John Stannard is not an easy man to research, partly because his name is spelled in so many different ways (Stonard is the most common, especially in England). But we are fortunate enough to think we know about when he was born, who his parents were, who his wife was and when they married, and the names of his children. We also see a few faint traces of his life in America.
John was born probably by 1610 in Harlow, Essex, England. His wife, Margaret Miller, was born October 2, 1603 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. It sounds like they were from different worlds but actually the two towns were about 10 miles apart, and depending on where they actually lived, they may have been almost neighbors. The families likely knew each other through business, church, or mutual friends, because parents generally were still guiding, if not arranging, marriages at this time. So that's easy enough to explain, or to think we understand. What is a little more difficult is to explain why John and Margaret (daughter of Thomas and Ann or Agnes Berry or Lambe) were married in St Dunstan's, London, England on May 12, 1631. Did they have more family there? If their first son's birth year of 1631 is correct, then perhaps this was an elopement of sorts. The 1631 marriage date is probably the reason that John's birth date is given as "by about 1610"; he would have been 21 then. He was probably born several years earlier, in my opinion, but records have not yet been found.
John and Margaret quickly settled down and had a family. There were four children, with the last being born about 1637. John brought his young family to American by 1639, because he is noted as having 7 acres of land in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in a list made between 1638 and 1640. He would have needed to have worked hard to provide a home, establish a business or farm, and later build a home for the family. We know he mortgaged his house and lands in 1645 and discharged the debt in 1646, but whether that was to build a better home, or to help a business, or what the motive was, we do not know. It is said that he joined the church, and he owned property, but apparently he never became a freeman, which means he didn't vote and therefore didn't hold public office. I'd like to know the reason for this!
John died June 13, 1649 in Roxbury. In the town records, he is described as being middle aged, which could well mean he was born around 1600. We have record of his inventory, valued at 137 pounds and taken by Isaac Heath (our uncle), John Johnson (our ancestor) and William Parke. The inventory is available through American Ancestors, in their Suffolk Co, Ma: Probate File Papers, pages 83:1 and following. I can tell you where the record can an be found, and I've printed it off, but it is faint and fuzzy and I can't read it. I'd sure like to read it, for it probably would give us clues as to his occupation and his education.
There should also be guardian records for some of the children, but I've not found them. Margaret remarried, at least once, and died in 1682 in Dedham, Massachusetts. So, there is more research to do on John and his family, but this is a start. In my mind, he was an amazing man simply because he came to America, and provided for his family while building our country.
The line of descent is:
John Stannard-Margaret Miller
Joseph Stannard-Elizabeth Spencer
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard -Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miller. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Friday, May 11, 2018
Holbrook line: Benjamin Albee, Immigrant, carpenter, Baptist!
I think that other than our Rhode Island folks, Benjamin Albee is the earliest Baptist I've found. But I'm getting ahead of the story.
Like so many of our ancestors, we have no record of when Benjamin Albee came to Massachusetts Bay Colony. He must have been here by 1639, because he married Hannah Miller there on July 26, 1639, in Braintree. That is what is known of the first roughly 25 years of his life. We don't know where he was from, nor the names of his parents. It would be interesting to know who they were, and what they believed, and whether in any way they influenced Benjamin's religious beliefs. Apparently Hannah, whose background and origin are also not known, agreed with him enough to become his wife.
We know that he was in Braintree when ater he lived in Milfhe became a freeman in 1642. Working back, he may have been an indentured servant when he arrived in, say, 1638, since four years was the typical length of time to earn an indentured servant his freedom. If he was a servant, he would have needed his master's permission to marry. Also if he was a servant, this may have been where he learned his carpentry skills. (The only known facts in this paragraph are the date of his being made a freeman, and the fact that he was a carpenter. All else is speculation, mine.)
The Albees were to have at least six children. There were Hannah, who married Samuel Wight, Lydia, who married Alexander Lovell, Prudence, who married Thomas Barnes, John, who married Jane Holbrook, James, who married Hannah Cooke, and Sarah, who married John Medbury. Jane Holbrook's ancestors were ours, and Hannah Cooke's parents were our ancestors also. Another fun facte is that Benjamin was an ancestor to President William Howard Taft, so there's another presidential connection for us!
Another fact that causes speculation is that the Albees moved frequently. They were in Braintree, and then in 1649 in Medfield, and then in Milford, where he built the first water powered grain mill there. Later they lived in Swansea, where he helped establish the Baptist church, and then in Medfield and finally Mendon. Those facts are known. What isn't known is why he moved so frequently. Was it purely because of the work he did as a carpenter and a land surveyor, and he moved because that's where the work was? Or, was he a speck in the eyes of the Puritan church, and encouraged to leave because of his religious beliefs? It must have been difficult to have beliefs that isolated him from the society of Puritans, and therefore probably left him out of the equivalent of the "Old Boys Club".
An additional difficult part of Benjamin's life occurred during King Philip's War. In 1675, he and his family had to flee to Swansea. Both Mendon, where he was living at the time, and Swansea, the town he had lived in previously, were burned by the native Americans. Not only that, but Benjamin's son John died in battle in 1675. I can't imagine the pain of losing a home and presumably many of their household goods, but also a son at the same time. No, life was not easy for the Albee family.
Benjamin is believed to have died in 1686. I show Hannah with a death date of 1655, but that's not correct since the Swansea Baptist church wasn't founded until 1667 and their names are both in the church documents. We don't know anything about Benjamin's education but the fact that he could build a mill, do land surveying, and apparently build pretty much anything that was needed surely means that he was an intelligent man. It would be interesting to know the value of his estate. He'd only had about 10 years to build it back up after losing everything, so one would expect that it would be relatively low. It would be nice, however, to find answers to some ofe these questions, to confirm or disprove our speculations, and especially, to learn more about his origins.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Albee-Hannah Miller
Hannah Albee-Samuel Wight
Hannah Wight-John Thompson
Joseph Thompson-Mary Holbrook
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Like so many of our ancestors, we have no record of when Benjamin Albee came to Massachusetts Bay Colony. He must have been here by 1639, because he married Hannah Miller there on July 26, 1639, in Braintree. That is what is known of the first roughly 25 years of his life. We don't know where he was from, nor the names of his parents. It would be interesting to know who they were, and what they believed, and whether in any way they influenced Benjamin's religious beliefs. Apparently Hannah, whose background and origin are also not known, agreed with him enough to become his wife.
We know that he was in Braintree when ater he lived in Milfhe became a freeman in 1642. Working back, he may have been an indentured servant when he arrived in, say, 1638, since four years was the typical length of time to earn an indentured servant his freedom. If he was a servant, he would have needed his master's permission to marry. Also if he was a servant, this may have been where he learned his carpentry skills. (The only known facts in this paragraph are the date of his being made a freeman, and the fact that he was a carpenter. All else is speculation, mine.)
The Albees were to have at least six children. There were Hannah, who married Samuel Wight, Lydia, who married Alexander Lovell, Prudence, who married Thomas Barnes, John, who married Jane Holbrook, James, who married Hannah Cooke, and Sarah, who married John Medbury. Jane Holbrook's ancestors were ours, and Hannah Cooke's parents were our ancestors also. Another fun facte is that Benjamin was an ancestor to President William Howard Taft, so there's another presidential connection for us!
