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My ancestor wrote a book in 1864 in two volumes which was published by Macmillan & Co.

The first volume is dedicated to:-
"To the COUNTESS LOUISE BERCHEM, these pages are affectionately dedicated by her friend and schoolfellow THE AUTHOR."
The dedication is printed as part of the book - as opposed to handwritten.

I hope that you can help me with this tantalising lead.

I've not included my ancestor's name - but I will if you want me to! -, as it is not her I want to research. We know a great deal about her, including photographs, etc.
Thank you in advance.

Where have you been hiding...?

What exactly are you after wanting Nicola ?

I've been swamped with the transcription of a journal which the above's sister kept during her trip to India in 1889 - all 114 pages of it! The British Library want a copy of it and I've been hunkering down to finish it.

OK - what I want is to know more about the tantalising Countess, please, to see if I can form some sort of relationship between her and my ancestor. My ancestor refers to her as a 'schoolfellow'; this may or may not be what it looks like since I don't know whether my ancestor went to a school as such. But her elder sister went to a Ladies Seminary in Liverpool. It's possible that ancestor went to the same school but she doesn't show up there in a census. All censuses show her with her family in Manchester/Prestbury/Congleton, etc.

Well so far I cannot locate her even adding "Von" to the surname.....
Life is never easy when you are searching for something...as we all know to our cost..!!

There is mention of a Countess Berchem in the paper- just give me a minute:

Just a snippet- but might help:

London Evening Standard - Thursday 08 July 1886
AUSTRIA
(From our correspondent)
VIENNA WEDNESDAY NIGHT
The French Ambassador M Foucher de Careil, received at the Embassy a farewell visit from the Austrian Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

The search for the missing tourists still remain without result, although the guides and other members of the touring party are working with all their might, and at the constant risk to their lives. Countess Berchem, sister of the missing Marquess Pallavicini has just arrived at Huben where the parents of the two lost gentlemen are also awaiting the result of the search.

EDIT: I think this Countess Bercham was Ernestina- so not our gal

Standing by AustinQ!

oh, sorry- just added it above- not sure if it will help, but it mentions her brother. His body was later found.

Gosh, what a snippet. It doesn't help me - yet. The only other thing that comes to mind is that my ancestor did travel to Germany and spoke fluent German.

Perhaps I should cough now and tell you that ancestor is ROSAMOND HERVEY, born 1838 in Manchester. But I don't need anything about her life thanks - only if it leads to our mysterious Countess .................

Does this help?

Just a note, in the opening post you have her name as Louse!! I missed the title and thought 'what an unusual name'!!!

OK- possibly the brother that died from the article:

Alfred Pallavicini (1848-1886), was an officer in the Imperial and Royal Tyrolean infantry regiment and an extreme Alpinist; the name of Pallavicini is immortalized on the Pasterze glacier at the foot of the Grossglockner (Pallavicini Trough), which he was the first to conquer with three guides on 18 Aug.1876.

http://www.palais-pallavicini.at/en/pallavicini-family.html

so you now have his name and dob :)

Try this site:

http://geneall.net/en/title/9139/countesses-of-berchem/

It gives details of all the persons to hold that title with dates etc.

One such was:

Bertha Antonia Louise Clithilde Ida, countess of Berchem
Bertha Antonia Louise Clithilde Ida, Gräfin von Berchem
* 17.12.1833 † 05.02.1853
Ancestry:

Ancestors
Surname

Parents

Sigmund, count of Berchem * 14.11.1792
Johanna Crescentia Johanna Nepomucena Ascania, Freiin von Kraus * 17.06.1812

Titles and Landlords

Countesses of Berchem

----------------------

Dea x

OK- ignore reference in the paper- it's not her!

Alfred's sister was Ernestina Maria Josepha Emilia Markgraefin Pallavicini born 1849 . She married Maximilian Sigismund Rudolph, count of Berchem- so not our Countess.

To AustinQ - sorry about the typo in my first post. I've corrected it and thank you.

So she's still elusive. It's the 'schoolfellow' bit which is so interesting, as well.

Could it be that the title of Count/Countess Berchem still exists????

I wonder whether 'Louise' began her life in the UK and went on to marry the Count??
Can anyone see a possible marriage that would 'fit'?
See above - my ancestor was born in 1838, so it would seem that they are contemporaries agewise.

Nicola, I had completely missed the reference to 'schoolfellow"- so it would make sense that they were of similar age.

From Dea's link there is this possible??:

Luise Helene Henriette, countess of Berchem born 1838

Parents
Sigmund, count of Berchem * 14.11.1792
Johanna Crescentia Johanna Nepomucena Ascania, Freiin von Kraus * 17.06.1812

Ooooh, that's looking more like it isn't it?

Is it possible to find a marriage with her maiden name and who/when/where she was married??

I have gone back to look at the census entry for the Ladies Seminary in Liverpool where ancestor's elder sister was educated just in case our Countess is listed there with a possible maiden name - but sadly, no.

????


England & Wales marriages 1837-2008 Transcription

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First name(s) LUISE HELENA
Last name HOHNEN
Marriage quarter 3
Marriage year 1887
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ LUISE HELENA HOHNEN married one of these people
WILLIAM SCHMIDT, WILHELM SCHMIDT, ROBERT CHARLES STOWARD
District ISLINGTON
District number -
County London
Country England
Volume 1B
Page 417
Record set England & Wales marriages 1837-2008
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Marriages & divorces
Collections from Great Britain

http://www.gogmsite.net/empire-napoleonic-and-roman/1828-countess-von-berchem-b.html

That portrait of a Countess von Berchem is fascinating, but - 1828 would be too early, I think.
So did she marry? She seems to be wearing a wedding band. If she had children, then 'my gal' would be either the wife of her son perhaps????

GR cut me off before I could finish the above post!
I'll try again:

So did she marry or was she already married? I still think that the date and the fashion she is wearing is too early to be 'my gal'.

SAFC, how did you get to that marriage suggestion??!!

In my post above timed at 18.55, I wrote that I had a look back at the census entry where my ancestor's sister was educated at the Ladies Seminary in Liverpool for any clues. There is a LOUISA ELLEN HUTCHINS, aged 30 in the 1851 census, born in Ireland.

LOUISA ELLEN HUTCHINS is not that far away from SAFC's LUISA HELENA HOHNEN .................................
;-)