Category: Research

Family research

A Great Sickness at Harrisburg The Landis Mill Dam Incident

Kris Hocker on 20 Mar 2013

Yellow fever is one of those diseases that was of grave concern to our ancestors. About 1793, Philadelphia was experiencing an outbreak of the disease and when a febrious illness began to manifest in Harrisburg, there was great concern that it had reached them, too.1

Efforts were made to protect the town and its inhabitants—the posting of guards on the roads, turning away travelers, etc. But the general feeling amongst the town’s inhabitants was that the disease was caused by the stagnant waters behind a dam on Paxton Creek. The mill was owned by Peter, John and Abraham Landis.

Articles of agreement were written between John Harris, founder of Harrisburg, and the three Landis men on 16 April 1790. Harris granted them “a mill seat on the waters of Paxton Creek the race whereof to be taken out of the said creek at any place between the two bridges now erected over the same opposite Harrisburgh aforesaid and to be dug or carried through the land of the said John Harris.”2 The men paid £600, plus interest, and were required to provide a sufficient merchant mill within three years.

Then the sickness came.

On 5 May 1794, a meeting was held and a committee designed to meet with the Landis’ and offer them £2500 in exchange for the mill.3 They met with the men the next day. The Landis’ refused to sell.

By January 1795, the inhabitants were determined to take action. At a meeting on 16 January 1795, it was voted to pay the Landis’ £2600 for the mill, and that in case the Landis’ again refused to sell, they would “prostrate the dam erected… and pay our proportionate parts of all legal expenses and damages that may accrue on any suit or suits.”4 An assessment was made on all property in the borough in order to make up the amount of the offer.5 Amongst those assessed for property in town were John, Adam, and Christopher Hocker. A George Hocker—possibly their brother—was assessed as a single man, too.

Apparently, the Landis men were still not willing to sell and instead asked for £2000 for the water-rights alone. The committee apparently believed this was little more than extortion. They refused the counter-offer.

On Saturday, 18 April 1795, the committee and a number of inhabitants went to the dam and with four persons they had hired “opened the creek bed twelve feet wide.”6 This, for all intents and purposes, ruined the dam.

On 29 April 1795, with the dam all but destroyed and no other options, the Landis’ sold the mill property and equipment to a committee comprised of Stacy Potts, Moses Gilmore, William Grayson, Jacob Bucher, John Keen, John Dentzel and Alexander Berryhill.7

 The Landis Family

Peter, John, and Abraham Landis may have been, I believe, brothers and sons of Felix Landis.

Felix Landis of Derry Township died after writing his will on 25 Jan 1770.8 He left his property on Spring Creek to his two sons—Peter and Jacob. Peter, in particular, inherited that piece of the tract “whereupon the house and barn and mill is standing.” This indicates to me that the mill business was a family industry.

All three men were of Derry Township in 1790 when they purchased the water rights from John Harris.9 In 1795 when they sold out, Peter and Eva, his wife, were of Derry Township, John and Catharine, his wife, were of Londonderry Township, and Abraham and Barbara, his wife, were of Paxton Township.10

Will: Henry Landis (1785)

Kris Hocker on 18 Mar 2013

Henry Landis of Derry Township wrote his last will and testament on 26 April 1785 and it was proven on 29 November 1785. It was written in German. I found this translation in Dauphin County Will Book A, page 34.

Will of Henry Landis of Derry Township

1785 will of Henry Landis of Derry Township

The translation from the German of the last Will & Testament of Henry Lands

In the name of god Amen April 26th 1785.
I Henry Landis living in Derry Township Lancaster County am sick of the body but yet of Sound Knowledge therefore it is my Will where with the lord blessed me I dispose of as follows

First it is my last Will & Testament that my wife Anna shall have one bed and bedstead Two cows one Horse [Creative?] the Saddle and Briddle thereto and the horse on a ture[??] and Cows to be fed with their own & to be pastured with their own and the Third of the Personal Estate all that I have and to Live in my house or to have one built for her and well Finished out and Fire wood to be brought home and but short Short for her as much as She shall nead [sic] and the one half of the Kitchen Garden which is also to be Duly Dugned [dunged?] and Rowed, and apple as many as She shall Need or the Third Part of the Orchard and the Third Part of the Income of the Place of all they Shall Plant or Sow & two Sheep to be Kept and Fed for her Widowhood & not Longer; and him who Possesseth my Place Shall Deliver the Grain on the loft well clained [sic] the Meadow Shall belong to him whom hath the place but if he Doth not Feed the Horse and Cows well for my Said Wif [sic] She Shall have a Right to Take Fother [sic] as much as will be necessary for such Chattle [sic] as above mentioned

Item It is my will that my Son Felix Shall have my place which I now live on for eight Hundred Pounds Good and Lawful money and he shall pay every year Twenty five Pounds until the whole is paid and he Shall of What Remaineth have not more than one of my others and my Son Henry shall Draw the First Payment as much as Shall be coming to him for the Share of my Estate and my other Children Each of them Shall Receive Twenty-five pounds according to sincerity[?] yearly untill [sic] the Whole is Paid and my Said son Felix Shall have my PLace to him and his heirs as above specified or mentioned

Item It is my Last Will & Testament I nominate & coose [sic] for Executors Christian Stauffer and my Brother Son John Landis which I Acknowledge with my own hand in Present of these Presents

Christian Obre
Martin Bradnt[?] }    Henry his X mark Landis (seal)

Proved this twenty ninth day of November one thousand seven hundred & Eighty Five

J Montgomery Regr1

Henry Landis was my 6x great grandfather.

Friday Find: Henry Landis Renunciation

Kris Hocker on 15 Mar 2013

I’ve been working on the narrative for Martin Hocker (1768-1862) for my A Hacker-Hocker Family recently and I realized that I don’t have much information on his daughter Christianna, born 24 Nov 1808, who married Henry Landis.1

Henry is a common first name in the Landis family; so I’m reviewing documents and trying to piece information together. In my search of Dauphin County deeds, I found the following document.2

Henry Landis Renunciation
In it Henry Landis refused to take the property his father—Henry Landis Sr. of Swatara Township—left to him in his will. A standard enough document. But what caught my eye were the witnesses—Benjamin and Martin Hocker!

Benjamin Hocker was most likely the youngest son of Johan Adam Hocker Jr. of Derry Township. His older brother George—my 4X great grandfather—married Mary Magdalena Landis, daughter of Henry Landis Sr. of Swatara township, on 2 Mar 1819.3

I thought at first that Martin Hocker was likely the son of Martin Hocker Sr. of Derry Township. But then I did the math. Martin Jr. would have been only 17 in 1829. It’s far more likely that he was actually Martin Hocker Sr. If so, then it’s quite possible that this is the Henry Landis who married Christianna Hocker, Martin’s daughter, on 18 Oct 1825.4

While this doesn’t actually prove that this Henry married Christianna Hocker—there’s no mention of her in the deed—it does prove that Henry Landis Jr. was associated with Benjamin Hocker and Martin Hocker by June of 1829.

York County, Pennsylvania, Orphans Court Records, 1749-1840

Kris Hocker on 8 Feb 2013

I’ve been using the “York County, Pennsylvania Orphans Court Records index, 1749-1840” in researching the families associated with Ulrich Hoover of Adams and York counties. Since I’ve had to go back several times, I’ve been bookmarking the start of surname starting letter sections as I use them.

Randy Seaver suggested in one of his Follow-up Friday posts that bloggers who use the “browse only” databases on FamilySearch.org should “expose these records to the masses, and te[a]ch them how to use them.” So, I thought I’d share these bookmarks to help other York County, Pennsylvania researchers quickly start browsing the index. Then—since it’s a snowy afternoon and there’s nothing else to do—I thought I’d complete the list of links so that it includes each starting letter.

There are 128 film frames in this index. Here are links to the first frame for each surname starting letter:

What are Orphans Court Records?

Why should you care about the Orphans Court records?

Despite the name, these records don’t pertain only to orphans. The Orphans Court dealt with probate issues for those who had died intestate (without a will) and with the appointment of guardians for estate matters for minors. In these records you will find:

  • appointment of guardians,
  • petitions to partition real estate,
  • petition for valuation,
  • real estate returns—the report from the partition inquest,
  • valuation returns,
  • order of real estate sale, and
  • account administrations—although only the record of its being reported, not the full account details.

You may also find the details of who received the real estate owned by the intestate. This usually includes how much they were ordered to pay to the other heirs or legatees and the names of these heirs. All very useful information.

How to Use the Index

In order to use these records, click on a link above to go to the starting page for the first letter of the surname you want to research. Each individual volume—book A, book B, etc.—is indexed by name separately. The dates the volume covers are listed with each volume. Scroll through the pages to look for a volume that covers your target time frame, then look for your surname. Don’t forget to look at volumes for the years after your target. Estates can take years to settle.

