06th

Julius Howard and Susanna Moss b. 1760

/ Kirstin Miller

2020 March 13 Julius Howard and Susanna Moss, 6th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree

Julius Howard and Susanna Moss were born between 1756-60. Julius was probably born in North Carolina, Susanna was probably born in Virginia. They married around 1780 and had 11 children.

Julius’s dad John died in 1772, John Howard’s will put Julius in charge of the estate, “This is an inventory of the good and chattels of the estate of Joh Howard … returned by Elisha Simms & Julius Howard his executors on 4th and ordered to be recorded.

Early records of Georgia, Wilkes County book, PDF at FamilySearch

Julius Howard is on more records, it’s likely there was more than one Julius Howard in the area at the time. A 1784 Revolutionary War land deed could be for Julius, showing he fought with Georgia in the war. A 1787 land deed is more certain with Susanna Moss Howard and a William Moss, on the record. A 1790 Georgia tax record is more certain, Julius paid taxes on 1550 acres of land in Wilkes County.

The US census records are definite and show Julius, Susanna and family in 1810 in Knox, Kentucky and in Lawrence, Indiana in 1820. Two Howard children married a ‘McNeil’. Elbert married Phebe McNeil, Drucilla married James McNeil. Howard children lived in Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri. Elbert Howard is the 3rd great grandpa of Faber Miller and was in Floyd County, Iowa by 1855 in a tiny town called Howardville.

Sources

  • Parents ? Boston Evening Transcript: Genealogy Pages, 1911-1940.
  • John Howard’s will, North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979 at FamilySearch
  • Early records of Georgia, Wilkes County book, PDF at FamilySearch
  • US Census 1810 and 1820 at FamilySearch
  • Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants at Ancestry

Samuel Connable b. 1717

/ Kirstin Miller

Samuel Connable 6th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Samuel Connable was born April 7, 1717 in Boston, Massachusetts and died December 3, 1796 in Bernardston, Massachusetts. His parents were Samuel and Mary Wilson Connable and he was the 2nd generation of his family born in America, his grandparents came from England. Samuel married Mary English in 1740, they had 2 sons, 5 daughters and stayed in Bernardston.

Samuel was an inventor, engineer, mechanic and bridge, church and mill builder. Books of family and local history state that Samuel invented a method to pull maple syrup from trees, “The process in Bernardston … a large tree, they box it … prepare a trough extending from the trunk … obtained thirty gallons in a day … produces a sugar equal to the Jamaica sugar, as pleasant to the taste; and the makers insist that it is as medicinal”.

The annual register, or, a view of the history at HathiTrust

Samuel designed and built in Bernardston the meeting house, his house which ‘shows the ingenuity of the builder’; first bridge ‘in 1741 over Fall River, another in 1750, one in 1760 over the river at the saw mill’. He was a private in the Lexington Alarm (Paul Revere’s ride) and took care of his sisters when their husbands were away at war, “At the blockade in Boston Mr. Connable went to get his sisters”.

Samuel was a widow in 1791. He died in 1797. Samuel and Mary are buried at Old Cemetery in Bernardston, Franklin County, Massachusetts. Their spectacular hand carved headstones are still right there.

Sources

Anna Maria Fuchs b. 1743

/ Kirstin Miller

Anna Maria Fuchs was the 6th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Anna was born on January 1, 1743 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Her grandparents came to America from Germany. Anna was baptized in the Lutheran church of Berks County. On the record, “Fuchs, Anna Maria, b. Jan. 1, 1743; bap. Jan. 15, 1743. Sponsors, John Nicolaus Holder and wife.”

Anna’s dad Jacob Fuchs of Northkill is on the record and 2 of her sisters have the same record. Northkill, Pennsylvania was the 1st official Amish settlement in America, established in 1740 by Swiss and German Protestant Amish immigrants. Followers of Jakob Ammann, they rejected ‘modern technology’ and respected simplicity, practiced pacifism. Anna’s dad was from Northkill, possibly his religion was Amish then at his marriage he joined the Lutherans.

Anna married John Kryder around 1760 and they had 2 sons and 3 daughters. Anna was a widow at age 60 and lived 18 more years. Both Anna and John are buried at Aaronsburg Reformed Cemetery in Aaronsburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Sources

Jonathan Rawson and Bathsheba Tracy b. 1749

/ Kirstin Miller

Jonathan Rawson and Bathsheba Tracy, 6th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Jonathan Rawson was born March 15, 1749 in Mendon, Massachusetts.  Bathsheba Tracy was born  27 April 1752 in Preston, Connecticut. Jonathan and Bathsheba married on January 1, 1772 in Preston. They had three sons and three daughters born from 1773 to 1788. Jonathan is said to be a private in the American Revolution but there aren’t any records to prove this, only ‘REV WAR’ inscribed on his and Bathsheba’s headstones. Jonathan and Bathsheba joined their sons Solomon and William in Lyndon New York where, “The first settlement was made in 1808 by Solomon Rawson and his brother William. They came with their wives from Pennsylvania.” William ran a tavern, Solomon was a deacon of the church. “Rawson is[was] a postal hamlet near the northeast corner of the town, lying partly in Allegany county. It derives its name from Lyndon’s pioneer. Solomon Rawson.”

Bathsheba and Jonathan died around 1827 and both are buried at  Rawson Cemetery, next to Rawson Church  in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The cemetery is also known as Lyndon Cemetery and on the county line between Allegany and Cattaraugus counties. On Google maps the address is Rawson Rd, Cuba, NY 14727.

Rawson cemetery and church via Google maps https://goo.gl/maps/8TuXzSfb3N9AsTnp9

The Rawson family came to America from England in the 1630s, On my maternal side Francis Tracy married Elizabeth Parrish, their son Isaac Tracy married Mehitable Rude, their daughter Bathsheba Tracy married Jonathan Rawson their daughter Margaret married Joseph Benight, their daughter Clementina married Dexter Angell, their daughter Delia married William Flood, their daughter Matilda married Richard Mockford their daughter Philippa married Harve Speedy and had a daughter Elizabeth Speedy who married Stanley Roose, my grandparents.

The Tracy family came to America in the 1630s too. On my paternal side Jonathan Tracy married Mary Griswold, their son Christopher married Lydia Parrish, their daughter Deborah Tracy married David Dewey, their son David married Sarah Witter, their daughter Sarah married John Connable whose daughter Lydia married Obed Gaines, whose son William married Sarah Swain, their daughter Mary Ella married James Miller their son William is the dad of Faber Miller who married Gladys Cable, my grandparents

Sources

Mary English b. 1715

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary English 6th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Mary English was born December 29, 1715 in New Haven, Connecticut. Her parents were Benjamin and Rebecca Brown English and she was a middle child of 8. Her grandparents came to America in the mid 1600s  her 2nd great grandpas Peter Bulkeley and John Jones were two of the first pastors in the new world. A disagreement between the pastors brought Mary and her family to Connecticut, “The trials and discouragements at Concord (Peter Bulkeley’s church) continued, and in 1644 Mr. Jones and several families removed to Fairfield. Conn. With them went Mr. Bulkeley’s sons, Thomas (Mary’s great grandpa) and Daniel, the former married to a daughter of Mr. Jones (Mary great grandma).”

In New Haven, CT 1740 Mary married Samuel Connable. There is a family story in a published genealogy that Mary’s robin egg blue wedding dress was still preserved by family members in 1886. Another family story tells that Mary and Samuel left for their new home in Fall Town, Massachusetts they rode together, shared the same horse, Mary carrying a bag of housewares. The stories may or may not be true but were shared through the generations then published in 1886.

Map via Genealogical memoir of the Cunnabell … at HathiTrust

Mary lived to age 86, she died a few years before Samuel. They’re buried in Bernardston nearby where they lived. Their headstones are still right there. Near Old Cemetery is Charity Farm, gifted to the city in the 1830s as “source of income to assist the industrious and deserving poor”. In Mary and Samuel’s time the area was Bald (Ball) Mountain today Bald Mountain Rd goes from Old Cemetery to Charity Farms, now a public park, dogs welcome, with walking trails and fantastic views.

Charity Farms via http://www.townofbernardston.org/index.php/8-uncategorised/52-charity-farm

Sources, free sources linked

William Crooks and Mary Weir b. 1715

/ Kirstin Miller

William Crooks and Mary Weir 6th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

William and Mary were born around 1715 probably in Pennsylvania. Names of their parents and their home country are unknown, they may have been born in America.  They  married on November 18, 1736 in Philadelphia at the First Presbyterian Church. They had 8 children and the family lived on a farm. Mary Weir has only her marriage record, nothing else. William’s records include a list of founders of Springfield Township in 1743, Bucks County, PA “Immigrants came rapidly into the township during the first years of its settlement, for we have the names of over thirty, probably all heads of families, who were living there, 1743, German and English: James Green, Stephen Twining, William Crooks, …”

William has several  ‘Pennsylvania Land Warrants’ showing acres of Pennsylvania land purchased at 15 pounds per acre in the mid 1700s. 15 ponds in 2020 is about $4000.

William’s will, Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999

William wrote his will in December of 1776 at age 61.  He died soon after. His will mentions wife Mary, sons Henry, Thomas and Robert, daughters Rosanne, Jeannette, Mary and Margaret, grandsons William Crooks and James Dagle. Widow Mary and son Henry are overseers of the will. William had called Mr. William Hopkins to come and help write the will. Hopkins got to William’s home and found William ‘sitting up in a chair and smoking his pipe’ and of sound mind and memory.  William died in 1776 or 77, Mary died about 4 years later.

Henry, overseer of the will, had a son Andrew whose daughter Elizabeth Crooks married William Stewart. Elizabeth and William travelled west to Shell Rock, Iowa where their youngest Elizabeth Margaret Stewart married Manford Speedy: dad of Harve, grandpa of Elizabeth Speedy.

Sources

  • Marriage, U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry
  • Pennsylvania, Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952 at Ancestry
  • William’s will, Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999 at Ancestry
  • History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania at HathiTrust
  • Church photo, High Street, with the First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia at Presbyterian Historical Society

David Gaines and Prudence Risley b. 1732

/ Kirstin Miller

David Gaines and Prudence Risley 6th great parents on RoostMagic tree

David Gaines was born on June 25, 1732 in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Prudence Risley was born September 26, 1735 in the same place. The Gaines family had been in America since 1637, the Risley family since 1633, both families arrived from England.

David  married Prudence in 1754 in Glastonbury, CT. They had 5 sons and 2 daughters, the family moved north from Glastonbury, Connecticut to Northfield, Massachusetts to Guilford, Vermont.  Guilford is on the Vermont and Massachusetts border, southern Vermont in between … Sweet Pond and Satan’s Kingdom … One source states the Gaines farm was “near the state line”.  Guilford was the biggest town in Vermont from 1791-1820, today it’s population is about 2000.

David’s dad Nathaniel died in 1755 David and his brothers inherited land, David signed the will. The Gaines family was on the 1790 US Federal Census, the first federal census. The 2020 US Census was the 24th, run every 10 years.  On this first census one name, the head of house is recorded. Others in the house were recorded by age and gender. In the snapshot column 1 is males 16 and older,  column 2 males younger than 16, column 3 is all females.  David Gaines is 2nd in the snapshot, Joseph Gaines is at the bottom. 

Sons David and Joseph each married a Tubbs sister. David married Elizabeth, Joseph married Abigail Tubbs. Joseph and Abigail’s son Obed Gaines went west to Iowa where his granddaughter Mary Ella Gaines married James Miller, they’re the grandparents of Faber Miller, my grandpa.

David died July 31, 1813 and Prudence died April 15 1816. They are buried in Maplehurst Cemetery in Guilford- with matching headstones. Gaines family burials are 32 of the 235 burials in this small country cemetery.

Sources

  • 1790 United States census at FamilySearch.org
  • Find a grave memorials 21747459 and 21747457
  • The New England historical and genealogical register 1931 Volume 85
  • Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954 at FamilySearch.org
  • Guilford , Vermont map at Google

Andrew Howlett and Margaret b. 1726

/ Kirstin Miller

Andrew Howlett and Margaret 6th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Andrew Howlett was born around 1726. Margaret  -last name unknown, was born around the same time. Both their birthplaces, their parents names aren’t known. Andrew and Margaret  married in 1747 and had 2 sons and 5 daughters, all born in Maryland. It’s likely Andrew fought in the American Revolution. In 1778 he, son James and son in law Henry Crooks all pledged an Oath of Fidelity. At that time men over 16 were required to take this oath, pledging their loyalties to America and not to the King of England. 

