Usually when I write a blog post, I have a birth date and a death date, even if those dates are approximate, and my job is to fill in the dash between those dates, telling a story about who the person was and what they did. For today's post, I have only the vaguest of ideas about dates, and I'm not sure whether I'm telling the story of one man, or of two. I am going to treat this as two men, with the understanding that I am fully open to corrections and additional information.
The first John Turner seems to have been born perhaps about 1600. He came to America by 1643, when his name was on an early petition for Lynn, Massachusetts. He was there in 1654, as an iron worker. In 1648, he was charged with stabbing his daughter in law, Sarah Turner, and was sentenced to be severely whipped. It is thought that this was the wife of his son Lawrence. He is also thought to have had a son John. There don't seem to be any further known records about John in Lynn. Speculation is that he had been an iron worker in England, perhaps at Hammersmith, and had come to Massachusetts specifically to work at the first iron works set up in the colony.
The next time we find John Turner, he is in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1654. This John Turner worked as a foreman at the forge in Taunton. He is believed to be the son of the John Turner at Lynn, but it's possible that this was the same man. If he was the son, then he followed in his father's trade, and likely moved up in the world, because by 1690 he was listed as the "clerke" at the iron works at Taunton, which was perhaps close to the role of manager, or maybe chief financial officer. It was a position of respect, anyway.
John at Taunton was a married man, with at least three daughters, Jane, Mary, and Margaret. It's thought that his wife's name was Jane, but records are lacking. (Taunton's early records were destroyed by fire).
The other things we know about John are that he was a surveyor in 1675 (the only town office he is known to have filled, although there were likely others), that he purchased a share or part of a share in the company, that he acquired some of the land purchased from the native Americans in 1672, and that he took an oath of fidelity, probably related to when William and Mary took the thrones in 1688. He's not found on the list of freemen, which means he likely was not a member of the church. He may have had a few animals but he wasn't a farmer in the traditional sense of the word. It would be a great help to review his will, but it seems to have gone missing, whether in the destruction of other town records or for some other reason, I don't know.
Taunton was only lightly affected by King Philip's war, with minor attacks on only two occasions. A couple of houses were burned and one man was killed. The town in general did not evacuate, so it seems likely that John would have served in one of the garrison houses, either as a ember of the militia or as a civilian pressed into duty.
John was working in 1690 but I've not located any further records of him. He was outside of the box for our family, not a pastor or a school teacher or a farmer. The work of the iron works was truly essential to the success of the colony, as the only other source of iron was from England itself, a long and costly way to procure it. So his work was important to the colony, and his life is important to us.
The line of descent is
John TUrner-Jane
Jane Turner-Richard Godfrey
Alice Godfrey-Peter Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Eliabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Cook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cook. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Holbrook line: Peter Holbrook 1656-1712
Peter Holbrook has been a favorite of mine, ever since several years ago, when I read the will of his grandfather, Thomas, who died in 1677. Peter was just about 21 at the time. Thomas's will states that because Peter took care of him and of his wife in their old age, he was leaving his dwelling house, orchard, and arable land in Weymouth to Peter. I don't know many young men who would care for their grandparents for such a long time, so I am already favorably impressed with this ancestor.
But let's back up and start at the beginning. Peter was the son of Thomas and Joanna Kingman Holbrook on September 6, 1656 by the dating method most sites are using. Peter was of the first generation born in New England, in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. His father was about ten years old when he came to America with his father, so Peter may or may not have heard many stories about life in the home country. He was raised a Puritan, so he knew how to read and write, and he'd learned enough about how to run a farm to take care of his grandparents; land. He was probably a bright and hard working young man.
We don't know what he looked like, but he had enough going for him to capture the heart of Alice Godfrey, daughter of Richard and Jane Turner Godfrey. Peter and Alice were married about
1677, apparently in Mendon. It's hard to know the exact timeline because Peter was caring for his grandparents until March (grandfather) or April (grandmother's date of death, of 1677.
His responsibilities in caring for his grandparents probably explains why I don't find his name listed as a soldier in King Philip's War. He had more immediate duties. The town the young couple went to, Mendon, was totally burned by the Indians during the War, so it's just as well that the couple wasn't there yet. They apparently did move to town soon after the war, though Peter's name starts showing up in town records at least by 1685, when he is charged a high "rate" of one pound and five shillings to support Mr. Rawson, the town pastor, for sixx months. Only a handful of men had a rate higher than Peter's.
While Peter and Alice were raising a large family of at least eleven children, Peter was making his way in the world. I'm not sure just when, but at some point he went from being "Peter Holbrook" to being "Deacon Peter Holbrook". He was a commissioner in 1685 and was a selectman several times over the next 25 years. He was appointed to a committee to "run the lines" between Mendon and Sherburn in 1699, which may have required some diplomatic skill.
In 1694, Peter received a 7 year lease to the "training field", with the stipulation that he was to clear the field of "bushes" and have it ready for pasture. Apparently the men were no longer using the training field, although I can't think that they were no longer training. There were small wars in progress and Mendon, while no longer quite as exposed as it had been, would still have been aware of such things. Military organization did not often make it into the town history books, so we are left to wonder about the training and military service of the town's men.
Peter died May 3, 1712. Alice had died earlier, in 1705, and Peter married Elizabeth Shaw two years later. His will makes generous provisions for her care, gives a double share to eldest son John, and leaves bequests to his younger children who had not yet received their land. The three older sons had received lands by deed prior to Peter's final illness. His inventory was valued at over 278 pounds, including real estate. He had a few farm animals, furniture, bookx, and hand tools but there was nothing in the inventory to make me think he was especially prosperous, or at least not much of a spender. Most of his wealth was in his land, and in his family.
I'm proud of Peter. He was a good grandson, a deacon in the church, a respected man in his community and a good father. No wonder Elizabeth Shaw was willing to marry him!
Our line of descent is
Peter Holbrook-Alice Godfrey
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook=Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph R Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: Peter Holbrook was the ancestor of William Howard Taft, President of the US, Barbara Bush, and George W Bush, another President.
But let's back up and start at the beginning. Peter was the son of Thomas and Joanna Kingman Holbrook on September 6, 1656 by the dating method most sites are using. Peter was of the first generation born in New England, in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. His father was about ten years old when he came to America with his father, so Peter may or may not have heard many stories about life in the home country. He was raised a Puritan, so he knew how to read and write, and he'd learned enough about how to run a farm to take care of his grandparents; land. He was probably a bright and hard working young man.
We don't know what he looked like, but he had enough going for him to capture the heart of Alice Godfrey, daughter of Richard and Jane Turner Godfrey. Peter and Alice were married about
1677, apparently in Mendon. It's hard to know the exact timeline because Peter was caring for his grandparents until March (grandfather) or April (grandmother's date of death, of 1677.
His responsibilities in caring for his grandparents probably explains why I don't find his name listed as a soldier in King Philip's War. He had more immediate duties. The town the young couple went to, Mendon, was totally burned by the Indians during the War, so it's just as well that the couple wasn't there yet. They apparently did move to town soon after the war, though Peter's name starts showing up in town records at least by 1685, when he is charged a high "rate" of one pound and five shillings to support Mr. Rawson, the town pastor, for sixx months. Only a handful of men had a rate higher than Peter's.
While Peter and Alice were raising a large family of at least eleven children, Peter was making his way in the world. I'm not sure just when, but at some point he went from being "Peter Holbrook" to being "Deacon Peter Holbrook". He was a commissioner in 1685 and was a selectman several times over the next 25 years. He was appointed to a committee to "run the lines" between Mendon and Sherburn in 1699, which may have required some diplomatic skill.
In 1694, Peter received a 7 year lease to the "training field", with the stipulation that he was to clear the field of "bushes" and have it ready for pasture. Apparently the men were no longer using the training field, although I can't think that they were no longer training. There were small wars in progress and Mendon, while no longer quite as exposed as it had been, would still have been aware of such things. Military organization did not often make it into the town history books, so we are left to wonder about the training and military service of the town's men.
Peter died May 3, 1712. Alice had died earlier, in 1705, and Peter married Elizabeth Shaw two years later. His will makes generous provisions for her care, gives a double share to eldest son John, and leaves bequests to his younger children who had not yet received their land. The three older sons had received lands by deed prior to Peter's final illness. His inventory was valued at over 278 pounds, including real estate. He had a few farm animals, furniture, bookx, and hand tools but there was nothing in the inventory to make me think he was especially prosperous, or at least not much of a spender. Most of his wealth was in his land, and in his family.
I'm proud of Peter. He was a good grandson, a deacon in the church, a respected man in his community and a good father. No wonder Elizabeth Shaw was willing to marry him!
Our line of descent is
Peter Holbrook-Alice Godfrey
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook=Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph R Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: Peter Holbrook was the ancestor of William Howard Taft, President of the US, Barbara Bush, and George W Bush, another President.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Harshbarger line: William Cook of Whitley County
It's been a while since I've written about a Harshbarger family ancestor. I thought I'd written about all of the men, but here is William Cook who has not yet been acknowledged as part of the DNA of the Harshbargers. I really know very little about the man, considering that he has only been gone about 142 years, but he lived through interesting times, and left his home in Pennsylvania to come to Ohio and then on to Indiana during relatively early times. In each case, the best of the lands had been acquired by the earliest land speculators and settlers, but good land was still available and the prospects must have seemed bright.
William Cook was born August 8, 1817, probably in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Henry and Catherine Whetstone Cook, and was one of at least eight children of the couple. When William was quite small, probably about 4 years old, his family packed their goods and moved to Stark County, Ohio. Henry was a blacksmith in or near Canton, Ohio and also farmed. Henry ran into business difficulties and filed for bankruptcy about 1842, and was buying or leasing land in Whitley County, Indiana the following year. He may have planted crops, for he was a farmer, but he must have returned to Stark County where by 1850 he was listed as a blacksmith, with his home and land valued at $27,000. This was quite a turn around for a man who had been bankrupt just a few years earlier.
William lived in Marlboro Township, Stark County, in the 1850 census but he was not a man of means. His property was valued at $1200. William had married Elizabeth Brown, daughter of David and Barbara Brothers (also seen as Bruder) Brown on December 31, 1837 and by the 1850 there were three children, Sarah, Barbara, and Alfred. Also living in the household was "Barbara" Brown, age 66, who would be Elizabeth's mother. I have seen references to Elizabeth as Betsy, which somehow makes her seem a little less stern and more cheerful. I don't know that William ever used a nickname, though.
Sometime between 1850 and 1860 the Henry Cook household and the William Cook household all moved to Whitley County. There was already a Henry Cook in Whitley County in the 1850 census and he was of the right age to be Henry's son and William's brother, but he was too young to be the Henry Cook connected to the land deals earlier in the 1840s.
William and Betsy lived in Columbia City, Whitley County in 1860 and owned land valued at $300 with personal property valued at $80. It sounds like they were just getting started. By 1870, only Sarah, the oldest, was left at home, William was still farming, with property now valued at $1200. The 1880 census doesn't show a value but his son Alfred and his family is living there also. It is from this census that we learn that William and Betsy could both read, but they couldn't write. The deeds I have copies of show that they each signed with a mark.
One of the deeds is interesting. In it, he couple is selling (for $1) land to their daughter Barbara, who is now Barbara Withers. There is a lengthy description of the land, but what is interesting is that the deed was notarized by Thomas Marshall, who was later the Vice President of the United States. This deed was from 1878. Eight years earlier the Cooks had sold land to William Withers, who was their son in law. (Barbara Cook married William Withers in 1867).
William died April 3, 1888 and was buried at Bethel Cemetery, just outside Columbia City. He seems to have not left a will and I've not found estate papers, although there should be some. Elizabeth outlived him by 11 years and died before March 8. 1899. Sarah, their first daughter, apparently never married and died at the age of 83, single. She was a retired housekeeper.
This family seems to have been one of those families that stays out of sight for the most part. William may have voted, but he evidently did not take an active role in government. He and Betsy worked hard and helped their family survive, probably at a higher economic level than they attained. They may not have had riches, but they lived through the War with Mexico, the Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield, and they saw forests give way to factories and farms. Their times were fascinating and their lives were challenging.
