French Family Association
The Official Website of the Surname French
Chart #195, Jacob French (1st), born ca. 1704
Antrim twp, Cumberland Co., (now Franklin Co.), PA
Berkeley Co., VA (now WV)
Bibliography and Records
This chart updated by Mara French on 1/5/16. Send any corrections or additions to this chart to marafrench@mindspring.com. Revisions: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016.
Contents
Bibliography and Records
[1] Deb Skoff, skoff@comcast.net or 1dutchess@gmail.com.
My theory is that maybe these 2 men are the same John French and Henry French who lived in KY before 1790.
In 1789, Bennett Bull and Christina French are married in KY. Bondsman is John French. BrideÕs father is Henry French. Witnesses are David French (Chart #193, b. ca. 1765, DNA Test Group 4) and Peter Widenor.
Then a John French dies in 1791 in Lincoln Co., KY and a Katherine French, widow, marries Henry Daugherty in 1792 in Lincoln Co., KY. I speculate that Katherine is Catherine Hedges who supposedly married John Philip French in Berkeley Co. VA near Tullises Branch. When John died, she might have had young children. I think she and John French likely had sons George Hedges French (m. Polly Robbins) (Chart #194, b. 1784 in KY, DNA Test Group 4), and Samuel French (m. Julia Dougherty - probably a niece of Henry Daugherty) (Chart #194, b. 1782 in KY, DNA Test Group 4). These men moved to Indiana quite early. Other researchers have said that Jonathan French (Chart #194, b. ca. 1810, DNA Test Group 4) is the oldest son of George Hedges French and Polly Robbins.
Regarding John Peter French of SC, the only FRENCH family listed in the census in Greenville County, South Carolina in 1790 is Samuel French (Chart #146) - with several males age 16 and older. After that, Samuel is not there but John P. French and George P. French are in that county for several years afterward. I think it's likely that this Samuel is the same as the Samuel in Mercer Co. KY around 1800. Samuel is said in court records to be the brother of Henry French of Mercer Co. I think that this Samuel is also the father of Benjamin French. Samuel and Benjamin left KY, moved first to TN and then to AL.
I suspect Henry French of TN is either the same man as Henry of Mercer Co., KY or is closely related. Both Henry's were land speculators. If the same man, he was buying land in both TN and in KY.
What about Isaac French of Canada? I do find an Isaac French who married Anna Stone in 1804 in Mercer Co., KY. I haven't been able to find any other record of them. Probably not the same Isaac's, but interesting to see the same name in both places. There aren't too many Isaac French's in records of that time period.
It's said that Henry French of Mercer Co., KY was born in Germany and came to America after learning his trade as a blacksmith and gunsmith. A gunsmith apprenticeship was 5 to 7 years [75]. I found listings for the following names as being naturalized in PA in 1765 - Henry, Isaac, Jacob, and John FRANTZ. It's a stretch, but something I'll keep in mind for later. I do know that Peter French (FFA Chart #129) was AKA Peter Frantz. I'm betting he's related to DNA Group 4 as well.
Now we just need more male FRENCH descendants to join the DNA project - especially descendants of Samuel and Benjamin French of AL, Peter French of TN, and Henry French of Mercer Co., KY.
[2] Margaret (Peg) E. Adams, 7452 N. Meadow Lane, New Carlisle, IN 46552-9162, email: peggenealogy@aol.com (email good in 2011). 574-654-3672. Descendant of Teter French.
[3] Don Hayes, email: dehayes@mchsi.com (email good in 2011).
[4] Martha Wurtele, email: marwurtele@aol.com.
[5] West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia, Volume 3, a reprint of Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia Berkeley County, WV, Biographies List, 1884. Website: http://www.wvgenweb.org/berkeley/frenchjacbi.html. Email Marilyn Gouge, marilynandmonty@cox.net.
[6] Berkeley Co., WV, Brides List: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/berkeley/vitals/brides.txt.
[7] Berkeley County Historical Society, Steve French, email: bchs@bchs.org.
[8] Tracy and Brian Potts, 311 Richard St., Martinsburg,
WV. 25404-9078. 304-263-1170. French Reunion 2005 Aug 28th, from 12 noon till 6:00 pm
Dinner will be at 1:00
Located
at Tuscarora Puritan Club, Martinsburg, WV, behind Tuscarosa Church Hall.
Please bring a covered dish or picnic lunch and something for auction. Remind
Relations!!! Invite relatives !! Bring pictures from
past reunions. Come and plan to enjoy the day !! Hope
to see you there. See French Reunions: http://www.frenchfamilyassoc.com/FFA/WELCOME/Reunions.htm.
[9] William Moore, email: billmkate@msn.com (email good in 2011). 304-267-2916. The picture of the Town of Hedgesville historical sign was taken beside my house of years gone by. My wife and I restored an 1836 edifice called the Summit House and had the camera been turned the other way it would have been displayed. I do a tour of this area for the Scotch-Irish Quakers of the area and this added much to the background of understanding.
[10] Stew Hedges, email: sahedges@wave.net (email good in 1998, undeliverable in 2011). Try stewart.hedges@verizon.net (undeliverable in 2011). He lives in Gresham, Oregon.
[11] Linda French Dawson, texas44@comcast.net (email good in 2016). 211 West 36th St., Vancouver, WA 98660. 360-694-1482.
[12] Jan Lund, jan4gen@verizon.net
(good in 2011). 9648 Barkerville Ave., Whittier, CA 90605-2916, (562) 696-5832.
She suggests to go here: http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/mil/index.htm. Just scroll
down to the pension records or any other documents you want to see. You will
probably get an index card with a name......up in the
top middle of the page, it will say ÒRetrieve DocumentÓ and when you click there,
the original document will appear.
[13] Karen Engstrom, email: engsedge@willapabay.org (email good in 2011). Website: http://news.rootsweb.com/th/read/FRENCH/1999-02/0919819091. This is for Chart #129.
[14] Berkeley Co., WV Marriages (Grooms): http://files.usgwarchives.org/wv/berkeley/vitals/grooms.txt
FRENCH George H. SAVELEY Molly Oct 10, 1789
FRENCH George H. GRANTHAM Maria April 15, 1830
FRENCH Jacob STROUSE Elizabeth Oct 12, 1839
FRENCH Jacob M. KITCHEN Charity March 1, 1818
FRENCH Jacob M. ELLIS Mary C. May 24, 1855
FRENCH Jacob M. CLARK Margaret Nov 4, 1833
FRENCH John Aaron MYERS Sarah Nov 11, 1822
FRENCH John Aaron CLINE Hannah Jan 19, 1818
FRENCH John Aaron STACY Sarah Dec 14, 1802
HEDGES Bailey ROBERTS Mary E. March 24, 1868
HEDGES Charles Luther SAVILLE Laura V. March 27, 1900
HEDGES Decatur BEALL Mary Hough Oct 11, 1855
HEDGES Decatur McCUE Martha Rachel June 9, 1871
HEDGES James KENNEDY Elizabeth Feb 4, 1783
HEDGES James HEDGES Sarah R. Jan 9, 1872
HEDGES John P. KEESECKER Barbara Oct 20 1825
HEDGES John Rawlings TURNER Elizabeth Rawlings Nov 29, 1821
HEDGES Jonas ROBINSON Elizabeth Nov 11, 1812
HEDGES Jonas PLOTNER Eve April 4, 1799
HEDGES Joseph FETTLEPLACE Jan 31, 1708
HEDGES Joseph PECKENBAUGH Mary Sep 8, 1713
HEDGES Joseph LAMBET Tillie March 27, 1777
HEDGES Joseph EVANS Rachel Aug 15, 1793
HEDGES Josiah MORGAN Catherine Oct 21, 1800
HEDGES Josiah ROBINSON Susan Dec 11, 1831
HEDGES Joshua CHAPLINE Elizabeth Feb 10, 1743
HEDGES Morgan SNODGRASS Lucinda Dec 8, 1831
HEDGES Rebecca ROBINSON Abraham March 27, 1793
HEDGES Samuel TABB Mary June 26, 1783
HEDGES Solomon VINCENHELLER Sarah July 28, 1789
HEDGES William JOHNSON Elizabeth Ellen March 26, 1868
HEDGES William COURTNEY Elizabeth Oct 3, 1878
HEDGES William COOPER Elizabeth March 14, 1886
HEDGES William LIGHT Elizabeth Feb 9, 1822
MYERS Aaron HEDGES Mary Morgan May 14, 1822
MYERS Archibald RINER Rosannah Oct 29 ,1835
MYERS George SILER Sarah Levina March 19 ,1858
MYERS Henry KAUGN Susannah Feb 13, 1783
MYERS Henry SEIBERT Catherine April 5, 1808
MYERS Henry W. LINTON Anna Elizabeth Sep 7, 1843
MYERS John EVERHART Catherine Jan 29 ,1798
MYERS John Albert VANMETRE Rose Lee Dec 29 ,1914
MYERS John Jacob MOORE Mary Ann July 13, 1871
MYERS Phillip C. HUDSON Mary Aug 11 ,1825
MYERS Robert RICHARDS Mary Elizabeth Nov 14, 1895
DAVIS David KEARNS Catherine Jan 25, 1810
DAVIS James SANDERS Elizabeth Sep 20, 1791
DAVIS Joseph KENNEDY Angelina July 17, 1828
DAVIS Joseph M. MILLER Sarah Jane Oct 27, 1856
SHIVELY John HUNTER Rosanna Oct 13, 1845
ANDERSON Joseph FRENCH Nancy Sep 2, 1833
EVERSOLE Jacob FRENCH Ida Belle Feb 28, 1889
REED Loved FRENCH Mary J. Oct 15, 1786
CUNNINGHAM Hugh HEDGES Ann Jan 28 ,1829
ROBINSON Alexander HEDGES Anna April 24, 1785
CURTIS David HEDGES Elizabeth April 14, 1807
MORGAN Morgan HEDGES Elizabeth June 30, 1795
MILLER Henry Walton HEDGES Elizabeth Rawlings June 19, 1902
JAMISON Lewis HEDGES Jane Dec 15 ,1887
BUTTS Theodore A. HEDGES Jane dec 7 ,1893
WILSON James HEDGES Jane Aug 13, 1789
SILER Theodore clay HEDGES Jennie Dec 26, 1867
SILER Bennett HEDGES Martha Dec 29 ,1868
HENRY Phillip HEDGES Martha June 15, 1875
MYERS Aaron HEDGES Mary Morgan May 14, 1822
LEMON Robert Newton HEDGES Maud L. Dec 25, 1896
ROBINSON Samuel HEDGES Rebecca Jan 27, 1840
ALEXANDER Elijah HEDGES Rebecca Dec 2, 1823
ROBINSON Abraham HEDGES Rebecca March 27, 1793
CAMPBELL James Lyle HEDGES Rebecca Burns March 3, 1829
ROBINSON James H. HEDGES Ruth A. Sep 28, 1841
HEDGES James HEDGES Sarah R. Jan 9, 1872
ALDER Thomas MYERS Mary Jan 23, 1837
WEIGLE John MYERS Nancy Aug 27, 1846
SILER John MYERS Phoebe Oct 19 ,1865
RICHISON Mary MYERS Samuel Aug 19 ,1812
FRENCH John Aaron MYERS Sarah Nov 11 ,1822
SEIBERT John N. MYERS Sarah Ann Dec 8 ,1847
EVANS Isaac MYERS Susan Jan 18, 1807
[15] Frederick
County, Virginia, website: http://genealogenie.net/vafreder/lookups.shtml.
[16] Pioneers of
Old Frederick County, Virginia, by Cecil OÕDell, Marceline, Missouri, Walsworth
Publishing Company, 1995, website: http://www.hethhart.com/histories/Hart%20-%20Frederick%20Co.pdf
[17] Descendants of
the Hockman Family, with information about the Funk Family of Shenandoah Co.,
VA, website: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/o/c/Robert-Stephen-Hockman/PDFGENE1.pdf.
[18] The
Strasburger family and allied families of Pennsylvania, website: http://www.archive.org/stream/strassburgerfamil00instra/strassburgerfamil00instra_djvu.txt.
[19] Berkeley County Historical Society, http://www.bchs.org/journals.html, Snodgrass Tavern and Allensville (History of Snodgress Tavern and vicinity of Allensville; genealogy of the French family; 22 stories written by Jospeh F. Snodgrass [born 1813] and published in local newspaper.) Written in 1992, Issue 16, $10.00 plus $2.50 handling.
[20] Allensville is northwest of the North Mountain Depot, and about 8 miles from Little Falls (also called Falling Water) in Berkeley County, WV. The French family came to this area after they crossed the Potomac at a low point where most people crossed by the Conococheague/Before Berkeley County, WV, split off, it was known as Frederick County, VA. The French family was one of the main landowners in early Allensville. The Germans settled in Pennsylvania then Maryland before the Scotch-Irish came, so the Germans got all the good land. When the Scots-Irish came, there wasnÕt much good land, so they moved south from Pennsylvania to Maryland to Virginia, which became West Virginia in the area where they were, then they migrated to NC, SC, TN and KY. The foregoing data was received from Bill Moore [9] on Jan 5, 2016. The Dutch were the earliest settlers.
When the railroad came through in 1830 and connected Martinsburg with Cumberland, Md., Irish construction workers cut the railroad bed into the side of North Mountain at what became known as the deep cut and built the railroad bridge over Back Creek. During the construction of the railroad, workers established their homes along or near the sides of the railroad's right of way.
Allensville was named after Oliver Allen, a railroad watchman from Pennsylvania. John L. Emerson and wife, Margaret, sold to Oliver Allen a small portion of land and he opened and operated a store here from the 1880s until 1892. Other local settlers, Edward Lewis, Charles Barnes, Conrad Beard and John T. Shields, trustees, for $20, bought on acre to be used as a burial ground and the erection of a Union Church.
[21] Lisa French, 251 Orchard Ave., Martinsburg, WV 25401, 304-263-2282. Lisa_frnch@yahoo.com.
[22] Janet, Karen, and Daryl French, Martinsburg, WV.
[23] Gary Watson email: garywwatson@yahoo.com (email good in 2012). Website on the Davis Family: http://gwwgen.com/mytree/zzzg16.htm. Gary is an excellent researcher and is researching the DAVIS family. I see the names DAVIS, CHAMPION, DOUGHERTY as witnesses, etc. The CHAMPION and DAVIS families migrated from Berkeley, WV to Mercer and Washington Counties in Kentucky together. They were very good friends....buying and selling land, witnessing wills in which they were noted as Òmy good friendÓ, etc.
[24] Allensville Cemetery in Hedgesville, Berkeley Co., WV,
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GScid=2207746.
More members of this family:
Anna Belle French, b. 1868, d. 1955
Charles ÒTimÓ French, b. 1959, d. 1998
Charles R. French, b. 1895, d. 1956
Charles W. French, b. 1886, d. 1923
Charlotte V. French, b. 1940, d. 2002
Claude H. French, b. 1927, d. 2006
Clyde O. French, b. 1927, d. 1976
Danielle Nicole French, b. 1985, d. 2006
David H. French, b. 1873, d. 1934
Dorothy J. French, b. 1924, d. 1995
Edward H. French, b. 1876, d. 1942
Ethel V. French, b. 1909, d. 1967
George Lester French, b. 1914, d. 1982
Harry Edward French Jr., b. 1936, d. 1936
Harry F. French, b. 1892, d. 1957
James H. French, b. 1864, d. 1930
James William French, b. 1917, d. 1917
John French, b. 1835, d. 1918
John Oliver French, b. 27 Apr 1895, d. 1917
Lottie Arillia French, b. 1908, d. 1908
Mary F. French, b. 1884, d. 1963
Paul French, b. 1923, d. 1986
Rebecca J. French, b. 1862, d. 1939
Robert L. French, b. 1931, d. 2007
Rosa B. French, b. 1876, d. 1972
Vicie B. French, b. 1892, d. 1970
Warren Allen French, b. 1 Sep 1899, d. 1912
William F. Poss French, b. 1894, d. 1958
Wilma M. French, b. 1930, d. 2009
[25] Marilyn Horton, email: mrlynhrtn@yahoo.com.
[26] By the 1790 census of Lancaster Co., PA, no French nor Shively exist for the townships of Bart, Breakneck, Caenarvon, Cocalico, Colerain, Donegal, Drumore, Earl, Ealizabeth, Maytown, Mt. Joy, or Rapho.
[27] History of Lancaster Co., PA, website: http://www.pa-roots.com/lancaster/books/lancasteranditspeople/chapter1.html.
[28] The Family of Christian Shively, Jefferson Co., Kentucky, website: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wshiv&id=I056. Walter Burke Shively, wshiv12184@aol.com.
[29] Michael French, email: dmfrench79@hotmail.com.
[30] Rai French, email: raifrench@cni.net.
[31] Fred Williams, email: frenchwilliams@embarqmail.com. Tallahassee, FL 32304, 850-921-5554.
[32] Vicki French Carroll, email: BVCarroll@aol.com. She is going to Berkeley County, WV, during the second week in March 2011 to visit the land of her forefathers. 728 Cherokee Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80525-1517, (970) 416-6811. My husband, Brian and I took a trip in early February 2012 to search libraries, court houses, and historical societies from Hagerstown, MD to Carlisle, PA. We also spent three hours in the library at the Conococheague (Conoco – jig) Institute in Mercersburg, PA. (If you get a chance to visit, donÕt miss the historic ÒFlanneryÕs TavernÓ in Mercersburg.) Vicki and Brian returned to PA in March 2012.
[33] Berkeley Historical Society: History of Berkeley County volume VI: Spring Mills, North mountain, and Marlowe Areas, website: http://www.bchs.org/books.html.
[34] Lorri French, email: lorri_french@yahoo.com.
[35] Willard (Jay) French, email: WJF0511@aol.com.
[36] Kelle Metz, email: jkmetz268@gmail.com.
[37] Virginia Keefer, email: ginnykeefer@cox.net.
[38] Willa Norwood, email: wnor@networksplus.net.
[39] Marvin L. French, email: mfrench1@san.rr.com. (FFA Chart #10)
[40] Donald and Lisa Dirting, Berkeley Co., WV. DonaldÕs grandmother was one of the Gletners that was associated with the French family, so there is still a connection with the French family.
[41] Max Oates owns the Jacob French farm in 2011. I assume he lives in Martinsburg, WV.
[42] Darvin L. Martin, email: dlmartin@genealogygoldmine.com.
[43] Jenny Pilcher, jpilcher@internet.net (good in 2002, undeliverable in 2011).
[44] Gerry Bacon King, gking1@neo.rr.com (good in 2011).
[45] Mike Lysell, mlysell@home.com (good in 2002, undeliverable in 2011). New email: mlysell@tx.rr.com (good in 2011). He has John Snively in his line. He cannot comment on the French family nor the Snively line as they are not in his direct line. He probably doesnÕt need to be notified of updates.
[46] Biographical Annals of Franklin, PA 1905, US & Can 874.844D3b.
[47] FFA member #224, Elizabeth F. Washburn, 2501 Brewster Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210-5841 (from 1998).
[48] Cemeteries of Antrim township, Franklin County, PA: http://www.genealogygoldmine.com/cemeteries/USA/PA/Franklin/AntrimTwp/index.html
[49] Historical Sketch of Franklin County, Pennsylvania
http://www.archive.org/stream/historicalsketch00inmcau/historicalsketch00inmcau_djvu.txt
ANTIETAM HOME, DR. I. N. SNIVEIA, PIIOPRIETOR,
This attractive place was the residence of the late Abraham Barr, who purchased it from Mr. Jacob Funk, October 28th, 1848. It being part of the real estate of which John Funk, father of the said Jacob, died possessed, having inherited it from his father, John Funk, Sr. A considerable portion of this tract was, prior to the establishment of Mason & Dixon's line, in Maryland, as is shown by a patent deed made by the Right Honorable Lord, proprietor of the late province of Maryland, bearing date the tenth day of August, A. D. 1753, to a certain Jacob Gans, who deeded the same to John Miller on the 22d day of June, A. D. 1784. About three acres arc still in the State of Maryland ; the balance, 212 acres, are in Washington township, Franklin County, Pa., two miles due south of Waynesboro, on the Maryland line, while that beautiful stream, the now historic Antietam, flows through it, watering its rich meadows. It is supplied with three excellent springs of cold water, and quite near the house there is a good waterpower. The land is diversified in its character, being limestone, sandstone and soapstone. Having an abundance of first-class material for lime, it is not a matter of surprise that it is in good condition and very productive.
[This following paragraph makes me think that the Funk and French families were connected. Obviously the Snively family married into the French family of Lancaster County].
Dr. Isaac Newton Snively, buried at the Green Hill Cemetery in Waynesboro, Franklin Co., PA. He was b. 23 Feb 1839 in Franklin Co., PA.
Dr. Isaac Newton Snively is one of the lineal descendents of John Jacob Schnebele, who emigrated from Switzerland to Lancaster County, in the Province of Pennsylvania, about the year 1707. He was naturalized in Philadelphia, October 14th, A. D. 1729, in the third year of the reign of King George the II, and died at the age of eighty-four years. His son, Jacob Schnebele, was born A. D. 1694, and died August 24th, A. D. 1766, in his seventy-second year. He had two sons by his first wife. The second was Christian Schnebele, who was born August 15th, A. D. 1731, and died March 16th, 1795, in his sixty-fifth year. He was married to Miss Margaret Washabaugh about the year 1761. He had eight children. His second child, *John Schnebele, (grandfather to Dr. Snively), was born February 25th, A. D. 1766. He was married to Miss Anna Hege, (grandmother to the Doctor), October 24th, A. D. 1794, and died in July, 1844, in his seventy-ninth year. His wife, Anna, died August 17th, A. D. 1852, in her seventy-seventh year. Anna Hege was one of the descendents of Hans Haggy, who emigrated from Switzerland, in Schauffhausen, near Zweibrueken, at Ebersten Hoff, to the American colonies, which are now the United States. With Hans Haggy came his brother-in law, Hans Leaman. They had families, and brought with them Henry Lesher and two of his sisters, orphan children. Henry was sixteen years of age. These parties being related and of the same neighborhood emigrated together. Fifty-three families, numbering in all two hundred persons arrived at this time. They came over in the ship James Goodwill, David Crocket, Captain, from Rotterdam, and landed at Philadelphia, Pa., September 29th, A. D. 1727, where they were required to repeat and sign the following declaration:
ÒWe, subscribers, natives and late inhabitants of the Palatinate upon the Rhine and places adjacent, having transported ourselves and families into this Province of Pensilvania, a Colony subject to the Crown of Great Britian, in hopes and expectations of finding a Retreat and peacable Settlement therein. Do solemnly promise and engage, that we will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to his present Majesty King George The Second, and his Successors Kings of Great Britain, and will be faithful to the Proprietor of this province; And that we will demean ourselves peacably to all His said Majesties Subjects and strictly observe and conform to the Laws of England and of this Province, to the utmost of our Power and best ot our understanding.Ó (See ÒColonial Records,Ó vol. Ill, page 28;} and 284, Sept. 21st and 27th, 1727).
From Philadelphia they went to Rapho township, Lancaster county. Pa., near Manheim, where they settled. Hans Haggy had a son John who was married to Miss Elizabeth Pealman, and lived near Bridgeport, Franklin county. Pa. His third child. Christian Haggy, was born in 1751, and died May 13th, A. D. 1815. His wife was Mariah Stouffer. They had four children. The eldest was Anna Hege,- grandmother to the Doctor on his fathers's side.
John Snively (Doctor Snively's father) was born near Queencastle, Franklin county, Pa., January 12th, 179'J, on the ancestral homestead now occupied by his brother Jacob's family, and farmed by his nephew, Benjamin F. Snively, Esq. This farm is a portion of the original tract patented by the original John Jacob Schnebele family in the days of the Penns, and has been handed down from father to son for over a century a half. He was married to Miss Catharine Keefer, daughter of the late Jacob Keefer near Marion, Franklin county, Pa., who moved here from Lancaster county. John Snively died March 4th, A. D. 1853, in his fifty-fifth year; his wife, Catharine, was born in Lancaster county, Pa., August 22d, 1802, and died September or Oct, 1854, in her fifty-third year. John Snively had seven children, four sons are living, three of whom are physicians. The eldest, John K. Snively, is a farmer residing on the old homestead near Jackson Hall, Franklin Òcounty. Pa. The second is Dr. L N. Snively. The third is Dr. Samuel K. Snively of Williamsport, Md. The fourth is Dr. Andrew J. Snively of Hanover, York County, Pa. Dr. Isaac N. Snively was born near Jackson Hall, Franklin county. Pa., February 2od, 1809, where he spent his early life upon his father's farm, assisting in the various farm duties during the summer months, and attending the public schools during the winter. At the age of fourteen he was left an orphan, and started out in quest of employment. Arriving in Chambersburg he entered the store of Hutz & Son as salesman, with his cousin, John P. Keefer, who very kindly gave him access to his fine library. He soon acquired a fondness for books which disqualified him for the duties of a clerkship, and he withdrew to enter the Fayetteville Academy, then under the supervision of the Rev. Mr. Kennedy. From here he returned to Chambersburg and entered the private classical school of that noted teacher, the late Thomas J. Harris, in whose school he for a short time was assistant, and afterward taught in the public schools and took an active part in the Franklin County Teachers' Association. In 1857, lie graduated at Duff's Commercial College of Pittsburg, Pa. In 1858, whilst teaching the Mt. Vernon school near Waynesboro, Pa., he commenced the study of Anatomy with Dr. Benjamin Frantz. In the spring of 1859, he became a pupil of the late Dr. John C. Richards of Chambersburg, Pa., and graduated at the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1862. He commenced the practice of medicine in Chambersburg, and in 1863, when the Confederate army invaded our state, he went to Harrisburg before the State Medical Board, and after passing the required examination, was commissioned by the Governor of Pennsylvania, as assistant Surgeon, his commission bearing date June 30th, 1803. He was assigned by Dr. King, Surgeon General of Pennsylvania to duty at Camp Curtin. He became acting Surgeon of the 20th Pa. Reg., Col. Wm. B. Thomas commanding. He allowed himself to be mustered out of service with this regiment and returned to Chambersburg, where he associated himself in the practice of his profession with his late preceptor, Dr. J. C. Richards. Besides their regular practice they had charge of the Town Hall Hospital. September 8th, 18Go, the Surgeon General of Pennsylvania sent him a commission, assigning him to the IS.Ith Regiment, Pa. Vol., then encamped at Beverly Ford, Va., Maj. Ewing commanding. He declined this as well as a lucrative appointment on the Pacific Coast in a Marine Hospital, preferring to continue in the practice with Dr. Richards. December 24:th, 1863, he was married to Miss Alice B. Barr, daughter of the late Abraham Barr, esq., near Waynesboro, Pa. They moved in the (lawyer) Smith property on Main Street, where, July 30th, 1864, they lost all their personal property (not even saving their ward-robes) through the burning of the town by the rebel hordes. The Doctor being out of town at the time, his wife barely escaped the flames of the burning building. Left destitute, in less than a week he was found on duty in the U. S. Army General Hospital, Beverly, New Jersey. He continued on duty here until the war was about closing, when he resigned to take the place of Dr. James Brotherton, Jr., of Waynesboro, Pa., who had lately died, where he has enjoyed a lucrative practice ever since. He was one of the founders of the present Medical Society of Franklin County, Pa., and was President of that society in 1874. *The name Snively was originally Schnebele.
[50] Distinguishing boundaries between Washington and Greene Counties in Tennessee website: http://www.tngenweb.org/maps/county-ani/tn-maps/tn-cf.html.
[51] Don Wood, Berkeley Co., WV, has done extensive research on the French family, the archivist in Berkeley Co., WV.
[52] Early Life of the Pennsylvania Germans, website: http://www.horseshoe.cc/pennadutch/history/american/earlylif.htm.
[53] Private Farm Cemeteries of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, website: http://www.horseshoe.cc/pennadutch/graveyards/index.htm.
[54] Blacksmiths of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, website: http://www.horseshoe.cc/pennadutch/people/trades/blacksmith/smiths.htm.
[55] Effe Simpson in Beijing, China, website: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/12236197/person/-306903082/?o_cvc=Image:SavedPublic:PersonPage
[56] Suzanne Kowicki, email: I_am_suzanne@yahoo.com.
[57] Marilyn Gouge, Berkeley County Cemeteries, email: marilynandmonty@cox.net.
[58] French deaths in Berkeley County, WV.
|
NAME |
BIRTH |
DEATH |
AGE |
|
FRENCH, ROBERT |
19 Dec 1898 |
Sep 1972 |
73 |
|
FRENCH, DOROTHY S |
05 Aug 1924 |
Sep 1995 |
71 |
|
FRENCH, JAMES O |
26 Nov 1932 |
08 Nov 2008 (V) |
75 |
|
FRENCH, PAUL |
28 Jan 1923 |
Aug 1986 |
63 |
|
FRENCH, ROSE |
25 Jan 1904 |
Mar 1976 |
72 |
|
FRENCH, JOAN C |
19 Jun 1940 |
06 Aug 2005 (V) |
65 |
|
FRENCH, MARY JO |
21 Oct 1942 |
21 Mar 1999 (V) |
56 |
|
FRENCH, ROSA |
25 Oct 1876 |
Jun 1972 |
95 |
|
FRENCH, WILMA M |
21 Oct 1930 |
24 Sep 2009 (V) |
78 |
|
FRENCH, CALVIN W |
21 Nov 1941 |
27 Dec 2001 (V) |
60 |
|
FRENCH, CHARLES E |
13 Jan 1959 |
08 Jun 1998 (V) |
39 |
|
FRENCH, KEVIN W |
24 Nov 1963 |
17 Jun 2009 (V) |
45 |
|
FRENCH, KATHY M |
13 Apr 1969 |
09 Mar 2004 (P) |
34 |
|
FRENCH, DANIELLE N |
29 Jul 1985 |
05 May 2006 (V) |
20 |
|
FRENCH, ROBERT L |
26 Jan 1931 |
26 Jun 2007 (V) |
76 |
|
FRENCH, FRANCES L |
09 Dec 1941 |
24 Jun 2004 (V) |
62 |
|
FRENCH, DELORES K |
12 Sep 1947 |
08 Feb 2010 (V) |
62 |
|
FRENCH, CHARLOTTE V |
12 Feb 1940 |
23 Dec 2002 (V) |
62 |
|
FRENCH, CLAUDE H |
07 May 1927 |
28 Nov 2006 (V) |
79 |
|
FRENCH, JOHN H |
31 Mar 1927 |
19 Mar 1997 (V) |
69-70 |
|
FRENCH, JACK R |
13 Apr 1938 |
10 Jan 1989 |
50 |
[59] Cumberland County was first settled by a majority of Scotch-Irish immigrants who arrived in this area about 1730. English and German settlers constituted about ten percent of the early population. The settlers originally mostly devoted the area to farming and later developed other trades. These settlers built the Middle Spring Presbyterian Church, among the oldest houses of worship in central Pennsylvania, in 1738 near present day Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
Researching Edward Shippen, apparently his father was b. 28 Feb 1677/78 and d. 28 Jul 1741 in Germantown, PA, just before Edward Shippen Jr., protestant, listed several ForeignerÕs names. Many records suggest that Edward Shippen Jr. was born in Massachusetts, but removed to Lancaster, PA, where he d. 25 Sep 1781. This is probably FFA Chart #135.
[60] Franklin County, Pennsylvania containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., Chicago, by Warner, Beers, Y Co., 1887. Website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pafrankl/Documents/FranklinCountyHistoryBates.pdf or http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/franklin/history/local/wbeers005.txt. Also details Snively family.
Postmasters and dates of appointments in Franklin Co.
Frenches in Fayetteville:
R. M. French, January 24, 1837
R. M. French, July 29, 1845
Mary A. French, April 8, 1846
Waynesboro, Company E, James B. French.
Company L, Thomas D. French, first lieutenant
185th Regiment, 22nd Cavalry, 9 months, Thomas D. French, captain of Company L.
Cyrus G. French, 1841, attorney, and date admission to the bar
E. French, Chaplain, 1847, Waynesboro
J. B. French, Grand Army of the Republic, Waynesboro
The taxables in Fannett Township (including what is now Metal Township) in 1786, were Samuel French. No Woodrow.
Dr. R. M. French was married to Mary Ann Peel, and whose daughter Samantha French married in 1878 to Dr. F. S. Brenisholts, a dentist of Waynesboro. Mary Ann PeelÕs father was born in Cumberland Co., PA, and of English descent, and a relative of Sir Robert Peel of England.
The Frantz and Funk families are listed as Knights of Pythias in Franklin Co., and the Snively family is listed in the Waynesboro Academy of Medicine.
[61] Allison-Antrim Museum, Greencastle, PA, website: http://www.greencastlemuseum.org/local_history.htm. German settlers followed the early Scotch-Irish to Antrim. The GermansÕ basic reason for leaving their homeland was to find religious freedom and as they moved into this frontier region along with and after the Scotch-Irish, they, too, acquired lands and became the leading farmers of the local area
[62] Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, wills, 1777-1785website: http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/wills/willbkc-d.txt.
[63] The Pennsylvania-German in the Settlement of MarylandÓ, Lancaster, PA, 1914, includes names Henry Saveley, Henry Snebley, John Shively, Capt. John Wolgamot, Jacob Rorer or Rohrer, Hoover, French on p. 126 (but he is the Colonial French of FFA Chart #135), Frantz, and Dougherty. Website: http://www.archive.org/stream/pennsylvaniagerm22nead/pennsylvaniagerm22nead_djvu.txt.
[64] History of Leitersburg District, Washington County, Maryland, including its Original Land Tenure, 1898, website: http://www.archive.org/stream/historyleitersb00bellgoog/historyleitersb00bellgoog_djvu.txt.
[65] Library of Virginia, website: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/. 1850 Map of Counties, including what is now West Virginia.
[66] From Building on the Gospel Foundation: The Mennonites of Franklin County, Pennsylvania and Washington County, Maryland 1730-1970 by Edsel Burdge Jr. and Samuel L. Horst. From Vicki French Carroll, Ref. [32], who received this information from the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society in January 2012. 76 pages.
One German settler, George French (or Frantz) was likely Mennonist. In December 1747, he patented two tracts, GeorgeÕs Venture and Mistake. These were just north east of Jacob RohrerÕs land. During the next 20 years, the Frederick County deed books document a series of land transactions between French and the Rohrers.
