Category: Research

Family research

1702 Marriage of John Jones & Margaret Waterman

Kris Hocker on 17 Nov 2014

I’ve been researching and gathering information on John Jones of Philadelphia, because I think I may be descended from him—although at this time it’s a really big leap. So, I’ve been searching through the Quaker meeting records on Ancestry, looking to document information that I’ve found in online forums.

One of the items I’m searching for is the maiden name of John Jones Jr.’s wife. According to an abstract of John Jones Sr.’s will, his son John was married to a woman named Margaret as of 28 Feb 1708. According to the Quaker meeting records, John Jones married Margaret Waterman. They announced their intention to marry on 29 Jan 1702 and again on 26 Feb 1702:

John Jones and Margaret Waterman appeared at this Meeting Declaring thier Intentions of Marriage with each other it being the first time Sarah Goodson and Hannah Carpenter are appointed to Enquire concerning her Clearness and make report thereof to the next monthly.1

I was surprised by the date. My understanding was that John Jones (the father) married Margaret Waterman, widow of Humphrey Waterman, in 1696 and had their first child in 1697. What was with the 1702 date?

My confusion soon cleared, however, when I found the actual marriage record. It reads:

Whereas John Jones Son of John Jones of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania Merchant & Margaret Waterman Daughter of Humphrey Waterman late of the same place deceased having declared their intentions of taking Each other in Marriage before Several Monthly Meetings of the people of God called Quakers in Philadelphia aforesd according to the good order used amongst them Whose proceedings thereinafter due deliberation thereof and consent of parties and relations concerned they appearing clear of all others were approved by the said Meetings Now this is to certify all whom it may concern that for a full accomplishment of their said Intentions this Eleventh day of the first Month in the year according to the English account one Thousand Seven hundred & two they the said John Jones & Margaret Waterman appeared in a publick & solemn assembly of the aforesaid people mett together att their publick meeting house in Philadelphia aforesaid and in a solemn manner according to the Example of the holy men of God recorded in Scriptures of Truth He the said John Jones taking her the said Margaret Waterman by the hand declared as followeth (viz.) Friends In the Fear of the Lord and before this Assembly I take this my friend Margaret Waterman to be my Wife promising through the Lords assistance to be a failthfull & Loving husband till it shall please the Lord by death to Separate and then & there in the said Assembly the said Margaret Waterman Likewise declared as followeth (viz.) Friend In fear of God & before this Assembly I take this my friend John Jones to be my husband promising through gods assistance to be a faithfull & loving wife till it shall please God by death to Separate us and for a further confirmation thereof they the said John Jones & Margaret Waterman now (assuming the name of her husband) Margaret Jones did then & there to these presents sett their hands and we whose Names are here underwritten being present amongst others att the Solemnization of their said Marriage & Subscription as aforesaid have also to these presents as witnesses thereunto subscribed our Names the day & year above written2

The marriage intentions and marriage record refer to John Jones Jr. and Margaret Waterman, daughter of Humphrey Waterman. The couple signed the record “John Jones Junr.” and “Margaret Jones Junr.” Then—it appears to me—the family members signed after them.

  • John Jones Senr
  • Margaret Jones Senr
  • Jane Waterman
  • Richd Jones
  • Saml Jones
  • Marcy Waterman
  • Eliza Waterman
  • Grace Jones
  • Yeamans & Mary Gillingham

These names seem to be consistent with the family members of John Jones, merchant, of Philadelphia who came from Barbados in 1683, and his wife Margaret, formerly the widow of Humphrey Waterman, who also came to Philadelphia from Barbados. Furthermore, I also found the record of the marriage between John Jones [Sr.] of Philadelphia and Margaret Waterman in the records of the Abington Monthly Meeting. It was recorded in the minutes of the meeting on 30 Nov [9th mo] 1696.3

I’m not sure how Yeamans & Mary Gillingham fit in, but their names are grouped with the rest of the family members, so I expect I’ll be researching them, too.

Update: William H. Hocker & the Aetna Explosives Co.

Kris Hocker on 3 Nov 2014

Aetna Explosives Co. Crew, ca 1916?

I was finally able to review Harrisburg city directories to see when my great grandfather was living in the city. I hoped that they would narrow the window for his possible employment at the Aetna Explosives Company in Mt. Union, Pennsylvania. It didn’t narrow the timeframe nearly as much as I was hoping it would.

