I promised to post some information on Johann Bessler's life after leaving Kassel, but I need to share some of his earlier experiences first, as they affected his later ordeals as well as his adventures.
Early in 1713, the town of Annaberg was shaken by a strange illness. A rapidly increasing number of people suffered cramping attacks, similar to epilepsy, which were accompanied by apparitions of the devil, witches, goblins and other similar forms, which compelled some of the patients to perform an excessive amount of cartwheels and convinced some of them to sell themselves to the devil. Many, at the start of the illness, began to vomit copiously and suffered skin eruptions. Outbreaks of the illness lasted more than seven years, and were accompanied from the outset by an even longer lasting dispute as to whether the cause was black magic or a natural cause.
Into this complex situation in Annaberg, stepped Bessler. On one of his journeys he had heard a rumour about buried treasure hunters. and decided to investigate. Some of the treasure hunters that he met, were so enthusiastic and guileless that he resolved to join them. He had made the acquaintance of some "eminent people" who were sponsoring the hunt, actually they were the Mayor and his wife. Bessler joined them and dug enthusiastically where ever they indicated., But a child’s body had been found in a deserted building and the Mayor’s wife was suspected of being involved in some way, she was thought to be involved in black magic. After some time Bessler was evicted from the group for refuting their belief that they could find hidden treasure by using black magic.
Bessler had learned the root cause of the illness, and how to cure it, possibly from his time with the apothecary. While he was there he had learned some basic medical skills. Once he had completed his wheel he returned to Annaberg for a compelling reason - he wished to reconnect with his former girlfriend, the youngest daughter of the Town Mayor. In the records of Annaberg, there was much gossip about one of the Mayor’s daughters, Barbara Elizabeth Schumann, who was reported to have been seen several times with a young soldier in their garden, spending time together. A year or two earlier, Bessler had been press ganged into the army but had managed to escape. After his escape, he visited Annaberg and while there, investigated the treasure hunters.
He had met the Mayor’s wife, also called Barbara Elizabeth Schumann, before. She was the chief promoter of the treasure hunting scheme, hence his familiarity with the Schumann family. Upon his return, having explained that he had succeeded in his quest to solve the perpetual motion mystery, he was able to persuade the Mayor to let him see his daughter, Barbara Elizabeth. She was convulsing, had cramps and saw imaginary creatures. Bessler said he knew how to cure her and asked Mayor if he could marry her if he cured her illness. The Mayor agreed but insisted that if he succeeded he must take the girl away and also take her maid too and never let her return.
Barbara Schumann, the mother, had fallen under suspicion that the dead child was her grandson—whose secret birth and killing she was alleged to have been involved in. This suspicion stemmed not only from a series of circumstantial clues but also from gossip and/or indiscretions on the part of her maid. The maid’s name was Anne Rosine Mauersberge. The maid had been imprisoned on two occasions for spreading malicious gossip about the Mayor and his family and was only release after she begged to be forgiven and promising she would never gossip again!
Because the mother also had a reputation for an interest in treasure hunting, these two suspicions were joined A contributing factor was the unpopularity of the town councilor families; indeed, due to her membership in this upper class, it was assumed that the town council and municipal court had deliberately left the matter unresolved.
From my biography of Bessler, after he successfully completed his first perpetual motion machine: -
Having received two letters from "two rich patients, I stopped all work, took the coach that had been sent for me, and rushed off, leaving my work in pieces, but with the thought that it didn't matter now that my trust in God had proved so well founded". He cured both patients who were generously appreciative, and through them got to treat other sick people, "whom I was likewise able to cure". Orffyreus now travelled to the Erz Mountains. He visited water-mills and mines in the area, because he needed to know if and how his newly discovered perpetual motion machine might be of use in such occupations - whether the machine could be built large enough to cope with the loads imposed on it, and how to connect such a device. He arrived at Annaberg-Bucholz where, in order to earn sufficient funds to maintain hisway of life he continued to practice medicine.”
“ The town mayor and also chief physician was Dr. Christian Schumann, and Bessler had met both him and his wife during his treasure hunting period. The Mayor had a daughter, his youngest, who was lying seriously ill, suffering from the same Annaberg disease as many others. "She was screaming, tossing to and fro, and twisting her limbs. Her parents were greatly distressed, and had tried, to no avail, many ways of alleviating her suffering. I gazed at her and said that it was awful that such a lovely girl should have to suffer so. Straight away I set to with God's help, and within the hour I had cured her. As a reward I was given the girl herself! With God's grace I took her hand in marriage". This was in 1711, and Bessler was. already about thirty years of age.”
Although Bessler said he married the Mayor’s daughter, unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any documentary evidence that he did actually marry her. One reason may be because of a mention of a woman who claimed that she was already married to Bessler, but no further information is available now.
Barbara Elizabeth, one of the mayor’s daughter, had met Bessler previously, but he had left suddenly, possibly driven out by her brother, father and mother. But he was back, just in time to save Barbara from the Annaberg affliction. Bessler had learned about the cause of this diseases and the cure was simple once you knew the cause.
Rye bread was a dietary staple in 18th century for the working classes and cold winters followed by damp spring could lead to mould forming on the bread. Ergot, a parasitic fungus that caused violent muscle spasms, rigid contortions, painful convulsions, and severe, vivid hallucinations or delusions. People frequently described the sensation of bugs crawling under their skin.
The cure involved removal of all affected rye bread, following this the patient was cured and returned to good health and normal behaviour. Bessler must have learned this on his various travels and her knew he could cure the Mayor’s daughter quickly.
At the time the disease was blamed on witchcraft and specifically on treasure hunting. This method of looking for buried treasure was purportedly accompanied by child sacrifice. In support of this rumour a child’s dead body was discovered in an abandoned house. The mayor protected his wife, who was believed to be the source of the witchcraft. Dr Schumann died in 1727, and a kings commission, looking into the reports of child sacrifice, concentrated their investigation on the activities of the Doctors wife, was able extend their investigation for several more years.
The doctor’s wife, Barbara Elisabeth Schumann, who was now Bessler’s mother-in-law, moved swiftly from Annaberg to take up residence with Bessler, in 1727, thus avoiding the Kings Commissioners and their investigation into her criminal activities.
Gartner died that year February 2nd, and although he was thus absent, there was a large conspiracy aimed at Bessler, headed by his mother-in -law, Barbara Elisabeth Schumann. She tried to enrich herself, by interfering with the economical affairs managed by Bessler for the Landgrave. She was aided by her two son-in-laws, and endeavoured to pressure Bessler into giving them access to accounts of the various businesses managed by Bessler.
Bessler describes the “complot” involving not just his mother-in-law and her relatives but also his first wife’s maid, Anne Rosine Mauersberge, who was made to accompany Bessler as his wife’s maid. Together they made Bessler’s life miserable. His mother died in 1727 and wife had died in 1725, but he wasted no time in getting married again, and his new wife was aged just 18.
She was the daughter of the Court Blacksmith, Adam Krone and despite the depressing circumstances of his life, and his failure to ignite interest in his various schemes, he was able to father four girls with Barbara Elizabeth Schumann, who died in 1725, and five more girls with Catherine Elisabeth Krone.
There is much more but I think the above gives you a rough picture of his life in Karlshafen
JC
