Holbrook line: Giles Smith 1603-1669, Immigrant

 Although there are proposed parents for Giles Smith, there are date or location problems with each set that I have seen mentioned.  We can assume that he came from England, and we know he was born about 1603, but that is as much of his early life as is thought to be known.  Proposed parents include Henry Smith and Anne Pynchon, and Henry's proposed parents, Thomas Smith and Frances Sanford (or Ann Halsey), which would make Giles and Henry brothers.  Neither Henry nor Thomas seems to have been used as a name for the children of Giles Smith, so I will simply leave his parents names as "unknown".

Similarly, we don't know who his wife's parents were.  Giles was married to Mary or Maria Wheeler, probably in England.  If the children's birth dates are correct, their first child was born about 1625.  Giles and Mary had as many as seven children, with three sons and two daughters living at the time of his death.  

We also don't know when Giles and his family emigrated, but we do know that his name is on the Founder's Monument in Hartford, Connecticut.  He is noted as living there "at the town's courtesie", and his house lot was the smallest in Hartford, although he did own three other parcels of land.  He purchased his home, probably in 1639, from George Wyllis.  

Giles lived in Hartford for probably at least 8 years.  He seems to have gone to New Haven by 1647, when he was granted land there.  However, during 1649-1650 his land was apparently forfeited, or perhaps he never actually made that move.  If the land was forfeited, it means that he failed to comply with the terms of the grant, which probably included building a dwelling and clearing/planting a certain area of land.  

Perhaps Giles simply changed his mind about where he wanted to relocate when he left Hartford, because by 1651 he was in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he stayed for the rest of his life.  He owned land beside some of the "Bankside farmers" but I'm not sure we can count him as one of that group.  The Bankside farmers were considered to be somewhat well off, and some of them were slave holders.  I've not seen any evidence that Giles held slaves, but if he did, they were as likely to be indigenous people as they were to be Black.  

We also don't know whether farming was his only livelihood, or whether he also had some trade or occupation that tied him to the sea.  Fairfield is located on the Long Island Sound, and considerable trade existed between Fairfield and Long Island, and also Fairfield and New Amsterdam.  There was undoubtedly tension when England took over New Amsterdam and the other Dutch colonies, but we don't know whether that political change affected Giles directly.  

Giles' first wife, Mary Wheeler died before about 1660, when Giles married Eunice, the widow of Jonathan Porter, and possibly of other husbands.  They had no children, but Eunice had at least three daughters who would have become part of the blended family.  There is apparently no mention of them in Giles' will, which was probated September 10, 1669.  All I have seen is an abstract of the will, which does not give an inventory or valuation, so there is little additional information to be gleaned from that record.  

This is an unsatisfactory story of our ancestor because there are so many unanswered questions.  Where did he come from, and why did he come to Connecticut?  Who were his parents, and his wife's parents?  What was his occupation?  Did he travel around the Sound and perhaps to New Amsterdam?  Was he a man of means, or did he struggle financially? What religion was he?  Was he involved in military service?  Was he literate?  The questions go on and on, but the answers seem to be hidden.  

The line of descent is:

Giles Smith-probably Mary Wheeler

Elizabeth Smith-John Jackson

John Jackson-Sarah Godwin

Elizabeth Jackson-James Longbottom

Elizabeth Longbottom-John Eames

Hannah Eames-James Lamphire

Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

Beeks line: William Lock 1779-sometime later

I'm so confused!  William Lock is an ancestor in the Beeks line.  But the name was a common one in Kentucky, where we can first place him, and it looks to me like various trees have conflated two or possibly three men named William Lock into one.  So this is a tentative post, subject to change at any moment based on potential new findings.

Right now, it appears that William Lock was the son of Benjamin and Sarah Demarest (Demaree) Slot, and was born probably about 1779.  Three different Williams appear to have been born in 1779, each in Virginia, and that is where the confusion seems to start, so I'm not sure about the date.  Based on what is known about Benjamin's life, it is quite possible that somewhere in Virginia, possibly Frederick County, is a good potential birth site.  

You may be wondering why William's name was Lock and Benjamin, his father, was a Slot or Slodt.  This is a family with Dutch origins going back to early New Amsterdam days.  But by sometime in the 1790s, William had begun using Lock as his name, which was the English translation for Slot.  We know the family was in Kentucky prior to 1796, when Benjamin seems to last be noted in the records, so he would have heard the stories of the early settlement of Mercer County, which had close ties to Daniel Boone and James Harrod.  The Dutch families seem to have moved on from Mercer and Madison counties to Shelby County, Kentucky beginning about 1790.  

William Lock married Elizabeth Teague or Tague on Christmas Day, 1797 in Shelby County.  The Tague name is also of Dutch origin but her parentage is somewhat uncertain.  I show her father to be "John William" Teague and Elizabeth, last name unknown, but I have no documentation for that.  William and Elizabeth possibly had five children, or possibly two.  There is a William Lock who married a Nancy Keith about 1805, also in Shelby County.  Were these two Williams the same man?  I tend to think probably not, but I could easily be persuaded otherwise.  If they were the same men, then Elizabeth likely died and William quickly remarried.  

The next records I can find for William have him in Switzerland County, Indiana in the 1820 census, in Craig township, Switzerland County.  He is in the 26 through 44 age group, which would fit the late 1770s birth date, and has 2 males under 10, 2 aged 10-15, 1 female under 10, and one female 16-25.  This is the picture of a family with a very young wife, or an older daughter, with the older mother missing.  This may or may not be be the same William Lock who is listed on a Switzerland County probate index as number or page 125, which includes deaths from 1823 to 1847.  Unfortunately, this William died in 1839 and left everything (including a four year old boy, Moses) to his brother Benjamin, so I think we are "close, but no cigar" to identifying the two Williams as one and the same.  They are very likely related, however.  And who was Moses?  He wasn't a son, so one wonders if this was an enslaved person, and if so, where was the rest of Moses's family?

I have seen death dates of our William as being in 1854, which isn't beyond the realm of possibility, but I've not found any records yet to back that up.  Obviously, more research is needed. 

One additional note:  At this time, I don't think our William is the William F Lock who fought in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812.  The William who is on those lists seems to have led an entirely different life. 

The line of descent is

William Lock-Elizabeth Teague

Sally Lock-the elusive Jeremiah Folsom

Leah Folsom-Darlington Aldridge

Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their desendants

 

Beeks line: Evan ap Owen, Welsh immigrant

 I hesitate to write this post, and I hesitate to post dates, because I actually know so little about this ancestor.  But he is part of the family, and even if I only know one or two facts, his memory deserves to be honored.  Also maybe this will be a bread crumb that will lead someone to more information about him.

I am not sure whether there were one or two men who went by the name of Evan ap Owen, Evan Owen, or even Owen (ap) Owen during the time frame that Owen was in Pennsylvania.  ("Ap" means "son of" and sometimes the "ap" was dropped, sometimes it was written ab and then changed to Bowen.  So there are a lot of ways to try to find this man, and Evan was good at dodging behind all of them, I think.  

The best information I have is that he was born sometime before 1645, in Wales or possibly Somerset in England.  His family was or became Quaker, and it may be our Evan ap Owen who was convicted of being a Quaker when he was nine years old.    His parents were Owen ap Evan and Gainor John Evan, and they both died in Wales.  So Evan was the immigrant, and likely arrived early in Pennsylvania colony, although not necessarily in the ships that came with William Penn.  

There was an Evan Owen who was a merchant of Philadelphia, who acted as a land agent of sorts for some land once granted to William Penn.  This was in 1724/25, and is noted in "Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Land Records 1729-1750 and Land Warrants 1710-1742",  by Marsha Martin.  I have found one or two other references to Evan Owen as a merchant in Philadelphia.  And I've found an inventory, that belongs to Evan Owen and is extensive enough to belong to Evan Owen, merchant.  It dates from 1727-1731 and refers to his widow, Mary.  

