JOHN B. STOVER & MICHAEL WOLF - 1880 CENSUS

JOHN B. STOVER & MICHAEL WOLF - 1880 CENSUS:

Per the 1880 Census for East Earl Township in Lancaster County, PA;

John B. Stover (42) with wife Catherine (37) and children: William (18), John J (13), Anna (11), Harry (7), Fanny (5), Charles (4), Emma (2) and Milton (2) are listed as dwelling  430 on pg. 172.

The next entry in dwelling 431 on pg. 172 is the  household is the of Michael Wolf, consisting of: Michael Wolf (64), Lydia (60), Ann (20), Mary (21), Issac (18), and Catharine (71) listed as sister and feeble. These are the parents of Lazarus Wolf, who is listed in the same census on page 176. 

In my head, I wondered how John J. Stover would have met Mary Ida Wolf.  I suspect that she would visit her grandparents, Michael and Lydia, and in the course of this visiting had opportunity to meet the neighbors on the next farm and their kids - the John B. Stovers, including son John J. Stover. I seriously doubt I will ever know for sure, but this is a reasonable guess.

THE 6 AFFLERBACH BOYS WHO IMMIGRATED TO PENNSYLVANIA

THE 6 AFFLERBACH BOYS WHO IMMIGRATED TO PENNSYLVANIA:

Originally 6 young men immigrated from Wittgenstein, Germany to Philadelphia.  By various census records, marriage records, tax records, and stories - the men can be tracked from Philadelphia to Bucks County, PA and beyond.  In Bucks County is a small town named Applebachsville.  I have walked many of the graveyards around Applebachsville, Haycock, and Strawntown and there are many stones with the Afflerbach or Applebach (or variations) name.  The families were large in Germany and would continue to be so in the USA. Twins are also an interesting feature of this family.  The author of one of the books, Jost Afflerbach, is a fraternal twin.  My father is also a fraternal twin, and his father was an identical.  By looking thru various records and talking to family members, twins are a common occurrence in this family.

The first immigrant young man was Johann Daniel Afflerbach (Daniel Applebach) who immigrated in 1766 and later fought for his new country with the Pennsylvania militia.  He was followed by a cousin (once removed?) Johann Heinrich Afflerbach (Henry Afflerbach) in 1770 - he would also fight for his new country. The next young man was Daniel's brother Ludwig Afflerbach (Lewis Afflerbach/Applebach) who would immigrate in 1773 and also fight for his new country. Next would come Daniel's nephew Johannes Jost Afflerbach (Joseph Afflerbach) in 1796, and then another cousin (once removed?) George Konrad Afflerbach, and finally another nephew Johann Heinrich  Afflerbach (Henry Applebach) in 1807.

In the mid 1800's a few more family members immigrated, but my understanding is that they arrived in Texas and truthfully, while I am aware of them, I don't know much about them.  Varge Applebach moved around with the military and finally lived in Texas and there was some contact between him and those family members. Maybe someday there will be a book about them as well, but not currently that I know of.

The original 6 young men were trained as blacksmiths, but also worked as carpenters.  Ludwig had a freight company that went back and forth between Bucks County and Philadelphia. His tombstone has an informative life story for him.  These young men came to the US as single men, and married girls from German families once here.  Whether they knew each other in Germany, or only met in the US is currently unknown.  Daniel married Dorothea Popp in 1772. Henry Afflerbach married Maria Renshimer in 1780. Ludwig married Anna ______ in 1778, and Mary Magdalena (widow of Kessler) in 1805. Joseph would marry Maria Stonebach in 1799, and George would marry Elizabeth _____, and Henry would marry Anna Elizabeth Triede in 1809.

Little is known about George Konrad once he got to the US.  There is a story that during the War of 1812 he fought on the side of the British, which probably would have put him on the outs with his American loving relatives. What records are known point to George remaining in Philadelphia with his wife and children. 

JOHANN HEINRICH AFFLERBACH (HENRY APPLEBACH) 1782-1840

JOHANN HEINRICH AFFLERBACH (HENRY APPLEBACH) 1782-1840:  Henry immigrated to America on the ship "William P. Johnson", and arrived in Philadelphia on 03 December 1807. According to the below immigration roster, all he brought with him was one container of clothes.

Henry is about halfway down the first column on the left hand side (click on image to enlarge).  In another record, I have seen him described as "middle sized with flaxen hair and grey eyes".  Many of the boys in this family were blacksmiths in the "old country".  According to Pennsylvania German Marriages pg. 346, he married Anna Elizabeth Triede/Truede on 05 Sept. 1809 in Philadelphia at the First Reformed Church. According to Six Afflerbach Emigrants Who Came to Pennsylvania and their Descendants 1750-1930 by Jane K. Thompson (2009), Henry worked at the government armory at Harper's Ferry making musket stocks during the War of 1812.

Johann Heinrich Afflerbach (Henry Applebach) was the son of Johann Wilhelm Afflerbach (1742-1809), the grandson of Johann Heinrich Afflerbach (1703-1759), the gr-grandson of Johannes Afflerbach (1670-1729), the gr-gr-grandson of Hans Herman Afflerbach ( ? - 1672), and the gr-gr-gr grandson of Paul Affholderbach (1594-1696). He is my immigrant ancestor on the Applebach side.

Currently, I know of 3 published books on the Affholderbach/Afflerbach/Applebach families: 1) the above book by Thompson, 2) Wittgensteiner  Geschlechterbuch by Werner Afflerbach (2001), and 3) Familienbuch Afholderbach-Afflerbach by Karl und Jost Afflerbach (1986). The book by Thompson is in English, the other two are in German. All of them are well researched and worth looking at (or owning) if you are a family member. The two in German concentrate on the German side of the family, Thompson's book concentrates on the US branches.