Roots Trek: 2015

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

John Lingenfelter and Elizabeth Wisegarver Lingenfelter

John Lingenfelter is one of those people that genealogists would say were dropped by aliens and then fell off the face of the earth. Some believe he was the son of Christian, who had a son named John, but I think that very well could have been an entirely different John Lingenfelter.

He first shows up in St Clair Township, Bedford County in the 1820 census and is consistently there through the 1870 census, although the person who indexed his 1850 census record thought his name was "Thos Tongafetter". I don't know - you tell me:

1850 US Census, John Lingenfelter "Thos Tongafetter" family

John was listed in the census records as a farmer, but per the 1861 map he had already moved to Pleasantville and was living in town.

1861 Pleasantville Map

John died in 1873, so the 1877 map shows "Mrs. Lingenfelter" living in the same location. This Mrs. Lingenfelter is not his wife, Elizabeth, as she had died in 1855. John remarried and had helped support and raise step children as his last wife, Rebecca, was significantly younger than he and brought several minor children with her.

We drove up and down that street many, many times while we were in Bedford County. Both Conrad Ickes, who was married to John and Elizabeth's daughter, and their son, Adam, (John and Elizabeth's grandson, obviously) had lived just a block or so north. By the time we got there the original Lingenfelter home was long gone.

1877 Pleasantville Map

John and Elizabeth had 12 children of their own, 4 of which died before reaching adulthood. There is no record (that I can find) showing where John was buried. Here is John's Will:

"The Last Will and Testament of John Lingenfelter Sr. of the Township of St. Clair in the County of Bedford PA. I John Lingafelter considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound mind and memory do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following: first I give and Bequeath unto my wife Rebeca Lingafelter all my household estate in the town of Pleasantville township and County aforesaid and as to my personal property I give and Bequeath all to my wife Rebeca Lingafelter whom I hereby appoint sole Executrix of this my last will and testament; hereby revoking all former wills by me made

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the fifth day of January One thousand eight hundred & sixty nine."

Based on the maps and his will I would speculate that his land had already been divided up among his children. Land records and deeds might be able to verify that.

Findagrave.com showed Elizabeth to be buried in the cemetery adjacent to the Horn United Methodist Church. It was on our list and map to visit. While we were trying to find an alternate route to the Adam Ickes homestead Brent saw on the map that the Horn church and cemetery we along our path. We stopped and began looking for Elizabeth's headstone. We looked and looked and found nothing.

Finally, in a section with other Lingenfelters, Brent noticed a broken headstone that was laying face down. He picked it up and sure enough it was Elizabeth's.

Horn United Methodist Church

Elizabeth's broken headstone laying down on the ground. If I remember correctly, Her daughter, Rachel,
who died at age 18, is buried just to the right of Elizabeth, marked by the other large headstone.
The small, unmarked headstones could be marking the graves of her other deceased children.

All original content, images, commentary, etc. copyright © by Joy Denison 2015-2016. All rights reserved. All writings, poems, speeches, essays, images, scans, likenesses, etc. by Adam Ickes (b 1845) as well as personal histories, images, and all other content by all persons referenced and discussed within the pages and posts in this blog may not be copied, shared, or reproduced in any way without expressed permission by the owner unless included here from other referenced sources or are historical records already considered to be in the public domain.

Monday, November 16, 2015

The Mothers

My great-grandmothers virtually had no voices. Most of them never owned property and they left no wills. If they were not the head of the household (which is the case for all of my great-grandmothers) their names were not listed on any US census records prior to 1850. Any information we would have about them would have come from family, church, or cemetery records.

All of my Bedford County great-grandmothers were farmers' wives, though a couple of the later ones were able to branch out of the farm life. We can't hear their stories from their mouths, but we can consider the words of other farmers' wives during similar times and in similar places:

"As a class, farmers’ wives are expected to do more work than any other housekeeper. We do our own washing, ironing, taking care of the milk, meat, chickens, which women of other callings do not. We do our own sewing, making over an infinite number of old clothes to save the expense of new ones."

"There are compensations to living on a farm anywhere, and particularly here, that I am sure no other hard way of earning one’s living brings; but it is hard, and oh! The needlessness of it is the hardest part to bear! It is not what money brings that I or any other sensible person wants, but just to do a reasonable amount of useful work and then a chance to lift one’s eyes and thoughts above the daily grind."

