Byerland Hoovers – A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy

Using the Census to Fill In Family Details The Ancestry of Abraham Huber (1847-1910)

Kris Hocker on 10 Feb 2016

In my last post regarding Abraham Huber, I learned that he was the son of John Huber from John and Christian’s last will and testaments. Based on those documents, I was able to create a simple outline of the family. Now I want to flesh that out a bit with information from census records.

We know that John and Christian lived in Providence Township. John died in 1862, his widow in 1890. Christian died in 1881. Based on this information I’m going to start with the 1880 census for Providence Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

1880 Census

Abraham’s household is located on the first page of the Providence Township records.¹ His household includes:

Abraham Huber, age 31
Christian Huber, his uncle, age 79
Margaret Huber, his mother, age 70
Susan Huber, his sister, age 45
Catharine Huber, his sister-in-law, age 29
Emma Huber, his niece, age 11
Tobias Huber, his nephew, age 9
Susan Huber, his niece, age 6
John Sheridan, a servant

The next household is also a Huber family, headed by John Huber, aged 76, and his wife Elizabeth, aged 70. This may be the “little” John Huber mentioned in the 1892 deed.

1870 Census

The family is also located near the beginning of the records for Providence in 1870. In this record, Margaret is listed as the head of household.² The family includes:

Margaret Huber, age 60
Christian Huber, age 42, Farm manager
Tobias Huber, age 38, Farm laborer
Susan Huber, age 35
Abraham Huber, age 24, Farm laborer
Mary Rineer, age 32
Fanny Rineer, age 10
Mariah Rineer, age 8
Margaretha McFalls, age 20
Christian Huber Sr., age 71, Retired

Christian and Tobias Huber—John’s executors—are listed with the family. They both died in 1876, and so are not included in the 1880 census. John’s daughter Mary is included with her two daughters this time, while daughter-in-law Catharine Huber and her daughter Emma are not listed. So, it’s likely that Catharine’s husband is still alive.

And indeed, their household was found two pages later:

John Huber, age 30, Farm laborer
Catherine S. Huber, age 19
Emma R. Huber, age 1

Once again, John and Elizabeth Huber’s family is listed directly after this Huber family.

1860 Census

The 1860 census provides our first glimpse of John Huber in these records.³ His household is included on page nine of the Providence records. It includes:

John Huber, age 71, Farmer
Margaret Huber, age 52
Christian Huber, age 33, Farm hand
Tobias Huber, age 28, Farm hand
Susan Huber, age 26
John Huber, age 20, Farm hand
Abraham Huber, age 13

Daughter Ann Huber is listed in the next household, headed by her husband James McFalls.

James McFalls, age 34, Laborer
Ann McFalls, age 32
John McFalls, age 8
William McFalls, age 3

I could not locate Christian Huber Sr. in the 1860 census. However, John and Elizabeth Huber’s household, as expected, is nearby, three households down from John and Margaret Huber’s family.

1850 Census

Providence Township was established in 1853, taken from Martic Township. So, John and family are located in the 1850 census for Martic.⁴ The family is number 164 and includes:

John Huber, age 60, Farmer
Margaret Huber, age 41
Christian Huber, age 20
Anny Huber, age 22
Tobias Huber, age 21
Susanna Huber, age 17
Mary Huber, age 13
John Huber, age 11
Abraham Huber, age 3
Daniel Huber, age 1
James McFalls, age 24, Laborer
Christian Huber, age 49, Laborer

This census includes all the family seen in the other census records, plus Daniel, age 1. His absence from the 1860 census, leads me to believe that he died prior to 1 Jun 1860. Note James McFalls living in the household. He married Anna Huber sometime in the next year to two years.

Furthermore, the wide age gap between John and his wife Margaret and between sons John Huber and Abraham Huber makes me think that Margaret might not be John’s first wife. She’s old enough to be Christian’s mother, but the gap between children either relates to a previous marriage and death of the spouse or a number of children who died young. We’ll need to see what the previous census shows for more clarity.

Again, as in previous census entries, the John and Elizabeth Huber family is located within three household of John and Margaret’s. Also on this page, however, are two other Huber households: Jacob and Anny Huber and Abraham and Mary Huber.

1840 Census

In the 1840 census, John’s household includes:⁵

John Huber, 40-50 (b. 1790-1800)
Male, 30-40 (b. 1800-1810) [brother Christian?]
Male, 10-15 (b. 1825-1830) [son Christian?]
Male, 5-10 (b. 1830-1835) [son Tobias?]
Male, <5 (b. 1836-1840) [son John?]
Female, 70-80 (b. 1760-1770) [Mother?]
Female, 10-15 (b. 1825-1830) [Annie?]
Female, 5-10 (b. 1830-1835) [Susanna?]
Female, < 5 (b. 1836-1840) [Mary?]

If John was married to Margaret, there should be a woman, aged about 31 (26-44), in the household. The fact that there isn’t strengthens my feeling that Margaret was John’s second wife and that Abraham and Daniel were children of this union. If so, John’s first wife died sometime between January (John’s birth) and August 1840 (census).

As in previously viewed census records, John’s brother Christian was living in his household. It also appears that John’s mother, aunt, or other senior female may have been living with him in 1840, too.

1830 Census

In 1830, John was living adjacent to Peter Huber in Martic Township. His household was composed of:⁶

John Huber Sr., 30-40 (b. 1790-1800)
Male, 30-40 (b. 1790-1800) [brother Christian?]
Male, <5 (b. 1826-1830) [son Christian?]
Female, 60-70 (b. 1760-1770) [Mother?]
Female, 20-30 (b. 1800-1810) [1st wife?]
Female, <5 (b. 1826-1830) [Annie?]

Since his children are under 5 years of age, he likely married sometime around or just prior to 1825. He was probably living at home in 1820. Both his brother Christian and the senior female were living with John in 1830, too. If the female is his mother, his father likely died prior to this census.

Conclusions

Based on the information in the census records, we can flesh out John’s family some. Here’s what it looks like with the new information.

Children of Unknown Huber:

John Huber, born about 1790 and died 11 Dec 1862, married first Unknown by 1825, married second Margaret (___) by 1847. Margaret (___) Huber died in 1890.
1. Christian Huber was born about 1827 and died in 1876; never married
2. Ann Huber was born about 1828; married James McFalls
  1. John McFalls, born about 1851/2
  2. William McFalls was born about 1856/7
3. Tobias Huber was born about 1830 and died in 1876; never married
4. Susanna Huber was born 1834 and died after 1892; never married
5. Mary Huber was born about 1837; married John Rineer
  1. Fannie Rineer was born about 1860
  2. Mariah Rineer was born about 1862
6. John Huber was born about 1840 and died 1876; married Catharine (___)
  1. Emma Huber was born about 1869
  2. Tobias Huber was born about 1871
  3. Susan Huber was born about 1874
7. Abraham Huber was born about 1847 and died after 1892.
8. Daniel Huber was born about 1849 and died before 1860.
Christian Huber was born about 1800 and died in 1881; never married

From the Deed to the Wills The Ancestry of Abraham Huber (1847-1910)

Kris Hocker on 29 Jan 2016

In my last post, we learned that John and Christian Huber were tenants in common on a tract of land, containing about 55 acres. Abraham Huber purchased it from the Lancaster County Orphans Court in 1892.¹ After reviewing the deed that provided this information, I have three questions I want to answer:

What are “tenants in common?”
Why, if they both died testate, was it the Orphans Court that sold the tract to Abraham?
What was Abraham’s relationship to the two men, if any?

Tenants in Common

As tenants in common, John and Christian Huber each owned a portion of the 55 acres. Those portions were not necessarily equal. Additionally, “tenants in common”—as opposed to “joint tenants”—did not have the right of survivorship. After one tenant’s death, the rights to their portion remained with their estate instead of reverting to the other “tenant.”

Thus, the disposition of the tract would have been determined by John and Christian’s last wills and testaments.

Orphans Court

So, if John and Christian had the right to bequeath their land as they saw fit, and both men left wills, why was it the Orphans Court that sold the land?

John Huber died 11 Dec 1862. His last will and testament was proven 20 December 1862.² He left his “equal undivided one half of the tract of land” he held with his “brother Christian Huber” to his wife during her lifetime. After her death, he directed his executors to sell the land and pay his children their shares, after paying out his specific bequests.

Christian Huber died 8 September 1881.³ His will was proven the 19^th of September. He left his share to his nephew Abraham and niece Susan, children of his brother John, along with bequests to his grand nieces, and children of nephew John. He gave Abraham 2/3 of his real estate and Susan 1/3. He instructed that none of his land could be sold until after the death of John’s widow Margaret.

Margaret died 4 February 1890.⁴ By that time, Christian Huber⁵ and Tobias Huber,⁶ John’s sons and executors of his will, were deceased. Abraham was named administrator of her estate.⁷ As per the directions in his father’s will, Abraham put the land up for sale on 21 November 1891.⁸ Previously, on 5 October, Abraham had been granted by the court the right to bid on the land. His bid of $3,030 was the highest. I presume that as administrator of the estate, he couldn’t write a deed to himself, thus the Orphans Court deeded the property to him.

What Was Abraham’s Relationship to John & Christian?

Both John and Christian’s wills name Abraham as John’s son. John’s will names his other children as: Christian, Tobias, John, Susanna, Ann married to James McFalls, and Mary married to John Rineer. Christian’s will also identifies Margaret McFalls, Fannie Rineer, and Mariah Rineer as his great nieces. He also leaves a bequest to nephew John’s children, but does not provide their names.

So based on three documents—a deed and two wills—we can outline the family like this:

Children of Unknown Huber:

John Huber (children listed in order from will)
1. Christian Huber
2. Tobias Huber
3. John Huber
  1. Children
4. Abraham Huber
5. Susanna Huber
6. Ann Huber married James McFalls
  1. Margareta McFalls
7. Mary Huber married John Rineer
  1. Fannie Rineer
  2. Mariah Rineer
Christian Huber

Starting with a Deed The Ancestry of Abraham Huber (1847-1910)

Kris Hocker on 25 Jan 2016

When you think of deeds you probably think of land transactions, right? So-and-so sold someone land in this place on that date. And why not? That’s what deeds are supposed to record.

But there have been many times when I’ve been surprised by just what else deeds record. Deeds come in different flavors.¹ Sometimes, in order to adequately record the details of the transaction, they contain valuable information about the family involved in the purchase or sale.

J.N.S. Hill C.O.C. to Abraham Huber (D14:276)

Take this deed, for instance.² Straight off the bat we know that this deed is a deed of settlement. How do we know that? The party of the first part—the “person” selling the land—is a clerk of the Orphans Court for Lancaster County.

Despite the name, the Orphans Court dealt with more than just appointing guardians for “orphans.” In Pennsylvania it dealt with the details of settling an estate—both intestate and testate, recording the administration account, the appointment of guardians, the division of real estate amongst the heirs if it was not spelled out in the last will & testament (of there was one), petitions by heirs for specific pieces of land from the estate, and more.

In this deed, the Orphans Court is selling land to Abraham Huber from the estate of John and Christian Huber, tenants in common of a tract of land in Providence Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It states that both men died with wills (testate) and identifies specifically where Christian Huber’s was recorded. This provides me with clues to two additional documents, potentially pertaining to Abraham Huber’s ancestry.

Furthermore, the metes and bounds identify the owners of neighboring properties. They are named as John Huber of Pequea Township, little John Huber, John Reinhart, and Benjamin Herr. The fact that one of the neighboring properties lies in Pequea Township provides a general location for the tract—on the border between Pequea and Providence townships. This not only helps me locate the land, but, in this case, most likely points to Abraham’s ancestry.

Check back to see what I can learn from John & Christian Huber’s wills.

David Hoober of Upper Canada

Kris Hocker on 19 Mar 2014

In his will written on 9 January 1793, John Huber Sr. of Martic Township named his eight children: “Henry, Mary, Jacob, John, Christian, David, Ann & Christina.”¹ He named his friend John Hoober and son Henry Hoober, both of Martic, as his executors.

David Huber of Upper Canada named Moses Byer of Bertie, Lincoln County, Upper Canada as his attorney to demand his inheritance from John Hoover of Martic Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, executor of his father’s last will and testament.² According to the deed, David Huber was a soldier in “his Majesty’s second Battalion of Royal Canadian Volunteers” at the time. The deed included a testimonial and signature of Alexander Stewart, a Notary Public at Niagara in the Province of Upper Canada.

Now, thanks to the Olive Tree Genealogy’s Searching Ontario Canada Land Records, eh?, I think I may have found record of David in Canada.

David Hoover Upper Canada Land Petition 1803

David Hoover’s 1803 Upper Canada Land Petition

On 22 January 1803, David Hoober of York, Upper Canada petitioned the Lieutenant Governor for 200 acres land.³ The petition included a note written by Capt. R. Ferguson, late of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Volunteers, certifying that David served “for three years and upwards” and that he was “an honest & Industrious man.” An Isaac Swayze also attested to David being of good family and ready to become a farmer.

The petition was apparently approved as David paid £5 sterling and £1 10s 6p to Peter Russell on 10 March 1803 for the patent and survey. According to the file, the transaction was recorded in Land Book No. 5, page 203.

David’s petition also provides additional information. He received 200 acres of land in Pelham Township on 16 July 1795, but sold it to Robert Hamilton in 1798 when he entered the Royal Canadian Volunteers. He served in his Majesty’s service until the “late Reduction in the Army” when he was discharged. And he had a wife and seven children at the time of the petition for an additional land grant (1803).

Based on his initial land grant of 1795 and the fact that he had seven children by 1803, I’m going to have to adjust my initial birth year estimate back a few years. My initial estimate was that he was born before 1780—aged 21 by 1801 when he assigned an attorney for the recovery of his inheritance from his father’s estate. Now, I’d estimate that he was born prior to 1771, likely even before 1768.

How did I get there? I’m estimating 1.5 to 2 years between the birth of each of his children, placing the birth of his first child between 1789 and 1792. If I assume—yes, I know the danger of assumptions, but we’re ballparking here!—that he was at least 21 at the birth, then he was born by 1771 at the latest, and quite likely earlier.

If the order John listed his children in his will is of importance—and it might be as Henry, one of his executors, is named first though he is not explicitly named as the eldest son—then David was most likely born before 1768. John’s daughter Ann married Abraham Gochenour.⁴ This couple is buried in Old Byerland cemetery and, I believe, her gravestone reads: “Hier Ruhet die Gebene von Anna Gochenauer begatten? von Abraham Gochenauer geboren den 16ten January 1768 and gestarben den 25sten Martz 1830, seines alter 62 jahre 2 monate und 9 tage.”⁵ Her age at death—62 years 2 months and 9 days—agrees with 16 January 1768 as a birth date. If David was the preceding child born, then he may have been born in early to mid 1766 (or earlier).

So, my next questions are: 1) Where were the 200 acres he was granted located? and 2) What were the names of his wife and children? I wonder what I can dig up… What do you think?

Henry Hoover of Lancaster County, PA and Rockingham County, VA, Part 3

Kris Hocker on 7 Feb 2014

In part one 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. In part two I examined what I know about two of these men:

Henry Huber (John², Henry¹ [K])
Henry Huber (Jacob², Henry¹ [K2])

Here is what I’ve been able to learn about the rest.

Henry Huber (John², Jacob¹)
Henry Huber (Ulrich¹)
Henry Huber (Jacob², Ulrich¹)
Henry Huber (Ulrich², Ulrich¹)

Henry Huber (John², Jacob¹)

John died prior to 30 April 1785 when his children and widow sold land from his estate to his son Abraham.¹ The children—including Henry—were of age, so they were born prior to 30 April 1764. As of 1785, Henry’s wife was named Mary. That, plus his probable date of birth (prior to 1764), make it unlikely that he was the Henry who married Barbara Hoover in 1791.

I believe this Henry may have been the Henry Huber who married Mary Neiswanger/Newswanger, daughter of Christian Newswanger, prior to 30 April 1785 and moved to York County, Pennsylvania prior to 4 June 1798.² I do not believe this Henry is a probable match to our subject.

Henry Huber (Ulrich¹)

Ulrich Huber’s heirs sold his Conestoga Township property to his son John on 23 June 1759.³ Again, the heirs were over 21; they were all likely born prior to 23 June 1738.

To the best of my knowledge, this Henry married Anna Herr, sometime after 23 June 1759. Ann outlived him by nearly 30 years, negating the possibility of a second marriage to Barbara. Their son, Henry S., was born in the right time frame—1773—but was of Lampeter Township in 1818 when his mother sold land to him.⁴ This family is well covered in the book Genealogical Record of Reverend Hans Herr and his Direct Lineal Descendants.

