Peter Hockenberry
Immigrant from Germany 1750
THE HOCKENBERRY NAME & EARLY IMMIGRANTS
The name Hockenberry is one of several Anglicized forms of Hachenburger (such as Hachenberger, Hockenbury, Hillberry, etc.) Records indicate several early immigrants to America with variants of this name; their relationship, if any, is not yet established. Some degree of relationship between Herbert Hockenbury (b. ~1690) and Peter Hockenberry (b. ~1718) is indicated by the fact that Herbert's son Harmon Hockenbury left Sussex Co. NJ in 1799 and went to live among the Peter Hockenberry clan in Franklin Co., PA until 1833.
(Click here for complete text Hockenberry Name & Early Immigrants)
PETER HOCKENBERRY
Peter Hockenberry was born ~1718 in Germany, and was possibly from Hachenburg, southeast of Bonn. He presumably married in Germany. He arrived in New Jersey with his first wife and five children in 1750, possibly Chambersburg, NJ. From there they proceded to the western limits of settlement, just beyond the Susquehanna River. They settled in what is now Fannett Twp., Franklin Co. PA about 1750, in the northern tip of the county, north of Chambersburg. Peter and his sons purchased large tracts of land, built three mills, and their homes. Peter's first wife, name unknown, died sometime after 1760 when her sixth child Jeremiah was born.
Documents petitioning for arms to defend against Tories and Indians attacking the settlement were signed by the Hockenberry men. Peter and his four sons, Henry, John, James and Jeremiah all served in the Revolutionary War, as did Henry's sons, Henry Jr. and Casper. Jeremiah, Henry Jr. and Casper would have been but teen-agers at the time. Peter served several tours of duty in the Cumberland County Militia, 1st & 6th Battalions under Capt. Thomas Askey. After the war, the Hockenberrys resumed life in Fannet Twp., Franklin Co. Pa.
Peter remarried by 1790 to Alice, surname unknown, and had five more children. Alice may have been scarcely older than Peter's oldest children. About twenty years later, Peter died and is burried in Fannet Twp., Franklin Co. PA. His will was probated in Feb. 1811. The will names Alice and all of Peter's children. Alice lived another thirty to forty years, residing first with her son Samuel in Franklin and Huntingdon counties, and then living next to some of her son James' children in Perry county. She died between 1840 and 1850.
THE CONFUSING CASPERS
Peter Hockenberry had two grandsons named Casper. Peter's two oldest sons, Henry and John, both named sons Casper. (This makes one expect to find an ancestor of Peter with this name also.) John's son Casper married Margaret Shaffer. Both John and his son Casper have biographies in the 1895 History of Butler County, Brown & Co. p. 1246. Casper and Margaret Shaffer Hockenberry had a son named Joseph Hockenberry who married and also named his son Casper.(That makes three). Joseph and his son Casper Hockenberry also have biographies on p. 1246 of the 1895 History of Butler Co.
The confusion seems to be regarding a Casper Hockenberry who resided in Clearfield County. There is material published regarding a Casper Hockenberry of Clearfield Co. PA, who married one of the daughters of a Mr. Greenwood, who was from England.
(For complete text on the several Casper Hockenberrys, click here)
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 1718 | Germany, possibly Hackenburg | [5] | |
| 1st Marriage | 1739 | Germany | Anna Catharina Schuhmacher, b. 1717 Germany, d. 21Aug 1750 (1760? ed.) Pennsylvania, USA. See Source Notes below re. son Jeremiah. | [5][13] |
| 2nd Marriage | expect ca 1789 | Alice Alter b. & d. Fannett Twp, Franklin, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America | [5][7][13] | |
| Death | Feb. 1811 | Franklin Co., PA | [5] |
Ancestry chart segment
Generation 8 Generation 9
+-- Peter Hockenberry
| (1718-1811))
John Hockenberry --+
(1741-1839) |
+-- [Anna Catharina Schumacher]
(1717-1750)
Sources: [5]
Children
( children with Anna Catherine Schuhmacher first wife)
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Hockenberry | M | 1740 | Germany | [1][7] | ||
| John Hockenberry | M | 1741 | Germany | Hannah Kelly | Direct line | [5][7] |
| Mary Hockenberry | F | 1744 | Germany | [5][7] | ||
| Margaret Hockenberry | F | 1746 | Germany | [5][7] | ||
| James Hockenberry | M | 1748 | Germany | [1][5][7] | ||
| Jeremiah Hockenberry | M | 1760 (1750? ed.) | See Source Notes below | [1][5] |
( children with second wife Alice Alter)
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Hockenberry, Jr. | M | 1790 | [5][6][7][9] | |||
