The Hangman's Ropemaker: Constable Bupp

"Constable Jacob Rupp of the Eleventh ward, Allegheny, sometime since appointed J. J. Hays one of his deputies."

~ "Court Brevities," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1876, page 4.  The "Rupp" was likely a typo.

*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

Since he had already been elected as a judge, and apparently was starting to become a popular gentleman in the area, likely due to his burgeoning rope-making business and the success of his hangman's ropes, Jacob Bupp decided in 1873 to run for constable of the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City.

In those days, a constable in Allegheny City maintained the peace, executed warrants, and policed crowds.  They served the court system by delivering summons, complaints, subpoenas and orders of eviction and protection.  They also were the only law enforcement officials allowed to be on duty at polling places on Election Day.... coincidentally they were also elected to their positions.

According to the opinion of the editors in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review article "The Philadelphia Constable," there had been a number of questionable practices of constables.  Some constables were elected and never carried out their duties as constable.  Some collected exorbitant fees for their services from those who elected them.  Some accepted bribes for the appointment of deputy constabularies, who then often were as corrupt as those they bribed.  As stated in the same opinion piece:

"Apparently, many constables run for election without any intention of practicing.  They may run merely for the satisfaction of winning in a public election, for the prestige of holding the title of constable, or because they just happen to be available when a ward leader needs someone to fill out the long ballot." (page 511)

It is not known if any of the above were true in Jacob's case.

What is known is that Jacob was nominated by the Republican Party in Allegheny City and endorsed by them for constable after winning the Republican primary for the position in the days leading up to the general election.  On 9 Dec 1873, he was elected constable of the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City with 107 votes.  His competitor was M. Beard, who only had 27 votes.

Constables were usually paid on a fee system, so they also could have full time jobs, such as Jacob  did with his ropemaking.  However, the directory listings for Jacob Bupp in both 1874 and 1875 in the Pittsburgh and Allegheny City Directories list him as a constable, and living on the same lot his son had purchased in 1871, in what is now the Shadeland neighborhood.  While there is no evidence of any hangings having been carried out with Jacob's ropes during this period, he could have been still making ropes for any of the multitude of other uses during this time.  It is possible to also surmise that he was indeed working as a constable full time, although no evidence seems to exist to either prove or disprove this theory.

*Edit made 6 June 2019*:  Further research having been done, it is now known that Jacob Bupp was likely the manufacturer of ropes for two separate hangings while in office.  The two events were the hanging of Ernest Ortwein, done on 23 February 1875, and the hangings of William Murray and Frederick Myers, who were hanged on 6 January 1876.

Constables did not have a limit to how many deputies they could have, however in Allegheny County, an appointment of a deputy constable had to be affirmed by an order of the court.  Constable Bupp had one such deputy that created quite a scandal.

Bupp had appointed a man by the name of J. J. Hays as one of his deputies.  One of the court's judges, Judge Kirkpatrick, had refused the commission of deputy constable Hays on multiple occasions, as Hays had apparently had a recent run-in with the law, having been suspected in the murder of a local girl.  Hays had also been brought up a few months prior on charges for perjury for making false claims in another trial that had been brought up in front of Judge Kirkpatrick, as well on several charges of assault and battery the previous year.

On 21 March 1873, Hays applied to another one of the court judges, Judge White, for approval and White approved it, but upon learning Kirkpatrick had refused to sign off on the commission, White withdrew his approval, and Hays was summoned to the court to give up his commission.

It is unknown if Hays gave up his commission.  He was found not guilty of perjury, but ordered to pay half of the court costs in another case he was involved in.  He ultimately skipped town, and by the end of 1876 found himself having been extradited back to Pittsburgh from Ohio, and was jailed for skipping out on his bondsman.

It is not clear when Jacob finished his term as constable, but given that typically a constable was elected for six years, it can be assumed he completed an entire term, which would mean he was done in late 1879 or 1880.  However, directory listings for him for the years 1876, 1878 and 1879 list him as a ropemaker and laborer (he was missing from the 1877 directory).   This could mean that either he had given up his commission after 1876 or he was no longer working full time as a constable but rather was using it to supplement his rope-making income.