William H. and Isobel A. Hocker were living at 35 N. 18th Street in 1915.1 The directory does not give a date of publishing beyond the year, but Jun 8, 1915 is stamped on the table of contents, indicating that it was published before this date. By the time the 1916 city directory was compiled, William and family were no longer living in Harrisburg.2 Nor were they listed in the 1917 city directory.3

So, sometime between the birth of his first child in May and the compiling/publishing of the 1916 Harrisburg city directory, Will was likely hired to work at the Aetna explosives plant. Unless, of course, he worked somewhere else outside Harrisburg first.

This timeline means that he very likely could have been working at the Aetna Explosives Plant in Mt. Union at the time of the 21 Sep 1916 explosion. He doesn’t reappear in the Harrisburg city directory until 1918—which has Jul 19, 1918 stamped on the table of contents.4 He was most likely back in Harrisburg before that date.

Unfortunately, we still don’t know which explosion the family story refers to.

Follow-up: Aetna Explosives Co. at Mount Union

Kris Hocker on 12 Sep 2014

Will Hocker - Aetna Explosives Co. Crew
Will Hocker - Aetna Explosives Co. Crew

Will Hocker – Aetna Explosives Co. Crew?

Last week I wrote a post about the September 1916 explosion at the Aetna Explosives Company’s factory in Mount Union, Pennsylvania. Following up with additional newspaper research, I found that this explosion wasn’t the first, nor was it the last. Here’s what I’ve been able to piece together regarding the history of this factory. 1

Timeline:

1915

  • Week of May 19, 1915: Purchased Westbrook farm
  • 25 May 1915: William Hocker’s first child was born in Harrisburg
  • 1 July 1915: Plant scheduled to open
  • 14 July 1915: Two workmen died in accident
  • 16 August 1915: Started manufacturing explosives
  • 15 September 1915: Factory started manufacturing gun cotton
  • 24 September 1915: Workmen burned by acid when ringer exploded, one man seriously burned
  • 5 October 1915: Four workmen badly burned on their faces and bodies by acid in accident
  • 14 October 1915: Plant was looking for 1,500 workmen (1,000 carpenters) to expand
  • 11 November 1915: First shipment of gun cotton, 150,000 pounds, sent out
  • 18 November 1915: Started manufacturing smokeless gun power
  • 22 November 1915: Ether room at the factory exploded
  • 2 December 1915: Broke ground for factory expansion
  • 19 December 1915: Footbridge to factory washed away after flooding in the Juniata River

1916

  • 7 January 1916: Solvent Recovery Building No. 3 burned down
  • 14 January 1916: Fire at factory
  • 16 January 1916: Fire in the “screen barrel house” at factory; third fire in one week
  • 25 March 1916: Powder plant almost a year old
  • 26 April 1916: Worker Harry Pierson lost his right hand at wrist when it was caught under a hydraulic press
  • 16 May 1916: Three fires overnight in cotton drying building
  • 2 July 1916: Explosion at least one dead2
  • 29 July 1916: Aetna received order for 5 million pounds of smokeless power from U.S. government
  • 12 September 1916: H. Subree, an Aetna chemist, was bitten by a copperhead snake
  • 20 September 1916: Six men killed and many injured in explosion in the cotton dry house
  • 2 October 1916: Powder plant closed down
  • 12 October 1916: Plant planned to open to manufacture dyes and sulphuric acid
  • 16 October 1916: Last smokeless powder manufactured
  • 21 November 1916: Powder plant to reopen with large order for explosives, planned to hire 1,500-2,300 men
  • 2 December 1916: Powder plant resumed operations

1917

  • 17 January 1917: Solvent recovery building completely destroyed by fire, no one was badly hurt
  • 18 April 1917: Debtors applied for receiver to be named for Aetna Explosives Company
  • 30 April 1917: Acid tank exploded, badly burning six men, one of whom—David Sollenberger—later died
  • 5 Jun 1917: William Hocker registered for the draft and was working at the factory as a millwright
  • 17 July 1917: Two men—Lew Port and John Flasher—were seriously burned in an explosion at the plant
  • 24 December 1917: Fire at the plant caused about $60,000 worth of damage
  • 29 December 1917: Citizens of Mount Union signed up to become members of the local Red Cross chapter

