Henss

Robert Rich Henss Family

Oct 28, 2011

John Hall c. 1732 – 1794

Mark Rabideau / Active Research, Henss / Hall, Johnson, Minor, Musgrove, Owen / 0 Comment

This page is under development; research is on-going

Note: additional source materials are currently being sought.

The Grandfathers

Vol.I, The Hall and Overstreet Families
Carrol Carman Hall, Springfield, IL, 1981

Section I

Chapter 3, Page 19
From his will of 1794

John Hall c. 1732 – 1794

Miller on Rockcastle Creek

It is common among Hall family searchers to say with a great deal of respect, ‘Our John Hall.’ This is the way they distinguish him from the numerous John Halls they meet with in their researches, within or outside the immediate family. Well, he was ‘quite a man.’ But — we are not descended from him. We are descended from his brother, Hezekiah, who is discussed later in this section. +We are including a section on John Hall because after the death of his father, William, in 1757 at the hands of the Cherokees, John became the head of the family. He is also included because he became the progenitor of many of ‘Our Southern Cousins’, also to be discussed in a subsequent chapter. John spent his life in Bedford county, Virginia and most of his descendants remained there – some to be found there two and half centuries later.

A serious error was made in establishing the family line by earlier researchers, an error the present writer hopes to correct. These family line seekers confused two Hezekiahs: John’s brother and John’s son. We are descended from Hezekiah, the brother not Hezekiah the son. These searchers used John’s Will of 1794 in which the name Hezekiah (his son) appeared; thus, the error.

Hearing

We first meet John testifying at the hearing held in Bedford county in connection with the death of his father, William. The hearing had been called by the authorities at Williamsburg to gather the facts of the incidents associated with the death of William Hall. It was held near the scene of the slaying. From the report of the hearing we can establish some important dates.

The hearing placed the first Indian engagement which led to the death of William as May 1, 1757 – thus, establishing a death date for the slaying of John’s father. It was recorded that John was about twenty-five years of age. He was likely a year or so younger, but we can establish an approximate birth year for him, c. 1732. His Will was made in 1794 and he died in the same year.

John’s sixty-odd years of life covered the colonial period, the French and Indian Wars, the years of American Revolution, and he lived just long enough to see the movement of settlers surge to the westward. Prior to his death he had made a Kentucky trip to see for himself what was going on. Although most of his own family never left Virginia: his grandsons and daughters moved out of Virginia going south and west.

Change

John Hall lived long enough to experience vast changes in Virginia’s governmental, religious and social systems. The church was to be completely separated from the state; the frontier religions were to become powerful forces in his own family and in the area where he lived. Methodism took a strong hold. The Baptist sect found many adherents.

Many formerly appointed government offices now became to be held by elected not chosen representatives. A new nation had been born and Virginia which had played such an important role in its forming was to furnish a great list of national leaders. Already, the great war time general, Washington, had been selected as the first President of the struggling United States.

John Hall survived the Indian Wars, the ‘alarms and excursions’ of the Revolution and lived through the various political and economic changes. During his relatively long life, he married, raised a family, dealt in land, operated a mill, and became involved in the institution of slavery.

Family

In his Will he calls his wife, Magdalene, and her maiden name has been reasonably well established as Smith – her mother was an Evans. Her line of descent appears to be through the Smith family of Quakers who pioneered in Bedford county and for whom Smith Mountain and Smith Lake were named. ++ John and Magdalene +++ had seven children to live to adulthood: five boys and two girls. There names were: John, William, Matthew, Jesse, Hezekiah, Elisha, Tabitha, and Keziah. A son David was killed as a youth at the mill.

(John’s son, Matthew, in making a deposition in 1845 for a Revolutionary War veteran, refers to his father dying in 1794 and also gives his own age as 78. This becomes one of the best date fixing bits of information about this family. In the same deposition, Matthew also refers to his father taking a trip to the west.)

Soon after his father’s death in 1757, John became the head of the family by the legal system of ‘primogeniture’; then operating in Virginia, as result of the colony’s English inheritance. By this system he inherited all his father’s property, the younger brothers and sisters getting nothing. As was the custom, he placed his younger brothers and sisters (Hezekiah was an exception) under the courts and they were called ‘orphans.’ In turn, they were placed in other homes – more on this later. The inventory of his father’s estate was made in 1759 but the final settlement was not completed until ten years later, 1769.

Business

How good was John’s management?

The final settlement indicated that the value of the estate had risen to 189 pounds, five shillings, 5 1/2 pence: John had paid out twenty-four pounds, five shillings and ten pence to settle the debts of his father. The faded records indicate that ‘by Sail of the Estate’ and the collection of some monies owed it, the original inventory of William Hall’s property was met within the amount of one pound.

Those listed as creditors paid up, although it took them four years to do it. In paying nearly 25 pounds all the estate’s accounts were cleared. No doubt, the cash represented in the estate paid the taxes: while the land itself would be productive in livestock and crops to provide the family subsistence.

John’s start in life would be real estate owned by his father, which would include a homestead. On this basis he participated in a series of land transactions in the upper Rock Castle Creek area and in neighboring parts of Bedford county. Not only did he buy and sell on his own account, but he arranged property transactions for his sons.

Real Estate

There may have been early estate problems as his father’s titles may not have been valid. While early Hall researchers spoke of ‘crown’ grants to William Hall, no record has been found. It appears that he bought lands that had been granted to the famous Randolph family and these transactions were handled through their land agent — Richard Stith. Years later, after John’s death, there appears a law suit by two of his older sons, Willaim and John, over the title of the original land obtained through Stith.

While it is difficult to sort out the numerous John Halls in early Bedford county history, it does appear that the John Hall under discussion, did enter several land transactions both to increase his holdings on Rockcastle Creek and some for speculation as land values increased following the Revolution. He did end up with several hundred acres of land. This land remained in the family for several generations and can be traced through the estates of his descendants.

In an instance or two he made a tidy profit on his land deals. In other words, he appears to be a shrewd business man. In other instances, he literally traded land, not making a profit, but rather gaining land where he wanted it. Apparently, he did assist his brother Hezekiah in obtaining land, as he guaranteed the payment for the Back Creek land on which Hezekiah spent his life. There appears no assistance for his younger brothers. It is likely he helped his sons in getting started as he gave them nominal property in his Will. Only his sons, Matthew and Elisha are given land at his death and this land was the Rockcastle Creek property.

As a miller, he did have access to additional income and/or the obtaining of the miller’s ‘tare’ for grain as foodstuffs for his family and animals. The Mill was an important item in his own estate in 1794. ++++

Neighbor

One measure of a man is his participation in the business affairs of his neighbors. From the abstracts of Wills, Inventories and Accounts for Bedford county, Virginia, 1754 – 1787 we get a fragmentary view of his activities.

At the settlement of the Mathew Talbot estate in 1763, John is listed as a creditor. (Talbot ranked high in the county.) On November 28, 1774, John Hall was one of the appraisers of the estate of Richard Cundiff. On the same date, he with other appointed officials, sold livestock to provide Mrs. Cundiff with cash for settling her affairs.

June 26, 1775 he was one of the appraisers of the estate of Ann Creel. Ann was related to the Cundiffs’. The Cundiff family were long-time neighbors of the Halls’ in the Rockcastle Creek vicinity. John Hall’s name is found on the tax rolls of Bedford county and from them we learn of the land he owned, something about his family and his general status as a pioneer in the area. He was, indeed, a substantial yeoman – a man of standing in his end of the country.

War

During the French and Indian Wars of the colonial period, John Hall is honored as a member of the militia. For his services he was paid for being both an active combatant and for furnishing supplies.

At the time of the Revolution he was a middle-aged man. Men of his age usually did not participate in active military units. If called for the militia, he could substitute one of his older sons. See: Bedford County, Virginia in the Revolution.

There is in existence several John Hall records of furnishing supplies for the Revolution. Since there was more than one John Hall in the county, it is difficult to determine to whom the records apply. There is one that is generally accepted in the family as applying to ‘our John Hall.’

Record

From the Bedford county order book, 1774-82, page 355, the following is obtained:

‘At a Court held for Bedford county, May 27th, 1782, at the House of David Wright.

“John Hall pvd. That he furnished ye sd Comr. 50 lb Bacon for which he is all’d 7 ½ d pr. lb.’

Since he was a prosperous man, he likely made other such contributions to the War. His sons, as a group, were too young to be active particpants. *

Will

For a good number of years, copies of John Hall’s Will have circulated among those who thought they were his descendants. Although, as previously explained, the Hall – Overstreet group are not his direct line, the Will is reproduced here as it contains some interesting side-lights on the basic family of his brother Hezekiah.

Test of Will

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN May 10th, 1794, I John Hall of Bedford County and State of Virginia being weak in body but of Perfect mind and memory thanks be to God for the same but calling to mind the mortality of men & knowing that it appointed to all men once to die, do make and Ordain this my Last Will & Testament. (Viz) in the manner & form as followeth Princepally & first of all I give & recommend my soul to God that First give it a being, & and my body to the earth from whence it was taken to be buried in decent form and that at the Discretion of my executors nothing doubting but but that I shall receive it again by the mighty Power of God at the General Resurrection and as Touching such Worldley Estate as the Lord hath blest me with in this life I give Demise & Dispose of the same in the following manner & form; first I give & bequeath unto my beloved wife Magdalane Hall all my negroes that I possess. (to wit) Jamis Patt Jude frank Joe Bitte Patt Pegge as long as she lives & at her death I give & bequeath unto my son Marthew Hall a Negroe Man James and a Negroe Woman named Patt, Item I give unto my son William Hall a Negro man named Joe. Item I give unto my son Elisha Hall a Negroe Wooman named Judge and a Negro man named Frank. Item I give unto my son Jesse Hall one feather bed & Cow & Calf. Item Give unto my son Hezekiah Hall one horse & saddle & 1 cow and calf. Item I give unto my son John Hall one shilling starling and no more Item I give to my Daughter Tabitha Hall one Negroe Girl named Pegge at my wifes death Likewise one Feather bed & cow & calf. Item I give unto my Daughter Keziah Hall, one Negroe Girl named Patt at my wifes death Likewise one Feather Bed & Cow & Calf. Item I give to my Beloved wife Magdalen Hall a third part of my land as long as she lives and to fall to Mathew Hall & Elisha Hall my two sons to be divided as followeth to with Marthew Hall is to have the upper end, beginning at the old mill seat and then down the said creek to the fence & then along sd. Fence to the branch that comes down from John Owens then up the said branch to owen’s line, and then follow his Line round to the beginning. Iten I give unto my son Elisha Hall the balance of all the Land I now Possess together with the mill, and also an equal part of all my moveable property. And it is my Will & Pleasure that the rest of my moveable properties be left in the hands of my wife, that she may divide it as she sees cause – Between Hezekiah Tabitha & Keziah Hall. & Lastly I nominate & appoint my wife magdalen Hall as Executer of this my Last Will & Testament. I do hereby utterly Disanull Revoke all & every other former Testament, Will Legases bequeaths and Executors by me in any wise before named willed & bequeathed. Rattifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament.

John Hall

Signed sealed & Delivered
In the Presents of us -
William Hancock
John Hancock
John Hall, Junr.

At a Court held for Bedford County the 22nd day of September 1794 This Last Will & Testament of John Hall, Deceased was proved by oath of William Hancock & John Hancock Witnesses whose names are there unto subscribed & Ordered to be recorded.

Teste:
Ja Steptoe CBC
Will Book 2, Page 140

Discussion

Since the Will of John Hall, d. 1794, has played such a large part in the thinking of Hall – Overstreet family members, it is to be discussed at some length. Just as a measure of a man may be had from the inventory of his personal possessions, likewise some measure of a man can be had from his Will. In it we find the names of his children, the kind of property he possesses and how he wishes it to be distributed. In it he may reflect a personal attitude toward his children and his wife. Also, we may learn something of the times, as in this case the system of land measurement used by the colonials, priors to the modern system instituted under President Thomas Jefferson.

From John’s Will we definitely learn that he had a Mill on his Rockcastle Creek property. We may infer that it was a small one – possibly a grist Mill – but important for him and his family, as well as his relationship with his neighbors. The giving of the Mill to his youngest son, Elisha, insures to some extent the extension of its use for years to come. In the treatment of his sons, we note that the older ones did not receive land, but somewhat token inheritances. This may be interpreted that as they married, they may have been given land.

As for his two daughters, (they were married) at the time of his death and their husbands were expected to provide homes for them – thus, no mention of land. The personal type of things mentioned in the Will – a saddle, featherbeds, cows and calves, indicate that they still lived closed to the land and that humble possessions were still held highly in their thinking. His son, Hezekiah, is treated somewhat differently than the other boys; some family searchers believe that this son was never married. (The reader notes that the spelling of proper names and other terms reflects the lack of a disciplined language among these pioneers – their schooling was scant and erratic at best.)

Slavery

When the Will was first circulated among Hall-Overstreet descendants, the fact that slavery had existed in the Hall family came as a shock to many. Although in referring to John Hall’s group, we are referring to a ‘cousin’ family, it does bring slavery very close to home. The basic descendants who read the Will and preserved their copies of it, were mid-westerners and westerners by the time they stumbled on to this information. Their ancestors had no slaves, fought for the Union and lived in areas where slaves were virtually unknown. It should be recalled that John Hall’s immediate family and their descendants stayed in the South, moved West below the Ohio River and supported both slavery and the CSA until that issue was decided by the Civil War. See: Our Southern Cousins. Also, Slavery in the Hall Family in the appendix.

Slavery evidently came into the area where the Hall-Overstreet families in Virginia lived, between the time of William Hall, d. 1757 and John Hall, d. 1794. A change had come in the basic agriculture (tobacco at this time) and the attitudes of a people who had originally sought more personal freedom for themselves. This change was to have a profound effect during the holocaust of 1861 – 1865.

These smaller plantation operators in Bedford county (John consistently paid taxes on 650 A. of land) did not own large groups of slaves; usually from six to fifteen. We note from the Will that they are treated as personal property and in total value represented a considerable portion of the ownership. Each has a given name only and they are of both sexes. From the record we determine their ages — but some of the same names show up in the estates of John’s children many years later.

Wife

Magdalene, John’s wife, lived on after him for over thirty years. This indicates that she was a much younger woman, giving rise to some speculation that she may have been his second wife and mother of the younger children. If she had a Quaker background as indicated by her Smith line, then like many others of that persuasion, they accepted slavery when it became a social symbol and of monetary value.

Because Magdalene lived so long, it is apparent that most of the provisions of John’s Will became meaningless. If fact, her long life caused nearly all the Principal’s of his document, witnesses, etc. to also be dead. Consequently, the legality of the estate was handled through the Sherif’s office (?) and an Administrator appointed by the Court. It remained for her son-in-law, Benjamin B. Musgrove, husband of her daughter, Keziah, to handle it. Among those purchasing slaves from the estate were other family members, chiefly John’s sons who had an inherited interest in his real estate. Magdalene, because of her long life, may have been incompetent prior to her death, thus the legal entanglements.

By the time of her death, members of John’s family were scattered, having migrated to Tennessee, Mississippi and other southern areas. It is through Musgrove’s contacts with them in the estate matters that we learn more of what became of them. Surprisingly, there was considerable property yet in the estate to be dealt with. Magdalene after John’s death likely made her home with her son, Elisha, who acted as head of the family in some matters. Elisha stayed on Rockcastle Creek during all those years and was to die in 1840. The brother, Matthew, who also inherited home place property, spent some years away from Virginia, in Kentucky, but returned to spend his final years on the home place. **

Marriages

We have a partial record of the marriages of John’s children and considering the events of the years, we are, indeed, lucky in this respect. It should be remembered that the customs changed during the Revolution and John’s group came of age in the years when the colonial period was over. They lived in a back area some distance from the county seat and legal matters were handled in a casual manner. Certainly the Civil War was not inducive to record keeping, lawyers scarce and not well-informed and families not inclined to take such matters too seriously. In general, Bedford county did a relatively good job in this respect.

Summary

John Hall, d. 1794, by standards of his time was a successful man. He raised a family, he acquired land and he was a man of property. How he did this is another question. First, he inherited all his father’s property (William, d. 1757), by the systems of ‘primogeniture’ he did not have to share it with his younger brothers and sisters. Under the law of the time, they were called ‘orphans’ and by court orders placed in the homes of others. See section on: Our Southern Cousins – Part I, The family of William Hall.

He became a slave owner. In spite of his large family, he needed help both on his land and at the Mill. His energy problem was solved by the use of slave labor. In so doing, he was merely following the pattern that had developed a century earlier in Virginia. This step was to have a marked effect on his descendants.

Of his family we have only knowledge of his relationship with our ancestor and his brother, Hezekiah. It appears that Hezekiah was so near the legal age of 21, that by the time the estate of William Hall was finally settled (1769), he was not a minor and therefore not an ‘orphan.’ Since it appears that both John and Hezekiah married late, that following the death of their father, they worked together building up John’s holdings on Rockcastle Creek. Later, John was to help Hezekiah acquire his land on Back Creek.

Marriage Bond Date

***29, 1794
John Hall, d. 1794, Family
Hall, Mathew and Mary Banks ****
dau., Samuel
Levi Best, Surety
Mar. by Rev. John Ayers *****
January 1, 1795

Dec. 15, 1796
Musgrove, Benjamin B. and Kezia Hall
Dau. Magdalean
Elisha Hall, Surety
Mar. by Rev. Wm. Johnson *****
Dec. 25, 1796

27, 1797
Hall Jesse and Elizabeth Williams
John Thrasher, Surety
Mar. by Rev. Wm. Johnson
March 1, 1797

Oct. 14, 1799
Brown, Shadrack and Tabitha Hall
Dau. Magdalean
Elisha Hall, Surety
Mar. by Rev. John Ayers
Oct. 17, 1799

24, 1800
Hall, Elisha and Sarah Best
dau. Drusala
Levi Best, Surety

+ In the text he will be indicated as John Hall, d. 1794, to avoid confusing the party or parties under discussion.
++ Read more on this in the Discussion on Hezekiah Hall, 1741-1811.
+++ Her name may have been (Mary) Magdalene Smith – but appears in the records only as Magdalene, which spelled in a number of different ways.
++++ For those interested the files on this history contain more specific information on the various land transactions.
* Other John Hall items from the Bedford Order Book, 1774 – 1782.
p. 247 John Hall, 35 pounds of bacon
p. 351 John Hall, 585 pounds beef; 5 diets, 2 pecks corn.
** Estate settlement. The amounts are now recorded (1833) in dollars not English pounds. Purchases of the slaves, principally family members gave notes as cash was a scare commodity. The clerks and appraisers were paid for their work, no longer a voluntary job. The furniture and beds brought $11.50. The court-appointed administrator recived, $5.00
*** Hinshaw, Quaker Geneal. Vol. VI, Virginia
**** Only recorded Banks marriage in Hall family
***** Pioneer Methodist ministers.

Use of [the above] Text Material

COPYRIGHT. —the material in Vols. I and II of THE GRANDFATHERS is not copyrighted, except as the term is understood in common law.

Therefore, the reader(s) of these volumes is free to copy, steal and lift for his or her own personal use any of the contents. In fact, the author will feel greatly complimented if by chance anyone would read it and honored if its contents were worth borrowing without pay.

Works such as THE GRANDFATHERS are for personal satisfaction not money — although they are among the most valuable writings that can be left for future generations. They are the true histories of a people.

The material in these volumes was obtained by relentless searching, voluminous correspondence, library haunting, travel, expenditure of money and lifting from others’ works. Most of all, by the graciousness and forebearance of those who were contacted in person or by letter. The greatest factor of all was TIME of which un-godly amounts were used in its composition.

Carrol Carman Hall, Springfield, IL, USA 1981

1. Carrol Carman Hall, “The Grandfathers Hall-Overstreet Families,” The Grandfathers, n.d., http://www.illinoisancestors.org/menard/fam/ho_toc2.html#ACK.

Oct 22, 2011

William Hall 1707? – 1757

Mark Rabideau / Active Research, Henss / Hall / 0 Comment

This page is under development; research is on-going

Note: additional source materials are currently being sought.

The Immigrant Grandfather

Source: The Grandfathers

The death of William Hall on the first of May, 1757 at the hands of the Cherokee Indians, not only thrust upon John Hall, his oldest son, the responsibility of heading the family but also the settling and managing of his estate.

Many of the old-timers made their Wills on their deathbeds, but in the case of William Hall, death came suddenly and as a consequence he had no Will.

Fortunately, Bedford county which had been organized just three years prior to the fateful Spring of 1757 had established a government capable of handling probate matters. The colonial system of ‘Primogeniture’ automatically made the oldest son, John, recipient of the estate. The county Justices then appointed three citizens to make an inventory and appraisel of the personal property. In this case, the appraisers were men who had been in the fatal skirmish on the banks of the Staunton River.

Inventory

From the estate of William Hall of Bedford county, Virginia, December 29, 1758 we learn – that he had personal property estimated to be worth 147 pounds, one shilling and nine pence. Fort the times, the place and in a pioneer society this was an appreciable amount of property.

Let’s take a look at it: Here is what he owned exclusive of real estate: these are the things the family used; the livestock they owned; their crops; their tools and household furnishings. It is an intimate glimpse of pioneer life in Virginia in the mid-1700s.

author’s (Carrol Carman Hall) note: We have only incidental information about Wm.’s Real Estate. We know its location and that it was originally Randolph land, purchased through Richard Stith, a Randolph kin and land agent. This information comes from a study of his son John’s land transactions from 1758 – 1794.

