Tag: Probate Records

Will: Conrad Schneider of Upper Salford, Translation

Kris Hocker on 10 Nov 2018

I’ve been researching the ancestry of Jacob Schneider for some time now. Just about every advance I’ve made has been through genetic genealogy research. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been working to find genealogical evidence—the so-called paper trail, too.

Conrad Schneider of Upper Salford Township is a possible grandfather for Jacob Schneider. He owned property near the Upper Salford and Marlborough township line, I believe, just south of present-day Sumneytown.1 On 12 July 1759, Conrad wrote his last will and testament in German. It was translated and proven about a month later on 10 August.

It reads:

“In the Name of God the Father, the Son and the Holly Gost Amen.

I Conrad Schneider of Old Coshenhoppen Upper Salford Township in the County of Philadelphia being blessed be God, of sound mind memory and understanding but knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to dye which cant be avoided, Have made my Last Will and Testament which is to be put in Execution according to my Desire having myself subscribed the same, that is to say, Firstly my son Leonard Schneider shall have as following at first he shall have the forty acres of Land whereon he dwells and on which the House stands and these forty acres he is to have with a free Deed. These forty acres are bounded by Killian Gaughlers land and with them he is to have seventy acres more without a Deed it lies at the side of Daniel Hiesters land and it runs and is bounded by Francis Hardmans land For which the said Leonard Schneider is to pay at the Rate of one Pound for ever acres and which will amount to the sum of one hundred and ten Pounds in the Whole and he is to pay in ready Cash next Fall Fair that is to say on the twenty seventh Day of November 1759 the sum of forty Pounds and as for the remaining sumt that is to say as for Forty Pounds more thereof he is to give a Bond without any Interest payable in three years hence And the remaining fifty Pounds it shall go towards his Heritage. This is to give notice that the sum of money which was paid for the said Forty acres being twenty pounds is included in the above sum. Secondly, All my remaining Children are to share equally the Daughter as well as the sons and neither of them shall have any Advantage let it come as high as it will And if anyone of my sons will undertake the management of my Plantation then he is to pay his Sister and Brothers such sums of money as they amongst themselves shall or may agree upon and all my Children shall fair alike and

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one shall have no more than the others, that is to say, The first is named Leonard, the second Catherine the third Elias the fourth Michael the fifth Balthasar and the sixth Henry.

Thirdly my dear wife shall have for her maintenance as follows The one who gets the Plantation let him be any of my Children or a stranger, is to pay her every year during her natural live as follows, that is to say eight Bushells of Wheat eight Bushells of Rye on Quarter of Flax, which he who gets the Plantation must sow, pull, thrash and brake and she is to have one fourth art of the garden And in Place of Meat he who gets the said Plantation shall pay her yearly twenty shillings in Money, He shall also give her one half Bushel of fin Salt and every Week as longs as she lives one Pound of Butter if she desires it and if it serves her And the one who gets the said Plantation shall also pay her yearly the sum of five Pounds lawful Money of Pennsylvania and shes shall have a Place of abode in my House during her life clear of all cost as well in the Parlour, Kitchen and Cellar as at any other Part of the said House, But is she wishes to live some where else then she shall have Liberty to live wherever she likes best and in that case she shall also have all what is above mentioned yearly for her maintenance notwithstanding And if she shall happen to get sick and to keep her Bed so that she will not be able to help herself then the Person whoever keeps her shall not be troubled with her for nothing but the Person shall have such Reward as the said Sister & Brothers amongst themselves shall judge reasonable and this is my sincer Wil land the same shall be put in execution so as it is writ down And she shall more over have the sum of twelve Pounds out of my personal Estate.

Fourthly, I chuse to this my Estate or Riches my Good neighbour and Freinds John Kantz and Killian Gaugler Guardians/or * Executors/ And I do hope they will take Care of my dear Children and wife and act so as the my safely answer before god almighty and that they will not occasion the widows and orphans to cry to Heavens nor draw Vengenan[?] on themselves. The above instrument I do subscribe with my

* The German word vormunder, is properly Guardian, but by the construction of the will it seems to me that the Testator meant Executors. P Miller

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my own Hand before Evidence as and for my Last Will and Testament and as such it shall remain Done at Upper Salford July 12th 1759•1•

Conrad Schneider

George his W mark Wyand

I the subscriber so certify the foregoing Writing to be a true and genuine Translation of a German [?] Writing said to be the Last Will and Testament ^ of Conrad Schneider. The same sa[y] me having been translated from the said original by me this 10 Augt 1759

P Miller”2

Conrad, unlike some of my ancestors, was kind enough to name his children in his will. He also listed them in order: “The first is named Leonard, the second Catherine the third Elias the fourth Michael the fifth Balthasar and the sixth Henry.”3

So far, my genetic research has found descendants of Catherine and Balthasar with whom my Mom shares DNA. There are other members of the cluster I found on AncestryDNA, as well as others on GEDmatch and MyHeritage who triangulate with known descendants, who I have not yet been able to trace. All told, I think I’ve found about 14 individuals who share descent from Conrad Schneider.

