Land Warrants – Page 2 – A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy

Hans Boyer’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 16 Apr 2012

On 22 November 1717, the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania warranted 5,000 acres to Martin Kendig and John Herr in then Conestoga, Chester County.¹ I. Taylor surveyed 210 acres on the Pequea, adjoining Widow Hoober, Ulrich Hoober, and John Ffarrer, part of the 5,000 acres warranted to Martin Kendig and John Heer, to Hans Boyer on 10 May 1719.² Hans patented this tract on 26 November 1739.³

Hans Boyer’s Conestoga Tract

Hans Boyer and his wife Barbara sold 210 acres, adjoining John Forrer, Ulrich Huber, and the Widow Hoober, to their son Samuel Boyer on 27 March 1748.⁴ Samuel Boyer and his wife Mary solid 1 acre to the Mennonist Conegregation on 10 December 1755.⁵ This became the Byerland Mennonite Meeting house.

On 10 January 1758, Samuel and Mary Boyer sold 14 acres to Tobias Boyer.⁶ Two years later on 3 October 1760, Tobias and Mary Boyer sold two tracts—including these 14 acres—to David Worley.⁷ David and his wife Ann then sold these two tracts to Christian Line on 11 March 1769.⁸

On 10 August 1769, Samuel and Mary Boyer sold 195 acres to Abraham and Mary Hess.⁹ Several months later, Abraham and Mary Hess sold the 195 acres to Jacob Smith.¹⁰ In November 1770, Jacob Smith purchased two tracts of land—including the 14 acres—from Christian and Anna (Boyer) Line.¹¹

Jacob and Magdalena (Good) Smith sold two tracts—ten acres 126 perches and one acres 58 perches—to Abraham Kagey on 22 June 1776.¹² The couple sold 60 acres to John Funk.¹³ On 15 October 1780, John and Ann Funk confirmed these same 60 acres back to Jacob Smith.¹⁴ Then on 20 December 1784 Abraham Kagey’s executors—Abraham Kagey Jr. and Christian Shank—sold the two tracks totaling about 11 acres purchased from Jacob Smith to Andrew Sureus.¹⁵ Andrew & Catherine Surearus sold on 13 September 1790 two tracts to Christian and Peter Huber—one of 10 acres 126 perches and the other one acres and 58 perches.¹⁶

After Jacob Smith’s death, the 195 acres he owned were partitioned into two sections. The first, containing 125 acres 50 perches was granted to Jacob Smith [Jr.]. The other contained 72 acres 78 perches (not including the acre deeded to the Mennonists) and was granted to Christian Smith. Jacob Smith renounced his claim to the 125 acres, so it was awarded to Abraham Smith, the third son. However, Abraham then sold this parcel to Jacob on 11 April 1805.¹⁷ Then in May 1805, Jacob Smith sold to his brother Christian two tracts from the 125 acres—one of 40 acres 150 perches, adjoining land of Jacob Smith, Abraham Huber, Henry Zercher and Christian Smith, the other of three acres 140 perches, adjoining land of Jacob Smith, Christian Smith and Pequea Creek.¹⁸

John Jacob Goughnour’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 3 Mar 2012

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

John Jacob Goughnour’s Conestoga tract survey

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

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

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

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

Jacob Boyer’s Conestoga/Martic Tract

Kris Hocker on 21 Feb 2012

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

Jacob Boyer’s Conestoga/Martic tract

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jacob Hoober 1733 Warrant

Kris Hocker on 5 Jan 2012

New! Updated warrantee map indexes for Lancaster County townships are available for purchase through my store. Each document includes the warrantee, warrant number, patentee, patent reference, and surveyee with a direct link to the online survey record and warrantee map. More to come.

Having written about how to use the online land records at the Pennsylvania State Archives, it’s only fair that I provide examples of what each document entails.

This example features the 1733 land warrant of Jacob Hoober for 210 acres on Pequea Creek. This piece of property sits south of Pequea Creek in present-day Providence Township. It can be seen on the Providence Warrantee Township map to the right in the top row of tracts.

Jacob Hoober land warrant

The first page of the warrant indicates the date of the warrant, the warrant number, the amount of land and the name of the warrantee.

Jacob Hoober land warrant

The second page is the actual warrant. It states:

“Pennsylvania, SS.