AN INVENTORY of the Estate of William Hall, Dec’d, appraised December 29th, 1758. Be we the Subscribers. +

			(Pds.	Shil.	Pen.)
To	26	Head of Cattle Cur’t Money	20	16	0
To	3	Horses	16	0	0
To	1	Mare & fold	5	10	0
To	1	Horse	4	10	0
To	1	Waggon	l0	0	0
To	1	ditto and Harness	12	0	0
To	2	Mattocks	6	0
To	2	Sets of Plow Irons & Clovises	1	7	0
To	130	lbs. of Iron	2	1	0
To	2	Pair of Dung forks 1 set of fire tongs		5	0
To	a	Parcel of Old Iron		6	0
To	3	Narrow Axes		11	3
To	4	Old Sickles 2 Siths		5	0
To	a	Parcel of Carpenters Tools	1	0	0
To	5	Horse Bells	1	5	0
To	2	Rifel Guns	6	10	0
To		lot of Silver	2	12
To		Treasury Notes	19	0	0
To		a Gilt Trunk		7	0
To	11	Books		16	6
To		5 Dishes 5 Plates 3 Basons 9 Spoons	1	17	0
To		3 Knives & forks		7	0
To	1	pair of Wool Cards		1	6
To	1	Box Iron & 2 Heaters		9	0
To	l	Large Chest 1 pair Shears		6	6
To	1	Linen Wheal and Hackell		10	6
To	11	Small Hogs 1 pr Small Stillars	1	12	0
To	1	Juggs Womans Saddle & C Bridle		17	0
To	1	Feather Bed & Bolster Bedsted Cord	2	15	0
To	2	Bolsters 2 Blanketts 1 Old Bedstick one Bedstead & Cord	3	10	0
To	1	Bed Bolster & Rugg 4 Sheet Bedsted Cord	1	10	0
To	a	Parcel of Tand Leather		15	0
To	1	Looking Glass		2	6
To	3	Pots & four Pair of Hooks	1	1	6
To	1	Sifter		2	0
To	2	Piggins a Pail a Churn & an Old Tubb		10	0
To	1	Claw Hammer & an Old Jugg		3	0
To	1	Pair of Wedges & Mauldings		6	0
To	1	Powdering Set		5	0
To	a	Pair of Wheals		1	3
To	1	Set of Shomakers Tools		7	0
To	1	Mare 2 Years old Colt & 1 year old Colt	6	0	0
To	5	Cow Hides	1	3	0
To	3	Hogsheads & a Large Tubb		6	0
To	a	Parcel of oats in the Straw		10	0
To	a	Parcel of Hemp		12	0
To	25	Barrels of Corn	10	0	0
To	1	Fodder Stack		7	6
To		Hacks & Blades		15	0
To		a Grindstone		7	0
To	1	pair of Cotton Cards		3	0
To	1	Pewter Bason		1	6
To	1	Iron Bell		6	6
To	1	Old ? & tea Cups		7	6
To		Broken Hemp at ?		2	0
To	1	Shote at ?		2	0
To	1	1000 lbs of Pork	6	6	6
To	150	Weight of Tobacco	1	3	0
To	30	pd Treasury Note	147	1	9
		Due to the Estate of Wm. Bennet	7	0	0
		Due by Wm Swanson	3	5	0

Augustine Leftwhich ++)
William Verdeman ) Apprs
John Wheler )

At a Court held for Bedford County, Nov. 26th, 1759 the Inventory & appraisments Annexced were Returned & Ordered to be Record Teste Ben Howard CBC

Truly Recorded
Teste
Ben Howard CBC
Estate

There you have it! A Virginia pioneer’s personal property in the mid-1700s. Note: no slaves. This is what John Hall, d. 1794 inherited. He was not obligated to the younger family members and we do not know if his mother was living — likely not, as she would have the widow’s dower rights, of which we have no record.

In addition, John would inherit the land which became the Hall family base for the next 100 years. He was not clear in this inventory and Appraisement; he had to collect what was owed the estate and what it owed. This took a long time. The estate was not finally settled until 1769 at which time the last of the ‘orphans’ would be of legal age and/or married. There would be a possibility that John might die in the interim. His marriage – the date of which we do not know – may have been delayed because of property matters.

The writer (Carrol Carman Hall) assumes that John and his brother, Hezekiah, managed the property; possibly adding the Mill on Rockcastle Creek.

William Hall – from this estate – cannot be considered a poor man, although he would not be in the class with the Virginia gentry of that period. He would be in the yeoman class, a notch lower in the pecking order. We can only surmise that in migrating from Pennsylvania to Virginia he had to liquidate considerable property to make the move. His son, John, was getting a good start in life and as will be shown later, he proved to be a good manager and was himself a successful man in the standards of the period and in the area of Virginia in which he lived.

Family

As soon as the estate matters were under way, John following the custom of the times had to take careof his younger brothers and sisters. This he did by having them placed in foster homes. So, in 1759 they were classified as ‘orphans’ by court order. The actual obtaining of the homes was done by the church wardens. This indicates that at that point in time, the Hall family were members of the established church that dominated all affairs in the colony of Virginia — the Anglican.

From this 1759 placement of the ‘orphans’ we learn the names of the younger family members. They were:

Elisha
Charles
William
Thomas
Sarah
Rebecca
Susanna

As in all legal matters, the boys are listed first, presumably in order of their ages; then the girls are listed in order of their ages.

It is likely that John, Hezekiah and several of the younger children were born in Pennsylvania with only the very youngest being born in Virginia. If the mother was not living, she may have died during the last childbirth. +++

This group – what little is known of them – is discussed in Part I of the section titles: Our Southern Cousins, to be found later in this volume.

Brothers

John would now have to manage alone until he married; but marriage would have to be delayed. So, the author makes a bold assumption at this point. John kept his next oldest brother with him on the home place. That brother was Hezekiah, the ancestor of the Hall-Overstreet family of this history. In turn, John was to aid Hezekiah in his start in life which would be the purchase of the Back Creek property in 1762. They honored each other in the naming of their children.

+ oldest known Hall family document. The author (Carrol Carman Hall) assumes no resposiblity in identifying the articles inventoried or their spelling – nor their present-day value as antiques!

++ Augustine Lefwhich, 1712-1795, of the Va. Militia in the French and Indian Wars was father of Col. Wm Lefwhich, 1737-1820 of the Amer. Revol. – SAR genealogies of Va. Prominent Bedford family.

+++ One family researcher has suggested that Wm’s wife was a member of the Stover (Stovel) family known to have lived in the area of Pennsylvania from which Wm. supposedly migrated.

Use of [the above] Text Material

COPYRIGHT. —the material in Vols. I and II of THE GRANDFATHERS is not copyrighted, except as the term is understood in common law.

Therefore, the reader(s) of these volumes is free to copy, steal and lift for his or her own personal use any of the contents. In fact, the author will feel greatly complimented if by chance anyone would read it and honored if its contents were worth borrowing without pay.

Works such as THE GRANDFATHERS are for personal satisfaction not money — although they are among the most valuable writings that can be left for future generations. They are the true histories of a people.

The material in these volumes was obtained by relentless searching, voluminous correspondence, library haunting, travel, expenditure of money and lifting from others’ works. Most of all, by the graciousness and forebearance of those who were contacted in person or by letter. The greatest factor of all was TIME of which un-godly amounts were used in its composition.

Carrol Carman Hall, Springfield, IL, USA 1981

1. Carrol Carman Hall, “The Grandfathers Hall-Overstreet Families,” The Grandfathers, n.d., http://www.illinoisancestors.org/menard/fam/ho_toc2.html#ACK.

Oct 22, 2011

Christian and Mary (Roth) Wenger- A Brief History

Mark Rabideau / Active Research, Henss / 0 Comment

This page is under development; research is on-going

Note: additional source materials and records are currently being sought.

Christian Wenger was born 2 DEC 1799, Basel, Switzerland

Mary Roth was born 15 NOV 1807, Dornach, Switzerland

They were married 7 SEP 1830, Burgfelden, Elsass

Christian Wenger and family migrated from Germany through Basel, Switzerland to near Hamburg, Ontario in 1835. The family lived here for 9 years. In 1844 they moved to Washington Co., Iowa north of Wayland by covered wagon, stopping overnite in Chicago where they could not find a place to stay. All the clothing they owned was on their backs as their clothing had been stolen before crossing the border in Canada. Christian was in his fifties when he arrived. Many of the descendants are still in Wayland, Iowa.

For more see “The Mennonites in Iowa” by Melvin Gingrich.

Christian Wenger is buried at Joseph Sommers burying ground in Wayland, Iowa.

Aug 19, 2010

Verda Marie Rich Henss

Mark Rabideau / Henss / Allen, Eicher, Henss, Rich, Robert / 0 Comment

The following obituary was published in Mennonite Weekly Review: 8 Dec 1926 p. 7

Verda Marie Rich, wife of Paul Henss, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Rich, May 9th, 1905 near Crawfordsville, Iowa and departed this life in Wayland, Iowa, November 27, 1926 at the age of 21 years 6 months and 18 days.

Early in life she was admitted to the Eicher Mennonite Church at Noble. Her Christ-like disposition won the respect and admiration of all who knew her.

She graduated with honors from the Wayland High School with the class of ‘23.

Two years ago the mother was taken from the home after which Verda, with the help of her older sister, was untiring in her efforts to fill the place of a mother and by her sacrifice and devotion filled the vacancy remarkably well.

The young mother leaves to mourn her departure, the husband and infant son, Robert Rich, also her father, five sisters and four brothers, Edwin, Mrs. Mabel Allen Irvan, Orville, Vivian, Irene Florence, Glenn and Evelyn.

Although her years be few her sterling qualities will always remain a heritage to those whom she loved.

— Wayland News.

Jul 28, 2010

John & Isabella (Solomon) Musgrove Family- a brief history

Mark Rabideau / Civil War, Henss / Henss, Johnson, Musgrove / 0 Comment

John & Isabella (Solomon) Musgrove are in the Henss branch of our family lineage. We are in search of additional information and photos regarding John & Isabella that may be available. We are especially keen to find military information (for John’s service and death), gravestone images, marriage documentation and death certificates. Please use our contact page if you have any information to share.

John Musgrove is one of our family’s honored war dead.
He died in the service of his nation from wounds he suffered at Vicksburg, MS.

1850

The 1850 US Census finds the Musgrove family living in Livingston, Clark County, Illinois. At that time, John was a farmer age 26 living with Isabella, his wife age 21. They had two children Henry age 2 and Kesiah age 1. Their farmer real estate was estimated to be worth $500. John was reported to have been born in Ohio, Isabella in Kentucky and both children in Illinois.

1856

By 1856, the Musgrove family had moved to Marion Township in Henry County Iowa. As of the taking of the Iowa Census, they had been in Marion County for 1/4 of a year. John is reported as being 33 years old and a farmer also serving in the militia; Isabella is a 29 year old homemaker with three children:

Henry 9 years of age
Keziah age 6
Christopher age 1.

Also, now living with the family is a Miss Jane Johnson age 16 from Ireland.

1860

1860 finds that the family is prospering and growing. John now age 37 and his wife Isabel age 33 own a farm worth $2500 and have personal assets valued at $1000. Their children are now:

Henry age 13
Kesia age 11
Christopher age 6
Isabel age 3
John age 4 months

Notably Isabel (age 3) is reported to have been born in Illinois which, if true, would indicate that Isabella (the mother) was pregnant at the 1856 Iowa Census taking and she went ‘back to Illinois’ to have the baby probably in 1857.

1863

3rd Sgt. John Musgrove was killed in action on 10 Feb 1863. His remains are interred at Keokuk National Cemetery, 1701 J Street, Keokuk, IA

“John Musgrove, a member of Company H, 25th Iowa Infantry, died in the service.”[ref]ManyRoads Iowa Library see p.274. Original Text: Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Iowa, and of the Presidents of the United States. Chicago: Acme Pub., 1888. Print.[/ref]

John Musgrove “Union Army 3rd Sgt. Company H, 25th Iowa Volunteer Infantry [was] shot during Battle of Natchez, died on board a Riverboat Steamer.” Per Marcia Witt [unknown source]

Jul 28, 2010

Isaac Wade and Keziah (Musgrove) Allen- a brief history

Mark Rabideau / Henss / Allen, Henss, Musgrove, Wade / 0 Comment

Isaac W. and Keziah Allen are in our Henss family lineage. We are in search of additional information and photos regarding Keziah and Isaac Wade that may be available. We are especially keen to find gravestone images, marriage documentation and death certificates. Please use our contact page if you have any information to share.

1870

According to the 1870 US Census, Issac Allen (reportedly born in Ohio was age 25) and Keziah (reportedly born in Illinois was age 21) were living with their daughter Cora Belle Allen in Mt. Pleasant, Jefferson Township, Henry County, Iowa. Issac was earning a living as a blacksmith and Keziah was noted as Keeping house.

