A Father for Michael Frantz

Kris Hocker on 11 Jul 2014

I wrote about Michael Frantz of Lower Paxton Township in an earlier post, regarding his estate in 1797. Based on that research, I posited that Michael possibly had two brothers—Jacob Frantz of Manor Township and Christian Frantz of  Manheim Township. They were the administrators of his estate and guardians of his minor children. So, I set out to learn more about Michael, Jacob and Christian to see if I could prove a family connection.

Michael Frantz

When he died, Michael was of Paxton Township. Working backward, I found a number of deed transactions for him. On 23 June 1793, Michael and Franey his wife sold seven acres and sixty-seven perches of land to Susanna Eaglea.1 This was part of two tracts of land purchased by Michael Frantz and John Nissley on 15 April 1790 from Samuel and Joseph Hutchinson.2 On 19 August 1790, Michael and John Nissley had divided the land they’d purchased from the Hutchinsons into two tracts of 187 acres.3 All of these deeds place Michael in Paxton Township.4

After Feronica’s father, John Nissly, died in 1789, the couple acknowledged the receipt of £300—£185 during his lifetime and £115 from his executor, Michael Nissley.5 At the time, the couple was recorded as being “of Londonderry in the County of dauphin.” Michael was taxed at Londonderry in 1787, 17866, 17807, and 1779.8

Chestnut HallDeed records show that Michael Frantz purchased “Chestnut Hall,” a tract of 224 acres then located in Derry Township, on 18 April 1785 from Hans and Catharina Frantz of Manor Township.9 The deed does not specify any relationship between Michael and Hans and his wife.

However, when Michael and his wife Feronica sold this land on 6 May 1790 to George Myer, the deed named Michael as “one of his [Hans’] sons and one of the parties hereto belonging.”10 Hans had purchased this tract from John and Catharine Chestnut on 8 May 1775.11 The fact that Michael was taxed in Londonderry in 1779 and 1780—before he bought it—may indicate that he was living and working this land by then, even though his father still owned it.

According to a biography of Michael A. Frantz, Michael’s grandson, Michael was “born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and in early manhood removed to Dauphin County, where he purchased a tract of land… He was highly esteemed in the community and spent the remainder of his life there.”12 This is consistent with the deed research.

Based on this deed research, Michael Frantz was most likely the son of Hans Frantz of Manor Township. Did Hans have sons named Jacob and Christian? Check in next week as the research continues.

Footnotes

  1. Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book T:56, Michael Frantz et ux to Susanna Eaglea, 25 Jun 1793; PDF, Dauphin County Recorder of Deeds, “Dauphin County Pennsylvania Public Web Search” (http://deeds.dauphinc.org/ : accessed 12 Apr 2013). ↩
  2. Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book D1:124, Joseph Hutchison to John Nisli & al, 15 Apr 1790; and Deed Book D1:126, Samuel Hutchison to Michael Frantz & John Nisli, 15 Apr1790; PDFs, Dauphin County Recorder of Deeds, “Dauphin County Pennsylvania Public Web Search” (http://deeds.dauphinc.org/ : accessed 12 Apr 2013); This land was warranted to Thomas Gardner and can be found on the Swatara Warrantee Township map. ↩
  3. Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book D1:218, John Nesli & uxr to Michael Frantz, 19 Aug 1790; PDF, Dauphin County Recorder of Deeds, “Dauphin County Pennsylvania Public Web Search” (http://deeds.dauphinc.org/ : accessed 12 Apr 2013). ↩
  4. Paxton Township was supposedly divided into Upper and Lower Paxton in 1767. Given the location of Michael’s land, he resided in Lower Paxton Township. Swatara Township was created from Lower Paxton in 1799. ↩
  5. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book LL:520, Michael Frantz & uxr to Michael Nissly, 3 Sep 1789; digital image, Recorder of Deeds, Online E-film Reader (http://www.lancasterdeeds.com/onlineefilmreader/ : accessed 11 Apr 2014). ↩
  6. “Pennsylvania Tax Exoneration Lists, 1768-1801,” database, Ancestry.com (http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2497 : accessed 14 May 2013), entries for Michael Frantz, 1786-1787; citing Tax & Exoneration Lists, 1762–1794. Series No. 4.61, Records of the Office of the Comptroller General, RG-4, Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ↩
  7. Gary T. Hawbaker and Clyde L. Groff, A New Index, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Before the Federal Census (Hershey, PA: self published, 1982), Volume 2, page 24. ↩
  8. “Pennsylvania Tax Exoneration Lists, 1768-1801,” database, entry for Michael Frantz, 1779, Lancaster County. ↩
  9. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book CC:256, John Frantz & wife to Michael Frantz, 18 Apr 1785; digital images, Recorder of Deeds, Online E-film Reader (http://www.lancasterdeeds.com/onlineefilmreader : accessed 16 Apr 2014); Although this deed records the tract as being in Derry, in 1785 it was located in Londonderry which had been split off Derry in 1767. Today, this tract is in Conewago Township, created from Derry and Londonderry in 1850. It was originally warranted to Thomas Rutherford (see Conewago Warrantee Township map). ↩
  10. Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 1D:202, Michael Frantz & uxr to George Meyer, 6 May 1790; digital images, Recorder of Deeds, Dauphin County Pennsylvania Public Web Search (http://deeds.dauphininc.org : accessed 16 Apr 2014). ↩
  11. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book S:149, John Chestnut & ux to Hans Frantz, 8 May 1775; digital images, Recorder of Deeds, Online E-film Reader (http://www.lancasterdeeds.com/onlineefilmreader : accessed 29 Jun 2014). ↩
  12. Luther Reily Kelker, History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania with Genealogical Memoirs (New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1907), Volume 3, page 298. ↩

Cite This Page:

, "A Father for Michael Frantz," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 7 May 2017 (https://www.krishocker.com/a-father-for-michael-frantz/ : accessed 22 Dec 2024).

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