Docket Item 1: Petition of Colon Krückeberg No. 10 in Berenbusch (2 Oct. 1841)

Overview

On 2 October 1841 in Bückeburg, Johann Heinrich Krückeberg (Colon No. 10, Berenbusch) submits a petition to the Princely Rentkammer. He explains that his late parents’ shoemaking business left a large leather debt to Hempel & Söhne (Minden); judgment has now been entered against him and he faces distraint. Unable to pay in full, he asks the Chamber to consent to a new loan of 150 Reichsthaler and to allow him to pay the remaining (unconsolidated) balance in annual installments of 5 thalers. He notes his holding already carries 700 thalers in consented debts, but says he has no other way out despite the added interest burden. The petition closes with the standard deferential formula. Marginal dockets route the matter to the Amt for a report (noted 4 Oct 1841) and show it was drafted by G. W. Fuchs (Conc.) and registered under N. C. 4381.

Timeline: Hempel Söhne v. Krückeberg (1841)

29 May 1841 & 6 June 1841

Decrees issued by the Amt ordering Johann Heinrich Krückeberg (Colon No. 10, Berenbusch) to pay 133 Reichsthaler 7 Mariengroschen plus 5% annual interest from 9 April 1833. Krückeberg does not comply.

10 July 1841

Advocate Meyer, attorney for the plaintiffs (Hempel Söhne of Minden), files a petition before the Amt. He requests that the threatened enforcement of judgment (Execution) be decreed, with the warning of seizure of property (Auspfandung). The clerk’s note (ref: exp: contum: infidem) shows Krückeberg is not present and does not know of this filing.

13 July 1841

The Amt issues its decree (Decretum):

The petition is to be communicated to Krückeberg in copy.
Enforcement of judgment (Execution) is ordered.
Court officer (Amtsdiener) Möller is instructed to enforce collection of the debt (principal + interest + 4 Mariengroschen fee).
Möller is to warn Krückeberg that, if enforcement proves fruitless and no payment is made within 14 days, then upon further request of the plaintiffs, seizure of property (Auspfandung) will immediately be decreed and carried out. Signed by Amt officials Hauck and Höcker.

Explanation

The Protokollbuch and Protokoll Number

The notations “Nr pr.”, “Nr Pr.”, or “Num pr.” (you’ll see variations in capitalization) all refer to the Protokollnummer, the protocol number recorded in the Rentkammer’s official Protokollbuch (protocol book).

Krückeberg’s petition shown below, the first document in the case, triggered the formal opening of the case in the chamber’s records.
A clerk then recorded the essential details of the petition and its initial handling in the Protokollbuch under entry 1274.
The number 1274 was then written on the petition itself so that, if anyone later consulted the loose papers, they could look up the corresponding protocol entry (the official summary) in the ledger.

"b.m. zum Amtsbericht” — "to be attached"

“b.m. zum Amtsbericht” appears in the Rentcammers’s comment/note concerning the petition b. m. is short for beizumachen. It literally means: “to be attached to the Amt’s report.” "attach" sounds passive (paper-clipping one document to another), but to the clerk Spreng, it was shorthand for a routing instruction: "This petition is to be sent to the Amt, and the Amt’s report must come back with it attached."

That’s why in Document 2, the Amt’s report opens with: "Auf Auf die anbei zurückerfolgende Bittschrift des Colons Krückeberg…” or “In response to the petition of Colon Krückeberg, herewith returned.”

Case File Subject Slip

Figure 1. Click to Enlarge

Transliteration and Translation

Transliteration

An
Fürstliche Rentkammer.
des Kolon Krucheberg
Nro 10 in Berenbusch
unterthänigstes Gesuch
um Anlehns den-
sens[dessens] pp

Translation

To
Princely Rent Chamber.
of the Colon Krückeberg
No. 10 in Berenbusch
most humble petition
for loan consent, etc

Images

Figure 2. Click to Enlarge

Figure 3. Click to Enlarge

Transliteration and Translation

Transliteration	Translation
NC 4381 pr. in Cam 2 Oct 1841 Durchlauchtigster Fürst, Gnädigst regierender Fürst D[initial] und Herr! RC. b.m. [beizumachen] zum Amtsbericht B. 4 Oct 41 Spreng Mein verstorbener Vater und nach dessen Tode auch meine Mutter, die das Handwerk meines Vaters, eines Schuhmachers, fortsetzte, haben bei den Kaufleuten und Gerber Hempel Söhne in Minden eine bedeutende Lederschuld gewirkt, die jetzt mit Zinsen gegen mich ausgeklagt ist, und derentwegen, wie anliegender Bescheid des Amts bekundet, ich mit Auspfandung bedroht bin. Mir ist es unmöglich, diese ganze Summe aus eigenen vorräthiger Mitteln zu bezahlen, und ich weiß mich nicht anders zu helfen, als durch ein neues Darlehn von 150 Rthl und die Erlangung der Vergünstigung, den Rest in jährlichen Terminen von 5 Rthlr abtragen zu können. Auf meiner Nr. pr: 1274 [end of page 1] Stätte haften zwar schon 700 Rthl consentirter Schulden, allein ich kann mir nicht anders helfen, so ungern ich auch noch meine Zinsen last vergrößern. Ew. Durchlaucht muß ich daher unterthänigst bitten: mir gnädigst den Consens zu einem neuen Anlehn von 150 Rthl zu ertheilen und dann zu verfügen daß ich der Rest der unconfendirten Hempelischen Forderung in jährlichen terminen von 5 Rthlr abträgen könne. In tiefster Ehrfurcht ersterbend Ew. Durchlaucht Buckeburg unterthänigster, d. 2ten Ditto. 1841. Colon Krückeberg Conc[ipist]. GWFuchs. Nr 10 in Berenbusch. progg[short for:protokollieren].	NC 4381 presented in Cammer 2 Oct 1841 Most Serene Prince, gracious reigning Prince and Lord, Rent Chamber to be attached to the Amt’s report. Bückeburg, 4 October 1841 Spreng My late father—and, after his death, my mother, who continued my father’s trade as a shoemaker—incurred a substantial leather debt with the merchants and tanners Hempel & Sons in Minden. This debt, with interest, has now been adjudged against me, and—as the attached notice from the district office shows—I am threatened with distraint (seizure). It is impossible for me to pay the entire amount from my own available means, and I see no other remedy than to obtain a new loan of 150 thalers and to be granted the favor of paying off the remainder in annual installments of 5 thalers. There are already 700 thalers in officially authorized debts secured on my [Protocol/registry number of the Rentkammer at end of page 1] Nr. pr: 1274 holding (i.e., mortgages registered on the property); nevertheless, the only way I can deal with the Hempel claim is to take on further borrowing—much as I dislike increasing my burden of interest payments. I therefore most humbly request: that Your Serene Highness graciously consent to a new loan of 150 thalers and then decree that I may repay the remainder of the not-yet-authorized Hempel claim in yearly installments of 5 thalers. In deepest respect, Bückeburg, the 2nd (of the same month), 1841. Your Serene Highness’s drafted by G. W. Fuchs most humble servant, with fee Colon Krückeberg filed No. 10 in Berenbusch.

Transliteration

Translation

NC 4381                             pr. in Cam 2 Oct 1841


                     Durchlauchtigster Fürst,
                     Gnädigst regierender Fürst
D[initial]           und Herr!

RC.
b.m. [beizumachen] zum Amtsbericht
B. 4 Oct 41
Spreng

Mein verstorbener Vater und nach dessen Tode auch meine Mutter,
die das Handwerk meines Vaters, eines Schuhmachers, fortsetzte,
haben bei den Kaufleuten und Gerber Hempel Söhne in Minden eine
bedeutende Lederschuld gewirkt, die jetzt mit Zinsen gegen mich
ausgeklagt ist, und derentwegen, wie anliegender Bescheid des
Amts bekundet, ich mit Auspfandung bedroht bin. Mir ist es
unmöglich, diese ganze Summe aus eigenen vorräthiger Mitteln zu
bezahlen, und ich weiß mich nicht anders zu helfen, als durch ein
neues Darlehn von 150 Rthl und die Erlangung der Vergünstigung,
den Rest in jährlichen Terminen von 5 Rthlr abtragen zu können.
Auf meiner

Nr. pr: 1274 [end of page 1]

Stätte haften zwar schon 700 Rthl consentirter Schulden,
allein ich kann mir nicht anders helfen, so ungern ich auch noch
meine Zinsen last vergrößern.  Ew. Durchlaucht muß ich daher
unterthänigst bitten:

mir gnädigst den Consens zu einem neuen Anlehn von 150 Rthl zu
ertheilen und dann zu verfügen daß ich der Rest der
unconfendirten Hempelischen Forderung in jährlichen terminen von
5 Rthlr abträgen könne.

In tiefster Ehrfurcht ersterbend

Ew. Durchlaucht

Buckeburg                              unterthänigster,
d. 2ten Ditto. 1841.                   Colon Krückeberg
Conc[ipist]. GWFuchs.                  Nr 10 in Berenbusch.
progg[short for:protokollieren].

NC 4381                   presented in Cammer 2 Oct 1841


Most Serene Prince, gracious reigning Prince and Lord,

Rent Chamber
to be attached to the Amt’s report.
Bückeburg, 4 October 1841
Spreng

My late father—and, after his death, my mother, who continued my
father’s trade as a shoemaker—incurred a substantial leather
debt with the merchants and tanners Hempel & Sons in Minden.
This debt, with interest, has now been adjudged against me,
and—as the attached notice from the district office shows—I am
threatened with distraint (seizure). It is impossible for me to
pay the entire amount from my own available means, and I see no
other remedy than to obtain a new loan of 150 thalers and to be
granted the favor of paying off the remainder in annual
installments of 5 thalers.

There are already 700 thalers in officially authorized debts
secured on my

[Protocol/registry number of the Rentkammer at end of page 1]
Nr. pr: 1274

holding (i.e., mortgages registered on the
property); nevertheless, the only way I can deal with the Hempel
claim is to take on further borrowing—much as I dislike
increasing my burden of interest payments. I therefore most
humbly request:

that Your Serene Highness graciously consent to a new loan of 150
thalers and then decree that I may repay the remainder of the
not-yet-authorized Hempel claim in yearly installments of 5
thalers.

In deepest respect,

Bückeburg, the 2nd (of the same month), 1841.    Your Serene Highness’s
drafted by G. W. Fuchs                           most humble servant,
with fee                                         Colon Krückeberg
filed                                            No. 10 in Berenbusch.