Land Warrants – A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy

Henry Line’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 20 Jul 2014

Henry Line tract

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

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

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

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

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

Abraham Smith’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 27 Dec 2013

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

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

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

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

Samuel Boyer’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 10 Nov 2013

Samuel Boyer’s Conestoga Township Tract

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

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

Samuel Boyer’s tracts as divided in 1786

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

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

Jacob Behme’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 27 Oct 2013

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

Jacob Behme’s Conestoga Township tract

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

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

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

John Smith’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 13 Oct 2013

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

John Smith’s Conestoga Township tract

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

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

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

Ulrich Hoover of York & Adams Counties, Pennsylvania

Kris Hocker on 6 Jan 2013

Ulrich Hoover of York and Adams counties became of interest to me because of a possible connection to Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township, York County. Ulrich had come up in the data I’ve been compiling on Hoovers of Pennsylvania and Maryland, but since I’ve been focusing on Lancaster County Hoovers, I hadn’t researched him.

Most of what I know about Ulrich came from a Hoover mailing list posting by Richard Smallwood. However, his estate records have been enlightening.

Ulrich’s estate records—from both Adams and York counties—are consistent in the names of his children and, for the most part, list them in the same order. Based on these records alone, I would list his children as:

Johannes “John” Hoover
Susanna Hoover, m. Johannes “John” Rohrbach
Michael Hoover
Catharine Hoover
Eve Hoover, m. George Werley
George Hoover
Henry Hoover
Peter Hoover
Elizabeth Hoover
Mary Hoover
Barbara Hoover
David Hoover
Sarah Hoover
Magdalena Hoover, dec’d., m. to Philip Keller

Johannes is consistently named as Ulrich’s eldest son.

When he died in 1805, Ulrich Hoover owned property in York County spanning the border between Manheim and Codorus townships and in Adams County in Reading and Latimer townships.¹ Henry Hoover— “fourth son of Ulrich Hoover”—took 132 acres on the border of Manheim and Codorus townships in York County that included the merchant and saw mills.² His brother George— “third son of the intestate”—took a tract of 300 acres in Codorus Township.³ Eldest son John initially refused to take any of the York County land, but eventually accepted a third tract of 111 acres in Manheim Township, adjoining the other tracts.⁴

According to Adams County Orphans Court records, John also accepted land in Reading Township, containing 223 acres.⁵ John accepted the second Adams County tract, containing 105 acres in Latimer Township, acting as Michael Hoover’s assignee.⁶

While I did not find any warrants for Ulrich Hoover in Adams County, I found several for “Ulrich” in York County. The first warrant was for John Ulrich Hoober for 50 acres in Codorus Township, dated 18 Dec 1751.⁷ I believe Ulrich sold this tract to Conrad Supinger on 4 Nov 1760.⁸ At the time of the land warrant, this tract adjoined land that had recently belonged to Christian Hoober. While this tract picques my interest the most, I’m not entirely convinced that it applies to this Ulrich Hoover.

Ulrich received another land warrant on 30 Apr 1765 for 50 acres in Codorus Township, adjoining Stephen Peter and Johan George Werley.⁹ It was noted on the warrant that the interest and quit rent were to be from 1 Mar 1758.¹⁰ This tract was surveyed on 14 Jul (5th month) 1766.¹¹ Ulrich received a warrant for 200 acres, adjoining land of Philip Miller, George Keller, Francis Hoff, Anthony New/Neu, and Jacob Lingefelta on the same day.¹² This warrant, too, noted that the interest and quit rent were to start from 1 Mar 1758. It was originally surveyed on the same day as the first tract, but two surveys were recorded for this tract—one in the name of George Hoover¹³ and one for Jacob Keller.¹⁴

A third warrant was issued for Ulrich Huber on 13 Sep 1774 for 100 acres, adjoining his other tracts.¹⁵ It was surveyed on 12 Sep 1794 for 108 acres and 12 perches.¹⁶

Based on these land warrants, Ulrich was probably living in York County by 1758, and possibly as early as 1751. This means he was probably living in York County from the time he was a young adult, so his children were likely born there. Check back next time to see what records I was able to find for them.

