Torsholt

In Torsholt families with the surnames HOBBIE and HOBBIEJANSSEN have their origin. The name HOBBIE is also used by the descendants of several other family lines.
The village Torsholt lies about 5 km south of Westerstede and is today part of the municipality Westerstede.

Topographic Map of Torsholt (TK50-1998)
Topographic Map 1:50.000 (Copyright: LGLN Niedersachsen)

The Torsholt settlement was first known in 1385 by the squire Reynerum van Tartesholte. In 1425 he, or probably his son, was quoted in court by the dean of the University of Erfurt. One of the two as a citizen of the town of Oldenburg in 1427 bought the Wildbrock estate north of Torsholt, which was sold again in 1439 by the two widows Almod (the old Reyner) and Gebbeke (the young Reyner). In the „Oldenburger Lagerbuch“ from 1428, the tax book of Jacob von Specken for the duke Moritz of Oldenburg, under „Torsholte“ was no HOBBIE mentioned yet, but only „Heyne Beninges hus ghift 1 mk. to 30 gr.“ (later „Meine Benni“) and „Henke 1 mk. to 30 gr.“, who a few years later had to pay „30 gr. and 1 mager swin“ as a tax.

Only in the „Mannzahlregister“ (defence recruitment register) of 1581 Gerdt HOBBING is mentioned as a Hausmann with side rifle, spear, harness, and with a fortified servant with rifle. Johann HOBBY was listed in the Mannzahlregister of 1632, also as villain with a whole inheritance in a „Weinkaufregister“ (recording of all legal contracts), and in 1653 Dierk HOBBI was mentioned. In the early land title records from the middle of the 17th century Dierich HOBBY is mentioned as a Hausmann on the Torsholt farm no. 7 in the historical centre of Torsholt.

Also in this family the first names „Dierk“ and „Dirich“ are very popular, so that the second born son of Dierk Hobby (*1636), Johann Hobby (*1682), calls his first son Dierk HOBBY-JANSSEN (*1717) – in distinction to a son of the farm heir of the same name. This is the foundation of the HOBBIEJANSSEN line in Torsholt, which still exists today. The following picture shows the location of the two farms.

Hobbie-Farms in Torsholt in GoogleEarth

In the following the family „HOBBIE from Torsholt“ and the origin of the line „Hobbiejanßen from Torsholt“ is genealogically described.

The families „HOBBIE from Torsholt“ until around 1920

The spelling of the names mainly follows the baptismal registers and documents. The German names for farmers and farm hands are retained and are to be interpreted as follows:
„Hausmann“ = farmer with a long-established hereditary farm, first settlers in a village,
„Köter“ = farmer with a smaller, later founded farm,
„Halbköter, Viertelköter“ = Köter with less land,
„Brinksitzer“ = small farmer on the outskirts of the village,
„Anbauer“ = farmer on newly cultivated land,
„Grundheuermann“ = farm hand with own house on non-inherent land,
„Heuermann, Heuerling“ = farm hand without own house,
„Häusling“ = person without own house,
„Dienstknecht, Knecht“ = farm hand.

1. Gerdt HOBBING, *about 1540, +before 1617 Torsholt, Hausmann.
He is mentioned in the „Mannzahlregister“ (defence recruitment register) of 1581 under Torsholt with spit, armour, side rifle and a well-fortified farm hand with long rifle and thus the currently known top ancestor of the families „HOBBIE from Torsholt“. Since the name „Hobbing“ apparently did not appear here before, the „ing-form“ of this early name and the first name „Dierk“ or „Dierich“, which is preferred again and again in the following generations, lead to the assumption, that Gerdt HOBBING was probably a descendant of the „HOBBIE from Apen“ family (8 km west of Torsholt). Thus he was a descendant of Gerke HOBBINGE (around 1400-1437) and a younger brother of Dierich (around 1530-after 1581). However, this will probably not be proven anymore.

2. Johan HOBBY, *about 1570 Torsholt, +after 29.10.1633 ibid., Hausmann.
He must have been the son of Gerdt HOBBING, who in 1581 was still too young for defence registration. In 1632 he is named in the Mannzahlregister with a son capable of defence service, and he writes a will with his wife Talke on 29.10.1633 in which their children Didtrich, Talke, Johan, Anna and Gesche are considered. Diedrich HOBBY (1600-1679) was the farm heir. Nothing else is known yet about Johan HOBBY (*around 1600) and Anne HOBBY (*around 1602). Talke HOBBY (*about 1604) married 1633 Gerd Bruggeman (*about 1600) from Mansie. Gesche HOBBY (1607-1692) died single at the age of 85.

3. Diedrich „Dirk“ HOBBY, *1598 Torsholt, +26.12.1679 ibid., Hausmann.
In 1653 he is mentioned in the Mannzahlregister as „Dierk Hobbi“ with a Musquete, and in 1665 as „Dirich“ with son Dirich. He married Gesche Schwengels (about1607-1692) in 1633 and had 5 children with her, of which four reached adulthood and married. For Johann HOBBY (1631-1701) see 4.a). Dirk HOBBY (1638-1691) as the next eldest son became heir to the family estate, see 4.b). Talke HOBBY (*1641) married Bruno Scholly (about 1646-1685) in 1673 and had seven children with him. Anna HOBBY (1643-1724) married Frerk Ahlhorn (1632-1719) from Gießelhorst in 1662 and had four children with him.

4. a) Johann HOBBY, *1631 Torsholt, +16.02.1701 ibid.
In 1686 he married Anna Bicker (1654-1721) from Fikensolt, took the name of the wife and had with her four sons, of whom the first-born is still called Dirk HOBBY (1688-1721), later „Bicker“. The other children are Johann BICKER (1690-1752), Carsten BICKER (*1693) and Gerd BICKER (1696-about 1742).

4. b) Dierk HOBBY, *03.10.1638 Torsholt, +13.11.1691 ibid., Hausmann.
He married Grete Gerdes (1642-1720) from Howiek in 1671 and had five children with her, four of whom reached adulthood and three married. Gesche HOBBY (1671-1730) married Gerd Dierks (1672-vor1729) from Seggern in 1696 and had 6 children with him. Dirich HOBBY (1672-1746), the eldest son, became the estate heir, see 5.a). Grete HOBBY (1679-1730) died single at the age of 53. And the youngest son Johan HOBBY (1682-1754) was the eponym of the line „HOBBIEJANSSEN“, see 5.b).

5. a) Dirich „Dierk“ HOBBY, *11.12.1672 Torsholt, +11.11.1746 ibid., Hausmann.
He married Almut Hobbeken (1670-1733) from Helle in Westerstede in 1695 and had five children with her, three of whom reached adulthood and married. Dierk HOBBY (1698-1767), the eldest son, became the estate heir, see 6.a). Ahlert HOBBY (1704-1763) married Gesche Gerken (1708-1753) from Torsholt in 1725 and took the name Gerken as a marrying in. And Allmuth HOBBY (1707-1785) married Hinrich Benny (1713-1800) from Torsholt in 1740, this marriage remained childless.

5. b) Johan HOBBY, *18.01.1682 Torsholt, +26.02.1754 ibid., Heuermann.
In 1714 he brought a multi-door wardrobe with shed pilasters into the first, short marriage with the Hausmann daughter Hille Scholly (1684-1715) from Torsholt (OGF data services, wedding furniture, entry S067), who died in childbed with her son Dierk HOBBY (1715-1715).
In second marriage he married 1716 Wübke Claus Gerdes (*1696). Her presumably only son Dierk HOBBY (1717-1803) was named „Hobby-Janßen“ to distinguish him from his Torsholt cousin and heir to the family house of the same name, see 6.b).

6.  a) Dierk HOBBY, *08.10.1698 Torsholt, +19.11.1767 ibid., Hausmann.
He married Talke Boltjes (1705-1773) from Mansie in Westerstede in 1725 and had six children with her, five of whom reached adulthood and married. Allmuth HOBBY (1726-1765) married Johann Oldemeinen (1716-1783) from Westerscheps in Edewecht in 1745. Grete HOBBY (1730-1816) married Gerd Rippen (1728-1789) from Westerscheps in 1753 in Edewecht and had eight children with him. Dierk HOBBY (1734-1822) as eldest son became the heir of the farm. Frerk HOBBY (1736-1815) remained unmarried. Talke HOBBY (1744-1817) married in 1767 the inhabitant Johann Friedrich Bohlje (1738-1797) from Torsholt.

6.  b) Dierk HOBBY gen. HOBBY-JANSSEN, *08.10.1717 Torsholt, +26.06.1803 Seggern, Heuermann and Brinksitzer.
To the description of the family of Dierk HOBBY-JANSSEN (1717-1803) and the other descendants of the families „HOBBIEJANSSEN from Torsholt“ see at „Hobbiejanssen„.

7.   Dierk HOBBIE also HOBJE, *15.03.1734 Torsholt, +29.07.1822 ibid., Hausmann.
He married Anna Schumacher (1742-1806) from Aue in his first marriage in 1774 and Anna Cathrine Dierks (1786-1857) from Torsholt in his second marriage in 1807. In both marriages a daughter was born, who died in childhood. After the death of her husband, the widow Anna Cathrine married her neighbour, the househusband Johann Claus (1791-1862), with whom she had five sons. Diedrich CLAUS (1826-1892), a later born son, took over the Hobbie’sche Hausmannsstelle in 1859 after the death of his mother and named himself HOBBIE accordingly, see 8.).

The following Oldenburg Vogteikarte shows to scale the Hausmann place „Hobbie“, the Köterei „Hobbiejanssen“ and the settlement of Torsholt at this time.

Hobbie-Farms in Torsholt in Vogteikarte from 1793
Oldenburg Vogteikarte von 1793 (Copyright: LGLN Niedersachsen)

8.   Diedrich CLAUS called HOBBIE, *30.06.1826 Torsholt, +16.11.1892 ibid., Hausmann.
In 1856 he married Anna Christine Margarethe Frerichs (1828-1914) from Ocholt and in 1859 took over the Hobbie-Hof in Torsholt neighbouring the Claus-Hof, which according to the „Seelenregister“ (census)  stood empty in 1822 and was inhabited in 1842 by the day labourer Gerd Claus, a younger brother of Johann Claus *1791. He – and his children, who had previously been christened CLAUS – officially took the name HOBBIE in 1867. With his wife he had 7 children, four of whom reached adulthood and married. Anna Catharine CLAUS later HOBBIE (1857-1923) married Johann Heinrich Christoph Raster (1848-1941) from Westerstede in 1878. Johann Friedrich CLAUS later HOBBIE (1859-1895) was heir to the farm. Elise Helene CLAUS later HOBBIE (1861-1953) married in 1885 in Zwischenahn the farmer Hermann Friedrich Grimm (1855-1898) from Zwischenahn. In 1888 Amalie Marie HOBBIE (1868-1925) married in Huntlosen the innkeeper Fritz Heinrich Albert Schmidt (1863-1946) from there and had four children with him.

9.  Johann Friederich CLAUS later HOBBIE, *20.01.1859 Torsholt, +25.08.1895 ibid., Hausmann.
He married Anna Marie Oltmanns (1864-1914) from Torsholt in 1883 and had three children with her. Johann Heinrich HOBBIE (1884-1948) was the farm heir. Helene ‚Christine‘ HOBBIE (1885-1954) married in 1906 the Oldenburg building technician and master builder Karl Heinrich Konrad Ziese (1880-1946) from Westerstede and had with him at least one son, the Westersteder building contractor Gerhard Friedrich ‚Conrad‘ Ziese (1915-1980). Amalie Johanne HOBBIE (1889-1977) married Carl Adolf Wienken (1886-1915) from Mollberg in 1913.
In 1898 the widow Anna Marie married the farmer Heinrich Helwig (1857-1922) from Westerloy.

10.  Johann Heinrich HOBBIE, *10.01.1884 Torsholt, +28.07.1948 ibid., Hausmann and stallion owner.
The Hobbie farm was destroyed by fire in 1905 and then rebuilt at its present location on Howieker Strasse. He married Frieda Hempen (1882-1952) from Ekern in Westerstede in 1906 and had 5 children with her, four of whom reached adulthood and married. The marriage of the farm heir Friedrich HOBBIE (1906-1972) in Wiefelstede in 1935 with Martha Wilhelmine Kuck (1911-1998) from Gristede remained childless. In 1952 they adopted the son of Friedrich’s sister Marga Luise Ikels nee Hobbie, Helmut Ikels, as their son. He was later to take over the farm and take the name Hobbie as his sole surname. Instead the son of Friedrichs brother Hans, Hans Heinrich HOBBIE (1937-2000) took over the farm. Anneliese HOBBIE (1909-1981) married Erich Heinrich Janßen (1904-1981) from Gristede in 1933. Marga Luise HOBBIE (1910-1998) married Christian Wilhelm Johann Ikels (1907-1943) from Bremerhaven-Lehe in Varel in 1934 and had with him two sons, Manfred Ikels (1936-2002) and the aforementioned Helmut Ikels now Hobbie (*1939). For Hans HOBBIE (1912-1942) see 11.).

11. Hans HOBBIE, *19.02.1912 Torsholt, +13.03.1942 Russia, farmer.
He married Martha Marie Eiting (1913-2002) from Oldenburg in Wiefelstede in 1934 and had three children with her, two of whom married: Hans Heinrich HOBBIE (1937-2000), who took over the farm, and Hille HOBBIE (1941-1967).
After the death of Hans Heinrich HOBBIE (1937-2000), the family headquarters of „HOBBIE aus Torsholt“, which had burned down in the fire of 1905 and had been rebuilt on Howieker Strasse, was leased.

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Further information, also on children not listed here, deceased or unmarried, as well as on other descendants after 1900, if known and (e.g. in the case of living persons) not protected, may be provided on request, see Contact.