1880

By 1880, the family had grown. Issac (reportedly born in Iowa was said to be age 36) was now a farmer living with his wife Keziah (reportedly born in Illinois was age 30). They had 4 children living with them including:

Cora (age 11)
Ella (age 8 )
Jackson (age 4)
Bessie (age 2)

1885

In the Iowa Census of 1885 Issac W. Allen (age 40, born Ohio and a blacksmith) and his wife Keziah (age 35 born in Illinois) and their children were reported to have lived in Jefferson Township, Henry County, Iowa.

Cora Belle (age 15)
Ella (age 12)
Jackson (age 9)
Bessie (age 6)
Anna (unreadable smudge)

1900

In the 1900 US Census, Isaac and Keziah were reported as having been married for 33 years meaning they were married about 1867). At this time Issac, still a farmer, was reported to be 55 (reported to have born in Ohio in Oct. 1844) and Keziah 50 (reported to have born in Illinois in Aug. 1849). By this time, it was noted that Issac and Keziah owned their farm. They had 4 remaining children in the household including:

John J. (age 24) reported as being a farm worker
Bessie (age 22)
Anna (age 17)
Edith J (age 10)

1910

By 1910 Isaac Allen (born in Ohio and now 65) and Keziah (born Illinois and now 60) lived with two of their daughters:

Bessie (age 31)
Edith (age 20)

Isaac and Keziah continued to own and operate their farm. Keziah is reported to have had 6 children all of whom reportedly remained alive in 1910.

1914

Isaac Wade Allen died on 11 April 1914.

1920

1920 US Census reports that Keziah (age 70 and now a widow) was living with her daughter’s family including:

Son-in-law Orus P. Boshart (age 39)
Daughter Edith J. Boshart (age 39)

1925

By 1925, Keziah (age 75 and a widow) was living with her extended family in Wayland, Henry County, Iowa. The extended family included:

Son-in-law Orus P. Boshart (age 35)
Daughter Edith J. Boshart (age 35)
Grandson James O. Boshart (age 4)

Keziah owned the real estate free and clear, it was valued at $2000.

1926

Keziah Musgrove Allen died on 17 March 1926.

Jul 23, 2010

Robert & Jane (Vaughan) Owen- 1684

Mark Rabideau / Henss, Pennsylvania, Quakers / Owen, Robert / 0 Comment

Robert Owen, of Dolserau, came over in the ship Vine, of Liverpool, sailing from Dolyserre, near Dolgules, Merioneth, with his wife, Jane, son Lewis, and a servant boy and four maid servants, and arrived at Philadelphia in Sep. 1684.

He had been a Justice of the Peace at Dolserau, near Dolgelly, (and near Bala), Where he was incarcerated five years in the jail because he was a Quaker. He had been the Governor of Beaumaris, and became a Quaker about 1660. When he came over here, he settled on Duck Creek, in New Castle Co., where his son, Edward Owen, who had come over earlier, in Hugh Roberts’s party, in Nov. 1683, was then settled. Both Robert Owen and Jane, his wife, died in the next year.

They had altogether nine sons, and all were of age before 1684. Their son Lewis Owen returned to Wales to reside, but their son Dr. Griffith Owen, who bought his brother Edward Owen’s land, in the Thomas & Jones tract, Merion, remained here, and became prominent in the Province.[ref]BROWNING, CHARLES H. Welsh Settlement of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: William J. Campbell, 1912 p.160 [/ref]

Robert Owen’s history may be found in the Welsh National Library
Robert Vaughan’s history is also located in the Welsh National Library (he was the father of Jane Owen)

Jul 23, 2010

John Hall- Revolutionary Mysteries

Mark Rabideau / Help Wanted, Henss / Hall, Henss / 2 Comments

I am currently working on a portion of the Henss family and am ‘visiting’ Virginia/ Maryland at the time of the Revolutionary War. The person I am closely examining is a Mister John Hall; his wife is Mary Magdelene Smith. I just love it when the names are so incredibly unique!

So here goes, I have three mysteries!

Please use our Contact page to let me know if you have any firm data or information to help solve these!

Mystery 1

I found a document (located in the National Archives) addressed to ‘some guy’ named George Washington. [SinglePic not found]

The document is transcribed as the following in Letters to Washington and Accompanying Papers. Published by the Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Edited by Stanislaus Murray Hamilton:

Sworn to this 27th. day of August 1757 –

BALTIMORE COUNTY SS The Deposition of Thos. Hudson, taken before me the subscriber one of his Lordship’s Justices of the peace for the County aforesd. in the Province of Maryland; who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists declares. That he this Dept. was present with Mr. Nathaniel Gist & John Hall when the said John Hall was going to sign his assent to being Enlisted in his Majesties Service; That the said John hall on taking the Pen in his Hand, said I will not sign for any more than Six months, Upon which said Mr. Gist made answer, Thats what I want; (or thats what I desire) but which of those words this Dept. can’t exactly remember. That Mr. Saml. Owings a Magistrate for this County was then also present; and on the said John Hall going to sign as aforesd.–Said unto the aforesd. Nathl. Gist, this Boy is too Young; to which the said Gist made answer he was the highth of their Standard; and farther Saith not –

… before
… BUXTON GAY

A Brief Look at John’s Genealogy

The genealogy I have for John Hall and Mary Magdelene Smith is:

John Hall

b:1732 Chester, Pa.
d:1794 Bedford, Va.
m:1759 Bedford, Va.

Mary Magdelene Smith (wife)

b:1734 Bedford, Va.
d:1833 Bedford, Va.

My thoughts are that since Baltimore, Maryland is in a straight line between Chester, Pa. and Bedford, Va (and is approximately in the middle), well you get the point; this could be my John Hall.

The real question is: Does anyone have any hard information on this subject?

And..as if that were not enough, I also have the following for a John Hall (again any firm data or ideas are most appreciated).

Mystery Two

Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 18 March 1, 1781 – August 31, 1781 John Hanson to John Hall

My Dear sir Philadelphia June 4th 1782 I inclose you the two last papers-the Accounts given of the battle in west Indias are upon the whole rather unfavourable yet there are some Circumstances that render their Authenticity some what Doubtful. No official Account is yet come to hand at New York and it is reasonable to suppose if their Account be true that a Communication of a matter of Such Importance, to their Commander in Chief here would not have been so long delayed. There are other favourable Circumstances and I hope for the best, but am afraid the french have received so much damage in the Action, as will prevent the intended Attack on Jamaica at least for a time. An embarkation of Troops at New York is talked of, and a number of Transports it is said are going from thence to take of the Garrison at Charles Town. We hear nothing from Sir Guy. I very Sincerely wish you may Adopt the five per Ct Duty in the manner recommended by Congress, because I think an impost on all imported goods is a mode of Taxation the easiest that can be proposed. The Merchants in the first Instance pay, the people insensibly refund, every man pays in proportion to what he Chuses to Consume. The Extravagant man pays for his folly and the foreigners And strangers Among us are made to Contribute.
I sincerely wish you health and happiness, being my Dear sir, your friend & most humble Servt. John Hanson

RC (MdHi: Gilmor Collection).

…AND…

Mystery Three

Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 5 August 16, 1776 – December 31, 1776- Benjamin Rumsey to John Hall?

Sir (1) Joppa 19th Decr. 1776 Engaged in the Commission and the Business thereof in which we met with great Difficulties & Interruption I never attended Congress till this Day Week and should not then as the Business remained unfinished had I not heard Mr. Tilghman and Mr. Carroll had gone Home and left the Province unrepresented.(2)

When I got into Congress where I came determind to stay ’till the last Extremity, altho exceeding inconvenient to me, I found that Congress had two or three Days before that determined by the Advice of their Generals to remove from thence to Baltimore, Upon a presumption that the Enemy being possessed of the Jersey above by marching Parties opposite the City might make a push in the Night in Conjunction with the Tories and seise the Persons of the Congress, and this might have been done with great Facility as the City Militia had all marched to join General Washington.

The Enemy are posted on the Banks of the Delaware at Trentown and from thence have pushed their parties as low as Burlington and as high as Penny Town. They are commanded by General Howe who has with him it is supposed the whole Brittish Force that can be spared from their Conquests and are thought to amount to about thirteen Thousand Men.
General Washington had not when we came away above 5000 Men with the Junction of the Militia posted on the opposite Banks with forty Peices of Cannon. Genl. Lee was posted about 25 Miles in the Rear of the British Army at a place called Chattam about 3 miles from Morris Town with a large Body of Forces composed of a Detachment from the Northern Army Troops returning from Ticonderoga and encreasing daily with the Jersey Militia Numbers unknown to me but between 5000 and 12,000 from whence he has positive Orders to march and join Genl Washington very injudiciously in my Opinion but the Slowness of the coming in of the Militia in the State of Pennsylvania possibly may justify the Measure.
If the Militia would join Genl. Washington in such Numbers as to make him strong enough in Front to prevent the Enemy’s crossing Delaware and taking Philada. Lee by strong Detachments may cut off all their Supplies and destroy the British Army without striking a Blow or if they decamp expose them to two fires in Front and Rear.

My Colleagues Colo. Contee and Mr. Hanson have just parted from me after finishing our Business as far as we could to lay before your Honours and this in some Measure will account to you for my not writing.

I understood that as the Pennsylvania Militia rather moved slow the Congress had come into a Resolution to request the Militia of our State to march to the Assistance of Genl. Washington. I understood too Col. Ewing undertook voluntarily to bring them up and rode away without any written Orders; my Intelligence was from One of the Officers of our Army. You know Colo. Ewing (I presume the Congress do) and eer this or at their first setting at Baltimore You will receive a written Requisition.

I heard Mr. Chase tell Mr. Robt. Morris that all our sick, the Baggage of the Congress and even Mr. Morris’s Effects which are pretty considerable would be removed with Ease as he had wrote for Vessells to transport them but none were at the Head of Elk as I came by, at least they pressed Colo. Aquila Halls Vessell for that purpose. How Mr. Chase has transacted this whether in a public or private Capacity I cant tell, he can best answer it.

I had just received Orders from the Brigr. Genl. to give my Battallion Notice to hold itself in Readiness (If I am yet a Colo. which I doubt of from Report) and in Letters to the Officers was communicating that Intelligence when the Express brought to me your Letter directed here by the honorable John Hancock Esqr. on his Way to Baltimore. I much approve of your giving the Militia Notice to hold themselves in Readiness but I now tell you that will be totally useless without more, that they are without Arms, Blanketts many of them & Baggage Waggons with a numerous &ca. that ought to be supplied them before or on their March, and that they ought really to be better supplied than other Troops especially at this severe Season. I have advertised the 8th Battallion that if I am still their Colo. I will with the greatest alacrity do myself the Honour to march at their Head if the Province is represented without me.