I’m still trying to figure out how Jacob descends from Conrad. Based on the list in Conrad’s will and his desire that all “my remaining Children are to share equally,” it’s hard to argue that Jacob could have been his youngest son. My working hypothesis is that Elias and his wife Anna Maria Nuss were Jacob’s parents. However, I still have no evidence—and I mean zip, zilch, nada—other than proximity and the genetic link to prove this theory.

I can only hope to find descendants of Conrad’s sons Leonard, Elias, Michael, and Henry who are matches to Mom. Maybe there’ll be enough of a difference in the shared amount of DNA to point the way to one of them. But, since Conrad would be her 6 times great grandfather, it’s a bit of a long shot.

If you’re a descendant, please test. If you already have, please drop me a line. Maybe we could work together to solve this puzzle.

Conrad Schneider Last Will at krishocker.com

Christian Shotte, Inquest Awarded

Kris Hocker on 3 Jun 2018

Christian Shott of Halifax Township died intestate. His widow, Anna Maria Shott, petitioned the Orphans Court on 18 February 1823 to make a partition of his lands for his heirs—his surving siblings and children of his deceased siblings, as follows:

“Upon the petition of Mary Shotte widow and relict of Christian Shotte late of Halifax township in the County of Dauphin Yeoman deceased Stating that the petitioners said husband Christian Shotte lately died intestate leaving the petitioner his Widow and no issue but left brothers and sisters of the whole blood, and the children of brothers & sisters of the whole blood, namely Peter who resided in Dauphin County, Margaret who was intermarried with Freeman who died before they [sic] intestate, and the residence of the said Margaret is unknown to the petitioner, the children of Jacob Shotte a brother of the whole blood who died before the intestate in Dauphin County, the children of Michael Shotte a brother of the whole blood who died before the intestate in Dauphin County, Philip Shotte who died intestate since his brother the intestate in Dauphin County leaving a Widow and three children, The children of Ludwig Shotte, a brother of the whole blood, of the intestate who died before the said Intestate not in Dauphin County, The children [page 363] of Cathrine Loudermilch who died before her brother the intestate in Dauphin County, The children of Christiana Cooper, who died before her brother the Intestate, not in Dauphin County, and the children of Mary Sweigart who died before her brother the Intestate in Dauphin County, and that the said intestate died seized in his demesne as of fee of and in the two following Tracts or pieces of land with the appurtenances both situate in Halifax Township, Dauphin County, one whereof patented land containing about fifty two acres more or less, which was surveyed in pursuances of a warrant for Jacob Waggoner dated the 21st of November 1774. The other bounded by lands of George Werfle, Jacob Wefle and others, and containing about fourteen acres more or less, and not patented; therefore praying the Court to award an Inquest to make partition of the premises aforesaid to and among the heirs and legal representatives of the said Intestate in such manner and such proportions as by the laws of the Commonwealth is directed, if such partition can be made without prejudice to or spoiling the whole, but if such partition cannot be made thereof as aforesaid then to value and appraise the same and make report thereof according to law Whereupon an Inquest was awarded agreeably to the prayer of the petitioner and to the acts of the General assembly in such case made and provided

By the Court”1

Christian Gleim, Esq., the High Sheriff of Dauphin County, reported back to the Orphans Court on 6 May 1823 that the two adjoining tracts of land could not be divided and would not adequately accomodate more than one of Christian Shott’s heirs.2 The property was valued at $240 by the twelve men who visited and assessed the land on 24 April 1823.

Two days later, the Court issued a Rule that the heirs should “come into Court on the 2nd day of September next and accept or relinquish their several and respective rights of taking the estate.”3 The Court issued another Rule for the same purpose on 3 September 1823.4

When none of the heirs appeared, the Court ordered that Christian Shott’s administrator, Joseph Miller, should sell the land at public vendue on 30 December 1823.5 Miller reported back to the Court 3 February 1824 that he had sold the land to Mary Stroh.6

What Can I Learn?

First, this document states that Christian was married and left a widow named Mary, but did not have children (no issue). Therefore, it provides the names of his siblings, including the married names of his sisters. Secondly, you’ll notice that the petition referred to Christian’s  “brothers and sisters of the whole blood, and the children of brothers & sisters of the whole blood.” What, pray tell, you ask, does that mean?

“Whole blood” (aka full blood) is a legal term indicating a descent from the same couple—or born of the same mother and father.  So, according to the petition, Christian shared the same parents with:

  • Peter Schott
  • Margaret (Schott) Freeman
  • Jacob Schott
  • Michael Schott
  • Philip Schott
  • Ludwig Schott
  • Catharine (Schott) Loudermilch
  • Christiana (Schott) Cooper
  • Mary (Schott) Swiegert

This claim is curious.

Most of the information I’ve seen online—yes, I know—indicates that Ludwig was married twice. Jacob, Michael and Ludwig were children of his first marriage; Peter, Margaret, Philip, Catharine, Christiana, Mary and Mary Magdalena (not mentioned in the petition) were children of his second marriage to Anna Barbara Laurin in 1757.

