I have found two different sources that give her birth and death dates. They are in agreement on the date of death and one said born 2 Jan 1762 (perhaps citing her tombstone), the other 2 Feb 1762. (The source that said 2 Feb was apparently based on the family bible, so I have gone with it.)

The fact that her father was Heinrich Heffner is also as stated in several different sources. The only discordant note in all of this is that her parents baptized three children at Moselem Church between 1758 and 1768 and Maria Elizabeth was not among them, but the family bible overrules this omission.

She can be accounted for with her husband in 1790-1820, is no doubt with him in 1830 but I’m not sure which household is his and then she is on her own in 1840, after her husband has died, near her sons.

There are two birth records at Moselem regarding a son of John Jacob and Eva Marie who they named John Jacob. “John Jacob Hummel, son of Johan Jacob Hummel and wife Eva Maria Turkin, born 24 Dec 1754, baptized 26 Dec 1754.” “Johan Jacob Hummel, son of Johan Jacob and Eva Marie, born 21 Feb 1756 baptized 22 Feb 1756." I think it is clear that the first John Jacob died in infancy and the couple used the same name for a later son.

THE HUMMELS WHARF HUMMELS

According to the book “Biographical and Genealogical Annals of Northumberland County” by J L Floyd, the Hummels came to this area from Berks County along with the Hilbishes and Mertzes. I already knew, when I read that statement, that the families had become intertwined by the marriage of Amelia Amanda, daughter of Benjamin and Catherine (Hilbish) Hummel, to George Peter Mertz. So my sense of what Floyd was saying was that the families knew each other in Berks County and came to Northumberland County more or less at the same time.

But nothing could be further from the truth. These families came at different times and from different places -- the Mertzes from Longswamp Township in the mid-late 1780’s, the Hummels from Richmond or Windsor Township in the mid-1790’s and the Hilbishes from Montgomery County in 1802.

The date the Hummels came to Snyder County is not well fixed. Fisher says 1793 but the land records he cites can only prove they were there by 1797 when Jacob was listed as an additional taxable in Penns Township. And in 1797 or 1799, in Penns Township, he was listed as a distiller. He last appeared in the records of Moselem Church in 1794.

So it was sometime in the 1790’s but in any event the Hummels became large land owners on the river just north of Selinsgrove and Hummels Wharf was clearly named for them.

1790. Lives in Windsor Twp, Berks Co.

1800. Jacob Hummel lives in Penns Twp, North'd County. There are several problems with the Census listing for what must be him. He is 45+ (though 44 actually) and living with him are 3 younger males -- there should be 4, the one age 10-15 is no doubt Benjamin age 12. Also present in the household are 7 females: 1 26-44 which could be his wife (Maria Elizabeth is 38) and 1 45+ (perhaps his mother-in-law Eva Maria age 70) and 5 younger ones, which seems too many. Also in Penns Twp are Frederick, Georges and Henry Hummel.

1810. Jacob Hummel innkeeper lives in Penns Twp, North'd County. He is age 45+ (54 actually) as is his wife (48 actually). Benjamin (22) is probably among the 5 males age 16-25. There are also 4 young males and 7 additional females living with he, his wife and their 5 older sons. This must be an older child of theirs with their spouse and young family. Jacob Jr. is also a head of household nearby, age 26-45, so it is not him. Also in Penns Twp are Frederick Hummel and John Hamel.

1820. Three Jacob Hummels are reported in Penn Twp, Union County. All of them and their respective wives are reported in the 26-45 age bracket. One of them is Jacob Jr. who is indeed 40. Another I believe is the 32 year old son of George Adam. Is the third Jacob Sr. who is 66 and his wife 56? Did something get mis-reported as to this household? Where is he, if not misreported?

1830. Jacob Sr. lives in Penns Twp near his sons.

1840. His widow, Elizabeth, survives him and lives in Penns.

His will was written 20 Jun 1829 and proved 9 Mar 1832. Meiser says the will says he was a resident of Penns Twp and the will mentions wife Elizabeth and eight children including Benjamin. I found the will at UCCH and it is a classic but is not the will Meiser describes. “20 Jun 1829. It is the last will & testament of Jacob Hummel that my oldest son Jacob and Daniel Ott my son-in-law shall be my executors. They settle all as soon as possible. They shall give the sons-in-law as equally as they can. (signed then amended) And when they shall have settled all equal & one begins a law suit he shall have no right & pay all costs -- this is my last will & testament. (signed).” It proved 9 Mar 1832.

The DAR lists him as “Jacob Hummel: b 21 Feb 1756 PA d 22 Feb 1832 PA m (1) Anna Elizabeth Heffner PS PA”

Charles A Fisher in “Snyder County Pioneers” writes this about John Jacob Hummel. “Jacob was one of the older children of John Jacob Hummel and Eva Marie DeTurk. The elder John Jacob was born about 1725 in Germany and came to America in 1743 and died in 1773 in Windsor Twp, Berks Co. The son Jacob was born 21 Feb 1756 in Windsor and died 22 Feb 1832 in or near Selinsgrove. He was a soldier with the Berks Militia. His wife was Elizabeth Heffner of Berks. They married 17 Aug 1779 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading. Elizabeth was born 2 Jan 1762 died 5 Apr 1846 daughter of Heinrich Heffner and Eva Maria Kelchner. Jacob and Elizabeth are both buried at First Lutheran Church, Selinsgrove where they had been active members.

They supposedly came to (what is now) Monroe Twp, Snyder Co in 1793. In 1797, he bought 443 acres of land in Monroe Twp for 3550 pounds (gold). In 1799, he was assessed for the “Rising Sun Inn” near present Hummels Wharf. His widow was still alive on 4 Apr 1835. Their children were .... Benjamin (1788-1869) who married Catherine Hilbish (1795-1869)......”

I found the record of his marriage: “Jacob Hummee and Elisabeth Heffner 17 Aug 1779.”

The children I have shown for this couple are based on Meiser and can largely be proven by Moselem Church baptismal records, including that they had a son Benjamin. The baptisms of a few children were not recorded but their names are generally agreed on by Meiser, Fisher and Rossiter.

Ella Rossiter says Jacob entered the Revolutionary War as a drummer boy and was mustered out with the rank of Captain. Dave Melsheimer is a descendant, like me, of Benjamin Hummel and Catherine Hilbish. He noticed my comment, citing Rossiter, that our ancestor John Jacob Hummel had entered the Revolutionary War as a drummer boy and emerged as a Captain and was determined to ether prove or disprove that statement by Rossiter.

I think it is disproven. For one thing, he found the pension application of John George and later his wife’s pension application which both say John George was a drummer in the Revolutionary War and that he enlisted on 1779. John George was born in 1762 and so he was about 17 when he enlisted and might well have been considered a drummer BOY. In any event, he was a drummer, that is stated specifically, and nowhere can we find a similar statement about John Jacob (who was born in 1756 so it’s hard to understand how the term BOY could have been ever associated with him).

I also have always wondered whether the idea he was Captain comes from the fact that indeed John Jacob’s son, also named John Jacob, was in fact a Captain in the War of 1812.

So I believe the idea John Jacob (Sr.) entered as a drummer boy only applies to John George and the idea he emerged as a Captain only applies to his son.

I have listed out John Jacob’s sons below. His daughters were Hannah who married George Gaugler, Elizabeth who married Jacob Hetrick, Mary who married John Harrison and Hester who married Daniel Ott.

Hester died young and then her husband Daniel Ott married second her sister Elizabeth whose husband Jacob Hettrick must have died young too.