Henry Hoover of Lancaster County, PA and Rockingham County, VA—Part 2

In part 1, I listed out several Henry Hoovers who were possible candidates to be the man who married Barbara Hoover, daughter of Jacob Huber of Martic Township, on 11 October 1791 in Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They were:

1. Henry Huber (John², Henry¹ [K])
2. Henry Huber (Jacob², Henry¹ [K2])
3. Henry Huber (John², Jacob¹)
4. Henry Huber (Ulrich¹)
5. Henry Huber (Jacob², Ulrich¹)
6. Henry Huber (Ulrich², Ulrich¹)

The first two grew up on land (B2 and part of B3-B5) that adjoins that of Barbara’s father, Jacob Huber (part of A2-A3). Let’s look at the information I’ve compiled on the first two and see if either of them are a likely match to Barbara’s husband.

Henry Huber (John², Henry¹ [K])

John Huber Sr. wrote his last will and testament on 9 January 1793 and named his friend John Huber¹ and son Henry Huber, both of Martic Township, as executors.² His will was probated on 3 April 1799.

Among other legacies, John bequeathed his wife Anna “the priviledge use & Benefitt [sic] of the house Garden Stables and meadow spring and priviledge to cutt firewood for her use during her natural life it being the house where my son Henry now lives” [emphasis mine] and “the Interest of three hundred pounds out of the first money which will be raised by the sale of my real Estate during her natural life.” It also called for his executors to sell his land as soon as possible and divide the income among his eight children:

1. Henry
2. Mary
3. Jacob
4. John
5. Christian
6. David
7. Ann
8. Christina

On 13 May 1799 the executors, John Huber and Henry Huber, sold John’s land to Henry Bowman (the younger), of Lampeter Township.³ They settled John’s estate and submitted their administration account on 10 December 1799.⁴ Henry’s release and those from his siblings place Henry in Martic Township through at least 1 May 1800⁵ and possibly as late as 1 April 1802 when Moses Byer, attorney for Henry’s brother David Huber, acknowledged receipt of £136 from John Huber and Henry Huber.⁶

Since he was named as an executor, Henry was most likely of legal age when his father wrote his will in 1793, and therefore born by 1772 at the absolute latest. It’s possible that he was the Henry Huber of Martic Township in the 1800 US census. If so, his birth year would have been between 1756-1774.

I have found no information explicitly stating Henry’s residency after 1 May 1800, nor do I have any information on him regarding a wife. Based on the information I do have, he’s a possible match.

Henry Huber (Jacob², Henry¹ [K2])

Jacob Huber wrote his will on 13 March 1788. In it he named his brother John⁷ and his brother-in-law Jacob Huber as his executors in his will.⁸ His will was proven on 9 June 1788. It named his children:

• Barbara,
• Henry (eldest son),
• Jacob,
• Christian (<18),
• John (<18), and
• Martin (youngest son, <16).

The will directed that Christian and John were bound to their mother until they turned 18 and that Jacob’s real estate was to be sold when his youngest son, Martin, turned 16. I believe, Martin is the male under age 16 and Christian and John are two of the three males over 16 in the household of the widow Huber in the 1790 census for Martic Township.⁹ Jacob’s land—minus the 20 acres bequeathed to his wife—was sold on 25 August 1790 to Adam Gochenour.¹⁰ This places Martin’s birth sometime prior to 25 August 1774, but after 1 August 1774.¹¹

Jacob’s sister was married to another Jacob Huber, possibly the son of Johan Jacob² Huber (Hans¹).  Additionally, Johan Jacob named his friend Henry Hoover of Martic—possibly Jacob’s father—as one of his executors in 1759; they were after all neighbors, living on adjoining properties. If it was Jacob’s son Henry who married Barbara Huber (Jacob³, Johan Jacob², Hans¹), they would have possibly been 1st cousins.

I have no information on Henry after his father’s 1788 will. Given that his youngest brother’s birth date is between 1773 and 1774, it is unlikely that Henry was born between 1770 and 1775. He might have been the Henry Huber of Martic Township in the 1800 US census. If so, his birth year would have been between 1756-1774.

He’s still a possible match, but perhaps not the best candidate.

These two men lived on property that adjoined that of Jacob Huber, father of Barbara Hoover. In the next post, I’ll expand the discussion to other Byerland Hoover families who lived further down the Pequea.

• Category: Research
• Tag: Byerland Hoovers, Hoover Surname Study