 1855, and it was recommended that a District Council be formed. Subsequently, the Governor proclaimed the District Council of Tanunda on 16 August 1855, and appointed Henry AHRENS (a farmer), Ferdinand ALDENHOVEN (farmer and grape grower), William JACOB (winemaker), Carl MAI, and James WALLIS (occupation not known) to be the first Councillors as recommended by the residents. (Carl MAI is Heinrich Julius Wilhelm MAY, the elder son). It is interesting that on most land transactions to be discussed soon, the son gave his name as Heinrich Julius Wilhelm MAI (the younger or junior). He did not use the name MAY with which he was baptised in Clausthal. By the time Carl was appointed as a Councillor, he was a renowned cabinetmaker in Tanunda and this is described in the next chapter.

Wilhelm subdivides his property.

About three years after buying the 20 acres of land, Wilhelm set about subdividing his property and this was registered eventually on 4 April 1860. Since the photocopy of the record is very faint, I have drawn the registered subdivision. Wilhelm introduced two new roads, Julius Street and William Street (both named after himself). These streets, which remain today in Tanunda, essentially divided the property into four quadrants each of about 5 acres. In the northwest corner of the property there was a quandrant that was not subdivided (and shown as blocks A and B). Cattle were probably kept in this area by the MAY family. (Remember that Christian DIENER first spied the MAY daughter as he rested on the Gawler River near the MAY farm and saw her as she was driving the cattle home). In the subdivision, the new allotments were each about one quarter acre and were numbered 1-41. However at Goat Square, there was a larger allotment, lot 42, of about 3 acres. As we will see, two houses were located on this allotment and were strategically on and near Goat Square that was anticipated to be the commercial centre of the town. These two houses must have belonged to the early MAY family and there is more on this soon.

Prior to this subdivision, some land had been sold by Wilhelm in the southeast corner of his property along Murray Street and John Street and these are shown as lots a-f in the new subdivision plan. Some early purchasers of land from Wilhelm in this area were as follows. Georg Friedrich SCHRÖDER, a shoemaker, bought a portion of lots 60 and 61 on 21 November 1853 (lot f). F C L HANNERMANN bought portions of lots 60, 61 and 62 (lot e) in 1852 and then sold this in 1853 to Stephan KRÖMER who established a tannery and provided leather to shoemakers and saddlers.

Carl MAI bought portions of lots 60, 61 and 62 on 1 July 1853 for 12 pounds from his father and more of lot 62 and part of adjacent lot 42 on 28 May 1855 for a further 15 pounds (in all, lots c and d). Shown is a photocopy of the original documentation held at the General Registry Office (also called the Old Lands Title Office), stating that Heinrich Julius Wilhelm MAI the elder had received 15 pounds from Heinrich Julius Wilhelm MAI the younger. Shown is the signature of Heinrich Julius Wilhelm MAI the senior in Old German. Technically, one can only obtain from the General Registry Office, a photocopy of documents that are hand written copies of the original and therefore do not show the signatures; thus some persuasion was required to obtain this photocopy displaying the authentic signatures.

After subdivision of the property, it is noteworthy that lot b located in John Street was bought by Wilhelm’s son-in-law, Hermann JUNCKEN. Hermann had married the last of the MAY sisters, Emma, and he and his family made their home on this land in John Street not far from the MAY property. This is a very appropriate time then to discuss Herman JUNCKEN and family.

Hermann JUNCKEN arrives in the colony.

From the South Australian marriage records, I determined that Ernestine Wilhelmine Emma MAY married Friedrich Wilhelm Hermann JUNCKEN. In an attempt to find out more about this JUNCKEN family I wrote to all the JUNCKEN entries in the Adelaide telephone book. This was successful and I heard from Marilyn HYDE and her father Ted JUNCKEN who lived in Adelaide and were descendants of the seventh child of Emma and Hermann (Johannes Carl Fritz born in Tanunda on 23 October, 1868). They have assisted greatly with the following story. More recently, Ted Stoll a retired general manager of C.O. Juncken Builder’s Pty Ltd in Nuriootpa kindly provided me with details of the JUNCKEN family in Nuriootpa.

Friedrich Wilhelm Hermann JUNCKEN arrived at Port Adelaide from Hamburg in Hannover on the Cesar and Helene on 21 September 1857. The ship’s record in German gave his age as 28 years. Curiously, his name was shown as Heinr. JUNCKEN. The birth place was shown as Hamburg but this was not correct as discussed soon. His trade was shown as a “maler”, that is a “painter, artist, decorator”.

Two year earlier on 2 January 1855, Hermann’s brother Otto Johannes Wilhelm JUNCKEN had arrived in the colony from Hamburg on the Johan Cesar. The passengers on this ship were listed in the South Australian Register and Otto is shown as “JUNGKEN O” (note the misspelling and such misspellings were very common). There are no other records of the passengers on this ship. The fact that Otto arrived in 1855 and not with his brother in 1857, as first thought, is supported by the information on Otto’s Certificate of Naturalisation issued on 28 January 1862; Otto stated that he was 35 years of age, a carpenter and that he had been in the colony for seven years.

Both brothers were born on a county estate managed by their father and called Birkenmoor (near the city of Kiel), in the Dukedom of Schleswig, in what is now the most northern part of Germany. At the time Hermann and Otto left, there was considerable tension in Schelswig with both neighbouring Denmark and Prussia wanting to take control of this predominantly German populated province. With this situation, came the real possibility of the brothers being conscripted into the army of one side or the other. Since their father Otto Karl Ludwig JUNCKEN was German and the mother Amalia BENDIXEN was Danish, they could have been made to fight their own relatives. For this reason many residents left. Hermann was baptised on 14 July 1829 and Otto on 23 December 1825. There were two other brothers and two other sisters. Only Hermann and Otto left for Australia. Eventually in 1861, Prussia took control of Schelswig.

Upon arrival in the colony of South Australia, Otto settled at Lyndoch and Hermann at Tanunda. Hermann gave his occupation as a “painter and glazier” on his Certificate of Naturalisation dated 28 January 1862, the same date as his brother Otto received his certificate. There would have been plenty of work for Hermann. Paint and painters were in high demand by cabinetmakers and coach and agricultural implement makers. German furniture and coaches were often painted in bright colours. In the German newspaper “Volks Kalender” (Peoples Almanac) printed in Tanunda in 1861, there is an advertisement for H JUNCKEN where his business is given as an “oil and paint business.” I have copies of letters written in Old German between Hermann JUNCKEN and the Tanunda Council for work undertaken by Hermann (these were provided by Reg MUNCHENBERG, a member of the Barossa Valley Archives and Historical Trust). Hermann like many others was a ‘folk painter’ and a painting of his is displayed in the Tanunda Museum and shows the ruins of SCHLINKE’S water mill at Bethany.

Otto JUNCKEN at Lyndoch conducted a business for nearly 30 years as a prestigious cabinet maker, carpenter and undertaker. The finishing of furniture with paint or clear oil was one of his specialities and perhaps he purchased paint and oils from his brother in Tanunda. One of Otto’s sons, Hermann Julius JUNCKEN, moved to Nuriootpa and in 1895 started the building company known today as C.O. JUNCKEN BUILDERS PTY LTD (the initials originate from Hermann’s son Carl Otto). The company is still based in Nuriootpa has the distinction of being the oldest building firm in the State, possibly Australia. There is a connection with the firm Hansen Yuncken; a another son of Otto’s formed a partnership with a Mr HANSEN in Melbourne. He had problems with his name and changed it to YUNCKEN to avoid confusion with a Mr JENKIN. Marilyn – can you add a more details !!

Emma MAY marries Hermann JUNCKEN.

Two years after arrival in the colony, Hermann at the age of 29 years married Ernestine Wilhelmine Emma MAY, aged 18 years. The marriage took place on 31 March 1859 at the residence of her father in Tanunda, presumably in the MAY family house on Goat Square (this is discussed later). The Officiating Minister was Dr MUEKE from the nearby Independent Lutheran Church (now Tabor), a very outspoken person who disliked the Old Lutherans and their beliefs. Why they were not married in the Church is an interesting question. Witnesses to the marriage were Emma’s brother Carl MAI, a carpenter from Tanunda and Hermann’s brother Otto, a cabinetmaker from Lyndoch.

On 12 January 1863, four years after the marriage of Hermann and Emma, Hermann as mentioned, purchased land in John Street Tanunda. He bought lot b (part of the original lot 62 of his father-in-law Wihelm MAY) from Johann Friedrich ELLINGHAUSEN, a shoemaker for 163 pound. ELLINGHAUSEN had purchased this land in 1860 for five pound, so he made a very handsome profit over three years.

The JUNCKEN family house was located at this site in John St (now 5 John St). The house can be seen today with its original protruding verandah and adjoining section, presumably his shop. Many years later Hermann extended this property eastward and on February 1872, bought part of the neighbouring lot c (also part of the original lot 62) from his brother in law, Carl MAI, just prior to Carl’s death. (For the record, Carl also sold the remainder of lot c to the implement maker, Rudolph KLAU in February 1872). Where Hermann’s workshop was located prior to 1863 is uncertain.