This Henry and his son are not candidates to be our subject.

Henry Huber (Jacob², Ulrich¹)

Jacob and Barbara (Shank) Huber resided in Lampeter/Strasburg Township on land purchased from her uncle Henry Shank.⁵ Here they raised their family until 1785 when they sold their 132 1/2 acres to Jacob Eshleman, probably to move to land they’d purchased in York County.⁶ It is likely that their son Henry moved with them as Christian Huber, Jacob Huber, Henry Hoover and John Hoover all appear in the 1790 census enumeration for Manchester Township, York County.⁷

Jacob and most of his children moved to Canada by about 1791. Henry apparently moved to Canada, but then returned to Pennsylvania.⁸ I do not believe that he’s a good match for our subject.

Henry Huber (Ulrich², Ulrich¹)

Ulrich and Anna Maria (Funk) Hoover also had a son named Henry. He is listed amongst Ulrich’s heirs who sold land in Martic Township from his estate to his son Jacob.⁹ At the time, Henry was single. Henry was listed as a minor child (no age given) on 7 September 1784.¹⁰ He was over 21 by 23 September 1786 when the land was sold, so he was born between 7 September 1763 and 23 September 1765. He died prior to 29 April 1831 and had one child, a daughter named Sophia who married Samuel McAfee of Lincoln County, Upper Canada.¹¹

While I don’t have any information on Henry’s wife, given the probable birth and death dates, I don’t believe he is a match for our Henry.

Anybody Else?

Were there any other Henry Hoovers who could have married Barbara Hoover? I have information on two other men, but I don’t believe either is a good match.

Possibility #1

Henry Huber married Anna Margaretta Boyer, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (___) Boyer of Conestoga Township. They married before 20 April 1776.¹² The couple was still living in Martic Township as of 8 April 1777, but I have no information that I can confirm relates to them after that date.¹³ It’s possible that he had a son named Henry, but at this time I have no information on this family.

This Henry may have been the son of Jacob Hoover (Ulrich¹) and moved with his family to York County circa 1785.

Possibility #2

Feronica Good, sister of Henry Good of Conestoga Township, married Ulrich Huber of Lampeter Township. They had a son named Henry.¹⁴ Ulrich Huber of Lampeter died prior to 1783¹⁵ and the monies from his estate were distributed to his heirs—David (eldest son), Daniel, Barbara, Henry, Michael and Moses— by 6 September 1786.¹⁶

This indicates—as no guardians are mentioned—that all of Ulrich’s children were of age by 6 September 1786, so they were born prior to 6 September 1765. I have absolutely no additional information on this Henry, so I can’t rule him out as a possibility, but I don’t believe that he’s a strong candidate.

Who’s Left?

I believe that covers all the possibilities for Henry’s parentage—at least from the Martic Township area. In my opinion, the best candidate for Barbara Hoover’s husband—if he came from the Martic Township area—is Henry Huber (John², Henry¹ [K]).

What do you think?

I’m actively researching these families and posting information on my website. Feel free to contact me with questions, for updates, or with additional information.

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

Kris Hocker on 21 Jan 2014

Hoover land patents in Conestoga/Martic Township area

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:

Henry Huber (John², Henry¹ [K])
Henry Huber (Jacob², Henry¹ [K2])
Henry Huber (John², Jacob¹)
Henry Huber (Ulrich¹)
Henry Huber (Jacob², Ulrich¹)
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:

Henry
Mary
Jacob
John
Christian
David
Ann
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.

Admin Bond: Jacob Huber, decd (1743/4)

Kris Hocker on 16 Jan 2014

Going through a stack of documents to file, I found an administration account I wanted to scan. Lo and behold there were actually two documents—I’d forgotten that I’d ordered the second. It was the administration bond for Jacob Huber of Martic Township.

Jacob Huber arrived in Lancaster County before 1718 and settled on land adjoining Pequea Creek in Conestoga Township. His land was adjacent to that of Hans Ulrich Huber, who was also arrived in 1718. He may have died prior to 23 Nov 1739. Hans Boyer, a neighbor, patented his land on 26 Nov 1739.¹ Boyer’s survey refers to Jacob Huber’s tract as belonging to the Widow Hoober.

An administration bond was filed for Huber’s estate on 26 January 1743/4,² as follows:

Know all men by these presents that we John Huber Henry Huber and
Samuel Byor ~~yeomen~~ __ __ __ yeoman all of the County of Lancaster
& province of Pennsylvania are held and firmly bound unto Peter Evans
Register General for the probate of Wills & Granting Letters of Administration
in & for the said province & the counties of New Castle Kent & Sussex on Dela
ware in the sum of Two Hundred & fifty __ pounds Lawful money of the said
province to be paid to the said Peter Evans or his Lawful attorney Executors
administs or assigns To which paymt well & truly to be made we bind ourselves
our Heirs Executors & Administratr^s Joyntly & Severally firmly by these presents
sealed with our Seals & Dated this twenty sixth day of January an^o dom 1743/4
The Condition of the above Obligation is such that is the above Bound
John Huber ___ administrator of all & singular the Goods Rights
& Credits of Jacob Huber — Deceased Do make of cause to be made a true and
perfect Inventory of all & singular the Goods Rights & Credits of the s^d Decsd
which have or shal come to the Hands possession of Knowledge of the said
John Huber —— or into the Hands or possession of any other person
or persons for him and the same so made Do Exhibit or cause to be Exhibited
into the Registers Office in Lancaster County on or before the twenty sixth day of
February — next and the same Goods Chattels & Credits of the said Decsd^t
at the time of his Death or which at any time after shal come to y^e hands
or possession of the said John Huber —— or into the hands or possession
of any other person or persons for him Do well & truly administer according
to Law and further Do make or cause to be made a true & just account cal
culation or reckoning of the said Administration on or before the twenty sixth day
of January — which will be in the year of our Lord 1744/5 and all the rest
and residue of the s^d goods Chattels & Credits which shal be found Remaining on
the said administrators accounts (the same being first examined & allowed
of by the orphans Court of the s^d County) shal Deliver & pay to such person
or persons Respectively as the s^d Court by its Decree or sentence shal Limit and
appoint and if it shal hereafter appear that any last will or Testament was
made by the s^d Decsd^t and the Executor or Executors therein named shal Exhibit
the same into the Registers office making Request to have it allowed accordingly
if the said John Huber ___ being thereunto Required shal Render and
Deliver up the said Letters of Administration approbation of such Testament being
first had & made in the s^d office then this obligation to be void or Else to be d[?] re
main in force & virtue       John Huber
Sealed & Delivered }
in the presence of }           Henry Huber
John Morris
Samuel Blunston               Samuel Boÿer

I’m fairly certain that John Huber was Jacob’s son. He eventually patented Jacob’s tract, and warranted and patented an adjoining tract in Martic Township. Samuel Boyer was most likely a neighbor, possibly the son of Hans Boyer who owned the tract to the west of Jacob’s in Conestoga Township, or the Samuel Boyer who owned land just up the Pequea, or maybe the Samuel Byer who warranted property down the Pequea in Martic Township in right of Owen O’Neal. I’m not certain as to the exact identity of Henry Huber, but he may have been a son or other relative, possibly one of the two Henry Hubers who lived on Pequea and Beaver Creeks somewhat east northeast of Jacob’s property.

Henry Hoover of Lancaster County, PA and Rockingham County, VA

Kris Hocker on 14 Jan 2014

On 11 October 1791, Henry Huber of Martic Township married Barbara Huber (Jacob³, Johan Jacob², Hans¹) also of Martic Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Barbara inherited “the land whereon they now live” in Rockingham County, Virginia from her father Jacob Huber’s estate in 1810.¹ Presumably the family moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia prior to 6 November 1808 when Jacob wrote his last will and testament.

Barbara’s ancestry was documented in Harry Huber’s The Huber-Hoover Family History, but who was this Henry Huber and how does he relate to the Hoover families who resided along Pequea Creek?

Assuming that these census records all relate to one man and that he was husband of Barbara Hoover, Henry Huber of Rockingham County, Virginia was:

26-44 in 1810²,
45+ in 1820³,
50-60 in 1830⁴,
and 70-80 in 1840.⁵

This places Henry’s birth between 1770 and 1775, and given that he married in 1791, quite possibly before 1771, plus or minus a couple of years.⁶

There were several Hoover families in Martic Township at that time—several of whom had children named Henry:

Henry Huber (John², Henry¹ [K])
Henry Huber (Jacob², Henry¹ [K2])
Henry Huber (John², Jacob¹)
Henry Huber (Ulrich¹)
Henry Huber (Jacob², Ulrich¹)
Henry Huber (Ulrich², Ulrich¹)

Which of these men—if any—were possible candidates to be Barbara Hoover’s husband? Check back for future posts where I’ll outline the information I’ve compiled for each of these men.

Deed: Samuel McAfee to John Funk Dec’d Executors (1833)

Kris Hocker on 19 Dec 2013

Trying to find the descendants of a target person can sometimes feel like a game of “six points of separation” when you have to widen your scope to research family and friends. However, the indirect path can yield results—as in a series of deeds I found for John Funk of Strasburg Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania which gave me the names of the grandchildren of his sister Anna Maria (Funk) Hoover. This deed is one example of what I found.¹

MC AFEE SAMUEL }

“TO }

JOHN FUNK DECD EXORS }

KNOW ALL MEN by these presents that I Samuel McAfee of Bertr township in Lincoln county in the province of Upper Canada intermarried with Sophia only child of Henry Hoover one of the seven children of Mary Hoover a sister of John Funk late of Strasburg in Lancaster county in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania deceased do hereby acknowledge that I have and received of and from Ann Funk Jacob Hoover and Jacob Newswanger executors of the last will and testament of the said John Funk deceased five hundred and seventy seven dollars and sixty eight cents lawful money in full satisfaction and payment of all monies legacies and bequests to which I am entitled in right of my said wife Sophia due and coming toher [sic] in right of her deceased father Henry Hoover aforesaid as one of the seven children of the said Mary Hoover deceased under and by the last will and testament of the said John Funk deceased of in and to / [the following written interline to be inserted:] all and singular his estate real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever according to [resume text] the said executors account filed in the Registers office at Lancaster. Therefore I the said Samuel McAfee in right of my said wife Sophia do by these presents release acquit and forever discharge the said Ann Funk Jacob Hoover & Jacob Newswanger executors aforesaid their heirs executors and administrators of and from all monies legacies bequests aforesaid and of and from all dividends shares and parts of and in all the estate of the said John Funk deceased and of and from all actions suits payments account reckonings claims and demands for or by reason thereof.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals the twenty ninth day of April Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and thirty three.

Samuel McAfee (SEAL)

Sophia McAfee (SEAL)

Sealed and delivered in the presence of us:

‘and the said Sophia’ interlined before signing: Charles L. Hall Alex Mackie

Lincoln county

Province of Upper Canada to wit:

Personally appeared before me James Muirhead Esquire chairman and preciding Judge of the court of quarter sessions for said county the above named Samuel McAfee and Sophia his wife and acknowledged the above release to be their act deed and desired the same to be recorded as such according to law.

In Testimony whereof I havehereunto [sic] set my hand and seal the twenty ninth day of April Anno Domini 1833.

J. Muirhead Chairman (SEAL)

Upper Canada District of Niagara

Lincoln County to wit:

I Charles Richardson of the town of Niagara in the district of Niagara Esquire Clerk of the peace in and for the said district do hereby certify that the within names James Muirhead is chairman and presiding Judge of the court of Quarter Sessions in and for the said district and is authorized to Bar Down and within that there is no court of common pleas in the province of Upper Canada that the signatures of the witnesses to the release are known to me as well as the chairmans and that they are just and true. Given under my hand and seal of office this twenty ninth day of April Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and thirty three.

Charles Richardson (SEAL)

Clerk of the Peace

Recorded June 25th 1833

Per

Jacob Peelor Rec.”

Ulrich and Anna Maria (Funk) Hoover had the following children:

Catharine married Christian Hershey
Jacob married Susanna Miller
Henry
Anna married Leonard Anwater/Awerter
Abraham
Christian
Mary married Nathaniel Dodge (also of Upper Canada)

The Jacob Hoover who served as one of John Funk’s executors was most likely the son of Jacob and Susanna (Miller) Hoover of Strasburg as all of Anna Maria (Funk) Hoover’s children were deceased before 1833.

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

Tag: Byerland Hoovers