Anthony Heffners of Berks County, Pennsylvania

In the 1700s and the early 1800s there were several Anthony Heffners in Berks County. Info from the probate records of Berks County, available from the Latter Day Saints Family Search site; from U.S. Census records; from county tax lists and from Church records may help to clarify the relationships between these Anthony Heffners.

Tax List of Rockland Township, Berks County

Propriatary Return		1767
Heffner, Geo. Jr		110 acres
Heffner, Jacob		100 acres
Heffner, Geo.		175 acres
Single men
Anthony Hefner
Fred'd Heffner

Propriatary Return		1768
Heffner, Geo. Jr.
Heffner, Jacob
Heffner, George
Single men
Frederick Heffner

County of Berks		1779
Hefner, Geo.
Heffrner, Geo. Jr.
Heffner, Jacob
Single men
Heffner, Henry		

County of Berks		1780
Heffner, Geo.
Heffner. Geo. Jr.
Heffner, Jacob

County of Berks		1781
Heffner, Geo.
Heffner, Geo. Jr.
Heffner, Fred'k
Heffner, Jacob

Return and Assessment	1781
Heffner, Geo.
Heffner, Geo. Jr.
Heffner, Fred'k
Heffner, Jacob

Return and Assessment	1784
Heffner, Jacob 	6 persons
Heffner, Frederick	6 persons
Heffner, Geo Jr.	4 persons

Assessment of Taxes		1785
Hefner, Jacob
Hefner, Geo.
Hefner, Geo. Jr.

An Anthony Heffner was on the tax list for Maxatawny Township in 1779, 1781, 1784, 1785,. Henry Hefner,single, was also on the 1781 and, 1784 tax list there.

Census Records

1790
There were seven Heffners in Berks
Anthony and George in M/axatawny
Henry Sr. and Jr. in Richmond
George in Greenwich
 Henry in Manheim
Jacob in Rockland.   2  2  2

1800
There were six Heffners  and three Hefners  in Berks County
Rockland Twp.
Anthony Sr. 	45+
 Anthony Jr.	26-45
 Daniel		16-26
 Jacob		45+
 John 		26-45

 Greenwich
George 

Richmond
Henry 

Maxatawny
Anthony 	45+
 John 

1810
There were 11 Heffners in Berks
 Rockland
Anthony Sr. 	45+
Anthony Jr.	26-45		
 Daniel		16-26
Jacob 		45+
John 		26-45

Manheim
Widow Catherine 

 Greenwich
George, George and Jacob 

Pinegrove
John 

Richmond
Henry 


1820
Eight Heffners in Berks
Abraham, Anthony, Jacob, Jacob and John in Rockland

Probate Records

George Heffner
In 1788 the estate of George Heffner of Rockland township was probated. Bond was taken out with John Zerby and Peter Kieffer. His wife, Barbara and son George signed a renunciation of their right to administer the estate and the administration went to his son Jacob. Another son whose name is illegible also signed the renunciation. The papers mentioned debt owed by George Heffner, Jacob Heffner, Frederick Heffner, Anthony Heffner and Henry Heffner.

Anthony Heffner
In 1818 estate papers were filed for Anthony Heffner. Of Rockland Twp. His brother, John Heffner, did the inventory. His son, Abraham, was the administrator. His widow was Maria. This was Maria Bower, daughter of Mathias Bower. She secondly married Jacob Breil and had a son, Charles Breil”

The children of Anthony Heffner and Maria were:
Abraham	born 1797
Elizabeth	born 1798
Catherine	
Isaac		over 14 in 1818	deceased in 1849
Jacob		over 14 in 1818
Maria		over 14 in 1818	married Philip Frederick
Susanna				
Sarah					married Daniel Kutz
Esther					married Jacob Deysher
Anthony
Margaret				married Lewis Fisher
The last five were under 14 in 1818.

The final settlement of the estate was made in 1849 when Maria Bower Heffner Breil died.