The line of descent is:
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
William Cook was born August 8, 1817, probably in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Henry and Catherine Whetstone Cook, and was one of at least eight children of the couple. When William was quite small, probably about 4 years old, his family packed their goods and moved to Stark County, Ohio. Henry was a blacksmith in or near Canton, Ohio and also farmed. Henry ran into business difficulties and filed for bankruptcy about 1842, and was buying or leasing land in Whitley County, Indiana the following year. He may have planted crops, for he was a farmer, but he must have returned to Stark County where by 1850 he was listed as a blacksmith, with his home and land valued at $27,000. This was quite a turn around for a man who had been bankrupt just a few years earlier.
William lived in Marlboro Township, Stark County, in the 1850 census but he was not a man of means. His property was valued at $1200. William had married Elizabeth Brown, daughter of David and Barbara Brothers (also seen as Bruder) Brown on December 31, 1837 and by the 1850 there were three children, Sarah, Barbara, and Alfred. Also living in the household was "Barbara" Brown, age 66, who would be Elizabeth's mother. I have seen references to Elizabeth as Betsy, which somehow makes her seem a little less stern and more cheerful. I don't know that William ever used a nickname, though.
Sometime between 1850 and 1860 the Henry Cook household and the William Cook household all moved to Whitley County. There was already a Henry Cook in Whitley County in the 1850 census and he was of the right age to be Henry's son and William's brother, but he was too young to be the Henry Cook connected to the land deals earlier in the 1840s.
William and Betsy lived in Columbia City, Whitley County in 1860 and owned land valued at $300 with personal property valued at $80. It sounds like they were just getting started. By 1870, only Sarah, the oldest, was left at home, William was still farming, with property now valued at $1200. The 1880 census doesn't show a value but his son Alfred and his family is living there also. It is from this census that we learn that William and Betsy could both read, but they couldn't write. The deeds I have copies of show that they each signed with a mark.
One of the deeds is interesting. In it, he couple is selling (for $1) land to their daughter Barbara, who is now Barbara Withers. There is a lengthy description of the land, but what is interesting is that the deed was notarized by Thomas Marshall, who was later the Vice President of the United States. This deed was from 1878. Eight years earlier the Cooks had sold land to William Withers, who was their son in law. (Barbara Cook married William Withers in 1867).
William died April 3, 1888 and was buried at Bethel Cemetery, just outside Columbia City. He seems to have not left a will and I've not found estate papers, although there should be some. Elizabeth outlived him by 11 years and died before March 8. 1899. Sarah, their first daughter, apparently never married and died at the age of 83, single. She was a retired housekeeper.
This family seems to have been one of those families that stays out of sight for the most part. William may have voted, but he evidently did not take an active role in government. He and Betsy worked hard and helped their family survive, probably at a higher economic level than they attained. They may not have had riches, but they lived through the War with Mexico, the Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield, and they saw forests give way to factories and farms. Their times were fascinating and their lives were challenging.
The line of descent is:
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Holbrook line: Joseph Holbrook 1683-1750
Joseph Holbrook, our ancestor, lived a quiet life, but thankfully left a few clues behind him so that we have some idea of his life. He was born May 8, 1683, in Mendon, Massachusetts to Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook. Joseph was of the fourth Holbrook generation to set foot in America. His father was also born in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and his grandfather and great grandfather were the immigrants of the family.
Joseph grew up with his ten siblings in Mendon, but eventually the town started getting crowded, and younger sons weren't likely to receive as much land or other parental help as the older brothers. Joseph married Mary Cook, daughter of Nicholas and Joanna Rockwood Cook, on December 19, 1710, in Mendon and they apparently lived there for a few years. Joseph's name, however, was on a petition asking to have the town of Bellingham formed in 1729. I haven't figured out yet whether Joseph's land was actually in what became Bellingham, or whether he had to physically move to go to Bellingham. At any rate, he lived out the rest of his days in Bellingham, without making many waves.
He was a husbandman, a farmer who owned his own land, and he had nine children to support. So he worked hard, as did Mary. There is a story that he was a Baptist, but I've not found anything to substantiate that yet. Stories that he rode to New Jersey to get a professor for Brown University in Rhode Island apparently confuse our Joseph with another, perhaps his son Joseph, because Brown University wasn't founded until 14 years after our Joseph died. However, we know that son Jesse was a Baptist, jailed for refusing to pay taxes to the state church, so perhaps Joseph was indeed Baptist, or became one in his later years.
Bellingham was a small town. in 1739, Joseph was one of only fifty men living within town boundaries who were eligible to vote in the town elections. He may or may not be the Joseph who was town clerk, and who was selected as town treasurer in 1743. The son Joseph was born in 1714, so may have been a little young for such a responsibility, but it's hard to tell from the references I've seen. He wasn't referred to as Senior or Junior, as Deacon or any other title.
Joseph died in Bellingham April 25, 1750 intestate, without a will. His widow Mary asked that son Joseph be appointed administrator and that was approved. A partial inventory, not totalled, is found on American Ancestry. It looks like his estate was valued at over 350 pounds, with several tracts of land, husbandry tools, five beds, a Bible and other books included. Mary lived until 1766, so she had the worry of watching several of her sons fighting in the French and Indian War. She was undoubtedly a strong lady, as Joseph was a strong man.
The story of the Holbrooks touches many parts of our nation's history. Joseph was a part of that, and when I think of him, I will think of him as just that, part of our family history as well as our nation's history.
The line of descent is:
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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.
Joseph grew up with his ten siblings in Mendon, but eventually the town started getting crowded, and younger sons weren't likely to receive as much land or other parental help as the older brothers. Joseph married Mary Cook, daughter of Nicholas and Joanna Rockwood Cook, on December 19, 1710, in Mendon and they apparently lived there for a few years. Joseph's name, however, was on a petition asking to have the town of Bellingham formed in 1729. I haven't figured out yet whether Joseph's land was actually in what became Bellingham, or whether he had to physically move to go to Bellingham. At any rate, he lived out the rest of his days in Bellingham, without making many waves.
He was a husbandman, a farmer who owned his own land, and he had nine children to support. So he worked hard, as did Mary. There is a story that he was a Baptist, but I've not found anything to substantiate that yet. Stories that he rode to New Jersey to get a professor for Brown University in Rhode Island apparently confuse our Joseph with another, perhaps his son Joseph, because Brown University wasn't founded until 14 years after our Joseph died. However, we know that son Jesse was a Baptist, jailed for refusing to pay taxes to the state church, so perhaps Joseph was indeed Baptist, or became one in his later years.
Bellingham was a small town. in 1739, Joseph was one of only fifty men living within town boundaries who were eligible to vote in the town elections. He may or may not be the Joseph who was town clerk, and who was selected as town treasurer in 1743. The son Joseph was born in 1714, so may have been a little young for such a responsibility, but it's hard to tell from the references I've seen. He wasn't referred to as Senior or Junior, as Deacon or any other title.
Joseph died in Bellingham April 25, 1750 intestate, without a will. His widow Mary asked that son Joseph be appointed administrator and that was approved. A partial inventory, not totalled, is found on American Ancestry. It looks like his estate was valued at over 350 pounds, with several tracts of land, husbandry tools, five beds, a Bible and other books included. Mary lived until 1766, so she had the worry of watching several of her sons fighting in the French and Indian War. She was undoubtedly a strong lady, as Joseph was a strong man.
The story of the Holbrooks touches many parts of our nation's history. Joseph was a part of that, and when I think of him, I will think of him as just that, part of our family history as well as our nation's history.
The line of descent is:
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Holbrook line: John Rockwood 1641-1724
Our ancestor is notorious, not because he did anything wrong, but because he has confused and confounded genealogists and family historians. His death date is often given far too early, 1676, when it was his son John Rockwood who died during an attack by the Nipmucks during King Philip's War. He is sometimes assigned to the wrong parents. Nicholas Rockwood and Margaret Holbrook are not correct, as they didn't marry until our John was a teenager. Having said that, here's what we do know about John Rockwood, whose name is sometimes spelled Rocket or Rockett, just to make it more fun to research him.
He was born November 1, 1641 probably at Braintree, Massachusetts (even though the vital records don't seem to list his birth there). His parents were Richard Rockwood and Agnes Lovell, sometimes seen as Agnes Bicknell. Actually, Robert Charles Anderson doesn't accept that her maiden name was Lovell. She was married to Zachary Bicknell and married Richard Rockwood as a widow. John had an older step brother and at least two sisters who apparently grew up in the same household.
He married Joanna Ford, daughter of someone named Ford, apparently. There seems to be no firm resolution as to this; I've seen Nicholas, Thomas, and William Ford each listed on a different website as her father. However, I can say that they married July 15, 1662 in Braintree. John and Joanna had at least ten children together. Some were born in Braintree, some in Mendon, and some in Medfield. The family moved to Mendon by 1667, when John was awarded land in the meadows, probably indicating he already had a houselot, although it wasn't surveyed until 1669. That same year, he was appointed to a committee to agree on the boundaries between Mendon and Dedham.
John would likely have been content to stay his whole life in Mendon, but King Philip's War, particularly the burning of the towa n and the death of his twelve year old son, sent him and the family to Medfield for at least a few years. It would have been a fearsome time, and difficult to rebuilt after losing everything. I don't find him listed as a soldier in the war but he would have been only 34 or 35 years old so it's likely that he at least did garrison duty or was otherwise engaged with the militia.
His will tells us that he was a husbandman, or farmer. Joanna had died at some point because his will refers to his wife Rebecca, identified elsewhere as Rebecca Crafts. He wrote his will in Mendon but there isn't a death record there, so he may have moved, either to be with his wife's family or with one of his children. Unfortunately, I've not found an inventory for him, yet, which may indicate he had already disposed of his land and had few personal possessions.
John Rockwood was one of those quiet men, it seems, who took care of his family, saw sorrow and joy, and helped build New England. I'd like to learn more about him.
The line of descent is:
John Rockwood-Joanna Ford
Joanna Rockwood-Nicholas Cook
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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
Second line starts with John Rockwood and Joanna Ford
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
and on as above. So Susannah and Nahum were fourth cousins. I wonder if they knew that?
He was born November 1, 1641 probably at Braintree, Massachusetts (even though the vital records don't seem to list his birth there). His parents were Richard Rockwood and Agnes Lovell, sometimes seen as Agnes Bicknell. Actually, Robert Charles Anderson doesn't accept that her maiden name was Lovell. She was married to Zachary Bicknell and married Richard Rockwood as a widow. John had an older step brother and at least two sisters who apparently grew up in the same household.
He married Joanna Ford, daughter of someone named Ford, apparently. There seems to be no firm resolution as to this; I've seen Nicholas, Thomas, and William Ford each listed on a different website as her father. However, I can say that they married July 15, 1662 in Braintree. John and Joanna had at least ten children together. Some were born in Braintree, some in Mendon, and some in Medfield. The family moved to Mendon by 1667, when John was awarded land in the meadows, probably indicating he already had a houselot, although it wasn't surveyed until 1669. That same year, he was appointed to a committee to agree on the boundaries between Mendon and Dedham.
John would likely have been content to stay his whole life in Mendon, but King Philip's War, particularly the burning of the towa n and the death of his twelve year old son, sent him and the family to Medfield for at least a few years. It would have been a fearsome time, and difficult to rebuilt after losing everything. I don't find him listed as a soldier in the war but he would have been only 34 or 35 years old so it's likely that he at least did garrison duty or was otherwise engaged with the militia.
His will tells us that he was a husbandman, or farmer. Joanna had died at some point because his will refers to his wife Rebecca, identified elsewhere as Rebecca Crafts. He wrote his will in Mendon but there isn't a death record there, so he may have moved, either to be with his wife's family or with one of his children. Unfortunately, I've not found an inventory for him, yet, which may indicate he had already disposed of his land and had few personal possessions.
John Rockwood was one of those quiet men, it seems, who took care of his family, saw sorrow and joy, and helped build New England. I'd like to learn more about him.
The line of descent is:
John Rockwood-Joanna Ford
Joanna Rockwood-Nicholas Cook
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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
Second line starts with John Rockwood and Joanna Ford
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
and on as above. So Susannah and Nahum were fourth cousins. I wonder if they knew that?
Friday, September 13, 2019
Holbrook line: Thomas Holbrook 1625-1697 Immigrant
There's not as much readily available information about our ancestor Thomas Holbrook as I would like, so I'll continue to look. Because he is an ancestor at least twice, he's important to our family.