In October of 1747, Henry Avey and eight other men (Jacob Stull, George French, Jacob Miller, Isaac Simon, Joseph Wolgamot, Jacob Rorhrer, Andrew Hoover, and Valentine Groff) appeared before the provincial Court in Annapolis and petitioned for naturalization. Described in the court records as Òbeing of the People called QuakersÓ they asked to affirm their allegiance to the British monarch. The nine men were all Germans and in all likelyhood Mennonists. The judge, no doubt unconcerned about the niceties of sectarian distinctions, associated them with the Quakers because of the common testimony against swearing oaths. Also, it would have been convenient to do so in a legal sense, since Quakers had the privilege under English law to affirm rather than to swear. 30 Provencial Court Judgements, Liber EI, 10: 657 (pg 71)
Jacob SchnebeleÕs oldest son John, a blacksmith, married Louisa French, possibly a member of George FrenchÕs family. In 1751 the tax record of Antrim Township in the newly created Cumberland County listed John Schnebele along with his father. Magdalena, an older daughter of Jacob Schnebele, married Jacob French. In 1752, French patented Day Spring, an 100 acre tract located Òone half mile southward of Jacob RohrerÕs plantation.Ó 35 (page 723) (Footnote to follow)
The Conocoheague Mennonist congregation grew from just a few scattered families in the late 1730Õs, to approximately 25 families in 1755. By this date they lived for the most part in several neighborhood clusters along the Conococheague and Antietam creeks. The largest was in the Upper Antietam where the Simons, Rohrers, Hoovers, Frenchs, Bachtels, and Mussamens settled. (Today the Leitersburg area) The Funks at Marsh Head might be considered a southern extension of this cluster.
Jacob Schebele and his sons, just across the border in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, made up the smallest and most northern cluster of the congregation. (Page 75) (From Vicki, Ref. [32]: Jacob Schnebele is noted as the first Mennonite to arrive in Antrim Township.)
John Rohrer was the son of Jacob Rohrer, who was one of the first Mennonists to return to the valley. (From Vicki, Ref. [32]: In 1755, the population dropped significantly as people fled because of the dangerous conditions related to the French and Indian war.) He was back in the area by 1757, when he purchased ÒWarm IndianÓ, a 500-acre tract, from George French.
Across the border in Pennsylvania, Jacob Schnebele and his son Christian had returned by 1758, when both appeared in the Antrim Township tax list. (Page 84)
The lists over the next several years reveal that Jacob Schnebele was one of the wealthiest men in the township. In 1759 out of 171 tax payers (137 of whom paid between L1 and L 10), Schnebele ranked second highest at L56. (Page 85)
In 1765 Isaac SimonÕs widow Feronica (Veronica) bought four small lots totaling 98 acres from George French. Over the next ten years as her sons reached maturity she distributed the land to them. (Page 86)
In his will of May 15, 1788 Jacob Schnebele gave to Christian and John, sons by his first wife, equal shares in his home farm. John received the part where his father lived, and was to take care of his stepmother Barbara. His other sons Henry, Jacob, Andrew, and Joseph received tracts located elsewhere in Antrim and Guilford townships. To make sure that his daughters received an equal portion of his estate, Schnebele actually sold his lands to his sons for specific sums named in his will. (page 86)
After deducting the amount of their equal share, the sons were to make annual payments to the estate for distribution to their sisters. (page 87)
After Jacob SchnebeleÕs death on August 24, 1766 the executors of the estate, sons John and Henry made a detailed inventory of his personal property. Among the books listed were three large ÒDutch Bibles, a ÒDutch TestamentÓ, and four ÒBooks of Hymns and PsalmsÓ. (page 87)
The administration account of SchnebeleÕs estate listed a number of Mennonists from across the Maryland border. George French paid the executors the L7 he owed Schnebele. (page 87)
Jacob French also received money as part of his wife MagdalenaÕs share. (page 87)
Footnote # 35: William A. Snively, 21, in disagreement with the SchnebeleBachtel,6, had Louisa French as John SchnebeleÕs wife. This was supported by a 2 August, 1769 deed from John Snively to his stepmother, Barbara Snively. In the deed Louisa Snively, JohnÕs wife, released her dower rights to the property he had received from his father, Jacob Snively. See Cumberland Co. PA Land Record, vol, 1, Book D: 95-97. One month later John Schnebele had Warm Weather, a 313-acre tract along the Antietam Creek surveyed which included Huckleberry Hall, a 100 acre tract originally surveyed to Jacob French in 1759. When John Schnebele sold this tract to Mennonist Jacob Guth (Good) in 1772, his wife Louisa Schnebele released her dower rights, see Tracey, s.v. ÒWarm Weather.Ó Frederick County, LRLB P: 518, 519;
For Jacob French, see Coldham, 4:102, and Patricia A, Anderson, Frederick County Maryland Land Records Liber E Abstracts, 1752-1756.
In 1754 Jacob French sold Day Spring to Paul Rhodes, probably a Dunker, and FrenchÕs wife Martha released her dower rights. Martha may have been an earlier wife of French or an English clerkÕs corruption of Magdalena. (From Vicki, Ref. [32]: or this Jacob is probably the father of Jacob French who married Magdalena. He bought land in Antrim in 1748, and just a few miles away in the Leitersburg area bought Day Spring in 1752 and sold it in 1754. He died in 1755.)
In later land sales by Jacob French (2nd), his wifeÕs name is always Magdalena. (page 723).
[67] 18th Century Virginia Law, by Mr. John P. Alcock, website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jcat2/18centvalaw.html. Details laws in Virginia and Kentucky before 1800. It covers tax laws, and laws that regulated births, marriages, and deaths.
Taxes for the Poor
Back then until 1787 if you were poor enough and old enough, usually meaning quite poor and something over 60 or disabled, you might be exempted from the county levy and thus not taxed at all. However, beginning in 1787, you might be levy free as it was called, but if you owned just one cow or one horse, you'd have to pay a tax on it.
No Record of Existence
Fully a third of the males over 16 who lived in Fauquier County in the last four decades of the 1700's left no other official record of their existence than presence on the county lists of tithables, that is persons subject to a tithe, later termed poll (or head) tax.
Legal Age of 21
Two thirds of the men who paid poll tax were not freeholders with assets of at least 50 pounds sterling and so could neither vote nor serve on juries. They needed to be at least 21 years old which was the legal requirement as an adult to sell real estate, to sue in oneÕs own name in a court of law, to sign a bond or promissory note, and to marry for the first time. If either of the parties to be married was not of age, the consent of a parent or guardian was necessary. It was to be in writing before two witnesses, unless it was sworn to before the clerk of the county court. It was rare for a groom in that era to be underage. Only 6 grooms out of 1800 getting marriage licenses needed a consent in Fauquier in the last 40 years of the century. I estimate about 500 brides received a written consent in that period. If a child between the ages of 12 and 16 was married without her father's consent, the 1705 law stated she would lose her share of any inheritance to her next of kin. Note that with parental consent, a 12 year-old could be married. A marriage between a white person and a negro, mulatto, or Indian was prohibited on pain of banishment from the colony within three months. An alternate procedure was the publishing of banns three times in the church nearest to where the bride and groom lived, or if they lived in different parishes in both churches. Women who had an interracial illegitimate child were severely punished by payment or servitude. The child was taken away from their mother.
Paying Tax to the Church
In 1705 a revised tax law was established that all male persons and all negro, mulatto, and Indian women 16 and up were tithable. White women were not tithable, but they occasionally appeared on the tax lists if as widows or spinsters they were responsible for paying the tithes of sons, slaves, or employees. A revision in 1748 freed mariners and constables from the tax, and one in 1779 excused soldiers on active duty in the Continental Line or in the Illinois and theArtillery state regiments. Tithables is paying one-tenth of annual produce or earnings to pay for the church.
Taxes after 1787
After 1787 horses, cattle, carriage wheels, ordinary licenses, billiard tables, number of stud horses and the rate of covering per season, and finally practicing physicians, apothecaries, and surgeons were taxed. Anyone researching a male ancestor who lived in Virginia between 1782 and 1809 should begin with these tithable lists.
Appraisals
At the time of granting probate or appointing an administrator, the court named three appraisers who were to obtain an inventory of the estates personal property and appraise its value. The appraisers were almost always neighbors of the deceased. The executor or administrator was required to sell all perishable goods not necessary for the sustenance of the family. Proceeds were used to pay off creditors. If that did not cover the debts of the estate, then other personal property was sold leaving slaves to the last. No distribution of property could be made to the heirs for at least nine months.
WomenÕs Rights
A woman was not allowed to own land in her own right nor to make a will. She had no legal say over who would be the guardian of their minor children after her husband had died or what religion they would be raised in, if her husband's will had provisos to those effects. Only if a woman was an adult and unmarried, either as a widow or never a bride, could she sue in court, act as an executrix or administratrix, be officially designated as the guardian of her children, enter into contracts including indenture of servants, own slaves, sell or buy land, or obtain an ordinary license. Whether or not she was married, she could witness documents and testify freely in court about them. Obviously she couldn't vote, serve on a jury, or hold any public office.
[68] Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, the Allison Antrim Museum (has a book on the Sniveley family), and the Fendrick Museum in Mercersburg have the Fendrick papers showing 10 Frenches, visited by Vicki French Carroll, Ref. [32].
[69] From Vicki: The Old Forge Farm in the Leitersburg area, near Hagerstown, MD is owned by Pat Schooley. It was not Isaac Zane's Old Forge. We visited on a Sunday in March 2012. Pat was very friendly and gave us a tour of her home. No mention of a cemetery though. Her book is: Architectural and Historic Treasures of Washington County, MD. It was the winner of the 2003 Maryland Historic Trust Heritage Book award. It was published by the Washington County Historical Trust in 2002. Their address is: PO Box 222, Keedysville , MD 21756 or go to www.washingtoncountyhistoricaltrust.org. Patricia A. and David J. Schooley, 20702 Old Forge Rd., Hagerstown, MD, (301) 733-1762.
[70] From Linda, Ref. [11]: Interesting info lately re
Mennonites and Germans, Swiss. I am attaching a link to Google Docs: copy of
the presentation my genealogy society German user group gave. It is public
access. Website: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jvvyggUn0M05Qvd3EAaEH46dhymeG4oGy4VyFoHVmJs/edit?hl=en_US#.
One of the links was to RuppÕs book (1875; copyright 1898) who
translated some German passenger records. Read the introduction to the book which chronicles the immigrations. There are pages of
names of immigrants, ships lists. Some of my notes:
page 7 talks of the Swiss Mennonites persecution and migration 1672 to Alsace;
1708 migrate to London then on to PA eventually.
page 14 talks of the immigration the Carolinas by
invitation 1732.
page 70 Palatines imported 1731 to Dover via Rotterdam
on ship Snow Louther to US
page 71 list mentions Johann Conrad Franck and Jacob Snevely.
page 72 lists Christian Frantz and Michael Frantz
(under 16).
page 472 Daniel Frantz, Frederick twp, PA owned land.
Another entry that I canÕt find now mentions a Franck and a
Schneible killed by Indians. Could be French and Saveley name variation?
[71] From Linda, Ref. [11]: IÕm reading in ÒLand and Property Research in the USÓ by E Wad Hone: ÒWhen the Revolutionary war ended and colonies officially became states, each state retained the rights and responsibilities of dispersing property within its own boundaries. Distribution often continued in the same manner as before the war.Ó The process was usually: application then issue of warrant (authorization to survey). Upon return of survey, the patent was prepared. The patent is an official title to the property and indicates completion of the land acquisition process. The term patent indicates the first sale of the property (as part of a state). I think it means that the person who made the application was George and that the father (who may be Jacob of Berkeley) owned the property since 1769. So we need a 1769 deed check. It seems that an application by George was in the works in 1775 and 1776 but not granted until 1790 because of the Rev war. We know he had to be 21 in 1775. So his father had to be at least born before 1733. The first deed mention 1747 would mean that George had to be born before 1726. I was looking at the Don Wood chart I prepared from his book. I think the dates are suspect. There are so many Jacob, Henry and George it is difficult to follow. IÕll review it again. I also noted that George who married Mary Saveley in 1789 before the birth of some listed children. So he had another wife before 1789.
[72] Isaac
Zane (11/26/1753-5/6/1816) b. Moorefield, Hardy Co., VA, d.
Zanesfield, Logan Co., OH, m. ca. 1776, Wheeling, Ohio Co., VA, Princess Myeerah (White
Crane) Wyandot (1757-2/1816) b. Solomontown, Northwest Territory,
(or Zanesville, OH) d. Zanesville, OH, bur. Zanesfield, OH unmarked grave, dau.
of Chief Tarhe (the Crane) & Ronyouquaines (La
Durante) Wyandot. Ronyouquaines was kidnapped, was gÕdau. of
Chev. Durante (French). Isaac was called ÒThe Great White Eagle,Ó & served
in Rev. War. He is bur. in unmarked grave in Zanesfield, OH.
Email from Fred:
According to Diane Nichols on the Zane GenForum #425, 02/15/02, ÒIsaac Zane was born 26 June 1743 in Philadelphia to Isaac Zane, Sr. and Sarah Elfreth Zane. Isaac Zane, Sr. was born 3 May 1711 in Newton, Gloucester Co., NJ. and Sarah Elfreth was born (don't have it at the moment, but her father was Henry Elfreth). They were all Quakers.
Isaac Zane, Jr. had his Marlboro Iron Works on Opequon Creek in Frederick Co, VA. He was never married, but had a mistress, Elizabeth McFarland by whom he had a son, Isaac III. Isaac Jr. died 10 Aug 1795 in Frederick Co., VA. He left a will, but his son, Isaac III did not survive his father long enough to inherit. Isaac III died before age 21, 31 May 1799. Isaac, Jr. was brought up before the Quakers at one point and essentially told to either marry Elizabeth McFarland or give her up. Isaac refused to do either. The line her ended with Isaac Zane of Marlboro Iron Works, as his only son did not survive to have a family. If I can be of further help, do not hesitate to contact me at dianejnichols@earthlink.netÒ
This is consistent with other data I have seen and seems to be in conflict with your information. Any ideas?
Fred
[73] From Deb, Ref. [1]: As far as Jacob French who lived in KY, died about 1784, and is found in some of the same records as Henry French of Mercer County, KY - at this point I don't know how he's related to Henry. Jacob was married to Rebecca Paul in about 1770. They had a son, Paul French, who married Lucy Abel and moved to IN and IL. Paul lived in Pike County, IL in 1840 and apparently died before 1850. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that Jacob was a brother to Henry - meaning that Henry had 2 brothers named Jacob. It did happen sometimes. But Jacob of KY might also have been a cousin to Henry - or some other relative. It's still a mystery to me.
[74] From Vicki, Ref. [32]: Calvin Bricker, historian for the Conococheague Institute (CI) and author of Conflict on the Conococheague: 1755-1758 met with us in the CI library on Saturday afternoon.
[75] On Sunday we met with Ken Houk at the Conestoga Area Historical Society (CAHS) where he is the President Emeritus and the Curator.
[76] Apparently not from this line: Barbary French was b. in 1791 in ShermanÕs Valley, Armstrong Co., PA, was orphaned, and came to live with Col. John Johnston, Indian Agent in Piqua, Ohio, when she was just a child. She met John J. Peck there and they married on 24 Jun 1815 in Miami Co., OH, at the home of Colonel Johnston and his wife Rachel. He was reportedly an orphan too, and also raised by Col. John Johnston. John Peck was b. 1787, worked for the Col., and also served in the War of 1812. He d. in 1851.
The oldest two of BarbaryÕs and John's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, married two Johnston brothers, Christopher and John. The Johnston brothers were cousins of Col. John Johnston. I assume Barbary was born in Sherman's Valley, PA, because it says that on her death certificate. She and John are buried in the Johnston Cemetery in Miami County, Ohio. She died 6 Sep 1877 in Washington, Shelby Co., OH, in the county where they had lived since at least 1850. Barbary and John also had children John ÒJohnstonÓ Peck, Juliette A. ÒJuliaÓ Peck, Samuel Peck, Catherine Peck, and an unnamed son. BarbaryÕs parents were Arthur French and Rebecca Fox of Philadelphia.
[76] From Marriage Records of Berkley County for the Period of 1781-1854 located at the Berkeley County Court House in Martinsburg, W V Compiled and edited by Guy L. Keesecker.
-French, Barbara m
Lepart, Michael August 16 1806 Jacob French
(suretor)
French, George m Granthem, Maria Apr 15,
1839 Wm Grantham Ò
-French, George m Saveley, Molly Oct 10, 1789
French, Hannah m Bowman, Isaac Mar 10,
1847 Conrad Crumbaugh Ò
French, Harrison m Quigley, Cath July 21,
1847 Michael Quigley Ò
French, Jacob m Clarke, Marg't Nov 4,
1833
John Stephens Ò
-French, Jacob m Kitchen, Charity March 1,
1880 Joseph Kitchen Ò
French, Jacob m Strouse, Eliz. Oct12,
1839 Thomas
G. Evans Ò
French, John m Cline, Hannah Jan 19,1818 Swearington,
Ray
-French, John m Meyers, Sarah Nov 11,
1822 Teter Meyers
-French, John m Stacey, Sarah Dec 14, 1802
Conrad Keesecker
French, John m Strouse, Sarah E. Mar
16,1850 Isaiah Strouse
French, John A. m Dugan, Rebecca
A. Jan 9, 1854
French, John K. m Bussard, Emily Jan
22, 1846 Norman Miller
-French, Mary m Miller, Henry Apr 22,
1835 Wm
A. Donaldson
-French, Mary m Procter, Robert Mar 23,
1831 John French
French, Mary Ann m Strouse, Isaiah Oct 3,
1848 Conrad Crumbaugh
French, Nancy m Anderson, Joseph Sept 2,
1833 George French
-French, Rachel m Hout (Hanth) Henry Apr 23,
1812 Henry Job
French, Wm. m Tabler, Rosanna Mar
28, 1835 Wash'n Tabler
[77] See http://www.archive.org/stream/historyleitersb00bellgoog/historyleitersb00bellgoog_djvu.txt to distinguish between the Funk and French families. Funkstown derives its name from Jacob Funk. Here he built a mill prior to 1768, and before the Revolution he founded the town, of which the original name was Jerusalem. Since the early part of the present century the town has been a manufacturing point of local importance. It is situated on the Boonsboro turnpike, two miles from Hagerstown, with which it is connected by an electric railway.
In obedience to an order of Frederick County November court, 1767, we, the subscribers, have viewed the several roads therein mentioned and find that a road from NicholsonÕs Gap may be made in a direct line to Jacob Funk's mill on Antietam and from thence through Sharpsburg to Swearingen's ferry on Potomac river with much more advantage to the public than any roads hitherto made, and we have given the proprietors notice on whose lands the said roads go through.
Also, we have carefully viewed the roads from the mouth of Qpeckon ford leading a direct course to the chapel in All Saint's parish and from thence to Jacob Funk's mill on Antietam creek; and from ThatcherÕs ford on Potomac river to Ebersole's and Wolgamot's mills on the Great Marsh; and that all those roads can be laid out in a direct course with great advantage to the public, and have also given the proprietors notice on whose lands the said roads go through.
[78] Berkeley County West Virginia Cemetery List, website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvberkel/cemetery.htm#D,E,F.
[79] A major work (900+ pages) on the 4 pathways of immigration to US from England. It is called ÒAlbion's SeedÓ by David Hackett Fischer, 1989, ISBN 0-19-503794-4. It does mention Mennonites p 431, also called Mennists. There is a lot about the Quakers and their neighbors along Germantown PA's Great Road and churches built there by Lutherans, Mennonites, Moravians, Quakers, Dunkards and Calvinists. From Linda, Ref. [11].
[80] Samuel French, 1 Dec 1754 date of enlistment, Fairfax, 27, 5Õ10Ó, sawyer, Maryland, black complexion, black curled hair, in the Size Roll of Capt. MercerÕs Company on 2 Aug 1756, which calculates his birth date as 1729. His age would indicate he was in the same generation as Jacob French 2nd.
[81] From Linda, Ref. [11]: One Henry French is on a muster roll in Illinois or Indiana during the
Revolutionary War under soldier Bowman who was commanding in Vincennes. I
noted a Bowman in the Berkeley 1820 (a collateral in maternal line was this
Bowman). This might prove that Henry is ours and was recruited from Berkeley?
Historically, 1818 the lands in IN, IL were opened for settlement. I think that
is when some of the Frenches started moving around. Some of the Tennessee
French moved then to IL, IN. My maternal line was in IL 1818 buying land. We
have to pay attention to historyÕs timeline to track these people. ÒIn 1690 2/3
of the population was Quaker. After 1715 non-Quaker became arriving from
Protestant communities in western Germany, Switzerland and Alsace mostly during
the mid 18th century; half of all German speaking colonists in P arrived within
a period of 5 years from 1749-1754.Ó Half of all German speaking colonists
arrived within a period of 5 years: 1749-1754Ó. It states the Quakers did not
like the ÒScotch-IrishÓ and hurried them on their way
west.
[82] Deborah D. French, (oldest daughter) m. Danny Bell of Martinsburg, WV. Email: bell5575@yahoo.com. Lives in Wisconsin.
[83] Washington County, Maryland: A George French is listed
in Washington, Maryland, in the 1830
census with a household of 30 members
1 male under 5
1 male 5-9
1 male 10-14
2 males 20-29
1 male 40-49, George born 1780-1790
1 female under 5
1 female 5-9
1 female 10-14
1 female 30-39
1 female 40-49
1 female 60-69, born 1751-1760
1 male slave under 10
4 male slaves 10-23
4 male slaves 24-35
2 male slaves 36-54
2 female slaves under 10
3 female slaves 10-23
1 female slave 36-54
1 female slave 55-99
A Peter French is listed in Washington, Maryland, in the 1830 census with a household of 30 members. His wife must have died as he is age 40-49 (born 1781-1790) living with 2 males age 5-9 and 1 female age 10-14.
[84] Berkeley County Vital Records, Brides, website: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/berkeley/vitals/brides.txt.
[85] Biographical Annals of Franklin County, PA, website: http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/BookView.aspx?dbid=14527&iid=dvm_LocHist000687-00003-1.
ÒIn 1690, two-thirds of the population was Quaker. After 1715 non-Quaker became arriving from Protestant communities in western Germany, Switzerland and Alsace mostly during the mid 18th century; half of all German speaking colonists in Pennsylvania arrived within a period of 5 years from 1749-1754.Ó Half of all German speaking colonists arrived within a period of 5 years: 1749-1754Ó. It states the Quakers did not like the ÒScotch-IrishÓ and hurried them on their way west. Page 812 compares the expansion of the 4 Regional cultures: Massachusetts, Virginia, Delaware Valley, and Backcountry. It compares 15 characteristics including location, language, family, architecture, marriage, child naming and food, and other cultural items.
[86] Mid-Antrim Genealogy Society:
Mid-AntrimGenealogy@yahoogroups.com. This group is for Antrim, Ireland.
[87] Scotch-Irish Newsletter: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donaghmore1/mcmullen/mcmulbelnewlttr1.html. Starting in 1754, names listed are John French, James French, William French, Robert French.
[88] Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Then and Now, Photos by Gordon Crooks, 2011. Website: http://mysite.verizon.net/gordoncrooks/.
[89] Historical Map of Franklin County showing Antrim at the bottom in 1741. See a ÒPictorial View of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Then and NowÒ, by Gordon Crooks, 2011.
From Ref. [60]. The Scotch-Irish were a numerous but honorable class who Migrated to Pennsylvania and other Eastern States at an early day. The origin of the term is traceable to events that occurred early in The seventeenth century. James I, of England [reign 1603-1625] Was very desirous of improving the civilization of Ireland. The Irish Earls at Tyrone and Tyrconell having conspired against the English Government, and been compelled to flee the country, their estates, consisting of about 500,000 acres, were confiscated. These estates the king divided into small tracts, and induced many Protestant people from his own country (Scotland) to locate upon Them on condition that possession should be taken within four years.
A second revolt occurring soon after, another large forfeiture of the six counties in the Provience of Ulster followed, the confiscated property being seized by Government officials. The King, being a zealous Protestant, aimed to root out the native Irish who were all Catholic, hostile to his government and incessantly plotting against it. Their places he intended to supply with people concerning whose loyalty he had no doubt, the sturdy inhabitants of his own land, Scotland. Encouraged and aided by the Government, these Scotch went in great number across to the near Province of Ulster, and took possession of the lands, which had been hitherto neglected and almost ruined by their indolent occupants. They addressed themselves, at once, with intelligence and industry, to reclaim the country and introduce a higher material and social order of things. The counties of Antrim, Armagh, Caven, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Monaghan and Tyrone-names familiar to all intelligent Pennsylvanians-soon became prominent because of the new blood and brains introduced.
Thus Protestantism was planted in Ireland. Its Scotch advocates, like the Jews, have maintained a separate existence, refusing to intermarry with their Irish neighbors. Protestant in religion, they have steadily refused to unite with the Irish. Celtic in origin and Roman Catholic in faith. This marked isolation has continued through a period of more than 250 years.
In the succeeding reign of Charles I (1625-49), a spirit of bitter retaliation was engendered, on the part of the native Irish, against this foreign element, resulting in a most deplorable condition of affairs. Incited by two ambitious and unscrupulous leaders, Roger More and Philim O'Neale, the Irish Catholics began, October 27, 1741, a massacre which continued until more than 40,000 victims were slaughtered.
Owing to these persecutions and others of similar nature during the succeeding century, owing to the want of religious toleration by the reigning powers, owing to their inability to renew their land rents with satisfactory terms and owing to the general freedom offered them by William Penn in his new American colony-free lands, free speech, free worship and free government--these Scotch settlers left the north of Ireland and came to America by thousands, where they are known as Scotch-Irish.
According to Watson, these Òimmigrants did not come to Pennsylvania as soon as the Germans,Ó few, if any arriving prior to 1719. The first arrivals usually settled near the disputed line between Maryland and Pennsylvania. James Logan (an intelligent and influential representative of the Penn government, and though of Irish extraction thoroughly in sympathy with the Quaker principles) complains, in 1724, to the proprietaries of these people as 'bold and indigent strangersÓ because they had taken up lands near the disputed line without securing proper authority from him as the representative of the Government. In 1725 he stated that at least 100,000 acres of land were possessed Òby persons (including Germans) who resolutely set down and improved it without any right to it,Ó and that he was Òmuch at a loss to determine how to dispossess them.Ó In 1728, 4,500 persons, chiefly from Ireland, arrived in New Castle. In 1729, Logan expressed his gratification that parliament was Òabout to take measures to prevent the too free emigration to this country,Ó intimating that the prospects were that Ireland was about Òto send all her inhabitants hither, for last week not less than six ships arrived.Ó ÒIt is strange,Ó continued he, Òthat they thus crowd where they are not wanted. The common fear is that if they continue to come, they will make themselves proprietors of the province.Ó In 1730 he again complains of them as Òaudacious and disorderlyÓ for having, by force, taken possession of the Conestoga Manor, containing 15,000 acres of the Òbest land in the country.Ó Of this they were, by the sheriff, subsequently dispossessed and their cabins burned. About the same time, he says, in another letter, ÒI must own, from my own experience in the land office, that the settlement of five families from Ireland gives me more trouble than fifty of any other people.Ó
The captious spirit manifested by Logan against both German and Scotch-Irish settlers, and especially the latter, and which was subsequently shared, to some extent, by Peters, Dickinson and Franklin, is readily accounted for by his fear of losing his position in the Government, should any other than the Quaker influence prevail.
From 1730 to 1740 the influx was great. Settlements were commenced in Cumberland (then Lancaster) County in 1730 and 1731, the Chambers brothers having crossed west of the Susquehanna about that time. After 1736, during the month of September, in which year alone 1,000 families are said to have sailed from Belfast, the influx into the Kittochtinny Valley, west of the Susquehanna, increased rapidly; for in 1748, the number of taxables, not counting the fifty Germans, was about 800.
Soon after the erection of Cumberland County (1750), Òin consequence of the frequent disturbances between the governor and Irish settlers, the proprietaries gave orders to their agents to sell no lands in either York or Lancaster counties to the Irish; and also to make to the Irish settlers in Paxton, Swatara, and Donegal Townships advantageous offers of removal to Cumberland County, which offers being liberal were accepted by many.Ó
Injustice has been done to the Scotch-Irish settlers of these early days by two classes of writers: first, those who were actuated by jealousy, as was Logan, in his inability to see good in any classes not directly connected with the original Friend or Penn element; secondly, those who have failed to study carefully the circumstances which surrounded the Scotch-Irish immigrants in their settlements and conduct toward the Indians. Under these circumstances we are not surprised to hear Mr. Sherman Day, in his Historical Collections of Pennsylvania, call them Òa pertinacious and pugnacious race,Ó Òpushing their settlements upon unpurchased lands about the Juniata, producing fresh exasperation among the Indians.Ó ÒAs the result of this,Ó he continues, Òmassacres ensued, the settlers were driven below the mountains, and the whole province was alive with the alarms and excitements of war.Ó
In reply to these serious charges, Judge George Chambers, in his ÒTribute to the Principles, Virtues, Habits and Public Usefulness of the Irish and Scotch Early Settlers of Pennsylvania,Ó a carefully written and most admirable little book, enters a most emphatic protest. Without attempting to present in detail the facts which enable his to reach his conclusions, we give a brief summary of his argument: Admitting the aggressive character of the early Scotch-Irish settlers in pushing into the forests and occupying lands, the outrages and massacres by the Indians were, nevertheless, not the direct result of these encroachments, but a retaliatory protest against the unjust manner in which their lands and hunting grounds have been taken from them by so-called purchases and treaties with the government. By the cession of 1737, the Indians were to convey lands on the Delaware to extend back into the woods as far as a man can go in one day and a half. By the treaty of Albany, in 1754, between the Proprietary of Pennsylvania and the Six Nations, nearly all the lands claimed by them in the province were ceded for the small sum of 400 Pounds. The dissatisfaction produced by this cession, which the Indians claim they did not understand, was fanned by the French into open hostility, manifesting itself in the indiscriminate and wholesale devastation and massacres following the Braddock campaign. The wrongs of the government, and not the encroachments of a few daring settlers, it is claimed by Mr. Chambers, produced these destructive Indian outrages. Gov. Morris, in his address to the Assembly, on November 3, 1755, clearly reminds them Òthat it seemed clear, from the different accounts he had received, that the French had gained to their interest the Delaware and Shawnese Indians, under the ensnaring pretense of restoring them to their country.Ó
The Assembly, in their reply to Gov. Denny, in June, 1757, say: ÒIt is rendered beyond contradiction plain that the cause of the present Indian incursions in this province, and the dreadful calamities many of the inhabitants have suffered, have arisen, in a great measure, from the exorbitant and unreasonable purchases made, or supposed to be made of the Indians, and the manner of making them - so exorbitant, that the natives complain that they have not a country left to subsist in.Ó --Smith's Laws.
A careful study of these people clearly shows that, while they were aggressive, they moved along the line of a higher civilization; while they were firm in their convictions, they advocated the rights of man to liberty of thought and action; while they cherished many of the institutions and beliefs of the old country, they were intensely patriotic and loyal to the new; and while they possessed what they regarded the best lands, they were just in their dealings with the untutored red man. These were the people who laid broad and deep the foundations of social, educational and religious liberty in America.
The German immigrants, as a class, were hardy, industrious, honest and economical, retaining, to a great extent, the prejudices, superstitions, manners, language and characteristics of the fatherland. Like the Scotch-Irish, their migration to America was the result of a deprivation of certain religious rights in their native countries, and a desire to improve their physical condition in the new world.
Like the Scotch-Irish, they, too, were Protestants, belonging to different denominations: (1) The Swiss Mennonites were among the earliest to come about the beginning of the last century, and settled in the neighborhood of Philadelphia and at Pequea and other points in what is now Lancaster County. They were orderly, honest, peaceable and advocates of non-resistant or peace principles. (2) German Baptists (Dunkards), Moravians, Seventh-day Baptists. (3) Lutherans and German Reformed, the latter two constituting the great body of the arrivals, and furnishing the aggressive elements of the new settlers. They came later than the others and entered new fields.
Many of these early Germans, having first located in the State of New York, were dissatisfied with the unjust treatment received at the hands of the authorities, and therefore came to Pennsylvania. They wrote messages to their friends in Europe, advising them to shun New York and come direct to the province of Penn, which afforded superior inducements.
Their arrivals in the province were, briefly: Henry Frey came two years earlier than William Penn and one Platenbach a few years later. In 1682 a colony arrived and formed a settlement at Germantown; and in 1684-85, a company of ten persons was formed in Germany, called the Frankfort Land Company, of which F. D. Pastorius was appointed attorney. They bought 25,000 acres of land from Penn, in addition to other tracts. From 1700 to 1720, the Palatines, so called because they sprang principally from the Palatinate in Germany, whither they had been driven by persecutions in various parts of Europe, came in vast numbers. They suffered great privations. In 1708-09, more than 10,000 went to England, where, in a sickly and starving condition, they were cared for by the generous Queen Anne who, at an expense to herself of £135,775, alleviated their sufferings in that country and assisted them to come to New York and Pennsylvania. Their number was so great as to draw from James Logan, secretary of the province of Pennsylvania in 1717, the remark: ÒWe have, of late, a great number of Palatines poured in upon us without any recommendation or notice, which gives the country some uneasiness; for foreigners do not so well among us as our own English people.Ó In 1719 Jonathan Dickinson said: ÒWe are daily expecting ships from London, which bring over Palatines, in number about six or seven thousand.Ó
The arrivals from 1720 to 1730 were so numerous as to produce some alarm lest the colony should become a German one. Says Rupp: ÒTo arrest in some degree the influx of Germans, the assembly assessed a tax of twenty shillings a head on newly arrived servants; for as early as 1722 there were a number of Palatine servants and Redemptioners sold to serve a term of three or four years at £10 each to pay their freight.Ó
From 1730 to 1740, about sixty-five vessels were filled with immigrants , having with them their own preachers and teachers, landed at Philadelphia, from which they scattered in various directions; many of these located in York County.
From 1740 to 1755, more than a hundred vessels arrived, some of them, though small, containing from 500 to 600 passengers. In the summer and autumn of 1749, not less than 12,000 came. This period - 1740 to 1755 - witnessed many outrages upon the unsuspecting passengers. Within the State were certain Germans known as neulaenders, who, having resided in this country long enough to understand the business, profited by the ignorance and credulity of their own people abroad. Going to various parts of Germany and presenting the new world in glowing colors, they induced, by misrepresentations and fraudulent practices, many of their friends and kinsmen to sell, and in some cases even to abandon their property and forsake their firesides in order to reach this new land of promise. Many, starting with inadequate means, were unable to pay their passage, and on arriving were sold for a series of years as servants, to liquidate their claims. These were called redemptioners or Palatine servants.