Christian Schott, Jacob Schott’s eldest son, was born in 1775. While Jacob could have started his family at 18—assuming Jacob was born in 1757—in my experience it’s a bit more common for males of German descent from this time period to be a bit older—in their mid 20s—at the time of marriage. Even if I assume all the information online regarding birth years for Jacob, Michael, and Ludwig is wrong, I’d still estimate Jacob’s birth, at least, to be prior to his father’s marriage to Anna Barbara. Furthermore, Catharine and Christiana were born 23 January 1758—ten months after Ludwig’s marriage to Anna Barbara. There really isn’t an opportunity for the birth of a previous child.7 Assuming, of course, that the date is correct.

The petition also tells us whether Christian’s siblings were alive or deceased, and if dead whether or not they died in Dauphin County. Since we know the date of this petition 18 February 1823, we know that all his siblings—with the exception of Peter—died prior to 1823. In Philip’s case, the document also tells us he left three surviving children. We also know that all of them except Ludwig and Christiana died in Dauphin County. So, in researching this family, we should search for probate records in Dauphin County.

Thirdly, the petition provides information regarding Christian’s real estate. Based on this document we learn that he owned two pieces of land in Halifax Township, one of which was patented. The patented land was warranted to Jacob Waggoner in 1774. The other property adjoined that of George Werfle and Jacob Werfle. The Jackson Township warrantee map shows Christian’s land (#82) was located to the northeast of land on which his brothers Peter and Philip resided (George Henry Fritz’s property) and land which his brother-in-law Adam Loudermilch warranted in 1785 (#65).8 This tract adjoined Edward Paine, Michael Haverstick, Henry Werfel, and Jacob Werfel.

Conflicting Evidence

The information provided by Christian Schott’s widow Mary for this petition conflicts with other information regarding this family. Which is correct? At this point, I do not know.

I have birth dates for Christian and several of his siblings placing their births after the reported marriage date for Ludwig and Anna Barbara. I do not have birth dates for Ludwig’s three eldest sons. The dates reported online vary from source to source and are all prior to Ludwig and Anna Barbara’s marriage. But the only documentary evidence I have simply shows at least two of them were born by 1758.9 This is inconclusive. While it’s highly unlikely that they could be born by 1758 and still be children of Ludwig and Anna Barbara, until I verify the marriage date, that doesn’t mean much.

Two Ludwig Schotts Using Land & Probate Records to Distinguish Between Two Men

Kris Hocker on 31 May 2018

On 10 February 1785, Ludwig and Catharina Schott had a son they named Ludwig in Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County. He was baptized at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Killinger. Seven months later on 3 September 1785, Ludwig’s brother Jacob and his wife Margaretha also had a son. He was baptized at St. Peter’s (Hoffman’s) Reformed Church in Lykens Valley. They, too, named him Ludwig.

One of these Ludwig Schotts married Margaretha Messner. Which one?

Ludwig Schott

Ludwig Shott married Margaretha Messner by 1811 in the upper end of Dauphin County. When he died in 1824, he and Margaret had four living children: Catharine, Susanna, John and George (a minor).1 By 15 November 1841 when Susanna’s husband Christian Lenker petitioned the Orphans Court for an inquest to partition Ludwig’s land, Margaret had married Philip Schott.

According to the inquest, Ludwig’s land was partially in Mifflin Township and partially in Upper Paxton Township. He held 110 acres 23 1/4 perches of land “bounded by lands of the heirs of Jacob Shott, Ludwich Lenker, Jacob Woland, Peter Minnich, and others” along with an interest in and share of a grist mill—“the saw mill having fallen down”—between Jacob Shott and Ludwig Shott.2

Heirs of Jacob Shott? Jacob, like Ludwig, was a popular name in this family. Not only is there Jacob Shott, the father of one of the Ludwigs, but each of the Ludwigs had a brother named Jacob.

I found no record of deeds between Jacob and Ludwig Shott. However, from the probate, we know that we are looking for the Ludwig who:

1. Was married to Margaret

2. Owned land adjoining Jacob Shott, Ludwig Lenker, Jacob Woland and Peter Minnich

3. Shared ownership of a grist mill with Jacob Shott based on an agreement from 20 August 1824

Ludwig Schott, the Immigrant

Ludwig Schott Sr., grandfather of these two men, was in Upper Paxton Township, living along Wiconisco Creek by 1756. On 7 March 1756, Ludwig, along with his neighbors Andrew Lycans and John Rewalt, were fired upon by Native Americans. The men, injured, “managed to get over the mountains into Hanover Township, where they were properly cared for.”3 They did not return to their homes for some time.

During this timeframe, Ludwig married his second wife, Anna Barbara Laurin, at Augustus (Trappe) Lutheran Church in Montgomery County on 10 March 1757.4 Their first three children were born in Lancaster County and baptized at churches in Lancaster Borough.5

By 1767, he’d most likely moved his family back to the Lykens Valley. He applied for 160 acres on the north side of Wiconisco Creek 24 September 1767.6 The land was surveyed 19 May 1768. He did not patent it. Instead, 116 1/2 acres from this tract were patented to Jacob Shott in 1843 and the other 43 by Christian Bock in 1806.

There were two additional tracts adjoining this one that were warranted to a Ludwig Shott (Shutt, Shaut), presumably the same man. The 96 1/2-acre tract directly to the north was warranted 29 August 1774 and surveyed 29 February 1775.7 It was patented as two pieces of land in 1806 to Christian Bock and 1834 to Philip Shutt. The tract to the south, 87 3/4 acres, was warranted 26 April 1785 and surveyed 29 May 1806.8 It, too, was patented as two tracts, one of 22 acres on 4 June 1806 to Christian Bock and the second of 65 1/4 acres to Jacob Shutt on 12 June 1820.

Ludwig died circa 1788.9 After twelve men determined that the estate could not be divided among the heirs, Ludwig’s eldest son Jacob was awarded the property by the Orphans Court with the stipulation that he pay the other heirs their share of the value of the land—£415.

Jacob Shott

Jacob Shott died intestate on 1 October 1808.10 His eldest son Christian petitioned the court for an inquest to make a partition of his estate. Prior to his death Jacob owned about 220 acres in Upper Paxton Township with a mill. According to the petition, Jacob left a widow named Elizabeth and children: Christian, Jacob, John, Ludwig, Peter, Philip, Ann Mary wife of Leonard Snyder, Catharine wife of John Adam Herman, and Christiana wife of Abraham Feidt.

Jacob Shott Jr.

Ultimately, Christian relinquished his rights to the property.11 The next eldest son, Jacob, took possession and agreed to pay the other heirs their share within a year of 1 March 1813. With Jacob Messner Sr. as surety, Jacob was bound for the sum of $8,000—twice the appraised value of the land (as was the custom).

Jacob died intestate in March 1840 in Mifflin (now Washington) Township.12 His eldest son John petitioned the Orphans Court to partition his land, about 128 acres adjoining Ludwig Lenker, Samuel Longenbaugh, and others, on which there was a grist mill—“the one half of which mill belongs to the heirs of Ludwig Shott.”

And violà!

There’s the Jacob who owned the adjoining land and 1/2 the grist mill—Jacob Shott, son of Jacob Shott and grandson of Ludwig Shott. Was Ludwig Shott his brother? It seems most likely, but I found no deeds between him and his brother Ludwig. What evidence is there to show that this Ludwig was Jacob’s brother?

Although there are no deeds directly between Jacob and Ludwig, there are several pertaining to the property that either mention them or in which they are primary actors. The most direct reference, however, was recorded in a deed granting a power of attorney by Jacob’s brother John to their brother Christian.

On 14 November 1818, John Shott appointed his brother Christian as his trustee and guardian to “take recover and receive my said property and monies and the interest thereon accrueing and to dispose thereof for me and my use.”13 According to the document this included his inheritence from “my brothers Jacob Shott and Ludwig Shott who have taken the real estate of my father Jacob Shott deceased at the valuation of thereof the sum of five hundred and fifty dollars and twenty-five cents.”

Additionally, Jacob Shott and Ludwig Shott sold to Christian Shott on 22 April 1814, 16 acres 80 perches of land adjoining their land, Christian’s other land, and George Minnich, for $231.14 So, sometime between accepting his father’s land from the Orphans Court on 1 March 1813 and the following spring, Jacob must have formerly sold part of their father’s land to Ludwig—possibly in lieu of or as Ludwig’s share of the inheritance.

An examination of tax records for Upper Paxton Township shows that Jacob and Ludwig had been sharing the land—and paying taxes on it together—since their father’s death. In 1808 Jacob Sr. is crossed out and marked deceased on the tax list and Jacob and Ludwig are listed together with an assessed valuation of $600 and tax of $4.50.15 They are listed together in the Upper Paxton tax records until 1820 when Jacob is listed in the Mifflin Township records with the grist and saw mill.16

Why’d You Do That?

You may ask, why I went through this exercise when the Ludwig who married Margaretha Messner is shown as Jacob Schott’s son in online family trees. Maybe I’m just a curious sort, maybe I’m perverse and untrusting, or maybe I just get confused easily when there are multiple people with the same name—and there are so many of them in my families!

But I often find myself asking (even of myself), “how do you know that?” Especially where there are no citations or source information. When you come upon conflicting information—and it’s likely you will—how will you resolve it?

I could’ve just cited the online family tree and left it at that. But by doing the work, I’ve collected and reviewed documentation that not only verifies the relationship between Ludwig and Jacob, but also starts to fill in the timeline of Ludwig’s life and provide insight into the family. It adds to the knowledge I’ve accumulated regarding this family which in turn will help me to better understand future clues in a much more efficient manner.

George Hocker’s Verbal LWT

Kris Hocker on 9 Feb 2018

On Monday, October 20th, 1845, Elizabeth Shearer and Elizabeth Bodine went to the office of the Register of Wills for Philadelphia County and swore that they witnessed George Hocker’s verbal will.

