Along the Pequea – A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy

Henry Line’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 20 Jul 2014

Henry Line tract

On 20 May 1734, John Taylor surveyed 218 acres on Pequea Creek in Conestoga Township for Thomas Lindley, based on a warrant dated 21 January 1733.¹ Lindley must have abandoned or sold the rights to this tract, because Henry Line warranted it on 27 April 1751 and patented it 4 November 1751.²

Henry and Barbara (Boyer)³ Line sold 20 acres from this tract to Christian Shenk on 25 November 1759, along with the saw mill, boring mill, and a grist mill erected on the land.⁴ Several years later, Henry and Barbara sold 150 acres from this tract to Solomon Kaufman on 9 February 1762.⁵

Henry died sometime prior to 5 June 1764.⁶ On 30 October 1765, John Line and his wife Elizabeth released their share of the estate to his brothers Christian and Samuel.⁷ Christian released his third share of the estate to his brother Samuel four years later on 4 February 1769.⁸ Samuel Line and Barbara Line, Henry’s widow, sold the residue of this tract along with other land in Martic Township to Ulrich Huber.⁹

Solomon Kaufman and his wife Mary sold the 150 acres they’d purchased from Henry Line in 1762 to Christian Shenk on 8 April 1774.¹⁰ Christian Shenk, in turn, sold his two tracts—one of 20 acres and another of 150 acres—to Christian Shenk Jr. on 5 November 1795.¹¹

This is the twelfth entry for my Along the Pequea series. These posts trace land transactions for early Lancaster County settlers from the first land owner—the warrantee—through subsequent transfers up to 1800, using deeds, other land records, and estate records, as available.

Abraham Smith’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 27 Dec 2013

This 84 acre tract in Conestoga Township on Pequea Creek was warranted to Martin Kendig and John Herr as part of a larger 5,000 acre warrant.¹ It was surveyed to Martin Kendig and Hans Herr, one of four tracts labelled Hans Boyer, Jacob Hoober, Martin Boyer/Abrm Smith, and Christian Stone/Jacob Boyer.² On 24 October 1735, Abraham Smith patented 84 acres [Patent Book A8:55].³

Abraham Smith’s 84-acre tract in Conestoga (now Pequea) township

By 23 December 1750, this tract was owned by Henry Boyer.⁴ On 1 May 1776, Henry’s heirs—Jacob Boyer, Jacob & Anna (Boyer) Lehman, Henry & Margaret (Boyer) Hoover, and John Hoover and John Line, guardians of the minor children Barbara (Boyer) Leiaberger and Henry Boyer—sold their share of this 84-acre tract, along with two others, to Rudy Miller, husband of Elizabeth, widow of Henry Boyer.⁵

On 14 October 1780, Henry Boyer Jr., now of full age, and his wife Barbara sold their share of the three tracts to Rudy Miller, as well.⁶ Rudy Miller’s heirs—Rudolph Miller, Stephen & Mary (Miller) Rine, and Hugh & Barbara (Miller) Evans—sold their interest in Rudy Miller’s four tracts of contiguous land in Conestoga and Martic townships, including this 94 acres, to John Miller, another of Rudy Miller’s children.⁷

Samuel Boyer’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 10 Nov 2013

Samuel Boyer’s Conestoga Township Tract

This 115 acre tract in Conestoga Township on Pequea Creek was warranted to Martin Kendig and John Herr as part of a larger 5,000 acre warrant.¹ On the 20th day of the 8th month [October] 1729, John Taylor surveyed the tract, adjoining John Goughnower, Christian Stone, and Jacob Hoober, for Samuel Boyer in right of Martin Kendig and John Herr.² On 27 November 1739, Samuel Boyer patented 115 acres on Pequea Creek. (See Patent Book A9:127)³

Nearly 50 years later, Jacob Boyer and John Barr, executors of Samuel Boyer’s estate, sold 16 acres to Henry Gochenour on 2 March 1786.⁴ On the same day, they also sold 82 acres from Samuel Boyer’s two tracts in Conestoga and Martic townships to Henry Resh.⁵ They also sold 97 acres from these tracts to Christopher Ord.⁶

Samuel Boyer’s tracts as divided in 1786

Tract A: Henry Gochenour’s piece of Samuel Boyer’s Conestoga tract
Tract B: Henry Resh’s piece of Samuel Boyer’s Conestoga tract and his Martic tract
Tract C: Christopher Ord’s piece of Samuel Boyer’s Conestoga tract and his Martic tract

Land below the purple line was part of Samuel Boyer’s Martic township lands.

Jacob Behme’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 27 Oct 2013

On 22 November 1717, Martin Kendig (Kendick, Kendrick, Cundigg) and John Herr (Heer) were warranted 5,000 acres in Lancaster County by the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania.¹ On 10 October 1731, John Taylor surveyed 381 acres, 50 acres of which had been surveyed on 20 June 1719.² This property was adjacent to tracts of Christian Prennaman, Henry Hoober, Christian Heer, Hans Hess, Robert Creage. Jacob Behme patented this tract on 12 August 1737. (See Patent Book A8:268)³

Jacob Behme’s Conestoga Township tract

Jacob & Barbara Beam sold 180 acres, adjoining Abraham Beam, Robert Creague, and Hans Hess, to their son Martin Beam on 6 March 1750.⁴ On 9 January 1755, the couple sold Henry Rech [Resh] also of Conestoga 100 acres northwest of Pequea Creek, adjoining land of Abraham Beam.⁵ On the same date, they sold 100 acres to their son Abraham Beam.⁶

On 10 January 1767, Abraham & Barbara Beam of Bart Township sold 100 acres northwest of Pequea Creek to Martin Beam.⁷ Several months later, on 25 March 1767, Martin & Eve Beam of Conestoga Township sold to Henry Rush of Conestoga Township 10 acres 40 perches, adjoining Henry Rush’s other land.⁸

Martin & Eve Beam of Conestoga Township sold to John Beam of Conestoga Township 96 acres 100 perches, adjoining land of Henry Rush and Martin Beam, on 20 June 1783.⁹ The next day, Martin & Eve Beam sold 174 acres 20 perches acres, adjoining Samuel Hess and Martin Beam’s other land, to Jacob Beam.¹⁰

John Smith’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 13 Oct 2013

On 28 October 1728, the survey of Hans Line’s adjacent property indicates that this land or that warranted to Hugh Patten (or both) was of Christian Prenaman.¹ Five years later, John Goughnour had his adjacent land surveyed and his survey also indicated that this tract was of Christian Prenaman.²

John Smith’s Conestoga Township tract

John Smith was issued a warrant for 200 acres on Pequea Creek on 5 October 1734.³ Bartram Galbraith surveyed 167.5 acres for John Smith on 24 April 1759. Adjoining landholders included Jacob Coghnor, John Lyne, Abraham Beam, Henry Rush, John Hoover, Jacob Hover.⁴

Smith must have either abandoned the tract or sold his interest in it, because Jacob Hoover, owner of an adjoining tract of land, patented these 167.5 acres on 7 September 1759.(see Patent Book A20:346)⁵ Jacob’s son Christian inherited the land from his father on 12 September 1759.⁶

On 26 November 1761, Christian sold this tract to John Jacob Goughnour.⁷ Jacob Goughnour’s heirs—John & Elizabeth Kochenauer, Christian Kochenauer, Henry & Ann Kochenauer, Abraham Kochenauer, Adam Kochenauer, Tobias Kochenauer, Christian & Catharine (Kochenauer) Hess, Joseph & Esther Kochenauer—sold Jacob Gochenour, their brother, 167.5 acres from their father’s estate on 4 November 1780. It adjoined land of the Goughour heirs, John Line, land late of Abraham Beam, Henry Rush, John Hoover, and Jacob Hoover.

Jacob Huber’s Martic Township Tract

Kris Hocker on 1 Nov 2012

On 22 November 1717, Martin Kendig (Kendick, Kendrick, Cundigg) and John Herr (Heer) were warranted 5,000 acres in Lancaster County by the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania.¹ They, in turn, transferred this land to their fellow immigrants.

Jacob Hoober 1733 survey

John Taylor surveyed 210 acres from this warrant for Jacob Huber on either 24 or 28th January 1733.² The survey states: “Under a mistake John Taylor applied for a [Warrant] to the Secretary on the new terms wc^h was granted as afores^d But Jacob Hoober purchased the right of 210 ^as of Martin Kendrick & John Heer part of 5,000 ^as granted to them & it is accordingly Returned into the Secretary’s office the — day of December 1735.” You can see the warrant here on my site.

Jacob Huber patented this tract of 210 acres on 22 October 1736.³ He had, quite likely, been living on his father, Hans Huber’s property in Earl Township prior to this purchase. He patented several adjoining tracts as well: one directly to the south in 1745 [A3], containing 48 ½ acres,⁴ and one to the north in 1759 [A1], containing 167 ½ acres.⁵

Huber/Hoover/Hoober land patents

Jacob Hoover left 250 acres [A2 & A3] to his sons Jacob and Mathias. He also left about 150 acres in Contestoga (A1: the tract just north of this one) to his son Christian.⁶ A distribution from his estate was paid out to his heirs by 14 June 1765.⁷

Mathias Hoover quitclaimed ½ of the property left to him and his brother to Jacob on 20 November 1772.⁸ On 21 November 1772, Jacob and his wife Barbara sold 66 acres 40 perches from their piece of the tract to Mathias. By metes and bounds, this piece appears to be the top portion of the tract Jacob Huber patented in 1736, adjoining lands of Henry Huber, the tract willed to Christian Hoover, and Pequea Creek. Mathias took out a mortgage from Marcus Young of Martick on this 66 acres on 4 January 1773.⁹ Payment was acknowledged on 8 June 1776.

On 12 June 1776, Mathias and his wife Mary sold 10 acres of their land to Henry Resh/Rush.¹⁰ On 10 August 1776, Mathias and his wife Mary sold 19 acres from the 66 they’d purchased from Jacob Hoover to John Hart of Conestoga Township.¹¹

I’m not sure about the division of the rest of the property. Jacob Huber Jr. purchased additional land, as did his son, Martin Hoover Sr. However, at least a portion of the land Jacob and Barbara Huber sold to Mathias Huber, eventually found its way back to Jacob’s descendants. In the settling of Jacob Huber’s granddaughter Elizabeth Hoover’s estate, a deed was issued for the sale of her property. This deed stated that the 113 acres being sold was part of the “same premises of which Martin Huber Sen. [her father], died seized testate” which he will to his children equally and that it was “also a part of the same premises which Jacob Hoover & wife by their Deed of Indenture bearing the date the 21st day of Nov A.D. 1772…[granted] unto Mathias Hoover.”¹²

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

John Jacob Goughnour’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 3 Mar 2012

On 24 Jan 1733, John Goughnour warranted 105 acres on a branch of the Pequea in Conestoga (now Pequea) Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, recorded in Lancaster County Warrants #G14. Three days later, John Taylor surveyed the property, noting it adjoined Christian Preaaman [sic], Have Line [sic], Christian Stone, and Samuel Buyer.¹

John Jacob Goughnour’s Conestoga tract survey

On 15 April 1761, Jacob Gouchnour patented these 105 acres.² Jacob purchased another 167.5 acres in Conestoga from Christian Hoober on 26 Nov 1761.³ [see “Christian Preaaman” on map] This tract had been warranted to John Smith in 1734 and patented to Jacob Huber in 1759.

Jacob Goughnour had died prior to 4 Nov 1780 when his heirs—Jacob & Margaret Goughnour, Christian Goughnour, Henry & Ann Goughnour, Abraham Goughnour, Tobias Goughnour, Christian & Catharine (Goughnour) Hess, and Joseph Goughnour—sold 50 acres of this tract, adjoining Samuel Byer, to his son John Goughnour.⁴

On 12 Mar 1781, John & Elizabeth Gochenour sold this 50 acres, adjoining Samuel Buyers, to his brother Adam Gochenour & Henry Rush, all of Conestoga Township.⁵ Adam and the Rushs held onto the property for a little over a year before selling it to Christopher Ort on 23 Aug 1782.⁶

Christopher Ort, a mason, and Catharine his wife sold this 50 acres to Daniel Musser of Strasburg Township on 21 Nov 1795.⁷

Jacob Boyer’s Conestoga/Martic Tract

Kris Hocker on 21 Feb 2012

On 22 November 1717, Martin Kendig (Kendick, Kendrick, Cundigg) and John Herr (Heer) were warranted 5,000 acres in Lancaster County by the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania. They, in turn, transferred this land to their fellow immigrants. On the 12th of 9mo (November) 1720, four tracts on the Pequea were surveyed in the right of Martin Kendig and Hans Heer to Hans Boyer, Jacob Hoober, Martin Boyer/Abraham Smith, and Christian Stone/Jacob Boyer.¹

Jacob Boyer’s Conestoga/Martic tract

Sometime between 1720 and 1735, the land was passed from Christian Stone to Jacob Boyer. “Jacob Biers” patented 162 acres on Pequea Creek on 1 Oct 1735.² Jacob Boyer apparently lived on this tract for his entire life.

On 20 Jun 1772, Jacob (the elder) and his wife Catharine sold 112 acres from their two tracts—they owned another tract adjoining the first directly to the south in Martic Township—to their son Henry Boyer.³ This piece of property adjoined that of Jacob Boyer Jr., John Jameson, and Samuel Boyer, and lay along the eastern edge of Jacob Sr.’s two tracts.

On the same date, Jacob and Catharine also sold 160 acres from their two tracts to Jacob Boyer Jr. This piece of land included all the land north of Pequea Creek and a strip south of the creek between those of Henry Boyer (to the east) and one previously sold to Abraham Smith (to the west).⁴

Jacob was apparently preparing for the future in Jun 1772. He also wrote his will at that time. The will abstract names his wife Catharine, children: Jacob, Henry, Barbara, Anna, Mary, Catharine and Elizabeth wife of Jacob Steiner, and grandchildren: Cornelius and Frederick Steiner. The will was probated 30 Oct 1775 and named Catharine and son-in-law Jacob Steiner as executors.⁵

Several years later, on 22 Oct 1781, Jacob [Jr.] and Mary Boyer sold 16 acres from their tract to Rudy Miller.⁶ By metes and bounds this piece was situated in the northwest corner of the plot, north of Pequea Creek. It adjoined land of Rudy Miller, John Line and Pequea Creek.

On 3 Mar 1806, Rudy Miller’s heirs—Rudolph Miller, Stephen & Mary (Miller) Rine, and Hugh & Barbara (Miller) Evans—sold their interest in Rudy Miller’s four tracts of contiguous land in Conestoga and Martic townships, including this 16 acres, to John Miller, another of Rudy Miller’s children.⁷

Ulrich Huber’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 29 Dec 2011

Last week’s article for the “Along the Pequea” series, traced the land transactions of Hans Line’s property. This week, we’ll follow the transactions of his neighbor, Ulrich Huber.

Ulrich Huber first appears in Conestoga in the 1728 survey of his Conestoga plantation (see figure 1).¹ John Taylor surveyed 226 acres, adjoining John Line, John Dehoof, and Jacob Hoober. However, we can presume he was in Pennsylvania by 1718. He was naturalized with a large group of Mennonite settlers in 1729 who had “transported themselves and estates into the province of Pennsylvania between the years one thousand seven hundred and one thousand seven hundred eighteen.” ²

Figure 1: Woolrich Hoober 1728 survey

Ulrich received a warrant for this property 19 Sep 1744.³ He patented the tract either 19 or 20 Sep 1744.⁴ He was taxed for property in Conestoga in 1751 and 1754.⁵

On 16 Nov 1750, Ulrich sold 15 acres to his neighbor Michael Hess.⁶ On 7 Dec 1754, Michael and Barbara Hess sold their 15 acres from Ulrich to Michael Harnis[h].⁷ I found no subsequent deed of sale from Michael Harnish for this 15 acres. However, when Ulrich’s tract was sold to John & Henry Brenneman in 1791, it included the entirety of the tract patented to Ulrich Huber.

Ulrich died prior to 18 May 1757.⁸ On 23 Jun 1759, his heirs—Jacob & Barbara Hover, Henry & Anna [Hover] Shank, Jacob & Maria [Hover] Boyer, Elizabeth Hover, Ulrick Hover and Henry Hover—transferred the land to the eldest son John Hover, witnesses were [Christian?] Line and Michael Shank.⁹

John and Mary, his wife, held on to this property for nearly a decade before selling it to Melchor and Ann (Good) Brenneman on 10 Oct 1767.¹⁰ The Brenneman’s held onto the land until 1783 when they sold it to their daughter and son-in-law John and Eve Bowman on 22 Mar.¹¹ Eight years later, John and Eve (Brenneman) Bowman sold the property to her brothers John and Henry Brenneman.¹²

John and Henry apparently partitioned the property. John and Catharine Brenneman sold their 113 acres, adjoining Jacob Smith, John Good, George Rathvon, Christian Line, and Abraham Huber, to Henry Zercher on 7 May 1794.¹³ Zercher later died intestate and John Brenneman bought back the property on 10 May 1806 when Zercher’s heirs refused the land at it’s appraised price.¹⁴ John and Catharine then sold the tract to Jacob Heidelbach on 12 May 1806.¹⁵

Tag: Along the Pequea