Montgomery County Hockers
Taking advantage of Ancestry’s free access to census records this weekend. Added a couple generations onto the Philadelphia Hockers.
How Do You Know That?
I was recently contacted by a reader who found one of my posts on Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township, York County, Pennsylvania. She thought the information was interesting, but didn’t see how it was pertinent because it directly conflicted information she believed to be true. I followed up with a series of questions to learn more about her connection to Christian Hoover.
The reader had information on Christian and Maria (Lehman) Hoover of York County. Christian, born 1807, was supposedly the son of Christian and Nancy (Plowman?) Hoover of Mifflin County. The father Christian was born ca 1770 and died 18 Aug 1855.
In reading the information she provided, I was convinced we had a case of mistaken identities. It’s a very common mistake, one so easy to fall victim to everyone does it a some point during their research. Same name, same area, same person, right? Not necessarily.
The first rule of genealogy is to start with what you know and work backwards. The earliest documented evidence this reader had was the connection between Christian and Maria (Lehman) Hoover and several of their children. The death certificate of Christian Augustus Hoover, born 16 Aug 1847 and died 29 Dec 1918, names them as his parents. Birth and baptism records of several other children confirm their identities.
Christian and Maria (Lehman) Hoover are buried in Hoover’s Cemetery, Starview, East Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Christian was born 29 Mar 1807 and died 22 May 1883.1 Maria (Lehman) Hoover was born 1 Jun 1803 and died 19 Jan 1883.2
York County federal census records for 1840 through 1880 show that Christian Hoover and his wife Mary lived in Manchester or Conewago townships throughout his adult life:
- 1880: Hoover, Christian, age 73, Retired farmer; Mary, age 773
- 1870: Hoover, Christian, age 63, Farmer; Mary, age 674
- 1860: Christian Hoover, age 53, Farmer; Mary, age 565
- 1850: Christian Hoover, age 44, Farmer; Mary, age 486
- 1840: Christian Hoover, age 30-407
No record with Christian Hoover listed as head of household was found in the 1830 census. Given the age of his children in the 1840 census, Christian likely married sometime after 1830, so may have been living at home at the time of the 1830 census. He would have been 23, enumerated within the 20-30 age bracket.
Given that Christian lived in York County all his adult life, it’s quite likely that he was raised there, as well. There are several households with male members of an age to be Christian Hoover in the 1810 through 1830 census records for Manchester Township.8,9,10 The only head of household there for all three years is Philip Hoover. Does this prove that Philip is Christian’s father? No, but it gives us a direction for further research.
In 1850, Christian Hoover owned $300 of real estate. In 1860, he owned $1100 in real estate and had $600 in his personal estate. Given the sharp rise in his net worth, it’s quite possible that he inherited some of it through the death of a relative—a father, for instance.
Philip Hoover died 23 May 1854.11 He left a will, dated 13 Aug 1852, in which he names the following children: Henry, John, Molly (wife of Henry Hartman), Jacob, Daniel, Andrew, Felix, Christian, Susanna (deceased, wife of Daniel Koch), and Elizabeth (deceased, wife of John Sniderman).12
A search of York County church records reveals the following baptisms for children of Philip and Susanna Huber:13
- Daniel Huber, b. 15 Oct 1798, bapt. 9 Nov 1798, Trinity Reformed Church, York
- Andrew Huber, b. 22 Nov 1800, bapt. 17 May 1801, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, York
- Susanna Huber, b. 17 Mar 1805, bapt. 21 Apr 1805, Trinity Reformed Church, York
They were also sponsors for:
- Peter, son of Peter Huber & Margaretha, bapt. 27 Dec 1798
- Philip, son of Henry Huber & Catharina, bapt. 29 Aug 1810
- Sarah, daughter of John Schneidman & Elizabeth, bapt. 21 May 1813
- Elizabeth, daughter of John Schneidman & Elizabeth, bapt. 26 Jun 1815
- Susanna, daughter of John Schneidman & Elizabeth, bapt. 5 Feb 1815
- Daniel Philip, son of John Huber & Juliana, bapt. 24 May 1825
Christian was allegedly baptized at Christ [Evangelical?] Lutheran Church in York on 9 Jun 1807. This date was outside the records available to me, so I couldn’t easily verify it. However, it is consistent with those of Philip and Susanna (___) Huber’s family members.
