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Monday, November 2, 2009

Amanuensis Monday: Affidavits of Support

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Below I have transcribed the three Affidavits of Support I mentioned yesterday. They were issued in 1913 in support of the immigration of my great grandfather, Samuel Deutsch, and six children. Samuel also went by the name Salomon.

Since all three documents are the same, except for the blanks on the form that were filled in differently for each, I have transcribed them as one document utilizing color to distinguish the answers where they differed.

State of Illinois {
{ S.S.
County of Cook {
(Helen Deutsch/Adolf Rosenbloom/Samuel Goldberg) of the City of Chicago, County of Cook and State of Illinois, being first duly sworn on oath, deposes and says:

That he is the purchaser of (North German Lloyd) Prepaid #(34830) issued in favor of (Salomon Deutsch & Fam.) for (their) transportation from (Bremen) to Chicago, Ill.

Affiant further says that it is his intention and desire to have said passenger immigrant come to Chicago to live being well able of caring for (them) and that he hereby promises to willfully and voluntarily contribute all that may be necessary toward (their) care and support.

Affiant further says that he is a (Wife & Mother/Brother-in-law/Nephew) to above immigrant, and is a (Mid-Wife/Upholsterer/Presser) by occupation with a weekly income of ($10.00/$25.00/$20.00) and that his cash and other personal property amounts to ($300.00/$800.00/$3000.00). His present address is (2130 W. Division, Chicago Ill./1254 No Oakley Ave, Chicago Ill./2130 W. Division, Chicago, Ill.)

Affiant further says that he will and hereby assumes the trust and responsibility of said passenger immigrant and further guarantees to the Commissioner of Immigration of the United States that the aforesaid passenger will not become a public charge in the State of Illinois, or any other state of the United States.

Further affiant says not.
(signature)

Subscribed and sworn to before me a
Notary Public for Cook County, Illinois
This (2) day of (January) 1913
(signature)


The North German Lloyd Company operated out of Bremen, and as I have previously noted, the Deutsch family came over on the SS Rhein. I think the #34830 is an indication of a ticket number. If it were a price, it would likely be in German marks, which in 1913 would have converted to $8292.85. This seems a bit high, considering the personal property amounts on the three affidavits, which is why I believe it is a ticket number.

The addresses on West Division and North Oakley are fairly close to each other, both not too far from Humboldt Park. The third address on the image below is 1135 North Christiana Ave. Between January of 1913 when she signed the affidavit of support, and March, when her husband and children made the trip, Helen had moved there to join the family of Samuel's niece, Bertha (Deutsch) Newman, according to their passenger manifest.



If you choose to join me in Amanuensis Monday and post your transcriptions, feel free to add a link to your post below, or in the comments.

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