| Catherine Hockenberry | F | [5][7] | ||||
| Nancy Hockenberry | F | [5][7] | ||||
| Samuel Hockenberry | M | 1795 | [5][7] | |||
| Robert Hockenberry | M | 1797 | [5][7] |
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palatinate, Germany | 1718-1750 | possibly Hackenburg | [5][8] |
| Chambers, NJ | 1750-? | (Chambersburg, Hamilton Twp, Mercer Co. NJ?) Chambers NJ not found | [5] |
| Fannett Twp., Franklin Co., PA | ?-1811 | Peter died & is buried here | [5] |
| Franklin & Huntingdon Co.s, PA | >1811 | Alice lived w/ her son Samuel | [5] |
| Perry Co., PA | ?-1840/50 | Alice lived next door to some of her son James' children until her death. | [5] |
Photo Gallery
Sources
| Ref. Num. | Description | Image of original |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1790 United States Federal Census, Fannet, Hamilton, Letterkenney, Montgomery and Peters Twps, Franklin Co, PA page 3. Families headed by: Peter Houghenberry ( [Jr} >16, 1 male <16, 5 females); Gasper Houghenberry (1 male > 16, 1 male <16, 3 females); Henery Houghenbery (1 male >16, 3 males <16, 1 female); Henery Houghenberry (1 male >16, 1 female); James Houghenbery (1 male >16, 3 females); Jeremiah Houghenberry (1 male >16, 3 females). This location agrees with other documents as to the location of the Hockenberry family in Pennsylvania around the time of the American Revolution. In the entry for Peter Houghenberry, he is listed as head of household, and "Jr." is written in the 2nd column (intended for males over age 16). However, the "Jr." should refer to his son rather than to him; The 1 male under 16 would be newborn son Peter Jr., and the 5 females could be 2nd wife Alice and Peter's 4 daughters. Peter, lives within 1 house of Henery, Gaspar, and James listed sequentially; then seven households of different surnames, followed by Jeremiah and Henry listed sequentially. It is not possible, given the vague ages provided by the 1790 census, to detail how these families are related. |
 |
| 2 | 1800 United States Federal Census, Fannett Twp, Franklin Co, PA page 2. Families headed by: Peter Hockenberry (3 males <10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 26-44, 1 male >44); John Hockenberry (3 males <10, 1 male 26-44, 1 female <10, 1 female 26-44); Phillip Hockenbery (1 male 16-25, 1 female 16-25); Wm. Hockenberry (1 male <10, 1 male 16-25, 1 female 16-25); James Hockenbery (2 male <10, 2 males 10-15 1 male 16-25, 1 female 16-25, 1 female >44); Harrison Hockenberry (1 male <10, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 2 females 10-15, 1 female 26-44); Henry Hockenberry (1 male <10, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 26-44, 2 females <10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 26-44). The Peter Hockenberry here could be our Peter; he would be 82 in the census year. The John, James and Henry listed here are too young to be Peter's sons born in the 1740's. These could be grandchildren. |
 |
| 3 | 1810 United States Federal Census, Fannett Twp, Franklin Co, PA, page 10. Family headed by Peter Hockenberry: 2 males 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male >44, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 16-25, 1 female 26-44. These ages mesh well with the children of Peter Hockenberry and his second wife "Alice". |  |
| 4 | Thirty Thousand Names of Immigrants... by Israel D. Rupp. Johann Peter Hockenbert, passenger on Capt. Kerr's ship, the Jennifer, landed at Port of Philadelphia Pa,6 Nov. 1764. This source provided by Ardath Hillberry Yehle, The Hockenberry-Hillberry Family, p. ii. | |
| 5 | Manuscript: Peter Hockenberry and Descendants of his Son, John Hockenberry by Edith and Horace Renick, 1975, gives a detailed genealogical record of Peter Hockenberry. Note: researcher Horace Renick's mother, Dora Hockenberry, descended from Robert Hockenberry, son of Peter Hockenberry. Two sons of Peter, half-brothers Robert and John, both moved west to Butler Co. PA. John moved to Butler Co. before 1803; Robert before 1830. | |
| 6 | Certification of Military Service, from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission: "This is to certify that one Petter Hockenbury was enrolled as a Private, First Class, First company, First Battalion, Cumberland County Militia, in which capacity he served a tour of active duty in Captain Thomas Askey's Company of the First Class, under Order of Council, dated July 29, 1777, according to the evidence of the Fine Book of John Carothers, county Lieutenant, page 2". Dated October 29, 1970. Signed William H. Work, chief, Division of Archives and Manuscript. Residence ascribed: Fannett Township. |  |
| 7 | Will of Peter Hockenberry, Will No. 1070, Record Book B, p. 435; Probated 20 Feb. 181l. Names wife Alice; eldest son Henry; second son John; Mill, buildings & dams; daughters Mary and Margret; third son James; son James' children (not named); son Peter; land adjoining lands of James Johnston and Mattie Kyle; daughters Catherine and Nancy; son Sanuel; house and lot in Connelsburg; son Jeremiah; land at the Round Top Mountain; son Robert. Executors: son John and John Widney, son of James. Signed 28 April 1810. Peter Hockenberry. Witnesses: James Campbell, James Widney, John Widney, Jr.; Register for probate 10 Feb. 1811, James Campbell & John Widney, Jr., witnesses; John Findlay, Register. | (Complete transcription, Will of Peter Hockenberry) |
| 8 | Elsie Segura, Elwood City PA, personal correspondence 1998, and Descendants of Reinhard Hachenburger by Elsie Segura. | |
| 9 | Early bounty Hunters of Butler County, Pennsylvania 1934, ed. David K. Webb & John M. Stevens, Chillicothe, OH pg 26. Hockenberry, Peter Mar. 2, 1841 - 5 foxes. p.24 ___berry (?) May 17, 1841 - 1 red fox p. 12 Hockenberry, Jos. Mar. 9 & June 8, 1835 - 2 wildcats. Peter Hockenberry of 1841 may be Peter, Jr.; Jos. Hockenberry of 1835 may be Joseph Hockenberry (born 1787), son of John Hockenberry & a grandson of Peter's. | |
| 10 | Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams. | |
| 11 | Personal correspondence from Carol Hockenberry , Liverpool NY, 1991. | |
| 12 | Personal correspondence from Jane Hockenberry, Slippery Rock Historical Society. Jane descends from Robert Hockenberry, youngest son of Peter Hockenberry & wife Alice. | |
| 13 | My Heritag3 family trees; Surnames of wives, their birth & death dates and places. |
Source notes
- The certification of military service for Peter Hockenbury, and the transcription of the will of Peter Hockenberry are part of the research collection of Horace & Edith Renick.
- Children's birth dates estimated from census records ( by Renick).
- Son Jeremiah is listed as a child of 2nd wife Alice on My Heritage, with birth dates of 1760 or 1763. The 1760 birthdate calculated by Renicks' source would fall 10 yrs after the death of Peter Hockenberry's 1st wife Anna Catherine in 1850. However the 1760/1763 date would place him born at least 27 yrs. prior to the remaining children with 2nd wife Alice. One expects that his birthdate, either 1750 or 1760, may have been the death date of his Mother. Either his birth date or her death date is incorrect as listed.
- Names of sons-in-law not named directly as such in the will of Peter Hockenberry; possibilities among the witnesses and executors include James Widney, John Widney "son of James" (indicating there is another John Widney as well), and James Campbell.
Conjecture
- Expect to find an ancestor(or brother?)of Peter named Casper Hockenberry. Peter Hockenberry has two grandsons (sons of both Henry and John) named Casper, as well as a great-great-grandson (Casper son of Joseph, son of Casper, son of John, son of Peter).
- It is interesting to note on in the certificate of military service for Petter Hockenbury that the County Lieutenant (Cumberland County) was John Carothers. Peter Hockenberry's granddaughter married the son of John Carothers' nephew (ie. Jane Hockenberry married Moses McCandless, son of William "Tailor Billy" McCandless). These two families obviously knew each other in Cumberland County, before the McCandlesses moved westward to Westmoreland and Butler Counties.
- Edith and Horace Renick cite Reinhard Hockenberry (or Hockenberg) as the father of Peter Hockenberry in their 1975 manuscript "Decendents of Peter Hockenberry and his son John". Reinhard Hockenberg arrived in Philadelphia on 21 Sept 1750 on the ship Anderson, (Captain Hugh Campbell) sailing from Rotterdam and Cowes, England with immigrants from the Palitinate, per Vol. I of Strassberger and Hinke's "History of the Pennsylvania German Pioneers'. There is no evidence offered to connect Reinhard to Peter Hockenberry. Web sources list Anna Catharina as Peter's first wife and mother of John Hockenberry. A second wife, Alice is also mentioned. According to the web sources, Reinhard was born in the Palitinate in Germany about 1683 and immigrated to Philadelphia in 1750 A sample website is: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~drowles/hockenberry/10000001.htm The sources cited are other web sites and we have seen no primary sources to confirm this information.