1918

  • 19 January 1918: Seven state policemen arrived to guard two million pounds of TNT powder
  • 2 July 1918: Seven buildings were destroyed by raging fire at the plant, however there was no loss of life
  • 13 July 1918: 300 men arrived to repair the damaged building and expand the plant
  • 15 July 1918: Nine men were injured, possibly five fatally, by explosion in the gun cotton building

 

My great grandfather was working at the Aetna Explosives Company manufacturing plant at Mount Union by 5 Jun 1917.3 In reading through the news reports on the company after that date, I see nothing that matches the family story. There were fires that destroyed buildings and resultant injuries, but no loss of life. I can’t imagine that there would have been no news coverage of an explosion that killed workers.

So, if the explosion my grandfather told me about didn’t happen after 5 June 1917, then it must have happened before that date. Again, in 1917, I found reference to explosions, fires and burn injuries, but only one casualty is mentioned—David Sollenberger in April 1917. The only explosion that resulted in multiple deaths that was reported consistently in the Pennsylvania newspapers I reviewed was the September 1916 explosion.

There was a mention in the Gettysburg Star & Sentinel of an explosion in October 1916 that killed 19 men.4 This was also reported in the Chicago Livestock World in an article about another explosion in January 1917.5 This explosion seems a better match to the family lore.

However, I found no mention of the October 1916 explosion in Pennsylvania newspapers when I searched Chronicling America or the Google newspaper archive. With such a substantial loss of life, the lack of newspaper coverage seems very strange to me. Especially when the Harrisburg newspapers reported on the layoff of workers from Mt. Union and the “closing” of the factory that month and the reopening a month later.

I’d still like to review Harrisburg city directories to try to determine when my great grandfather and his family left Harrisburg for Newton-Hamilton. Maybe that’ll help narrow down the time frame to look for a historical match to the family story.

Updated 27 November 2016: Add a reader-sourced explosion and death (2 July 1916) to the timeline.

19th Century Newspaper Death Notices

Kris Hocker on 28 Aug 2014

Newspapers can be an invaluable source of historical information to put our ancestors’ lives in context. But they can also provide direct content, such as BDM—birth, death, marriage—dates, about our ancestors, too. I have found casual, social news about family, marriage announcements, death announcements, and obituaries in newspapers where they lived during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The information provided in a newspaper can vary greatly—from the limited data of a death notice:

Died—On Tuesday last, in this borough [Harrisburg], Miss Amelia, daughter of the last  Judge Henry dec’d.1

to a short article:

During the storm of Thursday afternoon, Samuel Hocker was killed, in the vicinity of Spring Mills, Montgomery county, by lightning, while standing under a tree, with three other men. His companions were all stunned, but escaped without much injury.2

to a longer obituary:

Died—On Thursday the 3d instant, Thomas Girty, in the 90th year of his age.

The name of this veteran, and of some of his family, is associated with some of the most interesting events in the history of the first settlement of this country. Could the incidents of his life be collected they would form a valuable work, and give a proper idea of the intrepidity, enterprise, and heavy sufferings of that class of early settlers, who were formerly called Indian Hunters. Girty was born in 1731, in Shennan’s valley. He was taken prisoner with his whole family in ’55 by the Indians, and brought to Fort Kittaning, where his step father was burnt in his presence, at the stake. After this hellish transaction the four brothers and mother were sent off among the different tribes of the Northwestern Indians. Thomas Girty made his escape and fell in with General Armstrong. The rest of the family were exchanged in the year ’58 at General Forbes’ treaty.3

So, don’t discount newspapers because your ancestor wasn’t famous or a person of great importance. You might not find anything. But you might just hit the genealogy jackpot.

1916 Aetna Explosives Co. Explosion at Mt. Union, Pa.

Kris Hocker on 27 Aug 2014

Will Hocker Aetna Crew

While writing this week’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, I recalled a story my grandfather told me about an incident in his father’s life. With a little digging, I was able to discover more information about it.

Will Hocker - Aetna Explosives Co. Crew

Will Hocker – Aetna Explosives Co. Crew?