Auction of Wilhelm’s land after his death.

Wilhelm made a will, with a codicil, on 29 April 1878 at Tanunda, a year after his wife died. The content of this will and codicil is as follows:

The will of Wilhelm MAY dated 27 April 1888.

Heinrich Julius Wilhelm May deceased.

South Australia - In the Supreme Court - Testamentary Causes Jurisdiction.

Be it known that on the twenty seventh day of April 1888 the last will and testament with a codicil thereto hereunder written of Heinrich Julius Wilhelm May late of Tanunda in the Province of South Australia. Farmer deceased who died on the sixteenth day of April 1888 at Tanunda aforesaid was proved and registered in the Supreme Court of the said Province and that administration of all and singular the personal estate and effects of the said deceased was granted by the said Court to Georg August Wilhelm May of Kapunda in the said Province Saddler a son of the said deceased. Friedrich Wilhelm Hermann Juncken of Tanunda afore said Painter and Heinrich Christian Friederich Diener of near Dutton in the said Province Farmer the Executors named in the said will they having been the first sworn will and faithfully to administer the same by paying the just debts of the said deceased and the legacies contained in the said will and codicil and to exhibit a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the said estate and effects and to render a just and true account thereof whenever required by so to do.

Sworn under 1350 pounds.

Given at Adelaide under the seal of the Supreme Court of the Province of South Australia

Aug Stow - Registrar of Probates

Heming Boucant Ashton - Proctors - Adelaide.

This is the last will and testament of me Heinrich Julius Wilhelm May of Tanunda on the Province of South Australia Farmer. After payment of all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses I give devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate of whatsoever nature kind or quality the same may be or consist at the time of my decease and whether then in possession reversion remainder or expectancy and wheresoever situate in this Province or elsewhere with Georg August Wilhelm May of Kapunda Saddler Friedrich Wilhelm Hermann Juncken of Tanunda Painter and Heinrich Christian Friedrich Diener of near Dutton Farmer upon Trust that is to say to realize the whole of my real and personal estate in such way and manner and at such times as they may think most convenient and advantageous and to divide the proceeds so realized equally amongst all my children viz Dorothea Louise Henriette wife of Carl Sixtus of near Nelson in the Province of New Zealand Farmer Johanna Auguste (inserted ‘Wilhelmine’) wife of Heinrich Christian Friedrich Diener of near Dutton Farmer Johanne Christiane Wilhelmine Sixtus wife of Wilhelm Sixtus of Pt Wakefield Farmer Ernestine Wilhelmine Emma wife of Frederich Wilhelm Hermann Juncken of Tanunda Painter and Georg August Wilhelm I further declare that it shall be lawful for my said trustee with and out of the monies which shall come to their hands by virtue of the laws aforesaid to retain and to reimburse themselves for in such costs charges and expenses as they may sustain expend or put into in or about the execution of these trusts and I hereby constitute and appoint the aforesaid Georg August Wilhelm May Friedrich Wilhelm Hermann Juncken and Heinrich Christian Friedrich Diener Executors of this my will And hereby evoking all former wills by me heretofore and I do dictate this to my last will and testament by witness whereof I have hereunder set my hand this twenty ninth day of April one thousand eight hundred and seventy eight- H. J. W. May

Signed and acknowledged by the said Heinrich Julius Wilhelm May the Testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us being present at the same time who at the request in the presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

Rudolph Klann Machinist Tanunda – Carl Vilberth of Tanunda Agent

This is a codicil to my last will and testament being date the twenty ninth day of April one thousand eight hundred and seventy eight. I direct that where as I have at certain times advanced and paid to my son Georg August Wilhelm May of Kapunda Saddler various sums of money now amounting to four hundred pounds sterling for which sums I hold acknowledgement in acceptances or promissory notes I direct that such advances so made unless they be previously repaid to me shall be taken into account when upon my decease a division of my real and personal estate takes place by virtue of the within will in witness there of I have set my hand to this codicil to the said will this tenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighty five- H. J. W. May

Signed by the said Heinrich Julius Wilhelm May the Testator and acknowledged by him as a codicil to the written will herein referred to in the presence of us present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses U Stolzenberg of Tanunda labourer C von Bertouch Jr of Tanunda Agent .

Hence the executors of the will were George MAY from Kapunda (the younger son), and the son-in-laws Hermann JUNCKEN from Tanunda and Christian DIENER from near Dutton, South Australia. (The elder son, Carl, had died in June 1872 as described in the next chapter). The third son-in-law, Wilhelm SIXTUS was living at Port Wakefield at the time with his family but was not involved while the forth, Carl SIXTUS, was living near Nelson, New Zealand. The executors decided to auction Wilhelm’s land soon after his death. The auction was held at the Tanunda Hotel in Murray Street, on Wednesday 9 May 1888 at 3pm and was carried out by Carl von BERTOUCH & Co. (Carl von BERTOUCH was a licensed valuator, auctioneer and land broker in Tanunda).

Land and Houses

Don ROSS provided me with a detailed original plan of the land that was to be auctioned; the source of the document was Peter HEUZENROEDER, a solicitor located currently in Murray St, Tanunda, who at the time was Secretary of the Barossa Valley Archives and Historical Trust. The plan outlines with a thick pen the land that was for sale. This represented about 75% of the original property bought by Wilhelm 25 years earlier in 1851. Shown on this plan are some of the owners of land that was not for sale and also the names of those who purchased land at the auction, so it is confusing.

Interestingly two houses one about twice the size of the other are shown near Goat Square; one is at 29 John Street on the Square and the larger one next door at 21 Maria Street. Goat Square you will remember was planned by FLAXMAN as the focus of Tanunda commercial activity. These houses are located on the large lot 42 and are on land that was for sale at the auction. It seems certain therefore that the early MAY family lived in these two homes. There is also marked on the plan, a large orchard adjacent to these houses on lot 42 in John St. and this orchard was part of the land for sale. This orchard must have belonged to the MAY family. Some of it is still there today.

It is also worth noting that on the opposite side of Maria Street from the two houses belonging to the MAY family, was the characteristic house of the shoemaker Gottlieb RIESCHIECK. This house had 8 windows and 3 chimneys and was built about 1850 (this is not marked on the plan). The two MAY houses and the Rieschieck House can be seen in the distance in a 1925 photograph supplied by Don ROSS that shows Maria Street looking north. Both of the MAY houses were replaced in the early 1900s. However, Rieschieck House remains today and has been donated to the Barossa Archives and Historical Trust. Since the Coat of Arms for the RIESCHIECK family is three goat heads, Don ROSS has suggested, rather astutely, that this led to the naming of the Square as Goat Market.

Another house of interest shown on the auction plan of 1888 (but not for sale), was that of the JUNCKEN family in John Street. It can be seen that land on both sides of the JUNCKEN property belonged to Rudolph KLAU, an agricultural machinist mentioned earlier. KLAU advertised in the South Australian Almanac that “carriages and buggies and every other kind of vehicle made to order.” Hence KLAU had a house, factory and shop in John Street. It can also be seen on the plan that KLAU owned land on the other side of John Street that fronted on to the Main Street and he had been bought this some 10 years earlier (and this is discussed in the next chapter). No doubt KLAU would have utilised the nearby services of Hermann’s paint and oil business.

At the back of the JUNCKEN house was lot 11 in Julius St, and Hermann JUNCKEN bought this on 18 January 1866 for 10 pound but he appears to have sold the land by 1888.

***********

The auction held at the Tanunda Hotel on that Wednesday afternoon was very successful with almost all of the offered land being sold. Refreshment expenses for the sale (as shown in the Succession Duties Statement for Wilhelm MAY) were 2 pounds 18 shillings and sixpence and perhaps this helped. Sold were lots 1, 2, part 42, 17-28, 31-40 and Blocks A and B. Two notable buyers were Johann Gottlieb HAHN who bought lots 20, 25, 26, 31-40 and part 42. and Julius Emil RIESCHIECK (a son of Gottlieb) who bought blocks A and B and lots 1 and 2 for 270 pounds but then on sold all of this the following year to Ernest TRIMMER, a ‘gentleman’ of Tanunda.

An interesting transaction was the purchase, finalised on 15 June 1889, of part of lot 42 by Ernestine Wilhelmine Emma JUNCKEN (Wilhelm’s daughter and wife of Hermann). This purchase was shown on the transaction being “for her separate use”. In fact, Emma had bought the irregular hexagonal corner block from her father’s estate that contained the family’s two houses, one on Goat Square. The orchard next door was not included. In the first available volume of the assessments of the District Council of Tanunda 1889-1898 the following appears “Hermann Juncken as executor of the will of H. W. May part of section 39, ¼ acre, 2 houses value 12 pounds listed in 1889 and 1890”. The 12 pounds here refers to the yearly Council rate. Hermann continues to be listed as owner from 1891 to 1898. From 1891 the area is given as 1/8 acre and the amount stayed the same. Hence although the land was owned by Emma this was not shown in the assessment records probably in keeping with the fact that it was unusual for a woman to own land. Emma stated that the land was for her separate use and perhaps this enabled her to buy land as a married woman – need to check. Whether some of her grown up children, there were eight (??) children in all, lived in the two houses or whether she rented out the properties is not known. (Marilyn does your father remember anything about the houses on Goat Square?)