"I happen to be married to a man who considers it an unpardonable crime for a woman to sit down to read or study, or to take a minute to rest."

"I weigh 120 pounds. I milk seven or eight cows night and morning; run a separator (device which separates cream from milk); get breakfast, dinner, and supper; do all of the washing and cleaning; do most of the garden work and rake in some haying. I feel very good most of the time, only when I get too tired I have a headache and pain in back of my neck. I mend, read, and such, but I don’t have much time to rest."

"Many farmers’ wives are despondent. I think some are so despondent as not to care to put forth enough energy to even lift the head. What causes the state of affairs? Is it the treadmill? Is it lack of society? Is it poor food? Is it poor clothes? – good clothes are a moral support it is said. Is it unappreciated toil? Is the farmer so much among animals that he comes to regard his wife as a beast of burden? I have been five years trying to answer these questions. I hesitated years before consenting to marry a farmer because I saw that these things were so and I could not tell why."

"I will try and tell you some of my experiences and what a woman can endure. I was married when twenty years old, went to keeping house the first of July. [We soon] found plenty of bugs. Of course there wasn't much rest for many nights. I would take everything outdoors and'sweep it down from top to bottom and then scald the logs and then whitewash them and so on. We lived that way for nearly twenty years."

"I was married at nineteen and then my farm life began in earnest .. . I would always rise in the morning at four or half past, winter and summer, and have built my own fires, milked from four to eight cows, prepared the breakfast and had it at six. I always did my own churning, and many are the books of poems, histories, stories and newspapers I have read while churning .. . I have always done my own washing and weaving of carpets as I have a large house and it is furnished with rag carpets. . . . One summer I piled up one hundred cords of wood and did my own housework. . . . Not many modem wives would think they could pull flax, cut corn, dig potatoes and do all things on a farm as we used to."

"I used to say that I could select the farmers' wives from a crowd of women of all classes. They seemed to have a sort of hopeless spiritless look."

"Before leaving your bedroom, open [the] window and put your bed to air. Be sure to ask divine help to carry you through the day. Have your breakfast well on the way the night before. Clear the table and wash [the] dishes right off; don't let them stand to dry or call flies. Sweep and dust; clean lamps. Then do chamber work. Prepare dinner. . . . Can you tell me how to do this and at the same time crowd in the care of milk from five cows, churning twice a week, baking for seven in [the] family, attending to poultry, washing, ironing, mending, sewing, etc., etc.? I must confess I don't know how to do it and keep sweet-tempered as a wife and mother should. God alone knows I would like to be able to do it."

"I am a farmer' s wife, sixty years old today . Thirty-one years I have spent on an isolated hilltop, with work, work, work, and starved for something to read." (from http://tcpl.org/local-history/documents/ithaca-tc/women-roots/lifestylesp19-27.pdf)

And from another source describing the family life of early colonial America:

"By the mid-1700s, across the American colonies . . . travelers described Americans as coarse-looking country folk. Women and girls kept their hair covered with hats, hoods, and kerchiefs. Colonials made their own clothes from linen (flax) and wool; every home had a spinning wheel and a loom, and women sewed and knitted constantly, as cotton cloth would not be readily available until the nineteenth century. Plentiful dyes like indigo, birch bark, and pokeberries made colorful shirts, pants, dresses, socks and caps.

"Americans grew their own food and ate a great deal of corn—roasted, boiled, and cooked into cornmeal bread and pancakes. Hearty vegetables like squash and beans joined apples, jam, and syrup on the dinner table. Given the poor quality of water, many colonials drank cider, beer, and corn whiskey—even the children! As cities sprang up, cattle drank beer, yielding a disgusting variant of milk known as “swill milk” that propagated childhood illnesses.

"Infant mortality was high, and any sickness usually meant suffering, and often, death. Women, expected to bear between five and 10 live children, could anticipate a dozen pregnancies. Bodies wore out fast, and women aged rapidly. Overall life expectancy hardly tells the tale of the everyday life, where work was hard, the most minor sicknesses potentially life-threatening, and pleasures few.

"Despite the reality of this coarse life for common folk, it is worth noting that by 1774 American colonists already had attained a standard of living that far surpassed that found in even most of the civilized parts of the modern world." (from http://www.patriotshistoryusa.com/teaching-materials/bonus-materials/everyday-life-in-america/)

I calculated the average statistics of my 18 Bedford County great-grandmothers for whom I have information. They were an average of 21 years old when they gave birth to their first child. They had an average of 8 children each over a period of 17 years. This is actually a very generous estimate as odds are they had far more miscarriages, stillbirths, and cases of infant mortality than what was written down and recorded. Their average age of death was 69. By contrast, the average age of their husbands' death was 77.

They were tired. Overworked, Exhausted. And broken. Let's call it what it really was. Their primary roles were that of work horses and baby-making machines. They sacrificed themselves - their essence and very identity - for the welfare of others. Some appear to have had a few years of rest toward the end of their lives. Others worked hard every single day. And then they died. The more children they had, especially boys, the more farm help they provided their husbands. But more children added even more to their own overwhelming work load. I imagine they had no choice in the matter. The men owned everything else and probably claimed ownership to their wives bodies as well. Something meant to be tender, loving, and unifying could easily become one of these women's greatest sources of dread and loathing. And the heartache. The incomprehensible heartache with the premature death of a little one. It happened far too frequently, and I can't imagine the pain ever lessened.

Here's my tribute to my Bedford County great-grandmothers. As much as I appreciate and admire my great-grandfathers' contribution to colonization, the war effort, and evolving affluence, their commitment and sacrifice pale in comparison to the lived experiences of their wives. Help me honor them by thoughtfully reading each of their names as you carefully consider the implications of their life's statistics:

My 2nd Great-Grandmothers

Elizabeth Ellen Harbaugh Ickes

first documented child born when she was 20 years old

at least 8 births in 12 years

she died at age 75

Elizabeth Ellen Harbaugh Ickes
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California

son Sheldon Ross Ickes
died at age 2 1/2 months
Hoover Cemetery

son Harry Beecher died at age 2 days

place of burial is unknown

My 3rd Great-Grandmothers

Elizabeth Lingenfelter Ickes

first documented child born when she was 21 years old

at least 8 births in 19 years

she died at age 50

Elizabeth Lingenfelter Ickes
Hoover Cemetery

daughter Mary Ann Ickes died at age 4 months (her first born)

buried in an unmarked grave, Hoover Cemetery

son William Ickes
died at age 17 years
Hoover Cemetery

daughter Mandilla Ickes
died at age 12 years
buried next to her mother, Hoover Cemetery

son John Clayton Ickes died at age 11 months

buried in an unmarked grave, Hoover Cemetery

Daughter Eliza Virginia Ickes Wilt
died at age 19 years, 1 1/2 months after giving birth
Pleasantville Cemetery

Elizabeth Callihan Harbaugh

first documented child born when she was about 18 years old

at least 2 births in 4 years

her age at time of death is unknown

her place of burial is unknown

son George Wisegarver Harbaugh died at age 25 years (killed in Civil War)

place of burial is unknown

My 4th Great-Grandmothers

Mary Haverstock Ickes

first documented child born when she was about 21 years old

at least 12 births in 24 years

she died at age 65

Mary Haverstock Ickes
Old Union Cemetery

Elizabeth Wisegarver Lingenfelter

first documented child born when she was 21 years old

at least 12 births in 30 years

she died at age 60

Elizabeth Wisegarver Lingenfelter's broken headstone
Horn United Methodist Church Cemetery

son George Lingenfelter died at less than 1 year of age

Horn United Methodist Church Cemetery

daughter Rachel M Lingenfelter died at age 18 years

Horn United Methodist Church Cemetery

son David A Lingenfelter died at age 1 year

Horn United Methodist Church Cemetery

daughter Sarah Ann Lingenfelter died at age 6 years

Horn United Methodist Church Cemetery

Elizabeth Wisegarver Lingenfelter's broken headstone surrounded by
smaller, unmarked headstones which could be marking her
deceased childrens' graves

