A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy

Surname Saturday: Alexander Bonnington

Kris Hocker on 19 May 2012

Alexander Bonnington (1875-1964)

From Scotland to West Virginia

Alexander Bonnington was born on 16 August 1875 in Durhamtown, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Scotland, the third son of Peter Purvis and Elizabeth (Buchanan) Bonnington.¹ He grew up in the lowlands of Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. His father died on 16 September 1891 when Alexander was 16 years-old.²

On 27 January 1899, he married Christina Peace, daughter of James and Isabella (Brown) Peace, in Loanhead, Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland.³ By the fall 1900, Alexander and Christina were living in England as their eldest child James P. Bonnington was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland on 5 November 1900. They were living in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne at the time of the 1901 census for England.⁴ Alexander was a clerk.

The Bonningtons did not remain in England, however. By the fall of 1913, the family was living in Wallaceburg, Kent, Ontario, Canada. Their daughter Alexandra Marguerite Bonnington was born there on 9 November 1913.⁵ Alexander was a chemical engineer.

Alexander made several trips to the United States. He crossed into the U.S. at Niagara Falls on 5 December 1915, then at St. Albans, Vermont on 24 December 1915.⁶ According to his border crossing card, he had previously been to the U.S. in 1910 to visit his sister Elizabeth Cochrane of 35 West 18th Street, Harrisburg. He had arrived on 1 August in New York.

This time, apparently, was to settle in the U.S. His wife Christina followed him, entering through Niagara Falls on 6 January 1916, accompanied by her children James and Alexandra.⁷ It appears from her entry card that her husband was working for a chemical company, perhaps out of New Jersey.

The family was settled in South Charleston, West Virginia by 17 January 1920 when they were listed in the 1920 U.S. Census.⁸ Christina died sometime between the 1920 census and 1924 when Alexander remarried.⁹ He married Martha Krich and the couple had a son. In 1930, the family was living in Huntingdon, Cabell County, West Virginia.¹⁰

Martha (Krich) Bonnington died in Cabell County, West Virginia on 1 March 1953.¹¹ I believe Alexander died in Nebraska in February 1964.

Alexander was my 3rd great uncle, his sister Eliza Craig (Bonnington) Smith Cochrane, my GG grandmother. My grandfather Hocker and his sister Jean spoke of their parents visiting him in West Virginia.

Convoluted Family Relationships…

Kris Hocker on 18 May 2012

I just discovered that Maria Margaretha (Hager) Elser was the aunt of Hans Adam Hacker’s brother-in-law Lorentz Haushalter. My ancestor Hans Adam traveled to Pennsylvania on the same ship as Heinrich Mock and Johan Peter Elser, also of Rußheim. Heinrich Mock was Margaretha’s fiancée and Johan Peter Elser was her son. They all settled in Lancaster County and were members of the Warwick Congregation in Warwick/Elizabeth Township.

Who Were the Byerland Hoovers?

Kris Hocker on 10 May 2012

If you’ve been following my Huber/Hoover research, you may have seen me refer to some of them as “Byerland Hoovers.” Who were they? And why am I calling them the “Byerland Hoovers?”

The Byerland Hoovers were the earliest Hoover families to appear in the Lancaster County tax records. They were all Mennonites who settled in Conestoga and Pequea townships along Pequea Creek. They are called the Byerland Hoovers because of their proximity to the Byer/Boyer Mennonite Meeting House.¹

Joanne Hoover coded these Hoovers in her research as follows:

[H] Woolrich Hoover
[J] Jacob Hoover
[K] Henry Hoover
[D1] Jacob Hoover

Tracts at least partially owned by Byerland Hoover families

[H] Woolrich Hoover died prior to 23 Jun 1759 when his heirs sold his property (orange tract marked H) to his eldest son Johannes Hover.² He likely died in 1757 as an inventory was filed for his estate that year. He was listed amongst other immigrants who had been in Pennsylvania since 1718 in an 1729 naturalization list.³

[J] Jacob Hoover was also likely in Pennsylvania by 1718. He was assessed £10 on his property (blue tract marked J) in 1720.⁴ His land went to his son John who patented it and an adjoining tract (see J2). This land remained with John’s descendants for many, many years.

Joanne Hoover includes only one Henry Hoover and includes all the [K] and [K2] tracts as belonging to one man. Based on my land research, I believe there were two Henry Hoovers. [K] Henry Hoover died in 1757 and left his land (yellow tracts marked K) to his son John Hoover and daughter Elizabeth (Hoover) Boyer.⁵

[K2] Henry Hoover and his wife Catharine divided their property (yellow-orange tracts marked K2) between their sons John and Jacob Hoover in 1767.⁶ I traced this land through deeds from the children of Jacob (d. 1788) and John (d. ca 1810).

Joanne Hoover presumed that [H] Ulrich, [J] Jacob and [K] Henry “were the brothers named in the York County, Pennsylvania, will written Feb 15, 1771 by Christian Hoover who died without issue.”⁷ I have not been able to prove or disprove this theory. The fact that Christian named Johannes Huber and Johannes Line—two names seen often in Conestoga/Martic townships—as trustees of money Christian wanted paid out to the surviving children of his brothers Jacob, Ulrich, and Henry makes it a tantalizing possibility.

[D1] Jacob Hoover was the son of Hans Huber of Earl Township. His descendants are documented in the book The Huber-Hoover Family History by Harry M. Hoover.

There were other tracts in this same general location that belonged to Hoovers.

The two tract in lighter orange—H2 and H3—may have been purchased by sons of [H] Woolrich Hoover. [H2] was purchased by John Hoover from Jacob Eshleman in 1754.⁸ He had patented 25 acres just to the west in 1752.⁹

Part of [H3] was purchased by Ulrich Hoover [Jr.?] from the heirs of Henry Line in 1771.¹⁰ Ulrich’s eldest son sold this property to his step-father Christian Huber in 1788 and to Abraham Kendig in 1789.¹¹

The two gray tracts also belonged to Hoovers. The top one was warranted in 1803 and patented in 1811 to Martin Huber. I am not sure if this Martin was the grandson of [D1] Jacob Hoover or the grandson of [K2] Henry Hoover. The boot-shaped tract was warranted to Jacob Hoover in 1796 and patented to him in 1803. He may have been the son of [H3] Ulrich Hoover (one survey showed this tract as being of Ulrich Hoover), the son of [D1] Jacob Hoover or the grandson of [K2] Henry Hoover. Without information on the subsequent transfer of these properties it’s difficult to determine the owner’s identity.

So, these are the families that make up the “Byerland Hoovers.”

Wordless Wednesday: Conestoga Township Warrantee Map

Kris Hocker on 9 May 2012

Added Old Lampeter Township Warrantee Map Index

Kris Hocker on 8 May 2012

I’ve added a warrantee map index for old Lampeter Township. It includes indexes for both present-day East and West Lampeter townships. This downloadable PDF file includes links to the online survey that for each specific tract. Get it now for the introductory price of $1.99. Good until 5/15/2012.

Surname Saturday: Henry Fetter

Kris Hocker on 5 May 2012

On 26 June 1781, Henry Fetter married Christina Hacker, daughter of Hans Adam and Maria Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker, at Christ Lutheran Church in Stouchsburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania.¹ Bill Wingeard in his A German-American Hacker-Hocker Genealogy names Henry as the son of Bernhard and Gertrude (___) Fetter. Unfortunately, he doesn’t provide a source for that information.

In rewriting the genealogy, I’ve been trying to identify and make sense of the contemporary Fetter/Fehder/Feather/Vetter/Vehders living in the Warwick and Cocalico township in the late 1700s. There are at least two Henry Fetters that I need to clarify in the source data that I’ve found. Since writing about my research helps me to clarify my thoughts and findings, here goes.

Henry Carpenter 700-acre tract in Warwick (now Clay) & Cocalico townships

On 13 May 1759, William and Salome (Wister) Chancellor sold 95 1/2 acres in Cocalico Township to Henry Feather.² It adjoined land that had been or was to be granted to Bernhard Feather. This 95 acres was part of a larger tract of 350 acres that Henry Carpenter had sold to his grand-daughter Salome Wister on 21 November 1743.³ This tract included 32 acres that Daniel Fiere had sold Salome Wister on 12 June 1750.⁴ The tract the Chancellors sold adjoined land of “Henry Stouffer,” placing it on the north-eastern portion of the two tracts shown in the map (see Henry Carpenter’s 700 acres).

I did not find a deed record of Bernhard Fetter’s purchase, but both he and Henry took out mortgages on their properties—both 95 1/2 acres—on 1 Jun 1759.⁵ Bernhard’s wife’s name is recorded as Gertraut. Henry’s wife’s name is recorded as Anna Maria.

Bernhard & Henry Feather tracts, Cocalico Township

Bernhard is listed in Warwick tax records as “Berned Feter” in 1754.⁶ There is also a “Leard Fether” in Warwick in 1751. Bernhard is listed in 1769 in Cocalico and in 1770 in Warwick with the note “& a place in Cocalico.”⁷ Two Henry Feather’s are listed in Cocalico in 1770, as is a Conrad Feather.⁸ One Henry Feather is listed as “a single man with his father.” The other Henry’s listing indicates that he was listed as “Fetter” in 1769.

Additional tax records list Bernhard Fetter in Warwick Township in 1771, 1772, and 1773.⁹ In 1779, a “Fetter, Geo & Henry” are listed instead of Bernhard.¹⁰ It’s possible (maybe even probable) that these were Bernhard’s sons. Meanwhile, a Henry Feather is listed as a freeman (unmarried) in Cocalico Township in 1771, 1772, and taxed on 90 acres in 1773 and 40 acres in 1779.¹¹

An inventory is listed for Bernhard Feather of Warwick Township in 1777 in the Archive Collections at the Lancaster County Historical Society.¹² So, depending on the actual date of the inventory, Bernhard died in late 1776 or 1777. A will abstract is online for Gertraut Feather of Warwick Township. It indicates her will was written on 22 December 1792 and filed on 19 June 1794.¹³ It only names one child: Elizabeth, wife of John Frymyer.

Henry and Anna Mary Fetter of Cocalico Township sold 95.5 acres to Henry and Peter Fetter on 24 May 1773.¹⁴ These were likely their sons. They likely also had a son named Bernhard. A will abstract of Bernhard Feather of Cocalico Township in 1816 names his brother Peter and his nieces as: Susanna Brubaker, Christiana, Elizabeth Schlebach (wife of Henry), Mary Klingaman (wife of Michael).¹⁵ A deed naming appraisers for the lands of Henry Feder of Cocalico Township in 1822 names the same women as his daughters, plus Susanna Henly, a widow and only daughter of Henry’s son, Henry [III?].¹⁶

Given that Henry and Bernhard Fetter purchased land in 1759, they would have to have been born at or before 1738 (≥21 years of age). Because he was listed in tax records in 1754, Bernhard was likely born prior to 1733. Henry [Jr.] and Peter Fetter would have been born at or before 1752 (≥ 21 years of age in 1773). One of the two Henry Fetters listed in Cocalico Township tax records in 1770 was likely recently of age. The other at least a couple of years older.

Henry and Christina (Ernst) Vetter had a daughter Susanna, born 31 January 1774, baptized in Reiher’s Reformed Church on 9 January 1774.¹⁷ I believe this Henry Vetter is Henry Jr., the son of Henry and Anna Maria (___) Fetter. Henry and Christina had two other children baptized at Reiher’s Reformed Church: John Henry, born 10 March 1776, baptized 5 Apr 1776 and Samuel, born 6 November 1777, baptized 21 December 1777.¹⁸ Susanna’s birth places the marriage of Henry and Christina (Ernst) Fetter about 1772. That would place Henry’s birth about 1751, possibly a few years earlier. This fits perfectly with a child of Henry and Anna Maria (___) Fetter and the Henry Fetter taxed in Cocalico Township in 1771—1773.

The 1822 deed naming appraisers for the land Henry Fetter left his daughters also names a widowed daughter of his son. What’s interesting about her is the fact that her guardian, Isaac Erb, is also named in the document. This indicates that although she was a widow, she was not yet 21 years of age. Therefore, she was born about 1802, maybe a few years later. That is certainly consistent with a father who was born in the 1770s or very early 1780s.

Which of these Henry Fetters married Christina Hacker, daughter of Hans Adam and Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker? Until I can find the means to distinguish between the various men of this name, I won’t be able to accurately document Henry and Christina (Hacker) Fetter. I’ve got a start in gathering data, but I believe I need more information on these families—if I can get it—to truly be able to identify them in the records. If you have information on any of these families, please leave a comment!

Surname Saturday: Jacob Huber Family

Kris Hocker on 28 Apr 2012

Jacob Huber was born circa 1698, and likely immigrated in 1717.¹ He appears on tax records for Conestoga Township, Chester County from 1718 through 1725, settling on Pequea Creek on a tract of land in Conestoga and Martic Townships (now Pequea and Providence) which adjoined Ulrich Huber’s land. He warranted 105 acres.² It was surveyed 28 Jan 1733. He is listed with four children in Lancaster County on a reconstructed 1732 census of Mennonite families.³

Jacob & John Huber Martic & Conestoga Township Tracts

Jacob likely died sometime prior to 23 Nov 1739. Hans Boyer, a neighbor, patented his land on 26 Nov 1739.⁴ Boyer’s survey refers to Jacob Huber’s tract as belonging to the Widow Hoober. This tract of 105 acres was patented to John Huber on 2 Oct 1744.⁵ The survey refers to this tract as being of “Barbara (the widow of Jacob) Hoover… in right of Martin Kendrick and John Heer.⁶ John Hoover patented an adjoining tract of land, containing 110 acres, on 25 May 1756. This tract was surveyed in 1738.⁷^,⁸

If you go by Davis’ 1732 reconstructed Mennonite census, then Jacob and Barbara (___) Huber had at least four children prior to 1732. Davis provides two possible birth years for Jacob—1675 and 1698. I do not know which is his most recent determination, however I am inclined to go by the 1698 date. A 34-year-old man is far more likely to have four children living at home than a 57-year-old—assuming, of course, the validity of the Mennonite census listing.

To date I have found only one possible child for Jacob and Barbara (___) Huber:

John Huber was born at or before 1723, probably in Lancaster County.⁹ He died sometime prior to 30 Apr 1785, possibly in 1784.¹⁰^,¹¹ He married Barbara (___) likely before 1751. Barbara died sometime after 30 Apr 1785. The couple had the following children:¹²
1. Henry Huber was born ca 1740-1750 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County. He married Mary (___), possibly Newswanger, prior to 30 Apr 1785.¹³^,¹⁴ If his wife’s maiden name was Newswanger, then the couple was living in York County by 4 Jun 1798.¹⁵ Henry Hoover and Mary Newswanger had children: John, Christina, Abraham, Susan, Barbara, and Elizabeth.
2. Abraham Huber was born circa 24 Sep 1752 and died 4 May 1825 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County. He was buried in Old Byerland Cemetery in Pequea Township. He may have married Anna (___), possibly Anna Huber, daughter of Jacob and Barbara (___) Huber Jr. of Martic Township. He was a farmer and a Mennonite and lived all his life on property he purchased from his father’s estate.¹⁶ Abraham had children: Barbara, Mary married Abraham Huber, John, Abraham Jr., Anna married Martin Snavely (brother of John below), Christianna, and Elizabeth. Except for Mary and Anna, his daughters never married.
3. Christian Huber was likely born prior to 1755 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County¹⁷ and died sometime between 1820 and 1830 in Martic (now Providence) Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.¹⁸ He may have married Anna (___), born 5 Apr 1762 and died 21 Feb 1845.¹⁹ Christian may have had two sons: Christian Huber Jr. and John Huber. Their administrator, Abraham Huber, son of John Huber, purchased land from the Orphans Court in 1892 that is similar in metes and bounds to the land Christian Huber [Sr.] received from his father John’s estate in 1792.
4. John Huber was born before 1759 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County. He was single in 1790.²⁰ No more is known about him.
5. Jacob Huber was born before 1764 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County. He married Margaret (___), possibly Margaret Shank, daughter of Christian & Barbara (Good) Shank.²¹ If so, Jacob and Margaret had children: Christian, Esther married John Snavely (brother of Martin above), Jacob, and Abraham.
6. Peter Huber was born circa 1760 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County. He likely died sometime after 25 Jul 1818.²² He married Mary Huber, daughter of John & Mary (___) Huber of Martic Township and granddaughter of Henry and Catharine (Good) Huber. Peter and Mary had children: Peter Jr., Esther married Jacob Eshleman, Barbara, Anna, and John.
7. Anne Huber was born prior to 1764 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She married a Brenneman who likely died prior to 30 Apr 1785.²³
8. Frena Huber was born prior to 1764 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She was named among the children of John & Barbara Huber in the deed where the widow and children sold land from John’s estate to his sons Peter and Christian Hoober.²⁴
9. Barbara Huber was born prior to 1764 in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She was named among the children of John & Barbara Huber in the deed where the widow and children sold land from John’s estate to his sons Peter and Christian Hoober.²⁵

Jacob Huber may have been—depending on the birth year—either the elder brother or father of Ulrich Huber of Conestoga. He may have been related to either or both Henry Huber’s of Martic/Conestoga townships. If Joanne M. Hoover is correct in her assumptions, then Jacob, Ulrich, Henry (presumably the elder, d. ca 1757), Christian Huber of Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania, and Ann (Huber) Keny were all siblings as named in Christian’s will.²⁶ It is certainly a possibility. However, there were other men of these names living in York County to whom Christian’s will might have been referring.

Jane Evans Best indicates that Jacob may have been the son of Hans Heinrich Huber and Barbel Suter, baptized 30 Jun 1698 in Hausen, Switzerland.²⁷ If she is correct, this would make him the brother of one of the Henry Huber’s of Martic/Conestoga township and possibly a cousin of Hans Huber of Earl Township and his son Jacob Huber who settled nearby in Martic (now Providence) township—just up the Pequea, in fact.

Calling All Hacker/Hockers

Kris Hocker on 23 Apr 2012

I‘m in the midst of rewriting the Hacker/Hocker family genealogy featuring the descendants of Christoph and Anna Margaretha (Jock) Hacker of Rußheim, Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany and Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. And I need your help!

If you have family information or photos you’d like to see included in the book, please contact me.

The book will be following the descendants of:

Christoph and Anna Margaretha (Jock) Hacker

Johan Michael and Christina (Hacker) Lang (Long)
1. Johan Wilhelm and Anna Christina (Long) Stober*
2. Johan Michael Long Jr.
Johan “Hans” Adam and Maria Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker
1. Frederick and Catharina (Fuchs) Hacker
2. Johannes and Eva Catharina (Scholl) Hacker*
3. Christoper and Catharina (Mueller) Hocker
4. Henry and Christianna (Hacker) Fetter (Vetter/Feather)
5. Johan Adam and Sophia Maria (Hershey) Hocker Jr.*
6. Johan George and Christina (Mueller) Hacker*
7. Martin and Christiana (Beinhauer) Hocker and Barbara (Smith) Hocker
8. Jacob and Elizabeth (___) Hocker
Lorentz and Anna Margaretha (Hacker) Haushalter (Householder)
1. Nicholas and Margaretha (Haushalter) Voglesang (Foglesang/Fogelsang)*
2. Frederick and Barbara (Haushalter) Adam
3. Johan George and Catharina (Haushalter) Stober
4. Michael and Maria Elisabetha (Haushalter) Petz
5. George and Susanna (Haushalter) Scherb
Johan George and Anna Margaretha (Weidman) Hacker
1. Johan George and Mary (Kittinger/Killinger) Hocker Jr.
2. Johannes and Elisabeth (Mason) Hocker
3. Martin and Ann (Mason) Hocker
4. Johan Adam and Ann (Dillet) Hocker
5. Henry and Elizabeth (Hocker) Scheetz
6. Johan Wilhelm and Margarethe (Hocker) Cress
7. Christopher and Catherine (Daub) Hocker*
8. Jacob and Sarah (___) Hocker

* New/corrected information

I won’t be including information on people who are still living. I currently plan to make the book available in multiple formats—both printed, PDF and ebook.

