05th

Isaac Tracy b. 1716

/ Kirstin Miller

Isaac Tracy 5th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Isaac Tracy was born on November 9, 1716 in New London Connecticut. Isaac’s parents were Francis and Elizabeth Parrish Tracy. The Tracy great grandparents arrived from England and Parrish great grandparents came from Scotland.

Isaac married Mehitable Rude in New London on July 13, 1742. They had at least 12 children, maybe more. By 1770 the Tracy family was in the town of Goshen, New York.

Isaac wrote his will on January 10, 1784, he died in Goshen, New York in 1786. His will was presented in court on April 5, 1786. “We the people of the state of New York by the grace of god freed and independent to all to whom these are present shall come or may concern Send Greeting”, America as a free country was still so new it was part of the court’s reading.

Isaac’s will provides for his widow and his children were given lands and money, “the land that I claim in the Susquehanna purchase in Westmoreland … a right in the Dellaware purchase that I claim to him, his heirs and assigns forever”.

Isaac’s lands were part of the Walking Purchase, “an alleged 1737 agreement” between the Penn family, Pennsylvania, the native Lenape nation and the King of England. William Penn’s “sons were less interested than their father in cultivating a friendship with the Lenape”. There’s a book of 11 volumes related to the purchase, pages and pages of letters. Isaac Tracy was one of many letter writers, maybe called memorialists.

The Susquehannah Company papers at HathiTrust

Sources

Garbrand Roos and Teentje Janssen b. 1764

/ Kirstin Miller

Garbrand Roos and Teentje Janssen 5th great grandparents.

Garbrand Harms Roos was born in 1764 in Niedersachsen, English is Lower Saxony- the German state. Aurcih is a district in Lower Saxony which contains the municipality of Krummhörn, that includes the little village of Visquard where Garbrand was born. Visquard is less than 4 square miles in size.

Google Maps, Visquard, a photo of the little village

Teentje Dirks Janssen was born on April 18, 1775 in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), Germany. It’s on the notrth western coast of Germany, on the Wadden Sea, part of the North Sea. Garbrand and Teentje married around 1797 and had at least 3 children: Maria Garbrand Roos, Jan Garbrand Roos and Harm Garbrand Roos.

Garbrand has a definition in ceramics as the final firing. “Garbrand garbrand (keramik) Definition of garbrand (keramik) in German English dictionary: finishing firing (ceramics)”. And “Probably an altered spelling of North German Garbrand or Gerbrant, from a Germanic personal name, composed of the elements gar, ger ‘spear’, ‘lance’ + brand ‘fire’, ‘flame’.

Germany, the place and the people, have thousands of years of complex history, a person could spend a lifetime learning, understanding. Lower Saxony, the Roose family probable ancestor home, included chieftains, counts and countesses, kings and queens and Paleolithic reindeer hunters. France, Holland, Napoleon, Prussia, Russia, the Kingdom of Hannover, the Roman Empire, and more were rulers through the years.

Sources

Henry Mockford and Ann Farrant b. 1776

/ Kirstin Miller

Henry Mockford and Ann Farrant 5th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Henry Mockford was born in November 10, 1776, then baptized on February 9, 1777 at the church in Rottingdean, Sussex, England. The church was and still is St Margaret’s Church named for Margaret of Antioch who inspired Joan of Arc and possibly sliced the head off a dragon. In the church there are stained glass windows made by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. The stained glass is famous and considered some of the artists best work.

Photo by Luiza Serpa Lopes, Own work, Public Domain [screenshot, partial]

On April 8 1802 Henry married Ann Farrant, maybe in that same church. Ann was born in 1781, probably in Sussex where she and Henry stayed and had 3 sons and a daughter. In Sussex town and village names have changed through the years. The area today includes Brighton, Bishopstone and Seaford: 30 miles south of London, 30 miles northwest of France, across the English Channel with incredible coastlines.

In 1841 England took it’s first census. Henry had already died, Ann is on both the 1841 and 1851 census. In 1841 Ann was 60 years old and lived with her son Samuel and wife their kids Frederick, Henry and Phoebe. Robert Ann’s son, Samuel’s brother was also in the house. In 1851 Ann and Robert share a home. Robert is 30 and his occupation is agricultural laborer. Ann is 70 and her occupation is ‘Parish Relief” and widow of an ag. laborer. Ann probably received a small amount from the parish. On this census page all the men work as agricultural laborers. Occupations on other pages are: carpenters, blacksmiths, scholars, boatmen, gardeners, millers, stablemen, coast guards and bargemen. The first page lists the area covered, “The whole of the five parishes East Blatchington, Bishopstone, Denton, South Heighton, Tarring Neville and including the battery, the Coast Guards Station House and Blatchington Village … “

1851 England census showing town included

Henry died in 1834 at age 56. Ann died in 1857 she was 76. Son Richard stayed England until 1861 when he and his family left for Monroe New York in America. Richard’s son Henry (great grandpa of Elizabeth Speedy Roose) was already in Monroe, New York and had a home set up for his parents.

Sources

Jacob Bair and Barbara b. 1750

/ Kirstin Miller

Jacob Bair and Barbara 4th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree

Jacob Bair and Barbara – last name unknown- were born around 1750, probably in Maryland. Their parents are unknown, it’s likely  their parents migrated from Germany. Jacob and Barbara  married around 1780 and moved from Maryland to Pennsylvania where they had at least 7 children. By 1820 the Bair family had traveled 350 miles  west to Stark County, Ohio.  In Stark County they joined hundreds of other German immigrants that moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio: Bair, Bowman, Druckenbrod, Essig, Fryberger, Fuchs, Grubb, Harter, Kryder, Miller, all moved together.

Barbara died in  Stark County around 1820. Jacob lived 20 more years. Jacob’s estate was brought to the county court on December 18, 1840. On January 5 1841 an inventory and legal papers were presented.  Peter Loutzenheiser ‘a venerable pioneer’ was the overseer and “Abraham Bair, Jacob Bair and John Bair sons of said Jacob Bair” are mentioned in the will. Jacob’s inventory included: A tea kettle, a plough shovel, an auger, a psalm book, a pair of sheep shears, pewter dishes and plates, a light body coat, a pair of pantaloons, 2 shirts, 1 flannel shirt, 2 pocket books, yarn & threads and weavers reeds & shuttles.

Jacob’s will, Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998

Jacob and Barbara are buried in Henry Warstler Cemetery, Plain Township, Stark, Ohio, United States, their headstones long gone. In the Henry Warstler country church cemetery there are 62 Bair burials. In Stark County 442 Bairs are buried.  Jacob and Barbara’s 2nd great granddaughter Fiana Druckenbrod married William Miller, they moved to Bremer County, Iowa. In the summer Fiana returned to Stark Co. for Bair family reunions. Fiana and William’s daughter Lola kept in touch with her Stark Co. relatives, they visited her in Greene, Iowa.

Sources

  • Jacob’s will, Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998 at Ancestry
  • Early records of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Canton, Ohio at FamilySearch
  • Find a Grave memorials
  • Bair family, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mennonite Vital Records, 1750-2014 at Ancestry

Cynthia Hill b. 1763

/ Kirstin Miller

Cynthia Hill 5th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Cynthia Hill was born August 18, 1763 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts to James and Eunice Walker Hill. Through her dad, Cynthia’s ancestors go back to Mayflower passengers John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley. John and Elizabeth married then had 10 children who lived to adulthood (a rare thing in the 1600s) so today there are millions of Howland & Tilley descendants. If you are related to Philippa Flood Mockford Speedy you’re (99% sure) one of them.

Cynthia married Asa Angell around 1794 and they had seven kids, three sons and four daughters. They lived in New Berlin, New York, farm country in the center of NY state 30 miles west of Albany. They lived on a farm, Asa was also a cooper: he made wooden barrels, buckets and tubs. Their kids married, had families and stayed in New York except for Dexter who lived in Indiana, Rhode Island and then returned to NY. Cynthia died in 1830, Asa in 1842. Both are buried in Scribner Cemetery, New Berlin, New York. There are 40 other Angell memorials there at the Find a Grave cemetery site, including Asa’s siblings and sons.

My daughter Cynthia Angell wife of Asa

I’ve started an Iowa Society of Mayflower Descendants Official Membership application, a slow process. 2020 is the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing. Cynthia Hill is a proven Mayflower Descendant and her marriage to Asa Angell is proven. Asa’s dad Israel wrote a letter to Asa with a special note to grandson Dexter, whose will mentioned daughter Delia. After her dad Dexter’s death Delia went to Butler County, Iowa where her brother Charles lived. Delia married William Flood, their daughter Matilda Flood married Richard Mockford, their daughter Philippa Mockford married Harve Speedy, they’re the parents of Elizabeth Speedy. I have an informal proof written up here: https://eachlifeinplace.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/john-i-was-on-the-mayflower-howland-to-philippa-mockford-1.pdf

Sources

Stephen Green and Mary Hoad b. 1765

/ Kirstin Miller

Stephen Green and Mary Hoad, 5th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Stephen Green was born in Seaford, Sussex, England. He was christened on March 9, 1765 his parents were Hannah and Stephen Green. Stephen had 8 siblings. Mary Hoad was christened on March 31, 1774 in Seaford. Her parents were John and Elizabeth Finch Hoad. Mary had 9 siblings.