Rachel Hammond Harbaugh

first documented child born when she was 24 years old

at least 9 births in 16 years

her age at time of death is unknown

her place of burial is unknown

Margaret Reininger Callihan

first documented child born when she was 17 years old

at least 14 births in 27 years

she died at age 47, 2 1/2 years after her last recorded birth

Margaret Reininger Callihan
Mock Dunkard Church Cemetery

My 5th Great-Grandmothers

Maria Elizabeth Stambaugh Ickes

first documented child born when she was about 25 years old

at least 5 births in 10 years

she died at about age 73

Maria Elizabeth Stambaugh Ickes
Old Union Cemetery

Margaret Reighard Haverstock

first documented child born when she was about 18 years old

at least 8 births in 22 years

she died at about age 84

buried in an unmarked grave

Mount Eaton Lutheran Cemetery, Wayne County OH

Elizabeth Blackburn Wisegarver

first documented child born when she was 24 years old

at least 11 births in 17 years

she died at age 72

her place of burial is unknown

daughter Eve Wisegarver Griffith died at age 25 years (probably died giving birth)

her place of burial is unknown

Rachel Blackburn Hammond

first documented child born when she was about 25 years old

at least 8 births in 19 years

she died at age 70

her place of burial is unknown

Mary Proctor Callihan

first documented child born when she was about 28 years old

at least 6 births in about 14 years

she died at about age 84

Mary Proctor Callihan
Callihan burial ground

Mary Hine Reininger

first documented child born when she was about 21 years old

at least 11 births in 25 years

she died at age 71

Reininger Cemetery

My 6th Great-Grandmothers

Maria Imler Reighard

age at first documented birth is unknown

at least 3 births in about 6 years

age at death is unknown

place of burial is unknown

Mary Elizabeth Steel Wisegarver

age at first documented birth is unknown

at least 4 births in 12 years

age at death is unknown

place of burial is unknown

Elizabeth Griffith Blackburn

first documented child born when she was 24 years old

at least 9 births in 18 years

she died at about age 74

buried in an unmarked grave in Friends Cemetery

Deborah Dicks Hammond

first documented child born when she was about 22 years old

at least 6 births in 16 years

her age at time of death is unknown

place of burial is unknown

Rebecca Harlan Blackburn

first documented child born when she was about 18 years old

at least 13 births in 26 years

she died at age 44 giving birth to her 13th child

place of burial is unknown

"...no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child." Jeffrey R. Holland

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Friday, November 13, 2015

The Whisky Rebellion of 1794

According to court records, two of my 5th great-grandfathers, Conrad Haverstock and John Wisegarver, were directly involved in the Whisky Rebellion of 1794. I'll try to summarize as best as I understand it.

Following the war, the brand new United States of America was considerably in debt. In 1791, one of the taxes imposed to offset the debt was a tax on spirits. It was considered to be a luxury tax since alcohol was not a necessity of life. It was also intended to limit its use as the effects of alcohol in loss of productivity and incidents of domestic violence was being more and more recognized. For the farmers west of the Allegheny Mountains it wasn't that simple.

A primary crop for them was rye. There was limited demand for it on their side of the mountains, but they could trade it on the other side of the mountains for salt, sugar, and other necessities their families needed. Transporting rye across a mountain range was time consuming and expensive. The most rye they could transport in one trip was 4 bales, and often the value of the grain couldn't offset the cost of the trip. If they used the grain to make whisky, however, they could transport the equivalent of 24 bales of rye in a single trip, making it exponentially more profitable. To those farmers, whisky was not a luxury but a primary commodity they needed to trade in order to provide basic necessities for their families. The tax was not really that high, but to the farmers who felt unfairly targeted it was all about the principle of the thing.

So why were John and Conrad so incensed? Obviously, we can't be sure, but we have at least two very compelling clues. First, we know from tax records that John's dad, George, and Conrad's dad, Tobias, were both distillers. The fair trade of whisky had been an important way their dads provided for their families. Second, John's dad, George, and Conrad himself both put their lives on the line in defending their new government against the oppression of Great Britain. Being over burdened with unfair taxes was exactly what they fought to get away from, and the very government they defended was now guilty of the same.

The task assigned the tax collector proved to be a very dangerous job. Not only would the farmers refuse to pay, they would retaliate against him any way they could. Tar and feathering was not uncommon. Several major altercations occurred in Pittsburgh and other areas of Western Pennsylvania, escalating the conflict even more. One thing the farmers would do in protest was to raise "liberty poles", showing the government and government sympathizers they weren't going to stand for this continued injustice.

Hoisted onto these liberty poles were flags with inscriptions such as, "Death to Traitors", "Liberty and No Excise", "Equal Taxation and No Excise", and "No Asylum for Traitors and Cowards".

