Burgert cites this record: “Johann Henrich Hulpusch miller from Wied (son of Henrich) buried 3 Nov 1743 age 60 married Anna Magdalena Schmidt daughter of Georg Schmidt buried 27 Apr 1720 at Wied, was from Hochstenbach.”

The well researched Annette Burgert work using European sources, primarily church records, covers the Hulpusch family of Wiedt, Germany. She documents Johan Henrich as the father of the immigrants and his father was Henrich.

The Annette Burgert work documents that Johann Heinrich was the father of Christian and Peter Hulpusch -- the 1749 immigrants on the ship Two Brothers who settled in Montgomery County where their name came to be spelled Hollenbush (or Hollowbush with many variations of each spelling) in American records. Almost everything I know about Johann Heinrich comes from Burgert. He did not emigrate.

Burgert also documents Henrich's apparently normal death and that of both of his wives and thus totally debunks the family tradition spread far and wide among descendants of these brothers that "Father Hollowbush was asked to join the Catholic Church, but refused the army's demands. He was given overnight to change his mind to leave the Lutheran Church. By morning, the army again made its demands, but he held steadfast and then was taken to the block near his home and was beheaded. Through the help of friends the mother was given financial help to embark with her children to America."

Burgert probably wasn’t aware of this family tradition as she doesn’t address it. But, had the story been true, it seems she might have mentioned this extreme cause of death. And in any event, the whole “Mother Hollenbush” myth seems to be based on the idea that the family fled Germany after this tragic event. In fact he died in 1743 and his sons left for America in 1749 -- hardly sounds like there was any sense of urgency. Moreover, we also know that Anna Magdalena -- mother of Christian and Peter -- died in 1720 and then Johann Henrich married second 25 Apr 1721 Anna Dorothea widow of Peter Koch. She died suddenly and was buried 11 Nov 1737.

The well researched Annette Burgert work using European sources cites her marriage and names her father.

Everything I know about this woman comes from Burgert. And it stands in total contradiction of the family tradition which states that Mother Hollenbush fled to America with her two sons Peter and Christian on the ship Queen Anne in 1732 or 1733. There was no such ship. Moreover, the sons came in 1749, their mother having died long before.

Burgert says that Anna Magdalena died from childbirth of Christian. She and Johann Henrich had five children including: Peter baptized 23 Feb 1704 (apparently died young), Anna Gertraud baptized 10 Oct 1706, Johann Peter (our ancestor) baptized 1 May 1710, Anna Maria baptized 23 Oct 1718 and Johann Christ baptized 2 Apr 1720.