I have no photographs of Reinhard Ratje, unfortunately.
Nothing definitive is really known about Reinhard Ratje Siedenburg except that perhaps he was born about 1807/8 in Bremen, Germany. The names of his parents are unknown.
One assumes, based on the birth location of his children, that he met and married Sophia Dorothea Hotlzman in Bremen, but the place and year are unknown.
By 1826, only roughly 18 years old, it appears that Reinhard Ratje is already a captain of a ship, the Anna Augusta on route to Bilbao, Spain. Based on several passenger and crew lists, perhaps Reinhard did a route between Bilbao, Spain and Bremen, Germany.
Again, based on the birth of his first known child, we assume that Sophia and Reinhard married around 1840 in Bremen.
Their first child, Ratje was born in Bremen around 1842. Two years later Reinhard was born July 10, 1844 in Bremerhaven, Germany. In another 18 months, the third son, George Ratje, was born on January 12, 1846 back in Bremen.
In 1847 we have a certificate of Arrival in London for a Ratje Siedenburg.
According to the Naturalization form in the Common Pleas Court of New York County, Reinhard arrived in the Unites States on December 21, 1866. Based on a passport application of his son Reinhard, Reinhard, Sr. arrived with at least this one child. We do not know if his wife is with him.
For some unknown reason, Reinhard Ratje waited approximately 26 years to become naturalized – which occurred on February 25, 1892. At that time he indicates that he is a merchant living in New Brighton, Staten Island. His friend Charles Keutzen of Stapleton, Staten Island functions as his witness.
We do not know when Reinhard Ratje dies or where he is buried.
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