Another fact that causes speculation is that the Albees moved frequently. They were in Braintree, and then in 1649 in Medfield, and then in Milford, where he built the first water powered grain mill there. Later they lived in Swansea, where he helped establish the Baptist church, and then in Medfield and finally Mendon. Those facts are known. What isn't known is why he moved so frequently. Was it purely because of the work he did as a carpenter and a land surveyor, and he moved because that's where the work was? Or, was he a speck in the eyes of the Puritan church, and encouraged to leave because of his religious beliefs? It must have been difficult to have beliefs that isolated him from the society of Puritans, and therefore probably left him out of the equivalent of the "Old Boys Club".
An additional difficult part of Benjamin's life occurred during King Philip's War. In 1675, he and his family had to flee to Swansea. Both Mendon, where he was living at the time, and Swansea, the town he had lived in previously, were burned by the native Americans. Not only that, but Benjamin's son John died in battle in 1675. I can't imagine the pain of losing a home and presumably many of their household goods, but also a son at the same time. No, life was not easy for the Albee family.
Benjamin is believed to have died in 1686. I show Hannah with a death date of 1655, but that's not correct since the Swansea Baptist church wasn't founded until 1667 and their names are both in the church documents. We don't know anything about Benjamin's education but the fact that he could build a mill, do land surveying, and apparently build pretty much anything that was needed surely means that he was an intelligent man. It would be interesting to know the value of his estate. He'd only had about 10 years to build it back up after losing everything, so one would expect that it would be relatively low. It would be nice, however, to find answers to some ofe these questions, to confirm or disprove our speculations, and especially, to learn more about his origins.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Albee-Hannah Miller
Hannah Albee-Samuel Wight
Hannah Wight-John Thompson
Joseph Thompson-Mary Holbrook
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Harshbarger line: Hiram Burkholder, Civil War veteran
Hiram Burkholder is not a direct ancestor in the ancestor line, but he is a brother to Barbara Burkholder Long Buchtel Kemery, and so is my husband's third great grand uncle. As an addition to Barbara's story, now we know that she also had a brother to worry about, during the Civil War. I've been able to uncover just a little of his story, so here is what I've learned so far.
Hiram was the youngest son of Joseph and Elizabeth Miller Burkholder. Like most of his siblings, he was born in Portage County, Ohio, where the Burkholders had settled as early as 1820. The children attended school there at District 4 Suffield Township, although we don't know how long they were in school. Hiram's older sister Barbara married at the age of 14 but she was a girl, so perhaps not expected to go beyond what we would call grammar school.
Sometime in the early 1850s the family moved to Whitley County, Indiana. Michael Burkholder, whom I believe to be the oldest brother, was still in Suffield Township, Portage County, Ohio in the 1850 census (he had a son named Hiram born in 1849 and I have found some confusion in trees concerning the two Hirams) but I haven't found Joseph in the 1850 census yet.
At any rate, the Burkholders and the Buchtels and other either related or about to be related families moved to Columbia Township, Whitley County, Indiana and in the 1860 census Hiram at age 21, is the only child left at home. His parents were elderly, or at least Joseph was. He was listed as 77 years old and Elizabeth is listed as 66 years old.
Hiram didn't stay in the Burkholder household much longer. On August 3, 1861, he married Martha Ester Brock and they likely set up their own household. The Civil War, however, intervened and Hiram apparently enlisted in the 100th Indiana Regiment, Company F. This company (a company started out as a unit of 100 soldiers) was made up primarily of Whitley County men, so he would have known and probably neighbored with some of the group. Hiram went into the army as a private and was discharged as a private. His enlistment date was August 20, 1862, the unit was mustered in on September 10, and by November 1 they were on their way to Memphis, and to more excitement than any of them would ever wish to see again. These men saw as much action as any in the War, I would think.
Their first big actions were the actions at Vicksburg, Missisippi, both the unsuccessful battle and then the siege. They then went to Jackson, Mississippi where they saw constant action, and then were in camp at Big Black Springs to rest and recuperate. They sailed to Memphis with the 4th division, 15th Army corps, and moved on to Stevenson and Bridgeport, Alabama and Trenton,Ga. They participated in the defeat of the Confederates on Lookout Mountain and then marched to Chattanooga where they participated in the storming of Missionary Ridge. The division took the Ridge and held it against tremendous Confederate assaults, and it's likely that Hiram was there. From there, the unit went to several more locations before joining in the Atlanta campaign. There were at least thirteen engagements listed in the regimental history before they ever reached Atlanta, so it is safe to assume that Hiram was fighting pretty much all the way. After Atlanta was evacuated there were further marches and campaigns, including Savannah and Griswoldville. They then went to and through the Carolinas, eventually ending up at Raleigh, N.C. when the war ended. They then proceeded to Richmond and on to Washington, D> for the grand review and mustering out on June 9, 1865. The original strength of the regiment was 968, gain by recruits 86; total 1054. Loss by death was 237, desertion 31, and unaccounted for, 11. So over 20 percent of the regiment was lost to death, and we don't know the extent of the injured. Of the dead, 58 were killed in action and 173 men died of disease, usually dysentery or typhoid fever or malaria or any of the other "camp fever" diseases.
Hiram and Martha had started their family before Hiram left for the War. According to census records of 1870, Hiram and Martha (Martha was only 22!) had four children, Joseph who was about 6, then Elizabeth who was four, Barbary who was two, and William who was just four months old.
Now we come to a mystery, which I hope someone can explain. Sometime between 1870 and 1880 the family moved from Whitley County Indiana to Van Buren, Darke County, Ohio Hiram's occupation didn't change, for he was a farmer in both locations. Mary, Michael, and Lida had joined the family. Martha had aged 13 years in the ten years between the censuses and was now 35, and had seven children to raise. I wonder what influenced Hiram's decision to move? There was a Brock family living there of the right age to be Martha's parents, or other older relation, but I don't know if this is the explanation or not.
At any rate, Hiram and Martha were still there in 1900, living by themselves and probably enjoying a bit of peace and quiet. Martha was 56 in this census, so the 1880 census age of 35 was probably close to correct. When Hiram married Mary Grim (father Washington Lutins, mother last name of Ayers) on March 30, 1905, both were listed as widowed. This is the last time I've found Hiram in a census, or in any other record, until his death on July 26, 1930. He was receiving a pension from his Civil War service, but I haven't ordered it. ( I would love to see what it says but it would cost at least $80 to get it, so for now, it goes on my wish list).
According to Find a Grave, Hiram died on July 26, 1930 and is buried at Abbotsville Cemetery, Abbotsville, Darke County, Ohio. One other note: The same site lists two additional children for Hiram and Martha. Delana and Dolphus each died as infants, between the censuses. Delana died in 1877 and is apparently buried there, so that gives us a clue as to when the family moved to Darke County.
I always enjoy sharing the stories of our ancestors and their families who served in the military. It is one way I can honor them, as well as reminding myself that our soldiers (sailors, etc,) suffered real hardships and faced death for the cause and country they believed in. We need to know their stories!
Hiram was the youngest son of Joseph and Elizabeth Miller Burkholder. Like most of his siblings, he was born in Portage County, Ohio, where the Burkholders had settled as early as 1820. The children attended school there at District 4 Suffield Township, although we don't know how long they were in school. Hiram's older sister Barbara married at the age of 14 but she was a girl, so perhaps not expected to go beyond what we would call grammar school.
Sometime in the early 1850s the family moved to Whitley County, Indiana. Michael Burkholder, whom I believe to be the oldest brother, was still in Suffield Township, Portage County, Ohio in the 1850 census (he had a son named Hiram born in 1849 and I have found some confusion in trees concerning the two Hirams) but I haven't found Joseph in the 1850 census yet.
At any rate, the Burkholders and the Buchtels and other either related or about to be related families moved to Columbia Township, Whitley County, Indiana and in the 1860 census Hiram at age 21, is the only child left at home. His parents were elderly, or at least Joseph was. He was listed as 77 years old and Elizabeth is listed as 66 years old.
Hiram didn't stay in the Burkholder household much longer. On August 3, 1861, he married Martha Ester Brock and they likely set up their own household. The Civil War, however, intervened and Hiram apparently enlisted in the 100th Indiana Regiment, Company F. This company (a company started out as a unit of 100 soldiers) was made up primarily of Whitley County men, so he would have known and probably neighbored with some of the group. Hiram went into the army as a private and was discharged as a private. His enlistment date was August 20, 1862, the unit was mustered in on September 10, and by November 1 they were on their way to Memphis, and to more excitement than any of them would ever wish to see again. These men saw as much action as any in the War, I would think.
Their first big actions were the actions at Vicksburg, Missisippi, both the unsuccessful battle and then the siege. They then went to Jackson, Mississippi where they saw constant action, and then were in camp at Big Black Springs to rest and recuperate. They sailed to Memphis with the 4th division, 15th Army corps, and moved on to Stevenson and Bridgeport, Alabama and Trenton,Ga. They participated in the defeat of the Confederates on Lookout Mountain and then marched to Chattanooga where they participated in the storming of Missionary Ridge. The division took the Ridge and held it against tremendous Confederate assaults, and it's likely that Hiram was there. From there, the unit went to several more locations before joining in the Atlanta campaign. There were at least thirteen engagements listed in the regimental history before they ever reached Atlanta, so it is safe to assume that Hiram was fighting pretty much all the way. After Atlanta was evacuated there were further marches and campaigns, including Savannah and Griswoldville. They then went to and through the Carolinas, eventually ending up at Raleigh, N.C. when the war ended. They then proceeded to Richmond and on to Washington, D> for the grand review and mustering out on June 9, 1865. The original strength of the regiment was 968, gain by recruits 86; total 1054. Loss by death was 237, desertion 31, and unaccounted for, 11. So over 20 percent of the regiment was lost to death, and we don't know the extent of the injured. Of the dead, 58 were killed in action and 173 men died of disease, usually dysentery or typhoid fever or malaria or any of the other "camp fever" diseases.
Hiram and Martha had started their family before Hiram left for the War. According to census records of 1870, Hiram and Martha (Martha was only 22!) had four children, Joseph who was about 6, then Elizabeth who was four, Barbary who was two, and William who was just four months old.
Now we come to a mystery, which I hope someone can explain. Sometime between 1870 and 1880 the family moved from Whitley County Indiana to Van Buren, Darke County, Ohio Hiram's occupation didn't change, for he was a farmer in both locations. Mary, Michael, and Lida had joined the family. Martha had aged 13 years in the ten years between the censuses and was now 35, and had seven children to raise. I wonder what influenced Hiram's decision to move? There was a Brock family living there of the right age to be Martha's parents, or other older relation, but I don't know if this is the explanation or not.
At any rate, Hiram and Martha were still there in 1900, living by themselves and probably enjoying a bit of peace and quiet. Martha was 56 in this census, so the 1880 census age of 35 was probably close to correct. When Hiram married Mary Grim (father Washington Lutins, mother last name of Ayers) on March 30, 1905, both were listed as widowed. This is the last time I've found Hiram in a census, or in any other record, until his death on July 26, 1930. He was receiving a pension from his Civil War service, but I haven't ordered it. ( I would love to see what it says but it would cost at least $80 to get it, so for now, it goes on my wish list).
According to Find a Grave, Hiram died on July 26, 1930 and is buried at Abbotsville Cemetery, Abbotsville, Darke County, Ohio. One other note: The same site lists two additional children for Hiram and Martha. Delana and Dolphus each died as infants, between the censuses. Delana died in 1877 and is apparently buried there, so that gives us a clue as to when the family moved to Darke County.
I always enjoy sharing the stories of our ancestors and their families who served in the military. It is one way I can honor them, as well as reminding myself that our soldiers (sailors, etc,) suffered real hardships and faced death for the cause and country they believed in. We need to know their stories!
Friday, April 21, 2017
Harshbarger line: Yost Gingrich, probably ours
I say probably because I'm not100% convinced that the Burkholder tree I've been working on is correct. And Yost (Josef, Joseph) comes from that tree. His daughter Maria or Mary married Adam Burkholder, and they had several children together. Here's the problem: Joseph Burkholder was born in 1783. His father, Adam, who married Maria or Mary was born in about 1728. I've seen all sorts of dates for Maria's but averaging them out, I'm guessing about 1745. Now, it wouldn't be impossible for a woman of that age to have a son of Joseph's age (giving birth at somewhere around age 40), but there's another problem. Joseph Burkholder doesn't seem to be mentioned in his supposed father's (1728-1800) will, unless I'm missing something.
There could be an explanation for the will omission, but since Joseph was only 17 at the time of Adam's death, I'm wondering if we are actually missing a generation here, and it was one or another of Adam's sons who was actually Joseph's father. Regardless, I'm going to post what little I've learned about Yost because I think that based on names and location, Yost is probably the great grandfather, if not the grandfather, of Joseph Burkholder. Obviously, more work needs to be done on this line.
Yost Gingrich is variously reported as having been born in "Europe", "Germany" or "Bern Canton, Switzerland." My guess is that if he wasn't from Switzerland, then his parents were, because there is every indication that this was a Mennonite family, and many if not most Mennonites can be traced back to Switzerland. The specific locality in one tree is given as "Konsfinger, Bern, Switzerland" and he would have been born sometime about 1720 or so. Apparently the actual record hasn't been located yet, or else his parents, Johannes and Anna Sherk Gingrich, were living under the radar of the state church, which is also possible.
Yost is the only child I'm aware of. He married Anna Huber, daughter of Jacob and Anna Leininger Huber, in about 1740 in Seftigen, Bern, Switzerland. Again, documents seem to be lacking or at least not yet known to me. We don't know for sure when Yost came to America because some trees show that his children were born in Germany (or Switzerland) and some show them as being born here. He and Anna did have at least 8 children, though, with birth dates generally given in the 1740s and 1750s.
When Yost came to America, he apparently settled in that part of Lancaster County that would later become Amwell Township, Lebanon County, Pa. He purchased land from and beside Michael Baughman, and by 1771 was taxed for 240 acres, a mill (probably a grist mill), four horses and four cows. In roughly 25 years, he had done rather well for himself and his family. He died on or shortly before March 5, 1776 and is probably buried on the family farm. Maria outlived him by many years and died in 1813 in probably Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
This isn't much to go on, especially since I'm not sure of the exact relationship between Joseph Burkholder and Yost Gingrich. However, it is another tie in to Bern Canton, Switzerland, another story of Mennonite trials and blessings, and another reason to honor the efforts of these ancestors to come to America to build a new life. I hope to update this post when I've figured out the correct relationship, so for now consider this a work in progress.
The line of descent would be
Yost Gingrich-Anna Huber
Maria Gingrich-Adam Burkholder
possibly another Burkholder generation
Joseph Burkholder-Elizabeth Miller
Barbara Burkholder-Benjamin Buchtel
Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery
Della Kemery-William A Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
There could be an explanation for the will omission, but since Joseph was only 17 at the time of Adam's death, I'm wondering if we are actually missing a generation here, and it was one or another of Adam's sons who was actually Joseph's father. Regardless, I'm going to post what little I've learned about Yost because I think that based on names and location, Yost is probably the great grandfather, if not the grandfather, of Joseph Burkholder. Obviously, more work needs to be done on this line.
Yost Gingrich is variously reported as having been born in "Europe", "Germany" or "Bern Canton, Switzerland." My guess is that if he wasn't from Switzerland, then his parents were, because there is every indication that this was a Mennonite family, and many if not most Mennonites can be traced back to Switzerland. The specific locality in one tree is given as "Konsfinger, Bern, Switzerland" and he would have been born sometime about 1720 or so. Apparently the actual record hasn't been located yet, or else his parents, Johannes and Anna Sherk Gingrich, were living under the radar of the state church, which is also possible.
Yost is the only child I'm aware of. He married Anna Huber, daughter of Jacob and Anna Leininger Huber, in about 1740 in Seftigen, Bern, Switzerland. Again, documents seem to be lacking or at least not yet known to me. We don't know for sure when Yost came to America because some trees show that his children were born in Germany (or Switzerland) and some show them as being born here. He and Anna did have at least 8 children, though, with birth dates generally given in the 1740s and 1750s.
When Yost came to America, he apparently settled in that part of Lancaster County that would later become Amwell Township, Lebanon County, Pa. He purchased land from and beside Michael Baughman, and by 1771 was taxed for 240 acres, a mill (probably a grist mill), four horses and four cows. In roughly 25 years, he had done rather well for himself and his family. He died on or shortly before March 5, 1776 and is probably buried on the family farm. Maria outlived him by many years and died in 1813 in probably Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
This isn't much to go on, especially since I'm not sure of the exact relationship between Joseph Burkholder and Yost Gingrich. However, it is another tie in to Bern Canton, Switzerland, another story of Mennonite trials and blessings, and another reason to honor the efforts of these ancestors to come to America to build a new life. I hope to update this post when I've figured out the correct relationship, so for now consider this a work in progress.
The line of descent would be
Yost Gingrich-Anna Huber
Maria Gingrich-Adam Burkholder
possibly another Burkholder generation
Joseph Burkholder-Elizabeth Miller
Barbara Burkholder-Benjamin Buchtel
Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery
Della Kemery-William A Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Allen line: Samuel Eldred or Eldridge1620-1697, Immigrant
Well, we know his first name and we know he was an immigrant. The rest of the "facts" in the title are up for interpretation, to say the least. His name was generally spelled Eldred in the records I have looked at, but sometime after his generation the name is more commonly seen as Eldridge, as well as various other spellings. We say he was born in 1620 because that seems to be his christening record, although he, in various court documents, put his birth year at about 1612. And there are various reports as to when he died. It seems reasonable, based on the evidence, to think that he died in 1697 or shortly thereafter. I have seen a date as late as 1710, but that would put him at either 88 or 98 at the time of his death, which seems to stretch belief just a bit. (Yes, I know some people lived to be 90 even then, but it wasn't common.)
His parents are believed to be John and Anna Watson Eldred. His christening was on November 27, 1620at Ipswich, Suffolk, England. He had at least two brothers and a sister. His father died just a few days after Samuel married Elizabeth Miller at St Mary of the Quay in Ipswich.
By this time Samuel was a cordwainer (shoemaker) so he had a trade to support a wife. He is on record as a resident of Boston in 1641, so the couple must have come to America very shortly after their marriage. Samuel was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery in Boston in 1641, and either when he joined or later in his life was a sergeant. Military training was a fact of life for men of a certain age in Boston, and his training would come him handy later in his life.
Samuel and his growing family moved frequently. It's hard to tell what the reasons were for some of the moves, but we can make guesses about some of them. He lived in Charlestown, Medford, and Chelsea (Romney Marsh), and those moves may have been for economic reasons. He doesn't seem to have owned land in those locations, so he wasn't a first settler in any of them, but he may have been invited because people in those villages needed a shoemaker.
In 1660, however, the family moved to Wickford, Rhode Island. The statement is made, without proof so far as I know, that this was a Baptist family and they followed Roger Williams, 24 years after his forced eviction from Massachusetts Bay Colony. Other interpretations were that he was a follower of Anne Hutchinson, and left because of her banishment. This doesn't seem likely, as that exile took place 22 years earlier. At any rate, Samuel probably felt uncomfortable by 1660 and for whatever reason, went to Rhode Island.
He had some role in a dispute with Connecticut and apparently took that state's side. He tried to empanel a jury, for which he had no authority, and ended up being briefly imprisoned by Rhode Island officials, and rewarded with 18 rubles from Connecticut authorities. (I wish I understood this better, but this is the best I can do for now.) He and his family suffered great loss in King Phillip's War, and were given corn in the time of their distress (1676). So it sounds like at least the crop was lost, if not everything they owned. Samuel himself was involved in the War and assisted in capturing 18 native Americans at one time. It was not noted what became of the prisoners. By Samuel's calculations, he would have been about 64 years old at this time, yet he found himself in battle, and then starting over as far as crops and possibly a home go
Samuel and Elizabeth had at least seven, and possibly eight children. They were Elizabeth, Samuel, Mary, James, Thomas, John, Daniel, and possibly Enoch Kenyon. They were born from 1642 to 1663, with Enoch's birthplace and birthdate not noted. Elizabeth, Samuel's wife probably died in or shortly before 1697, and Samuel died sometime after Apil 13,1697, when he deeded land to son John. There is a burial plot on that land and Samuel and Elizabeth are believed to be buried there, but there is no stone or marker for them.
Samuel led an interesting life and took part in some of the events that allowed America to thrive. We should be proud to honor such a man.
The line of descent is
Samuel Eldred-Elizabeth Miller
Daniel Eldridge-Mary Phillips
Daniel Eldridge-Abigail Fish
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
His parents are believed to be John and Anna Watson Eldred. His christening was on November 27, 1620at Ipswich, Suffolk, England. He had at least two brothers and a sister. His father died just a few days after Samuel married Elizabeth Miller at St Mary of the Quay in Ipswich.
By this time Samuel was a cordwainer (shoemaker) so he had a trade to support a wife. He is on record as a resident of Boston in 1641, so the couple must have come to America very shortly after their marriage. Samuel was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery in Boston in 1641, and either when he joined or later in his life was a sergeant. Military training was a fact of life for men of a certain age in Boston, and his training would come him handy later in his life.
Samuel and his growing family moved frequently. It's hard to tell what the reasons were for some of the moves, but we can make guesses about some of them. He lived in Charlestown, Medford, and Chelsea (Romney Marsh), and those moves may have been for economic reasons. He doesn't seem to have owned land in those locations, so he wasn't a first settler in any of them, but he may have been invited because people in those villages needed a shoemaker.
In 1660, however, the family moved to Wickford, Rhode Island. The statement is made, without proof so far as I know, that this was a Baptist family and they followed Roger Williams, 24 years after his forced eviction from Massachusetts Bay Colony. Other interpretations were that he was a follower of Anne Hutchinson, and left because of her banishment. This doesn't seem likely, as that exile took place 22 years earlier. At any rate, Samuel probably felt uncomfortable by 1660 and for whatever reason, went to Rhode Island.
He had some role in a dispute with Connecticut and apparently took that state's side. He tried to empanel a jury, for which he had no authority, and ended up being briefly imprisoned by Rhode Island officials, and rewarded with 18 rubles from Connecticut authorities. (I wish I understood this better, but this is the best I can do for now.) He and his family suffered great loss in King Phillip's War, and were given corn in the time of their distress (1676). So it sounds like at least the crop was lost, if not everything they owned. Samuel himself was involved in the War and assisted in capturing 18 native Americans at one time. It was not noted what became of the prisoners. By Samuel's calculations, he would have been about 64 years old at this time, yet he found himself in battle, and then starting over as far as crops and possibly a home go
Samuel and Elizabeth had at least seven, and possibly eight children. They were Elizabeth, Samuel, Mary, James, Thomas, John, Daniel, and possibly Enoch Kenyon. They were born from 1642 to 1663, with Enoch's birthplace and birthdate not noted. Elizabeth, Samuel's wife probably died in or shortly before 1697, and Samuel died sometime after Apil 13,1697, when he deeded land to son John. There is a burial plot on that land and Samuel and Elizabeth are believed to be buried there, but there is no stone or marker for them.
Samuel led an interesting life and took part in some of the events that allowed America to thrive. We should be proud to honor such a man.
The line of descent is
Samuel Eldred-Elizabeth Miller
Daniel Eldridge-Mary Phillips
Daniel Eldridge-Abigail Fish
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Friday, January 13, 2017
Harshbarger line: Christian Bracker or Bracher
Caution! This blog post is full of conjectures and speculation. I'm writing it only because I am hoping someone will respond with information, not because I have information to share. All thoughts are purely my own, and I am responsible for misleading everyone if this speculation turns out to be totally incorrect.
The subject of today's post is Christian Bracker, or possibly Bracher. The only reason we know at present of his existence at all is that his name is in the marriage record of his daughter, Eva, when she married Johan George Harter (Herder) on October 26, 1752 in the records of St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Upper Saucon township of what is now Lehigh County, Pennsvylvania. At the time, it was Northampton County, but just barely. Prior to 1752 it had been Bucks County. I am only beginning to check the records of those last two counties but so far I haven't pulled up any mention, anywhere, of Christian. So, was his name noted in the record because he was known to the people of the area, or because he wasn't known and the pastor was trying to leave genealogy clues for us? At this point, a coin toss might be in order, if a decision needs to be made.
I have located one potential marriage for a Christian that seems to fit what we can guess about Christian. Since Johan George Harter was from Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, it is possible that the families knew each other and settled near each other in Pennsylvania. In looking for a Christian Bracker in Wuerttemberg, Germany, I find a Christian Bracher who married Rosina Barbara Neuschander in Botenheim, Neckar, Wuerttemburg, Germany on July 12, 1730. Eva Bracker Harter is believed to have a birthday of April 14, 1730, which is close to the marriage date. She may have arrived before the marriage or the birthdate may be off by a year. None of Eva's known children are married Barbara or Rosina, as far as we know, so this might not be the right couple, or at least not the right wife. Still, that area seems to be a good area to start researching, for someone who knows enough German and has access to local records.
So if Christian Bracker did come to Pennsylvania and was known to the pastor, what became of him? Again, there is only speculation. If he was still alive by 1755, he very well may have travelled elsewhere for safety as the native Americans attacked the settlers rather consistently for several years then. He may have traveled with his daughter, or with other family members. Based on a projected birth date of about 1705, he may have died at any time, as life was hard for these people. Or he could have been one of those who lived to a ripe old age of 85 or even 90. I'd like to think he died late in life, but if so, there would likely be more records than we are currently finding.
So, as you see, there is nothing known of Christian except that he had a daughter Eva. There are hints of his origin and of his wife, but there is as yet no proof that I am aware of. He is a mystery but perhaps the mystery will be solved one day. Most mysteries are.
The line of descent is:
Eva Bracker-Johan George Harter
George Harter-Mary Kitterman
Johan George Harter-Mary Miller
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update July 31, 2021. Please disregard this post. The first generations are not correct. George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger and the later generations are accurate.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Harshbarger line: Daniel Lawall 1716-1796 Immigrant
What's a good German doing being listed as of Huguenot ancestry, anyway? Well, Daniel's great grandparents left France when the Edict of Nantes of 1598, granting Huguenots a certain amount of liberty protection in France, was rescinded in 1685. Protestants were no longer free to worship or live as they pleased, and many, many families went to friendlier locations in Germany. If they chose the right city or village, they could continue to worship as Protestants. The family name was probably De Val or de la Val, in France.
Daniel himself may have come to the New World in search of religious freedom, or because of economic reasons, or a combination of both. He was born in 1716 in Budesheim, Rhein-Platz, in what would become Germany. His parents were Johan Daniel and Agnes Germanding Lawall, and he likely had siblings although I don't have any evidence of that. Most German families were large. Pictures on line show the village of Budesheim that at least from a distance probably hasn't changed much in 300 years, except this was in an area that was likely fought over during World War II, so perhaps the buildings are newer than they look. If I were a traveling person, this would be someplace I would want to put on my bucket list!
In Germany, Daniel married Barbara, who has not yet been identified further, to my knowledge. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1752, probably with Barbara and their five children. We don't yet know the story of his life in Pennsylvania, except that he was a farmer. By 1781 he was on the tax rolls in Lower Saucon township, Northampton County, Pa. At his death in 1796 he is listed as a yeoman, so he must have been a landowner.
I haven't yet found a will, but I have located the abstract. It names his wife, Barbara, and his children Ludwig, Anna Margaret (deceased wife of Christopher Ketterman), Gertraut, wife of George Seitz, Philip, and Bernina, wife of Valentine Horn. A nephew, Daniel Beidelman is also mention, and is one of the executors of the will. I wonder how Daniel Beidelman fits into the family? Is there a potential clue to Barbara here?
So far, this is what I know about Daniel. I'd like to know whether he knew that he was of French ancestry, or whether he thoroughly identified with his German village. I'd like to know where his land was, and how much he had. I'd like to know what this man thought of the events of the French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War. How was he affected by these events? Was he glad he had come to America? I would like to sit down and talk with this man!
