The family of Samuel Hitchcock 1717-1777

 I couldn't have timed this post more perfectly if I'd tried...or if I'd known what I was going to find in my brief overview of this family.  There are many soldiers and patriots of the Revolutionary War here, and I consider it a great honor and privilege to share a little about this family.

Samuel Hitchcock, the last in our Hitchcock line, was born in 1717 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, and died in the same location in 1777.  He married Ruth Stebbins, the daughter of Thomas and Ruth Ely Stebbins, in 1738 and it seems that the two must have lived happily ever after, for they had twelve children, all of whom lived into adulthood.  They became the grandparents of about 85 grandchildren, and of course there may be others not yet discovered.  It's no wonder that there are a lot of folks with ties to the Hitchcock family.  Of course, since this was a family of Springfield, this part of the tree is more of a tangled bush, with several connections to other ancestors of Springfield.

Ruth was the first child, born in 1737 and died in 1816 in Springfield.  She married Moses Burt, the son of John and Sarah Stebbins Burt.  This is the smallest family in terms of children that I found here, with Moses, Sarah, and Martin being the only children known to me.  In case you are wondering, Sarah Stebbins goes back to Thomas Stebbins, who is our ancestor, and Moses Burt was a descendant of our Henry and Eulalia Marche Burt.  The tangles begin! Moses Burt, known as captain, appears to have Revolutionary War service.

Margaret was born next, in 1741. (Note that there may have been an unsuccessful pregnancy in the interim between Ruth and Margaret.) She died in 1820 in Volney, Oswego County, New York.  She married Richard Falley, the son of Richard and Anna Lamb Falley.  Their children are Lovisa, Frederick, Margaret, Richard, Daniel, Ruth, and Samuel.  Richard and his son Frederick were at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Frederick as a drummer.  Richard was a lieutenant but was deemed to be of more importance to the war effort as a gun manufacturer, and his story is told in the book "Biography of Lt. Richard Falley" by Robert R. Madison.  

Lois was born in 1742 and died in 1814 in Chicopee, Hampden County, Massachusetts,  She married Oliver Chapin, who traces back to both our Chapin and Stebbins ancestors. He is the son of Josiah and Mindwell Holton Chapin, and was also a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War.  Their children are Lois, Mindwell, Amy, Cynthia, Celia, Oliver, Editha, and Sophia.  

Samuel was born next, in 1744, and died in 1819 in Hawley, Franklin County, Massachusetts.  He married Thankful Hawks, the daughter of Gershom and Thankful Corse Hawks.  He served as a private in the Revolutionary War and later as captain of the militia.  Samuel and Thankful's children are Ethan, Samuel, Ruth, Pliny, Asenath, Roswell, Erastus, Utbanes, Gratia, and Eli.   

Eunice was born in 1746 and died in 1822 in Springfield, Massachusetts.  She married Nathaniel Alexander, the son of John and Bathsheba Sawtell Alexander.  Their known children are Nathaniel, Bathsheba, Eunice, Gaius and Anna.  Nathaniel was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and a captain, but I'm not sure when he acquired that designation.

Naomi was born in 1749 and died in 1812 in Amsterdam, Montgomery County, New York.  She married Joseph Parsons, the son of Joseph and Hannah Pinney Parsons.  Joseph served in the Revolutionary War.  Their children are Naomi, Loring, Joseph, Rufus, James, Hannah, Pauline, and Lydia.  

The first half of this family consisted of 5 females and 1 male, but that is going to be flipped to 5 males and 1 female for the second half of the family.  (At least there were plenty of girls to help with the chores and child care for the second half!)  

Arthur was born in 1751 and died in 1822 in Hawley, Franklin County, Massachusetts.  He married Lucy Cooley, the daughter of Joel and Sarah Olcott Cooley.  Their children are Lucy, Arthur, Lucinda, Sarah, Lois, Zeriah, and Simon.  Arthur is a Revolutionary War veteran.  

Editha is the last daughter born to Samuel and Ruth, in 1754.  She died in 1819 in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio, the longest distance from her Springfield origins of any of these children.  Her husband is Gershom Flagg, the son of Gershom and Mary Willard Flagg.  Their children are James, Mary, Cynthia, Ebenezer, Editha, Luther, and another Cynthia.  

Elias was born in 1757 and died in 1810 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts.  He married Zeruah or Zeruiah Ferry/Ferree, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (maiden name not yet located) Ferry.  Their children are Zeruiah, Lucinda, another Lucinda, Ruth, Henry, and Lois.  I have not located a Revolutionary War record for him, other than that he registered for military service in 1780.  I don't know if he actually served.

Oliver was born in 1760 and died in 1836 in Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York.  He married Elizabeth Hitchcock, the daughter of Phineas and Elizabeth Stebbins Hitchcock (yes, both the Stebbins and Hitchcock lines there go back to our immigrant ancestors).  He served in the Revolutionary War.  Oliver and Elizabeth's children are Lewis, Elizabeth, Oliver, an infant, Augustus, Rufus, Russel, Pamela, Electa, and Samuel.  

Heman was born in 1762 and died in 1837 in Conway, Franklin County, Massachusetts.  He married Eleanor Toleman, the daughter of Ebenezer and (unknown) Toleman.  Their children are Levi, Editha, Ruth, Sabra, Naomi, Zur (likely Zeruah), Heman, and Submit.  I have found no record of military service for Heman.  

Gaius was the last child, born in 1765 and died in 1843 in Waitsfield, Washington County, Vermont.  He is a Revolutionary War veteran, and married Sarah Wells, the daughter of John and Tamar Rice Wells.  Their children are Sally, Relief, Emely, and infant son, Fanny, and infant daughter, Wells, Stebins, Alonzo, Hannah, and possibly Eli.   

What more can I say?  Ruth died in 1775 and Samuel in 1777 so they didn't live to see these sons and sons in law go off to war.  They didn't get to throw any welcome home parties for their family.  Yet, this couple is a shining example of having taught their children well, to love and serve their country and to make whatever sacrifices (I'm looking at you, daughters and daughters in law!) were necessary.  Thank you to the Hitchcocks! 

 

The family of John Hitchcock 1670-1751

 These Hitchcock men are a bit confusing, and I seem to have written last week about Luke Hitchcock who married Elizabeth Gibbons.  He is a grandfather through a different line, and a brother to the man I'd intended to write about, John Hitchcock born 1670 and died 1751.  Both of these men are descendants of the immigrant Luke Hitchcock who married Elizabeth Gibbons, so you can see why I got just a little bit confused and out of my intended order.  It makes no difference, really, so bear with me.  

John Hitchcock was born in 1670 in Springfield, Massachusetts to John and Hannah Chapin Hitchcock.  He seems to have spent his entire life in Springfield, which is where he married Mary Ball, the daughter of Samuel and Mary Graves Ball.  John was given land due to his father and father in law's fighting at Turner Falls, but John was too young to have served in that conflict.  He likely did serve later at least in the militia, and would have been on alert if not a responder to the Deerfield and other battles with native Americans as the frontier of Massachusetts was "settled."

John and Mary had eleven known children, and they are documented about as well as any family I've looked at so far.  This may be because he was an ancestor of Grover Cleveland, or it may be because someone in the family took great interest in keeping his story alive.  Once again, this family has many connections to others in our family tree, which keeps getting more and more tangled.

Their first born son was-you guessed it-John, born in 1692 and died in 1777 in Springfield.  He married Abigail Stebbins, the daughter of Samuel and Abigail Brooks Stebbins.  Abigail was a granddaughter of Thomas and Hannah Wright Stebbins, who are our ancestors in another line. Their children are Abigail, Miriam, John, Reuben, Josiah, Simeon, Benjamin, Isaac, and Levi.  

Mary was born in 1694 and died possibly in 1695.  Her death date is uncertain, but we know she died as an infant.  As sad as this death would have been, we can be glad that she was the only Hitchcock in this family who did not survive to adulthood.

Sarah was born next, in 1697.  I've seen several death dates for her but we know it was after 1736, because she is named in her father's will, and it may have been as late as 1790.  A possible death location is Sunderland, Massachusetts.  She married Samuel Gunn, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Wyatt Gunn.  I haven't yet identified Samuel, but it's possible that he is somehow related to John Gunn(e), who died in Westfield in 1726, because Westfield was created from Springfield.  Further research needs to be done there.  Sarah also had a large family, including Elizabeth, Samuel, Wyatt, David, Israel, and Mary.  

Mary was born in 1699 and died in 1781 in Charlemont, Hampshire, Massachusetts.  Her first marriage was to Samuel Taylor, the son of John and Thankful Woodward Taylor.  (Thankful may go back to Henry and Elizabeth Mather Woodward, as they had a daughter named Thankful and the name may have continued in the family.  Henry and Elizabeth are also our ancestors in another line.) Her children are Othniel, Mary, John, Jonathan, and possibly another Jonathan.  After Samuel's death, she married Daniel Arms, the son of William and Joanna Hawks Arms, with no children noted.  She later married Ebenezer Barnard, son of Joseph and Sarah Barnard.  By this time, she had "aged out" of child-bearing.  

Mercy was born in 1700 and died in 1776 in Springfield.  She married Increase Sykes, the son of Increase and Mary Warriner Sykes.  And once again, we have Warriners in our tree who, based on location and dates, would be likely ancestors to Mary Warriner.  Their children are Mary, Margaret, and Increase.  There may be more children, but these are the ones I've located so far.

Next is Abigail, born in 1703 and died in 1732 in Monson, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  She married Samuel King, the son of Samuel and Abigail Clapp King.  Their children are Abigail, Samuel, Sarah, Mary, Mercy, Hannah, and Edward.  Nathaniel was born in 1705 and died in 1750 in Wilbraham, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.  He married Hannah Taylor, the daughter of John and Hannah Gillette Taylor.  Their children are Hannah, Nathaniel, Mary, Gideon, Silas, and possibly Zena.

Thankful was born in 1707 and died in 1801 in Bennington, Vermont.  She married Jonathan Scott, the son of Richard and Elizabeth Belden Scott.  Their children are Jonathan, Matthew, David, Eunice, Thankful, and Mary.  

Jerusha was born in 1709 and died in 1797 in Wilbraham, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  She married Daneil Warner, the son of Daniel and Sarah Golding or Golden Warner.  Their children are Daniel, Comfort, another Daniel, Jesse, Jerusha, William, David, Thankful, and another Daniel.  It appears that there was sadness in this household, as the early Daniels seem to have not survived.

Margaret was born in 1712 and died in 1804 in Palmer, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.  She married David Cooley, the son of Obadiah and Dorcas Hale Cooley.  Their children are David, Margaret, Moses, Jonathan, Tabitha, Abner, Submit, another Abner, and Sarah.  

By this time, Mary may have been a little weary with repeated childbirths, but there was one more son, Samuel, born in 1717. He died in 1777 in Springfield.  He married Ruth Stebbins, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Ely Stebbins.  Their children are Ruth, Margaret, Lois, Samuel, Eunice, Naomi, Arthur, Editha, Eliax, Oliver, Heman or Herman, and Gaius.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

Most of these Hitchcocks stayed either in Springfield or within 50 or so miles of Springfield.  By the mid 1750s, it was getting difficult to give land to each son within the immediate Springfield area.  Some may have learned a trade and moved on. The men would have been part of their local militias, and it's possible that some were involved in the French and Indian War, although I've not researched that.  We can tell that John and Mary left a large family to continue the Hitchcock heritage, and we can be glad that they did!   

  

 

The family of Luke Hitchcock 1674-1752

Luke Hitchcock, one of many of that name, was born in 1674 and died in 1752, both in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  He is the son of John and Hannah Chapin Hitchcock, and he married Elizabeth Walker, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Wheeler Walker.  They had a rather large family, as was common at the time.  

Elizabeth was their first born.  She was born in 1701, and she is a bit of a mystery.  It appears that she married Ezekiel Mighill, the son of John and Elizabeth Firman Mighill, and after his death she married Ephraim Colton, the son of Ephraim and Mary Noble Colton.  Other than a mention in her father's will of daughter Elizabeth Colton, I have not been able to find any additional information about her.  I do not know of any children, nor do I know that she did not have children.  There is certainly more to her story.

Hannah was born in 1702 and died in 1778 in Chicopee, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  She married Abel Chapin, (likely related in some fashion to Hannah Chapin above), the son of Thomas and Sarah Wright Chapin.  Their children are Hannah, Abiah, Abel, Jemima, Elizabeth, and Moses.  

Next came another daughter, Ruth, born in 1704 and died in 1742 in Springfield.  She married Jonathan Church, the son of Richard and Elizabeth Noble Church,  and they are our ancestors in the Church line.  Their children are Joseph, Jonathan, Ruth, and Aaron.  

Finally, a son was born, named (what else?), Luke, born in 1706 and died in 1785 in Rockingham, Windham County, Vermont.  He married Abigail Norton, the daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Galpin Norton.  Their children are Tabitha, Abigail, Achsah, Cloe, Luke, and another Tabitha.  All the children were born in Springfield.  Luke may have gone to Vermont to live with a child after Abigail died.  Luke was a deacon in the church.

Jacob was born in 1708 and died in 1746 in Hampden County, Massachusetts.  He married Abigail Butler, the daughter of James and Abigail Eustiss Buter.  Their children are Abigail and possible Elizabeth.  His wife died young and Jacob next married Bathsheba Chapin, the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Wright Chapin (Siblings Hannah and Jacob married siblings Abel and Bathsheba).  It is possible that Elizabeth is the child of Bathsheba rather than Abigail, but I've not found a definitive record on that yet.  I don't know of any other children born to Jacob and Bathsheba. 

Moses was born in 1712 and lived for just over a month.  His five older siblings, as well as his parents, would have mourned him together.

Eunice arrived in 1713, to bring joy to the family.  She died in 1796 in East Hampton, Middlesex, Connecticut.  She married John Norton, the son of John and Ann Thompson Norton.   Their children are Aseneth, Anna, Elizabeth, John, Martha, Jacob, Elias, Ann, another Elias, and Eunice.  

Aaron was born in 1715 and died in 1808 in Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut.  He married Experience Kent, the daughter of John and Abigail Winchell Kent.  Their children are Experience, Ruth, and Apollos.  There may be more children, as yet not located.

And finally, another Moses, who like his namesake brother died shortly after birth in 1718.

This family is reported to have had a good reputation in and around Springfield for generations.   They supported their church and their community, and the men likely served in the militia, although I've not found records for military service.  The men may have served in the French and Indian War, or at least been home guards during that conflict.  Regardless, they all contributed to the life of our country and we can be grateful.  

 

The family of John Hitchcock 1642-1712

 John Hitchcock, the son of Luke and Elizabeth Gibbons Hitchcock, is the first Hitchcock in our line to be born in the New World.  He was born in 1642 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut.  His wife is Hannah Chapin, the daughter of Samuel and Cicely Penny Chapin, whom he married in 1666 in Springfield, Massachusetts.  John was a soldier in King Philip's war, promoted to lieutenant for bravery following the horrible battle at Turner's Fall.  He was wounded there, but recovered and also served in King William's war.  He was a freeman, a deacon, a constable, a selectman, and a deputy to the General Court, so he was one of the more respected men in town.  

John and Hannah had a large family, as was typical of the time.  We have lines through two of the sons, so this is another tangled family tree in our forest.  The first child, an unnamed daughter, was born or stillborn in 1667, but soon there were more children.

Hannah was born in 1668, and died in 1748 in Enfield, Hartford County, Connecticut.  She married Samuel Parsons, the son of Benjamin and Sarah Vere Parsons.  Their children are Samuel, John, Luke, Hannah, Nathaniel, Moses, and Miriam.

John was born next, in 1670, and died in 1761, in Springfield.  He married Mary Ball, the daughter of Samuel and Mary Graves Ball, who also was born and died in Springfield.  Their children are John, Mary, Sarah, two more daughters named Mary, Abigail, Nathaniel, THankful, Jerusha, Margaret, and Samuel.  I'll follow this family in a future post.

Samuel was born next, in 1672, and died in 1727 in New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut.  He married Sarah Weller, the daughter of John and Mary Alward Weller.  Their children are Samuel, Jonathan, Sarah, Esther, Deborah, John, and Hannah. 

Another son, Luke, was born in 1674.  He also stayed in Springfield, dying in 1752.  He married Elizabeth Walker, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Wheeler Walker.  Their children are Hannah, Ruth, Jacob, Moses, Eunice, and Aaron.  I will follow this family also, in a future post.  

Nathaniel was born in 1677 and died in 1762 in Brimfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  He married Abigail Lombard, the daughter of David and Margaret Filley Lombard.  Their children are Nathaniel, Noah, Moses, Joseph, and John.  

David was born in 1678 and died in 1762 in Monson, Hampden, Massachusetts.  He married Elizabeth Mighill, the daughter of Thomas and Bethuia Weld Mighill.  Their children are Paul, David, Grace, and Jonathan.

The family ended as it began, with the early deaths of two more children.  Jonathan was born in 1682 and died three months later, in February 1683.  The last child, Sarah, was born in 1685 and died in 1690.

I'm not sure that I've found all of John and Hannah's grandchildren, but I am confident that those that I have found will have stories.  The Hitchcock name is an honorable one, and at one time was influential in town life.  Since the male line stayed mostly in or near Springfield, it is more than possible that they served in the militia and responded in one way or another to the Deerfield massacre of 1704.  Life was unsettled in that part of the country for many years, as this was still part of the frontier of the time.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allen line: The family of Luke Hitchcock 1614(?)-1659

 Luke Hitchcock's origins are not verified, but he was from England, perhaps somewhere in Wiltshire.  His parents are often given as John and Mary Franklin Hiscockes, which may or may not be correct.  He was in New Haven, Connecticut by 1644, when he took the freeman's oath there.  He married Elizabeth Gibbons, who may be the daughter of Thomas Gibbons, but is probably not the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Pierpont Gibbons. (If their birthdates are correct, then they are much too old to be parents of Elizabeth, although they could possibly be grandparents.  I'm not aware of records that would resolve this issue.)  Sadly, Luke died at a relatively young age, in 1659, in Weathersfield, Connecticut.  Elizabeth next married William Warriner, Jr. (who is a relative of ours but I don't think he's an ancestor) and then Joseph Baldwin, before dying in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1696.

Luke and Elizabeth had at least three children.  I have seen at least one list that includes others, and their purported birth dates make sense, but I've not found records to support them.  So I'll concentrate on the three children I'm reasonably sure are theirs, and then briefly mention the others.  

John was born in 1642 and died in 1712 in Springfield, Massachusetts.  He married Hannah Chapin, the daughter of Samuel and Cicely Penny Chapin.  Their children are an unknown daughter who died young, Hannah, John, Samuel, Like, Nathaniel, Daniel and Jonathan.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

Hannah was born in 1644 and died in 1733 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts.  She married Chileab Smith, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Smyth Smith.  (Yes, this is the same Smith family that included Mary Smith who married John Graves, our ancestors in another line.)  Hannah and Chileab's children are Hannah, Samuel, Luke, Ebenezer, Nathaniel, John, Hester (Esther), Elizabeth, Mary, Chileab, and Sarah.  

Then there is a gap of close to 11 years, before Luke was born in 1655.  Luke died in Springfield in 1727.  He married Sarah Burt, the daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth Lobdell Burt.  (She is the granddaughter of Henry and Eulalia Marche Burt, who are our ancestors in another line.) Their children are Sarah, Elizabeth, Mercy, Hannah, Thankful, Mary, Luke, Jonathan, Ebenezer, Jonathan, and Peletiah.  

So who are the "possible" children?  There is an earlier Hannah, born in 1641, who probably died young.  Then there are Elizabeth, born about 1645, Nathaniel, in 1647, and Matthias in 1650.  The dates may work, and it's possible that the records for these children are simply missing, or at least, I haven't found them yet.  It's also possible that they belong to a different Hitchcock family, perhaps that of Matthias or Edward, who were in the same area at the same time as Luke.  I'd be delighted to hear from someone who can point out records for these young Hitchcocks, to prove or disprove their parentage.   

 

The family of Isaac Lazell 1701-1783

 Isaac Lazell is our last male in this line.  His name seems to be recorded more often as Lassell during this time period but can be found under both, as well as other, spellings.  He is the son of Israel and Rachel Lincoln Lazell and was born in 1701 in Hingham, Massachusetts.  His life ended in 1783 in Mendon, Massachusetts, which is about 40 miles west of Hingham.  He married Deborah Marsh, daughter of Thomas and Mary Burr Marsh in 1741 in Hingham, and the children were all born in Hingham.  

Isaac and Deborah had at least 9 children, of whom 6 are known to have lived to adulthood.  Sadly, it was not uncommon to lose infants and children to various diseases, but that would not have made it easy for the parents or the children who watched younger siblings as their lives ended.  Fortunately, both parents had siblings in the village who would have been some help and comfort during the most difficult days.

Thomas was born in 1742 and died in 1825 in or near Morgantown, Monongalia County, in what is now West Virginia.  He was an early Methodist circuit rider pastor in the area, but I don't know at what point he answered the call.  He also is the only one of this generation to have settled so far from "home".  He married Hannah Beck, whose parents are so far not identified, and their children are Martha, Elizabeth, Amos, Polly, Thomas, John, Samuel, Zana, William, Sarah, Rebecca, and James.  He may have also married Nancy Scott, but I am not sure this was the same Thomas and it doesn't appear that they had children, if it is the same Thomas.

Susanna was born next, in 1744.  She died in 1822 in Hingham.  Her husband is Jacob Cushing, the son of Jacob and Mary Chauncy Cushing.  Jacob served in the Revolutionary War.  I have located just two children for this couple, Susanna and Jacob.  It is possible that there are more.

Israel was born in 1745 and that is all I can locate about him.  He is believed to have died young.

Joshua was born in 1748 and died in 1751, so these were a difficult few years for Isaac and Deborah.

Deborah was born in 1749, and died in 1807 in Bellingham.  She married Levi Rockwood, a Revolutionary War soldier, the son of Joseph and Alice Thompson Rockwood.  Their children are Rachel, Susanna, Hannah, Joseph, Levi, Nathan, Martin, and Reuben.  This is where our Lazell line ends. 

Isaac was born in 1751 and died in 1812 in Dover.  I am unsure as to whether this was in Norfolk County, Massachusetts or Windham County, Vermont.  I have seen it reported in both locations, but I haven't found original documents. (This is not the Isaac Lazell who died in Bridgewater in 1810.)  Isaac married Deborah Thompson, the daughter of Jonathan and Jemima Baxter Thompson.  Their family includes Thomas, Muriel, Nathan, Isaac, Rachel, Thurber, Samuel, and John.  At least some of these children were born in Vermont, lending a bit of credibility to the idea that Isaac died there.

Joshua was born in 1753 and died in 1832 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  He married Levina Cook, the daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Scott Cook.  He was a private in the Massachusetts troops of the Revolutionary War.  His children are Warren, David, John, Lydia, Dorothy, John, Elias and Sally.

There was a son born in 1756, either stillborn or died the day of his birth.  

Finally, Olive was born in 1758 and died in 1831 in Milford, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  She married Ichabod Corbett, the son of Jesse and Mary Woodwell Corbett.  Their children are Truelove, Otis, Pamelia, Leavitt, Jesse, Nancy, Polly, and Horace.

If this list is complete, Isaac and Deborah had at least 45 grandchildren, although most were born after the death of their grandparents.  Their legacy lived on, with namesakes and surnames that continued through the generations.  It was a family to be proud of, and we are honored to continue saying their names and telling their stories. 

 

 

 

 

The family of Israel Lazell 1671-1755

 Israel Lazell (Lassell and various spellings) was born in 1671 in Hingham, Massachusetts, the son of John and Elizabeth Gates Lazell.  He married Rachel Lincoln, the daughter of Daniel and Susannah (possibly Cushing) Lincoln, in 1698.  The couple had four sons, and Israel died in Hingham in 1755.  We don't know much more about him than that, other than he farmed, was a constable for the town at least once, and lived "over the river".  

Four sons are named in his will.  As far as my research shows, there is no record of other children, but it's possible there are more.

Isaac was born in 1701 and died in 1783 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  He married Deborah Marsh, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Burr Marsh.  Their children are Thomas, Susanna, Israel, Joshua, Deborah, and a second Joshua.  I'll follow this family in my next blog post.

Israel was born in 1703 and died August 10, 1770 in Hingham, Massachusetts.  He married Silence Tower, the daughter of Samuel and Lydia Whiton Tower.  Their children are Silence and Hanna.  

Daniel was born in 1706 and died in 1782 in Hingham.  He married Patience Jones, the daughter of Thomas and Catherine Caswell Jones.  Their children are Daniel, Rachel, Lydia, Daniel again, John, and Samuel.   

And finally, Jonathan was born in 1707 and died in 1786 in Hingham.  He married Sarah Jacob, the daughter of Peter and Hannah Allen Jacob.  Their children are Jonathan, Adam, Sarah, and Mary.  

Even though I've not found enough information to have a real feel for Israel's life story, we can appreciate that he worked hard and provided for his family.  He's one of those semi-anonymous men who led his family in worship, had some assets to hand down to his children, and helped America get its start.  

 

 

 

Holbrook line: The family of John Lazell 1620 ish-1700

 I wish I could tell you the ancestry of John Lazell (or Lassell, or some other variant thereof).  I've seen Henry, Edward, William, and John all put forth.  These men seem to have one thing in common in that they all lived in Essex, England.  Based on the names of his children and grandchildren, I would guess that John is the most likely ancestor, since I find none of the other names used.  But of course, that is less than a hunch and is not really worthy of mentioning.  Still, there is a possible John, born 1595, in Essex, England.  We don't know his spouse's name, so we're stuck there, at the moment.  

We do know that John came to North America and settled in Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts by 1647.  He married Elizabeth Gates, the daughter of Stephen and Ann Neave Gates there in November of 1647, so either it was a short courtship or John had been in the New World earlier than 1647.  It was apparently a happy marriage, or at least a productive one, as the couple had at least 11 children together, all born in Hingham.  John died in Hingham in 1700, and Elizabeth followed him in 1704.  

Their firstborn was a son, John, born in 1650 and died in 1665.  There may have been an earlier pregnancy, as his birth was nearly three years after his parents married.  

Thomas was born in 1652 and died in 1725 in Windham, Connecticut.  He married Mary Allen, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Partridge Allen. I have not been able to determine whether James Allen is connected to the Samuel Allen who is also our ancestor.  Their children are Joshua, Elizabeth, Thomas, Mary, Hannah, Sarah, John, James, Abigail, and Ruth.  

Joshua was born next, in 1654.  He served in King Phillip's War, and died in 1689 in Hingham, Massachusetts.  He married Mary, who may be Mary Trott, the daughter of Simon and Mary Baston Trott.  I have seen this in narrative form but not in an offical record.  Their children are Elizabeth, Martha, Joshua, and Simon.

Stephen was born next, in 1656.  He died in 1717 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  He married Sarah Stevens Stearn, or Woodward, whom, obviously, I have not been able to identify any further.  Their children are Sarah, Lydia, Phebe, Stephen, Lydia, Hannah, Mary, and a second Mary.  

By now, there was likely rejoicing, at least on Elizabeth's part, when a daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1658.  She was likely a help to her mother, and perhaps spoiled a little by one or more of her big brothers, before she died in April of 1676 in Hingham.  (Hingham doesn't appear to have been attacked in King Phillip's War, so Elizabeth's death was likely from some other cause.)

Isaac was born in 1660 and died in 1690 in Hingham.  He married Abigail Leavitt, the daughter of John and Sarah Gilman Leavitt.  Their children are Abial and Isaac.  If you are keeping track, Isaac was the fourth of their children to pass on before the death of the parents, but the rest of the family at least outlived their parents.

Hannah was born in 1662 and died in 1717 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts.  She married first James Turner, not yet further identified, and their children are Isaac, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Samuel.  Her second marriage was to William Johnson, also not further identified.  There were no children known to be born to this couple.

Mary was born in 1664 and died in 1729 (possibly 1742, but I think that is likely a "before" date) in Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts. She married Simon Burr, the son of Simon and Hester, possibly Sparhawk, Burr.  Simon and Hester are our ancestors through another line.  Mary and Simon's children are Hannah, Simon, Mary, Ruth, Rachel, Isaac, David and Samuel. 

Sarah was born in 1666 and died in 1736 in Hingham, Massachusetts.  She married Peter Ripley, the son of John and Elizabeth Hobart Ripley. Their children are Elizabeth, Peter, Nehemiah, Sarah, Ezra, and Lydia.

John was born in 1669 and died in 1755 in Windham, Connecticut.  He married Deborah Lincoln, the daughter of Joshua and Deborah Hobart Lincoln.  I think there is a connection here to our Lincoln ancestors but I'm not sure I have it figured out yet.  John and Deborah's known children are John, Joshua, and a second John.

Israel was the last of the children, born in 1671 and died in 1755 in Hingham.  He married Rachel Lincoln, the daughter of Daniel and Susanna Cushing Lincoln.  Their children are Isaac, Israel, Daniel, and Jonathan.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.

John is a minor success story, I think.  He came to Massachusetts as a young man, married, and raised a large family.  Most of his children stayed in or near Hingham, which could mean they were able to make a living there as the town grew.  At least one of his sons served in King Phillip's War, and others would have been in the town militia.  Of course I would like to know more about this family and their individual lives, but I'm happy to think of them as productive citizens.   

 

 

 

The family of Joseph Lakin 1729-1790

 This family should be easy to trace.  There are several genealogies in print and on line, and how hard can it be?  (Hint from years of experience: Don't ask that question!)  When I started researching for this post, I had 3 children noted and I knew the story of one of them, so I was looking forward to locating information about the two siblings and an easy week of research/writing.  Ha!

Joseph Lakin was born in 1729 in Prince Georges County, Maryland, the son of Abraham and Martha Lee Lakin.  He married Elizabeth Fee, the daughter of George and Parnell (widow Snowden, but maiden name not clear to me) Fee.  The couple seems to have had three children, but one tree I found lists an additional seven, with no documentation so I'm not sure how much faith to put in them.  I will write of the three children I am reasonably sure about, and then simply list the others with their supposed birth and death dates.  If/when I learn where the records are for these proposed additional family members, I will update this post.

I am reasonably sure there was a son, John, born first.  His birth date is usually given as 1750, although I have seen a more definite date of December 28, 1754.  There was a John Lakin who died in Frederick County, Maryland in 1801.  His wife's name is Margaret, and he seems to have had one daughter, Elizabeth.  However, more than one Lakin family is claiming him, and I think the John Lakin with the 1801 date is likely not our John.  The search continues.

We are on firmer ground with Samuel, born "about" 1755, and died in May, 1816 in Brown, Carroll County, Ohio.  He married Sarah Musgrove, the daughter of John and Sarah Putham (could be Putnam?) Musgrove.  Their children are John, Eleanor, Amy, Cyrene, Samuel, Greenbury, William, Elizabeth, Joseph, Sarah, and Thomas.  

Mary was born in 1760 and died in 1843 in Rush County, Indiana.  She married John Simpson Aldridge, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Soper (most likely but not proven) Aldridge.  Their children are Erasmus, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, John, Delilah, and Nathan.  

