John Hildebrand

HILDEBRANDS IN AMERICA by William Russell

stevecallahan1958added this on 26 Aug 2008

The earliest record we have of our line of Hildebrands comes from the traditions passed down to us from a book written by Henry Hildebrand of Jefferson County, Missouri. This may be the Henry born 13 Feb 1815, son of David, grandson of Jonathan, and great-grandson of John, the pioneer. Henry recorded the record of the family as he knew it, then when the author of the biography of the outlaw, Samuel S. Hildebrand needed the family history, he used Sam's Uncle Henry's record.

JOHN HILDEBRAND, PIONEER OF JEFFERSON COUNTY by William Russell

stevecallahan1958added this on 26 Aug 2008

JOHN HILDEBRAND, PIONEER OF JEFFERSON COUNTY

John Hildebrand is well known because he was the earliest known settler in the area that became Jefferson County. The "History of Missouri" by Houck states: The oldest American settlement in upper Louisiana was on the Meramec. The name Hildebrand, twisted into Albrane by the Spanish officials, is found in the old archives as early as 1770. The Hildebrands came from Monongahela County, Pennsylvania and were German, according to Mrs. Elizabeth McCourtney. . . "

Jefferson County Missouri in Story and Picture, by Mary Joan Boyer, p. 10 states: "The earliest settlements in Jefferson County were made in the northeastern part in the neighborhood of the Meramec. Improvements appear to have been made there as early as 1773. The earliest settler in regard to whom anything definitely is known, is John Hilterbrand, who resided on Saline Creek, about 3 miles from Fenton. He was living there and engaged in farming as early as 1774 but the time of his arrival in that locality cannot be accurately ascertained. He resided there until 1780.

Page 12: Rock Township: Rock Creek had also a number of early settlers. Where the town of Kimmswick now is, John Hilterbran made a settlement on Saline Creek, about three miles from Fenton on the Meramec River. Salt works were erected, and salt made near Salt Springs in the year 1775. The close vicinity of this part of the county to St. Louis, made it the scene of some of the earliest settlements."

John was pioneering on Saline Creek, a tributary to the Meramec. It was 1775 when salt was produced there. From Draper's notes we learn that salt was made at Gratiot's Lick on the Meramec and at Morgan's Lick. It would bring $3.00 per bushel "and pretty wet at that."

John brought his family into the French and Spanish region and was granted land from the Spanish government there. This concession was not confirmed until 24 Nov 1779.

CONCESSION:

"We, Don Fernando de Leyba, Captain in the Regiment of Louisiana, Commander in Chief and Lieutenant Governor . .

On the demand of John Albrane, who was represented to us in his petition that he had come over from the American side in order to fix his residence on this side, and become a subject of His Catholic Majesty, provided we receive him as such; that he wished to cultivate the soil and form a permanent establishment, and supplicates us to grant to him a title of concession of 8 arpents of land in width by 40 arpents in length, situated at about 4 leagues from the mouth of the Meramec River on the right side of the said river. Through the said 8 arpents in width passes a bayou or branch, which having run through the land of John Sander, crosses this said tract from one end to the other. The two extremities of said land run north and south and the two sides east and west; and having offered to take the oath of fidelity to His Catholic Majesty, and declaring that he was of the Catholic Apostolic and Roman religion, therefore the said Albrane has sworn to be faithful to the King and to his government, we have granted and do grant to him in fee simple, as well as to his heirs and assigns, the 8 arpents of land in width by 40 arpents in length, in all their extent of length and width, such and according as they are designated in his said petition, which we have returned to him on condition to establish himself thereon and improve the said land in one year from this date under pain to have same reunited to the King's domain and regranted. And the said land to be liable to the public charges and others which may please His Majesty to impose, forbidding any person, of whatever his rank may be, to trouble said John Albrane in his present grant, and cause him any damage under pain of punishment.

Given in St. Louis November 24th, 1779. Fernando De Leyba.

