The family of Thomas Noble 1696-1775

This is the third Thomas Noble family I've written about, and the most fascinating to me.  In my last post, about Thomas and Elizabeth Dewey Noble, I mentioned that some of their children and grandchildren would surely have defended their colony in the French and Indian War, and fought in the Revolutionary War.  This family, that of Thomas and Sarah Root Noble, is one such example.  With only a little bit of searching, I've found stories about three of the sons, and there are probably more waiting to be found.  

This is also a family that has lots of cousin marriages, between Nobles and Roots, and Nobles and Deweys, and other families also show up multiple times.  Westfield in the early 1700s was still a very small town, noted as having about 150 families by 1750.  The pickings for marriage partners was slim, but we can hope that the marriages were generally good ones.

Thomas was born in 1696. the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Dewey Noble.  He married Sarah Root, the daughter of John and Sarah Stebbins Root in 1722.  He spent all his days in Westfield, Massachusetts, unless he participated in military expeditions, but I've found no record of any such thing yet.  Thomas died in Westfield in 1775, just two months before the battles of Lexington and Concord that more or less began the Revolutionary War.  Thomas and Sarah had at least 10 children together.  If, as adults, all the children had been gathered at the same table, there would have been enough stories told to last the night through, and then some.  Thomas also married, in 1761, Sarah Field Belding, about a year after his first wife's death.

Sarah was born first, in 1723 (actually, within a few months of her parents' marriage, but who's counting?).  She married Aaron Dewey, the son of Israel and Sarah Root Dewey.  Sarah was related to both of Aaron's parents, so she knew her husband probably her whole life.  Their children are Aaron, Sarah, Aaron, Aaron, John, Silas, Eunice, Silas, and Levi.  Sadly, several of these children died as infants.  Sarah died in 1796 in Westfield.  

Thomas (yes, another Thomas to confuse us all) was born in 1725 and died in 1801 in Westfield.  He married Susanna Cole, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Goodwin Cole.  His uncle, Jonathan Noble, was married to a sister of Susanna.  Thomas and Susanna's children are Eunice, Jerusha, Susanna, Thomas, Sally, Jerusha, Dorothy, Calvin, Luther, Molly, and Nancy. 

Stephen was born in 1727 and died in 1791 in Westfield.  He married Ruth Church, the daughter of Jonathan and Ruth Hitchcock Church. (Jonathan was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Noble Church.  Elizabeth was Stephen's grand aunt, another family connection.)  Their children are Lovisa, Ruth, Bildad, Aaron, Stephen, Lois, Eunice, and Lucinda.  This family will be the subject of my next blog post.

Eunice was born in 1729 and died just 21 years later in Westfield.  She married Samuel Smith, the son of Samuel and Desire Bedortha Smith.  They had one daughter together, also a Eunice.

John was born in 1731 and died in 1807 in Blandford, Massachusetts.  He married Lois Sexton, the daughter of Daniel and Mary Douglas Sexton.  Their children are John, Bohan, Hannah, Rhoda, John, Oliver, and Alva.  I'm a little confused about the last two names.  They might belong to the same person, and the name might be Olive.  I have not found the records to confirm this.  

Silas was born in 1733 and died July 11, 1775, at Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.  My history loving ears perked up at the date and sure enough, he died while serving in the earliest days of the Revolutionary War, of "camp fever".  George Washington arrived to take charge of what became the core of the militia/army that fought against George III's troops.  I've read that when he got there, one of the first things he did was insist that the camp be cleaned up and military discipline applied.  But I digress...Silas married twice.  His first was is Bethia Dewey, the daughter of Adijah and Mercy Ashley Dewey.  (Both of those folks are our cousins, also.) Their children are Elisha, James, Silas, and Medad.  Silas's second wife is Mary Taylor, whom I have not further identified.  Their children are Bethia, Solomon, and Mary.

Aaron was born in 1735 and died in November of 1760 in Westfield.  His story is both sad and interesting.  He fought during four different campaigns of the French and Indian War, and evidently was captured at some point, and held in Quebec.  When finally released, he likely sailed on one of the ships that unknowingly held one or more passengers suffering from smallpox.  Aaron arrived home in good health, had an hour with his family, and then fell ill.  He died about a week later, from smallpox.  I haven't found any others of this family that died shortly after Aaron, so apparently he didn't infect anyone else, which was a good thing.  He deserves to be held among the heroes in our family.

Elizabeth was born in 1738 and died in 1804 in Westfield.  She married Medad Dewey, who was a brother to Bethia Dewey mentioned above, and the son of Adijah and Mercy Ashley Dewey.  Their children are Solomon and Medad.  She then married John Miller, not yet further identified, and their children are Elizabeth, Olive, and Anna.  Finally, she married Benjamin Sexon, the son of Benjamin and Mary Strong Sexton, and they had a son, Phinehas.  

Caleb was born in 1741 and died in 1804 in what became Ashtabula County, Ohio.  He is the first of this family to put down roots anyplace except Hampden County, Massachusetts.  This was early to be in Ohio, and I'm not sure whether he was actually there to stay or whether he was checking the area out.  He was a Revolutionary War veteran but I don't know whether he was given land in compensation for property losses or injuries.  It's possible that he died en route to an area further south, where his brother Seth was given land for his Revolutionary War service.  Caleb married Mercy Kellogg, the daughter of John and Mary Newton Kellogg.  Their children are Caleb, Ashsah, Moses, Aaron, Rosanna, Seth, Oliva, Sophie, an infant, Philo, and Betsey.  

Seth is the last born of the family, in 1743.  He died in 1807 in Franklin County, Ohio, where he had been granted 350 acres of land for his service and losses in the Revolutionary War.  He was a Presbyterian pastor and lived and ministered in several different towns, including Nova Scotia, where he was as the war broke out.  He married three times.  His first wife is Hannah Barket, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah Palmer Barker.  Their children are Seth, Joseph, Sarah, Benjamin, and Hannah.  He next married Ruhama Rich Emery, a widow.  Their children are Betsey, Thomas, Polly, and John.  His third wife is Mary Magill.  I could find nothing to tell us who Ruhama or Mary's parents are.  

Seth likely knew our ancestor John Starr, also a Revolutionary War vet and a Presbyterian, who died in Franklin County Ohio on land granted him for the serious injury he suffered in the Revolutionary War.  I like to imagine them worshiping together in the same house or cabin or first small church.  The Starr family and the Noble family have no close blood relationship that I have found, yet, they were brothers in Christ and in service to their country.  I think that is cool! 

 

 

  

The family of Thomas Noble 1666--1750

 Thomas Noble, the son of Thomas and Hannah Warriner, was born in 1666 in Springfield, Massachusetts, likely in what became Westfield just four years later.  He stayed in Westfield his entire life, having married Elizabeth Dewey, the daughter of Thomas and Constant Dewey Hawes in 1695.  Elizabeth was also born in Westfield in 1677 and died there in 1757, about seven years after Thomas.  Thomas's siblings all lived to adulthood and most into old age, but the family of Thomas and Elizabeth was not so blessed.  There were at least eleven children born to this couple, but there were several early deaths.  It's a good thing that Thomas and Elizabeth had a strong faith (he was a deacon in the church) to help them as they lost some of their children.  Fortunately, there are also children who lived to have large families, so there were grandchildren galore to bring joy to their lives.

Thomas was the first born, in 1696.  He also lived his entire life in Westfield, until he died in 1775.  He married Sarah Root, the daughter of John and Sarah Stebbins Root.  Their children are Sarah, Thomas, Stephen, Eunice, John, Silas, Aaron, Elizabeth, Caleb, and Seth.  I will write more of this family in my next post.  

Job was born next, in January of 1699, and died less than five months later, in June.

Jonathan was born in 1700 and died in 1719 in Westfield, before any marriage took place.  

Seth was born in 1702 and died just five weeks later.  

Israel was born in 1703 and died in 1758, also in t.  He married twice.  His first wife is Elizabeth Weller, who may be the daughter of Eleazer Weller but that is not proven.  They had one son together, Israel, but Elizabeth died about a month after her son's birth.  Israel then married Elizabeth Miller, the daughter of Ebenezer and Hannah Keep Miller.  Their children are Margaret, Shadrack, Thankful, Hannah, Margaret, Roger, and Thankful. 

Elizabeth. their first daughter, was born in 1705 and died in 1793 in Westfield.  She married John Shepard, the son of John and Elizabeth Woodruff Shepard.  Their children are Elizabeth, Elizabeth, John, John, Experience, William, Silas, three sons each named Enoch, David, and two sons named Gideon.  This family sadly seems to have had at least five infants or children die at an early age.  

Lois was born next, in 1708.  She was the first of the Noble children to die away from Westfield, but not until 1757, when she died in Brimfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  Brimfield and Westfield are about 33 miles apart, Brimfield being directly east of Westfield, so we do not know whether she was able to see here parents often.  She married Josiah Keep, the son of Samuel and Sarah Colton Keep.  Their children are Lois, Jemima, Ruth, Josiah, Moses, Hannah, and Austin.  

Ebenezer was born in 1711 and died in 1775 in Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut.  He married Abigail Palmer, the daughter of Timothy and Abigail Allen Palmer.  Their children are Abigail, Anna, Ebenezer, Joel, Rachel, Esther, Nathan, and Timothy.  

Thankful was born in 1714, and may have died in 1716.  I could find no further information about her.

Anna was born in 1716 and died in 1787 in West Springfield, Massachusetts.  She married John Leonard, the son of John and Sarah Dickinson Leonard.  Their children are Anna, Sarah, Anna, John, Sarah, Abigail, Elizabeth, and Justin.  

Finally, there is Jonathan, born in 1721.  (There may have been at least one pregnancy between Anna and Jonathan, given the time gap.)  He married Elizabeth Cole, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Goodwin Cole.  Their children are Elijah, Jonathan, William, Phineas, Mary, and Roswell.   He died in 1781 in Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut.  

Thomas and Elizabeth must have raised their children well.  As mentioned, Thomas was a deacon, and I notice that almost all of his children's names, and his grandchildren's names, are Biblical.  I would expect to find that some of their sons fought in the French and Indian War, and there are quite a few names of what appear to be grandsons listed as having fought in the Revolutionary War.  I would love to have the time, and eyesight, to explore this family more thoroughly.  

 

 

Allen line: The family of Thomas Noble 1632-1704

 There are various conjectures as to where Thomas came from, and who his parents are.  I am not sure enough of any of them to state them as fact, or even as probables.  It is probable, however, that Thomas was an immigrant from some part of England, and was born about 1632.  We're not sure when he arrived in America, but he married Hannah Warriner, the daughter of William and Joanna Searles Warriner, in 1660 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts.  The couple made their home in what became Westfield in 1669. The couple had at least ten children.  After Thomas died in 1704, Hannah married Medad Pomeroy, the son of Eltweed and Margery Rockett (Rockwood) Pomeroy.  Medad is our ancestor in our Holbrook line, and I hope to write about that family in the future.  

