Well, we’ve arrived at another likely immigrant ancestor in my husband’s family tree. 🙂 At least, James is the earliest connection anyone has been able to make.

James Hendricks’ year of birth is unknown, but probably no later than 1717 if birth year estimates for his son and grandchildren are correct. His place of birth is also unknown. He may be the immigrant ancestor, but there were other Hendricks families in York County, Pennsylvania in the 1700s and, in fact, there was a second James Hendricks, born c1722 who married Priscilla Pettit and settled in what is today’s West Virginia.

My husband’s James Hendricks married at least twice, but I haven’t found a shred of documentation for even the given name of his first wife, who would have been the mother of John, my husband’s line. James Hendricks married (1) Unknown and (2) Christianna (some say Roland, daughter of Gaspar Roland, which is possible as the family had close connections over many years. However, there is no documentation for this statement either.

James Hendricks’ ethnicity – Anglo or German – is also uncertain, but if he was of Anglo ancestry, it isn’t evident as his FAN club is strictly German and of Brethren religious persuasion.

James Hendricks was a well known Dunker elder and had tiffs even within the hierarchy of the Church of the Brethren due to his evolving religious beliefs.

James created quite a paper trail in his lifetime, but it’s too bad that some of it didn’t name his wives and give more detailed information about the births of his children.

James was a wood turner and wheelwright by trade.

Here are some of the records created in James Hendricks’ lifetime:

1740’s and early 1750s – Assumed marriage and birth of his children by first wife

1755, May 17 – Left York County, PA; granted 62 acres in Frederick County, Maryland

1755, May 7 – Served as executor of will of Ulrich Wechsler, Baltimore County, Maryland [Question – why was James the executor of this man’s will? The surname is unfamiliar to me, which is unusual for this family.]

1761, December 30 – Witness to the will of Ulrich Echler, also Baltimore County, Maryland

1764, February 24 – Witness to the will of Andrew Magill, Baltimore County, Maryland

1765, 9 February – Witness to the will of Conrad Broust, Baltimore County, Maryland

1768, 23 June – James Hendricks of Baltimore County, Wheelwright, sold his 62 acre tract What You Will in Baltimore County, on Linganore Creek to Margaret Nusbaum  for £25.

1769, October 16 – James Hendricks of Baltimore County, a turner, and wife Christianna, sold 100 acres called Hendrick’s First Choice, for £75 to Adam Smith.

1771, January 18 – Witness to the will of Philip Heir, Baltimore County, Maryland.

1774 – Rowan County, North Carolina court bound orphan Geoerge Adams to James Hendricks to learn the trades of wheelwright and turner.

1782 – James Hendricks on Rowan County, North Carolina tax list with 56 acres, 41 horses and 16 cattle

1783 – James Hendricks appears on a list of 160 names of Tories. Brethren were pacifists, who weren’t politically active.

1788, November Term – Estate administration for James Hendricks, deceased granted to John Hendricks and Joseph Roland. [Note: Joseph Roland may have served if he was the brother of Christianna – another possible clue.]

Children of James Hendricks, listed in order of their 1789 court petition to divide James’s tracts of land to his heirs:

Rowan County, NC Court Minutes
5 May 1789 Petition to Divide Land
Source: FamilySearch

1. Daniel, born c1740, York County, Pennsylvania; died after 1791 estate settlement; said to have married Mary Roland
2. Peter, born c1742, York County, Pennsylvania; died after 1791 estate settlement
3. John, born c1744, York County, Pennsylvania; died after 1798, probably in Montgomery or Warren County, Kentucky. No probate or estate settlement has been found for him; married Unknown

Children with Christianna:

4. William, born c1771; died after 1791 estate settlement
5. Henry, born c1773; died after 1791 estate settlement

Christianna Hendricks died before 5 February 1796 when the inventory of her estate was recorded by the Rowan County, North Carolina court;

Rowan County Court Minutes, unpaged
Source: FamilySearch

About the same time, most of the Hendricks family headed to a new life in Kentucky.