Grandpa once recalled that his father—William Howard Hocker—worked at a mill that made gunpowder when he was a newly married man—before my grandfather was born. The family wasn’t living in Harrisburg at the time. Supposedly, my great grandfather went home for lunch one day and while he was there, an explosion destroyed part of the mill, killing my great grandfather’s team.

My grandfather didn’t supply any detail—the who, what, when, and where. But records from my great grandfather’s life helped to fill in the blanks. Will Hocker married Isabella Aiken Smith on 13 October 1914 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.1 At the time, he was a carpenter. He was born and grew up in Harrisburg and was still living there when he married. His first child, daughter Bonnie, was born in Harrisburg in May 1915. So, was his second child, born in 1918.

However, during the intervening years, he was required to register for the draft during World War I. At that time—June 1917—Will was living  in Newton-Hamilton, Wayne Township, Mifflin County, working at the Aetna Explosives Company as a millwright.2

Mount Union & Newton-Hamilton, PA

Proximity of Mount Union & Newton-Hamilton

The Aetna Explosives Company of New York built a large plant at Mount Union in May 1915 to manufacture munitions for World War I.3 The company bought the farm of John Westbrook and built their plant, which eventually covered 380 acres of land. Work on this factory progressed rapidly and it started operations, producing gun cotton, in September 1915. The powder presses arrived a month later. “This plant manufactured smokeless powder for the Russian, French, and English Governments and finally for the United States Government, and in October 1918, was delivering at the rate of 1,500,000 pounds of smokeless powder per month.”4

According to The American Underwriter Magazine and Insurance Review, there was an explosion at the Aetna Explosives Co. factory in Mount Union at their finishing mill, resulting in $60,000 in damages in 1916.5 The explosion was due to “spon. combustion.” My grandfather told me that static electricity built up in the drum and ignited the powder.

Newspaper coverage from the time stated:

Huntingdon, Pa., Sept. 21— Five men were instantly killed and another sustained injuries which caused his death hours later when the air dry house of the Mount Union plant of the Aetna explosives company was wrecked near here early today. All the dead were empleyed [sic] in the building which was blown to pieces.6

The men who died that day were “Clayton Clark of Shirleysville, Pa., George Scayer of Orbisonia, Pa., William Pyles of Orbisonia, Pa., Charles Bard of Obrisonia, Pa., and Steve Olsch of Lancaster, Pa.” William Leman, of Portage, Pa., was critically injured and later died. The explosion was felt for miles and sent debris flying several hundred feet.7

According to the Harrisburg Telegraph, “Six men were killed and a number injured at 6 o’clock this morning when a terrific explosion completely destroyed the cotton dry house at the plant of the Aetna Explosives Company here [Mount Union]. The men were changing shifts at the time, the night workers just going away from the building at the time escaped injury.”8 The newspaper claims the dead were “George Stair, Orbisonia; Elmer Pyle, Orbisonia; Clayton Clark, Marietta; Elmer Bair, Orbisonia; William Lehman, Portage, and Charles Vlsch [Olsch?], Orbisonia.”

Aetna Explosives Co. Crew, ca 1916?

Aetna Explosives Co. Crew, ca 1916?

If the time of day referenced in this account is correct, then my great grandfather likely hadn’t gone home for lunch, but had either already left or hadn’t yet arrived for his shift. I don’t know in what capacity my great grandfather worked at the factory. His 1917 draft card lists him as a millwright. My understanding of this position as “a specialized carpenter”9 is consistent with his work life both before and after his job with Aetna Explosives Company. I would guess that he was involved with the setting up, building and maintaining the factory and its equipment.

How this plays against my grandfather’s account, I don’t know. I can’t be sure whether or not my great grandfather personally knew or worked with the deceased. While I know that he was working at the company in June 1917, was he already working there in September 1916? Given the size of the facility, it would have taken a large workforce to build it—including a large number of carpenters. Steady work would have appealed to a man with a wife and young child to support. So, it’s possible, if not likely, that he was. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only explosion at the factory. Even if Grandpa’s story isn’t related to this tragedy, it may have been related to one of the others.

I am sure, however, that this was an extremely traumatic event in his life and must have touched him deeply. Why else would he speak of it with his son—who wasn’t even born until two years after the tragedy? And in such a way that that boy felt the need to speak of it with his granddaughter when asked about the photos?

I’m glad I looked into my grandfather’s memory. Stories like this give depth to our understanding of our ancestors and the events they lived through. Knowing that my great grandfather remembered this event and the men who died, provides insight into the type of man he was. And that’s the closest I can get to knowing him.

Photo Notes: Reviewing the two photos, it appears that most of the men are in both photo. Two men—the man to the far left and the man to the far right in the first photo—are not in the second photo. I don’t know for certain that my great grandfather is in either, but the man to the far left in the first photo resembles him to me. Maybe one of the family who actually knew him will post a comment?

52 Ancestors: Isabella (Smith) Hocker (1893-1962)

Kris Hocker on 25 Aug 2014

Isabella (Smith) Hocker - 52 Ancestors

Isabella (Smith) Hocker - 52 AncestorsWilliam and Eliza Craig (Bonnington) Smith came to Pennsylvania from Edinburgh, Scotland about 1890, leaving their eldest two children with Eliza’s parents Peter and Elizabeth (Buchanan) Bonnington in Scotland until they were settled in Harrisburg.1  William became a United States citizen on 12 January 1893.2

My great grandmother, Isabella “Isabel” (Aiken) Smith, was born Tuesday, 4 April 1893 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.3 She was the third daughter and fifth Smith child. He older brother William was the first child born in the United States. He was born 28 March 1892.4 Her youngest brother, Robert Thomas Alexander Smith was born 7 April 1899.5

The family lived on Zarker Street in Harrisburg. William owned and operated an ice house on Howard Street.6 Given the proximity between the two, it’s likely that the family home was behind their business.

When Isabella was eleven years old, her father died of pneumonia on Thursday, 23 February 1905.7 He was fifty-three years old. Eliza was suddenly responsible for a family of five children, aged from nineteen to four years of age. I’m sure it was a difficult time for them all.

Isabella Smith and the telephone girls

Isabella Smith and the telephone girls

Eliza remarried on 1 August 1908 in Harrisburg to Robert Owens Cochrane, an Irishman.8 He was a clerk for a steel company. In 1910, the family was living at 1934 Forster Street in Susquehanna Township, just outside the Harrisburg city limits.9 James and William were not with the family—James, I believe, died in 1905, but I don’t know where Willie was at this time. Isabella’s older sister, Bess, was working as a sales lady and Isabella was working as a telephone operator. By the time Isabella was nineteen, her hair had turned white from typhoid fever—which she had twice.10

William and Isabella (Smith) Hocker

William and Isabella (Smith) Hocker

On Tuesday, 13 October 1914, at age 21, Isabella married at Harrisburg, William “Will” Howard Hocker.11  The youngest son of Albert Curtin and Lillian Ainsley (Leedy) Hocker, formerly of Harrisburg, Will was born Sunday, 17 August 1890 in Swatara Township.12

Will was a carpenter and general contractor for most of his life. At one point, however, he worked as a millwright at Aetna Explosives Company in Newton Hamilton on the Juniata River in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.13 My grandfather told the story that one day his father had gone home for lunch, leaving his men at work at the mill. While he was at home, there was a terrible explosion. Grandpa said his father blamed himself for not being there to watch over his men.

Will and Isabella had five children:

  1. Isabella Bonnington Hocker was born 20 May 1915 and died 13 July 2006. Bonnie married Harold McGowan Ruder on 25 April 1940 at Olivet Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg.
  2. William Howard Hocker Jr. was born on 1 September 1918 and died 17 January 2008. He married my grandmother on 25 September 1941.
  3. Anna Louise Hocker was born 10 September 1919 and died 23 September 1963. She married 14 August 1942 Willard Clair Hoover in Alexandria, Louisiana.
  4. Betty Jean Hocker was born 3 November 1923 and died 6 March 2014. She married William Osbourne Wingeard Jr. 24 April 1953 at Epworth Methodist Church in Harrisburg.
  5. Meriam “Mims” Elizabeth Hocker was born 20 September 1929 in Harrisburg and died 15 September 1999. She married January 1949 in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Isabella’s mother, Eliza Craig (Bonnington) Smith Cochrane, died Friday, 18 October 1946 in Philadelphia.14 Her second husband had passed away more the twenty years before. Eliza was buried in Paxtang Cemetery, Paxtang Borough, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

Isabella Smith Hocker (1894-1962)

Isabella Aiken (Smith) Hocker

Isabella died Saturday, 21 July 1962 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She was buried in the Paxtang Cemetery on Tuesday, 24 July 1962.15 She was survived by her husband, five children, and fourteen grandchildren.16At the time of her death, she was a member of Epworth Methodist Church and taught in the church’s beginning department.