A Doubt may arise with You respecting the Reason of the Tardiness of Pennsylvania. You know great Part of Philada., Bucks and Chester are Tories and the Councill of Safety of Pennsylvania have cried Wolf, Wolf two or three Times falsly to the back Counties and now the Wolf is really come they think it still a false Alarm. They are distracted too abt. the State of their Governmt., People being of various Opinions about it.
I have opened Mr. Presidents Letter (3) but shall seal and send it by Express to Baltimore to Mr. Chase who I expect by this Time is there. Seamen were much wanted and your Orders in sending the Seamen will be very agreeable to Congress. For if Philadelphia should ever be taken by some Coup de Main of the Enemy, wch. by the by a well manned Frigate will render much more difficult, there being no Ships of the Enemy in Delaware Bay, the Frigates and a great Quantity of Stores may be saved thereby.
You are also requested by me to inform Mr. President that it has not been either with my privity, Consent or Knowledge that Individuals have been applied to, that I am exceedingly sensible it rather tends to delay Business and that he and the whole Board I hope will acquit me of any Design in being Wanting in Respect to the cheif executive Power in the State, the Dignity of which I was always strenuous in supporting while I had the Honour of Seat there and still am ‘tho I have not thot I am (besides my Love for my Country), added to other Motives, actuated- by a Friendship and Esteem for the Individuals of that Board that will always induce me to treat them with the Utmost Respect, Esteem and Regard.
I am Sir, Your most humble Servt. Benjamin Rumsey

RC (MdHi).
1 Perhaps John Hall, vice president of the Maryland Council of Safety. Rumsey obviously directed this letter to a member of the council of safety and in the course of it twice mentions “Mr. President,” Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer.
2 Matthew Tilghman and Charles Carroll, Barrister, are known to have been in Philadelphia as late as December 9, the day they and Samuel Chase requested money for the removal of sick troops to Maryland. Tilghman and Carroll apparently left soon afterward, leaving only Chase and William Paca to represent Maryland, which until February 15, 1777, required the presence of three delegates to cast the state’s vote in Congress. See William Paca to the Maryland Council of Safety, December 7, 1776, note 3; and JCC, 7:111.
3 Probably the council’s December 15 letter to the Maryland delegates. See Md. Archives, 12:530-31.

Jul 23, 2010

Keziah Hall (Musgrove)

Mark Rabideau / Active Research, Henss / Hall, Musgrove, Owen / 0 Comment

This page is under development; research is on-going

Note: additional source materials are currently being sought.

Keziah Hall (Musgrove) 1782

In her father’s Will of 1794, Keziah, his youngest child, was given ‘one Negroe Girl named Patt at my wifes death Likewise one Feather Bed & Cow & Calf.’ Since her mother lived to 1833, it is problematical that she ever received her slave. She may have received the bedding and livestock as wedding presents.

Keziah, named for her aunt Keziah (Banks) Hall wife of Hezekiah, d. 1811, was married to Benjamin Barton Musgrove 15 December, 1796 at the age of 14. In spite of her youthful marriage, Keziah, according to a family descendant, ‘was quite a woman!’ She was to have a family of twelve children, to live and maintain the family ‘plantation’ for nearly a quarter-century following her husband’s death, to look after other family members and live through most of the Civil War. ^

According to one of his descendants, Benjamin B. Musgrove came to Virginia from Maryland and settled down on the Staunton River. ^^ He had a number of full brothers and sisters in Bedford county and a number of half-brothers, some of whom settled in the Shenandoah Valley. The Musgrove family for many years was prominent in the affairs at the southern edge of Bedford county and Benjamin Musgrove acquired much land, many slaves and numerous relatives through his large family.

Family

It was commonly said among the old-timers of Bedford county that, ‘the Musgroves were so doubled and twisted that you couldn’t unravel them!’ This homey reference to the family and yarn is literally true, as was revealed by this study into family as regards the Hall – Musgrove – Wilkerson – and other family combinations. As late as 1980, correspondents to the author have discovered relationships that they did not know existed. As in case of many southern families that resided for long periods of time in an isolated, rural area there were many ‘cousin’ marriages extending through the first to third generations and later. This was the result of limited contacts among the younger family members and in some cases they were made to keep ownership of properties intact in the families.

The family can be ‘unraveled’ but it takes a bit of doing. This job has been left to family descendants, which are numerous and widely scattered, although considerable numbers of them still are to be found in Virginia. Of especial interest to this volume is the fact that as time went on, descendants of the Musgrove family were marrying into the families of Keziah’s brothers, especially those of Mathew, d. 1855, and Elisha, d. 1840, because they had remained in the Rockcastle Creek area of Bedford county – the home base of the John Hall, d. 1794, family.

Musgroves

By inheritance and purchase, the Musgroves until the Civil War and for a generation or so afterwards owned large amounts of land in the Staunton River area. Farming on this bottom land was hard and frequently crops were lost in the Spring floods. The Musgrove men as a group were especially noted for their of horses and were exceptionally kind in their treatment and care of the animals. So much so, that many of their horses became blind from a diabetic condition brought about by overfeeding them with corn. One of the Musgroves’, known as “Big Ben” (Benjamin B. Musgrove Jr., 1822 – 1902), was found dead in his barn from dropsy, where he had spent many hours with his horses.

Women

In his delightful book, Cause and Effect, in which he reminisces about Bedford county, D. Claytor Brooks has this to say about the Hall – Musgrove – Wilkerson relationships:

“Up the River (the Staunton) from Anthony’s Ford — was the Musgrove land – quite a large estate.”Somewhere among the Musgroves’ land lived some Wilkersons. In those days all the Wilkerson men married Musgrove women. Someone said that the Wilkersons were lazy and the Musgroves were hard workers, so they married Musgrove women so that they would wait upon them. Be that as it may, they have become so well blended by now that there isn’t much discernible difference. There were not enough Wilkerson men to marry all the Musgrove women, so there is Musgrove blood in folks of many names around here (including mine).

“Somewhere alongside the Musgroves lived a family of Halls … the Halls owned several hundred acres across the head waters of Mill Creek …” (Mill Creek is a later name for Rockcastle Creek, possibly a tributary to the main stream.)

Patriarch

The patriarch of the group was of course, Benjamin B. Musgrove, 1774 – 1840, who had married Keziah Hall in 1796. We learn of him again in 1833. In that year Magdalene, Keziah’s mother, died and Musgrove was appointed by the Bedford county court as Executor. Being a man of property he could qualify with a proper bond. Other Hall family members were involved in the settlement and a complete record of the proceedings is in the records. Since Magdalene had lived nearly thirty years after the death of her husband, John Hall, d. 1794, the settlement was complicated.

The settlement of Musgrove’s estate which extended through the year 1842 lists fourteen slaves and we know their names and valuations placed on each of them. The total for them was about $5,000 of which slaves to the value of over $1600 were allotted to the widows dowry. There are some interesting side-lights to this procedure and they will be discussed in the section: The Hall Family and Slavery, in the appendix.

The widow, Keziah, received 137 acres of land for her share and a remaining two hundred fifty-six acres was allotted to the twelve children. All told by the sale of some land and a few of the negroes and when the expenses of probate were deducted, each of the children, as heirs, along with their mother received $397.07 each.

Family

It will be impossible to give all the known details on this family. They were deeply involved in slavery and in the Civil War – some incidents to be given in the special sections devoted to those subjects.

In order to ‘unravel’ a large chart on the family has been prepared and will be place in the files of the Illinois State Historical Library at Springfield. In addition, important correspondence by other researchers of the family will be filed.

To conclude this section the children of Benjamin B. and Keziah (Hall) Musgrove will be listed giving synoptic form some information about each of them:

The Musgrove Family of Bedford County Virginia
(compiled from marriage, estate and other legal records, family
correspondence, etc.

1. Musgrove, Christopher, 1798-1870, m.1, 1826, Elizabeth Best Jones: m.2 Harriet Ashworth. Slave story in family. Cousin marriages into the Elisha Hall family. Elisha, brother of Christopher’s mother, Keziah.
2. Musgrove, Rev. Henry, 1800-1869, m. Elizabeth Craig in 1816. Ran away from home; lived in Ohio, Ill. and Ia. Died in Ia. Cousin marriages in this family.
3. Musgrove, Magdalean, 1804 – , m. 1827 William Wilkerson. ^*^
4. Musgrove, Rebekah Hall, 1805 – , m. Hal L. Pearson, 1824
5. Musgrove, John Hall, 1806 – 1888; m. 1 Lucy Lazenby, m.2 Lucy Cunningham.
6. Musgrove, Rachel, 1808 – 1889, m. 1830, Owen Wilkerson
7. Musgrove, Keziah Stover, 1811 – 1892; m. 1828 Wm Lockett Wilkerson.
Slave story in this family. Civil War. Cousin marriages.
8. Musgrove, Minerva, 1822 – ; m. 1. 1837, Harrison W. Baker; m. 2. ________ Swain.
9. Musgrove, Benjamin B. Jr., 1822 – 1902; m. 1842, Sarah (Sally) Ann English.
10. Musgrove, Demetrious P., 1826 – 1865; m. 1846 Martha H. Watson.
11. Musgrove, Millicent, 1827 – ; m. 1, 1843, Henry B. Anthony; m. 2. Thomas Mitchell
12. Musgrove, Tabitha, 1832, ; m. 1 1836, John Sun Gill; m. 2, Parmaris English. Cousin marriage in family.

Some tracing in this family through the seventh generation from William Hall, d. 1757.

The English and Anthony families were considered by some residents of southern Bedford county as leading families – above average.

Benjamin B. Musgrove, Sr., had ancestors who fought in the American Revolution.

Elizabeth Craig, wife of Rev. Henry Musgrove was born in Germany

Typical cousin marriages – (not all accounted for)

When Dr. Hugh Brown Wilkerson, 1856-1929, son of Keziah (#7 on list married Ellen Rebecca Mount, 1859-1940, he was marrying a grand-daughter of Rev. Henry Musgrove(#2 on list.).

The marriage of Christopher Musgrove (#1 on list) to Elizabeth Best Jones was a marriage of two persons who were first cousins to the children of Elisha Hall, d. 1840. Christopher through his mother and Elizabeth or Eliza through Elisha’s wife who was a Best.

John Henry Gill, son of Tabitha Musgrove (#12 on list) married Mary Rebecca Wilkerson, daughter of Keziah Musgrove (#7 on list) he was marrying a first cousin.

Many of the Musgrove family marriages were performed by Rev. Abner Anthony. Here is what D.C. Brooks said about him in Cause and Effect, p. 19.

“Rev. Abner Anthony licensed to preach in 1826, was active 50 years until 1876 he performed his first marriage on May 28, 1827. He performed 999 ceremonies. Anthony had a large estate and owned many slaves.”

+The author thinks, but does not know, that the John Hall, Jr., was a son of a John Hall, brother to William Hall, d. 1757. In 1794, John Hall, Jr., became a licensed Baptist preacher in Bedford county and died in 1799. He was a carpenter. Our Hezekiah, d. 1811, then the oldest of the Bedford Hall clan was the Executor of John Jr.’s modest estate.
++using the order of names as given by a grandson of John, d. 1794.
+++William Hall may have lived in Franklin Co. Va. prior to 1818.
++++Other Civil War stories will be told later in this section.
+++++also Matthew
*see section on William Hall d. 1757
**From the History of the Morgan Church, Bedford Co., Va.
***James P. Marshall, a descendant, was Sheriff of Bedford Co., Va. for twenty-seven years.
****The name Elisha was the most common given name for males in all branches of the Hall family. Unless carefully noted, the name can cause much confusion in patterning out the history of the group.
*****Comments: Elisha had 10 children, one not shown, Magdalena, who may be dead in 1840. The writer believes that this is a good listing of the family in birth order, as the Commissioners likely took them in order of age. No wife is listed for Elisha, Jr., nor for Banks B. in 1840, although he is known to have married later. The names in parentheses indicate family name of respective spouses.
Only information on daughter not given land:
22 Jan 1827 Greer (Green), Jas. & Magdalena Hall
dau. Elisha
Jas. K. Shaver, Surety
Mar. by Rev. Wm. Leftwich
^and marrying off her daughters
^^he may not have lived in Maryland but his ancestors did.
^^^D.(Dabney) Claytor Brooks, Cause and Effect, Carleton Press, NYC, 1972. A Bedford county, Va., historian, visited by the author and voluminous correspondence between them. As result, he is somewhat of a clearing house for other family searchers.
^^^^At the time Brooks wrote his book, he didn’t know of the exact family relationships. Recently, he has discovered a closer relationship with the Halls in his own line – I warned him!
^^^^^The writer does not accept the 1774 birthdate for Musgrove. He thinks it was 1780. Keziah and Benjamin married – he believes – almost as children; 14 and 16 years of age respectively. Their first child was not born until two years after the marriage – unusual for those times. Using the 1774 date causes some confusion among those studying the Musgrove family line.
^*^Wilkersons related; Wm. L. and Owen – half-brothers sons of a Joseph Wilkerson. Wm. grandson of Joseph.

“Hall-Overstreet: Section VI,Chapter 21,Page 225,” http://www.illinoisancestors.org/menard/fam/ho_21.html.

Use of [the above] Text Material

COPYRIGHT. —the material in Vols. I and II of THE GRANDFATHERS is not copyrighted, except as the term is understood in common law.

Therefore, the reader(s) of these volumes is free to copy, steal and lift for his or her own personal use any of the contents. In fact, the author will feel greatly complimented if by chance anyone would read it and honored if its contents were worth borrowing without pay.

Works such as THE GRANDFATHERS are for personal satisfaction not money — although they are among the most valuable writings that can be left for future generations. They are the true histories of a people.

The material in these volumes was obtained by relentless searching, voluminous correspondence, library haunting, travel, expenditure of money and lifting from others’ works. Most of all, by the graciousness and forebearance of those who were contacted in person or by letter. The greatest factor of all was TIME of which un-godly amounts were used in its composition.

Carrol Carman Hall, Springfield, IL, USA 1981

1. Carrol Carman Hall, “The Grandfathers Hall-Overstreet Families,” The Grandfathers, n.d., http://www.illinoisancestors.org/menard/fam/ho_toc2.html#ACK.

Jul 22, 2010

25th Iowa Volunteer Infantry- Civil War

Mark Rabideau / Civil War, Henss / Musgrove / 0 Comment

What follows is a brief history of the Civil War Unit in which John Musgrove 3. Sgt. fought and died.

A brief visual tour of the Iowa 25th at Vicksburg is also available online on a National Parks website.

source

25th Regiment Infantry

Organized at Mount Pleasant and mustered in September 27, 1862. Ordered to Helena, Ark., November. Attached to District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. Missouri, to December, 1862. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, Dept. Tennessee, December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 11th Division, Right Wing 13th Army Corps, Dept. Tennessee, December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, Sherman’s Yazoo Expedition, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 15th Army Corps, Army Tennessee, to December, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 15th Corps, to April, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 15th Corps, to September, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 15th Corps, to June, 1865.

SERVICE.–Expedition from Helena to mouth of White River, November 17-24, 1862. Sherman’s Yazoo Expedition December 22, 1862, to January 2, 1863. Chickasaw Bayou December 26-28, 1862. Chickasaw Bluff December 29. Expedition to Arkansas Post, Ark., January 3-10, 1863. Assault on and capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, January 10-11. Moved to Young’s Point, La., January 17-23, and duty there until April. Expedition to Greenville, Black Bayou and Deer Creek April 2-14. Demonstration against Haines and Snyder’s Bluffs April 28-May 2. Moved to join army in rear of Vicksburg, Miss., via Richmond and Grand Gulf May 2-14. Fourteen-Mile Creek May 12-13. Jackson May 14. Siege of Vicksburg May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22, Advance on Jackson, Miss., July 5-10. Siege of Jackson July 10-17. Briar Creek near Canton July 17. Canton July 18. Duty at Big Black until September 22. Moved to Memphis, thence march to Chattanooga, Tenn., September 22-November 21. Operations on Memphis & Charleston Railroad in Alabama October 10-29. Cherokee Station October 21 and 29. Cane Creek October 26. Tuscumbia October 26-27. Battles of Chattanooga November 23-27; Lookout Mountain November 23-24; Mission Ridge November 25; Ringgold Gap, Taylor’s Ridge, November 27. March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 8. Garrison duty in Alabama until May, 1864. Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May 1 to September 8. Demonstration on Resaca May 8-13. Snake Creek Gap May 10-12. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Operations on Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Bushy Mountain June 15-17. Assault on Kenesaw June 27, Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Chattahoochie River July 6-17. Battle of Atlanta July 22. Siege of Atlanta. July 22-August 25. Ezra Chapel, Hood’s second sortie, July 28. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-30. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Pursuit of Hood into Alabama October 1-26. March to the sea November 15-December 10. Clinton November 22. Griswoldsville November 23. Statesboro December 4. Siege of Savannah December December 10-21. campaign of the Carolinas January to April, 1865. Reconnaissance to Salkehatchie River, S.C., January 25. Salkehatchie Swamps, S.C., February 3-5. South Edisto River February 9. North Edisto River February 12-13. Columbia February 15-17. Lynch’s Creek February 25-26. Battle of Bentonville, N. C., March 20-21. Occupation of Goldsboro March 24. Advance on Raleigh April 9-13. Occupation of Raleigh April 14. Bennett’s House April 26. Surrender of Johnston and his army. March to Washington, D.C., via Richmond, Va., April 29-May 20. Grand Review May 24. Mustered out June 6, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 2 officers and 63 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 207 Enlisted men by disease. Total 274.

Jul 22, 2010

Isaac & Jackson Allen Family History in 1888

Mark Rabideau / Henss / Allen, Musgrove, Wade / 0 Comment

Source[ref]ManyRoads Iowa Library see p.334 Original Text: Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Iowa, and of the Presidents of the United States. Chicago: Acme Pub., 1888. Print.[/ref] ISAAC W. ALLEN Of Henry Co., Iowa, he resides on Sect. 9, Jefferson Twp., and is engaged in farming. Jackson Allen, father of our subject, came with his family from Clarke Co., OH, in October 1846, and located in Henry County, and filed a claim upon land one mile south of where Wayland now stands. Braxton Benn had built a small cabin and for this and his claim Mr. Allen traded a span of horses. In Ohio, Jackson Allen wedded Mary Ann Wade, and eleven children were born to them in that state, two of whom were twins who died in infancy, their names being Mary A. and Julia A.; John, who is married and resides near Stockton, CA; Maria became the wife of Erastus Warren, who died in the army; Jesse, husband of Rachel Anderson is a farmer residing in Jefferson Twp.; Reece wedded Melissa J. Warren, and resides in Jefferson Twp; Ellen D. wedded J. N. Allen, now deceased, who was ex-County Clerk of Henry Co.; his widow resides in Mt. Pleasant; our subject then followed; then came Jane who died unmarried; Samantha, residing in Council Bluffs, is the wife of Edward Sayles, agent at the Union Depot in that city; Sarah E., is the widow of Dennis Warren, and Alvin S., husband of Ara Mahafsfy, resides in Wayland and was born in this county. Alvin was older than Sarah. The last three were born in Henry Co.

Jackson Allen entered 40 acres and purchased the claim mentioned. After a long lifetime spent on the farm, he sold the first purchase, and removed to Wayland. Mrs. Allen died at the age of 67, and Mr. Allen is in his 80th year. He was for several years in the early history of the county, Assessor, and Township Trustee. He was active in the erection of the M. E. Church at Wayland, of which his wife was a member. He was by birth and profession a Friend, worshiping at their church in Wayland.

Isaac Allen was born in 1844, and since age two has been a resident of Henry Co., with the exception of three years in California. He was educated, married, and has reared a family on her soil and is one of her best known men. In 1867 he married Miss Keziah Musgrove of this county. She was born and raised in Clark Co., IL. Her people have all removed from that State to KS, and her father, John Musgrove, a member of Co. H, 25th Infantry, died in the service. Reece Allen was a member of the same company and regiment, and also Erastus Warren.

Since the marriage of Isaac Allen and Miss Musgrove five children have graced their home: Cora B.; Ella M. who married C. C. Wenger, Jr.,of Wayland, Dec.8, 1887; John Jackson, Bessie I., and Anna. Mr. Allen resides on the farm 1st purchased by his father, adjoining the town of Wayland, known as the R. M. Pickle farm, and a portion of which comprises the village plat of Wayland. When a young man he learned the blacksmithing trade of M. C. McCormick & Son, and started a shop of his own in Wayland, at which trade he worked 20 years, then bought his present farm and went to farming.

Jul 15, 2010

Wenger Bros. – Wayland, Iowa

Mark Rabideau / Henss, Iowa / Allen, Eicher, Henss, Rich / 0 Comment

original source: by Dick Barton

Wenger Bros., general merchants.

The most enterprising firm of young men in the village of Wayland are the brothers, Joseph and Christian C. Wenger, both born in Washington County, Iowa, and are the two eldest sons of Christian and Elizabeth (Goldsmith) Wenger. Christian was born in Switzerland and is a son of Christian and Mary (Roth) Wenger, who emigrated from Germany to Hamburg, Canada, and thence to Washington County, Iowa, making the journey with a team passing through Chicago when that now great city was a village but a trifle larger than Wayland. Settling in 1832, in Marion Township, Washington Co., Iowa, the grandsire of our subject purchased a claim, upon which stood a small cabin and later entered the lands. This family were among the first settlers in that county, and both lived and died upon the farm which they had put in fine cultivation. His wife reached sixty, and Christian Wenger, Sr., the ripe age of eighty-three years. All their children but the three eldest were born in Canada, and came with them to Iowa, and perhaps no better family has ever settled in her boundary. We are pleased to make separate mention of each: John married Mary Ernst; Christian, father of our subject, wedded Elizabeth Goldsmith; Nicholas died unmarried; Joseph married Elizabeth Roth; Benjamin became the husband of Lena Gengerich; Annie married Christian Eicher; Mary wedded Joseph Rich; Lena wedded Christian Ernst, a brother of John’s wife; Katie became the wife of John Miller, of Davis County; and Barbara became the wife of Christian Schlatter, the proprietor of the Wayland sawmills. Under the name of Christian Wenger the further history of the family is given. His five eldest children were born in Washington County and are: Joseph, Christian, Samuel, Jacob and Lizzie, the latter the wife of Jacob Kabel. On the farm in Henry County, John, Daniel, Henry, Ella and Levi, were born. Samuel was educated at Howe’s Academy, and has taught in the public schools of this county. The two eldest sons were educated in the schools of the township, but are brilliant business men, and their retail trade is successfully managed.

In 1881 Christian C. left the farm and in 1882, in company with Benjamin Gardiner, engaged in the mercantile trade. Their new store building was erected in 1883, but prior to its completion Joseph purchased the interest of Mr. Gardiner, and the firm was changed to Wenger Bros. The firm carry a full line of general merchandise and the largest stock in the northern part of the county, their stock invoicing over $6,000. Everything is of the best, and selling goods at the lowest living profit has given these young men a trade of over $10,000 per annum, and located as they are in the midst of an excellent agricultural region, their trade is constantly increasing. They are an honor to their parents, their village and their country, and to men of such business enterprise the growth and prosperity of Henry County is due.

The wedding of Joseph, the elder member of this firm, was a brilliant affair, and was celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 27, 1887, the bride being Miss Katie, the handsome daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Henss, the veteran wagon-maker, and one of the wealthy men of Wayland. The young couple took a pleasant bridal tour, and are now cosily settled in Wayland, the birthplace of the bride, who has one of the best of husbands and a man in whom the public repose confidence.