George Hocker 1845 Will

“We the subscribers declare that George Hocker of the Northern Liberties who died on the 5th Inst. by a verbal will left to his mother Sarah Hocker thirty dollars in consideration of services rendered during his illness; and to Deborah Hocker his wife twenty dollars and that he appointed Joseph Fisher No. 58 Chestnut Street to take charge of his money and after paying all expenses and legacies he desired the said Joseph Fisher to invest or deposit in the Saving fund what sum remained together with the accruing interest for his children Jacob and Emma until they come of age. Philada Octr 11th 1845
Elizabeth her X mark Shearer
Elizabeth her X mark Bodine

City and County of Philadelphia ss Register’s Office October 20th 1845 Then personally appeared Elizabeth Shearer and Elizabeth Bodine who upon their solemn oaths did say that on the 5th day of October 1845 they were present in the room of George Hocker now deceased and they heard him declare the following words as his last will and Testament viz. “After my expenses are paid the money is to be placed in Mr. Fisher’s hands and to be placed at Interest by him until the children are of age. My wife is to have twenty dollars and my mother is to have thirty dollars for her trouble in taking care of me[“] and they did further say that at the time of the delivery of the above he was of sound disposing memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief and that he was prevented from executing a written will in consequence of the extremity of his last illness.

Sworn and subscribed before me on the date above.

Robert F. Christy             |        Elizabeth her x mark Shearer
Deputy Register               |        Elizabeth her x mark Bodine”1

George Hocker

George Hocker, son of Jacob and Sarah (___) Hocker, was born 4 January 1805 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and baptized at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Germantown on 12 August 1805, sponsored by his grandfather Johann George Hocker. He married Deborah (___) sometime prior to 1825, probably in Philadelphia. George died 5 October 1845 of tuberculosis (phthisis pulmonalis).

George was, I believe, an innkeeper in Franklin Place, Philadelphia.

George and Deborah likely had children, as follows:

  1. Jacob Hocker, born 1825-1830 and died 12 June 1847 at his grandmother Sarah’s house on Market Street
  2. Emma Hocker, born October 1832 and died 12 December 1913 in Philadelphia
  3. Charles Lambert Hocker[?], born November 1833 and died 13 February 1834
  4. Daughter Hocker, born 1830-1835 and died prior to 1845

Jacob and Emma are the only two mentioned in his probate file.

Joseph Fisher

Joseph Fisher was born about 1796 in Philadelphia and died 19 February 1864. George’s mother, Sarah (___) Hocker, was Joseph’s aunt. Joseph made and sold mathematical and optical instruments in Philadelphia and inherited a considerable amount of money from his father.

When he wrote his last will and testament in 1862, Joseph made bequests to his cousins, including “Elizabeth Bodine daughter of my aunt Mrs. Sarah Hocker… and to Emma Hocker and Margaret Miller grand daughters of Mrs. Sarah Hocker.”2 He was also generous to the Philadelphia Library Company and the Pennsylvania Hospital for the insane, leaving them bequests in his will.

Elizabeth (Hocker) Bodine, wife of Daniel Bodine, was George’s youngest sister—and witness to his dying testament. Unfortunately, Sarah had two granddaughters named Emma—George’s daughter, of course, and his brother William’s daughter. I believe the money was eventually awarded to George’s daughter. Margaret Miller was the daughter of George’s sister Anna Maria (Hocker) Miller, wife of William Miller.

Elizabeth (Hocker) Bodine

Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob and Sarah, was born 26 November 1812 and baptized 27 September 1813 at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church.3 Her grandparents served as her sponsors. She died 17 November 1896 and was buried on the 21st at Laurel Hill Cemetery.4 She married Daniel S. Bodine by 1832 and had a daughter Sarah Ann Bodine in 1833. Daniel died young and Elizabeth spent most of her living living with family in Philadelphia.

Emma Hocker

Emma Hocker, daughter of George and Deborah, was born in October 1832 and died 12 December 1913 in Philadelphia.5 She remained single and worked as a tailor and housekeeper.

Margaret Miller

Maria Anna Hocker was born 25 July 1806 in Philadelphia and baptized at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Germantown on 27 September 1813, sponsored by her grandparents Johann George and Margaretha (Weidman) Hocker,6 and died 24 August 1850 in Philadelphia.7 She married William Miller and had a daughter Margaret, born 7 October 1835 in Philadelphia.8

Identifying Jacob Wolf’s Children Using the Paper Trail to Understand a Genetic Match

Kris Hocker on 27 Sep 2017

Back in May I wrote a post about possibly discovering the identity of one of the children of Jacob and Magdalena (Brey) Wolf based on a match through AncestryDNA. The match was a descendant of Samuel and Judith (Wolf) Snyder. I followed it with a post regarding one of our shared matches whose ancestry could be traced back to the Brey and Yeakel families, both of which appear in my Wolf line. This discovery supported my hypothesis that either or both Samuel and Judith were related to my Snyder and Wolf lines.

Now that FamilySearch has started making Pennsylvania deed books available online, I was able to search for Jacob Wolf of Allentown in the indices. And guess what I found? The names of Jacob’s children—and in two cases where his children had died, his grandchildren.

Jacob Wolf

Jacob Wolf was born 5 November 1787 in what is now Lehigh County to Conrad and Catharine (Yeakel) Wolf. He married Magdalena Brey and they had eleven children, seven of whom were alive when he died 20 January 1868.

