Hacker-Hocker Genealogy – Page 5 – A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy

Wordless Wednesday: John Hocker, Whitemarsh, 1785 Tax List

Kris Hocker on 12 Sep 2012

John Hocker in Whitemarsh Township Tax List

John Hocker’s entry in the 1785 tax list of Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer with 4 horses and 2 cows. No land is explicitly included with his listing, however, you’ll notice Widow Mason’s entry is just after his with “And for” as part of the listing? John Hocker married Elizabeth Mason, daughter of Christopher and Ann (Baker) Mason of Whitemarsh Township. John was likely farming part of the Mason family property and was taxed on those 232 acres.

John Hocker, son of Johan George and Anna Margaretha (Weidman) Hacker, was born 11 Jan 1760 in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He died 26 Sep 1798 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

This image was taken from a microfilm projection.

When Did George Hocker Jr. Die? Evaluating Conflicting Information

Kris Hocker on 9 Sep 2012

In writing the Hacker-Hocker genealogy, I’ve come to George Hocker Jr., son of Johan Georg and Anna Margaretha (Weidman) Hacker. When Bill Wingeard researched George, he determined that there was a problem with establishing George’s date of death. In this post I will examine the conflicting data he found and what my subsequent research revealed.

According to Wingeard’s research, the article “The Erdenheim Stock Farm” in the History of Hatfield Township stated that George Hocker Jr. died in 1821 and he left no will.¹ William Yeakle apparently reported that he saw a notice in the Norristown Herald [100 years later] stating George died on 30 January 1822.² And Edward W. Hocker wrote that George’s gravestone in St. Michael’s Church cemetery indicates that he died in 1822.³

One might conclude that George Hocker Jr. died in 1822. However, Wingeard reported that he found a deed in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania in which George’s heirs sold a tract called “Denmark” on 7 Apr 1832. According to this deed, Bill wrote, George died on 30 January 1832.⁴

So, how do you resolve this conflict?

Of these documents, the only contemporary one—meaning it was written at the time of the events it recorded—was the Northumberland County deed. It was written 7 Apr 1832 and recorded 1 June 1832.⁵ Both the article “The Erdenheim Stock Farm” and the notice in the Norristown Herald were written significantly later. Edward W. Hocker’s Pennsylvania Cemeteries was written in the 1930s, so he was viewing a gravestone that was over 100 years old, and possibly difficult to read.

So, the three reports of an 1821/22 date of death are mistaken, right?

Not so fast.

Is there any other contemporary record that indicates whether George was alive in 1822? I did not find a burial record for George Hocker in St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Volume 2. Nor did I find George Hocker Jr. in the Administrations Index for Montomery County, Pennsylvania.

George’s father died in 1821 in Montgomery County. Is there any mention of George in his estate record?

Even though George Hocker Sr. died intestate, his estate record is quite explicit regarding his children. In a request for partition of George Sr.’s land, the record states:

“…George Hocker died intestate on or about the 16th day of October last leaving no widow but issue five children, to wit Martin, Adam, Christopher, Elizabeth intermarried with Henry Scheetz and Margaret Hocker now living; and three deceased, to wit, George, John and Jacob Hocker…”⁶

Not only is George Jr. recorded as deceased before this record was made, but one of his heirs—Henry Daub, husband of his daughter Ann—is one of the petitioners on this and subsequent Orphans Court records. Based on George Sr.’s estate record, it is quite clear that George Hocker Jr. died before 16 October 1821.

But what about the 1832 deed? Wingeard stated that it recorded George’s death as 30 Jan 1832. If that’s true, then it can’t apply to this George Hocker Jr., right?

In reading the original document, it is obvious that Bill was correct. It does relate to George Hocker Jr., son of George and Anna Margaretha (Weidman) Hocker. The heirs listed in the deed—widow Mary Hacker, Henry Daub and Ann his wife, Philip Hink and Mary his wife, Jacob Cress and Elizabeth his wife, Jacob Mason and Margaret his wife and Susanna Hergesheimer—match those listed in George Hocker Sr.’s estate files as the heirs of his son George.

