Tenth Generation

56. Rev. Ambrose HENKEL^12,13 was born on July 11, 1786 in New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia.¹⁴ He died on January 6, 1870 in Rochelle, Orange County, Virginia.

His obituary appeared as follows:¹⁵ "Rev. Ambrose Henkel, the fourth son of Rev. Paul and Elizabeth Henkel, was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, near Solomon's Church, 8 miles northwest of New Market, on the 11th day of July, 1786, and was initiated into the church through the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, in his infancy, and, at a more mature age, entered into full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, through the ancient and solemn rite of Confirmation.

In 1802 he started, on foot, to Hagerstown, to learn the printing business. After working with Mr. Gruber, of Almanac reputation, and at Reading and in Baltimore, for three or four years, he purchased the bed and irons of a Ramage press and some old type, and, in 1806, established the first printing office in New Market, Virginia. With these old type, and cuts made .by himself, he published a pictorial Ger­man spelling-book of his own arrangement. In 1807, he commenced the publication of a weekly German paper, called the '' Virginia and New Market Popular Instructor and Weekly News,'' which continued for two years-and suspended for want of advertising patronage. The office was, however, continued as a Book and Job office by him, until he sold to his brother, Solomon, about 1817.

He entered the ministry in the year 1823, and preached his first sermon in German, in Mt. Calvary (Hawksbill) Church, Page County, Virginia, on the 23d day of November, 1823, from 1 Corinthians 10: 1-12, and continued actively, faithfully, and successfully in the ministry till 1860. He preached his last sermon in Bethlehem Church, Augusta County, Virginia, in the year 1868. He was engaged in the office of the ministry 47 years. His labors in all the departments of his minis­terial office, were extensive. He preached 3,995 sermons, of which 402 were funeral discourses; he baptized 1,625 persons, of whom 90 were adults; he confirmed 1,952 persons in the Church, and united in the holy estate of matrimony 400 men and women.

In 1838, under order of the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod, he prepared and published the Church Hymn-Book, which has now passed into its 4th edition.

In 1833 he was appointed, by the same body, chairman of a com­mittee to prepare a Liturgy or Book of Forms and submit it to the Synod ; which was done, and it was approved and published in 1843.

He also aided in the preparation of a purely literal translation of the Augsburg Confession, the Apology, the Smalcald Articles, the Ap­pendix, and the Articles of Visitation, which appeared in print in the Christian Book of Concord, in the year 1851.

In the years 1857-8, he prepared a similar translation of the first volume of Luther's Church Postil on the Epistles, as extant in Ploch-man's edition, which work, after having been carefully compared with the original German, revised, transcribed, and prepared for the press, was issued in serial numbers. He was, perhaps, the oldest practical printer and editor in the State-having edited a newspaper in New Market 62 years before his death.

As a writer and translator, he was noted for the precision and accuracy of his style, rather than ornament. He was a profound thinker, an earnest student, and a forcibje speaker.

He was married three times. His first wife was Miss Catharine Hoke, daughter of Frederick Hoke, Esq., of Lincoln County, North Carolina. His second one was Miss Mary Kite, daughter of Mr. Martin Kite, of Page County, Virginia, and his third one was Miss Veronica F. Heyle (Hoyle), daughter of Peter Heyle, Esq., of Lincoln County, North Carolina.

He departed this life on the 6th day of January, 1870, at 1 o'clock, A. M.; aged 83 years, 5 months, and 26 days. He left 6 children, a number of grand-children and great-grand-children.

His funeral services were rendered by Rev. Jacob Killian, in the presence of an unusually large concourse of people, in Emmanuel Church, New Market, Va., near which his body awaits the resurrection.