On 25 January 1868, Joel Wolf, Conrad Wolf, Absalom Wolf, Ephraim Grim, and John Schimpf posted $5,000 bond on the estate of Jacob Wolf. Joel, Conrad and Absalom were the estate administrators.1 On 7 February, Henry Kleckner and John Schimpf took an inventory of Jacob’s “goods and chattels.” They were apparently worth $2,772.60.2 Joel and Absalom Wolf submitted their administration account on 12 March 1869.3 While it is customary that family members served as estate administrators, so we can infer that Jacob, Conrad and Absalom were related to Jacob—presumably his sons—not one of the documents name their relationship.

In early April 1869, a series of deeds relating to the estate were recorded with the Lehigh County Register of Deeds. In each of the deeds, the heirs of Jacob Wolf were selling his property in Allentown. On 1 April, the estate sold land to C.L. Martin,4 on 2 April to George Seiple,5 John Bowen,6 Absalom Wolf,7 Joel Wolf,8 and Mary Wolf.9

In each case, the deed specifically names Jacob’s children and, in two cases, his grandchildren, as:

  • Joel Wolf [Elizabeth]
  • Conrad Wolf [Catharine]
  • Absalom Wolf [Louisa]
  • Jacob Wolf [Julianne]
  • Mary Wolf
  • Eliza, widow of Charles Wetherhold
  • Mary, wife of David Miller
  • Emanuel Wolf (dec’d)
    • Children of Emanuel: Charles [Amanda], Enos, Susan and Lavinia
  • Judith (dec’d), wife of Samuel Snyder
    • Children of Judith: Jacob [Caroline], Nathaniel, Charles [Coletta], Sophia wife of Tighlman Fatzinger, and Anna wife of Daniel Mabes
1869 Deed Jacob Wolf Heirs

Jacob Wolf’s heirs

The signatures associated with these deeds included all the named heirs and where appropriate, their spouses (in brackets).

The 1850 census enumeration for Jacob’s household in East Allentown only includes Jacob, Magdalena, Charles, and Catherine Wolf.10 However, family members were living nearby. His daughter Judith and her family is only four households away11 and Absalom’s only another two households farther on.12 In 1860, Tilghman and Sophia Fatzinger are four households prior to Jacob,13 Jacob and Julianne14 are next door to Jacob,15 grandson Jacob and wife Amanda16 are multiple pages earlier, as are Samuel and Judith Snyder17 and Absalom and Louisa.18

Based on this information Jacob’s daughter Judith was, in fact, the Judith (Wolf) Snyder who I wrote about in my post Unexpected Discovery from AncestyDNA Match. This makes “E” and I 4th cousins once removed through Judith (Wolf) Snyder and potentially 4th cousins once removed through Samuel Snyder, as well.

Furthermore, I also have another match, “J,” on AncestryDNA who can trace his family back to Jacob Wolf, born about 1819 of Lehigh County. Given the birth year and location—and our match as 4th-6th cousins, I’m theorizing that this Jacob is the son of Jacob and Magdalena (Brey) Wolf. This would make us fifth cousins. “J” shares 44 cMs of DNA with me. Nearly twice the average for fifth cousins, possibly indicating an additional relationship, but a definite possibility.

I know some people seem to think that if they do the DNA test, their family tree will just magically build itself. That has not been my experience, at all. Without the work that I’ve already done to build out my pedigree, I wouldn’t be able to identify my relationship to more than a handful of my DNA matches.

The DNA match itself is one more piece of evidence that I can use to build my proof statement. While it may help me to assess genealogy records pertaining to an ancestor with more confidence, it is still only one piece of the puzzle that I must build into a larger picture.

5 Reasons to Search Orphan’s Court Records Even If Your Ancestor Left a Will

Kris Hocker on 26 Jan 2017

5 Reasons to Search Orphan's Court Records Even If Your Ancestor Left a Will

Are you familiar with estate records in Pennsylvania?  Yes? Then you know that there are two basic types of probates—testate, those who left a last will & testament, and intestate, those who didn’t.

Some counties store all the documents pertaining to a particular estate in one file. This is very helpful to the researcher. Request the probate file—or locate it online—and you’ve got all the pertinent documentation.

But other counties recorded the documents in separate books. For the testate, the will, inventory, and account were recorded. For the intestate, the administration bond for the administrators, inventory, account, and quite likely Orphan’s Court entries can be found. But to get the documentation, you need to look in multiple locations.

If your ancestor left a will, would you look in the Orphan’s Court records? No? Here are five reasons why you should check the Orphan’s Court records even if your ancestor left a will.

Guardianship

By far the most well known purpose of the Orphan’s Court—as the name implies—was to appoint guardians over the estates of the minor children of the deceased. Anyone under the age of majority was required to have a guardian until they came of age to administer their estate.

Children over the age of fourteen could request a specific person be appointed as their guardian. You will often see young women ask that their husbands be appointed for them. The Court appointed the guardian for those children under the age of fourteen, but those children could request a different guardian once they were fourteen years-old. Those appointed as guardians were usually relatives or persons of significance in the community.

One thing to remember is that the guardian very often was not the custodian of the child. A parent usually maintained physical custody of the child/children until they came of age. The guardian was legally responsible to administer the child’s estate, i.e. their right to property or money from the deceased’s real or personal estate.