Those are the names of the children that appear in most genealogies of the connected families.  The list that I found on one tree appears reasonable, but there are obvious errors in some of the details, and I have not been able to find further information about any of them.  I would love to hear from someone who knows more about any of these people, and whether or not they belong to this family.

William lived from 1761 to 1780.  Thomas lived from 1762-1836. Benjamin lived from 1767 to 1849. Joseph was born in 1769 and died in 1838 in Hamilton County, Indiana.  James was born in 1771 and died in 1804.  Elizabeth was born in 1773 and died in 1785. Rachel was also born in 1773 (twin to Elizabeth?) and no further information was offered.  As mentioned, these all appear to be possible children of the couple, based on dates and first names that we can mostly trace to other family members, but that is all I have to go on.  To me, they remain "possibles" but not entered on my tree.  

This is the last Lakin post, as Mary is the connection to the Beeks line.  Or maybe it's not the last, if someone has additional information they are willing to share! 

 

Beeks line: The family of Abraham Lakin of Prince Georges County, Maryland

 I didn't use dates in the title of this blog post, because I'm not certain of them.  I'm fairly confident that I know Abraham's story after he married Martha Lee, but I am not sure of his birth date, or even his year, nor am I sure of his parents.  They may be Joseph and Anna (maiden name not yet known) Lakin, or they may be William and Elizabeth Symons Lakin.  One would indicate a birth date of 1695, the other of 1675.  So the first thing we know for sure is that he married Martha Lee in October of 1717 in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  I'm also unsure of the identity of Martha's parents.  Long tradition says she is the daughter of William and Ann or Anna Lee, and had ties to Cold Spring Manor, but I've not found anything to support that statement.  

Regardless, these two people, Abraham and Martha, found each other, married, and made a life together in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  They had at least ten children together, and we have at least names for them, but not always detailed birth or death dates.   Abraham died in 1744.  In this time and place, it is always a question "Was he a slaveholder?" and I don't know yet know the answer to that question.  There is no mention of slaves in his will, but slaves, especially field slaves, were considered personal property and were not necessarily regarded as worthy of note.  

Sarah seems to be the first born child, about 1720.  She married Robert Lyeth (also seen as Leith), the daughter of Abraham and Mary Lyeth, although again, there are alternate parents for Robert.  Their children are Samuel, Mary, and Sarah.   Sarah died about 1761.

Abraham was born in October of 1722 and died in January of 1796, sill in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  He was a veteran of the French and Indian War.  He married Sarah Hook, the daughter of James and Margaret Hawker Hook.  Their children are Abraham, Basil, Daniel, John, William, Nancy, Sarah, and Eleanor. 

Martha was probably born about 1725 and died after 1744, because she is mentioned in her father's will.    She married Isaac Plummer, who may have been the son of a Thomas Plummer.  I have found no further information regarding Martha, so I don't know whether she had children, or when she died.  

Joseph was born in 1729 and died in 1790 in Marlboro, Prince Georges County, Maryland.  He married Elizabeth Fee, the daughter of George and Parnell (maiden name unknown; she may have been the widow Snowden) Fee.  Their children are John, Samuel, Mary, William, Thomas, Benjamin, Joseph, James, Elizabeth, and Rachel.   I will follow this family in my next blog post.

Deborah Lakin was born in 1732 and that is all that I know of her.  She may have died young, or she may have made a life for herself away from her family, for one reason or another.  

Rachel was born in 1734.  She may have married a Samuel Martin or Merkens, but I have no further information.   

Elizabeth was born in 1735 and died in or before 1811.  She may have married John Ankrom, although I found a later Elizabeth Lakin who did marry a John Ankrom, so the jury is still out on this one.  

Ruth was born in 1736 and died in 1738. 

Mary was born in 1737 and died either that year or the following year.  There is so much sadness in that sentence, since Ruth died about the same time, and especially if Deborah had also died very young.  It was very hard to keep children healthy in the Maryland climate, where illnesses caused by germs and bacteria, or carried by insects, or caused by poor nutrition or sanitation, were a part of life.  Measles, smallpox, diphtheria, and other now "conquered" diseases caused many deaths during that time period.

Finally, there was Benjamin.  He was born in 1739 and died on April 6, 1776.  He was a mariner, and was trying to get goods to the French West Indies when his ship was fired on, and sunk, by the British.  He married Rachel Fee, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Margaret Hook Fee.  Their children are Thomas, John, Benjamin, Joseph, William, James, Elizabeth, and Rachel.  I wish I knew what happened to his widow, Rachel, with so many young children left at Benjamin's death.  And how and when did she receive word of the ship being lost?  She may have been a widow for some time before she learned of Benjamin's death.

We will never know or understand all that families like the Lakins endured.  We know Abraham Junior served in the French and Indian War, and it is quite possible that Joseph did, also.  Benjamin may have also been part of that war, or in the battles with the indigenous people that preceded and succeeded it.  Prince Georges was not the hot spot that other areas were, but they may have been called, or volunteered, to go "where the action was".  I would love to know more.   

 

The family of Anthony Geiger 1776-1836

 My final post on the Geiger families is for that of Anthony Geiger, who was born in 1776 in Frederick, Maryland, and died in Churubusco, Whitley County, Indiana. He is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Schultz Geiger, who had moved to Berkeley County, (West) Virginia.  There he married Mary Kirk, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (maiden name still a mystery) Kirk in 1797.  The couple spent the first years of their marriage near Martinsburg, West Virginia, but went to Licking County, Ohio, by 1807, where they spent most of their married life.  Mary died there in 1832 and Anthony went to Whitley County, Indiana, along with several of his children.  In Ohio, Anthony had been a soldier of the War of 1812, so he would have had stories to tell.  (Mary would have had other stories, as she would have been at home with young children when Anthony was away.)

Anthony and Mary had at least 11 children, and all but one of them lived to adulthood, so there are a lot of grandchildren.  It's likely that at least some of the grandchildren served in the Civil War, but I have not researched their military histories.  That's a task for another year or another researcher.  

Joseph was the first born, in 1798. He married Mary Albery or Alberry, the daughter of John and Mary Myer Albery.  Their large family includes Eliza, William, Joseph, Noah, Peter, Martha, George, Thomas, Dora, Harvey, Richard, Nancy, Margaret, Anthony, Elizabeth, and John.  (It's possible that this list is a bit overenthusiastic, as only some of these names are found on census records.)  Joseph died in 1869 in Franklin County, Ohio, where he had lived most of his married life.

Sarah was born in 1799 and died in 1876 in Licking County, Ohio.  She married William Rhodes, the son of John and Anne Catherine Pitzer Rhodes.  Their children are Anthony, John, Joseph, Willim, Philip, Sarah, Pitzer, Rachel, Henry, Mary Ann, and George.  

Elizabeth was born in 1801 and died in 1874 in Smith Township, Whitley County, Indiana.  She married George Harter, Jr., the son of George and (possibly) Elizabeth Harter.  Their children are John, Mary, Henry, Anthony, Elizabeth, and Sarah Jane. 

John was born in 1803 and died in 1881 in Jay County, Indiana.  He married Ruth Kelso, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Davisson Kelso.  Their children are Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, John, Abraham and William.  

Jacob was the last child born in West Virginia, in 1805.  He died in Licking County, Ohio in 1872.  His wife is Elizabeth Albery or Alberry, the sister of the Mary Albery who married Joseph Geiger (above), and the daughter of John and Mary Myer Alberry.   Their children are James, Perry, Alvah, Minerva, Sarah, Stephen, and an infant who lived just a short time.  He is buried at the Jersey Universalist Church cemetery, but I don't know whether this was also his religious affiliation. 

Ann was the first child born in Licking County, Ohio, in May of 1807.  Sometime between 1805 and Ann's birth, the family had made the move but sadly, Ann lived for only a little over 2 years, dying in 1809.  The good news is that this appears to be the only child of Anthony and Mary who did not live to adulthood.

Margaret was born next, in 1809.  She died in 1875 at Jacksontown, Licking County, Ohio.  She married Reuben Gilliland, the son of David and Anna Bailey Gilliland.  Their children are Mary Ann, Martha, Harriet, Rebecca, Ambrose, Valentine, and John.  

Mary Ann was born in 1811 and died in 1883 in Churubusco, Whitley County, Indiana.  She first married John Parks, the son of James and Sarah (possibly Hanes but not proven) Parks.  Their children are Sarah, Joseph, Adaline, and another Sarah.  After John's death, she married Abraham Maxwell, the son of William and Laura (maiden name not found) Maxwell.  Their children are John, William, Adam, Pauline, Jacob, George, and Addison.  

Anthony was born next, in 1813.  By this time, there are several Anthony Geigers to try to sort out, and some trees on line make no sense.  I believe he was married twice, both times in Whitley County, Indiana.  The Anthony Geiger who married in 1855 in Franklin County, Ohio is a different person, possibly the son of Joseph (above) but definitely not our guy who stayed in one place, until he didn't.  Our Anthony died in 1883 in Derby, Sedgwick County, Kansas.  He gets the prize in this family for having traveled the farthest from "home" of any of this generation.  His first wife is Mary Miller, the daughter of John and Susannah Berlett Miller.  Their children are Jacob, Malinda, Nathan, Mariah, Daniel (some show David but I think it's Daniel), Addison, Clarissa, and Hannah.  After Mary's Death, he married Sarah McNeal, the daughter of John and Sarah Childs McNeal.  They had at least two children, George and Hannah.  

Thomas was born in 1814 and died in 1886 in Noble County, Indiana.  It appears that his residence was not far from the Whitley County Geigers, just across the county line.  He married Mary Jane McGuire, the daughter of John and Mary O'Brien McGuire.  Their children are Henry, Mary, George, Ann, John, Thomas, Alfred, Carissa, and William.  

And finally (or not?) Daniel was born in 1816 and died in 1870 in Whitley County, Indiana.  He married Julia Ann Darnell (also seen as Dornell), who is not yet further identified.  Their children are Mary, Naarcissus, Elizabeth (twice), William, James, Edward, John, Huldah, and Abraham.  

The Geigers appear to be a close family, with their main locations in this generation in either Licking County, Ohio, or Whitley County, Indiana, with a couple of outliers.  The males were mostly a little old for the Civil War, but some of the grandsons were likely involved.  Anthony was born during the Revolutionary War and may well have seen or at least been aware of some of the fights with natives during his early childhood.  He was a veteran of the War of 1812, and this family would have been aware of, if not involved in, the Mexican-American conflicts of the 1840s.  A lot happened during Anthony's lifetime, and particularly with this generation.  We honor them.   

The still not found family of Jacob Geiger 1748-1791

Oh my goodness!  This is a difficult family to write about, because everyone has a different opinion on this and everyone seems to have one document that points in their own opinion.  But we know we need to have at least two, and optimally many more, documents to allow us to form a belief based on facts.  That is mostly lacking at this point with this family.  

Jacob Geiger was born in 1748 in New Hanover, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the son of Valentine and Sarah (maiden name not known, she was the widow of someone named Vetato or another spelling) Geiger.  He died February 24, 1791 in what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Shutz or Schultz, the daughter of Daniel and Catherine Walter Schultz in 1776 in Frederick County, Maryland, so he was already on the move.  Two short months after the marriage, the first of their children was born.

Anthony Geiger was born in 1776 in Frederick County, Maryland and died in 1836 in or near Churubusco, Whitley County, Indiana.  He also was not a "stay in one place" kind of person.  He married Mary Kirk, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (maiden name not known) in 1797 in Berkeley County, West Virginia.  Their children are Joseph, Sarah, Elizabeth, John, Jacob, Ann, Margaret, Mary Ann, Anthony, Thomas, and Daniel.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.  

After that family, the story gets pretty murky.  Jacob was born in 1778 and reportedly (I have found no records) died in 1821 in Preble County, Ohio.  He may or may not have married an Elizabeth Houdyshell, and he may or may not have married an Anna Katharina Auwaeter. Those names are on Ancestry trees, with no supporting documents.  I am not locating a Jacob Geiger in the 1820 census in Ohio, so the mystery is deep.  There are several Jacob Geigers in Pennsylvania but I can't say that any of them appear to fit directly into this family.

There is even less information regarding the rest of their children, but I will list them here for whatever it's worth.  Catherine was born in 1780, Johannes or possibly John in 1781, Elizabeth in 1785, Anne in 1786, and Daniel in 1787.  I have hints of possible first names for some of the spouses, but I am not going to share them here as they all appear questionable to me.  

Update: A strong possibility for Anne Geiger's (1786) spouse would be Henry Nisley or Neisley, the son of Abraham and Elizabeth Spitler Nisley.  They lived in Fairfield County, Ohio, and may have had the following children-Catherine, Elizabeth, Detwiler, and George Washington.  There may be others, and of course I'm lacking in the documents that would give me some degree of confidence.  

Clearly, this is one of the least researched families I've written about.  Perhaps other family researchers are as confused and unconvinced as I am.  I would be especially interested in learning about Jacob and any military service he might have been connected with.  Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolutionary War, ongoing strife with the native tribes that continued after "peace"?  Perhaps it was all of the above, but I just don't know.  Regardless, we know he lived in interesting times, in a dangerous place.  He's one family ancestor I would really like to talk to! 

 

 

 

The family of Valentine Geiger 1718-1777

 Johann Valentine (Valentin) Geiger, the son of Johann Valentine and Frederica Henckel Geiger, was born in 1718, perhaps in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shortly after his parents had arrived in the New World.  He spent much of his life in New Hanover, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and died in 1777 in Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.  His burial site is listed as Rockland Cemetery, Venango County, Pennsylvania, but I have not yet figured out how he ended up there.  The two locations are 80 miles apart, and there are no other Geigers in that cemetery.  

Valentine married twice.  His first wife is still a mystery.  Her name was Sarah, the widow of a man named Vetato, Vetatoo, or Wedato, among other spellings I have seen.   They married in 1747, with Sarah having two children by her first husband.  Valentine and Sarah had at least six children together, but sadly, at least three were apparently dead by the time Valentine died in 1777, because they aren't mentioned in his will, and neither are any potential grandchildren.  

Their first child was Jacob, born in 1748.  He married Elizabeth Shultz or Schutz, the daugher of Daniel and Catherine Walter Schultz.  Their children are Anthony, Jacob, John Charles, Elizabeth, Anna Maria, and Elizabeth Margaretha.  Some sites claim that he served in the Revolutionary War, which is certainly possible, but I don't believe he is the Jacob Geiger whose pension records relate to South Carolina.  There is a Captain Jacob Geiger who in 1777 was serving with the Philadelphia City Militia, but I don't know whether or not this is our Jacob.  Jacob died in 1792 in Greenbrier, Berkeley County, (West) Virginia.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.

Catherine Elizabeth, sometimes seen as Maria Catherine or Catherine Marie Elizabeth, was born in 1750 and died in either 1784 or 1792 in Berks County, Pennsylvania.  She married Abraham Betz, the son of Johann George and Anna Maria Duffield Betz.  Their children are Mary Elizabeth and Jonathan.  There very likely are more children, but these are the two I can identify.  

John Anthony was born in 1753 and died before his father.  I have been unable to find whether this was an infant or childhood death, or whether it could be related to a military action, before or during the Revolutionary War.  

Johann Valentine was born in 1755 and died in 1821 in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.  (I should say that many of these counties I am mentioning may actually indicate simply the division of the original county, and it is possible that most of the children actually lived very close to their father, but the names of the counties changed as the population increased and more counties were formed.)  He married Elizabeth Eppley, who was possibly the daughter of Martin and Eva Barbara (maiden name not known to me) Eppely.  Their children are Catherine, John, Valentine, William, George, Elizabeth, Marin, Sarah Elizabeth, Lydia, another John, and Peter.  

Valentine's final children with Sarah were daughters Sarah, born in 1758, and Susanna Catherine, born the following year.  No further information is found about either of them, so they may have had an early death.   

After Sarah's death, Valentine married Anna Margaretha Nagel, the daughter of Joachim and Anna Catherine Geiss Nagel in 1766.  They had at least two children together.

Catherine Elizabeth was born in 1770 and must have died young, since she is not mentioned in her father's will.  

Johann George was born in 1771 and that is all I am sure of.  He doesn't appear to be the man who married an Anna Artz or Ortz, nor does he seem to be the one who married Margaret Creel.  Until I find further records, I'm declaring George a mystery.

This is the information I've found so far about Valentine Geiger and his family.  They lived through turbulent times in unsettled lands, and those who were still alive would have been greatly impacted by the Revolutionary War.  It is possible that the family left their home and went to a place of greater safety as the danger increased, and it's also possible that at least Jacob and Valentine actually fought.  Their farm goods and animals could have been sold to, or taken by, either side in that conflict.  And after the war officially ended, there were possibly still alarms and conflicts with native peoples.  We can be grateful for the courage these ancestors showed. 

  

Harshbarger line: The family of Valentine Geiger 1685-1762

Today's post is about Johann Valentine Geiger, who was born in 1685 in Germany and died in 1762 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  He most likely came to Pennsylvania in 1717 with his wife and in-laws, and bought land, 250 acres, in 1718, so we know he wasn't as impoverished as many of his countrymen were.  He married Johanna Frederica Henckel (various spellings, just as Geiger is sometimes seen as Kyger or another variation) in 1715. and their first son was born in 1717. It appears that Antonius, probably called Antony, was born in 1718, after his parents arrived in this country.  Frederica died in  1739 and Valentine married again, to Maria Elizabeth, probably Maria Elizabeth Schmidt, the daughter of John George and Anna Maria (maiden name not yet found) Schmidt. Valentine had several children by each of his wives, so this will be a long post.  

Anthony, or Antonius was born in 1717 and died in April 1753 in Douglas, Berks County, Pennsylvania.  He married Mary Barbara Geiger, the daughter of Jacob and Anna Marie Mais Geiger.  Jacob and Valentine were brothers, so Anthony married his first cousin.  Marrying a cousin wasn't unheard of, but was less common in Lutheran churches, where the Geigers were quite active, than in other denominations and cultures.  One record that I found said this couple had no children, and other sources seem to indicate at least two children.  It's quite possible, given the number of Valentine and Jacob Geigers living in the same area, the the families have become conflated or otherwise confused.  

Valentine was born in 1718, perhaps in Philadelphia or perhaps in Montgomery County.  He died in Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pa in 1777, which may or may not have been his place of residence.  I don't know whether he served in the Revolutionary War, nor do I know his cause of death.  Valentine married twice.  His first wife was a widow, Mrs. Sarah Vetato (various spellings, of course), who has not been further identified.  She had two children of her own, and together they had several children-Catherine Elizabeth, Jacob, Antonius, Valentine, Sarah, Susanna and possibly Maria Elizabeth.  After Sarah's death, Valentine married Anna Margaretha Nagel, the daughter of Johann Jacob and Anna Catherina Geiss Nagel.  Their children are Johann, George, Catherine, and Elizabeth, so it became a rather large family.  (I would certainly like to know whether Anna Catherina Geiss Nagel was related to the Anna Maraia Geiss who married Daniel Kramer!!)

Mary Barbara was born in 1719 and died in 1777.  She married Nicholas Seidle or Seidel, the son of Nicholas and Anna Elizabeth Marststeller Seidel.  The children are Anna Elizabeth, Antonius, Frederica, Dortha, Nicholas, Maria Barbara, Johan Phillip, and Anna Catherine.

Christopher, or Stoffel as he is sometimes found, was born in either 1720 or 1722 and died in 1805.  He is identified as a lieutenant in the third PA regiment, Continental Army, during the Revolutionary War.  He married twice.  His first wife is Mary Barbara Geiger Geiger, the widow of his brother Antonius and daughter of Jacob and Anna Elizabeth Mais Geiger.  Their children are Anthony, Jacob, Henry, Catherine, Elizabeth, Mary Magdalene, Margaret, John, and possible Sarah.  After Barbar's death, he married Married Robeson, the daughter of Moses and Christiana Lane Robeson.  Their children are Elish, Barbara, Christina, Sarah, Charles, John, and perhaps another Christina.  

Margaretha (both Anna and Mary have been seen as her first name) was botn in 1721 and died in 1794.  Again, I'm confused.  She married John Stapleton, the son of Robert Stapleton.  She may have also married Benjamin Lindler, or that may be a different Margaretha.  At any rate, she had at least one son, John Stapleton.

Susanna Catherine was born in 1724.  She married John Stoneburner (may be Steinbrenner?) and had Michael, and Elizabeth.  I don't know her death date, but if she was still living in 1810 then there is a strong likelihood she was the mother of at least four more children.  I have seen Jonathan, Robert, Susanna, Sampson, Margaret, Catherine, George and Henry suggested as children for this couple, but I can't really state hat with any conviction.  Records for this family are hard to locate.

There is a gap of 13 years between Catherine and Anna Barbara, who was born in 1737 and died in 1766.  I don't know whether we are missing children or whether this little caboose was a total surprise.  She married George Kast or Caust. Their children are Anna, Maria Margaretha, George, and Catherine.  This is the last child of Valentine and Frederica, because she died in or before 1739.

I have not found a marriage date for Valentine and his second wife, Maria Elizabeth Schmidt, that I trust, and information for their children is limited.  There may be a son John, and other children are Johann Dietrich, John Henry, Benjamin, Charles, and Jacob, and Valentine, all born between 1738 and 1751. Some of these men married Elizabeth.  Dietrich's wife may be the daughter of Paul Linenbiegler, and they are thought to have had 2 sons and four daughter. Benjamin is credited with two children before he died in 1777, Benjamin and Carl.  I don't know whether his death was war-related.  Charles was born in 1750 and died in 1828,  He married Anna Maria "Dilbon" which may be Duliban or Tullepan in other records.  We do know that they had at least one child, Maria Elizabeth.

The Geigers lived in a time and place that was under stress more than once.  The French and Indian War may well have called Valentine and perhaps some of the sons into service, or at least into the militia.  There were consistent attacks by indigenous people in the interim between that war and the Revolutionary War.  Again, there may be more Revolutionary War veterans here than I have been able to identify.  Lutherans were not averse to serving in times of war.  

It's important to go back every now and then and revisit the information you thought you had.  I didn't find any obvious errors in my data for this man, but I sure found a lot of children I didn't know about, and second wives for several of the men.  I'm sure I have missed or misinterpreted some of the facts for this family, but I'm closer to completion than I was before I started.  Much of the information in this post comes from "Records of the Geiger Family" found on Ancestry, and also from a blog post at the Wilson Family Tree Album Blog.  I've stumbled across a few things myself, also.   There are probably still errors and omissions here, but this is a more complete picture than I had when I started researching this family.

John French abt 1612-1692

 First, a word of caution.  There are at least two other men named John French in Massachusetts during this approximate time period.  I "may" have written a blog post about Jacob French at some point in this blog career.  It is roughly correct, except that this John French is not known to be connected to Jacob French.  The John French men seen in Ipswich, Salisbury. Billerica, and other places are not ours. Ours is of Dorchester, Massachusetts for a short time, and then Braintree, Massachusetts for the rest of his life.

But just because we know where he was once he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony does not mean that we know where he started his life, who his parents are, or who is wife is, other than Grace.  Most of the information I can definitely link to him comes from his estate, which leads to birth records for the adult children who were named there.  We don't know whether John married Grace in England, or after he arrived in the Colony.  We don't know anything about Grace's family.  Many trees say she is Grace Kingsley but others say that comes from a misreading of one document.  

We know that John and Grace had at least two children born in Dorchester in the early 1640s, and seven born in Braintree.  Some of the children married into families with surnames I recognize, but this is not a post about the family, yet.  It's going to be fun to figure out those relationships, if there are any.  

I've found little to help me put meat on the bones of this ancestor.  He assisted in an inventory in 1659, which shows that he was a person trusted by both the family and the court, and he owned property, land a a home and livestock.  Grace died in 1680 and three years later, when John was about 70 years old, he married Eleanor Thompson, the daughter of William and Abigail Skellecorne Thompson and the widow of William Veazie.  They actually have what we would call a pre-nuptial agreement, in which Eleanor was well maintained by what she brought into the marriage, and provided additional funds by John's will.

Braintree was not officially attacked during King Philip's War, and John was old enough that he could have been totally excluded from military duty by then.  Earlier, he would have participated in militia drills, as that was part of life in early Massachusetts.  I don't know what John's occupation was, other than farmer.  He had 40 acres of land and appears to have expanded the farm at some point.  When he died on August 6, 1992, his inventory was valued at a little over 317 pounds, mostly land, farm equipment, and animals. This may have put him above average for the town, but not approaching what we would consider "wealth". He may have given some personal items to his children earlier, and perhaps Eleanor was allowed the use of the more traditional household furnishings.  

That's as much as I can say for sure about John French.  I suspect that he was one of the John French men who was made a freeman, because he belonged to the local church and owned land, but I can't say that with certainty.  If he doesn't seem to have been a civic leader, also he doesn't seem to have tangled with the law.  America was made of men like John.

Our line of descent is

John French-Grace

Elizabeth French-Jonathan Thayer

Huldah Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock

Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer

Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook

Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright

Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood 

Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edmund Goodenow, Immigrant 1611-1688

I love to find our immigrant ancestors (this one is in the Holbrook line) and I love it even more when I can actually trace them back to a specific town or county in the Old World.  With this ancestor, my glass is half full.  Opinions are mixed as to when and where he was born, and even as to whom his parents are.  Clearly there was more than one Edmund Goodenow born in England in 1610 and 1611. Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of New England states that he was a husbandman from Wiltshire, so we'll go with that information for now.

We know he came to America in 1638 with his wife, Ann (maiden name not certain, because, of course...) and two sons, John and Thomas, as well as a servant, Richard Sanger.  He and his family settled in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, where he was made a freeman in 1640.  This indicates he was a member of the church, and he owned property, which was a good start for a young man who had just passed his thirtieth birthday. 

Edmund and Ann's family continued to grow in Sudbury, as did his influence.  As many as five more children were added to the family-Hannah, Mary, Sarah, Joseph, and Edmund.  

Edmund served in many elected and appointed positions within the town of Sudbury, and was Sudbury's deputy to the General Court of Massachusetts several times.  His name is found on various petitions, including one asking for relief from paying taxes that is undated but probably dates to sometime after King Philip's War.

Yes, Edmund was involved in that war.  He had been chosen ensign of the local militia in 1645, lieutenant in 1651, and by 1674 was Captain of the Foot Company.  I have found references to the "Goodenow Garrison" of Captain Goodenow, which was part of the area attacked by what is believed to be 500 indigenous men in April of 1676.  They burned much of Sudbury and there were at least some colonists lives lost during the battle.  Two groups of soldiers sent to bolster the settlers were massacred.  Edmund's son Joseph died at the end of May in 1676, aged 31, but I don't know whether it was as a result of the battle or from some other cause.  

Edmund continued his life, likely helping his neighbors, those who had not fled the town when the natives burned so much of it, with much of his family surrounding him and still serving the town, until he died in April of 1688.  I'd like to know more about those last years of his life, but I'm glad to know this much.  

The line of descent is

Edmund Goodenow-Ann

John Goodenow-Mary Axtell

Edmund Goodenow-Rebecca Graves

David Goodenow-Mary Bent

Lydia Goodenow-Jude Foster

Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore

Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Myers

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants 

Matthew Rice 1629-1717

Believe it or not, we descend from at least four of the eleven children of Edmund and Thomasine Frost Rice.  They are Mary, who married Thomas Axtell; Henry, who married Elizabeth Moore; Lydia, who married Hugh Drury; and Matthew, who married Martha Lamson.  This may or may not be a record for a tangled tree, but it sure makes life interesting to a family historian.

Matthew was born in 1629 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, the third child and first son of his parents, who had 11 children.  He was just a young boy when he came to Massachusetts with his parents, and the family settled in Sudbury, which is about 20 miles west of Boston.  He grew to manhood there, and in 1654 married Martha Lamson, the daughter of Barnabas and Mary Liggett Lamson.  

I wish I knew more about Matthew.  He appears to have not been a town or church leader, but I found only one possible negative item about him.  In 1670, there was some sort of writ against him by "Mr. Danforth".   Also he was "warned" for "admitting Thomas Hedley, his wife and child to some part of his land".  From what I can gather, this meant that he had sold or rented land to the Hedleys without the permission of the town, and he would therefore be responsible for them if they could not support themselves.  I don't know if this is one and the same event as the 1670 writ, or whether these are two separate events.  

I didn't find Matthew's name in any of the muster rolls for King Philip's War, although I did find several other Rice family members.  Sudbury was attacked and burned during that war, so it's more than likely that Matthew would have been involved as a militia member even though he may not have gone out from the town to fight.  He wasn't 50 years old yet during the war so he would not have been excused from duty unless he had some physical handicap.  

By 1688, he was one of several men who kept guns and ammunition at their home in case there was need for a military action.  Some of the native tribes were still conducting raids.  We don't know when the petition was written and sent to the General Court, but a number of persons signed a petition asking for relief due to losses the townspeople had suffered.  This was perhaps a response to the burning of the town in King Philip's War, or to later incursions, or it may be related to expeditions during the 1690s to Port Royal and later to Quebec.  At any rate, Matthew and others were finding it hard to return to a normal way of life.

Matthew's land was actually on the outskirts of Sudbury, bordering on Framingham, which was about 20 miles south of Sudbury.  We know this because in 1696 he and others agreed to pay rates (taxes) to Sudbury if they in turn would care for the poor of the area, and if the settlers were relieved of the obligation to pay for roads in the town itself.   

Matthew and Martha had eight children, 7 girls and one son, Isaac. Isaac was appointed executor of his father's estate, and was responsible for bequests to four living daughters, all married, and four children of a deceased daughter, Sarah Loker.  The inventory of his estate shows a value of a little over 112 pounds, not including 290 acres of land which was to be divided equally among the six heirs-Isaac, four daughters, and the four granddaughters to have one share.  Wife Martha was to be allowed to live in one half of the house, with Isaac responsible for keeping her "decently".  

We have tantalizing glimpses of Matthew, and reasonable speculation as to some of the events that touched Sudbury, but of course we have many more questions.  Regardless, we know that he was part of the early growth of Massachusetts, and part of our American heritage.  

The line of descent is

Matthew Rice-Martha Lamson

Martha Rice-John Bent

David Bent-John Drury

Mary Bent-David Goodenow

Lydia Goodenow-Jude Foster

Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore

Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stannard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants 

 

Holbrook line: John Drury 1646-1678

 Sometimes writing about the earliest ancestors in our lines is easier than writing about one just a few generations back.  John Drury is one ancestor who left enough records that we can get some glimpses of his life, even though of course there is always more that we would like to know.

John was born March 2, 1646 (hey! I'm writing this on March 2, 2026-a mere 380 years later! Happy birthday, ancestral grandfather!) in Sudbury, Massachusetts to Hugh and Lydia Rice Drury.  Hugh was our immigrant grandfather, and yes, Lydia Rice is the daughter of Edmund and Thomasine Frost Rice, who are our ancestors in another line.  He seems to have spent the early years of his life in Sudbury, but by 1667 he was in York, Maine, where he married Mary Weare, the daughter of Peter and Ruth Gooch Weare.  

I haven't been able to determine whether he actually lived in York, or whether he may have possibly met her when he was building homes in York (he was a house carpenter by trade), or whether they may have met through relatives.  York and the Boston area are only about 65 miles and travel would likely have been by boat, along the coast.  At any rate, the marriage took place in Sudbury and that seems to be where the couple spent the early years of their marriage.  However, they seem to be in Boston in 1673, when John was made a freeman, meaning he had property, was a member of the church, and could vote.  His membership was in the Old South Church that became famous during the Revolutionary War.  

John was a lieutenant in King Philip's War, serving under Captain Samuel Mosely at Mt. Hope in 1675 and also under Captains Davenport and then Ting in the Narraganset expedition of  1675-1676.  He survived the war, apparently without injury, but died in Boston in 1673, at the age of 32, of smallpox.

He left a widow with three very young children..  Thomas was born in 1668, then Elizabeth, Lydia,n 1670, Mary, Daniel, Hugh, Mercy, and another Elizabeth.  Sadly, it appear that only Thomas, Lydia, and Mary, and their mother Mary, survived that 1678 smallpox epidemic.  This is another case of "how did they survive?" Mary died in 1716 in Boston.  She apparently had never remarried.  

While we need to honor John for his service to his country and his devotion to his family, let's not forget Mary, who was left to carry on.  I would love to know the rest of her story! 

The line of descent is:

John Drury-Mary Weare

Thomas Drury-Rachel Rice

Mary Drury-David Bent

Mary Bent-David Goodenow

Lydia Goodenow-Jude Foster

Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore

Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Rockwood Holbrook

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants 

 

Holbrook line: David Goodenow 1713-1773

 David Goodenow (Goodenough, Goodnow, and probably other spellings) was born March 10, 1713 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and died in July of 1793 in Paxton, Worcester County, Massachusetts.  Sudbury is roughly 35 miles west of Boston, and Paxton is roughly 32 miles west of Sudbury.  Sudbury was wilderness when the first Goodenows arrived there, and Rutland, from which Paxton later split, was also just getting it's start when David and his family arrived there.  

David is the son of Edmund and Rebecca Graves Goodenow.  Growing up, Sudbury was a small town.  Earlier in town history, the town had suffered losses in King Philip's War, and David would have grown up hearing those stories.  He married Mary Bent, the daughter of David and Mary Drury Bent in 1741 in Sudbury, and sometime between 1741 and 1745 they moved to Rutland, where all of their children were born.  

I've not found much information about his life in Rutland/Paxton, except that he was a blacksmith by trade, and he was "deer reeve" for the town in 1774 and again in 1777.  This was something like today's game warden, except the only animal he was responsible for was the deer population.  He needed to keep it strong enough that venison could be had by hunting, and small enough that local crops weren't destroyed. He set the seasons for legal deer hunting and enforced the laws that were on the books about that activity.  He gave at least some of his land to his son David in 1773, when our David was 60 years old and likely slowing down.  The only other fact I have is that in the 1790 census, there were 2 white females in his household, and he was the only male.  That census is listed in alphabetical order, more or less, so I can't tell who his neighbors might have been.

Speculation tells me that it is at least somewhat likely that he served in the French and Indian War.  He would have been 43 years old in 1756, and men under 50 who were healthy were expected to serve.  His blacksmith skills may have come in handy to help keep equipment repaired as the soldiers fought and traveled.  He may very well have been in some of the battles in New York state, as that is where much of the fighting took place.

David and Mary had at least 7 children, all born in Rutland.  David, Daniel, and Abijah, all under the age of 4, sadly died during a three week period in October of 1749, from "throat distemper".  This was likely either diphtheria or scarlet fever.  It is difficult to imagine the pain and sorrow and possible questioning of God that this event caused the parents.  Even now, the tears form as I think of that family, and others who also lost family members in that little town.  The pastor must have been totally exhausted from the funerals, and I'm sure it was a dark time in the town history.  

However, life goes on, and soon there were more children.  Mary, David, Rebecca, and Lydia, born from 1750 to 1759, soon filled the house with the joy and laughter only children can bring, and the life of the family continued.  

I wish I knew more about David and Mary, and perhaps more information will come to light in the future.  But at least we know a little about them, and the dash between 1713 and 1773.

Our line of descent is

David Goodenow-Mary Bent 

Lydia Goodenow-Jude Foster

Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore

Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Rockwood Holbrook

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants 

 

 

Changing focus, again

 When I started writing this blog 12 1/2 years ago, my intent was to write about all the ancestors I could locate on this side of the Atlantic, for both my husband and myself.  About two years ago, I had written about most of the ancestors I had found (some I had names and approximate dates for, and if that's all I knew, I didn't write about them).  So I turned to follow up posts, writing about the ancestor's family.  These are not detailed posts, but I try to at least identify the children, how long they lived, their spouse or spouses and the spouse's parents, and if something really jumped out at me, a fact or two about their life.  My interest was and is seeing how families intertwined, and also tying the family to specific incidents in the history of our country where possible.  I intend to continue with that goal in mind, at some point.

In the meantime, I'm going to write a few, or maybe more than a few, posts about the new ancestors I've found since beginning this post.  I have two new lines that go back several generations, and possibly another in husband's line.  However, I am keeping one aspect of the modified format-I'll be posting once a week, rather than the twice a week I started with.  

Friday's post will be a brief one, about the father of Lydia Goodenow Foster Corbett.  Thank you for continuing to glance at or read my posts, and stay tuned as we venture back into colonial times.   

The mostly untraced family of Moses Parish/Parrish

 Honestly, I thought this family would be relatively easy to trace.  Moses, after all, is a Revolutionary War veteran, likely a vet of Lord Dunmore's War earlier, and probably of the French and Indian War, also.  Wouldn't you think his name, and those of his descendants, would be plastered all over the records?  Well, if they are, I have not yet located enough to allow me to trace his family.  

Moses was born about 1737 in Goochland County, Virginia, the son of Humphrey and Mary (possibly Hamilton, possibly Walker, possibly not yet known for sure) Parish or Parrish.  He first married Sarah Martin, who was the mother of Billie (possibly William), born in 1759.  William may have married Frances Lett.  I found a William Parish who had 5 females under the age of 10 in his household in 1810, but the age is not quite correct for William.  There is also a William Parish in Giles County, Virginia who fits his believed age, and whose children would seem to fit an expected age range.  I have not researched this further so there is work to do here.

After Sarah's death, Moses married Mary Hill, whose parents are still unknown.  I have been looking at John Hill Jr and Tabitha Bailey as possible parents, but have found nothing concrete yet.  All I can say is they appear to be the right age, in the expected location, and Moses named one of his daughters Tabitha (Tabath).  Moses and Mary had at least five children together.

Sukey/Susanna was the first daughter, born in 1764.  She married John Adams or Addams, the son of George and Agnes Harris Adams.  Their children are Lucy, Margaret, Overton, John, Mary known as Polly, James, Austin, Thomas, William, Patsy, and Susanna.  Sukey died in 1846 in Garrard County, Kentucky.

Frankie, possibly Francis, a daughter, was born in 1767.  That is all that I have been able to learn about her.  

Mathew was born in 1769 and died in 1815 in Alabama Heights, Alabama.  His wife is Margaret Lawler.  Again, that is as much as I have been able to learn to date.  

Nicholas was born in 1771 and possibly died in 1833 in Panola, Texas.  Of course I am not sure that this is the same Nicholas Parish, but it is at least something to further research.

Finally, Tabath or Tabitha was born in 1773.  She married James Allen, the son of James and Sarah Croudas/Crowder Allen.  Their children are William, James, Isaac, Eliza, John, Moses and Archibald.  I have located her in the 1850 census in Mercer County, Kentucky, but I have not located a death date for her.  I have written of the children of James and Tabitha in an earlier post.

I would love to have one of Moses's descendants prove his service and get him listed in the DAR database. He deserves no less.   

 

   

The family of Humphrey Parrish 1705 ish-1773

 Humphrey Parrish is likely the son of Humphrey Parrish 1680-1743, although some family historians seem to think the two are uncle and nephew.  I'm still showing Humphrey and Mary as his parents on my tree, until proven otherwise.  His wife is still unproven to my satisfaction, although there are countless trees showing her as Mary Morton Hamilton.  I don't know where the "Morton" would have come from, and I'm not sure she was a Hamilton.  His will does refer to his wife as Mary, so I'm at least somewhat comfortable with that as a first name.  (Yes, she could be from a second marriage, but there's no indication that's so.  It's just a reason to keep our antennae alert when working with this family.)

Humphrey and Mary seem to have had at least seven children.  The first was David, born about 1725 and died in Goochland County after 1779.  His wife's first name may be Juda, but this does not seem to be the David Parrish who married Judith Holland and died in Granville, North Carolina.  David's children are Martha, Betty, David, Sabra, Susanna, Claiborn, Booker, Sally, Judy, and Ann.  (Note: Some of these, especially Claiborn, are just as likely to belong to David Parrish of North Carolina.)

Humphrey was born about 1730 and died in 1823.  He married Elizabeth Layne or Lane, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Harris Lane.  They are said to have had 10 children, but I could locate names for just four-Constance, Sarah, Humphrey, and Mary.  I believe it was a later Humphrey who married Mary Ann Rain, perhaps the child Humphrey mention above.   

Ursula was born in 1732 and died in 1801, although I have not determined her location at the time of her death.  She married William Rutherford, whose parents are still unknown.  Their children are Susannah, Julius, Ursula, Benjamin, David, Joseph, Randolph, John, Thomas, Absalom, and John.  

Joel was born in 1737 and died in 1816 in Louisa County, Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Hill, but I am not at all sure who her parents are.  Joel's marriage is listed as having occurred in Goochland County, but the Elizabeth Hill references I am finding are from Massachusetts (James and Esther Turner Hill.)  I would like to get this figured out, for reasons I will mention in my next paragraph. Joel and Elizabeth's children are Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Nansie, Joel, Samuel, and Parks.  

Moses was born "about" 1737, possibly 1739 or 40, and married Mary Hill.  I have often wondered whether Elizabeth and Mary are related, which seems at least possible, and that enhances my interest in determining the parents of each of these women.  He died after September 30, 1832, probably in Goochland County.  His children are Nicholas, William, Tabath (Tabitha), Matthew, Frankie, Francis (it's possible these are one and the same but it appears one is male and one is female), and Sukey.  I will follow this family in my next blog post, but want to mention here that Moses served at least a three year term of enlistment in the Revolutionary War, and may be the Moses Parrish who served in the French and Indian war earlier, receiving 50 acres of land on Fincastle County (Kentucky) for that service.

Aaron was born about 1742.  I've found conflicting dates for his death-before Jan 10 1785 and after 1820.  He married Sarah Barnes, whose parentage is still uncertain.  Their children are Mary, Sarah known as Sally, Charity, Elizabeth, Martha, Carter, Turner, Nancy, Lucky, Jacky, and Robert.   He is listed as a patriot in the Revolutionary War.

Bookere was born in 1745 and died in 1822.  He married Constance Massie, the daughter of David and Ann Holland Massie.  Their children are Anne, David, Booker, Margaret, Susanna, Constance, George, Mary, and Catherine.

Humphrey is a slave holder, passing "ownership" to several children in his will.  That indicates that he was not dirt poor, so it's hard to accept that there seems to be so little verifiable information about his family.  More research needs to be done, but we can see enough to know that his family helped America achieve freedom, and for that, we are grateful. 

 

The family of Humphrey Parrish 1668 ish to 1743

I'm writing this post with trepidation that part of this post may be incomplete or even worse, incorrect.  I'm also disappointed that I have not yet been able to determine the parents of Humphrey, nor his wife's name. I am leaning toward the idea that Humphrey was not the one born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, but that his roots are deeper in Virginia.  We know that he died in 1743 in Goochland County, Virginia, and there are other Parrish families in the area prior to that.  His wife is just as much of a mystery.  He may or may not have married Mary Walker, the daughter of John Walker, and if he did marry her, she may or may not be his second wife.  Others seem convinced, but for me, the jury is still out.

Likewise, it is not certain, at least not in my eyes, how many children Humphrey fathered.  There are four children I feel (perhaps unwisely) confident about, and various others that I have seen in lists with no documentation.  

John has various birthdates from 1691 to 1699, which would indicate that Humphrey may have been married by 1691.  His first wife may or may not be Mary or Margaret Harrison, and his second wife may be Judith Mosely, although I tend to think she married a different John Parrish.  At any rate, John's children are Joseph, Briscoe, Brissie, William, Charles, John, James, William, David, and Sarah.  

Jane or Ann was born in 1698 and died in New Kent, Virginia in 1743.  She married John Cross, and their children are Eliax, Judith, William, Hanne, Parrish, and Jane.  She may then have married Francis Hardyman, and had Martha and James with him.  I have seen many trees that say she died in Barren County, Kentucky, but the death date would seem to preclude that as Kentucky wasn't a state until 1792 and there was very little settlement anywhere in Kentucky prior to 1775.  

Henry was born in 1701 and may have died in 1753.  His wife was Mary Margaret, possibly Atkinson.  His children are Mary, Jerusha, Henry, Ruth, Nancy, Mourning, Sarah Ann, Solomon, Elizabeth, and Mary.  

Humphrey was born in 1705 and died in 1773 in Goochland County, Virginia.  His wife may be Mary Morton or Mary Hamilton.  His children are Humphrey, Ursula, Joel, Aaron, and Booker.  I will try to follow this family in my next blog post.

Other names I have seen include Thomas, Mary, Jane (who may or may not be the same person born in 1698), Elizabeth, and David.  The only one I could trace from these names is David.  He died about 1800 in Granville, North Carolina and had children John, David, Clayton, Booker, Susanna, Tabath, Ann, Betsy, and Sarah.  However, his birth date is shown as 1720 and that would make a large gap in ages, unless the first wife had died and Humphrey did marry again.  

Once again, this is a post of more speculation and more unanswered questions than I would like.  I hope someone will see this and realize that they can add more dates and more documents to the story of this family, who are important in our Allen family line. 

 

 

  

The confusing Parrish family

 I researched this family quite some time ago, but as I was checking my documents to start writing about Edward Parrish and Clara Jadwin, I became less convinced that Edward is the immigrant ancestor.  I show his son John as being our connecting link.  John Parrish married Elizabeth Belt, and they had a son John Parrish who married Sarah Horn.  These people are potentially the parents of Humphrey Parrish, which is where I will start with my next blog post, unless I am able to find evidence that the line further back is correct.  My main problem is geography.  Edward is in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and the first John is reported to be in Virgina, while the second John is said to have died in Anne Arundel County.  There are several Parrish families in very early Virginia, and I am thinking that somewhere along the line, the families were joined when they should not have been.  So-next week, unless something changes, I'll be writing about the family of Humphrey and Mary Walker Parrish.  

I'm not going to write this post about the family of John Ludwig Clapp

 I had intended to write a blog post about the family of John Ludwig and Anna Margaret Strader Clapp.  They are an interesting family. But after closer examination, I no longer believe they are the parents of the Barbara who married John Philip Clapp, so this family would be considered cousins, not ancestors.  I would dearly love to find who the Barbara is that was married to John Philip, but it appears that more seasoned and determined researchers than I am have not yet found her.  I am eager to hear your theories and ideas, and especially your documentation!

The family of John Phillip Clapp 1731-1798

 This Clapp family is just a little bit easier to trace and track.  There are always questions, of course, and I should state that some sites show some of these children as belonging to another Clapp family.  The constant repetition of the same names in each family makes it difficult to be sure of the parentage of some, but the preponderance of the evidence I've seen leads me to believe this list is pretty much correct, although of course it may well be incomplete.  If you have differing or additional information, I'd like to hear from you!

Phillip is the son of George Valentine and Anna Barbara Steiss, born in Germany and came to America with his family in 1727.  They settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where Phillip married Barbara, believed to be Barbara Clapp, the daughter of John Ludwig and Anna Margaret Strader Clapp (this is still the subject of debate).  Phillip and Barbara had at least 10 children, all mentioned in their father's will.  There may be other children who did not survive to adulthood, of course. Phillip died in 1798 in Whitsett, Guilford County, North Carolina, where the family had lived for many years.

Phillip identifies Valentine, also known as Felty, as his eldest son, so he was probably born about 1752.  Several of these families left North Carolina as adults, and Felty was no exception.  He died in 1835 in Charlestown, Clark County, Indiana.  He married Marie or Maria Rogers, the daughter of William or Wilhelm Rogers, mother unknown at this time.  Their children are Jacob, Elizabeth, Ludwig, Valentine, Tobias, Henry, Samuel, John David, and Maria.  

John was born in 1753 and died in 1813 in Alamance County, North Carolina, so he did not travel far from home.  He married Judith Foust, the daughter of Johannes and Anna Barbara Albright Faust.  (Note: We have seen the Albright name in earlier posts and will see it again in this post.  I have not attempted to figure out the relationships involved but there were some, we can be reasonably sure.)  John and Judith's children are Barbara, Susannah Sophia, John, Catherine, and another John.  It is possible that John married a second wife after Judith died, Sarah Stowe.

Adam was born in 1754, and died in 1841 in Union County, Illinois.  He is a Revolutionary War veteran, having served at least three different times, and received a pension late in his life.  He married Emma Ruth Marley, the daughter of Adam and Rosanna (unknown) Marley.  Their children are John Isaac, David, Mary, William, and Abel.  His second wife is Ruth Lawrence, the daughter of Adam and Susannah Mason Lawrence.  Their children are Catherine, Elisha, and Nancy.  

I would imagine that Barbara, at least, was glad when Anna Christina was born in 1756.  She died in 1817 in Lewisburg, Preble County, Ohio.  She also married an Albright, Philip, the son of Johann Ludwig and Anna Maria Keller Albright.  Their children are John Ludwigg, Catherine, Elizabeth, Adam, William, Jonas, and possibly Simpson.   

There seems to be a gap of several years, before Mary Barbara was born in 1762.  She married Johan Matthias Swing, the son of John Ludwig and Maria Eva (not known) Swing.  Their children are Conrad, Susanna, Phillippina, Elizabeth, Phillippina, Catherine, Maria Barbara, Susan, and Ludwig/Lewis.  She died in 1797 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  

Magdalena, known as Molly was probably born between 1762 and 1767, although I haven't located a firm date for her.  She died in 1845 in Whitsett, Guilford County, North Carolina.  She married Conrad Hagy, the son of Hans Jorg and Anna Eva Frey Hagi (various spellings of that last name, obviously).  Their children are Catherine, Barbara, John, Jacob, Adam, Sarah, Christine, Lewis, and Maria Sophia.

Catherine was born in 1767 and died in 1834 in Preble County, Ohio.  She married John Adam Brown, known as Adam, who possibly was the son of Frederick Brown or Braun.  I have not yet found proof of that relationship, if it is correct.  Their children are Peter, Polly, John, Frederick, George, Catherine, and two more daughters who I have not yet been able to locate names for.  (Guesses would be Barbara, Sarah, or Elizabeth, but guesses are a waste of time.

Ludwig Lewis was born before 1770, but just when I don't yet know.  He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and a minister in the German Reformed Church.  He died in 1836 in Callaway County, Kentucky, but what became of his widow is a fascinating story.  First, though, the basics: He married Margaret Ann Loy, the daughter of George and Catherine Tilghman (various spellings) Loy.  Ludwig and Margaret's children are William, Mary, Joel, Sarah, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Benjamin.  

It's that last name, Benjamin, that makes the story interesting, because it's an outlier for our family.  Sometime, hopefully after Ludwig died, Benjamin and his family, as well as Margaret Ann, converted to the Church of the Latter Day Saints.  They lived in Nauvoo, Illinois for a time, apparently were part of the group that went to Iowa, and in 1850 joined the Edward Hunter Pioneer Company and went by wagon train to Salt Lake City, Utah, which was just a few years old.  Margaret was 77 years old at the time, and lived until 1855.  Benjamin Lynn Clapp was one of the early leaders of the church, apparently practiced polygamy, and ended up being excommunicated from the church for reasons not clear to me.  I cannot help but wonder what Ludwig, a German Reformed pastor, would have thought about the change in religion of his widow and his son.  

Anna Maria, known as Mary, wa born in 1770 and died in 1845 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  She married Jacob Shaver/Schaffer/Shepherd, the son of William and Catherine Thompson Shaver or Shepherd.  Their children are Barbara, William, Jacob, Mary Elizabeth, John, Adam, Elizabeth, and Daniel.

And finally, there was Eva or Eva, born in 1774 and died in 1851 in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.  She married Ephraim Burrow, the son of Phillip and Martha Littlefield Burrow. Their children are Jesse, Letha, James, Frances, Solomon, Ephraim, Alfred, Madison, Hester, and Nancy. 

These Clapp children, whether they stayed in North Carolina or moved on, all have interesting stories to tell, and I'm sure I have only scratched the surface here.  But we can see that they were raised by God-fearing parents; we know their father provided for them in his will, and we know that several were involved in the Revolutionary War.  Likely some were in the War of 1812, also but I haven't researched that aspect.  We can be proud of this family.