The 1825 record is the last one I found with mention of Philip and Susanna Huber for Trinity or Christ Evangelical churches. On 29 Feb 1822, Philip and Peter Hoover deeded some of their land to the Lutheran and Reformed congregations.14 This church was called “Christ’s Church,” aka Huber’s [Hoover’s] Church. Family members are buried in the associated cemetery—as are Christian and Maria (Lehman) Hoover, so it is likely Hoover births, marriages and deaths were recorded in the church’s records.
After Philip’s death there were three deeds recorded as releases from his heirs to his executors, sons Daniel and Andrew Huber: one from Jacob Huber of Crawford County, Indiana15; a second from Henry Hoover, John Hoover, Henry Hartman, Christian Hoover and Nancy Koch, all of York County16; and the last from Felix Hoover.17
Philip Hoover’s will gives his property to his sons Daniel and Andrew and calls for them to pay the heirs $200—one heir/year in sequence—until the value of the property has been paid off. However, Henry Hoover, John Hoover, Henry Hartman, Felix Hoover, Christian Hoover and Nancy Koch contested the terms of the will. A compromise was reached and Daniel and Andrew Hoover agreed to pay them $700 each before 1 Apr 1856.18 This partially explains the jump in value of Christian Hoover’s estate between 1850 and 1860.
Christian and Nancy (___) Hoover19
But what about the other Christian Hoover? Couldn’t Christian and Nancy have been the parents of Christian (b. 1807)?
Christian Hoover died 18 Aug 1855 at the age of 88 years, 3 months, and 16 days.20 Using his age at death, his calculated birth date is 2 May 1766. Christian’s wife Nancy died 5 Feb 1855 at the age of 80 years.21 She was born circa 1775. They are buried in the Little Valley Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Vira, Pennsylvania.
Their family lived in Derry Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania consistently from 1810 through 1850. They had sons aged <5 in 1810, <10 and 10-15 in 1820, and 15-20 and 20-30 in 1830.22,23,24 This is consistent with having a son born in 1807.
In 1840, there are two Christian Hoovers living in Derry Township—one aged 60-70 and another aged 30-40. They are both enumerated in Derry Township again in 1850. The first household is that of “Christian Hoover Jr.,” age 45, and his wife Margaret, age 41.25 The second is that of Christian Hoover, age 79, and his wife Nancy, age 76.26
Christian C. Hoover died 8 Aug 1873 at the age of 67 years, 7 months and 12 days and was buried in the Little Valley Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Vira, Pennsylvania.27 Using his age at death, his calculated birth date is 27 Dec 1805. A gravestone for Margaret, wife of C.C. Hoover can also be found in this cemetery.28 She died 19 Aug 1891, aged 82 years, 1 month, and 6 days. Her calculated birth date is 13 Jul 1809.
This Christian is a match for a son of Christian and Nancy (___) Hoover, as seen in the census records. Is it definitive proof? No, but the evidence is certainly pointing in that direction.
Conclusions
Based on this research, I would say that the Christian Hoover, who married Maria Lehman, was most likely a son of Philip and Susanna (___) Hoover. Maria did not sign the deed of release in 1856, nor did I find any deeds from Philip to Christian. So, I don’t have a direct connection from Philip to Christian and Maria (Lehman) Hoover, but the circumstantial evidence is certainly suggestive.