Truly translated, St. Louis, April 3, 1833 by Julis DeMun, T.B.C.

The bayou referred to is Saline Creek. Hildebrand sold the land to Thomas Tyler in 1788, who in turn conveyed it to Jacques Clamorgan, deed Sept 17, 1791.

Evidence concerning this tract was given before the board of Land Commissioners in 1808:

"Peter Chouteau, sworn, says that John Hildebrand inhabited and cultivated the land claimed in 1774, that he found him still inhabiting and cultivating the said land in 1780, when deponent, by order of the Lieutenant Governor went out on the premises to warn said Hildebrand to abandon same on account of Indian depredations. This order was obeyed by Hildebrand as well as all the inhabitants of Meramec."

The Hildebrand concession was for 320 arpents (272 acres). The concessions were made without cost to claimants except for surveying, etc.

In 1780 inhabitants of the Meramec Settlement were warned by P. Chouteau to leave their homes on account of Indians. This was a result of an attack on St. Louis May 26, 1780, by English and Indians, during the Revolutionary War. About 1787 the inhabitants again fled their homes in the settlement on account of Indians.

[The above taken from Missouri Historical Review, Vol. I, p. 278. This was researched in 1965]

It was highly unlikely that John Hildebrand was of the Catholic faith. All settlers to the Spanish regime were required to swear allegiance to the king and promise to be good Catholics. The Americans never took this seriously as they promptly requested ministers from their own faiths. The first protestant church estasblished west of the Mississippi was during the Spanish regime. For the most part, the Spanish looked the other way. At one point, under a change of leadership, they decided to enforce the rule but the settlers petitioned and a compromise was worked out. It was agreed that they could have their minister providing he was transported back across the Mississippi before nightfall. (We assisted in the compilation of the BiCentennial history of the Old Bonhomme Church of St. Louis County. J Mc)

John gave testimony in 1812 for Peter Burrell's land claim "that about 33 or 34 years ago Burrell was inhabiting and cultivating this tract of land. [South side of Marameck] Witness purchased corn of said Burrell; he had a considerably large field in cultivation; also, young orchard, beginning to bear fruit. This claimant abandoned this tract, on account of Indian disturbances, soon after. Burrell had a wife and child." (See Polyanthos, Missouri Land Claims, p. 269). This took place about 1778-9.

In 1780 John Hildebrand left the area temporarily. This was the year that Fort Jefferson was built. His brother, Peter, arrived with Clark in April of 1780. Perhaps John joined them at the fort. (See: Hold the Fort) We know that a John Hildebrand was awarded a land grant in Illinois for service under Clark (Reynolds: History of Illinois). He had settled land on the east side of the Kaskaskia River and had cultivated land prior to 1788. In 1782 the Indian attacks had become so severe that most settlers and soldiers were driven out. 47

John took his family to North Carolina in an area that became Tennessee where a son, Jonathan was born in 1783. We are left to wonder if this indicates a connection to the Hildebrands of N.C. When the Americans abandoned Fort Jefferson they were destitute. Soldiers were still defending the forts in Kentucky so it appears that John took his family a little further away from the battles. Clark had recruited men from the Holston Broad country so it is possible that friends took them home with them. It is also possible that he joined relatives in the NC/TN area.

Later, John went to Kentucky and had a daughter married at or near Louisville in 1793. Also before 1800 he had daughters who were married in Natchez (testimony of Elizabeth McCourtney). The rivers were the highways in those days. If anyone from Tennessee or Kentucky had goods to sell from trapping or farming, they loaded it on flatboats and took it down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans to be sold for shipment out of that port. The farmers would simply cut loose the logs and journey home by foot.

This was not a time of free trade as the pioneers were constantly on guard against the Indians. Most of the people who left the Meramec settlement probably went to French settlements that were fortified. John may have had relatives back in Louisville for him to go back there. We have no record of him coming back to Missouri before 1799, although he may have.

