_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1734 - 1814) m 1759 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1786 - 1874) m 1815| | |_Mary WHITENACK _____+ | (1740 - 1806) m 1759 _George K. BOCKOVEN _| | (1821 - 1889) m 1852| | | _____________________ | | | | |_Margaret SMITH _____| | (1795 - 1853) m 1815| | |_____________________ | | |--Fanny BOCKOVEN | (1854 - 1924) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Margaret TALMADGE __| (1823 - 1892) m 1852| | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_John BOCKOVEN ______+ | (1774 - 1824) m 1800 _Cornelius Vanderbilt BOCKOVEN _| | (1818 - 1897) m 1840 | | |_Helenah VANDERBILT _ | (1779 - 1848) m 1800 _Henry Cronise BOCKOVEN _| | (1847 - 1916) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Elizabeth LAMBRIGHT ___________| | m 1840 | | |_____________________ | | |--Frank Snyder BOCKOVEN | (1882 - 1954) | _____________________ | | | ________________________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Julia SNYDER ___________| | | _____________________ | | |________________________________| | |_____________________
According to the family bible printed in 1792, he was born in "Elsus in French Germany." The old "Elsus" (Alsace) was a big place. It would be nearly impossible to locate the family if we had to search the church records of every village. Only a couple possible immigration records have been found: Johann Jorg Bachhoffen and Hans George Bakhoffer arrived on the ship Phoenix from Rotterdam arriving 22 nov 1752 at Philadelphia, without notation of place of origin. One place where Bachofen is known is Fehraltorff, Zurich, Switzerland. At least one family from there came to Basel and then to Alsace, but to which town?
Another possibilty to be explored was suggested by The Palatine Families of New York 1710 (Henry Z. Jones, Jr.), where the origin of the Whitenack (Weidknecht) and Castner families is traced to Adelshof and Elsenz, Baden, Germany. These families knew each other in Germany and became connected with the Bockovens after immigrating to the New World. Could the reference to Elsuss be an error for Elsenz, qualified with "in French Germany" at a later date when the information was set down in a family Bible? It is not known who wrote the entry, but it was apparently not George himself. His handwriting is known from the pay slips he signed for his company in the Revolutionary War, and it does not match the writing in the bible record.
Family traditions collected in 1950 by Gertrude Vanderhoff of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, included the following statement:
"George Bockoven came to America when about 14 years of age. Two brothers Jacob and Peter came with him."
Another family tradition reported by Sandra Bockoven says the family sailed from Rotterdam, a very popular port for Germans leaving the Palatinate in those days. If these traditions are true, the Bockoven brothers, and perhaps the rest of their family, would have come to American in 1748.
The arrival of Johann Georg and/or Hans Georg Bachofen in 1752 on the Phoenix is likely not our man. A few years later, apparently the same Johann George Backoven was naturalized at Philadelphia, had wife Sarah, and baptized at least 6 children at Philadelphia, at the same time our George should have been in New Jersey. Moreover, we find no trace of Peter and Jacob in the extant passenger lists. We have not learned where the George in Philadelphia came from.
Faced with the difficulty of searching all the church records of Alsace, we waited. We got lucky: in 2006, we found a listing in the International Genealogical Index (IGI) for Johann Georg Bachoffen baptised on 15 sep 1734 at Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, France, as a result of the "Controlled Extraction" program of the LDS Church. It would be almost impossibly improbable if this were not our man. Moreover, Johann Georg had brothers of the right names who survived until at least 1748, after which the family seems to have left Bischwiller. This recalls the tradition cited by Mrs. Vanderhoff, which required George to arrive in the American Colonies in 1748.