Going forward I would look for the baptismal records for Christian and all of his children. His parents should be named in his record. If that cannot be found, since Philip and Susanna were sponsors for several other grandchildren, it’s possible that they were sponsors for one/some of Christian’s children, too. If not Philip and Susanna, perhaps one of Christian’s siblings will be named as a sponsor.
Is there a connection to Christian Hoover of Heidelberg? It’s not likely. Philip Hoover’s family resided in eastern York County from the time Philip arrived from Northampton County circa 1796-1798. Heidelberg is in the western part of the county and Christian received land there as early as 1749. Records show him there consistently from that time through his death in 1771. And of course, based on his estate records, we know that he did not have any children.
Friday Find: Smith-Aitken, 1841 Scottish Census
According to the marriage record I found for my ancestors James Smith and Isabella Aitken, they were married 25 Dec 1840 in Carnwath Parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland.1 This couple has been very difficult to document. After much struggling, I managed to find them in Whitburn, Linlithgow, Scotland in the 1851 census, but hadn’t been able to locate them in the 1841 census.
I also had Isabella’s parent’s names—William Aitken and Marion Brown2—from her 1856 death certificate, but hadn’t been able to locate a birth record or any proof of her parentage. Her brother-in-law William Smith was the informant on her death certificate and I can’t be sure how much he actually knew about her ancestry.
A new search through the records on ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk netted me, not only James and Isabella in the 1841 census, but also her parents and two siblings!
James and Isabella (Aitken) Smith were living with her parents, William and Marion (Brown) Aitken in Auchengray, Carnwath Parish, Lanarkshire in 1841. The household included:
- William Aitken, 60, Wright, born in Lanark
- Marion Aitken, 60, born in Lanark
- John [Aitken], 25, Wright, born in Lanark
- George Tweedie, 25, Laborer, born in Lanark
- Helen Aitken, 20, born in Lanark
- William Tweedie, 2, born in Lanark
- James Smith, 25, Ironstone M., not born in Lanark
- Isabella Smith, 22, born in Lanark
This information allowed me to also find a birth record for Isabella by both widening the search—searching by surname only—and narrowing the search to only Carnwath parish. That got me one result: Isobel Aitken.
Isabella was born 27 Feb 1816 and baptized 24 Mar 1816 in Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland. So, her age in 1841 was 25, not the 22 as recorded, but age discrepancies like this are quite common in census records. John and Helen Aitken’s ages are incorrect, too. Records found on FamilySearch put John’s birth as 11 Mar 1814 and Helen’s baptism on 19 Aug 1819.
So, with some diligence and a little luck, I was finally able to document my difficult Smith line back one more generation in Scotland! Now to try my luck with Thomas Smith & Agnes Nimmo, James’ parents.
Friday Finds: Free Online Census Images
The United States Federal Census is one of the most widely used resources for genealogists. Online access to the census indices and images is available through a variety of subscription services like Ancestry.com, Archives.com, and HeritageQuest and free sites like FamilySearch.org. But did you know that the census microfilm images are also available online for free through the Internet Archive?
You can browse the census microfilm online from the comfort of your home. You can even download a reel and view it as a PDF on your computer. You can’t search the schedules for your ancestor—there is no index. But if you’re short on cash, here’s a free and convenient alternative to visiting the nearest NARA office or genealogy library.
I was finally able to learn the census schedules from Conestoga, Lampeter, Strasburg and Sadsbury townships from 1820 are missing by viewing the microfilm roll online—something Ancestry’s customer service department apparently did not know.
Using the Census
Census records are a valuable tool for the family historian. Do you know enough about them to use the effectively?
Initially there was no Census Bureau. From 1790 to 1870, the U.S. census was the responsibility of the federal marshals. Each marshal was to hire and manage the assistant federal marshals taking the census in his district. In many outlying areas it was a challenge to get to the inhabitants because of the terrain, lack of roads, lack of provisions and great distances.
