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Notes: Birthdate of 1758? is highly in question. I honestly believe the 1758 date is a misread of, possibly 1738? This is more than likely the same person as William Hansepacker, mentioned in the Bergen County, New Jersey Tax Lists of 1782 as being fro m Franklin, New Jersey. This is also more than likely the same W. H. who settled in Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada and was granted 100 acres of land there, in 1801. His wife, Catharina, is most likely the same that his brother Cunrad had relation s with, as mentioned in the minutes of the 1770 Ramapo Church Consistory (Ramapo or Mahwah, New Jersey). If such is the case, perhaps one or more of Conrad's children are actually those of William, or vice versa.

The Williams are as frustrating as the Johns (Johannes) in that there was this man, the brother of Conrad, there was Conrad's son, and, of course William, son of William!! Dates have been both helpful and confusing, as prior "associations" hav e made it very hard to believe what prior researchers have strived to string together. Some claim that THIS is the William who married Leah VanTassel (b. 1758) but, since this William's first child was born in 1768, that would appear unlikely . I have associated, if you will, Leah with Conrad's son, William, due to a better likelihood, by currently known facts.

Am unsure of his date of ENLISTMENT in the 4th New Jersey Volunteers, but he was discharged from same in March of 1778 at Staten Island.

NOTE: The mother of William and his brothers may have been named Elizabeth, as the following "fellow Handspikers" are buried in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery (whether or not William was, is another story).
1. Elizabeth Handspiker - buried 11-Sep-1845 at age 102 (mother???) (birthyear @1733)
2. Elizabeth R. Handspiker - buried 28-Mar-1863 at age 25 (birthyear @1838)
3. Mary Ann Handspiker - buried 24-Mar-1852 at age 40 (birthyear @1812)
4. Peter Handspiker - buried 14-Jul-1870 at age 83 (birthyear @1797)

Since William and Conrad arrived at Digby together (relatively, at least), it is not unusual that their families might be a bit confusing to follow in the first couple of generations. Especially with common names amongst their children/grandchild ren. Both had sons names William, and those families, especially, are often mixed up. I've left the children listed as being those of William and Leah, with the son of Conrad. However, knowing how this sometimes works or doesn't work, ther e are possibilities that William, son of William, is the father of SOME of those children.

The marriage date of "Before 1764" is based on William & wife being witnesses to a baptism at the Ramapo Church on 25 November of that year.

In "Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War" is listed a "Hansilpacker, William, of Bergen; also Lt Col Fell's Battalion, State troops."

Not exactly sure how to interpret the entry. I make no sense out of William's being listed with the "Lt Col Fell's Battalion"... something further to research, perhaps. OR, maybe this was one entry for an entire Battalion??? One would THINK not.

From "Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Vol II":

"Hanselpiker, William, Grantee "Digby New Grant" 29 Jan. 1801 (5:82)"

From "Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia" page 14:
"Hanselspiker, William, 1801, Digby Township, 100 acres"
(note: which was, at that time, Annapolis County)

My suspicions are that there were two Williams in two generations. The elder, more likely the brother of Johannis (Hannes), and the younger a son of either of the two brothers. Nothing more than land records and presumed dates to offer up in supp ort of this theory. However, I suspect it would not be as big a stretch as one might imagine, to have Johannis having a son, William, named after his brother (and possibly his father?). With so little "hard" evidence from the early to mid 1700's , it is very difficult to say with ANY certainty, just how all these Henselbekker family members are connected/related.

Suffice it to say, Johannis Henselbekker and William Hansilbacker (or whatever spelling one comes across) were the two earliest recorded members of this family name in the American Colonies, in the early 1700's. Whence they might have come fro m Europe (MOST likely Germany) is near impossible to determine. Suspicions are that the family came from any of three areas of Germany. Wuerttemberg, Mannheim, or somewhere in Bavaria. As there is still SOME credence in the patronymic naming co nventions, it would be only through knowing WHEN such a name change took place, why and where, in order to fully document the family's earlier genealogical records. Short of someone uncovering a long dormant family bible, or a cache of early reco rds of Bergen County, that offer subtantiated information, this may be as far back as we are able to trace the family line.


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  • Married: Bef ORE 1764 in: Northern New Jersey, USA
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  • Name: Catharina
  • Birth:
  • Death:
  • Father:
  • Mother:

Notes:
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Other Spouses

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Children

SURNAMES
1/12/2007