John seems to have been the first born, in 1662.  (He was born almost exactly two years after his parents married, so it is possible there was an earlier pregnancy.)  He died in New Milford, Litchfield, Connecticut in 1714, but not before he had married twice.  His first wife is Abigail Sackett, the daughter of John and Abigail Hannum Sackett.  They have one daughter together, also Abigail, but sadly, John's wife died 4 days after giving birth to Abigail.  Less than a year later, he married Mary Goodman, the daughter of Richard and Mary Terry Goodman.  They have 10 children together-John, Stephen, Elizabeth, Mary, David, Hannah, Sarah, William, Margaret, and Mabel.   

Hannah was born next, in 1664.  She married three times and died in 1741 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts.  Her first husband was John Goodman, the daughter of John and Hannah Edwards Goodman (I have not yet found a connection between Richard and John Goodman, but there is at least a possibility that these two families are related.)  Hannah's children with John are John, Hannah, another Hannah, Stephen, and James.  She later married Nathaniel Edwards, the son of Alexander and Sarah Searle Edwards, and then Samuel Partridge, the son of William and Mary Smith Partridge.  I have not found any mention of children with Nathaniel, and she was well along in years when she married Samuel.  

Thomas was born next, in 1666.  He married Elizabeth Dewey, the daughter of Thomas and Constant Hawes Dewey, and died in 1750 in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Their children are Thomas, Job, Jonathan, Seth, Israel, Elizabeth, Louis, Ebenezer, Thankful, Anna, and Jonathan.  I will follow this family in my next blog post. 

Matthew was born in 1668 and died in 1744 in Sheffield, Berkshire, Massachusetts.  He married Hannah Dewey, the daughter of Thomas and Constant Hawes Dewey (see above).  Their children are Joseph, Hezekiah, Matthew, Solomon, Elisha, Obadiah, Hannah, Hester, Jonathan, and Rhoda.  

Mark was the first child born in Westfield, in 1670, and like several of his siblings, didn't leave.  He died there in 1741.  He married Mary Marshall, the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Newberry Marshall.  Their children are Noah, Mary, Abigail, John, Miriam, and Noah.  

Elizabeth was born next, in 1673.  She died in 1751 in Colchester, New London, Connecticut.  She married Richard Church, the son of John and Sarah Beckley Church, who are also our ancestors and I hope to write about one day.  Their children are John, Hannah, Rachel, James, Joseph, Jonathan, and Samuel.  Her second marriage is to Samuel Loomis, the son of John and Elizabeth Scott Loomis.  This was a late in life marriage and there were no children of this couple.

Luke was born in 1675 and died in 1744 in Westfield, Massachusetts.  He first married Hannah Stebbins, the daughter of Thomas and Abigail Munn Stebbins, who are not our ancestors but are related. (The Stebbins families are another goal of mine.) Their children are Luke and Samuel, although I am not sure about Samuel.  He may be a child of the second marriage, or there could be two Samuel Nobles in this family, but I haven't been able to confirm birth dates.  His second marriage is to Ruth Wright, the daughter of Joseph and Ruth Sheldon Wright.  Their children are Ruth, Moses, Anna, Asa, Naomi, Samuel, Jacob, and Ephraim.  Luke's third wife is Sarah Dewey, who was the widow of David Dewey but whose parents are unknown.  There are no children know to have been born to this couple.

James was born in 1677 and died in 1712 in Westifeld.  He married Katharine Higley (also seen as Higlee), the daughter of John and Hannah Drake Higley.  Their children are Lydia, James, and David.  

Then came Mary, in 1680.  She also died in Westfield, in 1750.  Her husband is Ephraim Colton, the son of Ephraim and Mary Drake Colton.  Their children are Mary, Ephraim, Deborah, Jerusha, male twins who died very young, Damaris, Job, Samuel, and Hannah.  

And lastly came Rebecca, in 1683.  She married Samuel Loomis, the son of Samuel and Hannah Hanchett Loomis.  (Yes, the Hanchett line is in our tree also.)  Their children are Rebecca, Samuel, Rachel, Rebecca, Mabel, Mercy, Moses, and David.  I am confused about her death date.  It may be 1720, it may be 1750, or it may be 1759, but whichever is correct, she died in Westfield, Massachusetts.  

This Noble family is interesting for several reasons.  First, of course is the number of ties to other lines in our families.  Then there are the first names-almost every name of the grandchildren, as well as the children, is from the Bible.  The family lived through trying times with King Philip's War and later battles with natives, and I'm sure many of these names will be found on military rolls.  Many of these children lived into their 70s, and they would have told many stories to their children and their own grandchildren.  It's been fun to write about this family that ties to ours in so many ways.   

The family of Alexis Lemmon 1746-1826

As I write this, it's the Fourth of July weekend, and it seems fitting that I'm writing about the family of Alexis Lemmon (Jr.), who served in the Revolutionary War as a captain in the Maryland militia.  We should never forget the sacrifices made by our ancestors to give us a chance at freedom, as well as life itself.  

Alexis was born in 1746 in Baltimore, Maryland, and died in 1826 in Perry Township, Richland County, Ohio.  I have had the honor of visiting his gravesite.  He married Rachel Stansbury, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury.  (Hannah is one of our lines back to British royalty, if you trace her far enough.)  They raised their family in Maryland, on an estate known as "Eight Sisters", because, yes, this family was blessed with daughters only.  He owned a 400 acre estate in Maryland, so the supposition is high that he held slaves, although the only hint I've found was in the 1820 census, when "Electius" reported one slave.  

Sarah was the first born, in 177, in Baltimore County, Maryland (birthplace of all of the children).  She died in 1834 in Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio.  She was married to Abraham Hetrick, the son of Johan Jacob and Anna Elizabeth Nuss Hetrick.  Their children are Mary Ann, Rachel, Elizabeth, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Susannah, Abraham, and an unnamed daughter who may have died at a young age.  This is our line, and at some point I hope to write about the Hetrick families.

Ruth was born in 1774 and died in 1846 in Morrow County, Ohio.  She married John Edwards, the son of Johan and Jane Flanigan Edwards.  Their children are Christianaa, Alexis, Jessie, Rebecca, Edward, and Elias.  (Marion is also seen as their child, but he seems to have been born much later; perhaps he is a grandson.)

Elizabeth was born in 1776 and that is what I could learn about her.  There was an Elizabeth Lemmon who married a Robert Anderson in 1801, but I have been unable to determine whether this was her, or what might have happened to her, whether she was married or not.

Mary was born in 1778 and died in 1818 in Woodbury, Morrow County, Ohio.  She married John Singrey (Singry), son of Christian and Elizabeth Ingold Singrey.  Their children are Sarah, Jehu, Mary, John, Rebecca, and Harriet.

Rebecca was born in 1780 and died in 1855 in Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio.  She married John Shauck, son of John and Mary Magdalene Ebaugh Shauck.  There are three known children born to Rebecca, but there may be more as yet not located.  The known children are Elah (Eli), Mary Ann, and John.   

Rachel is a bit confusing.  Her birthdate is given as both 1780 (on the same date as Rebecca) and again on the same date but in 1782.  So she may or may not be a twin.  Also, she married Jehu Singrey in 1832, who is the son of Christian and Elizabeth Ingold Singrey (see Mary's paragraph, and also Jane's, who follows this one.)  Because she was 50 or more when she married, there were no children born to this couple.

Jane, however, had married Jehu Singrey first.  She was born in 1784 and died in 1831 in Morrow County, Ohio.  Jane and Jehu, son of Christian and Elizabeth Ingold Singrey, have 6 children-Elizabeth, Rachel, Sarah, Joshua, David, and Alice.  

Temperance was the final child.  She was born in 1786 and died in 1814.  SHe married Jacob Coltrider, the son of Johannes George Peter and Weylet, maiden name not found, Kaltreider.  They may have had a son, Jacob, but I have not been able to verify that.

Rachel, Alexis' wife, died in 1823 in Baltimore County, Maryland.  Alexis lost little time in moving to Morrow County, along with his as yet unmarried daughter, Rachel.  All the surviving daughters lived within a short distance of each other, and Alexis must have taken great comfort in being in their presence once again.  

I have a great deal of admiration for the daughters of Alexis and Rachel.  They left home, probably together or within a short time period of each other, and traveled hundreds of miles to settle in a new to them land that was yet unsettled.  Their husbands, pioneers and then leaders of their communities, helped build their state, and the daughters were there supporting them and raising their children to also be good citizens.  They were remarkable, every one of them. 

 

 

Holbrook line: The family of Alexis Lemmon 1718-1786

 I was going to start this short series out with a post about John Lemmon and Elizabeth Smith, who I believed to be the parents of Alexis Lemmon.  It's possible that they are, but it's also possible that they are not.  So let's just leave it there for now, until more convincing evidence one way or the other turns up.  (I have seen Edward and James listed as his parents, also, so that's why the hesitation on my part.  

We do know that Alexis was born in 1718 in either England or Ireland, and died in or before 1786.  He is listed as a patriot of the Revolutionary War, as he provided wheat to the army and also signed the oath of allegiance.  His first wife, the mother of his children, is Martha Merryman, the daughter of John and Martha Bowen Merryman.  His second wife is Rachel Cottrell Jones, the daughter of Thomas Cottrell and the widow of Jacob Jones.  There were no children born to the second marriage.  Alexis and Martha have eight known children, although there are some trees that list fewer or give the children different names.  I hope this list is correct!

John is the first son, born in 1740.  He died in 1811 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.  His wife is Sarah Stansbury, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury.  Their children are Lemuel, Martha, Hannah, Alexis, Matthew, Thomas, John, Benjamin, Eleanor, and Charles.   John is a Revolutionary War veteran.

Ruth was born next, in 1741.  Unfortunately, that is all that I know of her.  There are several trees that give her husband as Thomas Stansbury, the son of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury (see above). I have been unable to confirm that.  He married a possibly second wife, so perhaps Ruth died soon after the marriage.  I find no record of children and to me, this case is still very much open.

Mary was born in 1744 and died in 1818 in Piasa Township, Jersey County, Illinois.  She married Ulrick William Burke, so son of Thomas and Sarah Sicklemore Burk.  Their children are Martha, Sarah, Thomas, Elisha, Alexis, Ulrick, John, and Pat. Ulrich died in 1784 and I am not sure how Mary arrived in Illinois.  Perhaps she was living with one of her children.  

Alexis was born in 1746 and died in 1826 in Perry Township, Richland County, Ohio.  He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War as well as the War of 1812.  He married Rachel Stansbury, who is the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury.  If the Ruth connection with Thomas is correct, then three Lemmon siblings married three Stansbury siblings.  Their children are Sarah, Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary, James, Rebecca, Rachel, Jane, and Temperance.  I will follow this family in my next blog post. 

Hannah was born in 1751 and died in 1840 in Baltimore.   Some say she never married, and some say she was the Hannah Lemmon who married Thomas Cochran in 1788.  Perhaps the marriage never actually took place, or this may be a different Hannah Lemmon.  It appears that she is buried with the name of Lemmon, and that she was staying with a Micajah Merryman, likely a relative of some sort, at the time of her death. 

Eleanor (who may have preferred and used the name Elizabeth) was born in 1757 and died about 1779, most likely in Maryland.  She married Zebulon Headington, the son of James and Ruth (maiden name not known) Headington.  They had two children, Laban and Ruth.  

Rebecca was born in 1758 and died in 1786, in Baltimore County, Maryland.  She married Jabez Murray Tipton, the son of John and Martha Murray Tipton. Their children are Moses, John, and Alexis.

Finally, there was Moses, born in 1759 and died in 1852 in Union County, Illinois.  He married Sarah Jones, the daughter of Jacob and Rachel Cottrell Jones, his step-sister as Rachel had married Alexis after Martha's death.  Their children are Moses, Joshua, Jacob, Elizabeth, Susannah, Rebecca, and Mary.  Moses is a Revolutionary War veteran.

Alexis, the patriot, saw all three of his sons, go off to war, at least one more than once.  Some of his sons-in-law also served their country.  He and Martha raised quite a remarkable family. and it is fitting to honor them, among many others, on this Independence Day.  

Side note: For anyone who is doing research on Alexis, his name is also found as Electius and Alexius and possibly other spellings also.   

 

 

Harshbarger line: The family of John Wyatt 1748-1802

 When I chose this family as the next target in my "family" posts, I thought I had four generations of Wyatts in America to write about.  The more I reviewed my research and that of others, the less sure I became.  So I now have one generation of Wyatts to write about.  I will mention that the line I thought I had went from John to Thomas who married Sukey Edmondson to John who married Anna Keen Jones to William who married Anne.  If someone has actual documentation taking John even one generation further back, I'd love to talk with you.  I suspect that the Wyatt "connections" may have been made by someone trying to connect the family back to Haute Wyatt, but I haven't found any documents supporting that.  

I should note that I believe this is the first family in the Harshbarger line that is not Swiss or German in origin, although it is possible that the Farmer family was just a bit earlier.  Regardless, we are talking Anglo-Saxon heritage here, something different for this line. 

So to start at what is now my beginning, John Wyatt was born in 1748, probably in Loudoun County, Virginia, to unknown parents.  He married Alice Gordon, the daughter of John Gordon and an unknown mother, and lived in Shenandoah County, Virginia before dying in Franklin County, Virginia in 1802. John and Alice had at least eight children together.  

Their first son was Edward, born in 1768 and died in 1846 in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio.  He married Ann Gordon, the daughter of John Gordon. (I don't know if there is a connection between the two John Gordons, but I suspect that is the case.)  Edward and Ann's children are John, Elizabeth, Joseph, Jeptha, Susannah, Sarah, Jane, Margaret, and Naomi.  Note: Some trees say Ann is the daughter of John and Lucy Churchill Gordon, but I don't think that is the case.  I stand ready to be otherwise convinced.

Elijah was the next son, born about 1770 and died in 1858 in Chattanooga, Georgia.   He married twice, to Francis Canterbury and Mary "Polly" Richardson, but does not appear to have had children by either marriage.  Further research may provide clarification.  There is an Elijah Wiat in the 1820 census in Urbanna, Middlesex County, Virginia, who had children, but I do not know whether this is our Elijah.

Solomon was born in 1773 and died in 1840 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.  He married Hannah Reece or Reese, the daughter of William and Mary Crenshaw Reece.  (As far as I know, Hannah is not connected to the Reese family in the Beeks family line, but diligent research may find a connection.) Their children are Reuben, Mary, Lorenzo, William, Solomon, Alexander, and Sinah.  Solomon was a private in the War of 1812.

Thomas was born in 1774 and died in 1853 in Shelby County, Ohio.  He married Mary Reese, the daughter of William and Mary Crenshaw Reese (see above-the two young ladies are sisters).  Their children are Thomas, Margaret, Abner, Andrew, Joseph, Mary, and John.

John was born in 1778 and died in 1831 in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio.  He married Susannah Law, the daughter of John and Mary Jane Miller Law.  Their children are Margaret, Milly, Hannah, Cheadle, Drusilla, John, Susannah, James, and Martha.   

Yet another son, Andrew, was born in 1779 and died in 1831 in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio. (Please note this is the same death date, October 20, that I found for John. Assuming these are correct dates, I wonder what happened.  Illness or accident?  There should be a story there!)  Andrew married Sally Maddox or Maddux, the daughter of Nathan and Michelle (maiden name not known) Maddox.  Their known children are Mary, Nathan, and John.

Finally, on the seventh try, a daughter was born.  Do you suppose she might have been just a little bit spoiled?  Jean or Jane was born in 1781 and died in 1831 in Miami County, Ohio.  I don't have an exact date of death for her, but again, it's Miami County and 1831.  She married William Farmer, the son of Matthew and possibly Margaret Farmer.  Their children are Margaret, John, Andrew, William, Matthew, Sarah, Nancy, and Betsy.  This is the family in the Harshbarger line.

And then there is Sarah, born in 1782.  My best guess, not documented, is that she died in September, not October, of 1831, possibly in Clark County, Ohio.  She married John Farmer, who was also the son of Matthew and Margaret Farmer (see above paragraph.  Their children are John, William, James, Isaac, and Andrew, and possibly others.  

I would love to hear from others who are researching this family.  There are a lot of John, Thomas, and Andrew Wyatts to sort out, and if any of my information is incorrect, I'd love to update it.   

 

 

Beeks line: The family (or part of it) of Timothy Martin 1798-?

There will only be one post in this line, because this is one of the brick walls we are facing.  It's frustrating, because his children, at least some of them, lived within a few miles of our current location, and they should not be hard to trace.  Some are very difficult indeed, and I will have nothing but a general birth date based on census records.  Others I am giving a somewhat educated guess on.  There are some that I feel more confident about.  I will try to indicate clearly which is which.

Timothy was born about 1798 in Vermont, according to the 1850 census, or 1810 in New York, in other records.  Take your pick.  I've recently found records of a Timothy Martin who bought land in Whitingham, Windham County, Vermont in 1796, but have not yet been able to determine whether the two Timothy Martins might be related.  We do know that Timothy Martin married Hannah Tilberry (various spellings) in Shelby County, Ohio.  She may be the daughter of Jacob and Barbara Voelker Tilberry, although that isn't proven yet.  Their first two, and possibly three, children were born in Ohio before the family moved to Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana in the early 1840s. And once again, the family may not be complete, as they married in 1833 and the first child wasn't born until about 1838.  I have no death date for Timothy or for Hannah, but neither is found in the 1870 census.  

John, middle initial W, is the first son we have record of.  He was in the 1860 census in his parents' household, and then I cannot trace him any further.  I don't think he is the John Martin who married Ellen Ann Smallwood, as later records from Chester Township, Wabash County, Indiana, show that John Martin as being "colored".  

Mary Ann Martin was born about 1840.  There is a Mary Ann Martin who married Jesse L Cramer in Wabash County in November of 1860, so after the census that was taken showing her as living with her parents.   If this is our Mary Ann, in 1870 she and Jesse were living in Antioch (now Andrews), Huntington County, Indiana and they had four children-John, Ellen, Mary, and Rosettie.  Jesse is the son of Laurence and Anna Maria Lehman Cramer.  There is a Jesse Cramer who served in the Civil War and is buried at Hartford City, Blackford County, Indiana, but any birth or death dates are no longer visible, and if this is Jesse, I don't know what happened to Mary Ann, or when.  Or, of course, whether this is even the correct Mary Ann.  If you know, let me know, please!!

Eli was born in September 1841 and died sometime after 1900.  He was drafted into the Civil War during the last months of the war, along with several other men in our tree from Wabash County.  He married Elizabeth Wise, daughter of Andrew and Mary Serfass Wise, shortly before leaving for Army duty.  Their known children are John and Timothy.

Ellen was born May 3, 1843 and died in July, 1918 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Her first husband is Joseph Snyder, the son of Joseph and Phebe Pulley Snyder.  I find three children for them-Ullysses, Mary, and Elsworth, but her census records show that she had 8 children, 6 of them living in 1910 so I am missing some.  After Joseph died, she married William Utley, the son of Joseph Utley and an unknown mother.  This marriage was in 1908 so there were no children from this marriage.  

Matilda was born in 1846 and died in 1876 in Wabash County, Indiana.  She married David Wise, the son of Andrew and Mary Serfass Wise.  (See Eli Martin, above, who married a daughter of this same couple.) Their children are Andrew, Hannah, Elizabeth, John Philip, and Martin.  

Timothy is pretty much a mystery.  He was born about 1846 (some give his birth date as August 6, 1847).  He is credited with three wives although I am not sure that this is the same Timothy in each marriage.  Perhaps his wife is Elizabeth Boman or Bowman, the daughter of Levi and Elizabeth Stout Bowman.  It is possible that Clarinda is their child. There is a Timothy Martin whose gravestone indicates a birth date of 1847 and a death year of 1931 buried in Jackson, Jackson County, Ohio.  I do not know whether or not this is our Timothy.  Again, is you know something, and can shed some light on any other possible wives and children, please contact me!

Elizabeth was born in 1851 and died in 1929 in Union Township, Huntington County, Indiana.  She married first John Culver, the son of Garrett and Caroline Mendenhall Culver.  Their children are Caroline, John, William, and perhaps Daniel.  She next married John Burgett, and finally Thomas Jefferson Brown, who was called by his middle name.  

Robert was born next, about 1854.  I find no record that I can positively identify for him after the 1860 census, so he may have died young.

Finally Isaac was born in 1857.  He died in 1909 in Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana.  He was single and I haven't found records of a marriage, although of course there could have been one.

This was an interesting and frustrating generation to research.  Some of these men served in the Civil War, on the Union side.  Society would say none of them seemed to amount to much, but society would be wrong.  They helped build our country and their children mostly climbed a step or two up the ladder.  I hope they all found joy in their lives and in their families.   

 

The family of John Wilson Knott 1836-1927

This was a terribly sad post to research, and it's a sad one to write.  Lots of our ancestors in the distant past had to deal with many losses of children, and although I feel a little tug at my heart as I learn of them, this family is much closer to me in time, and I have recollections of two of the "children", my grandmother and my grand uncle.  This one just plain hurts.

John Wilson Knott was born in 1836 in Jamestown, Steuben County, Indiana, the son of Thomas J and Hannah Bell Knott.  Thomas moved from place to place as part of his job, but I think Wilson, as he was known, probably thought of Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa as his home.  His mother and several of his siblings are buried there, and John and his wife are buried there also.  John's wife is Harriet Clarissa Starr, the daughter of John and Clarissa Falley Starr, and they were married in Tipton, where the Starr family had lived for decades.  

John probably profited from being moved from pillar to post so often during his childhood, because he continued that pattern his entire life.  As a Presbyterian pastor, he led at least 17 different congregations. I've written of his life before, but am mentioning it again here because the people I'm really writing about, his children, would have moved frequently also.  This is true, at least, of the ones who survived. If you're a family member reading this, grab the tissues!

The first son born to John and Harriet is Alfred.  He was born in 1863 in Tipton and died in 1865 in Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa.   

Herbert, called Bertie, was born in 1865 and died in 1879 in Shiloh Township, Jefferson County, Illinois.  Apparently his family was visiting his grandparents, and the newspaper account says that he died of poisoning.  Worse, it said that his mother had mistakenly given him arsenic, when she thought she was giving him his quinine medicine.   I can not begin to imagine the pain his mother must have felt, and how this could have affected her marriage.  

Walter Leroy was born in 1867.  He did live to adulthood, married, and had children, but his is not a happy story either.  He married Estella Huntington, the daughter of Septimius and Ruth Pherson Huntington.  They had three children together, Jane, Ruth, and Paul.  However, the marriage didn't work out and Leroy left the family.  The distress pushed his wife into severe mental illness, and she was institutionalized for what appears to be the rest of her life.  Leroy didn't remarry.  He died in 1930 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

Robert was born in 1870 in Mechanicsville, Cedar County, Iowa.  He married Nellie Burkhalter, the daughter of Henry and Hannah Dutro Burkhalter.  I have found no record of children for them, but it's possible that there were children who were born and died between census records.  Robert died in 1930 in Salt Lake City, Utah and my father knew him.  

Mary was born in 1872 in Lodi, Columbia County, Wisconsin and died in 1894 in Holdrege, Nebraska of "quick consumption".  She had begun a promising career as a concert soprano and her parents must have been heartbroken.

Anna was born in 1874 and died less than two years later, both in Lodi, Columbia, Wisconsin. Cause of death is "cholera infantum".

Edith was born in 1878 in Lodi, Wisconsin.  She married Edward Allen, the son of George and Nancy McCoy Allen.  He was a school teacher at the time and she the pastor's daughter, newly arrived in Soda Springs, Idaho.  Their children are Forest, Vernon, Tessora, Corinne, Edith, and Richard.  Edith died in 1954 in Salt Lake City, Utah, so she was the first of the children to have a long and mostly happy life.  

George was the next born, in 1880.  He was born in Anna, Union County, Illinois, and died in 1967 in Independence, Polk County, Oregon, where he was a physician for many years.  He married Martha Fratzke, the daughter of Johann August and Charlotte Tetzloff Fratzke, and they have three daughters-Margaret, Helen and Frances.  

Finally, John was born in 1882 and died in 1886 in Sweetland Township, Muscatine County, Iowa.  As far as we know, this was their last child, and it is always sad to lose the youngest.  

I should mention that there is a four year gap between children, between Anna and Edith.  Since the other children were born approximately every two years, it is possible that there was an unsuccessful pregnancy during this time.  Or perhaps Harriet was in need of a rest.

Wilson and Harriet are both buried in Tipton, Iowa, after dying in Oregon.  I feel sure that George paid for their funerals and burial, for in serving the Lord all those years, the only treasures they laid up are those in heaven.  I can't stop thinking about this family, about the love and faith that sustained them through all the sorrows in their life together.  They were amazing people.   

 

 

 

The family of Thomas J Knott 1808-1887

Tracing the family of Thomas Knott means chasing all over the country, basically.  Thomas is the son of Joseph and Mary Adams Knott, and was born in 1808,  His parents had moved from Pennsylvania to Jefferson County, Ohio, very early, and Thomas was born there, near Steubenville.  The family later moved to Richland County, Ohio, and Thomas married Hannah Bell there.  She is the daughter of John and Hannah Finch Bell.

Thomas was a man who couldn't stay in one place for long, partly for reasons of business (he was a millwright who built mills, ran them for a short time, and then moved on), and partly because he seems to have had a wanderlust.  During his lifetime he lived in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Nevada, and Illinois, and he made several trips to Nevada/California,at least once overland and other times by sea. His life is interesting and I've written about it in a previous post.  

However, he was home often enough to start and raise a family.  We're told that he and Hannah had 9 children.  I've been able to name 8, but I'm still missing one.  As mentioned, his children settled all over the country.  

The first born was Anna, born in 1830.  She married William Fesler, so far not identified further.  They had one son, George, before Anna's death in 1852 in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Michigan.    

Elzy Hedges (apparently named for a storekeeper in Richland County, Ohio) was born in 1832.  He married Mary Elizabeth Harris.  All that is known of her background is that she grew up in South Wales.  Sadly, Elzy was murdered in 1859 in Genoa, Douglas County, Nevada, where he had settled and where his parents planned to move until the sadness of his death changed their minds.  Mary gave birth to a daughter, Elzyette, a few months after Elzy's death.  

John Wilson, who used the name "Wilson", was born in 1836 and died in 1927 in Salem, Marion County, Ohio.  He married Harriet Clarissa Starr, the daughter of John and Clarissa Falley Starr.  Their children are Herbert, Alfred, Walter, Robert, Mary, Anna, Edith, George, and John, and I will write more of this family in my next blog post.

Harriet was born in 1838  and died in 1840 at Jamestown, Steuben County, Indiana, where Thomas and Hannah were living.

Thomas Knott was the first of the children to have a long life.  He was born in 1840 and died in 1921 in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois.  He was twice married, first to Elizabeth Simmermaker and then to Mary Simmermaker.  The women are cousins.  Elizabeth's parents are Philip and Margaret Beach Simmermaker, and Mary's are George and Aley Henderson Simmermaker.  There are no known children from the first marriage, and two, Fred and Clara, from the second.  

Louisa was born in 1873 and died in 1927 in Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois.  She married Benjamin Weaver, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Charles Weaver.  Their children are Ella May, Harriet known as Hattie, and Mary Etta.  

James was born February 10, 1846, and no more is heard of him, not being listed in the 1850 census.  He must have died as a baby or very young child. 

The last child we know of is Albert Adams, born in 1848 and died in 1947 in Vallejo, Solano County, California.  He married Margaret Welty, the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Bitzch Welty.  Their children are Elaz, Franklin, Albert, and Elizabeth. 

If the nine children is an accurate tally, then there is one child missing.  Since he or she doesn't show up on a census, it is likely that the child did not live long, and was possibly born after the 1850 census although it could have been earlier.  I like to read about Thomas as he left more records than many of our ancestors, but it's Hannah who has my heart.  She had to be mother and father to the children as Thomas traveled so much.  It's a reminder that our female ancestors deserve our respect and admiration. They didn't have it easy.

Allen line: The family of Joseph Scull Knott 1761-1836

Lots.  There is "lots" of information about this family. Some of it is correct.  Some is not.  "Lots" is still missing, and lots of the men have been confused with others of the same name.  So this is an attempt to sort it out, as much as is possible.  

Joseph Knott was born in 1761, probably somewhere in England.  Tradition says he was kidnapped as a young boy, and sent to America, but there seems to be no paper trail to support that.  Some trees show his parents as Francis and Susanna Greenfield Knott, of Maryland.  They did have a son named Joseph but I don't think these are his parents, either.  This family was Catholic, for one thing, and there is not a single instance of the names Francis or Susanna being used in any of the children or grandchildren of Joseph.  If I were a betting person, based on names alone, I'd be looking for a John Knott as a potential father.  Good luck with that!  

The earliest we know of Joseph is that he was in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1786 and later.  He first married Sarah Wilson, the daughter of James and Isabelle Barr Wilson, in 1789.  They had one child together, Wilson, but Sarah died in or soon after childbirth.  Wilson was raised by his maternal grandparents and it doesn't appear that he had much, if any, communication with his younger half brothers and sisters. Wilson married Rebecca Wallace, the daughter of Peter and Jane Craig Wallace, and their children are James, Peter, Joseph, Richard, Samuel, Mary Jane, Lucinda, Clark, Isabella, and Elizabeth.  

About two years after Sarah's death, Joseph married Mary Adams, the daughter of Solomon and possibly Rachel Kinton Adams.  The number of children they had is under some dispute.  I will first write of those that seem to be documented, and then mention the others as "maybe."  Joseph died in 1836 in Budyrus, Crawford County, Ohio, and Mary died in 1846 in Clay Township, Lagrange County, Indiana.

John was the first son, born in 1793 in Pennsylvania.  He married Anna Louise Bell, the daughter of John and Hannah Finch Bell, and died in 1849 in Jamestown, Steuben County, Indiana.  Their children are Robert, Hannah, Mary, and Thomas.  Anna died and John then married Mary Douglas or Douglass.  Their children are Marcus and Anna.  

Solomon was born next, in 1795.  He died in 1875 in Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa.  His wife was Parmelia or Pauline McCauley, They were married in 1817 in Jefferson County, Ohio, but I haven't been able to determine who her parents may have been.  Their children are Thomas, James, John, William, Joseph, and Elizabeth.

Richard was born in 1797 and died in 1882 in Harvey County, Kansas.  He married someone named Mary Ann, variously given as Pomery, Tofts, or Stevens.  There may have been more than one wife.  Children seem to be Frederick, Mary, Abraham, Margaret, and Elizabeth.  Some of these names seem to come from a Richard who was married in England, and I'm not sure they belong here but neither am I sure they don't.  Richard was a merchant and it's possible that he had reason to be in England for a marriage, but I'm not adding any of the potential wife's name to my tree-yet.

Robert was born in 1801 and died in 1879 in or near Auburn, Dekalb County, Indiana.  He married Elizabeth Gill (Gail? Gull?), again not yet identified.  Their children are Joanna, Mary, Henry, Adam, Martha, Samuel, Cornelia and Francelia.  

Samuel was born in 1803 and died in 1871 in Charlton County, Missouri.  He first married Susanna Heller, the daughter of Jacob and Elinora Hanna Heller.  Their children are Isaiah, Sarah, Lucy, Hellen, and Joel.  His second marriage was to Anne Currey, the daughter of Matthew and Catherine Fleming Currey.l  Their children are Anne and Hiram.  His third marriage was to Ester Holcomb, whose parentage is not known.  She may have been a widow, and there seem to be no children from this marriage.  

Mary Ann was born in 1805 and may have died in 1879. There are death records for a Mary Porter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but I'm not sure this is the same woman.  At any rate, she married Page Porter, the son of Solomon and Sarah Barrows Porter.  Their children are William, Solomon, Mary Ann, Sarah, Rebecca, Samuel, and Amy.  Page died in 1845 and it's possible that Mary Ann remarried but I haven't found records to say so.

Thomas J was born in 1808 and died in 1887 in Shiloh Township, Jefferson County, Illinois.  He married Hannah Bell, the daughter of John and Hannah Finch Bell (yes, brothers married sisters). He traveled extensively during most of his life because he was, among other things, a millwright. Their children are Anna, Elzy, John Wilson, Harriet, Thomas, Louisa, James, and Albert.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.

Levi was born in 1810 and died in 1874 in Olympia, Thurston County, Washington.  His first wife was Sally or Sarah Thompson, whose parents are not yet known to me.  Their children are Almon and Sarah.  She died in 1847 in Lagrange County, Indiana and he then married Amanda Bowen, the daughter of Jacob and Rachel Oldham Bowen.  (I got curious, and Jacob Bowen traces back to Moses and Rebecca Rees Bowen, who are ancestors on husband's Beeks line.)  Their children are Sarah, Mary, Belle, Rachel Rosalie, and M.J.  There is a hint that he may have married a third wife, Belle Wilson, but I haven't found documentation about that.  There is no mention of a wife in his will.

Then there is a gap of several years until Adams, often seen as Adam, was born in 1817.  Mary would have been 43 at the time.  It is possible that there were other children born in that 7 year period, but if so, their traces have yet to be discovered.  Adams married Sarah Russell, the daughter of John and Rachel Van Ornum Rusell.  Their children are Mary, Sarah, Almon, Arthur, Henry, and Caroline.  Adams died in 1870 in Cook County, Illinois.  

Here's the thing: There are probably more children, because Thomas in his autobiography states that he had two step sisters and I believe it was 10 siblings.  I've seen reports that state that Joseph had a son named Joseph, which would make sense.  I've also seen a William Knott mentioned as a son.  I could find no information at all on a possible Joseph Jr.  I did find a William Knott who married an Elizabeth Stevenson in 1850 in Richland County, Ohio.  It is possible that he was a son of Joseph and Mary, but I can't prove it.  Nor can I prove what became of him.  I would be delighted to hear from someone who knows if there was a Joseph, if this William is Joseph and Mary's son, and if there are other children we haven't yet found.  These are "Knott-y" questions to be solved!

 

 

The family of William Snow 1707-1774

 This is the last in a series of family posts about the families of our Snow ancestors.  I've written of the immigrant Richard, his son John, John's son Zerubabbel, and now we come to Zerubabbel's son, William.  William was born in 1707 in Woburn, Massachusetts and died in 1774 in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, which is roughly 467 miles west of Woburn and a few miles south of the boundary with New Hampshire.  William moved to Lunenburg shortly after his marriage to Elizabeth Stevens, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Tidd Stevens.  We don't know precisely why he chose to leave Woburn, where he had much family, but the usual reason was economic opportunity, particularly land to support a family.

William and Elizabeth had quite a large family to support.  They had perhaps as many as 11 children, and there was sorrow as well as joy in raising this family.  All of the children were born in Lunenburg, and most stayed close as they began their adult lives.  The first born, a son, is Silas, born in 1733. He was born almost three years after his parents' marriage in 1730, so it's possible that their had been a pregnancy or pregnancy before this.  Silas, however, is the first named hild.  He married Anna Farwell, the daughter of Daniel and Mary More Farwell.  Their children are Mary, Silas, Eunice, Daniel, Elizabeth, Polly, William, Benjamin, Anna, Phebe, Abigail, and Timothy.  (Some trees show Polly as being a nickname for Mary, and I am not sure that they are two different people but they seem to be of differing ages.)  Silas is a Revolutionary War veteran, and he died in 1807 in Lunenburg.  

Jemima was born next, in 1735.  She is a mystery.  I found records that she "renewed the covenant", probably meaning was accepted into adult membership in the local church, in 1755.  But in her later years, there are numerous records of various town members being paid for their care of Jemima, some for a few days and some for months at a time.  I haven't yet found an explanation as to why she was not cared for by family members, or why she needed care.  I've not been able to verify a death date for her, either, although some trees show it as 1805.  I would love to know more of her story, and to learn whether she was passed around through so many families because she was "a handful", or because she was so well-loved.  

Rebekah was born in 1737 and died in 1818 in Winchendon, Worcester, Massachusetts.  She married Eliphalet Goodridge or Goodrich, the son of Benjamin and Sarah Phelps Goodridge.  Their children are Sarah, Rebecca, Samuel, a second Rebecca, Elizabeth, Eliphalet, Ruth, and Sewell.  

Esther was born in 1739 and died in 1761 in Woburn, Massachusetts, of small pox.  She married Abijah Thompson, the son of Samuel and Ruth Wright Thompson., but no children were born to this couple.  She was just 21 at the time of her death.  

Joseph was born in 1741 and died in 1808, possibly in Putney, Windham County, Vermont, where he seems to have been visiting.  He lived much of his married life in Wilson, New Hampshire.  His wife is Joanna Jewett, the daughter of Thomas and Martha Hale Jewett.  Their children are Sally (Sarah), Joanna, Jacob, Martha, and David.  

The first of two sons named William was born in 1742 and died sometime before 1749.

Abigail is the next born, in 1743, and she is hard to trace.  She is said to have married Jacob Fox, and had a daughter named Anna, but I think this must be a different Abigail Snow because she would have been married at the age of 12 and bearing a child at 13 for this to be correct.  She does seem to have married Eliphalet Fox, but not until she was in her late 30s, if this is the same person.  Eliphalet died in Walpole, Cheshire, New Hampshire in 1811, and Abigail was still living then.  There are no children mentioned in his will, so either they had no children or any children had died before their father. 

A side note here: Lunenburg was attacked, apparently more than once, by members of the Abenaki tribe, in 1744 and 1745, and some residents were taken to Quebec.  We have no record that this involved any of the Snow family, but what a time of terror this must have been.  Perhaps this is why no children will born between 1743 and 1746.

Bette was born in 1746 and that is the last I know of her for certain.  Trees on line say she married Nehemiah Warren and died in 1819 in Fitchburg, which was a daughter town of Lunenburg.  However, I cannot verify either the marriage or the death with any on line records and I am not at all sure this is correct.  It needs to be proven or disproven, and if you can help, I'd appreciate it.

Lucy was born in 1748 and died in 1795 in Leominster, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  She married Josiah Whittemore, the son of John and Lydia Clough Whittemore.  Their children are William, John, Salmon, Mary, Lucy, Josiah, Levi, Cephas, Otis, and Betsy.  

Finally, there is William, born in 1752 and died in 1832 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a Revolutionary War soldier, and he is the son who left home territory and spent much of his life in Rhode Island. I don't know whether his designation as "captain" is from his military service, or whether he was a mariner.   He was married in Providence to Susanna Barton, the daughter of Andrew and Rebecca Low Barton, who was already a widow.  Their children are John, David, Joseph, and James.  He later married Marcy (or Mercy, or Mary) Sprague, whom I have not been able to trace, although there is a possibility she was born a Colwell.  

There were certainly sorrows in the lives of William and Elizabeth.  They lost at least one young son, and a daughter in her early adulthood, and had the pain of whatever Jemima's problems might have been.  Yet, they saw sons step forward to fight for their new country, and they could take pride in that, and joy in their many grandchildren.    

The family of Zerubabbel Snow 1672-1733

Down through the centuries, there have been several, perhaps as many as a dozen but certainly at least 6, men named Zerubabbel Snow.  Who would do that to a child, and why?  The name means "seed of Babylon", and is Biblical, as are many of the names in the Snow family.  One wonders whether they were called by their full name, or by nicknames of some sort, both for the general public and to distinguish between the separate families and generations.  

This particular Zerubabbel Snow was born in 1672 in Woburn, Massachusetts, and died there in 1733.  It may be that the only time he left the village was when it was burned to the ground during King Philips War, when he was just a toddler.  Or he may have been involved in some of the many battles with indigenous tribes, and the French, during King William's War, Queen Anne's War, and other not quite wars of the time.  He married Jemima Cutler, the daughter of James and Phoebe Page Cutler, and together they had at least nine children.  (There may have been more because there are at least two gaps of 4 or more years which would allow for more pregnancies, perhaps unsuccessful).  

Their first son was named (what else?) Zerubabbel, born in 1698 and died in 1774, another Snow who apparently did not leave Woburn.  He married Elizabeth Wyman, the daughter of Jonathan and Hannah Fowle Wyman,  Their children are Elizabeth, Hannah, Reuben, Abigail, Uriah, James, Jesse, and Lucy.  

Josiah was born in 1700 and died in 1774, variously given as in Woburn, and Lunenburg, Massachusetts.  He is the mystery of this family.  Many trees cite his marriage to Sarah Bellows in Mendon, Massachusetts, but I don't think this is the same Josiah.  It is possible that he married "Mary" but that has not been proven or disproven to my satisfaction.  I would certainly like to hear from anyone who has been able to trace him further.  Did he have children?

Jabez was born next, in 1701.  There is little to say about him, because he died in 1714, just a young teen-ager.  His parents would have grieved.  Sadly, this was not the first child they lost to an early death.

Jemima was born in 1702 and died in 1745 in Woburn.  She married Abraham Joslin, the son of Nathaniel and Hester Morse Joslin, who are our ancestors through another line.  Their children are Jemima, Abraham, Ebenezer, Dorothy, Azubah, Peter, Samuel, James, and Bridget. Some of these children were quite young when Jemima died; one hopes that family stepped in to care for them.  

Ebenezer was born in 1704 and died in 1732 in Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, a year before his father died.  He married Experience Joslin, the daughter of Nathaniel and Hester Morse Joslin (see above paragraph).  Their children are Lucy, and two Ebenezers who died as infants, one in 1731 and one in 1732.  Zerubabbel mourned not only his son, but his two grandsons in the years just before he himself died.

John was born in 1706 and died in 1777 in Chesterfield, New Hampshire.  He married Abigail Brigham, the daughter of Gershom and Elizabeth Warren Brigham. Their children are John, Edmond, Seth, Warren, Mehitable, Abigail, Zerubabbel and Phebe.  

William was born in 1707 and died in 1774 in Lunenburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  He married Elizabeth Stevens, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Tidd Stevens.  Their children are Silas, Jemima, Rebekah, Esther, Joseph, William, Abigail, Bette, Lucy, and another William.  I'll follow this family in my next post.

Abigail was the next born, just the second (and last) daughter in the family.  She was born in 1711 and died the following year.  Her parents were surely still grieving her when their son Jabez (above) died in 1714.

Nevertheless, another child, the second by the name of Jabez, was born in 1716.  He married Keziah Newton, the daughter of Isaac and Sarah Belknap Newton.  Their children are Jabez, Keziah, Jimimah, Jemima, Esther, Sarah, Martha, Ebenezer, Elijah and Mary.   He later married Susannah Gleason, perhaps a widow but I have not yet located information for her.  I know of no children that were born to this couple.