Many angry farmers of Bedford County, John and Conrad included, gathered at the Jean Bonnet Tavern in late 1794 and there erected a liberty pole in protest of the excise tax. Being in violation of the law, they were ordered to appear at the Bedford County Court of general quarterly sessions, January term, 1795, "to answer to such bills of indictments as shall be then and there preferred against them for Riot and other Treasonable proceedings in assisting and setting up a seditious Pole in opposition to the laws of the United States". The men were ordered to pay fines ranging from £30 to £300 each.

Conrad was ordered to pay one of the stiffest fines. In a post on ancestry.com, one of his other descendants speculates that he must have been the one to actually raise the pole while others were there to riot and raise their voices in protest. He did, after all, serve in the same militia division during the war as the Bonnet brothers, so he could have also been one of the primary instigators of the entire protest. This proves to be a compelling scenario, but who really knows.

The Jean Bonnet Tavern is still open for business in Bedford County. We enjoyed a great lunch there. (The onion rings were exceptional.) Though you walk up vinyl composite steps onto decking of the same material, you can't help but be awed by the original stone facade and the large, historic fireplaces and features inside. It was . . . how do I put it . . . wa-a-a-ay cool to sit there and imagine two, count 'em, two of my 5th great-grandfathers meeting in that very same tavern 221 years earlier plotting and planning their protest against the injustices perpetrated against them. I greatly admire their tenacity and activism.

Jean Bonnet Tavern

We didn't make it to the lower level, but the restaurant/tavern is on the mail level and guest rooms
are located on the upper level.

To replicate authenticity a few farm animals and a small garden were located near the parking lot.

A small gift shop was added behind the tavern.

Placemat

I wanted Brent to capture an image of me next to the historical marker erected in remembrance of
the Whisky Rebellion. Oh well.

So how did it all end? President George Washington wouldn't stand for it any longer. He called out 13,000 troops to march to Western Pennsylvania and take on the traitorous farmers. He preceded the troops as a voice of warning to all those who dared come up against them. The farmers knew they were outnumbered and outsmarted, and consequentially were resigned to pay the tax they so strongly opposed. That particular tax law was ultimately repealed in 1801.

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John Wisegarver and Elizabeth Blackburn Wisegarver

The union of John Wisegarver and Elizabeth Blackburn was quite a mix of culture and belief. John came from German immigrants. Elizabeth came from Irish immigrants. John was raised Lutheran. Elizabeth was raised Quaker. Historical records show that they had eleven children. Apparently their differences must not have affected their relationship too dramatically.

The Society of Friends (Quakers) didn't look too kindly on their members marrying outside the faith. Even though Elizabeth and her parents (Thomas and Elizabeth) had moved to Bedford County, a congregation had not yet been formed, so they traveled to the Menallen Mtg. in York County once a month. It was recorded in the church minutes on 9 June 1784 that the women of the Menallen Mtg. entered a complaint against Elizabeth Wisecarver, formerly Blackburn, because she had already accomplished her marriage "by a Justice to one not a member". She was consequently "disowned" by the Menallen Meeting on 11 Aug 1794.

John and Elizabeth actually show up on the membership records of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Greenfield Township, Bedford County. Apparently, as far as their religious life was concerned, they were able to find some neutral ground.

In 1798, around the time of the birth of their 3rd child, John is shown on the tax list as owning a 20x20 ft. house worth $60, a log barn, and 310 acres of land. By 1832 the tax list indicates that he owned 90 acres (patented), 150 acres (warranted), 130 acres (location), 1 grist mill, 1 saw mill, 1 fulfilling mill, 3 horses, and 4 cows, all at a taxable value of $1700. It looks to me he was working his way out of the farming business. It also appears from his will that much of his farm land had already been taken over by his sons and son-in-laws.

I would also conclude that John was quite an activist. He was involved in the Whisky Rebellion of 1794, was tried in court, and sentenced to pay a fine. Probably in reference to his involvement with the Whisky Rebellion , the following was attached to John on ancestry.com:

"According to a note from my cousin (Elizabeth), John had gone to Philadelphia to protest. He landed in jail and sent word to his wife to bring the money to pay the fine. She went, riding sidesaddle, hiding by day, traveling by night and bailed him out."

(Family stories passed down by word of mouth are always taken with a grain of salt, but interesting nonetheless.)

Here is his will:

"In the name of God Amen. I John Wisegarver Sen. Of St. Clair Township Bedford County and State of Pennsylvania, being weak of body but of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding do make & ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following say: First I order & direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be first fully paid and satisfied out of my estate. Secondly. To my daughter Elizabeth wife of John Lingenfelter I give and devise the tract of land on which they reside which I bought of E. S. Anderson and I hereby direct that when the deed is made for the land by said Anderson, that it be made to her so as to secure the property to her and her heirs under the existing laws of this Commonwealth relating to the rights of married women and as her husband the said John Lingenfelter owes me a note for the sum of one hundred & eighty dollars it is my will & I direct that the same shall go to pay said Anderson the balance which I owe on said land provided it shall not be paid in my lifetime. Thirdly. To my daughter Margaret Crisman I give and devise 50 acres of land adjoining her husbands property now in their possession and I give her in addition the sum of four hundred dollars out of the judgments coming from Howser and Peeples. To my daughter Anna intermarried with Henry Waters residing in Ohio, I give and bequeath the sum of five hundred dollars to be paid out of the foregoing judgments to be paid to her as may be hereinafter specified. To my son John Wisegarver, I give and direct my executors to pay out of said judgments in the order hereinafter directed the sum of three hundred dollars being for his claim against me. But if the said $300 should be paid him during my lifetime, then he is to have nothing more out of my estate. To my son Thomas Wisegarver, I give and devise the tract of land on which at present he resides in St. Clair Township containing about one hundred and fifty acres. To have and hold the same to him and his heirs and assigns forever. To my son George Wisegarver. I give &

devise a tract of land situate in the same Township adjoining the place where he now lives, being the same land I bought from Jno. Wolf and containing about one hundred and forty acres. To have and hold the same, to him his heirs and assigns forever. and I also give & bequeath to and allow my said son George to have the obligation I hold against my son Daniel B. Wisegarver. And whereas my son George is indebted to me in the sum of three hundred dollars for a wagon & horses which I sold him which he by agreement was to pay to my two grandchildren Elizabeth Griffith daughter of my deceased daughter Eve Griffith & Henry Ickes son of my deceased daughter Mary Ann Ickes. I therefore give and bequeath the said sum of three hundred dollars to them in equal shares and direct my said son George to pay the same to them and I further give and devise to my said son George the

residue of the tract of land in the name of Francis Campbell, after first deducting that part sold to Howser and Peeples to hold the same to him his heirs and assigns forever. In addition to the devise to my son Thomas, I give & bequeath to him as compensation to him for my boarding & his care of me, all the moveable property I have brought with me to his house being a clock horse creature & other goods. As I hold sundry notes against my Grandson John son of my son John Wisegarver, I hereby give the same to my said son John Wisegarver. I also hereby order and direct the moneys thereof to be paid out of the foregoing judgments shall be paid as follows. First to George $500 stipend to him, second the $300 to John. Third the $500 to Anna Waters and lastly $400 to Margaret Crisman. It is also my will and I do hereby order and direct that whatever of my estate, real or personal may be left after the payment of the foregoing sums and devises aforesaid are satisfied, shall go to my children living at this time (excluding the forenamed grand Children) and I hereby direct my Executors to divide the same equally amongst them as it may come to their hands and I also hereby authorize and empower my executors to sell and convey any real estate that may be left undisposed of and to divide the same equally as before mentioned. It is further my will that whatever devises or bequests I have made to my daughters shall be held and enjoyed by them as their own separate property under

the present laws of the State relative to married women and their property. The property devised to Elizabeth Lingenfelter is to pass in fee simple. And lastly I hereby constitute and appoint my son Daniel B. Wisegarver and Jno. Hoover the executors of this my last Will &Testament declaring this and no other to be my last Will. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 30th day of September A.D. 1848."

If I can add a little commentary to the Will, I'm really impressed that he specified the land he left to his married daughters was to be their own property separate from their husbands. (It was the law in those days that a single woman could own property, but if she were married or got married any property she owned became the sole property of her husband. And by the way, in the case of divorce the children belonged to the husband as well.) Here's to an early act of women's equality! Way to go, John!!

John and Elizabeth are buried in the St. John's Church Cemetery near his father, George.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Thomas Blackburn and Elizabeth Griffith Blackburn

We usually think of Pennsylvania as having been settled by German Lutherans. But that wasn't exactly true. Some of the earliest settlers in Pennsylvania were actually Irish Quakers. Thomas Blackburn's parents, John Blackburn and Rebecca Harlan, were immigrants from Loughgall, Armagh, Ireland. They were Quakers. The Quakers kept very good historical records, many of which are now available online and which are extremely valuable to genealogical researchers. Thomas and Elizabeth met and were married in Adams County PA. They came to Bedford County from Adams County sometime in the mid 1770s. They had 9 children - 3 born in Adams County and 6 born in Bedford County.

Trying to locate the original homestead in Bedford County was a daunting task. Many of their 9 kids had the same names as Thomas' siblings, so when I looked at land records I couldn't tell if it was Thomas' sons purchasing land or Thomas' siblings. I do know his sister, Rachel, is also a direct ancestor of mine (which I'll talk more about in her post - it's a little weird) and I believe he had other siblings come to Bedford County as well. There is a land warrant in the name of "Thomas Blackburn et all" for 400 acres dated 8 November 1786. My map which shows the names and locations of family homes wasn't drawn until 1861 - 75 years later. So between the siblings, children, grandchildren, widowed daughter-in-laws, etc. I couldn't wrap my head around trying to determine which of all the Blackburns shown on the 1861 map could have been living on the original homestead.

Many, many Blackburn families in a very small portion of the 1861 map.

Most of the Quaker families settled in the Chestnut Ridge area of St Clair Township. Thomas' will, dated 1818, indicates that he was living on a plantation on Chestnut Ridge which was to be inherited by his son, Joseph. Near the center of the map (above) is a highlighted location labeled "Jos. Blackburn" which could have been Thomas' home when he died.

A lot of research has been done on the Blackburn family, mostly by the Blackburn Family Association. In the "fun facts" section of their website they've identified over 150,000 living descendants in 10 generations from John Blackburn, our first Blackburn ancestor to immigrate to North America. They have a huge genealogical database associated with the Blackburn family and lots of other interesting facts and pieces of history on their website. A book written by Evelyn D. Gibson (published in 1978) entitled Blackburn and Allied Descendants of John Blackburn, Sr., who came from Ireland to Pennsylvania in 1736 can be found in its entirely on the website. The history of the Irish Quakers is fascinating and begins at image 5.

Gibson's book also talks about John Blackburn's involvement in the Revolutionary War despite the Quaker's strict policy against the bearing of arms. You can read about that beginning at image 20.

Thomas, along with 3 of his brothers, also defied their religious dictates and contributed to the war effort to secure independence from Great Britain. He and his family are discussed in Gibson's book beginning at image 42.

Probably of interest to some of my family members would be a descendant of a parallel line, Elias Hicks Blackburn (g-grandson of our John Blackburn Jr.) who joined the LDS church in Ohio in 1845 and was directly involved in many well-known events in church history including building the Nauvoo Temple, the Mormon Battalion, and the Willie & Martin Handcart Company. You can read about him in an archived version of the Blackburn family quarterly newsletter beginning at image 32 and continuing at image 46.

Back to Thomas and Elizabeth. Gibson wrote, "Even the little we have discovered concerning Thomas, is sufficient to show that he was a man of adventuresome spirit and perseverance, a devoted father, a true patriot and with the one exception noted, a devout Quaker. His steady rise in Prosperity, though not spectacular, is not the less indicative that he applied himself diligently and successfully to his two trades - milling and farming." (image 47)

Elizabeth preceded him in death by about 4 years. Here is his will:

"In the Name of God Amen - Whereas - I Thomas Blackburn of St Clair Township, Bedford County and State of Pennsylvania Being of Sound Disposing mind memory and understanting, and Calling to mind the uncertainty of Life, Have thought proper to make Constitute and publish this my Last will and testament in manner and form following Disanulling and revoking all Will or Wills heretofore by me made acknowleging this and No Other to be my last will and Testament

First of all I Recommend my Soul to God who gave it me and my Body to desintly buryed at the discresion of my Executors herein after mentioned and Named -

Secondly - I Give and Bequeth to my Son John Blackburn the two Hundred Acres of Land that he Now Lives on and to his heirs and Asigns forever -

I Give and Bequeth to my to my Son Thomas Blackburns hair, and their hair and asigns forever all that tract or parsel of Land that the now live on to be divided according to his last Will and Testament - I Give and Bequeth to my Son William Blackburn Twelve Dollars to be paid out of my Personal Estate he haveing Been Already Advanced By me - I Give and Bequeth to my Son Anthony Blackburn six Dollars he haveing been Already Advanced by me - I Give and Bequeth to my Son Moses Blackburn's three Sons, namely John Moses and Thomas one Thousand Dollars to be Equally Devided to them or the Survivor of Survivors of them to be paid when the arive at the age of Twenty one years with what Intrust it may Bring the one third of the intrust of the above sum to be paid to their mother as long as she continues a widow - But in case my Son Moses Blackburn's children should all die or any of them Before the arive at full age then the above sum of one thousand Dollars shall be divided Equally Between all my children then living or such part of the thousand as might be coming to any one of them Dieing - I Give and Bequeth to my Son Joseph Blackburn all my Plantation that I now live on containing two hundred and Seventy five Acres with the apertenancy thereunto belonging with fifty acres on the Chestnut Ridge And to his heirs and asigns forever; and also give him all my Personal Estate he paying All my Just Debts and funeral expenses - I Give and Bequeth to my Daughter Eve Vore and Benjm Vore one Hundred and fifty Eight Acres which she now posess - he paying to me one hundred and fifty Eight Dollars for which we duly rec'd - I Give and Bequeth to my Daughter Rebecca Vore and Joseph Vore one hundred and fifty Eight Acres being Part of the Above tract which was divided Between him and his Brother Benjamin, for which he is to pay me one hundred and fifty Eight Dollars also - I Give and Bequeth to my Daughter Elizabeth Wisgarver one hundred and Sixty Dollars to be paid her out of the money which is to be colected from Benjamin and Joseph Vore -

And further I Constitute Nominate and apoint my Sons John Blackburn & Joseph Blackburn to be my Executors in this my last will and Testament -

In Witness whereof I have set my hand and seal this twenty ninth Day of December one thousand eight hundred and eighteen."

Thomas and Elizabeth are buried in the Friends Cemetery north of Fishertown on Quaker Valley Road.

The headstones of other members of the Blackburn family in the Friends Cemetery.
Thomas and Elizabeth's graves could be marked with un-inscribed headstones or they could be completely unmarked.

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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

George Wisegarver and Mary Elizabeth Steel Wisegarver

George Wisegarver, my 6th great-grandfather, was one of the earliest of all my ancestors to become a resident of Bedford County. He was a German immigrant. Some researchers show that he and Mary Elizabeth Steel were married in Bedford County in 1770, but with no attached sources I have no way to confirm that. A publication of the Historical Society of Bedford County indicates that he helped lay out a road in 1771, proving he was in Bedford County well before the Revolutionary War. He's also listed in the 1772 tax roll as owning 100 acres of land, 20 improved, 2 horses and 1 cow.

George is also a Revolutionary War veteran, having served in the Bedford County Militia. In 1781 he was listed as a private in Captain Charles Taggart's Company, 5th company, 1st Battalion. More research is needed to determine if he achieved a higher rank than that of private.

Rye was a profitable crop in Bedford County and this was probably a primary crop for George. Many farmers grew rye for the purpose of manufacturing whisky. Few of them owned more than one still, but George in listed in a 1792 historical record to have actually owned 2 stills.

By 1798, as shown on the tax list, he was quite a successful land owner. His own farm (or farms) consisted of of land at a value of $1282. In addition, he owned land in both Bedford Township and St Clair Township which he leased to 12 other farmers. The value of that land totaled $6,649, quite a tidy sum in the late 1790s.

George and Mary had at least 2 children, maybe 4, maybe even 5. The census records prior to 1850 only list the head of household's name, so the other household members are up for speculation and interpretation.

George was one of the original land owners in Dutch Corner. His initial purchase of land was not too far southwest of the John Ickes homestead. A listing in findagrave.com shows that George and other family members were buried on the Blair Ott farm. Lori at dutchcornerpa.org informed me that the Ott farm was the old Wisegarver farm and that the headstones, and maybe the graves (though doubtful) were either destroyed or moved as the new owners didn't want people coming and looking for dead ancestors. Another listing at findagrave.com shows that the headstones were located at St. John's Church near Cessna. I located what I thought would be the Wisegarver farm from the Dutch Corner land map on a current map. Sure enough, Ott Road (which would have been on Ott farm) ran right through the middle of it. It also happened to be just a little north of the church to which the headstones were moved.