We know that John and his family left Mo ca 1780. A Jonathan was born 1783 in North Carolina (later Tennessee), then Ann was md 1793 in Jefferson Co., KY, then they returned to Jefferson Co., MO. The period from 1780 to 1799 is largely undocumented for the life of this family. Almost twenty years represents another generation.

We note that in Houck's Spanish Regime in Missosuri (MHS) that early land records or tax lists show an Abraham Hildebrand on Negro Fork (Big River) in 1780 and David Hildebrand in 1785 at the same general location. This was the location settled by Peter Hildebrand about 1782. When John moved back into the area he also took up land on Negro Fork. (See maps) This was 400 arpents granted by Zeno Trudo in 1799 and sold to his son, Jonathan in 1807:

FILE #A 514

Know all men by these presents that we, John Hildebrand and Margaret his wife, of Upper Louisiana, have for and in consideration of the sum of $400 to us in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged before the selling and delivering of these presents, granted bargained and sold, and by these presents, do grant, bargain and sell, unto Jonathan Hildebrand of the aforesaid place, and all of the district of St. Louis, to him, his heirs and assigns, all the rights title, claim, demand, or interest which we jointly or separately have in and to a certain tract of land, containing 400 arpens, granted by Zeno Trudo in the year 1799, and surveyed by William Russell, the 23rd of January 1806, and situated as follows, viz.: Beginning at a huckleberry and elm on the north east branch of the Negro Fork of the Meramec River, running thence due north 162 poles to an elm and mulberry then east 210 poles to an ash and black oak, passing through a small lake in 80 rising hill in 120, thence south 181 poles to a chinkapin oak and cedar on crossing a small branch in 155, thence down on the Negro Fork of the Meramec River to the beginning which tract of parcel of land as above described, we do hereby warrant, and defend from all manner of person or persons unto the said Jonathan Hildebrand to him, his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and affixed our seals this 11th day of July 1807.

(John and Margaret Hildebrand made their mark.)

Witnessed: Isaac Herrington - - - - Recorded 19 Oct 1807

        Thomas Williams

We have an interesting insight into the life of this family from the probate record of John (Jefferson County file #237). On 1 Aug 1814 was paid out of the estate $7.50 to Marshal Jones for breaking one yoke of oxen. John also had a pair of shoes made 20 Oct 1813 by Philip Felton.

"Inventory of the goods and chattels belonging to John Hillibran, deceased late of the Township Joachim and County of St. Louis appraised on Monday the 14th November one thousand eight hundred and fourteen by John Pyatt, Abraham Hellebran and Michael Null:

Horses-13 head - - - - - - $420.00

Cattle-30 ditto - - - - - - - 257.00

Hogs-67 ditto - - - - - - - -175.00

Sheep-22 ditto - - - - - - - 66.00

Cows-(?) - - - - - - - - - - - - 83.33

Farming utensils, household &

kitchen furniture, etc, etc/p227- - 261.25

--p2 $1262.58

Abraham Hellerbrand

Michael Null, Johnathan Hillebran

John Pyatt, Margaret Hillebran:

County of St. Louis Township of Joachim personally came John Pyatt, Michael Null and Abraham Halderbrand before me a justice of the peace in and for the County & township aforesaid who was sworn agreed by law as appraisers of the Estate of the late deceased." It is interesting that Christian Hildebrand paid $4 to the estate. For other estate papers, see Appendix.

The dates we have for John Hildebrand are: born in 1733 and died in 1814 which would have made him 81 years old. We have no proof of this early date

His wife, Margaret, and son Jonathan are co-administrators of the estate. From the probate papers we get no indication that there were any other sons as heirs. Ann and her daughters, Sarah, and Jane are named as heirs. Securities for Administrators Bond: Peter Sullens, John McCourtney, and Isaac Herrington. Former securities were John Wideman and William Russell of St. Louis Co., Territory of Missouri. Russell was formerly bound unto Mary P. Ledue, clerk of the Court of Commons in St. Louis, sworn to 14 Dec 1814. The final settlement of this estate was advertised in the Missouri Republic on 2nd Monday of Sept 1826 to release Margaret and Jonathan Heldebrand as admr. and admx. In 1823 a Samuel "Hillibran" signed as a testator for William Drenen, heir in estate of John Hillibran. This is the only place we have seen this name.

