Information from John Finger, in Queensland, Australia
Hello from Queensland, Australia,
I am prompted to write you by the comments by John Vanko regarding the connection between the village of Wangershausen (and others) and Finger families. Some time ago I was made aware of an article about an Heinrich Finger, born in Wangershausen, Frankenburg, Germany who arrived in Australia in the 1860's and farmed in what is now suburban Brisbane, Queensland. From the information in the article it can be deduced that Heinrich would have been born circa 1842.
Furthermore we have a neighbour whose ancestors lived in the German villages of Gillerhausen, Rengershausen, Hommershausen and Wangershausen. His Grandfather was born in Hommershausen, and Grandmother in Wangershausen, and emigrated to Queensland, Australia with his parents in 1884; and whose Great-great-grandmother was a Finger, Anna Elizabeth, born 1770.
There are a number of other Finger families in Australia. Besides Heinrich's descendants and our own family, there are two others in Queensland that I am aware of and another in Victoria, Australia. I am not aware of a connection between my ancestors and those of Heinrich nor with the other Finger families.
My Great Grandparents were Wilhelm Friedrich Finger and Emilie Henriette Amalie Mielke. Our information is that Wilhelm Friedrich's parents were Johann Finger and Rosalie Wogaut/Wogant. GGF and GGM emigrated to Queensland, from Wittkow, West Prussia aboard the barque Herschel in 1878. They departed Hamburg 21 May and arrived via the clipper route in Hervey's Bay Queensland on 9 September; and settled in Bundaberg (about 100km to the north) and became sugar-cane farmers. At the time of emigrating they had a stepson August Mielke (aged 4) and a son Carl (aged 18 months). Anecdotally August left home when he was about 19 years of age and his life thereafter is unknown to us. We would dearly like to "find" him again. My Grandfather, Paul, was the first of Wilhelm's and Emilie's subsequent family to be born in Australia. He was born in 1879. Grandfather and his brothers all became cane-farmers as did a number of his sons and sons-in-law. Grandfather's farm is now farmed by a grandson.
One other Finger family is that of Herman Julius Finger and Henriette Dowe/ Duwe who were born circa 1818-1824, Trampe and Berlinchen respectively. They arrived in Brisbane, Queensland on the Wandrahm in 1866.
Finally, another family I am aware of is that of John /Gustav/Justus Finger who is recorded to have emigrated from Prussia in 1860. He arrived in Sydney on the Sophie aged about 19 years. He and his family became established in Central Queensland.
Hoping we may be of mutual help,
John Finger