The Ancestors and Descendants of
Albert Martin (1855-1923)

• According to his death record, Albert Martin was born 5 September 1855 and died 6 March 1923. His parents were ________ Martin and Mary Gochenauer. The informant was Henry Martin, his son.^[1]

• According to Mary Gochnauer's death record she was born 10 March 1836 and died 11 January 1916. Her parents were John Gochnauer and Lydia Elliot. The informant was Mrs. Ida Herr, her daughter.^[2]

• According to the obituary of "Mrs. Mary Gochenour," published on 13 January 1916, she had three children: Mrs Ada Herr of Lampeter, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Albert M., of Lancaster, Lancaster County, and Frank H., of Eden Township, Lancaster County.^[3]

• If we trace Mary Gochenauer through the census records, we find the following
  • 1850. Mary Gochnaur, 14, living in the household of Samuel and Rachel Stauffer, Conestoga Township, Lancaster County.^[4]

  • 1860. The following record is from Providence Township, Lancaster County, Smithville Post Office:^[5]

    Line	Name	Age	Sex	Occupation	R.E.	P.E.	Birthplace
    23.	John Gouchnauer	54	M	laborer		$75	PA
    24.	Lidia Gouchnauer	54	F				PA
    25.	Mary Gouchnauer	24	F				PA
    26.	Martha Gouchnauer	14	F				PA
    27.	Alphred Gouchnauer	6	M				PA
    28.	Franklin Gouchnauer	2	M				PA

    "Alphred" probably refers to Mary's son Albert, and Franklin to her second son.

  • 1870. Mary Gochnaur, 34, a domestic servant, and Addie Gochnaur, 2, were reported in the household of Jonathan (55) and Fannie (56) Stauffer, Strasburg Township, Lancaster County, and Post Office.^[6]

  • 1880. Mary Gochenaur, single, 42, was a servant in the home of Franklin (41) and Mary (41) Weaver, Lampeter Township.^[7]

  • 1890. Census records destroyed by fire.

  • 1900. Mary Gochenauer, born March 1836, single, was reported in the household of her son, Albert Martin, born September 1855, widower, in Pequea Township, Lancaster County. Also in the household was Albert's daughter, Ida, born January 1885. According to this record, Mary had one child, who was living, and she was keeping house.^[8]

  • 1910. Mary Gochanauer, 74, widow, was living in the household of her son-in-law Benjamin F. Herr, on Lampeter Road, West Lampeter Township. Also in the household were Benjamin's wife Ida, and their daughter, Bertha. The record indicated that Mary had three children, all of whom were living.^[9]

  To summarize, the census takers, besides using creativity in spelling Mary's last name, had difficulty in understanding and/or reporting her status as an unmarried mother. In spite of the contradictions, a picture emerges of a woman who never married, gave birth to three children, worked as a domestic servant in private homes, and later lived with her children.

• The following 1880 Census record, from East Lampeter Township, indicates a further relationship:^[10]

  Line	Name	Race	Sex	Age	Related	MS	Occupation	B	FB	MB
  18.	Aument, William	W	M	63		M	laborer	PA	PA	PA
  19.	Aument, Hannah	W	F	58	wife	M	keeping house	PA	PA	PA
  20.	Martin, Hannah	W	F	83	boarder	Wd	retired lady	PA	PA	PA
  21.	Martin, Ada	W	F	13	granddaughter	S	at home	PA	PA	PA

  Ada Martin is Albert Martin's sister; Mary Gochenauer's daughter. Who is her grandparent? Census takers were supposed to record each person's relationship to the head of the household. However, sometimes they did not do this. Considering Ada's location on the record, immediately following Hannah, and the last name in common, Ada is probably the granddaughtor of Hannah Martin. As the identity of Ada's maternal grandmother is known, Hannah must be her paternal grandmother. Therefore, the father of Mary Gochenauer's children would be a son of Hannah Martin.

• Hannah Martin (born about 1796-7) can be traced through census records os follows:
  • 1850. In Conestoga Township, Lancaster County:^[11]

    Line	Name	Age	Sex	Occupation	R.E.	Birthplace	Other
    38.	John Martin, Esq.	51	M	miller		Martick Twp., Lancaster Co.
    29.	Hannah Martin	51	F			W. Lampeter Twp.. Lancaster Co.
    40.	John Martin, Jr.	22	M			W. Lampeter Twp.. Lancaster Co.
    41.	Ann Mehaffey	13	F			W. Lampeter Twp.. Lancaster Co.	school
    42.	Philip W. Hoffman	1	M			Manor Twp., Lancaster Co.

    Although the 1850 Census does not indicate relationships, this household has the appearance of a husband and wife and their young adult son. It will become evident later that Ann is a niece of John Martin; I don't know who Philip Hoffman is.

  • 1860. John Martin, 61, miller, Hannah, 62, Ann Mahaffey, 21, and Philip Hoffman, 11, resided at Conestoga Township. William Chambers, 17, had been added to the family.^[12]

  • 1870. John, 71, miller, Hannah, 71, and Annie Mehaffey, 27, dressmaker, resided in Conestoga Township.^[13]

  Although John Martin is a common name, I find only one other census reference to a John Martin of the approximate age of the one in the 1850 Census in southern Lancaster County: In 1860 in the household of Martin (26) and Susan (23) Lefevre, and three small Lefevre children in Providence Township, New Providence Post Office, resided John Martin, 31, laborer.^[14] This is recorded only five pages after the entry for Mary Gochenauer's parents, John and Lydia Gochenauer, and thirteen pages after the entry for Mary Gochenauer's son, Albert Martin. John Martin, Jr., reported in the 1850 Census, an apparent child of John and Hannah, would appear to be the most likely candidate for the father of Albert Martin.