Administration Accounts

The executors and administrators of a decedent’s estate were required by law to file an account of their administration of the estate with the Register of Will’s office within one year or as requested by the Court. These accounts were recorded in the Orphan’s Court’s books when those overseeing the estate came into court. Often these entries only mention that the account was approved and name the amount of money to be distributed or debts to be paid.

Sometimes however, the record actually includes the names of those to whom any balance on the estate was paid out and exactly how much money they received. In the case of a testate, the amounts were determined by the last will and testament; in the case of an intestate, the amounts were determined by the inheritance laws. Usually this meant that the balance was divided into equal shares, after the widow’s third was deducted, with the eldest son receiving two shares and the other heirs receiving one share.

Land partition

When an intestate died owning land, the heirs petitioned the court for an inquest of partition. The court would appoint men to assess and value the property and determine whether or not it could be divided among the heirs without “prejudice to or spoiling the whole.”

In most cases, the land could not be divided, and thus the court would grant the land to the heir who accepted it at its valuation and agreed to pay the other heirs. In the event that none of the heirs took the land, the court often granted a writ of sale, allowing the administrators to sell the land.  The proceeds would then be distributed among the heirs.

If your ancestor left a will, but died owning land which had not been accounted for in the document, the process for determining who would get that property was the same as if there were no will. The heirs went into the Orphan’s Court and petitioned for an inquest of partition for that specific tract of land. Once the inquest and valuation were returned to the Court, it would either assign ownership or issue a writ of sale.

No named executor

In most cases, the will named those the decedent choose as executor to administer their estate. However, I have seen cases where no executor was named in the will. I have also seen cases where the will was not accepted by the Register of Wills. In those cases, the estate was treated as if the decedent died intestate and administrators were appointed, an administration bond issued, and letters granted to them even though there was a will.

Estate inventory

And finally, the estate inventory. In most counties the Register recorded the estate inventory in its own book. However, I have on occasion seen inventories recorded in Orphan’s Court books. While I believe that they are most often those of intestates, I can not vouch 100% that that is always the case.  It’s not a common occurrence, but if you’re looking anyway, you might get lucky.

So, there you have it. Five reasons why you might want to check out the Orphan’s Court records, even if your ancestor left a will.

Update: When Did George Hocker Jr. Die?

Kris Hocker on 4 Dec 2016

When Did George Hocker Jr. Die?

In my last post regarding George3 Hocker Jr.’s (Johann George2, Christopher1) date of death, I had to evaluate conflicting information to determine George’s approximate date of death. Based on that information I could only conclude that George died sometime prior to 16 October 1821, the alleged death date of his father.1

Now, based on his administration account, I know that George3 Hocker Jr. died prior to 3 October 1800. On that date, his widow Mary Hocker filed an admin. bond with Henry Scheetz, paper maker of Montgomery County,2 Jacob Snyder, grocer of Philadelphia, and Jacob Lentz, storekeeper of Germantown.3 She and Henry were named administrators of George’s estate; Jacob Snyder and Jacob Lentz were the sureties. An inventory of his estate was taken on 24 October 1800. It included accoutrements appropriate for an innkeeper, including: “5 pine tables & 2 benches,” “2 doz. Windsor chairs,” “3 tin coffee Potts & 1 Kettle,” “6 pewter Quart & 6 pewter pint mugs,” “2 China Bowles & 3 servers,” “1 Barr top,” “1 [hogshead] Cherry Rum,” and approximately 10 feather beds and bedsteads.4 On 14 June 1806, Mary Hocker and Henry Scheetz sold a lot in the Northern Liberties for $500.5

Putting this information together with the prior information, I can say that George3 Hocker Jr. died sometime between 1 June 17976 and 3 October 1800, at most a couple months before 3 October and most likely in September.

Jacob Snyder of Upper Hanover Township In Search of Henry Snyder's (1792-1860) Family

Kris Hocker on 28 Nov 2016

Jacob Snyder of Upper Hanover Township

Way back in October of 2015, I wrote a post about the search for Henry Schneider of Upper Hanover Township’s parents. Based on census research, I hypothesized that Henry was possibly the son of Jacob and Catharine (___) Snyder of Upper Hanover Township and may have had a brother named Jacob and sisters named Catharine and Elizabeth.

There were entries with a Jacob Snyder as the head of household in the 1800 through 1820 United States Federal Census enumerations. In 1830, Catharine Snyder was the head of the household, indicating that Jacob likely died sometime in between 1820 and 1830.

Searching the Orphan’s Court records for this period yielded the petition of Catharine Snyder and Henry Snyder, administrators of Jacob Snyder of Upper Hanover Township.1 According to the petition, Jacob died intestate and left children, as follows: Henry, Jacob, Elizabeth, Catharine, Samuel, Daniel, Michael, John, Sarah, and Jonas. The youngest, Sarah and Jonas, were yet minors. The record states that Jacob’s personal estate was not enough to pay his debts and the family wanted to sell his 85 acres of land. Peter Gery and Jacob Griessemer were the sureties for the bond.

The widow Catharine went to Court to petition for a guardian for her son Jonas on 16 November 1829.2 The Court appointed Michael Gery of Hereford Township, Berks County. Her daughter Sarah Snyder, who was over the age of 14, petitioned the Court to allow her to choose her guardian. She chose Conrad Brey and the Court approved him.

