Nathan Hammond and Rachel Blackburn Hammond

If you look closely at the pedigree chart above you'll see that we're now following Elizabeth Ellen Harbaugh's ancestral lines.

I don't have any information about Peter Harbaugh and his wife Sophia so I'll have to skip them. Next in line would be Nathan Hammond and Rachel Blackburn.

Rachel is the sister of Thomas Blackburn, one of Adam's ancestors, so all the family information I posted about Thomas also applies to Rachel.  That actually makes things just a little bit weird.  Adam Ickes is the descendant of Thomas Blackburn.  Adam's wife, Elizabeth Ellen Harbaugh, is the descendant of Thomas' sister, Rachel Blackburn.  Both Thomas and Rachel are the children of John Blackburn, so if you follow both Adam's and Ellen's lines back to the Blackburn family they converge with John Blackburn and from there back have exactly the same ancestors.  John Blackburn is Adam's 3rd great-grandfather and Ellen's 2nd great-grandfather.  That makes Adam and Ellen not only husband and wife, but also 3rd cousins once removed.  If I continue to follow both lines down to me, that makes me my own 7th cousin once removed.

Here's what it looks like:

I guess that would also make my siblings my 7th cousins once removed, my children would be my 8th cousins, and my grandchildren are my 8th cousins once removed.  OK, I gotta move on to something else. This is giving me a headache.

Rachel Blackburn married Nathan McGrew in 1767.  Here's the references to the marriage as recorded in the minutes of the Quaker monthly meeting:

10 Oct 1767     "Nathan McGrew & Rachel Blackburn appeared at this meeting & signified their Intentions of marriage with each other, John Wright & Benjamin Loan are appointed to make the necessary enquirey into his conversation & from all others on that account & report to next meeting."

11 Nov 1767     "Nathan McGrew & Rachel Blackburn appeared at this meeting & signified that they continued their Intentions of marriage with each other & nothing appearing to obstruct they are left to their liberty to accomplish the same according to the good order used amongst friends, & John Wright, & Benjamin Loan are appointed to be it so accomplished & report to next meeting, & produce the marriage certificate to be recorded."

12 Dec 1767     "The friends appointed to attend the marriages of Nathan McGrew & Rachel Blackburn, & Moses Blackburn & Mary McGrew reports they were orderly accomplished & they produced the marriage certificates to this meeting."

Rachel and Nathan McGrew had one daughter named Rebecca who was born in 1768.  It's likely Rebecca never knew her father as it is presumed he died in 1768.

Rachel married Nathan Hammond in 1771. The Hammonds were also active, devout Quakers as Nathan's father, John, was often assigned the task of seeking out and reporting on church members whose conduct had been put in question. According to the Quaker records, Rachel's marriage to Nathan Hammond wasn't nearly as joyous and celebrated as was her first marriage. 

13 April 1771     "Manallen meeting informs this that Nathan Hammond & Rachel McGrew had accomplished their marriage by the assistance of a Priest (they being precautioned) this meeting appoints Samuel Wright & Benjamin Wright to prepare a testimony against them & produce it to next meeting."

1 May 1771     "One of the friends appointed to prepare a testimony against Nathan Hammond & his wife produced one which is as follows Viz Whereas Nathan Hammond & Rachel his wife having had their Education amongst us the People called Quakers, but for want of faithfully adhearing to the directions & guidance of the Spirit of Grace in their own hearts, gave way so far to a libertine spirit as to be guilty of dancing, & likewise went & was joined in marriage by the assistance of a Priest (or some such way) for which Evil conduct we deny them the said Nathan Hammond & Rachel Hammond to be any longer members of our Religious Society until their future conduct recommend them worthy, which that it may is our desire; which was approved of & signed on behalf of this meeting by the clerk & John Wright & George Wilson  are appointed to shew it to them give them a copy if desired with notice of the Priviledge of an appeal which if they decline then to be it read in a Publick meeting at Manallen & return it to next meeting."

It wouldn't be until November of 1778, 7 1/2 years and 4 children later, that Nathan and Rachel would request re-admittance to the church.

