Harshbarger line: William Farmer

 I've written earlier about William's father, Matthew Farmer, and had hoped by now that someone would contact me with more information about him, or at least to offer support and encouragement.  It hasn't happened.  So William's parentage is still unknown other than his father was Matthew.  (We know this wasn't the Matthew married to Molly Glass, but that's really all we know).  

William is reported to have been born in Shenandoah or Franklin County, Virginia, with dates given as 1770 and 1780 with no documentation.  I think it's safe to say that he was likely born sometime during that decade, as he married Jean or Jane Wyatt, daughter of John and Alice Gordon Wyatt, on October 21, 1799 in Franklin County, Virginia.  Most men married in their early 20's so that would give us a birthdate of roughly 1776, give or take a few years.  We find him in 1800 and 1810 in Franklin County, but in 1820 he is in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio.  

We know little about William's life with Jean, other than that he farmed, and that the couple had at least 8 children.  Probably the move to Ohio took place for economic reasons.  It may have also been influenced by political reasons.  A potential date for the move would be in the summer of 1813, for that is when William sold 40 acres of land on Standefers Creek, Franklin County, Virginia, which had at one time belonged to his father in law, for $250.  Miami County was formed in 1807 but settlement was sparse until after the War of 1812.  Then land was available at a reasonable price, as the native Americans were forced from their lands.  

I've found three records that may or may not pertain to our William Farmer.  Each is interesting.  First, there was a William Farmer in the War of 1812, a private in John Williamson's First Regiment of the Ohio Militia.  Was he ours?  I don't know.  There was a William Farmer buying land in Montgomery County as early as 1813.  Was he ours?  I don't know.  And finally, there was a William Farmer of Miami County, Ohio who was admitted to the West Branch Monthly Meeting on August 18th, 1827.  This record is likely of either our man, or of his son William, but I'm unable to identify him further. If these are the same man, it provides us with an interesting question.  Why and how did a man who participated in the War of 1812 become, towards the end of his life, a Quaker?  Please note: This entire paragraph is speculation and nothing here is to be interpreted as fact, except that documents naming a William Farmer exist for each of these events.

William died in 1834 in Miami County, Ohio, shortly before his father Matthew.  It appears that daughter Margaret was not mentioned in the estate settlement, so likely she had been given a cash gift, or personal property, when she and her husband moved on to Allen and then Whitley County, Indiana.  

The line of descent is:

William Farmer-Jean Wyatt

Margaret Farmer-Solomon Eliot Bennett

Mary Bennett-John Harter

Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger

Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants