Von der Decken family

The coat of arms of the von der Decken family is a fireplace trammel hook.
von der Decken coat of arms at Siebmachers Wappenbuch by Johann Siebmacher 1605, there on p. 181.

The von der Deckens are a Hanoverian family of German nobility. Since more than 750 years the center of the family is in a part of Lower Saxony at the south bank of the river Elbe called Kehdingen.

History

The Origin of the Family

The first documented members of the family are Alverik and Herewart von Decca. About 1250 they were vassals of Frederick of Haseldorf.[1][2] The genealogy of the family can be traced back to Nicolaus de Deken.[3][4] He was a squire and lived from about 1290 to 1360.[5] The first von der Deckens lived near Freiburg, Lower Saxony, at the southern bank of the Elbe river.

Five Lines of the Family

All living von der Deckens are descendents of Claus von der Decken, who died in 1541.[6] He was a mayor of Stade and had eight children. Five of his sons started the different lines of the family (see Genealogy of the von der Decken family).

The von der Deckens in South Africa

Adolphus (1834–1886) is a son of Adolph Melchior (1806–1862).[7] They are descendants of the Oerichsheil line.[3][4] For Adolph Melchior and Adolphus see Extract of genealogical table of the family von der Decken 1. Line in German language. Adolphus emigrated 1855 first to England and later to South Africa. He settled near King Williams Town. Adolphus married in 1855 Emma Louisa Eustace, when he was 21 and she was 19 years old. There are many descendents of Adolphus and Emma living in South Africa. Some of them with the name von der Decken live in King William's Town, in Fort Beaufort and near to Durban.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms shows a fireplace trammel hook. On the helmet with black and silver covers is standing a natural short oak branch with hanging green leaves on both sides.

Historic coat of arms

Notable family members

Bibliography in German language

Oak tree with coat of arms on the title of the Yearly Family News. Pro Aris et Focis is the heraldic motto.

References

Transcription of a document from 1250/55 for Herewart und Alverik von Deca - extract of the Hoyer Urkundenbuch from 1865 Herausgeber: Wilhelm v. Hodenberg - Heft IV - Hoyer Lehne - page 9
Chart of river Elbe 1860 with places of the family: Neuhaus (Oste), Belum, Balje, Krummendeich and Freiburg/Elbe
  1. ↑ Wilhelm von Hodenberg (ed.), Hoyer Urkundenbuch (Document book from Hoya), Hanover: 1855, 1. Abteilung (part) Hoyaer Hausarchiv (archive), Heft (booklet) IV: Hoyaer Lehne, 10. Haseldorfer Güter (estates from Haseldorf): pp. 8 and 9. on page 9 the first three lines cite a document of Herewart und Alverik von Deca, dated 1250/55 'her vredeke' is Frederick of Haseldorf; 'twe houe' are two farms; 'in den dorpen ierlinhusen' is in the village Ihlienworth 10 km south of Otterndorf; 'en pund' are dues; 'bedenem' is the village Belum northwest of Neuhaus (Oste); 'bultestrope (61,a)' means: see on p. XI 61) 'Zum Amte Neuhaus an der Oste: ... Bülsdorf is the oldest part of the village Neuhaus (Oste).
  2. ↑ Wilhelm von der Decken, Die Familie von der Decken in ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen dargestellt (history of the family von der Decken), Hanover: Klindworth's Hof-Druckerei, 1865 p. 7
  3. 1 2 Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken, Thora von der Decken (ed.) on behalf of the Wangenheim-Decken'sche Familienstiftung, Stade: Heimberg, 1936, p. 83.
  4. 1 2 Herwart und Thassilo von der Decken, Pedigree of the Family: Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken, 1994
  5. ↑ Document from 1360 in state archive in Stade: Rep 3, Altkloster 106, there: The famulus = squire Claus (Nicolaus de Deken) witnesseth on 25.07.1360 this document with the following circumstances: Der squire Hinricus de Dozen (Heinrich von der Döse) sells farming ground near Wechtern in the parish of Freiburg/Elbe to the Benedictine nunnery in Altkloster nowadays a part of Buxtehude.
  6. ↑ Karl Ernst Hermann Krause: in the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Vol 5, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, page 2
  7. ↑ From the church book entry: Adolphus was born February 08, 1834 and baptised February 20, 1834 in the Holy Trinity Church in Altona. Altona belonged to Holstein, which was ruled in personal union by the Danish crown until 1864. The mother is Anna Maria Ernestine Hume, the father is Claus Melchior Adolph von der Decken, see: Kirchenkreisarchiv Hamburg West / Südholstein - Lutheran Church Book Office (=Kirchenbuchamt) in Pinneberg
  8. ↑ Wilhelm von der Decken, Die Familie von der Decken in ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen dargestellt (history of the family von der Decken), Hanover: Klindworth's Hof-Druckerei, 1865 p. 507
  9. ↑ Regarding personal names: Freiherr was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Baron. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
  10. ↑ Regarding personal names: Graf was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Count. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine form is Gräfin.

See also

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