The cemetery where John was buried is located on the land that Jonathan sold to T. H. Maddox (excepting the cemetery) where he built the Maddox Mill. (Deed I378) A descendant told Anna Sartori they had discovered this old private cemetery on the banks of the Big River. It had been partly washed away over the years as the river changed its course. In the 1900s, when people were building their homes on this land, they excavated for a cistern and unearthed a very old coffin. The coffin had laid there for many years as practically all the remains of the body had gone, and only a few ornaments from the clothing were left. The people inquired of the older citizens and were told it was an old Hildebrand cemetery. Anna believed it was the burying ground for old John and some of the earliest family members. There are no markers extant that we know of. 7

Henry's record shows the earliest known ancestor as a Peter Hildebrand born 1655 in Hanover, Germany, the youngest son of a nobleman. Peter's father died while he was yet a boy. He was educated in a military school, then served several years in the army. Upon his return home, he received a cold reception from his older brother who had inherited the estate and titles. Peter decided that he would be better off to bring his family t o America. His oldest son, Jacob, born in 1680 was 10 years old when the family migrated to New Amsterdam. They stayed three years there before moving to northern Pennsylvania.

Following our line down, Jacob's second son, Jacob, was born in 1705. The autobiography states, "He was fond of adventure and joined in several exploring expeditions in one of which he was captured by a band of Miami Indians, and only escaped by plunging in the Ohio River and concealing himself under a drift of floating logs. His feelings of hostility against the Indians prompted him to join the expedition against them under Lieutenant Ward, who erected a fort at what is now called Pittsburg, in 1754. Here he was killed in a vain attempt to hold the garrison against the French and Indians under Contrecoeur."

The biography next traces "his third son, John." No doubt the writer of the Samuel S. Hildebrand biography got this wrong. Henry's book was tracing the lineage: Peter Jacob Jacob John, as the birth dates will bear out. However, he goes on to say that John was born in 1733 and was 21 years old at the death of his father. In 1754 he joined James M. Bride (McBride?) and others and passed down the Ohio River in a canoe. The company only reached the mouth of the Kentucky River, carved their initials in the barks of trees, and then returned.

The biography goes on to say that John made the trip to Missouri in 1770 with his family which consisted of his wife, and two boys: Peter born in 1758 and Jonathan born in 1762. The trip is described: "He built a flatboat on the banks of the Ohio, and taking a bountiful supply of provisions, he embarked with his family. To avoid the Indians he kept as far from the shore as possible, and never landed but once to pass around the shoals. On reaching the Mississippi he spent more than a week in ascending that river to gain a proper point for crossing. He landed on the western side at St. Genevieve. Viewing the country there as being rather thickly settled, he moved back into the wilderness about forty miles and settled on Big River at the mouth of Saline Creek. He was the first settler in that country which was afterwards organized as Jefferson County."

While it is interesting to have this tradition, some parts of it have been contradicted. The only son that records can establish as belonging to this John was his son, Jonathan, administrator of his estate.

Peter's birthdate is given as 1758 but as Bob Hildebrand points out, that would have made him just 14 years old when his first son was born. So it is likely that Peter was born before 1750. This is also born out by his wife's dates. She died in 1840 at age of 90 which would place her birth at 1750.

