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#631614 1st Dec 2011 3:41pm
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bert1 Offline OP
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In November 1888 Fredrick Smith the father of FE Smith 1st Earl of Birkenhead was elected mayor of Birkenhead and died one month later, he was succeeded by Charles Thomas Gostenhofer who served as town mayor for 12 months. He also served as a JP. The 1891 and 1901 census shows him being born in Islington, London and living at 18 Beresford Rd Oxton. He had a number of servants.
Map of property would be welcome around that time
Anyone know anything more on this man?

Any more input would be welcome.

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ctg1891.JPG (71.44 KB, 338 downloads)
ctg1901.JPG (88.55 KB, 339 downloads)
Last edited by bert1; 1st Dec 2011 3:44pm.

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Interesting, Bert. I know nothing of him, but it's interesting to note that his wife was American and he clearly spent some years there since his two daughters were born there. The name seems to be German, possibly Jewish. He is of an age such that he might have been a refugee from the pogroms which were quite frequent in Eastern Europe in the 19th. century.


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I can tell you that Gostenhofer was in poor health at the time of his election.

I have a snippet from a local news paper dated Dec 29, 1888 stating that:-

'...in unaminously electing Mr. C.Gostenhofer on Monday morning to the vacant office of Mayor, the Council paid a well merited tribute to that gentleman's high character and well-known business capacity, but that the new mayor, being advanced in years and in delicate health, has publicly asked to be excused from attending night meetings, and those concerned will kindly bear this in mind; that following the example of the late Mayor, Mr Gostenhofer announced that the Mayoress will be "at home" to visitors at Laurel-bank, Beresford-road, on Saturday's from three to six'.


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He was baptised on the 10th November 1825 at St. Mary Islington the son of Theophilus Frederick Gostenhofer & Ann Smith his wife.

His parents were married on the 27th March 1808 at St George the Martyr in Southwark.

Charles wife may possibly have come from New Orleans, Louisiana USA as he seems to have had two children there.

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ellis island
Hi this may help with further info,sorry i couldn't search it properly as my dongle is not playing nicely today.
Its a free search,you may need to register,to trawl through original transcripts.And there are a few transcript errors usually so if you do search just try with first initial.

Last edited by poodlepup; 1st Dec 2011 4:23pm.

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bert1 Offline OP
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Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen, most interesting, on the 1891 census though cut off, the wife born in the United states has bracketed (British citizen),
Laurel Bank sounds grand, wondering what type of property that was, anyone like a pop at his business, can't quite make my mind up. Cheers


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1916 Wilmers Street directory has Charles living at 6 Wexford rd so looks like he survived his illness for a while after his mayorship and his daughter Miss Charlotte Gostenhofer living at 16 Beresford Rd with Rev William Mcneill, Trinity Presbyterian church ministr, was 16 a church or do we have a scandal on our hands?


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Well, if he was baptised at St. Mary Islington, he wasn't Jewish, so the idea of escape from pogroms is out.
According to my count, 18 Bersford Rd. should be the one marked on the 1912 OS map, although it seems to have a path onto Alton Rd.

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Originally Posted by chriskay
Interesting, Bert. I know nothing of him, but it's interesting to note that his wife was American and he clearly spent some years there since his two daughters were born there. The name seems to be German, possibly Jewish. He is of an age such that he might have been a refugee from the pogroms which were quite frequent in Eastern Europe in the 19th. century.


I wonder if his links with America were one of the reasons why he was 'unaminously' elected as Mayor? It could be just a coincidence but I'm sure William Laird would have relished the opportunity of procurring more ship building orders from the Americans. In fact, just a few months after he was elected a large delegation of civil engineers from the States were invited to Birkenhead by Laird and Gostenhofer. The following is a newspaper extract from Saturday June 8, 1889:-

'During the week a party of 250 civil engineers from the United States have arrived in the Mersey en route for the Paris Exhibition. On Thursday about 160 of the party visited Birkenhead. At Woodside Ferry vehicles were awaiting their arrival, and in these they were driven to the various works and yards of Messrs.Laird Brothers, and, amongst other things inspected, was the new American liner Columbia. The visitors were also shown over the Town Hall by the Mayor (Mr.C.T.Gostenhofer) and several members of the Town Council, and they then proceeded to 63, Hamilton-square, at the invitation of Mr and Mrs W.Laird. Here they were received by Mr and Mrs Laird, and luncheon was provided in the large marquee in the garden...'.

Luncheon over, various toasts were drunk and '...The Mayor, in proposing "Our Visitors," made an interesting speech, in which he referred to his long residence in America and the many friendships he still cherished there. It was, he thought, very fortunate that the residents on the shores of the Mersey had the privelege of first welcoming the American engineers to Great Britain, as it afforded them an opportunity of seeing first the reign of industry and enterprise and commerce which from that centre had gone all round the civilised world...'.

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bert1 Offline OP
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Thanks for the map Chris, my apologies to Miss Charlotte, misread the directory, there was a church.

Interesting observation Geekus, Mr Laird never missed a trick, even going back to the Civil War.


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The London Gazette Feb 1861
NOTlCli is hereby given that the Partnership between
the undersigned, John Lewis Phipps, Charles Paul
Pbipps, William Turner Holworthy, Charles Thomas
Gostenhofer, Richard Wilson, and Barieu Fletcher Allen,
carrying on business at New York and New' Orleans, as
Commission Merchants, under the firm of John' Lewis
Phipps and Company, J. L. Phipps and Co., was dissolved
on the 31.-t day of December, I860, by effluxion of time, so
f i r only ns rppnrrts the said Richard Wilson.—Dated 'this
l l t l i chy of Jtiutiary, 1861,
John Lewis Pliipps.
, Charles Paul Phipps.
-. -William Turner Holworthy,
by Charles Paul Phipps, his Attorney.
Charles Thomas Gostenhofer,
by Charles Paul Phipps, his Attorney.
Richard Wilson.
Barten Fletcher; Allen, ,
by Charles Paul Phipps, his Attorney


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Originally Posted by bert1
1916 Wilmers Street directory has Charles living at 6 Wexford rd so looks like he survived his illness for a while after his mayorship...

This is probably his son, bert. Charles Thomas Gostenhofer died in 1906 (Cheshire BMD). His wife Paulina Ambrose died 1900. The 1911 census has a Charles (aged 55) and family living at South Alton, Rose Mount, Birkenhead. His place of birth is given as New Orleans, USA and he notes "British subject by parentage"

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bert1 Offline OP
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Thanks Nightwalker, so that would be his son at Wexford in 1916.
On passing this morning unexpected with no camera and now having to rely on google the gate posts are there with Laurel Bank clearly on them but form a driveway of a semi. A far more impressive house lays next door and there seems to have been some land sale after Chris's map. I've marked the map in green where I think Laurel Bank is/was.

Attached Images
18_Beresford_Rd..jpg (172.64 KB, 209 downloads)
laurel bank posts.JPG (80.57 KB, 214 downloads)
laure bank 2.JPG (123.46 KB, 213 downloads)

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The original reference to Laurel Bank is from 1888, so the house would definitely be on the 1912 map. Looking at the map and the Google pics, I suggest that it is the large house you saw, Bert, and that the semis were built later, but using one of the Laurel Bank entrances. If you look on the map, you can see that the house had two entrances, with a sweeping carriage drive between them. The only puzzle is with the numbering. As I originally noted, the entrance to the corner house, which I marked as No.18 does seem to have its entrance on Alton Rd. so that's probably its address, not Beresford Rd. The numbering of Beresford will be from its junction with Palm Grove, so I must have miscounted, or it's not clear where Beresford Rd. starts.


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bert1 Offline OP
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Chris, agree entirely with contents of last post, driveway and the numbering etc. Is your map earlier than 1912, the 1901 census for example has up to number 26 at least occupied for that stretch of houses. I'm I right in saying the map you kindly put up is the 1912 you are referring to.


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Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
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Bertieone.
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