However, while the deed states that George is deceased, it does not provide a date of death. Furthermore, it also states that Martin Kindig granted the tract to George Hocker on “the first day of June in the year last aforesaid” [1797], not on 1 Jun 1831 as Bill noted.⁷ Perhaps he misread that line as “the first day of June in the year last” and concluded it meant 1831.

Based on the information compiled, I can only conclude that George Hocker Jr. died before 16 Oct 1821. I don’t have enough information to posit an exact date, but I do know that 1822 and 1832 are incorrect.

Mapping West Philadelphia

Kris Hocker on 7 Sep 2012

I‘ve been working on the Philadelphia Hocker branch of the family for my book A Hacker/Hocker Family recently. (Lots of new information and lines!) Imagine how happy I was to find the “Mapping West Philadelphia: Landowners in October 1777” website.

George Hocker’s tract in Whitemarsh and Springfield townships (green tract to center-left)

It’s a “web-based, geographic data application open to the public. It was developed by the University of Pennsylvania’s University Archives and Records Center from research provided by J.M. Duffin. The website is designed to assist scholarly research and the general public in efforts to analyze, interpret and understand the history of the growth of West Philadelphia and the greater Philadelphia area at the time of the American Revolution.”

It shows road and land owners from 1777 in situ. You can see the location of a tract of land in relationship to roads, other land owners, and the 1777 township borders. You can even turn on a modern street overlay so you can see where the tract is in relationship to modern roads—perfect for locating an ancestors’ tract! Select your choice of streets, terrain, even a Google satellite image as a background with the tracts as overlay.

I’ve had a good idea of where George Hocker’s tract sat, but finding this site verified the information I had. For some reason, I was surprised to see how close it was to Germantown.

For someone like me who loves to use land patents and deeds to track the ownership of parcels of land to help define relationships among people, this site is a fantastic find!

Montgomery County Hockers

Kris Hocker on 3 Sep 2012

Taking advantage of Ancestry’s free access to census records this weekend. Added a couple generations onto the Philadelphia Hockers.

Samuel Hocker

Kris Hocker on 27 Aug 2012

Today, I found the second reference to a Samuel Hocker associated with my Hacker-Hocker family.

The first reference was in St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Germantown, Pennsylvania. A Samuel Hocker, son of Christopher Hacker & wife, aged 16, was confirmed at St. Michael’s on 2 April 1809. A sister, Elizabeth, aged 17, was confirmed on the same day. They were both baptized on 31 March 1809.¹

Today’s reference was located in the estate papers of John Hocker from August 1844. One of the debts listed in the petition to sell his real estate is to Samuel Hocker for $500.² I believe this John Hocker was named the trustee of Catherine (Daub) Hocker on 16 August 1836 during her father’s estate proceedings. If I’m correct, then Catharine (Daub) Hocker would have been the mother of Samuel Hocker and wife of John’s uncle Christopher Hocker.

Another clue in the mystery of Christopher Hocker (ca 1776-?)!

—

John Hocker (1796-1844) was the son of Martin Hocker Sr. (1762-1830) and Ann Mason (1768-1826) of Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Convoluted Family Relationships…

Kris Hocker on 18 May 2012

I just discovered that Maria Margaretha (Hager) Elser was the aunt of Hans Adam Hacker’s brother-in-law Lorentz Haushalter. My ancestor Hans Adam traveled to Pennsylvania on the same ship as Heinrich Mock and Johan Peter Elser, also of Rußheim. Heinrich Mock was Margaretha’s fiancée and Johan Peter Elser was her son. They all settled in Lancaster County and were members of the Warwick Congregation in Warwick/Elizabeth Township.

Surname Saturday: Henry Fetter

Kris Hocker on 5 May 2012

On 26 June 1781, Henry Fetter married Christina Hacker, daughter of Hans Adam and Maria Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker, at Christ Lutheran Church in Stouchsburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania.¹ Bill Wingeard in his A German-American Hacker-Hocker Genealogy names Henry as the son of Bernhard and Gertrude (___) Fetter. Unfortunately, he doesn’t provide a source for that information.

In rewriting the genealogy, I’ve been trying to identify and make sense of the contemporary Fetter/Fehder/Feather/Vetter/Vehders living in the Warwick and Cocalico township in the late 1700s. There are at least two Henry Fetters that I need to clarify in the source data that I’ve found. Since writing about my research helps me to clarify my thoughts and findings, here goes.