By the Proprietaries.

At the Request of Jacob Hoober of the County of Lancaster that We would grant him to take up Two hundred & ten Acres of Land lying on a Branch of Pequea in the said County of Lancaster for which He agrees to pay to our Use at the Rate of Fifteen Pounds ten Shillings current Money of this Province for One hundred Acres and the yearly Quit-rent of one Halfpenny [?] for every Acre thereof; THESE are to authorize and require thee to survey or cause to be survey’d unto the said Jacob Hoober at the Place aforesaid, according to the Method of Townships appointed the said Quantity of 210 Acres that hath not been already survey’d or appropriated, and make Return thereof into the Secretary’s Office, in order for a further Confirmation; which Survey in case the said Jacob Hoober fulfill the above Agreement within six Months from the date hereof, shall be valid, otherwise to be void. GIVEN under my Hand, and the lesser Seal of our Province, at Philadelphia, this twenty fourth Day of January Anno Dom. 1733

to Benjamin Eastburn, Surveyor General

[signature?]”¹

These images are actual photos taken from the microfilm reader. A printed copy would be clearer and more legible.

How to Use the Online Land Records at the PA State Archives

Kris Hocker on 3 Jan 2012

If you’ve read my blog, you’ll know that I use land records—a lot! I’ve mentioned warrants, patents and deeds in a number of posts. They’re some of my favorite record groups. And best of all, depending on where your ancestor lived, the records may be available online for free.

This blog post is going to explain how to use the land records available online at the PA State Archives. These records are organized by record and then either by county or volume and surname. They have been scanned and placed online as PDFs by page. The records include:

Warrant Registers
Copied Survey Books
Patent Indexes
Patent Tract Name Index
Indexes of Selected Original (Loose) Surveys
East Side Applications (Register)
West Side Applications (Register)
Philadelphia Old Rights (Index)
Old Rights Index: Bucks and Chester Counties
New Purchase Register
Original Purchases Register
Last Purchase Register
Luzerne County Certified Townships
Donation Lands
Depreciation Land Register
Warrantee Township Maps
Melish-Whiteside Maps

I’m going to focus on the records in bold.

To understand how to use these records, it’s important to understand how the process worked in Colonial Pennsylvania.¹ Technically, William Penn owned all of the land in Pennsylvania. A settler would apply to the land office for land. Before 1687, these applications were typically oral and not recorded. After 1687, they were recorded in the minute books of the Commissioners of Property. The minutes can be found in Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, Volume 19 and Third Series, Volume 1.

After the application, a warrant was issued to authorize a survey of the land. The warrants I’ve seen specify the name of the warrantee, the location of the desired property (sometimes rather generally), the amount of land, the quit-rent—and sometimes the date from which the rent commences—and the price per acre. The issuance of a warrant, however, does not mean that the applicant actually owned the property.

When a warrant was issued, orders were sent to the surveyor to survey the property and draw a map of the courses and bounds, the acreage, and the neighbors. After a survey was done, the applicant would have to pay for the land and provide evidence of their improvements to the property. In viewing the survey books, there are sometimes multiple surveys of a tract of land. Sometimes the original applicant failed to follow through, sometimes they sold their “rights” to someone else prior to the patent, or sometimes subsequent owners required a re-survey.

Once the survey was complete and the land paid for, a warrant of return was sent to the surveyor general, who in turn sent the survey to the secretary’s office so that a patent could be issued. The patent is the document that transferred ownership of the property to the settler.

So, warrants, patents and surveys deal with transfers of land between the Pennsylvania land office and the settler. Records of land transferred between individuals will be found—if recorded—at the Recorder of Deeds for the appropriate county. This may not be the same as the modern county. For more information on the historical transformation of the counties, take a look at the Genealogical Map of the Counties.

Patents

Ulrich Hoober, Patent Book A11:408

If you know that your ancestor received a patent for their property, you can begin with the Patent Indexes. How would I know that, you ask. Often, deeds—sometimes several transactions removed from the patent—will reference the original patent for the property. You may have seen something like:

It being the same tract of land which the late Proprietaries of Pennsylvania by their Patent dated the twenty eighth day of September A. Dom. 1744 and recorded at the Rolls Office at Philadelphia in Patent Book A vol 11 page 408 &c did grant & confirm to Ulrich Hoover his heirs and assigns forever…²

If you haven’t seen a reference like this, but want to know if your ancestor was an early landholder, the Patent Indexes are still a good place to start. The Patent Indexes will not only provide the patent book, volume and page number for a patent, but will also identify the name of the original warrantee and the date of the warrant. This will make it possible to locate the warrant and survey if your ancestor was not the original warrantee.

First, go to the Patent Indexes page on the State Archives site. The records are arranged by series, which are arranged by date. Choose the series you want to review.
Next find the list of pages for the first letter of your ancestor’s surname. Be prepared to check multiple spellings if they apply. I’ve found “Brenneman” listed under both “B” and “P.”
Check the available pages to see if your ancestor is listed. Each page is a separate PDF file, so you may need to download and open each file in Adobe Reader if your browser doesn’t have a plugin to view PDF files.
Each listing includes: series and volume, date of patent, page number, patentee name, area in acres and perches, name of warrantee, name of tract (if available), date of warrant, and county.

If you find your ancestor, make note of the series, volume, page and date of the patent. You’ll need this information if you want to order the patent from the Archives. You should also note the name of the original warrantee, the date of warrrant and the county. This will be necessary for the next step.

In the image above, we have a patent for Woolrick Hoober, dated 20 Sep 1744, with 226 acres in Patent Book A11, page 408. We can also see that he is listed as the original warrantee for a warrant dated 19 Sep 1744 in Lancaster County.

Warrants

Woolerick Hoober, Warrant H338, Lancaster County

Now that you have the name of the warrantee, warrant date and county, you can look-up the warrant and survey information in the Warrant Registers. These registers cover approximately 70% of all land in Pennsylvania for 1733—1957. If the warrant date is 1733 or later, follow these instructions.

Go to the Warrant Registers page on the State Archives site. The registers are first arranged by county. Click on the link to the appropriate county.
The pages for each register are listed first alphabetically by the first initial of the warrantee’s surname, then chronologically.
Check the pages to see if the warrantee is listed.
Each listing should include: warrant number, warrantee, type of warrant, quantity of land, warrant location, date of warrant, date of return, acreage returned, name(s) of patentee(s), where the patent is recorded (book, volume, page), and where the survey was copied (book, volume, page). Sometimes there are multiple patentees or surveys for each warrant. Sometimes the warrant was vacated and no information is available.

Woolrick Hoober’s listing tells us that he was issued a warrant (#338) to accept a survey of 226 acres in Conestoga Township, dated 19 Sep 1744. The patent was issued 19 Sep 1744 on 226 acres. The patent is listed in Book A11, page 408 and the survey is in book D88, page 127.

If the warrant date was before 1733, you’ll need to check the Old Rights Index for Bucks and Chester counties or the Philadelphia Old Rights Register.

Surveys

Woolrick Hoober, Survey Book D88:127

With the location of the survey from the Warrantee register, the next step is a piece of cake.

Go to the Copied Survey Books page.
Select the appropriate page for the book and volume.
Click on the page link.
Each survey should provide either a description of the metes and bounds or a drawing of the tract’s boundaries with the calls and the names of the tract’s neighbors. The survey also usually shows the date of the survey, name of surveyor, who the land was surveyed for, the date of the warrant, and the warrantee.

Ulrich’s survey shows that John Line, Jacob Hoober, and John DeHoof were his neighbors at the time of the survey—20 Oct 1728.

Warrantee Township Maps

Maps for some of the townships were drawn up showing all of the original landholders—those who received the property directly from the Proprietors or the Commonwealth—within the context of the present-day townships. Unfortunately, not every township was mapped.

Pequea Warrantee Township Map

To find a map of the township were your ancestor held property, you need to know the relationship between the historical township and the modern township. For instance, Ulrich Hoober’s tract was in Conestoga township when he received the patent in 1744. Two modern townships—Conestoga and Pequea—make up the historical 1729 township.³ You can see Ulrich Hoober’s property in the context of the township’s other properties in the Pequea Warrantee Township map.

Don’t forget, using this information you can order a copy of the land warrant or patent from the Pennsylvania State Archives. If you know the reference—warrant number, warrantee and county of warrant for warrants or patentee, patent date, book, volume and page number for patents—you can order an uncertified copy fairly inexpensively. If you don’t have that information, you can also order a search by the staff archivist. That, of course, will cost you more. Warrantee township maps are also available for sale.

If you can visit the state archives in Harrisburg, you can use the information you found through the online records to locate the documents on microfilm, saving time looking up the references so you can research other records.

That’s a fairly quick explanation of warrants, patents and surveys at the Pennsylvania State Archives website. These instructions should work for most properties. However, there will be exceptions (aren’t there always?). If you have questions, leave a comment or drop me a line. I’d be glad to help however I can.

Note: modified to include new PHMC screenshot.

Ulrich Huber’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 29 Dec 2011

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

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

Figure 1: Woolrich Hoober 1728 survey

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

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

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

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

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

5,000 Acres—Where Did It All Go?

Kris Hocker on 24 Dec 2011

The earliest established settlement in Lancaster County occurred in the fall of 1710 while it was still a part of Chester County. A small group of Mennonites made a deal for land with William Penn. He wrote to the Ambassador in the Netherlands in April 1710 telling him of a party coming to Holland in order to go to Pennsylvania.¹

We know their names because this group wrote a letter to the Mennonite leaders in Amsterdam dated 27 June 1710 to thank them for their assistance. They were on their way to Pennsylvania, expecting to sail within a few days to Gravesend, England and from there to America.² The letter was signed by Martin Oberholtzer, Martin Kendig, Christian Herr, Jacob Müller, Martin Meili, and Hans Herr. Their ship, the Maria Hope, arrived in Philadelphia 23 September 1710.

On 8 October 1710 land warrants were issued to Martin Kundig, Martin Meily, Christian Herr, John Herr, Wendell Bowman, John Bundely, Christopher Franciscus, and Jacob Müller.³ Martin Oberholtzer, an original member of the group, did not participate in the land purchase. Surveyor James Taylor was ordered on 10 October 1710 to survey 10,000 acres for the Colony of “Swissers lately arrived in this Province” at Pequea.⁴ The area they settled includes present day Willow Street, stretching across West Lampeter Township over Pequea Creek and into Strasburg Township and Strasburg village. The purchase was divided amongst these men on 12 April 1711.⁵

Original Pequea Settlement Land Warrants

About 1715 or 1716, Martin Kendig returned to Europe to convince other Mennonite families to come to Pennsylvania. On 22 November 1717, Martin Kendig & Co. (John Herr) were issued a warrant for 5,000 acres in Chester County (now part of Lancaster County).⁶ I found the following in the Copied Survey Books:

Pensilvania SS
(Seal) By the Commissioners of Property
At the Requests of Martin Kundigg and Hans Heer both of the Township of Strasburg in this Province that we would Grant them to take up Several Tracts among the late Surveys made on Conestoga and Paque Creek the quantity of ffive Thousand Acres of Land for which they agree to pay to the Propriet^rs use ffive hundred pounds Mony of the said Province for the whole or in Proportion should there be Returnd upon the Survey thereof more or less and the Yearly quitrent of one Shilling Sterling for every hundred Acres These are to Authorize and Require thee to Survey or cause to be Survey’d unto the said Martin Kundigg and Hans Herr among the said late surveys according to the Method of Townships appointed in several Regular Tracts the quantity of ffive Thousand Acres of Land that hath not been already Survey’d nor appropriated nor is Seated by y^e Indians and make Returns thereof into the Secretarys Office which surveys by thee mad by Vertue hereof in case the said Martin & Hans fulfill the above agreement by paying down the said sum of Mony upon the Returns of the said surveyes shall be Valid otherwise the same is to be Void as if it had never been made of this Warrant ever granted Given under our hands and Seal of the Province at Philad^a the 22^d day of 9^br [November] Anno Din 1717

Richard Hill

Isaac Norris

James Logan

To Jacob Taylor Survey^r General

In Testimony that the above is a copy of the original remaining on file in the Department of Internal Affairs of Pennsylvania made conformably to an Act of Assembly approved the 16th day of February 1833, I have hereunto set my Hand and caused the Seal of said Department to be affixed at Harrisburg, this Thirtieth day of March 1909

Henry Hauck

Secretary of Internal Affairs⁷

The Chester County Old Rights Index notes a number of surveys associated with this warrant. They include:

D78:3—10 Nov 1720, Joyst Lette, 190 acres on west side of Conestoga, adjoining Toris Ebys, Henry Funk, London Company Tract, and William Huse
D78:4—28 8^br [October] 1728, Hans Line, 200 acres on a branch of Pequea Creek, adjoining Martin Boyer (now Abraham Smith), Christian Stone (now Jacob Boyer), and Christian Prenaman
D78:5—12 Oct 1731, John Long, 473 acres (325 by right of Martin Kendrick & John Heer), adjoining Jacob Stoner, Poston Fink, Abraham Miller, James Thornbury, Peter Lane and Henry Lane
D78:37—12 9^br [November] 1727, Abraham Burkholder, 250 acres, and Benjamin Wittmer, 150 acres; Benjamin Wittmer sold to Henry Bear, returned 26 Oct 1734
D78:38—20 9^br [November] 1727, Martin Kendrick, 50 acres on a branch of the Pequea, adjoining John Hess, Joseph Steeman, and Martin Kendrick
D78:271—29 May 1718, John Snevely (son of John Jacob Snevely), 200 acres; Peter Yortee (now John Jacob Snevely), 200 acres; Jacob Funk, 200 acres; all three tracts northwest of Conestoga Creek
D78:2722[4?] November 1717—John Snevely, Jacob Snevely, 137 acres, adjoining Robert Eares, Tho. Thornbury, John & Jacob Snevely; returned 3 Jun 1735
D78:273—2[4?] 9^br [November] 1717, John Snevely & Jacob Snevely, 76 acres, adjoining other land of John & Jacob Snevely
D78:274—John Snevely, returned 3 Jun 1735
D78:275—24 9^br [November] 1717, John Funk, 100 acres on a branch of the Conestoga, adjoining Jacob Funk
D78:282—13 January 1745/6, Michael Miller, 269 acres in Hempfield township, adjoining Jno Knisley, Felix Miller, Hans Adam Libhart, Wid^o Hipkin
D78:293—2 June 1718, Henry Muscleman, 200 acres on a small branch of the Little Conestoga, adjoining land of Michael Costman’s children
D78:294—30 May 1718, Roody Moyer, 200 acres on a branch of the Conestoga, adjoining John Funk
D71:42—3 9^br [November] 1729, Michael Graff, 100 acres on a branch of Beaver Creek, adjoining Jacob Graff, Isaac Herr, and Michael Graff
D71:51—3 9^br [November] 1729, Michael Graff, 125 acres, adjoining Michael Graff and Jacob Prowprather
B22:45—31 May 1718, Martin Kundigg and John Heer, 200 acres on a branch of the Little Conestoga, granted to John Witmore, adjoining Andreas Coffman, Christian Peelman and Henry Pare
D82:1—20 June 1719, Jacob Bheam, 57 acres on a branch of the Pequea; 9 9^br 1720, Hans Hess, 125 acres, adjoining Jacob Bheam
D82:2—25 8^br[October] 1726, Hans Hoober, 50 acres [Earl Township], adjoining Hans Hoober and Hans Muscleman
D82:3—23 June 1721, 3 tracts of 150 acres each for Hans Moyer, Hans Musleman (+50 acres), Hans Hoober (+50 acres), situate between Mill Creek & the Conestoga
D82:16—18 8^br 1728, Hans Hess, 195 acres, adjoining Philip Rudesille, Martin Kendrick, John Jacob Moyer, John Dehoof, Hans Hess and Christian Stoner
D82:18—20 8^br 1730, Hans Hess (see previous survey)
D82:19—20 May 1719, Barbara, widow of Jacob Hoober, 102 (corrected to 105) acres, adjoining Hans Boyer, John Line and Martin Boyer
D82:24—19 Mar 1747/8, Isaac Heer (father of Hans Heer), 260 acres (312 on resurvey in 1757), adjoining land formerly of Amos Strettle (Peter Musser and Christian Shoults), formerly of John Taylor (Jacob Beam, William Stewart, Martin Bear), Jacob Prowprather, Adam Thomas, and Henry Hoover
D82:33—21 9^br 1719, Jacob Graff, 400 acres on a branch of Beaver Creek, adjoining Thos. Smith, Michael Graff, Isaac Herr, and John Koyle
D82:40—10 8^br 1827, to John Bowman, father of John Bowman, 150 (corrected to 147) acres on a branch of Beaver Creek, adjoining Amos Strettle and Caspar Bowman, a warrant to accept this survey was dated 1 9^br 1744
D82:41—Hans Graff, 1419 acres +91 acres from later survey returned on 13 October 1742
D82:47—22 June 1721, two tracts for Henry Bear, 200 acres (now his son Jacob Bear) and Martin Graff, 151 acres, between Mill Creek and the Conestoga
D82:51—10 8^br 1727, Hans Graff, 1419 acres in Earl Township, 250 acres of which is part of the Kendig/Heer warrant, the rest from a warrant to Hans Graff on 4 8^br1718 for 1150 acres, tract adjoining Christian Winger, Hans Brady Negly, Conrade Roode, Adam Painter, Philip Shiesfer, Peter Goode, and Henry Bear
D88:127—20 October 1728, Woolrick Hoober, 226 acres on a branch of the Pequea, adjoining John Dehoof, Jacob Hoober, and John Line
D88:130—16 8^br 1730, Jacob Hess, 200 acres on a branch of the Conestoga, adjoining Jacob Bear and John Ulrick Hoober
D88:133—12 May 1731, Andrew Hershey, 424 acres (300 acres in right of Martin Kendig & John Heer) on a branch of the Shickasalungo Creek
D88:134—20 June 1719 and 10 October 1731, Jacob Behme, 381 acres total (including 57 from previous survey) on a branch of Pequea Creek, adjoining Hans Hess, Robert Creage, Christian Prenaman, Henry Hoober, Christian Heer
D88:135—28 January 1733, Jacob Hoober, 210 acres on the Pequea, adjoining Jacob Good and Samuel Buyer
D88:136—30 May 1718, Toris Ebys, 300 acres on Conestoga Creek, adjoining lands of Henry Funk and Michael Shank
D88:137—30 May 1718, Toris Ebys, 300 acres on Conestoga Creek, adjoining Henry Funk and Michael Shank
D88:138—10 May 1719, Hans Boyer, 210 acres on Pequea Creek, adjoining Widow Hoober, Ulrich Hoober, and John Farrer
D88:139—20 8^br 1729, Samuel Boyer, 115 acres on Pequea Creek, adjoining John Goughnower, Christian Stone and Jacob Hoober
D88:140—12 9^br 1720, 4 tracts on Pequea Creek surveyed for Hans Boyer (88 acres), Jacob Hoober (81 acres), Martin Boyer now Abraham Smith (84 acres), Christian Stone now Jacob Boyer (164 acres)