In any case, it appears his constabulary days were limited to a single term.

Jacob continued to reside in the Wood's Run/Shadeland neighborhood in the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City, but what is curious is his enumeration listing for the 1880 census, where he, Caroline, and their daughters Kate and Lizzie are enumerated in the Tenth Ward, which lay just to the east of the Eleventh Ward per the city maps from the time.  Why he was there remains a mystery, but he is enumerated as being a fifty-eight year old laborer born in Pennsylvania, whose parents were also born in Pennsylvania.  Caroline is listed as his wife and housekeeper, aged fifty and born in France.  Both daughters are listed as "at home."  By 1882, he was back living on Shady Avenue, presumably in the family home, so why he was briefly in the Tenth Ward is still a confusion.

Perhaps it had something to do with debt.  In March of 1877,  a sheriff's sale notice appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for the lots owned by Jacob and William H. Bupp.  Another notice appeared in September of the same year, and by 1 December 1879, the Wood's Run Savings Fund and Loan Association held a deed of indenture on the properties.  While William appeared to continue to live on his lot, Jacob had apparently moved out, temporarily.  The Bupp family appeared to reacquire the property, however no deed has yet been located to prove this.

Sources Referenced:
"A Constable Sues for Damages", The Pittsburgh Commercial Daily (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 14 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Allegheny", Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 9 February 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Allegheny City Election," The Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 10 December 1873, page 1. Jacob Bupp elected constable of the Eleventh Ward with 107 votes; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 May 2019).

"Allegheny City Primaries," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 8 December 1873, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 May 2019).

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 273: 505-506, Deed of indenture from Grantor Fred J Melaney and wife Sarah to Grantee William H. Bupp, dated 14 June 1871; FHL microfilm 1509878.

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Deed book 400: 221-223, William H. and Elizabeth Bupp deed of indenture to Woods Run Savings Fund and Loan Association, 1 Dec 1879; FHL microfilm 8092439.

"Allegheny Elections," election results, Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 10 December 1873, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016).

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 August 2016), Entry for Jacob Bupp and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Allegheny Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1088, Family History Film: 1255088, Page: 82D, Enumeration District: 027, and Image: 0162.

Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny: From Official Records, Private Plans and Actual Records (Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, 1882), plates 35 and 36; online images, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 15 May 2019).

"Brevities", Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 19 Dec 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Court Brevities," Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1874/1875 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1874), 112, "Bupp Jacob, police, Shady av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1875/1876 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1875), 111, Bupp Jacob, constable, Cliff, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1876-1877 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1876), 111, "Bupp Jacob, rope maker, McClure av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1878/1879 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1878), 126, "Bupp Jacob, lab, McClure av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1879-1880 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1879), 139, "Bupp Jacob, rope mkr, McClure av, 11th wd, A"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 17 August 2016).

Editors, "The Philadelphia Constable," University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 104 (1956), online archive, Penn Law (https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7472&context=penn_law_review : accessed 13 May 2019), 508-542.

Joint State Government Commission, "Overview of the Constabulary: History," Constables in Pennsylvania: Proposed Statutory Reforms (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, April 2014), 5; JSGC Public Website (http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us/resources/documents/ftp/publications/2014-369-Constable%20Report%206.03.14.pdf : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Quarter Sessions - Judge Kirkpatrick", The Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). 21 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

"Sheriff Sales," notice of auction, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 March 1877, Page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016). 

"Sheriff's Sales," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 22 September 1877, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 September 2017).

"Troubles of a Deputy Constable," The Pittsburgh Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 23 March 1876, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016).

"What the Heck are Constables and Does Pittsburgh Need Them?," Popular Pittsburgh, 10 June 2016 (https://popularpittsburgh.com : accessed 13 May 2019).

The Hangman’s Rope-Maker: The Story of Jacob Bupp (Part One: His Beginnings)

“A hangman's rope is made of four parts, one of which is used as the heart and the other three are twisted around it.  When it is finished it is perfectly round and smooth and is about 9-16 of an inch in thickness. These ropes are usually made from 25 to 30 feet in length. It requires 21 feet to perform the execution properly, and the surplus is always in case of accident resulting in a break. The knot is tied by the man who makes the rope, so that the executioner has nothing to do but slip the loop over the culprit’s head.”

~ Jacob Bupp, in an interview, "Making Nine Ropes," Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 31 March 1890, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 16 August 2016). This interview was syndicated and ran in multiple newspapers, sometimes with slight variations, around the country in 1890.

All men are mortals, but some become legends, even if it is only to their descendants. There are many characters in my family tree, but few have ever fascinated me as my great-great-great grandfather Jacob Bupp has.  You see, Jacob Bupp was a maker of ropes, and he was quite proud that he specialized in making ropes for hangmen.

The very idea that he was the creator of so many instruments of death has always made me wonder what kind of man what he, what kind of grit and determination did he have to be able to look so many men in the face, knowing he was the maker of their demise?

*This blog post is one in a series of blogs on my famous ancestor, Jacob Bupp, the Hangman's Ropemaker- click the page tab above labeled "The Hangman's Ropemaker" for more information and the blog series*

Beginnings

Every legend starts with a beginning, and Jacob Bupp’s beginning is no different.  He was born in York, Pennsylvania on or about 23 December 1823 and was christened 18 March 1824 at Christ Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania.  Because spelling of his surname often varied, he was referred to as Jacob Bopp on a number of differing documents, and on one document as Jacob Bobb.  

Jacob’s father, John Bopp, was a brickmaker by trade.  According to a deed from York County, John was from Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Because of his last name, and the fact that he spoke German, it is distinctly possible that the Bopp family was Pennsylvania German in origin, and likely Mennonite by religious affiliation.  This theory is supported by the fact that John Bopp had a few advertisements in a German language newspaper and late nineteenth century newspaper accounts of Jacob Bupp being a German.

However, since the borough of Mount Joy was founded by protestant Scots-Irish settlers before the American Revolution, there is a possibility of that heritage as well, though it may be diluted.  Research has not determined John Bopp’s parentage although there are a few possibilities to explore, as there are a few Bopp/Bobb families in the area surrounding Mount Joy around the time of his estimated birth.

Susan Pentz or Bentz, Jacob’s mother, was the daughter of Elizabeth King, though her father’s name is not known, nor is the spelling of her surname absolutely certain.  Little is known about her early life, although what is known is that she had a brother, Daniel, and a sister, Elizabeth, who later married John Crone.

Elizabeth King, Jacob’s maternal grandmother, was a sister of Dr. Adam King, a well known medical doctor and Congressman from the borough of York.  She was born 10 August 1773 and baptized 7 September 1773 at Trinity Reformed Church in York, Pennsylvania.  She was one of several children born to Phillip Jacob King and his wife Catharina. While not much is known about Elizabeth’s life, there is a great deal known about Adam King.

Family Legacy: Dr. Adam King

Dr. Adam King was the maternal grand-uncle of Jacob Bupp, and was the son of Philip Jacob King (Koenig in German) and Catharina.  He was born as Johann Adam King on 20 January 1783 and baptized 10 September 1783 at Trinity Reformed Church in York, Pennsylvania, the same church as his elder sister.  

Johann Adam King was known as Adam, as he followed the German tradition of a Rufname (everyday name) as a middle name. He grew up in York, but studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, presumably right before the War of 1812.  He took up practicing medicine in and around the borough of York.

There is a  high probability that he served briefly during the War of 1812 as a corporal in Captain Michael Spangler’s regiment of the Pennsylvania Militia, as a militiaman by that name was indeed listed on the roster for that company from York County, Pennsylvania, but it is not certain if it is indeed the same Adam King, though a veteran’s burial card for him exists on Ancestry.com.

