Monday, October 29, 2018

Jacob Hubler (1711 – 1789)

Have you ever heard of the Committee of Observation of Northampton County? Yeah, neither had I.  But a little online research turned up an excellent article by Thomas Verenna for the Journal of American Revolution regarding the vital role they played in the success of the war effort. Among other duties it was their job to oversee the security of the frontier borders and to ensure that the militia and army were supplied with guns and ammunition.  Our ancestor, Jacob Hubler, who was too old to serve in the Revolutionary War,  was elected to represent Plainfield township on the Committee of Observation in Northampton County on October 2, 1775,    a service record recognized by the DAR. That is pretty impressive!  

Jan 27,1768, Jacob Hubler, 100 acres adjoining his other land
In fact our Jacob Hubler was a very impressive  character  to say the least.  He amassed an estate of over 400 acres in his lifetime and built an impressive structure, The Jacobsburg Inn, which was a residence,store and tavern serving the local area. He practiced farming and was a merchant in Plainfield Township, Northampton County.  After the war he was taxed 1 pound, 1 shilling in the first federal tax of 1788 on 350 acres of land, 3 houses and 5 cows. He called his estate Jacobsburg, a name recognized to this day as the Jacobsburg State Park.  Yes, that's right!  Jacobsburg State Park in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, well known for its Environmental Education Center and over 18 miles of trails, takes its name from the very property once owned by Jacob Hubler.

Hans Jacob Hubler was born December 4, 1711 in Twann, Switzerland where his family had lived for generations. He was 26 years old when he immigrated to America.  He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania aboard the ship "Virtuous Grace" on September 24, 1737. On the original list his name was spelled as Jacob Howbolare. 

Johann Jakob Hubler died on  May 7, 1789 at Jacobsburg, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, at the age of  77.  He was buried in an unmarked grave on the Jacobsburg farm. His estate was probated on May 9 of that year.  He left all the legacies he was to receive from the estate of his father, Hans Jacob Hoobler in Switzerland to his son, Jacob. Son Frederick received 100 pounds. His son-in-law, Michael Glass, who was married to daughter Christina, received 50 pounds. To granddaughter Magdelena Hollman, he bequeathed 25 pounds and to  his son-in-law, Christian Hollman, 100 pounds.  His sons, Abraham and Isaac, were given the land in Plainfield township known as Jacobsburg. 

He married  Anna Barbara (1712 -1795).  Their children were Jacob Hubler (2 Oct 1742-19 Dec 1811); Frederick Hubler born around 1745; Christina Hubler (14 Jun 1747-11 Apr 1813); Gottlieb Hubler born around 1748; Rosina Hubler (c 1749 -  6 Sep 1828); Abraham Hubler (20 Feb 1761-23 Dec 1838) and  Isaac Hubler (c 1764 - c 1794). Sons Frederick, Abraham and Isaac all saw service in the Revolutionary War as well as Christina's husband, Michael Glass and Rosina's husband, Christian Hollman. Imagine the conversation around that family reunion table back in the day!

So, where do we fit into this family tree?  Christina Hubler married Michael Glass and they had a daughter Elizabeth  who married Michael Diehl. Their daughter Catherine married Frederick Immick and had a son named Aaron who married Catherine Morey.  Their daughter Sarah E. Immick married Samuel Frey. Sam and Sarah had a son named Isaac Lantz Frey who married Mary Alice Fangboner.  And that brings us right to  Edna Frey, our dear Gram Good.  

Sources:
  • Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, Volume 14, page 597
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, http://www.dar.org, Ancestor #:A059558
  • Verenna, Thomas, Journal of the American Revolution, 'The Importance of Observation and Inspection' (2014), accessed September 29, 2018, https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/01/importance-observation-inspection/ 
  • 'Jacobsburg and the Henry Family', http://www.jacobsburghistory.com/history/
  • "Pennsylvania German Pioneers", by Ralph Beaver Strassburger; edited by William John Hinke, Genealogical Pub. Co. 1966 (pgs 507-509)
  • Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Original data: Warrant Applications, 1733-1952. Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania State Archives.  Land Warrants. Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, PA.
  • “An Index of Names Appearing in Church Records of Twenty-Eight Churches in the Easton Pubic Library” compiled by Personnel of the Works Progress Administration, Robert F. Ehret and the Staff of the Easton Public Library. Easton, Pa, 18042.
  • John Eyerman, Index of Wills of Northampton County, Will Abstracts.
  • "Hubler Family File", 'The Early Jacobsburg Purchases', Charles Sandwick, Northampton Co. Historical and Genealogical Society, Easton, PA.

                               Please see this list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors.  

                                             GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART


Your comments and suggestions below are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to see. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you. 

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4 comments:

  1. Hi, I absolutely enjoyed this story. Jacob Hubler (1711-1789) was my 7 times great-grandfather. Therefore, my grandmother was Anna Barbara Becker. One of my best friends, my "Grandmo", Velma Pear Hubler is the reason I have been researching the Hubler name. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. She passed in 1995 and I miss her everyday. She left with me many stories of her ancestors and childhood growing up in Pennsylvania. Thank you, Paula Mercer Butterworth

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    1. Sorry, that was a mistake to remove your comment. I meant to hit the reply button. Please be sure to visit the Jacobsburg park when you are in the area.

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  3. IF I did my back tracking right I am Jacob's granddaughter by way of his son Abraham. I am doing my research so I can share it with my kids and close family members who are interested in our ancestors. Any thing I find puts a smile on my face.

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