Mary and Stephen were married on January 19, 1795. “Stephen Green and Mary Hoad, No. 179 Stephen Green of this parish, widower, of the same parish spinster Married in this Church by Banns this 19th day of January in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety five by me Tho. Evans. This marriage was solemnized between us the mark of Stephen Green the mark of Mary Hoad. In the presence of the mark of Richard Hoad the mark of Mary. -And- 1795 Banns marriage between Stephen Green widower and Mary Hoad spinster of this parish were published on the three Sundays underwritten. That is to say 4th, 11th 18th of January 1795 by me Tho. Evans, Vicar.” Spinster is the same as maiden, unmarried.

Their parish was most likely St Leonards, now an episcopal church. Their town Seaford is on the southwest edge of England on the English Channel. There is a place there called Seven Sisters, 500 feet chalk cliffs along the coast. If a person were standing in the panoramic photo they’d be a speck.

Seven Sisters Panorama, East Sussex, England at Wikipedia

Stephen’s first wife was Ann Levant, they had 4 children. Stephen and Mary had 7 children. Elizabeth Green was the youngest daughter- 2nd great grandma of Elizabeth Speedy, she would leave for America in 1862 with her husband Richard Mockford – they lived in Monroe, New York, their grandkids would go west, Richard Mockford to Iowa where he married Matilda Flood, their daughter was Philippa Mockford Speedy, their granddaughter was Elizabeth Speedy.

Sources

Samuel Jeffrey and Jane Hanna b. 1750

/ Kirstin Miller

Samuel Jeffrey and Jane Hanna 5th great grandparents on RootsMagic Tree

Samuel Jeffrey was born in 1750, probably in Pennsylvania, maybe in Ireland or Scotland. HIs parents and past aren’t known. Wife Jane Hanna has even less information, just that she was in the area and about the same age. Samuel and Jane married around 1775 and had 9 kids.

The Jeffreys married near Maryland, then settled in Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania, about 15 miles west of Pittsburgh. In the area, near the towns of Clinton, Moon and Imperial, the Pittsburgh International Airport is there now.

Samuel was in the Revolutionary War with the Chester, Pennsylvania Militia, from 1781-1782. A Pennsylvania Veteran Burial Card shows this info. On December 8, 1786 Samuel and James Brice were on a land deed, they bought 3.4 acres.

Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952 at Ancestry

The Jeffrey family is on the 1790 US census which is 9 pages with 5800 total households, heads listed by name, wife and spouse by tick marks. With Samuel and Jana are 3 daughters and 4 sons. On this same census are William Stewart, William Speedy, Henry Crooks, the Howlett and Hanna families- all ancestors of Elizabeth Speedy. Some members of these families traveled west together from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and a few to Iowa.

In the digital book from 1889, History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, there’s a bio with details on Samuel Jeffrey, “R. W. Jeffrey (Robert Walker Jeffrey b. 1824), farmer, is a grandson of one of the early settlers of Fayette township. Samuel Jeffrey, who was born in Ireland, emigrated to America, locating first in Maryland, but later coming to Allegheny county, where he took up a tract of land from the government.” The ‘born in Ireland, emigrated to America’ part is a maybe, there’s no records to prove this yet.

Samuel died on August 26, 1798. Jane Hanna Jeffrey probably died about the same time. Samuel has a headstone at Montour Cemetery, Oakdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The current newer headstone was placed in 1970. Inscribed on the headstone: Samuel Jefferey Sr. Died August 26, 1798 Revolutionary War Veteran Pvt. H? Chester Co. Penna Militia Served Apr 23 1781 to Jan 1, 1782 The Oldest Marked Grave … Cemetery. Jane is probably buried in the same cemetery.

In the same Montour Cemetery other Jeffrey family are buried including Elizabeth Jeffrey Crooks whose daughter Elizabeth Crooks Stewart went all the way to Iowa where her daughter Elizabeth Stewart and husband Manford Speedy had a son Harve Speedy, dad of Elizabeth Speedy .

Sources

  • Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952 at Ancestry
  • Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 at Ancestry
  • History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania at HathiTrust
  • 1790 US Census at FamilySearch

John Connable b. 1749

/ Kirstin Miller

John Connable 5th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

John Connable was born in 1749 in Bernardston, Massachusetts, the 3rd of 7 kids of Samuel & Mary English Connable. John grew up in Bernardston on the northern edge of Massachusetts and stayed there for most of his life with a short time in Guilford, Vermont a town 10 miles north.