On 21 November 1829, Henry sold Jacob’s land to Michael Gery of Berks County for $30 per acre, totaling $2,550. Catharine and Henry presented their administration of the estate to the Court on 13 April 1831.3

Thus, in these records we not only have Jacob and Catharine Snyder, Henry’s possible parents, as members of one family, but also Jacob, Elizabeth, and Catharine, Henry’s possible siblings as named in the New Goshenhoppen Church register.4 In this one family, we find all the hypothesized connections found previously in other records.

There are also clues to other possible relatives in the bond sureties and guardians appointed for her two youngest children: Peter Gery, Jacob Griessemer, Conrad Brey and Michael Gery. When you consider that there was an Elizabeth Snyder the correct age to be Henry’s sister living in the Joseph Gery household in Upper Hanover Township in 1850,5 it is not unreasonable to conclude that there may have been a connection between this Schneider family and the Gery family of Hereford Township, Berks County. Especially, when Joseph Gery and his wife Anna sponsored a daughter of Daniel Schneider at New Goshenhoppen Church in 1834.6 It’s entirely possible that this Daniel was the son of Jacob and Catharine Snyder.

Furthermore, Gertraut Griesemer of Hereford Township married Jacob Gery and had children, including sons named Jacob, Peter and Michael.7 So, there is a connection between the Gery and Griesemer families, as well.

So, does this prove that Jacob and Catherine were Henry’s parents? I think it shows that it is a workable hypothesis, but I’d want more information before calling it “proof.” What I need to know now: Who exactly were Peter Gery, Michael Gery, Jacob Griesemer, and Conrad Brey? How were they related—if they were—to Jacob and/or Catharine? To have these men appear in these records, certainly raises a flag, indicating more research on them and their families is required. Any additional connections I find or don’t find between the families will help to prove or disprove the possibility of a familial relationship.

Part II: The Greulich Farm Connecting Five Generations with Deeds & Probate Records

Kris Hocker on 5 Oct 2015

Russ Greulich haying at farm

In my last post about the Greulich farm, I compared the metes and bounds from two documents—Henry Snyder’s 1830 mortgage and Henry D. Snyder’s 1899 deed—and determined that there was a significant overlap between the two. While searching for a photo to use for the post, I found additional deeds to examine.

Having now looked through these deeds, I’ve been able to put together a timeline for the property, as follows:

  1. Godfried Wissler wrote his last will and testament 3 April 1825 and it was proven on 21 October 1829.1 He wrote: “It is my will and I do order that my real estate shall be sold by my Executors on public sale…”
  2. On 2 April 1830, Jacob Stoyer, administrator of Godfried Wissler’s will sold Henry Snyder 62 acres 40 perches.2
  3. On 1 April 1857, Henry Snyder sold 59 acres 128 perches to his son Joseph Schneyder.3
  4. On 3 April 1861, Joseph Schneyder and his wife Judith sold this same tract to her first cousin Nathaniel Deischer of Hereford Township, Berks County.4 Henry Snyder’s mortgage on the original property was paid off on 3 April 1861, so it appears Joseph and Judith sold the land in order to pay the debt.5
  5. On 24 March 1866, Nathaniel Deischer and Lydia his wife sold the 59 acres 89 perches to John Rooks of Warren County, New Jersey.6
  6. On 20 February 1869, John Rook and his wife Cheretta sold 59 acres 89 perches to Addy Ziegler of Marlborough Township, Montgomery County.7
  7. On 8 April 1869, Henry Hartman and Caroline his wife sold 16 acres 128 perches to Addy Ziegler.8 This was formerly part of the land of Thomas Lynch.
  8. On 8 April 1875, Addy Ziegler and Elizabeth his wife sold 59 acres 89 perches and 16 acres 128 perches to Elias H. Hoch of Upper Hanover Township.9
  9. On 29 March 1877, Elias H. Hoch and his wife Lavinia sold 59 acres 84 perches (part of the two adjoining tract purchased from Ziegler) to Joseph Schneider of Upper Hanover Township.10
  10. Joseph Snyder wrote his last will and testament on 10 July 1894, which states “All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real, personal and mixed, whatever and wherever, I order and direct to be converted into money as soon as the same can conveniently be done after my decease.”11 He died 4 November 1895 and his will was proven on 7 December 1895.
  11. Joseph Snyder’s executors, Henry D. Snyder and Amandus Snyder, sold 55 acres and 84 perches (except 40 square perches) to their brother Mahlon Snyder on 1 April 1899.12
  12. On 1 July 1899, Mahlon Snyder sold 55 acres 84 perches (except 40 square perches) to Henry D. Snyder.13
  13. On 22 August 1928, Henry and Saraphine Snyder sold 55 acres 84 perches to their son-in-law and daughter, Elmer and Lillian Greulich.14

Thus, I can prove—thank you, Snyder and Greulich ancestors for holding onto all those deeds!—the land descended from Godfried Wissler to his son-in-law Henry Schneider to his son Joseph Schneider, then through other hands until most of it was bought back by Joseph Schneider in 1877, then eventually to his son Henry Deischer Snyder.

Can we go back further? Let’s find out.