A Theory Regarding Christian Huber’s Sister Ann

Kris Hocker on 24 Dec 2012

A little while back I did a series of posts about Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township, York County, including a transcript of his inventory and the clues—or lack thereof—found in his wife’s probate file. Yesterday while researching the estate of Henry Küny (aka Keuny, Kuny, Kiny, Keiny, Keny), presumably the husband of Christian’s sister Ann, I came up with a new theory.

Let’s start with Christian’s will. In it he states: “and whereas Johannes Keny son of my Sister Ann is Justly indebted to me in the Sum of Nine Pounds Ten shillings it is my Will that he pay unto my Executrix the Sum of six Pounds part there of and unto his Brother Henry Keny the sum of one pound fifteen shillings also part thereof and the remaining Sum of one pound fifteen shillings I do bestow unto himself.”¹

Christian does not name his sister’s husband, just her sons Johannes and Henry. Information I found online named Henry Keuny of Germany Township as the husband of Ann Huber. And indeed this Henry had a wife named Ann and sons named Johannes and Henry.² Seems like a match, right?

And here’s the rub. At an Orphans Court on 26 Mar 1782, Ann Keiny petitioned the court for guardians for her children “John Keiny aged thirteen and upwards and Anna aged nine years and upwards and Henry aged seven years and upwards, and Barbara aged four years and upwards, and Jacob aged about eleven months.”³ John, son of Henry and Ann Keuny, would have been three years old in 1771 when Christian wrote his will; their son Henry wouldn’t have been born yet! How can a three year old be indebted to his uncle? And was Christian a psychic to know Ann would have a son named Henry about four years after his death?

The answer, of course, is that it’s not really possible that Christian was referring to the children of Henry Küny of Germany Township in his will. Here’s where my eureka moment comes in. I believe that Christian was referring to Henry Küny of Germany Township as his sister’s son in his will. So, where’s Henry’s brother, Johannes Küny?

John Küny of Germany Township was named guardian of Henry and Anna Küny’s children Magdalena, John, Anna, Henry, Barbara, and Jacob. So, there was both a Henry Küny and a John Küny, most likely a relative and quite possibly his brother, living in Germany Township. Both John and Henry Kiny are listed in the 1779 and 1780 tax lists for Germany Township.⁴ Henry Küny died in 1781 and only John Kenney and the Widow Kenney are listed in the 1781 tax list for Germany Township.⁵

At an Orphans Court on 30 Nov 1790, “Henry Keeny aged fifteen years and upwards” petitioned the court for a new guardian, as did “Henry Danner, Executor of the Last Will and Testament of John Keeny deceased,” on behalf of Barbara and Jacob Keeny.⁶ So, John Küny died in 1790.

A search of the Pennsylvania probate records on FamilySearch.org shows John Küny of Germany Township wrote his last will and testament on 16 Jan 1790. It was proven on 4 Jun 1790. It named his wife Anna, only daughter Anna, wife of Adam Gissler, granddaughter Magdalena Gissler, grandson John Gissler, and niece and nephew, Barbara and Jacob Küny, children of his brother Henry.⁷ Henry Danner and John Kehr were named as his executors. The will was witnessed by George Miller, John Thomas and John Summer.

So, Henry and John Küny of Germany Township were, in fact, brothers. What else can we learn about them?

John Küny land survey

John Küny (as Kieny) warranted a tract of land containing 100 acres in Germany Township on 16 Jun 1763 and a tract of 50 acres on 30 Apr 1765.⁸ The tracts were surveyed on 10 Aug 1765.⁹ This means that John was in York County by Jun 1763 at the latest. I found no warrants or patents for Henry Küny though the tax lists indicate he owned 100 acres in Germany Township.

