Monday, October 6, 2014

Phillip Buchecker (1735 - 1792)

By the time of the American Revolution, Phillip Buchecker had established himself as a farmer in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. In 1760, when he was about 25 years old,  he purchased two tracts of land from his father, Valentine Buchecker.  Together the tracts amounted to 181 acres.

Phillip, at the age of 12 years,  was one of five children of Valentine Buchecker and his wife Anna Maria who arrived in Philadelphia aboard the ship Two Brothers on October 13, 1747. The family, from the area of Arnsheim, Pfaltz, Germany, included his sister Maria Catherine, who was born about 1730 and married William Morey; Balthazar, who was born around 1733; Phillip, born October 24, 1735; Maria Elizabeth, born about 1737 and Henrich, who was born about 1739.   The family settled in the area of Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

During the Revolutionary War, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act, dated June 13, 1777, that all able bodied men were required to sign the Oath of Allegiance, renouncing the authority of King George the III and declaring their support of the colonies in the struggle for independence. Phillip signed the Oath on June 17, 1778 under Justice of the Peace Jacob Morry. His brother, Baltzer had signed the Oath two weeks earlier on June the 3rd.  Both brothers served terms of enlistment in the Militia.

The  family name "Buchecker" has been  transcribed from the original handwritten records in so many different ways that it takes some diligent research to uncover documentation of the Bucheckers. The first record I found showed that in  1779  Philip Buchecker and his brother Baltzer Buschecker were both fined, perhaps for failure to show up for drill (s3,v6, page 733). 

Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, p. 83

In 1783 Phillip  Boucheacker (you can see his name here) served in the 1st Battalion of the Northampton County Militia lead by  Colonel George Hubner and Lieut. Col. Peter Saylor.  He was in the 7th class of the  2nd company under Christopher Johnson.  Serving in the 4th class was Balser Bockeacker, his brother.

And with determination in my search efforts   I found a service record for Philip Bugacker, Sr.,  1782, Private, 7th class, 4th Battalion, and Baltser Bugacker, 1782, Private, 4th class, 4th Battalion.  Also for  Philip Bugacher, Jr.,  1782, Private, 1st class, 4th Battalion, son of our Philip.  




Series: M637 Roll: 8 Page: 315
So why do you think  there are so many spelling variations?  The 1790 Census record has an even different spelling for the family name. How about Poeghaker! But here it is. Take a look at a photocopy of the original 1790 record.   Philip is next to the last name on this page.

Poeghaker, Philip, 1 white  male over 16 years, 6 white males under 16 years, 7 all white females
And brother  Balthazar is recorded on another page as:
Bocaker, Baltis, 3 white  male over 16 years, 2 white males under 16 years, 2 all white females

Not so easy to read these names is it?  Imagine the poor fellow who had to transcribe these records. 



Phillip acquired more land as these tax records show. Federal Tax 1786, Upper Saucon Township:
Buchecker, Philip  ...200 acres,  4 horses,  5 cattle,    tax 1.18.0 pounds. In 1788, Upper Saucon twp.,  Buchecker, Phillip...200 acres,  4 horses,  6 cattle, tax 1.17.6 pounds

Research shows that he died on March 27, 1791. I have not found a burial record.  From his estate record it is learned that he had 13 children.  This abstract shows, January 19, 1798,  Estate of Phillip (recorded as Peter) Bucheker, Upper Saucon (died nearly 7 years ago) Widow, Margaret, children; one of whom is now dead, a minor, without issue. Philip, Elisabeth, w/o Jacob Morry, Sabina, George, Ann Mary, w/o John Weber, Magdalena, Henry, Jacob, Daniel, Eve, Susanna, Peter.  A year later on April 11, 1799,  new guardians for 3 minor children of Philip Buchecker, Upper Saucon were patitioned of the court. Petition of Philip Buchecker, son of the deceased, filed for his younger siblings Eva, Susanna and Peter.

My link to Philip Buchecker is through his daughter Elizabeth who married Jacob Morey.  They resided in Upper Mount Bethel township, Northampton Co., PA and had a son named Tobias.  Tobias  married Margaret Weidman. Tobias and Margaret had a daughter, Catherine, who married Aaron Immick.  Their daughter Sarah E. Immick married Samuel Frey and had a son named Isaac Lantz Frey.  Isaac married Mary Alice Fangboner and had a daughter, Edna May, who married Earl Good. Their daughter Dorothy married Clarence Smith and they were the parents of Ronald Smith, my husband.

Sources:
Office for Recording of Deeds in and for the County of Northampton in Book E vol 1 page 227.
Proprietary, Supply, and State Tax Lists of the Counties of Northampton and Northumberland for the Years 1772 to 1787 (Google eBook) William Henry Egle.  W.S. Ray, State Printer of Pennsylvania, 1897 - 805 pages.
Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 8, page 351 -355. Also page 83.
Poeghaker, Philip, Census Record 1790,  Series: M637  Roll: 8  Page: 315  Pa, Northampton, Upper Saucon Twp, 1790.
                          Please see this list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors
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