7 Nov 1778     "Manallen Meeting Informs this that Nathan Hammond and his wife appear to be defirous to be reconciled with Friends, and he appeared at this meeting and offered a paper of acknowledgment which is left under consideration till next meeting."

12 Dec 1778     "The case of Nathan Hammond and his wife being considered in this Meeting, it appears to be most safe to appoint some Friends to have an opportunity with them and report their sense to next Meeting, Therefore William Underwood, William Garretson, Benjamin Underwood, Harman Updegraff, and Peter Cleaver are appointed to that service."

9 Jan 1779  "Three of the Friends appointed in the case of Nathan Hammon and his wife reports that they (with some women Friends) had a prity seasonable opportunity with them and that they did not find anything in their minds to discourage them from attending this meeting and they appeared and offered the following acknowledgment /viz/ (attachment unavailable) which was read and accepted."

13 Mar 1779  "Manallen Meeting informs this that Nathan Hammond requests that his four children (to wit) Deborah, Sarah, John and Mary may be received under Friends care, which is granted."

The history books indicate the Hammond family from which Nathan descends immigrated to America from Sussex County England in 1702. Centuries prior to that they hailed from a Viking Chieftan who raided England's Norfolk and Suffolk Counties in the 9th Century. This was especially interesting to me since a completely different family line of mine came from Norfolk and Suffolk Counties and immigrated to Utah in the 1880s. (But let's all hope and pray I don't turn up any more inbreeding.)

Nathan & Rachel moved from Adams County to Bedford County sometime before 1790 and by 1794 Nathan owned 400 acres of land in Bedford County.  His will indicates that his son, Samuel, had taken over the farm, but it was collectively inherited by all of Nathan's children until Samuel paid his siblings a predetermined amount of money as their fair share of the inheritance.  

The 1861 map shows a location of the farm owned by the "Hammond Heirs" in Bedford Township, northwest of the Borough of Bedford.

The area of Nathan's farmland today was relatively flat and wide open.  If I didn't know better I almost would have thought I was back home in Texas.

Nathan and Rachel had at least 7 children.  There could have been more who didn't live into adulthood.

Here is Nathan's will:

In the name of God Amen, I Nathan Hammond of the Township and County of Bedford in the State of Pennsylvania, being somewhat weak in body but of sound mind memory and understanding, do make and publish this my last will and testament as follows, I commend my soul to God that gave it and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors herein after named.  And as to my worldly estate both real and personal I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner to wit I direct:  that all my just Debts and funeral expenses be paid by my executors, out of my personal estate as soon as convenient after my decease, I give and bequeath unto my son Samuel Hammond two horses, of his own choice with hears for the same, my wagon, one plough, and one good bed and bedding, which is to be his full of his share of personal estate, I direct all the residue of personal estate to be sold by my executors, and the proceeds thereof I bequeath and devise as follows, to my son Nathan the sum of sixteen dollars, to my daughter Rachel Harbaugh the sum of forty Dollars and the remainder after paying my Debts funeral expenses and the legacies to Nathan and Rachel as aforesaid, to be equally divided among all my children (except my son Samuel).  I give devise and bequeth unto my son Samuel Hammond this plantation and tract of land whereon I now live, with the appurtenances in the township of Bedford aforesaid adjoining land of Henry Kuntz, and others, and out of which my said son Samuel is to pay the following legacies, to wit, to my son Nathan Hammond the sum of five hundred dollars, three hundred dollars to be paid two years after my decease, one hundred dollars three years after my decease and one hundred dollars ten years after my decease – to my son John Hammond three hundred dollars four years after my decease – to my daughter Rachel Harbaugh two hundred dollars six years after my decease.  To my daughter Deborah  Camron two hundred dollars eight years after my decease to my daughter Sarah Wolf two hundred dollars nine years after my decease all the legacies aforesaid to be a lien upon the tract of land aforesaid until they are paid.  And lastly I appoint my son in law John Wolf and my son Samuel Hammond Executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made and declaring this and no other to be my last will and testament, In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this twenty fifth day of October A.D. 1816.

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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.

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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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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.