A household of working lives
On June 8, 1880, the Jersey City census lists Ameil, a 49-year-old glove maker, and wife Augusta, also 49. Their named children include Julius, Otto, Emiel, Frank, Emma and Theodore. The older members were born in Germany and the younger children in New Jersey. George, 24, follows with a blank relationship field; his parentage should not be supplied from proximity alone.
Evidence: E262
A family group aboard North America
Passenger list 399, dated May 31, 1860, records consecutive entries for Theodor Emil Backer, 34; Augusta, 30; Geo., four; Julius, two; and Otto, four months. The combination of names, children’s ages and trade makes this a strong arrival candidate. The original says glovemaker, correcting the shoemaker index reading. It does not explicitly state the relationships or identify a German hometown.
Evidence: E263
Why the voyage remains a candidate
The father’s 1860 age of 34 would make him about 54 in 1880, against the census’s 49. That five-year disagreement remains visible. The surname is printed Backer in the manifest; later records use Becker. The group fits well, but the intervening records and age conflict must be reconciled before the voyage becomes the family’s established arrival.
Evidence: E263
Following Germania Avenue
The directory printed in 1870 places Emil, glove cutter, on Germania Avenue near Newark in Hudson City. The 1880–1881 issue gives 505 Germania Avenue for Emil, Julius and Otto, with different trades; George is at 509. An 1886–1887 issue still lists Emil, while the next two list Augusta as his widow. Edition dates and publication lag prevent turning that sequence into an exact death day.
The next generation still needs its bridge
Theodore is explicitly called a son in 1880, but the connection to Edward T. Becker’s later family needs original records. A February 1927 Theodore death-index entry is an unassigned candidate, rather than a replacement for the inherited 1925 date. Another compiled Becker family with overlapping names is an identity warning, not proof of Augusta’s maiden name. No German village, European parents or replacement pedigree has been established.
Sources & further reading
- BGU.CENSUS1880Ameil Becker family, original 1880 population schedule
Historical census image via NARA microfilm T9-784; individually read twice
ED29, sheet10B/handwritten11,8 June 1880, JerseyCity, GermaniaAv, lines1–12
Open source - BGU.MANIFEST1860North America passenger group,31 May 1860
Historical manuscript/copy image via NARA M237-201, individually inspected twice
List399; IAleaf334cover,335firstpassengerpage, countedlines4–8
Open source - BGU.DIR1870Gopsill Jersey City/Hoboken directory 1870–1871
Contemporary printed directory pages individually inspected
printed43/PDF53; titlePDF17, abbreviationsPDF27; Emil glove cutter, GermaniaAvnearNewark, HC=HudsonCity
Open source - BGU.DIR1880Gopsill Jersey City/Hoboken directory 1880–1881
Contemporary printed directory pages individually inspected
printed47/PDF33; titlePDF8, headingPDF19; Emilglovecutter, Juliusbrass, Ottobrasspolisher505; Georgemachinist509Germania
Open source - BGU.DIR1886Gopsill Jersey City/Hoboken directory 1886–1887
Contemporary printed directory pages individually inspected
printed61/PDF57; titlePDF9; Emilcutter505Germania; copyright 1886
Open source - BGU.DIR1887Gopsill Jersey City/Hoboken directory 1887–1888
Contemporary printed directory pages individually inspected
printed57/PDF28; titlePDF6; Augusta widowEmil, Francisdriver, OttoFgasfitter505Germania; copyright 1887
Open source - BGU.DIR1888Gopsill Jersey City/Hoboken directory 1888–1889
Contemporary printed directory pages individually inspected
printed56/PDF53; titlePDF8; Augusta widowEmil505Germania; copyright 1888
Open source - BGU.DEATH1927Theodore BeckerFebruary 1927 JerseyCityindex candidate
Government-produced historical index image inspected
PDF8, rightcolumn7Febgroup
Open source - BGU.GROOMS1901Bounded 1901 NJgroomsBeckerblock
Historical handwritten index main-block images inspected
PDF30–31, handwritten23–24
Open source - BGU.MARRIAGE.SCREENSBounded officialNYCBecker/Medici index screens
Official electronic index, not marriage certificates
Theo-prefix17rows; pairedManhattan 1900/2504,1901/15349,1906/28709; Gustav/Carswell 1883 screens
Open source - BGU.GGG.MARRIAGESEight boundedGGGmarriage searches
Volunteer church-record index; originalsnotobtained
HobokenBeckergrooms/brides11/2rows; Gust, Carswell, Theo, Medici, Demedici, wildcardqueries0
Open source - BGU.VORBACH.CONTROLUnassignedVorbach/Beckeraggregate family-overlap control
User-tree aggregation; no original relationshipsverified
AugusteVorbach 1846–1900/JohannChristian 1840–1914; overlappingOscar, Augusta, Louisa anddifferentTheodoreHerman
Open source