Once you’ve found the volume you want to view, click on the county name—”York”—to view the list of books available. Volumes A through 2X are available for York County, Pennsylvania. Click on the appropriate link to pull up that set of volumes. (Sometimes it’s easier to open a second tab so you can keep the index pages available to view.)

You’ll probably need to jump through the images a bit to find the correct volume and page. Just remember, in these volumes one image covers two pages. To skip 100 pages ahead, you’ll only need to move 50 images forward.

Take some time to explore a bit. You’ll get the hang of it! And if you have questions, just let me know. I’d be glad to help.

Ulrich Hoover: Visualizing Connections

Kris Hocker on 5 Feb 2013

There are several questions that have come up in researching Ulrich Hoover of Adams and York counties. In a previous post, I suggested that there were two Ulrich Hoovers married to women named Anna Maria in this general area. Were there? If so, how do I determine which one records pertain to? Was there a familial relationship between them? If so, what was it? Were they related to any other families in the area? How?

I could go on and on with questions. But the next step—answering them—is not so clear. I have data I’ve found through Ancestry, but what does it really mean? Since I think better visually, I decided to create a diagram to show the links that I’ve found between Ulrich Hoover(s) and other individuals/families.

Hoover baptism relationships

Connections diagram (click to enlarge)

I separated the two Ulrichs somewhat arbitrarily. Since I’m using mostly baptismal records, I split the overlapping records by source—Rev. Jacob Lischy’s private pastoral records vs. the records from St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church. There is some overlap in the births in the two families. For instance, I believe Johan Daniel Huber1 was baptized the same year as Susanna Huber.2 Ulrich Huber [1] and wife Anna Maria were sponsoring children after Ulrich Huber [2] was having children with his second wife Susanna.

In the diagram, I found the Keller name popping up repeatedly. Jacob and Esther (Sprenckel) Keller were sponsors for Jacob Huber, son of Ulrich and Anna Maria (__) Huber [1].3 Ulrich Huber [2] was one of the executors of George Keller’s estate.4 Ulrich Huber’s [2] son-in-law, John Philip Keller, was the administrator of Matthias Brodeck’s estate. Matthias Brodbeck was married to Catharina Keller, daughter of George Keller, for whom Ulrich was an executor.5

The Linckefelder (Lingenfelter) name also shows up. Jacob Lingenfelter was a neighbor of Ulrich Huber [2]6  for some years and Ulrich’s third wife was his daughter, Maria Eva.7 Görg Linckefelder, a possible sibling of Jacob, was a baptismal sponsor for Anna Maria Huber, daughter of Ulrich Huber [1].8 Abraham Keller, possibly father of John Philip Keller, was the sponsor for Elisabetha Barbara Linckefelder, Jacob’s daughter.9 Johannes and Magdalena (__) Keller were sponsors for Johannes Linckefelder, Jacob’s son,10 and also Anna Magdalena Runck, daughter of Peter and Anna Catharina (___) Runck.11

The multiple connections between the Kellers and Lingenfelders was curious and made me wonder about the relationship. In 1774, Jacob Lingefelter was named as guardian for Valentine, Margaret, Magdalena, and Anna Maria Runck, children of Peter and Catharina Runck.12 As guardians are usually relatives or people of standing in the community, this pointed to the possibility that Catharina was Jacob’s sister.

I believe that they most likely were siblings. An Anna Catharina Lingenfeldter, daughter of Michael and Maria Barbara Lingenfeldter, was born on 30 May and baptized 31 May 1722 in Rohrbach-Steinweiler, Pfalz, Germany.13 Michael and Maria Barbara Lingenfeldter also had a daughter Magdalena, born 30 Jan 1713,14  a son named Johan Jacob, born 5 May 1725,15 and a son Georg, born 13 May 1730,16 among others, all baptized in Rohrbach-Steinweiler, Pfalz, Germany.

Searching the FamilySearch Germany indexes, I also found a marriage between Johannes Keller, son of Hans Michael Keller, and Magdalena Lingenfelder, daughter of Hans Michel Lingenfelder, on 20 Jan 1736 in Rohrbach-Steinweiler.17 In the German births index, I found the following children of Johannes and Maria Magdalena (Lingenfelder) Keller:

  1. Maria Margaretha Keller, born 27 Oct 1737, bapt. 1 Nov 173718
  2. Abraham Keller, born 3 Jul 1740, bapt. 3 Jul 174019
  3. Johann Philipp Keller, born 9 Nov 1743, bapt. 11 Nov 174320
  4. Johannes Keller, born 12 Dec 1746, bapt. 16 Dec 174621
  5. Johann Michael Keller, born 1 Dec 1749, bapt. 3 Dec 174922

The sibling connection explains the multiple ties through the baptism records. Jacob, Görg, Magdalena, and Anna Catharina were all Lingenfelder siblings. John and Magdalena Keller’s son Abraham was the sponsor for his cousin Elisabetha Barbara Lingenfelder in 1760. Abraham’s brother Philip Keller was the sponsor for his son Johan Philip Keller in 1765.23 This also explains the continued connection between Philip Keller and his nephew (and most likely namesake), John Philip Keller, who married Magdalena Huber, daughter of Ulrich and Anna Maria (__) Huber.24

Conclusions

While I didn’t really learn a great deal about the two Ulrich Hubers, the diagram I created provided insight and research direction for those connected to them. I learned a great deal about the family of Ulrich Huber’s [2] third wife, Maria Eva Lingenfelder. And I’m very curious about the connections between the various Kellers.

Hopefully, if I expand this type of exploration to the other people connected to the two Ulrichs, I may make additional connections that tell me something about these families, their origins, and/or relationship to other Huber families in the area.

Will: John Philip Keller (1812)

Kris Hocker on 25 Jan 2013

John Philip Keller signature

 In researching Ulrich Huber of Adams and York counties, I’ve been looking for Philip Keller, husband of Ulrich’s daughter Magdalena. All I really knew about the couple was that Magdalena had died prior to her father’s death and that she and Philip had children: Eve, Catharine, Elisabeth and John.1

Today, I came across a possible clue—a gravestone for a Magdalena Keller who died in July 1805 and was buried in Middletown, Frederick County, Maryland. According to her gravestone, she was approximately 40 years of age at the time of her death. Since this fits the parameters of Ulrich’s daughter, I decided to search for records for Philip Keller in Frederick County Maryland, starting with estate records. I found two wills, one of which is a match.

“In the Name of God I John Phillip Keller of Frederick County and State of Maryland being weak in Body but of sound mind and memory calling to mind the uncertainty of Life do make this my last will and Testament in manner and form following to wit that Body by Buried in a Christian like manner — I give and bequeath unto my son John Keller his heirs and assigns all my real Estate consisting of Several Tracts of Land he yielding and paying therefor Six hundred pounds Lawfull [sic] money in the following manner that is to say one year after he shall arrive to the age of twenty one years Seventy five pounds and the yearly sum of Seventy five pounds without Interest untill [sic] the said whole sum of Six hundred pounds shall be fully paid & shall be Devided [sic] between all my Daughters in manner and form hereafter mentioned — I give and bequeath unto Catharine Hoover her heirs and assigns five hundred Dollars lawfull [sic] money — I Give and Bequeath all the residue of my personal Estate unto my three Daughters Eve, Catharine and Elisabeth to be Equally divided share and share alike taking into view at the same time Two hundred and fifty pounds advanced to my son-in-law Barnit Whip and two Hundred and fifty pounds advanced unto my son in law Michael Motter as a part of their Estate

It is my will that all my real Estate herein Devised to my son John shall be rented out to the best Advantage and so as not to have any part of it destroyed by my Executor hereafter named until my said Son shall arrive to the age of Twenty one years or untill [sic] he shall choose a Guardian which said rents Shall be for the sole use and benefit of my said son John — It is my will that before an Equall [sic] Division of my personal Estate shall take place Between my Daughters my Youngest Daughter Elisabeth shall first have forty pounds lawfull [sic] money after which a Division shall take place Equally share and share alike — And Lastly I constitute and appoint my friend Peter Coblentz my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and Testament this twenty first day of November in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and twelve — In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal”2

John Philip Keller signature

Philip’s will was witnessed by Joseph Swearingen, Adam Shank, and Michael Keller. The will was proven on 30 Nov 1812.

The children listed in this will match those listed in Ulrich Hoover’s probate records as those of his daughter Magdalena, wife of Philip Keller. No wife is listed, making it likely that John Philip Keller was a widower, also a match. Additionally, he left a bequest to Catharine Hoover. Magdalena had a sister named Catharine who was unmarried at the time of her father’s estate probate circa 1805-1813.3 It’s possible that she went to live with her brother-in-law to care for her sister’s children after Magdalena died.