Emma remained the freehold owner until her death in 1909 when the land and two houses were valued at 650 pounds. After her death, Hermann sold the house on the Square (at 29 John Street) together with an irregular ten sided piece of land that included back yard land of the house next door. This sale was to his son-in-law, Alfred Ernest KLEEMANN, who had married his daughter Anna in 1899. The KLEEMANN’S lived there until 1924. (Have yet to determine who bought the house next door in Maria St and when Hermann sold the house at 5 John St- Marilyn what year did your father visit the house).

As shown in the Succession Duties Statement dated 24 September 1888, the auction of the land held at the Tanunda Hotel realised 524 pounds and one shilling. A portion of lot 42 that was unsold was valued at 250 pounds and this was the orchard mentioned earlier. The final figure shown in the Succession Duties Statement, less expense fees, revealed that Wilhelm had left 2027 pounds and 15 shillings and 11 pence, made up of property and also cash. His four daughters and remaining son George each received 405 pounds 11 shillings and 2 pence. The expenses included the cost of the headstone (20 pounds), an account from Rieschieck and Juncken for 5 pounds 8 shillings for “cleaning and painting premises for sale,” a fee of 15 pounds for Dr EBERHARD and the three executors each claimed a fee of about 15 pounds for time and travel expenses. It was noted earlier that the will of Wilhelm MAY contained a codicil stating that his son George had received a total of 400 pounds (see footnote 3 ) and that this should be taken into account in the final division of his estate. There is no mention of this in the Succession Duty Statements and so presumably George had managed to pay back his father!

Burial of the patriarch and matriarch.

Wilhelm and Johanne MAY remained in Tanunda for the rest of their lives. Wilhelm died on 16 April 1888 aged 85 years at Tanunda, after a life where he was a miner in Clausthal, then a farmer and land speculator in Tanunda. There is no evidence that he was ever a carpenter. Wilhelm during the last 3 months of his life was nursed by Hermann who was the informant on the death certificate. Wihelm’s wife, Johanne, had died in Tanunda many years earlier aged 72 years, on 16 July 1877. Both Wilhelm and Johanne are buried together in the beautiful Langmeil Lutheran Church Cemetery, at the southern entrance to Tanunda. They have an impressive white marble headstone that is in excellent condition (insert photo). This headstone cost 20 pounds as mentioned in the Succession Duties Statement for Wilhelm. Seven months after the burial of Wilhelm, the current Langmeil Church was opened, replacing the original built in 1846.

Estate of the JUNCKENS.

Hermann and Emma lived only in Tanunda and were well known local identities. They had nine?? surviving children all born in Tanunda between 1859 and 1881. These children all married into English stock and soon moved out of Tanunda. The exception was Anna who married Alfred KLEEMANN. Emma JUNCKEN died aged 68 years on 17 June 1909 and Hermann died aged 86 years on 12 August 1915. They are buried together at the Tabor Lutheran Church Cemetery, in Murray Street, Tanunda only a short distance from their home.

The value of the estate of Emma JUNCKEN, as shown in her Succession Duties Statement dated 13 September 1909, was 714 pounds one shilling and five pence. This was made up a deposit in the bank and also the land she had purchased 21 years earlier at lot 42 for her separate use after the death of her father in 1888. This land (volume 531 folio 49) was valued at 650 pounds.

Hermann’s estate was valued in his Succession Duties Statement at 769 pounds 12 shillings and ten pence. This was made up of cash and also mortgages totalling 622 pounds that were due to him from Anna Dorothea MATTISKE, Ernest KLEEMANN and Magdelena LANGE. He did not own land when he died. The mortgage taken out by Ernest KLEEMANN was for the purchase of the house and land at 29 John Street and after the death of Hermann, this was transferred to two of his sons Carl Wilhelm George JUNCKEN of 170 Young Street, a painter and Johanne Fritz Carl JUNCKEN of 280 Rundle Street East, a tinsmith.

Footnote 1:

Records for the purchase of land in South Australia are located in either the General Registry Office (Old Lands Title Office) in Carrington Street or at the Lands Title Office in Grenfell St. In 1857 the Real Property Act was passed for a system known as Torrens Title whereby a copy of the certificate of title was given to the land holder and the second copy was retained by the Registrar General of Deeds. This meant the transfer of land ownership (ie conveyance) was made by registration and certification rather than deed. Records prior to 1858 for land transactions are found at the General Registry Office. Records after 1858 are held at the Lands Title Office.