Elizabeth (Buchanan) Bonnington?

My ancestress Elizabeth Buchanan married Peter Purvis Bonnington on 17 Jun 1864 at Bloomyhall, Junipergreen, in the parish of Colinton, Edinburgh.^[1]  According to this document, her parents were James Buchanan, a miner, and Sarah (Craig) Buchanan, deceased. Elizabeth died 13 May 1928 in Crown Terrace, in the parish of Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland, and her death record names her parents as James Buchanan, coal miner, and Elizabeth (Craig) Buchanan.^[2] Her son Peter was the informant for the document.  I’ve not been able to locate a birth record for Elizabeth (Buchanan) Bonnington, quite possibly because I’m not sure where she was born. (Please see notes.)

The only record I’ve been able to find that includes the entire Buchanan family is the 1851 Scottish census. The census enumeration for Cambusnethan parish, Lanarkshire includes the following:^[3]

• James Buchanan, head, age 39, coal miner, born Ireland
• Saly Craig Buchanan, wife, age 41, born Ireland
• Elizabeth Buchanan, dau, age 6, born Ireland
• Sarah Buchanan, dau, age 4, born Ireland
• Mary Buchanan, mother, widow, age 56, born Ireland

This image from the next page of the census records shows these members of the household:

• Robert Collins, lodger, age 20, coal miner, born Wigton, Old House
• Alexander Buchanan, lodger, age 22, coal miner, born Ireland
• John Hilly, lodger, age 17, coal miner, born Ireland

Of note from this census entry is the fact that all the Buchanans listed are born in Ireland. Also, James Buchanan’s mother was named Mary, and there’s also an Alexander Buchanan living in the household. Is he related to James and Mary? Perhaps a brother to James? It’s not possible to know for sure from this census entry alone.

I believe I found the Buchanans in the 1861 census in the village of Polkemmet, Bathgate parish, Linlithgow, Scotland. If so, James’ family was reduced to just himself and his daughter Sarah. They were enumerated in James Smart’s household, as follows:^[4]

• James Buchanan, lodger, widowed, 37, coal miner, born Ireland
• Sarah Buchanan, dau, 14, born Ireland

Although it’s troubling to me that James’ is somehow 2 years younger than he was 10 years earlier, all the other details match. He’s a coal miner, born in Ireland with a daughter named Sarah, whose age and birthplace match those of the 1851 family. Elizabeth was apparently living with a family in Edinburgh and working as a dairymaid.^[5]

Sarah (Craig) Buchanan apparently died sometime between 1851 and 1861. Her daughter Elizabeth’s marriage record reports Sarah as deceased by 1864^[6], so again this census record is a possible match to known information. I haven’t yet been able to find a death record for Sarah so I haven’t been able to find her actual date of death. It’s also possible that Mary Buchanan, James’ mother, died during this period as well.

Alexander Buchanan—the Brother?

The Alexander Buchanan found in James’ household in 1851 was quite likely enumerated in Chapelhall, Bothwell parish, Lanark, Scotland in 1861. His family was enumerated living on Bigger Road as follows:^[7]

• Alexander Bouchanan, head, married, age 31, Ironstone miner, born Ireland
• Elizabeth Bouchanan, wife, married, age 28, born Ireland
• Sarah Bouchanan, dau, age 8, born Neilston, Renfrew
• Mary Bouchanan, dau, age 6, born Bothwell, Lanark
• Cathrine Bouchanan, dau, age 4, born Bothwell, Lanark
• Elisabeth Bouchanan, dau, age 2, born Bothwell, Lanark
• John Bouchanan, son, age under 1 mo, born Bothwell, Lanark

A search for these children in the FamilySearch.org  Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564—1950 database revealed that Alexander Buchanan and Elizabeth Kelly had children: Mary (b. 1855), Catharine (b. 1857), Elizabeth (b. 1859) and William (b. 1865)—a match for three of the five children in the census record.

Bothwell parish records showed that Alexander Buchanan married Elizabeth Kelly of Neilston parish on 18 Apr 1852.^[8] They were of Neilston parish when “Alexander Buchanan and Elizabeth Kelly spouses Neilston had their first child being a daughter born on the 21st of February and baptized on the 13th of March named Sarah Craig.”^[9] This, too, matches the census record.