If you would like to receive announcements about the book, please sign-up for the Hacker-Hocker Genealogy mailing list.

Hans Boyer’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 16 Apr 2012

On 22 November 1717, the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania warranted 5,000 acres to Martin Kendig and John Herr in then Conestoga, Chester County.¹ I. Taylor surveyed 210 acres on the Pequea, adjoining Widow Hoober, Ulrich Hoober, and John Ffarrer, part of the 5,000 acres warranted to Martin Kendig and John Heer, to Hans Boyer on 10 May 1719.² Hans patented this tract on 26 November 1739.³

Hans Boyer’s Conestoga Tract

Hans Boyer and his wife Barbara sold 210 acres, adjoining John Forrer, Ulrich Huber, and the Widow Hoober, to their son Samuel Boyer on 27 March 1748.⁴ Samuel Boyer and his wife Mary solid 1 acre to the Mennonist Conegregation on 10 December 1755.⁵ This became the Byerland Mennonite Meeting house.

On 10 January 1758, Samuel and Mary Boyer sold 14 acres to Tobias Boyer.⁶ Two years later on 3 October 1760, Tobias and Mary Boyer sold two tracts—including these 14 acres—to David Worley.⁷ David and his wife Ann then sold these two tracts to Christian Line on 11 March 1769.⁸

On 10 August 1769, Samuel and Mary Boyer sold 195 acres to Abraham and Mary Hess.⁹ Several months later, Abraham and Mary Hess sold the 195 acres to Jacob Smith.¹⁰ In November 1770, Jacob Smith purchased two tracts of land—including the 14 acres—from Christian and Anna (Boyer) Line.¹¹

Jacob and Magdalena (Good) Smith sold two tracts—ten acres 126 perches and one acres 58 perches—to Abraham Kagey on 22 June 1776.¹² The couple sold 60 acres to John Funk.¹³ On 15 October 1780, John and Ann Funk confirmed these same 60 acres back to Jacob Smith.¹⁴ Then on 20 December 1784 Abraham Kagey’s executors—Abraham Kagey Jr. and Christian Shank—sold the two tracks totaling about 11 acres purchased from Jacob Smith to Andrew Sureus.¹⁵ Andrew & Catherine Surearus sold on 13 September 1790 two tracts to Christian and Peter Huber—one of 10 acres 126 perches and the other one acres and 58 perches.¹⁶

After Jacob Smith’s death, the 195 acres he owned were partitioned into two sections. The first, containing 125 acres 50 perches was granted to Jacob Smith [Jr.]. The other contained 72 acres 78 perches (not including the acre deeded to the Mennonists) and was granted to Christian Smith. Jacob Smith renounced his claim to the 125 acres, so it was awarded to Abraham Smith, the third son. However, Abraham then sold this parcel to Jacob on 11 April 1805.¹⁷ Then in May 1805, Jacob Smith sold to his brother Christian two tracts from the 125 acres—one of 40 acres 150 perches, adjoining land of Jacob Smith, Abraham Huber, Henry Zercher and Christian Smith, the other of three acres 140 perches, adjoining land of Jacob Smith, Christian Smith and Pequea Creek.¹⁸

Wordless Wednesday: Unknown Pennsylvanian Girl

Kris Hocker on 11 Apr 2012

Do you know me?

The next installment in the Unidentified Pennsylvanians series features a photo of a young woman. She may have lived in the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania area and may have been either a friend of or related to either the Greulich, Wieder, Waage, Snyder, or Witmer families. The photo was likely taken in the early 20th century.

For more photos visit the Unidentified People photo gallery.