Kochers' from Carbon, Luzerne, Schuykill, and Berks Cty. Pa.:Information about Henry Kocher Jr.
Henry Kocher Jr. (b. Sep 1760, d. Bet. 1804 - 1808)
Notes for Henry Kocher Jr.:
Helen Uebele gave me the burial record for Mary Kocher.She was indeed the first wife of Henry Kocher Jr., mother of his first child, Joshua. Lizard Creek was the border of the land Henry Kocher Sr. bought from his father-in-law, Richard Thomas. It is in East Penn Township in Carbon County, PA.In the 1700's that land was all part of Northampton County and the county seat was at Easton. Penn Township was a big township and eventually it was split into East Penn and West Penn. West Penn Township is in Schuylkill County and that is where several of the descendants of Joshua Kocher lived. The Moravian's, under the leadership of Count Zinzendorf, founded the city of Bethlehem (Where the Moravian Church is located) on Christmas Day, 1750. From 1750 they worked very hard to convert the Indians to Christianity, and they maintained mission stations on the frontier. That is why they have records of the funerals of that period of time.Allemengel was the location of one of the Moravian mission stations. There was a tragedy some years later when a group of Christian Indians were massacred by a white soldier gang. A good source of reading would be: Matthews 'History of Lehigh and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania. Reading the part about East Penn Township are some interesting references to the Kocher, Thomas's, Custard's, and other families. This information is also in Volume 1, The History of Carbon County by Thomas D. Eckhart.
HENRY KOCHER, JR.
born. Sep 1760 , vicinity of Philadelphia, PA
died. bet. 1802 and 8 Mar 1808, probably. Luzerne Co., Nescopeck Twp., PA
Henry Jr. was the son of Johann Heinrich (Henry Sr.) and Hannah (Thomas) Kocher, in the vicinity of Philadelphia.In 1769, his parents were living in Whitemarsh Twp., in Philadelphia (now Montgomery) Co.He moved with his parents to their farm on the banks of Lizard Creek, in Penn Twp., Northampton Co (now East Penn Twp., Carbon Co.) about 1777.He served as a soldier in the Northampton Co. Militia in 1780 and 1782.In 1781, he was a single freeman in Hilltown Twp., Bucks Co., Pennsylvania.He was probably working for his uncle, Levi Thomas, who had taken over the farm of his father, Richard Thomas.
In 1782 or 1783, Henry Kocher married as his first wife, Mary (perhaps Moyer), who was born 6 April 1765.In 1785, they were living in Penn Twp. when Mary died, leaving a one-year old son, Joshua, and her husband. She was buried 13 Jul 1785 in the Lizard Creek burying ground.We learn this from the records of the Allemangel Moravian congregation records in Upper Berks Co.. Henry Jr. remarried about 1786. His second wife was Anna Maria ________, as we learn from the baptismal record of their first child, Hannah, in the Indianfield Lutheran Church (also known as the Little Zion Church) in Franconia Twp., Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania, in May 1787. The 1790 Northampton Co. census lists the family as one male over 16 (Henry Jr.), 2 males less than 16 (that would probably be Joshua and George Washington) and three females (probably Anna Maria, Hannah and Mary).His name appears in the tax list for 1793.In the 1800 census, this family is in Nescopeck Twp., Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, probably living close to his brother, Thomas. That census accounts for all of his children except for Susannah and Casy, who were born after 1800.
The evidence that Henry Jr. is a son of Henry and Hannah Kocher is found in the third account of Henry Remely, administrator of the estate of the elder Henry Kocher, dated Jan. 11, 1819.In this account, he quotes an assignment of a bond, "I do hereby assign all of my right, title and interest of the within bond to my four grandsons, the sons of my son Henry Kocher, deceased, in the following manner, viz:"Fifty pounds thereof to his oldest son, Joshua Kocher, and the remaining one hundred pounds to be equally divided among the other three, viz:George Kocher, David Kocher, and Samuel Kocher;witness my hand and seal the eighth day of March in the year of our Lord 1808."
Testishis
Joshua DavisHenryKocher
Joshua Kochermark
This quotation shows that Henry Jr. died before March 8, 1808.
We do not know how Henry Jr. died or where he was buried.However, there seems to be some proof that he was still alive on 23 February 1804.There is an account that perhaps he was working for the proprietory as an Indian Scout, and that he was killed by the Indians. The story has been told that his body may have been found by a buddy or friends.However, at this point, we do not have proof of this. Frank Kocher leaves us with this thought:"I think that his wife and children lived with Thomas Kocher (Henry's brother) in Nescopeck Twp., Luzerne Co., for a while; some of them still in Thomas' household for the 1810 census.By then, the older children were out on their own".
More About Henry Kocher Jr.:
Military service: He was a Soldier in the Northampton County Militia from 1780-1782..
Residence: In 1786,1790 and 1793, they were living in East Penn Township, Carbon County,Pa.. By 1800, they had moved to Nescopeck Township, Luzerne County, Pa..
More About Henry Kocher Jr. and Mary(Perhaps Moyer):
Marriage: Abt. 1782
More About Henry Kocher Jr. and Anna Maria:
Marriage: Abt. 1786
Children of Henry Kocher Jr. and Mary(Perhaps Moyer) are:
- +Joshua Kocher, b. 01 Aug 1784, Penn Township, Northumberland County, Pa., d. 28 Aug 1852, West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, Pa..
Children of Henry Kocher Jr. and Anna Maria are:
- +Joshua Kocher, b. 01 Aug 1784, Penn Township, Northumberland County, Pa., d. 28 Aug 1852, West Penn Township, Schuylkill County, Pa..
- Hannah Kocher, b. 27 May 178753.
- Mary Kocher, b. 25 Aug 1788.
- +George Washington Kocher, b. 09 Jul 1790, East Penn Township, Carbon County, Pa., d. Abt. 1858, French CreekTownship, Mercer County, Pa..
- +David Kocher, b. 23 Apr 1792, East Penn Township, Northampton (now Carbon County) County, Pa., d. 16 May 1840, Briar Creek Township, Columbia County, Pa..
- Christina Kocher, b. 08 Jul 1794.
- Samuel Kocher, b. 13 Dec 1796.
- Elizabeth Kocher, b. 28 Mar 1799.
- Susanna Kocher, b. 28 Feb 1801.
- Cassandra(Casy) Kocher, b. 24 Jul 1803.