Part 3: Ulrich Hoover of York & Adams Counties, Pennsylvania

Kris Hocker on 9 Jan 2013

Last time, in Part 2 I provided a long list of information pertaining to Ulrich Hoover in a chronology. As you read through it, however, you’ll notice a number differences between this information and what we learned about Ulrich from his estate records. Additionally, you can see several inconsistencies between the individual pieces of data.

First, while there are birth/baptism records for most of the children listed in Ulrich’s estate records, there are several who are missing from the list. Those whose birth/baptism records are listed include:

  1. Susanna, daughter of Ulrich & Anna Maria
  2. Michael, son of Ulrich & Susanna
  3. Anna Catharina, daughter of Ulrich & Susanna
  4. Eva, daughter of Ulrich & Eva
  5. Johan George, son of Ulrich & Eva
  6. Peter, son of Ulrich & Eva
  7. Maria Elisabeth, daughter of Ulrich & Eva
  8. Anna Maria, daughter of Ulrich & Eva
  9. Barbara, daughter of Ulrich & Eva

Ulrich’s eldest son Johannes, daughter Magdalena, son Henry, son David and daughter Sarah are not found in the church records—though Henry was likely the unnamed son baptized on 25 Oct 1780.

There are also several children listed who are not included in the Orphans Court records. They include:

  1. Jacob, son of Ulrich & Anna Maria
  2. Daniel, son of Ulrich & Anna Maria
  3. Johan Daniel, son of Ulrich & Anna Maria
  4. Anna Maria, daughter of Ulrich & Anna Maria
  5. Maria Barbara, daughter of Ulrich & Susanna
  6. Johann Jacob, son of Ulrich & Susanna
  7. Christian, son of Uli & Catharina

If these are all children of our subject, Ulrich had a lot of children, many of whom predeceased him. Are they really all his?

This is where the inconsistencies become very important. Did you notice that after Ulrich & Susanna’s daughter Anna Catharina was baptized in Aug 1767, Ulrich & Anna Maria not only sponsored several children, but also sold land in Taneytown in 1768? Then Ulrich & Susanna had a son Johan Jacob born on 4 Aug 1769.

We know from the probate records that Ulrich had a daughter named Susanna. This was likely the Susanna, daughter of Ulrich & Anna Maria, who was baptized at St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church on 25 Mar 1760.1 So, he must have been married to Anna Maria. We also know that two of the children of Ulrich & Susanna Huber—Michael & Anna Catharina—match children of Ulrich listed in his probate records. So, he was married to Susanna. We also know that Ulrich left a widow named Eve.2 And six of the children of Ulrich & Eva listed in the church records match those listed in Ulrich’s probate file.

Logically, it would appear that Ulrich was married three times—first to Anna Maria, second to Susanna, and third to Eva. However, what about the references to Ulrich & Anna Maria after children were born to Ulrich & Susanna?

I believe there were two Ulrichs, both married—initially at least—to women named Anna Maria. Both may have started in the same general area,3 but by the early 1760s, one of them was most likely living in Taneytown.

I believe this is supported by the multiple warrants in Codorus Township. The first warrant (1751) is separate from the subsequent three (1765 & 1774) which were grouped together in location. Additionally, Smallwood reported that Ulrich’s gravestone states that he was born 27 Mar 1734.4 That date would have made him only 17 years old in 1751, too young to own land.

The 1758 start date for quit rent and interest on 250 acres warranted in 1765 fits better. Ulrich would have been 24 by then. Also, the names some of the surrounding land owners—Werley and Keller (sons-in-law)—tie to Ulrich’s family. Furthermore, these tracts are identified in Ulrich’s estate records as belonging to him and subsequently belonged to his sons John, Henry and George.

Separating out the two Ulrichs married to women named Anna Maria may prove problematic—at least where their children are concerned—without additional research on the Ulrich Huber of Taneytown. The only child we can be fairly certain belonged to Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber of York & Adams counties was Susanna. But based on this research, I would list Ulrich’s children as follows.

Children with wife Anna Maria:

  1. Johannes, born before 1760
  2. Susanna, born before 25 Mar 1760, baptized 25 Mar 1760

Children with wife Susanna:

  1. Michael, born before Dec 1763, baptized Dec 1763
  2. Maria Barbara, born before Dec 1765, baptized Dec 1765, may have died before 1793, but before 1805
  3. Anna Catharina, born 7 Aug 1767, baptized 11 Aug 1767
  4. Johann Jacob, born 4 Aug 1769, baptized 8 Aug 1769, may have died prior to 1778, but before 1805

Children with wife Eva.

  1. Eva, born 31 Dec 1773, baptized 2 Jan 1774
  2. Johann George, born 10 Jan 1776, baptized 3 Mar 1776
  3. Jacob, born 20 Aug 1778, baptized 4 Oct 1778, most likely died before 1805
  4. [Henry], born 26 Sep 1780, baptized 25 Oct 1780
  5. Peter, born 3 Oct 1785, baptized 18 Dec 1785
  6. Maria Elisabeth, born 18 Dec 1788, baptized 29 Jan 1789
  7. Annmaria, born 30 May 1791, baptized 10 Jul 1791
  8. Barbara, born 12 Mar 1793, baptized 9 May 1793
  9. David, born about 1797
  10. Sarah, born about 1797

I’ve placed Johannes first simply because he was the eldest son. He may have been born after Susanna, but before Michael, say late 1761 or very early 1762. Ulrich also had a daughter Magdalena, but I don’t know when she was born. I’d need to know more about her before I could even “guesstimate” her position in the birth order. But there are four years between Johann Jacob and Eva and five years between Henry and Peter.

Update: A gravestone from the Christ Reformed Church in Middletown, Maryland, states Magdalena Keller died 24 Jul 1805, aged about 40 years.5 We know that Ulrich’s daughter died before 21 Nov 1805, because her children are named in the petition to partition her father’s land. That same document indicates that she was the wife of Philip Keller. John Philip Keller is also buried in this cemetery. So it’s quite possible—maybe even likely—that this is Ulrich’s daughter.

“Aged about 40 years” would place her birth in 1765—when her sister Barbara was born. It’s possible that they were twins. But there’s that word about.6 It’s more likely that she was slightly older or younger than 40 years. Given that Michael was born in 1765 and I have most often seen wives who are younger than their husbands, I would theorize that Magdalena was born between 1769 and 1773. Since I don’t have a death date for Susanna or an exact marriage date for Ulrich and Eva, I can’t determine which woman was her mother.

So, if there were two Ulrich Hoovers in this general area, were they related? Were they related to any of the other Hoovers in the area? Who was the Christian Hoover listed as a neighbor to Ulrich Hoover’s 1751 land warrant? Was he related to the George Hoover who later owned the tract adjoining this land?

All these questions—and research—because Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township bequeathed money to the surviving children of his brothers—Ulrich, Jacob and Henry—without naming any of them.

Read more:

Part 2: Ulrich Hoover of York & Adams Counties, Pennsylvania

Kris Hocker on 7 Jan 2013

While I was researching Ulrich Hoover of York & Adams Counties, I decided to put together a timeline that included all the information I’d found for “Ulrich Huber” in York County & the surrounding area for the late 1700s. I wanted to see what I had, whether or not it made sense, and whether or not I could determine that it all applied to the same man.

Here’s what I found:

18 Dec 1751: John Ulrick Hoover warranted 50 acres in Codorus Township, York County.1

10 Feb 1754: Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber’s son Jacob was baptized by Rev. Jacob Lischy.2 Jacob and Esther Keller were the sponsors.3

8 Aug 1756: Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber’s son Daniel was baptized by Rev. Jacob Lischy.4 Daniel and Elisabeth Renolly were the sponsors.5

25 Mar 1760: Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber’s daughter Susanna was baptized at St. Jacob’s (Stone) Union Church.6

26 Jun 1760: Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber’s son Johan Daniel was baptized by Rev. Jacob Lischy.7 Daniel and Elisabeth Renolly were the sponsors.8

4 Nov 1760: Ulrich Hoober sold 50 acres in Codorus Township to Conrad Supinger.9

15 Aug 1762: Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber’s daughter Anna Maria was baptized by Rev. Jacob Lischy.10 Görg & Anna Maria Lickefelder were the sponsors.11

 6 Dec 1763: Ulrick Hoover purchased lot 78 in Taneytown, Carroll County, Maryland from Raphael Taney.12

 Dec 1763: Ulrich & Susanna Huber’s son Michael was baptized by Rev. Jacob Lischy.13 Michael & Catharina Böhler were the sponsors.14

22 Jun 1764: Ulrich Hoover purchased “Resurvey on Brothers Agreement” from Raphael Taney.15

5 Feb 1765: Ulrich Hoover purchased lot 89 in Taneytown from Raphael Taney.16

30 Apr 1765: Ulrich Huber received a warrant for 50 acres in Codorus Township, York County. 17 He also received a warrant for 100 acres in Codorus Township.18

 Aug 1765: Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber were sponsors for Johan Jacob Schreyer, son of Johannes and Maria Margreth Schreyer, and Johan Peter Sprengel, son of Heinrich and Anna Maria Sprengel.19

27 Dec 1765: Ulrich & Susanna Huber’s daughter Maria Barbara was baptized by Rev. Jacob Lischy.20 Michael Noll and Anna Marg. Fischbornin [Fischborn] were the sponsors.21

5 Jun 1766: Ulrich Hoover purchased lot 3 from Andrew Stiger in Taneytown.22

Jul 1766: Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber were sponsors for Anna Maria Kohn, daughter of Jacob & Magdalena Kohn.23

11 Aug 1767: Ulrich & Susanna Huber’s daughter Anna Catharina was baptized in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church.24 She was born 7 Aug 1767.

23 Sep 1768: Ulrich & Anna Maria Hoover sold lots 3, 7, 8 in Taneytown and Resurvey on Brother’s Agreement to Mark Alexander.25

 4 Aug 1769: Ulrich & Susanna Huber’s son Johan Jacob was born.26 He was baptized in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church on 8 Aug 1769.

28 Aug 1769: Ulrich Hoover purchased lot 15 in Taneytown from Robert Owings.27

8 Sep 1769: Ulrich Hoover sold 2 horses and a cow to Jacob Good.28

31 Dec 1773: Ulrich & Eva Huber’s daughter Eva was born.29 She  baptized in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church on 2 Jan 1774.30

13 Sep 1774: Ulrick Hoober received a warrant for 100 acres adjoining his lands near George Werly & Stephen Peter.31

 10 Jan 1776: Ulrich & Eva Huber’s son Johann George was born.32 He was baptized in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church on 3 Mar 1776.33

20 Aug 1778: Ulrich & Eva Huber’s son Jacob was born.34 He was baptized on 4 Oct 1778 in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church.

1779: Ulrich Hoober was taxed on 300 acres in Codorus Township, York County, Pennsylvania.35

1780: Ulrich Huber was taxed on 200 acres in Codorus Township, York County, Pennsylvania.36

 26 Sep 1780: An unnamed child was born to Ulrich and Eva Huber.37 This child—most likely Henry—was baptized on 25 Oct 1780.

1781: Ulrich Huber was taxed on 300 acres and 3 mills in Codorus Township, York County, Pennsylvania.38

1782: Ulrich Huber was taxed on 300 acres in Codorus Township, York County, Pennsylvania.39

28 Oct 1782: Uli & Catharina Huber’s son Christian was born.40 Christian was baptized at St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church.

3 Oct 1785: Ulrich & Eva Huber’s son Peter was born.41 He was baptized on 18 Dec 1785 in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church.

18 Dec 1788: Ulrich & Eva Huber’s daughter Maria Elisabeth was born.42 She was baptized in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church on 29 Jan 1789.

30 May 1791: Ulrich and Eva Huber’s daughter Annmaria was born.43 She was baptized on 10 Jul 1791 in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church.

9 Dec 1791: George Keller of Manheim Township names his “trusty friend Ulrich Huber” to be one of the executors of his estate.44

12 Mar 1793: Ulrich and Eva Huber’s daughter Barbara was born.45 She was baptized in St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church on 9 May 1793.

13 Apr 1798: Letters of Testamentary were issued on the estate of George Keller of Manheim Township to Ulrich Huber and Michael Miller.46

 Aug 1807: The York County Orphans Court appointed Christian Lentz as guardian for David and Sarah Hoover, aged 10, children of Ulrich Hoover, late of Reading Township.47

Did you see the inconsistencies? Looking at the data in an integrated timeline helped me come to a couple of conclusions. I’ll tell you about them in my next post.

Read more:

Ulrich Hoover of York & Adams Counties, Pennsylvania

Kris Hocker on 6 Jan 2013

Ulrich Hoover of York and Adams counties became of interest to me because of a possible connection to Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township, York County. Ulrich had come up in the data I’ve been compiling on Hoovers of Pennsylvania and Maryland, but since I’ve been focusing on Lancaster County Hoovers, I hadn’t researched him.

Most of what I know about Ulrich came from a Hoover mailing list posting by Richard Smallwood. However, his estate records have been enlightening.