The number of Germans in Pennsylvania about 1755 was from 60,000 to 70,000. About nine-tenths of the first settlers of York County, then including Adams, were Germans. The great influx into Cumberland County which, with the exception of a few English, was settled almost exclusively by Scotch and Scotch-Irish, began about 1770; though as early as the period from 1736 to 1745, there were found in the Conococheague settlements, the Snivelys, Schneiders, Piscackers, Liepers, Ledermans, Haricks, Laws, Kolps, Gabriels, Ringers, Steiners, Senseneys, Radebachs, Reischers, Wolffs, Schneidts, Rupp. Rev. Michael Schlatter, a German reformed minister, in a letter dated May 9, 1748, thus describes a visit through the valley: ÒOn the Conogogig we reached the house of an honest Schweitzer [supposed to be Jacob Snively, of Antrim Township,] where we received kind entertainment with thankfulness. In this neighborhood there are very fine lands for cultivation and pasture, exceedingly fruitful without the application of manures. Turkish corn (Indian maize) grows to the height of ten feet and higher, and the grasses are remarkable fine. Hereabout, there still remains a good number of Indians, the original dwellers of the soil. They are hospitable and quiet, and well affected to the Christians until the latter make them drunk with strong drink.Ó
The original German has, by imperceptible changes, been gradually transformed into a being very unlike the original, known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. The latter has in him more of the democratic spirit, which ignores the clannishness of the olden time and forms friendships and alliances with people of other nationalities. The dialect, Pennsylvania Dutch, is sui generis an anomaly in the domain of language. Its possessor is a cosmopolitan, fond of social life, ambitious and industrious, and in these latter days quite fond of public office and other Òsoft places.Ó He is destined to take the land.
The three original counties of Pennsylvania, established by William Penn in 1682, were Chester, Philadelphia and Bucks. Chester County included all the land (except a small portion of Philadelphia County, southwest of the Schuylkill to the extreme limits of the State. Lancaster County was formed and taken from Chester May 10, 1729; York was taken from Lancaster August 9, 1749. Cumberland County remained a part of Lancaster until it was itself erected a separate county, January 27, 1750. Franklin County, the then southwestern part of Cumberland, and known as the ÒConococheague Settlement,Ó was established September 9, 1784. To understand the early history of this country, the reader will need therefore, to bear in mind two facts:
1. Prior to January 27, 1750, its territory (with the exception of Warren township) was found in the county of Lancaster.
2. From January 27, 1750 to September 9, 1784, it belonged to Cumberland County. Since the latter date (September 9, 1784) it has had a distinct organization of its own.
Long prior to Greeley's famous advice, ÒGo west, young man,Ó or Bishop Berkley's oft-quoted ÒWestward the course of empire takes its way,Ó the tide of migration was toward the setting sun. Since the race began, the line of movement has been along the parallels, and in the direction of the receding darkness. The early settlers of the Kittatinny or Cumberland Valley came from the older eastern countries, where they located soon after their landing on the Atlantic coast. No record exists of those who may have wandered through this region on prospecting or hunting tours, if any such adventurers ever did make these hazardous trips. As early as 1719, John Harris had commenced a settlement near the present site of Harrisburg, and for many years afterward ran a ferry across the Susquehanna at that point known as Harris' Ferry. On either side of the river were Indian villages, the one where Harris lived being known as Peixtan or Paxtan. On the western side of the river, at the mouth of the Conodoguinet, at the present site of Bridgeport, and at the mouth of the Yellow Breeches, were three Indians towns, at which trading posts were established. At the last-named place, James Chartier, an Indian trader, had a store and landing place. It is claimed by some that James Le Tort, one of these traders, after whom the beautiful stream in Cumberland County was named, lived at a very early period at a place called Beaver Pond, near the present site of Carlisle.
What is now Cumberland County had settlements at various points away from the river. Richard Parker and his wife settled three miles north of Carlisle in 1724. His application at the land office in 1734 was for a warrant to land on which he Òhad resided ye ten years past.Ó George Croghan, an Indian trader, whose name occurs frequently in early records, lived about five miles from the river on the north side of the Conodoguinet. He owned tracts in various parts of the county, a large one being north of Shippensburg. He did not cultivate all these, but changed about as his convenience and trade demanded. He was an Irishman of common education, and in later years lived at Aughwick or Old Town, west of the North Mountains, where he was trusted as an Indian agent. In the settlement commenced by James Chambers near Newville, then known as Big Spring, a group of inhabitants, so numerous as to form and support a religious society as early as 1738, was found, consisting of David Ralston, Robert Patterson, James McKehan, John Carson, John Erwin, Richard Fulton, Samuel McCullough and Samuel Boyd. Robert Chambers, brother of the preceding, as well as of Benjamin, who located at Falling Spring, formed a prosperous settlement near Middle Spring, about two miles north of Shippensburg. At the same early date. The first settlers were such men as Hugh and David Herron, Robert McComb, Alexander and James Young, Alexander McNutt, Archibald, John and Robert Machan, James Scott, Alexander Sterrett, Wm. And John Piper, Hugh and Joseph Brady, John and Robert McCune, and Charles Morrow. In asking that the State road, which was laid out in 1735-36 might be directed through that neighborhood rather than through Shippensburg, the petitioners claimed that theirs was the more thickly settled part. By some (footnote: Historical discourse of Rev. S. S. Wylie at the Centennial celebration in Middle Spring. This claim, however, is incorrect. Blunston's license to Benjamin Chambers at Falling Spring was dated March 30, 1734.) it is claimed that in the Middle Spring settlement the first land in the Cumberland Valley taken under authority of the ÒBlunston LicensesÓ (footnote: Samuel Blunston of Wright's Ferry (now Columbia) was authorized by the proprietaries to make a partial survey of land and to grant to settlers permission to take up and improve, or continue to improve, such lands as they desired, with the promise that a more perfect title should be given them when the Indian claims should be extinguished. The Indians were also assured that these claims would be satisfied as soon as the pending Indian treaties should be completed. The first of these licenses was dated January 24, 1733-34 and the last October 31, 1737. Appended is a copy of one of these: ÒLancaster County, ss.- By the Proprietary: These are to license, and allow Andrew Ralston to continue to improve and dwell on a tract of two hundred acres of land on the Great Spring, a branch of the Conedoguinet, joyning to the upper side of a tract granted to Randle Chambers for the use of his son, James Chambers; to do hereafter surveyed to the said Ralston on the common terms other lands in those parts are sold; provided the same has not been already granted to any other person, and so much can be had without prejudice to other tracts before granted. Given under my hand this third day of January, Anno Domini 1736-7. Pennsylvania, ss. Sa. Blunston.Ó) and assigned to Benjamin Furley, was located. According to the record in the county surveyor's office at Chambersburg, this tract, embracing some 1094 acres and allowances, warranted December 18, 1735, and surveyed April 15, 1738, was situated on the Conodoguinet Creek in what was then Pennsborough Township, Lancaster County, but now Southampton Township, Franklin County. It was subsequently occupied by William, David, James and Francis Herron, William Young, and John Watt.
Where Shippensburg now stands, a settlement was made as early as 1730. In June of that year, according to Hon. John McCurdy, the following persons came to that locality and built their habitations: Alexander Steen, John McCall, Richard Morrow, Gavin Morrow, John Culbertson, Hugh Rippey, John Rippey, John Strain, Alexander Askey, John McAllister, David Magaw and John Johnston. They were soon followed by Benjamin Blythe, John Campbell and Robert Caskey. From this settlement ultimately sprang a village older than any other in the Cumberland Valley. It was a distributing point for settlers, and hence important, as will be shown by the following letter written therefrom: (dated May 21, 1733)
Dear John: I wish you would see John Harris, at the ferry, and get him to write to the Governor, to see if he can't get some guns for us; there's a good wheen of ingns about here, and I fear they intend to give us a good deal of troubbel, and may do us a grate dale of harm. We was three days on our journey coming from Harrisses ferry here. We could not make much speed on account of the childer; they could not get on as fast as Jane and me. I think we will like this part of the country when we get our cabbin built. I put it on a level peese of groun, near the road or path in the woods at the fut of a hill. There is a fine stream of watter that comes from a spring a half a mile south of where our cabbin is bilt. I would have put it near the watter, but the land is lo and wet. John McCall, Alick Steen and John Rippey bilt theirs near the stream. Hugh Rippey's daughter Mary (was) berried yesterday; this will be sad news to Andrew Simpson, when it reaches Maguire's bridge. He is to come over in the fall when they were to be married. Mary was a verry purty gerl; she died of a faver and they berried her up on rising groun, north of the road or path where we made choice of a peese of groun for a graveyard. She was the furst berried there. Poor Hugh had none left now but his wife, Sam and little Isabel. There is plenty of timmer south of us. We have 18 cabbins bilt here now, and looks (like) a town, but we have no name for it. I'll send this with John Simpson when he goes back to Paxtan. Come up Soon; our cabbin will be ready to go into a week and you can go in till you get wan bilt; we have planted some corn and potatoes. Dan McGee, John Sloan, and Robert Moore was here and left last week. Remember us to Mary and the childer; we are all well. Tell Billy Parker to come up soon and bring Nancy with him. I know he will like the country. I forgot to tell you that Sally Brown was bit by a snaik, but she is out of danger. Come up soon. Yr. Aft. Brother, James Magraw.
The first settlement, in what is now Franklin County, was made in 1730, at Falling Spring, (now Chambersburg)-the confluence of the two streams, Falling Spring and Conococheague-by Col. Benjamin Chambers and his older brother, Joseph. Between 1726 and 1730, four brothers, James, Robert, Joseph and Benjamin Chambers, emigrated from the country of Antrim, Ireland, to the province of Pennsylvania. They settled and built a mill shortly after their arrival, at the mouth of Fishing Creek, in what is now Dauphin County, where they occupied a tract of fine land. These brothers were among the first to explore and settle the valley. James made a settlement at the head of Great Spring, near Newville; Robert, at the head of Middle Spring, near Shippensburg, and Joseph and Benjamin at Falling Spring, where Chambersburg now stands.
By an arrangement among the brothers, Joseph returned to supervise their property at the mouth of Fishing Creek, and Benjamin remained to develop the settlement at Falling Spring. He built a one-storied hewed-log house which he covered with lapped cedar shingles secured by nails-an innovation upon the prevailing style of architecture, which consisted of round log structure covered with a roof of clapboards, held in position by beams and wooden pins. Having completed this, the finest residence in the settlement, he addressed himself to clearing land, erecting necessary buildings and planning the future growth of the colony. Some time after this, Benjamin had occasion to visit his former homestead at Fishing Creek. Returning, he found his house had been burned by some avaricious person for the Òsake of the nails,Ó which were a rarity in those days.
Subsequently Mr. Chambers received what was then the only authority for the taking up and occupying of land. The following is a copy of the interesting instrument, which was a narrow strip of common writing paper, the chirography on which would not stand the crucial test of modern straight lines, ovals and right and left curves.
From Karen Engstrom: Well Mara.... Actually Northern Ireland is a land of conflicts between the ÒnativeÓ (I use that term loosely) Celtic Catholic Irish (who the Romans called Scotti) and the Celtic Scots (from Scotland who by this time happened to be Presbyterians) who were sent in to displace the local ÒnativeÓ Catholic Irish landowners/dissenters as spoils of war. This was all thanks to Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Cromwell (and others down the line) in the many attempts by the English crown (who happen to be ÒHigh ChurchÓ Anglican/Church of England and of which the King or Queen of England is the religious leader) to get rid of the Pope of Rome's presence in England's back yard. The Popes had a price on early dissenters heads (like Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I) so it was a very real and immediate threat if you consider the Spanish Armada. Anyway, I think the movement was called ÒPlantation.Ó Dublin's Trinity College is/was an Anglican institution. So, fundamentally there were primarily three religious movements active in Ireland in the late 1500s, into the 1600s and on - The earliest being the Catholics, then the Anglicans/Church of Ireland (our Episcopalians) and then the Presbyterians. Not long after, there were also a few Quakers and other Protestant movements like the Methodists all trying to get a foothold against the Catholics. In Northern Ireland, the Catholics and Protestants regarded one another as less than human for generations (I have letters to prove it!). It is possible that the surname ÒFrenchÓ got into Ireland when William the Conqueror's boys, the Normans, expanded the Plantagenet power into Ireland. As in England, the French speaking people that they brought with them could have acquired the surname, ÒFrenchÓ similar to what happened in southern England during those times. Or, later on, the Frenches may have merely arrived from England to take advantage of available land from dispossessed Catholic Irish which was being offered to loyal Protestants.
In my family tree there's a little bit of history that took place in the late 1600's, early 1700's involving all the above: A Presbyterian Scottish mercenary settling in Northern Ireland benefiting from the results of spoils of war; an ancient aristocratic Irish Catholic family that went Presbyterian thanks to love and marriage with a Scottish Presbyterian farmer's daughter; and, an English soldier posted to a small Irish village - a Welch Quaker who's grandson married a local Catholic peasant girl (again, love!). By the way, those red-headed Irish are the direct result of those Norwegian Vikings who raided and then settled in Ireland (especially in Northern Ireland)..... whose descendants became good Catholic Irish! That lovely Irish lace, china and glassware are the results of Protestant (Huguenots) French being settled into south eastern Ireland. And now the Pakistani's and other dark races are arriving! The smell of curry fills the air! No such thing as pure anything!
The very independent Scots-Irish left Northern Ireland in droves (ÒWild GeeseÓ) in the 1700's when the English started in oppressing them and taxing them out of a livelihood - treating them as they had treated the Catholic Irish all along. After all, in the eyes of the English, these Scots-Irish were Presbyterians - not Anglicans. They had shown no respect for the English crown or authority. Many Presbyterian Scots held the belief that the Anglican Church was just warmed over Catholicism which they considered idolatrous and made no bones about it. Eventually, stifled by the oppression, the Scots-Irish Presbyterians joined together with their Irish Catholic neighbors and rose up in rebellion. They lost! It's quite a story. And, you are right.. they landed in New York and Philadelphia and Quebec. They also went eastward into European countries - they spread out to all the world's ports. They settled in Appalachia, they went everywhere!
More than you wanted to know but there you are. A huge and complicated history glossed over, overly simplified, not quite totally accurate (but close!) and in a nutshell. Not much on TV tonite, obviously!
Scotch-Irish (or Scots-Irish) Americans are the
descendants of an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish
province of Ulster who
immigrated to North America
primarily during the colonial era.[2] Some scholars also include the
150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to America during the early 19th
century, and their descendants.[citation
needed] Most of the
Scotch-Irish were descended from Scottish and English families who colonized
Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster
in the 17th century.[3] While an
estimated 36 million Americans (12% of the total population) reported Irish
ancestry in 2006, and 6 million (2% of the population) reported Scottish
ancestry,[4] an additional 5.4
million (1.8% of the population) identified more specifically with Scotch-Irish
ancestry. People in Great Britain or Ireland that are of a similar ancestry
usually refer to themselves as Ulster Scots, with the term
Scotch-Irish used only in North America.[5]
The Colonial Era was that period in America before 1776 at which time the British separated from the Americans.
[90] Pennsylvania German Pioneers arriving in the Port of Philadelphia, 1727-1775. Website: http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/BookView.aspx?dbid=48379&iid=PAGermanPioneersI-004400-1&sid=&gskw=.
[91] Historical Sketch of Franklin County, Pennsylvania by I. H. MÕCauley, Jacob Lewis Suesserott, and D. M. Kennedy, 1878. Also mentioned in this book is Cyrus G. (C. G.) French, Absalom French, F. D. French, and A. A. French, all of Waynesboro, Franklin Co., PA. Website: http://archive.org/stream/historicalsketch00inmcau/historicalsketch00inmcau_djvu.txt.
Cyrus Granville French was b. 1818 in NY and resided in Waynesboro, Franklin Co., PA in the 1850 census. He d. 6 Aug 1892 in Cook Co., IL. Absalom French was b. ca. 1812 in PA, living in Waynesborough, Franklin Co., PA, in the 1880 census which states he was a carpenter and both parents were born in PA. He had children by the names of William, Mary, Michael, James, Eliza, Absolam, Allis, and Emma, and his wife was Catharine. The name Absalom was sometimes spelled Abraham. Waynesboro is just east of Greencastle and just north of Leitersburg, so this could be part of Chart #195.
[92] DENISON, ANDREW, Newton. January 1788. October 8, 1790. Wife Sarah. Dau. Martha French. Son Andrew Denison. Agness, wife of John Shanon. Dau. Sarah, wife of Thomas Little. Dau. Maryann, wife of James McEwen. Children of dau. Elizabeth Miller, Dec'd. Son-in-law John Scott. Dau. Margaret, wife of Robt. Little. Exs: John Scouller and Andrew Thompson. Wit: John Mitchell, William Richey, John Sheilds. E. 197.
Wills: DENISON, Andrew 1790: Newton Twp, Cumberland Co, Pa. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Carolyn R. Montgomery http://www.usgwarchives.org.
The Last Will and Testament of Andrew Denison, dec'd. 294. (Recorded on Page 177-178 Will Book in the Township of Carlisle, Cumberland Co PA)
In the name of God, Amen, I, ANDREW DENISON of Newton Township and Cumberland County and State of Pennsylvania being weak in body but of sound mind and memory (Blessed be to God for his mercies to me) and calling to mind my mortality that it is appointed for all men once to die and death the judgement, do this day of January 1788 make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner following: Vis: first I recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting until the General Resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the Might power of God and touching my worldly estate where with providence has favored me with; I give and bequeath in form and matter following unto my beloved wife SARAH, I allow her living in the house and the profits of the land and interest of my money in the land office, also a right to dispose of all my personal estate as she sees proper and after her decease, I bequeath unto my daughter MARTHA FRENCH the house and land I now live on to be enjoyed by her or her heirs and assigns. And the rest of my goods and chattels, I order and allow to be sold and after all my just debts and funeral charges are paid off, I order and allow what remains to be divided into ten equal shares---one share to my son ANDREW DENISON, another share to AGNES, wife of JOHN SHANON, another share to my daughter MARTHA FRENCH, another share to my daughter SARAH wife of THOMAS LITTLE, another share to my daughter MARY ANN wife of JAMES McEWEN, another share to my daughter ELIZABETH MILLER, deceased, her children to be equally divided between them, another share to my grandson ANDREW DENISON (son of my son WILLIAM, deceased), another share to my grandson JOHN DENISON (son of said deceased), another share to my son-in-law JOHN SCOTT, and another share to my daughter MARGARET wife of ROBERT LITTLE. And I do hereby constitute and declare JOHN SCOULLER and ANDREW THOMPSON sole executors of this my last will and testament and legacs utterly revoking and disannulling all former wills and testaments and legacy's. Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament given under my hand and seal the day and year above written. Signed, sealed, pronounced and declared by ANDREW DENISON as his last will and testament in presence of us. JOHN MITCHELL, WILLIAM RICHY, JOHN SHIELDS. ANDREW DENISON [SEAL]
Be it remembered that on the 18th day of October, 1790, the last will and testament of ANDREW DENISON decd. was legally proved and letter of testamentary issued in common to JOHN SCHOOLER, one of the executors therein named the said 18th day of October 1790. Inventory and acct. to be exhibited in the Registrars Office in the Borough of Carlisle in the time appointed by the law. N.B. The original will was burned or lost at the time my house was burnt and the foregoing record is the contents of the will given upon oath of the Exec. Agreeable to the best of his recollection and memory. Witness my hand WILLIAM LYON, Reg.
Note from the FFA: Martha Denison would have had to be Andrew's sister, not his daughter. Andrew Denison was b. ca. 1700 in Scotland and died in Hopewell township, Cumberland Co., PA. I found the marriage of Martha French to be 16 Oct 1790 in Carlisle, Cumberland Co., PA. She married a man named Thompson at the First Presbyterian Church. It seems Martha Denison was b. 10 Nov 1772 in Adams Co., PA.
Martha Miller was b. 16 Sep 1701 at Saint PaulÕs Parish in Kent Co., Maryland, the dau. of Michael and Martha Miller. She could also have been born Martha Denison, dau. of Andrew Denison and his wife Sarah, as the oldest daughter; Andrew d. Jan 1788; see more at Ref. [92].
Regarding Martha French - apparently this Martha Denison who married a William French (son of Alexander French and Isabel Reidhead) - at least according to a family tree at http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/f/o/s/Shirley-A-Foster-CA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0437.html. Is that French family on any of the FFA charts?
[93] Removed/
[94] Website: http://web.me.com/rpday/narrative/JKperrin.html. Apparently this is for FFA Chart #135 or #166 or #81, not FFA Chart #195.
[95] Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Vol 1 by Strassburger and Hinke. With the list of passenger names on board the Friendship, qualified September 3, 1739, the ages are given for men 16 yrs and older. Jacob Frank is listed as 25 yrs old. If he married at 21 and had a son that year, the son would be 15 or 16 yrs old in 1751 which is when Jacob French married Magdalena Snively. So I don't think this is the Jacob French we are looking for. In the list of those who ÒDid this day (September 3, 1739) take and Subscribe the Oaths to the GovernmentÓ, he is Johann Jacob Franck. Women and children are listed in the ship Mary, September 29, 1733. There is a Jacob Franck and Maria Sophia Frank. In the next list of those imported in the Pink Mary, at the Courthouse of Philadelphia Sept 29, 1733, did take and subscribe the Oaths to Government, he is ÒJacob FrankÓ. Now why are these taking oaths and George did not, as evidenced by his trip in 1747 to Annapolis with the group of Mennonites from Washington County, MD to Òpetition for naturalizationÓ? My thought is the two Jacob Franck's in 1733 and 1739 were not ÒMennonistsÓ. (from Vicki) See http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~GENHOME/imm11a.htm. This database contains the original lists of German pioneers who arrived at the port of Philadelphia from the years 1727 to 1808. These lists of early arrivals in Pennsylvania are significant because in none of the other ports of the American colonies, through which German settlers entered, were such lists prepared or preserved. In Philadelphia alone did the authorities insist on the preparation of careful and detailed lists of arrivals. About three hundred family associations, tracking their ancestry to these pioneers, meet annually in Pennsylvania.
[96] A collection of upwards of thirty thousand names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727 to 1776 : with a statement of the names of ships, whence they sailed, and the date of their arrival at Philadelphia, chronologically arranged, together with the necessary historical and other notes, also, an appendix containing lists of more than one thousand German and French names in New York prior to 1712 (1876)
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~GENHOME/imm11a.htm
http://archive.org/details/collectionofupwa00ruppuoft
List of foreigners imported in the ship Pink Mary, of Dublin, James Benn, Master, from Rotterdam. Qualified Sept 29, 1733 landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sept. 29, 1733. Palatines, ship Pink Mary, of Dublin, James Benn, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Rotterdam. Fifty-five males above sixteen, thirty-seven females ; thirty males under sixteen, forty-nine females in all 171. (Editor.)
Gottfried Reich, Johannes Teutscher, Hannes Yorde, Johann Peter Theusler, Andreas Dries,* Johann Georg Riebell, Cornelius Dries,* Johann Arnold Billig, Peter Dries,* Johannes Stickler, Jacob Spongier,*- Henrich Sauer, Peter Hite,* Christian Blaser, Elias Stickler, Jacob Franck, Hans Georg Harlacher, Friederich Funck, Johann Adam Dries, Michael Friedly, Johann Michael Noll, Nicolaus Soder, Philip Thomas Trump, Andreas Ney, Christian Sooter,* Hans Michael Hammer, Georg Pfaffenberger, Johan Michael Dill, Georg Pfaffenberger jr.,* Christian Retelsberger,* Georg Diiry, Friederich Dbrfflinger, Jacob Hoffman,* Hans Michael Keller, Asemus Rambach, Hans Jacob Berkel, Jacob Berkel,* Baltzer Breuninger, Nicolaus Moretz, Johan Adam Warner, Peter Apple, Geo. Friederich Kb'hler, Johannes Lap,* Johan Peter Gottel, Johannes Reichenbach, Johan Jacob Gottel, Johan Martin Braun, Johannes Slabach,* Philip Jacob Rothrock, Jacob Lbscher, Johannes Rothrock, Joh. Henry Slabach.*
Sept. 3, 1739. Palatines imported in the ship Friendship, William Vittery, Commander, from Rotterdam, last from Deal. 150 passengers.
Johan Philip Illig, Balthassar Hissong,* Georg Jacob Burchert, Georg Ernst Biihler, Daniel Reinhart,* Joh. Michael Laub, Johan Jacob Franck, Georg Michel Bender,* Hans Peter Adich, Johan Conrad Engel, Anthony Fischbach,? Philip Stambach, Georg Michael Wolf,* Johan Conrad Wolf,* Gottfried Christian, Hans Peter Miiller, Peter Zimmerman, Christian Ehrgott, Georg Henry Hensell,* Philip Christoph Werner, Geovg Thomas Heyl, Hans Thomas Heyl,* Bernhart Herbolt, Johan Henrich Rump, Johan Veit Bachler,* Henry Bleistein,* Johan Conrad Philipin,* Hans Ad. Haushalder,* Joh. Nicolas Mauerer, Henry Bleistein. Johannes Mayer, Egidi Mayer, Michael Kraus,* Michael Blatner, Nicklas Schwartz,* Andreas Hack, Jacob Franck, Jacob Kiibortz, Justinus Hoffman, Stephan Lasch, Johannes Wolfart, Conrad Florans,* Martin Beniger,* Jacob Loch, Johannes Loch, Johannes Nicol, Martin Leid,* Jacob Fame, Henrich Ullerich, Frantz Brossman, Michael Trolers, Veit Miller, Henrich Heyl, Conrad Schwartz, Leonhart Florer,* Lorentz Fridtel, Ludwig Hevener,* Johannes Werner, Wilhelm Werner, Martin Jack*
Sept. 11, 1749. Foreigners imported in the ship Priscilla, William Meier, Captain, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes. 299 passengers.
Johannes Kraun, Johannes Miller,* Friederich Lier, Rudolph Bar, Henry Barr,* Henry Huber, Johannes Bur, Melchior Leeder,* Henrich Kunst, Jacob Stehli, Hans Merky, Hans Surber,* Hans Schneebly, Georg Funck, Ulrich Hohsteter, Johannes Weiss, Rudolph Huber, Jacob Huber, Jacob Bar, Jacob Baumann, Henrich Wollenweider, Hans George Isseller,* Miiller Heinrich, Jacob Giitzinger, Toh. Reinhardt Uhl, Mattheis Gallman, Hans Rudolph Gallman, Hans Jacob Meyer, Hans Jacob Giibler, Jacob Bodenreider, Reinhart Scherer, Johannes Hoffecker, Joh. Philip Miihlhoff, Joh. Peter Muhlhoff, Johan Michael Boor, Joh. Nickel Lorentz, Johan Peter Franck, Friederich Stroh.
[97] Franck/Frank Family website: http://janiceaf.home.netcom.com/frank.html. Email janiceaf@ix.netcom.com (not good in 2012).
1733 Sep 29 Palatines, ship ÒPink MaryÓ, of Dublin, James Benn, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Rotterdam. Fifty-five males above sixteen, thirty-seven females; thirty males under sixteen, forty-nine females in all 171, landed in Philadelphia, PA. Jacob Franck was one of the 55 males above age 16 indicating he was born before 1717. In this case, we believe he was b. ca. 1705 [95] [96]. See http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~GENHOME/imm11a.htm.
He may have returned to Rotterdam, and then come back again to the new world on 3 Sep 1739 on the ship ÒFriendshipÓ. That ship lists Johan Jacob Franck (age 25) and Jacob Franck, perhaps father and son. This would indicate that son Jacob Franck was at least 16 or born in 1723 or before [95]. We had considered him to be born in 1727. Because of the connection to this website: http://janiceaf.home.netcom.com/frank.html, we believe that Chart #195 is not the ones who traveled on either the ÒPink MaryÓ or the ÒFriendshipÓ.
[98] David French, email: daf65@bellsouth.net. Email good in 2006, not good in 2012.
[99] Pennsylvania Dutch Naturalization: The British Parliament, in 1740, passed a naturalization act through which alien colonists could obtain the rights of natural-born subjects of Great Britain. For an alien to become naturalized by this act in Pennsylvanina, he first had to reside in the colonies for seven years (not being absent for more than two months at any one time). He then had to produce in Court a certificate showing he had taken the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in some Protestant or Reformed Congregation in the Province of Pennsylvania within three months before the said Court, take and subscribe specified Oaths, and make and repeat a specified Declaration prescribed by the act. Special provision was made for an Affirmation in place of the Oaths to be made by Quakers, and both Quakers and Jews were exempted from the obligation of receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The act did not cover religious groups such and the Mennonites and Moravians. In Pennsylvanina this problem was met by an Act of Assembly passed 3 Feb. 1742-3 for naturalizing 'such Foreign Protestants as are settled or shall settle within this Province who, not being of the People called Quakers, do conscientiously refuse the taking of any Oath.' In 1747 the British Parliament passed a similar act. Website: http://midatlantic.rootsweb.ancestry.com/padutch/faqs/naturalization.html.
[100] Gerberich Collection, 542 Images, Gravestone Inscriptions, indexed by James L. Flanigan, Jr., Pennsylvania Church and Town Records, 1708-1985. Includes ShopeÕs Mennonite Cemetery in Dauphin Co., p. 127; Huber-Rohrer Burying Ground, p. 256; Franck, 211; Frank 216 (at the Martindale Mennonite Cemetery), 295, 316; Frantz, 24, 185, 186, 188, 220 (at the Paradise Mennonite Cemetery), 221, 245, 253, 295, 310; Francis 274. Also names Fuchs, Funck, and Funk are listed. The number of the Image is not the same as the Page Number; for example, ShopeÕs Mennonite Cemetery on p. 127 is at Image 107. On page 329 or Image 211 is Martha Eby, wife of Jacob and Catherine Eby, wife of Jacob, and George Eby, son of Jacob and Catherine. Also includes Germany Baptismal and Marriage Register, 1639-1642 and 1667-1694. Also includes EbyÕs Church of the Brethren, p. 168; Scheibly Burying Ground in Lancaster Co., in upper Leacock in a clump of pines 200 ft. north of Stormstown School, p. 24. Website: http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=2451&path=Statewide.Statewide.ALL.Gerberich+Collection.173&sid=&gskw=.
[101] Oak Dale Cemetery, Urbana, Champaign Co., OH, website: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSln=French&GSiman=1&GScid=42484&
[102] German Script class from Linda French Dawson. Old German is written in one for 3 scripts: SŸtterlin, Kurrent Kupferstich, and Breitkoph Fraktur. Reply from Deb: Thanks for sending this information. It made me start thinking about how the word ÒFrenchÓ appeared if written in German script. I tried to use your attachment to copy and paste each letter into a Word document. For some reason each German script character automatically converted to the English alphabet. So I tried to find a way to do the conversion online. I found a font company where you can type in an English word and it shows the appearance in the Kurrent Kupferstich script. I attached what was generated when I typed the word French. It's pretty interesting to see this. No wonder names evolved when a non-English person came to America! The webpage I used is at http://www.waldenfont.com/product.asp?productID=8.
[103] Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society: http://www.wpgs.org/aboutus.htm.
[104] First Naturalization List In Lancaster County (Some Men From Philadelphia County)
NOTE: The following list includes those who became citizens in 1729. You will note some strange spellings for the names of your ancestors. Those which are linked are direct line ancestors of my husband, and will take you to the database of On the Trail of Our Ancestors.
An Act For the Better Enabling Divers Inhabitants Of The Province of Pennsylvania to Hold Lands, And to Invest Them With The Privileges Of Natural-Born Subjects Of the Said Province.
Whereas by the encouragement given by the Honorable William Penn Esquire, late proprietary and governor of the province of Pennsylvania, and by the permission of his late Majesty, King George the First, of blessed memory and his predecessor, Kings and Queens of England, etc., divers Protestants who were subjects to the Emperor of Germany, a prince in amity with the Crown of Great Britain, transported themselves and estates in the province of Pennsylvania between the years one thousand seven hundred and one thousand seven hundred and eighteen, and since they came hither have contributed very much to the enlargement of the British Empire and to raising and improving sundry commodites fit for the markets of Europe, and always behaved themselves religiously and peaceably, and have paid a due regard and obedience to laws and government of this province....
Section I - Be it enacted by the Honorable Patrick Gordon Esquire, Governor of the province of Pennsylvania, etc., by and with the advice of the freeman of the said Province, in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That
Martin Mylin, Hans Graaf, Christian Stoneman, Jacob Funk, Francis Neiff, Francis Neiff, Junior; George Kindick, John Burkholder, John Burkholder, Junior; Abraham Burkholder, Michael Bohman, John Hess, John Frederick, Christopher Preniman, Martin Harnist, Joseph Buckwalter, **Felix Landas, Junior, Adam Preniman, John Funk, John Bohman, John Taylor, Henry Neiff, Michael Mire, Henry Bare, Peter Bumgarner, Melcor Hufford, Mercor Erisnman, John Brubaker, Jacob Nisley, Jacob Snevely, Jacob Goot, John Woolslegle, Jacob Mire, Christopher Sowers, Joseph Stoneman, Daniel Ashleman, Christian Peelman, John Henry Neiff, John Henry Neiff, Junior; Abraham Hare, John Ferie, Jacob Biere, Peter Yordea, Peter Leamon, John Jacob Snevely, Isaac Coffman, Andrew Coffman, Woolrick Rodte, Henry Funk, Roody Mire, John Mylin, Jacob Bheme, John Coffman, Michael Doneder, Charles Christopher, Andres Shults, John Howser, Christian Preniman, Jacob Miller, black; Henry Carpenter, Emanuel Carpenter, Gabriel Carpenter, Daniel Herman, Christian Herman, Philip Fiere, Mathias Slaremaker, big John Shank, Jacob Churts, Jacob Snevely, Junior; John Woolrick Houver, John Croyder, John Leeghte, John Hampher, Martyn Graaf, Peter Smith, Peter Newcomat, Jacob Bare, Junior; John Henry Bare, Jacob Weaver, Henry Weaver, John Weaver, David Longanickar, George Weaver, Abraham Mire, Woolrick Houser, John Mire, Henry Musselman, Michael Shank, Jacob Miller, Jacob Miller, Junior; Martin Miller, Peter Aybe, Hans Goot, Christian Staner, John Jacob Light, Adam Brand, Christopher Franciscus, Caspar Loughman, Frederick Stay, John Line, John Shwope, Bastian Royer, Jonas Leroy, Simeon King, John Aybe, Everard Ream, [all of Lancaster County] and John Negley, Bernard Reesor, John Wistar, John Frederick Ax, John Philip Bohm, Anthony Yerkhas and Herman Yerkhas [of Philadelphia County], be and shall be to all intents and purposes deemed, taken and esteemed His Majesty's natural-born subjects of this province of Pennsylvania as if they and each of them had born within the said province, and shall and may and every one of them shall and may within this province, and shall and may and every one of them shall and may within this province take, receive, enjoy and be entitled to all rights, privileges and advantages of natural born subjects of this province as fully to all intents, constructions and purposes whatsoever as any of His majesty's natural born subjects of this province can, do or ought to enjoy by virtues of their being His Majesty's natural born subjects of His Majesty's said province of Pennsylvania.