However, I do know this mucxh. Thomas, sometimes referred to as Thomas II, was born in 1624 and christened at St John the Baptist, Glastonbury, Somersetshire, England. His parents, Thomas and Jane Powy oe Powis Holbrook, were from Wales. Thomas may or may not have learned some of the stories about Glastonbury as a young boy, from Joseph of Arimathea's appearance there to the stories about King Arthur. There were Saxon ruins as well as those of the Normans, and a very old church, so Thomas had a lot of places to explore.
Thomas's parents came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 on the Marygould. along with Thomas and three of his siblings. The family settled in Weymouth and that is where his parents died in 1677.
Records are scarce or hiding, so we don't know when Thomas went to Braintree, although he was there by 1653.. Actually the two towns are very close together so it is possible that he didn't have to move at all, but that the change in address took place due to events around him. He married Joane Kingman, daughter of Henry and Joanna Drake Kingman, probably shortly before the move. Thomas Sr was a Puritan as was Henry Kingman, so that is likely the way these Holbrooks raised their children, too.
Braintree contributed men to foght in King Philip's War, although it appears that the town itself was not molested. One of those men was Thomas Holbrook. This was more likely to be Thomas's son, Thomas born 1653 than it was our Thomas, but the possibility exists. And if enough men left Braintree, our older Thomas would have acted as militia.
Thomas had a small inheritance when his father died in 1677, and Joane received twelve pounds from her father's estate, plus a chest. Thomas and Joane had at least five children together, four of whom lived to adulthood.
I haven't yet been able to learn much more about his life, except that he was likely a church member and then, his will. He had a Great Bible and other books, a gun and a sword, farm animals, what appears to be quite a lot of boots (if I'm reading this correctly, Was he also a shoemaker?) and quite a bit of land. His estate was valued at 687 pounds. Joane died in 1696 and Thomas in 1697.
For now, we will have to leave Thomas as just a shadow of a person, bare outlines telling his story. It would be nice to find more, to learn more about his life and how he impacted the Colony.
Oh, yes...The Presdients Bush, and President Taft, among others, descend from this couple.
The line of descent is
Thomas Holbrook-Joane Kingman
Peter Holbrook-Alice Godfrey
Mary Holbrook-Joseph Thompson
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-ary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The second line is the same through Peter Holbrook and Alice Godfrey; then
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
(the rest as above)
However, I do know this mucxh. Thomas, sometimes referred to as Thomas II, was born in 1624 and christened at St John the Baptist, Glastonbury, Somersetshire, England. His parents, Thomas and Jane Powy oe Powis Holbrook, were from Wales. Thomas may or may not have learned some of the stories about Glastonbury as a young boy, from Joseph of Arimathea's appearance there to the stories about King Arthur. There were Saxon ruins as well as those of the Normans, and a very old church, so Thomas had a lot of places to explore.
Thomas's parents came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 on the Marygould. along with Thomas and three of his siblings. The family settled in Weymouth and that is where his parents died in 1677.
Records are scarce or hiding, so we don't know when Thomas went to Braintree, although he was there by 1653.. Actually the two towns are very close together so it is possible that he didn't have to move at all, but that the change in address took place due to events around him. He married Joane Kingman, daughter of Henry and Joanna Drake Kingman, probably shortly before the move. Thomas Sr was a Puritan as was Henry Kingman, so that is likely the way these Holbrooks raised their children, too.
Braintree contributed men to foght in King Philip's War, although it appears that the town itself was not molested. One of those men was Thomas Holbrook. This was more likely to be Thomas's son, Thomas born 1653 than it was our Thomas, but the possibility exists. And if enough men left Braintree, our older Thomas would have acted as militia.
Thomas had a small inheritance when his father died in 1677, and Joane received twelve pounds from her father's estate, plus a chest. Thomas and Joane had at least five children together, four of whom lived to adulthood.
I haven't yet been able to learn much more about his life, except that he was likely a church member and then, his will. He had a Great Bible and other books, a gun and a sword, farm animals, what appears to be quite a lot of boots (if I'm reading this correctly, Was he also a shoemaker?) and quite a bit of land. His estate was valued at 687 pounds. Joane died in 1696 and Thomas in 1697.
For now, we will have to leave Thomas as just a shadow of a person, bare outlines telling his story. It would be nice to find more, to learn more about his life and how he impacted the Colony.
Oh, yes...The Presdients Bush, and President Taft, among others, descend from this couple.
The line of descent is
Thomas Holbrook-Joane Kingman
Peter Holbrook-Alice Godfrey
Mary Holbrook-Joseph Thompson
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-ary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The second line is the same through Peter Holbrook and Alice Godfrey; then
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
(the rest as above)
Friday, August 30, 2019
Holbrook line: Nicholas Cook 1659-1730 Baptist
Nicholas Cook is interesting to me because he was an early Baptist, yet was permitted to live in his hometowns without apparent harm or discrimination. He may or may not have known our ancestor Roger Williams, but he would surely have known of him, because Bellingham, Massachusetts, his final earthly home, was not far from Rhode Island. But I'm getting ahead of his story.
Nicholas was born February 9, 1659/60 to Walter Cook. His mother may have been Catherine Brenton. I look at all the reasons why Catherine is Nicholas's mother, and then I look at the arguments against it, and I just scratch my head. Walter was definitely married when Nicholas was born, and Nicholas is his son. He was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, where his father had settled before moving on to Mendon. Mendon was a large territory but not a higly populated town. In fact, Mendon had to be abandoned during King Philip's War. The settlers had already fled but the native Americans burned the small settlement anyway. Based on the reported birth locations of Walter's children, it appears that the family moved to Mendon sometime between 1664 and 666, so they were there perhaps 10 years before the war broke out.
Nicholas would have been about 16 years old as the war began, so he may or may not have been involved. I didn't find his name in the books "Soldiers in King Philip's War", so perhaps he was detailed to help care for the women and children, wherever they had gone. It would have been perhaps 40 miles for the family to travel back to Weymouth, but perhaps they did travel that far. We just don't know. and
Nicholas married Joanna Rockwood or Rocket, daughter of John and Joanna Ford Rockwood on November 11, 1684 in Mendon. Nicholas was about 25 and Joanna was just seventeen years old at the time. The couple set up housekeeping and had eeven children together, so Nicholas had much to do to keep these mouths fed, and Joanna was constantly busy, too. Nicholas is listed as a husbandman, so he owned land.
Mendon was founded in 1660, and it was much larger than its present boundaries at the time. One of the towns that it "birthed" was Bellingham, and that is where Nicholas and Joanna lived. Nicholas is considered one of the first two founders of the town, Both men (the other was Jacob Bartlett) were Baptists, but we don't know for sure whether they became Baptists after the town was formed, or whether they had formed their decisions earlier. Bellingham has been described as a town of Quakers and Baptists during its early years, so it must have attracted dissenters and protected them, too, as necessary.
Nicholas was chosen constable for his section of town in 1708, indicating he had a certain standing in the town. Joanna died two years later, and Nicholas had children to care for. The youngest was just three years old and the oldest about 20. Two years after Joanna's death, he married Mehitable Hayward Staples, widow of Abraham Staples. She had four children when she married, and the new couple had a son, so a large family became, in my way of thinking, enormous.
Nicholas died at Bellingham on December 1, 1730. For a husbandman, he had a sizable estate valued at 1200 pounds. I found his inventory, and there is discussion in the estate pages (found in Suffolk County) about how the estate should be divided. Nicholas didn't leave a will, so the court did the best they could with the division of land and property. Somehow the 1200 pounds worked out to about 79 pounds for each of the children, which may mean that Mehitable was still alive and got her widow's third.
Nicholas's inventory included 4 pieces of property, with the most highly valued being one that had his homestead on it. He had books valued at one pound, and militia arms, so he perhaps had not yet been excused from training duty. Most of his other inventory was either household goods or typical farming equipment, including several cattle of various types, swine, and sheep, as well as what were probably cash crops of grains.
I've been glad to make the very brief acquaintance of Nicholas. These men (and women) who stood up for their religious convictions fascinate me. What gave them the strength to resist government and peer pressure, to follow their own understanding of God's Word? Did they suffer for their stand?
The line of descent is:
Nicholas Cook-Joanna Rockwood
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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
Nicholas was born February 9, 1659/60 to Walter Cook. His mother may have been Catherine Brenton. I look at all the reasons why Catherine is Nicholas's mother, and then I look at the arguments against it, and I just scratch my head. Walter was definitely married when Nicholas was born, and Nicholas is his son. He was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, where his father had settled before moving on to Mendon. Mendon was a large territory but not a higly populated town. In fact, Mendon had to be abandoned during King Philip's War. The settlers had already fled but the native Americans burned the small settlement anyway. Based on the reported birth locations of Walter's children, it appears that the family moved to Mendon sometime between 1664 and 666, so they were there perhaps 10 years before the war broke out.
Nicholas would have been about 16 years old as the war began, so he may or may not have been involved. I didn't find his name in the books "Soldiers in King Philip's War", so perhaps he was detailed to help care for the women and children, wherever they had gone. It would have been perhaps 40 miles for the family to travel back to Weymouth, but perhaps they did travel that far. We just don't know. and
Nicholas married Joanna Rockwood or Rocket, daughter of John and Joanna Ford Rockwood on November 11, 1684 in Mendon. Nicholas was about 25 and Joanna was just seventeen years old at the time. The couple set up housekeeping and had eeven children together, so Nicholas had much to do to keep these mouths fed, and Joanna was constantly busy, too. Nicholas is listed as a husbandman, so he owned land.
Mendon was founded in 1660, and it was much larger than its present boundaries at the time. One of the towns that it "birthed" was Bellingham, and that is where Nicholas and Joanna lived. Nicholas is considered one of the first two founders of the town, Both men (the other was Jacob Bartlett) were Baptists, but we don't know for sure whether they became Baptists after the town was formed, or whether they had formed their decisions earlier. Bellingham has been described as a town of Quakers and Baptists during its early years, so it must have attracted dissenters and protected them, too, as necessary.
Nicholas was chosen constable for his section of town in 1708, indicating he had a certain standing in the town. Joanna died two years later, and Nicholas had children to care for. The youngest was just three years old and the oldest about 20. Two years after Joanna's death, he married Mehitable Hayward Staples, widow of Abraham Staples. She had four children when she married, and the new couple had a son, so a large family became, in my way of thinking, enormous.
Nicholas died at Bellingham on December 1, 1730. For a husbandman, he had a sizable estate valued at 1200 pounds. I found his inventory, and there is discussion in the estate pages (found in Suffolk County) about how the estate should be divided. Nicholas didn't leave a will, so the court did the best they could with the division of land and property. Somehow the 1200 pounds worked out to about 79 pounds for each of the children, which may mean that Mehitable was still alive and got her widow's third.
Nicholas's inventory included 4 pieces of property, with the most highly valued being one that had his homestead on it. He had books valued at one pound, and militia arms, so he perhaps had not yet been excused from training duty. Most of his other inventory was either household goods or typical farming equipment, including several cattle of various types, swine, and sheep, as well as what were probably cash crops of grains.
I've been glad to make the very brief acquaintance of Nicholas. These men (and women) who stood up for their religious convictions fascinate me. What gave them the strength to resist government and peer pressure, to follow their own understanding of God's Word? Did they suffer for their stand?
The line of descent is:
Nicholas Cook-Joanna Rockwood
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Harshbarger line: Friedrich Carl Hoerner 1703-after 1789, Immigrant
I thought I was done writing Harshbarger stories, but in a genealogy clean up project I have been working on, I found another ancestor who was an immigrant. It will not surprise anyone in the Harshbarger family to learn that he came from Germany and died in Pennsylvania. But what else can we learn about him?
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was born, or christened, December 23, 1703 at Dierbach, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rheinfeld Pfalz, Germany. This is a small village, current population abo0ut 540, and is located on the "point" between France and Germany. One wonders how many wars this small village has seen? Dierbach's church is Protestant and has been since the Reformation, the current church having been built in 1502. Pictures of the town show typical German, half-timber construction, the type we would associate with medieval times.
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was the son of Hans Gall and Juliana Margarethe Kurtz Hoerner, one of at least eight children. Both of his parents lived until Frieddrich Carl had reached young manhood. He was 20 when his father died and 33 when his mother died in 1737. Friedrich appears to not have married until he was 41 years old, which was not that unusual for the men in small German villages. Life was hard and it might take that long to save enough money to provide even the barest of necessities for a wife and a new household.
In 1744, Friedrich Carl married Anna Catharina Schaub, daughter of Thomas Schaub, and their first child was born the following year. Maria Salome is the only known daughter of the couple, and we don't know when Anna Catharina died. Perhaps she died young and perhaps that is part of the reason that Friedrich Carl came to America, arriving at Philadelphia on September 29, 1750.
Tbe next records we have for him are tax and census records starting from 1762, when he was in Berks County, probably Exeter Township. It appears that they were members of the Schwartzwald Reformed Church (Calvinist, as opposed to Lutheran) because a son was buried there in 1788. Also Friedrich Horner and Maria Horner are the parents of a daughter baptized November 21, 1766 at Oley (Salem) Reformed Church. If this is our Friedrich, then it appears that Anna Catharina had died and Friedrich had remarried. In the 1779 tax records, he is noted as having 100 acres of land, so he was probably farming. It looks like there may be a Nicholas and a Matthias Hoerner in the same township, but I don't know if they are related or not.
This is as much as I currently know about Friedrich Carl Hoerner. He may very well have served in the French and Indian War of 1756-1763 (mostly up to about 1760, as far as the fighting goes) but I don't have any record of that. He certainly would have been affected by the war, as this was frontier country at the time. He lived through the Revolutionary War, too. I would love to hear some of this man's stories, wouldn't you? He is believed to have died after 1789, possibly in Bedford County, Pa. I haven't located a will.
The line of descent is:
Friedrich Carl Hoerner-Anna Catharina Schaub
Maria Salome Hoerner-Henry Matthias Braun
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was born, or christened, December 23, 1703 at Dierbach, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rheinfeld Pfalz, Germany. This is a small village, current population abo0ut 540, and is located on the "point" between France and Germany. One wonders how many wars this small village has seen? Dierbach's church is Protestant and has been since the Reformation, the current church having been built in 1502. Pictures of the town show typical German, half-timber construction, the type we would associate with medieval times.
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was the son of Hans Gall and Juliana Margarethe Kurtz Hoerner, one of at least eight children. Both of his parents lived until Frieddrich Carl had reached young manhood. He was 20 when his father died and 33 when his mother died in 1737. Friedrich appears to not have married until he was 41 years old, which was not that unusual for the men in small German villages. Life was hard and it might take that long to save enough money to provide even the barest of necessities for a wife and a new household.
In 1744, Friedrich Carl married Anna Catharina Schaub, daughter of Thomas Schaub, and their first child was born the following year. Maria Salome is the only known daughter of the couple, and we don't know when Anna Catharina died. Perhaps she died young and perhaps that is part of the reason that Friedrich Carl came to America, arriving at Philadelphia on September 29, 1750.
Tbe next records we have for him are tax and census records starting from 1762, when he was in Berks County, probably Exeter Township. It appears that they were members of the Schwartzwald Reformed Church (Calvinist, as opposed to Lutheran) because a son was buried there in 1788. Also Friedrich Horner and Maria Horner are the parents of a daughter baptized November 21, 1766 at Oley (Salem) Reformed Church. If this is our Friedrich, then it appears that Anna Catharina had died and Friedrich had remarried. In the 1779 tax records, he is noted as having 100 acres of land, so he was probably farming. It looks like there may be a Nicholas and a Matthias Hoerner in the same township, but I don't know if they are related or not.
This is as much as I currently know about Friedrich Carl Hoerner. He may very well have served in the French and Indian War of 1756-1763 (mostly up to about 1760, as far as the fighting goes) but I don't have any record of that. He certainly would have been affected by the war, as this was frontier country at the time. He lived through the Revolutionary War, too. I would love to hear some of this man's stories, wouldn't you? He is believed to have died after 1789, possibly in Bedford County, Pa. I haven't located a will.
The line of descent is:
Friedrich Carl Hoerner-Anna Catharina Schaub
Maria Salome Hoerner-Henry Matthias Braun
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Holbrook line: Walter Cook, Immigrant
Walter Cook seems to be another of those early immigrants who was dropped off in Massachusetts Bay Colony by a spaceship. I haven't even been able to find immigration records, let alone anything tying him to parents in England. Even England is an assumption, so far.
He is supposed to have been born in 1618 in GNW (Goodness Knows Where). He may or may not have been married to Experience, who may or may not have been a daughter of Thomas Holbrook. He was married to "Cathorn" at the time of his death, who may or may not have been the widow of George Aldrich, who may or may not have been Catherine Brenton. The may or may nots about Catherine's parentage are also both varied and nebulous.
For a man who was reported to have been very active in church and state affairs, I find very little about his life. He was reported to have been at Weymouth, Massachusetts as early as 1643, and was made a freeman there in 1653. He stayed for about 20 years in Weymouth, before moving to Mendon in about 1663. I'm a little confused about this because records in Weymouth indicate he was still being granted land there in 1663, but this may have been a late recording, or it may have been that the town was trying to "bribe" him to stay there rather than moving on.
Walter Cook is listed as being a founder of the town of Mendon. It formally became a town in 1667 and was on the frontier, as it was one of the first towns burned by the natives during King Philip's War in 1675-1676. Due to previous attacks, the town had already been abandoned when the town was burned, so we can only wonder about Walter Cook and his family. If his date of birth is correct, Walter would not yet have been 60 years old so would likely have been in the training band (militia) but that doesn't necessarily mean that he actively fought. He could have been doing guard duty somewhere, for instance, or he could have been helping to care for the other refugees from Mendon.
In Mendon, I did find a reference that he contributed to building a parsonage for the pastor, so perhaps that is the basis for the early statement that he was active in church and state affairs. I found a comment that the family had earlier been Quakers but it is undocumented and seems not likely, though I am certainly open to having my mind changed about this. Also, in the records of the Middlesex County Abstracts of Court records 1643-1674, volume 2, there is an interesting account stating that Katherin, wife of Walter Cook, was apparently a witness at the labor of Hannah Jewett. Several women testified as to the date Mrs. Jewett delivered her child, and it appears that this was less than nine months after her marriage. Hannah Jewett was summoned to testify but I didn't follow the story further.
Walter and Catherine returned to Mendon and most likely helped to rebuild the town after the war.. Walter had acquired land in not just Mendon but also in Milford, Bellingham, Wrentham and on the Rhode Island line. Apparently he had disposed of these lands by the time of his death because reference is made in his will to "besides what he already gave them (his children)". He may have given them parcels of land directly or he may have sold the land and given them the proceeds.
I am showing all of Walter's children, as many as many as nine, as being children of Catherine, but that may not be correct. They are all listed as having been born at Weymouth. If Nicholas, our ancestor, born in 1659 is the son of Experience Holbrook then there will be another Holbrook connection in our tree, and we will be our own cousins yet again. I'd sure like to get some of these mysteries figured out, even if it does tangle our tree even further.
Cathorn, as she is listed in the death records of Mendon, died on January 2, 1695/96 and Walter died just three days later. Did Walter die of a broken heart, or was there an epidemic at the time, or was it mere coincidence? It's another mystery.
The line of descent is
Walter Cook-Experience or Catherine
Nicholas Cook-Joanna Rockwood
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright (where are you Molly? I'm still looking for you!)
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
He is supposed to have been born in 1618 in GNW (Goodness Knows Where). He may or may not have been married to Experience, who may or may not have been a daughter of Thomas Holbrook. He was married to "Cathorn" at the time of his death, who may or may not have been the widow of George Aldrich, who may or may not have been Catherine Brenton. The may or may nots about Catherine's parentage are also both varied and nebulous.
For a man who was reported to have been very active in church and state affairs, I find very little about his life. He was reported to have been at Weymouth, Massachusetts as early as 1643, and was made a freeman there in 1653. He stayed for about 20 years in Weymouth, before moving to Mendon in about 1663. I'm a little confused about this because records in Weymouth indicate he was still being granted land there in 1663, but this may have been a late recording, or it may have been that the town was trying to "bribe" him to stay there rather than moving on.
Walter Cook is listed as being a founder of the town of Mendon. It formally became a town in 1667 and was on the frontier, as it was one of the first towns burned by the natives during King Philip's War in 1675-1676. Due to previous attacks, the town had already been abandoned when the town was burned, so we can only wonder about Walter Cook and his family. If his date of birth is correct, Walter would not yet have been 60 years old so would likely have been in the training band (militia) but that doesn't necessarily mean that he actively fought. He could have been doing guard duty somewhere, for instance, or he could have been helping to care for the other refugees from Mendon.
In Mendon, I did find a reference that he contributed to building a parsonage for the pastor, so perhaps that is the basis for the early statement that he was active in church and state affairs. I found a comment that the family had earlier been Quakers but it is undocumented and seems not likely, though I am certainly open to having my mind changed about this. Also, in the records of the Middlesex County Abstracts of Court records 1643-1674, volume 2, there is an interesting account stating that Katherin, wife of Walter Cook, was apparently a witness at the labor of Hannah Jewett. Several women testified as to the date Mrs. Jewett delivered her child, and it appears that this was less than nine months after her marriage. Hannah Jewett was summoned to testify but I didn't follow the story further.
Walter and Catherine returned to Mendon and most likely helped to rebuild the town after the war.. Walter had acquired land in not just Mendon but also in Milford, Bellingham, Wrentham and on the Rhode Island line. Apparently he had disposed of these lands by the time of his death because reference is made in his will to "besides what he already gave them (his children)". He may have given them parcels of land directly or he may have sold the land and given them the proceeds.
I am showing all of Walter's children, as many as many as nine, as being children of Catherine, but that may not be correct. They are all listed as having been born at Weymouth. If Nicholas, our ancestor, born in 1659 is the son of Experience Holbrook then there will be another Holbrook connection in our tree, and we will be our own cousins yet again. I'd sure like to get some of these mysteries figured out, even if it does tangle our tree even further.
Cathorn, as she is listed in the death records of Mendon, died on January 2, 1695/96 and Walter died just three days later. Did Walter die of a broken heart, or was there an epidemic at the time, or was it mere coincidence? It's another mystery.
The line of descent is
Walter Cook-Experience or Catherine
Nicholas Cook-Joanna Rockwood
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright (where are you Molly? I'm still looking for you!)
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Holbrook line: Richard Godfrey, Immigrant
Richard Godfrey is one of our ancestors who followed a slightly different path to New England, or at least a later path. Many of the English ancestors I write about were here by the end of the Great Migration in 1635, but Richard didn't come until possibly 1650 or so. I'm getting the cart ahead of the horse here, I guess, so let's backtrack.
Unfortunately, if we start at the beginning we don't know where we are, because Richard's parentage is very much a matter of question. So is his birth location. He may be the son of a Richard Godfrey born in Wales about 1600, and he may be the Richard Godfrey born in Lancashire, England in 1631, but there is no real proof for either "may be". So we really know nothing of his life until he shows up in Taunton, Plymouth Colony, in 1652. We don't know whether he landed first at Boston, or landed at Plymouth, and we don't know what he did for a living in England.
One slightly unusual aspect of his arrival was the timing of it. He apparently arrived at the end of three Civil Wars in England (one right after another). Did he come to America to escape military service, or had he already been a soldier? Was it for purely economic reasons that he came? What were his religious beliefs? Plymouth was not generally a good place to live unless one could live in harmony with Separatists. There was one exception: If one had a skill that was needed at Plymouth, one would be welcome there. And there is a possibility that Richard had skills that were needed in the iron making industry. His wife was (unknown first name but many say Jane) Turner, daughter of John Turner and Jane, and they seem to have been married about 1650. The location of the marriage is unknown at this time, but if they married in England they may well have come to America to work in the iron works that John Turner co-owned. Richard's name hasn't been found in company records, but he did own land that was part of the forge
Richard and his wife had six children, but birth dates are lacking. They were born from "circa 1651" to "say 1660". Jane died before March of 1669/1670. Richard apparently stayed a bachelor for about 15 years, and then married Mary possibly Hoskins, widow of Mr. Palmer.
We see a few glimpses of Richard's life in that we know he was sentenced to spend two hours in the stocks on training day, for speaking "opprobriously" of some place in the town of Taunton, and 14 years later, was fined five pounds for actions unknown, but apparently they were to the detriment of William Wetherell, who was to receive the money. His name is found in the records of King Philip's War, as having served but it seems more likely that this was his son, also named Richard. He was still part of the military company in 1682, however, along with sons Richard Jr. and Robert.
