Charles and Sophia
Charles Lange was living in Zellerfeld in the Upper Harz region of Germany in 1853 when his son Carl Wilhelm was born. Later that year Charles and his wife Sophia and their infant son had boarded the “Caesar Godeffroy” bound for South Australia. Listing his occupation as a miner Charles was one of more than 2000 German miners who migrated to South Australia because mining, especially copper mining, in the Harz Mountains had become a difficult occupation and wages were low. And so they started a new life in Australia, with Charles potentially finding work at the Kapunda or Burra copper mines on the outskirts of Adelaide, the third-largest producer of copper in the world.
In 1860 Charles succumbed to a slow fever, typhoid disease, which was common in the copper mines of the area. His death in April 1860, four months before the birth of Louisa, my great-great-grandmother, left Sophia to raise three young children without family support or government pensions. The German community, however, seemed to embrace the family and in 1866 Sophia married an immigrant farmer, Francis Breust, in Mount Gambier.
The family did not remain in South Australia as they joined the German migration to the New South Wales Riverina area, settling in Moorwatha and farming 200 acres surrounded by Francis’ siblings and other German families.
Children of Charles and Sophia:
William Louis born 1853 in Zellerfeld, Hannover, Germany. Married Wilhelmina Schlinker, June 8th, 1872 in Albury, NSW. Died December 24th, 1940 in Granville, NSW.
William and Wilhelmina had 12 children, 9 sons and 3 daughters.
Amelia Sophia born January 17, 1857, in Adelaide, South Australia. Married Albert Schlincker Slinger, December 3, 1872, in Jindera, NSW. Died December 17, 1900, Albury, NSW.
Amelia and Albert had 14 children, 7 sons and 7 daughters.
Louisa Matilda born August 14, 1860, Adelaide, Soth Australia. Married George William Dopper, November 10, 1881, Jindera, NSW. Died August 20, 1947, Albury, NSW.
Louisa and George had 10 children, 5 sons and 5 daughters.
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