A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy
the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker
You can learn interesting things about your ancestors in the most unexpected places. Take this entry from a 1779 Hereford Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania tax assessment.
The third line refers to Daniel Bobb, my 5x great grandfather: “Danl Bob a Miller drinks too much.” Then there’s the next line about John Bower who apparently has a young hooligan for a son.
Tax records can include the darndest things.
Based on my genetic genealogy research and the paper trail I’ve built for Jacob & Catharine (___) Schneider, I’m fairly certain that they are the parents of my 4x great grandfather Henry Schneider. I’m also pretty certain that Catharina’s parents were Conrad and Anna Margaretha (Roeder) Nuss. But that hasn’t stopped the search for additional evidence. After all, I would like to know who Jacob’s parents were.
I was combing through Montgomery County tax records for other research when I decided to look for Jacob and Henry in the records. Tax records may not provide a lot of genealogical information, but they can give you residency for a person between census years.
They can also be matched up with other records for verification or provide information when those other records are lacking. For instance, many times our ancestors did not record deeds with the county recorder. It wasn’t required and it cost money. Having a deed for yourself was enough to prove ownership, so that’s all they did. Tax records can fill in that evidentiary hole when you don’t have the deed. They can tell you if your ancestor owned land, when they owned it, how much they owned, and what it was worth.
In Jacob’s case, I have a deed, but it’s the years before his purchase I want to know more about. He first appeared in Upper Hanover Township tax records in 17911 as a single man.2 He continuously appears in the available records, taxed on his occupation and 1 or 2 cows (his only property), through 1804 when his name was crossed out.3 At that point, I know he’s still alive, so he must have moved out of the township.
In 1810, he reappeared in Upper Hanover, taxed on 85 acres of land, 1 horse, 2 cows, and a dog.4 His occupation was listed as a saddler. Records show him in the township through 1829 when an entry consistent with prior records is attributed to “Jacob and Samuel.”5 This is consistent with the deed record which shows he purchased 85 acres from Henry Roeder on 2 April 1810.6 Jacob died sometime before 24 October 1829.7 His administrators, Henry and Catharine Schneider, reported to the Orphans Court during the January 1830 session that they sold Jacob’s land to Michael Gery and, indeed, Michael Gery was taxed on 85 acres in that year.8
So, Jacob Schneider worked as a saddler, even after he purchased his land in 1810. In order to learn this trade, he likely apprenticed as a young man with a saddler. Do you know who was also listed as a saddler in tax records?
His presumed father-in-law Conrad Nuss!
I found both Conrad and his brother Jacob listed in various tax records in Upper Hanover from 17749 through 1793.10 Curious about the years Jacob was missing from Upper Hanover, I checked Hereford Township records in Berks County where Conrad wrote his last will & testament in 1808. I found Jacob Snyder (“sadler”) in Hereford from 1805 through 1809 and Conrad from 1806 through 1808.11 It doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to argue that Jacob learned the saddler’s trade from one (or both) of the Nuss brothers and married Conrad’s daughter.
My 4x great grandfather Henry Schneider was taxed in Upper Hanover, too. He first appears in the records at age 25, taxed as a single man in 1817.12 He was taxed on his occupation—cordweiner, aka shoemaker—and his property—one or two cows—until he purchased land from his father-in-law’s estate in 1830.13 Henry’s mother and siblings show up in the records, too:
Only Sarah and Jonas do not appear in the tax record, perhaps because they were too young for the records I looked at or they moved out of the township while still minors.
It seems to me that these records support the hypothesis that Henry was the son of Jacob and Catharine. The overlap in the tax record—at a time when there doesn’t appear to be another Snyder family living in the township—between Jacob and persons with the names of his children, each appearing shortly after they would have presumably come of age, is consistent with a familial relationship.
Several of these individuals also had money “at interest” according to the records in the early 1830s. This is consistent with payouts from an estate settlement. Henry and Catharine submitted their administration account of Jacob’s estate on 13 April 1831.22 There was a balance $1,232.21 to pay the heirs. Catharine would have received a third—$410, and the ten children would have divided the remaining $822.
The records also support my hypothesis that the Samuel Snyder who married Judith Ann Wolf, daughter of my 4x great grandparents Jacob and Magdalena (Brey) Wolfe, was the son of Jacob and Catharine (Nuss) Schneider. These tax records place Jacob’s son Samuel in the same location as the Wolfe family both directly before and after the marriage to Judith Wolf. They also note that he was a single man through 1831, but not after 1832, just about the time Samuel and Judith likely married.23
All in all, these tax records improve my understanding of Jacob Schneider’s life and family and add evidence to the argument that he and Catharine are my 5x great grandparents and the descendant of Samuel and Judith (Wolf) Snyder, their descendants, too.