[Passed February 14, 1729. Apparently never considered by the Crown but allowed to become law by lapse of time, in accordance with the Proprietary Charter.]
[105] Website about Martin Helm: http://www.trakwest.com/zhel118.htm.
[106] Samuel French, b. ca. 1760. Unsure of this child, need more research. From Deb, Ref. [1]: I know that Henry Sr. had a brother named Samuel - testimony from a court deposition in Mercer County, KY says that Samuel is Henry's brother. To me that proves: (1) Jacob of Berkeley County did have a son named Samuel; (2) Samuel is not mentioned in the estate settlement of Jacob French of Berkeley County; (3) it is possible that Jacob had other children that weren't mentioned in his estate settlement. The more I research this family, the more I think that Samuel French of Limestone, AL is the same man who was in Mercer County, KY in 1800. It would be interesting to find descendants of Samuel who would join the DNA project to see if they match Group 4.
[107] ÒArchitectrual and Pictorial History of Berkeley County, Vol. VIÓ by Don C Wood.
[108] Settlers of Maryland, 1679-1783, Consolidated Edition.
FFA Chart #166: Thomas, George and wife Ariana, son
George
FFA Chart #195: Jacob, Peter,
Note that Edmund owned the earliest lands.
Zerubabel French appears in the 1790 census of Kent Co., MD, with 1 male under 16 and 1 male over 16, plus 2 slaves.
[109] Of the 7 men who were naturalized the same time as George French was in 1747, it appears that GeorgeÕs wifeÕs name was not Eby or a derivative of that name.
The Ebby family came to this country (United States of America) on August 11, 1732, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the Ship Samuel, of London; Hugh Percy, Master, from Rotterdam, but last from Cowes. The family members included Henrick Ebby, age 30, Elizabeth Evy, age 28; Lisbetha Evy, age 8, Kathrine Evy, age 6, John Evy. age 4, and Mergretha Evy, age 3.
John Avey, Mary Avey's father, is the same individual listed above as John Evy, age 4, at the time of his arrival to America.
The limited research completed on this family has been most difficult since the spelling of the family name has varied greatly. According to ÒThe Eby ReportÓ by Clyde L. Groff and George F. Newman, the origin of the Eby name was from Switzerland. According to the ÒFamily Name Boof of SwitzerlandÓ, the Aebi or Aeby, also Aebii, is a diminutive form of the name Abo (forest man).
The name Aebi as it was originally spelled in Switzerland did not cause any problems to our ancestors who spoke the Swiss-German dialect. Hoever, the problems began as they migrated to other countries where the rules of pronunciation were different. For instance, the first change we record is when the family moved to Germany. In Switzerland the ÒA: in the Aebi was pronounced the same as in English, but in Germany it would have been pronounced ÒAhÓ. For this reason the Aebis in Germany dropped the ÒAÓ in their names and spelled it Ebi or Eby. Thus their new spelling when pronounced by the German people was consistent with the Swiss sound. The ÒEÓ in German was pronounced as an ÒAÓ.
In Germany one family alone would use the following variations: the father used the name Aebi, his wife the name Ebbe and the children Ewig, Eben and Ebig. Their dialect still caused the German officials to write their name in various ways.
In America they were again faced with a pronunciation problem. Since they were now spelling their names Ebi or Eby, the British officials would pronounce the name just as it is spelled with the ÒEÓ sound. So again, many of the early Ebys added an A to again try to get the correct sound. The spellings of Aby and Eaby came about because our ancestors were again trying to preserve the correct sound. The following are different spellings of the name ÒEbyÓ and is by no means complete since many reading this may know of additional variations. Abey, Abee, Abi, Abie, Aby, Abye, Aebi, Aebich, Aeby, Eabi, Eaby, Eavy, Ebbe, Ebby, Ebe, Ebee, Eben, Eber, Ebey, Ebi, Beich, Ebie, Eby, Evi, Evie, Evy, Ewi, Ewie, Ewy and Uebi.
HENRICK EBBY: Family Immigration - the names of the family members came from the book ÒPennsylvania German Pioneers, A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808, Vol I, pages 59-62.
The (Nearhoof and Avey) descendants of my ancestor, Henrick Ebby, who came to this country in 1732 tend to use the family of Avey, Evey, or Eavey. Although it would be just as correct to say that our ancestor Henry Nearhoof married Mary Evey or Eavey, our researcher decided to use Ebby/Avey as her surname. From the various Wills and Deeds, not only is Evey and Eavey used but it appears that most of the records pertaining to Mary's father (John) and her siblings used Avey. By using Ebby/Avey, it indicates that when Mary's grandfather came to this country, the first spelling his surname was Ebby but later the spelling of the Avey seemed to be used most of the time for his descendants. Note that Mary's sister Elizabeth has the spelling of Eby on her gravestone.
In all of the research in Germany there only was found one record of an Eby who owned property. This was one Heinrich Ebby, who lived in Heckenaschbacherhof and he sold his property in 1722 to Jacob Steinmann. This is the Heinrich Ebby, who arrived in Philadelphia via the ship ÒSamuelÓ from London on August 11, 1732. The ship passenger list shows Henrick Ebby as age 30 when he came to this country on Aug 11, 1732. Therefore, since he died sometime in April 1763, he was about 61 years old when he died. According to Henry Evey's Last Wll and Testament he had sons, John, Jacob and Joseph. Jacob and Joseph were born in this country (see Reference [188] below).
On March 20, 1745, Henry purchased 200 acres of land (called Scotch Lott) in what is now Washington County, Maryland from John Davis. Note that Washington County was created on September 06, 1776 from Frederick County. On March 19, 1746, he had it patented with a resurvey to include two more acres for a total of 202 acres. In Henry's will he divides this land among his three sons, John, Joseph and Jacob.
The Administration Accounts of Henry Ebby's estate located at the Maryland State Archives at Annapolis, Maryland, shows that he had children: Catharine, John, Margaret, Jacob, Barbara, Mary, Fononya, Joseph, and Ann.
John Avey was 4 yrs old when he came to this country in 1732. He died in March or April 1789 so he was also about 61 yrs old when he died.
(the above are excerps from the book ÒNearhoof Family everywhere in the U.S. - Descendants of Henry Nearhoof and Mary Ebby/Avey 1760-2004Ó, compiled & written by my distant cousin Ralph C Nearhoof, Jr - published in 2004.)
[110] Winter in the Pennsylvania Hills, 1736 – Historial Reprint from PATC Archives. Website: http://www.patc.us/history/archive/pa_winter.html.
By Jean Stephenson
In 1736 it had been only seven years since the first settlement was made in the lower end of the Great Valley. Scouts and hunters had traversed it and brought glowing reports of the fertility of the valley of the Co-no-co-gig, as that section was called.
When in 1729 Lancaster County was formed from Chester County it embraced all the lands westward. As the Cumberland and Conococheague lands had not been purchased from the Indians, no sales of lands could be made there. But in order to relieve population pressure in the eastern counties, to satisfy the Quaker and German groups who viewed with alarm the increasing number of Irish coming to the colony, to provide a barrier of hardy pioneers along the frontier, and to aid in combating the claims of Maryland to western lands, the agents of the Lords Proprietors encouraged the Irish coming to the Province to cross the Susquehanna, and issued to them special licenses of settlement.
In 1730 Benjamin Chambers, who was then living on the Blue Mountains at Hunter's Mill, east of the Susquehanna, moved, with his entire family, down the Valley and located at The Falling Springs of the Conococheague, securing permission from the Indians to do so. In 1734 the agent of the Proprietaries granted him a license covering four hundred acres, on which he already had a grist mill. Soon after he built a saw mill.
The Proprietors encouraged settlement in the upper Cumberland but objected to settlers occupying lands to the westward as these were as yet strictly reserved for the Indians. However, negotiations were under way to purchase the Conococheague Valley lands, and settlement of Pennsylvanians there would serve to deter the Marylanders from coming in. In 1682 it had been discovered that the grants to Lord Baltimore and to Penn overlapped. Pending some adjustment both tried to claim and have settled the disputed territory. Thus the Irish interest in the Conococheague was not discouraged.
So the country filled rapidly, chiefly with Irish (as the Presbyterians were called, whether of Scotch or of Irish descent) but with some Germans also. These latter however, came across South Mountain from the Lancaster settlements instead of coming down the Valley from Harris' Ferry.
Those who came to make homes in the Conococheague region found the limestone lands covered with rich, luxuriant grass, hazel bushes, wild plums, and crab apples, but rutted and gullied by rains with sparse timber and with frequent outcroppings of rock. These sections were generally called Òthe barrens.Ó Homes were first built along the streams where there was timber. But soon, although land in the valley was still available, settlements were being made in the slate lands running along the base of the mountains. These lands had wood, water courses, water meadows, and were free from surface rock. Considerable labor was required to clear the land, but once clear, it was fertile. The abundance of large springs, of falls, and of timber stimulated migration and soon little settlements dotted the valley and hillsides.
In 1734 Joseph Crunkleton made a clearing a few miles west of South Mountain almost as far south as the Maryland settlements. Between this place and Chambers', Jacob Sniveley, James Johnston, and James Roddy settled. The scattering cluster took the name of ÒThe Conococheague Settlement.Ó At the farthest western rim of the lands on which they were licensed to settle stopped the Campbells, Wilsons, M'Clellands, M'Dowells, Welshs, Smiths, and McKinneys. On the Conococheague, west of Chambers', as early as 1731, John William, Nathan and James MeDowell took up a large quantity of land; before 1736 John had built a grist mill there. Many isolated settlements were made, each settler locating his lands as dictated by his fancy. Most of these were in the hills, which were heavily timbered, with trees two to five feet in diameter, only when six to eight feet were trees considered large, and many were ten feet or more. A family coming in to make a settlement first made a Òclearing,Ó by felling sufficient trees to provide space for a cabin and a little opening around it. Logs needed for building purposes, furniture, and fuel were saved; the others were burned, both to dispose of them (as there was no place to which to move them ) and in order to make potash.
The cabin was usually located along a stream. To build one, 70 or 80 tall straight trees were felled, cut to proper length and carefully fitted together. While they varied, the customary size of cabins was 20 feet long and 16 feet wide. Sometimes there was a low room under the roof. There was no glass available, and window panes would be made of paper, coated with bear grease to make it semitransparent. To build such a cabin would take one or two men about a week. No metal at all was used the logs being fitted together and interstices filled with soil, which was hardened with fire when necessary.
Short sections of trees served for chairs, or a slab of wood was fitted with legs. The bed frame was supported on one side from the wall. During the first year, ticks would be filled with moss or pine needles, but by the second year chaff and husks would be available.
By 1736 many such ÒplantationsÓ were in the valley and far up into the narrows and coves of South Mountain. Much game was still to be found, although it was beginning to disappear. Hogs had been brought in, and hog meat and corn, ground in hand mills, were the staple articles of diet. Flax was being grown; sheep were already grazing on the meadow land, and the spinning wheels in many cabins were turning out the Òlinsey-woolseyÓ from which the women's clothing and many of the men's garments were made.
Winter came early that year, but it was welcome to the Conoeocheague Valley. The hardy pioneers were at peace with the Indians. There were many settlements, which meant grist mills, saw mills, blacksmiths' forges, and other primitive industries which added to the comfort and lessened the labor of living. All summer the settler was busy girdling trees, making a crop, gathering meat and wood, and preparing for the long cold season. Now that winter had come there was opportunity to sit by the fire and make bullets dress leather, make furniture, and to visit with his neighbors and plan for the future of the community.
In the previous year the Lancaster County Court had recognized the settlement by creating the new township of Hopewell, running from mountain to mountain, the northern line crossing the valley at the ÒGreat SpringÓ; and a Justice of the Peace and a constable had been appointed. In 1736 taxes amounting to 5.2 British pounds were assessed. Acting under an order of the Lancaster County Court, a party working under Benjamin Chambers cleared and blazed a road from Harris' Ferry on the Susquehanna River to the Potomac River, the first road through the township. Elsewhere the Indian trails, eighteen inches wide and unblazed, were giving way to blazed trails, which were often widened and improved in the footway. Word had been received that the Penns, Lords Proprietors of the Colony, had bought the land as far as the North and Tuscarora Mountains from the Indians, which would mean a great influx of settlers in the spring.
That winter saw the formation of many churches, each community uniting together to form a Òreligious society.Ó At the Conococheague settlement ÒThe East Conococheague Presbyterian ChurchÓ was formed and soon a meeting house, known later as the ÒRed ChurchÓ was erected at Moss Spring. At the western settlement, ÒThe Upper West Conococheague ChurchÓ was formed, their edifice, when later erected being known as the ÒWhite Church.Ó At Chambers, the Presbyterian ÒCongregation of the Falling SpringÓ was organized. In the northern end of the section ÒThe Rocky SpringÓ Presbyterian Church was founded.
With a town government, officers of the law, roads, industries, taxes, and churches all in the space of seven short years, henceforth, the inhabitants thought, they would dwell amid the blessings of civilization. No one dreamed of the horrors of the French and Indian War, so soon to burst upon them. To them the close of the winter of 1736 marked the close of an era; the pioneer period was past.
[111] From: FamilyHart@aol.com
Subject: Re: [PADutch] Conococheague Settlement
Date:
Fri, 8 Sep 2000 22:41:08 EDT
In a message dated 09/08/2000 7:46:23 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
geneasearch@excite.com writes:
Is anyone on this list familiar with the old Conococheague Settlement located between Conococheague and Antietam Creeks in moder Franklin and Adams Counties? Mary
There were several ÒConococheagueÓ settlements.
The main Conococheague settlement was in Washington County, Maryland just west of Hagerstown (still there today on US 40 just before the highway passes over Conococheague Creek going westbound). There was also an East Conococheague settlement in Franklin County, Pennsylvania known today as Greencastle and a West Conococheague settlement known today as Mercersburg, also in Franklin County. There was also a South Conococheague settlement known today as Williamsport, Washington County, Maryland. Conococheague is a Native American word meaning Òvery far awayÓ. I know of no ÒConococheagueÓ settlement in Adams County, PA. The Conococheague area was bounded by South Mountain on the east, by Cove Mountain on the west, the Potomac River on the south and where Conococheague Creek turns east on the north.
Thanks!
Don Hartman
PA Dutch Moderator
[112] Gordon Crooks, Apr 2012: In November I was contacted via the museum for help to locate a very early settler named Jacob French and who was believed to be a ÒDunkardÓ and thus a member of the Brethren. These people are often difficult to trace because they were not great letter writers and many of those which do exist are in old German..Well I knew of the family from whom they had purchased the land from, also Brethren and a huge family. I had to enlist the help of quite a few people who lived in Franklin County and in time we got to a area which looked promising and found a land document.
Fast forward: This information was sent to the lady who requested the search, in two days she was back to me and had used satellite pictures to locate the actual land, had found out the names of people living near by and found their telephone numbers on the internet and made several calls. One hit the jackpot and it appears that their neighbor actually owns the land. While I am just digesting all of this she hits me with another e mail stating that she and her husband are flying in from Colorado (a good thousand miles away), will land at BWI airport (Baltimore, Md.) take a private plane or helicopter to Hagerstown, Md.and has made reservations in the best hotel in the area, has arranged for a rental car and will stay for 3 days. She asks that I meet them and take them on a tour and recommend where to research the family. She also states she will pay all of my expenses etc (I actually live 80 some miles away and in Maryland too). However I have declined that part and will only meet them for one day and show them the farm and several institutions where they can do research and introduce them. In the mean time I had a friend who lives about 10 miles away make a scouting trip for me and found the land and talked to the Mennonite farmer who presently owns it. I had this done because the land is just off of interstate I-81 and many of the little roads in that area were choked off when the freeway was built many years ago.
[113] Website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donaghmore1/mcmullen/mcmulbelnewlttr1.html. This website of the Scotch-Irish in Northern Ireland lists several men with the surname French, but they are after 1754. I found this right away, but never anything in Germany.
[114] Pennsylvania German Pioneers arriving in the Port of
Philadelphia, 1727-1775. Website: http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/BookView.aspx?dbid=48379&iid=PAGermanPioneersI-004400-1&sid=&gskw=.
There are so many quite accurate names in this book, but nothing close to French. Someone suggested that maybe their name was Franzšsisch which is how you say French in Germany. Or it could be shortened to Franz.
[115] There is a Jacob Franz who was christened on 2 Apr 1749, son of Jacob Franz, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Middletown, Frederick Co., Maryland.
There's another Jacob Franz who immigrated in 1737 to Pennsylvania with his wife Anna Maria Harthi, son Jacob and son Johannes Paul.
[116] Names of the Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses were Issued in the Province of Pennsylvania, Previous to 1790.
[117] DENISON, ANDREW, Newton. January 1788. October 8, 1790. Wife Sarah. Dau. Martha French. Son Andrew Denison. Agness, wife of John Shanon. Dau. Sarah, wife of Thomas Little. Dau. Maryann, wife of James McEwen. Children of dau. Elizabeth Miller, Dec'd. Son-in-law John Scott. Dau. Margaret, wife of Robt. Little. Exs: John Scouller and Andrew Thompson. Wit: John Mitchell, William Richey, John Sheilds. E. 197.
Wills: DENISON, Andrew 1790: Newton Twp, Cumberland Co, Pa. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Carolyn R. Montgomery http://www.usgwarchives.org.
The Last Will and Testament of Andrew Denison, dec'd. 294. (Recorded on Page 177-178 Will Book in the Township of Carlisle, Cumberland Co PA)
In the name of God, Amen, I, ANDREW DENISON of Newton Township and Cumberland County and State of Pennsylvania being weak in body but of sound mind and memory (Blessed be to God for his mercies to me) and calling to mind my mortality that it is appointed for all men once to die and death the judgement, do this day of January 1788 make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner following: Vis: first I recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting until the General Resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the Might power of God and touching my worldly estate where with providence has favored me with; I give and bequeath in form and matter following unto my beloved wife SARAH, I allow her living in the house and the profits of the land and interest of my money in the land office, also a right to dispose of all my personal estate as she sees proper and after her decease, I bequeath unto my daughter MARTHA FRENCH the house and land I now live on to be enjoyed by her or her heirs and assigns. And the rest of my goods and chattels, I order and allow to be sold and after all my just debts and funeral charges are paid off, I order and allow what remains to be divided into ten equal shares---one share to my son ANDREW DENISON, another share to AGNES, wife of JOHN SHANON, another share to my daughter MARTHA FRENCH, another share to my daughter SARAH wife of THOMAS LITTLE, another share to my daughter MARY ANN wife of JAMES McEWEN, another share to my daughter ELIZABETH MILLER, deceased, her children to be equally divided between them, another share to my grandson ANDREW DENISON (son of my son WILLIAM, deceased), another share to my grandson JOHN DENISON (son of said deceased), another share to my son-in-law JOHN SCOTT, and another share to my daughter MARGARET wife of ROBERT LITTLE. And I do hereby constitute and declare JOHN SCOULLER and ANDREW THOMPSON sole executors of this my last will and testament and legacs utterly revoking and disannulling all former wills and testaments and legacy's. Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament given under my hand and seal the day and year above written. Signed, sealed, pronounced and declared by ANDREW DENISON as his last will and testament in presence of us. JOHN MITCHELL, WILLIAM RICHY, JOHN SHIELDS. ANDREW DENISON [SEAL]
Be it remembered that on the 18th day of October, 1790, the last will and testament of ANDREW DENISON decd. was legally proved and letter of testamentary issued in common to JOHN SCHOOLER, one of the executors therein named the said 18th day of October 1790. Inventory and acct. to be exhibited in the Registrars Office in the Borough of Carlisle in the time appointed by the law. N.B. The original will was burned or lost at the time my house was burnt and the foregoing record is the contents of the will given upon oath of the Exec. Agreeable to the best of his recollection and memory. Witness my hand WILLIAM LYON, Reg.
From Mara: Further research on Andrew Denison on ancestry.com show that he was born 1726 in Scotland, died 15 Oct 1790 in Newton, Cumberland, Pennsylvania. He married Sarah in 1739. They had daughter Martha on 15 Aug 1745 in Abington, Montgomery, PA, and she died in 26 Aug 1801 in Cumberland, PA. Her husband was William Andrew French, 1730-1770, and they had son Enoch French 1767-1837.
[118] From Linda French Dawson, Apr 2012: I just got home from a genealogy meeting. ItÕs a German Interest group I joined. This gentleman gave a great talk on the Herkimer, NY German colony that arrived 1710. The old movie, ÒDrums Along the MohawkÓ with Henry Fonda is based on this community and their history. He said one thing that really struck me: ½ of the families that traveled from German Palatinate were not German but joined the boats going north to England, from outlying areas east and west of the Rhine and Elk Rivers, including Bavaria and what he called the French zone west of the Rhine. He said that this Herkimer community is called agrarian exchange network, meaning that men of certain occupations traded services and goods, like dairymen, cheesemakers and an important one of BLACKSMITHING. Think of it- no wagons without wheels, no horses without shoes. It all makes perfect sense. The Herkimer area was mostly Lutheran with a few Dutch and Calvinists Reformed churches. He said that Mennonites were down in the PA Germantown area, which we know about. Thanks to you all. I wonder if the Germantown area was set up as an agrarian exchange as well? Perhaps that is how/why the French men migrated from the East to the South and West. So the FRENCH families could have immigrated to England on German boats via the Rhine and across to US and maintained ties with them. And they could be historically FRENCH, SWISS or other. He said 6500 people in 1709 left Germany for London and set up camps called Blackheath- a real health department nightmare. I did watch part of Prof Gates program on PBS with Barbara Walters. He makes it sound so simple and easy but neglects to inform how many man hours it took and all the endless checking and re-checking. a name change, a real possibility and fairly discouraging. The speaker, Mr. Steele say his German surname has been listed as Stalle, Staley and Steele(US)- all the same man! He tracked them using what I call the INLAWS . What we all use for clues. I think FRANTZ and other spelling is worth pursuing. I saw a listing for Frenchouser somewhere. Maybe it was shortened. IÕll be interested to hear what Julia has to say about the mulatto DNA. I joined the G haplo group project and contacted all the UK, US names with FRENCH. None could off any further info about immigration. I would think all in Group 4 need the 67 markers done. Rai(who I match) has G2a3b1a. Would more markers give us more info? I donÕt think a plain G would tell us much? Have you looked at the G haplo project group? a whole bunch of names not FRENCH. IÕd like Julia to comment on that. I need a nap but later I will send more. I have a list of good reference books. Very inspiring. The facilitator will send links I can send on to you. Linda
[119] http://sio.midco.net/lysco/hendricks/williamonpequea.jpg. You'll need to enlarge this map. I don't know the year of it. Note the names Col. French at 43? 48? Then at 63? is the Pequea Swiss Mennonite Settlement. There is even a James Dawson. But also, there is a Christopher Franciscus at 74 and Franciscus is close to Franzšsich and his name was Christofer or Christian. There is also Miller.
NOTE: new website is
http://www.reocities.com/Heartland/Hills/7010/shiplists_pa1732a.html#SAMUEL
So, Christofer Frantz SENIOR immigrated in 1732 but only as far as London, and he was 47 years old, born 1685, and Christofer Frantz JUNIOR was born 1706. The women used the very common names Anna, Barbara, Eva, and Magdalena. Note that also Barbara and Henrick Eberly are listed as children. Didn't she marry a Snively? This page is 10 years old, so I think I'll copy it to my website before it disappears. Beware that any files that were on the OLD geocities website are now at the same pathname using reocities, but I think this is temporary.
http://ww.evendon.net:80/PGHLookups/TaxBerksCoPA1785M.htm
Berks Co, Tax records
Ship Samuel's list
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/7010/shiplists_pa1732a.html#SAMUEL
=======
Robt Charles, Cl. Con. QAt the Courthouse of Philadelphia, Aug. 11th, 1732.... A List was Presented of the Names of One Hundred and Six Palatines, who with their Families, making in all about Two hundred and Seventy nine Persons, were imported here in the P63 p Ship Samuel, of London, Hugh Percy, Master, from Rotterdam, but last from Cowes, as by Clearance of the Officers of the Customs there. q From the Minutes of the Provincial Council, printed in Colonial Records, Vol. III, p. 431. f \
[List 19 B] Palatines imported in the Ship Samuel, of London, Hugh Piercy, Master, from Rotterdam, but last from Cowes in Gr. Britain p. Clearance thence. Qualified August 11th Jacob Oberholtzer Hans Muselman Peter Wetzstein Johann Adam Andres Christian (C) Frants, Senr Christian (O) Frants, Jnr Friedrich Kieffer Note that the Christian Frantz family is on the same immigration boat with Jacob Oberholser
Oberholtzer Children on the Samuel
OBERHOLTSTER, Elisabeth 6 = b 1726
OBERHOLTSTER, Saml 3 = b 1729
Frantz Children on the Samuel
FRANTS, Elisabeth 3 = 1729
FRANTS, John 7 = 1725
FRANTS, Michiel 6 =1726
FRANTS, Veronick 8 = 1724
FRANTSIN, Judith 12 = 1720
Males on the Samuel
FRANTZ, Christian Jr 26
FRANTZ, Christian Sr 47
Females on the Samuel ie in after the name may indicate over age 12 as there are no women with Frantz but this Frantsin as is Judith above
FRANTSIN, Anna 37
FRANTSIN, Barbara 20
FRANTSIN, Eva 19
FRANTSIN, Madgtalena 15
IF you look carefully at the family list and compare to who we know are children of Christian you will see those women with the name Frantsin are the names of the Christian Frantz females. Think German here and you may find it makes better sense as they often wrote both Angelicized and German spellings. Those women who were single and possible marriage age are listed with – ÒsinÓ as ending.
[120] Ship Samuel, website: http://www.reocities.com/Heartland/Hills/7010/shiplists_pa1731.html#SAMUEL
Johann Conradt Franck is listed next to Jacob Snevely on The Snow Lowther of Whitehaven, which is a small village on the coast of Cumbria, England. It is very close to Scotland, and on the WESTERN side of England. This fits in perfectly because I still believe that the Snively and French families met overseas and not in Pennsylvania -- and that Louisa and George were born then. This ship arrived in Philadelphia of 16 Aug 1731. Apparently, the ship ÒSamuelÓ made 2 trips to Philadelphia, one in 1731 and the other in 1732.
Christian Frantz Sr was b. 1685, d. 1739, was from Krefeld, Palatinate, Germany and died in Tulpehocken township, Berks Co., PA, m. Anna. His son Christian Frantz was b. 1706 in Krefeld, m. Magdelena in 1734, age 28 in Berks Co., PA, and d. 1783 age 77 in Berks Co., PA. Their children were Barbara, Elizabeth, Margaretha, Christian, Magdalena, Anna, Maria, Fronica, and Susannah.
Notice the Brahores family -- they married into the Shively family.
The Frantz Families of Little Swatara Creek By
Dwayne Wrightsman The earliest history of the Little Swatara Creek Congregation
of German Baptist Brethren was written circa 1770 by the Baptist minister and
chronicler Morgan Edwards (1722-1795).[1] Edwards was
of the same age and generation as those who founded the congregation. About the
churchÕs founding, Edwards wrote: ÒAbout the year 1745 one George Besher
settled in this neighbourhood, and one Michael Frantz, Peter Heckman, John
Frantz, and others. These were baptized by Rev. George Kleine, and in 1757
coalesced into a church having the said Kleine to their assistance.Ó[2] In
his account of the Little Swatara church, Edwards also listed forty-five
persons who were members in the year 1770. The Frantz family members included
Michael Frantz and wife, John Frantz and wife, and Christian Frantz and wife.[3] Michael Frantz (b.c1726) and John Frantz (b.c1725)
were brothers, both sons of Christian Frantz I (b.c1685). Christian Frantz was
either the considerably-older half-brother of Michael
Frantz and John Frantz, namely Christian Frantz II (b.c1706), or he was the son
of Christian Frantz II, namely Christian Frantz III (b.c1740). Even though he
was the oldest, Christian Frantz II was not named with his two brothers as one
of the founders of the church. Christian Frantz III would have been too
young to have been a founder, but, with a wife and
three sons, certainly old enough to have been listed as a member in
1770. This article tells the story of the Frantz families who settled and
lived on the banks of Little Swatara Creek, in northern Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania. The story begins with Christian Frantz I, who brought his family
to America from Europe in 1732. It then continues with his three
sons—Christian Frantz II, John Frantz, and Michael Frantz—who
settled on Little Swatara Creek in the 1740s. On their farms on the Little
Swatara these three Frantz brothers would remain for the rest of their lives. Upon
the death of Christian Frantz II, in 1783, his only son, Christian Frantz III,
became the patriarch of the family. Christian III owned and ran the old family
farm on the Little Swatara until the mid-1790s when he, with most of his
children and their families, moved to Botetourt County, Virginia. The present
article includes his life in Virginia from 1795 to his death in 1824. Of
the five sons of Christian Frantz III, only one, Matthias Frantz, remained
behind on Little Swatara Creek. Over the years, the descendants of Matthias
Frantz have been members of the Little Swatara Church of the Brethren. These
descendants can be found in the Matthias Frantz Family of Berks County,
Pennsylvania book.[4] This book was edited by
Caleb Frantz of Bethel, Berks, member of the Little Swatara Brethren until his
death in 2004. Christian Frantz I Christian Frantz I (b.c1685) was a
Mennonite of Hšsselinshof, a small farming community in Germany located about a
mile north of where the Kocher River flows through Neuenstadt am Kocher in Baden-Wuerttemberg. The Kocher River flows into
the Neckar River, which, in turn, flows into the Rhine River at Heidelberg. The
easiest way to locate Hšsselinshof on a modern-day map of Germany is to follow
the rivers upstream starting at Heidelberg. Even then, the village is so
small that it may not be on the map. A description of the Christian Frantz
family appeared in a 1732 document listing seventeen Mennonite (ÒSwiss BrethrenÓ)
families seeking aid and assistance from the MennonitesÕ Amsterdam Committee of
Foreign Needs for passage to Pennsylvania.[5] In this
document the Christian Frantz family was described as a family of thirteen from
Hšselhoff (sic), including Christian Frantz, his wife, and their eleven
children. They possessed 100 Dutch guilders, which was far too little to cover
their passage. The appeal for assistance must have been successful as the
family arrived aboard the Ship Samuel in the Port of Philadelphia on 11 August
1732. The Ship SamuelÕs passenger list [6] included the names and
ages of eleven members of the Christian Frantz family:
Christian Frants, Senr, age 47
Christian Frants, Junr, age
26
Anna Frantsin, age
37
Barbara Frantsin, age
20
Eva Frantsin, age
19
Magdalena Frantsin, age
15
Judith Frantsin, age
12
Veronica Frants, age
8
John Frants, age 7
Michiel Frants, age
6
Elizabeth Frants, age 3
One can assume that Anna Frantsin, age 37, was the wife of Christian Frants
Senr., although she was probably not his first wife given that Christian Frants
Junr. was listed as age 26. According to the
passenger list, only nine children arrived in Philadelphia, while, according to
the Amsterdam Committee document, eleven children were seeking assistance to
emigrate. This suggests that two of the children stayed behind or perhaps
died on the ship. Little is known about the life of Christian Frantz I
after he arrived in 1732. It has been said that he settled in Lancaster city
and farmed nearby.[7] It is known that on 9 May 1738, ÒChristian
France of the County of LancasterÓ requested and was granted a warrant, No. 65,
for 200 acres Òsituate on a Mountain two Miles from Little Swatara Creek.Ó The
warrant was signed by one of the Proprietaries, Thomas Penn.[8] Unfortunately,
Christian Frantz I never had a chance to exercise his warrant because he died
near Lancaster City in the latter part of 1738, or possibly in early 1739. His
1739 estate papers included two documents. One was an administration bond,
dated 27 March 1739, naming widow Anne France, John Moyer, and Ulrich Rhode as
administrators of the estate. The other document was an inventory of the
estate, appraised 6 March 1739, by subscribers Ulrich Rhode and one other
(signature illegible).[9] Christian Frantz I
died relatively poor. He had no land, and in terms of personal property, the
inventory listed only the following: (1) Household goods and utensils
valued at 18 pounds and 6 shillings.(2) Horse kind
[possibly a donkey] valued at 6 pounds and 10 shillings.(3) Horned Cattle and
Sheep valued at 20 pounds and 2 shillings.(4) Wheat valued at 15 pounds and no
shillings.(5) Oats valued at 7 pounds, 15 shillings.(6) Rye valued at 3
pounds, 12 shillings. Little is known about the widow Anna following the
death of her husband. She may have lived with or near her children as there is
a reference to Òmy MotherÓ in a 1768 will written by her son, Michael Frantz.[10] Also, nothing is known about the lives of the
daughters. The oldest son, Christian Frantz II, who was age 32 or 33 when his
father died, and about age 35 when he took out his own warrant for land on the
Little Swatara, may have kept the family together. The five youngest children,
including sons John and Michael, were minors when their father died. Later on,
at about the age of majority, John and Michael also bought land on the Little
Swatara. In 1741, Christian Frantz II followed in his fatherÕs footsteps,
seeking land near Swatara Creek in northern Lancaster County. Family lore has
it that Christian II intended to warrant the same land as that described in his
fatherÕs 1738 warrant. The land that he actually warranted, on 14 November
1741, was tract No. 10, containing 235 acres. It was part of a larger tract of
5,000 acres, called Andulhea Manor, warranted by Richard Penn in 1732.[11] The 235 acres warranted by Christian Frantz II in
1741 was clearly not the same land that Christian Frantz I had warranted in
1738. The 1738 warrant was for 200 acres on a mountain two miles from Swatara
Creek. The 235 acres of the 1741 warrant was in a valley Òsituate on a branch
of Swatara Creek.Ó[12] Today this land, known historically as the Frantz farm,
is located in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, immediately west of the
Little Swatara Church of the Brethren, on the south side of the
Rehrersburg-Frystown Road. The exact year that Christian Frantz II entered
his Little Swatara Creek land is unknown, but it was probably close to 1741, the
year that he took out his warrant. He was certainly living and farming on
the land long before he received his patent, which was dated 20 August 1760.[13] He was also paying land taxes in Tulpehocken Township,
Berks County, at the outset of that countyÕs formation in 1751-2.[14] One
question about the life of Christian Frantz II is whether he was married to
Barbara Frantzin who immigrated with the family in 1732. She was old enough to
be either the wife of Christian II or the daughter of Christian I. This writer
has assumed that she was the daughter of Christian I because of how the family
was described—Christian Frantz with his wife and eleven children—in
the Amsterdam Committee document of 1732. A second question is whether
Christian Frantz II was the Christian Frantz who was listed in 1770 as a member
of the Little Swatara Brethren. This writer posits that it might have been
his son Christian Frantz III who was listed. Morgan Edwards did not name
Christian Frantz II as one of the church-founders, while his two younger
brothers, Michael Frantz and John Frantz, were named. Christian Frantz II may
have remained in the Mennonite faith. Not one of his seven married daughters in
1775 is known to have married a Brethren. Also, on the
1770 list of members, Christian Frantz was listed last among the Frantz
membership, suggesting that this Christian might have been the young Christian
Frantz III, who was a known Brethren and whose children married into Brethren
families. On 27 January 1775, Christian Frantz II, at about age 69, wrote
his last will and testament [15] In it he named his wife, Magdalena, his son
Christian, and his eight daughters:
Barbara
Margaretha
Magdalena
Anna
Maria
Fronica
Susannah
Elizabeth
It is unknown which, if any, of his children were born to Magdalena [maiden
name unknown]. The names of any prior wives are also unknown. The son
Christian, called Christian Frantz III in the genealogical literature, was
named executor of the will. He was also left his fatherÕs plantation, described
in the will as two hundred and thirty six acres of land. Of the eight
daughters, the last named, Elizabeth, was the only unmarried daughter at the
time the will was written. Given what is known about a few of the daughters,
one can deduce that Christian Frantz II listed his eight daughters in birth
order. Christian Frantz II lived for eight more years after writing his
will. The will was proven on 23 July and 6 August 1783. [16] The inventory
of the estate included, among other things, a list of men who were indebted to
the deceased.[17] Two of the men, Martin Oberholtzer
and Peter Eshelman, are known to have been sons-in-law of the deceased. At
the time of Christian Frantz IIÕs death, his second-oldest daughter,
Margaretha, and her husband Peter Eshelman, had also died, leaving three
children. [18] One of the orphaned children was Elizabeth Eshelman, a minor
under age 14, who went to live with the Martin Oberholtzer family. [19] Another
of the orphaned children was ElizabethÕs older sister, Anna Eshelman, a minor
over age 14, who chose to live with the John Moyer family. [20] The name of the
third child is unknown. Martin Oberholtzer, guardian of Elizabeth Eshelman, was
married to Anna nee Frantz. [21] Anna nee Frantz was the fourth oldest
daughter of Christian Frantz II. The Oberholtzers were Mennonite and lived in
the Fredericksburg area of Bethel Township. The Moyers, or Meyers, lived
on the Little Swatara next to the Christian Frantz family. John Moyer, guardian
of Anna Eshelman, was the father of Henry Moyer. Some hold the opinion that
Henry Moyer may have married Elizabeth Frantz, the youngest daughter of
Christian Frantz II.[22] John Frantz (son of Christian
Frantz I) After the death of Christian Frantz II, John Frantz assumed the
position of the oldest living male offspring of Christian Frantz I. John Frantz
was born circa 1725, nineteen years after the birth (circa 1706) of Christian
Frantz II. Owing to the large age difference, John Frantz was probably born of
a second wife of Christian Frantz I, namely Anna Frantz, who was born circa
1695. John Frantz had settled in Bethel Township, on the other side of the
creek from his brother Christian Frantz II, who lived in Tulpehocken Township. Little
Swatara Creek was the natural dividing line between the two townships. Although
the two brothers lived in different townships, they were close neighbors
geographically. John Frantz lived on a farm of 190 acres. It was part of a
10,000 acre tract called FreameÕs Manor, which had
been patented in 1733 by Thomas Freame, a brother-in-law of the Penn brothers. John
took legal title to his 190 acres through an indenture, dated 13 February 1755,
in which he purchased his land from the estate of Thomas Freame for 86 pounds,
8 shillings, and 7 pence.[23] Today this land lies in
Bethel Township, Berks County, near Route 501, bordering Martin Drive on the
north, Bordner Road on the east, and Little Swatara Creek on the south. A
bridge on Bordner Road crosses over the creek into Tulpehocken
Township. On 19 June 1758, tragedy struck the John Frantz family. The
first account of the tragedy was written in a letter[24] that
day from Captain Christian Busse to Colonel Conrad Weiser. The letter began: ÒDear
Sir: At noon I received news that this morning about 8 oÕclock, the Indians
took and carried away the wife of John Frantz, with three children, six miles
from here [Fort Henry], deep in the countryÉ.Ó The name of the wife was not
given. Details of the abduction were made public in an article[25] published
in the Pennsylvania Gazette ten days later. The article read: ÒA Letter from
Fort Henry, in Berks County, dated the 19th Instant, mentions the Wife of
John Frantz, and three Children, being carried off by the Indians; and that the
Woman was found murdered a little Way from the Frantz House, she being weakly,
and not able to travel.Ó More details of the murder and abduction were
written in a very lengthy commission report[26] published
more than a century later. This report stated: ÒThe children were taken and
kept captives for several years. A few years after this horrible affair, all of
them, except one, the youngest, were exchanged. The oldest of them, a lad of 12
or 13 years of age, at the time when captured, related the tragical scene of
his mother being tomahawked and shamefully treated. Him they compelled to carry
the youngest.Ó Family lore claims that there was a fourth child of John
Frantz who was not abducted. If so, there would have been three surviving
children, the two who were abducted and returned, and the child who was never
abducted. Two of these children were Christian and Daniel. According to family
lore, the third may have been named Maria. John FrantzÕs murdered wife was
never named. Of these three surviving children, most is known about John
FrantzÕs son, Christian Frantz. He married Anna Barbara Ziegler, daughter of
Philip and Regina [Regeul] Ziegler.[27] Philip Ziegler
and wife were members of the Little Swatara Brethren
congregation[28] along with John Frantz and [his second] wife.[29] The
marriage of Christian Frantz and Anna Barbara Ziegler thus united two Little
Swatara Brethren families. The descendants of Christian and Anna Barbara were
recorded in the 1906 Ziegler book.[30] Some facts are
also known about John FrantzÕs son, Daniel Frantz. He is said to have married
Maria [unknown]. The descendants of this Daniel Frantz and wife Maria have been
researched by the last, remaining male descendant, Frederick S. Frantz,
currently of Annville, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.[31]
His research indicates that the descendants of Daniel Frantz were mostly
Lutheran and Reformed. The 1790 Bethel Township Census sheds still more light on the family of John Frantz. In the immediate
neighborhood of the John Frantz farm were two ÒFranceÓ households, enumerated
one after the other. The first was that of Widow France, indicating that John
Frantz had died before 1790. The census also showed four females in the widowÕs
household, raising the question of whether John Frantz had additional children
by his second wife. The second household was that of Christian France (son of
John Frantz), with wife (Anna Barbara Ziegler) and one son. In 1800, the
Widow Frantz did not appear in the census. She may have died, or perhaps she
was living in another household. The Christian Frantz family still lived in the
neighborhood, but it had grown in size to include two sons and three daughters.
Michael Frantz (son of Christian Frantz I) The third son of Christian
Frantz I to settle on Little Swatara Creek was the youngest son, Michael
Frantz. He was only six years old when he arrived on the Ship Samuel in 1732,
and was only twelve or thirteen when his father died. Although he was the
youngest of the three brothers, he was the first to take legal title to a farm
on Little Swatara Creek. On 11 October 1753, at age 27, Michael ÒFranceÓ
received a patent[32] from Thomas Penn and
Richard Penn for a tract of one hundred acres on Little Swatara Creek in Bethel
Township, Lancaster County. The tract was part of a larger tract of 5,000 acres
that Thomas Penn had warranted in 1732. Michael FrantzÕs 100-acre tract was
described in the patent as bordering the tracts of Daniel Shewey, Michael
Albert, and Philip Houtz. Like his brother John, Michael Frantz settled in
Bethel Township. Michael settled in the western half of Bethel Township that
remained, until 1785, a part of Lancaster County, whereas John had settled in
the eastern half that, in 1752, was spun off into Berks County. After 1785,
Bethel Township, Lancaster County, became a part of Dauphin County. In 1813,
Bethel Township became (and still is) a part of Lebanon County. In terms of the
Little Swatara Creek, MichaelÕs farm was located several miles downstream from
his brother JohnÕs. Today, the land that comprised the Michael Frantz farm
is located in Bethel Township, Lebanon County, on the west side of Mount Zion
Road and on both sides of Greble Road and Little Swatara Creek. The land is
only a mile or two from the Berks county line, as the crow
flies. Unfortunately, there are few if any known records to describe the
Bethel Township years of Michael Frantz other than local land and tax records. There
are no family records. He did write a will in 1768, at age 42. It mentioned his
having a mother, siblings, and a wife, but it did not mention children. There
is no evidence that he had any children.[33] Mostly,
the will was about instructing the Bishops and the Elders of the old Dunkers to
distribute his estate to the poor among the Brethren. What is known about
Michael Frantz has mostly to do with his involvement in the Little Swatara
Brethren Congregation. It has already been mentioned that he was one of the
founders of the church in 1757, and that he and his wife (unnamed) were on the
1770 membership list compiled by Morgan Edwards.[34] Michael
Frantz was also an early elder of the Little Swatara Brethren. This comes from
the personal diary of Christopher Sower II (1721-1784), who wrote: ÒOn August
9, 1780, I traveled to the Schuylkill, on the 10th with Brother Martin
Urner to Little Swatara, and on the 12th, held a meeting there and ordained the
following brethren, namely Brother Martin Gaby as elder, and Brother David
Kintzey as minister in Oley, and Brother Michael Frantz as elder, and the
brethren George Bueszhaar and Jacob Mayer as ministers in Little Swatara.Ó[35] Apparently,
Michael Frantz was still an active leader as late as 1790, when he served on
the Annual MeetingÕs standing committee, which consisted of the following: George
Preisz, Martin Meyer, Michael Frantz, Daniel Bollinger, John Landes, Christian
Lawshe, Justus Fuchs, Martin Gaby, Peter Keyser, Sander Mack, Nathaniel
Schreiber, David Kuntze, Martin Urner, Peter Leibert, Jacob Boeshor, Jacob
Danner, and Abraham Lawshe.[36] As mentioned
above, Michael Frantz left a will, written 9 March 1768. It was probated 28 years
later, on 17 August 1796, in Dauphin County Court, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[37] Copies of both the original and translated versions of
the will are in the possession of this researcher. The writing of the
will was witnessed by Michael FrantzÕs brother, John Frantz; Michael FrantzÕs
neighbor and friend, Jacob Meyer; and (possibly) MichaelÕs brother Christian
Frantz. The first two signed in their own hands and the third by his
mark. Curiously, the signature of a second Christian Frantz was also in
the will, as well as the signature of an Anne Frantz. The latter two
signatures did not appear in the will in a way that would explain their
presence. However, in writing the will, Michael Frantz sought his siblingsÕ
approval to leave his residual estate to the poor rather than to them. The
first Christian Frantz signature was probably that of Christian Frantz II, who
was still alive in 1768. The second Christian Frantz signature may have been
that of Christian Frantz III. The Anne Frantz signature was possibly that of
Michael FrantzÕs wife, or perhaps that of his mother. Of those
present when the will was written, only Jacob Meyer, a close neighbor and a
Little Swatara Brethren minister, was present during the 1796 probate to affirm
that he saw Michael Frantz write the will in his presence and in the presence
of the other subscribing witness, John Frantz. Jacob Meyer did not affirm the
presence of other witnesses. The original will was written in German in
Michael FrantzÕs own hand and was translated into English at the time of the
probate. MichaelÕs will expressed three wishes. The
first was to provide for his mother should she survive him. The second was to
leave all his real and personal estate in the hands of his beloved wife during
her natural life, including the right to sell or bestow property Òwith the
approbation of the Society.Ó The ÒSocietyÓ was probably the Little Swatara
Brethren Congregation. The third wish, about which he sought
gratification from his brothers and sisters after the flesh, was that any
remaining estate after the decease of his wife was to be sold with the proceeds
shared among the poor: ÒI appoint to share out my Estate so left, my beloved
Brethern, especially the Bishops and Elder of the old Dunkers, at the time
being, and it is my desire, according to the words of the apostel, ÔAs we have
therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all Men, Especially unto them who
are of the Household of Faith.Õ Ò Christian Frantz III Christian Frantz
III was the only son of Christian Frantz II. Given the events of his life, he
was probably born circa 1740. He was married to Anna Groh, daughter of Matthias
Groh, of Bethel, Lancaster. There was no marriage record, but the marriage is
proven from two sources. First, shortly after the death of Matthias Groh, in
1771, Christian Frantz III paid off a note of 36 pounds owed to Matthias ÒGro.Ó[38]
Second, Christian Frantz was named as husband of Anna Groh in a quitclaim deed,
dated 15 March 1788.[39] One can speculate that Anna
[Groh] Frantz named her son Matthias after her father. In the period
1777-1780, Christian Frantz III was enrolled in the Berks County Inactive Duty
Militia. He was enrolled as a Private, Fourth Class, in Captain John LeshserÕs
Company, Sixth Battalion, Berks County. Between March,
1777, and March, 1780, he paid muster fines of 30 pounds.[40] Following
the death of his father in 1783, Christian Frantz III, being the only son,
inherited the 235-acre family farm located in Tulpehocken Township. Here he
lived and paid taxes. He was listed in the 1790 census for Tulpehocken Township
as heading a household of three males over age sixteen,
two males under age sixteen, and six females. Christian Frantz III and his
family lived on the old family farm until they moved to Botetourt County in the
mid-1790s. The move was sometime between 7 April 1794, when the family farm was
sold to next-door neighbor Henry Moyer/Meyer,[41] and
13 October 1795, when Christian III bought 202 acres on Tinker Creek in
Botetourt County, Virginia, from Thomas Madison.[42] In
selling the family farm, Christian III reserved five acres for a home for his
son Matthias who stayed behind. At the refusal of MatthiasÕs wife, Elizabeth
[nee Boeshore], to leave Pennsylvania, Matthias Frantz deferred to her insistence,
electing not to join his parents and his brothers and sisters in their move to
Virginia.[43] One sister, Barbara [Frantz] Beshore
also stayed behind. In 1800 and 1804, Matthias Frantz bought the old
Christian Frantz farm from Henry Moyer and wife Elizabeth, who had moved to
Ohio. If Henry MoyerÕs wife, Elizabeth, was Elizabeth Frantz, sister of
Christian Frantz III, as some think,[44] the
Frantz farm probably never left the family, having passed from Christian Frantz
II to Christian Frantz III, who sold it to his sister ElizabethÕs family, who
then sold it to Matthias Frantz. While Christian Frantz III was
establishing his homestead at his Tinker Creek property in Botetourt County, he
bought other properties as well. He received a grant of 200 acres on Cravens
Creek in 1795.[45] On 9 June 1797, he bought a
245-acre tract on the Roanoke River from James Neelly.[46] The land tax
records for Botetourt County show that Christian Frantz III paid taxes on 202
acres on Tinker Creek, 245 acres on the Roanoke River, and 200 acres on Cravens
Creek. Except for his homestead property on Tinker Creek where he resided,
he deeded most of his other Botetourt lands to his sons
. Christian Frantz III was active in the German Baptist Brethren
community of Botetourt County. In 1799, he signed a petition, along with
forty-one other Botetourt Brethren, that was sent to the Virginia legislature
seeking exemption from fines for not attending muster in the militia. His
son-in-law, David Sollenberger, also signed the petition, as did close relatives
of all four of his Botetourt County daughters-in-law: Elizabeth Moyer (wife of
Michael Frantz), Magdalena Houtz (wife of Christian Frantz IV), Mary Kinsey
(wife of Henry Frantz), and Esther Stover (wife of John Frantz).[47] Other Botetourt Brethren who signed the 1799
petition with prior connections to the Little Swatara Brethren included
Christian Gish, George Gish, and David Gish (who were sons of Sophia Houk/Hock
Gish), Paul Ziegler (son of Philip Ziegler), Christian Houtz, his son Leonard
Houtz, and his son-in-law John Meyer/Moyer/Myers (all of whom were from the
Tulpehocken/Bethel area), Jacob Garst and Abraham Garst (who were sons of
Nicholas Garst), and Michael Minnich (son of Simon Minnich).[48] When the
1810 Botetourt County census was enumerated, Christian Frantz III was living at
his Tinker Creek homestead with the assistance of his daughter Magdalin and her
husband, Isaac Gaiby, son of Elder Martin Gaby from the Oley German Baptist
Congregation of Berks County, Pennsylvania. The Isaac Gaiby family would
continue to live with and care for Christian Frantz III during his dotage. On
23 June 1821, Christian Frantz III wrote his Last Will and Testament.[49] It was probated at Botetourt February Court 1824,
suggesting that he probably died in the Winter of 1823-4. No wife was named in
his will, only his children, which he listed in birth order:
Michael France
Christian France[50]
Mathias France
Barbara [France] Basehoar
Henry France
Magdalin Gaiby
Elizabeth [France] [Sollenbarger] Harshbarger [51]
Anna [France] Wertz
John France
Susanna France
The settlement of the estate of Christian Frantz III was a long and drawn-out
affair. Two of the deceasedÕs sons—Christian Frantz IV and John
Frantz—predeceased him, and his remaining three sons—Michael Frantz
(of Botetourt County, Virginia), Matthias Frantz (who had stayed behind in
Berks County, Pennsylvania), and Henry Frantz (who moved to Montgomery County,
Ohio)—died before the estate could be settled. Each death in the family
made it increasingly difficult to settle ChristianÕs estate. The estates
of some of the deceased children had to be settled prior to settling the estate
of the father. Christian Frantz IIIÕs estate was finally settled, twenty
years after his death, in Botetourt November Court 1844. [52] The only
child of Christian Frantz III for whom a family genealogy has been published
was Matthias Frantz.[53] Matthias was a
fourth-generation Frantz who chose to stay behind in 1795 and live on the old
family farm on Little Swatara Creek. The Matthias Frantz genealogy book covers
his descendants from the fifth generation to the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth. Some
of his descendants moved away, and some stayed on. They married Bashores,
Brightbills, Gibbles, Keeneys, Kings, Meyers, Reinholds, Wengers, Zieglers, and
others from the Little Swatara area. Some of the more-recent Frantz descendants
are current members of the Little Swatara Church of the Brethren.
Bibliography for above Ref. [120]:
[1] Morgan Edwards, Materials Toward a History of the American Baptists both British and German, Distinguished into Firstday Baptists, Keithian Baptists, Seventhday Baptists, Tuncker Baptists, Mennonist Baptists, Vol. I, Philadelphia: Crukshank and Collins, 1770.
[2] Ibid., Excerpts reprinted in Donald F. Durnbaugh, The Brethren in Colonial America, Elgin, Illinois: The Brethren Press, 1967, pp. 181-182 for the account of Little Swatara.
[3] Ibid., p. 182.
[4] E. Harold Frantz, Reuben Frantz King, Laura Frantz Pfautz, The Genealogy of the Matthias Frantz Family of Berks County, Pennsylvania, published by the Frantz Clan of Berks County, Boyer Printing and Binding Co., Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 1972.
[5] A facsimile of this document, hand-written in a German-Dutch dialect, appears in The Records at Amsterdam, Dutch Aid to Swiss Brethren, Amsterdam: The Mennonite Historical Society, 1984, pp. 12-13. A copy of this publication is in the possession of the writer.
[6] Ralph Beaver Strassburger and William John Hinke, Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Vol. 1, Camden, Maine: Picton Press, 1992, pp. 59-61.
[7] E. Harold Frantz, Reuben Frantz King, and Laura Frantz Pfautz, The Genealogy of the Matthias Frantz Family of Berks County, Pennsylvania, op. cit., p. 16.
[8] Warrant No. 65, dated 9 May 1738, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Archives, Division of Land Records, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A copy of the warrant is in the possession of the writer.
[9] Estate Papers of Christian France, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, including Administration Bond, Anne France, 1739, Christian France, deceased; and Inventory of the Estate of Christian Frantz, 1739. A copy of the estate papers is in the possession of the writer.
[10] Will of Michael Frantz of Bethel written 9 March 1768, probated 17 August 1796, Register of Wills, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. A copy of this Will is in the possession of the writer.
[11] Details of the 14 November 1741 warrant by Christian Frantz II are given in a letter, dated 8 March 1949, to Mr. A. D. Frantz of Plymouth, Wisconsin, from William S. Livengood, Jr., Secretary of Internal Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. A copy of this letter is in the possession of the writer.
[12] From the survey of the land as recorded in Survey Book B, Vol. 23, Page 113. A copy of this survey is in the possession of the writer.
[13] Philadelphia County Deed Book H-13, Pages 142-144. A copy of this patent is in the possession of the writer.
[14] Richard T. and Mildred C. Williams, 1752 List of Taxables, Berks County, Pennsylvania, Birdsboro, Pennsylvania: Published by the Authors, 1976, p. 8.
[15] Will, Christian Frantz Deceased, proved July 23, and on August the 6th following, 1783, Berks County Register of Wills. A copy of this last will and testament is in the possession of the writer.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Inventory of the Estate of Christian Frantz, Deceased, 23 July 1783, Berks County Register of Wills. A copy of this inventory is in the possession of the writer.
[18] Petition of Christian Frantz for a Guardian for Elisabeth Eshelman, Berks County Orphans Court, 23 July 1783, Berks County Register of Wills. A copy of this petition is in the possession of the writer.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Petition of Anna Eshelman for a Guardian, Berks County Orphans Court, 6 August 1783, Berks County Register of Wills. A copy of this petition is in the possession of the writer.
[21] Barbara B. Ford, The Oberholtzer Book, Wallingford, Pennsylvania: Published by the Overholser Family Association, 1995, p. 42.
[22] Brethren Roots, Vol. 34, No. 3-4, Fall-Winter 2002, pp. 60 and 69.
[23] Indenture made 13 February 1755 between the Executors of the Estate of Thomas Freame, deceased, and John Frantz of Bethel Township, Berks County. A copy of this indenture is in the possession of the writer. It is a large and scripted document measuring more than two-feet by two-feet square.
[24] Pennsylvania Archives, iii, p. 425
[25] June 29, 1758, The Pennsylvania Gazette.
[26] Report of the Commission to Locate the Sites of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania, Volume One,Clarence M. Busch, State Printer of Pennsylvania, 1896.
[27] Elder Jesse Ziegler, The Ziegler Family Record, Royersford, Pennsylvania: Published by the author, 1906, p. 9.
[28] Donald F. Durnbaugh, op. cit., p. 182.
[29] The wife of John Frantz would have been his second wife since his first wife was murdered in the Indian raid of 1758.
[30] Elder Jesse Ziegler, op. cit., pp. 10, 13, 25-26, 62.
[31] A copy of the unpublished ÒDescendants of John Frantz,Ó compiled by Frederick S. Frantz, is in the possession of the writer.
[32] Patent Book A-16, page 453. A copy of this patent is in the possession of the writer.
[33] In ÒThe Legend of Magdalena Zug,Ó Mennonite Family History, Volume XXII, Number 3, July 2003, pp. 105-110, this writer argued that Michael Frantz, son of Christian Frantz I, was father of the Frantz brothers who married the Garst sisters. This was incorrect. Although the Nicholas Garst family lived on Little Swatara Creek two farms downstream from Michael Frantz during the period 1750-1790, and although Nicholas Garst and wife were listed with Michael Frantz and wife as members of the Little Swatara Brethren in 1770, the Frantz brothers who married Garsts were sons of Michael and Magdalena [Zug] Frantz of Cocalico. The two Michael Frantzes were first cousins and the same age.
[34] Donald F. Durnbaugh, op. cit., p. 182.
[35] From Christopher SowerÕs diary as transcribed in Donald F. Durnbaugh, op. cit., p. 222.
[36] Donald F. Durnbaugh, op. cit., p. 358.
[37] Will of Michael Frantz of Bethel written 9 March 1768, probated 17 August 1796, Register of Wills, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
[38] The Genealogy of the Matthias Frantz Family of Berks County, Pennsylvania, op. cit. p. 27.
[39] Amy Daub Deed Collection, No. 621, Lebanon County Historical Society, Lebanon, PA. A copy of the deed is in the possession of the writer.
[40] Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Volume 6, Page 318.
[41] Berks County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book 15, Page 63.
[42] Botetourt County, Virginia, Deed Book 5, Page 333.
[43] The Genealogy of the Matthias Frantz Family, op. cit., pp. 25-26, 31.
[44] See Footnote 22.
[45] Charles T. Burton, Botetourt County, Virginia, Early Settlers, no date, no page numbers, alphabetical entries.
[46] Botetourt County, Virginia, Deed Book 6, Page 360.
[47] Dwayne Wrightsman, ÒRelated Brethren Families, Botetourt County, Virginia, 1799,Ó Paper presented to the Fellowship of Brethren Genealogists, Peoria, Illinois, July 2, 2005.
[48] Ibid.
[49] Botetourt County, Virginia, Will Book C, Page 540-542.
[50] Although named in the will, son Christian Frantz IV died some five years before the will was written.
[51] According to Botetourt County marriage records, Jacob Harshbarger and Elizabeth Sollenbarger, widow of David, were married 15 February 1818.
[52] Botetourt County, Virginia, Will Book G, Pages 116-122.
[53] See Footnote 4.
Because of the following information, this family may not have been connected with the French family:
Christian Frantz was born on July 1 1761, in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Michael Frantz and Magdalena Frantz (born Zug).
Michael was born on September 30 1725, in Basel, Switzerland.
Magdalena was born in 1729, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Christian had 8 siblings: David Frantz, Reverend Peter Frantz, Daniel Frantz, Michael Frantz, John Henry Frantz, Abraham Frantz, Jacob Frantz and Anna Salome "Sally" Garst (born Frantz).
Christian married Mary Elizabeth Frantz (born Garst) in 1782, at age 20 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Mary was born on May 29 1761, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
They had 9 children: Catherine Grisso (born Frantz), Mary Brubaker (born Frantz), Elizabeth Olinger (born Frantz), Jacob Frantz, Esther Frantz, Anna Lesh (born Frantz), Magdalena Simmons (born Frantz), Salome Catherine "Sally" Miller (born Frantz) and Christian Frantz.
Christian passed away on March 6 1850, at age 88 in Clark County, Ohio.
He was buried in Myers Cemetery, North Hampton, Clark County, Ohio.
[121] From Linda French Dawson, Apr 2012: Since I went to
the German interest group yesterday I am more inclined to favor the notion
about immigration up the Rhine River to England, staying briefly then on to US.
That is why we canÕt find many French in UK that match us? The idea that the
French or Franz met the Mennonite community and then settled with them in US
might be just right. It would also solve the problem of a single man or two
named French immigrating with the larger group. I find this whole subject
fascinating and want to learn more about the Palatinate, Alsace etc. One other
thing the speaker mentioned was that the Palatinates were so weary of the change
in government and abuses that when in US they wanted self rule, as in the
communities they formed around their churches.. They
avoided service in the French and Indian War and hesitant about the Rev War. My
Scotch Irish ancestry is known for their love of the court system. The
Chronicles of the Scotch Irish by Chalkley demonstrates their love of a law suit. Do we find this to be true of the Frenches? Or are
they curiously quiet re the court system. I have not heard back with a wrap up
of yesterdayÕs meeting. My notes are scant about the references he gave. I know
there are several good books with lists of families. I had a thought about
haplo G group being so small worldwide. Has anyone looked at how the German,
Swiss or French fit into the DNA equation? UK is heavily R1 I think. Later,
Linda
[122] Maryland land records book BC43 pages 280-282, John Snevely his patt 313 acres Warm Weather, Frederick Know ye that whereas John Snevely of Frederick County by his humble petition to our agents for management of land affaires within this province did set forth that he was seized in fee of and in a tract or parcel of Land called Cold Weather lying and being in the county aforesaid originally on the tenth day of January Anno Domini seventeen hundred and sixty six granted unto the petitioner for one hundred and eighty seven acres and three quarters of an acre and or now Rent contiguous to which tract the petitioner has discovered some vacant land and being desirous to add the same humbly prayed a special warrant to resurvey the aforesaid tract for the intent & purpose & that on return of certificate of such resurvey he making good rights to the vacancy added and complying with all other requisites usual I such cases might have our grant of conformation issue unto him thereon which was granted him, And accordingly a warrant on the twenty first day of April sixteen hundred and sixty nine unto him for that purpose did issue but the said warrant not being executed within the time therein limited it was on the first day of September seventeen hundred and sixty nine received and continued in force for six months longer from that date with Liberty of resurveying and including fifty three acres part of a tract called Huckleberry Hall lying and being in the county aforesaid and contiguous to the aforesaid tract called Cold Weather, originally on the twenty ninth day of September seventeen hundred and fifty nine granted to Jacob French fore one hundred acres under new rent, in pursuance his certificate ___ our Land Office that the aforesaid tracts or parcels of Land are resurveyed by which it Appears they contain clear of older surveys no more than the quantity of two hundred and twenty seven acres so there appears to be a deficiency of twenty and three quarters of an acre & that there is the quantity of ninety six acres of warrant land added, twenty three and three quarters acres part thereof is applied to make good the deficiency aforesaid and there remaining seventy two and a quarter acres __ his made good rights to by applying and ______ so much parts of a warrant for ninety one acres from John Rorer granted the said Rorer the ____ eleventh day of May seventeen hundred and seventy six he has paid and satisfied unto John Merton Jordan Esquire our then agent _____ General for our use the sum of six shillings sterling for some improvements mentioned to be made thereon according to Charles Lord Baron of Baltimore our Great Grandfather of Noble Memory his instructions to Charles Carroll Esquire his then agent bearing date at London the twelfth day of September seventeen hundred & twelve and registered in our secretarys office of our said province together with a paragraph of our Dear Fathers Instructions bearing Date at London the fifteenth day of December seventeen hundred and thirty eight & registered in our land office. We do therefore hereby grant and confirm unto him the said John Snevely the aforesaid tracts or parcels of land now resurveyed with the vacancy added reduced into one entire tract called Warm Weather. Beginning for the outlines of the whole at the End of the sixth line of Huckleberry Hall it being also the end of the Last Line of the said Cold Weather one of the original tracts and running thence south seventy eight degrees and three quarters of a degree east one hundred and forty four perches to the beginning of part of Huckleberry Hall then with it south fifty five degrees east twenty perches north eighty perches north seventy three degrees west ____ perches then north forty five degrees east one hundred and thirty five perches north seventy three degrees west sixty four perches north twenty four degree east one hundred and forty six perches south eighty nine degrees east forty five perches north fifty six degrees west fourteen perches north eighty nine degrees west forty five perches south twenty four degrees west eighty two perches north fourteen degrees east sixty perches north seventy five degrees west fifty two perches south sixty eight degrees west thirty perches south thirty nine degrees west two hundred and eight perches south thirty degrees west twenty four perches south forty two degrees east fifty two perches south thirty one degrees west sixty perches south three degrees west thirty two perches to the end of the thirteenth line of the original then south thirty nine degrees west thirty four perches south sixty degrees east twenty four perches north four degrees east thirty three perches north forty eight degrees east eight perches then with s straight line to the beginning containing and now laid out for three hundred and thirteen acres of land according to the certificate of survey there of taken & returned into our land office bearing date the fifth day of September seventeen hundred and sixty nine & there remaining together with all rights profits benefits and privileges thereunto belonging Royal mines excepted to have and to hold the same unto him the said John Snevely his heirs & assigns forever to be holdon of us and our heirs as our Manor of Conegocheigue in free & common ____ by Fealty only for all Manner of Services Yielding and Paying therefore yearly unto us and our heirs at our receipt at our city of Saint Marys at the two most usual feast in the Year Viz the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary & Saint Michael the Arch Angel by even and equal portions the rent of twelve shilling and six pence half penny sterling in silver or gold and for a for a fine upon every alienation of the said land or any part or parcel thereof one whole years rent in silver or gold or the full nature thereof in such commodities as we and our heirs or such officer or officers as shall be appointed by us and our heirs from time to time to collect & receive the same shall accept in discharge thereof at the choice of us and our heirs or such officer of officers aforesaid provide that if the said sum for a fine for alienation shall not be paid to us & our heirs or such officer of officers aforesaid before such alienation and the said alienation entered upon record either in the provincial court or county court where the same parcel of land lieth within one month next after such alienation then the said alienation shall be void and of no effect, and provide also and it is the true intent & meaning of these presents that the same is subject & liable to the following express condition (That is to say that the said John Snevely his heirs or assigns shall well & truly pay or cause to be paid the rent herein re___ according to the Tenor of these presents by the space of thirty days next after it shall become due and after demand made thereof by the framer of other person who shall be appointed by us or our heirs from time to time to collect & receive the same, Given under our Great Seal of our said province of Maryland this twentieth day of June Anno Domini seventeen hundred and seventy two. Witness our Brother Robert Elden Esquire Governor & Commander in Chief in and over our said province of Maryland Chancellor Keeper of the Great Seal thereof (signed) Robt Eden.
[123] Lefevre Family: http://www.thelefeverfamily.com/records.htm.
[124] Research by Mara French, Apr 2012: A key to our research could be ÒMarthaÓ and her surname, and where and when she died. She died after 1755 when Jacob died, but where and when? I would suppose she was living with one of her children. I find many women named Martha Scott born in England. That would give us a clue. For example, Martha Scott was bapt. 31 Aug 1705 at St. Leonard, Shoreditch, Middlesex, England and her father was George Scott. Jacob could have immigrated as late as 1740 as Louisa married in 1743 and George was naturalized in 1747 and needed 7 years in the country. Maybe they came down from Canada. It is just amazing that they just arrive out of nowhere in Antrim. I found a Jacob Freek, born 1697, who immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1743. He took the Oath of Allegiance to the Province and State of Pennsylvania. It does not say where he came from, except he arrived in Philadelphia. There is also a Jacob Froch, b. 1692, who immigrated to Philadelphia in 1732. He was baptized in Montgomery Co., PA at the Falckner Swamp Reformed Congregational Church. He had a daughter Elizabeth Frack born 18 Feb 1756. Jacob Froch was age 40 when he sailed in 1732 on the ship ÒPleasantÓ with 42 Palatines and their families from Rotterdam to Philadelphia.
[125] See this Hagerstown, Washington Co., newspaper of 1851-1852 -- 19 matches for George French. Now who is this? http://www.washcolibrary.org/newsindex/SbjTtl.asp?Q=E000031
[126] Green Castle Museum website: http://www.greencastlemuseum.org/. Then click this link http://www.greencastlemuseum.org/ulsterscots.htm to go to the Ulsterscots page.
[127] See Snively Genealogy, researched by Roger Cramer, Peoria, Arizona, Roger and Sue Cramer's Genealogy Site: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ramer/, Ogle Co., IL Genealogy Site: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilogle/. Email: rogercubs@aol.com.
[128] Washington Co., MD, Early Settler Plat Map: http://midatlantic.rootsweb.ancestry.com/MD/washington/plats/map.html.
[129] Maryland Land Records: http://mdlandrec.net/msa/stagser/s1700/s1741/cfm/index.cfm.
[130] Vicki has the book Pennsylvania German Pioneers,
vol 1 by Strassburger and Hinke. With the list of passenger names on
board the Friendship, qualified September 3, 1739, the ages are given for men
16 yrs and older. Jacob Frank is listed as 25 yrs old. If he married at 21
and had a son that year, the son would be 15 or 16 yrs old in 1751 which is when Jacob French married Magdalena Snively. So
I don't think this is the Jacob French we are looking for. In the list of those
who ÒDid this day (September 3, 1739) take and Subscribe the Oaths to the
GovernmentÓ, he is Johann Jacob Franck.
Women and children are listed in the ship Mary, September 29, 1733. There is a Jacob Franck and Maria Sophia Frank. In the next list of those imported in the Pink Mary, at the Courthouse of Philadelphia Sept 29, 1733, did take and subscribe the Oaths to Government, he is ÒJacob FrankÓ. Now why are these taking oaths and George did not, as evidenced by his trip in 1747 to Annapolis with the group of Mennonites from Washington County, MD to Òpetition for naturalizationÓ ? My thought is the two Jacob Franck's in 1733 and 1739 were not ÒMennonistsÓ. George could have been one of the under 16 years old on the 1733 ship.
[131] From Mara: Vicki and I have come to the conclusion that the name Franck or Frank did not change to French, but was of another family. In any case, I found this page of ÒPersons Naturalized in Pennsylvania 1740-1759Ó which might indicate that the French family were Quakers and not Mennonites and that they were from Holland and not Germany.
And at the same Court, the following Persons being
Quakers or such who conscientiously scruple to take and Oath, being also
Foreigners, and having complied with the terms required by the aforesaid Act of
Parliament, took and subscribed the Qualifications for them appointed by the
same Act of Parliament, and ca.
Page 378
Persons' Names Of What Place
Brunner, Felix Bucks
County
Keller, Michael Bucks County
Dubes, Jacob
Bucks County
Huber,
John
Bucks County
Willower, Christian Bucks County
Wetzell, Jacob Bucks
County
Etter,
Peter Philadelphia County
Frank, Jacob Philadelphia
County
Etter, Daniel Philadelphia County
Hail, Thomas
Philadelphia County
Godshall, Andrew Philadelphia County
Grout,
John
Philadelphia County
Bowman, Henry Lancaster County
Sherick, Casper Lancaster County
[132] ÒAÓ Jacob Francois departed Batavia (capital of the Dutch East Indies) and was also the name of a ship of the Dutch East India Company built in Amsterdam in 1628 and shipwrecked in 1629. He is also listed as Jacob Franke, Jacob Franken, Jacob Frans, Jacob Fransz. Most entries show that he departed in 1724, 1725, 1728, 1730, and 1732, always going to Batavia from Amsterdam or Embden or Vlissingen (all in The Netherlands). Most of these trips took 1 year at sea.
ÒAÓ Jacob Frank (also listed as Jacob Frans) is listed as immigrating in 1738 at age 34 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, b. ca. 1704, on the ship ÒElizabethÓ on 30 Oct 1738, Palatines, Capt. Hodgson. Prior to 1740, he was required only to take and subscribe the Oaths of the Government. Capt. George Hodgson (1701-1774) immigrated as a youth in 1710 with his parents and 2 brothers, all of whom died along the journey except for George who became an orphan. He married Mary Thatcher at the Old Swedes Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Supposedly (not confirmed) he became a Captain on the ship from which Jacob Frans emigrated in 1738 from Rotterdam to England to Philadelphia. He was a Quaker, born 6 Jan 1701 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England and died Aug 1774 in Guilford County, NC. He was an orphan and raised in Pennsylvania.
The ship Robert and Alice sailed from
Rotterdam in 1738 under Walter Goodman, master, with at least 159 passengers
aboard. Only the men are named on this passenger list. There were also more
than 50 women aboard. These German immigrants disembarked in Philadelphia.
Read more at Suite101: Tracking
Colonial Era German Immigrant Ancestors: 1738 Palatine Arrivals Aboard Ship
Robert and Alice | Suite101.com http://rosemary-e-bachelor.suite101.com/tracking-colonial-era-german-immigrant-ancestors-a133048#ixzz1u7GvT38R
D-H: Adam Daniell, Adam Dick, Casper Dorst, Jan Peiter Escogen, Johannis Escogen, Johanis Ferch, Jacob Frans, Hans Adam Geizler, Jurich Godfreid, Jacob Gorle, Jan Adam Granast, Christian Groab, Abram Hedrick, Christopher Hedrick, Gerit Hedrick, Jan Jurich Hedrick, Pieter Hedrick, Philip Hertzog, Peiter Heyl, Abraham Heyt, Conrad Heyt, Pieter Heyt, Andries Holl, Jan Abram Holl, Jan Nichol Holl, Johannis Honsinger.
[133] Have any of you seen the book on Schaefferstown, Lebanon Co., PA, by A. S. Brendle, Jan 1901. The village was comprised of many Germans and Swiss beginning in 1720. It is among the oldest towns of Lebanon Co, and the first settlers were German Jews, perhaps as early as 1705.
The names Miller, Reager, Houser, and Sheetz appear there in the Evangelical Cemetery. There are so many Germans and Swiss listed in the immigration list and throughout the book, yet no name anywhere near French and few names begin with an ÒFÓ. It is covered with names we have all seen in DNA Gp 4 ancestry. The oldest names are from 1770, and I even found the name ÒGermanÓ. Various ÒReformedÓ churches list their members.
Lancaster was taken from Chester in 1729.
York was taken from Lancaster in 1749.
Cumberland was taken from Lancaster in 1750.
Berks was taken from Philadelphia, Chester and
Lancaster in 1752.
Dauphin was taken from Lancaster in 1785.
Adams was taken from York in 1800.
Lebanon was taken from Dauphin and Berks in 1813.
[134] French Jacob. While checking
these names Franck, Frasch, Frinch, Friench, Franche, Freich,
Ffrench, Pfrench, Franzšsisch, I decided to also check Jacob, Jaque,
Francis Jacobs, Francis Jacques. And I
came up with a very unusual finding from Millersburg, Dauphin Co., PA. The name
Miller also caught my eye. Here is a man named Francis Jacques or Jacobs,
commonly known as ÒFrench JacobÓ. It is from the ÒHistory of the counties of
Dauphin and Lebanon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by William Henry Egle,
p. 444. See
website: http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/BookList.aspx?dbid=14137.
[135] Maryland Indexes Website: http://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/stagsere/se1/se4/000000/000006/html/03540.html, you'll be at the first French record (Arianna French – 1761 from FFA Chart #166). There is a listing for a Jacob French records in Anne Arundel County in 1759 and a Jacob in Calvert County later in the 1760's. Do you think the Anne Arundel Jacob French might be the man who died in 1755?
[136] Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, found on ancestry.com, by Robert W. Barnes, 1989.
[137] The Maryland State Archives is located at 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401.
[138] The Scotch-Irish Pioneer Settlers in Pennsylvania
Historical Map of Franklin County showing Antrim at the bottom in 1741. See a ÒPictorial View of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Then and NowÒ, by Gordon Crooks, 2011. For more details, see Ref. [60] and [89].
[139] History of Franklin County Pennsylvania Illustrated, Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1887, Part II, chaps. 1 & 2. The Scotch-Irish were a numerous but honorable class who migrated to Pennsylvania and other Eastern States at an early day. The counties of Antrim, Armagh, Caven, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Monaghan and Tyrone-names familiar to all intelligent Pennsylvanians, soon became prominent because of the new blood and brains introduced. Thus Protestantism was planted in Ireland. These Scotch-Irish immigrants did not come to Pennsylvania as soon as the Germans. In 1728, 4,500 persons, chiefly from Ireland, arrived in New Castle. In 1729, James Logan expressed his gratification that parliament was Òabout to take measures to prevent the too free emigration to this country,Ó intimating that the prospects were that Ireland was about Òto send all her inhabitants hither, for last week not less than six ships arrived.Ó ÒIt is strange,Ó continued he, Òthat they thus crowd where they are not wanted. The common fear is that if they continue to come, they will make themselves proprietors of the province.Ó In 1730 he again complains of them as Òaudacious and disorderlyÓ for having, by force, taken possession of the Conestoga Manor, containing 15,000 acres of the Òbest land in the country.Ó See http://www.greencastlemuseum.org/Local_History/scotch-irish.htm.
The emigration from the Rhineland (then the Electoral Palatinate) began early in the 18th Century when Queen Anne became concerned for the plight of the protestant subjects of her cousin, the Elector. At first, the Palatines were brought to England, but this produced overcrowding and domestic disturbances. In 1709, a group then in England was transported to New York. Subsequently, Palatines were transported directly to the colonies, most often to Pennsylvania. This met the goals of settling the colonies & giving relief to those who wished to emigrate. For details, see Ref. [139-140].
Of this they were, by the sheriff, subsequently dispossessed and their cabins burned. About the same time, he says, in another letter, ÒI must own, from my own experience in the land office, that the settlement of five families from Ireland gives me more trouble than fifty of any other people.Ó
The captious spirit manifested by Logan against both German and Scotch-Irish settlers, and especially the latter, and which was subsequently shared, to some extent, by Peters, Dickinson and Franklin, is readily accounted for by his fear of losing his position in the Government, should any other than the Quaker influence prevail.
From 1730 to 1740 the influx was great. Settlements were commenced in Cumberland (then Lancaster) County in 1730 and 1731, the Chambers brothers having crossed west of the Susquehanna about that time. After 1736, during the month of September, in which year alone 1,000 families are said to have sailed from Belfast, the influx into the Kittochtinny Valley, west of the Susquehanna, increased rapidly; for in 1748, the number of taxables, not counting the fifty Germans, was about 800.
Soon after the erection of Cumberland County (1750), Òin consequence of the frequent disturbances between the governor and Irish settlers, the proprietaries gave orders to their agents to sell no lands in either York or Lancaster counties to the Irish; and also to make to the Irish settlers in Paxton, Swatara, and Donegal Townships advantageous offers of removal to Cumberland County, which offers being liberal were accepted by many.Ó
Injustice has been done to the Scotch-Irish settlers of these early days by two classes of writers: first, those who were actuated by jealousy, as was James Logan, in his inability to see good in any classes not directly connected with the original Friend or Penn element; secondly, those who have failed to study carefully the circumstances which surrounded the Scotch-Irish immigrants in their settlements and conduct toward the Indians. Under these circumstances we are not surprised to hear Mr. Sherman Day, in his Historical Collections of Pennsylvania, call them Òa pertinacious and pugnacious race,Ó Òpushing their settlements upon unpurchased lands about the Juniata, producing fresh exasperation among the Indians.Ó ÒAs the result of this,Ó he continues, Òmassacres ensued, the settlers were driven below the mountains, and the whole province was alive with the alarms and excitements of war.Ó
In reply to these serious charges, Judge George Chambers, in his ÒTribute to the Principles, Virtues, Habits and Public Usefulness of the Irish and Scotch Early Settlers of Pennsylvania,Ó a carefully written and most admirable little book, enters a most emphatic protest. Without attempting to present in detail the facts which enable his to reach his conclusions, we give a brief summary of his argument: Admitting the aggressive character of the early Scotch-Irish settlers in pushing into the forests and occupying lands, the outrages and massacres by the Indians were, nevertheless, not the direct result of these encroachments, but a retaliatory protest against the unjust manner in which their lands and hunting grounds have been taken from them by so-called purchases and treaties with the government. By the cession of 1737, the Indians were to convey lands on the Delaware to extend back into the woods as far as a man can go in one day and a half. By the treaty of Albany, in 1754, between the Proprietary of Pennsylvania and the Six Nations, nearly all the lands claimed by them in the province were ceded for the small sum of 400 Pounds. The dissatisfaction produced by this cession, which the Indians claim they did not understand, was fanned by the French into open hostility, manifesting itself in the indiscriminate and wholesale devastation and massacres following the Braddock campaign. The wrongs of the government, and not the encroachments of a few daring settlers, it is claimed by Mr. Chambers, produced these destructive Indian outrages. Gov. Morris, in his address to the Assembly, on November 3, 1755, clearly reminds them Òthat it seemed clear, from the different accounts he had received, that the French had gained to their interest the Delaware and Shawnese Indians, under the ensnaring pretense of restoring them to their country.Ó
The Assembly, in their reply to Gov. Denny, in June, 1757, say: ÒIt is rendered beyond contradiction plain that the cause of the present Indian incursions in this province, and the dreadful calamities many of the inhabitants have suffered, have arisen, in a great measure, from the exorbitant and unreasonable purchases made, or supposed to be made of the Indians, and the manner of making them - so exorbitant, that the natives complain that they have not a country left to subsist in.Ó --Smith's Laws.
A careful study of these people clearly shows that, while they were aggressive, they moved along the line of a higher civilization; while they were firm in their convictions, they advocated the rights of man to liberty of thought and action; while they cherished many of the institutions and beliefs of the old country, they were intensely patriotic and loyal to the new; and while they possessed what they regarded the best lands, they were just in their dealings with the untutored red man. These were the people who laid broad and deep the foundations of social, educational and religious liberty in America.
The German immigrants, as a class, were hardy, industrious, honest and economical, retaining, to a great extent, the prejudices, superstitions, manners, language and characteristics of the fatherland. Like the Scotch-Irish, their migration to America was the result of a deprivation of certain religious rights in their native countries, and a desire to improve their physical condition in the new world.
Like the Scotch-Irish, they, too, were Protestants, belonging to different denominations: (1) The Swiss Mennonites were among the earliest to come about the beginning of the last century, and settled in the neighborhood of Philadelphia and at Pequea and other points in what is now Lancaster County. They were orderly, honest, peaceable and advocates of non-resistant or peace principles. (2) German Baptists (Dunkards), Moravians, Seventh-day Baptists. (3) Lutherans and German Reformed, the latter two constituting the great body of the arrivals, and furnishing the aggressive elements of the new settlers. They came later than the others and entered new fields.
Many of these early Germans, having first located in the State of New York, were dissatisfied with the unjust treatment received at the hands of the authorities, and therefore came to Pennsylvania. They wrote messages to their friends in Europe, advising them to shun New York and come direct to the province of Penn, which afforded superior inducements.
Their arrivals in the province were, briefly: Henry Frey came two years earlier than William Penn and one Platenbach a few years later. In 1682 a colony arrived and formed a settlement at Germantown; and in 1684-85, a company of ten persons was formed in Germany, called the Frankfort Land Company, of which F. D. Pastorius was appointed attorney. They bought 25,000 acres of land from Penn, in addition to other tracts. From 1700 to 1720, the Palatines, so called because they sprang principally from the Palatinate in Germany, whither they had been driven by persecutions in various parts of Europe, came in vast numbers. They suffered great privations. In 1708-09, more than 10,000 went to England, where, in a sickly and starving condition, they were cared for by the generous Queen Anne who, at an expense to herself of £135,775, alleviated their sufferings in that country and assisted them to come to New York and Pennsylvania. Their number was so great as to draw from James Logan, secretary of the province of Pennsylvania in 1717, the remark: ÒWe have, of late, a great number of Palatines poured in upon us without any recommendation or notice, which gives the country some uneasiness; for foreigners do not so well among us as our own English people.Ó In 1719 Jonathan Dickinson said: ÒWe are daily expecting ships from London, which bring over Palatines, in number about six or seven thousand.Ó
The arrivals from 1720 to 1730 were so numerous as to produce some alarm lest the colony should become a German one. Says Rupp: ÒTo arrest in some degree the influx of Germans, the assembly assessed a tax of twenty shillings a head on newly arrived servants; for as early as 1722 there were a number of Palatine servants and Redemptioners sold to serve a term of three or four years at £10 each to pay their freight.Ó
From 1730 to 1740, about sixty-five vessels were filled with immigrants, having with them their own preachers and teachers, landed at Philadelphia, from which they scattered in various directions; many of these located in York County.
From 1740 to 1755, more than a hundred vessels arrived, some of them, though small, containing from 500 to 600 passengers. In the summer and autumn of 1749, not less than 12,000 came. This period - 1740 to 1755 - witnessed many outrages upon the unsuspecting passengers. Within the State were certain Germans known as neulaenders, who, having resided in this country long enough to understand the business, profited by the ignorance and credulity of their own people abroad. Going to various parts of Germany and presenting the new world in glowing colors, they induced, by misrepresentations and fraudulent practices, many of their friends and kinsmen to sell, and in some cases even to abandon their property and forsake their firesides in order to reach this new land of promise. Many, starting with inadequate means, were unable to pay their passage, and on arriving were sold for a series of years as servants, to liquidate their claims. These were called redemptioners or Palatine servants.
The number of Germans in Pennsylvania about 1755 was from 60,000 to 70,000. About nine-tenths of the first settlers of York County, then including Adams, were Germans. The great influx into Cumberland County which, with the exception of a few English, was settled almost exclusively by Scotch and Scotch-Irish, began about 1770; though as early as the period from 1736 to 1745, there were found in the Conococheague settlements, the Snivelys, Schneiders, Piscackers, Liepers, Ledermans, Haricks, Laws, Kolps, Gabriels, Ringers, Steiners, Senseneys, Radebachs, Reischers, Wolffs, Schneidts, Rupp. Rev. Michael Schlatter, a German reformed minister, in a letter dated May 9, 1748, thus describes a visit through the valley: ÒOn the Conogogig we reached the house of an honest Schweitzer [supposed to be Jacob Snively, of Antrim Township,] where we received kind entertainment with thankfulness. In this neighborhood there are very fine lands for cultivation and pasture, exceedingly fruitful without the application of manures. Turkish corn (Indian maize) grows to the height of ten feet and higher, and the grasses are remarkable fine. Hereabout, there still remains a good number of Indians, the original dwellers of the soil. They are hospitable and quiet, and well affected to the Christians until the latter make them drunk with strong drink.Ó
The original German has, by imperceptible changes, been gradually transformed into a being very unlike the original, known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. The latter has in him more of the democratic spirit, which ignores the clannishness of the olden time and forms friendships and alliances with people of other nationalities. The dialect, Pennsylvania Dutch, is sui generis an anomaly in the domain of language. Its possessor is a cosmopolitan, fond of social life, ambitious and industrious, and in these latter days quite fond of public office and other Òsoft places.Ó He is destined to take the land.
The three original counties of Pennsylvania, established by William Penn in 1682, were Chester, Philadelphia and Bucks. Chester County included all the land (except a small portion of Philadelphia County, southwest of the Schuylkill to the extreme limits of the State. Lancaster County was formed and taken from Chester May 10, 1729; York was taken from Lancaster August 9, 1749. Cumberland County remained a part of Lancaster until it was itself erected a separate county, January 27, 1750. Franklin County, the then southwestern part of Cumberland, and known as the ÒConococheague Settlement,Ó was established September 9, 1784. To understand the early history of this country, the reader will need therefore, to bear in mind two facts:
1. Prior to January 27, 1750, its territory (with the exception of Warren township) was found in the county of Lancaster.
2. From January 27, 1750 to September 9, 1784, it belonged to Cumberland County. Since the latter date (September 9, 1784) it has had a distinct organization of its own.
Long prior to Greeley's famous advice, ÒGo west, young man,Ó or Bishop Berkley's oft-quoted ÒWestward the course of empire takes its way,Ó the tide of migration was toward the setting sun. Since the race began, the line of movement has been along the parallels, and in the direction of the receding darkness. The early settlers of the Kittatinny or Cumberland Valley came from the older eastern countries, where they located soon after their landing on the Atlantic coast. No record exists of those who may have wandered through this region on prospecting or hunting tours, if any such adventurers ever did make these hazardous trips. As early as 1719, John Harris had commenced a settlement near the present site of Harrisburg, and for many years afterward ran a ferry across the Susquehanna at that point known as Harris' Ferry. On either side of the river were Indian villages, the one where Harris lived being known as Peixtan or Paxtan. On the western side of the river, at the mouth of the Conodoguinet, at the present site of Bridgeport, and at the mouth of the Yellow Breeches, were three Indians towns, at which trading posts were established. At the last-named place, James Chartier, an Indian trader, had a store and landing place. It is claimed by some that James Le Tort, one of these traders, after whom the beautiful stream in Cumberland County was named, lived at a very early period at a place called Beaver Pond, near the present site of Carlisle.
What is now Cumberland County had settlements at various points away from the river. Richard Parker and his wife settled three miles north of Carlisle in 1724. His application at the land office in 1734 was for a warrant to land on which he Òhad resided ye ten years past.Ó George Croghan, an Indian trader, whose name occurs frequently in early records, lived about five miles from the river on the north side of the Conodoguinet. He owned tracts in various parts of the county, a large one being north of Shippensburg. He did not cultivate all these, but changed about as his convenience and trade demanded. He was an Irishman of common education, and in later years lived at Aughwick or Old Town, west of the North Mountains, where he was trusted as an Indian agent. In the settlement commenced by James Chambers near Newville, then known as Big Spring, a group of inhabitants, so numerous as to form and support a religious society as early as 1738, was found, consisting of David Ralston, Robert Patterson, James McKehan, John Carson, John Erwin, Richard Fulton, Samuel McCullough and Samuel Boyd. Robert Chambers, brother of the preceding, as well as of Benjamin, who located at Falling Spring, formed a prosperous settlement near Middle Spring, about two miles north of Shippensburg.
The first settlers were such men as Hugh and David Herron, Robert McComb, Alexander and James Young, Alexander McNutt, Archibald, John and Robert Machan, James Scott, Alexander Sterrett, Wm. And John Piper, Hugh and Joseph Brady, John and Robert McCune, and Charles Morrow. In asking that the State road, which was laid out in 1735-36 might be directed through that neighborhood rather than through Shippensburg, the petitioners claimed that theirs was the more thickly settled part. By some (footnote: Historical discourse of Rev. S. S. Wylie at the Centennial celebration in Middle Spring. This claim, however, is incorrect. Blunston's license to Benjamin Chambers at Falling Spring was dated March 30, 1734.) it is claimed that in the Middle Spring settlement the first land in the Cumberland Valley taken under authority of the ÒBlunston LicensesÓ (footnote: Samuel Blunston of Wright's Ferry (now Columbia) was authorized by the proprietaries to make a partial survey of land and to grant to settlers permission to take up and improve, or continue to improve, such lands as they desired, with the promise that a more perfect title should be given them when the Indian claims should be extinguished. The Indians were also assured that these claims would be satisfied as soon as the pending Indian treaties should be completed. The first of these licenses was dated January 24, 1733-34 and the last October 31, 1737. Appended is a copy of one of these: ÒLancaster County, ss.- By the Proprietary: These are to license, and allow Andrew Ralston to continue to improve and dwell on a tract of two hundred acres of land on the Great Spring, a branch of the Conedoguinet, joyning to the upper side of a tract granted to Randle Chambers for the use of his son, James Chambers; to do hereafter surveyed to the said Ralston on the common terms other lands in those parts are sold; provided the same has not been already granted to any other person, and so much can be had without prejudice to other tracts before granted. Given under my hand this third day of January, Anno Domini 1736-7. Pennsylvania, ss. Sa. Blunston.Ó) and assigned to Benjamin Furley, was located. According to the record in the county surveyor's office at Chambersburg, this tract, embracing some 1094 acres and allowances, warranted December 18, 1735, and surveyed April 15, 1738, was situated on the Conodoguinet Creek in what was then Pennsborough Township, Lancaster County, but now Southampton Township, Franklin County. It was subsequently occupied by William, David, James and Francis Herron, William Young, and John Watt.
Where Shippensburg now stands, a settlement was made as early as 1730. In June of that year, according to Hon. John McCurdy, the following persons came to that locality and built their habitations: Alexander Steen, John McCall, Richard Morrow, Gavin Morrow, John Culbertson, Hugh Rippey, John Rippey, John Strain, Alexander Askey, John McAllister, David Magaw and John Johnston. They were soon followed by Benjamin Blythe, John Campbell and Robert Caskey. From this settlement ultimately sprang a village older than any other in the Cumberland Valley. It was a distributing point for settlers, and hence important, as will be shown by the following letter written therefrom: (dated May 21, 1733)
Dear John: I wish you would see John Harris, at the ferry, and get him to write to the Governor, to see if he can't get some guns for us; there's a good wheen of ingns about here, and I fear they intend to give us a good deal of troubbel, and may do us a grate dale of harm. We was three days on our journey coming from Harrisses ferry here. We could not make much speed on account of the childer; they could not get on as fast as Jane and me. I think we will like this part of the country when we get our cabbin built. I put it on a level peese of groun, near the road or path in the woods at the fut of a hill. There is a fine stream of watter that comes from a spring a half a mile south of where our cabbin is bilt. I would have put it near the watter, but the land is lo and wet. John McCall, Alick Steen and John Rippey bilt theirs near the stream. Hugh Rippey's daughter Mary (was) berried yesterday; this will be sad news to Andrew Simpson, when it reaches Maguire's bridge. He is to come over in the fall when they were to be married. Mary was a verry purty gerl; she died of a faver and they berried her up on rising groun, north of the road or path where we made choice of a peese of groun for a graveyard. She was the furst berried there. Poor Hugh had none left now but his wife, Sam and little Isabel. There is plenty of timmer south of us. We have 18 cabbins bilt here now, and looks (like) a town, but we have no name for it. I'll send this with John Simpson when he goes back to Paxtan. Come up Soon; our cabbin will be ready to go into a week and you can go in till you get wan bilt; we have planted some corn and potatoes. Dan McGee, John Sloan, and Robert Moore was here and left last week. Remember us to Mary and the childer; we are all well. Tell Billy Parker to come up soon and bring Nancy with him. I know he will like the country. I forgot to tell you that Sally Brown was bit by a snaik, but she is out of danger. Come up soon. Yr. Aft. Brother, James Magraw.
The first settlement, in what is now Franklin County, was made in 1730, at Falling Spring, (now Chambersburg)-the confluence of the two streams, Falling Spring and Conococheague-by Col. Benjamin Chambers and his older brother, Joseph. Between 1726 and 1730, four brothers, James, Robert, Joseph and Benjamin Chambers, emigrated from the country of Antrim, Ireland, to the province of Pennsylvania. They settled and built a mill shortly after their arrival, at the mouth of Fishing Creek, in what is now Dauphin County, where they occupied a tract of fine land. These brothers were among the first to explore and settle the valley. James made a settlement at the head of Great Spring, near Newville; Robert, at the head of Middle Spring, near Shippensburg, and Joseph and Benjamin at Falling Spring, where Chambersburg now stands.
By an arrangement among the brothers, Joseph returned to supervise their property at the mouth of Fishing Creek, and Benjamin remained to develop the settlement at Falling Spring. He built a one-storied hewed-log house which he covered with lapped cedar shingles secured by nails-an innovation upon the prevailing style of architecture, which consisted of round log structure covered with a roof of clapboards, held in position by beams and wooden pins. Having completed this, the finest residence in the settlement, he addressed himself to clearing land, erecting necessary buildings and planning the future growth of the colony. Some time after this, Benjamin had occasion to visit his former homestead at Fishing Creek. Returning, he found his house had been burned by some avaricious person for the Òsake of the nails,Ó which were a rarity in those days.
Subsequently Mr. Chambers received what was then the only authority for the taking up and occupying of land. The following is a copy of the interesting instrument, which was a narrow strip of common writing paper, the chirography on which would not stand the crucial test of modern straight lines, ovals and right and left curves.
From Karen Engstrom: Well Mara.... Actually Northern Ireland is a land of conflicts between the ÒnativeÓ (I use that term loosely) Celtic Catholic Irish (who the Romans called Scotti) and the Celtic Scots (from Scotland who by this time happened to be Presbyterians) who were sent in to displace the local ÒnativeÓ Catholic Irish landowners/dissenters as spoils of war. This was all thanks to Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Cromwell (and others down the line) in the many attempts by the English crown (who happen to be ÒHigh ChurchÓ Anglican/Church of England and of which the King or Queen of England is the religious leader) to get rid of the Pope of Rome's presence in England's back yard. The Popes had a price on early dissenters heads (like Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I) so it was a very real and immediate threat if you consider the Spanish Armada. Anyway, I think the movement was called ÒPlantation.Ó Dublin's Trinity College is/was an Anglican institution. So, fundamentally there were primarily three religious movements active in Ireland in the late 1500s, into the 1600s and on - The earliest being the Catholics, then the Anglicans/Church of Ireland (our Episcopalians) and then the Presbyterians. Not long after, there were also a few Quakers and other Protestant movements like the Methodists all trying to get a foothold against the Catholics. In Northern Ireland, the Catholics and Protestants regarded one another as less than human for generations (I have letters to prove it!). It is possible that the surname ÒFrenchÓ got into Ireland when William the Conqueror's boys, the Normans, expanded the Plantagenet power into Ireland. As in England, the French speaking people that they brought with them could have acquired the surname, ÒFrenchÓ similar to what happened in southern England during those times. Or, later on, the Frenches may have merely arrived from England to take advantage of available land from dispossessed Catholic Irish which was being offered to loyal Protestants.
In my family tree there's a little bit of history that took place in the late 1600's, early 1700's involving all the above: A Presbyterian Scottish mercenary settling in Northern Ireland benefiting from the results of spoils of war; an ancient aristocratic Irish Catholic family that went Presbyterian thanks to love and marriage with a Scottish Presbyterian farmer's daughter; and, an English soldier posted to a small Irish village - a Welch Quaker who's grandson married a local Catholic peasant girl (again, love!). By the way, those red-headed Irish are the direct result of those Norwegian Vikings who raided and then settled in Ireland (especially in Northern Ireland)..... whose descendants became good Catholic Irish! That lovely Irish lace, china and glassware are the results of Protestant (Huguenots) French being settled into south eastern Ireland. And now the Pakistani's and other dark races are arriving! The smell of curry fills the air! No such thing as pure anything!
The very independent Scots-Irish left Northern Ireland in droves (ÒWild GeeseÓ) in the 1700's when the English started in oppressing them and taxing them out of a livelihood - treating them as they had treated the Catholic Irish all along. After all, in the eyes of the English, these Scots-Irish were Presbyterians - not Anglicans. They had shown no respect for the English crown or authority. Many Presbyterian Scots held the belief that the Anglican Church was just warmed over Catholicism which they considered idolatrous and made no bones about it. Eventually, stifled by the oppression, the Scots-Irish Presbyterians joined together with their Irish Catholic neighbors and rose up in rebellion. They lost! It's quite a story. And, you are right.. they landed in New York and Philadelphia and Quebec. They also went eastward into European countries - they spread out to all the world's ports. They settled in Appalachia, they went everywhere!
More than you wanted to know but there you are. A huge and complicated history glossed over, overly simplified, not quite totally accurate (but close!) and in a nutshell. Not much on TV tonite, obviously!
Scotch-Irish (or
Scots-Irish) Americans are the descendants of an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish
province of Ulster who
immigrated to North America
primarily during the colonial era.[2] Some scholars also include the
150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to America during the early 19th
century, and their descendants.[citation
needed] Most of the
Scotch-Irish were descended from Scottish and English families who colonized
Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster
in the 17th century.[3] While an
estimated 36 million Americans (12% of the total population) reported Irish
ancestry in 2006, and 6 million (2% of the population) reported Scottish
ancestry,[4] an additional 5.4
million (1.8% of the population) identified more specifically with Scotch-Irish
ancestry. People in Great Britain or Ireland that are of a similar ancestry
usually refer to themselves as Ulster Scots, with the term
Scotch-Irish used only in North America.[5]
The Colonial Era was that period in America before 1776 at which time the British separated from the Americans.
[140] According to Wikipedia, German Americans comprise 17% of the U.S. population, the largest ancestral group. The first significant groups of German immigrants arrived primarily in NY and PA in the 1680s. They were pulled by the attractions of land and religious freedom. The first permanent German settlement in what became the United States was Germantown, Pennsylvania, founded near Philadelphia on October 6, 1683. Large numbers of Germans migrated from the 1680s to 1760s, with Pennsylvania the favored destination. Most were Lutheran or German Reformed; many belonged to small religious sects such as the Moravians, Amish, and Mennonites. German Catholics did not arrive in number until after the War of 1812.
In 1709, 2,100 Protestant Germans from the Pfalz or Palatine region of Germany escaped conditions of hardship, traveling first to Rotterdam and then to London. Queen Anne of Great Britain helped them get to her colonies in America. The trip was long and difficult and many died before teaching America in June 1710. This was the largest single immigration to America in the colonial period.
The tide of German immigration to Pennsylvania swelled between 1725-1775, with immigrants arriving as redumptioners or indentured servants. By 1775, Germans constituted about one-third of the population of the state. Although many Germans arrived from Hesse, Germany to fight during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) against the American army, the particular French family had already immigrated to Pennsylvania.
Demand was strong and a bustling trade in human cargo soon developed. Sometimes, recruiters would spread out through the Rhine Valley, selling passage on ships. If the prospective passengers hadn't the money, a contract for indentured servitude would be accepted. Sometimes, the emigrants made their way down the Rhine to (mostly) Rotterdam and contacted a ship's captain there.
Before the prospective emigrants could leave, they needed permission from their local government. Most often, a simple fee of 10-15 pfennigs and vote by the city council would obtain a Òmanumission permitÓ. But, if the individual was subject to military subscription (draft) they would not be allowed to leave. The journey down the Rhine River was the next hurdle; this could take weeks on boats or barges. Each time they stopped, the local authorities might exact another tax.
Yet none of this stemmed the flood of Palatines pouring out of Germany & into the ÒNew WorldÓ.
[141] The town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, was established in 1753, Lunenburg was named in honour of the Duke of Braunschweig-Luneburg who had become King of England in 1727. Lunenburg was the first British colonial settlement in Nova Scotia outside of Halifax and was a deliberate attempt at civilian colonization of what, until that time, had been a native and subsequently Acadian territory. The settlement was overseen by British military forces under Colonel Charles Lawrence, but the settlers themselves were known as ÒForeign ProtestantsÓ, who had been recruited from southern and central Germany, Switzerland and the Montbeliard region of France, and deliberately chosen for their potential loyalty to the British Crown. The settlers were lured from their homelands by the promise of free land in the New World, and shortly after their arrival, were allocated Town lots, garden lots just east of the Town, 30 acre and 300 acre farm lots in the hinterlands. The Town itself was sited on a neck of land between the front and back harbours and was laid out in a rectangular grid pattern on the steep hillsides, facing south. The area within this planned grid came to be known as the ÒOld TownÓ and its unique flavour and architectural character is still derived strongly from the narrow streets and compact lots of the original plan.
[142] See http://www.progenealogists.com/palproject/pa/1731lowther.htm which also shows Leman or Lehmann who could have been Layman, a family who married into the French family.
[143] A Quaker named Martha Macdonnell appears on ancestry.com who attended the Quaker meeting in Chester, PA, on 27 Mar 1723. ÒSeveral of us have known her from a child, she being bound out very young and as we understand during her servitude she discharged her duty to ye satisfaction of her master and mistress.Ó See http://chester.pa-roots.com/quaker_research/quaker_arrivals_at_philadelphia.htm.
[144] At a Nisi Prius Court held at Lancaster, for the County of Lancaster, Before John Lawrence & Thomas Willing, Esquires, two of the Judges of the Supream Court of the Province of Pennsylvania, on the twenty-second, twenty-third and twenty-fourth Days of November, in the Year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred & seventy-three (1773). John French, Colebrookdale
[145] ÒAÓ David French died in Pennsylvania on 26 Aug 1742. ÒAÓ John French died in Pennsylvania on 28 Jul 1768. From Pennsylvania Vital Records, from The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine and the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol I, with an introduction by Don Yoder, 1983.
[146] The 1680 Early Pennsylvania Settlers Along the Delaware River was extracted from the Pennsylvania Archives, but no French is on the list.
[147] Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801. Record for, 1786, at Mulberry Ward in Philadelphia County. This record shows that Jacob Frans paid a much higher tax than most land owners, if he was Jacob French (2nd) and required to pay for the Antrim property. Note below that the name Frantz and Fox (German Fuchs) are also listed, thereby differentiating between all 3 names or they would have written them the same. Many other related names, such as Waggoner, are listed also.
The Tax and Exoneration of 1768-1801 is very very helpful for the name Frans. It shows (all in Pennsylvania):
George Frans, 1779, South Ward, Philadelphia County. He is indexed as Frans, but the original clearly shows George Franks, 6 doubles.
John Frans, 1785, Cumru, Berks County
Jacob Frans,
1786, Mulberry Ward, Philadelphia County – 729 acres, listed on p. 792
and p. 888 of 1155 pages. The image below shows house and vacant lot taxed at
£550; 3 horses taxed at £45; 1 cow taxed at £4; 2 chairs taxed at £40; 1 stage
wagon taxed at £40; and his occupation taxed at £50; totaling £729. And we
think weÕre taxed for everything.
North Mulberry Ward Extends within a line from Fourth Street, thence by the Northern boundary of the City [Vine Street], to the Western boundary of the same, thence by the said Western boundary to Sassafras Street, thence by the same back to Fourth Street, and thence by the same to the place of beginning.
South Mulberry Ward Extends within a line from Fourth Street, thence by Sassafras Street to the Western boundary of the City, thence by the same to Mulberry Street, thence by the same back to Fourth Street, and thence by the same to the place of beginning.
Ludg Frans, 1787, Heidelberg, Berks County
Peter Frans,
1788, Towamensing, Northampton County – 100
acres. See
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tonybennyhoff/
1788towamensing.pdf – youÕll need to cut and paste this one. Peter is
listed as Peter France in the next year 1789 in Towamensing.
Christn Franse, 1782, Tulpehocken, Berks County
[148] On the ship named ÒHarleÓ of London, with Ralph Harle, Master, from Rotterdam, Qualified Sept. 1, 1736, is ÒJacob FranckÓ. See the complete list of emigrants. One wonders why the name ÒFranckÓ is not in alphabetical order and if the name is Jacob Franck or Andreas Franck. Use this website for a more detailed list: http://www.archive.org/stream/pennsylvaniaser217harruoft/pennsylvaniaser217harruoft_djvu.txt, and you will find Jacob Franck. You will also note that he took ÒThe Oath of AllegianceÓ. Also, note that many of the German men use their SaintÕs Name ÒJohannÓ or ÒJohnÓ, which they dropped later in life. Also listed is William (Wilhelm) Franck. On that same website is a Jacob Franck who immigrated on the ship ÒPink MaryÓ of Dublin, James Benn, Master, from Rotterdam. Qualified Sept. 29, 1733. And another Jacob Franck who immigratead on the ship ÒFriendshipÓ from Rotterdam in 1739 and also took The Oath of Allegiance. And another Jacob Franck on the ship ÒFrancis and ElizabethÓ George North, Master, from Rotterdam. Qualified Aug. 1743. Later on in 1750 on the ship ÒBrothersÓ with Captain Muir from Rotterdam, qualified Aug. 24, 1750, is an Adam Franck, and we have come across an Adam French in the area at that time. In 1754 is a George Franck and Peter Franck. In fact, on the same website, the name Franck is mentioned about 50 times. The name Freisch is mentioned 4 times, but after 1750. An interesting entry on this same website is Jacob Frans who immigrated on the ship ÒRobert and Alice, of Dublin, Walter Goodman, Commander, from Rotterdam, Qualified Sept. 11, 1738. Then, on the ship ÒElizabethÓ, Oteo. Hodgson, Commander, from Rotterdam, qualified Oct. 30, 1738, is Jacob Frantz, whose name is spelled Frantz under the ship list and immediately after it is spelled Frans on The Oath of Allegiance list. He was 34 years old when he took the Oath of Allegiance in 1738; therefore, born in 1704, the precise date we are looking for. No other name on that list can be identified with someone living near Jacob French in Pennsylvania. ÒAÓ George French was baptized 16 Jul 1721 in Luddesdown, Kent, England, the son of George French. This shows why we are having such a difficult time with records dating further back.
[149] Steven C. French, 8604 Martinsburg Rd., Hedgesville, WV 25427-3317, (304) 258-2563, email: sfrench52@yahoo.com.
[150] John Frye, Washington County Free Library, Western Maryland Room, 301-739-3250, website: http://www.washcolibrary.org/.
[151] Note: This listing is completely a different place and location than where Jacob French lived. Apparently this is a different Hucklebery Hall: Isaac ZaneÕs Marlboro Ironworks: It consists of 10 buildings and various historic sites and structures on 29 acres and encompasses both sides of Middle Road (State Route 628) and contains Fawcett Run, which empties into Cedar Creek west of a bridge on Middle Road that links Frederick and Shenandoah Counties. Zane developed the forge into the largest industrial operation in the Shenandoah Valley, employing more than one hundred persons in the process of creating pots, stoves, fire-backs and bar iron. During the American Revolution, ZaneÕs furnace, also called Marlboro Iron Works, was one of the largest suppliers of ordnance to the Continental Army. As early as 1743 Lewis Stephens purchased large tracts of land in what was then Orange County and later Frederick County. Old Forge Farm is part of a tract he purchased from John Kountz in August 1745. The Kountz family is mentioned in FFA Chart #129 which is also part of this DNA Test Group 4. Isaac Zane, a Quaker and iron master in Frederick Co., VA, was b. in 1743 in Philadelphia and was therefore about 14 years younger than George. Isaac Zane became a Brig. Gen. and d. 17 Jun 1795. Today the 18th century building is called ÒOld Forge Farm GardensÓ. Isaac Zane who owned Marlboro Iron Works in Frederick Co., VA was never married. He did have a mistress by the name of Elizabeth McFarlane and had a son, Isaac Zane, by her. When Isaac Sr., died he left part of his estate to his son, Isaac Zane, but young Isaac died before he reached the age of 21, so did not inherit. Thus, Isaac Zane of Marlboro Ironworks left no issue. The property of ÒOld Forge FarmÓ was later bought by Isaac Zane and was called the Marlboro Iron Works - used for manufacturing items such as nails used during the American Revolution. It is on the National Register of Historic Places which is located at 7326 Middle Road in Middletown, Frederick Co., VA.
[152] Note: This listing is completely a different place and location than where Jacob French lived.
Huckleberry Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 28 Dec 1990, Inventory No.: WA-I-154, Washington Co., Maryland.
Property
Name: Huckleberry Hall
Date Listed: 12/28/1990
Inventory No.: WA-I-154
Location: Charles Mill Road,
Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland
Description: This group of farm buildings includes a c. 1784 Germanic stone house, an 18th century stone blacksmith shop, a frame bank barn, a mid-19th century brick secondary dwelling, and other agricultural outbuildings. The main house is a 2 1/2-story, four-bay structure with a 2 1/2-story, two-bay extension to the south, probably built shortly after the main block. The house is built into a slope at the head of a spring and faces south. The rear or north elevation had a galleried porch at each level. Evidence remains of a 1 1/2-story addition, which was removed in the early 20th century, and originally there was a porch across the entire length of the main block which continued along the east end wall, possibly as a pent roof. The stone corbel or drip course remains as evidence of this construction. Beneath this porch the stones were stuccoed, an application probably made in the 1820s or 30s. This stucco has since been removed, revealing special charcoal darkened pointing with white striping, a decorative finish occasionally done on 18th century stone houses in this county. On the painted striping is a date ÒMay the 1, 1826,Ó written in pencil and elsewhere a partially legible name and another date of 1829. These dates indicate that the stuccoing occurred thereafter, which is consistent with local practices. The principal entrance is located in the third bay from the west end of the front elevation, and there is a side entrance into the kitchen wing on the front elevation. Each entrance is topped with a four-light transom. There are also doors at each floor level of the main elevation of the main block, which originally opened onto galleried porches. All main story windows have 9/6 light sashes while others have 6/6 lights. Brick chimneys stand inside the west gable end wall and inside the east end wall of the kitchen wing. There is also a central chimney extending from the main block. The house, built over a spring, retains original Georgian influenced woodwork, original central chimney, floor plan, original paint colors in many areas, and its original puncheon insulation system. The barn faces north and the mid 19th century house set to the west of the other buildings faces south. The buildings are surrounded by farm and pasture land and were once part of a grist-milling complex.
Significance: Huckleberry Hall is significant for its architectural character. Built about 1784, the house embodies the distinctive characteristics of 18th century rural Germanic domestic architecture in the middle to western sections of Maryland. Important among these characteristics as found in this house are construction over a spring, the use of puncheon logs and rocks as insulation between the basement and first floor, arrangement of rooms around a central chimney, and limestone construction which utilized a plentiful local material for building. Features unique to this house include the four-room variation of the more typical three-room floor plan, and the fully paneled end wall of the second floor chamber in the kitchen wing. Also of note is the high number of original interior finishes which remain. These finishes include stenciling and marbleizing. Another locally significant feature is the placement of the stair rising across a front window.
Huckleberry Hall is an historic farm complex located at Leitersburg, Washington County, Maryland, United States. The complex includes a two and a half story Germanic stone house built about 1784, an 18th century stone blacksmith shop, a frame bank barn, a mid-19th century brick secondary dwelling, and other agricultural outbuildings.
Daniel Dulany is mentioned below. It is interesting to note that Daniel Dulany married Elizabeth French who had close ties with President George Washington (she loaned him his pride white horse named ÒBlueÓ), and that Elizabeth French is of FFA Chart #36 and her French line has tested in another DNA Group, DNA Test Group 1, unrelated to Jacob French.
[153] Perhaps no event of the Civil War excited so much horror in Leitersbnrg District as the murder of Edward Gladfelter. He reached Leitersbnrg on the 26th of August, 1864, in charge of some horses belonging to a Federal oflScer; there he was stopped by four Federal cavalrymen, who took his horses and compelled him to accompany them on foot, and at a point a mile north of the village on the turnpike he was murdered. The perpetrators. Coon, Forney, and Riley, were apprehended near Hagerstown and delivered to the civil authorities. They were tried at March term, 1865, and convicted. In pronouncing sentence Judge French said: ÒOn the road running the boy was seen delivering to you his silver watch. A little farther on you were seen robbing his body, as he stood pale and trembling in your power, of his money, his pocketbook, his comb, etc. You then took him to the next hill and there wilfully and deliberately blew his brains out with a pistol or gun. Edward Gladfelter fell at your horses' feet in the middle of the high road, a murderd man, a lifeless body. Then you left him on the public road to welter in his gore and returned shouting, soon after the pistol shot was heard, through Leitersburg. In all the annals of crime I have never read of so foul, so black, so inhuman a murder.Ó Note: Vicki, Ref. [32] has not found anything on Judge French.
[154] From Linda: Maryland Archives Genealogical Society:
This is the response I got from Anne Arundel Genealogy Society re my query
about getting copies of the original MD wills, probate. We saw the index cards
last week. Since I sent the query thru the website I donÕt have a copy of what
I asked. It is gratifying to know copies can be made with a digital camera.
There is one card for an indenture -George French
around 1780 IÕd like to see.
From Linda, response below
Hello Linda The Colonial Probate Index shows images of a card catalog of all probate records of the Prerogative Court. A card titled ÒOriginal WillsÓÓ identifies the box and folder number where the original will is filed (that is the actual will signed by the testator and witnesses). In most cases, there is a second card titled ÒWillsÓ which identifies the volume and page number where the Prerogative Court recorded a copy of the will can be found. The Prerogative Court recorded wills are online and can be accessed from the Maryland State Archives home page, Reference and Research, Probate Records, scroll to the section on Wills and select ÒWills 1635-1777Ó and ÒS538Ó. The volumes are listed, some with an annotation of ÒClick Here for Additional LinksÓ which point to abstracts of some wills on pages not included in the volume images. The original wills can be copied by photographing with a digital camera. The quality of the image depends on the condition of the original will.
Thank you for contacting the AAGS Society. Mary Frazer, From: AAGS Research Staff [mailto:aags_rs@comcast.net] Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2012 7:01 AM
[155] Not sure who this is or what line he is on: John French b. 18 Mar 1807, d. 25 Apr 1854 in Miami Co., OH, and is buried at the Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana, Champaign Co., OH. He was removed from Miami Co., OH, on 9 Oct 1896. He m. Elizabeth who was b. 20 Oct 1817 in PA and d. 5 Aug 1892 in Champaign Co., OH. They lived with JohnÕs nieces: Martha French, b. 1839, who m. Pettigrew and d. 1908, and Mary H. French, b. 1842 and d. 1891.
Martha French Pettigrew was b. 8 Dec 1839 in Champaign Co., OH, and d. 15 Dec 1908 also in Champaign Co., OH. St Paris News, December 17, 1908. Mrs Martha J Pettigrew died at her home in Urbana Tuesday of organic heart trouble. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth French and is survived by her husband Elijah Pettigrew. Mrs Pettigrew was born in Addison, Champaign Co., OH, and has spent her entire life in this county. The deceased was a niece of John French of this place.
Mary H. French may not have been a niece, she may have been a daughter. She was b. 19 Feb 1842 in Champaign Co., OH, and d. 11 Sep 1891 in Urbana Champaign Co., OH, and is buried at the Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana, Champaign Co., OH. She is listed there as the daughter of John and Elizabeth. The cemetery states that John was b. 1807, not 1814.
[156] Chestnut Hill Township, Northampton Co., PA, 1785 Taxes:
Henry France, £14 .3
Jacob France, £12 .11
George France, £2 .8
Peter France, £10 .9
[157] Names of Foreigners Who Took the Oath of Allegiance to the Province by William H. Engle.
[158] From Mara French. I used ancestry.com to search for only the surname Frans, no Christian name, plus only the place ÒNetherlandsÓ for 20 year increments starting in 1715-1735. I had 146 hites. It seems to be a popular name. Several of them were for Pennsylvania Foreign Oaths of Allegiance. Many members of the Frans family were christened during this time in Groningen, Netherlands. Jacob Frans was a residence of Vlissingen, Netherlands, and departed for Batavia (a Dutch island) on 5 Jun 1725, arrived 24 Apr 1726.
http://vocopvarenden.nationaalarchief.nl/detail.aspx?ID=409293
Gegevens van Jacob Frans uit Vlissingen
|
Datum indiensttreding: |
05-06-1725 |
Datum uit dienst: |
20-11-1725 |
|
Functie bij indiensttreding: |
Reden uit dienst: |
||
|
Uitgevaren met het schip: |
Schuitwijk |
Waar uit dienst: |
schuitwijk |
|
Maandbrief: |
Schuldbrief: |
|
Gegevens van de vaart |
|||
|
Schip: |
Schuitwijk |
Vertrek: |
05-06-1725 |
|
Kamer: |
Enkhuizen |
Kaap: |
12-12-1725 08-01-1726 |
|
Inventarisnummer: |
14700 |
||
|
Folio: |
42 |
Aankomst: |
24-04-1726 Batavia |
|
DAS- en reisnr.: |
|||
|
|
|
||
If this was our Jacob Frans (1st), he would have been about 23 years old if he was born in 1702. He was gone for more than 1 year on the ship.
[159] Jacob Frans took the Pennsylvania Foreign Oaths of Allegiance on 11 Sep 1738, leaving Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The thought occurred to me that perhaps the Dutch name Frans was France in England instead of French. There is a Hester France born to Jacob and Hester France baptized 25 Sep 1692 at St. Dunstan and All Saints Church in Stepney, Middlesex, England. Also a Katherine Frances born to Jacob and Jane Frances on 19 Oct 1701 at St. John at Hackney, Middlesex, England. Also to Jacob and Jane Francis were born James on 6 May 1696 and Thomas on 19 Feb 1698 at St. John. Then an Anna and Maria France were born to Jacob France in 1708 and 1709 in Almondbury, All Hallows, Yorkshire, England.
For some time I've wondered why there is almost 10 years in between the births of Jacob 2nd and John, thinking that during that time there were some daughters born or they immigrated from Holland to Philadelphia, or that there was a first wife who died and Martha was the second wife -- who knows? There is a Jacobus Frans who married Anna Catharina Goossens on 2 Aug 1718 which would have been a fairly precise date for DNA Test Gp 4. Jacobus Frans was b. 27 Sep 1696 in Mechelen (St. Kathelijne) in Holland.
Pennsylvania Dutch = http://www.kerchner.com/padutch.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/ame/elpg/elpg02.htm
The Third Period; 1727-1776.--On October 14, 1727, the Provincial Council did, something for the Germans in Pennsylvania and their descendants, of great and lasting value to historians and genealogists.
Council adopted a resolution requiring all masters of vessels importing Germans and other foreigners to prepare a list of such persons, their occupations, and place from whence they came; further, these immigrants should sign a declaration of allegiance and subjection to the king of Great Britain, and of fidelity to the Proprietary of Pennsylvania.
Such lists with names, over thirty thousand in number, may be found in print. 1 They are also of interest to the amateur researcher. These lists contain also the names of the vessels, captains, port from which last sailed, and date of arrival in Philadelphia. The lists are not too detailed as to the specific parts of Germany, or wherever, that these people hailed. Generally the names are of men, from age 16 upward, women of that day not being too able to write their names, a short-coming noticeable on the lists is they pertain to men, too, by reason of the familiar "[X]."
A number of the lists did state that the arrivals were from this, or that place, and, for a time toward the middle of the 1700Õs, the lists would state the number of Protestants and Catholics on board. But after 1754 practically no such information is given, probably due to the excitement prevalent at that time relative to the French and Indian War.
Catholics in Canada were suspected of trying to deal with the Germans living here, but the latter would have no commerce with the French Catholics, having too vivid recollections of their persecutions in France over many long years before.
The immigration through the port of Philadelphia by so many people of the same characteristics, and with much the same objects in life, soon crowded the sections more or less adjacent to that growing city. Penetration was not long in coming, through dense forests into Lancaster, Montgomery and Berks counties.
Wherever there was limestone or black walnut trees, there you would soon find some Germans either farming, or setting up a home prior to turning the soil, for they liked limestone. This for the reason it made fine stone for building homes and churches, as well as lime for fertilizer. Walnut trees growing in healthy stands were also a good sign of fertility of the soil.
Lands Quickly Taken Up.--Once the lands on the east side of the Susquehanna were well taken up, the movements went to the west, and to the north, York and Cumberland timber falling early under the axe of the pioneer farmer and woodsman. The spread was not long in coming, once the troubles with the Indians were controlled.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Dutch_Country
http://records.ancestry.com/Claasjen_Frans_records.ashx?pid=148521862
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.Frans/mb.ashx
http://www.houseofnames.com/Frans-history?A=54323-292
The Revolution was to prove that the Germans were loyal to the land they had come to populate and to cultivate. And if they fought against the principles and demands of the English crown, they did it alongside hardlaced and stiffbacked Presbyterians whose veins were filled with blood like that of the enemy they fought.
But you must give the Germans their due: they were not among the last to fight--but among the first. It was not the Mennonite who fought with ball and musket--he fought with the plow. Others of his countrymen who had no scruples about "bearing arms" were the ones who went out with Washington to wallop the would-be "tax-leviers."
Those who did not fight were self-sustaining and self-sufficient, and their efforts at farming and making warm clothing, and those who made shot and shell, contributed no little in making a revolution of the people an American independence indeed.
In this group of arrivals after 1710, there must be noted that a number of Pennsylvania Germans under the leadership of Jost Hite, moved down the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, to settle the counties of Frederick, Rockingham and Shenandoah. The western part of North Carolina had a large number of such settlers emigrate from Pennsylvania. The French and Indian War was still simmering when some Pennsylvania Germans went to Ohio, to be followed by larger numbers at the close of the Revolution. Then to Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, California, etc.
[160] From Mara French: I may never solve this issue in my lifetime, but I suspect that the DNA Gp 4 families originally came from England, left England and went to Holland for perhaps religious reasons. This could have been for only a few years or perhaps as long as one generation, but as there is so little data on them in Holland or Germany between 1700-1740, I doubt if they were there for a longer period. I believe their name was French, and changed to Frans in Holland, and then back to French in Pennsylvania. Perhaps we should be searching for Jacob's birth ca. 1702-5 in England, and until 1738 in Holland.
The name Martha, his wife, seems like a British name to me. On the website http://www.behindthename.com/name/martha, Martha is English meaning "lady, mistress". It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. A notable bearer was Martha Washington (1731-1802), the wife of the first American president, George Washington. The German spelling of Martha is Marthe, and no Dutch equivalent is known. It is more popular in England/Wales than in the United States.
The name Jacob is an English and Dutch name. In England, Jacob was mainly regarded as a Jewish name during the Middle Ages. Jacob was used after the Protestant Reformation. Today it is one of the most popular names in the United States, and ranked #12 in England/Wales and #116 in Holland/Netherlands.
The German "s" script looked like an F or T, and therefore Frans appeared as Frant or Franf.
[161] From Mara French. Using http://translate.reference.com/
Jacob French, Jakob or Jacobus Frans
John French, John Frans
Peter French, Peter Frans
George French, George Frans
Henry French, Hendrik Frans
ship, schip
immigrate, immigreren
Immigrated from Rotterdam to Philadelphia, PA, 11 Sep 1738 with Captain Walter Goodman, landed 30 Oct 1738.
He was age 34, born ca. 1704. Because relatively few records exist for German families who came to America prior to the Revolutionary War, those that do are valued by family researchers. 159 Passengers from Germany in 1738 on the ship Robert and Alice sailed from Rotterdam in 1738 under Walter Goodman, master. Only the men are named on this passenger list. There were also more than 50 women aboard. These German immigrants disembarked in Philadelphia. Walter Goodman left from Dover, England, where at least 159 passengers were German, but a total of 320 passengers were on the ship from Dover.
The name Martha, his wife, seems like a British name to me. On the website http://www.behindthename.com/name/martha, Martha is English meaning "lady, mistress". It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. A notable bearer was Martha Washington (1731-1802), the wife of the first American president, George Washington. The German spelling of Martha is Marthe, and no Dutch equivalent is known. It is more popular in England/Wales than in the United States. According to one website, Martha was b. 1705 and d. 1774.
The name Jacob is an English and Dutch name. In England, Jacob was mainly regarded as a Jewish name during the Middle Ages. Jacob was used after the Protestant Reformation. Today it is one of the most popular names in the United States, and ranked #12 in England/Wales and #116 in Holland/Netherlands.
Children of Jacob and Martha were Louisa (or Levina) 1722-1792, George 1726, Jacob 1727-1788, and John Peter 1739-1787. Louisa d. in 1792 in Washington Co., Maryland, but we have not found a document to indicate this.
The German "s" script looked like an F or T, and therefore Frans appeared as Frant or Franf.
Martha French was the great-grand-mother (5th paternal) of Astronomer Edwin Hubble for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named. She was b. 1730 and d. 1778. She was b. in Little Tey, Essex, m. James Strother -- Chart #12.
[162] Keith Monn, email: monnk@bellsouth.net, good in 2010. George French may be the lost brother of John
French Sr. He was granted some land called "George's Adventure" and
"George Mistake" in 1741. The actual land is located about a
mile or so down the White Hall Rd. south of Chewsville in Washington
County. A man by the name of Tracey was going through the Maryland
archives back in the 1940's and trying to make sense of the land grants. He is
listed on his index cards. All of this information can be found on the
Maryland Land Records web site. From the FFA: 1741 should be 1747 and ÒGeorgeÕs
AdventureÓ should be ÒGeorgeÕs VentureÓ.
[163] Marriage Records of Berkeley County, Virginia, 1781-1854.
[164] Oath Taken by Foreigners in 1742
The following document is from ÒPersons Naturalized in the Province of Pennsylvania, 1740-1773Ó by John B. Linn and William H. Egle, 1876. This document further states that Jacob Freich arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 on p. 117, and that he lived in Nockamixon, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which is just north or Philadelphia [116].
In the same book, John French was naturalized on 22-23-24 Nov 1773 in Lancaster, PA, from Colebrookdale, Berks Co., PA, very close to Nockamixon. These men might both be of the French line from Delaware, FFA Chart #81.
[165] Early Ancestry.com Listings in Pennsylvania
On ancestry.com, go to the search menu ÒImmigration & TravelÓ.
Setting the Search Box to only Arrivals to Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 1700 to 1720.
No French in Pennsylvania, but others nearby are:
Benjamin French 1714 Virginia
Edmund French 1707 Maryland (an Edmund French appears in the 1820 KY census)
George French 1700-1799 Virginia
John French 1715 Virginia
Philip French 1702 North Carolina
Phillip French 1719 Virginia
Thomas French 1714 Virginia
The following men were naturalized in 1747 along with George French.
1719 Snively -- Hans Schnebele, 1714 Jacob Schnebele, 1718 John Schnebele, 1714 Jacob Saveley, 1714 Jacob Snively
1719 Newcomer -- Peter Neukommet or Newcomer was b. 1680 in Langnau, Bern, Switzerland and d. 29 Jan 1732 in Leacock, Lancaster Co., PA. He immigrated to PA in 1718 at the age of 38. As you can see, he was acknowledged in PA within a year of his arrival. He was a Mennonite. Anna Newcomer m. Johann Jacob Schnebele, the immigrant of that family, settling in Lancaster Co., PA. Johann Jacob Schnebele was naturalized in Philadelphia on 14 Oct 1729 and m. Anna Newcomer ca. 1730.
1719 Miller -- Georg Miller, 1710 Jacob Miller, 1719 Nicholas Miller, 1719 Felix Miller. They came over in the ship James Goodwill, David Crocket, Captain, from Rotterdam, and landed at Philadelphia, Pa., September 29th, A. D. 1727. Those from the Miller family who were on this ship were Jurgen Miller, Christian Miller, John Miller, Joseph Miller, and Hans Miller.
Setting the Search Box to only Arrivals to Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 1720 to 1740:
French in Pennsylvania
1727 Frances
French, an indentured servant recruited in London (no Frances in this line)
1727 Joseph French, Philadelphia,
and his son Joseph, both Quakers
1728 John French
1733 George French, Annapolis,
Maryland (could be George French who was
naturalized in Annapolis in 1747 of Chart #195, or it could have been the
George French of FFA Chart #166). He was as a convict from Kent, England. The
Passenger and Immigration Lists Index on ancestry.com shows a Catherine and George French in 1733
who were passengers in bondage from London to Annapolis, Maryland as per Peter
W. ColdhamÕs ÒEmigrants in BondageÓ. We have no further information. He
may have been born ca. 1705.
1729 Jacob Miller
1729 Peter Neukommet or Newcomer
1729 Jacob Schnebele or Snevely
[166] Homesteads of This French Family
Cumberland / Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Go to ÒHistory of Franklin County, PennsylvaniaÓ: http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/franklin/history/local/wbeers005.txt
[167] Funk DNA website: http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/funk/pats. Click on the commands at the top such as Patriarchs, y-Results, etc. Nothing matches for the French family.
[168] Go to ÒHistory of Washington and Frederick Counties,
MarylandÓ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Maryland
[169] Berkeley County, West Virginia
The French family moved lastly to Berkeley Co., West Virginia, where they stayed for quite a long time.
Go to ÒHistory of Berkeley County, West VirginiaÓ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_County,_West_Virginia
Berkeley County West Virginia Surname Migrations:
Berkeley County is the second oldest county in West Virginia and was created (while part of the state of Virginia) in 1772 from the northern third of Frederick County, VA. The county seat was established in the colonial village of Martinsburg and was incorporated in 1778. During the Civil War, Berkeley County, still a part of Virginia, experienced conflict and much destruction, as did other areas, and families became divided. After November 1863, Berkeley County became part of the new state of West Virginia. Many Quakers and Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, along with the English and Dutch, became residents there in the early 1700s. The county has a long history and includes many historic and architecturally-important buildings. The old French House is a stone farmhouse built ca. 1830 at 789 French Road in Jefferson Co., WV 25442. Today this is considered Shepherdstown, the oldest town in the state of West Virginia.
Berkeley County was taken in part from the County of Frederick, Virginia and made its historic entry as a county on 15 May 1772, just the year after Jacob 2nd acquired land there in 1771. Besides Frederick County, Berkeley County also took in present Jefferson County until 1801, which was part of Orange County, VA in 1738. Orange County was from the vast territory of Spotsylvania County, VA, in 1734.
Just before the Revolutionary War, the Pennsylvania Dutch German settlers had started to move to Berkeley County. These were of the Lutheran/Reformed faith. They acquired large holdings in some of the best agricultural areas of the county, and the county took on more of a southern influence even though it came through the Pennsylvania Dutch from Maryland and Pennsylvania. Small plantations were established with slave labor. Native limestone was the principal building material. The placement of their main buildings was generally near a stream. Hedgesville was established in 1832. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built in 1844 and brought faster transportation. Mill Creek had the largest concentration of mills with 15. They varied in their produce from grinding grain, flour, sawing lumber, grinding plaster, woolen mills, and paper mills. In the early 1800s, many of Berkeley CountyÕs sons and daughters did not have enough land, and they began to move to the Kentucky and the Ohio area, in particular Ohio from 1810 to 1840, as witnessed by this French family. For further information on Berkeley Co., WV, read the National Register of Historic Places.
[170] According to English law, an alien could neither hold
nor inherit real property, nor pass it to his heirs. If he acquired property it
passed to the Crown upon his death. An excellent discussion of the evolution of
British and Irish naturalization law can be found in William Shaw's Letters
of Denization and Acts of Naturalization for Aliens in England. (See FHL
film 0824513.)
[171] Colonial naturalization law was made by Parliament in
England. Colonies were not allowed to decide naturalization procedures for
themselves. Naturalization was so important to the American colonies that it
was one of the grievances in the Declaration of Independence.
[172] Removed.
[173] The first group of Germans to settle in Pennsylvania arrived in Philadelphia in 1683 from Krefeld, Germany, and included Mennonites and possibly some Dutch Quakers. During the early years of German emigration to Pennsylvania, most of the emigrants were members of small sects that shared Quaker principles--Mennonites, Dunkers, Schwenkfelders, Moravians, and some German Baptist groups--and were fleeing religious persecution. William Penn and his agents encouraged German and European emigration to Pennsylvania by circulating promotional literature touting the economic advantages of Pennsylvania as well as the religious liberty available there. The appearance in Pennsylvania of so many different religious groups made the province resemble "an asylum for banished sects." Beginning in the 1720s significantly larger numbers of German Lutherans and German Reformed arrived in Pennsylvania. Many were motivated by economic considerations.
[174] Was this French Family German or Dutch?
German Script class from Linda French Dawson, Ref. [11]: Old German is written in one for 3 scripts: SŸtterlin, Kurrent Kupferstich, and Breitkoph Fraktur. Reply from Deb, Ref. [1]: Thanks for sending this information. It made me start thinking about how the word "French" appeared if written in German script. I tried to use your attachment to copy and paste each letter into a Word document. For some reason each German script character automatically converted to the English alphabet. So I tried to find a way to do the conversion online. I found a font company where you can type in an English word and it shows the appearance in the Kurrent Kupferstich script. I attached what was generated when I typed the word French. No wonder names evolved when a non-English person came to America! The webpage I used is at http://www.waldenfont.com/product.asp?productID=8. Needless to say, we still have no clue as to if the French family was German or not. Related surnames from Germany who married a French were: Ersom, Sturman/Sterman, Schmeiss/Smice/Smise/Smize, Ruhl/Rule/RŸhl, Houser/Hauser, Kountz, and Hartman, Hartman, Sheets/Sheetz, Trobaugh. Related surnames from Switzerland are: Shively, Snabley, Schebley, Savely, Schnebley.
All the men who were naturalized with George French, son of Jacob French (1st) were Germans and are easily found on ancestry.com, including their immigration and ship records.
The immigrants from Holland and Ireland also needed to be naturalized as they were not British subjects. The Dutch immigrated mostly to New Amsterdam (New York City), NY. However, there is another possibility. The British who had disputes about their religion left their country for Holland in the 17th century where they started the Baptist religion. In Holland they had their religious desires met, but they had no work plus they did not know the language, so immigrating to America was an easy decision for them. The name ÒFrenchÓ in Dutch is ÒFransÓ, and that name does appear in Pennsylvania, and the main emigrant was Jacob Frans in 1738.
https://script.byu.edu/Pages/German/en/welcome.aspx
or
see https://script.byu.edu/Pages/German/en/alphabet.aspx
The ÒeÓ and the ÒnÓ look about the same, and the ÒhÓ
looks like an ÒfÓ.
And the ÒcÓ looks completely different.
These sure are a lot different from the Old English
script. Does
anyone have a copy of the
Jacob FrenchÕs script?
[175] Was this French Family French?
Alsace-Loraine is an area where the boundary line went back and forth between the Germans and the French. Some of the "Foreign ProtestantsÓ were recruited from the Montbeliard region of France, and deliberately chosen for their potential loyalty to the British Crown.
[176] Was this French Family Canadian?
