Notes from Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy Gateway, 2009/05/07
1781 Johan Adam Hoffman was born on 11 April 1781 to Barbara and Adam Hoffman
and was christened at the Lischy’s (St. Peter’s) Reformed Church, North
Codorus Township, York County, Pennsylvania. (To do: Original source not
seen).
1782 Adam Hoffman paid an excise tax of 4 pounds, 2 shillings, 6 pence in York
County.
1790 census Johan's father Adam Hoffman lived in Codorus Twp, York Co, PA.
The household had 2 males age 16+, 3 males under age 16 (Adam would be about
9), and 6 females.
1800 census Father Adam Hofman lived in Codorus Twp, York Co, PA with male
children age 16-25 (Adam would be about 19). In the same township were
Hassler (daughter Lydia's in-laws?) and Rule (Susanna's family?) families.
1802 Susanna Ruhl's birth has been reported on 7 Dec 1802 in Shrewsbury or
Codorus Twp, York Co, PA (documentation not seen).
1810 census Father Adam Hofman lived in Codorus Twp, York Co, PA with male
child age 25-44 (Adam or Michael?). Next door was John Hofman age 25-44 with
3 males age under 10 (Was this Johan Adam and Susanna? The male age fits
Adam's age, but the children do not fit with a marriage date of 1810).
Neighbors included Ludwick and John Rudisil; Henry Stambaugh; and Jacob,
Michael, and Jonas River. Similar neighbor families were listed in Codorus
Twp in 1820, so this is likely the same family.
1812 An Adam and a Jacob Hoffman were listed among the Pennsylvania Volunteers
in the War of 1812 on the Pay-roll, of Capt. J. Bakeoven's company, Second
brigade, division Pennsylvania militia, in the service of the United States,
under command of Col. John Thompson.
1820 census Father John (Adam) Hoffman and wife, both age 45+ lived in Codorus
Twp, York Co, PA with 2 males (John and Adam?) age 26-45 one male age 10-16, 2
males age less than 10, and one female age 16-26. Neighbors included Rudisil,
Stambaugh, Hartman, and James R(ivir?). Also in Codorus township were widow
Rule age 26+ with 3 young males and 2 young females and several Bortner
families and Reiver-Reaver families.
Note: Susannna's birthdate and the above 1820 census entry, suggesting that
Adam lived with his father, seem inconsistent with the marriage date (1813) of
Adam and Susanna and and the birthdates of their early childre
1830 census This Adam Hoffman age 40-50 and wife (Susanna?) age 30-40 lived in
Codorus Twp, York Co, PA with male children: 2 age 0-5, 1 age 6-10, 1 age
15-20; female children 1 age 0-5, 1 age 10-15 (Lydia?), and 1 age 15-20
(Adam's father has died). Nearby were families of Jacob Bortner age 30-40,
John Bortner age 30-40, Michael Bortner age 50-60, Christian Rohrbach age
40-50, Elizabeth Ruhle age 20-30, George Hassler age 30-40, and Jacob Bortner
age 50-60 (female parent age 70-80). Henry Rhule age 40-50 was on the next
page. John Hoffman age 40-50 was listed 14 pages later living next to
Rudiswil.
1834 Adam Hofman of York County Pennsylvania was granted land in section 7,
Twp 19-N, Range 20-W in (Morrow Co) Ohio by president Andrew Jackson:
certificate 2519 issued at the Wooster Land Office. According to the 1880
history of Morrow County by Baskin, this was the land on which son Michael
later lived. In 1857, son Michael lived on section 7 of North Bloomfield Twp,
Morrow Co, Ohio. Land records for other nearby landowners clarify that North
Bloomfield Twp in Morrow County corresponds to Twp 19-N, Range 20-W in the BLM
records with corresponding section numbers.
1835 The family moved from PA to Morrow Co, Ohio. Both parents died in Morrow
Co.
1839 The obituary of son Jesse indicated that the family moved first to
Crawford Co, Ohio where Susanna died, and that Jesse then moved to Morrow Co,
Ohio with relatives.