Henry Carpenter 700-acre tract in Warwick (now Clay) & Cocalico townships

On 13 May 1759, William and Salome (Wister) Chancellor sold 95 1/2 acres in Cocalico Township to Henry Feather.² It adjoined land that had been or was to be granted to Bernhard Feather. This 95 acres was part of a larger tract of 350 acres that Henry Carpenter had sold to his grand-daughter Salome Wister on 21 November 1743.³ This tract included 32 acres that Daniel Fiere had sold Salome Wister on 12 June 1750.⁴ The tract the Chancellors sold adjoined land of “Henry Stouffer,” placing it on the north-eastern portion of the two tracts shown in the map (see Henry Carpenter’s 700 acres).

I did not find a deed record of Bernhard Fetter’s purchase, but both he and Henry took out mortgages on their properties—both 95 1/2 acres—on 1 Jun 1759.⁵ Bernhard’s wife’s name is recorded as Gertraut. Henry’s wife’s name is recorded as Anna Maria.

Bernhard & Henry Feather tracts, Cocalico Township

Bernhard is listed in Warwick tax records as “Berned Feter” in 1754.⁶ There is also a “Leard Fether” in Warwick in 1751. Bernhard is listed in 1769 in Cocalico and in 1770 in Warwick with the note “& a place in Cocalico.”⁷ Two Henry Feather’s are listed in Cocalico in 1770, as is a Conrad Feather.⁸ One Henry Feather is listed as “a single man with his father.” The other Henry’s listing indicates that he was listed as “Fetter” in 1769.

Additional tax records list Bernhard Fetter in Warwick Township in 1771, 1772, and 1773.⁹ In 1779, a “Fetter, Geo & Henry” are listed instead of Bernhard.¹⁰ It’s possible (maybe even probable) that these were Bernhard’s sons. Meanwhile, a Henry Feather is listed as a freeman (unmarried) in Cocalico Township in 1771, 1772, and taxed on 90 acres in 1773 and 40 acres in 1779.¹¹

An inventory is listed for Bernhard Feather of Warwick Township in 1777 in the Archive Collections at the Lancaster County Historical Society.¹² So, depending on the actual date of the inventory, Bernhard died in late 1776 or 1777. A will abstract is online for Gertraut Feather of Warwick Township. It indicates her will was written on 22 December 1792 and filed on 19 June 1794.¹³ It only names one child: Elizabeth, wife of John Frymyer.

Henry and Anna Mary Fetter of Cocalico Township sold 95.5 acres to Henry and Peter Fetter on 24 May 1773.¹⁴ These were likely their sons. They likely also had a son named Bernhard. A will abstract of Bernhard Feather of Cocalico Township in 1816 names his brother Peter and his nieces as: Susanna Brubaker, Christiana, Elizabeth Schlebach (wife of Henry), Mary Klingaman (wife of Michael).¹⁵ A deed naming appraisers for the lands of Henry Feder of Cocalico Township in 1822 names the same women as his daughters, plus Susanna Henly, a widow and only daughter of Henry’s son, Henry [III?].¹⁶

Given that Henry and Bernhard Fetter purchased land in 1759, they would have to have been born at or before 1738 (≥21 years of age). Because he was listed in tax records in 1754, Bernhard was likely born prior to 1733. Henry [Jr.] and Peter Fetter would have been born at or before 1752 (≥ 21 years of age in 1773). One of the two Henry Fetters listed in Cocalico Township tax records in 1770 was likely recently of age. The other at least a couple of years older.

Henry and Christina (Ernst) Vetter had a daughter Susanna, born 31 January 1774, baptized in Reiher’s Reformed Church on 9 January 1774.¹⁷ I believe this Henry Vetter is Henry Jr., the son of Henry and Anna Maria (___) Fetter. Henry and Christina had two other children baptized at Reiher’s Reformed Church: John Henry, born 10 March 1776, baptized 5 Apr 1776 and Samuel, born 6 November 1777, baptized 21 December 1777.¹⁸ Susanna’s birth places the marriage of Henry and Christina (Ernst) Fetter about 1772. That would place Henry’s birth about 1751, possibly a few years earlier. This fits perfectly with a child of Henry and Anna Maria (___) Fetter and the Henry Fetter taxed in Cocalico Township in 1771—1773.