The ÒPassenger and Immigration Lists IndexÓ on ancestry.com shows George French in 1747 in Maryland, from data derived from return-forms connected with the naturalization of ÒForeign ProtestantsÓ, papers that were sent from the Colonies to the LordsÕ Commissioners for Trade and Planations. Note that this may be the George French from FFA Chart #166; we need more research. The ÒForeign ProtestantsÓ were a group of immigrants to Nova Scotia in the mid-18th century and the ethnonymical basis behind the name "New Brunswick", as well as support behind naming "Prince Edward Island" (see FFA Chart #63) for a representative of the Braunschweiger dynasty. At that time, Nova Scotia was a British colony, but populated by 10,000 French-speaking and Roman Catholic Arcadians which was a great problem by the British administrators of the area. Attracting British immigrants was difficult as most preferred to go the warmer southern colonies. Therefore, a plan was developed to aggressively recruit ÒForeign ProtestantsÓ. These came mostly from German duchies and principalities on the Upper Rhine Palatinate area, and the duchy of WŸrttemberg was the major source, but there were also ÒForeign ProtestantsÓ from MonbŽliard in France (very close to the German border), and parts of Switzerland and the Netherlands. The British government agreed to provide free passage to the colony, as well as free land and one yearÕs rations upon arrival. These new arrivals spoke German, except those from Switzerland and MonbŽliard who spoke French. But, . . . these were mostly from 1749 and the French familyÕs earliest known whereabouts was in 1747, two years prior.
[177] With Luther starting the reformation, much of
northern Europe (Holland, Germany and Switzerland) were
greatly affected by it. The bulk of the Brethren's came from an area along the
Swiss/German border and Germany itself and they were
in search both political and religious freedom. The Palatines, as
they were called, flooded Holland and left via the port of Rotterdam. In
addition to the above reasons, the hundred years wars had laid waste to vast
areas and the people left seeking a better life elsewhere. In addition to this,
Queen Anne during her reign offered either free passage and/or land in her
newly acquired colonies in America. In time Lord Penn did the same thing for
his colony of Pennsylvania.
The Palatine Project shows a few other ships leaving from Rotterdam to Philadelphia. Most of these ships stopped in Falmouth, Liverpool, Cork, Plymouth, Cowes, Deal, Dover, Portsmouth, and London indicate that the French family could have boarded any of these ships at the stop-over port and really not have been German.
I've looked at various passengers here but found no clue, but there are hundreds of names: http://www.immigrantships.net/v6/surnamesv6/splfo_v6.htm. I also looked thru this website and found nothing; see: http://www.immigrantships.net/v4/1700v4/1700indexv4.html.
[178] From Deb Skoff [1]. As far as the German vs. English
debate, I'm 99% sure that our French family had German roots. When I started
researching my family history I thought they were English too, but here are the
reasons I changed my mind--
1. Biographical sketch of Ersom French in 1889 book Portrait and Biographical Album of Vermilion County, Illinois (at https://books.google.com/books?pg=PA735&lpg=PA735&dq=henry+french+elizabeth+ersom+vermillion&id=GVQ0AQAAMAAJ&ots=a17bz6NxP-#v=onepage&q=henry%20french%20elizabeth%20ersom%20vermillion&f=false ) says: "Ersom French was the son of George, and the grandson of Henry French. The latter after being married to Miss Elizabeth Ersom, left his home in Germany and sought a new field of labor under the banner of freedom in the land of liberty. After this worthy couple had been in the United States for some time, there was born to them a son, to whom they gave the name of George. His birth occurred in Mercer County, Ky. Henry French, when in Germany, had learned the trades of blacksmith and gunsmith. . . " (We're sure that Henry French was born in America even though this family story says he was born in Germany. But the story is correct in that his ancestry was Germanic – but probably only from his motherÕs side.)
2. Brief biography of Jacob M. French of Berkeley County, WV (at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wvberkel/frenchjacbi.html )says: "Jacob M. FRENCH was born in the Hedgesville district of Berkeley County on January 29, 1828. His parents were John French, who died in 1837 at 41, and Sarah (Myers) French, who died in 1866 at 63. JacobÕs grandfather, Jacob French, emigrated from Germany and was one of the early settlers in Berkeley County. In 1773, he built a log cabin, which was still being used in 1884. Jacob Myers, an uncle of Mr. French, served in the War of 1812. . . "
3. So many of the French spouses over several generations had German-sounding surnames (Snively, Ersom (Earsom), Myers, Smick (Schmick), Ludwick (Ludwig), Pancake, Miller (Mueller), Bitzer (Pitzer), Neff, Crumbaugh, Savely, Shively, Hout, Leopard (Lephardt), Lemon (Lehman), etc.
4. In 1811 Jacob French of Berkeley County, son of the Jacob French who died in 1788, signed a deed (Lancaster County Deed Book 5:147) in German script. Writing in German script is pretty sound evidence that the family was German.
[179] From Deb Skoff [1]. I'm also a descendant of Henry French and his father Jacob who died in 1788. Linda's ancestor is a DNA match though we're not quite sure how her branch of the family fits with Jacob French - maybe via a brother of Jacob's or possibly even an unknown son of Jacob's. We do know that Jacob French owned land in Antrim Township, Pennsylvania in 1748/49 - so he immigrated to America before then (if he wasn't born in America). This land was next door to Jacob Schnebele (Magdalena's father) and near the border of MD. We know that Jacob Schnebele was naturalized in 1729 and had been living in PA before that time - probably at least as early as 1718. They were all Germans - possibly from the Alsace region - and were Mennonites.
I can tell you that David French, husband of Margaret Shively of Chart 193, is found in a few records with either Henry French or Henry's children. David and Henry are both living in KY fairly close to each other, but we're not sure how they're related either (brothers?, uncle and nephew?). Jacob French's estate settlement names 4 sons - 2 were still in Berkeley County, VA (now WV) in 1788 and 2 (John and Henry) were to get money rather than land and were presumed to have gone "West" - and Kentucky was the about as far west as they could go back then. I believe that the John French who died in Lincoln County, KY in 1790 was Jacob's son and Henry's brother. But I think Jacob French probably had other children who weren't named in his estate settlement. For example, testimony (around 1800) from a court document in Mercer County, KY says that Henry French had a brother named Samuel French. We don't know what happened to Samuel after that.
In the last month or so I've been slowly adding information to the public family tree I've posted on Ancestry.com. Bill - if you want to look it up it's called the "French - Standing Family Tree." Also at Ancestry - I found the 1918 WWI Draft Registration for Lon Alexander French of Winona, MS. His birthday was March 30, 1874 and he was described as tall with a medium build, black hair and gray eye color.
[179] Bill Druitt, wfd@america.net, his fiancŽe is Sarah French who was born in Baton Rouge, LA and her brother David French took the test. Haplogroup G-M201. Their earliest known French ancestor, prior to doing any research, was Lonnie A French (born abt. 1875 in Kentucky) whose wife was Edith Read. I think their Lonnie A French is almost certainly the Alexander Lonnie French shown in generation 8 of your Chart 193 as a son of William J French and Lena Austin French. By the way, their grandfather, Arden Odell French, might qualify for your notable FrenchÕs list. He was the Dean of Men at LSU for over 35 years (1941-1977), and is well-known and highly respected in that area of the country, even today, for his contributions to the University and to the community.
[180] From Vicki French Carroll: A Peter French married Mary Harrn on December 22, 1776, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Middletown in Frederick, MD. The witnesses were Edmann Imann, John Wolfe, and sister Catherine. The resided on the Lingamore - which is a lake just east of Frederick, MD
John French's wife's name was Maria Barbara.....it seems unlikely that her maiden name would be Schmeiss....same surname as the Hessian soldier her daughter Elizabeth married - Johannes Schmeiss.
[181] John French, b. 1739 or before. Lineage continued on FFA Chart #129. John resided to Chansford/Chanceford, York Co., PA, m. Maria Barbara Schmeiss (a German name) probably about 1762 (therefore he was born 1739 or before), d. 25 Dec 1787 in Hagerstown, Washington Co., MD. John was a name used by the Germans as a SaintÕs name given to most sons; likewise, Maria or Mary was given to most daughters. Both names appeared in records. Their children were: Elizabeth, Peter, George, John, and Catharine, all of who moved to TN. JohnÕs brother, Jacob, went to visit him in 1787 in Maryland just before he died, and then Jacob died himself the following year in 1788 nearby in Berkeley Co., WV. See details on his chronology.
So, the only connection is when Jacob visited John in Maryland in 1787; however, IÕm not sure they actually SAW each other, but they were in the same town where they both died. It could have been just a coincidence.
If you have any records of an early John who might have been the son of Jacob Sr. along with Louisa, George, and Jacob Jr., please let me know. This John could have also been confused with John Snively.
[182] The Germans Come to North America
Motives for German Migration
Over 100,000 Germans migrated to the English colonies in North America. Most of them settled in Pennsylvania. Others settled in New York, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. They formed the largest non-English-speaking community in colonial North America.
Why did so many Germans migrate to North America?
During the 1600s and 1700s, wars ravaged Germany. Marching armies trampled down fields of grain, stole cattle, and burned down farmsteads. In their wake, famines spread over the land. Taxes, levied to pay for the war, added to the people's plight.
Religious disputes also drove people to leave their homes. In Europe the rulers chose what church they wanted in their lands. Many pious Germans of strong convictions found this hard to bear. North America, especially Pennsylvania, offered them religious freedom.
The First Mennonites Come to Pennsylvania
Among the Germans looking for religious freedom were the Mennonites.
The first Mennonite, Jan Lensen, arrived in October 1683. He came with 12 other German families who were Quaker weavers from Krefeld. They laid out the village of Germantown, north of Philadelphia.
Following Jan Lensen's arrival in 1683, at least 20 other Mennonite families settled in Germantown. They were from northern Germany and the Netherlands. In 1698 they chose papermaker William Rittenhouse as their first minister.
The Swiss Brethren Immigrate to Pennsylvania
In 1708 four Kolb brothers from the Palatinate arrived in Germantown. These men were Swiss Brethren.
The Swiss Brethren were the spiritual descendants of Grebel, Manz, and Blaurock. They had been nicknamed Anabaptists by their enemies because they insisted that only believers should be baptized. They separated from the worldly state church and used the ban to discipline members who sinned. They also believed that Christians should follow Jesus' simple, nonresistant Gospel and should not swear oaths. Their plain, moral lives attracted many converts from the state church.
The first Swiss Brethren suffered martyrdom. Later the Swiss authorities jailed, beat, fined, or banished the steadfast Brethren. Around 1650 the ruler of the Palatinate, a neighboring German country, invited the Swiss Brethren to his land. He need these hard-working farmers to restore his wartorn land. There they prospered.
However, around 1700 a new ruler in the Palatinate began persecuting the Brethren. Many decided to go to Pennsylvania. Their fellow Anabaptists, the Dutch Mennonites, helped them with passage money. The English associated the Swiss with their Dutch brethren and therefore called them Mennonites. The name stuck with them in the New World.
Swiss Brethren Settlements in America
Most of the Swiss Brethren passed through Germantown and settled further inland. They sought out land along the creeks and rivers.
Some Swiss Brethren joined earlier Mennonite settlers at Skippack. In 1710 Bishop Hans Herr and his preacher son, Christian Herr, led a group who settled along the Pequea Creek. Inspired by the fertile land, they sent Martin Kendig back to the Palatinate to urge other Brethren to come over to Pennsylvania. After 1717 Swiss Brethren flooded into Pennsylvania. They overflowed the Skippack and Pequea settlements, spreading out in all directions. By the 1730s a few families located along the Conococheague Creek in the Cumberland Valley. Others ventured down the valley into Virginia and settled along the two forks of the Shenandoah River.
The Amish
The Amish, a smaller body of Swiss Brethren, also settled in Pennsylvania. They were the followers of Jacob Ammann, a Swiss Brethren bishop from the Alsace.
Ammann, after reading Dutch Mennonite writings, concluded that the church should avoid excommunicated members. He extended this even to eating with them. Most of the Swiss Brethren bishops believed that they should only ban the excommunicated from the Lord's Supper.
Ammann and his opponents also disagreed about the salvation of the true-hearted, members of the state church who fed and sheltered the persecuted Anabaptists. Ammann insisted that as long as they did not unite with the Brethren they were not saved. Most of the other Swiss bishops, led by Hans Reist, felt they should allow God to decide who was saved or not.
Ammann separated from the larger body of Swiss Brethren in 1693. Most of the Swiss Brethren in the Alsace sided with Ammann. But the majority of Anabaptists in Switzerland and the Palatinate favored Reist. The Amish refused to have any thing to do with their former brethren. One boatload of Swiss Brethren immigrants had members of both groups on it. The Amish aboard steadfastly avoided the other Swiss Brethren.
In 1736 the first Amish settled along the Northkill Creek in Berks County. By 1759 a few Amish began to move into Lancaster County where many Mennonites lived. A letter written in 1773 by Mennonite bishops stated that the Amish "hold very fast to the outward and ancient customs."
The German Pietists
Mennonites and Amish made up only about 5000 of the German immigrants. Most Germans immigrants were Pietists.
Pietism started as a revival movement among the Lutheran and Reformed state churches in Europe. It stressed a heart-felt conversion, reading the Bible, personal prayer, and living a holy life. In Pennsylvania, Lutheran ministers such as Henry Melchior Muhlenberg and Reformed pastors such as Michael Schlatter promoted Pietism..
A few radical Pietists sensed the need to separate from the unconverted in the state churches. They formed churches that their opponents called sects. These included the Moravians, the Schwenkfelders, and the German Baptist Brethren.
The Moravians traced their beginnings back to John Huss, a Bohemian priest. He was martyred in 1415 for speaking out against corruption in the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1722 a small band of Hussites fled Roman Catholic persecution in their homeland of Moravia. They set up their community of Herrnhut on the estate of Count Zinzendorf, a Pietist nobleman in Saxony.
In 1734 Moravian missionaries went to Georgia to work among the Indians. In 1740 the first Moravians settled the town of Nazareth in Pennsylvania. A year later Bethlehem was founded. In both places the Moravians shared their property and worked together. They sent out missionaries to preach the Gospel to the Indians.
The Schwenkfelders were very similar to the Moravians. They both allowed infant baptism and emphasized personal devotion to God. However the Schwenkfelders owned their property individually and were not evangelistic. The German Baptist Brethren practiced believer's baptism. Their founder Alexander Mack reached this conclusion by reading the Bible and Mennonite writings. They did not join the Mennonites because they disagreed with their mode of baptism. In 1708 Mack and his followers baptized each other by immersion in the river near Schwarzenau, Germany.
The first German Baptist Brethren came to Pennsylvania in 1721. They grew quickly in the New World as they evangelized among their fellow Germans. Their practices greatly resembled those of the Mennonites.
In 1735 a group left Mack's church and formed the Seventh-Day German Baptists. Their leader, Conrad Beissel, believed Christians could follow God better if they did not marry. A community of unmarried brothers and sisters at the Ephrata Cloister lived under his strict guidance. They dressed in simple robes of undyed homespun, ate no meat, and slept on hard wooden benches with a block of wood for a pillow.
All of the Pietist sects followed a simple, humble way of life. They dressed plainly, refused to swear oaths, and were nonresistant. William Penn welcomed them to his colony, but elsewhere in the colonies, they often had to pay taxes to support the state churches and were not considered full-fledged citizens.
Bishop Jacob Godshalk's History of the Germantown Mennonites
Jacob Godshalk (1670-1763) came to Pennsylvania in 1702. In 1708 he became the first Mennonite bishop in America. He later moved to Skippack. Here is Godshalk's account of the Mennonites in America from 1683 to 1708:
"The beginning of the community of Jesus Christ here at Germantown, who are called Mennonites, took its rise in this way. Some friends out of Holland and Germany came here together. They found it good to have meetings. They were regarded as sheep who had no shepherd since they had no preacher.
"In 1698 more friends came into the land, who were also of our brethren. These, with the first chose by unanimous votes a preacher and some deacons. Thereupon was William Rittenhouse chosen preacher and Jan Nice as a deacon. In 1702 Jacob Godshalk and Hans Nice were chosen preachers. Hans Nice later separated from the community.
"In 1707 some brethren came to us out of the Palatinate. In 1708 the first- chosen preacher William Rittenhouse died to the great sorrow of the community. Since Jacob Godshalk alone served the community, they considered it necessary to chose three deacons. There were besides three preachers chosen.
"After this we remained sometime living in good peace. Meanwhile some persons presented themselves to be taken into the community through baptism. The community having consulted together ordered that the request should be complied with. Accordingly this rite was conducted by Jacob Godshalk. Later we celebrated the Lord's Supper as instructed by the Apostles."
Source: Christian Light Education, Social Studies 8, LightUnit 1
[183] Manufacturing – The abundant natural resources of the colony made for early development of industries. Arts and crafts, as well as home manufactures, grew rapidly. Sawmills and gristmills were usually the first to appear, using the power of the numerous streams. Textile products were spun and woven mainly in the home, though factory production was not unknown. Shipbuilding became important on the Delaware. The province gained importance in iron manufacturing, producing pig iron as well as finished products. Printing, publishing, and the related industry of papermaking, as well as tanning, were significant industries. The Pennsylvania long rifle was an adaptation of a German hunting rifle developed in Lancaster County (George French was a gunsmith). Its superiority was so well recognized that by 1776 gunsmiths were duplicating it in Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and Maryland. The Conestoga wagon was also developed in Lancaster County. Capable of carrying as much as four tons, it was the prototype for the principal vehicle for American westward migration, the prairie schooner.
[184] from the ÒHistory of York County, Pennsylvania from the Earliest Time to the PresentÓ).
THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS.
All these with their families numbered (according to the records) about 6,927 souls. (Col. Eec. Vol. Ill, p. 8, "Emigration of palatines. In each instance the names of all the I males (only, and no occupations) are given, [and among them we iind many of local familiarity, such as Andreas, Ammon. Alberts, Altland, Albrecht, Abel, Appell, Bender, Baer, I Bigley, Baire, Begtol, Beyer, Braun, Bouser, j Bastian, Baumgartner, Beecher, Bischoff, i Bahn, Bock, Bassler, Breckley, Bur . holder, j. Brechbill, Berndheisel, Bott, Bower, Besaker, 1 Bucher, Bricker, Becker, Brenner, Bortener, Burghart, Bihlmeier. Bulinger, (K) Coch, Castle, Carl, Christ, Croll, Carver, Christman, Carl, Conrad, Dillinger,; Dubs, Durr, Doll, Ebersoll, Egelberger, Ewald, Eshelman, Ebert, Emich, Erdman, Everman, Eckert, Emmert, Frye. Fritz, Fultz, Franz, Funk, Fikus, Fischer, Fetter, Fry, Flickinger, Fizer, Fobs, Friedle, Frank, Frick, Fause, Frederick, Fuchs (Fox), Grood, Gratz, Gering, Glaser, Gertner, Gruber, Graff, Graaf, Gyger, Gerhard, (leorge, Gossweiler, Glasbrenurt-, Gilbert, Gatz. Gross. Hoffman, Hoover, Horlacher, Hoff, Histant, Hensell, HermaQ, Helzel, Hayes, Has, Hendrick, Hess, Hass, Hartman, Hillegas. Hartranft, Ham, Hack, Hunsucker, Heininger, Heistand, Horsch, Hauk, Hubert. Holzinger, Hetrich, Heneberger, Heillman, Horniseh, Huber, Hartzell, Horn, Ishelman, Joost, Kuntz, Kiener. Keyser, Keer, Keeler, Kitzmiller, Keim, Keil, Koor, Keller, Koppenhaffer, Kulp, K]-eemer, Krafft, Kobell, Kern, Keesey. Keiffer, Keefer, Kreider, Kraus, Klein, Keyser. Kling, Kolb, Kressler, Koller, Kunst, Koch, Krieger, Leaman, Longnecker, Leatherman, Landish, Leeman, Lowman, Latshow, Lanius, Lautermilch. Lehman, Lutz, Lederman, Liebenstein, Lentz, Lower, Lohr, Lang, Landis, Liohtner, Meyer, Miller, Mayer, Marten, Middlekaff, Morgestern, Moeser, Moore, Mack, Minigh, Michael, Mumma, Mentz, Messinger, Moritz, Messerbchmid, Moser, Neff, Nagell, Nehs, Noll, Overholzer, Oswald, Obermiller, Pixseler, Peifer, Penz, Quickie, Ruhl, Eeser, Reemer, Bank. Eohrbaeh. Rice, Butter, Riegel. Roth, Reyter, Reichenbaeh, Rouseh, Kudi, Ranch, Siegler, Stoiifer, Sigrist, Shultz, Siegle, Smith, Sneydor, Schenk, Strickler, Swyzer, Stork, Schlosser, Sullinger, Stock, ShoU, Seller, Shoemaker, Seyller. Schram, Steyner, Sherer, Schryock, Seltzer, Scheive, Sanermilch, Steiner. Sybert, Schwartz. Soldner, Snively (Schnable), Schirch, Staal, Schitz, Strack, Schmidt, Souder, Sadler, Schweitzer, Stambach, .Steger, Trockenmiller, Thomas, Tarller (Michael), Tysen, Ulrick, Vogel, Wolf, Webber, Walter. Wanner. Weis, Worley, Wyant. Warner, Weightman, Woldman, Wentz, Weyser, Wilhelm. Wannamacher, Wirtz, Westheber, Witmar, Weaver, Wagener, Wild, Weyer, Weybrecht, Young, Zugg, Zell, Zaartman, Zinn, Ziegler, Zimmerman, Zigell.
[185] So Switzerland was part of Germany? It seems logical as the north speaks German.
Jacob Landis. Birth: 1667, Germany Death: 1730 Lancaster County Pennsylvania, USA Jacob was a descendant of the 1614 Martyr, Hans Landis of Canton, Zurich, Hirzel, Switzerland. At the time of his birth this part of Steinsfurt, Germany was actually part of Switzerland. The Mennonite Jacob Landis married Anna Witmer about 1688 in Zurich, Switzerland. Jacob knew her family growing up as he lived on a farm in the neighborhood. Jacob's family immigrated during 1717 and then in 1722 they bought farmland in Lancaster Co., PA and relocated one last time. The rest of Anna & Jacob's lives were spent on their farm of 200 acres on both sides of what is now know as "The Old Road". Their son Benjamin was the first Mennonite preacher in the area and where they lived became the center of the Mellinger church activities. Family links: Spouse: Anna Witmer Landis (1671 - 1725)* Children: Benjamin Witmer Landis (1697 - 1781)* Barbara Witmer Landis Buckwalter (1702 - 1782)* *Calculated relationship Inscription: Jacob Landis 1667 - 1730 Burial: Mellinger Mennonite Cemetery Lancaster Lancaster County Pennsylvania, USA
See http://person.ancestry.com/tree/39492816/person/20303496968/story
This family also lived in Chester, PA. Before my European trip, Vicki told me this family might have been close to the French family. Landis family: search for SnavelyÓ
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029842402/cu31924029842402_djvu.txt
[186] From Deb [1]:
My alphabetized list on page 9 of the transcribed article I sent to you the other day ("German Qualification for Naturalization in Pennsylvania . . .") shows Peter Ewy (aka Eby / Avey?) along with other names closely associated with the Jacob French family. All of the people listed here were in PA several years earlier than 1728 in order to qualify for naturalization. Vicki - notice the Isaack Cuffman - a name associated much later with Henry French in Kentucky. Also, Hannes Ginrich - someone with this surname had land adjoining Jacob French's 1748 land in Antrim township. Also Good and Graff:
|
Crihstopf |
Carl |
|
Cuffman |
Isaack |
|
Dales [?] |
Jouhe |
|
Dšllinger |
Hanss Georg |
|
Duner |
Michel |
|
Eschellman |
Daniel |
|
Ewy |
Peter |
|
Ferrer |
Johanes |
|
fran [? torn] |
michel |
|
frick |
Jacob |
|
funck |
Johan |
|
funck |
hennes [?] |
|
funck |
Sammel |
|
Funck [?] |
Ja[c]ob |
|
g[torn] |
Jacob |
|
gerber |
Christian |
|
Ginrich |
Hannes |
|
gochn[torn]nur [?] |
Josef |
|
Good |
Hans |
|
Good |
Jacob |
|
Graf |
Hans |
|
Graff |
Jan |
[187] ÒThe Cultural Resources of the Avey FamilyÓ
[188] Henry EveyÕs will (he died on 16 May 1763). Henry Evey was born in 1702 and died in 1763. He signed with his mark ÒHÓ.
[189] John Thomas Scharf. History of Western Maryland : being a history of Frederick, Montgomery, Carroll, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties from the earliest period to the present day ; including biographical sketches of their representative men (Volume v.2) online written in 1882, page 984.
[190] From Deb [1] on 23 Dec 2015:
Information specific to Chester County, PA is at http://www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/5746. This article doesn't specify a time period needed in order to qualify for naturalization - it just says that "During the colonial period, naturalizations where subject to British law. Individuals residing in Chester County (including present day Lancaster, 1729 and Delaware County,1789) that wanted to be naturalized had to obtain a private act of the legislature. There is only one extant record of this form of naturalization found among our holdings."
This is where I'd seen the statement that there is only one existing record of this type of petition. Maybe there were other petitions that were destroyed over time - or that are waiting to be found somewhere.
I think there are records from around 1717 that list the Schnebeli name in PA. Yes - I found the links to these articles. The overall page is at http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Index_to_Eschleman's_Tax_Assessment_Lists_for_Lancaster_County. Then click on ÒEschelman's Pre-1718 composite list of inhabitants of Lancaster CountyÓ in the table a little way down the page (http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Eschelman's_Pre-1718_composite_list_of_inhabitants_of_Lancaster_County). YouÕll see ÒJohn Jacob SnavelyÓ and ÒJacob Snavely Jr.Ó on the pre-1718 list.
[191] Records from Holland:
http://www.samh.nl/genealogie/bronnen-tot-1811/doop-trouw-en-begraafboeken/1390149/
Drop-, trout- en begraafboeken means
Baptisms, marrying and bey corbel books
Bron = source
Datum = date Jan 17, 1710
Jaartal = year
Naam = Name Frans
Vader = father Jan Gybon
Moeder = mother Levina Frans
Plaatsnaam = city name Gouda (IÕve been there twice)
[192] Frans and Levina and Jacob French.
http://mailgroep.seniorweb.nl/gen/Dopen%20Gouda%20Index%201706-1710.pdf
Index of 1706-1710 — births giving father,
mother, childÕs name
search for Frans — there are 31 hits and 122 hits for Jacob
only 1 for Levina
I remember one of the wills saying that they found several books/Bibles in the Dutch language — that was for John SnivelyÕs death and as he was Swiss, perhaps these Bibles belonged to his wife Louisa/Levina French.
At least it proves that the name Levina is Dutch. Jacob in Dutch is Jakob.
http://www.frantzfamilies--kithkin.com/uploads/1/6/7/4/16741866/vol-1.pdf
http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/ships/1738robalice01.txt
[193] On page 0134 is a Jacob Funk dated March 16, 1768 stating he gave land to Henry Funk because he had died.
On page 0134 is a Jacob Funk dated March 21, 1768 stating he gave a land deed to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Subsequently in November, he gave lands to Henry Snider, Martin Hackler, Thomas Brooke, George Derment, Peter Shaner, Samuel Keybill, George Derment, Samuel Keybill, William Hill, John Smith, Philip Airhart, William Hill, and to Philip Airhart which indicates that the name Funk is not part of the French family.
[194] Elizabeth French. From Frederick County Court (Land Records, Index, Microfilm), Maryland, 1748-1778, MSA CE 109-1, mostly on page 0135 onwards.
Elizabeth French on 22 Aug 1754 and 17 Mar 1757. One would think she was the wife of Jacob French 1st, perhaps a widow of Jacob French 1st who died in 1755. Joseph Wilson was a Quaker, a clock and watchmaker living in Cecil, Maryland in 1749. Nicholas Baker was living in Petitioners, Frederick County, MD from 1751-1758. She may be an important person in our research. One would think she was widowed as single women didnÕt own land at that time, did they? I would imagine that this Elizabeth French was born 1730 or before if she owned land ca. 1754-1757, so she must be from the second generation or before and her husband would have had to be deceased by this time. Maybe there was another son we donÕt know about, or maybe she was the wife of a brother of Jacob French 1st. To me she fits in most with Jacob French 1st who died in 1755, and perhaps Martha is the incorrect name. IÕve looked all over for a Martha and it is definitely not a Dutch or German name, but a British name and on all continents I found no clue.
[195] Jacob French. From Frederick County Court (Land Records, Index, Microfilm), Maryland, 1748-1778, MSA CE 109-1, mostly on page 0135 onwards. Land was bought and sold between 1754-1773. Perhaps the earlier dates were for Jacob French 1st, and the later dates were for Jacob French 2nd when his brother George French died ca. 1772. Undetermined.
Really difficult to read ÒFrenchÓ or ÒFunckÓ, etc. Those deeds who were bought from or sold to Evey and Schnebly are probably ÒFrenchÓ, but what about the others? Using the ÒFolioÓ number, could you please let me know which ones were French? I would say 132, 466, 206, 207??? The ones Vicki thinks are "French" are: 11,132, 206, 207, 347, and 466.
French, Jacob, 6 Apr 1769 to Thomas Brooke, deed
French, Jacob, 28 Aug 1769 to John Schnebely, deed
French, Jacob, 25 Jun 1770 to Andrew Evey, deed
French, Jacob, 20 Mar 1769 to John Rohrer, sale
French, Jacob, 23 Sep 1754 to Paul Rhode, deed
French, Jacob, 26 Apr 1776 to Andrew Evey, deed
[195] George French. From Frederick County Court (Land Records, Index, Microfilm), Maryland, 1748-1778, MSA CE 109-1, mostly on page 0135 onwards.
[196] Peter French and Wife. From Frederick County Court (Land Records, Index, Microfilm), Maryland, 1748-1778, MSA CE 109-1, mostly on page 0135 onwards.
[197] Land Warrants and Applications. 21 August 1766, Hanover, Lancaster, PA. John French paid taxes and exoneration fees in 1773 in West Hanover, Lancaster County, PA.
John French also appeared in 1772 and 1773 in West Hanover, Lancaster, PA, for Tax and Exoneration.
John French appears for an application for 148 acres of land situated in Hanover Township, Lancaster County adjoining William Skiles, Richard Crawford, John Sharp and Thomas Sharp, August 21, 1766.
[198] This is quite interesting documentation on Henry Avey who was naturalized the same time as George French. The Ebby family came to this country 11 Aug 1732.
http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/839c98fd-2988-448e-8a51-2086df3de2c6/11579371/-358634887
[199] Removed.
[200] Andrew Rench Biography, see http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/603ae4e1-68ec-4aed-9be6-1bb8a35af3dd/3421993/-827273285.
Hoot File by Shelley P. Adams
Andrew was the youngest son of Peter. According to 1790 Maryland Census for Washington County, Maryland, Andrew owned 15 slaves. Andrew Rentch/Rench was a Lt. Col. of the 32 Battalion of Frederick County, Maryland, during the American Revolutionary War. He was commissioned on 03 January 1776 at Annapolis, Maryland. He has a revolutionary war marker placed next to his grave.
He was one the first commissioners of Washington County when in September 1776 it was separated from Frederick County.
He married Elizabeth Price in 1760 and remained in Washington County, Maryland for the rest of his life. He was a Revolutionary War Patriot, having a marker placed next to his grave, in Cearfoss, Maryland, 1969. He is buried in Zion Reformed Churchyard, Hagerstown, Maryland. His wife is buried beside him. He was an extensive land owner in Washington County. The Washington County land index carries over 400 records under the names of many of the Rensh families. Upon his death, he willed that land be set aside for the building of a church, now caled the Salem Reformed Church in Cearfoss, Maryland.
Many of Andre Rench's descendants still spell their surmane as Rentch.
Andrew Rentch came to America with his father, Peter, his mother, Margaretha, and brothers, Joseph and John. They were natives of Zurich, Switzerland. They emigrated to America aboard the Harle in 1736. The passenger list included Jonathan Hager (22), the founder of Hagerstown, and others who also settled in the same area. They included Ludwig Cammerer (21), Nichol Land (34), Christian Schreyack (18), Abraham Tegarden (?), Johannes Schneider (?) and perhaps more who settled near Hagerstown, Md. (see Pann. German Pioneers by Strassburger and Hinke, vol 1, pp 154-161). There were 388 persons including men, women and children on board.
Andre Rentch married, Elizabeth, about 1760. They were the parents of seven children. There were three sons and four daughter: Michael, m. Mary Polly Patrick; Susannah m. Jonas Hogmier; Daniel m. Elizabeth Shaffer; Peter m. Polly Downey; Elizabeth m. John Wolgamott; Margaret m. Henry Brumbaugh and Catherine m. Daniel Miller, Jr. (Grandson of Conrad Miller).
As noted previously in the biographical sketch on Peter Rentch, we were told that all of Peter's children shared in their father's wealth when he died.
On September 12, 1775, the Committee of Observation was appointed for the Upper District or Elizabeth Hundred, of which Andrew Rentch and his brother, John Rentch, were members. The Committee held frequent meetings during the fall of 1775 and the spring of 1776, when Andrew and John Rentch were regular in attendence.
On January 3, 1776, Andrew Rentch was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel of the 32nd Battalion of the Militia of Maryland, by the action of the Convention in Annapolis, Md. In the meetings of the Committee of Observation in the spring of 1776, Andrew's brother is listed as Captain John Rentch. They were under the command of First Brigadier General Thomas Johnson, Jr., and Col. John Stull of the First Battalion of the Upper District of Frederick County, Maryland (now Washington County).
Andrew was one of the first County Commissioners for the newly formed Washington County in 1776 and in 1778 he was issued an appointment to be a Justice of the County Court.
From the Journal of Dr. Christian Boerstler, who kived in Funkstown, He writes" I visited Mr. Tentch, Dec. 31st, at this home a few miles north of Hagerstown. He has an excellant stor house, barn, stables, 40 horses, cows, calves, pigs, sheep, chickens, geese, ducks, and all that is necessary to a household. I find him a good Christian gentleman. He is a kind, thoughtful man, considerate of his servants. Wthen they, his redemptioners are free to leave, he presents each with a horse and a sum of money. The amidens are also given gifts. His neighbors describe himas being fair and honest in all his dealings, and that his word is as good as gold."
He was wise and prudent inthe management and develpment of his interests that ranked him as one of the largest landowners in the State of Maryland. He died October 7, 1792, leaving a will in which he provided liberally for his wife, Elizabeth and seven children. He ordered that all over and above that willed, should be sold and the proceeds, onhalf of which was to be given to the poor, the other half to be divided between "Dreysheres" and the Chruch in Hagerstown. These Chruches are now known as Salem and Zion Reformed Chruches. Andrew and his wife, Elizabeth are buried in the Salem REformed Cemetery located near Cearfoss, Maryland.
Through the initiative and efforst of Mrs. Grace Clark, a descendant, and others, the Conococheague Chapter of the Dar on November 29, 1969 dedicated a broze marker at the gravesite of Revolutionary War patriot Lt. Col. Andrew Rentch. It was placed on his grave in Salem Church Cemetery.