If we could trace the lives of the grandchildren of Zerubabbel and Jemima, we would find all sorts of stories.  Some doubtless served in the French and Indian War and some in the Revolutionary War.  All helped the Massachusetts colony become part of the country we know and love today.  Thank you, one and all!

 

The family of John Snow 1640-1706

John Snow is the second of four generations of Snow men in this line.  He was born about 1640 (possibly a couple of years earlier), probably in Barbados, but his earliest memories would have been in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, where he lived his life.  He was the son of Richard and Avis or Annis Barrat/Barrett, and he married Mary Greene, the daughter of William and Hannah Carter Greene.  Mary died in 1684, perhaps in childbirth, and Richard died in Woburn in 1706. I've found no record that he remarried, which leaves me wondering who raised his children.  Probably the most impactful event in his life would have been King Philip's War, when Woburn had to be evacuated following attacks by one or more indigenous tribes.  Although I've found no record, he most likely fought in that war, because he was of the right age and location to do so, and only men who were physically incapable of fighting escaped that trial.

John was the first of the seven known children of this couple.  He married Sarah Stevens, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Hildreth Stevens, who our ancestors through another Snow marriage a couple of generations later.  Their children are Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Elesabeth, Hannah, and Jonathan.  John died in Hudson, New Hampshire in 1734, which was originally part of Nottingham, Massachusetts.  

Zerubabbel was the next born, in 1672.  He lived his entire life in Woburn, except for the years his family was forced to live elsewhere during King Philip's War.  He married Jemima Cutler, the daughter of James and Phoebe Page Cutler.  Their children are Zerubabbel, Josiah, Jabez, Jimima, Ebenezer, John, William, Abigail, and a second Jabez.  I will follow this family in my next post.  

Another son, Timothy, was born in 1674.  He died in 1747, also in Woburn, Massachusetts.  His wife is Lydia Pierce, the daughter of Samuel and Lydia Bacon Pierce.  Their children are Timothy, Isaac, Lydia, Jacob, Mary, Zachariah and Abraham.  

Hannah was born in 1677.  I am not sure whether the family had yet returned to Woburn, so am not sure of her birth place.  She died in 1736 in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut.  Her husband is John Cutler, the daughter of James and Lydia Moore Cutler.  John's Cutler ancestors, several generations back, are also our ancestors, because that's the way it works!  Hannah's children are Mary, Seth, Timothy, Hezekiah, Uriah, Dinah, and Jemima.  

Mary was born next, in 1680, and died in 1711 in Woburn.  Her husband is Samuel Minot, the son of Samuel and Hannah Howard Minot.  She may have had one son, John.  

Ebenezer was born in 1682 and died in 1704.  It does not appear that he married, and I do not know the cause of his death.  The result would have been sorrow for his father and other family members.

Finally, there is Nathaniel.  This Nathaniel is confused with another Nathaniel.  He is not the Nathaniel who was married to Hannah Parslow, but I haven't found marriage records for him.  He died in 1754 in Woburn.  

From the first names of most of these children, it seems likely that they were Puritans rather than Anglicans, because of the heavy use of Old Testament names.  They all have their own stories to tell, and I hope that others reading this will find them.  These were important years in our country's history, and these people were part of it. 

 

 

 

Holbrook line: The family of Richard Snow 1607ish to 1677

 Richard Snow is our immigrant ancestor to Massachusetts, and that is the first thing that is known about him for certain.  Various couples have been proposed as parents for him, but as far as I can tell, none have been proven.  He seems to have gone to Barbados about 1635, where he probably married Annis or Avis Barrat/Barrett.  It is most likely that their first two children were born there, and the last three in Woburn, Massachusetts, where they settled sometime in the early 1640s.  Annis's parentage is also unknown at this time.  Richard died in 1677 in Woburn; I have not found a death date for Annis.  The couple had five known children.

John was the first born, about 1640, likely in Barbados.  He married Mary Greene, the daughter of William and Hannah Carter Green.  Their children are John, Zerubabbel, Timothy, Hannah, Mary, and Ebenezer, and I will follow this family in my next post.  John died in 1706 in Woburn.

James was the next born, about 1642.  He married Sarah Jaquith, the daughter of Abraham and Annis Jordan Jaquith, who was of French Huguenot heritage.  Their children are James, Abigail, Lydia, Sarah, and Hezekiah.  James died in 1709 in Lancaster, Massachusetts, which was the scene of desperate fighting during King Philip's War.  If James was there in 1675, he either would have been in the military, fighting, or he would have taken his family to relative safety elsewhere.  I'd like to know his story!  

Daniel was the third born son, born in 1645 and died about 17 months later, in 1646.  Many of the families I've written about have suffered the loss of at least one child, but it still grabs my heart every time I have to write of this.  

Samuel was born in 1647 and died in 1717 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  He first married Sarah Wilson, the daughter of John and Hannah (maiden name possibly James) Wilson.  Their children are Samuel, Sarah, Daniel, Abigail, and Richard.  Sarah died, and Samuel married another Sarah-Sarah Parker, the daughter of John and Joanna Parker.  Their children are Deborah, Joanna, and Ebenezer.  

The last son is Zachariah, born in 1649 and died in 1711 in Woburn.  Little is known of his life, except that he was wounded in the Swamp Fight of 1675 during King Philip's War.  There has been no record found of a marriage or of children for him, so he is a bit of a mystery.  

These 4 surviving men probably were active in King Philip's War, and possibly in the later wars of the 1690s in the area of Maine and New Hampshire.  These early pioneers lived through more than we can possibly understand, and their names deserve to be remembered. 

The family of Benjamin Buchtel 1806-1872

Benjamin Buchtel is the son of Solomon and Maria Margaretha Reber Buchtel, born in 1806 near Rebersburg, Centre County, Ohio.  He died in 1872 in Whitley County, Ohio.  Although it's possible that he had an earlier wife, no record of an early marriage has been found.  He was 38 years old when he married Barbara Burkholder Long, a young widow who had also lost her only child by that marriage.  Barbara is the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Miller Burkholder.  

We don't know what their early marriage was like, but by about 1870 it was miserable, at least for Barbara.  She divorced him on grounds of cruelty and non-support, and had several witnesses willing to describe the physical abuse she had undergone.  Benjamin was a heavy drinker and probably an alcoholic by this time, but we don't know how long this had been true.  Benjamin and Barbara had several children together, and apparently also raised Joseph, who was not Benjamin's child but was Barbara's.  So let's start with Joseph.

Joseph was born in 1844, but we don't know if it was before or after Benjamin and Barbara married.  His father was John Hively, and although he is listed as a "Booken" in the 1850 census in Portage County, Ohio, he seems to have always known who his father was.  His obituary doesn't mention his father's name but does mention his surviving half siblings.  Joseph married Sophia Tannehill, the daughter of William and Mary Smalley Tannehill.  Their children are Mary, Ann, Charles, and Sarah.  Joseph died in 1913 in Whitley County, Indiana, and his obituary indicates he had come to the county as a boy of 14.

Elizabeth, known as Betsey, was born in 1846, based on the census.  It could have been a year earlier, or later.    I have not located her after the 1870 census so I'm not sure what happened.  Did she marry, or leave the area, or was she deceased?  Perhaps someone reading this will know, and will be willing to share their information with us. (It is possible that she married an Oscar Palmer, but if so, it is not the Oscar Palmer of Whitley County who was married to Sarah.)

Fannie was born in 1850.  She married Adam Kemery, the son of Daniel and Susanna Essig Kemery.  They had at least six children together, although the first child wasn't born until nearly 5 years after their marriage and there are gaps between children, so it's possible that there were more who did not survive.  Their known children are Pheba, Harvey, Benjamin, Della, Cora, and Earl.  Fannie (sometimes seen as Nancy) died in 1925 in Whitley County, Indiana.

Susannah was born in 1851 and died in 1938 in Branch County, Michigan.  She married William Vampner (Wampner and various other spellings), the son of Henry and Wilhelmina Budde Wampner.  Thier children are Joseph, Ida, Ada, Erly, Elizabeth, John, Woodie, Goldie, Oscar, and Arthur.  

Margaret was born in 1853 and died in 1928 in Whitley County, Indiana.  She married Alexander Kemery, also (see above) the son of Daniel and Susanna Essig Kemery.  Their children are Barbara, Elizabeth, Anna, Lora, Nellie, John, Bertha, and Vica.  

Solomon was born in 1856 and died in 1928 in Whitley County, Indiana.  He married "Emma", who was possibly Sarah Emeline, Knapp, the daughter of Oscar Knapp.  I've not yet identified her mother.  Their known children are Jessie, Benjamin, Samantha, Eldora, Edward, and Zula.  

Thomas was born in 1860 but I've found no further record of him.  The Buchtel name is frequently mangled in records so it's possible that I've just not found the spelling used in later records, but it's also possible that he died before the 1870 census.

The last born child, Eva or Evie, was born in 1864.  She was blind and may or may not have had other physical handicaps.  I've not found record of her after 1880.

As mentioned, Benjamin died in 1872 but Barbara's story is not quite finished.  She married Daniel Kemery-yes, the same Daniel Kemery who was the father of Adam and Alexander Kemery, two of her sons-in law.  So she now became the stepmother of her sons in law, and grandmother and step grandmother to their children.  I've not found a definite death date for Barbara but it was sometime between 1877 and 1879, when land was being transferred and she is listed as being deceased.  

Just for fun, I looked at the 1950 census for Whitley County, where these offspring of Benjamin and Barbara lived.  I found no Buchtels, but I did find a lot of Kemery names.  It appears that in 2025, there are still Kemery families living in Whitley County. 

 

The family of Solomon Buchtel 1776-1838

 Solomon Buchtel's family is easier to write about than some, thanks to research most generously posted online under the Waite-Humphreys family tree.  I've been able to add a little information to what was provided there but the skeleton is provided by that site. There are still some unknowns in what we both have found, but not as many as in some of the other families I've tried to outline.  

Solomon Buchtel was born in Miles Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in 1776, the son of John or Johannes and Catherine Scheler Buchtel.  He married Maria Margaretha Reber, the daughter of Johann Conrad and Mary Pontius Reber, and died in March of 1838 in Millheim, Summit County, Ohio.  It appears that he was in Ohio as early as 1811, but I've not found record of him having served in the War of 1812 there.  Most likely, if he stayed when the war broke out, he did serve at least in the local militia, as the only men who were excused were those over 60 and those physically unable to live the soldier's life. Solomon and Maria Margaretha had eight known children.  The first seven were boys, so I'm a little surprised that the last, Hannah, wasn't named Hallelujah or some similar name.  Surely her birth was a cause for rejoicing!

Benjamin was born in 1806 and died in 1872 in Whitley County, Indiana.  He married Barbara Burkholder Long, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Miller Burkholder, a young widow.  It is possible that he had been married earlier because this marriage was in 1844 and he would have been 38 at the time, which is old for a first marriage.  However, no records have yet been located to even hint at such a thing.  Benjamin and Barbara's children are Joseph, Elizabeth, Nancy, Fannie, Susannah, Margaret, Solomon, Thomas, and Eva.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

Joseph was born in 1807 and died in 1882 in St. Joseph County, Indiana, where many of his siblings settled.  He was married twice, first to Nancy Noll (also seen as Null), the daughter of George and Nancy Hall Noll.  Their children are Abigail, Sarah, Nancy, Mary Ann, Catherine, and Henry (and let there be rejoicing for the boy!).  His second marriage was to Mary Chaney, who was not yet sixteen, while he was 51.  They had one son together, Jacob.  I have not yet found parents for Mary, but I'm looking at a few men named Jacob Chaney, thinking there may be a Jacob in her family because that is not a Buchtel name.  So far, I've not found a smoking gun, not even a likely suspect.  

Solomon was born in 1810 and died in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska in 1888.  He also was married twice, first to Hannah Myers, whose parents are not known to me at this time.  They have at least three children, Mary, David, and Julian. His second wife is Catherine Lantzer, and their children are Mary, Hiram, William, Joseph, George, Sarah, Elizabeth, John, Solomon, and Catherine.  Catherine's parents are Abraham and Susannah Miller Lantzer.  

William was born in 1811 and died in 1878 in St. Joseph County, Indiana.  He married Catherine Gailey or Guiley, the daughter of Daniel and Mary Emerick Guiley.  Their children are Daniel, Sarah, Harriet, Elias, and Mary.  

Thomas was born "about" 1815 and may have been the first of the children to have been born in Ohio.  He seems to have been in St Joseph, County, Indiana for a few years but if the records are not confused, returned to Stark County, Ohio, and died in 1904.  (Some trees, without documentation, say he died in St Joseph County about 1880, but the researcher may not have been aware of his return to Ohio.) His wife is Sally George, but all that I have been able to locate about her parents is that her mother may have been Mary.  Their children are Jonathan, William, Mary, Elizabeth, Sorinta, Katherine, Olive, and Caroline.  

Henry, known as Harry, was born about 1819 and died about 1844.  He married Agnes Myers, who was his cousin, the daughter of Jacob and Catherine Buchtel Meyers or Moyer. Catherine was a daughter of Peter Buchtel who died in the War of 1812.  Their children are Sevilla and Henry.  

Jonathan was born in 1822 and died in 1870 in Des Moines, Iowa.  He married Eliza Jane Newcomer, possibly the daughter of William Newcomer.  Their children are William, Henry, and John.  Jonathan was an MD, as were William and John.  Henry was a DD, so my assumption is that Jonathan had a successful practice and was able to help provide educations for each of his sons.

And last, there is Hannah, born in 1824 and died in 1890 in St. Joseph County, Indiana.  She married Rev. Samuel Gettig, the son of Henry and an unknown Swineheart or Swinehart Gettig.  Their children are Malinda, George, Mary Ellen, and Mellisa.  Samuel was a Civil War veteran, and I would not be at all surprised to learn that others named here also served in the Civil War. Jonathan and William Buchtel both enlisted from South Bend, Indiana, and I think they may very well be the two of the same name mentioned here, but I've not located information to confirm that. 

This Buchtel generation, 8 of them, saw great changes in their mostly long lives.  The one son who seems to have had a difficult time dealing with life was Benjamin, and we are not sure we know his whole story.  I'm told that the Buchtel name still is honored in Stark County, Ohio, where several buildings bear that name.  

 

 

Harshbarger line: The family of Johannes/John Buchtel 1732-1809

John Buchtel is the immigrant ancestor in a line of three male Buchtels who tie into the Harshbarger family downstream.  He was born in 1732 in Linsenhofen, Esslingen, Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany, a son of Johannes and Lucia Ehhalt Buchtel. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1753, and married Catherine Scheler, sometimes seen as Seyler, whose parents are not currently known, in 1760, possibly after completing an indentureship.  He died in 1809 near Rebersburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania, and Catherine died in 1813.   John and Catherine had at least ten children together, and about 72 grandchildren.  (Please note that almost all the surnames in this post are of German origin and have multiple spellings.  Good luck with that!)

John (he seems to have gone by John, rather than Johannes) was born in 1762 and died in 1818 in Bethlehem, Stark County, Ohio.  He married Catherine Snyder, the daughter of Peter and Maria Catherine Stentz Schneider.  Their children are Henry, John, Hannah, Catherine, Julia and Herman.  

Elizabeth was born in 1764 and died in 1801 in Freesburg, Snyder County, Pennsylvania.  She married George Meyer or Mayer, the son of Jacob and Susanna Ream Meyer.  Their children are Barbara, Lizzie, Julia, Susan, Mary, and George.  There may also be a child, Margaret, whose birthdate is given as four months after her mother's death date.  However, it's possible that this is a baptism date for Margaret; I have not seen the documentation on this.

Agnes was born next, in 1766.  She died in 1862 in Lake Township, Stark County, Ohio, the wife of Michael Myers, who was another son of Jacob and Susanna Ream Meyer.  Siblings of one family married siblings of another family more than once in this family.  Their children are Henry, Sophia, Michael, Elizabeth, Jacob, Barbara, Christopher, Joshua, John, Mary, Philip, Susan, and George.   

They named their first son, born in 1770, Martin.  He married Eva Walter, the daughter of Jacob and Catherine Scott Walter.  Their children are Sarah, Catherine, Elizabeth, John, Susan, Fannie Ann, and Michael.  Martin died in 1853 in Uniontown, Stark County, Ohio.  

Peter was born in 1771 and died in 1812 in Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio.  He was killed at some point during the War of 1812, and his body was never recovered.  He married Anna Margaret Cramer, the daughter of Daniel and Anna Maria Geis Cramer. (The Cramers are also ancestors in another Harshbarger-related line, and we will see their names again in this post.)  Their children are Solomon, John, Mary Catherine, Margaret, Peter, Michael, Elizabeth, Susannah, Rosanah, Sarah, and Maria, so his widow certainly had her hands full.  Fortunately, there was family nearby.

Catherine was born in 1772 and died in 1852 in Hamilton, Ohio. She married Simon Bickel (also seen as Pickle), the son of Tobias and Catherine Moser Bickel.  Their children are Thomas, Simon, John, Rosina, Andrew, and John.  

Solomon was born (baptized?) in 1776 and died in 1838 in Millheim, Summit County, Ohio.  He married Mary Margaret Reber, the daughter of Conrad and Maria Margrete Pontius Reber.  Their children are Benjamin, Joseph, Solomon, William, Thomas, Henry, Jonathan and finally!-a girl, Hannah.  I will write more of this family in my next blog post.

Margaret was also born in 1776, and died in 1863 in Madison, Franklin County, Ohio.  She married Ludwig Kramer, the son of Adam and Christine Dubbs Kramer.  (I haven't found a connection between Adam Kramer and Daniel Cramer, but there may be one.)  Their children are Jacob, George, Philip, Sarah, Adam, Margaret, Christina, and Lewis. Please note that I've not located documents for Margaret's birth, and not all trees are listing her.  It is possible that she belongs to another Buchtel family, but I didn't locate a "likely suspect" so am including her here.  

Maria was born in 1777 and died in 1810 in Miles, Centre County, Pennsylvania.  She married Abraham Cramer, the son of Daniel and Anna Maria Geis Cramer, and was the second of this nuclear family to marry into the Cramer family.  Their children are Solomon, Elizabeth, Philip, Daniel, and John.  

Lutzann, known as Lucy, was the last known child of this couple.  She married Nicholas Bierly, the son of Johann Anthony and Anna Maria Warner Bierly, and died in 1851 at Rebersburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania.  Their children are Nicholas, Hannah, Michael, John, David, Anthony, Reuben, Peter, Simon, and George.  

As we can see, most of the Buchtel children moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio.  Two of the women died before the families moved, and one, Lutzann, stayed on or near the family homestead.  The family knew the grief of losing a member in the War of 1812, and it is possible, even probably, that more of the men served in that war also.  This was a generation approaching greatness.

The family of Thomas Moon 1756-1828

 Thomas Moon is the subject of this last post about the Moon family.  He was born in 1756 in Arden, Berkeley County, Virginia (later West Virginia), a very short distance south from Pennsylvania and Maryland, and a very short distance north from Virginia.  He is the son of Jacob and Jane Rees Moon, and he certainly saw a lot of history in his day.  Most of his siblings stayed in the general area of the homestead, but Thomas had a bit of adventure in him.  He died in 1824 in Green Township, Fayette County, Ohio, which is about 400 miles from "home".  Two of his sons were also there in the 1820 census.  

Thomas married Jean Gray, the daughter of John and Jean Wardrop Gray and they had at least 9 children together, all apparently born in Berkeley County, Virginia/West Virginia.  As usual, I've found that some of the children are researched more thoroughly than others, and the "others" have pretty gaping holes in their stories.  

James was the first born, in 1779, which presents a bit of a problem because Thomas and Jean were not married until 1780.  I am accepting the information as given, with a bit of hesitancy on the date of James's birth.  There is of course a possibility that one or the other of his parents had a previous relationship or marriage, but no evidence to support that, that I know of.  James married Elizabeth Pine the daughter of James and Martha Gatliff Pine.  I have located just two children for them, George and James.  James died in 1841 in Highland County, Ohio.

Jacob was next, born in 1781.   He married Leah Rees, the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees (we will see this couple mentioned more than once in this blog post.  Three Moon children married three Rees children.)  Their children include Albert, Jane, Thomas, Reese, and Margaret.  Jacob died in 1852 in Livingston, Madison County, Illinois, so he was also a bit of a traveling man.  

John is one of those who are giving me a research headache.  I have a birth year of 1784 for him, and a death date of 1871, with no location found.  There is a John Moon who was a prisoner of war in the War of 1812, but I've not been able to determine whether or not this is our John Moon.  Any help would be most gratefully appreciated.  

Christian or Christy Ann is giving me another headache.  Which is her name?  She seems to have been born about 1785, and there is a will in Fayette County for someone by that name in 1843. It is Christian Moon in the will, which gives her residence as Green Township, Fayette County, Ohio, and Christiana Moon in the appraisal of her estate.  The only fly in the ointment here is that trees that list her at all show her as having married a Mr. Jones.  If she married him, there must have been a divorce, for her to be using her maiden name.  The marriage information, such as it is, may be totally incorrect, or may apply to another Christian Moon.  

We are on slightly firmer ground with Martha, born in 1786.  She married Daniel Rees, the son of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees (second marriage of Moon sibling to Rees sibling).  Their children are Margaret and Christiann.  Daniel seems to have died in 1817 and in 1822, Martha Moon is recorded as being married to John Draper, the son of David Draper.  Was it a simple mistake that she was referred to as Martha Moon and not Martha Rees? Perhaps.  If this is the correct Martha, her children with John are Wesley, Martha, and John.  After John's death, Martha went west to Tipton County, Indiana, where Rees and Moon family members lived, and died in 1869 near Kempton.  