Census records are an invaluable source of information for family historians and genealogists. They are a go-to, record-of-choice for me when I start new research. However, they only occur every ten years. That leaves a lot of time uncovered. Even if you’re lucky and your research location includes state census records, there are still going to holes that need to be filled somehow.
Enter tax records. Everyone hates that tax man—our ancestors, too, I’m sure—but tax records can help to fill in the gaps between census enumerations.
Take for instance, the example of my Hocker relatives in Cocalico Township. The census records for Cocalico Township for 1800 through 1820 include the following Hockers:
The tax lists from Cocalico Township fill in the years between the census and provide glimpses of additional Hocker men. The Hockers listed in the township include:
Do these records refer to the same man? Probably not. First, there’s the separation of 10 years between the appearances. Secondly, the first Jacob was a married land owner—the records indicate he owned 100 ares, while the second was an unmarried man.
Correlating these records with others—church records (birth, baptism, confirmation, communion, marriage and death), estate files and wills, deeds, etc.—will flesh out the story even more. Putting it all together, I can conclude that Frederick and George were probably brothers—sons of Johan Adam Hacker. Their youngest brother Jacob purchased about 100 acres in 1803, then sold it to Frederick in the spring of 1806. Jacob and his wife Elizabeth likely moved across the river to York County around this time.
Frederick’s eldest son John came of age about 1802 and likely married by 1804. He appears in tax records starting in 1805. His next oldest son George appears in the 1810 tax record, but I don’t know if it’s him or his uncle in the 1810 census. Without the tax record, I wouldn’t have even known there were two men named George in Cocalico Township in 1810—and may have attributed children to one or the other that didn’t belong to them.
Frederick Hacker died in 1812. John refused his father’s property. His younger brother George accepted it, but didn’t—or was unable to—keep it. George sold the property in 1813. Meanwhile, their younger brother Jacob, who’d come of age in 1812, was listed in the 1813 tax list as a freeman.
Uncle George, who disappears from the tax record about this time, too, starts appearing in Church records in Schaefferstown (just to the north) by 1815 and is included in the 1820 census for Lebanon Township.
Tax records can help to fill in the holes and provide clues on where and when to look for other documents. A change from being listed as freeman to not might tell you when a man got married. An appearance in the tax list might also tell you when and where to look for deed records. Tax records won’t tell you everything you want to know, but they can help you build the story and verify that you’ve got the right person in other records.
Have you found your ancestors in tax records? What did you learn about them?
* Inmate and freeman are terms used in Pennsylvania tax records. An inmate is not a prisoner or someone locked up. In this case, it is a married man who owns no land. A freeman is a single man. You’ll sometimes see “single man” as a heading in the records, too. All men in the tax records are at least 21 years of age.
After Johan “Hans” Adam Hacker died circa 1782 and the settling of his estate, several of his sons—Johannes, Christopher, Johan Adam Jr., Martin, and perhaps for a time, Johan George—left Lancaster County and came to Harrisburg. The earliest record of them in the city is a mention of the Adam Hocker tavern in the 1787 tax records.
The brothers engaged in business with each other—Adam and Christopher likely operating the tavern together as they were taxed together in 1791 and 1793.1 John and Martin purchased land together in Lower Paxton Township in 1796.2
By 1796, John had moved to East Pennsborough Township, Cumberland County. He and his wife Catharina Scholl purchased 50 acres of land there on 13 Jun 1796.3 They sold one of their lots in Harrisburg purchased also in 1796.4
In May 1801, John and Catharine sold the 50 acres they’d purchased from Andrew Lee.5 By 10 Feb 1802, John Hocker was dead.6 He was 44 years old.
John died intestate—without a will. Here are transcriptions for the settling of his estate.
John Hocker, deceased~
Be it Remembered that on the 10th day of February A.D. 1802 Letters of Administration Issued in Common Form to Jacob Miller of East Pennsborough and George Coover of Allen Township, all and singular the Goods and Chattles rights and credits which were which were of John Hocker deceased. Inventory and Accounts to be Exhibited into the Registers Office in the Borough of Carlisle in time appointed by Law~
Witness my hand George Kline, Register7
Came into Court Jacob Miller and George Coover Administrators of the Estate of John Hocker late of East Pennsbro [sic] Township deceased and passed a petition to the Court setting forth that the personal estate of the said deceased amounting to the sum of five hundred and eighty two pounds nineteen shillings and six pence hath been sold be the petitioners That by the terms of the sale the money was not yet due or payable That there had come to the knowledge of the petitioners debts due by the Intestate to the amount of three thousand two hundred and thirty four pounds and upwards There was no fund in the hands of the petitioners from which the said debts could be paid or the minor children supported other than the amount arising from the sale of the personal estate above stated That the intestate died seized of a plantation containing one hundred and eighty one and one half acres situate in East Pennsbro [sic] & Allen Townships The petitioners therefore prayed the Court to make an order that they might sell the whole of the said tract of Land or such part of it as the Court may think necessary for raising a fund to pay the Debts of Intestate and to support the three minor children of the said deceased.
Whereupon it is considered by the Court and ordered that the said Jacob Miller and George Cover Administrators aforesaid make public sale of the tract of land aforesaid on Tuesday the fifth day of October next between the hours of twelve [ink spot] and four o’Clock in the afternoon of that day on the premises and by six written notices to be made our on good paper and delivered to the Sheriff or Constable to be fixed up in the most public places of the County at least ten days before the day of the said sale and that the said Administrators make return of their proceedings to the next stated Orphans Court.
~ By the Court8
Came into Court Jacob Miller and George Koover administrators of all singular the goods & chattles [sic] rights & credits of John Hocker deceased & produced an account of the Administration The Court upon consideration having adjusted & passed the same find a balance of nine hundred & fifty six pounds and eight pence in the hands of the administrators subject to distribution according to law see page 186.
~By the Court9
Came into Court Jacob Miller and George Koover Administrators of all and singular the goods and chattles [sic] rights and credits which were of John Hocker late of the township of East Pennsborough township deceased and produced as supplemental Administration account of the Estate of the said deceased The Court having adjusted and passed the same find a balance of one hundred and ninety two pounds and four shillings in the hands of the Administrators subject to distribution according to Law.
~By the Court10
Came to the Court Mary Hocker minor above the age of fourteen years Orphan daughter of John Hocker deceased and prayed to the Court to appoint Christopher Eigelberger Guardian over her person and estate. The Court upon consideration appoint the said Christopher Eigleberger Guardian over the person and estate of the said Mary Hocker minor Orphan Daughter of the said John Hocker deceased during her minority or until another Guardian or Guardians be appointed in his Room
~By the Court
Came to the Court Catharine Hocker mother & next friend of Elizabeth Hocker and Sally Hocker minors under the age of fourteen years Orphan Children of John Hocker deceased and prayed the Court appoint a proper person Guardian over the persons and estates of the said Elizabeth Hocker and Sally Hocker minor Orphan Children of the said John Hocker deceased. Whereupon the Court appointed John Rupley Guardian over the persons & estates of the said minors during their minority or until another Guardian or Guardians be appointed in his Room
~By the Court11
Johannes and Eva Catharina (Scholl) Hocker had three daughters:
Adam, Stophel and John Hocker, 1792 Harrisburg Tax Valuations
The Oakland County Historical Society has announced that they’ve digitized and indexed tax assessment records for 1884, 1890 and 1894 for Brandon Township, Oakland County, Michigan. The announcement states:
“The Oakland County Genealogical Society (OCGS) has digitized the 1884, 1890, and 1894 tax assessment rolls for Brandon Township, Oakland County Michigan. Volunteers created an index of the names in the records, and the index is available on the Society’s website at http://www.ocgsmi.org. The index and images are also available at the Oakland County Historical Resources website at http://www.OaklandCountyHistory.org. The digitization was funded from the Society’s Ruth S. Kennedy Oakland County Records Preservation Fund.
The release of the databases marks the beginning of the Society’s 1890 Census Substitute Project, which focuses on locating and digitizing Oakland County records created between 1884 and 1894. The 1884 and 1894 State of Michigan Census for Oakland County and the Federal Census for 1890 for Michigan no longer exist, so replacement data is very useful to genealogical researchers.
The OCGS Board of Directors has allocated an additional $3,000 from the Kennedy Fund to continue the 1890 Census Substitute Project. Custodians of Oakland County records which are suitable for inclusion in the project are encouraged to contact the project director, Pamela Epple, at 1890sub[at]ocgsmi.org. Donations to the Kennedy Fund are appreciated, and may be made with a check to OCGS at the Society address.
Founded in 1977, the Oakland County Genealogical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to locating, publishing and safeguarding public and private genealogical records; and to encouraging and instructing in the science of genealogical research and compilation through workshops, sharing, and other educational means. Donations, gifts and legacies are tax deductible. OCGS meets at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Troy, Michigan, a meeting schedule and more information are available on the Society website at http://www.ocgsmi.org. The Society is a charter member of Oakland County Historical Resources.
OaklandCountyHistory.org is the work of Oakland County Historical Resources (OCHR), a 501(c)(3) consortium of libraries, genealogical and historical societies, which seeks historical materials pertaining to Oakland County, Michigan to make them searchable and accessible to the public. OCGS is a member. OCHR offers affordable membership options to organizations dedicated to preserving Oakland County history. Please contact Linda Sickles, director of the Orion Township Public Library for membership information, (248) 693-3000.”