• The Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society has developed an extensive card file, each card containing information on a nuclear family. This cardfile is now available in digital images at Ancestry.com. The only John Martin married to a Hannah in their cardfile is as follows:^[15]

  MARTIN, JOHN son of Christian Martin - Mary Barr married Alice Kendig dau. Henry Kendig-Barbara Herr 1. Ann July 28, 1795-Mar 1843 m. Jonathan Bushong [Colerain] Mar. 12, 1796-1832 2. Mattie 1797-May 11, 1838 m. Henry Mehaffey Feb 22, 1804-July 2, 1885 3. John June 28, 1798- m. Hannah Fagan Dec 1, 1798-1885 4. George July 12, 1801-June 6, 1869 m. Alice A. Shaub -1828; m(2) wid. Ann Tanger Sept. 11, 1803-June 16, 1876 5. Henry Feb 22, 1804-July 2, 1885 m. Catharine Smith Dec 20, 1812-Jan 26, 1891 6. Elizabeth Aug 2, 1809-Feb 2, 1875 m. John E. Lefevre Sept 9, 1809-Sept 19, 1897 7. Samuel Oct 20, 1812-Feb 4, 1883 m. Maria Marron Sept 4, 1812-Nov 29, 1891 ---Herr Gen., no. 331 & 467 ---Lanc. C.H. Deed N5-123 (1829)

  The birth dates for third child John and his wife Hannah converge with the ages given in census records. We also note that John's sister, Mattie, married a Mehaffey. A separate card in the cardfile indicates they had a daughter Ann.^[16] Elizabeth (Martin) Lefevre was the mother of Martin Lefevre,^[17] with whom John Martin lived in 1860. They would have been first cousins.

Information on the Martin ancestors of Albert Martin will be found at Martin Ancestors

Information on the Gochenauer ancestors of Albert Martin will be found at John Gochenauer.

¹Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1967, certificate 36259, Mr Albert Martin, 1923; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 14 June 2018); Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11, Series 11.90. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
²Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1967, certificate 4411, Mary Gochnauer, 1916.
³Rodric R. Reese, "Gochenauer," family genealogy, (www.horseshoe.cc/gochenour.htm : accessed about 2003). No longer on line. This obituary is now posted at: Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Find a Grave, digital images (findagrave.com : accessed 18 June 2018), Mary Gochenour; Created by: Larry & Edie Doepel.
⁴Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Conestoga, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 787, p. 566, household 437, Samuel Stauffer family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 10 November 2019); NARA Microfilm Publication M432; Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
⁵Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 1125, p. 598, household 101, John Gouchnauer family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 12 February 2018); NARA microfilm publication M653; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
⁶Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Strasburg Twp., Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 1359, p. 324A, household 168, Jonathan Stauffer family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 15 February 2018); NARA microfilm publication M593, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
⁷Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population, West Lampeter, Lancasteer County, Pennsylvania, enumeration district (ED) 144, roll 1142, p. 488B, household 378, Franklin J. Weaver family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 18 February 2018); NARA microfilm publication T9; Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
⁸Twelth Census of the United States: 1900, population, Pequea, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, enumeration district (ED) 98, p. 11, household 229, Albert Martin family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 9 March 2018); NARA microfilm group T623; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
⁹Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910, population, West Lampeter,, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, enumeration district (ED) 59, roll 1353, p. 8b, household 171, Benjamin F. Herr family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 12 March 2018); NARA group T624, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
¹⁰1880 Census, East Lampeter, Lancasteer County, Pennsylvania, ED 143, roll 1142, p. 465D, household 476, William Aument family.
¹¹1850 Census, Conestoga, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 787, p. 258B, household 102, John Martin family.
¹²1860 Census, Conestoga, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 1124, p. 112, household 149, John Martin family.
¹³1870 Census, Conestoga, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, p. 202B, household 327, John Martin family.
¹⁴1860 Census, Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, roll 1125, p. 603, household 136, Martin Lefevre family.
¹⁵Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, "Genealogical Card File.," digital images of cards, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 8 October 2019), Martin, John.
¹⁶ "Genealogical Card File," Mehaffy, Henry.
¹⁷Theodore W. Herr, Genealogical Record of Rev. Hans Herr and His Direct Lineal Descendants (Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: T. W. Herr, 1990), 207.

Herr, Theodore W. Genealogical Record of Rev. Hans Herr and His Direct Lineal Descendants. Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: T. W. Herr, 1990.

Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. "Genealogical Card File." Digital images of cards. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2019.

Pennsylvania Department of Health. Death Certificates, 1906–1967. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

Reese, Rodric R. "Gochenauer." Family genealogy. www.horseshoe.cc/gochenour.htm : 2003. No longer on line.

United States Department of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

________. Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

________. Tenth Census of the United States: 1880, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

________. Twelth Census of the United States: 1900, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

________. Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

Willow Street Mennonite Church Cemetery, Willow Street, West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Find a Grave. Digital images. findagrave.com : 2018.