David was born in 1788 and died in 1871 in Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio.  He married Mary Ellen Ellis, , known as Polly. the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Rees Ellis.  (Margaret was the daughter of Morris and Sarah Rees, and a cousin to other Rees family members mentioned in this post.) Their children are Eliza, Margaret, Thomas, Jane, James, and Mary.  

William was born about 1790 and died in 1854 in Fayette County, Ohio.  He seems to have had three wives. The first is Margaret Chew, the daughter of Colbey and Rebecca Rees Chew.  (I have not traced Rebecca Rees with any degree of certainty, but it is my very strong hunch that she is going to tie into some of these other Rees families at some point).  They had at least one child together, Herbert.  He next married Nancy Dunn, the daughter of Robert and Ann Strawbridge Dunn.  Their children are Sarah, Jane, Mary Ann, Matilda, and Lavinia.  His third marriage was to Delilah Taylor, the daughter of Zachariah and Mary Taylor Taylor (not a typo).  Their children are WIlliam, Victoria, and James.  

Margaret Ellen was born in 1794 and died in 1876 in Kempton, Tipton County, Indiana. She married Owen Traveler Rees, the son of Solomon and Ann McNeil or Neal Rees. Solomon was the son of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees, so we are now down a generation.  Their children are Christina, Thomas, Ann, Isabella, Andrew, Eliza Matilda, Margaret, and Albert.  I have written of this family earlier.  

Finally, Thomas was born in 1796, and died in 1871 in Fayette County, Ohio.  He married Frances Irion,. the daughter of Robert and Nancy Ballentine Irion.  Their children are Nancy, Eliza, Mary, Francis, Albert, Margaret, Christina, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Thomas.  There is a possibility there was another son, James.

William is sometimes listed as another son, but his birth year is 1805 and his purported mother would have been nearly 50 at the time. In addition, there was already a William, alive and well, in this family.  I am not including him as a son of Thomas and Jean, but he may well be a nephew.  

As noted, most of these children died in or around Fayette County, Ohio, with two in Tipton County, Indiana and one in Madison County, Illinois.  The Moon family had roots in Ohio, then Virginia, and finally Pennsylvania, but by the 1860s and beyond, the Moons were on the move, but this is as far as my study will take them.   As always, corrections and additions are welcome!

 

 

The family of Jacob Moon 1732-1804

 Jacob Moon, the son of Simon and Louretha Humphrey Moon, was born in Chester or Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1732.  He married Jane Rees, the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees (or Reese), and together they had at least six children.  Jacob died in 1804 in Arden, Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia). It is possible, but I haven't yet accepted the idea, that he and his family spent a few years in North Carolina.  Some trees indicate this, but I tend to think that there are two Jacob Moons of roughly the same age and their records have been mingled together.  I'm still looking for definite proof, one way or the other.  Jane outlived her husband, dying in 1817, also in Berkeley County.  

James, a Revolutionary War veteran, was born about 1750 and died in 1829 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.  He married Rachel Colburn, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Mitchell Colborn.  Their known children are Mary, John, Jacob, and Rachel. 

I have not been able to locate information about Margaret.  Varying birth years are from 1752-1757.  It is possible that she did not live to adulthood.

Mary was born about 1754, and seems to have died that same year.  I don't believe this is the Mary Moon who married Silas Moorman and William Gilbert.  There are, again, quite a few people named Mary Moon in this time period.

Thomas was born in 1756 and died in 1828 in Fayette County, Ohio.He married Jean Gray, the daughter of John and Jean Wardrop Gray, and was disowned  by his Quaker community for marrying outside of the discipline.  (Jean was not a Quaker.)  Their children are James, Jacob, John, Christy, Martha, David, William, Margaret Ellen, and Thomas.  Jean died in 1804 and he married Lydia Bond, the daughter of Richard and Mary Jarman Bond about 1815. There is also record of a Thomas in Fayette County, Ohio marrying Anny Ellis.  I wonder if this is the son Thomas, rather than our Thomas.  I will write more of this family in my next blog post.  At any rate, no wife is mentioned in his will.

Simon was born in 1761 and died in 1823 in Arden, Berkeley County, Virginia/West Virginia.  He married Deborah Newlin or Newland, the daughter of William and Hannah Bensen Newlin.  Their children are Rees, Jane, James, Simon, Hannah, Rachel, Jacob, Ann, Nancy, Hiram, and Thomas.

Nancy was born about 1768 and in 1790 married a Mr. Wright.  That is all the information I can find about her.

Note that Thomas and Simon, and between Simon and Nancy, there is plenty of room for there to have been more children, or at least pregnancies.  I have no information to provide and would love to know if other family members know what happened during those years.

There is one additional possible family member. I am not convinced he belongs in this group, but will mention him anyway.  Jacob was born before 1754 and died March 15, 1781 at the Battle of Guilford Court House in North Carolina.  He married Nancy Ammon, the daughter of Christopher and Mary Bristow Ammon.  They had one son, Christopher, and an unknown son born and died the year of this Jacob's untimely death.  I hope someone can advise which family this Jacob belongs to; he should be honored by all but especially by his family!

Jacob and Jane lived through a very difficult time in Arden.  In and after the Revolutionary War, their area was often under attack from natives supported by the British.  It is more than likely that the Moon family spent considerable time inside forts, or even leaving the area until things cooled down.  I would certainly like to know more about their stories!

 

 

 

 

The family of Simon Moon 1700 ish to 1748 ish

 I had hoped by this point in time for this family that there would be few if any unsolved mysteries, and better documentation, than I am finding.  Some lines seem well-documented, but some seem to be highly questionable.  However, in researching this I did learn that there is a good likelihood that after Simon left Bucks County, Pennsylvania, he likely traveled south and spent time in the Orange County, North Carolina area in the 1730s before settling in Frederick County, Virginia (what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia).  Some of his family seems to have stayed, or returned, to North Carolina, some headed even farther south, to Georgia, and some went west, to Ohio.  

Simon the son of James and Mary (probably Wilsford) Moon was born about 1700 and died about November, 1748 in Frederick County, Va./Berkeley County, WV.  He married Lauretha (Louretha, Lowry, other spellings) Humphrey, the daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Lowry Humphrey, in 1721 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the couple maintained their Quaker religion throughout their marriage.  For the record, the area that they settled in, part of the Shenandoah Valley, was beautiful but was not supposed to be open to settlers.  Several indigenous tribes used the area, and King George III later tried to force all white settlers to the east side of the Appalachian mountains.  It didn't work.  

There are various lists for the children of Simon and Lauretha, with varying dates and locations.  Some were born in Bucks County, some in North Carolina, and, if we are to believe this is the same family, some in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  So, it is possible that some of the children I'm naming do not really belong to this couple, and it's also possible that I've missed some.  

Anna seems to have been the first child born, in 1722.  She married Henry Bowen, the son of Henry and Jane Carter Bowen, who are Beeks ancestors in another line.  Anna died in 1789 at "Apple Pie Ridge, Virginia", which seems to be near Winchester, Virginia.  Henry and Anna's children are Mary, Hannah, Priscilla, Rees, Margaret, Jean, Nancy, John, Henry, and Jacob.  

Richard may have been born next, about 1724.  He died in 1795 at Shoulderbone Creek, Greene County, Georgia, near where a treaty with the Creek indigenous people had been signed 9 years earlier.  He must had led an interesting life, after having been disowned by the Quakers in 1748.  (One could hope his parents did not know about this.)  He married Susanna Brown, the daughter of Thomas and Ruth Large Brown.  Their children are Simon, Richard, Mary, Lowry, Susannah, Hannah, Rachel, and Margaret.

James was probably born about 1726 and died in 1798 in Chatham County, North Carolina.  He married Anne Mendenhall, the daughter of John and Martha Wright Mendenhall.  Their children are Lurana, John, Charity, Jacob, Hannah, Rachel, Thomas, and James.  

Hannah was born in 1728 and died in 1789 in Frederick County, Virginia/Berkeley County, West Virginia.  She married William Brown, the son of Thomas and Ruth Large Brown, and thus he was Susanna's (see above) brother.  Their children are Thomas, Samuel, William, Rachel, Hannah, Richard, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth, Ebenezer, Ann, Joseph, Joel, and Deborah.  

Margaret's birth date is given as "about 1728".  Either she was born late in the year, or the date is wrong.  Perhaps her birth occurred closer to 1730.  She married Thomas Brown, also the son of Thomas and Ruth Large Brown.  It is said that they had 13 children but I've located only 11 names as of now.  They are Joseph, Elizabeth, William, Thomas, Jacob, Samuel, Richard, Ruth, Moses, Rachel, and Jean.  Margaret died in 1799 in Orange County, North Carolina.  Some sites show that she died in 1838, but I think that's a case of mistaken identity.  I could be wrong about that.

I'm not sure when Jacob was born.  I've seen 1732 as a date but if that is accurate, he was just 16 years old when he married Jane Rees, the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees.  (Margaret is a descendant of Henry and Jane Carter Bowen, who are the parents of Henry who married Anna Moon). Their children are Jacob, James, Thomas, Simon, Nancy, Mary, and Margaret.  Jacob died in 1804 near Arden in what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

Rachel was born January 10, 1732/33 in Deep River, Guilford County, North Carolina.  She married Henry Thornburgh, son of Walter and Margaret Beeson Thornburgh.  and died in 1804 in Lost Creek, Tennessee.  Their children are Margaret, Hannah, Walter, Mary, Richard, Jane, Ann, Henry, Louretha, Charity, Sophia, Richard, a second Hannah, Jessie, and Jonathan.  

Mary was born in 1733 in North Carolina and is believed to have died in 1750, although I have seen a death date as late as 1804.  I've found no documentation for either of these dates.  

Malachi was mentioned in his father's will> He was born about 1738 in Deep River, Guilford County, North Carolina and is seen in a census in 1782.  That is as much as I know about him.  

Then there are two mysteries.  Simon may have had a son John or Jonathan.  However, he was supposedly born in 1717, 4 years before the marriage of Simon and Lauretha.   Simon would have been only about 17 at the time, so if there is a son John, I am not convinced it was the 1717 one.  I have also seen a Susanna mentioned as Simon's child, but find nothing to support that.  I am mentioning these two names in the hopes that someone has additional information that will prove or disprove them as children of Simon and Lauretha.  

I would love to have the time to research the many (over 70, if this listing is correct and complete) grandchildren of Simon and Lauretha.  They lived in interesting times.  Some of them likely served in the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the later wars against the Creeks and the Cherokees that continued after the Revolutionary War had ended.  It would be interesting to know how many of these families stayed in the Quaker faith, and how they responded to the call to war.