Adolph Bartels

Adolph Heinrich Friedrich Bartels (29 July 1819 Gilten, Hannover – 9 November 1878, Adelaide, South Australia) was Mayor of Adelaide 1871-1873.

History

Bartels grew up in Hanover in humble circumstances, and trained as a cigarmaker in Hamburg. In Breslau he met Joseph Ernst Seppelt, with whom he travelled to Adelaide via Melbourne around 1845, and for a year worked as a labourer for his son Bruno who was experimenting with tobacco-growing at Seppeltsfield. He next worked for Adelaide tobacconists Clarke & Rodemann in his old trade.

Adolph Bartels and his sister Sophie Maria Johanne Henriette (or Maria Sophia Johanne) Bartels arrived in South Australia in April 1848 aboard President Smidt from Bremen with their parents Adolph J. C. Bartels? Hans Joachim Christoph Bartels?, and his wife Wilhelmine C. Bartels (c. 1794 – 26 November 1861). Hans J. C. Bartels was naturalized in 1849.

The announcement of the death of Mr. A. H. F. Bartels we are sure will he received with very general regret by the citizens of Adelaide. Mr. Bartels was in all respects what is known as a self-made man, and his career exemplifies in a marked degree how by the possession of sterling qualities consistently displayed in all his deal-ings a man of bumble origin may raise himself to a position of eminence in the community. Mr. Bartels was born in Hanover, and in his early years followed the trade of a cigarmaker at Hamburg. Thence he went to Breslau. where he met the father of Mr. B. Seppelt, with whom he came out under engagement via Melbourne to South Australia about 1845, and worked for him as a farm labourer at Seppeltsfield for a year. He then entered the employ of Messrs. Clarke & Rodemann in Adelaide, as a cigarmaker, and after a visit to the Victorian gold-fields returned to Adelaide and opened a tobacconist's shop on his own account. After the death of Mr. Uhlendorf, who kept the King of Hanover, Mr. Bartels married his widow and carried on the business from 1855 till the end of 1865, when he entered into partnership with Mr. G. H. C. Meyer as general agents and grain merchants — a connection which existed up til the time of his death. In December, 1866, Mr Bartels was chosen by the ratepayers of Hind-marsh Ward to represent them in the City Council— a position he retained for fonr years, and the manner in which he had discharged his functions gave so much satisfaction that after a year's absence from the Council he was in December 1871, elected Mayor of the City being the following year returned to the office unopposed. Mr. Bartels was not a man of wrds. He never talked for talking sake, but only when he had something worth saying, and the good sound, common sense, the diligent attentiou to his duties, thorough integrity, straightforwardness, and business ability which distinguished his action in muni-cipal affairs were quite as apparent in the concerns of his everyday life. That these qualities were well recognised was shown by the fact that he occupied the position of Director of the Permanent Equitable Building Society and other public Companies to the satisfaction of share-holders. He was also a member of the Destitute Board. About six weeks ago Mr. Bartels was seized with severe illness caused by a tnmour on the liver, from the effects of which he died on Saturday, Novem-ber 9, at the age of fifty-eight. Some years ago his first wife died and he was married again to Miss Weidenbach, of Glen Osmond, who survives him with six children besides a married daughter by his previous wife. On Monday the funeral took place and was largely attended, the cortege to West terrace including about thirty vehicles.

Family

Bartels (died 1878) married Rudolphine Friederike Auguste Uhlendorf (died 1862 aged 28) in 1855. She had been licensee, "King of Hanover" hotel to 1855. He married again in 1863, to Anna Augusta Weidenbach (died 1910)

• Mary Wilhelmine Bartels (1855– )
• Bertha Bartels (1857–1858)
• Henry Adolph Bartels (16 December 1858–1859)
• Henry Albert Bartels (14 May 1860–1860)
• Adolph Bartels (1864–1864)
• Paul Adolph Bartels (1865 – 1909)
• Henry Frank (or Frank Henry) Bartels (1867–1895) married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jeffery in 1892. It is likely she was the Mrs. Bartels who ran "Quambi", a private babies' hospital on Pennington Street, North Adelaide.
• Laura Diosma (or Diosma Laura) Bartels (1869– ) married Diedrich Heinrich Schmidt in 1888
• Anna Sophia "Annie" Bartels (1871– ) married Karl Schinzinger in 1891
• Adelaide Selma Bartels (1873–1874)
• Iris Bartels (1876– ) married Traugott Carl Louis Rudolf Schneider in 1904
• Selma Bartels (1878–1962) married artist Hans Heysen in 1904

• Nora Heysen was also a successful artist

His sister Sophie Maria Johanne Henriette (or Maria Sophia Johanne) married Julius Heinrich Christof Eitzen (who arrived in SA May 1855 aboard August from Hamburg) in 1857