Richard's will is dated October 4, 1691 and was proved on November 17 of the same year. His three daughters and son Robert were each given five pounds, and sons Richard and John were to pay the debts and share the remainder of the estate. His second wife, Mary, was given 20 bushels of corn, one hog and one good cow Perhaps he expected that she would go to live with one of her children, or his. His inventory has been lost so we don't know the weapons he owned, or whether he owned books, or whether there was evidence of a religious belief in his home. But we do know a few things about Richard Godfrey, and with luck, work, and money, perhaps more can be found.
The line of descent is
Richard Godfrey-(Jane?) Turner
Alice Godfrey-Peter Holbrook
Mary Holbrook-Joseph Thompson
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Hollbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
There is also a second line:
Richard Godfrey-(Jane?) Turner
Alice Godfrey-Peter Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susannah Rockwood
etc.
So I think anyone from Nahum Holbrook on down is their own cousin, somehow!
Unfortunately, if we start at the beginning we don't know where we are, because Richard's parentage is very much a matter of question. So is his birth location. He may be the son of a Richard Godfrey born in Wales about 1600, and he may be the Richard Godfrey born in Lancashire, England in 1631, but there is no real proof for either "may be". So we really know nothing of his life until he shows up in Taunton, Plymouth Colony, in 1652. We don't know whether he landed first at Boston, or landed at Plymouth, and we don't know what he did for a living in England.
One slightly unusual aspect of his arrival was the timing of it. He apparently arrived at the end of three Civil Wars in England (one right after another). Did he come to America to escape military service, or had he already been a soldier? Was it for purely economic reasons that he came? What were his religious beliefs? Plymouth was not generally a good place to live unless one could live in harmony with Separatists. There was one exception: If one had a skill that was needed at Plymouth, one would be welcome there. And there is a possibility that Richard had skills that were needed in the iron making industry. His wife was (unknown first name but many say Jane) Turner, daughter of John Turner and Jane, and they seem to have been married about 1650. The location of the marriage is unknown at this time, but if they married in England they may well have come to America to work in the iron works that John Turner co-owned. Richard's name hasn't been found in company records, but he did own land that was part of the forge
Richard and his wife had six children, but birth dates are lacking. They were born from "circa 1651" to "say 1660". Jane died before March of 1669/1670. Richard apparently stayed a bachelor for about 15 years, and then married Mary possibly Hoskins, widow of Mr. Palmer.
We see a few glimpses of Richard's life in that we know he was sentenced to spend two hours in the stocks on training day, for speaking "opprobriously" of some place in the town of Taunton, and 14 years later, was fined five pounds for actions unknown, but apparently they were to the detriment of William Wetherell, who was to receive the money. His name is found in the records of King Philip's War, as having served but it seems more likely that this was his son, also named Richard. He was still part of the military company in 1682, however, along with sons Richard Jr. and Robert.
Richard's will is dated October 4, 1691 and was proved on November 17 of the same year. His three daughters and son Robert were each given five pounds, and sons Richard and John were to pay the debts and share the remainder of the estate. His second wife, Mary, was given 20 bushels of corn, one hog and one good cow Perhaps he expected that she would go to live with one of her children, or his. His inventory has been lost so we don't know the weapons he owned, or whether he owned books, or whether there was evidence of a religious belief in his home. But we do know a few things about Richard Godfrey, and with luck, work, and money, perhaps more can be found.
The line of descent is
Richard Godfrey-(Jane?) Turner
Alice Godfrey-Peter Holbrook
Mary Holbrook-Joseph Thompson
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Hollbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
There is also a second line:
Richard Godfrey-(Jane?) Turner
Alice Godfrey-Peter Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susannah Rockwood
etc.
So I think anyone from Nahum Holbrook on down is their own cousin, somehow!
Friday, May 5, 2017
Harshbarger line: Jacob Maag 1703-1767 Immigrant
Every time I write a Harshbarger blog post now, I fear that I've found the last ancestor who is "findable", and it makes me feel like a failure even though I've set the rules for this post, and I could always change them. The rues are pretty loose. It needs to be a direct ancestor (for the most part) and it needs to be an immigrant or have another compelling story to tell. Of course, I could always break those rules, and I may have to, if I want to keep writing about people in the Harshbarger line.
However, I did find "just one more" ancestor who is an immigrant and from everything I can tell, is a Harshbarger. He follows much of the typical Harshbarger story, which is a good thing because I don't have very many details about him. Jacob Maag was born in Endhori, Zurich, Switaerland. He was born or baptized on May 22, 1703. His parents are given as Heinrich Maag and Klienvre Volkhart, or Jacob Maag and Barbara Surber. There are good reasons to accept either pair of parents but I have no opinion. It's enough to know he came from Endhori, which may have been a small town on the southern border with Germany, near Zurich.
Jacob was 42 when he came to America on the "Loyal Judith" in 1743, according to the ship manifest. There was also a Henry or Heinrich who was 15, and who is as yet not identified to my satisfaction. He could be a younger brother, or a son, or nephew. It is possible that Jacob went back to Switzerland a few years later and brought his family back, as it seems he didn't take the oath until 1746. Usually the oath was taken as soon as one stepped off the ship. Or the 1746 date could possibly be a typo.
Jacob married Anna Surber, as yet not further identified, in Bolach, Zurich Canton in March of 1721. I've found several conflicting records of their children but they had several, and they seem to have all come to America also. I found a will that Jacob witnessed on April 17,1748, for Maria Gertraut Seibel, in Philadelphia. I've not yet determined whether she was a family member or a friend. I've found a listing for him at the Red Lion Inn in 1758 in Philadelphia and one mile from Germantown in 1761, so it doesn't appear that he left the immediate area, although I've not yet found land records.
He and his wife "Barbara" were sponsors for two of the children of Isaac Wetstein (Whetstone) and Anna Maria's children, and also for other Maags. These records are in the First Reformed Church of Philadelphia. This church began as a German Reformed (Calvinist) church but the Maags would have been quite at home there and may well have been German speaking even though their home was in Switzerland.
I haven't found Jacob's will yet but I've found a reference to it, so I'm anxious to see it He died May 18, 1767, in Philadelphia. The fact that he stayed so near to, or in, the city makes it likely that he was a tradesman or merchant of some kind. I'd sure like to learn his occupation. The "city" dwelling aspect here is a little different than those of the family who have farmed, and that makes him interesting. I'd love to learn more of Jacob's story!
The line of descent is:
Jacob Maag-Anna Barbara Surber
Anna Maria Maag-Isaac Whetstone
Jacob Whetstone-Anna Maria Schaeffer
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
However, I did find "just one more" ancestor who is an immigrant and from everything I can tell, is a Harshbarger. He follows much of the typical Harshbarger story, which is a good thing because I don't have very many details about him. Jacob Maag was born in Endhori, Zurich, Switaerland. He was born or baptized on May 22, 1703. His parents are given as Heinrich Maag and Klienvre Volkhart, or Jacob Maag and Barbara Surber. There are good reasons to accept either pair of parents but I have no opinion. It's enough to know he came from Endhori, which may have been a small town on the southern border with Germany, near Zurich.
Jacob was 42 when he came to America on the "Loyal Judith" in 1743, according to the ship manifest. There was also a Henry or Heinrich who was 15, and who is as yet not identified to my satisfaction. He could be a younger brother, or a son, or nephew. It is possible that Jacob went back to Switzerland a few years later and brought his family back, as it seems he didn't take the oath until 1746. Usually the oath was taken as soon as one stepped off the ship. Or the 1746 date could possibly be a typo.
Jacob married Anna Surber, as yet not further identified, in Bolach, Zurich Canton in March of 1721. I've found several conflicting records of their children but they had several, and they seem to have all come to America also. I found a will that Jacob witnessed on April 17,1748, for Maria Gertraut Seibel, in Philadelphia. I've not yet determined whether she was a family member or a friend. I've found a listing for him at the Red Lion Inn in 1758 in Philadelphia and one mile from Germantown in 1761, so it doesn't appear that he left the immediate area, although I've not yet found land records.
He and his wife "Barbara" were sponsors for two of the children of Isaac Wetstein (Whetstone) and Anna Maria's children, and also for other Maags. These records are in the First Reformed Church of Philadelphia. This church began as a German Reformed (Calvinist) church but the Maags would have been quite at home there and may well have been German speaking even though their home was in Switzerland.
I haven't found Jacob's will yet but I've found a reference to it, so I'm anxious to see it He died May 18, 1767, in Philadelphia. The fact that he stayed so near to, or in, the city makes it likely that he was a tradesman or merchant of some kind. I'd sure like to learn his occupation. The "city" dwelling aspect here is a little different than those of the family who have farmed, and that makes him interesting. I'd love to learn more of Jacob's story!
The line of descent is:
Jacob Maag-Anna Barbara Surber
Anna Maria Maag-Isaac Whetstone
Jacob Whetstone-Anna Maria Schaeffer
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, March 24, 2017
Harshbarger line: Jacob Kobel, 1682-1731 Immigrant
I'm once again coming to the end of known Harshbarger line immigrants to write about, so it was a thrill to find one who has a well-known history. Actually, it's better known than I am going to write about, because there are some articles in genealogy journals that I've not yet been able to consult. So this will be an incomplete sketch. If the articles tell me more that I think the family would want to know about, I'll do an update. But the story as I already know is one of courage and hard work and all the things we admire in our ancestors.
Jacob Kobel was born in 1682 in Sinsheim, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, the son of Johann George and Eva Sonsst Kobel. He had about 7 brothers and two half-brothers, so it was a large family. He married Anna Maria Egli in 1708 in Hofferheim, Baden-Wuerttemburg, Germany. Probably for economic reasons (his father had to provide a living for all those children!), Jacob and Maria left Germany when Queen Anne of England signaled her willingness to help the hopeful immigrants get to the New World, where they would work to build a colony. Or did she? Perhaps it was an offhand comment that somehow made it's way to Germany, but the arrivals in London thought they were on their way to the New World, where the queen was granting them free land. Such was not the case.
While the German immigrants arrived in greater and greater number, the English didn't know what to do with them. Some found menial jobs, or joined the English army. But most stayed on, jobless and without hope as they realized there was no free transportation or free land in their future. They were there for several months, if not longer, while funds were found to send them onward. Meanwhile, these people lived in tents in a dismal part of London. Even in summer, England is not always warm and they were there during the winter months, too, with little food or fuel to survive on. I can't imagine spending a London winter living in a tent! Finally, the group was so large that the Queen had to move them on, and the immigrants were sent to New York.
Most of them were indentured and worked around Schoharie, NY for the first years they were in America. Once they had paid back their passage money by serving their indentureship, conditions didn't improve. Their masters refused to free them, or to give them the money, tools, or clothes they were entitled to. Finally, groups of Germans turned New Yorkers left the Schoharie area, fearing they were being followed all the way, and then those who survived the journey settled mostly in Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
There, with the few things they had been able to bring with them, they settled, finally free. It's not clear whether they were able to purchase land right away or whether they settled where they could and then paid for the land later, when crops and trapping allowed them to accumulate the funds to buy their own land. Jacob was a miller, having built mills in the Schoharie area and also in the area of Womelsdorf, Pa., so he may have had a cash flow sooner than some of the other settlers.
However, it was a hard life even after it got better, and Jacob lived only until 1731. He and Maria had at least 8 children, with the first known child being born in 1713 and the last in 1726. There may be other children, born before 1713 or after 1726, that we don't know of, perhaps because they didn't survive. Maria, however, was a survivor and lived until 1774. She had the misfortune to see her son Henry and most of his family massacred by Indians at the beginning of the French and Indian Wars, in 1755. (Although Jacob and Maria were Lutherans, Henry had married a Mennonite woman and they were pacifists who believed they were on good terms with the native Americans. The surviving children became Lutherans as young adults.)
We just can't begin to imagine everything that Jacob and Maria endured in their efforts to improve their lot and raise their family in America. Take pride in this heritage!.
I'm looking forward to finding the books and articles I have printed out for my next trip to the Allen County Public Library, and will do an update if I find more of interest.
The line of descent is:
Jacob Kobel-Anna Maria Egli
Maria Barbara Kobel-Johann Jacob Schaeffer
Anna Maria Schaeffer-Jacob Whetstone
John Whetstone-Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook or Koch
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Jacob Kobel was born in 1682 in Sinsheim, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, the son of Johann George and Eva Sonsst Kobel. He had about 7 brothers and two half-brothers, so it was a large family. He married Anna Maria Egli in 1708 in Hofferheim, Baden-Wuerttemburg, Germany. Probably for economic reasons (his father had to provide a living for all those children!), Jacob and Maria left Germany when Queen Anne of England signaled her willingness to help the hopeful immigrants get to the New World, where they would work to build a colony. Or did she? Perhaps it was an offhand comment that somehow made it's way to Germany, but the arrivals in London thought they were on their way to the New World, where the queen was granting them free land. Such was not the case.
While the German immigrants arrived in greater and greater number, the English didn't know what to do with them. Some found menial jobs, or joined the English army. But most stayed on, jobless and without hope as they realized there was no free transportation or free land in their future. They were there for several months, if not longer, while funds were found to send them onward. Meanwhile, these people lived in tents in a dismal part of London. Even in summer, England is not always warm and they were there during the winter months, too, with little food or fuel to survive on. I can't imagine spending a London winter living in a tent! Finally, the group was so large that the Queen had to move them on, and the immigrants were sent to New York.
Most of them were indentured and worked around Schoharie, NY for the first years they were in America. Once they had paid back their passage money by serving their indentureship, conditions didn't improve. Their masters refused to free them, or to give them the money, tools, or clothes they were entitled to. Finally, groups of Germans turned New Yorkers left the Schoharie area, fearing they were being followed all the way, and then those who survived the journey settled mostly in Tulpehocken, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
There, with the few things they had been able to bring with them, they settled, finally free. It's not clear whether they were able to purchase land right away or whether they settled where they could and then paid for the land later, when crops and trapping allowed them to accumulate the funds to buy their own land. Jacob was a miller, having built mills in the Schoharie area and also in the area of Womelsdorf, Pa., so he may have had a cash flow sooner than some of the other settlers.
However, it was a hard life even after it got better, and Jacob lived only until 1731. He and Maria had at least 8 children, with the first known child being born in 1713 and the last in 1726. There may be other children, born before 1713 or after 1726, that we don't know of, perhaps because they didn't survive. Maria, however, was a survivor and lived until 1774. She had the misfortune to see her son Henry and most of his family massacred by Indians at the beginning of the French and Indian Wars, in 1755. (Although Jacob and Maria were Lutherans, Henry had married a Mennonite woman and they were pacifists who believed they were on good terms with the native Americans. The surviving children became Lutherans as young adults.)
We just can't begin to imagine everything that Jacob and Maria endured in their efforts to improve their lot and raise their family in America. Take pride in this heritage!.
I'm looking forward to finding the books and articles I have printed out for my next trip to the Allen County Public Library, and will do an update if I find more of interest.
The line of descent is:
Jacob Kobel-Anna Maria Egli
Maria Barbara Kobel-Johann Jacob Schaeffer
Anna Maria Schaeffer-Jacob Whetstone
John Whetstone-Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook or Koch
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, February 10, 2017
Harshbarger line: Johan Niclaus Shaffer, Immigrant 1674-1758
Sometimes when I think of what our ancestors went through, it is almost more than I can bear. I wonder if they thought they were having it really tough, or if they just took it one day and a time and trusted God for that day only. One of these ancestors, or rather, two of them, are Johan Niclaus Shaffer and his wife, Maria Catharina Suder. Both of those last names have many variant spellings, it seems, so don't be disturbed if what you find isn't what I wrote. It could very well be the same person.
Johan Niclaus was born in Relsburg, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz; in the western part of what is now Germany. This was a small village, but it is also where he found his wife, and where their children, Johann Michael, Anna Barbara, Caspar, Peter Nicholas, and Johan Jacob were born. Shortly after Johan Jacob's birth, the family emigrated to New York. The information I looked at does not clearly state whether this was part of the group that was sent at Queen Anne's direction, but they ended up at Livingston Manor and then Schoharie, N.Y., which is the route the impoverished immigrants sent at the Queen's direction took. Johan Niclaus traveled with his two brothers, Johann Michael and Johann Friederich and their families, so at least they had someone to rely on in their difficulties.
The Shaffer's stuck it out in Schoharie for about 10 years, and then left-basically escaped-to Tulpihocken, Berks County, in Pennsylvania. This was about 250 miles through the wilderness, with wild animals, lack of supplies, and native Americans to worry about every step of the way. It wasn't an easy trip but it appears that all the family members survived, which means the men of the party deserve great respect. They must have been good leaders, and the women willing followers and help-meets. They were some of the first settlers in Tulpehocken, although more and more families from Germany eventually settled there, too.
The next fact I've been able to learn about Johann Niclaus is his death, in July of 1758. He lived a long life, especially considering the hardships he faced. It appears that his wife, Maria Catharina, died two years later, so she also had a long, if hard, life.
I'd love to know more about this couple. Where exactly did they live in Tulpehocken? What religion were they, and what church did they attend? Did they ever regret their decision to come to America, or were they content, knowing that they had given their children a chance for a better life than they would have had in the old country? Did they learn English at all?
We might be able to find the answers to some of these questions, but some will remain a mystery. What we do know is that this was a remarkable man.
The line of descent is:
Johan Niclaus Shaffer-Anna Catherina Suder
Johan Jacob Shaffer-Maria Barbara Kobel
Anna Maria Shaffer-Jacob Whetstone
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Johan Niclaus was born in Relsburg, Kusel, Rheinland-Pfalz; in the western part of what is now Germany. This was a small village, but it is also where he found his wife, and where their children, Johann Michael, Anna Barbara, Caspar, Peter Nicholas, and Johan Jacob were born. Shortly after Johan Jacob's birth, the family emigrated to New York. The information I looked at does not clearly state whether this was part of the group that was sent at Queen Anne's direction, but they ended up at Livingston Manor and then Schoharie, N.Y., which is the route the impoverished immigrants sent at the Queen's direction took. Johan Niclaus traveled with his two brothers, Johann Michael and Johann Friederich and their families, so at least they had someone to rely on in their difficulties.
The Shaffer's stuck it out in Schoharie for about 10 years, and then left-basically escaped-to Tulpihocken, Berks County, in Pennsylvania. This was about 250 miles through the wilderness, with wild animals, lack of supplies, and native Americans to worry about every step of the way. It wasn't an easy trip but it appears that all the family members survived, which means the men of the party deserve great respect. They must have been good leaders, and the women willing followers and help-meets. They were some of the first settlers in Tulpehocken, although more and more families from Germany eventually settled there, too.
The next fact I've been able to learn about Johann Niclaus is his death, in July of 1758. He lived a long life, especially considering the hardships he faced. It appears that his wife, Maria Catharina, died two years later, so she also had a long, if hard, life.
I'd love to know more about this couple. Where exactly did they live in Tulpehocken? What religion were they, and what church did they attend? Did they ever regret their decision to come to America, or were they content, knowing that they had given their children a chance for a better life than they would have had in the old country? Did they learn English at all?
We might be able to find the answers to some of these questions, but some will remain a mystery. What we do know is that this was a remarkable man.
The line of descent is:
Johan Niclaus Shaffer-Anna Catherina Suder
Johan Jacob Shaffer-Maria Barbara Kobel
Anna Maria Shaffer-Jacob Whetstone
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, January 27, 2017
Harshbarger line: Jacob Whetstone born 1738
At last, here's another Harshbarger ancestor with information available, at least a little bit. Jacob Wetztein was born in either Pennsylvania or Germany in 1738. His parents were Isaac Wetzstein and possibly Anna Maria Maag, although there is some confusion as to his mother's name. Isaac was supposedly born in Wuerttemburg, Germany and Anna Maria was born in Zurich, Switzerland. Both are believed to have died in Pennsylvania but I've found little documentation for that at this point.
Jacob, however, did live in Brunswick Township in what was Berks and then became Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania. He married Anna Maria Schaeffer (various spellings) on January 23,1770at St. Gabriel Church, Douglasville. She was the daughter of Johann Jacob Schaeffer and Maria Barbara Kobel. While Jacob was either an immigrant as a young child or a second generation Pennsylvania, Anna Maria was in the third generation in America. (Possibly grandparents, parents, and children all came together.)
Jacob was 32 years old when he married. This may indicate that there was an earlier marriage, or it may indicate that he waited to marry until he had found the right woman and had the means to support a family. The family started arriving in 1771 and by 1775 three sons had joined the family. It would have been a happy time for the couple, except for the war clouds on the horizon.
Jacob joined the Pennsylvania Militia, the associators, and was a Captain under Colonel Daniel Houser, in the first company of the Fourth Battalion. This unit fought under George Washington at the battle of Germantown, so Jacob is not only a Revolutionary War soldier, but a hero. Although the unit was on active duty for only a few months, Jacob was still listed as a captain (second company, this time, I don't know what happened to the first) in 1780. I haven't been able to determine whether he served additional time but he would have been subject to regular drills and border patrol, if nothing else.
I'm not going to hazard a guess as to how many children this couple had, because some of the information I'm finding on line is contradictory. I'm willing to guess that there were more children than the three mentioned above, though. The Whetstones are stated as living near McKeansburg, but church records are either incomplete or inconclusive. I've found a church record for only one son.
Both Jacob and Anna Maria lived long lives, with Anna Maria dying in 1818 and Jacob in 1833. They are believed to be buried on or near their farm, but perhaps if their church could be identified more records could be found.
I'm glad to have found this man, my children's ancestor. If this is all I ever learn of him, we know that he was respected enough to be elected captain of his unit, and to have served honorably in what was a very difficult battle. That is enough reason to give him honor and respect. Thank you for your service, Jacob Whetstone!
The line of descent is:
Jacob Whetstone-Anna Maria Schaeffer
John Whetstone-Mary Magdalene
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
From Catherine Whetstone-Henry Gook on down through Cleveland Harshbarger, these are all people who were born or died, or both, in Whitley County, Indiana. It's a deep history the family has there!
Jacob, however, did live in Brunswick Township in what was Berks and then became Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania. He married Anna Maria Schaeffer (various spellings) on January 23,1770at St. Gabriel Church, Douglasville. She was the daughter of Johann Jacob Schaeffer and Maria Barbara Kobel. While Jacob was either an immigrant as a young child or a second generation Pennsylvania, Anna Maria was in the third generation in America. (Possibly grandparents, parents, and children all came together.)
Jacob was 32 years old when he married. This may indicate that there was an earlier marriage, or it may indicate that he waited to marry until he had found the right woman and had the means to support a family. The family started arriving in 1771 and by 1775 three sons had joined the family. It would have been a happy time for the couple, except for the war clouds on the horizon.
Jacob joined the Pennsylvania Militia, the associators, and was a Captain under Colonel Daniel Houser, in the first company of the Fourth Battalion. This unit fought under George Washington at the battle of Germantown, so Jacob is not only a Revolutionary War soldier, but a hero. Although the unit was on active duty for only a few months, Jacob was still listed as a captain (second company, this time, I don't know what happened to the first) in 1780. I haven't been able to determine whether he served additional time but he would have been subject to regular drills and border patrol, if nothing else.
I'm not going to hazard a guess as to how many children this couple had, because some of the information I'm finding on line is contradictory. I'm willing to guess that there were more children than the three mentioned above, though. The Whetstones are stated as living near McKeansburg, but church records are either incomplete or inconclusive. I've found a church record for only one son.
Both Jacob and Anna Maria lived long lives, with Anna Maria dying in 1818 and Jacob in 1833. They are believed to be buried on or near their farm, but perhaps if their church could be identified more records could be found.
I'm glad to have found this man, my children's ancestor. If this is all I ever learn of him, we know that he was respected enough to be elected captain of his unit, and to have served honorably in what was a very difficult battle. That is enough reason to give him honor and respect. Thank you for your service, Jacob Whetstone!
The line of descent is:
Jacob Whetstone-Anna Maria Schaeffer
John Whetstone-Mary Magdalene
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
From Catherine Whetstone-Henry Gook on down through Cleveland Harshbarger, these are all people who were born or died, or both, in Whitley County, Indiana. It's a deep history the family has there!
Friday, October 14, 2016
Harshbarger line: Heinrich Braun and his father Johann, Immigrants
This is the reason genealogy bloggers go gray. Heinrich or Henry Braun and his father are pretty much complete mysteries. I have found trees that say that Johann died in Bedford County, Pennsylvania and Heinrich died there after 1750, but that is all I know of their life in Pennsylvania. It's frustrating!
