Johann Casper Schneider

Johann Casper⁵ Schneider (Jeremiah⁶)⁽⁶¹³⁾ was born in Silesia, Prussia on May 11, 1811.⁽⁶¹⁴⁾ He was known as Casper or John. Casper died on June 30, 1873 in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia at 62 years of age.⁽⁶¹⁵⁾ He was buried on July 2, 1873 in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia at the Gnadenthal Cemetery.⁽⁶¹⁶⁾

He married twice. First he married Maria Elisabeth Knobloch. Maria was born circa 1815 in Germany. (Additional notes for Maria Elisabeth Knobloch⁽⁶¹⁷⁾) Maria died in 1849 at 34 years of age. She was buried at sea.He then married Maria Rosina Fiebig in 1853.⁽⁶¹⁹⁾ Maria was born on March 28, 1826 in Silesia, Prussia.⁽⁶²⁰⁾ She⁽⁶²¹⁾ was the daughter of ???? Fiebig and Johanna Rosina Heidrich. Maria died on November 4, 1906 in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia at 80 years of age. She was buried in the Woorak Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. Maria immigrated to Australia aboard the Wappaus arriving in Australia on March 7, 1849.⁽⁶²²⁾

Casper immigrated to Australia aboard the Godeffroy arriving on February 13, 1849.⁽⁶²³⁾ Johann Casper Schneider resided in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia. Occupation: Agricultural Labourer.

Johann Casper Schneider's first wife Elisabeth died on the ship on the way to Australia from cholera. After he arrived in Portland in 1849 he worked on a station for a time, at a wage of Ł18 per year and his keep. Portland, a town and port on the South West Coast of Victoria, 400 km. west of Melbourne was the first permanently settled area in Victoria, having being settled by the four Henty brothers in 1834.

The Henty's graized Merino sheep, which were later to become the basis of the Victorian Wool Industry. Johann Casper Schneider worked for the Henty brothers, but when the gold diggings broke out at Bendigo he went there, and although he found gold, he was not satisfied and went to Melbourne, where labourers were scarce and wages high.

It was in Melbourne that he met and married Maria Rosina Kuttig in 1853.

Casper and Maria joined the Herrnhut community. In 1852 at Gnadenthal, near Tabor in Western Victoria, Johann Friedrich Krummnow established a Christian farming community along the lines of a Brethren settlement, naming it Herrnhut after the Brethren settlement headquarters at Herrnhut in Saxony. The actual location of the settlement is directly opposite the Gnadenthal cemetery. For almost thirty years, Krumnow followers lived a communistic lifestyle. Krumnow, originally from Prussia, had been excluded from the Lutheran church in South Australia near the now famous Barossa Valley, where he spoke of the millenium and believed in healing sickness by prayer rather than medicine. His followers believed he was a prophet.

The community built a church, school, houses and barns - some of which are still standing today. The followers were happy for they beleived they had reached the promised land and devotions were held every morning and Krumnow gave a sermon every Sunday. Krumnow made his people believe he had raised the devil in the garden, and another day jumped out of a tree so he could fly to heaven and ended up breaking his leg. Trouble arose when it was found that title deeds to Hernnhut were in Krumnow's name and not in the name of the group. The followers had been stirred by Krumnow's ideas and had pooled their money to buy the 1,600 acres for the settlement.

The title deed was eventually altered in 1877 when a co-operative was formed, but not before the many disillusioned members had left the community and lost all. Members had begun to realise that Krumnow was more interested in gain for himself than the welfare of the group. His teachings also began to move away from the Bible truths they believed.

Johann Casper Schneider was one who left the settlement and lost heavily. Some of the families that left the settlement bought land next to the settlement and called it Gnadenthal, which translated means Valley of Grace. In 1876 Krumnow moved the remaining sixty followers to Hill Plains, near Benalla. Many who stayed with Krumnow stayed because they had no choice. They could speak no English so were cut off from other communities.

Eventually Krumnow began to drink more wine than was good for him and he suffered months of progressive paralysis and drinking binges before his death in 1880, leaving behind only eight followers and a heavy mortgage on the new settlement. After leaving the settlement, Johann Casper Schneider became a member of the early South Hamilton church which met in Wilhelm Petschell's home and later of the St. Lukes congregation. After Johann Scheider and Marie Rosina Kuttig (nee Fiebich) married in 1853, they took up land of their own near Penshurst.

Johann Casper Schneider and Maria Elisabeth Knobloch had the following child:

Anna Rosina⁴ Schneider⁽⁶²⁴⁾ was born in Deutmannsdorf, Silesia, Prussia on August 17, 1844.⁽⁶²⁵⁾ She died on September 12, 1939 in Dimboola, Victoria, Australia at 95 years of age.⁽⁶²⁶⁾ She was buried in the Woorak Cemetery, Victoria, Australia.⁽⁶²⁷⁾ She married Carl Christian Petschel at St Luke's Lutheran Church in South Hamilton, Victoria, Australia on May 5, 1865.⁽⁶²⁸⁾ Carl was born on December 26, 1838 in Neukirch, Saxony, Germany.⁽⁶²⁹⁾ He⁽⁶³⁰⁾ was the son of Gotthelf Petschel and Anna. Carl died on September 12, 1905 in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia at 66 years of age.⁽⁶³¹⁾ He was buried in the Woorak Cemetery, Victoria, Australia.⁽⁶³²⁾ Carl immigrated to Australia aboard the Alfred arriving on December 6, 1848.⁽⁶³³⁾ Carl Christian Petschel resided in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. Occupation: Farmer. Anna immigrated to Australia aboard the Godeffroy arriving on February 13, 1849.⁽⁶³⁴⁾ After the loss of her mother on the voyage to Australia, Anna was looked after by her fathers brothers' family. They also had two young children, although a little older than Anna. The marriage of Anna Rosina Schneider to Carl Petschel on May 5, 1865 was the first marriage celebrated in the new St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church, South Hamilton. Pastor Carl George Hiller conducted the ceremony. Witnesses were Carl Traugott Deutscher and August Petschel.

Johann Casper Schneider and Maria Rosina Fiebig had the following children:

Maria Schneider⁽⁶³⁵⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on August 11, 1854.⁽⁶³⁶⁾ She was baptised in Hochkirch, Victoria, Australia, on August 27, 1854.⁽⁶⁴¹⁾ Occupation: House wife. Maria's birth was registered at Hamilton. Maria died on September 12, 1880 in Woorak, Victoria, Australia at 26 years of age⁽⁶³⁷⁾ and was buried on September 14, 1880 at Lambing Hert New Cemetery ???.⁽⁶³⁸⁾ She married Friedrich Wilhelm Siemering in Woorak, Victoria, Australia on November 18, 1877.⁽⁶³⁹⁾ He was known as Wilhelm. Wilhelm was born on June 1, 1853 in Varrel, near Sulligen, Germany. He⁽⁶⁴⁰⁾ was the son of Sophie Caroline Siemering. Wilhelm died on November 21, 1931 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia at 78 years of age. Occupation: Farmer.

Johann Christian Schneider⁽⁶⁴²⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on January 21, 1856.⁽⁶⁴³⁾ He was baptised in Hochkirch, Victoria, Australia, on February 3, 1856.⁽⁶⁴⁶⁾ He was known as John. John died on September 27, 1940 at 84 years of age. He was buried at the Woorak Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. He married Marie Pauline Schuller on February 17, 1892.⁽⁶⁴⁴⁾ She was known as Polly. Polly was born on September 18, 1861. She⁽⁶⁴⁵⁾ was the daughter of Johann Gottfired Herrmann Schuller and Johanne Helene Winkler. Polly died on April 7, 1939 at 77 years of age. She was buried in the Woorak Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. Johann Christian Schneider resided in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia. Occupation: Farmer. Johann's birth was registered at Hamilton. Johann and his brother August came to the Dimboola district and later in 1879 selected land at Ni Ni Well about 11 miles north east of Nhill near August Borgelt's selection. Johann Schneider's home was on Section 26, Parish of Ni Ni, Shire of Dimboola on land owned until 1978 first by his son Herbert Schneider and then by his grandson Roy Schneider. In 1879 this country was virgin timberland being a portion of Nhill Station. The land was clothed in dense bulloak stands, with black box scrubs in the heavier swampy ground. There were also large areas of whitegum. In his book "Land of the Lowan" Les Blake mentions among others August Borgelt and John and August Schneider as early settlers in the area. He also mentions the water supply at Lambing Hut Well and the building of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of wattle and daub in 1880. A small settlement grew up at the junction of the present Nhill-Jeparit nad Lorquon - Salisbury Roads. This road was also the Shire Boundary. A township was surveyed in 1883 and by 1890 there were two general stores, a saddler, a butcher, a bootmaker, a dress maker and two blacksmiths (Land of the Lowan p. 54-65). To this block and others bought later, John Schneider brought his bride Pauline Schuller who came to the district with her parents and family in 1887. The first house was built of pug and mud brick and around it Polly and her two daughters created a magnificent flower and vegetable garden, while Johann and his two sons worked, cleared and enlarged the farm. Gottfried Schuller helped build the first home. In addition to the hours of labour spent on his farm, John Schneider gave also of his time to his church at Woorak, only a mile from his home, where the Pastor was G. Hampe. He was one of the foundation members with the Borgelt, F. W. Schultz, Pohlners and others. His talents were used in Church service as elder and Altar Steward. He also locked and unlocked the church and tended to it during the week. His daughter Sophie served as organist and later on his grandson Roy even now serves as elder and Trustee and his wife Irma as organists and Sunday School Teacher. Roy is also a member of the Primary School Council. John and Polly Scheider together led a full life and to crown their christian endeavours they cared for first John's mother in her last years, and then years later gave a home to his aged mother-in-law, Helene Schuller, in the autumn of her life. Both John and Polly died within a short time of each other and were laid to rest in the Woorak Cemetery. The original farm was taken over by Herbert, and Alfred farmed near Gerang.

August Schneider⁽⁶⁴⁷⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on August 2, 1858.⁽⁶⁴⁸⁾ He married Louise Borgelt in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia.⁽⁶⁴⁹⁾ Louise was born on March 11, 1864 at Dry Creek, South Australia. She⁽⁶⁵⁰⁾ was the daughter of Friedrich August Borgelt and Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Heideman. August Schneider resided in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia.

Heinrich Schneider⁽⁶⁵¹⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on July 21, 1859. Heinrich died on January 14, 1860 at less than one year of age.⁽⁶⁵²⁾

Herman Schneider⁽⁶⁵³⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on August 16, 1860. Herman died on July 29, 1867 at 6 years of age.⁽⁶⁵⁴⁾ He was buried on July 31, 1867 in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia, at the Gnadenthal Cemetery.⁽⁶⁵⁵⁾

Ernstine Schneider was born on September 8, 1863.⁽⁶⁵⁶⁾

Mathilde Schneider⁽⁶⁵⁷⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on February 4, 1866.⁽⁶⁵⁸⁾ Mathilde's birth was registered at Gnadenthal. Mathilde died on June 27, 1939 in Glenlee, Victoria, Australia at 73 years of age. She was buried in Nhill, Victoria, Australia. She married Friederich Wilhelm Borgelt at the Lutheran Church in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia on October 8, 1884.⁽⁶⁵⁹⁾ He was known as Bill. Bill was born on July 28, 1860 in Gilles Plains, South Australia. He⁽⁶⁶⁰⁾ was the son of Friedrich August Borgelt and Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Heideman. Bill died on February 6, 1954 in Glenlee, Victoria, Australia at 93 years of age. He was buried in Nhill, Victoria, Australia. Occupation: Farmer.

Caroline Schneider⁽⁶⁶¹⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on October 3, 1869.⁽⁶⁶²⁾ Carolines birth was registered at Mt. Rouse. Caroline died on December 3, 1928 at 59 years of age. She married Johann Friederich August Pohlner on February 13, 1893.⁽⁶⁶³⁾ Johann was born on November 5, 1860 in Flaxman Valley, South Australia. He⁽⁶⁶⁴⁾ was the son of Ernst Hermann Pohlner and Ja Henriette Waltsgott. Johann died on November 5, 1937 at 77 years of age.