Lyman C. Draper, the Clark historian, interviewed Elizabeth Hildebrand McCourtney in Feb. of 1784. She stated, "her father, Peter Hildebrand and mother, Mary Garlock, were Pennsylvania Germans; her uncle, John Hildebrand, resided on the Monongahela and I think, emigrated to the Falls of the Ohio in 1779." She then goes on to relate what happened to her family. She was not accurate as to the date of John's removal as Houck has him in Missouri as early as 1770. But Betsy does establish that Peter was a brother of John. She did not know the exact story of John as Peter did not come with John.

These two men started off in the same area, then ended up settling near each other in Jefferson County, Missouri but they did not come together. John's history will be covered in another chapter.

The Jacob born 1705 could be the father of both Peter and John. It is more likely that there was another generation between Peter and brother John/Jonathan and their father may be named John. We may someday find a probate record in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, or Virginia to establish family ties. At this point, with records very sketchy, a lineage is difficult to establish.

John and Margaret's daughter, Ann, married William Drennen. Robert V. E. Drennen, the researcher on that family states: "Many of the 'Drennen' were from Pennsylvania and Virginia. Walter Drennen, settler of Greenbrier County, VA came from County Antrim, Ireland sometime around 1730 or 1740. He is the father of many, many of the Virginia/West Virginia Drennens (and I believe my ancester was William b. 1757 in PA, but I can't prove it). Many Drennens settled in Cumberland County Pennsylvania, then moved to Allegheny Westmoreland Co., PA. One, Samuel Drenning, settled in Bedford Co., PA. Peter Hildebrand was in Ohio County, VA in 1779 along with Jacob Drennen, son of Walter Drennen. Peter Hildebrand was in Pittsburg, PA (Then Augusta Co., VA) in 1775. Jacob Drennen and my 4th grt grandfather, William Drennen, both served as Indian spies along the Ohio River under George Rogers Clark.

Early land records in St. Louis County show a David Hildebrand on Negro Fork in 1785. This may be the same David who went to Natchez in 1805. There is an Abraham Hildebrand on Negro Fork in 1780 which is also very early. Since David and Abraham appear as names in John and Peter's lines, it would seem likely that these men are also relatives.

Our earliest record of Peter is in the book: The Monongahela of Old, or Historical Sketches of Southwestern Pennsylvania to the Year 1800, by James Veech. In it, Mr. Veech points out that in 1772 and until the erection of Westmoreland in 1773, Bedford County embraced all of S.W. Pennsylvania. That part of Fayette which is west of the line from the mouth of the Redstone to the mouth of Jacob's Creek was included in Rostraver Twp. Peter Hildebrand was listed as a settler here in 1772.

The area that became southwestern Pennsylvania was at one time a part of Virginia, known as The District of West Augusta. A reader of the Hildebrand Exchange sent us a note from the "Records of the District of West Augusta, Ohio Co., and Yohogania Co., VA." Yohogania was discontinued in 1786 after a dispute over the border between Pennsylvania and Virginia.

P.559: "Minutes of Court at Fort Dunmore:

Peter Hillebrand Mark be recorded: a Crop in the left Ear and a Swallow fork and under slit in the right."

The early pioneers registered their "mark" at the local civil authority (usually the courthouse) so they could distinguish their cattle or swine. The animals were allowed to range free and the marks were the only way everyone knew ownership.

Page 540 of this same book notes that Peter Hillibrand (sic) was subpoened to appear in the court case of Stevens vs Shilling. The notes, as sent to us, did not have a date associated. Perhaps this can be located.

While the above records do not add much to our genealogical record, they do place Peter Hildebrand in the Monongahela River area. We have included a map of this area that shows how the Pennsylvania corner was cut out of the District of West Augusta.

If this is our Peter, he had set up a home as early as 1772. We do not have a marriage record for him. He may have been married much earlier than that. We have an estimated date for his son, James, as ca 1772. However, in 1784 when Peter was killed, Elizabeth McCourtney's testimony was that one of Peter's eldest sons was sent for help. James was killed in 1790 and Moses in ca 1780, so it possible there were sons born before these two. We have no record of them as Peter had no probate records