A pamphlet entitled Topography of Washington's Camp of 1780 and its Neighborhood (Morristown, New Jersey), identified further as a paper read by Emory McClintock before the Washington Association of New Jersey at their meeting of February 22, 1894 (www.webroots.org/library/usahist/towncnj00.html) contains an interesting mention, in a description of the estate of Peter Kemble: "Mr. Kemble had four or five different farms rented to good tenants, one of whom in particular, George Bockoven, appears to have been trusted by him as a personal friend." This statement may refer to provisions in the will of Peter Kemble: in his will dated November 30, 1765 and proved 07 jul 1792, he left to his "Son Peter, plantation in Morristown (known as No. 1) now in occupation of Uric Baccover; also... Son, Robert, plantation in Morristown, (No. 2) occupied by Mary Baccover, widow of Pieter Baccover, ..." George Bockover signed as one of the witnesses. (These names are based on the published abstract of the will in the New Jersey Archives series. The original will, now in tatters, clearly says Baccoven rather than Baccover, and the witness signed George Bockoven [FHL microfilm 0550491, probate file 792N].) One problem is to identify "Uric". In early Morris County, there were a many Dutch families, and it seems that a number of names became "Hollandized" (including, apparently Bachofen, which was transformed into Baccover, etc.). We understand that Yorick, Jurgen, Jorg, etc. are all variants of the name we know in English as George. It is possible that Kemble wrote "Uric", equivalent to "Jorg", and that our George, having acquired an education at some point, was actually the "Uric" in question, but signed himself "George". Certainly, by late 1765, he was the head of a family of 6 and very probably a tenant farmer. Kemble did not die until 1789, and it is possible more clues about Geoge Bockoven can be gleaned from the estate file. Among other things, George testified as to the authenticity of the will and helped prepare the inventory.
Note that the process of "Hollandization" was certainly operating, either when the original documents were copied into the official will books, or else as late as the 20th Century when the documents were abstracted for the New Jersey Archives series. The very clear signature, Bockoven, was repeatedly transformed into Bockover!
Apart from the apparent transformation of George into Uric, however, it is the occupants of Plantation No. 2 who present even greater interest. They are almost certainly George's parents! There is no other Peter Bockoven who should have died in Morristown at such an early date, and the name of his wife is correct.
[4282] Bible records copied and photocopied show "Elsus in French Germany". Tradition says that George came to America with brothers Jacob and Peter, when he was 14 (about 1748). Same date on his modern tombstone.
[4283] Basking Ridge Presbyterian Cemetery. The recent transcript of that cemetery gives his exact birth and death dates, but family records show the original stone had become unreadable by 1951 and was replaced.
_Johann Georg BACHOFFEN _____+ | (1648 - 1709) m 1668 _Johann Georg BACHOFFEN _| | (.... - 1709) m 1702 | | |_Margaretha THURING _________+ | (.... - 1725) m 1668 _Johann Peter BACHOFFEN _| | (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | | _Jean Pierre (Peter) HEUSCH _+ | | | (1633 - 1702) m 1666 | |_Anna Maria HEUSCH ______| | (1681 - ....) m 1702 | | |_Elizabeth MICHEL ___________+ | m 1666 | |--George BOCKOVEN | (1734 - 1814) | _Jacob GSELL ________________ | | m 1667 | _Johann Conrad GSELL ____| | | (1677 - 1752) m 1707 | | | |_Anna KREISS ________________ | | m 1667 |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL _| (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | _Jean PR�V�T ________________+ | | (1625 - 1692) m 1653 |_Maria Esther PR�V�T ____| (1677 - 1714) m 1707 | |_Anne HOUSSEL _______________+ (1632 - 1705) m 1653
According to his testimony in support of his mother's Revolutionary War widow's pension application in 1837, he moved with his mother to Delaware Co., OH in 1823. He might perhaps be the father of the child recorded at Basking Ridge 08 sep 1816, Mary Anne daughter of George Bockoven, Jr.
_Johann Georg BACHOFFEN _____+ | (.... - 1709) m 1702 _Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______| | (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | |_Anna Maria HEUSCH __________+ | (1681 - ....) m 1702 _Jacob BOCKOVEN ______| | (.... - 1819) | | | _Johann Conrad GSELL ________+ | | | (1677 - 1752) m 1707 | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______| | (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | |_Maria Esther PR�V�T ________+ | (1677 - 1714) m 1707 | |--George BOCKOVEN | (1774 - 1846) | _Michael Andreas WEIDKNECHT _+ | | (1672 - ....) m 1697 | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _| | | (1698 - ....) | | | |_Margaretha Barbara ERICH ___+ | | (.... - 1726) m 1697 |_Elizabeth WHITENACK _| (1746 - 1838) | | _____________________________ | | |_Anna _____ __________________| | |_____________________________
[14722] Bockoven family records
[14721] Family record says 1814, but the record of Rev. Robert Finley of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church says 1815.
_Johann Georg BACHOFFEN _____+ | (.... - 1709) m 1702 _Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______| | (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | |_Anna Maria HEUSCH __________+ | (1681 - ....) m 1702 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1734 - 1814) m 1759| | | _Johann Conrad GSELL ________+ | | | (1677 - 1752) m 1707 | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______| | (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | |_Maria Esther PR�V�T ________+ | (1677 - 1714) m 1707 | |--George BOCKOVEN | (1786 - 1874) | _Michael Andreas WEIDKNECHT _+ | | (1672 - ....) m 1697 | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _| | | (1698 - ....) | | | |_Margaretha Barbara ERICH ___+ | | (.... - 1726) m 1697 |_Mary WHITENACK _____| (1740 - 1806) m 1759| | _____________________________ | | |_Anna _____ __________________| | |_____________________________
_Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1734 - 1814) m 1759| | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _Abraham BOCKOVEN ___| | (1763 - 1851) m 1785| | | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _+ | | | (1698 - ....) | |_Mary WHITENACK _____| | (1740 - 1806) m 1759| | |_Anna _____ __________________ | | |--George BOCKOVEN | (1788 - 1848) | ______________________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |______________________________ | | |_Elizabeth THOMAS ___| (1765 - 1845) m 1785| | ______________________________ | | |_____________________| | |______________________________
_Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1734 - 1814) m 1759| | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _John BOCKOVEN ______| | (1774 - 1824) m 1800| | | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _+ | | | (1698 - ....) | |_Mary WHITENACK _____| | (1740 - 1806) m 1759| | |_Anna _____ __________________ | | |--George BOCKOVEN | (1808 - 1885) | ______________________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |______________________________ | | |_Helenah VANDERBILT _| (1779 - 1848) m 1800| | ______________________________ | | |_____________________| | |______________________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1734 - 1814) m 1759 _John BOCKOVEN ______| | (1774 - 1824) m 1800| | |_Mary WHITENACK _____+ | (1740 - 1806) m 1759 _Samuel Vanderbilt BOCKOVEN _| | (1800 - 1876) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Helenah VANDERBILT _| | (1779 - 1848) m 1800| | |_____________________ | | |--George BOCKOVEN | (1827 - ....) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Polly CARR _________________| (1805 - 1866) | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1786 - 1874) m 1815 _Peter Smith BOCKOVEN _| | (1828 - 1890) m 1852 | | |_Margaret SMITH _____ | (1795 - 1853) m 1815 _George Wilson BOCKOVEN _| | (1858 - ....) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Marvina Merrett DOTY _| | (1834 - 1908) m 1852 | | |_____________________ | | |--George Archibald BOCKOVEN | (1891 - 1980) | _____________________ | | | _______________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Sally BAXTER ___________| | | _____________________ | | |_______________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1786 - 1874) m 1815 _Abraham B. BOCKOVEN _| | (1822 - 1899) m 1842 | | |_Margaret SMITH _____ | (1795 - 1853) m 1815 _Joseph DeCoster BOCKOVEN _| | (1843 - ....) m 1869 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Nancy DECOSTER ______| | (1823 - 1898) m 1842 | | |_____________________ | | |--George Arthur BOCKOVEN | (1878 - 1944) | _____________________ | | | ______________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Phoebe Irene MILLS _______| (1841 - 1920) m 1869 | | _____________________ | | |______________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1734 - 1814) m 1759 _John BOCKOVEN ______| | (1774 - 1824) m 1800| | |_Mary WHITENACK _____+ | (1740 - 1806) m 1759 _George BOCKOVEN ________| | (1808 - 1885) m 1839 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Helenah VANDERBILT _| | (1779 - 1848) m 1800| | |_____________________ | | |--George E. BOCKOVEN | | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Laura Eliza SOUTHWORTH _| (1816 - 1877) m 1839 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1734 - 1814) m 1759 _John BOCKOVEN ______| | (1774 - 1824) m 1800| | |_Mary WHITENACK _____+ | (1740 - 1806) m 1759 _Cornelius Vanderbilt BOCKOVEN _| | (1818 - 1897) m 1840 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Helenah VANDERBILT _| | (1779 - 1848) m 1800| | |_____________________ | | |--George Edward BOCKOVEN | (1856 - 1933) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Elizabeth LAMBRIGHT ___________| m 1840 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1786 - 1874) m 1815 _Peter Smith BOCKOVEN _| | (1828 - 1890) m 1852 | | |_Margaret SMITH _____ | (1795 - 1853) m 1815 _Morris Doty BOCKOVEN __| | (1854 - 1932) m 1875 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Marvina Merrett DOTY _| | (1834 - 1908) m 1852 | | |_____________________ | | |--George Ernest BOCKOVEN | (1882 - 1887) | _____________________ | | | _______________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Amanda Orvilla FRANCE _| m 1875 | | _____________________ | | |_______________________| | |_____________________
_Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1734 - 1814) m 1759| | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1786 - 1874) m 1815| | | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _+ | | | (1698 - ....) | |_Mary WHITENACK _____| | (1740 - 1806) m 1759| | |_Anna _____ __________________ | | |--George K. BOCKOVEN | (1821 - 1889) | ______________________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |______________________________ | | |_Margaret SMITH _____| (1795 - 1853) m 1815| | ______________________________ | | |_____________________| | |______________________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1734 - 1814) m 1759 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1786 - 1874) m 1815| | |_Mary WHITENACK _____+ | (1740 - 1806) m 1759 _Abraham B. BOCKOVEN _| | (1822 - 1899) m 1842 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Margaret SMITH _____| | (1795 - 1853) m 1815| | |_____________________ | | |--George L. BOCKOVEN | (1854 - ....) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Nancy DECOSTER ______| (1823 - 1898) m 1842 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1734 - 1814) m 1759 _Abraham BOCKOVEN ___| | (1763 - 1851) m 1785| | |_Mary WHITENACK _____+ | (1740 - 1806) m 1759 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1788 - 1848) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Elizabeth THOMAS ___| | (1765 - 1845) m 1785| | |_____________________ | | |--George Miller BOCKOVEN | (1842 - 1899) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Sarah Ann _____ ____| (1805 - 1850) | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_Abraham B. BOCKOVEN _+ | (1822 - 1899) m 1842 _Joseph DeCoster BOCKOVEN _| | (1843 - ....) m 1869 | | |_Nancy DECOSTER ______ | (1823 - 1898) m 1842 _George Arthur BOCKOVEN _| | (1878 - 1944) m 1909 | | | ______________________ | | | | |_Phoebe Irene MILLS _______| | (1841 - 1920) m 1869 | | |______________________ | | |--George Mills BOCKOVEN | (1912 - 1986) | ______________________ | | | ___________________________| | | | | | |______________________ | | |_Marietta PARCELLS ______| (1872 - 1954) m 1909 | | ______________________ | | |___________________________| | |______________________
_Abraham BOCKOVEN ___+ | (1763 - 1851) m 1785 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1788 - 1848) | | |_Elizabeth THOMAS ___ | (1765 - 1845) m 1785 _George Miller BOCKOVEN _| | (1842 - 1899) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Sarah Ann _____ ____| | (1805 - 1850) | | |_____________________ | | |--George William BOCKOVEN | (1865 - 1915) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_________________________| | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1734 - 1814) m 1759 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1786 - 1874) m 1815| | |_Mary WHITENACK _____+ | (1740 - 1806) m 1759 _Peter Smith BOCKOVEN _| | (1828 - 1890) m 1852 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Margaret SMITH _____| | (1795 - 1853) m 1815| | |_____________________ | | |--George Wilson BOCKOVEN | (1858 - ....) | _____________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Marvina Merrett DOTY _| (1834 - 1908) m 1852 | | _____________________ | | |_____________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1786 - 1874) m 1815 _Peter Smith BOCKOVEN _| | (1828 - 1890) m 1852 | | |_Margaret SMITH _____ | (1795 - 1853) m 1815 _Morris Doty BOCKOVEN __| | (1854 - 1932) m 1875 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Marvina Merrett DOTY _| | (1834 - 1908) m 1852 | | |_____________________ | | |--Gertrude Florence BOCKOVEN | (1879 - 1895) | _____________________ | | | _______________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Amanda Orvilla FRANCE _| m 1875 | | _____________________ | | |_______________________| | |_____________________
_Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1734 - 1814) m 1759| | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1786 - 1874) m 1815| | | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _+ | | | (1698 - ....) | |_Mary WHITENACK _____| | (1740 - 1806) m 1759| | |_Anna _____ __________________ | | |--Gertrude S. BOCKOVEN | (1824 - 1885) | ______________________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |______________________________ | | |_Margaret SMITH _____| (1795 - 1853) m 1815| | ______________________________ | | |_____________________| | |______________________________
_John BOCKOVEN ______+ | (1774 - 1824) m 1800 _Cornelius Vanderbilt BOCKOVEN _| | (1818 - 1897) m 1840 | | |_Helenah VANDERBILT _ | (1779 - 1848) m 1800 _George Edward BOCKOVEN _| | (1856 - 1933) m 1883 | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Elizabeth LAMBRIGHT ___________| | m 1840 | | |_____________________ | | |--Glen Cornelius BOCKOVEN | (1884 - 1934) | _____________________ | | | ________________________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Fanny Editha LAWRENCE __| m 1883 | | _____________________ | | |________________________________| | |_____________________
_George BOCKOVEN ____+ | (1786 - 1874) m 1815 _Peter Smith BOCKOVEN _| | (1828 - 1890) m 1852 | | |_Margaret SMITH _____ | (1795 - 1853) m 1815 _George Wilson BOCKOVEN _| | (1858 - ....) | | | _____________________ | | | | |_Marvina Merrett DOTY _| | (1834 - 1908) m 1852 | | |_____________________ | | |--Grace BOCKOVEN | (1887 - ....) | _____________________ | | | _______________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Sally BAXTER ___________| | | _____________________ | | |_______________________| | |_____________________
It is likely that she had more children than we can account for from church records and the will of her husband.
[4294] Basking Ridge Presbyterian Cemetery
[14710] Bockoven family record has marriage as 24/28 jan 1779.
_Johann Georg BACHOFFEN _____+ | (.... - 1709) m 1702 _Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______| | (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | |_Anna Maria HEUSCH __________+ | (1681 - ....) m 1702 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1734 - 1814) m 1759| | | _Johann Conrad GSELL ________+ | | | (1677 - 1752) m 1707 | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______| | (.... - 1765) m 1732 | | |_Maria Esther PR�V�T ________+ | (1677 - 1714) m 1707 | |--Hannah BOCKOVEN | (1761 - 1804) | _Michael Andreas WEIDKNECHT _+ | | (1672 - ....) m 1697 | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _| | | (1698 - ....) | | | |_Margaretha Barbara ERICH ___+ | | (.... - 1726) m 1697 |_Mary WHITENACK _____| (1740 - 1806) m 1759| | _____________________________ | | |_Anna _____ __________________| | |_____________________________
_Johann Peter BACHOFFEN ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _George BOCKOVEN ____| | (1734 - 1814) m 1759| | |_Maria Elisabetha GSELL ______+ | (.... - 1765) m 1732 _John BOCKOVEN ______| | (1774 - 1824) m 1800| | | _Blakert (Eliakim) WHITENACK _+ | | | (1698 - ....) | |_Mary WHITENACK _____| | (1740 - 1806) m 1759| | |_Anna _____ __________________ | | |--Hannah BOCKOVEN | (1805 - 1897) | ______________________________ | | | _____________________| | | | | | |______________________________ | | |_Helenah VANDERBILT _| (1779 - 1848) m 1800| | ______________________________ | | |_____________________| | |______________________________