John Niesley and Christian France Administrators of all and singular Goods and Chattles Rights and Credits which were of Michael France late of Paxton Township deceased appeared in Court and produced their account upon the administration of the Estate of the said deceased duly passed before the Register from which there appears to be a balance in their hands of three hundred and seventy five pounds eleven shillings and eleven pence which account upon examination the Court do approve and allow and direct that the said balance after deducting thirteen shillings and two pence the expence of this Court be distributed according to Law

The Court appoint Christian France of Manheim Township in the County of Lancaster Guardian of the person and estate of Mary France a minor daughter under the age of fourteen years of Michael France late of Lower Paxton Township deceased during her minority.

Elizabeth France a minor daughter above the age of fourteen years of Michael France late of Lower Paxton Township deceased comes into Court and chooses Christian France of Manheim Township in the County of Lancaster Guardian of her Estate during her minority and the Court approve of and appoint the said Christian France her Guardian accordingly.

The Court appoint Jacob France of Manor Township in the County of Lancaster Guardian of the persons and estates of John France, Michael France and Veronica France minor children under the age of fourteen of Michael France late of Lower Paxton Township decease during their respective minorities^[3]

I find it quite probable that Christian and Jacob Frantz—guardians of his children—were relatives, perhaps brothers, of Michael Frantz. John Nissley was likely related to Michael’s wife Feronica “Franny” (Nissley) Frantz.^[4]

Michael and Feronica (Nissley) Frantz had children:

1. Elizabeth Frantz, born before 17 October 1783 (over 14 on 17 October 1797), who married Rev. John Mumma.
2. Mary Frantz, born after 17 October 1783 (under 14 on 17 October 1797), who married Jacob Snavely.
3. John Frantz, born after 17 October 1783, who died before 1807.
4. Michael Frantz, born 22 May 1789, who married twice—first to Elizabeth Neidig, daughter of John and Mary (Bear) Neidig, and second to  Elizabeth Walters, daughter of Jacob and Anna (Stauffer) Walters, and died 5 Jun 1866.
5. Veronica Frantz, born after 17 October 1783 and died before 19 May 1810.

Michael Frantz Jr. was the father of Anna Frantz, my 3x great grandmother and wife of Levi Hocker, who died mysteriously in 1876.

John Hoover 1752 Conestoga twp land patent

In my last post, “From Deed to Land Warrant and Back Again,” I found that John Huber had patented 25 acres in Conestoga in right of Michael Hess and surveyed a 110-acre tract that he had purchased from Jacob Eshleman. My next step was to determine what happened to this tract. Did John sell it or perhaps leave it to his heirs?

I was unable to locate a deed of sale from John Hoover. However, I found two deeds documenting the later sale of these tracts. One deed was from Leonard May for a mortgage on the property from Joseph Cauffman.^[1] May had purchased the land from Daniel Keeports of Lampeter Township in 1765. The second was from Daniel Keenports, selling the land to David Hess.^[2] Leonard May and his wife Christina had sold the land back to Keeports/Keenports on 23 August 1768.

Jacob Eshleman Conestoga Twp tract

While there is no explicit mention of John Hoover in these documents, the description of the properties is a match to those previously owned by John Hoover. He had apparently either sold the tracts to Daniel Keeports—or someone who then sold it to Daniel Keeports—sometime before 10 January 1765 when Keeports sold it to Leonard May.

John—presumably this one—had inherited his father’s land up the Pequea in Conestoga Township in 1757.^[3] He, then, sold this property on 10 Oct 1767 to Melchoir and Anna (Good) Brenneman.^[4] It is believed he left the county soon after.

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

John Hoover’s Timber Hill tract in Manheim Township

John Hoover had 140 acres known as “Timber Hill” in Manheim township surveyed on 10 May 1768.^[3] This land was adjacent other lands of Andrew Hershey, Jacob Bollinger, Thomas Wilson and Mark Furney. Ownership of this land must have been contested at one point, because there were multiple surveys, including several in the name of Jacob Gotshalk.

Jacob Gotshalk had applied for a patent on this land in 1767, but apparently never lived on it according to several later surveys.^[4] In any case, John Hoover purchased the rights to the land from Gotshalk in 1771 for £35.^[5] In this deed John Hoover was of Hempfield Township, Lancaster County. John Hoover, Miller, of Hempfield and his wife Ann sold this tract and another that they’d inherited from her father Andrew Hershey to Jacob Burkhard in 1775.^[6]

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

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

From these records, I would conclude that John Hoover (Ulrich¹) was not the man who patented Timber Hill. Instead, it appears to me that John Huber of Hempfield Township was. This John Hoover was most likely the son of Christian Hoover of Hempfield Township who died prior to 27 November 1757. John lived his entire life in Hempfield Township. He wrote his will on 30 August 1798 and it was probated in Lancaster County on 17 September 1803.^[10]

1830 Mortgage of Henry Snyder

Among my grandfather’s papers, I found the original document of a mortgage between Henry Snyder and George Hillegas for 62 acres 40 perches in Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The document was dated 17 Aug 1830! Here’s what it says:

“This Indenture made the third day of April in the year of our LORD One Thousand Eight Hundred and thirty Between Henry Snyder of Upper Hanover township in the County of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania Cordwainer ~ of the first part, and George Hillegas Seneor [sic] of the same township county and state~ aforesaid Storekeeper ~ of the second part.