Christian C., the younger member of the firm, but the original partner of Mr. Gardiner, is also happily married, having, on Dec. 8, 1887, been united to Miss Ella, daughter of Isaac and Keziah Allen, of Wayland, of which place she is a native. She was educated in the schools of the village, and has always been regarded as one of the brightest and best of its daughters, as her husband is known as one of its most honorable and enterprising merchants.

Jul 13, 2010

Swiss Mennonite History

Mark Rabideau / Europe, Henss, Mennonites / Martin, Robert / 0 Comment

From The European History of the Swiss Mennonites from Volhynia

Schrag, Martin H 1956

source web document
The early Anabaptists were educated and urban–but the persecution drove them from the cities and towns to the remote and relatively inaccessible highlands and mountain fringes of the fertile areas of the Canton Bern. Here they hid and persisted in spite of persecution, through the centuries to the present time. Persecution, of varying intensity, was the lot of the Swiss Anabaptists (Mennonites) until the middle of the eighteenth century. During the intense periods of persecution many, perhaps most of the Anabaptists, fled to whatever havens of refuge they could find, especially in the Germanic areas to the north and northwest of modern Switzerland. The Swiss-Volhynians were among this group.

Documentation of Swiss Origin. Documentation of the Swiss origin of the Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites is found in families that can be traced back to Switzerland, and in early records written by or about Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites.[ref]It is interesting to note that three Swiss-Volhynian family names are found in early Anabaptist records. In a listing of early Anabaptists is found one Jan Zurcher from Schaffhausen. The year is 1535, and he is listed as a city dweller (Peachy, p. 127). A Peter Stucki from Oberiesabach attended the Anabaptist debate in Bern in March, 1538. A person by the same name, possibly the same individual, was executed in Bern on April 16, 1538 (Gratz, p. 25). In July, 1531, an Anabaptist named Fluckiger reported in court that he had been baptized the previous Easter (John C. Wenger, “Martin Keninger’s Vindication of Anabaptism, 1635,” Mennonite Quarterly Review XXII:3 July, 1948, p. 180). There is no way of knowing, however, whether these men were related to the later Swiss-Volhynian families.[/ref] Mention should be made of the fact that families of interest in this study left Switzerland in the later part of the seventeenth century and the forepart of the eighteenth.

The Krehbiel family is traceable to Switzerland genealogically. Jost Crayenbuehl[ref]J.J. Krehbiel, Moundridge, Kansas, states regarding the origin of the name: “The saying about the name is this. There was a hill and lots of crows, so the hill was called Crayenbuhl.” (Letter from J.J. Krehbiel, Moundridge, Kansas, to C. Henry Smith, Newton, Kansas, March 18, 1923, and now in the Historical Library of Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio.) Variant early spelling was Krahenbuhl. The Mennonitsche Lexikon states that the Krehbiel family came from the Kirchapiel Grosshochstettern” in the Canton of Bern (“Krehbiel,” Mennonitsche Lexikon II, p. 565).[/ref], characterized as a leader in the church, lived at Zäziwil, Switzerland, near the River Aar[ref]Passport issued to a group of six individuals, February 8, 1721, by the Duchy of Wuerttemberg, J.B. Mauclar, colonel. Copied by the Russian Government, March 8, 1874. Russian copy original at Bethel College Historical Library, North Newton, Kansas See p. 42 for content of passport.[/ref]. He was located on a large hof in the immediate vicinity of Zäziwil. Three sons were born to Jost. One of these, named Peter, states that they were reared in the fear of the Lord and with much Bible teaching. They worked their fields and were not too much concerned with matters outside their immediate context. The Anabaptists living in the area met at different places on Sunday because the congregation was scattered. Nearly all of the members were farmers, with a few weavers and carpenters. Persecution came in 1670. Jost Crayenbuehl was imprisoned and mistreated. After something of a miraculous delivery from prison, he and his family left Switzerland[ref]“Nach alten Papieren und Erzaehlungen eines Grossvaters Wie die Krehbiels auf den Weierhof kamen,” 1792 (unpublished article, Bethel College Historical Library). Authenticity of information based on the fact that information in the first part of the article was recorded by Peter, the son of Jost.[/ref].

On the basis of primary sources, as recorded by the historian Mathiot, it can be asserted that the families arriving in Volhynia from the Montbeliard community in France were of Swiss origin. Mathiot states in relation to families living in the Montbeliard community, that the Fluckiger family came from Lützelfüh and Hettiswil in Bern, the Graber family from Bern (possibly Kirchdorf), the Kauffman family from Grindelwald, Bern, and the Stuckys from Kirchdorf, Diessbach, and Diemtigen[ref]The work by Mathiot is a scholarly written book, based on primary sources. Ch. Mathiot, Recherches Historioues gur les Anabaptistes de l’Ancienne Principaute de Montbeliard, d Alsace at des Regions voizines (Belfort: Mission Interieure, 1922), Annexe. See Location, p. 18[/ref]. This evidence relates family names found among Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites with explicit points in Switzerland.

Reinforcing the last paragraph, there is conclusive evidence that the Alsace and Montbeliard communities were almost entirely composed of Swiss Anabaptists and their descendants. A Catholic priest notes the coming of the Swiss Anabaptists to Alsace in 1643. (Earlier Swiss Anabaptists in Alsace had been virtually wiped out by persecution and war.) Primary sources attest to the fact that a large group arrived in Alsace in 1671[ref]Ernst H. Correll, “Alsace,” Mennonite Encyclopedia I (1953), pp. 68-70.[/ref]. The Swiss background of the two mentioned communities is commonly accepted by historians conversant with the story[ref]An example of this is Gratz, pp. 38 and 87.[/ref].

Further evidence of the Swiss origin of the Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites is to be found in early documents. In a passport issued to a group of Swiss-Volhynians (Goering, Graber, Lichti, Kaufman, and Roth) as they left Montbeliard for Poland, the group is referred to as “German-Swiss”[ref]Passport issued to a group of six individuals, February 8, 1721, by the Duchy of Wuerttemberg, J.B. Mauclar, colonel. Copied by the Russian Government, March 8, 1874. Russian copy original at Bethel College Historical Library, North Newton, Kansas See p. 42 for content of passport.[/ref]. They are referred to as ethnically Swiss. A second document giving further proof is the church book begun approximately 1810 by the Galician Mennonites soon after their arrival in Galacia from the Palatinate. In this source we find that the first settlers, although coming directly from the Palatinate, originated in Switzerland (were “aus der Schweiz abstammend.”[ref]Quotation from church book in H. Pauls, “Galizien,” Mennonitische Lexikon, ed. Christina Hege and D. Christian Neff, II (1937) pp. 29-30.[/ref])

Lastly, mention should also be made of the fact that the Anabaptist (Mennonite) communities in Alsace, Montbeliard, and the Palatinate gained very few if any new members by the conversion of their non-Anabaptist neighbors. As a matter of fact, this was forbidden by law[ref]Will be further discussed later.[/ref]. Thus, they remained “pure” in their Swiss ethnic background.

The evidence marshaled suggests the conclusion that the ancestral core of the Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites was of Swiss origin.

Swiss-Anabaptist Life. Continued persecution combined with an interpretation of Anabaptist views, especially the concept of separation from the world, resulted in significant tendencies and patterns in the religious and social life of the Swiss Anabaptists.

Robert Friedmann suggests that the initial zeal of the Anabaptist movement was spent by 1600[ref]Robert Friedmann, Mennonite Piety through the Centuries, Its Genius and Literature (Goshen, Ind.: Mennonite Historical Society, 1949), p. 11.[/ref]. A period of declining spiritual vitality and growing institutionalism is evidenced in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The aggressive spirit of early Anabaptism was changed to a quietism characterized by withdrawal from the social order, a deep loyalty to the “faith of the Fathers,” a simple Biblicism, a strong concern regarding the moral life, and an increasing inwardness of religion. These tendencies were transmitted in Mennonite communities, and influenced the Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites.

Persecution and the concept of separation from the world resulted in socio-religious communities withdrawn from the world. Generating strong primary group feelings, such communities also had the effect of fostering feelings of hostility of indifference toward those outside the community. These Mennonite communities were characterized by the qualities of integrity, industry, frugality[ref]Pannabecker, p. 68.[/ref] and simplicity in dress. Persecution drove the Anabaptists into rural areas, where farming was the chief occupation. The Mennonites continued their agricultural activities as they migrated to new communities. Some aspects of German culture was a part of the pattern since most of the Swiss Mennonites were German-Swiss. Persecution discouraged higher education and creative activity. The patterns of life became institutionalized. This community pattern was inherited and perpetuated by the Swiss-Volhynian Mennonites[ref]Peachy, p. 116; S.F. Pannabecker, “The Nineteenth Century Swiss Mennonite Immigrants and Their Adherence to the General Conference Mennonite Church,” Mennonite Quarterly Review, XXI:2 (April, 1947), p. 64.[/ref].

Life was difficult in the solitary valleys and mountain slopes of the area. Much of the work was done by hand. The Anabaptists specialized in dairying, farming, and fruit raising[ref]Pannabecker, p. 64.[/ref]. Despite many difficulties, they became outstanding farmers–pioneers in Swiss agriculture, contributing to the advancement of that science[ref]Samuel Geiser, “The Mennonites of Switzerland and France,” Mennonite Quarterly Review, XI:1 (January, 1937), p. 54[/ref].

Jul 13, 2010

Anabaptist Mennonite Tradition & Background

Mark Rabideau / Henss, ManyRoads, Mennonites / Henss, michel, Robert / 0 Comment

Much of the Robert Henss family background is rooted in Swiss and Iowa Anabaptist Mennonite traditions. Many of our forebears were active participants and members of the following congregations. [Please note that this post will be updated as more information is uncovered].

Basel-Holee (Basel Switzerland)

Basel-Holee, a Mennonite congregation with a meetinghouse at Holeestrasse 141 in Basel, Switzerland, formerly called Basel-Binningen, the Amish congregation mentioned in the article Basel. The origins of the congregation go back to the middle of the 18th century, a church book containing records of births, marriages, deaths, and baptisms (probably maintained at the request of the state) having been kept from 1777 on (with an interruption 1880-1910). Throughout its existence a majority of the families of the congregations lived on the Alsatian side of the nearby border and the congregation belonged to the Alsatian Conference. In wartime this caused considerable trouble, particularly in World War II when the Alsatian part of the congregation could not cross the border into Basel and had to meet in near-by Bourgfelden. The first meetinghouse in the village of Binningen (now incorporated in the city of Basel) was built in 1847 and continued in use until the new meetinghouse was built on the same lot in 1932. The membership remained fairly constant for several decades, with considerable losses by emigration to the near-by Mulhouse region and to the United States. The 1952 membership was 185 and 50 children; in 2009 the membership was 100. Most common family names have been Roth, Widmer, Wenger, Würgler, and Goldschmidt. Elders have included Hans Jacob Schmuckli, 1777-?; Hans Freienberg, 1787-?; Johannes Kaufmann, ca. 1800-?; Fritz Steinbrunner, ca. 1830; Hans Steinbrunner, d. ca. 1843; Johannes Kaufmann, ca. 1845; Hans Schmuckli, ca. 1860; Christian Klopfenstein, ca. 1870; Joseph Klopfenstein, d. 1878; Jacob Zimmerman; Jacob Widmer, 1874-? emigrated to America; Michel Widmer, 1893-1924; Christian Roggy, 1896-1904; Daniel Roth, -1927; Jakob Widmer, 1924-1942; Fritz Goldschmidt, 1927-; and Daniel Wenger, 1951-. In the 1950s services are held every two weeks alternating with Schänzli. The congregation has had an organized chorus since 1896. As late as 1915 it still practiced feetwashing. The Ausbund was used as hymnal until into the 20th century.

source: Goldschmidt, Fritz and Harold S. Bender. (1953). Basel-Holee (Basel Switzerland). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 July 2010, from http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/B37574.html.

