Kruschke Family History & Genealogy

Christian was born in the town of Krushka, northwest of Sofia, Bulgaria. For reasons unknown he moved to the area of Grand Duchy of Bluminsk near St Peterburg, Rusiia. Whilst there he met and married Annie Ry who had moved from the Jutland Peninsula. From there they moved to Eberswalde, Prussia on the banks of the River Oder. Christian worked as a marine horseman pulling heavy barges along the Finow Canal and River Oder. Christian and Annie had two sons & two daughters.

Anna Louisa (Grand Ry) Kruschke was born in 1795 at Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Anna Louisa Grand Ry Kruschke.

Augustine Kruschke was born in 1814 at Prussia, and has siblings Christian Kruschke, Louisa Kuschke, and Ferdinand Kruschke. Augustine Kruschke was married to Sylvanus Hess. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Augustine Kruschke.

Augustine Hess was born in 1814. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Augustine Kruschke Hess.

Married and remained in Prussia (no details)

Louisa Kruschke was born in 1815 at Prussia, and has siblings Christian Kruschke, Augustine Kruschke, and Ferdinand Kruschke. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Louisa Kuschke.

Ferdinand served in the Napoleanic wars and was hung for desertion after extended weekend leave. Christian the only surviving male son moved to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) with his family to avoid being called up for a second stint of national service. Christian two sisters married and remained in Prussia

Ferdinand was conscripted into the Prussian army and fought in the 1st Schleswig War. He failed to return from weekend leave and was later executed.

Johanna was born in the town of Kay near the Oder River, Prussia. She was working as a dairy maid when she met Christian. Johanna, Christian & the children lived in a little workers cottage at the farm of Laburnum Park on the banks of the Coal River 5 miles north of Richmond, Tasmania. Laburnum Park house and farm still exists today. In 1862 whilst home alone with the childre Johanna was sitting in a chair with baby Lousia on the floor in front of her when she starting coughing blood and collapsed. One of the boys ran to get Christian but she had died. Johanna (Jane Louisa) is buried in an unmarked grave at Richmond, Tasmania

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.

At the age of 18 Fennit leaves home and moves to Hobart Town where he obtains a job with a Chandler delivering goods around Hobart. It is there that he meets and marries Mary Gowan, the daughter of a wealthy shipping family. A daughter is born but when Fennit dies of TB Mary and the daughter dissapear and the family refuse to tell Christian where they are. Because of their upbringing the Gowans did not want the Krusckes to have contact with Mary or the baby. All contactact was lost. Did Mary marry again and what happened to the baby girl ?

William volunteered & joined the colonial forces (Waikato Milita) fighting in the Maori wars. He joined the 2/18th Regiment, the only colonial force remaining in the country, their departure delayed by political pressure over the "peril" still facing settlers; the last soldiers finally left in February 1870. He could have opted for a land grant in NZ but accepted a lump sum payment and returning to Van Deimens land with a pregnant Esther Trmble. He rejoined two of the three surving brothers at Mathina. Christian, Augusta, Christopher & Louisa were already at Fordveiw, Upper Ringarooma and building a 2 room hut on the banks of the Dorset River 1875 With 1 pack horse (Three of his brothers) Charles 24, Frederick 22 and Christopher 16 set out along the banks of the Dorset River prospecting. On April 22 1875 with the young Christopher leading & his two elder brothers following with the pack horse he turns right at a sharp bend in the Dorset and follows a tributary (Main Creek) uphill with the intention of getting a better view of the surroundings from higher ground.Christopher notices a glint in quartz rock on a sharp escarpment and calls his brother. On the information gleaned from George Renison Bell they realised they have discovered quartz bearing tin. They staked it out and named it Black Boy. 1875 In October Charles, Frederick & Christopher were prospecting along the banks of a small creek (Brothers Creek) which runs into the Ringarooma River in the Cascade Valley. Here they discovered and stake a claim on a rich load of alluvial tin which they named Brothers Home Mine. Sam Diprose is appointed Mine Manager when the mine is established. Sam later marries Louisa with George Renison Bell as best man. Around 1875 Wilhelm who had decide to prospect on his own discovers & stakes a tin mine which he calls the Lone Brothers Mine at Derby They quickly contacted their now lifelong friend George Renison Bell (Little Bell) who along with other friends stake out further claims along the creek. 1876 The Krushka brother cut a cart track from the mine to the original town of Ringarooma on Ringarooma Bay (Boobyalla) as it was faster & cheaper to ship the ore to Launceston from there than out of Bridport. They build a bridge across the Ringarooma River for the track and name it Krushkas Bridge (renamed Moorina) In the same period they purchase other parcels of land near the mine & at Upper Ringarooma. William’s Lone Brother Mine failed and was offered a share in the Brothers Home Mine which he rejected. He later along with Sam Diprose jointly ran Brothers Home as Mine Managers as the other three brothers spent their time running the land hildings in the district. 1877 Wilhelm opens a store in the small settlement of Krushkas Bridge Note: 1882 In January the Governor Sir George C Strahan in the town of Krushka with the intention of naming it Strahan. He stays in the largest house in town (North View) and after a night of merriment departs without proclaiming it Strahan. The discovery of tin in and around the Cascade River Valley in the 1800's by George Renison Bell, the Krushka Brothers and others leads to the rapid development of farms & logging in the North East and the towns of Brothers Home (renamed Derby) Krushka Town (renamed Ringarooma) & Krushkas Bridge (renamed Moorina. The original port town of Ringarooma at the mouth of the Ringarooma River was renamed Boobyalla. Mining, dredging, logging and land clearing along the length of the Ringarooma River created major siltting at it’s mouth resulting in the loss of the town and port. Derby: The area had been surveyed in 1855, but was not settled until 1874, Krushka brothers discovered a large lode of tin, and set up a mine (named The Brothers Mine) in the area, assuring the town's economic future. The town was originally known as Brother's Home until renamed Derby (believed to be after Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom). Brother's Home Post Office opened on 1 August 1882 and was renamed Derby in 1885. Derby reached its peak in the late 19th century, when its population reached over 3,000, and the Brothers Mine (renamed the Briseis Mine after the winner of the 1876 Melbourne Cup) was producing upwards of 120 tonnes of tin per month. On 4 April 1929, the Briseis Dam used by the mine burst after heavy rains and the Cascade River flooded the town, killing 14 people. The mine was closed, but re-opened five years later although it never reached the same level of output as it had in the last century and closed in 1948 The Briseis Dam Disaster resulted from the bursting of a dam constructed on the Cascade River above Derby to supply water for hydraulic tin mining operations. Following unprecedented rainfall of 450 millimetres during the previous two days, on 4 April 1929 a deluge of 125 millimetres fell in one and a half hours on the catchment area above the Briseis Dam. The resultant flood broke the dam, and a huge wall of water surged down the river valley towards the town, engulfing several houses and other buildings and pouring into the workings of the Briseis Mine. Fourteen lives were lost, including one family of five who were sitting down to a meal when their home was carried away. Senior Constable William Taylor was awarded the Royal Humane Society Medal and the King George Medal for bravery in saving eight stranded miners