AMBROSE HENKEL, third son of the Rev. Paul and Elizabeth (Negeley) Henkel, born July 11, 1786, near Solomon's Church, eight miles N. W. Of New Market, Va. Married Catharine Hoke, Lincoln Co. One child, Noah Isaiah. Second marriage to Mary Kite, Page Co., Va. Children: Mary Catharine, Arianna Elizabeth, Eleanora Caroline, Paul Philip. Third marriage to Veronica Hoyle (Heyle), Lincoln Co., apparently sister of his brother David's wife Catharine. Children: Gerhart Ambrose, Hieronymus, Licensed 1823 and ordained 1824 by Tenn. Synod. Churches served, all in Va.: Trinity (Koiners), 1823-25; Emmanuel, New Market, 1825-38; St. Mary's near Mt. Jackson, 1825-55; Raders, Timberville, 1829-37; and Zion, near Edinburg, 1854-. Learned printer's trade at Hagerstown, Md., having walked there from home in Va., 1802. He was one of the founders of the Henkel Press (1806); was it's first printer and editor. With this in mind, he had learned the printer's trade in Hagerstown, under the famous John Gruber. He made probably the first full, direct translation of Luther's Small Catechism ever published in this country in the English. He published a German language paper, "The Virginia and New Market Popular Instructor and Weekly News," 1807-09. Edited a New Market newspaper for 72 years, and was referred to as "perhaps the oldest practical printer in Virginia." Sold printing shop to older brother Solomon, a physician, who thus became a publisher also. The Henkel Press was long an outstanding force in the development of the Lutheran Church in worship, confessional strength, education, and practices throughout the South. Literary contrtibutions: Prepared and published "Church Hymn Book" (1838); was chm. of comm. of Tenn. Synod to prepare "Book of Forms" (liturgy and orders), published in 1843; aided in translating into English Lutheran symnbols, and publishing "The Christian Book of Concord" (1851); translated into English and published serially Vol. I Luther's "Church Postil" (Epistles), 1857-58. Of him it was written: "He was a scholar, theologian, translator, editor, and printer, as well as a preacher . . . . as a writer and translator he was noted for his precision and accuracy of style; he was a profound thinker, an earnest student, and a forcible speaker." He was Secretary of the Tenn. Synod, 1829, 1831 and1833 and president in 1853. Died Jan. 6, 1870, at New Market, Va., in 84th year; buried at Emmanuel church in New Market.

Rev. Ambrose HENKEL married (1) Catherine HOKE on 29 Sep 1812 in Lincoln (Catawba) County, North Carolina.¹⁶ Catherine HOKE¹⁷ (daughter of Johann [John] Frederick HOKE and Katherine HAFER) was born on 28 Aug 1795 in York County, Pennsylvania.¹⁴ She was baptized on 1 Nov 1795 in York County, Pennsylvania and was sponsored by Conrad and Sabina (Hoke) Michael, her aunt and uncle. She died on 2 Jan 1815 in Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina¹⁸ and was buried in New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia. Condolences on the death of Catherine were sent to Ambrose from Gottlied Shober in the form of a poem dated about January, 1817.
Rev. Ambrose HENKEL and Catherine HOKE had the following children:

Rev. Ambrose HENKEL married (2) Mary KITE (or FITE) on 15 Sep 1816 in Page County, Virginia. Mary KITE (OR FITE)¹⁷ was born on 3 Sep 1795 in Rockingham, Virginia anddied on 26 Apr 1826 in New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia. Rev. Ambrose HENKEL and Mary KITE (OR FITE) had the following children:

Rev. Ambrose HENKEL married (3) Veronica Frances "Fannie" [Hoyl] HOYLE on 3 Oct 1827.¹⁹ Veronica Frances "Fannie" [Hoyl] HOYLE¹⁷ (daughter of Peter HOYLE II and Catharine CARPENTER) was born about 1798 in Lincoln (Catawba) County, North Carolina.¹⁴

In the Henkel record, the Hoyl name was spelled "Heyel", so it seems they had not gotten away from the German spelling as late as 1827. It was properly H-E-Y-L.

Rev. Ambrose HENKEL and Veronica Frances "Fannie" [Hoyl] HOYLE had the following children: