Johan “Hans” Adam Hacker

Johan “Hans” Adam Hacker (Christoph¹, Stephen^A) was the third child and first son of Christoph and Anna Margaretha (Jock) Hacker. He was baptized on 28 October 1727 in Rußheim, Baden-Durlach, Germany. Adam immigrated to the Pennsylvania colony in 1749 aboard the Ship Ann. Like all émigrés, he denounced his loyalty to the German Sovereigns and “subscribed the usual Qualifications” at the courthouse in Philadelphia, 28 September 1749, just one month before his 22nd birthday.¹  He was the first of his family to emigrate. Adam died in 1782 and was most likely buried on the family farm in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

In 1752 when Adam was 24, he married Maria Elisabetha Weidman, daughter of Matthias Martin Weidman (circa 1712—before 6 June 1766) and Margaretha (___), in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Elisabeth’s grandfather, Matthias Martin Weidman, Sr., was an immigrant to Warwick Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from Gräben, Baden-Durlach, Germany.²

According to Warwick Congregation records, Elisabeth was born on 3 November 1733 in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.³  She was christened on 14 November 1733 in Muddy Creek Lutheran Church in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Her sponsors were her grandparents Matthias and Maria Catharine Weidman.⁴ Elisabeth died after 1790, and like her husband, was most likely buried on the family farm.

For some reason, upon his arrival in the Pennsylvania colony, Adam settled in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County. It may have been that friends or relatives preceded him, urging the family to come. The Hauszhalters, who had been members of the Warwick Congregation long before Adam’s arrival, were possibly the link that brought him to the Colony.⁵

Ray A. Brehm, who compiled “The Hacker (Hocker) Family, 1936,” wrote about Adam’s arrival:

“There were 242 passengers on board all of whom were natives of Basil, Wirtemburg, Zyeybrecht, and Dormstad in Germany. John Adam Hacker took the oath of allegiance to the new country on the day of his arrival and he signed his name to the oath, Hans Adam Hacker. A photographic copy of his signature can be seen in ‘Strassburger’s list of immigrants to Philadelphia’ and ‘RUPP’ lists him on board this ship in his record of ‘Thirty Thousand Immigrants.’ Nine years after his arrival in America, John Adam Hacker resided in or near Brickerville in northern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The records of Emanuel Lutheran Church of Brickerville on file in the rooms of the Pennsylvania Historical Society at Philadelphia state that he was a member of that church and held the office of Trustee from 1769 to 1779. The baptismal records of this church state that all of his eleven children, save the oldest, were baptized here in 1756 and the last one in 1775. It is a certainty that he resided in this vicinity for at least nineteen or twenty years.

“Elizabeth furnace situated one mile north of Brickerville was a highly prosperous institution at this time and was owned and operated by Baron Heinrick Wilhelm Steigel who manufactured stoves here and later manufactured glass at five tenement houses (a few still standing) were erected in close proximity to the furnace site. This furnace began operating in 1757 and ceased operating in 1857.

“John Adam Hacker, if not engaged in agricultural pursuits during the years that he resided in this community was probably employed at this furnace and have been a tenant in one of the above mentioned houses. There is no record as to who was his wife.”

Adam and Elisabetha settled in Cocalico Township and, at some point, purchased property there. On 25 March 1758, he warranted a tract of 25 acres.⁶ (see image) He patented 24 acres 69 perches on 22 January 1762. On 13 March 1764, he patented 212 acres, which had been warranted to Ulrich Meschely on 29 May 1740.⁷

According his estate records, at the time of his death Adam owned two tracts of land, one of 212 acres and one of 7 acres.⁸ This land adjoined his brother George’s tract, as well as land of “Martin Whitman” [Weidman, his father-in-law], Philip Greenwalt, Adam Hacker [his other plot for which I did not find a patent], and John Weaver.

Adam died in 1782, but I found no record of his, or Elisabeth’s burial location. They and his parents may have been buried in a family plot on their farm. Adam died without making a will (intestate) and his eldest two sons—Frederick and John—were granted letters of administration by the Lancaster County Orphans Court. A petition to the court by his administrators on 4 March 1783 stated that:

Upon the petition of Adam Hacker [eldest son] and John Hacker [second son] of Adam Hacker, late of Cocalico Township in the County of Lancaster, yeoman, deceased setting forth that the said Adam Hacker died intestate, seized in fee of and in a certain plantation and tract of patented land in Cocalico Township containing about 212 acres and also a tract of land containing 7 acres, and left a widow and nine children, 5 of whom are still minors: petitioners are willing to hold and enjoy said land and pay the respective shares of the children according to an appraisement and valuation thereof, etc…⁹

Six of Adam and Elisabetha’s children were minors at the time of Adam’s death, however, only five were appointed guardians in 1783: Jacob and Elisabeth, whose guardian was their uncle Lorentz Haushalter; George, who’s guardian was George Ellick (husband of Adam’s wife’s cousin Elisabetha); Adam, whose guardian was his uncle George Waechter; and Martin, whose guardian was his uncle Jacob Weidman.¹⁰  Adam’s daughter Catharine would have also been a minor in 1783. The fact that no record of a guardian can be found seems to indicate that she died before her father.

Elisabetha died in Pennsylvania some time after the 1790 census where she was listed as a widow.¹¹  Like her husband, she was probably buried on the family farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Records show that Adam and Elisabeth had eleven children. According to the “Hocker Bible Record (PA, Ohio, Etc.),” Adam and Elizabeth had the following children:

Christian Hocker, born 19 Jan 1754; Frederick Hocker, born 17 Jan 1756; John Hocker, born 27 Jan 1758; Christopher Hocker, born 21 Feb 1760; Christiana Hocker, born 19 Apr 1762; John Adam Hocker, born 20 Feb 1764; George Hocker, born 19 Oct 1766; Martin Hocker, born 21 Oct 1768; Catharine Hocker, born 21 Jan 1771; Elizabeth Hocker, born 23 Feb 1773; Jacob Hocker, born 17 Apr 1775.¹²

While it does not say that the Bible was that of Johann “Hans” Adam Hacker, comparison of it against estate records leaves little doubt that it was his. Brumbaugh gives no indication of where, or from whom, he obtained this Bible, or record of it.

There is some debate as to the eldest child’s name. The Hocker Bible Record lists a Christian, born 19 January 1754.¹³  Ray A. Brehm lists a Christina, while others say Christiana. I found no official record and so we cannot be sure. The others listed in the Bible Record, except for Jacob, who Brehm lists in his Family Record, I found in other sources. Jacob’s baptism does not appear in the church book that I purchased, but Brehm said he was baptized at Emanuel Lutheran according to his findings. Additionally, George was born 19 October 1766 in the Bible Record but 9 October 1766 in the Church record. Since the church record lists his date of baptism as 12 October, 7 days prior to the Bible Record date, I believe the Church Record to be correct.¹⁴

Adam and Elisabeth (Weidman) Hacker had the following children, all born in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania:

1. Christianna/Christian³ Hacker was born on 19 January 1754 and died in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania some time prior to the birth of the second Christianna in 1762.
2. Frederick Hacker was born 17 January 1756 in Cocalico Township.¹⁵ He died on 26 January 1812.¹⁶  He was buried in the Emanuel Lutheran Church cemetery in Brickerville, Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. On 26 October 1799 he married Catharina Fuchs in Reiher’s Reformed Church, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.¹⁷
3. Johannes “John” Hocker was born 27 January 1758 and christened in Emanuel Lutheran Church.¹⁸  Johannes probably died in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania circa 1801/1802. He was married 11 July 1784, when age 24, at Christ Lutheran Church, Tulpehocken, Stouchsburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania, to Eva Catharine Scholl.¹⁹
4. Christopher Hocker was born 21 February 1760 and was baptized, shortly thereafter, in the Emanuel Lutheran Church.²⁰ Christopher may have died some time after 1830, possibly in Union County, Pennsylvania. Christopher Hocker married Catharina Mueller, born 1766/1774, probably in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
5. Christianna Hacker was born on 19 April 1762 in Cocalico Township and was christened in Emanuel Lutheran Church.²¹ She was married on 26 June 1781 in Christ Lutheran Church, Stouchsburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania, to Henry Vetter/Fetter/Feather.
6. Johan Adam Hocker Jr. was born on 20 February 1764 and was christened in Emanuel Lutheran Church.²² Adam died in Derry Township, Dauphin County circa 1821. He is buried in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Hummelstown. Adam married Sophia Maria (Hershey?) circa 1788.
7. Johan George Hacker was born on 9 October 1766 and was christened on 12 October 1766.²³ George died on 12 September 1846 at the age of 79 years, 11 months, 3 days.²⁴ He was buried on 12 September 1846 in Emanuel Lutheran Church cemetery. George married Christina Mueller, daughter of Christopher Mueller and Maria Barbara Stober. Christopher Mueller’s will of 1815 mentions his son-in-law, George Hacker.²⁵
8. Martin Hocker was born or either 2 April or 21 October 1768.²⁶ He was christened on 29 November 1768 in Emanuel Lutheran Church by Rev. J. Nicholas Kurtz. Martin died in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania on 25 April 1862.²⁷ He was buried in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery. Martin was married twice, first to Christianna Beinhauer, daughter of Peter Beinhauer and Christina Stober, on 22 Mar 1799 in Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church²⁸; and second to Barbara Smith.
9. Catharine Hacker was born on 21 January 1771.²⁹  She was christened on 27 January 1771 at Emanuel Lutheran Church. Catharine died in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania some time before the settling of her father’s estate in 1783. No more is known about her.
10. Elizabeth Hacker was born on 23 February 1773 and baptized at Emanuel Lutheran church.³⁰ She died  at age 79 on 27 Sep 1852 in North Lebanon Township, Lebanon County and was buried in Kimmerlings Cemetery, Avon.³¹ She married about 1794 Johannes Laber.
11. Jacob Hacker was born 17 May 1775.  He died in Ohio on 8 April 1836.³² Before Aug 1802, he married Elizabeth (___).

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