A Johannes Küny arrived in Philadelphia aboard the ship Brothers on 30 Sep 1754.¹⁰ Also onboard were a Jacob Huber and a Christian Huber—relatives, perhaps?¹¹ A Henrich Küny arrived aboard the ship Myrtilla on 21 Sep 1765.¹²

What does this mean for researching Christian Huber? To be entirely honest, I’m not exactly sure. I believe it makes it more likely that Christian—and apparently his brothers, too—were immigrants, not first-generation Americans. Although that’s always a possibility in colonial research, 1749 is late enough that Christian’s parents might have been early immigrants.

Since Johannes and Henry Küny were presumably immigrants, born in Europe, finding their parents in Europe may also provide the location of Christian Huber’s birth. That, in turn, may provide additional information on his brothers that helps me to identify them in Pennsylvania. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.

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

John Hoover of “Timber Hill”

Kris Hocker on 26 Oct 2012

In reviewing some information on John Hoover (Ulrich¹), I came across the following: “May also be the John [Hoover] who had 50 acres surveyed on May 10, 1768, in York Co. called “Timber Hill.”¹ It sounded familiar, so I looked it up. The tract was warranted to Andrew Hershey on 24 October 1738 and patented to John Hoover on 17 August 1772 for 146 acres and 80 perches, Patent AA13:193.²

I recalled seeing land transactions between Andrew Hershey and John Hoover—although in connection to another Hoover family—and decided to dig a little deeper. John is a very common name. Which John Hoover patented Timber Hill?

John Hoover’s Timber Hill tract in Manheim Township

John Hoover had 140 acres known as “Timber Hill” in Manheim township surveyed on 10 May 1768.³ This land was adjacent other lands of Andrew Hershey, Jacob Bollinger, Thomas Wilson and Mark Furney. Ownership of this land must have been contested at one point, because there were multiple surveys, including several in the name of Jacob Gotshalk.

Jacob Gotshalk had applied for a patent on this land in 1767, but apparently never lived on it according to several later surveys.⁴ In any case, John Hoover purchased the rights to the land from Gotshalk in 1771 for £35.⁵ In this deed John Hoover was of Hempfield Township, Lancaster County. John Hoover, Miller, of Hempfield and his wife Ann sold this tract and another that they’d inherited from her father Andrew Hershey to Jacob Burkhard in 1775.⁶

Andrew Hershey made his will on 9 December 1754, it was probated on 19 February 1755 and left his property—except for one tract left by name to his grandson Christian Hershey—to be divided equally amongst his heirs.⁷ In 1766, Andrew’s heirs—including John and Anna Hoober—quitclaimed a tract in Hempfield Township to Benjamin Hershey.⁸

While I don’t know for certain where John Hoover (Ulrich¹) was after he sold his father’s tract in Conestoga Township on 10 Oct 1767, I do know that at that time his wife’s name as Mary.⁹ Furthermore, John Hoover of Hempfield and wife Anna bought and sold property in Hempfield and Manheim Townships, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from the 1760s through the 1780s—a period that overlaps John Hoover’s (Ulrich¹) life in and eventual disappearance from Conestoga Township.

From these records, I would conclude that John Hoover (Ulrich¹) was not the man who patented Timber Hill. Instead, it appears to me that John Huber of Hempfield Township was. This John Hoover was most likely the son of Christian Hoover of Hempfield Township who died prior to 27 November 1757. John lived his entire life in Hempfield Township. He wrote his will on 30 August 1798 and it was probated in Lancaster County on 17 September 1803.¹⁰

Added Old Lampeter Township Warrantee Map Index

Kris Hocker on 8 May 2012

I’ve added a warrantee map index for old Lampeter Township. It includes indexes for both present-day East and West Lampeter townships. This downloadable PDF file includes links to the online survey that for each specific tract. Get it now for the introductory price of $1.99. Good until 5/15/2012.

Tag: Land Warrants