Tracing the Akolk line back involved many people changing their names in order to inherit the land attached to the name. This makes trying to find the blood lines more complicated when working backwards as is recommended. Fortunately at some point the records will indicate a birth surname (geb.) as well as the “farm” name. Our Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Buddenkuhle né Akholk is neither an Akholk nor a Buddenkuhle by blood.

I found this surname spelled Ahkolck, Aakholks, Akholk, Akolck, Akholks, Ackholk, Ahkolk, Ahkholks. For the purposes of this explanation I will stick with the spelling AKHOLK. This information was researched in the microfilm FHL 526385, Evangelische Kirche Lengerich (Kr. Tecklenburg), Westphalia, Germany, Baptisms 1746-1809, Marriages and Deaths 1746-1803. The Akholk line actually starts with Anna Elsabein Akholks who was born in 1729. They married in 1757 and it indicates she is a “young girl,” as in unmarried. She died in Lengerich after giving birth to Maria Elisabeth in 1771. In order to give a clearer picture of the various marriages, children and name changes, I finally had to make a timeline (all events are in Lengerich):

bef 1758 Johan Jurgen DREYER (b. abt 1730) m. Anna Elsabein AKHOLK (b. abt 1729)
He takes the farm name and is known as Johan Jurgen AKHOLK (sometimes né
DREYER).
May 1758 Anna Elsabet, dau. of Johan Jurgen AKHOLK (wife not named), bap. 9 May
Mar 1760 Anna Maria, dau. of Johan Jurgen AKHOLK (wife not named), bap. 15 Mar
Dec 1763 Ernst Henrich, son of Johan Jurgen AKHOLK (wife not named), bap. 7 Dec
Oct 1766 Johan Arnold, son of Johan Jurgen and Cath. Elis. AKHOLK, bap 3 Oct
Jun 1768 Johan Wilhelm Emanuel, son of Johan Jurgen and Anna Elsabein AKHOLK, bap. 15 Jun
Mar 1771 Maria Elisabeth, dau. of Johan Jurgen and Anna Elsabein AKHOLK, bap. 5 Mar 1771
Apr 1771 Anna Elsabein AKHOLK died, age 42.
Nov 1771 Johan Jurgen AKHOLK m. Johanna Christina OELRICHS von Wundendahl (b. abt
1753), 20 Nov. She then will have the surname AKHOLK.
Mar 1773 Johanna Christina Elisabeth, dau. of Johan Jurgen and Johanna Christina AKHOLK, bap.
17 Mar. This child dies 2 Oct 1773.
Apr 1776 Johann Jurgen AKHOLK dies, age 46, buried 12 Apr. This leaves Johanna Christina, his
wife, as the only heir to the farm.
Mar 1777 Johan Ernst DREYER of Osnabrück m. Johanna Christ. Marg. AKHOLK, 26 Mar. He
then take the name AKHOLK.
Feb 1779 Johann Friedrich Wilhelm, son of Johan Ernst and Johanna Christina Margreta
AKHOLK, bap. 12 Feb. *** This is our ancestor who later became BUDDENKUHLE.
His age at marriage in 1808 was 29, hence born 1779.
Sep 1781 Friederica Maria Elisabeth, dau. of Johan Ernst and Anna Christina AKHOLK, bap.
30 Sep
Mar 1785 Sophia Charlotta, dau. of Johan Ernst and Anna Christina AKHOLK, bap. 8 Mar
May 1788 Johan Ernst AKHOLK, né DREYER dies 5 May, age 49.
Jan 1789 Johan Henrich LÖLLMAN m. Johanna Christina Margarethe AKHOLK né OELRICHS,
21 Jan. He takes the name AKHOLK.

Jul 1790 Ernst Henrich, son of Johan Henrich and Johanna Christina AKHOLK, b. 24 Jul, bap.
26 Jul.
Nov 1792 Johan Henrich, son of Johan Henrich and Johanna Christina AKHOLK, b. 5 Nov., bap.
16 Nov.
Mar 1808 Johann Friedrich Wilhelm AKOLK m. Anne Christine Elisabeth BUDDENKUHLE,
27 Mar. He then takes the surname BUDDENKUHLE.

This investigation shows how the surname was attached to property and passed to new members marrying into the family, male or female. What this finally tells us is that Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Akholk who married Anne Christine Elisabeth Buddenkuhle was the blood son of Johan Ernst Dreyer of Osnabrück and Johanna Christina Margarethe Oelrichs von Wundendahl. This takes our research away from Lengerich and Ladbergen.

Any additions or corrections are appreciated.
©2017Nancy Ratay