Whereas, the said party of the first part, in and by A certain obligation or writing obligatory bearing the date herewith, standeth bound unto the party of the second part, in the sum of fourteen hundred Dollars Lawful Money of Pennsylvania conditioned for the payment of the sum of seven hundred Dollars of lawful Gold of Silver Money current in the State of Pennsylvania, on the first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty one, with the Lawful Interest for the same, as in and by the said Recited Obligation, and Condition thereof ~

as by the said obligation and the condition thereto, will fully appear: Now this Indenture witnesseth, that the said party of the first part, for and in consideration of the aforesaid obligation, and of the debt therein mentioned, and for the better securing the payment of the same at the times and in the manner in the said obligation specified, and for further consideration of one Dollar him in hand paid by the party of the second part, at and before the sealing and delivery of those presents, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, HATH granted, bargained, sold, released, and confirmed, and by these presents, DOTH, grant, bargain, sell, release and confirm unto the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, all that certain Messuage tenement and tract of land situate in Upper Hanover township in the County of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania Beginning at a stone a corner of George Hillegas land by the same North thirty five degrees west one hundred fourteen perches and seven tenth of a perch to a stone a corner of the Reformed Congregation land by the same north forty one and one half degrees East forty perches six tenth of a perch to a stone a corner in said line of Jacob [?]oyers land, by the same south forty five degrees East twenty one perches and three tenth of a perch to a stone by the same North twenty seven degrees East nineteen perches to a stone by the same South fifty one degrees East seventeen perches and seven tenth of a perch to a stone by the same South thirty eight degrees West thirteen perches and [one?] tenth of a perch to a stone [?] the same South forty two degrees East twenty two perches to a stone by the same north forty eight and one half degrees East forty two perches to a stone in a line of Henry [?] land by the same South forty one & one half East twenty five perches and nine tenth of a perch to a stone by the same North fifty four degrees fifty minutes East eighty three perches and seven tenth of a perch to a stone by the same South forty seven degrees East eight perches to a line of James Ashmead land by the same South forty two and one quarter degrees west one hundred eighty eight perches and seven tenth to the place of Beginning Containing sixty two Acres forty perches of land (It being the same which Jacob Stoyer[?] Administrator to the will annexed of Godfreyd Wissler yeoman deceased by his Indenture dated the day previous the date hereof duly Acknowledged have granted and Confirmed unto the said Henry Snyder (party hereto) to hold the same to him his heirs and Assigns in fee as in and by said Recited Indenture, intended to be Recorded, Relation being thereunto had appears)

Together with all and singular the hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging, and the remainders and reversions, rents, issues and the profits thereof; and all the estate, right, title and interest of him the said party of the first part, his heirs and assigns, of, in and to the same: To have and to hold the premises hereby granted, with the appurtenances, unto the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns; to the use of the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns forever. Provided always nevertheless, that if the said party of the first part, his heirs, executors or administrators, do and shall pay or cause to be paid to the said party of the second part, his executors, administrators or assigns, the aforesaid debt or sum of money in the said obligation and condition mentioned, at the times and in the manner therein specified and provided, then and thenceforth as well this Indenture as the estate hereby granted, shall determine and become void, any thing herein before contained to the contrary notwithstanding. In Witness whereof the said parties to these presents have hereunto interchangeably set their hands and seals the day and year first above written.

Henry Snyder (seal)

Sealed and delivered in the presence of
[written in German, can't read]
Jacob Gerhard

Montgomery County Ss

On the third day of April Anno Domini 1830 before me Jacob Gerhard Esquire one of the Justices of the peace in and for said County personally appeared Henry Snyder the grantor above named and acknowledged the foregoing Indenture to be his act and deed. Witness my hand and seal the day and year just above written.

Jacob Gerhard (seal)

I haven’t done much primary research into this family, but I can’t imagine this document being saved and passed down unless either Henry Snyder was a relative or the document pertained to the farm of my great-great grandfather Henry D. Snyder. Additional research is needed to determine the truth of either hypothesis.

This lists Huber/Hoover grantors from 1729-1893 with first names starting with R through W. The list has been sorted by first name, surname, then by book. The date is the date the deed (release, etc.) was written. In some cases, they were recorded many years later.

Also available: Part I (A—D), Part II (E—H), Part III (I—L), and Part IV (M—P).

This list Huber/Hoover grantors from 1729-1893 with first names starting with M through P. The list has been sorted by first name, surname, then by book. The date is the date the deed (release, etc.) was written. In many cases, they were recorded many years later.

Also available: Part I (A—D), Part II (E—H), and Part III (I—L).

This list covers Huber/Hoover grantors from 1729-1893 with first names starting with I through L. The list has been sorted by first name, surname, then by book. The date is the date the deed (release, etc.) was written. In some cases, they were recorded many years later.

Also available: Part I (A—D) and Part II (E—H).

This list covers Huber/Hoover grantors from 1729-1893 with first names starting with E through H. The list has been sorted by first name, surname, then by book. The date is the date the deed (release, etc.) was written. In some cases, they were recorded many years later.

Also available: Part I (A—D).

I’ve ended up collecting information on many others as well. So, I thought I’d share it in hopes that it helps another Huber/Hoover family research. Since I recently discovered that you can view Lancaster County 1729-1981 deeds online, I’ll start with the Huber/Hoover grantor index that I put together from some index book photos that I also recently discovered online. This will be a multi-post collection, so make sure you view them all!

This list covers Huber/Hoover grantors from 1729-1893 with first names starting with the letters A through D. The list has been sorted by first name, surname, then by book. The date is the date the deed (release, etc.) was written. In many cases, they were recorded many years later.