Peter Köhl (1794-†1825) - Butcher

Peter was born as the son of the blacksmith/tanner Antoni Köhl and Maria Plattner in the family home on Untere Reichsgasse in Chur. As the second-born son, he received the first name of his grandfather, blacksmith Peter Köhl. After his father sold the apartment on Untere Reichsgasse in 1798^[2] and bought an apartment on the Mühlbach near the brick factory^[3]. He lived with his parents in this house. When his father Anhony died Peter was only 6 years old and thus became a half-orphan at an early age. Peter probably continued to live with his mother on the mill stream. In 1802 his mother married Captain Christian Köhl, a distant relative of his father. Peter probably lived with his mother and stepfather Christian from then on. Christian was quite wealthy and had inherited some property from his father, Oberzunftmeister Bernhard Köhl. Peter learned like his 10 years older stepbrother Bernhard the profession of a butcher.

In 1807 his stepfather Christian died and in 1810 his mother Maria Plattner also died. In 1811 Peter was admitted to the shoemaker's guild^[1] and worked as a butcher. A fierce dispute broke out over his mother's inheritance. The heirs could only come to an agreement around 1818.

In 1817 he married Catherina Büsch from Davos, daughter of Andreas Büsch and Maria Engli, and fathered 4 children with her. 2 of them died early. Peter served with a Dutch royal unit in the supply troops as a butcher^[4].

13.3.1825 Peter died with only 31 years of Faulfieber (spotted fever) at Bingen in Prussia on his return journey from Holland^[4]. Thus the two children, Maria Catherina (1) and Anton (7), became orphans early.

Catherina Büsch-Köhl became a few years again mother of an illegitimate daughter, Catharina Köhl. However, she does not seem to have been dependent on support from the Poor Commission. Only at the death of her son Anton (†1843) she asked this commission for support because she could not bear the funeral costs herself[5]. In the same year, her daughter Maria Catharina was also to die. Her illegitimate daughter Catharina (†1850) was also to survive her. Catherina died in Chur in 1866 at the age of 73.