Sometime between 1853 and 1855, Alex and Elizabeth must have moved their family back to Bothwell parish. According to the census enumeration the younger children—Mary, Catharine, Elizabeth, and John—were all born in Bothwell parish between 1855 and 1861. Later census records include more information for birthplace, including:^[10] Chapelhall (Mary), Mossend (Catharine), Coatbridge (Elizabeth), Chapelhall (John), Longlee (Robert), William (Cuilhill).

Alexander was injured in a mining accident at Heathery Knowe Number 2 (Heathery Knowe Mining Company) in Cuilhill on 11 March 1867. He died 3 hours later from his injuries.^[11] His death record lists his wife as Elizabeth Kelly. Alexander’s parents were listed as John Buchanan (farmer, deceased) and Mary Buchanan, maiden surname Irvine (deceased). The informant for the record—James Buchanan, brother.

Conclusions

So, were James and Alexander brothers? There are several facts that support that conclusion:

1. Alexander Buchanan was living with James Buchanan’s family and mother Mary in 1851.
2. Alexander Buchanan named his eldest daughter Sarah Craig—after his brother’s wife? Maybe.
3. James Buchanan was the informant for Alexander Buchanan’s 1867 death record. The record says that James was Alexander’s brother.
4. John and Mary (Irvine) Buchanan are listed as Alexander’s parents in his 1867 death record. John and Mary (Erwin/Irvine) Buchanan are also listed as James’ parents in his 1863 marriage to Margaret Tatlock and his 1888 death record.
5. John (b. ca 1861, Bothwell), Robert (b. ca 1863/4, Longlee) and William (b. ca 1865/66, Old Monkland) Buchanan are living with James and Margaret Buchanan in Shotts, Lanark in 1881.^[12] They match in name, birth date and birthplace the sons of Alexander Buchanan and are identified as James’ nephews in the census enumeration.
6. Elizabeth (Buchanan) Bonnington named her third son Alexander. Her first son was named William James—presumably after Peter’s father William and her father James. Her second son was named Peter, presumably after her husband. Her fourth and fifth sons were named Robert, presumably after her husband’s brother or uncle. And her last son was named Craig, presumably in honor of her mother Sarah (Craig) Buchanan who died before Elizabeth turned 16.

Additionally, one of the various birthplaces listed for Elizabeth (Buchanan) Bonnington in the records is Neilston, Renfrewshire—Elizabeth Kelly’s “home” parish and where Alexander’s first child—Sarah Craig Buchanan—was born and baptized.

I may have even answered the question of whether the James Buchanan who married Margaret Tatlock was the father of Elizabeth. The main impediment to establishing a connection has been James Buchanan’s age as reported in the records. Here are the ages listed in documents pertaining to “James Buchanan:”

• Age 39 (b. ca 1812, Ireland) in the 1851 census^[13]
• Age 37 (b. ca 1824, Ireland) in the 1861 census^[14]
• Age 39 (b. ca 1824, Ireland) in his 1863 marriage record^[15]
• Age 57 (b. ca 1814, Ireland) in the 1871 census^[16]
• Age 36 (b. ca 1845, Ireland) in the 1881 census^[17]
• Age 66 (b. ca 1822, Ireland) in his 1888 death record^[18]

The 1881 census—a transcription—is so different from the other ages that I can only conclude it was a transcription error or an enumeration error especially when compared to the age on his death record just seven years later. The age differences place his birth around either 1812/14 or 1822/24. Ten years is not a minor difference and seems to indicate that these records are for different men.

However, there are enough consistencies and connections—particularly if you conclude that Alexander was his brother—to make a case that they are, in fact, the same man. The records consistently name his occupation as a coal or ironstone miner and his birthplace as Ireland.

Alexander was living with James and Sarah (Craig) Buchanan in 1851. Alexander’s sons were living with their uncle James and his wife Margaret in 1881. Alexander and James (d. 1888) have the same parents—John and Mary (Erwin/Irvine) Buchanan. Furthermore, when James married Margaret Tatlock in 1863, his marriage record notes that he was a widower. Sarah (Craig) Buchanan died prior to 1864 and most likely prior to 1861—quite possibly before 1853 when Alexander’s daughter Sarah Craig was born.

In 1871 and 1881, James and family were apparently living in Coltness Iron Company housing. Coltness also had colleries in Bathgate, so it’s possible he was also working for them in 1861 and 1863 when records show him in Bathgate.^[19]

So, for now, I’ll have to say the evidence is not conclusive. It’s certainly suggestive, but there’s no smoking gun. For research purposes, I plan to keep it as a working assumption. But more work is needed to build a stronger case.

Based on this information do you think James and Alexander are siblings? Do you think that Elizabeth’s father James married both Sarah Craig and Margaret Tatlock or were there two James Buchanans? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Notes:

According to various records, Elizabeth (Buchanan) Bonnington was born in:

• Ireland^[3]
• Shotts, Lanark, Scotland^[21]
• Neilston, Renfrew, Scotland^[22]
• Chapelhall, Lanark, Scotland^[23]
• Chapelhall, Lanark, Scotland^[24]
• Monkland, Lanark, Scotland^[25]

Most of the enumerations place her birthplace in the same general area between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The odd ball locations are Neilston, Renfrewshire (1871) and Ireland (1851). But even these locations provide clues to Elizabeth’s relatives—Neilston to Alexander Buchanan, and Ireland to her parents, sister and presumed uncle Alexander and his wife Elizabeth Kelly.

PA State Archives Land Records

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.”
3. 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.
4. 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.

1. 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.
2. The pages for each register are listed first alphabetically by the first initial of the warrantee’s surname, then chronologically.
3. Check the pages to see if the warrantee is listed.
4. 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.

1. Go to the Copied Survey Books page.
2. Select the appropriate page for the book and volume.
3. Click on the page link.
4. 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.

I also had Isabella’s parent’s names—William Aitken and Marion Brown^[2]—from her 1856 death certificate, but hadn’t been able to locate a birth record or any proof of her parentage. Her brother-in-law William Smith was the informant on her death certificate and I can’t be sure how much he actually knew about her ancestry.

A new search through the records on ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk netted me, not only James and Isabella in the 1841 census, but also her parents and two siblings!

William Aitken household, 1841 Census

The James and Isabella (Aitken) Smith were living with her parents, William and Marion (Brown) Aitken in Auchengray, Carnwath Parish, Lanarkshire in 1841. The household included:

• William Aitken, 60, Wright, born in Lanark
• Marion Aitken, 60, born in Lanark
• John [Aitken], 25, Wright, born in Lanark
• George Tweedie, 25, Laborer, born in Lanark
• Helen Aitken, 20, born in Lanark
• William Tweedie, 2, born in Lanark
• James Smith, 25, Ironstone M., not born in Lanark
• Isabella Smith, 22, born in Lanark

This information allowed me to also find a birth record for Isabella by both widening the search—searching by surname only—and narrowing the search to only Carnwath parish. That got me one result: Isobel Aitken.

Isobel Aitken, 1816 birth record

Isabella was born 27 Feb 1816 and baptized 24 Mar 1816 in Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland. So, her age in 1841 was 25, not the 22 as recorded, but age discrepancies like this are quite common in census records. John and Helen Aitken’s ages are incorrect, too. Records found on FamilySearch.org put John’s birth as 11 Mar 1814 and Helen’s baptism on 19 Aug 1819.

So, with some diligence and a little luck, I was finally able to document my difficult Smith line back one more generation in Scotland! Now to try my luck with Thomas Smith & Agnes Nimmo, James’ parents.

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]

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 Affairs^[7]

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 Ffunk 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 Ffarrer
• 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 index is not online, so you may have to get creative to find what you’re looking for.

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

• Henry Bowman,
• Martin Huber,
• Benjamin Hart,
• Christian Musser,
• Daniel Herr,
• Martin Eshleman,
• Martin Huber (joiner),
• Isaac Herr,
• Joseph Bassler,
• Jacob Huber,
• Jacob Kochenauer,
• Henry Resh,
• John Kindig,
• Jacob Brubacher,
• John Winter,
• John Huber,
• John Huber Junr.,
• Abram Kochenauer Senr.,
• Abram Kochenauer Junr.,
• George Hess,
• John Hart,
• Frederick Kuhn,
• Peter Miller,
• Christian Kochenauer,
• Andrew Miller, and
• Jacob Kepperly

They were all of Martic, Strasburg and Conestoga Townships, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. ^[1] Adam had allowed them to build a one-story, stone schoolhouse, fronting the public road. It sat on approximately 22 perches of land that Adam sold to the school board.

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.)

Figure 1: Hans Line and John Line Conestoga tracts

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]