Our Evan was married to a Mary McMillan or McMillam, but she is reported to have died in 1699.  So either this is not our Evan ap Owen, or he married again, to another woman named Mary.  Evan and the first Mary are reported to have had at least two children, and there were likely more.  There is a death report of Evan Owen in 1699 in the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting Records, (he was from Lancaster meeting) and it is possible that this was our Evan.  Records for Evan Owen continue until about 1727 in the Quaker records on Ancestry, but there is nothing that identifies him as possibly being our Evan Owen, nor is there anything that says this was not our Evan.  

So, was Evan ap Owen the merchant of Philadelphia, the Quaker from Lancaster or another location, or someone else entirely?  The "information", unsourced and undocumented that I have, says that he died about 1725 in Haverford, Chester County, Pennsylvania.  If this is correct, then it seems that Evan, while in America, stayed entirely under the radar.  Will this man please stand up and identify himself? Incidentally, this line was Quaker down through Solomon Reese, who was disowned for marrying outside the Quaker community but apparently was re-admitted at some point. 

The line of descent is

Evan ap Owen-Mary McMillan

Moses Bowen-Rebecca Reese

Henry Bowen-Jane Carter

Margaret Bowen-Thomas Reese

Thomas Reese-Hannah Reese

Solomon Reese-Anna possibly McNeal

Owen Reese-Margaret Ellen Moon

Eliza Matilda Reese-Samuel Dunham

Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants

Holbrook line: Joseph Brown Eddy 1803-1876

 Somehow, I missed writing about Joseph Brown Eddy, son of Enos and Deborah Paine Eddy.  There isn't a lot that is known about him, but I did manage to find a few tidbits that may add to our knowledge base.  

Joseph was born in Richfield, Otsego County, New York on March 15, 1803.  He was one of at least 13 children.  As he was growing up, the village was actually fair-sized for a town that was only about 10 years old when he was born.  By 1820, when Joseph was approaching manhood, the town had about 1700 residents.  He married Susan Lamphire, daughter of James and Hannah Eames Lamphire, on January 1, 1827, most likely in Richfield.  

The young family didn't stay in Richfield for long.  In fact, Joseph had already purchased lot 52 in Ellington, Chautaqua County, New York, which had just formed in 1824.  This was about 250 miles, or more, from Richfield so it was a major move for Susan, and perhaps the two of them were a bit homesick from time to time.  

They soon wouldn't have time for homesickness.  Besides the joy of setting up housekeeping (perhaps Joseph had built a home for them before they married), the babies started arriving.  In fact, if Permelia is their child, it appears that she arrived before they married, as I show a birth date of 1826 for her.  The last child that is likely theirs was born in 1853, so Susan was a busy mother and wife, and Joseph would have worked hard to support that family.

We don't know what Joseph did for a living in Ellington, but since he lived in town, he perhaps did something other than farm.  He may have had a trade, or he may have been involved in Great Lakes shipping (Ellington is not far from Lake Erie).  Joseph and Susan lived in Ellington for over 20 years.  I am not sure when Enos died, but Deborah, Joseph's mother, died in 1849.  The 1840 census shows there was a male aged 60-69 staying with them, and this could be Enos, who would have been about 66 years old at the time. 

Whether or not Deborah's death and a possible inheritance had anything to do with it, the next year Joseph and family moved again.  This time is was not 250 miles they moved, but 610 miles, all the way to Harmon in Lee County, Illinois.  It seems likely that they made the trip from Erie or another port all the way to Chicago, by sailing through three of the Great Lakes and then traveling overland to Lee County.  The final leg of their trip may have taken as long as three weeks.  Susan had delivered a daughter in February of 1850, and the weather would have probably dictated a spring moving date.  Census day in 1850 was June 1, and the family is shown at Harmon in Lee County on that date, with their six youngest children.  