Oath of Fidelity and Support
“I do sware I do not hold myself bound to yield any Allegience or obedience to the King of Great Britain his heirs or Successors and that I will be true and faithful to the State of Maryland and will to the utmost of my power, Support maintain and defend the Freedom and Independence thereof and the Government as now established against all open enemies and secret and traterous Conspriaces and will use my utmost endeavours to disclose and make known to the Governor or some one of the Judges or Justices thereof all Treasons or Treaterous Consperaces, attempts or Combinations against this State or the Government thereof which may come to my Knowledge so help me God.”

Andrew and family are on the 1790 US census in Harford County, Maryland, a family of six. In 1800, same location, with a family of seven.  Andrew made two land purchases in 1774: 15 acres which he named Howlett’s Triangle and 60 acres named Howlett’s Ambition.  In 1776 the Howletts lived in an area called Broad Creek Hundred- total population in 1776 was 342 people. An 1803 court record mentions the road “from William Ashmore’s mill for three or four miles towards the Pennsylvania line, near to the dwelling-house of a certain Andrew Howlett, has been found to be convenient and useful to the public”. The court ordered the road on Andrew’s farm be kept up, in good repair for the people.

Margaret died before April 30, 1809 when Andrew wrote his will. Youngest son John got all the lands. Andrew left his daughter and granddaughters money. John Howlett and son in law George Leamon were executors, the will was settled in 1810. Andrew’s inventory included 1 male slave, 17 years old, there in Maryland in 1810.

Sources

Elizabeth Hibshman b. 1740

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth Hibshman 6th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Elizabeth Hibshman was born around  1740 in Ephrata, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Her parents John and Anna were both recent immigrants from Switzerland.  Elizabeth’s  brothers Henrich and Wendell both fought in the American Revolution.

Elizabeth married Conrad Meinzer and they had 4 daughters and 3 sons, all baptized at the local Lutheran church. They farmed and by 1789 owned – and paid taxes on  200 acres of land, 2 horses and 3 cows.

Elizabeth was a widow in 1781, her husband Conrad’s will names Elizabeth and each of their children “From said income my wife shall educate my children. My sons shall be obedient to their mother but each of said sons shall be free of his mother when fourteen years of age provided he intends to learn a trade. I order that in four weeks after my death all my personal estate shall be sold except my bed, a wardrobe, the best cow which I bequeath to my wife.” 

Pennsylvania, U.S., Compiled Marriage Records, 1700-1821 at Ancestry

On October 7, 1783 Elizabeth married Peter Zeller, they stayed in the area of Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth and Conrad’s daughter Fronica married Mathias Druckenbrod, whose son Samuel married Maria Menser and went to Ohio in 1850 and  they had a son Samuel. This son Samuel married Elizabeth Bair and their daughter Fiana in 1875, in Ohio married William Miller. William and Fiana moved to Bremer County, Iowa near Waverly.

Sources

  • Biographical Annals of Lebanon County at HathiTrust
  • Pennsylvania, U.S., Compiled Marriage Records, 1700-1821 at Ancestry
  • Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 at Ancestry
  • Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Ancestry
  • Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993

George Harter b. 1764

/ Kirstin Miller

George Harter 6th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

George Harter, also known as John George, was born June 3, 1764 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His parents Mathias Harter and Anna Schuler were born in Pennsylvania too, their ancestors were from Germany.

George married Elizabeth Bowman around 1790 in Pennsylvania. George and Elizabeth had 9 kids. George farmed and inherited farm land from his dad and from his father in law Abraham Bowman. “Early in the spring of 1806 the family of George Harter started from Beaver [Township, PA] in a six-horse wagon for their new home in Ohio”. They traveled 325 miles west to Stark County, Ohio.

The Harter, Bowman, Bair, Druckenbrod and Miller families moved together from Pennsylvania to Ohio with thousands of other families as the American west opened up. Ohio was a state in 1803, George and family arrived 3 years later. In 1809 the first election was held on the first Monday in April at the house of George Harter in Stark County. George Harter was a Jacksonian Democrat, he wanted equal protection for all [all circa 1809], no ‘moneyed aristocracy’, and supported the community’s goals over an individual’s goals.

George Harter’s inventory 1833

George Harter died June 7, 1833 in Stark County. His wife lived 30 more years. George Harter’s estate was settled Monday August 5, 1833. There’s a five page record with an inventory, debts owed to George Harter and items sold at auction. The inventory included: a mantle clock, a German Bible, an atlas of geography, 1 lot of books, a looking glass, 4 forks, 1 windmill, a black mare and a side saddle.

Sources