David Hoober of Upper Canada

In his will written on 9 January 1793, John Huber Sr. of Martic Township named his eight children: “Henry, Mary, Jacob, John, Christian, David, Ann & Christina.”1 He named his friend John Hoober and son Henry Hoober, both of Martic, as his executors.

David Huber of Upper Canada named Moses Byer of Bertie, Lincoln County, Upper Canada as his attorney to demand his inheritance from John Hoover of Martic Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, executor of his father’s last will and testament.2 According to the deed, David Huber was a soldier in “his Majesty’s second Battalion of Royal Canadian Volunteers” at the time. The deed included a testimonial and signature of Alexander Stewart, a Notary Public at Niagara in the Province of Upper Canada.

Now, thanks to the Olive Tree Genealogy’s Searching Ontario Canada Land Records, eh?, I think I may have found record of David in Canada.

David Hoover Upper Canada Land Petition 1803

David Hoover’s 1803 Upper Canada Land Petition

On 22 January 1803, David Hoober of York, Upper Canada petitioned the Lieutenant Governor for 200 acres land.3 The petition included a note written by Capt. R. Ferguson, late of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Volunteers, certifying that David served “for three years and upwards” and that he was “an honest & Industrious man.” An Isaac Swayze also attested to David being of good family and ready to become a farmer.

The petition was apparently approved as David paid £5 sterling and £1 10s 6p to Peter Russell on 10 March 1803 for the patent and survey. According to the file, the transaction was recorded in Land Book No. 5, page 203.

David’s petition also provides additional information. He received 200 acres of land in Pelham Township on 16 July 1795, but sold it to Robert Hamilton in 1798 when he entered the Royal Canadian Volunteers. He served in his Majesty’s service until the “late Reduction in the Army” when he was discharged. And he had a wife and seven children at the time of the petition for an additional land grant (1803).

Based on his initial land grant of 1795 and the fact that he had seven children by 1803, I’m going to have to adjust my initial birth year estimate back a few years. My initial estimate was that he was born before 1780—aged 21 by 1801 when he assigned an attorney for the recovery of his inheritance from his father’s estate. Now, I’d estimate that he was born prior to 1771, likely even before 1768.

How did I get there? I’m estimating 1.5 to 2 years between the birth of each of his children, placing the birth of his first child between 1789 and 1792. If I assume—yes, I know the danger of assumptions, but we’re ballparking here!—that he was at least 21 at the birth, then he was born by 1771 at the latest, and quite likely earlier.

If the order John listed his children in his will is of importance—and it might be as Henry, one of his executors, is named first though he is not explicitly named as the eldest son—then David was most likely born before 1768. John’s daughter Ann married Abraham Gochenour.4 This couple is buried in Old Byerland cemetery and, I believe, her gravestone reads: “Hier Ruhet die Gebene von Anna Gochenauer begatten? von Abraham Gochenauer geboren den 16ten January 1768 and gestarben den 25sten Martz 1830, seines alter 62 jahre 2 monate und 9 tage.”5 Her age at death—62 years 2 months and 9 days—agrees with 16 January 1768 as a birth date. If David was the preceding child born, then he may have been born in early to mid 1766 (or earlier).

So, my next questions are: 1) Where were the 200 acres he was granted located? and 2) What were the names of his wife and children? I wonder what I can dig up… What do you think?

Footnotes

  1. Lancaster County, Will Book G:592, John Huber will, 1799; Pennsylvania State Archives, records group 47, microfilm roll 2357.
  2. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book L3:163, David Huber to Moses Byers, 21 Nov 1801; digital image, Recorder of Deeds, Online E-film Reader (http://www.lancasterdeeds.com/onlineefilmreader/ : accessed 18 May 2010).
  3. Ontario, Canada, Upper Canada Land Petitions “H” Bundle 6 no. 18, David Hoober, 24 Jan 1803; digital images, Library and Archives of Canada, Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865) (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/upper-canada-land/index-e.html : accessed 19 Mar 2014); citing Canadian Public Archives, records group 1, L 3, Volume 225, microfilm C-2045.
  4. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book I3:681, John Huber et al to John & Henry Huber, 16 May 1802; digital images, Recorder of Deeds, Online E-film Reader (http://www.lancasterdeeds.com/onlineefilmreader/ : accessed 18 May 2010).
  5. This transcription is from an apparently defunct website—www.horseshoe.cc.

Cite This Page:

, "David Hoober of Upper Canada," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 6 Apr 2014 (https://www.krishocker.com/david-hoober-of-upper-canada/ : accessed 19 Mar 2024).

Content copyright © 2014 Kris Hocker. Please do not copy without prior permission, attribution, and link back to this page.

3 Replies to “David Hoober of Upper Canada”

  1. Hi Kris. Thanks for clearing this up. I have been curious about what happened to David Huber/Hoover after he left the regiment. It’s curious that he was granted land in 1795. It makes me wonder if he is the missing son-in-law of Anna (Beam) Byers.

    The 1797 petition of John Beyers (son of Anna) states that he “…came into the Province about a month since from Pensylvania—But that his mother, Anna Beyers, with her two sons in Law & Daughters arrived in the Province Eighteen months ago—and Who, with one of her sons in Law (Chrisn Shoup) have received Lands for Settlement” On 15 May 1797 Anna made a petition which states, “that she has two Daughters who are married and settled in this Province – and being desirous to remove with the remaining part of her Family to settle with them, she sold her property in Pensylvania and came to this Province in the month of August” Christian Shoups petition (also 1797) claims that he “…came into the Province in the year 1795 – with his family and purchased a farm in Willoughby—That being desirous to obtain Lands in his own right, being capable of cultivating and improve the same – prays your Honor would be pleased to grant him 200 acres as a Settler (having never before Applied for Land). Christian’s wife was Eve Byers.

    So, Christian purchased land–he was later granted additional land. But what of the other daughter and son-in-law? So far I have been unable to find any mention of who these two folks are. However, the timeline makes sense (1795) as do the familial relationships (Boehm, Shaub, Beyer, Hoover) as all of these families were in close proximity to one another back in Lancaster. Just a thought.

    1. Very interesting information, James.

      From what I’ve been about to learn, the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Volunteers was stationed at Kingston, Fort George (Niagara on the Lake), Fort Erie and Amherstburgh—from one end of Lake Ontario to the far end of Lake Erie—during it’s eight years of existence. And Pelham Township seems to be near Bertie where the Byers could be found.

      My only concern is that I believe David was about the age of Moses Byers—Anna’s grandson? Does it make sense that he would be married to one of her daughters? The daughter would have to be one of the youngest of a long line of children…

      It would be helpful, I think, to learn more about David, his wife and children.
      ~Kris

      1. Moses was likely a cousin to that Byers family (of Willoughby). Moses’ father’s name was Martin (as was Anna’s husband) but the two are not the same person. Moses’ father may have been uncle to Anna’s husband Martin, but there is no proof of that yet.

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