Jacob Heffner
In 1829 estate papers were filed for Jacob Heffner of Rockland twp. Administration went to his sons Anthony Heffner and John Heffner. A widow, Maria Barbara survived him. His children were:

Daniel		Had three children by his first wife: Lydia, Daniel, and Eve
Henry
Anthony
John
Elizabeth	Her son, Reuben, wrote the will dictated by Jacob.

This may be Jacob Heffner, son of George Heffner. Who was born about 1736 in Germantown and who married Elizabeth Lyass. According to her tombstone at Mertz church she was born Jan 15, 1736 and died Feb 23 1806 at age 69.5.6. Jacob may have married again after her death.

Anthony Heffner
In 1849 estate papers were filed for Anthony Heffner of Richmond Twp. He had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married John Fisher.

Their children were:
Esther, who married Benjamin Kaercher  (1785-1852), and had children Charles, and Mary Ann Kaercher who were under 14 in 1849.
Henry		over 14
Florence	over 14
James		under 14
Leah		under14

Distribution of the estate was made to the following.  It is not clear whether they were children or grandchildren
Elizabeth Fisher
Margaret Heffner
Catherine
Polly Albright
Salome
Jacob Heffner
Charles who married Hannah Rothemel
Henry
Hannah

This Anthony Heffner is probably the one buried at Mertz Church whose gravestone reads:
Born: Apr. 13, 1767
Died:  Jan 19, 1849

This may be the Anthony Heffner who married Catherine Moll. She was born Jun 7, 1773 and died Feb 8, 1838, Aged 64.8.1, according to her gravestone at Mertz Church

Anthony Heffner
In 1803 estate papers were filed for Anthony Heffner of Maxatawny Twp. His widow, Catherine, renounced her right to administer the estate. The administration went to sons George and Jacob. This Anthony was married to Catherine Hill. She died in 1806 and her son George administered her estate Their children were:

George
Jacob
John,  (oldest son)
Abraham
Catherine		married John Faust
Fanny			married Isaac Pfeiffer
Isaac
Polly			married John Sterner

This Anthony Heffner was born 1742 and died 1803. He married Catherine Hill in 1760

Some observations which can be deducted from the previous info:

George Heffner whose estate was probated in 1788 is probably the George Heffner who married (1) Orstel and (2) Johanna Barrall. He apparently married (3) Barbara. He probably had sons George, Jr, Frederick, Jacob, Anthony, and Henry.

Anthony Heffner, son of George Heffner who was baptized at Mertz church in 1760 would have been 50 years old in 1810 so he is not the same as Anthony Jr. who was 26-45 years old in that census.

George Heffner's son Anthony was the Anthony Sr, in the 1800 and the 1810 census. Anthony's son is Anthony Jr. of those censuses. They are listed nest to each other in the census. Anthony Sr. died after 1820. Anthony Jr. died before 1820 (actually in 1818). Anthony Sr. was born 1746 or earlier if it is assumed that he was at least 21 in the 1767 census. Anthony Jr. was probably born about 1774 ,making him about 4 years older than his wife.

Jacob Heffner, son of George Sr. apparently had a son, Anthony born 1767 and died 1849.

The Anthony Heffner in the 1790 and 1899 census in Maxatawny Township is NOT the son of George Sr. His age is about the same as George's son, Anthony but they are not the same person since Anthony of Maxatawny died in 1803 and Anthony of Rockland was still in the 1810 and 1820 census.

The Anthony Heffners of Berks in the 1700s and early 1800s were:

  1. Anthony (about 1746-after 1820), son of George Heffner, Sr.
  2. Anthony (about 1774-1818), son of Anthony and grandson of George Sr. He married Maria Bower
  3. Anthony (1767-1749), son of Jacob and grandson of George Sr. He probably married Catherine Moll
  4. Anthony )1760-?), son of George Jr and grandson of George Sr His baptism is recorded at Mertz Church There is no further info about him in tax lists or census.
  5. Anthony (1742-1803) of Maxatawny who may be a cousin of George's sons. He married Catherine Hill

Submitted by: Beatrice



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