--------------------------.------+tJ-I-I-3JL---- I mSTORY OF mE HACKER FAMILY 1880 BY WIUJAMHACKER 1810 - 1891 SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA, USA .n •• ..n • • _ ---------_.._-_ .... 2 PREFACE At the repeated request of many of my immediate relations, the following pages have been prepared in order to give a short sketch of the lives and characters of our ancestors, in which the line through which we have descended is traced as far back into remote ages as family tradition or history will justify. In the sketches, as given, of the first five generations, the male line through which we have descended has alone been considered. While other lines of the family name, were their lives and transactions sought out and placed upon record also, might show a more honorable and elevated character than that of our own, yet I have not attempted to in­ qUire how that may be, but simply confining the present effort to the tracing out of the line of our own immediate descent. What ;s found in the following pages in regard to the times prior to 1630 is taken mainly from family tradition; yet enough is found in the writings of other historians of those times to satisfy the mind that these family traditions are reliable. Subsequent to that period, his­ tory has generally been followed, family tradition being used to connect certain historical incidents, or fill up a space of time apparently left blank by other writers. It is here but proper that I should state that these sketches have not been prepared with a view of publication. The matter is of too local a nature for that. And if a perusal of the manuscript thus prepared will afford my children and relatives any satisfaction in learning of their descent, my whole object will be attained. William Hacker Shelbyville, Indiana January 14, 1880 ------~------------------------------ ) -------------------------~--------------------------------- 3 HISTORY OF THE HACKER FAMILY Chapter 1 The family name, HACKER, originated in the year 1521 , and under the following circumstances: Near the close of the Fifteenth Century, there was residing in the Kingdom of Saxony a family by the name of HECKARDT, a large landed proprietor, wealthy and of great influ­ ence in the government of that province. In 1498 there was born to this family their first child -a son- and to whom the parents gave the name of "Wilhelm". That child became the founder of our family name, and from him has descended all of the name that I have as yet ever met with. Of course, as will be seen, the true cause for which will be found in the following circumstances: The father of Wilhelm dying about 1519, brought the son into full possession of his fa­ ther's title and vast estate. And it will be remembered that this was about the time that Lu­ ther, the great reformer, of the Sixteenth Century, broke off from the Church of Rome, which, for the past ten centuries, had ruled the governments of the different nations of Europe with such terrible despotism, and keeping the masses of the people in such intel- ) lectual darkness and superstition. Frederick, the reigning Duke, or Elector of Saxony, as it was then called, smarting under this species of despotism, which was at that time being imposed upon his people by the Emperor MAXIMILIAN, under the dictates of the Pope, and wishing for a change, as is well known, early espoused the cause of Luther and became his protector in many a fierce contest in which the great reformer found himself engaged with the opponents of civil and religious liberty. Many of the influential citizens also took sides with the reforma­ tion and among those were the young "HECKARDT, Wilhelm" who, as before stated, had just come into possession of his father's title and estate. Family tradition informs us that he at once entered into the contest with all the ardor of his young Saxon blood. This soon brought upon him the condemnation of the church. Hot persecution was instituted against him, as well as others, by the Emissaries of the Pope, and from which not even the powerful influence of Frederick was able to rescue him. At the death of MAXIMILIAN, June 28, 1519, Charles /I of Spain, grand son of the de­ ceased emperor, succeeded him. Charles (known in history as Charles V of Germany), proved to be more bigoted and tyrannical than his predecessor, because perhaps he had more energy and greater endowments of mental capacity, and was, therefore, better able to carry out his tyrannical designs against the freedom of thought that was just at that -time~-as-jt-were;-burstjngiorth-a-startled-world:-He-;-therefore;-had-tathersammoned-to-----------­ appear before him at the city of Worms, April 17, 1521. At the conclusion of that council, under date of May 8,1521, he pronounced the condemnation of the Empire against him, which involved all his discij:lles, adherents and following in the same,--'c""o'-'-n'-"'d""e-'-'-m'-'-n'-"'a"'tj""'on'-".