There, Joseph purchased a tract of 40 acres and then a tract of 80 acres, with the original title to each.  He paid $1.25 an acre for the land. We can trace him through the census up through 1870.  There is a J.B. Eddy in 1870 in Dixon, Illinois who was the second assistant for the Dixon Hose Company (fire department) but it doesn't seem likely that this was our Joseph.  As far as we know, he lived near Lee Center, (post office of Sublette) the rest of his days.  

I have a copy of a book, "Pioneers of Lee County" that details the hard living conditions and happy lives of the early settlers of the county.  There is no direct reference to Joseph, but there is a reference to a "Mr. Eddy", who was a tall man and a Republican, who helped eject raucous people at a political meeting.  I like to think this was our Joseph.  It makes sense that he would have been a Republican in his later days, since he did, after all, live in the "Land of Lincoln."  

We know that at least two of his sons served in the Civil War, which would certainly have caused a good deal of concern for the rest of the family.  I didn't locate him in the IRS tax lists for the time period, so he must have lived a simple life.  

Joseph Eddy died February 16, 1876, at Lee Center, without leaving a will.  However, his wife died in 1899 and at about the same time, there is an interesting set of guardian records for two young children named Pine.  The records state that they were the great grandchildren of Joseph Eddy, and as such were entitled to a share of his estate.  The records continue for about 3 years, with the conclusion that part of his land, a small part, was sold, and the $142 and some odd cents were to go to these small children.  At that time, the total in the estate was given as 134 acres.  There is a very thorough legal description of the land, which could likely be plotted on a map even now.  

There is still much we don't know about Joseph.  Why did he decide to leave Ellington when he was 47 years old, to start over in a strange and difficult place?  Was he a religious man?  As a child, did he hear stories about the War of 1812?  Living in Richfield, his neighbors who were old enough were likely to have served during that time, and New York was one of the battle fields.   I'd like to know more about Joseph, who after all, lived not so very long ago.  

The line of descent is

Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Beeks line: Johann Leonard Berkheimer 1721-1804

 Here's another elusive and confusing ancestor in the Beeks line, another of former President Obama's ancestors, as well as those of this family.  Once again, it seems that more information should be available about him, but at least we have enough to know who he was, who his parents were, and a little more.  The usual questions persist.

Johann Leonard Berkheimer was born March 3, 1721/1722 in Kleinneidesheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, in what is now Germany.  His family had been there for at least two generations, and perhaps more.  His parents were Johann William and Maria Salome Hallman Berkheimer, and Leonard was one of at least six children born to the couple.  The Berkheimer parents emigrated to the colony of Pennsylvania in 1732, probably for economic reasons.  Land was ample and fairly cheap in Pennsylvania, and there was already a bustling German community there.  Leonard would have probably been in some kind of training program in his native village, but after the family moved, he would have helped even more within the family.  

The next we learn of Leonard is his marriage, on January 6, 1743, in Philadelphia.  Coming to America likely meant that Leonard married at an earlier age than he would have, had he stayed in Germany.  Most men there didn't marry until their late twenties or early thirties.  Leonard married Maria Catherine Kerger, the daughter of Johann Philip and Anna Margaretha Reeb Kerger, and they soon set up housekeeping. William had purchased land in what is now Upper Salford Township, Montgomery County, as early as 1742, and Leonard's land was likely very near this tract.  In fact, it may have encompassed it at one time.  Leonard apparently owned just 20 acres when he died.

There are some confusing records and I report them here only to report them, not to state for certain that this is our Leonard Berkheimer.  In 1774 and again in 1782, he is on tax lists for Worcester, Philadelphia County, as owning 170 acres of land, with a dwelling house and a few farm animals.  This turns out to be in what is now Montgomery County, so this may be our Leonard.  In both listings, Philip Berkheimer is listed as being in the same household (in one, he is termed an "inmate"-a single man).  One of Leonard's sons was named Philip, so this very well could be him.   However, it doesn't quite explain how he died in Upper Salford Township, unless he moved back to the homestead sometime after these records.

 I don't know for sure which church he attended, but all signs point to it being one of the Lutheran churches in the area.  His wife died in 1795 and is buried at St John's Lutheran Church, Center Square, Pennsylvania and it may be that he is also buried there, with no tombstone or record being kept.  Or he may have been buried with his second wife, which sometimes happens.

Leonard's first wife died in 1795 and Leonard remarried, because his will clearly calls Catherine his second wife.  His son William had also died, as he left money to William's children, and divided the rest of the estate among his five children, after his wife's death.  The grandchildren were not to receive their inheritance until 1806 per terms of the will.  I have not found an inventory.  Leonard died in 1804, in or near Woxall or Perkiomen, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  

As usual, this brief outline leaves us with some important questions.  What affect did the French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War, have on his life?  Did he serve in the militia?  Was the family forced to leave their home at some point, due to native American attacks in the neighborhood?  The search continues.

The line of descent is

Leonard Berkheimer-Maria Catherine Kerger

Magdalena Berkheimer-Samuel Goodnight

Catherine Goodnight-Jacob Dunham

Samuel Dunham-Eliza Matilda Reese

Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants

 

Holbrook line: Benjamin Perrin 1726-1807

 Who did Benjamin Perrin marry?  Did he serve in the French and Indian war?  Why did he move at least twice as an adult?  And was he, at heart a Baptist? As you can see, there is still much to learn about Benjamin.  But there are clues that at least can give us reason to ask questions, and we can be grateful for that much.  

Benjamin was born April 17, 1726, in Woodstock, Connecticut, the son of John and Abigail Morris Perrin.  He grew up in Woodstock and it is thought that he married there, to Mary whose last name is frequently given as Osborn, but I've not found documentation for that.  The supposed place of marriage is Woodstock, but again, these records are not documented in the vital records of Woodstock that I've reviewed on-line.  

Still, we can believe that Benjamin married someone named Mary in about 1752, because the children started arriving in 1753.  Also in 1752 Benjamin bought land in Holland, Massachusetts, (actually Brimfield, at the time) which was about 18 miles from Woodstock.  He purchased 133 acres from Ebenezer Moulton, and paid almost 67 pounds for it.  (The only Ebenezer Moulton I located was born in 1746, so possibly the name should be John, Ebenezer's father, rather than Ebenezer.)  The land was located "south of Mud Pond."

John and Mary had eleven or possibly twelve children together, born from 1753 to 1776.  Sadly, six of them died at an early age, from infancy to age 16.  Even in those days, this was outside of the norm so one has to wonder if there was something either genetic or environmental that was causing so many sad days for the parents.  

The first mention I found in the history of Holland regarded a vote in 1756 that was challenged.  Apparently Benjamin should not have been allowed to participate in that action, as he was a Baptist.  But four years later, Benjamin's signature was on a petition asking for a second church to be located in the south part of Brimfield, the part that later became Holland.  We don't know whether Benjamin had changed churches or not, but his name is definitely there.  

Although Benjamin was of the right age and in the right location to have fought in the French and Indian War (possibly going to Quebec), I have not yet found his name in any military records.  His children came regularly during that time period, so perhaps he didn't go, or possibly was one of the many who suffered illness and returned home early.  I'd love to find the answer to that question!

At least one of Benjamin and Mary's sons served in the Revolutionary War, and there were several Perrins from both Woodstock and Brimfield who served, so this seems to have been a patriotic family.  We don't know of any service that Benjamin provided during that war, either, but we can't rule out the possibility.   

There is a long silence about Benjamin, until his death in Holland on June 9, 1807.  We can, however, judge what his family thought of him by the verse on his headstone:  

"A husband kind & good a parent dear

To all obliging and sincere

True to his God the orphans friend and guide

He liv'd beloved and lamented di'd."

In his will, he left specific amounts to his wife, Mary, and to daughter Mary, Henry, John, Amasa, Hallowell (he got more than the others) and Asrael, who apparently got less but who may have owned the family farm.  Any additional amounts were to be divided equally among all the the children.  His inventory of personal property included an eight day clock, which was valued at $34.50, by far the most valuable item.  We don't know whether he still owned land, or whether he may have distributed it earlier.  

I would have liked to have known this man, who lived beloved and died lamented.

The line of descent is

Benjamin Perrin-Mary possibly Osborn

Mary Perrin-David Fay

Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard

Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

 

Beeks line: Does David Ruble belong here?

 So many genealogists have posted about former President Barack Obana's ancestry, that you would think the folks who are from his mother's side of the family would be well known by now.  And yet, the Hannah who married Samuel Dunham is identified by the best of the genealogists as Hannah (?Ruble).  Those genealogists haven't further identified her, but there are many trees out there identifying her father as David Ruble born anywhere from 1736 to 1743 as her father, and Sarah Malin as her mother.  That is what my tree shows.  

However, I just found the estate papers for David Ruble, who died in East Bethlehem, Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1808.  These can be found on Ancestry.  Unless I missed it, there is no mention of a Hannah Ruble or a Hannah Dunham in those papers, and they are fairly detailed.  Also, the guesstimate date for Hannah's birth is 1753 to 1758.  This would make it highly unlikely that  the David supposedly born in Frederick County, Virginia in 1743 is her father.  So we have at least two negative factors suggesting that if Hannah was indeed a Ruble, David is likely not her father.  

But wait, there's more!  There are land records in Berkeley County, Virginia (formed out of Frederick County) that can be interpreted as meaning that David Ruble was selling land to Samuel Dunham as his son in law, which was right next to another documented Ruble daughter, who was married to an Isaac Chenowith and the deed used the same language of "for other just causes and circumstances".  We do know that Samuel Dunham was in Berkeley County prior to 1791, and he had apparently been there for quite some time prior to that. 

There are some people who believe that Hannah was a Chenowith, which is still a remote possibility but the land record is certainly intriguing.  Still, why would the estate of David not include Hannah?  He died in 1808 and she died in 1826.  

However, in case this is our David Ruble, or in case someone is tracing David through another ancestor, here are a few facts I've found:

David was the son of Ulrich and Jane Jacob Ruble, who lived in Frederick County, Virginia.  Their lives would have been affected by the French and Indian war, and David may have had an unsettled childhood.

He seems to have been in Washington County by 1776 and was an active Baptist there.  He is recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution as an ensign in the militia in Washington County from 1781-1783, under Captain Ezekiel Rose. Rose was part of the 5th Battalion, and participated in the Battle of the Upper Sandusky, against several native American villages.  This is not a pretty story, and we don't know for sure that David was there, but it seems likely.  It is almost a certainty that David would have been involved in actions against the British led native Americans, whether or not he was involved in this 1782 expedition and battle.  

We have a couple of tax records about David, the most interesting being from 1798, which tells us that his home was 20 x 22, made of logs, and had two stories, and two windows with a total of 12 lights (sections).  He seems to have lived fairly modestly, but his home is larger than some of the others on that page.  We don't know whether or not he was involved in the Whiskey Rebellion, but many men in Washington County were, so he was at least aware of the tensions.  (This was due to the government imposing a tax on the whiskey many farmers produced.  It was easier to ship whiskey to the east than it was to transport grain.)  

There is reference in the papers to David's will, but the will itself is not included.  The list of items sold at auction  include a silver watch, a pocket compass, several books, a saddle, and various tools and implements.  There is no mention of real estate, but that may have been disposed of in the will, nor of farm animals.  Sarah had died in 1794.  They were likely buried on or near their farm, or possibly in a Baptist churchyard, but records are lacking.    

What do you think?  Does David belong in this line, or are we still searching for Hannah's father?

The proposed line of descent is;

David Ruble-Sarah Malin

Hannah Ruble-Samuel Dunham

Jacob Dunham-Catherine Goodnight

Samuel G Dunham-Eliza Matilda Reese

Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants