Hugo GREEFF

Notes:

Businessman in Caterbury, later joined his father in Los Gatos

Family/Spouse: Irene DAVIS. Irene was born on 8 Aug 1904 in Gillingham, Kent, England, UK.; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Robert GREEFF
2. Phyllis Irene Alma GREEFF was born on 23 Sep 1894 in London, UK.; and died.
3. Hugo GREEFF was born on 9 May 1928 in Canterbury, UK..

Notes:

Hugo attended the Barmen secondary school and then joined "Greeff-Bredt & Comp" as an apprentice. The year 1880-1881 he went to London and was active in several firms there. During 1905-1916 he was a partner in the e xport firm "Henderson & Liddel"
Because war made business impossible he bought a property "Durfold Hall", 132 Morgan in extent, which he sold at a profit after the war. He then moved to his son Hugo at Canterbury, and in 1924 to Los Gatos in California (65km south of San Francisco), where he found a new fatherland.

Hugo married Annie Edith AXFORD on 5 Feb 1890. Annie was born on 25 Feb 1867; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Joh. Peter Greeff-Bredt went to America with his son Ernst in 1858 and established the firm "Greeff & Comp" in Hoboken. Since Ernst remained in America while his father had to return to his business in Barmen, Ernst must be regarded as the actual founder of "Greeff & Comp".
He took Greeff - Bredt & Comp to Toronto with his son, Hermann. He wrote poetry, an example is on p 65 of J V Bredt (1941).

In 1870 he acquired the property Mallack on the northern slope of Barmen.
In 1874 he was elected Churchmaster of the Reformed parish Gemarke.
He was also secretary of the poorhouse of the parish and it was mainly due to his efforts that a new building was erected in 1882 above the cemetry in Klingeholl.(According to Werth-Lauffs: History of the Evangelic-Reformed congregation Bramen Gemarke,p.347)

The street running past the cemetry was named Hugo street after him.
In 1905 he gave up his share in the firm "Greef-Bredt & Comp" and moved to his son Hermann in Toronto.

The following poem by Hugo Greeff proves his great gift for poetry. To date it has been impossible to ascertain what happened to the album mentioned.

To our beloved father on his 70th birthday 25.3.1873.

A large circle gathers with friendly greetings
Round you on your natal day
Forming a unified whole around you
You alone shall be its centre

Here you read storiues on every page
In the greatest as well as the smallest style
Still, read in every single face
That, who created them, created much even in the smallest!

And let your eyes rest with some pleasure
on this cosy group of houses
They have special value for all
Through the wise and wonderful ways of God!

Many pictures you will see of those no longer living
As with the one that you loved best
Your believing heart knows she floats blessedly
IN that higher, purer, eternal light!

And our present hymns of joy
Thankfully raised to our eternal father
Resound from the higher choirs:
God has created everthing well!

Thank him! in his grace He gave us you
He led you with his shepards devotion
He arranged all the paths of your life
They all proclaim God's love

May this book be an Ebanezer of Gods love
Taht we thankfully dedicate to you
May it announce to you in ever new merciful urges
God will continue to show his mercy!
may your fathers heart often take pleasure
In this widely ramified circle
And your hand go very often
For a loving new journey through these pages

One day another album will be opened
By him that is and was eternal
O would that everyone will be entered therin
That now surround you in an united throng!

Ernst married Britta METZNER on 26 May 1857 in Calm, Wurttemberg, Germany. Britta was born on 19 Apr 1835 in Aldingen; died in Mar 1895 in Barmen. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Greeff Brecht & Co, Barmen

in the Huckenbach english translation by Greeff and Viljoen Johann Peter Died in Elberfield
The firm "Ehrenberg & Leuschner" was aquired by Joh. Peter Greeff (Bornefeld) in 1829 and promptly renamed "J.P. Greeff & G.W. Sohn".Apparently it was the son Joh. Peter Greeff (Bredt) who brought tribute to his father in this way. He was a member of the Concordia Society in Barmen in 1824 and must accordingly already have lived in Barmen at the time.

According to notes made by Joh. Peter in Dusseldorf the firm also produced other articles which were in demand in the market, e.g. snuff boxes, brooches, cuff links, tie pins, also brooches carved from horn and similar material.
The main thrust thoughout was the metal button manufacture which had gradually conquered the whole German market and was more and more supplanting the French articles in foreign markets.
The largest manufacturing centres were Barmen and Ludenscheid.

Joh married Sophie Emilie BREDT on 24 Nov 1827. Sophie (daughter of Joh. Peter BREDT and Charlotte SIEBEL) was born on 21 May 1806; died on 22 Mar 1863. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]