CLAUS HELMCKEN
(John Sebastion Helmcken's father)
1781-1839
Claus Helmcken married Johns mother Catherine Mittler at Christ Church Spitalfields, London on September 17, 1817.
Claus worked first at a large sugar refinery, then later became the licensee at White Swan Public House at #36 Great Alie St. Whitechapel 1825. The family moved into this address in six years later. John writes about his dad:
"Of my father, I recollect but little, save that he was a broken-down man and drank more than was good for him, some he had bad attacks of gout - in fact was always ailing. . .he like many other Germans found employment at Messrs. Bowman's the great sugar refiners in Ayliff Street where he rose to some height. Subsequently he was made victualler and kept the White Swan in Ayliff Street very close of the refinery. . .At this time sugar refining was a very profitable business - the factories immense - but the result of - Free Trade was, the Bowmans like most other sugar refiners were positively ruined, the establishment closed, and of course my father went down with them. Thus my father and mother had to work to support eight children.
My Father had not much energy - hard work in the hot refinery and other causes combined with failing refinery business broke him entirely. . .
The whole responsibility of providing for the family fell on my mother even before my [father] died which he did when he was 54 years of age of, I believe hepatic dropsy"
John S. Helmcken 
Catherine (Mittler) Helmcken
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