Watty Family History

The records regarding Watty family history span many generations and follow us to several continents.

"Perruquier Barbier" by Benard after Lucotte - Click to enlarge image

Fortunately, we have tools that allow us to research and communicate in ways that were not possible before, making the task of finding these records easier. Even with these tools, piecing together data is difficult and takes time. Presently a lot of research has been completed for the Watty's that settled in and around Hamburg, Germany.

The latest information we have suggests that the first Watty to move to Hamburg was a wigmaker and probably came from northern France. This was the beginning of a chapter in Watty family history that led to two professions, which helped to shape over 200 years of Hamburg's economy, crafts and even politics.

Goldsmiths Seal

The family goldsmith business flourished in direct succession over 5 generations, and professionally over 8 generations, for more than 215 years. In Hamburg there has only been one other goldsmith business that existed longer than that.

The Miranda - Click to enlarge image

As merchants, shipowners, bankers, judges and members of city parliament, we were involved in the development of Hamburg’s economy and politics. In 1951 the Hamburg Evening Paper wrote: “The name Watty belongs to Hamburg like the Michel to the Elbe”. Only a few family members currently live in the city of Hamburg so this statement will eventually only be correct in historical context.

For the Watty family, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg served as a jumping-off point for our emigration to the rest of the world. Currently, the largest group of descendants lives in Mexico. Their lineage began with a merchant from Hamburg who settled there. Family members in Florida are descendants of Johann Heinrich Watty, a goldsmith who emigrated from Hamburg in the 30’s. The Californian Watty’s are descendants of the Rhenish-Westphalia line which developed from Hamburg Watty families in the middle of the 19th century.

Both "WattyWeb" and "Genealogie der hamburgischen Familie WATTY" are here to provide you with new and developing research. We encourage you to provide us with any information you may have about the Watty family.

For more details on traditional Watty family professions visit the pages for Artisans and Businesspeople, or press the next button below.