I don’t know if these add up to 5,000 acres—some of the surveys are duplicates or overlap previous surveys; some include land from separate warrants. But they should be a good representation of the Kendig & Herr 5,000 acre warrant as divided amongst Lancaster settlers after November 1717.

If you’re searching for information on early immigrant ancestors who settled in Lancaster County, you can find land information at the website of the Pennsylvania State Archives. The warrant registers for Lancaster County will list warrants issued starting in 1733. For earlier records, try the Old Rights Registers for Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester counties—Chester is the best place to start for pre-1729 Lancaster records.

If you know who the land was patented to, but not who it was warranted to, try the Patent Indexes. That will give you the warrantee and warrant date. The warrantee township maps are also a good place to look if you’d like to see where your ancestor’s property was located. The files are listed by the modern townships, so you’ll need to know the relationship between the historical townships and the modern ones. If you don’t, try this map at the Lancaster Historical Society’s website.

Lancaster deeds for this period are also available online. You can read more on how to use the online reader ~~and where to find images from the Grantors index~~. ~~Unfortunately, the ~~Grantees~~ indexes are not online, so you may have to get creative to find what you’re looking for~~. Deeds and deed indexes are available through the Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds and FamilySearch.

Have you found a Lancaster County ancestor in online records? What did you learn about them?