Will passed away Wednesday, 22 March 1967 and was buried Saturday, 25 March 1967, also in Paxtang Cemetery.17 He was survived by his son, three daughters, and fourteen grandchildren.18 He, too, was a member of Epworth Methodist Church. He was also a member and trustee of the local carpenter’s union and the Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers Association.

This post is part of an ongoing, blogging challenge entitled 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, created by Amy Crow of No Story Too Small. Participants must write about one ancestor every week. This is my twenty-first 52 Ancestors post and part of week thirty-four.

52 Ancestors: Daniel Bobb Sr. (1747-1833)

Kris Hocker on 19 Aug 2014

Daniel Bobb Sr.Daniel Bobb of Hereford Township wrote his last will and testament on Saturday, 26 May 1827 and it was proven on Tuesday, 19 March 1833 in Berks County.1

It read:

In the name of God, Amen—

I Daniel Bob Senior of Hereford Township in the County of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, Miller, being advanced in years though in perfect health of body, and of sound mind memory and understanding, but considering the uncertainty of this transitory life, do make and publish this my last will and testament, in manner & form following, to wit:

First, it is my will that all my just debts and funeral expence by duly paid and satisfied as soon as conveniently can be after my decease.

Item, it is my will and I do order and direct that my son Daniel his heirs Executors or administrators, shall, in pursuance of Articles of agreement between us now in the hands of Joseph M. Thompson, dated the 12th day of December AD 1826 — and of a special bond, or bond of maintenance given me by my said son Daniel dated in April 1827; give and render unto my beloved wife Catharine, as follows, that is to say — first, the full  & absolute possession of the dwelling house wherein I now reside, and the garden thereto belonging, he shall deliver so much manure into said Garden, and at such times as my wife shall order and direct, and shall keep said garden fence in repair, he shall find my said wife so much fuel as she may request, cut small, suitable for the stove, and deliver the same to her door, or into her house, as she my order, and shall keep the fountain pump at said house in repair. He shall deliver my said wife yearly & every year, ten bushels of merchantable wheat, twelve bushels of Rye, ten bushels buckwheat & six bushels of Indian corn, to be ready ground & delivered into her house as such times and in such quantities as my said wife shall order. He shall also deliver to such place as my said wife shall direct, six bushels of good potatoes, six bushels of winter apples, of her choice, on the premises of my said son Daniel; also apples for drying & for her own summer use. Also to barrels of cider, one swine well fattened & to weigh two hundred pounds or upwards, killed & nicely cleaned, seventy five pounds weight of good beef, ten pounds & well hatcheled flax, eight pounds of good [?], six pounds of good clean wool, & two [?] bushels of salt; and shall keep number and provide for my said wife an half dozen hens, and an equal number & year, to kill if she sees proper. He shall feed in winter and pasture in summer for my said wife, one cow, in the same manner as his own are fed & pastured. All and singular the aforesaid provisions for my said wife , shall however, cease I determine so soon as she shall cease to be my widow, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, —

Item I do give & devise unto my said wife Catharine, further, all my household & kitchen furnature; bedding linnen &c. included, one cow of her choice, of my stock of cattle; twenty five pounds of lawfull money of Pennsylvania, to be paid to her by my executors soon after my decease;d and the interest of six hundred pounds (which sum I do hereby order & direct my executors hereinafter named to place, or let remain on interest for that purpose) yearly & every year during her lifetime. And further it is my will and I do order and direct, that in case my said wife should become helpless, or not able to do her own work; that then and in that case my Executors shall find, and, out of my estate, pay, a maid to do the work for & wait, on, my said wife. —

After the decease of my said wife it is my will, that, her movables, if there by any, shall be equally divided among my six children, hereinafter named. —

And as touching all the rest and residue of my estate, not otherwise disposed of, as also (after the decease of my said wife Catharine) the six hundred pounds, which I have ordered to be put on interest for my said wife, I do give and devise to same to my six children, viz. Elizabeth intermarried with Isaac Kummerer, John, Daniel, Mary intermarried with John Beitler, Catharine intermarried with Samuel Reidnower and Sarah intermarried with John Landis, share and share alike — The several sums of money or other things with which I have charged my children, or of which I have kept a memmorandum, shall be taken into account, in making distribution of my estate, among my said children; but no interest shall be charged to my said children, on my book account, or bonds, notes &c. that I may have against any of them. —

And whereas my son in law Samuel Reidnower has become an intemperate drinker, and does not treat my said daughter Catharine as an affectionate husband aught to do, therefore it is my will I do order and direct, that so much of my estate as would in pursuance of this my will fall to my daughter Catharine, shall be placed, or remain in the hands of my son Daniel, his executors or administrators, in trust for my said daughter Catharine, who shall if he or they can put the same to interest, and pay the said interest, yearly to my said daughter Catharine, and I do hereby further authorize my said son Daniel, his executors or administrators, as trustees of my said daughter Catharine to pay here from time to time such sum or sums, of the principle in his or their hands, as he or they shall in their discretion, think, she may stand in need of or her circumstances may require —

In case my said daughter should become a widow, the said trustee or trustees, shall forthwith, pay my said daughter Catharine, the ballance of her portion, in their hands, in full, but is she should no become a widow, the said trustee or trustees shall at her decease pay the ballance in their hands, to the legal heirs or representatives of my said daughter Catharine — The foregoing shall not be so construed as to make my son Daniel pay interest on my said daughters money, unless he can put it out to interest

And lastly I do nominate constitute and appoint my said son Daniel & my son in law Isaac Kummerer, to be executors of this my will, hereby revoking all others wills legacies & bequests by me heretofore made, and declaring this and no other, to be my last Will & Testament — In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 26 day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand and eight hundred and twenty seven.
Daniel Bob {seal}
Signed Sealed & declared by the said testator as his last will & testament in the presence of us
Henry Eshbach
Elijah Eshbach

Berks County Ss —On the 19th day of March AD 1835 Then appeared Henry Eshbach and Elijah Eshbach and being duly sworn according to law, did depose and say that they were present and saw and heard the Testator sign, seal, publish, pronounce and de- this instrument of writing as and for his last Will and Testament and that at the time of the doing  thereof he was of sound mind memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge, observation & belief.
Jer. Snyder  Dept Reg’r

Letters Testamentary in Common form were granted to Daniel Bob & Isaac Kummerer

Daniel Bobb Sr. 1833 will

Daniel Bobb Sr.’s 1833 last will & testament

Daniel Bobb Sr. was buried in Hill Church Union Cemetery in Boyertown, Berks County, Pennsylvania.2 Daniel named his wife Catharine and six children in his will.

  1. Elizabeth Bobb was born 23 Mar 1776 and died 30 Jun 1850.3 She married Isaac Kummerer. He was born 27 October 1769 and died 16 April 1838.4
  2. John Bobb was born about 1766-1784.
  3. Daniel Bobb Jr. was born 26 July 1780 and died 27 June 1866.5 Daniel married Anna Margaret Herb, daughter of Abraham and Anna Sibilla (Fuchs) Herb, on 7 July 1805 in Oley Hills, Berks County.6 She was born 1 Jan 1783 and died 21 December 1865.7
  4. Mary Bobb was born before 1790. She married John Beitler.
  5. Catharina Bobb was born 6 Oct 1790 and died 9 July 1867. She married Samuel Reitenauer.
  6. Sarah Bobb was born between 1795 and 1800. She married John Landis.8

This post is part of an ongoing, blogging challenge entitled 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, created by Amy Crow of No Story Too Small. Participants must write about one ancestor every week. This is my twentieth 52 Ancestors post and part of week thirty-three.

Friday Find: Christian Hoover’s Farm

Kris Hocker on 8 Aug 2014

Hoover Farm Viewing Blind
Quehanna Hoover Road Walking Trail

Quehanna Hoover Road Trail

Thanks to the sleuthing of some family members on the ground in Pennsylvania, I believe we finally know where Christian Hoover’s farm was located.