Heinrich was born to Johann and Barbara Braun in Deidesheim, Germany. If I have identified the town correctly, it is in the Rhineland-Palatinate, where many of the early German ancestors lived. It appears that this is a Catholic town, or was in the 1700's, which is a bit different from other families, and the main farm crop has always been grapes. Vineyards have been the main source of income for generations. When Heinrich was born, the population of the town would have been about 500 people, so it was really just a village.
There are a lot of Johann Brauns and a lot of Heinrich Brauns, and so far I've not found a record of immigration that I believe likely belonged to either man. A Heinrich Braun did arrive in Philadelphia in 1749 but I tend to think our Heinrich was here earlier. Records vary as to where he married his wife, Maria Anna Catarina Rau, but it was either in Deidesheim or in Pennsylvania. The date is given as January 15, 1732. The couple had at least two children, Henry and John.
Heinrich died in 1750 or later, and his wife died in 1749. Again, some sources show Germany and some show Bedford County, Pa as the location of her death.
So, this man is a mystery, with nothing to really show to help us understand his life. We know that he married, immigrated, and had children, although not necessarily in that order, and we know that he was widowed. We need to do a lot more research to learn about this man and his life! If someone recognizes him, please contact me!
The line of descent is
Heinrich Braun-Maria Anna Catarina Rau
Henry Matthias Braun-Maria Salome Hoerner
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Heinrich was born to Johann and Barbara Braun in Deidesheim, Germany. If I have identified the town correctly, it is in the Rhineland-Palatinate, where many of the early German ancestors lived. It appears that this is a Catholic town, or was in the 1700's, which is a bit different from other families, and the main farm crop has always been grapes. Vineyards have been the main source of income for generations. When Heinrich was born, the population of the town would have been about 500 people, so it was really just a village.
There are a lot of Johann Brauns and a lot of Heinrich Brauns, and so far I've not found a record of immigration that I believe likely belonged to either man. A Heinrich Braun did arrive in Philadelphia in 1749 but I tend to think our Heinrich was here earlier. Records vary as to where he married his wife, Maria Anna Catarina Rau, but it was either in Deidesheim or in Pennsylvania. The date is given as January 15, 1732. The couple had at least two children, Henry and John.
Heinrich died in 1750 or later, and his wife died in 1749. Again, some sources show Germany and some show Bedford County, Pa as the location of her death.
So, this man is a mystery, with nothing to really show to help us understand his life. We know that he married, immigrated, and had children, although not necessarily in that order, and we know that he was widowed. We need to do a lot more research to learn about this man and his life! If someone recognizes him, please contact me!
The line of descent is
Heinrich Braun-Maria Anna Catarina Rau
Henry Matthias Braun-Maria Salome Hoerner
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, September 16, 2016
Harshbarger post: Who was Mary M. or Maria Magdalena?
Since my excitement of finding John Whetstone, Catherine Whetstone's father, of course the next question is-who are his parents, and who is his wife? The only real clue I have is that she is listed as Mary M. on Find a Grave. Her headstone gives her as the wife of "J. Whetstone", and gives her date of death as January 10, 1852. This is from St. Peters Cemetery in Stark County, Ohio.
Since I know that John was from Berks, later Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and I know Catherine was born in Berks County, it makes sense to comb Berks County for a Mary M or Maria Magdalena or some variation of those names, born in 1775 (per Find a Grave's headstone information saying she was 76 years 1 month and 28 days old when she died). This would put her birth date as about November 12, 1775. So I need to look for a christening date later than that. It would not be at all unusual for Maria Magdalena to become Mary M. John Whetstone was probably Johannes, and his father's last name is often given as Wetztein. Names were evolving and not yet "Americanized."
I also have seen on line trees listing her name as Maria Magdalina Kettner or Kepner. Aha! I thought. I have a Maria Magdalena Kepner in my database already. Well, it's not that easy. I haven't been able to prove that the one I have, a daughter of Bernard Kepler and Maria Elizabeth Lindemuth, is the correct person. I haven't been able to disprove it, either. The one in my database shows a birth date of 1776, which could be a christening date or could be an "about" date. But so far, I haven't found a marriage record for John, or Maria Magdalena. I'm not convinced yet. The Keplers were in Brunswick Twp, later Schuylkill County, so the location fits.
There also is a Maria Magdalene Ketner, born in 1776 (Northkill, Berks County, Pa) with no specific date and no additional information or documentation yet located. She was the daughter of Johannes Henry Ketner and Justina Catarina Brossman. From what I can tell from the maps, Northkill is pretty close to the location of the Whetstones, so it might be a possibility. So far, I haven't found another prospective husband for her.
I am just beginning this search, but I am posting speculations and thought processes here for several reasons. One is that I am hoping a distant family member will recognize this person and say, "Oh, she (one of the two above possibilities, or one I haven't found yet) married John! I have this record...". The second reason is to show readers that most of the time, you can't just open up a book and read a family's history. It has to be pulled and twisted out of very brief, disconnected pieces of information here and there. And the third reason is that I am running out of Harshbarger posts!
The line of descent is:
John Whetstone-Mary M.
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Since I know that John was from Berks, later Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and I know Catherine was born in Berks County, it makes sense to comb Berks County for a Mary M or Maria Magdalena or some variation of those names, born in 1775 (per Find a Grave's headstone information saying she was 76 years 1 month and 28 days old when she died). This would put her birth date as about November 12, 1775. So I need to look for a christening date later than that. It would not be at all unusual for Maria Magdalena to become Mary M. John Whetstone was probably Johannes, and his father's last name is often given as Wetztein. Names were evolving and not yet "Americanized."
I also have seen on line trees listing her name as Maria Magdalina Kettner or Kepner. Aha! I thought. I have a Maria Magdalena Kepner in my database already. Well, it's not that easy. I haven't been able to prove that the one I have, a daughter of Bernard Kepler and Maria Elizabeth Lindemuth, is the correct person. I haven't been able to disprove it, either. The one in my database shows a birth date of 1776, which could be a christening date or could be an "about" date. But so far, I haven't found a marriage record for John, or Maria Magdalena. I'm not convinced yet. The Keplers were in Brunswick Twp, later Schuylkill County, so the location fits.
There also is a Maria Magdalene Ketner, born in 1776 (Northkill, Berks County, Pa) with no specific date and no additional information or documentation yet located. She was the daughter of Johannes Henry Ketner and Justina Catarina Brossman. From what I can tell from the maps, Northkill is pretty close to the location of the Whetstones, so it might be a possibility. So far, I haven't found another prospective husband for her.
I am just beginning this search, but I am posting speculations and thought processes here for several reasons. One is that I am hoping a distant family member will recognize this person and say, "Oh, she (one of the two above possibilities, or one I haven't found yet) married John! I have this record...". The second reason is to show readers that most of the time, you can't just open up a book and read a family's history. It has to be pulled and twisted out of very brief, disconnected pieces of information here and there. And the third reason is that I am running out of Harshbarger posts!
The line of descent is:
John Whetstone-Mary M.
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, September 2, 2016
Harshbarger line: Happy genealogy dance for John Whetstone
Well, actually the happy dance is for Catherine Whetstone, a brick wall for the past three plus years. I knew she was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania on December 27, 1798, died in August 19, 1887 in Whitley County, Indiana, married Henry Cook, and had at least 10 children starting in 1817. I also knew this couple had spent a considerable time in Stark County, Ohio.
Apparently that's when my brain stopped working. I've been digging around in Berks County records when I should have been doing more work in Stark County. A simple search of the 1830 census showed one Whetstone family living in Stark County, a man named John Whetstone. He was the right age to be Catherine's father. I haven't found him yet in the 1820 census (the name can be spelled soooo many different ways) but in the 1810 and 1800 census years he is in Brunswick, Berks County, Pa (later Schuylkill County) with females of the right age to be Catherine. Catherine and Henry named one of their sons John, which is another clue.
The best developed tree I found online listed 7 children for the family of John and Maria Magdalena. Three of those children married in Stark County, Ohio, as did a fourth Whetstone, Susannah, several years earlier than the others. I believe Henry and Catherine had married in Pennsylvania, but I'm not sure of that yet as I've not found records. The birth dates for the Whetstone children compared with the census years indicate that we may yet be missing one male and one female, but the children I'm going to list are: Catherine, Susannah, John, Esther, Benjamin, Solomon, Leah, Rachel, and Absalom. (Catherine and Susannah are my additions.) The birthdates are not clear for any except Catherine, which indicates to me perhaps the church records are gone for this family.
Having made my case, I hope, for John Whetstone as the father of Catherine, here is what I know of him so far. He was the son of Captain Jacob Whetstone or Wetstein, who has his own story to tell, and Anna Maria Schaeffer and was born probably about 1775. He purchased land in Brunswick Township, Berks county, in 1786 (I may be misinterpreting this date as I only found a partial record.). This land was 170 acres and adjoined the land of Michael Folmer, Nicholas Redenbach and Thomas Wenerich. The purchase was noted on February 19, 1787 by two justices of the peace as land that had been improved by Christian Koch. (Because I haven't seen the land records yet, I must note that there is an online statement that John Whetstone and Christian Koch were involved in this sale in 1810. It's possible. I suspect that Christian Koch is Henry Cook's father, but can't yet make a strong argument for that case.
John and his family were probably in Stark County (Marlboro Township) by 1821, when Susannah married there. He is noted as being a blacksmith (as was Henry Cook). John died in November of 1836. I didn't find his will, but there is a lengthy estate record which includes a total inventory of his goods, and even better, a sales list with names of who bought what. On the list of buyers we find John Whetstone, Solomon Whetstone, and Absalom Whetstone, sons of our John, and also Henry Cook. (There is also a Michael Cook, but I don't know how if at all he relates to Henry, and that is a story for another time, perhaps). Sales totaled $141.62. Since I haven't found a will, I'm not sure whether there was land that was willed to a son, or not. John and Solomon were the administrators. The widow was allowed her own clothing as well as John's, plus a bed and bedding, one brown cow, twelve sheep, another bed and bedding, a spinning wheel, all the wool in (? possession?), two pots or kettles, and all the flax and yarn in (?possession?). She also selected some additional items, including a wool wheel, a copper kettle, a desk, and a spade.
Maria Magdalena, apparently known as Mary, died in 1852. She must have kept busy raising her sheep and spinning her wool and flax, but her children must have been nearly of an age to be out of the home because in the administration it was noted that she was to have enough "as she shall think reasonable for the support of herself and children for one year". The family had that long to plan and implement their future.
This is what I think I know of John Whetstone as of now. I look forward to researching him more, to trying to figure out who his wife is, and to learning more about his life and times. I would love to hear from anyone researching this family, especially if you think I have it wrong, or if you know of some sort of documentation somewhere that John actually had a daughter Catherine. But for now, I'm doing a happy dance because, with the help of another researcher, we seem to have found a family for Catherine!
The line of descent is:
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Apparently that's when my brain stopped working. I've been digging around in Berks County records when I should have been doing more work in Stark County. A simple search of the 1830 census showed one Whetstone family living in Stark County, a man named John Whetstone. He was the right age to be Catherine's father. I haven't found him yet in the 1820 census (the name can be spelled soooo many different ways) but in the 1810 and 1800 census years he is in Brunswick, Berks County, Pa (later Schuylkill County) with females of the right age to be Catherine. Catherine and Henry named one of their sons John, which is another clue.
The best developed tree I found online listed 7 children for the family of John and Maria Magdalena. Three of those children married in Stark County, Ohio, as did a fourth Whetstone, Susannah, several years earlier than the others. I believe Henry and Catherine had married in Pennsylvania, but I'm not sure of that yet as I've not found records. The birth dates for the Whetstone children compared with the census years indicate that we may yet be missing one male and one female, but the children I'm going to list are: Catherine, Susannah, John, Esther, Benjamin, Solomon, Leah, Rachel, and Absalom. (Catherine and Susannah are my additions.) The birthdates are not clear for any except Catherine, which indicates to me perhaps the church records are gone for this family.
