The Hock (or Hoch) Family

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HOCK (sometimes spelled Hoch) was the name of my great-great-grandfather, Frank Hock (1831-1904). Frank came to the America as an infant, and his family settled somewhere in Erie County, New York.

At this point, we have various information about Frank Hock's immigrant family, but not quite enough to link it all together. On this page, I will present a survey of what we do know.

Claudius, Andrew, and Frank Hock

From various census and church records, we have three key male members of the Hock family:

CLAUDIUS HOCK, born 1802 or 1803
- Born in Bavaria, according to the 1860 census and his 1836 citzenship declaration
- He is the son of Mathias and Maria Eva Hock, according to his marriage record
- Lived in Amherst at the time of his 1836 citzenship declaration
- Married Anna Maria RUSCH on 27-Feb-1840 in Williamsville
ANDREW HOCK, born 1820 or 1821
- Born in Bavaria, according to the 1860 census
- Married Theresa RUSCH
FRANK HOCK, born Oct-1831
- This is my great-great-grandfather
- Born in Baden, according to the 1880 census
- Immigrated 1833 according to the 1900 census

Each of these men appear together in church records. But what is there relationship? Are they brothers? Is Frank the son of Claudius?

Grosswallstadt

Grosswallstadt (or "Großwallstadt" in German script) is the village of origin of the Hock family. We have seen it mentioned in two places:

As the place of origin of a Hock family on the Brig Ann and Emilee (see below)
As the place of origin of Claudius Hock, according to his 1840 marriage record

Brig Ann and Emilee, 1833

The Brig Ann and Emilee is the ship which may have brought the Hock family to America. It arrived 09-Jul-1833 in New York, having departed from Bremen.

From the passenger list on microfilm:

HOCK family from from Grosswalhlstadt: Jacob 40, Barbara 39, Andreas 12, Michael 3-1/2, Franz 1/2, (illegible) 18?, Claudius 30
HOCK family from from Grosswalhlstadt: Matthias 44, Maria Eva 44, Barbara 15, Andreas 19? or 14?, Matthias 9, Marianne 5

Census Records

1840. In the 1840 census of Amherst, there are four Hock households:

HOCH, Jacob (page 3)
- Household has 1 male age 40-49, 2 males age 15-19, 1 male age 5-9, no females
- I don't know who this is.
HOCH, Plaudius (page 3)
- Household has 1 male age 20-29, 1 female 20-29
- This is probably Claudius Hock.
HOK, Math. sen. (page 31)
- Household has 1 male age 50-59, 1 male 15-19, 1 female 50-59, 1 female 10-14, 1 female 5-9
- This is probably Mathias Hock, the father of Claudius.
HOK, Math. jun. (page 31)
- Household has 1 male 20-29, 1 female 15-19
- This is may be the Mathias who was 9 years old seven years earlier on the Brig Ann and Emilee, a son of the senior Mathias Hock.

Unfortunately, the 1840 census does not name family members nor give precise ages.

1850. In the 1850 census of Amherst, there are two Hock households:

HOCH, Mathias 62, Maria E 62, Magdalena 16, Mathias 25, p.81
- This is probably Mathias Hock senior, who was 44 years old 17 years earlier on the Brig Ann and Emilie, the father of Claudius. His wife's name matches the "Maria Eva" who is named as Claudius's mother in his marriage record.
HOCH, William 30, Gertrude 29, William 2, p.77
- I don't know who this is.

St. Mary's Cemetery in Lancaster

I have found several Hock tombstones in the cemetery of the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster, New York: