ISRAEL BURKHARD wife Anna Maria Barbara

Original post 2009, released draft 2015.

Israel Burkhard (as in Church record)  b. abt 1723 d. Dec 1804 Somerset County, PA  Date of death source: ( I found sourced in his court papers.) Obtained copy in old jail house in Somerset in 2004. Married Anna Maria Barbara: Maiden name (Private) birthdate: (Private) Place of Birth (Private) Source: LBK  Proof of marriage is the church record.

Two brave people, with a baby girl, come together to start a new life.  If Christopher is fighting Indians no doubt Israel would have been too.  Did they ever dream they would have that kind of history when looking back over a long, long marriage.  WOW!

Source of marriages for Israel's living children, at the time of his death, source is his probate papers.

Children are:
Catarina Elisabeth Burkhard. b. 09 Aug 1747  Germany. Source LBK
She married to George Feltz per Israel's probate papers as indicated above and for all the following too.

George (named first in Israel's probate papers) Source: petition I picked up in court house.

Born Johann George Burgert (as transcribed)  b. 16 Aug 1755 Berks County, PA record Oley Hill Church of Berks County.  Found myself a hard copy of George's translated birth record off of ancestry.com Pennsylvania Church records.- Adams, Berks, and Lancaster Counties. 1729-1881  hard copy from Ancestry.com. This is Susan Jackman's line, she states. Not sure she ever figured out what happened to her George Burget/Burket.  This is good evidence that family was in Berks Co., PA actually a excellent paper trail.  I love paper trail.

District Twp, Berks Co., PA Pike's township more work to be done.

There is a George BURGOT a List of names as Taxables in Bedford County1778-1779 Source: Helen Shaffer Hill.  Obtained on my 07-16-2009 trip to Somerset Co.

George and Catherine Borckhart had son John b. 28 Nov 1789 d. 09 Jan 1790. Source: Eber Cockley notes.

THIS JOHN IS NOT JOHN JOHNATHON BURKET  b.  1795 per old German bible dated 1826 in my possession. John Johnathon's bible had a note in it to pay $10.00 to Cornelius Burket dated 1873
so we know this John John is still alive.  He sent the request to a Richard Green to pay it so what business is John John in that he has a bookkeeper? So is Cornelius the son of John Johnathon?  Let's take a look in my file. TBC.

            
Johan Jacob b. May 1757 Berks Co., PA d. 1834 St. Clair Twp., Bedford County, PA
There is a JACOB listed as a Single Freeman on the 1778-1779 Taxables in Bedford County
Source: Helen Shaffer Hill.  I obtained a copy 16 July 2009 trip to Somerset Co. PA.  Could be Jacob, son of Israel?  The other Jacob Burget/Burckert/Burkhart (from his pension request obtained on my 2009 trip.) Was b. 08 May 1758 who resided in Reading, Berks Co., PA  didn't moved to Allegheny Twp. until 1785.

Jacob is confirmed to be the 2nd son of Israel Source: SHJ.  Jacob Burket's court papers.

Christopher Burket Sr. b. abt   d. 16 Apr 1848  date of death source from LBK
married to  Mary Ann Ross Source of marriage:  her father's will/probate.   Is listed as Stophel in his father-in-law's court papers.  Now, my great grandfather John L.C. Burket, who was 10 when his grandfather Christopher died, is also nicknamed Stophel, yet he has no Christopher in his name...so go figure.  Christopher, even in his advanced age made sure his name is spelled BURGET on the handwritten pension request he went into the Somerset Courthouse to have them submit that request, like all soldiers that served and survived the act pass by Congress for their service pension. It was spelled 3 times as Burgert and on all 3 occasions the 2nd r has a strike thru it.  Love paper trails!
Burget and Burkard are one in the same...find link and post.

Albert Hill's family indicates that in the Nauvoo Baptisms for the dead there is a Baptismal record for Stofel in the year 1841. Well, according to Susan Jackman, that is the year Christopher died. I've never gotten the actual Nauvoo records from her. I will need to hunt down the records for review. But Christopher didn't die in 1841 he died in 1848 so much for that.  Can this even be believed now?

Father:  James Ross b.     d. 1801 Somerset Co., PA Source: JM

A James Ross is also listed on the Taxables in Bedford County 1778-1779.  Listed as a Non Resident and a James Ross again under the non residents listed as Ross James sold to Burnside.

Mary Burket  married to Henry Boose. Source: Israel's probate papers.

Rudolph Boose b 21 May 1796 Brothersvalley, Somerset Co., PA
d. 31 July 1870 Somerset Co.

Margaret married to Henry Leech variants could be Leach/Lynch.

Barbara Burket married to Nicholas Rayman variants could be Reiman/Rehman. Source: Isa probate papers.

The township was settled at a very early day. If the traditions of the German Baptist Church (referred to else where) are correct even within a couple of years, there were settlers already here before this region was open to legal settlement. In addition to the names of early settlers that have been mentioned in other chapters, Israel Burket, John Rhoads, Martin Suter and Christopher (or Christian) Yoder and his sons were here as early as 1775, or perhaps even earlier. Source: History of Bedford and Somerset Co., PA

In May 1984 the Laurel Messenger ran the following story on Stonycreek Twp's Taxpayers (TBC)
but from this article we know Israel was in Bedford Co., 1775 which later becomes part of Somerset County,  PA. One must remember that from 1763-1769 there where only 3 Townships in the whole county of Bedford. Per the History of Bedford and Somerset Co, written by Daniel Rupp, Chapter 5, there where 160 people in Bedford Twp. A early map exists that reflect the Burket name on it (enter map).

In addition to the probate paperwork, I obtained on my first visit to the county seat, I located a petition to Israel's probate paperwork. In this petition Christopher's older brother, George, is addressing the court and at some point George's name is crossed off and Jacob's name written in it's place. Had George died after the petition was written? It did take a long time for Israel's probate to be wrapped up.

Nice thing about these papers is it really give great insight into how a early settler lived. He actually owned more than I imagined. Owned a shot gun. How many gun makers where there in the 1700's?
He owned a box of shoemaker's tools. Interesting! Since his occupation in the old country was surprisingly different per source: LBK.  He owned cigars, when he died, and had a debt for them.  It is safe to assume he smoked them.  That is about the only assumption one wants to make when piecing the Burket puzzle together.  What amazes me is the number of items Israel owned...books, spectacles, a bundle of books, a forge book, and one listed as other book and a almanac...he owned a lot of books for someone who signed an X upon arriving. Gives one the impression he could read some language. Future posts will disclose this issue.  No doubt he could read German.   He didn't  sign an X on the other document in my possession.

354 acres adjoining Ludwick C and the acreage is in Shade Twp and in Stony Creek Twp.
The land could not be divided to or among the parties without spoiling the value of the land.
Jacob sold off Israel's land.

At the time of Israel's death he had 3 living sons, listed in his probate records.  Doesn't mean he didn't have more children, it just means those where living when he passed or by the time the probate papers where filed.

Israel's wife Anna Maria Barbara .
She was still alive in 1805 as she has left her mark in the court paperwork. She also appears on a later census.  John (private)  might be her grandson in law?  More adventures into the courthouse will provide the answer if the paper trail survived mother nature.

Now, the additional petition I found in Somerset where George's name is crossed off, and Jacob's is written in.  The next paragraph George was listed first as the petitioner than crossed off, and Jacob's name written in and where Jacob's name was initially written in is crossed off and George written in. It appears the person doing the petitioning changed. Birth records for both George and Jacob exist, but what happened to Israel's son John George? 

Since Christopher's daughter obituary states he's of German descendent that gives us some clue that Israel is from Germany. Yes, yes he is!!! Love that paper trail!  And so is his wife, Anna Maria Barbara maiden name: private.



Susan Jackman found a Israel Burket on the land warrants in Berks County when she happened to searching Bedford and since it was alphabetical she thought she would take a look at Berks land warrants, she states he was listed under various spellings. Now, since land warrants don't show relationship, I'm not sure what proof that it is our Israel. Interesting because one of the spellings was the same way it appears on the 1812 paperwork. More work to be done. She states, but no documentation of source sent, but I will source her here for this entry. 


Also, probable son John b 08 May 1758 d. 1805, PA

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