Having made my case, I hope, for John Whetstone as the father of Catherine, here is what I know of him so far. He was the son of Captain Jacob Whetstone or Wetstein, who has his own story to tell, and Anna Maria Schaeffer and was born probably about 1775. He purchased land in Brunswick Township, Berks county, in 1786 (I may be misinterpreting this date as I only found a partial record.). This land was 170 acres and adjoined the land of Michael Folmer, Nicholas Redenbach and Thomas Wenerich. The purchase was noted on February 19, 1787 by two justices of the peace as land that had been improved by Christian Koch. (Because I haven't seen the land records yet, I must note that there is an online statement that John Whetstone and Christian Koch were involved in this sale in 1810. It's possible. I suspect that Christian Koch is Henry Cook's father, but can't yet make a strong argument for that case.
John and his family were probably in Stark County (Marlboro Township) by 1821, when Susannah married there. He is noted as being a blacksmith (as was Henry Cook). John died in November of 1836. I didn't find his will, but there is a lengthy estate record which includes a total inventory of his goods, and even better, a sales list with names of who bought what. On the list of buyers we find John Whetstone, Solomon Whetstone, and Absalom Whetstone, sons of our John, and also Henry Cook. (There is also a Michael Cook, but I don't know how if at all he relates to Henry, and that is a story for another time, perhaps). Sales totaled $141.62. Since I haven't found a will, I'm not sure whether there was land that was willed to a son, or not. John and Solomon were the administrators. The widow was allowed her own clothing as well as John's, plus a bed and bedding, one brown cow, twelve sheep, another bed and bedding, a spinning wheel, all the wool in (? possession?), two pots or kettles, and all the flax and yarn in (?possession?). She also selected some additional items, including a wool wheel, a copper kettle, a desk, and a spade.
Maria Magdalena, apparently known as Mary, died in 1852. She must have kept busy raising her sheep and spinning her wool and flax, but her children must have been nearly of an age to be out of the home because in the administration it was noted that she was to have enough "as she shall think reasonable for the support of herself and children for one year". The family had that long to plan and implement their future.
This is what I think I know of John Whetstone as of now. I look forward to researching him more, to trying to figure out who his wife is, and to learning more about his life and times. I would love to hear from anyone researching this family, especially if you think I have it wrong, or if you know of some sort of documentation somewhere that John actually had a daughter Catherine. But for now, I'm doing a happy dance because, with the help of another researcher, we seem to have found a family for Catherine!
The line of descent is:
John Whetstone-Maria Magdalena
Catherine Whetstone-Henry Cook
William Cook-Elizabeth Brown
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
William H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, April 8, 2016
Harshbarger line: Henry Matthias Braun died 1814
Usually I have enough information about an ancestor to write at least a few paragraphs. I'm not sure I have enough for a few sentences about this gentleman, so this is mainly a plea for help.
Henry Matthias Braun is believed to have been born before 1750 in either Sachsen, Germany or in Bedford County, Pa. His parents are stated to be Heinrich and Anna Maria Catherine Rau Braun. In searching my usual sources, I can't verify either the date or the names of his parents. If these are his parents, then Heinrich would actually be the immigrant. So far, I'm lacking documentation to go back further.
Matthias married Maria Salome Hoerner in 1769 in Frederick County, Maryland. Children were apparently born in Maryland, in Bedford County, Pa and possibly in Lancaster County, Pa. David Braun or Brown is believed to be one of their children, but I would certainly like to find documentation for that. If he was born in Lancaster County, then I would have to question whether Matthias and Maria Salome are actually his parents, or I'd like to find out what his parents were doing there.
Matthias and Maria Salome had eight children together, and died in Woodbury Township, Bedford County, Pa, he in 1814 and she in 1810.
That, so far, is what I "know" about this ancestor, which isn't much. His age is such that he may have served in the Revolutionary War, but I'm not locating a card in the Pennsylvania Archives that I can say is surely his, although there is a Henirch Braun in the 4th US Artillery, among other possibilities.
I would love to know how he made his living, what church he attended, and where his property, if any, was. I'd also love to find a will or probate papers.
If someone out there knows more about this gentleman, I would love to hear from you! My email is happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom.
The line of descent is:
Henry Matthias Braun-Maria Salome Hoerner
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
Wiliam H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Henry Matthias Braun is believed to have been born before 1750 in either Sachsen, Germany or in Bedford County, Pa. His parents are stated to be Heinrich and Anna Maria Catherine Rau Braun. In searching my usual sources, I can't verify either the date or the names of his parents. If these are his parents, then Heinrich would actually be the immigrant. So far, I'm lacking documentation to go back further.
Matthias married Maria Salome Hoerner in 1769 in Frederick County, Maryland. Children were apparently born in Maryland, in Bedford County, Pa and possibly in Lancaster County, Pa. David Braun or Brown is believed to be one of their children, but I would certainly like to find documentation for that. If he was born in Lancaster County, then I would have to question whether Matthias and Maria Salome are actually his parents, or I'd like to find out what his parents were doing there.
Matthias and Maria Salome had eight children together, and died in Woodbury Township, Bedford County, Pa, he in 1814 and she in 1810.
That, so far, is what I "know" about this ancestor, which isn't much. His age is such that he may have served in the Revolutionary War, but I'm not locating a card in the Pennsylvania Archives that I can say is surely his, although there is a Henirch Braun in the 4th US Artillery, among other possibilities.
I would love to know how he made his living, what church he attended, and where his property, if any, was. I'd also love to find a will or probate papers.
If someone out there knows more about this gentleman, I would love to hear from you! My email is happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom.
The line of descent is:
Henry Matthias Braun-Maria Salome Hoerner
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William A Withers
Wiliam H Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, January 29, 2016
Harshbarger line, maybe: Peter Gearhart, maybe
Peter Gearhart is not yet connected to the Harshbarger family tree. The reason I'm writing about him is that Mary Gearhart married Joseph Withers in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1832. The only Gearhart I have found in Cumberland County prior to that is Peter Gearhart who married Polly Wallace in 1805 in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pa. I have wondered if these are Mary's parents, but so far I have nothing to prove that.
I had been unable to locate anything about Peter Gearhart until this week, when I located a Peter Geerhart in the 1800 census for Tyrone, Cumberland, Pa. His information provides two possibilities: He was at this time a man over the age of 45, with a (presumed) wife aged 26-44. So, it could be that his wife died and he remarried in 1805. It could also be that one of his two sons aged 10-15 was actually 15, and that he was named Peter, and that he married Polly Wallace in 1805, when he was quite young.
Or, it could be that I am on the wrong track entirely. Still, a possibility is better than no possibility, which is what I've had up until now. I need to do more research in Cumberland County and see what else I might be overlooking. If anyone reading this has worked on this family, or has other information that would help me with this family, I would certainly appreciate hearing from you. The chances that I will get to Carlisle to do courthouse and historical society research are pretty slim. Please email me: happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom.
The line of descent is:
Unknown Gearhart/Gerhardt/Geerhart
Mary Gearhart-Joseph Withers
William Withers-Barbara Cook
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
I had been unable to locate anything about Peter Gearhart until this week, when I located a Peter Geerhart in the 1800 census for Tyrone, Cumberland, Pa. His information provides two possibilities: He was at this time a man over the age of 45, with a (presumed) wife aged 26-44. So, it could be that his wife died and he remarried in 1805. It could also be that one of his two sons aged 10-15 was actually 15, and that he was named Peter, and that he married Polly Wallace in 1805, when he was quite young.
Or, it could be that I am on the wrong track entirely. Still, a possibility is better than no possibility, which is what I've had up until now. I need to do more research in Cumberland County and see what else I might be overlooking. If anyone reading this has worked on this family, or has other information that would help me with this family, I would certainly appreciate hearing from you. The chances that I will get to Carlisle to do courthouse and historical society research are pretty slim. Please email me: happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom.
The line of descent is:
Unknown Gearhart/Gerhardt/Geerhart
Mary Gearhart-Joseph Withers
William Withers-Barbara Cook
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, December 4, 2015
Holbrook line: Henry Kingman 1595-1667, Immigrant
What would we ever do without the "Great Migration" series that Robert Charles Anderson has devoted his life to preparing? We certainly wouldn't know as much as we do, particularly about this ancestor, Henry Kingman. With all due respect, however, there are still mysteries about this immigrant, including the minor details of when and where he was born, and who his parents were. As I understand it, there is a researcher in England working on these questions now. May he have great success, and may he share them with the many thousands of people who descent from Henry.
The first knowledge we have of the man, at present, is his migration to New England in 1635 on board the Marygould. This ship sailed from Weymouth, England and almost all the passengers went to Weymouth, Massachusetts, a small village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was part of Rev. Hull's company. (Rev. Hull was an interesting preacher for the time. He was expelled from the Church of England early in 1635, then was pastor at Weymouth until he was dismissed for his "liberal views", and so on to Hingham and various other places until he returned to England for a decade, then back to the New World to preach in New Hampshire. He was apparently too Puritan for the Church of England and too Church of England for the Puritans.) When Henry came to America, he is listed as being 40 years old. He came with his wife, Joane, and chidren, Edward, Joane, Ann, Thomas, John, and a servant, John or Jonathan Ford.
Henry and his wife settled in Weymouth, a small village at the time, and stayed there the rest of their lives. He was a freeman, a member of the church, and a ferryman and innkeeper by trade. He was granted 42 acres at Weymouth in 1636, apparently in several different parcels, and also acquired land that was "first given to" various other settlers, who apparently moved on or died. In 1648, he purchased a house and several acres of land belonging to William Richards, so the ferryman/innkeeper business must have been somewhat lucrative.
He served as the deputy for Wemouth to the Massachusetts Bay General Court in May of 1638 and again in May of 1652, and was a memer of a Massachusetts Bay grand jury in 1637.
Joan died at Weymouth on April 11, 1659 and Henry died there June 5, 1667. They had six children, Edward, Joan, Anne, Thomas, Bridget, and John, all born in England. All of the children probably helped in the family business as they grew, so this would likely have been a close family. Henry's inventory was not totaled, but the land he owned was valued at 288 pounds, and it is noted that his estate included a Bible and one other book.
This is as much as we currently know about Henry and his wife, Joan or Joanna. There is much speculation that Joan's maiden name was Drake. If so, her genealogy may make her a cousin to Sir Francis Drake, but this is not proven. It would be wonderful to find more answers to more questions!
The line of descent is
Henry Kingman-Joan possibly Drake
Joan or Joanna Kingman-Thomas Holbrook
Peter Holbrook-Alice Godfrey
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright (there she is again!)
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The first knowledge we have of the man, at present, is his migration to New England in 1635 on board the Marygould. This ship sailed from Weymouth, England and almost all the passengers went to Weymouth, Massachusetts, a small village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was part of Rev. Hull's company. (Rev. Hull was an interesting preacher for the time. He was expelled from the Church of England early in 1635, then was pastor at Weymouth until he was dismissed for his "liberal views", and so on to Hingham and various other places until he returned to England for a decade, then back to the New World to preach in New Hampshire. He was apparently too Puritan for the Church of England and too Church of England for the Puritans.) When Henry came to America, he is listed as being 40 years old. He came with his wife, Joane, and chidren, Edward, Joane, Ann, Thomas, John, and a servant, John or Jonathan Ford.
Henry and his wife settled in Weymouth, a small village at the time, and stayed there the rest of their lives. He was a freeman, a member of the church, and a ferryman and innkeeper by trade. He was granted 42 acres at Weymouth in 1636, apparently in several different parcels, and also acquired land that was "first given to" various other settlers, who apparently moved on or died. In 1648, he purchased a house and several acres of land belonging to William Richards, so the ferryman/innkeeper business must have been somewhat lucrative.
He served as the deputy for Wemouth to the Massachusetts Bay General Court in May of 1638 and again in May of 1652, and was a memer of a Massachusetts Bay grand jury in 1637.
Joan died at Weymouth on April 11, 1659 and Henry died there June 5, 1667. They had six children, Edward, Joan, Anne, Thomas, Bridget, and John, all born in England. All of the children probably helped in the family business as they grew, so this would likely have been a close family. Henry's inventory was not totaled, but the land he owned was valued at 288 pounds, and it is noted that his estate included a Bible and one other book.
This is as much as we currently know about Henry and his wife, Joan or Joanna. There is much speculation that Joan's maiden name was Drake. If so, her genealogy may make her a cousin to Sir Francis Drake, but this is not proven. It would be wonderful to find more answers to more questions!
The line of descent is
Henry Kingman-Joan possibly Drake
Joan or Joanna Kingman-Thomas Holbrook
Peter Holbrook-Alice Godfrey
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright (there she is again!)
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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