Maria Sophia Ambrose was born January 12, 1753, in what is now the Thurmont area of Frederick County, Maryland, the daughter of Jacob and Anna Catharina Kempff Ambrose. She was baptized in 1753 at the Frederick Evangelical Reformed Church, sponsor was Maria Sophia Kaempffin (the child's maternal aunt). Circa 1771, she married in Frederick County, to (Georg) Peter Schober/Schover, who immigrated to the U.S. with his parents, Johann Simon Schober and Maria Barbara Wust Schober. They were the parents of 5 children: Maria Sophia, Simon, Jacob, Catharine and Barbara Schover. Maria Sophia passed away May 8, 1822, in Thurmont, and was buried in Apple's Lutheran and Reformed Church Cemetery there.


Will of Maria Sophia (Ambrose) Shover of Frederick County, Maryland, HS-3, folio 19. Written January 4, 1814; proved May 13, 1822:

"Be it remembered that I, Sophia Shover (widow) of Frederick County and State of Maryland, being of perfect health, and of sound mind, memory and understanding, do make this my last will in manner and form following, to wit.--whereas having purchased certain property since the death of my late husband and may probably procure more hereafter which will be held in my own right, all which I dispose of in the following manner--
"--First, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Catherine Weller, one half of all the property which I may leave at my decease, unto her, her heirs or assigns;
"--Secondly, I give and bequeath to my daughter Barbara, the other one half of all the property which I may leave at my decease, unto her, her heirs or assigns;
"--My will and desire is that my two daughters, Catharine Weller, and Barbara, make an equal division of my property, as above bequeathed unto them, and that they make the same amicably, between themselves, if the sam can be affected, if not then and in that case, I direct and my will and desire is, that my executor, hereinafter named, shall make sale and divide the proceeds, equally between my two daughters, above named, agreeable to the bequests above stated, and make an equal division, of my wearing apparel, between my said two daughters, share and share alike.
"--Lastly, I nominate and appoint my worthy friend, Joseph Leatherman, sole executor of this my last will, ratifying this and none other. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this fourth day of January in the year eighteen hundred and fourteen." Sophia X Shover - --Witnesses were: Henry Kemp and Daniel Miller"


Frederick County Equity Case of July 5, 1820:
Remus Griffith
vs.
1) Henry Kemp (son of Ludwig Kemp)
2) Christian Kemp (son of Ludwig Kemp)
3) Elizabeth Foulke, of Washington County (daughter of Ludwig Kemp)
4) Jacob Shover (son of Simon Shover, deceased son of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
5) Adam Shover (son of Simon Shover, deceased son of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
6) Catharine Shover (daughter of Simon Shover, deceased son of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
7) Elizabeth Shover (daughter of Simon Shover, deceased son of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
8) Julianna Shover, of Ohio, wife of William Kirkwood (daughter of Simon Shover, deceased son of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
9) Henry Weller (husband of Catharine Shover Weller, (daughter of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
10) Peter Rouser, in Virginia (son of Maria Sophia Shover Rouzer, deceased daughter of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
11) Jacob Rouser, Frederick County (son of Maria Sophia Shover Rouzer, deceased daughter of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
12) Sophia (nee Rouzer), wife of Peter Warrenfeltz, Frederick County (daughter of Maria Sophia Shover Rouzer, deceased daughter of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
13) Sarah Hiteshew (nee Rouzer), Frederick County (daughter of Maria Sophia Shover Rouzer, deceased daughter of Maria Sophia Ambrose Shover)
[note: words in parentheses added by G. Freese]


Frederick County Equity Case No. 348, Liber JS-3, folio 82, June 14, 1822 (petition of heirs to sell property in order to pay debts):

Heirs named: Peter Rouzer, Jacob Rouzer, Sophia wife of Peter Warenfeltz, Daniel Rouzer, Lydia Rouzer, Martin Rouzer, Henry Rouzer and Elizabeth Rouzer, all the children of Sophia Shover, deceased daughter of testatrix and wife of Daniel Rouzer; Julia Shover, wife of William Kirkwood, Jacob Shover, Adam Shover, Catharine Shover and Elizabeth Shover, children of deceased son Simon Shover; Catherine Shover, wife of Henry Weller, daughter of testatrix; Barbara Shover, daughter of testatrix. Same case indicated William Kirkwood and Julia, his wife, Catherine Shover and Elizabeth Shover reside in Ohio beyond the jurisdiction of this Court. On 7 June 1823 Jacob Shover and others answered and agreed to sale. On 8 November, 1823, Adam Shover agreed to sale.


Maria Sophia Ambrose's parents' names were given as Jacob and Catherine in Frederick County Equity Case No. 842, Liber JS-8, folio 368. Her father Jacob was probably born in Germany, the son of Matthias Ambrose and wife Maria Catharina. He came to this country with his parents, arriving on 11 October 1732 on the ship "Pleasant." It has been indicated by other researchers that his mother was Maria Catharine Spach/Spough. This has yet to be substantiated by primary documents. Jacob died about 1779, possibly while serving as Captain in the Revolutionary War. Sophia's mother, Anna Catherina Kemp/Kaempff died on 28 August 1807 in Frederick County, Maryland and was buried at Apple's Church Cemetery in Thurmont, Maryland. According to her stone, she was born on 15 Dec 1731. This same date appears in Annette Burgert's book on immigrants from the Northern Kraichgau region of Germany. Maria Sophia's birth date comes from the baptismal records of Frederick Evangelical Reformed Church. The death date came from her tombstone and the Equity Case. As evidenced above, alternate spellings of Schober include Schover, Shover, Shober, etc.
∼age 67yrs.5mos.?; badly eroded