Additionally, people were sometimes superstitious about the census. Before the 1790 census, one member of Congress remembered that “back in the 1770s most of the residents of a New York town had fallen sick right after they had been visited by a British census taker.”1 Another brought up the story from the bible where a plague visited Israel after King David ordered a census.
Census Day
Every census has a census day—the date the census enumeration was to represent. This date was not the day that the enumerator actually visited the household. The census taker was instructed to include all members of the household on the census day—even family members who had actually passed away between that date and the date the enumerator visited. Additionally, they were not to include any children born after that date, even if they were members of the household when the enumerator visited.
Knowing the date is important for estimating birth years. A person born before the date had already advanced a year in age from the previous year, but those born after the date would not have. Between 1790 and 1820, Congress set the census day for the first Monday in August. Between 1830 and 1900, the date was set as June 1st. In 1910, it was April 15th. It was January 1st for 1920 and April 1st for 1930. Depending on the census year, census takers were given between 1 month and 18 months to complete the enumeration for their district.
Both dates should probably be recorded. Although the census takers were given specific instructions, it’s impossible to know if they followed them.
Where Did They Live?
It’s also important to understand the changing borders between jurisdictions. Between census years new states, counties and even townships may have been added, changing border lines between jurisdictions. For instance, both Providence and Pequea townships were added to Lancaster County after 1850. A family in Conestoga Township in 1850 might appear in Pequea Township in 1860 without having changed their residence at all. A person living in Hardy County, Virginia in 1860 might have been living in Hardy County, West Virginia in 1870, again without having moved.
Lost
Just about everyone has heard of the destruction of the 1890 U.S. census, but do you know what other census records are lost or missing?
Until 1830, the census records were required to be deposited with the U.S. District Courts. The president was to receive only aggregate information about the people in each district. Congress enacted a law in 1830 calling for the records from the 1790-1820 censuses to be turned in to Washington. Some of the district court clerks did a better job than others of preserving those records. Some records were either lost before 1830 or were simply never sent to Washington. The following lists the lost records:
- Alabama: 1790-1810 not taken, 1820 lost
- Arkansas: 1790-1810 not taken, 1820 lost
- District of Columbia: 1790-1800 not taken, 1810 lost
- Delaware: 1790 lost
- Georgia: 1790-1810 lost; 1820 3 counties lost
- Illinois: 170 not taken, 1800 lost, 1810 St. Clair county lost
- Indiana: 1790 not taken, 1800-1810 lost
- Kentucky: 1790-1800 lost
- Louisiana: 1790-1800 not taken
- Maryland: 3 counties missing from 1790
- Michigan: 1790-1800 not taken, 1810 lost
- Mississippi: 1790 not taken, 1800-1810 lost
- Missouri: 1790-1800 not taken, 1810-1820 lost
- New Hampshire: 1790 missing 13 towns in Rockingham county & 11 towns in Strafford county
- New Jersey: 1790-1820 lost
- North Carolina: 1790 missing 3 counties, 1810 missing 4 counties, 1820 missing 6 counties
- Ohio: 1790-1800 not taken, 1810 lost
- Tennessee: 1790 not taken, 1800-1810 lost, 1820 20 eastern counties (Knoxville district) presumed lost
- Virginia: 1790-1800 lost (1790 compiled from 1785-1787 county tax lists)
Tips
- The 1820 census includes the category males “16-18.” Those in this column will also be in the “16-26” category. Check the total household number to ensure that they weren’t included twice.
- The microfilmed 1830-1840 federal census records may have been taken from copies incorrectly sent to Washington instead of the original. Check to see if the handwriting changed between one district and another to determine if it’s a copy or the original.
- Comparisons with original records for the 1850-1870—where they still exist—reveal that there were often errors made in copying the records. Names were misspelled or sometimes omitted, ages were copied incorrectly.
