Part 3: Ulrich Hoover of York & Adams Counties, Pennsylvania

Last time, in Part 2 I provided a long list of information pertaining to Ulrich Hoover in a chronology. As you read through it, however, you’ll notice a number differences between this information and what we learned about Ulrich from his estate records. Additionally, you can see several inconsistencies between the individual pieces of data.

First, while there are birth/baptism records for most of the children listed in Ulrich’s estate records, there are several who are missing from the list. Those whose birth/baptism records are listed include:

1. Susanna, daughter of Ulrich & Anna Maria
2. Michael, son of Ulrich & Susanna
3. Anna Catharina, daughter of Ulrich & Susanna
4. Eva, daughter of Ulrich & Eva
5. Johan George, son of Ulrich & Eva
6. Peter, son of Ulrich & Eva
7. Maria Elisabeth, daughter of Ulrich & Eva
8. Anna Maria, daughter of Ulrich & Eva
9. Barbara, daughter of Ulrich & Eva

Ulrich’s eldest son Johannes, daughter Magdalena, son Henry, son David and daughter Sarah are not found in the church records—though Henry was likely the unnamed son baptized on 25 Oct 1780.

There are also several children listed who are not included in the Orphans Court records. They include:

1. Jacob, son of Ulrich & Anna Maria
2. Daniel, son of Ulrich & Anna Maria
3. Johan Daniel, son of Ulrich & Anna Maria
4. Anna Maria, daughter of Ulrich & Anna Maria
5. Maria Barbara, daughter of Ulrich & Susanna
6. Johann Jacob, son of Ulrich & Susanna
7. Christian, son of Uli & Catharina

If these are all children of our subject, Ulrich had a lot of children, many of whom predeceased him. Are they really all his?

This is where the inconsistencies become very important. Did you notice that after Ulrich & Susanna‘s daughter Anna Catharina was baptized in Aug 1767, Ulrich & Anna Maria not only sponsored several children, but also sold land in Taneytown in 1768? Then Ulrich & Susanna had a son Johan Jacob born on 4 Aug 1769.

We know from the probate records that Ulrich had a daughter named Susanna. This was likely the Susanna, daughter of Ulrich & Anna Maria, who was baptized at St. Jacob’s (Stone) Church on 25 Mar 1760.^[1] So, he must have been married to Anna Maria. We also know that two of the children of Ulrich & Susanna Huber—Michael & Anna Catharina—match children of Ulrich listed in his probate records. So, he was married to Susanna. We also know that Ulrich left a widow named Eve.^[2] And six of the children of Ulrich & Eva listed in the church records match those listed in Ulrich’s probate file.

Logically, it would appear that Ulrich was married three times—first to Anna Maria, second to Susanna, and third to Eva. However, what about the references to Ulrich & Anna Maria after children were born to Ulrich & Susanna?

I believe there were two Ulrichs, both married—initially at least—to women named Anna Maria. Both may have started in the same general area,^[3] but by the early 1760s, one of them was most likely living in Taneytown.

I believe this is supported by the multiple warrants in Codorus Township. The first warrant (1751) is separate from the subsequent three (1765 & 1774) which were grouped together in location. Additionally, Smallwood reported that Ulrich’s gravestone states that he was born 27 Mar 1734.^[4] That date would have made him only 17 years old in 1751, too young to own land.

The 1758 start date for quit rent and interest on 250 acres warranted in 1765 fits better. Ulrich would have been 24 by then. Also, the names some of the surrounding land owners—Werley and Keller (sons-in-law)—tie to Ulrich’s family. Furthermore, these tracts are identified in Ulrich’s estate records as belonging to him and subsequently belonged to his sons John, Henry and George.

Separating out the two Ulrichs married to women named Anna Maria may prove problematic—at least where their children are concerned—without additional research on the Ulrich Huber of Taneytown. The only child we can be fairly certain belonged to Ulrich & Anna Maria Huber of York & Adams counties was Susanna. But based on this research, I would list Ulrich’s children as follows.

Children with wife Anna Maria:

1. Johannes, born before 1760
2. Susanna, born before 25 Mar 1760, baptized 25 Mar 1760

Children with wife Susanna:

3. Michael, born before Dec 1763, baptized Dec 1763
4. Maria Barbara, born before Dec 1765, baptized Dec 1765, may have died before 1793, but before 1805
5. Anna Catharina, born 7 Aug 1767, baptized 11 Aug 1767
6. Johann Jacob, born 4 Aug 1769, baptized 8 Aug 1769, may have died prior to 1778, but before 1805

Children with wife Eva.

7. Eva, born 31 Dec 1773, baptized 2 Jan 1774
8. Johann George, born 10 Jan 1776, baptized 3 Mar 1776
9. Jacob, born 20 Aug 1778, baptized 4 Oct 1778, most likely died before 1805
10. [Henry], born 26 Sep 1780, baptized 25 Oct 1780
11. Peter, born 3 Oct 1785, baptized 18 Dec 1785
12. Maria Elisabeth, born 18 Dec 1788, baptized 29 Jan 1789
13. Annmaria, born 30 May 1791, baptized 10 Jul 1791
14. Barbara, born 12 Mar 1793, baptized 9 May 1793
15. David, born about 1797
16. Sarah, born about 1797

I’ve placed Johannes first simply because he was the eldest son. He may have been born after Susanna, but before Michael, say late 1761 or very early 1762. Ulrich also had a daughter Magdalena, but I don’t know when she was born. I’d need to know more about her before I could even “guesstimate” her position in the birth order. But there are four years between Johann Jacob and Eva and five years between Henry and Peter.

So, if there were two Ulrich Hoovers in this general area, were they related? Were they related to any of the other Hoovers in the area? Who was the Christian Hoover listed as a neighbor to Ulrich Hoover’s 1751 land warrant? Was he related to the George Hoover who later owned the tract adjoining this land?

All these questions—and research—because Christian Hoover of Heidelberg Township bequeathed money to the surviving children of his brothers—Ulrich, Jacob and Henry—without naming any of them.