Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of George Hollenbach

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Descendants of George Hollenbach

Generation No. 1

1. GEORGE¹ HOLLENBACH (Source: A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming County Volume IV, 1865-1867, Verified in many books .) was born 1670 in Kingdom, Grand Duchy of Wurtemburg, Now Germany (Source: A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming County Volume IV, 1865-1867.), and died July 28, 1736 in New Hanover, Philadelphia County now Montgomery County, PA (Source: A History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming County Volume IV, 1865-1867.). He married MARIA CATHARINA UNKNOWN (Source: Ancestry.com, This is questionable. I emailed the source and they never replied with an intelligen or even coherant response. .) February 15, 1714/15 in Wurtemburg, Now Germany (Source: Ancestry.com, 77, This came from Ancestry.com and I have no proof whatsoever, The date does, however seem to be the of the correct time frame. .). She was born October 31, 1684 in Wurtemburg, Germany, and died December 14, 1756 in New Hanover, Philadelphia County now Montgomery County, PA (Source: Hollenbeck FTM Gen Forum.).

Notes for GEORGE HOLLENBACH:
From: "James Harris - Mary Cherry Family" by Fielder Bowie Harris August 1935

This line has been traced in full by Edward Welles of Wilkes-Barre, PA, a grandson of Matthias Hollenback described in further on. Complete records were available and these Mr. Welles collected for a family tree in 1878. These records and letters written by Mr. Welles to the writer's uncle, George Harris in 1880, to his brother Charles in 1906, and to his son, Clarence in 1911, give a complete and authentic history of the Hollenback ancestry.

(I have in my possession a copy of that family tree which I indexed during the winter of 2000 - 2001)

George Hollenback (originally Hollenbach), our immigrant ancestor, born in 1670, and his wife, both of German parentage, came from the Kingdon, then Grand Duchy of Wurtemburg (now a part of Germany) in 1717 and settled in Philadelphia, Pa., where he died July 1736. He left, for that time, a goodly property to his four children; Matthias, John, Mary Katherine, and George. Of these four, John Hollenback became our next ancestor. He was born in 1720, at New Hanover, Montgomery (then Philadelphia) County, Pa., and when grown moved to near Jonestown, Lebanon (then Lancaster) County, Pa. There he married a widow, Mrs. Eleanor Stout, whose maiden name was Jones. From this union a family of five resulted, from whom all the eastern families of Hollenback, Welles, Laning, Etc. and all the western families of Cherry, Harris, Hollenback, Raymond, etc. have developed. Our next ancestor was George 1748 - 1822 who married Hannah Barton.

George and Catherine lived on the first farm along the Swamp Pike going from the church towards Limerick. In 1734 George was listed as owning 150 acres in New Hanover. They were early members of the New Hanover Lutheran Church.

I recently discovered that the New Hanover Lutheran Church is alive and well and celebrating it's 300 year in Lutheran Ministry. They were formed in 1700 and is the oldest German Lutheran Church in America.

The Settler (Sketch of Col. Matthias Hollenback) by Edward Welles

George Hollenbach probably settled soon after his arrival in New Hanover, Montgomery (then Philadelphia) County, ; as he is known to have owned land there as early as May 1720. He is said to have been a member and officer of the old Lutheran Church at Falkner Swamp; though as the earliest preserved records of that church are subsequent to his death, his name does not appear, nor is the place of his sepulchre ascertained. He was a well-to-do blacksmith and "innkeeper," and evidently a man of some consequences and influence among his brethren; as his name and that of his eldest son, Matthias, appear many times in the archives of the German speaking population of the district.

His will is still on file and of record at the office of the Registrar of Wills in Philadelphia, witnessed and proven by Killian Kehle and Mathias Ringer; the inventory of personal estate, appraised by the same parties with the addition of Abraham Cassle, footing up to 584 pounds.

Ancestry of Matthias Hollenback by Ralph R. Hillman

Hollenbach was evidently a substantial citizen, and was an Elder of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at New Hanover in 1733. His son Matthias was elected a Trustee of this Church in 1765, and was a member of the Building Committee. In connection with this Elder ship an unusual incident happened, which came to light in a search by the writer for the signature of George Hollenbach. George Hollenbach and other Elders signed a recommendation in a subscription book authorizing a certain member of the Church to collect funds for the same while on a visit to Europe. It appears that the man was unworthy of the trust reposed in him and appropriated such sums as he collected for his own use before the authorization could be cancelled, much to the scandal of the congregation. There were three of these subscription books, and one appears to be still extant, but in just what archives has not yet been determined. George Hollenbach's signature appears on a petition to Governor Patrick Gordon, dated April 29, 1728, appealing for protection against incursion by the Indians. (Proceedings Pennsylvania German Society Vol. XX.) He lived in the same neighborhood, was contemporary and probably intimate with the early Muhlenburg family, afterwards so famous in Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary times, and also with Henry Antes, that prominent and useful citizen both in Montgomery County and Bethlehem, whose signature also appears on the above mentioned petition. A reproduction of George Hollenbach's signature is here Given:

See Signature in scrapbook.

I have a copy of George Hollenbach's will. One interesting fact you might be interested in is that Hollenbach is spelled Holobaugh which may be the reason for the confusion in the spelling.

More About GEORGE HOLLENBACH:
Immigration: 1717, Wurtemburg, Germany
Occupation: Blacksmith and innkeeper

Notes for MARIA CATHARINA UNKNOWN:
When Catherine died December 14, 1756, the Rev. Muhlenberg conducted her funeral and stated that she had come from Wurtemberg 39 years ago and she was 72 years 1 month old when she died. She had been a widow for 20 years.

Name also Maria Catherina

Hollenback Genealogy from Inter Library Loan at Cornell University's Olin Library.
Exact translation from the German text of her obit is as follows:
"December 14, 1756, is the Widow Hollenbach in the Duchy Wurttemburg Birth, Buried. She was 72 years and 1 month 1 day old. Has had 20 years in Widowhood. _______ and was 39 years in the Land been. Funeral Text _______5,16." Book of Bible is Ephes. I was unable to find a dictionary which had that translated. The word before the and is gelbt. The only German word I was able to find was yellow or yellowish. That is not seem to fit the obit.

The widow of George Hollenbach survived her husband twenty years, dying December 12, 1756. In her will, proven the following April, she bequeathed a personal estate amounting to 175.140 pounds to be distributed among her grandchildren. Although Mathias, was not amoung her legatees, nor named for the administration, he seems to have induced the executors, Matthis Richard and Bernhard Doderer to renounce in his favor. The will and inventory are still on file and of record in Philadelphia.

Her will is on file; Her will lists quite an extensive inventory including a number of bonds and notes due her from various people. None of the names appear to be family excepting perhaps John Snider. Witnesses were Matthias Richard and Johannes Schneider.

More About GEORGE HOLLENBACH and MARIA UNKNOWN:
Marriage: February 15, 1714/15, Wurtemburg, Now Germany (Source: Ancestry.com, 77, This came from Ancestry.com and I have no proof whatsoever, The date does, however seem to be the of the correct time frame. .)

Children of GEORGE HOLLENBACH and MARIA UNKNOWN are:

2.	i.	MATTHIAS² HOLLENBACK, b. November 05, 1718, New Hanover, PA; d. June 12, 1778, New Hanover, PA.
3.	ii.	JOHANNES HOLLENBACK, b. September 09, 1720, New Hanover, Montgomery County, PA; d. August 05, 1793, Martinsburg, VA.
	iii.	MARIA BARBARA HOLLENBACK, b. 1722; d. Bef. 1756; m. UNKNOWN BUCHER (Source: Welles Genealogy, 93.), Unknown; b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

Notes for MARIA BARBARA HOLLENBACK:
From her mother's will, we only know that she died prior to 1756 and that she left 4 children. Unfortunately they are not named in Caterina's will, nor is the first name of her husband.

More About UNKNOWN BUCHER and MARIA HOLLENBACK:
Marriage: Unknown

iv.

GEORGE HOLLENBACK (Source: Hollenback Family Compiled by George Raddin Researched Edward Welles.), b. 1724 (Source: Ancestry.com.); d. 1804, Salsbury, Rowan Co., NC (Source: Ancestry.com.).

Notes for GEORGE HOLLENBACK:
Hollenback Genealogy received from the Cornell University interlibrary loan services - No title page sent.

Of the youngest son, George, nothing is certainly known, but there is little doubt that he is the George Holobaugh who applied October 9, 1767 for fifty acres of land in Windsor township, Berks County, PA adjoining George May and Andrew May; the same land having been patented January 1838 to John Hollenbach, probably a grandson (of George Hollenbach the immigrant.) From this George are descended the families of the name in Berks County. Search has so far failed to connect them with the Montgomery County Hollenbachs.

We strongly believe, that the link to his branch of the family has been located. This has not been proven; not for the lack of trying, however. They spelled Hollenback as Holobaugh as did George Hollenbach's will.

More About GEORGE HOLLENBACK:
Occupation: Blacksmith

MARIA KATHERINE HOLLENBACK, b. Unknown; d. Bef. 1756.

Notes for MARIA KATHERINE HOLLENBACK:
Hollenback Genealogy received from Cornell University Interlibrary Loan - No title page sent.

Of the Immigrant's daughter, called Maria by her father, but Catherina by the mother, in their respective wills, all that is known is that she died before her mother, leaving four children named as legatees in the will of their grandmother.

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