Ulrich’s estate records—from both Adams and York counties—are consistent in the names of his children and, for the most part, list them in the same order. Based on these records alone, I would list his children as:

  1. Johannes “John” Hoover
  2. Susanna Hoover, m. Johannes “John” Rohrbach
  3. Michael Hoover
  4. Catharine Hoover
  5. Eve Hoover, m. George Werley
  6. George Hoover
  7. Henry Hoover
  8. Peter Hoover
  9. Elizabeth Hoover
  10. Mary Hoover
  11. Barbara Hoover
  12. David Hoover
  13. Sarah Hoover
  14. Magdalena Hoover, dec’d., m. to Philip Keller

Johannes is consistently named as Ulrich’s eldest son.

When he died in 1805, Ulrich Hoover owned property in York County spanning the border between Manheim and Codorus townships and in Adams County in Reading and Latimer townships.1 Henry Hoover— “fourth son of Ulrich Hoover”—took 132 acres on the border of Manheim and Codorus townships in York County that included the merchant and saw mills.2 His brother George— “third son of the intestate”—took a tract of 300 acres in Codorus Township.3  Eldest son John initially refused to take any of the York County land, but eventually accepted a third tract of 111 acres in Manheim Township, adjoining the other tracts.4

According to Adams County Orphans Court records, John also accepted land in Reading Township, containing 223 acres.5 John accepted the second Adams County tract, containing 105 acres in Latimer Township, acting as Michael Hoover’s assignee.6

While I did not find any warrants for Ulrich Hoover in Adams County, I found several for “Ulrich” in York County. The first warrant was for John Ulrich Hoober for 50 acres in Codorus Township, dated 18 Dec 1751.7 I believe Ulrich sold this tract to Conrad Supinger on 4 Nov 1760.8 At the time of the land warrant, this tract adjoined land that had recently belonged to Christian Hoober. While this tract picques my interest the most, I’m not entirely convinced that it applies to this Ulrich Hoover.

Ulrich received another land warrant on 30 Apr 1765 for 50 acres in Codorus Township, adjoining Stephen Peter and Johan George Werley.9 It was noted on the warrant that the interest and quit rent were to be from 1 Mar 1758.10 This tract was surveyed on 14 Jul (5th month) 1766.11 Ulrich received a warrant for 200 acres, adjoining land of Philip Miller, George Keller, Francis Hoff, Anthony New/Neu, and Jacob Lingefelta on the same day.12 This warrant, too, noted that the interest and quit rent were to start from 1 Mar 1758. It was originally surveyed on the same day as the first tract, but two surveys were recorded for this tract—one in the name of George Hoover13 and one for Jacob Keller.14

A third warrant was issued for Ulrich Huber on 13 Sep 1774 for 100 acres, adjoining his other tracts.15 It was surveyed on 12 Sep 1794 for 108 acres and 12 perches.16

Based on these land warrants, Ulrich was probably living in York County by 1758, and possibly as early as 1751. This means he was probably living in York County from the time he was a young adult, so his children were likely born there. Check back next time to see what records I was able to find for them.

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How Old Were They?

Kris Hocker on 31 Dec 2012

When judging a document to determine whether or not it applies to your ancestor, it’s always a good idea to keep in mind how old they were. If they weren’t old enough to buy land, then maybe that deed belongs to someone else.

But do you know how old they had to be?

Today, we need to be eighteen to vote or join the military, twenty-one (in most states) to drink alcohol legally, and sixteen in order to obtain a driver’s license. In colonial times, there were also age-based restrictions and they often varied from state to state.

If you’re researching in colonial Pennsylvania like me, you’re pretty lucky; it’s very clear cut. A person obtained legal age at 21. Before that they were required to have a guardian for their estate and that guardian was responsible for all legal actions on their behalf. Before the age of 14, the Orphans Court chose and appointed a guardian for a child. After the age of 14, a child could request a specific person to be appointed as their guardian by the court.

But what if you don’t know how old they were?

Knowing the age-based legal restrictions can help you to estimate a time frame for person’s birth. A child who requested a guardian would have to be between the ages of 14 and 21, giving you a seven year date range for their birth. A man who appears in a Pennsylvania tax list would have to be 21 years-old, giving you a year that he would’ve been born in or before.

For more information on this subject you can read “Legal Age in the Colonies” by Robert Baird or the series “How Old Did Folks Have to Be?” on the Legal Genealogist.