Born
1815 or 1818
Baden region, Germany

Died
Between 1874-1875
Brooklyn, New York

Parents
Possibly Balthasar Knittel
Possibly Eva Elisabeth Keilbach

Siblings
Unknown

Spouse
Catherine Fried
Married December 6, 1860 in Mannheim, Germany

Children
Julia Knittel
Ludwig Knittel
Catherina Knittel
Susanna Catherine Knittel
Anton Knittel
Alexander M. J. Knittel

Life Story

Philipp Jacob Knittel was born either in 1815 (according to an immigration record) or in 1818 (according to the 1870 Census) in the Baden region of Germany. It is believed, but not yet verified, that he was named after his grandfather who was the mayor of Ketsch, Germany in the 1780s. The Knittel name was quite common in Ketsch, Bruhl and other neighboring towns, as was the tradition of honoring one's parents or grandparents when naming offspring; as a result, it is difficult to determine which Philipp Jacob, Louis, Susanna or Catharina went with which family. An 1815 birth record in the Catholic Church of Ketsch for a "Pfilip Jakob" Knittel with parents named Balthasar Knittel and Barbara Keilbach matches the birth year estimate found on a ship passenger list, but does not match the census record that listed accurate birth years for his wife and children. Further research will be needed to determine both his date of birth and the names of his parents and grandparents.

Jacob listed his occupation on the ship passenger list as "cook". He married Katharina Fried, who was 20 or more years younger, when he was in his 40s. A marriage listing in the Ketsch Catholic Church database indicates that Philipp Jacob and Katharina Fried married on December 6, 1860, only one month before their first child, Juliana, was born. During the next three and a half years of marriage, Jacob and Katharina had three more children: Ludwig Louis, Catharina Susanna, and Susanna Catherine.

Poor economic conditions, lack of jobs and/or land, the allure of a better life and easy access to the Rhine River led 1 million Germans from Baden to immigrate to the US in the 19th Century. Jacob was among this wave, leaving his home in Ketsch for New York in the hopes of better economic security for his family. He left ahead of his wife and their four children in 1865 and was a passenger on the Saybrook, which sailed from London to New York on October 25. Eighteen months later, on April 9, 1867, Katharine and her four young children arrived in New York. They lived in lower Manhattan where they had two more sons: Anton, who was born March 16, 1869, and Alexander, who was born March 31, 1872. Sometime between their arrival and June of 1870, their third child, Catherine Susan, and their new baby, Anton, died.

Jacob supported his family as a cook in a hotel. The only picture that is believed to be of him shows a large man with a graying mutton chop-style beard. He died sometime between 1874 and 1875 when the city directory records lists Catharine as his widow. He was between 54 and 59 when he died; however, an exact date of death, burial location or cause of death is not known.

Facts

Seeking Information

Confirmation on parent names and exact birth date, exact date and location of death, burial location

Photo Gallery

Updated 9/20/14