A frequently asked question concerns the motivation for for great-grandfather Wessling's coming to America. While there may have not been a single reason for his emigration, perhaps, at the top of any list would be that he had desired to improve his economic future. In Lingen he had acquired a skill as a brushmaker which was put to good use as evidenced by his life-long employment with the Whiting-Adams Co. of Boston. Eventually, he would become a General Foreman there.

Another reason for his leaving Lingen, according to family lore, involved the issue of compulsory military service. The extent to which this element was an influencing factor can only be surmised. Yet, it is clear that his duty to enlist in the Prussian army did effect the timing and method of his departure.

A small item of information was located at the Lingen archives¹ which gives some weight to that notion.

When great-grandfather was born, Lingen was situated within the boundaries of the Kingdom of Hannover and by the early 1870's Hannover had been absorbed into the Prussian Kingdom. As Prussian military might was expanding so too was the exodus of young men immigrating to the Americas. In order to stem the outward flow of potential soldiers and sailors, a law was signed into order on May 15, 1871 and which was to become effective as of January 1, 1872.^2,3

My translation of a portion of the Lingen document is "In 1872 the Crown's Agent at the Law Courts in Meppen made it publicly known that in accordance with the lawful decision of the Criminal Court of August 3, 1872 the following will be publically sentenced as per § 140 of the Penal Code to a fine of 50 Reich Thaler or a sentence of 1 month's compulsory military service." A year later, "Weßling, Gerhard Heinrich aus Lingen" was "sentenced for similar reasons to compulsory service."

Since Meppen housed the military garrison where Henry would have served, the the law courts there, rather than in Lingen, had legal jurisdiction.

Given that name, that place of residence, and that great-grandfather had in November of 1871 left Lingen for Boston by way of the Dutch port of Rotterdam so as to evade officials at a German port, a strong case can be made that the person named in the above referenced legal proceedings and great-grandfather Wessling are one and the same. At the time of his departure, Henry was only a few months short of his 21st birthday.

Thus, great-grandfather was found guilty in absentia for having left his home country without receiving the required official approvals and before reaching the age (21) for the beginning of one's compulsory military service.³

1. See Document Number 1764.

2. See Riechs-Gesetzblatt, No. 24 dated June 14, 1871.

3. § 140 reads as follows:

"Wer dem Eintritte in den Dienst des stehenden Heeres oder der Flotte sich dadruch zu entziehen sucht, daß er ohne Erlaubniß entweder das Bundesgebiet verläßt oder nach erreichtem militairpflichtigen Alter sich außerhalb des Bundesgebietes aufhält, wird mit einer Geldstrafe von funfzig bis zu Eintausend Thalern oder mit Gefängniß von Einem Monat bis zu Einem Jahre bestraft.

"Das Vermögen des Angeschuldigten kann, insoweit als es nach dem Ermessen des Richters zur Deckung der den Angeschuldigten möglicherweise treffenden höchsten Geldstrafe und der Kosten des Verfahrens erforderlich ist, mit Beschlag belegt werden."