Elsner family of Taunus
Frederick Wilhelm Elsner Married Catherine Elizabeth (Elise) Hempel
born 20 Sep 1826 1851 born circa 1832
Germany Manchester
died 15 Jul 1884 died 4 Apr 1913
at Sea Taunus, Stillorgan
Wilhelm born 20 Sep 1826 married Catherine Elizabeth (Elise) Hempel at Manchester in 1851. The
same year he moved to Dublin and worked at the Academy of Music later known as the Royal Irish
Academy of Music. He was a music professor and a celebrated German cellist. He was principle
Violoncellist of the Philharmonic & Antient Concerts, Dublin by 1857. They had a residence
at No 6 Wilton-terrace and they moved to Taunus circa 1863. Wilhelm was on the Stillorgan Vestry
from 1878 to 1883. The couple had seven children of whom five survived to 1911 according to the
census.
William was lost from the SS Lily on 15 Jul 1884 between Dublin and Holyhead on his way with his
wife for a holiday in Germany via London. His body was washed ashore at Port Erin Bay, Isle of Man.
It was recovered and he was buried at Mount Jerome on 16 Aug 1884, his son in law J Leslie
Wingfield took on the role of chief mourner. Elsie died at Taunus on 4 Apr 1913 and was buried at
Mount Jerome.
1 Pauline Wilhelmina Elsner born 1861 in London. Pauline Elsner studied music at the Royal
Irish Academy of Music and was on the committee of the Dublin Feis Ceoil. Pauline ran the
German Boarding and Day school at 6 Wilton Terrace with her Aunt Margaret Hempel from
1875 for over 20 years. She was a music teacher living at Ely Place in 1901 and was
considered one of the best lady pianists in Ireland. Pauline died a spinster on 11 Jun 1921
at Taunus and was buried at Mount Jerome. A cup in her memory is still competed for each
year at the Feis Ceoil.
2 Laura Louisa Josephine Elise Elsner born circa 1862 married John Leslie Wingfield, Registrar of
Dogs at the Metropolitan Police Office and son of Richard Robert Wingfield on 28 Jun 1880 at Kill
Church.
1 Daughter Wingfield born 13 Apr 1884 at 82 Moyne Road, Rathmines.
3 Alexandrina Catherine Marguretha (Alex) born 13 Jun 1865 at Taunus, Stillorgan. She attended
the Royal College of Music in London. She returned to Dublin in 1884 and enjoyed a
distinguished career as a contralto. She also offered private tuition and Fanny Darley of The
Grange was one of her pupils. She married Abraham McCausland Stewart, the Derry City's
harbour engineer and diocesan architect on 28 Jun 1898 at St Stephen’s Church, Dublin.
Abraham was the son of Abraham Garvey Steward and lived at 9 Crawford Square, Londonderry.
In 1900, with the help of the Dublin Feis Ceoil, she founded the Londonderry Feis the second Feis
Ceoil in Ireland. Abraham died at Holly Lodge in August 1924. Alex moved back to Taunus in
Stillorgan to live with her sister. Alex died at a nursing home in Dun Laoghaire on 16 May 1942
and her remains were transferred to Derry for burial with Abraham in the city cemetery.
1 Abraham Frederick Elsner Stewart born 17 Jul 1899 at 9 Crawford Square, Londonderry.
2 William McCausland Stewart born on 17 Sept 1900 at 9 Crawford Square, Londonderry.
3 Alexandria Elsie Stewart only daughter born 20 May 1903 at 9 Crawford Square. She
attended Magee College and graduated BA from Trinity. She played Violin in the Dublin
Philharmonic and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She
helped with the evacuation of London school children during the blitz and worked with
the Imperial Censorship Office in Gibraltar and was transferred to Bermuda in 1940. She
died at Bermuda 10 Jan 1942.
4 Ida Louisa Elsner born 8 Apr 1867 at Taunus, Stillorgan was a teacher of Music and Language. She
was a singer and an accomplished pianist, her forte was as an accompanist. She ran a
Kindergarten and one of her pupils was Samuel Beckett. She was living at Taunus in 1901 with her
mother Elise. Ida died a spinster on 11 May 1954 at Taunus and was buried at Mount Jerome.
5 Emily Vivien (Vivien) Elizabeth Elsner youngest daughter born 19 Jun 1869 at Taunus, Stillorgan
married Richard Lloyd Langford-James of Bengal Lodge, North Norfolk and son of Francis Lloyd
Langford-James at Stillorgan Church on 24 Apr 1901. The reception was held at Taunus and they
went to Paris on their Honeymoon. They moved to Tunbridge in Kent where Vivien died on
21 Mar 1954.
6 Otto William Alexander Elsner born 4 Jun 1871 at Taunus, Stillorgan became a medical doctor. He
qualified from the RCSI in 1892. He married Agnes Josephine Lamb of Grahamstown, Cape Colony
in 1902. He served with the RAMC in both the Boer war and WW1 and attained the rank of
Colonel. He died on 12 Jan 1953 in Durham.
1 Clement William Roger Elsner born 27 Oct 1903 at Mian Mir, Punjam (sic) married Olive F
Grant in 1930 at Fulham, London. They lived in Stokesley, Yorkshire.
2 Gerard Otto Elsner born 6 Jul 1908 at 4 O’Connell Terrace, Limerick moved to Panama in
1929.