~ _ This fearful judgment caused young HECKARDT, under the advice of Frederick, to seek 4 an asylum in England, there, to await the charge of circumstances that would insure his safe return. This was, perhaps, what the Church party wanted, really. His fleeing to Eng­ land was taken as conclusive evidence against him. He was, therefore, without any form of trial, condemned as a heretic, his immense estates all seized, confiscated to the Church, disposed of and the proceeds at once sent on to Rome to aid in the erection of the great St. Peters which, at that time, the Pope had under way. When HECKARDT arrived in London shortly after the close of the Diet of Worms in 1521, Henry VIII was in close communion with the Church of Rome, and was defending her dogmas against the writings of LUTHER and the Reformation; consequently, perse­ cution under his Prime Minister, Cardinal WOLSEY, run high in England as well as on the Continent. Many of the dissenters, and especially among the more wealthy, were seized, thrown into prison, condemned, all their property confiscated and helped to re­ plenish the King's treasury, or sent on to Rome to aid in the work then going on under the direction of the Pope. Under these circumstances, HECKARDT, not yet knowing what course had been taken with his property in Saxony, and fearing that the Emissaries of the Church were still in pursuit of him, and as he had been well educated and could speak the English language fluently, he thought it best under the circumstances to anglicize his name and thus, if possible, mislead the agents of the Pope should they get on the track of him in London. ll He accordingly left off the IIdt • which are silent in the English language, and transposed the lIell and lIa", thus rendering it in full English IIHACKER", as it is today. He further ll changed the name "Wilhelm" into IIWilliam , which is also the English pronunciation of that name. This was the true origin of the name and has ever since been so written by all his descendants so far as is now known. For surely there was nothing in the circum­ stances by which it was brought about to cause any of his descendants to be ashamed of it. HACKER now learned what had been done with his estates left in Saxony, and realized that he had been suddenly reduced from affluence to the necessity of searching for daily employment by which to procure the means of subsistence. This, however, did not cause him to waver in faith or deter him in doing all in his power to aid in the great reformation that was then starting up among the nations of Europe. He consequently employed much of his leisure time in going from house to house in London and Essex, reading the Bible and distributing Luther's tracts among the poor of those cities, and occasionally preach­ ing to the people, as opportunity offered, the doctrines of the reformation "Justification by Faith". He was among the first, if not the very first, to preach the great reformation of the Sixteenth Century in and about London. This energetic course of our venerated ancestor began to produce soon its legitimate fruits. Many converts were made to the new faith, and the common people began to real- ___. izeJ]9W fearfully they: had been mistaught and kept in ignorance ofthe truths as re­ vealed in the Bible by a corrupt and designing priesthood. 5 Among the more prominent who early came forward to aid in carrying on this good work thus so happily begun were FOXE, COVERDALE, TOPlEY, John and William PYKES, HARRIS. FORMAN, and many others who became energetic preachers of this new doc­ trine. These reformers growing numerous became more bold; did not confine themselves to the teaching of the poor and proclaiming the "glad tidings" in cottages and byways, but Bower Hall, the residence of the Squire of Bumpstead, was thrown open to them, and FOXE, TOPLEY, TYNDAl, with others, often read and expounded the Holy Scriptures in the great hall of the mansion, in the presence of the Master and all his household. While matters were thus progressing, word was received from Rome that money must be had from Eng/and, or the work on the great cathedral at Rome must cease, and urging upon Cardinal WOLSEY to stir up his Bishops and Priests to renewed exertions in this behalf. "Get money, no matter how; but get and send on more money!" For some time the Bishops of London had watched the proceedings of these reformers with much uneasi­ ness, but having at length been notified of what was demanded of him at Rome, and hav­ ing received instructions in relation thereto from his Cardinal, he at once commenced operations.