Thank you to Jill Hillburn (Allen Family) for this information: http://www.holben.org/johann_early_history.htm The name was spelled “Holbe" back in Germany and Holbein in some accounts. I had to read it a couple times to make sense of it. Here are the key parts (keep in mind the ancestry links go Johann Jacob to Jacob to John to Jacob to Christina to Annie, and the below account just covers the first three on that list):
"Johann Jacob Holbe (s/o Ulrich) arrived in Philadelphia 21 Sept 1742 aboard the "Francis & Elizabeth", George North, Master, from Rotterdam, Netherlands via Deal, England. Early records stated that he came from "Odenwald" Germany which proved to be incorrect. This caused many researchers to conduct "wild goose chases" and delays of many years before Robert Holby, James Holben and I found this from the records in Lieblos, Gruendau, Germany."
"When Johann Jacob Holbe arrived in Philadelphia, his written name on the Oath of Allegiance and the Passenger List, was "Johann Jacob" followed by what appeared to be "Holbein”."
"Shortly after arriving in Pennsylvania, Johann Jacob married Catharine Weiss. The Weiss family had settled in Bucks County prior to his arrival. They had 6 children, 2 daughters and 4 sons. The daughters were Anna Margaret and Anna Catharine. The sons of Johann Jacob were Jacob, Theobald, Lorentz, Jr. and Wendel. The 4 sons lived to old age. All served in the local militia during the Revolutionary War. The 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion (later the 6th Battalion) consisting of approximately 50 men was fromed from the Weisenberg area. Lorentz was a sergeant in the Battalion while Jacob was in the 4th Class, Theobald in the 6th Class and Wendel the 7th Class."
"Jacob, purchased 160 acres of land in Lynn Township and married Catharina Moresin. They had 2 daughters, Magdalena and Susanna and 5 sons, Daniel, Peter, Christian, John, and Jacob, Jr. In 1804, Jacob, Sr. deeded his farm in Lynn Township equally to his sons Christian and Jacob, Jr. and the rest of the family moved to Mahanoy Valley in Northumberland County in central Pennsylvania. Jacob, Sr. died in 1820. Son John married Susannah (last name unknown ? Holla or ? Hollo) and raised 13 children. In 1831, John sold his land in Mahanoy Valley and joined settlers in Armstrong County in western Pennsylvania. This line of Holben's remain in and around Armstrong, Jefferson and Clarion Counties to this day.
"Johann Jacob Holbe (s/o Ulrich) arrived in Philadelphia 21 Sept 1742 aboard the "Francis & Elizabeth", George North, Master, from Rotterdam, Netherlands via Deal, England. Early records stated that he came from "Odenwald" Germany which proved to be incorrect. This caused many researchers to conduct "wild goose chases" and delays of many years before Robert Holby, James Holben and I found this from the records in Lieblos, Gruendau, Germany."
"When Johann Jacob Holbe arrived in Philadelphia, his written name on the Oath of Allegiance and the Passenger List, was "Johann Jacob" followed by what appeared to be "Holbein”."
"Shortly after arriving in Pennsylvania, Johann Jacob married Catharine Weiss. The Weiss family had settled in Bucks County prior to his arrival. They had 6 children, 2 daughters and 4 sons. The daughters were Anna Margaret and Anna Catharine. The sons of Johann Jacob were Jacob, Theobald, Lorentz, Jr. and Wendel. The 4 sons lived to old age. All served in the local militia during the Revolutionary War. The 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion (later the 6th Battalion) consisting of approximately 50 men was fromed from the Weisenberg area. Lorentz was a sergeant in the Battalion while Jacob was in the 4th Class, Theobald in the 6th Class and Wendel the 7th Class."
"Jacob, purchased 160 acres of land in Lynn Township and married Catharina Moresin. They had 2 daughters, Magdalena and Susanna and 5 sons, Daniel, Peter, Christian, John, and Jacob, Jr. In 1804, Jacob, Sr. deeded his farm in Lynn Township equally to his sons Christian and Jacob, Jr. and the rest of the family moved to Mahanoy Valley in Northumberland County in central Pennsylvania. Jacob, Sr. died in 1820. Son John married Susannah (last name unknown ? Holla or ? Hollo) and raised 13 children. In 1831, John sold his land in Mahanoy Valley and joined settlers in Armstrong County in western Pennsylvania. This line of Holben's remain in and around Armstrong, Jefferson and Clarion Counties to this day.