3 Leonard Nicholas youngest son born circa 1911 Pretoria Transvaal Africa join the RAF and
died in an air crash in October 1934 in the Firth of Forth.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – July 2020
Frederick Wilhelm Elsner Married Catherine Elizabeth (Elise) Hempel
born 20 Sep 1826 1851 born circa 1832
Germany Manchester
died 15 Jul 1884 died 4 Apr 1913
at Sea Taunus, Stillorgan
Wilhelm born 20 Sep 1826 married Catherine Elizabeth (Elise) Hempel at Manchester in 1851. The
same year he moved to Dublin and worked at the Academy of Music later known as the Royal Irish
Academy of Music. He was a music professor and a celebrated German cellist. He was principle
Violoncellist of the Philharmonic & Antient Concerts, Dublin by 1857. They had a residence
at No 6 Wilton-terrace and they moved to Taunus circa 1863. Wilhelm was on the Stillorgan Vestry
from 1878 to 1883. The couple had seven children of whom five survived to 1911 according to the
census.
William was lost from the SS Lily on 15 Jul 1884 between Dublin and Holyhead on his way with his
wife for a holiday in Germany via London. His body was washed ashore at Port Erin Bay, Isle of Man.
It was recovered and he was buried at Mount Jerome on 16 Aug 1884, his son in law J Leslie
Wingfield took on the role of chief mourner. Elsie died at Taunus on 4 Apr 1913 and was buried at
Mount Jerome.
1 Pauline Wilhelmina Elsner born 1861 in London. Pauline Elsner studied music at the Royal
Irish Academy of Music and was on the committee of the Dublin Feis Ceoil. Pauline ran the
German Boarding and Day school at 6 Wilton Terrace with her Aunt Margaret Hempel from
1875 for over 20 years. She was a music teacher living at Ely Place in 1901 and was
considered one of the best lady pianists in Ireland. Pauline died a spinster on 11 Jun 1921
at Taunus and was buried at Mount Jerome. A cup in her memory is still competed for each
year at the Feis Ceoil.
2 Laura Louisa Josephine Elise Elsner born circa 1862 married John Leslie Wingfield, Registrar of
Dogs at the Metropolitan Police Office and son of Richard Robert Wingfield on 28 Jun 1880 at Kill
Church.
1 Daughter Wingfield born 13 Apr 1884 at 82 Moyne Road, Rathmines.
3 Alexandrina Catherine Marguretha (Alex) born 13 Jun 1865 at Taunus, Stillorgan. She attended
the Royal College of Music in London. She returned to Dublin in 1884 and enjoyed a
distinguished career as a contralto. She also offered private tuition and Fanny Darley of The
Grange was one of her pupils. She married Abraham McCausland Stewart, the Derry City's
harbour engineer and diocesan architect on 28 Jun 1898 at St Stephen’s Church, Dublin.
Abraham was the son of Abraham Garvey Steward and lived at 9 Crawford Square, Londonderry.
In 1900, with the help of the Dublin Feis Ceoil, she founded the Londonderry Feis the second Feis
Ceoil in Ireland. Abraham died at Holly Lodge in August 1924. Alex moved back to Taunus in
Stillorgan to live with her sister. Alex died at a nursing home in Dun Laoghaire on 16 May 1942
and her remains were transferred to Derry for burial with Abraham in the city cemetery.
1 Abraham Frederick Elsner Stewart born 17 Jul 1899 at 9 Crawford Square, Londonderry.
2 William McCausland Stewart born on 17 Sept 1900 at 9 Crawford Square, Londonderry.
3 Alexandria Elsie Stewart only daughter born 20 May 1903 at 9 Crawford Square. She
attended Magee College and graduated BA from Trinity. She played Violin in the Dublin
Philharmonic and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She
helped with the evacuation of London school children during the blitz and worked with
the Imperial Censorship Office in Gibraltar and was transferred to Bermuda in 1940. She
died at Bermuda 10 Jan 1942.
4 Ida Louisa Elsner born 8 Apr 1867 at Taunus, Stillorgan was a teacher of Music and Language. She
was a singer and an accomplished pianist, her forte was as an accompanist. She ran a
Kindergarten and one of her pupils was Samuel Beckett. She was living at Taunus in 1901 with her
mother Elise. Ida died a spinster on 11 May 1954 at Taunus and was buried at Mount Jerome.
5 Emily Vivien (Vivien) Elizabeth Elsner youngest daughter born 19 Jun 1869 at Taunus, Stillorgan
married Richard Lloyd Langford-James of Bengal Lodge, North Norfolk and son of Francis Lloyd
Langford-James at Stillorgan Church on 24 Apr 1901. The reception was held at Taunus and they
went to Paris on their Honeymoon. They moved to Tunbridge in Kent where Vivien died on
21 Mar 1954.
6 Otto William Alexander Elsner born 4 Jun 1871 at Taunus, Stillorgan became a medical doctor. He
qualified from the RCSI in 1892. He married Agnes Josephine Lamb of Grahamstown, Cape Colony
in 1902. He served with the RAMC in both the Boer war and WW1 and attained the rank of
Colonel. He died on 12 Jan 1953 in Durham.
1 Clement William Roger Elsner born 27 Oct 1903 at Mian Mir, Punjam (sic) married Olive F
Grant in 1930 at Fulham, London. They lived in Stokesley, Yorkshire.
2 Gerard Otto Elsner born 6 Jul 1908 at 4 O’Connell Terrace, Limerick moved to Panama in
1929.
3 Leonard Nicholas youngest son born circa 1911 Pretoria Transvaal Africa join the RAF and
died in an air crash in October 1934 in the Firth of Forth.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – July 2020