1840 census Adam Hoffman 50-60 lived in Bloomfield Twp, Richland Co, Ohio with
males 1 age 0-5, 1 age 5-10 (Jesse), 1 age 10-15(George, John, or Adam?), 1
age 15-20 (Samuel), 2 age 20-30 (Jacob and Michael) and 1 female age 10-15
(Polly or Eliza?). It appears that Susanna had already died. Daughter Lydia
and son-in-law Henry Hosler lived in the same Township.
1843 The will of Adam Huffman (sic) was dated 16 April in Congress Twp in
Richland Co, Ohio. The date of probate was not given, but the entry before it
was dated 14 August, suggesting that the will may not have been presented to
the court until then. Adam Left 50 cents to each of his sons Michael and
Adam. To sons and daughters, excepting the above, money was to be divided
equally from the sale of the estate. George Rule was named as guardian of son
John until age 21 and (son-in-law) Henry R. Hosler was named as guardian of
son Jesse until age 21. The guardians were instructed to give the children a
good English education and to put them in a trade when old enough. Executors
were son Jacob Hoffman and George Rule. Witnesses: George Rule, George B.
Hosler (note; this is the father of Henry Hosler). John Rule, George B
Hosler, and Michael Kleinfelter were named by the court as appraisers of the
estate. Items were purchased at the estate sale by sons Jacob and Samuel and
son-in-law Henry Hosler. Henry Bowman bought many items. Perhaps Henry
Bowman was another son-in-law. Neither Michael nor Adam bought items at the
sale in 1844.
ListDocs Copies of original documents of Adam Hoffman estate settlement,
1843.
1843 May 29 Adam was buried at St John's Cemetery, Perry Twp, Morrow Co, Ohio
(The date of death has sometimes been transcribed incorrectly as 1848, as in
Dull Early Settlers, but the birthdate and age at death of 62 y 1 m 10 d and
the will date agree on the year of death being 1843.).
Website Adam Hoffman was buried in Morrow County, Ohio, 1843.
Photo Gravestone of Adam Hoffman, St John's Cemetery, Morrow Co, Ohio.
1850 census. Adam Hoffman had died. George B Hosler, age 55, and Catharine,
age 57, (parents of son-in-law George Hosler) lived in Perry Twp, Morrow Co,
Ohio. Nearby were Susan Hoffman age 6 and Catharine Hoffman age 5 in the
house of Jacob Staffer. The young Hoffman's could be Adam's grand-children
through deceased son Jacob. (To do: get the records of Jacob to find out the
names of his children).
1855 Adam's estate was settled by George Ruhl. The co-executor Jacob Hoffman
(likely Adam's son) had died. Some debts had been paid in full before the
total value of the estate was known. The estate was valued at $413.73.
Twenty-nine debts totaling $516.62 were paid at 93 cents on the dollar,
including ones to George B Hosler (father-in-law of Adam's daughter Lydia);
Michael, Jacob, and Samuel Huffman (likely Adam's sons); Lavering and Rule (a
retail store); and to George and John Ruhl. A Michael and Henry Kleinfelter
were named. (copy of original available).
Website Copies of original documents of Adam Hoffman estate settlement,
1855
The 1880 Morrow County History by Baskin recorded the following biography of
Adam's son Michael Hoffman.
"Michael Hoffman, ... his father, Adam Hoffman, was a native of York Co., and
was of German descent; his mother, Susan (Ruhl) Hoffman, was also from York
Co. Mr. Hoffman's father was a good mechanic and wagonmaking was his principal
business. He emigrated to this state in 1838, and settled on forty acres of
Government land (where Michael, now lives); after a residence of only three
years on the farm, he moved to the village of Woodbury and worked at his trade
the rest of his life; he died in 1838. " The death date of 1838 is an error,
it should be 1848.
1897 Several children were documented by the probate record of son Adam
Hoffman, who died 15 Oct, 1897 in Noble Co, Indiana. The record listed
brothers John Sr, Jesse, Samuel, Michael Hoffman and sisters Polly Bowman,
Lydia Hosler, Eliza Humpsbaugher.
ListDocs Noble County probate abstract for Adam Hoffman.
Susanna's birthdate has been reported as 7 Dec 1802, which is inconsistent
with her marriage date (1810) and the birthdate of her firstborn child Michael
(reported in one biography as 1813). It is not known which dates are wrong
and which are correct.