The line of descent is:
Daniel Lawall-Barbara
Anna Margaret Lawall-Christopher Kitterman
Mary Kitterman-George Harter
Johan George Harter-Mary M Miller
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Ellen Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update: July 31/2021 Please disregard this post if you are reading it because it ties into the Harter line. The first four generations in this list are not connected to the George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger. More research to follow.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Harshbarger line: Tobias Miller 1731-1805
Tobias Miller. I could pretty much end this post right there, because that is almost as much as I know about him. There seem to have been several Tobias Miller's in this time period, one who stayed in Pennsylvania, one who went to North Carolina, and ours, who went to what became Franklin County, Va. There are probably others, too, but these are the three who are most frequently mixed up in the records or trees found on line.
It seems to be pretty well agreed that Tobias was born in 1731, either in Pennsylvania or in wherever his parents came from, which was probably somewhere in Germany. I base that "probably" only on the suspected (several) names of his parents, which all seem to have a German background. One set of possible parents would be Jacob and Magdalena (maiden name unknown). Another would be Johann Michael and Susannah Agnes Berchtol. If we go strictly from a majority standpoint, Johann Michael and Susannah Agnes would win. However, I've seen no proof and I'm not willing to stick my neck out on this one.
So, Tobias was either born here or born there. The first time I can really say "Yes, this is likely our guy" is on a 1770 tax list of Coventry Township, Chester County, Pa. At the time, he had 2 cattle and 2 horses, no sheep and no slaves. He owned 100 acres of land. This was not a lot to have in raising a family but it was something. It's unclear whether he was married at this time. Usually if men were single they were called "inmates" but perhaps he was not included there because he owned land. At any rate, in 1773 he married Barbara Brower in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and our family is descended from this marriage. (Tobias would have been 42 years old when he married Barbara, which is old for a first marriage, and another reason I bring up the possibility of an earlier marriage.)
Tobias and Barbara had moved to either Bedford or Henry County, Virginia, by 1786 because when the county of Franklin formed from those two counties in 1785, one of the first acts of the courts was to appoint Tobias to be the surveyor of a road from Little Creek to Maggotty Creek there. This indicates that he had been there long enough to know the "lay of the land", so to speak, and also shows that he was in good health at the time. I tried from maps to figure out where he would have lived and so far haven't narrowed it down any more than somewhere around Boone's Mill, north of Rocky Mount and south east of Roanoke.
I'm not sure how many children they may have had. Mary and Hannah are pretty much agreed on; I've also seen John, Jacob, Tobias and Catherine listed, with no birth or death dates. Presumably these children were born between 1773 and maybe 20 years later, so some were likely born in Chester County, Pa. and some in Virginia.
Tobias died in 1805, most likely in Franklin County, Va. Some of his children moved on to Montgomery County, Ohio, very early in Ohio's history, and some say that Tobias died there. It appears that Barbara died the same year, although none of this is documented.
I've found several items on internet trees that I don't think are correct. This Tobias was not in Lancaster County, Pa in the 1790 and 1800 census reports. This Tobias was not the one buried in Philadelphia. This Tobias was probably not the one with an estate sale in 1822 in Hagerstown, Md., mentioning personal property items. First, the distance in time and miles is great, and second, why would his personal property have been saved that long?
I would love to hear from other members in this family who have researched Tobias, to see what is actually documented, who actually belongs in this family, and what Tobias's story is. Was he a participant in the Revolutionary War? When did the family go to Virginia? What church did the family attend? Where is he buried? Who were his parents?
Names without stories bother me! So do people without parents.
The line of descent is:
Tobias Miller-Barbara Brower
Mary Miller-Johan George Harter
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update: I located information showing that Mary Miller and George Harter were married by Jacob Miller. In researching him, I find that Rev. Jacob was a Brethren or Dunkard Minister, and was a brother to our Tobias. There is a legend that five Miller brothers went to Franklin County, Va., all pastors. Tobias may not have been a pastor, though, because he didn't perform his daughter's wedding ceremony. No one seems sure who the parents were of Jacob Miller, but he seems to have left a very large posterity. No doubt they would also like to know the parentage of Jacob and Tobias!
Update 2: July 31, 2021. Please disregard this post. The line of descent is not correct. George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger is not the son of Mary Miller and Johan George Harter.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Harshbarger line: Christopher Kitterman about 1730-1806 Immigrant
Looking rather desperately to find another name to write about in the Harshbarger lineage, I noticed Christopher Kitterman. He was just sitting quietly in the family tree, with no folder, no information, and nothing to indicate he was really a person. Now he has his own folder in my file cabinet, with the beginnings of some information about him, thanks largely to Virginia Shoemaker Perry, who, as it turns out, has written a whole book about Christopher and his descendants. Unfortunately, the book does not seem to be available (not even Allen County Public Library has a copy) but fortunately, she has shared some of what she knows on line. Thank you, Virginia!
Christopher was born sometime about 1728 in Germany. Virginia is not willing to say where he was born, but other sources state it was Grossgartach, Wuerttemberg, Germany. She is also not willing to give him a birth date, and I have seen dates from 1719 to 1730. If information that a daughter was born in 1732 is correct, than I would give him an even earlier birthdate, but as far as I know, no one has found documentation for any kind of birthdate, or for his parents. It sure would be nice to solve these questions.
Similarly, there are two dates given for his emigration to America. One source says he came on the ship "Patience" in August of 1750 and Perry says he came on the "Janet" in 1751. Either could be correct, or both could be correct, for he could have come and then gone back to Germany to settle an estate, talk family members in to coming, sell real estate, or for any number of other good reasons. At any rate, he was in the Colonies, Pennsylvania of course, by 1751. He was a farmer and a Lutheran, and soon found a good local girl to marry. He married Anna Margaret Lawall, daughter of Daniel and Barbara Lawall, at Tohickon Union (Reformed) Church in Bucks County, Pa. on February 3, 1761. This is late enough that it may have been a second marriage, and another wife has been suggested (not by Perry, as far as I know) as Anna Christina. At any rate, this marriage took place on February 3, 1761, and their first daughter, Mary, was born July 31, 1761, so it may have been time for this couple to marry.
Additional children were Elizabeth, Henry, Jacob, and Michael. Some Ancestry trees also list Michael, Maria Magdalena, Catherine, and Susanna. If these were Christopher's children, they must have been by a first wife because the birth dates are all before the marriage date of 1761, and good Lutherans would not have waited until child number 5 to marry.
It appears that sometime about 1771 or 1772, Christopher and his family moved to Frederick County, Maryland. Confusingly, he is listed as being in Frederick County, Md in 1771/72, with a notation that he had moved to Pennsylvania, and in 1772 there is a Stophel Kataman in Lower Saucon Twp, Northampton County, listed as a laborer. If this is the same person, he may have gone back to Pennsylvania temporarily to help a family member, or to earn some cash as his farm in Maryland got established. (Daniel Lawell was in Northampton County when he wrote his will in 1796, so maybe it was the in-laws who needed help.) It would be interesting to find out what the story is behind this, if in fact these are the same men. He is in the 1790 census in Frederick County, Maryland with 1 male over the age of 16, and 2 females, so by now, the child rearing was done. We don't know who the second female was, but perhaps she was a relative, or maybe even a helper of some sort as this would have been an aging couple. They haven't been found in the 1800 census, which indicates they may have been living with someone else (or it could just be that the name has been so mangled in the transcriptions that no one has yet recognized it).
