Say What? Census Husband Swapping

Peter and Nancy (Weltmer) Hocker were married 29 March 1828 at Bindangle Church in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County. They ultimately settled in Upper Paxton Township and raised a family of nine children. Two of their sons—Peter Jr. And Martin—eventually left Pennsylvania, staying for a time in Wayne County, Ohio, before finally settling in Polk County, Missouri.

On 26 March 1854, Peter Jr. married Emeline Bogner in Dauphin County. 1 They had three children there before heading west. In June 1860, the family was living in Wooster Township, Wayne County.2

1860 Peter Hocker census record

1860 Peter Hocker census record

Martin Hocker married Julianna Best in Wayne County, Ohio on 20 December 1860.3 Like his brother, he was living in Wooster Township in 1860.4 Right next door to the Best family.5

1860 Martin Hocker census record

1860 Martin Hocker & Julia Best census record

By June 1870, after a brief stop back in Pennsylvania, both families were living in Greene Township, Polk County, Missouri.6 However, a funny thing happened during the census enumeration.

1870 Peter & Martin Hocker census record

1870 Peter & Martin Hocker census record

Did you catch it? The census enumerator put the wrong man as head of each household. If you ignore the given names of each, the facts are correct—age, wife’s name, children, etc.—but the brother’s names were attributed to the wrong household.

The 1880 census enumeration has each of the brothers attributed to the correct household. Martin7 and Peter8 were both living in Jefferson Township, Polk County, and were enumerated one household apart.

1880 Martin Hocker census record

1880 Martin Hocker census record

1880 Peter Hocker census record

1880 Peter Hocker census record

This sort of error is why we don’t rely on any one record to “prove” a fact, but instead locate, examine and assess as many records as we can for an individual over the course of their lifetime. Any one record may, in fact, be incorrect (or partially incorrect). When taken within context of the document record those errors can be easier to see.


Martin Hocker and Julianna Best had children:

  1. Henry D. Hocker was born 6 October 1862, Wayne County, Ohio and died 22 August 1922 in Bolivar, Polk County, Missouri. He married Jane L. Morris, Rosa A. Harris, and Lizzie Harris Lemmon.
  2. John Martin Hocker born September 1867 in Pennsylvania and died in California between 1916 and 1920. He married Mary Ella Russell 14 August 1898 in Polk County, Missouri.

Peter Hocker and Emeline Bogner had children:

  1. Sarah “Sadie” Matilda Hocker was born March 1855 and died between 1900-1910 in Bolivar. She married William Henry Shipley 5 February 1891 in Polk County, Missouri.
  2. Martin August Hocker was born 2 May 1856 and died 11 February 1902 in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. He married Mrs. Emma (__) Haguewood 15 July 1883 in Bolivar.
  3. Elizabeth Leona Hocker was born 6 September 1859 and died 10 November 1888. She married William Moses Vest on 11 May 1876.
  4. Steven Earnest Hocker was born 25 December 1861 and died 8 October 1962 in Los Angeles, California. He married Laura Belle Jump 12 October 1891.
  5. Clara Jane “Chad” Hocker was born 10 August 1867 and died 8 December 1932 in Chelsea, Oklahoma. She married Reuben Charles Goff 24 September 1885 in Nevada, Missouri.
  6. Emma Margaret Hocker was born 28 September 1868 in Huron, Missouri and died 11 July 1930 in Bolivar. She married James Thomas Henson 27 April 1886.
  7. Martha Nancy Hocker was born 9 June 1871 and died 6 April 1956 in Batesville, Arkansas. She married Frank Meachum (or Mitchum).
  8. Mary Catherine Hocker was born 25 June 1873 and died 12 August 1917. She married Samuel H. Wilson 19 August 1894.
  9. Lewis Peter Hocker was born 22 February 1876 and died 14 January 1917. He married Chloe Grace Tateum on 4 September 1897.
  10. Lily Ann Hocker was born 18 September 1878 and died 17 November 1899 in Bolivar.

Footnotes

  1. Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 Jan 2018), memorial page for Peter Hocker (1833-1907), Find a Grave memorial no. 8,994,153, citing Payne Cemetery, Polk, Polk County, Missouri; D. Keith provided a biography of her great grandfather that provides the marriage date.
  2. 1860 United States Federal Census, Wayne County, Ohio, population schedule, post office: Wooster, Wooster Township, page 146 (stamped), dwelling 496, family 543, Peter Hocker household; online, FamilySearch, “United States Census, 1860” (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Jan 2018), image 27; citing NARA micropublication M653, roll 1050.
  3. Wayne County, Ohio, Marriage Records, Volume 5: 223, Martin Hocker and Juliana Best, 20 Dec 1860; database with images, FamilySearch, “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013” (https://familysearch.org : accessed 29 Jan 2018), FHL microfilm 425,755; citing Wayne County, Ohio.
  4. 1860 United States Federal Census, Wayne County, Ohio, population schedule, post office: Wooster, Wooster Township, page 146 (stamped), dwelling 449, family 496, line 26, Martin Hocker entry; online, FamilySearch, “United States Census, 1860” (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Jan 2018), image 20; citing NARA micropublication M653, roll 1050.
  5. 1860 United States Federal Census, Wayne County, Ohio, population schedule, post office: Wooster, Wooster Township, page 146 (stamped), dwelling 450, family 497, line 26, Daniel Best household; online, FamilySearch, “United States Census, 1860” (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Jan 2018), image 20; citing NARA micropublication M653, roll 1050.
  6. 1870 United States Federal Census, Polk County, Missouri, population schedule, post office: Bolivar, Greene Township, page 34 (stamped), dwelling 175 & 176, Martin Hawker and Peter Hawker households; online, FamilySearch, “United States Census, 1870” (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Jan 2018); citing NARA micropublication M593, FHL microfilm 552,299.
  7. 1880 United States Federal Census, Polk County, Missouri, population schedule, Jefferson Township, enumeration district 118, page 337D, dwelling 37, family 39, Martin Hocker household; online, FamilySearch, “United States Census,1880” (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Jan 2018); citing NARA micropublication T9, roll 710, FHL microfilm 1,254,710.
  8. 1880 United States Federal Census, Polk County, Missouri, population schedule, Jefferson Township, enumeration district 118, page 338A, dwelling 39, family 41, Peter Hocker household; online, FamilySearch, “United States Census,1880” (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Jan 2018); citing NARA micropublication T9, roll 710, FHL microfilm 1,254,710.

Cite This Page:

, "Say What? Census Husband Swapping," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 30 Jan 2018 (https://www.krishocker.com/say-what-census-husband-swapping/ : accessed 29 Mar 2024).

Content copyright © 2018 Kris Hocker. Please do not copy without prior permission, attribution, and link back to this page.

2 Replies to “Say What? Census Husband Swapping”

  1. Excellent lesson for us all! I had a similar experience while researching the parent of a great grandmother. Death certificates are not always reliable, I have found. Sometimes, neighbors or others who lack family knowledge are the informants. Thanks!

    1. Truth. It pays to “trust, but verify.” Thanks for commenting!

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