In 1818, Adam King became one of the editors of The York Gazette, a German and English newspaper in York, Pennsylvania.  For a time, he worked with a man by the name of Walsh, but in April 1829, an announcement ran in another newspaper that that editorial partnership was dissolved and Adam King went into business with George A. Barnitz.  According to several sources, he remained the editor of the paper until his death in 1835.

Because he was probably well known, and thus likely well liked in the area, he ran for United States Congress representing the district of York, Pennsylvania in October 1826 as a Jacksonian Democrat. An untitled article in The National Gazette states that he was a friend of General Andrew Jackson, although it is not known if that meant they were actual friends, or if it was meant to indicate that the two men were in the same political party.  Adam King was re-elected to his seat in 1828, and then again in October 1830 by a total of 2947 votes, defeating William McIlvain, who had 2080 votes.  In early 1832, he voted against rechartering the Bank of the United States in 1832, which cost him re-election that year, as the National Bank’s charter was a popular issue.  Charles A. Barnitz succeeded him as Congressman from York County.

Adam King returned to his home in York, Pennsylvania and resumed the practice of medicine for the remainder of his life. For reasons unknown, however, he committed suicide by hanging on 6 May 1835.  One of his obituaries read:

“'The motive of this melancholy act remains a mystery. He was rich, respected, and had before him a career of usefulness and honor. It is not alleged that he was suffering under temporary derangement, and no cause is assigned which can explain this act of fatal desperation.”

~ Source: "Suicide," The Liberator (Boston, Massachusetts), 23 May 1835, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 December 2017).

Because he had no heirs, his property was divided amongst his siblings and their heirs, including Elizabeth King’s surviving children, Elizabeth, Daniel and Susan Bentz.  He was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, Pennsylvania

Early Life of Jacob Bupp

John Bopp and Susan Pentz or Bentz married at Christ Lutheran Church in York on 18 January 1821.  Six children were born to the couple, according to transcribed records readily available at FamilySearch; Elizabeth, Rebecca, Jacob, William, Helena, Sarah and Elnora.  Whether or not other children were born to the family as well remains to be seen.  Jacob was born the eldest known son and the third oldest known child.

One thing known for certain is that John Bopp briefly owned a tract of land in the borough of York.  He bought the land from Eli Lewis in 1829 for $1000, or roughly $23000 in the market of 2016. At this tract of land, the family was enumerated in the 1830 census, with young Jacob being one of two free white males ages five to nine.  Jacob’s younger brother William was presumably the other one listed.

However, the land did not stay in the possession of the family for long.  John Bopp incurred an amount of debts to a number of persons, and in November of 1832 all of his properties, except those allowed to insolvent debtors, had been deeded over to Jacob Hantz (or Haus) for the price of $1 as per a judgement entered into the Court of the Common Pleas entered 1 November 1832.  Because a number of people owed John Bopp money, presumably from his brickmaking business, an advertisement was taken out in the local paper, York Gazette, which translated from German read:

The books of John Bopp, brick maker, have been given into the hands of the final officer, by Assignee Major Jacob Hantz, for collection. All those who are guilty in said books are requested to pay before the first of January, thereby saving expenses.

~ Source: “Anzeige”  announcement, York Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), 29 November 1833, page 3; online archive, Newspapers.com, (www.newspapers.com: accessed 2 November 2017). German to English translation done by Ron Hochstetler.

The money that Susan Bentz Bopp inherited from her uncle Adam King’s estate was also transferred to Jacob Hantz to help pay for the debt of the family, as indicated by a deed from York County.  This injustice was due to the way Pennsylvania law was before 1848, in that it allowed that a wife’s property could be taken to settle her husband’s debts. This event had to have been devastating to the family, and to ten year old Jacob in particular, this was likely a very strong memory and turning point in his young life.

There is little information to suggest what happened to Jacob Bupp or his family after the bankruptcy of his father.  The family has not yet been located on the 1840 census, though there are some listings for Bupps in the area.

Susan is listed in the registers of Trinity United Church of Christ in York, Pennsylvania as having attended church there from Easter 1845 until 1847.  She died in May of 1850 in the South Ward of York, Pennsylvania, and on the mortality schedule for the 1850 census, on which she is listed, she is listed as being a widow, so the presumption is John Bopp died sometime before May 1850.  No death records have been located for him, however, as death certificates were not often used before the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania made them mandatory in 1906.

The next installment will discuss Jacob's life in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Sources and References:

"1830 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 October 2017), entry for John Bopp and household, 1830, Census Place: York York, Pennsylvania, Series: M19, Roll: 160, Page: 369, and Family History Library Film: 0020634.

"Editorial Changes," Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), 15 April 1829, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 December 2017).

Frey, J., "Johann Adam King," Strine & Yessler Families of York County, PA, (http://jsfecmd.info/strineweb-p/p489.htm : accessed November 13, 2017)

“History” Mount Joy Borough, 2015, (http://mountjoyborough.com/about/history/ : accessed 7 November 2017)

O'Brian, Charles. "The Growth in Pennsylvania of the Property Rights of Married Women." University of Pennsylvania Law Review 49 (3). Online archive. University of Pennsylvania Law School Legal Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/penn_law_review

“Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Dec 2017). Entry for Elizabeth Koenig, baptized 7 September 1773, Transcribed records of Trinity Reformed Church, York, York, Pennsylvania, transcription done by Henry James Young 1935.

“Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013,” database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Dec 2017). Entry for Johann Adam Koenig, baptized 10 September 1783, Transcribed records of Trinity Reformed Church, York, York, Pennsylvania, transcription done by Henry James Young 1935

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com, Entry for Susan Bopp in the church attendance records of Trinity United Church of Christ, 1845-1847, York, Pennsylvania; reel 700 of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's records. image 224 of 502.

"Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2J9-LXH : accessed 9 December 2014), entry for Jacob Bobb, 18 Mar 1824; Christening, citing Christ Lutheran Church, York, York, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm Q974.841 Y1 V2Y V5-6.

"Pennsylvania Marriages, 1709-1940," database online, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 13 August 2016), Entry for John Bopp and Susan Benns Or Bentz, 1821; citing Christ Lutheran Church,York,York,Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm 1,320,516.

"Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 4 November 2017), York > Orphans' Court dockets 1849-1852 vol X > pages 593-594 (images 342 and 343), entry for Adam King; citing county courthouses in Pennsylvania.

“Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012” database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 December 2017), Entry for Adam King, died 7 May 1835; citing Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1929-1990; Series Number: Series 1.

"To the Editors," letter to the editor, Newbern Spectator (New Bern, North Carolina), 19 October 1832, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 December 2017).

"Untitled article, The National Gazette (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 16 October 1826, page 2, online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 10 December 2017).

"U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885," database, Ancestry.com, entry for Susan Bupp; National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Non-Population Census Schedules for Pennsylvania, 1850-1880: Mortality; Archive Collection: M1838; Archive Roll Number: 2; Census Year: 1850; Census Place: York South Ward, York, Pennsylvania; Page: 947.

"Wahl Bericht von York County," election report, York Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), 22 October 1830, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 December 2017).

“War of 1812 Service Record Index,” database online, Fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 06 Dec 2017), Entry for Corporal Adam King, 1st Pennsylvania Militia; citing “Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the War of 1812, compiled 1899 - 1927, documenting the period 1812 - 1815. Microfilm publication number M602. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.

Who Was Who in America: Historical Volume 1607-1896 (Chicago, Illinois: Marquis - Who's Who, Incorporated, 1963). 294, Entry for Adam King

York County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 3K: 279-280, Eli Lewis and Rebekah his wife to John Bopp, 6 March 1829; FHL microfilm 22122.

York County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 3M; Page 90, John Bopp to Jacob Hantz, 30 November 1832; FHL microfilm 22123.

York County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 3N: page 413, John Bupp and Susan his wife to Jacob Hantz, 13 May 1835; FHL microfilm 22123.