By 1806, Christopher was in Frederick County, Virginia and his wife was named Christine, because both facts are stated in his will. We don't know when he moved to Virginia, when wife Anna Margaret died, or who Christine was. However, she is mentioned by name several times in the will, so we can assume this was his wife at the time of his death. The will itself is complicated and a transcription can be read on wikitree. Besides his wife, he also mentions his brother John George Kitterman, deceased, his son John Kitterman, deceased son Michael, son Henry, daughter Mary Harter, daughter Susanna Fishburn, daughter Catherina Miksel. Elizabeth Ader is mentioned and may be a daughter, also, but that is not specified. (If Nancy Glass is not provided for in the will of Adam Ader, then she is to get money from what Christopher has left Elizabeth, so Adam may be a stepfather to Nancy). Further research would be needed to clarify that. The will was written March 6, 1805 and admitted to probate March 16,1806. I note that Maria Magdalena and Johann Jacob, who are each supposed to be his children and each alive at the time of the will, are not mentioned in the will.
This is a lot of information to find and process for one morning. There are mysteries and uncertainties here, but at least we know he is part of the family, we know he was a Lutheran and a farmer, and we know he had several children and two or possibly three wives. That's a start. I'd love to hear from someone with more information about Christopher or/and his wives.!
The line of descent is:
Christopher Ketterman-Anna Margaret Lawall
Mary Kitterman-George Harter
Johann George Harter-Mary M Miller
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update July 31, 2021 Please disregard this post. George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger is not the son of Johann George Harter and Mary Miller.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Harshbarger line: Hubert Brower 1694-1786, Immigrant
This will be another short post, since I've already written about his son Christian and there is less information about Hubert. But as an immigrant, the one who brought five children with him to America, he deserves at least a mention. As part of the Mennonites who were basically forced or at least encouraged to leave their homes in Fuss Gonheim, the Palatinate, (Germany), they arrived at Philadelphia in 1726. The family is fortunate to have the original pass which allowed them to leave their home in Foss Gonheim and sail to the New World. In order to get this pass, they would have needed to show a certain amount of funds, as the authorities wanted to make sure the unwanted Mennonites would not return to them.
Almost by definition, Mennonites were poor so it is impressive that the family had enough money to come to America. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be good land records, or perhaps Hubert never had land. He may have supported himself as a stone mason or a carpenter, which were occupations of many of the family. At any rate, by 1743 his three sons had all purchased land in East Coventry Township, Chester County, Pa so it is likely that the immigrant family lived somewhere in the vicinity.
I've not located tax or land records for Hubert, and neither have I located his will. At this point, this is all I know about him but it is enough to give a sense that he was determined to raise his family, and that they would own land and have a good start in life. As Mennonites, they would have likely been hard working people who didn't participate in the wars of the time, French and Indian or Revolutionary, but they would have been good neighbors. Hubert is believed to have died about 1786, so he lived into his 90s. He must have been a remarkable man!
The line of descent is:
Hubert Brower-Anna possibly Este
Christian Brower-first wife
Barbara Brower-Tobias Miller
Mary Miller-Johan George Harter
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Ellen Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update July 31, 2021 Please disregard this post. George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger is not the son of the Johan George Harter who married Mary Miller.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Harshbarger line: George Harter (Herder) m. Eva Bracker
We know so little about George that it seems useless to do a blog post about him. I'm writing this because he does appear to be an immigrant, and because I frequently review my posts to see what else I need to learn about the subject of the post.
Johan George Harter (Herder, Herter) appears to have been born about 1730, probably somewhere in what is now Germany. We are guessing at his date of birth because, thanks to the hard work of Robert Harter, we do know he was married on October 26, 1752 in what is now Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, to Eva Bracker, daughter of Christian Bracker. Mr. Harter thinks it likely that Johann George had arrived on the ship Phoenix on September, 15, 1749, when he would have needed to be at least 16 years old to have migrated by himself. Many men were married at about the age of 25 so if this was a first marriage then 1720-1730 is a likely time frame for his birth. At least we know their religion-they were married at the St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Upper Saucon Township. This was a German speaking church, and so supports our supposition that Johan George was of German descent. Again according to Mr. Harter, there is a tradition that the family was from the area of Frankfort.
George and Eva's family grew quickly, although there are few known birth records. By 1769, the family was in Frederick County, Maryland and at the St Peter's Lutheran Church there, they took communion with daughter Christina, who would have had to have been at least thirteen. Christian and Johann (Johann George II) took communion with their parents three months later, and Adam and Frantz were confirmed around this time. Jacob, Conrad, Magdalena and Elizabeth were confirmed in 1778, with ages of 18, 16, 14, and 16. Dorothea was confirmed at age 14 in 1780.
The family left Maryland about 1792 and moved on to Franklin County, Virginia, where it is believed that both Johan George and Eva died, probably in 1800. Johan George would have been at least 60 by then, so it's possible he didn't own land there, but lived with one or another of the children.
Robert Harter has much more information on the US gen web archives website for Frederick County, Md at files.usgwarchives.net/md/frederick/history/family/harter.txt I encourage you to read his wonderful article, which in turn, is excerpted from his book, The Joh. Georg and Eva Harter family: 250 years in the U.S.
The line of descent is:
Johan George Harter-Eva Bracker
George Harter-Mary Kitterman
Johan George Harter-Mary Miller
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Update July 31, 2021 Please disregard this post. The George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger is not the son of Johan George Harter and Mary Miller.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Harshbarger line: Christian Brower abt 1714 to 1771
Christian Brower and his parents, Hubert Brower and Catherine Eve Brenneman, came to the New World in 1726. The family is very fortunate that the original "pass" for the Brower family, which was similar to a passport and was issued by local (German) authorities, is still in existence and is one of the treasures of the Brethren Historical Library and Archives. It was issued on May 1, 1726. We know that the pass states that the family was from the town of Fuss Gonheim, on the Rhine River just across from Mannheim but we don't know how long the family had lived there. It may have been only a matter of months, or it could have been years.
The Browers were a Mennonite family, which indicates that their origin was probably Switzerland. However, several websites name Hubert's father as Adam, and give him a Dutch wife and nationality. More research needs to be done on this family, to prove that Adam is Hubert's father, and to find out if the Dutch connection is correct. It is possible that Adam or his parents had settled briefly in the Netherlands, during the Thirty Years War which caused so much disruption to the various states that eventually became Germany.
At any rate, Christian was about 8 years old when he and his family crossed the ocean on what was apparently a lengthy voyage. We don't know exactly when they arrived because the oath of allegiance was not required until 1727, so apparently it would have been late in 1726. The first record I find of Christian is that he took the naturalization oath in 1743, when he would have been about 29. He was a young married man at this time, and the oath was required before he could own land, so this may have been the motivation for the timing of the oath. Since his brothers bought land in 1743, it may be that Hubert had died shortly before that time.
