Leonard Boehm's Legacy

Bavarian Roots

Leonard Boehm was born in Weissenhorn, Bayner in Bavaria somewhere between in 1826 and 1834. A US customs card from November 11, 1853 states that a man by the name "Leonhard Boehm" arrived in New Orleans at the age of 20, having departed from Le Havre, France. The card lists his place of birth as "Baviere, Germany", his nationality as "German", and his occupation as "farmer". This card would suggest he was born in 1933.

Emigration to the US

Leonard's parents were likely farmers, given his age when he arrived in New Orleans. The 1840s and 1850s were marked by agricultural failures in Europe (the "hungry forties") which may have prompted Leonard to seek a new life in the US.

Germany also experienced a series of revolutions in 1848 although Bavaria's King Ludwig I was able to suppress the revolutionaries. Many young men, especially liberals, intellectuals and those involved in political activism, left Germany for the US during this time.

Jewish history and the name 'Boehm'

There is some evidence to suggest that Leonard was Jewish, or at least of Jewish descent. The name "Boehm" is a common Jewish surname, and many of his descendants have traces of Sephardic Jewish DNA. So it is also possible that Leonard was fleeing persecution in Bavaria, which was known for its anti-semitism. Many Jews emigrated to the US during the 1840s and 1850s to escape persecution.

In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued the Alhambra Decree, which ordered the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Many of those who left Spain settled in Germany, where they were welcomed by the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I. However, the situation for Jews in Germany was still precarious, with periods of tolerance interspersed with periods of persecution. By the 19th century, many Jews in Bavaria faced significant restrictions on their rights and livelihoods, prompting further emigration.

The name "Boehm" is derived from "Bohemia" - which is now the modern day nation of the Czech Republic. It is possible that Leonard's ancestors were Jewish, and that they adopted the name "Boehm" as a way of preserving their identity while living in a predominantly Christian society. During the Napoleonic era, Jews were required to take legal surnames.

So there is a strong possiblity that Leonard was Jewish, or at least had a very strong Jewish heritage.

The South Pacific and the Cotton Boom

At some point Leonard made the decision to leave the US and travel to the South Pacific. This likely occurred around the 1860s, during the American Civil War; a time when Fiji experienced a cotton boom - a crop that the northern US states could no longer access from the South.

Records show that Leonard purchased the island of Kanacea from Tui Cakau in 1865 which he used to grow Cotton, although he struggled to find labourers and had to bring in workers from other islands.

He built a thriving business, with three ships and he met many travellers including the brother of a chief from Nataleira on the main island. According the keepers of history at Nataleira, Leonard was introduced to the Chief and found good favour with him. This relationship led him to be offered the hand of Losana Nataleira - one of the sisters of the village chiefs at the time.

The start of our family

So this is how our Bavarian ancestry ties to our Fijian ancestry. Leonard and Soli (Losana) had 6 children; Louisa, Mathilda, Wilhelm, Caroline, Mary, and Harry.