If you remember from my previous post—Where Did My Christian Hoover Live?—I’d  determined that his farm was originally part of the Dodge Lands, tract #5404. A map that I located seemed to indicate that this would have placed his farm near Twelvemile Run. Not too far from the stream, a road named “Hoover road” (previously Driftwood Pike) bears north off the Quehanna Highway toward Driftwood. I’ve been thinking that his farm was somewhere in this area off Hoover road.

However, my relatives discovered the Hoover Farm Wildlife Viewing area (seen in Google Map below).

Looking at it on the map. It’s just to the south of the Hoover road turnoff and near Twelvemile Run. It looks like I wasn’t too far off on my estimated location.

Hoover Farm Viewing Blind

Quehanna Hoover Farm Blind

The farm is apparently now part of Pennsylvania’s Quehanna Wildlife Area. There is a viewing blind on the property, where visitors can watch wildlife feeding in the farm’s fields and feeding plots.

Christian L. Hoover died on 1 October 1887. His heirs—adult children Reuben, Samuel, Simon, George, and minor child Eva, and widow Mary Ann (Conaway) Hoover—sold his property to George Boak, in trust for the Wildwood Company, in 1889.1 It eventually became part of the Curtiss-Wright property by the 1920s or 30s.2 The state purchased the land from Curtiss-Wright in 1967.3

I obviously never knew my 3x great grandfather. But since his descendants have such a keen appreciation for the outdoors, I think he’d appreciate the use the state has found for what was once his land.

Now if I could only find his family in the 1870 and 1880 census!

Photo Credit:
Photo 1: “Quehanna Hoover Road Trail” by Ruhrfisch (talk) – photographed it myself. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo 2: “Quehanna Hoover Farm Blind” by Ruhrfisch (talk) – photographed, stitched, and cropped it myself, originally two horizontal photos.This panoramic image was created with Autostitch. Stitched images may differ from reality. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

52 Ancestors: Daniel Bobb Jr. (1781-1866)

Kris Hocker on 5 Aug 2014

52 Ancestors - Daniel Bobb Jr. (1780-1866)This week’s ancestor is Daniel Bobb Jr., father-in-law of #18 Henry Moyer Eshbach.

Daniel Bobb Jr. of Washington Township, Berks County was the son of  Daniel Bobb of Hereford Township. He was born Wednesday, 26 July 1781 in Berks County and died Tuesday, 27 February 1866.1 He was buried in Hill Union Church cemetery in Boyertown. Like his father, Daniel was a miller by trade.

Daniel married on Sunday, 7 July 1805 Anna Margaret Herb in Oley Hills, Berk County.2 She was the daughter of Abraham and Anna Sybilla (Fuchs) Herb of Hereford Township.3 She was born on 1 January 17834, died on 21 December 1865, and was buried in Hill Union Church cemetery.5

Daniel wrote his last will and testament on Friday, 16 February 1866 and it was proven on Thursday, 15 March that same year.6 It names his nine children:

I give and bequeath all my estate…in nine equal shares to my nine children…one ninth to my son Henry, one ninth to my son Daniel, one ninth to my son John, one ninth to my son Abraham, one ninth to the children of my deceased son William, one ninth to the children of my deceased daughter Lydia, one ninth to my daughter Mary the wife of Henry Reitnauer, one ninth to my daughter Sally the wife of Jacob Christman, and one ninth to my daughter Elizabeth.

Daniel and his wife Anna Margaret (Herb) Bobb had children:

  1. Catherine Lydia Bobb Eshbach (1805—1859)
  2.  Anna Bobb (1807—1829)
  3.  Henry Bobb (1809—1891)
  4.  Daniel H. Bobb (1810—1891)
  5.  Johannes “John” H. Bobb (1813—1900)
  6.  Mary Bobb Reitnauer (ca 1815-1820—?)
  7.  Abraham H. Bobb (1816—1906)
  8.  William H. Bobb (1819—1865)
  9.  Sarah H. Bobb Christman (1821—1910)
  10.  Elizabeth Bobb (1826—aft 1870)

This post is part of an ongoing, blogging challenge entitled 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, created by Amy Crow of No Story Too Small. Participants must write about one ancestor every week. This is my nineteenth 52 Ancestors post and part of week thirty-one.