We don't know the name of Christian's wife. He had apparently married Eve Brenneman Bowman at some point after their separate families were complete. However, he had at least 8 children with hi unknown wife. They had 8 children together, and settled on the banks of the Schuylkill River in what is now East Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Christian had obtained his 200 acres of land through a grant from the Proprietors, meaning this was wilderness that had not been owned before. At least two of his brothers, Henry and John, settled near him.
We are fortunate to find tax records for him in Coventry, Chester, Pennsylvania in 1753, and later we can even find note of what he was taxed on. In 1766, he was taxed for 200 acres, 3 horses and cattle, 8 sheep, and one servant. This may have been an indentured servant about to serve his term, because the servant is not shown on later tax lists. The last record, in 1771, shows him with 200 acres, 3 horses, and 5 cattle. He died in 1771 and apparently there is a will in existence, but I haven't yet located it. I've not found any indication of an occupation other than farming, but it is always possible that he had a trade also.
I'd like to find the will, and also I'd like to know whether or how Christian participated in the French and Indian war, or other skirmishes. As a Mennonite, my inclination is to think that he would not have been active in the military, but I could be wrong and I'd like to know for sure. Of course, I'd also like to find documentation of his father's parents and their story. And the brick wall is: who was the mother of his children? I'd love to know!
The line of descent is:
Christian Brower-Catherine Eve Brenneman
Barbara Brower -Tobias Miller
Mary Miller-Johan George Harter
George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter-Mary Bennett
Clara Ellen Harter-Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendents
Fun fact: The trip from Germany to the New World was apparently a lengthy one, even for the times. Can you imagine spending as long as six months on ship, watching your food stores dwindle, probably being sea sick (or at least, having children who were sea sick) much of the time? I shudder just to think about it, but these people lived it.
Update 7/31/2021 Please disregard this post. The George Harter who married Elizabeth Geiger is not the son of Johan George Harter and Mary Miller.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Harshbarger line: John Harter and family, one more time
When in doubt, go to the primary sources...
I had a grand time doing just that on Tuesday. As I wrote about the Harter line, I questioned my original data and had "decided" that John's parents were George and Elizabeth, not John and Mary. However, I had only census data and on line information to go on. Tuesday I drove to Columbia City to see what I could find.
I started at the health department, and indeed they had the abstract from the death certificate for John Harter. His parents are given as George Harter and Elizabeth Geiger. John died on August 24, 1902 of heart disease and was buried at Eel River Cemetery. This is our guy!
Next I went to the file management section, in the basement, and looked at an administration packet for George Harter, who died in 1854. Imagine! I was touching papers that were almost 160 years old! I got copies of the estate sale (Elizabeth bought some things, as did John, and other family members, although I haven't fully analyzed it yet) and of the final settlement of the estate. No will was found.
Finally, I went to the recorder's office, and looked at the deed where George and Elizabeth sold land to John in 1851, shortly before his marriage. I also accidentally found a deed dated November 1, 1851, where George and Elizabeth sold land to the trustees of the United Brethren in Christ church (actually, they donated it, because the price was $1), and George Harter was a trustee. Anthony Geiger was also a trustee, but I haven't figured out yet whether this was Elizabeth's father, or her brother. So we now know their religion, at least in Indiana.
Finally, I went to the Peabody library and found this obituary for John, dated August 27, 1902, from the Columbia City Post:
"Death of Another Pioneer
John Harter, one of the oldest settlers of Smith township, died Sunday evening after a long spell of sickness. His wife preceeded him to the eternal world several years, and from the time of her death, he made his home with the different grown children that survive their parents. Mr. Harter had by industry and hard work accumulated much of this world's goods, and by his honest dealings had made a host of friends. He was a staunch church member, and a strong believer in democracy.
The deceased was in his seventy-second year, having spent the most of his life in this county. The funeral occurred Tuesday forenoon at the Eel River church, and the remains were laid to rest in the church cemetery."
There are few specific facts in the obituary, but it does give us a sense of the character of the man and the way he lived his life.
I'm glad I found all this information, and you can bet I'll be going back to the Recorder's office. I have a lot of people in the Harshbarger line who may or may not have owned land, and I want to trace them, $1 at a time. (Copies are $1 a page, and I didn't take nearly enough money with me on this trip. I know better now.)
Also I can now continue working on the Harter, Geiger, Miller, Kitterman, Kirk, and other lines as I have time. All those names, and more, are on the on-line trees, so this will really be fun! Happy dance again!
The line of descent is:
George Harter and Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter and Mary Bennett
Clara (Clarissa?) Harter and Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger and Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger and Mary Margaret Beeks
I had a grand time doing just that on Tuesday. As I wrote about the Harter line, I questioned my original data and had "decided" that John's parents were George and Elizabeth, not John and Mary. However, I had only census data and on line information to go on. Tuesday I drove to Columbia City to see what I could find.
I started at the health department, and indeed they had the abstract from the death certificate for John Harter. His parents are given as George Harter and Elizabeth Geiger. John died on August 24, 1902 of heart disease and was buried at Eel River Cemetery. This is our guy!
Next I went to the file management section, in the basement, and looked at an administration packet for George Harter, who died in 1854. Imagine! I was touching papers that were almost 160 years old! I got copies of the estate sale (Elizabeth bought some things, as did John, and other family members, although I haven't fully analyzed it yet) and of the final settlement of the estate. No will was found.
Finally, I went to the recorder's office, and looked at the deed where George and Elizabeth sold land to John in 1851, shortly before his marriage. I also accidentally found a deed dated November 1, 1851, where George and Elizabeth sold land to the trustees of the United Brethren in Christ church (actually, they donated it, because the price was $1), and George Harter was a trustee. Anthony Geiger was also a trustee, but I haven't figured out yet whether this was Elizabeth's father, or her brother. So we now know their religion, at least in Indiana.
Finally, I went to the Peabody library and found this obituary for John, dated August 27, 1902, from the Columbia City Post:
"Death of Another Pioneer
John Harter, one of the oldest settlers of Smith township, died Sunday evening after a long spell of sickness. His wife preceeded him to the eternal world several years, and from the time of her death, he made his home with the different grown children that survive their parents. Mr. Harter had by industry and hard work accumulated much of this world's goods, and by his honest dealings had made a host of friends. He was a staunch church member, and a strong believer in democracy.
The deceased was in his seventy-second year, having spent the most of his life in this county. The funeral occurred Tuesday forenoon at the Eel River church, and the remains were laid to rest in the church cemetery."
There are few specific facts in the obituary, but it does give us a sense of the character of the man and the way he lived his life.
I'm glad I found all this information, and you can bet I'll be going back to the Recorder's office. I have a lot of people in the Harshbarger line who may or may not have owned land, and I want to trace them, $1 at a time. (Copies are $1 a page, and I didn't take nearly enough money with me on this trip. I know better now.)
Also I can now continue working on the Harter, Geiger, Miller, Kitterman, Kirk, and other lines as I have time. All those names, and more, are on the on-line trees, so this will really be fun! Happy dance again!
The line of descent is:
George Harter and Elizabeth Geiger
John Harter and Mary Bennett
Clara (Clarissa?) Harter and Emanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger and Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger and Mary Margaret Beeks
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