The Role of Circumstantial Evidence in Identifying Hinrich Hellmers Genealogical proofs are often based on a collection of circumstantial evidence gathered and analyzed to support a conclusion. While there is no direct evidence to link the Heinrich/Henry Hellmers of New Orleans to the Hinrich Hellmers of Rekum, Germany (such as a document from New Orleans indicating his exact birth date or exact birthplace), there is a significant amount of circumstantial information. When we began searching for Heinrich/Henry Hellmers in Germany, we knew certain information about him, gathered from interviews, censuses, civil and church records, and similar sources. Here is what we learned:      He was a merchant seaman.      He was born about 1828.      He was born in Hannover or Bremen or somewhere in Hannover near Bremen.      He may have first arrived in New Orleans in 1847.      He came to the United States alone.      He lived permanently in New Orleans by April 1855.      He had a brother (or relative) named Adolph who was born about 1834.      He had a brother (or relative) named Adolph who lived permanently in New Orleans by June 1860.      He may have had a brother who lived in Philadelphia.      He had a sister who stayed in Germany. In the registry of the over 38,000 seamen who worked out of Bremen, there were only 48 with the name of Hellmers/Helmers/Hellmer/Helmer. Of those 48, only 12 had the name Hinrich/Henrich/Heinrich/etc. as part of their name, and of those 12, only one was born in 1828. The next closest in age was born in 1833. Of the same 48 Hellmers, etc., there were only three with the name Adolph. Of these, only one was born in 1834. The next closest in age was born in 1837. There is only one combination of a Hinrich/Henrich Hellmers/Helmers born in 1828 with a brother Adolph/Adolf Hellmers/Helmers born in 1834 in the index of approximately 38,951 seamen in the Bremen, Germany Sailors Registry, 1837-1873. In addition to the correct combination of a Hinrich and Adolph Hellmers from the right area, there was a third brother, Jürgen, who was a seaman and deserted in Philadelphia. Also there was a sister, Elise, who remained in Germany. Using the records of seamen who worked out of Bremen—the Sailors Registry, 1837-1873 [Bremer Seeleuteregister, 1837-1873] and Ships Crew Lists, 1821-1873 [Bremer Musterungslisten der Schiffe, 1821-1873]—and the records of the church in Neuenkirchen organized by Die Maus in the Ortsfamilienbuch Neuenkirchen (Schwanewede), it appears there is only one person who matches what is known of Hinrich Hellmers of New Orleans. From the overwhelming circumstantial evidence provided by these records, it can be concluded that Hinrich Hellmers of New Orleans and Hinrich Hellmers of Rekum are one and the same person. Special thanks This conclusion was only made possible using the Bremen seamen’s records placed online by Ancestry.com and the Ortsfamilienbuch Neuenkirchen (Schwanewede) and Ortsfamilienbuch Lesum und Bramstedt placed online by Die Maus, Gesellschaft für Familienforschung in Bremen e. V. (the Family History and Genealogical Society of Bremen). All of these records were placed online in 2006. Special thanks go to: Herr Falk Liebezeit (city archivist, county archivist, and professional genealogist in Diepholz) for first suggesting that the proper place was perhaps Rekum in Hannover (today Bremen) rather than the Reckum near Harpstedt. Herr Rudolf Voß, Vorsitzender of Die Maus (Gesellschaft für Familienforschung e. V.) for offering the assistance of the volunteers and contacting Herr Fritz Hopfgarten on my behalf. Herr Fritz Hopfgarten for assisting with the records of Neuenkirchen, answering questions, transcribing notations, and providing copies of the church records for me. Frau Rita Bömermann for assisting with the records of Lesum and for providing Word documents with the ancestors of Arend Helmers, the ancestors of Adelheid Margarethe Timm, and the descendants of Jürgen Hellmers. Many thanks to all of these kind people for their assistance and special thanks to all of Die Maus volunteers for transcribing Bremen-area church records and for making them available online through the Ortsfamilienbücher. Norman D. Hellmers 2009
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