The 1822 deed naming appraisers for the land Henry Fetter left his daughters also names a widowed daughter of his son. What’s interesting about her is the fact that her guardian, Isaac Erb, is also named in the document. This indicates that although she was a widow, she was not yet 21 years of age. Therefore, she was born about 1802, maybe a few years later. That is certainly consistent with a father who was born in the 1770s or very early 1780s.

Which of these Henry Fetters married Christina Hacker, daughter of Hans Adam and Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker? Until I can find the means to distinguish between the various men of this name, I won’t be able to accurately document Henry and Christina (Hacker) Fetter. I’ve got a start in gathering data, but I believe I need more information on these families—if I can get it—to truly be able to identify them in the records. If you have information on any of these families, please leave a comment!

Calling All Hacker/Hockers

Kris Hocker on 23 Apr 2012

I‘m in the midst of rewriting the Hacker/Hocker family genealogy featuring the descendants of Christoph and Anna Margaretha (Jock) Hacker of Rußheim, Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany and Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. And I need your help!

If you have family information or photos you’d like to see included in the book, please contact me.

The book will be following the descendants of:

Christoph and Anna Margaretha (Jock) Hacker

Johan Michael and Christina (Hacker) Lang (Long)
1. Johan Wilhelm and Anna Christina (Long) Stober*
2. Johan Michael Long Jr.
Johan “Hans” Adam and Maria Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker
1. Frederick and Catharina (Fuchs) Hacker
2. Johannes and Eva Catharina (Scholl) Hacker*
3. Christoper and Catharina (Mueller) Hocker
4. Henry and Christianna (Hacker) Fetter (Vetter/Feather)
5. Johan Adam and Sophia Maria (Hershey) Hocker Jr.*
6. Johan George and Christina (Mueller) Hacker*
7. Martin and Christiana (Beinhauer) Hocker and Barbara (Smith) Hocker
8. Jacob and Elizabeth (___) Hocker
Lorentz and Anna Margaretha (Hacker) Haushalter (Householder)
1. Nicholas and Margaretha (Haushalter) Voglesang (Foglesang/Fogelsang)*
2. Frederick and Barbara (Haushalter) Adam
3. Johan George and Catharina (Haushalter) Stober
4. Michael and Maria Elisabetha (Haushalter) Petz
5. George and Susanna (Haushalter) Scherb
Johan George and Anna Margaretha (Weidman) Hacker
1. Johan George and Mary (Kittinger/Killinger) Hocker Jr.
2. Johannes and Elisabeth (Mason) Hocker
3. Martin and Ann (Mason) Hocker
4. Johan Adam and Ann (Dillet) Hocker
5. Henry and Elizabeth (Hocker) Scheetz
6. Johan Wilhelm and Margarethe (Hocker) Cress
7. Christopher and Catherine (Daub) Hocker*
8. Jacob and Sarah (___) Hocker

* New/corrected information

I won’t be including information on people who are still living. I currently plan to make the book available in multiple formats—both printed, PDF and ebook.

If you would like to receive announcements about the book, please sign-up for the Hacker-Hocker Genealogy mailing list.

Settling Johannes Hocker’s Estate

Kris Hocker on 5 Apr 2012

After Johan “Hans” Adam Hacker died circa 1782 and the settling of his estate, several of his sons—Johannes, Christopher, Johan Adam Jr., Martin, and perhaps for a time, Johan George—left Lancaster County and came to Harrisburg. The earliest record of them in the city is a mention of the Adam Hocker tavern in the 1787 tax records.

The brothers engaged in business with each other—Adam and Christopher likely operating the tavern together as they were taxed together in 1791 and 1793.¹ John and Martin purchased land together in Lower Paxton Township in 1796.²

By 1796, John had moved to East Pennsborough Township, Cumberland County. He and his wife Catharina Scholl purchased 50 acres of land there on 13 Jun 1796.³ They sold one of their lots in Harrisburg purchased also in 1796.⁴

In May 1801, John and Catharine sold the 50 acres they’d purchased from Andrew Lee.⁵ By 10 Feb 1802, John Hocker was dead.⁶ He was 44 years old.

