Tracing the Children of Jacob Hoover

Jacob² Hoover (Andrew¹) and his wife Anna Maria (___) both died in German Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Jacob died sometime between 13 Aug 1798 when he sold 126 acres of land to John Lance and 8 Sep 1800 when his will was proved—most likely in late August or early September 1800. ^{1, 2} His will named his wife as his executor and the following beneficiaries: wife, Mary, sons and daughters, George Hoover, Elizabeth Simes [Shinn], Cathrine Shoemaker, Margaret Smith, Mary Choffin [Chafin], Magdalina Shoemaker, Rosanna Hoover, Barbra Bakert [Bacus], Rachail Hoover, Jemimah Hoover, Hanna Hoover. The witnesses were Abraham Stuart, James Wilson and Michael Cox.

Anna Maria (___) Hoover died sometime between 2 Dec 1808 and 20 Dec 1808. She named George and Joseph Hoover as her executors. Her beneficiaries were: son George, Jacob Hoover son of George; daughters: Hannah Hoover, Rachel Gray, Elizabeth Shines [Shinn], Catherine Shoemaker, Madelina Shoemaker, Margaret Smith, Mary Chafin, Barbary Barcus [Bacus], Rozannah Hoover, Jemima Bowman; granddaughter Milly Shines [Shinn], Elizabeth daughter of Hannah Hoover.³ The witnesses were George Vance and Samuel Gordon.

Based on these documents, Jacob and Anna Maria (___) Hoover had children:

1. Catharine³ Hoover married John Schumacher/Shoemaker.
2. George Hoover married Elizabeth Garrison.
3. Mary Magdalina Hoover married Johann Adam Schumacher/Shoemaker.
4. Elizabeth Hoover married George Shinn, perhaps the brother of Nicholas Shinn who owned property adjacent to her father’s.⁴
5. Margaret Hoover married Unknown Smith, likely Godfrey Smith of Redstone, Pennsylvania.
6. Mary Hoover married Unknown Chafin.
7. Rosanna Hoover
8. Barbara Hoover married Peter Baccus.
9. Hannah Hoover, baptized on 11 Sep 1783 at Jacob’s Lutheran and Reformed Church in German Township, married circa 1800 Joseph Hoover, perhaps the son of one of her uncles, John or Andrew Hoover Jr.⁵
10. Rachel Hoover married James Gray.
11. Jemima Hoover married Unknown Bowman.

So, what happened to these children?

Catharine (Hoover) Shoemaker

John Shoemaker is found in German Township, Fayette County in the 1790 U.S. Census.⁶ The household had 1 male (>16), 4 males (<16), and 1 female. John Shoemaker is also found in the township in 1800: 1 male (45+), 2 males (16-25), 2 males (10-15), 1 female (26-44), and 1 female (10-15).⁷ By 1810, John Shoemaker and family had moved to Breckinridge County, Kentucky.⁸

George Hoover

George Hoover is found in German Township, Fayette County in the 1790 U.S. Census.⁹ The household had 1 male (>16), 1 male (<16), and 1 female. He is no longer listed there in 1800. However, he is listed in tax lists for Ohio County by 10 Sep 1800.¹⁰ In 1810, George Hoover is found in Ohio Township, Ohio County, Kentucky.¹¹ The family had in the household: 1 male (45+), 2 males (16-25), 1 male (10-15), 2 males (<10), 1 female (26-44), 2 females (10-15), and 2 females (<10).

Mary Magdalina (Hoover) Shoemaker

Adam Shoemaker is found in the 1810 U.S. census for Ohio Township, Ohio County, Kentucky. ¹² The household contained 1 male (45+) and one female (45+).

Elizabeth (Hoover) Shinn

George Shinn and family are found in the 1800 U.S. census for Whiteley Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania. ¹³ The household included: 1 male (45+), 1 male (10-15), 1 female (16-25), 1 female (10-15). In 1810, the family was enumerated in Wayne Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania.¹⁴ In the household were 2 males (45+), 1 male (16-25), and 1 female (10-15). Elizabeth died prior to 6 Jan 1817, and may have likely died prior to the 1810 census enumeration.¹⁵

Margaret (Hoover) Smith

Godfrey Smith is found in German Township, Fayette County in the 1790 U.S. Census.¹⁶ The household had 1 male (>16), 1 male (<16), and 2 females. Godfrey’s daughter Emily “Milly” married Jacob Bacus, son of Peter Bacus, on 27 Jan 1816 in Scioto County, Ohio.¹⁷ By 1819, Godfrey was living in Greenup County, Kentucky.¹⁸ They are found in this county in the 1820 U.S. census enumeration.¹⁹ The household included: 1 male (45+), 1 male (16-26), 1 male (16-18), 1 male (10-16), 1 female (45+), 1 female (16-26), 1 female (10-16), 1 female (<10). The family is still in Greenup County in 1830.²⁰

Barbara (Hoover) Baccus

Peter Bacus and family were in Green Township, Scioto County, Ohio by 1820 and may have been there even earlier.²¹ The family included: 1 male (45+), 1 male (16-26), 3 males (<10), 1 female (45+), and 2 females (10-16). The family is still there in 1830: 1 male (60-70), 1 male (15-20), 2 males (10-15), 1 female (60-70), and 1 female (20-30).²²

Hannah (Hoover) Hoover

Joseph Hoover is found in German Township, Fayette County in the 1800 U.S. census.²³ The household consisted of 1 male (16-25) and 1 female (16-25). The family is also there in 1810.²⁴ The household consisted of: 1 male (26-44), 1 male (10-15), 1 male (<5), 1 female (16-25), 1 female (10-15), and 1 female (<5). Joseph Hoover is listed in township tax records from 1800 through 1816 when he and wife Hannah sold the 75 acres they inherited from Mary Hoover to Hugh Gilmore.²⁵

Rachel (Hoover) Gray

In 1808, James Gray was living in German Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania on a portion of the Hoover’s property. Mary Hoover gave this part of the property to her daughter Rachel in her will.²⁶ I did not find James Gray in the Fayette County census records. However, there is a James Gray living adjacent Godfrey and Jacob Smith in Greenup County, Kentucky in 1820.²⁷ The household includes: 1 male (26-45), 1 male (16-26), 4 males (<10), 1 female (45+), 1 female (16-26), and 2 females (<10). This could be the James and Rachel (Hoover) Gray family.

I have no information on Mary (Hoover) Chaffin, Rosanna Hoover, or Jemima (Hoover) Bowman. Do you have any information on any of these families you’d like to share? If so, please let a comment or drop me a line.

• Category: Research
• Tag: Hoover Surname Study, Moving On