Ernest Charles Frederick GREEFF

Notes:

Businessman in New York

Ernest married Katharine TWYFORD on 25 Feb 1922. Katharine was born on 7 Feb 1897. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ernest Twyford GREEFF was born on 29 May 1924.
2. Nancy Held GREEFF was born on 29 Apr 1929.

Notes:

He spent his youth in Barmen, joined the Concordia in 1880, served in the Hessean Leib-Dragoner Regiment no.24 and qualified as officer. then he went to New York as a partner in "Greeff & Comp"

Ernst married Helen SCHMIDT on 24 Apr 1894. Helen was born on 9 Oct 1873; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Er begrundete die firma 'Greeff @ Comp' in Hoboken (bei New York), ...."
"Auf grund seiner erfahrungen im Deutch-Amerikanischen handelsverkehr und seines grossenanfehens wurde Ernst Greeff Amerikanischer Bizekonsul."
And much more: J V Bredt (1941:66)
After his commercial training he served in the infantry in Koln for one year together with his brother Julius.

He started the firm "Greeff& Comp" In Hoboken (by New York), settled his first household there and obtained American citizenship.
His parents-in-law in Germany suffered keenly from the separation from their favourite daughter and since Ernst also found the ocean journey very arduous he moved back to Mainz in 1865. There he regained German citizenship, in order to afford his sons the possibility to satisfy the requirements for militarytraining at a later stage.
He then acquired a house in Haspeler street, Unterbarten where he took upresidence.
This house was sold after the death of his first wife in 1873; the Paulskirche was built in the garden.
With his second wife Ernst remained living in Barmen at first, but later moved with his family to Frankfurt am Main.
In 1893 he acquired the castle Moosburg, Guttingen, canton of Thurgau in Switzserland, but used itonly as a summer residence for the time being.
Because of his experience in German-American commerce and because of the esteem in which he was held Ernst Greeff became American Vice-Consul. The German government also acknowledged his work by conferring on him the order of the Red Eagle IV.
As a keen hunter he had undertaken hunts at Brilon, Honningen am Rhein, Taunus and in Hungary. Blessed with great hardiness by nature, he was able to shoot several stags in the Carpathian mountains at the age of 85. On his 80th birthday he still danced the waltz and eye witnesses report that at his age he still ran after a moving tram and jumped aboard

Emil married Johanna BETTELHAUSER on 5 Dec 1859 in Mainz, Germany. Johanna was born on 20 Feb 1837 in Mainz, Germany; died on 1 May 1873 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]