John died intestate—without a will. Here are transcriptions for the settling of his estate.

Letters of Administration

John Hocker, deceased~
Be it Remembered that on the 10th day of February A.D. 1802 Letters of Administration Issued in Common Form to Jacob Miller of East Pennsborough and George Coover of Allen Township, all and singular the Goods and Chattles rights and credits which were which were of John Hocker deceased. Inventory and Accounts to be Exhibited into the Registers Office in the Borough of Carlisle in time appointed by Law~
Witness my hand George Kline, Register⁷

Petition to Sell Land

Came into Court Jacob Miller and George Coover Administrators of the Estate of John Hocker late of East Pennsbro [sic] Township deceased and passed a petition to the Court setting forth that the personal estate of the said deceased amounting to the sum of five hundred and eighty two pounds nineteen shillings and six pence hath been sold be the petitioners That by the terms of the sale the money was not yet due or payable That there had come to the knowledge of the petitioners debts due by the Intestate to the amount of three thousand two hundred and thirty four pounds and upwards There was no fund in the hands of the petitioners from which the said debts could be paid or the minor children supported other than the amount arising from the sale of the personal estate above stated That the intestate died seized of a plantation containing one hundred and eighty one and one half acres situate in East Pennsbro [sic] & Allen Townships The petitioners therefore prayed the Court to make an order that they might sell the whole of the said tract of Land or such part of it as the Court may think necessary for raising a fund to pay the Debts of Intestate and to support the three minor children of the said deceased.

Whereupon it is considered by the Court and ordered that the said Jacob Miller and George Cover Administrators aforesaid make public sale of the tract of land aforesaid on Tuesday the fifth day of October next between the hours of twelve [ink spot] and four o’Clock in the afternoon of that day on the premises and by six written notices to be made our on good paper and delivered to the Sheriff or Constable to be fixed up in the most public places of the County at least ten days before the day of the said sale and that the said Administrators make return of their proceedings to the next stated Orphans Court.

~ By the Court⁸

Administration Account

Came into Court Jacob Miller and George Koover administrators of all singular the goods & chattles [sic] rights & credits of John Hocker deceased & produced an account of the Administration The Court upon consideration having adjusted & passed the same find a balance of nine hundred & fifty six pounds and eight pence in the hands of the administrators subject to distribution according to law see page 186.

~By the Court⁹

Revised Administration Account

Came into Court Jacob Miller and George Koover Administrators of all and singular the goods and chattles [sic] rights and credits which were of John Hocker late of the township of East Pennsborough township deceased and produced as supplemental Administration account of the Estate of the said deceased The Court having adjusted and passed the same find a balance of one hundred and ninety two pounds and four shillings in the hands of the Administrators subject to distribution according to Law.

~By the Court¹⁰

Guardianship Petitions

Came to the Court Mary Hocker minor above the age of fourteen years Orphan daughter of John Hocker deceased and prayed to the Court to appoint Christopher Eigelberger Guardian over her person and estate. The Court upon consideration appoint the said Christopher Eigleberger Guardian over the person and estate of the said Mary Hocker minor Orphan Daughter of the said John Hocker deceased during her minority or until another Guardian or Guardians be appointed in his Room

~By the Court

Came to the Court Catharine Hocker mother & next friend of Elizabeth Hocker and Sally Hocker minors under the age of fourteen years Orphan Children of John Hocker deceased and prayed the Court appoint a proper person Guardian over the persons and estates of the said Elizabeth Hocker and Sally Hocker minor Orphan Children of the said John Hocker deceased. Whereupon the Court appointed John Rupley Guardian over the persons & estates of the said minors during their minority or until another Guardian or Guardians be appointed in his Room

~By the Court¹¹

Johannes and Eva Catharina (Scholl) Hocker had three daughters:

Mary Hocker was born sometime between 1786 and 1790 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and died sometime after 1804. No more is known about her.
Elizabeth Hocker was born circa 1787 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and died 31 Mar 1861 in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. On 25 Dec 1812, she married Samuel Eberly in Zion Lutheran Church in Harrisburg. He was born in 1788 and died 15 Aug 1846 in Mechanicsburg. The couple was buried in Trindle Springs Lutheran Church cemetery.
Sarah “Sally” Hocker was born 6 Dec 1793 in either Harrisburg or Cumberland County and baptized in Salem Lutheran Church in Harrisburg. On 12 Dec 1816, she married Peter Eberly in Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Holly Springs, Cumberland County. Peter was born 15 Jun 1795 and died 10 Mar 1866 in Mechanicsburg. The couple was buried in Trindle Springs Lutheran Church cemetery.