	Maria Schneider⁽⁶³⁵⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on August 11, 1854.⁽⁶³⁶⁾ She was baptised in Hochkirch, Victoria, Australia, on August 27, 1854.⁽⁶⁴¹⁾ Occupation: House wife. Maria's birth was registered at Hamilton. Maria died on September 12, 1880 in Woorak, Victoria, Australia at 26 years of age⁽⁶³⁷⁾ and was buried on September 14, 1880 at Lambing Hert New Cemetery ???.⁽⁶³⁸⁾ She married Friedrich Wilhelm Siemering in Woorak, Victoria, Australia on November 18, 1877.⁽⁶³⁹⁾ He was known as Wilhelm. Wilhelm was born on June 1, 1853 in Varrel, near Sulligen, Germany. He⁽⁶⁴⁰⁾ was the son of Sophie Caroline Siemering. Wilhelm died on November 21, 1931 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia at 78 years of age. Occupation: Farmer.
	Johann Christian Schneider⁽⁶⁴²⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on January 21, 1856.⁽⁶⁴³⁾ He was baptised in Hochkirch, Victoria, Australia, on February 3, 1856.⁽⁶⁴⁶⁾ He was known as John. John died on September 27, 1940 at 84 years of age. He was buried at the Woorak Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. He married Marie Pauline Schuller on February 17, 1892.⁽⁶⁴⁴⁾ She was known as Polly. Polly was born on September 18, 1861. She⁽⁶⁴⁵⁾ was the daughter of Johann Gottfired Herrmann Schuller and Johanne Helene Winkler. Polly died on April 7, 1939 at 77 years of age. She was buried in the Woorak Cemetery, Victoria, Australia. Johann Christian Schneider resided in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia. Occupation: Farmer. Johann's birth was registered at Hamilton. Johann and his brother August came to the Dimboola district and later in 1879 selected land at Ni Ni Well about 11 miles north east of Nhill near August Borgelt's selection. Johann Schneider's home was on Section 26, Parish of Ni Ni, Shire of Dimboola on land owned until 1978 first by his son Herbert Schneider and then by his grandson Roy Schneider. In 1879 this country was virgin timberland being a portion of Nhill Station. The land was clothed in dense bulloak stands, with black box scrubs in the heavier swampy ground. There were also large areas of whitegum. In his book "Land of the Lowan" Les Blake mentions among others August Borgelt and John and August Schneider as early settlers in the area. He also mentions the water supply at Lambing Hut Well and the building of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of wattle and daub in 1880. A small settlement grew up at the junction of the present Nhill-Jeparit nad Lorquon - Salisbury Roads. This road was also the Shire Boundary. A township was surveyed in 1883 and by 1890 there were two general stores, a saddler, a butcher, a bootmaker, a dress maker and two blacksmiths (Land of the Lowan p. 54-65). To this block and others bought later, John Schneider brought his bride Pauline Schuller who came to the district with her parents and family in 1887. The first house was built of pug and mud brick and around it Polly and her two daughters created a magnificent flower and vegetable garden, while Johann and his two sons worked, cleared and enlarged the farm. Gottfried Schuller helped build the first home. In addition to the hours of labour spent on his farm, John Schneider gave also of his time to his church at Woorak, only a mile from his home, where the Pastor was G. Hampe. He was one of the foundation members with the Borgelt, F. W. Schultz, Pohlners and others. His talents were used in Church service as elder and Altar Steward. He also locked and unlocked the church and tended to it during the week. His daughter Sophie served as organist and later on his grandson Roy even now serves as elder and Trustee and his wife Irma as organists and Sunday School Teacher. Roy is also a member of the Primary School Council. John and Polly Scheider together led a full life and to crown their christian endeavours they cared for first John's mother in her last years, and then years later gave a home to his aged mother-in-law, Helene Schuller, in the autumn of her life. Both John and Polly died within a short time of each other and were laid to rest in the Woorak Cemetery. The original farm was taken over by Herbert, and Alfred farmed near Gerang.
	August Schneider⁽⁶⁴⁷⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on August 2, 1858.⁽⁶⁴⁸⁾ He married Louise Borgelt in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia.⁽⁶⁴⁹⁾ Louise was born on March 11, 1864 at Dry Creek, South Australia. She⁽⁶⁵⁰⁾ was the daughter of Friedrich August Borgelt and Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Heideman. August Schneider resided in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia.
	Heinrich Schneider⁽⁶⁵¹⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on July 21, 1859. Heinrich died on January 14, 1860 at less than one year of age.⁽⁶⁵²⁾
	Herman Schneider⁽⁶⁵³⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on August 16, 1860. Herman died on July 29, 1867 at 6 years of age.⁽⁶⁵⁴⁾ He was buried on July 31, 1867 in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia, at the Gnadenthal Cemetery.⁽⁶⁵⁵⁾
	Ernstine Schneider was born on September 8, 1863.⁽⁶⁵⁶⁾
	Mathilde Schneider⁽⁶⁵⁷⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on February 4, 1866.⁽⁶⁵⁸⁾ Mathilde's birth was registered at Gnadenthal. Mathilde died on June 27, 1939 in Glenlee, Victoria, Australia at 73 years of age. She was buried in Nhill, Victoria, Australia. She married Friederich Wilhelm Borgelt at the Lutheran Church in Ni Ni, Victoria, Australia on October 8, 1884.⁽⁶⁵⁹⁾ He was known as Bill. Bill was born on July 28, 1860 in Gilles Plains, South Australia. He⁽⁶⁶⁰⁾ was the son of Friedrich August Borgelt and Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Heideman. Bill died on February 6, 1954 in Glenlee, Victoria, Australia at 93 years of age. He was buried in Nhill, Victoria, Australia. Occupation: Farmer.
	Caroline Schneider⁽⁶⁶¹⁾ was born in Penshurst, Victoria, Australia on October 3, 1869.⁽⁶⁶²⁾ Carolines birth was registered at Mt. Rouse. Caroline died on December 3, 1928 at 59 years of age. She married Johann Friederich August Pohlner on February 13, 1893.⁽⁶⁶³⁾ Johann was born on November 5, 1860 in Flaxman Valley, South Australia. He⁽⁶⁶⁴⁾ was the son of Ernst Hermann Pohlner and Ja Henriette Waltsgott. Johann died on November 5, 1937 at 77 years of age.