Jacob Snyder of Upper Hanover Township In Search of Henry Snyder's (1792-1860) Family

Way back in October of 2015, I wrote a post about the search for Henry Schneider of Upper Hanover Township’s parents. Based on census research, I hypothesized that Henry was possibly the son of Jacob and Catharine (___) Snyder of Upper Hanover Township and may have had a brother named Jacob and sisters named Catharine and Elizabeth.

There were entries with a Jacob Snyder as the head of household in the 1800 through 1820 United States Federal Census enumerations. In 1830, Catharine Snyder was the head of the household, indicating that Jacob likely died sometime in between 1820 and 1830.

Searching the Orphan’s Court records for this period yielded the petition of Catharine Snyder and Henry Snyder, administrators of Jacob Snyder of Upper Hanover Township.¹ According to the petition, Jacob died intestate and left children, as follows: Henry, Jacob, Elizabeth, Catharine, Samuel, Daniel, Michael, John, Sarah, and Jonas. The youngest, Sarah and Jonas, were yet minors. The record states that Jacob’s personal estate was not enough to pay his debts and the family wanted to sell his 85 acres of land. Peter Gery and Jacob Griessemer were the sureties for the bond.

The widow Catharine went to Court to petition for a guardian for her son Jonas on 16 November 1829.² The Court appointed Michael Gery of Hereford Township, Berks County. Her daughter Sarah Snyder, who was over the age of 14, petitioned the Court to allow her to choose her guardian. She chose Conrad Brey and the Court approved him.

On 21 November 1829, Henry sold Jacob’s land to Michael Gery of Berks County for $30 per acre, totaling $2,550. Catharine and Henry presented their administration of the estate to the Court on 13 April 1831.³

Thus, in these records we not only have Jacob and Catharine Snyder, Henry’s possible parents, as members of one family, but also Jacob, Elizabeth, and Catharine, Henry’s possible siblings as named in the New Goshenhoppen Church register.⁴ In this one family, we find all the hypothesized connections found previously in other records.

There are also clues to other possible relatives in the bond sureties and guardians appointed for her two youngest children: Peter Gery, Jacob Griessemer, Conrad Brey and Michael Gery. When you consider that there was an Elizabeth Snyder the correct age to be Henry’s sister living in the Joseph Gery household in Upper Hanover Township in 1850,⁵ it is not unreasonable to conclude that there may have been a connection between this Schneider family and the Gery family of Hereford Township, Berks County. Especially, when Joseph Gery and his wife Anna sponsored a daughter of Daniel Schneider at New Goshenhoppen Church in 1834.⁶ It’s entirely possible that this Daniel was the son of Jacob and Catharine Snyder.

Furthermore, Gertraut Griesemer of Hereford Township married Jacob Gery and had children, including sons named Jacob, Peter and Michael.⁷ So, there is a connection between the Gery and Griesemer families, as well.

So, does this prove that Jacob and Catherine were Henry’s parents? I think it shows that it is a workable hypothesis, but I’d want more information before calling it “proof.” What I need to know now: Who exactly were Peter Gery, Michael Gery, Jacob Griesemer, and Conrad Brey? How were they related—if they were—to Jacob and/or Catharine? To have these men appear in these records, certainly raises a flag, indicating more research on them and their families is required. Any additional connections I find or don’t find between the families will help to prove or disprove the possibility of a familial relationship.

• Category: Research
• Tag: Maternal Line, Probate Records