Identifying the Children of Johan George Hacker

Kris Hocker on 3 Apr 2012

Recently, I’ve been dedicating some time to updating and ~~revising~~ rewriting my great uncle William Wingeard’s A German-American Hacker-Hocker Genealogy. Because Bill did not footnote his data, I’ve had to redo quite a bit of research that he’d already done. Additionally, I have done quite a bit of new research and I’m trying to add that to the book, as well.

In the first edition, Bill did not include any information on Johan “Hans” Adam Hacker’s son Johan George (1766-1846). Fortunately, I have found some information on my 6 times great uncle. Unfortunately, it’s causing some consternation as I try to determine whether it actually refers to Johan George, son of Adam, or George, son of Frederick—Johan’s George’s older brother.

Johan George Hacker (1766-1846)

Most of the information that I’ve located on Johan George can be found on his page in the “My Family” section of the site. I won’t repeat it here.

The problem I’m running into is in trying to identify his children. I have one definite child—Joseph Hacker (1816-1891). His baptism record lists Johan George and Christina Hacker as his parents and Christopher and Ann Miller as his sponsors. This is consistent with Johan George’s data, including his association with his brother-in-law Christopher Miller.

I also found a communion list from 1825 that lists what appears to be Johan George and Christina with two daughters—Catharina and Elisabetha. Three other Hackers—George, Peter, and Lydia—are listed with those receiving confirmation.

6 Nov 1825, Communion List at Salem Lutheran Church

I’m wondering if the George, Peter and Lydia listed are Johan George and Christina’s children. There are no other Hackers listed in the communion list and it seems plausible that Johan George and Christina would want to see their children confirmed. I know little about the confirmation process in the Lutheran or Reformed Church, but if I recall correctly my friends who were confirmed did so at about the age of 14 years. Assuming that there could be some leeway to either side, that would put the birth years for George, Peter and Lydia as approximately 1810-1815 (aged 10-15).

According to the 1810 census record for Johan George in Cocalico Township, his family was composed of the following members:¹

1 male under 10 (George or Peter?)
1 male 16-26 (?)
1 male 26-46 (George)
2 females under 10 (Catharina?, Elisabetha?)
1 female 26-45 (Christina)

So far, this looks a good match for these children belonging to Johan George and Christina. Let’s look at the 1820 census enumeration for the family:²

2 white males up to 10 (Joseph?, Peter?)
1 white male 16 to 18 (George?)
1 white male 16 to 26 (same as 16 to 18)
1 white male 45 & up (George)
1 white female up to 10 (Lydia?)
2 white females 10 to 16 (Catharina?, Elisabetha?)
1 white female 26 to 45 (Christina)

Again, it seems plausible that George, Peter, Lydia, Catharina and Elisabetha were the children of Johan George and Christina (Miller) Hacker. Joseph, born in 1816, would likely have been too young for confirmation in 1825.

George Hocker (1785/90-?)

However, George’s nephew, George Hocker—son of Frederick Hacker—allegedly had sons named George and Peter and a daughter Christina. I say allegedly, because Bill included the information in his book, but did not include his source for this information, making it difficult to verify.

From what I can tell he may have posited them as children from the 1840 census enumeration of Ephrata Township. In 1840, there are four Hacker families in Ephrata Township—George Hacker, George Hacker Sr., John Hacker, and Peter Hacker. Here are their households:

George Hocker³	George Hocker Sr.⁴	John Hocker⁵	Peter Hocker⁶
2 males <5 1 male 10 to 15 2 males 20 to 30 1 male 30 to 40 2 females <5 1 female 10 to 15 1 female 20 to 30	1 male 15 to 20 1 male 20 to 30 1 male 30 to 40 1 male 50 to 60 1 female 15 to 20 1 female 30 to 40	1 male 20 to 30 2 males 30 to 40 1 male 50 to 60 1 female 15 to 20 1 female 20 to 30 1 female 50 to 60	1 male <5 1 male 10 to 15 1 male 20 to 30 2 females <5 1 female 5 to 10 1 female 20 to 30

Neither of the two Georges appears to be a match to Johan George Hacker, both men being too young. They could be George Hocker, son of Frederick, and his alleged son, George Hocker Jr., with a few extra household members. Peter Hocker’s household is a good match to that of Peter and Hannah (Reinhold) Hacker of Lancaster County.

If so, what were they doing back in Lancaster County? And is proximity enough to identify them as immediate family?

George received his father’s property after Frederick died in 1812 and his older brother John refused it. George sold the property in 1813 and purchased property in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in 1814.⁷ George and his wife Elizabeth had children baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Harrisburg in 1814 (Catharina) and 1817 (Sarah). They also had children baptized at Shoop’s Church in 1819 (Andrew), 1821 (Daniel), and 1824 (Eli).

According to my family members, George’s property was in the southwest corner of Lower Paxton, near where Lower Paxton, Susquehanna and Upper Swatara townships meet. I found one tax record for George Hocker in Lower Paxton Township in 1813. I found multiple tax records for Susquehanna Township for George Hocker between 1816 and 1829.

I believe I found George Hocker in Upper Swatara Township in the 1830 census. The household included:

2 males 5 to 10 (Daniel, Eli)
1 male 10 to 15 (Andrew)
1 male 20 to 30 (George or Peter?)
1 male 30 to 40 (?)
1 male 40 to 50 (George Sr.)
1 female < 10 (?)
2 females 10 to 15 (Sarah, Catharina)
1 female 15 to 20 (?)
1 female 40 to 50 (Elizabeth)

I also found records of a George Hocker as a tenant taxed in Upper Swatara in 1830 through 1832, and 1834 where his name is crossed out and removed written in.

I haven’t found gravestones for George or Elizabeth, so he may have moved back to Lancaster County. The evidence places him in Dauphin County until at least 1834, then I have no more data until the possible 1840 census enumeration. If George did move back to Lancaster County, not all of his family went with him. Two of his children were married in Salem Reformed Church in Harrisburg in 1840. Andrew Hocker married Susan Wannamacher on 27 Aug 1840.⁸ Sarah Hocker married Jacob Ruth on 12 Nov 1840.⁹

The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia, Dauphin County states that Joseph Hocker, son of George and Mary “Polly” (Brubaker) Hocker, was born in Lancaster County on 19 Feb 1839.¹⁰ That would make him one of the 2 males under 5 years old in the 1840 census enumeration for George Hocker in Ephrata Township. But this isn’t enough to prove that George was the son of George Sr. and grandson of Frederick Hacker.

By 1850, George and Mary “Polly” (Brubaker) Hocker were in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and they remained in this area until their deaths in 1872. Both were buried in Dauphin County, perhaps in Crum’s cemetery. Today their tombstones can be found in Shoop’s Cemetery in Lower Paxton Township.¹¹ George and Polly (Brubaker) Hocker have similarities of location to George and Elizabeth (Hassler) Hocker. It’s possible that George Sr. moved back to Lancaster County where he’d grown up and George Jr. eventually moved back to Dauphin County where he’d grown up.

Conclusions?

So, while this is all very interesting information, it doesn’t help me to identify Johan George’s children. If George, Peter and Lydia, Catharina, and Elisabetha were the children of Johan George and Christina (Miller) Hacker, what happened to them? Do the 1840 enumerations of Ephrata Township refer to this George and Peter or to George Hocker’s children—if they were, indeed, his children?

At this point, I don’t have any answers. Baptismal records for the early 1800s—specifically from 1804 through 1815—may help identify the parentage of Catharina, Elisabetha, George, Peter and Lydia. Tax records for Lebanon (1810—1825) and Lancaster (1820—1846) counties may help to pinpoint Johan George’s exact location and whether or not George Hocker moved back circa 1834. I’m hoping I can find some evidence.

Oh, did I mention that Frederick’s eldest son John also had a son named George and daughter named Lydia?! Wish me luck.

Tag: Hacker-Hocker Genealogy