He was named in his father’s will.

The generally accepted wisdom on the Internet is that he was born in 1731 in Germany prior to his parent’s departure for America. I have my doubts about that. For one thing, it would imply that he lived to the age of about 92 -- which I think would have been quite unusual back then. For another thing, his name was not among the list of children named by the ship’s captain. So when was he born?

He was listed on a 1759 Cumru Township tax list as a single man -- meaning I think he was at least 21 (usually not much over) to have been so listed. That would suggest a 1737 or 1738 birth and age at death of 85 -- still quite unusual.

A Berks County history book says Jacob served in the Revolutionary War in a Berks County unit, as do several Internet Family Trees. The problem with that supposed fact is that Jacob Krick applied for a veteran’s pension in 1839. He said at the time that he had served in Berks County and that he was then 78 (thus born 1761, which makes more sense than our Jacob even if he was born in 1738) and that he was then living in Maryland. The Jacob who served, in my opinion was the nephew of our Jacob.

Dr. Charles A Fisher, however, says that our Jacob served in Penns Township.

1790. Jacob Kreek Lives near Middleburg (I know from neighbors names). John Kreek is a neighbor, appears to be young, just wed, no kids

1800. Jacob Krick lives Beaver Twp, age 45_+. Neighobrs are John Creek 26-45 and George 16-26.

1810. Jacob Krick Sr., Beaver Twp, 45+. Neighbors are George and Jacob Jr. both 26-45.

When I am trying to prove that a man of one place is one and the same as a man of the same name -- but of a different place -- I look for carry-throughs from one place to the other. In Jacob’s case, one of the carry-throughs I have mentioned is the names of three of his children -- though since none were uncommon names, that is not totally compelling.

But the Aumiller connection may be another carry-through. Jacob and Catherine Krick were baptizing children at Hain’s Church in about the same time period as Johannes and Catherine Aumiller. Did they know each other? I can’t say for sure but I would suppose so.

Both came to (what is now) Snyder County by 1785-1790. Jacob Krick settled a little further west than John Aumiller. Jacob out near Middleburg, John in the Middlecreek area. Did they stay in touch? I don’t know.

In the 1840’s, when Benjamin Kramer -- whose mother was Christina Aumiller -- married Mary Ann Hassinger -- whose grandmother was Magdalena Krick -- the Krick and Aumiller families became united (in a way) through marriage. Was this a total coincidence having nothing to do with the past possible relationship back at Hain’s Church? Well, it could well be. Or, it could be a carry-through. I don’t know, but for now, I’ll assume it is a hint of a carry-through -- that there was something more than total coincidence involved.

Catherine was the name of Jacob’s wife when he wrote his will. Curiously, the records of Hain’s church rarely named the mother in their baptism records, but if a couple were the sponsors at a baptism, then usually the wife was named. However, Jacob was never listed as a sponsor -- and so I don’t know for sure whether Catherine was the mother of all or any of his children. No matter, I don’t know her maiden name in any event.

Jacob Krick wrote his will 14 May 1815 and it proved 9 Aug 1823. Usually, the heirs went to court fairly quickly after a man died to have his will proved, so I would guess Jacob died in the summer of 1823. He was of Beaver Township. He named his wife Catherine and 14 children.

Let’s just suppose the children were listed as follows: first the sons in birth order and then the daughters in birth order, as men often did when naming their children in their wills. And let’s suppose that I am correct, of course, that three of these children were baptized at Hain’s Church. Those are the only dates I have been able to determine for any of the children except I also know from her tombstone when Magdalena was born.

Here are the children, in order named, with birth or baptism dates for the four I know.

Jacob (1772), John, George (1776), Adam, Catherine (Geo Stock), Elizabeth (Michael Maurer), Mary (Jacob Klose), Barbara (Michael Moyer), Polly (1771) (Jacob Hassinger), Margaret (1773) (Geo Sharatz), Judy (widow of Henry Maurer), Susan (Michael Kline), Rebecca (John Kline) and Eve (John Fite).

The point is there is no misfit here between what I assume -- that Jacob of Hain’s Church was Jacob of Beaver Township. I can also add that the records for Hain’s seem to have omitted baptisms between 1765 and 1771 when I believe several of the older daughters must have been born. And also, in the 1800 Census, the ages of Jacob’s sons in Beaver Towsnhip fit this pattern too including that George was head of household but still under 26.

Everything fits.

Jacob’s will was a bit unusual. He wrote it 14 May 1815 -- at least that’s what he said when he signed it. But he instructed his Executors to make very specific cash bequests to each of his children, starting (I assume) with the oldest child and proceeding to the youngest -- each bequest a year later. And the first bequest was to be paid in 1810 (another 1811 and so on).

Either he actually began writing his will before 1810 but never quite got it finished until 1815 or he was somehow indicating that this was his plan and he would make those payments himself so long as he survived and then his Executors should complete the payments as scheduled after his death. I don’t think it is critical for my purposes to understand the explanation, but it is strange.