For more information about the census records or how to use them effectively, try one of these books:2
Christian Hoover’s Civil War Draft Registration
Years ago I found reference to a Christian Hoover of Gaskill Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania who was drafted along with Augustus Kinter and Samuel T. Hoover during the Civil War.1 I’ve always wondered if this were my ancestor Christian Hoover. Today, I may have found my answer.
Christian’s sons Simon and George Hoover were born in Jefferson County.2,3 It’s extremely likely that his other sons were, too. I found Caroline Hoover and her sons Reuben and Samuel living in Henderson Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania in the 1860 United States Census.4 The head of household is listed as Catharine Hoover.
Catharine Hoover household, 1860 US Census
This places the family in Jefferson County, but adds a mystery. Where is Christian and why is his family living with Catharine Hoover? Who is Catharine Hoover? I’ve yet to answer any of these questions…
But I’m now reasonably sure that the Christian Hoover drafted from Gaskill Township was my ancestor.
Christian Hoover, 1865 Civil War Draft Registration
This image is the draft registration record for Christian Hoover of Gaskill Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania.5 It states that he was 44 years old, with gray(?) eyes, brown hair, and fair skin, standing 5′ 11″ tall. This description is a reasonably good match to the one image we have of Christian (see below). I believe the record date was 11 Apr 1865.
Christian L. Hoover (ca 1820—1 Oct 1887)
According to the record, he was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania and was a farmer. His age and birth in Armstrong County makes him a likely match to the son of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover, my presumptive ancestors. Since my GGG grandfather’s sons were born in Jefferson County, his family was living in Jefferson County in 1860, and he was likely born in Armstrong County, this record is likely a match to him, as well.6
Later in the list are both Samuel T. Hoover and Augustus Kinter. Samuel T. Hoover was the son of Samuel and Sarah (Thomas) Hoover, brother and sister respectively of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover. My GGG grandfather named his second son Samuel Thomas Hoover, possibly after this cousin. Augustus Kinter was likely a relative of Samuel T. Hoover’s wife Christianna Kinter.
Ancestry.com’s Civil War databases are available for free from Thursday, April 7th through Thursday, April 14th to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Must Have Books For the Family Researcher
If you’re going to be researching your family, there are some books that you must have. These are not just the books that I’ve found useful, but books that I’ve returned to again and again.*
Red Book
The Red Book: American State, County & Town Sources contains much need background information on the genealogy resources for every state. It provides information on each county, including when it was created, its parent county or counties, and the first year Deed and Probate records were recorded for that county.
You’ll also find contact information for archives, libraries and genealogical societies in that state, as well as a state map which shows the counties and it’s main city.
Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Census
The Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Census provides a map for each state showing the counties enumerated in each census year overlaid on the state’s current counties. If you’re a visual person, like me, it’s a great way to understand how the boundaries shifted and counties were added over time.
Evidence!
Evidence: Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian is absolutely a must have for the family researcher. Knowing the source for any piece of information is the ONLY way to determine it’s value. Elizabeth Shown Mills not only explains how to cite a source correctly, but how to analyze that source. Very important stuff!
The answers to your family research questions can seldom be found in books. And when they are they are only what that author knew at that time. Sometimes, they are right. Sometimes, they are partially correct. And sometimes, they are flat out wrong. That’s why you need to know the source of that information, so you can follow-up, verify it, and if necessary build on it. I’ve found several instances where follow-up research on information I felt to be reliable proved incorrect with new information! (Okay, getting off the soap box now.)
Producing a Quality Family History
Of course, once you’ve done your research, you want to present to to the world, right? Or at least to family. And you want it to be the best. I’ve found Patricia Law Hatcher’s book Producing a Quality Family History to be very helpful in putting my research together in a cohesive, readable format.
Now if I could only find the time to finish the darn book!
Do you have any books that you’d recommend as must haves for the family historian?
* Links to Amazon from this page are affiliate links. If you purchase one of these books, I will earn a small commission. It will not change the final price of the book to you, though.