Hans Line’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 22 Dec 2011

John Taylor surveyed 200 acres on a branch of Pequea Creek for Hans Line on 20 8^ber [October] 1728 in right of Martin Kendig and John Herr.¹ Adjoining landholders at the time of the survey included: Jacob Boyer (formerly Christian Stone), Abraham Smith (formerly Martin Boyer), and Christian Prenaman. Hans Line patented this tract on 14 April 1735.² (See lighter blue section on map below.)

On 21 December 1750, John Line was warranted 23 1/2 acres, adjoining the 200 acre Hans Line tract.³ This tract was surveyed 23 December 1750 and patented to John Line on 9 April 1753.⁴^,⁵ (See dark blue section on map above.) At the time of the survey, this tract adjoined land of Henry Boyer, Ulric “Hower” [Hoober], and John “Hower” [Hoober].

The following spring, on 24 March 1754, John Lyne and Barbara his wife sold 200 acres to John Lyne Jr.⁶ John Lyne Jr. was apparently the son of John and Barbara Lyne. The deeds where John Lyne [Jr.] transfers this land state “…the said John Lyne the father…did grant…unto the said John Lyne (party hereto) by the name John Lyne Jr…”

Figure 2: Christian and Henry Line tracts

John Line Jr. apparently decided to retire from farming in 1785. On 8 Dec 1785, he divided the 200 acres his parents had sold him between Henry Line and Christian Line.⁷ (Refer to map above.) Neither of the deeds refers to John’s wife, nor did she sign either deed, indicating that she was already deceased.

Christian apparently took responsibility for caring for John Line as John sold him the additional 23 1/2 acres he’d patented in exchange for “good and decent boarding, washing, lodging, and apparel for him the said John Lyne Sr.” for the rest of his natural life. ⁸

According to the deed, Henry’s tract adjoined Jacob Boyers, Christian Brenneman, and John Lyne’s other property. However, by 1785 Jacob Boyer(s) had sold his adjoining tract to Jacob Boyers Jr.⁹ Jacob Boyers Jr., in turn, sold it in two tracts to Rudy Miller and Henry Boyers.¹⁰^,¹¹ The tract indicated for Christian Brenneman (if it’s the same as in the survey), was patented to Jacob Huber in 1759.¹² He left it to his son Christian in his last will and testament.¹³ Christian then sold it to John Jacob Gochenour, whose heirs released it to his son Jacob in 1780.¹⁴

Christian’s adjacent neighbors were listed as Abraham Smith and Jacob Boyer. The transfers of Jacob Boyer’s property have already been mentioned. Abraham Smith’s tract, meanwhile, had passed to Henry Boyer by 1750.¹⁵ Henry Boyer’s heirs sold it to their new step-father Rudy Miller in 1776.¹⁶

John Line apparently passed away sometime shortly before 25 November 1805.¹⁷ The online will abstract lists as children: Henry, John, Jacob, Mary (wife of Jacob Warner), Ann (wife of Jacob Shallenberger), Christian, Abraham, Barbara (wife of Michael Shenk), and Elizabeth (wife of George Markley).¹⁸

On 21 July 1813, Christian and Feronica Line sold to their son Christian Jr. 23 acres two quarters nine perches, adjoining Henry Boyer, Henry Resh, the widow Brenneman and Christian Line Sr.¹⁹ This deed specifically outlines the passing of the land from John Line to his son John Line to his son Christian Line Sr. and then to his son Christian Line Jr., stating the tract was granted “…unto a certain John Line (Grandfather to the said Christian Line Senr.).”

Henry Line died sometime between 2 or 7 August 1815 and 11 November 1816.²⁰ His property was passed on to his son John who sold five acres to Christian Hess on 16 April 1819.²¹ John is the only child mentioned in the will abstract. His wife is named as Anna, and his executors were Martin Funck and Henry Rush. Henry Rush was most likely a neighbor (see Christian Line’s deed above) and Martin Funck was most likely his brother-in-law. A deed pertaining to the settlement of a Martin Funk of Manor Township lists Anna, wife of Henry Line of Conestoga Township as his daughter and Martin Funck as his son (among others).²²

Added Warrantee Map Indices

Kris Hocker on 20 Feb 2011

I’ve added two new indices to the warrantee maps for Strasburg Township and West Lampeter Township. These indices include the warrantee’s name, the patentee’s name, the tract number (if available), the patent reference (book, volume, page), the survey reference (book, volume, page), and the tract name (if available). The surveys and warrantee maps can be found online at the Pennsylvania State Archives website.

The warrantee township maps are a useful tool in researching your family history and provide an excellent means of visualizing the location of a specific piece of property within the borders of a specific township.

However, when you want to quickly determine if a specific name can be found on the map, it can difficult to do. Frustrated by having to search the map for each name I wanted to locate, I decided to create an index for each township map that I use on a regular basis. Now, I’ve made them available to other researchers. Please see a list of currently available on the Online Genealogy Documents page.

Christian Hoover of Hempfield Township

Kris Hocker on 24 Dec 2010

Researching an individual is particularly difficult when they have a common name. It is even more difficult if there is more than one person of the same name in the same general location at apparently the same time. Such is the case with Christian Hoover of Hempfield Township, Lancaster County.

#6 Christian Hoover tract

Land documents show three warrants for tracts in Hempfield Township granted to “Christian Hoober,” all dated in 1743 or 1744.¹ Two of the warrants were patented to Christian Hoober and the third was patented to Martin Hoover. An additional, adjacent tract in Warwick Township, warranted to “Christian Hooper,” was patented to Christian Hoober on 12 Dec 1747.²^,³

Tract #1

The first tract was in the north eastern corner of present day East Hempfield (see #6 on map at right). It was warranted to Christian Hoober on 10 Jan 1744/5 and patented to him on 12 Dec 1747 (Patent Book A-13:328). The adjacent tract was the Warwick Township tract patented to Christian Hoober on 12 Dec 1747.⁴ These tracts belonged to the same man.

On 16 May 1767 Christian Hoover and wife Margareth sold 2 tracts of land to Jacob Oberholtzer—one of 57.5 acres and the other of 121 acres. Tract 6 on the warrantee township map was 57 acres.⁵ So, he sold this parcel and part of the tract in Warwick Township that he patented in 1747 that was warranted “Christian Hooper.”

Christian Hoover tract

Tract #2

The second tract was located to the south and west and apparently sat in both the present East and West Hempfield townships (see map left). This tract was warranted to Christian Hoober on 8 Jun 1743 and patented to him on 16 Jun 1743 (Patent Book A-11:145). It was surveyed on 12 Mar 1735/6.⁶ This tract later belonged to Christian’s son John Huber Esq.

On 14 Dec 1758, the heirs of Christian Hoover, late of Hempfield Township—namely Martin Hoover and Catharine his wife, Jacob Hoover and Ann his wife, Henry Funk and Elizabeth (Hoover) his wife—sold to John Hoover, another son of Christian Hoover, 224 acres in Hempfield Township (see map #2).⁷ On 1 Sep 1764, Christian Hoffman and Barbara (Hoover) his wife sold their share of Christian Hoover’s property to Barbara’s brother John.⁸ And finally on 10 Jun 1769, John Bausler and Anna (Hoover) his wife sold their interest in the property to John Hoover.⁹ Two additional sons of Christian Hoover were mentioned in the deeds—Michael and Christian Jr. They apparently “died in their Minority unmarried without issue.” ¹⁰

#41 Christian Hoober tract

Tract #3

The third tract is located in the present day West Hempfield Township. It was warranted to Christian Hoober on 15 Aug 1744 and patented to Martin Hoover on 12 Apr 1750 (Patent Book A-15:337). It was surveyed 12 Apr 1737.¹¹ Martin Hoover was Christian’s eldest son.

The West Hempfield tract that was patented to Martin Hoover was given to his sons Joseph and Isaac Hoover in his 1788 last will & testament.¹²

Conclusions

Based on the land warrant, patent and deed records, it is apparent that there were two different men named Christian Hoover in Hempfield Township. The first died sometime prior to 27 Nov 1757.¹³ The second Christian Hoover was alive at least as late as 1771 when he sold land he purchased in Lancaster Borough to Rupertus Hartaffel.¹⁴

Christian Hoover (died bef. 1757) had a son named Christian, but since he died prior to 1758, the second Christian Hoover can not be the son of the first. The first Christian was located in Hempfield Township prior to 1735/6 when tract #2 was surveyed. The second Christian was in Hempfield Township before 21 Feb 1746/7 when the first tract was surveyed.¹⁵

Tag: Land Warrants