John farmed and owned a sawmill. He was a deer reeve- decided hunting quotas for the community. He was on inspection committees, a surveyor of highways and also built, engineered bridges like his dad Samuel. John was the executor for his dad’s estate and inherited the family home which he passed on to his oldest son Joseph Connable.

Genealogical memoir of the Cunnabell, Conable or Connable family

John and was a private in the Revolutionary War with Colonel Elisha Parker who kept a diary noting orders from General George Washington and from Colonel Benedict Arnold in an expedition to Canada with 1000+ men.

John married 3 times, was a widow twice. He and 2nd wife Sarah Dewey were parents of Leydia Connable who with her husband Obed Gaines went west to Black Hawk County, Iowa in 1854. Leydia and Obed’s son William had a daughter Mary Ella Gaines who married James Miller in Waverly, Iowa. Their son William married Lola and they were the parents of Faber Miller born 1905.

John Connable is buried at Old Cemetery in Bernardston, Massachusetts. His headstone still stands, it’s faded, with this inscription ‘Death is a sweet sonorous sound To those who have salvation found, It wafts them to the courts of bliss, Where all is joy and happiness’.

Sources

Phebe McNeil b. 1789

/ Kirstin Miller

Phebe McNeil 5th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Phebe was born March 12, 1789 in Fayette, Kentucky. Her parents were Jonathan and Jane McCord McNeil both of Virginia. They married in Botetourt County, VA in between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, then moved 300 miles west to Kentucky. Phebe McNeil and her siblings were all born in Knox County, Kentucky. Knox County is about 8 miles south of the Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic Site. The historical site has a replica of a cabin built around 1790, the type of cabin Phebe and her family would have lived in. After they cut down trees, made lumber and built it. Phebe is the only one of her family who left the area, all siblings stayed in Knox County, married and had families.

Original 1790s log house

In Knox County, Phebe married Elbert Howard on October 24, 1811. Phebe and Elbert had 1 daughter and 2 sons born in Kentucky. By 1820 they had moved to Lawrence, Indiana where Elbert’s older sister Elizabeth and her family were living.

Phoebe died in June 1826 she was about 40 years old. She’s buried at Old Shiloh Cemetery in Lawrence, Indiana. At the same cemetery are Elizabeth Howard Evans and her family. Elbert, after Phebe’s death moved his family to Lake Illinois and married again. Elbert’s daughter Polly married Benjamin Swain, their daughter Sarah went to Iowa where she married William Gaines and had a daughter Mary who married JD Miller, their son William is the dad of Faber Miller.

Sources

Abraham Bair b. 1784

/ Kirstin Miller

Abraham Bair 5th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Abraham Bair, born 1784, in Adams, Pennsylvania was the oldest son of Jacob and Barbara Bair who were probably 2nd generation German Americans. By 1810 Abraham was 22 years old and with his family had moved west to Ohio, a state for 7 years, since 1803. On March 31, 1812 Abraham married Elizabeth Harter. A family history book states this was the first marriage in Stark, Ohio. “Tradition says the marriage ceremony of the first couple was: You bromis to take te voman you holt by te hant to pe your vife, and tat you will shtick to her through hell-fire und dunder? Den I bronounce you man and voman, by Got!!,”

Abraham fought in the War of 1812, his pension records show he fought with the Ohio Militia in Captain James Downing’s Company. Abraham and Elizabeth had at least 7 children and lived on a farm. They grew clover, corn, hay, hemp, oats, wheat; produced butter, honey, milk; raised bees, bulls, cows, geese, hens, horses, pigs, sheep.

Bair, Abraham will

Abraham’s 1829 inventory, partial from his estate

Abraham died at age 45 in 1830. His will was dated September 5, 1829. Brother in law Jacob Harter was the administrator. Abraham’s inventory included 2 iron kettles and a Dutch oven, barrels, a weavers loom and gears, a spinning wheel, a plough, a wagon saddle and sheepskin, a black mare, a bay horse, walnut and poplar boards, Dresden ware and a wooden clock with case. The will is several handwritten pages. In 1833 Abraham’s town lot was offered for sale, his children who were still minors, had Abraham’s brothers and brother in laws as guardians, estate managers.
Sources

  • War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 at Ancestry
  • Ohio Repository, The (Canton, Ohio) 1833 May 17 at Ancestry
  • Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998 at Ancestry
  • Ohio county marriages 1789-2013 database at FamilySearch
  • Notes on the Bowman, Harter and Sauer families at FamilySearch