Heinrich Ludwig Vosz (1812-1886)

Heinrich Ludwig Vosz (3 May 1812 – 9 March 1886) was a cigarmaker, publican and grain merchant, and the first German Mayor of the City of Adelaide.

Adolph Heinrich Friedrich Bartels
Adolph Heinrich Friedrich Bartels [SLSA B-18071]
Born	29 July 1819 Gilten, Kingdom of Hanover
Died	9 November 1878 Adelaide, Province of South Australia
Resting place	West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia
Nationality	Hanoverian (1819-1852) British(1852-1878
Occupation	1.Cigarmaker 2.Tobacconist 3.Publican 4.Grain Merchant
Spouse(s)	1. Friederike Auguste Rudolphine Uhlendorf (née Bartels) (married 1855 Adelaide) 2.Anna Auguste Weidenbach (married 1863 Glen Osmond)

Biography

Author: Wikipedia Editors, particularly Doug butler, and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Edited by Benjamin Hollister and made available under the same license

In Germany

Vosz was born in Badenwerder, Electorate of Hanover in humble circumstances, and when quite young moved with his parents to Hamburg, where he worked for a living from age 12. At 15 he was apprenticed as a carpenter and, on completion of his training, set up in business on his account. He was doing well until the European revolutions of 1848, which destroyed his business, leaving him bankrupt. He emigrated to South Australia aboard Alfred with his wife and two young sons arriving in December 1848.

In Australia

He started work as a joiner in Ackland Street (now that part of Frome Street between Grenfell and Wakefield streets) and was naturalized in August 1849. In 1848 he was selling furniture and in 1849 had a timber yard in partnership with C. E. Berthau. Then came the discovery of gold in Victoria, and in 1851 he joined the rush to the diggings.

He returned with enough money to set up in business as painter, glazier and paperhanger, and in 1853 opened a retail store at 82 (renumbered c. 1890 as 88) Rundle Street, selling window glass, paints, and wallpaper. The business prospered and he was able to repay, with interest, his creditors back in Germany. The Hamburg Reform of February 1860 published an article noting his integrity, entitled Ein braver Mann.

Vosz maintained an active interest in current events but apart from a few years (1860–1862) as City Councillor, played no active part in public affairs. He died after several years of intense suffering from neuralgia, which no medical treatment could alleviate, and was buried at the West Terrace Cemetery without ostentation, by Rev. J. Crawford Woods. His business had become the largest of its kind in Australia; his wife and sons had predeceased him and much of his considerable fortune was left to local charities, including £2,000 for the Home for Incurables. Other charities to benefit were The Orphan Home, the Royal Institution for the Blind, the Fund of Benevolence of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of South Australia, the Benevolent Fund of the Irish Constitution of Freemasons of South Australia, the Adelaide Children's Hospital, and the Cottage Homes.

Family

Friedrich and Rudolphine had four children:

Name	Birth	Death	Spouse
Mary Wilhelmine	15 Sep 1855 Adelaide	27 Dec 1943 Hamburg	Max Friedrich Neubauer
Bertha	30 Mar 1857 Adelaide	12 Feb 1858 Adelaide
Henry Adolph	16 Dec 1858 Adelaide	31 Jan 1859 Adelaide
Henry Albert	14 May 1860 Adelaide	26 Oct 1860 Adelaide

Friedrich and Anna had the following children:

Name	Birth	Death	Spouse
Adolph	18 Apr 1864 Adelaide	3 May 1864 Adelaide
Paul Adolph	26 Jan 1865 Adelaide	29 Dec 1909 Adelaide
Henry Frank	18 Feb 1867 Adelaide	18 May 1895 Adelaide	Elizabeth Henry
Laura Diosma	2 Mar 1869 Adelaide		Diedrich Heinrich Schmidt
Anna Sophia	22 Feb 1871 Adelaide		Karl Schinzinger
Adelaide Selma	9 Jul 1873 Adelaide	19 Dec 1874 Port Elliott
Iris	18 Apr 1876 Adelaide		Traugott Carl Louis Rudolf Schneider
Selma	1 Mar 1878 Adelaide	23 May 1962 Ambleside	Wilhelm Ernst Hans Franz (Hans) Heysen

Residences in the City

Dates	Place	Current Address	Co-ordinates

Work in the City

Dates	Place	Current Address	Co-ordinates

Published Obituary

From The Adelaide Observer, Saturday 13 March 1886:

DEATH OF MR. H. L. VOSZ.

The death is announced of Mr. H. L, Vosz, an old and much - respected colonist. The deceased, who was born in Hanover, arrived in the colony in the year 1846, and started in Acland-street as a joiner. When the diggings broke out in Victoria he went there, and on his return he established him self in Rundle-street as a painter, glazier, and paperhanger. Starting at first in a small way his business gradually grew until it became one of the largest in the colonies, and yielded its proprietor great wealth. Mr. Vosz was for a long time a martyr to neuralgia, and a few years ago he paid a visit to Germany, where be underwent an operation, which relieved him for a while, but he had been confined to his bed since October last. Mr. Vosz interested himself greatly in the artesian-well system, to which he devoted much study and had acquired a thorough practical knowledge on the subject. He procured all the information he could from abroad on the latest appliances and their application to this colony, and also obtained machinery with a view to developing the work of water conservation. He was a quiet unassuming citizen of the useful type, devoting himself to business; and though he kept aloof from active political work he was a close observer of the course of events and a shrewd reasoner, showing a keen and intelligent interest in the development of the country. He was of a charitable disposition, but it was a portion of his practical character to avoid ostentatious benevolence. He was the last of the Vosz family, his wife and younger son having died some years ago, and his elder son more recently. Although, as before stated, he took no prominent part in public affairs, yet he held the position of Councillor of the City of Adelaide during the vears 1860,1861, and 1862. The deceased gentleman, who died at ten minutes to 2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, was 74 years of age.

An intimate friend of the late Mr. H. L. Vosz has furnished us with the following interesting sketch of the deceased gentleman:—

" Heinrich Ludwig Vosz was born at Hanover on May 3,1812. His father was a poor man, and moved a few years after the birth of his son to a village near Hamburg. To make both ends meet the son had, at the age of 12, to work for his own living with farmers, or where he could find employment. Even at this early period in his life he must have possessed extraordinary powers of observation and determination, because in his old age he often referred to this period of his life, and remarked how much better things might have been done in those days, and what he had pointed out to his employers in that respect At the age of 15 he was apprenticed to a carpenter, and worked at his trade for many years. By dint of hard saving he at last accumulated enough capital to enter into business at Hamburg as a builder on his own account. He met with considerable success till the memorable year 1848 with its disturbances and revolutions swept over the Continent of Europe, and in its wake left many a hope destroyed. My dear old friend was one of the victims. But young and strong he determined to go with his wife and two sons to South Australia, and earn enough money to pay his creditors in full. He arrived at Port Adelaide in January, 1849, and set to work to carry out his purpose. Shortly after his arrival gold was discovered in Victoria, and he went to the diggings and was fairly successful. On his return to Adelaide he rented premises in Rundle-Street. and built up the well-known business of H, L. Vosz, painter and glazier. He now saw his way clear to pay his creditors in full, and the proudest and happiest day of his life was the day when the Hamburg Reform (February, 1860) published an article under the heading 'Ein Braver Mann,' stating how a Mr. Heinrich Ludwig Vosz had sent money to a friend there, and had paid every creditor in full with interest at the rate of 10 per cent, added. The success in business of my dear old friend is so well known that nothing need be said on that score, except that he was aided in this by his late son William, who died August 9,1883. Mr. H. L. Vosz attained this success largely by his sterling character and straight forwardness as a business man. He was one of the few men against whom no man could say 'one evil word.' This, combined with great good judgment and carefulness in expenditure, brought its result. In his private capacity he was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He was liberal to a fault, and many hundreds of people have been helped by him unknown to outsiders. He disliked to be thanked or what he did being known. There was nothing he disliked more than 'fuss.' For any kindness shown him he never forgot to be thankful, as is illustrated by a notable instance in his early days here. Messrs. Cleve Brothers allowed him a certain amount of credit. Of course he paid them, but one of those gentlemen wanting help he has helped him liberally. At his home, in spite of intense suffering, he was always; anxious for the comfort of his friends and visitors. To his employés he was more of a father than a master. In fact a more up right, kind, generous man, combined with determination, could hardly be found. For many years he has been subject to the most intense pain, caused by a neuralgic affection. He suffered more in a day than many people suffer in a lifetime, but in spite of it he was always the kind genial old Vosz. I have no doubt, and this will be verified by his will, that the distribution of his property has been made most judiciously. A large portion will be found to have been left to our charitable institutions, and I believe future generations will be able to point to dear old Vosz as 'Ein Braver Mann,' which was his great aim while he was with us."

The remains of the late Mr. Vosz were interred on Wednesday afternoon in the West-terrace Cemetery. The procession started at 3 o'clock from North-terrace, and consisted in all of forty-six carriages. There were no mourning coaches, but four vehicles were set apart for the chief mourners, who included Messrs. Rischbeith, Stock, Bocher, Kelly, Meyer, Herber, Hubald, Harrison, Moldie, Balk, and Tennant. The coffin was conveyed to the hearse by Messrs. Harrison and Moldie. Following the chief mourners were the deceased's employés, who occupied eight wagonettes. The Rev. J. C. Woods, B.A., officiated at the grave. We are informed that no fewer than fifty-two legatees received notice to be present at the reading of the will of Mr. H. L. Vosz on Wednesday afternoon.