Jul 13, 2010

Rev Johann Eicher II & Margaretta (Conrad) Eicher

Mark Rabideau / Henss, Iowa, Mennonites / Eicher, Martin, Rabideau, Rich / 0 Comment

The Rev. Johann (John) Eicher II, husband of Margaretta (Margaret) Conrod, was a native of Pulversheim in the Alsace and Margaret was born in Switzerland. John had charge of a Mennonite congregation in the Alsace and for many years was engaged not only in the ministry, but in farming. Not all of their children came to America; and of those who did, they came singly. First came Jacob, then John Jr., Christian, Daniel, and then Martin Benjamin. The boys were followed by a sister Annie and her husband, John W. Wittmer; Annie and John had married in Alsace before settling in Wayne County, Ohio. Jacob returned from the United States to the Alsace to marry Mary Summer, a “childhood friend”; he brought her back with him to America.

Three of the boys, after trying life first in Ohio, concluded it would be better to make their life in Canada; John, Daniel and Christian relocated to Waterloo County, Ontario. John and Christian remained in Canada for three years. Daniel Eicher stayed on for six years, and finally following his brothers to Iowa. Three of the Eicher brothers: Christian, Martin Benjamin, and Jacob located in Washington County, Iowa; and John and Daniel located in Henry County, Iowa. Martin was the only one who invested in land, doing so in 1850.

After coming to Iowa, all the sons married:

Martin wedded Barbara Roth;
Christian married Annie Wenger;
Jacob became the husband of Catherine Rich; and
Rev. Benjamin Eicher married Lydia Summers.

Johann and Margaretta remained in the Alsace (today France) with their remaining children:

Joseph, who married Elizabeth Kropf;
Fannie, wife of Jacob Summer; and
Peter, husband of Catherine Summer.

Johann Eicher II and Margaretta Conrod lived to a ripe old age, and were buried in the country that gave them birth.

edited by Mark Rabideau from the original:

Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa.Chicago: Acme Publishing Company, 1888. Evansville: Unigraphic, 1976 pp 392

Additional information obtained from: Gingerich, Melvin. “Eicher (Eichert, Eichler, Eycher) family .” Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 13 July 2010. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/E470ME.html.;

Jul 9, 2010

William Henss & Katharine Kaemmer

Mark Rabideau / Help Wanted, Henss / Henss, kaemmer / 0 Comment

William (Wilhelm) Henss and Katharine (Catharina) Kaemmer probably both came from Hesse in Germany and were born around 1830 (according to the 1900 US Census records Dec 1831 for William and Nov 1829 for Katharine) . I am looking for any historical documentation regarding their births or marriage. Photos of graves or life would be most appreciated, also.

I have a fairly well established genealogy and history for their lives in the US. They lived and loved in Wayland, Henry County Iowa. What I am most ardently attempting to establish is a clear link for them back into Germany before 1853- I have a tentative information set with which I am not completely comfortable. I do know that Katharine Kaemmer (name originally spelled as Catharina Kaemmer) came to the US from Lumda and through Bremen through port of Baltimore – all according to a metal tag on her trunk. She is reported to have come to the US in 1854 and William in 1853; both immigration dates are from US Census information.

Any help, leads or pointers are most appreciated; you may use our contact page to get in touch with me directly.

Jul 7, 2010

William & Katharine (Kämmer or Kemmer) Henss- a brief history

Mark Rabideau / Henss / Henss, kaemmer, Rich / 0 Comment

The following, incomplete, history follows the life and times of William & Katharine Henss, the founders of our US based Henss Family.

If you know of any additional history to support and expand our history, please use our contact page to share your information and/or images.

1853 & 1854

During these years William Henss (Wilhelm Henß) – 1853- and Katharine Kaemmer (Catharina Kämmer)- 1854- traveled from Hesse to the United States. We know that Katharine traveled from Lumda through Bremen to Baltimore and then Burlington, Iowa (this information is on a tag affixed to her trunk).

It is may be that William and Katharine were engaged before William departed from Germany for Iowa and that the couple had planned to meet, marry and live in Iowa as soon as William successfully established himself in the ‘new world’ (Iowa). [Historical data to support these assertions is being sourced and examined.]

It is possible that the following ship’s passage for one William Hinz (wagonmaster) aged 24 8/12 arriving in New York on 14 June 1853 is our Wilhelm Henss.

1856

In 1856, William Henss (Hense) was a blacksmith living in Jefferson, Henry County Iowa. He was 25 and had been a resident of Iowa for 3 years. (according to the 1856 Iowa Census). This likely means he emigrated to the United States about 1853.

NB. The area where William lived had its plat filed as Marshall, Iowa in 1851.

1857

William Henss and Katharine Kaemmer were married 12 Jan 1857. Their wedding record provides us with the following information:

Groom’s Name: William Heuss (note misspelling)
Groom’s Birth Date:
Groom’s Birthplace:
Groom’s Age:
Bride’s Name: Catharine Kraemer (note misspelling)
Bride’s Birth Date:
Bride’s Birthplace:
Bride’s Age:
Marriage Date: 12 Jan 1857
Marriage Place: Des Moines, Iowa
Groom’s Father’s Name:
Groom’s Mother’s Name:
Bride’s Father’s Name:
Bride’s Mother’s Name:
Groom’s Race:
Groom’s Marital Status:
Groom’s Previous Wife’s Name:
Bride’s Race:
Bride’s Marital Status:
Bride’s Previous Husband’s Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M02529-7
System Origin: Iowa-EASy
Source Film Number: 956350
Reference Number: Vol. 4 p.139
Collection: Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992

1859

By 1859, we find a Hance William, blacksmith listed in the HENRY CO, IOWA DIRECTORY 1859-60 (Watson Brown, Publisher, Burlington, Iowa).

JEFFERSON.
Town 73, Range 7.
Post Office-Marshall. ALEX. STEWART, P.M.

MARSHALL is the only village in this township. It has a population of some 250; one good church, a school house, and three stores. Is a place of considerable business. The township is timber and prairie about equally divided. The land is rich and well adapted for farming purposes.

The population of the township 803 persons.
[...] H
Hance William, blacksmith.

1860

By 1860 William, now 28, (Hens) had married Katharine (Kaemmer, age 29) and had a son Louis (age 10 months). He continued to be listed as a blacksmith and along with his family resided in Marshall, Jefferson Township, Henry County, Iowa. His real estate was valued at $400 and his personal estate at $500. At that same time they had a white domestic servant named Christina Collin (aged 10).

1863

In June of 1863, William Henss was registered on the consolidated list of all persons of Class I, subject to do military duty in the First Congressional District, State of Iowa.

William Henss Civil War Registration Record

1864

In 1864, William Henss received his US citizenship.

Name: William Henss
Year: 1864
Place: Iowa
Source Publication Code: 6015.65.85
Primary Immigrant: Henss, William
Annotation: Date of naturalization in Henry County, Iowa. Country of origin also provided.
Source Bibliography: NATURALIZATION RECORDS, HENRY COUNTY, IOWA. In Henry County Genealgoical Society Quarterly (Mount Pleasant, IA), vol. 9:4 (October 1995), pp. 306-311; vol. 10:1 (January 1996), pp. 317-320; vol. 10:2 (April 1996), pp. 326-329; vol. 10:3 (July 1996), pp.
Page: 317

1870

According to the 1870 US Census, William & Katharine and their family lived in Mt. Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa. William (listed as 38) was Wagon maker while his wife Kate (also listed as 38) was keeping house. The value of their Real Estate was noted as $8000; their personal estate was valued at $320. With them were their children:

Louis (enumerated as Lewis) 11 at home
Elizabeth 9 at home
William 7 at home
Katie 3 at home

William Katharine Henss Family 1870- US Census

1880

By 1880 US Census, the William Henss Family was in the Village of Wayland, Henry County, Iowa (NB. In March 20, 1880, just before the US Census was conducted, Marshall Iowa was renamed to Wayland Iowa in order to eliminate confusion with the larger Marshalltown, Iowa.). William (48) was listed in the 1880 US Census as a Blacksmith. Catharine (50), his wife was noted as Keeping house. Living with them were their children:

Lewis (20) Working in Blacksmith shop (presumably with William Henss)
Elizabeth (19) Keeping house
William (15) Working in Blacksmith shop (presumably with William Henss)
Catharine (12) at home

William- Katharine Henss Family 1880- Census

1885- 1887

However by the 1885 Iowa Census, we find William Henss (age 53) and Katharine (age 55) living in Jefferson Township, Henry County, Iowa. Living with them were their children:

Louis (age 25)
Lizzie (age 23)
William (age 21)
Katie (age 17)

They also had Oliver Carow (age 50),a teamster, and Will Franks (age 41), a laborer, living in their household. By this time William was in business as a wagon maker.

“The wedding of Joseph [Wenger] [...] was a brilliant affair, and was celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 27, 1887, the bride being Miss Katie, the handsome daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Henss, the veteran wagon-maker, and one of the wealthy men of Wayland. The young couple took a pleasant bridal tour, and are now cosily settled in Wayland, the birthplace of the bride, who has one of the best of husbands and a man in whom the public repose confidence.”
[...]
“Louis Wagner of Burlington visited Mrs. William Henss Saturday. They are distantly related and were raised in the same village in the old country.”

from Portrait & Biographical Album of Henry County- 1888

1900

By 1900, William (indexed as William Henis, age 68) and Katharine (indexed as Katie, age 70) were living in Wayland City, Jefferson Township, Henry County, Iowa with their daughter Lizzie (age 39).

William’s birth date is listed as Dec 1831; Katharine’s as Nov 1829; and, Lizzie’s as Feb 1861. William and Katharine had been married for 43 years by 1900 and Lizzie was single. Emigration dates listed as being 1852 for William and 1855 for Katharine. William was listed as being a naturalized citizen. William, in 1900, was listed as being a wagon manufacturer and a home owner. All three Henss Family members could speak, read, and write English. (A complete transcription of this 1900 US Census page is available on us-census. org. Original document image follows below.)

William- Catherine Henss Family 1900- Census

1902

William Henss died on 19 March 1902.

1910

In the 1910 US Census, we find that confirmation that William has died and Katharine is listed as the widowed head of household (age 80) living with her daughter Lizzie (age 48). They continued to reside in Wayland Town, Jefferson Township, Henry County, Iowa.

1913

Katharine died on 18 November 1913.

Early Wayland Iowa Photos

The following photo gallery contains photos from Wayland, Iowa in the late 1800′s and early to mid-1900′s.

[Show as slideshow]

Notes:

The information on this page has been graciously augmented by the efforts of numerous genealogical friends including: Manuela Bassler, Elvira Groot, Jerry Harris, Kate “Chris’ Mom”, and Jutta Hoffmann.
1 & 2 Aug. 2011:
I have read the following website… Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt(HStAD) Auswanderer-Nachweise(R 21 B); I have run searches and reviewed all materials for:

all Hen*

all Hin*

all Hes*

all kaem*

all Kae*

all Käm

all Beuren

all Baltimore

all Lumda

all bremen

all Chatharina

all kaemmer

all Wilhelm

Finds that were returned were:

NACHWEIS Kämmerer, Katharina, Herkunft: Kröckelbach. – Auswanderungsdatum: 1854 / Ziel: über London. – Alter/geb.: 10 Monate, Eltern: Kämmerer, Adam, 28 J.; Kämmerer, Margarete, geb. NN, 24 J.. – Bemerkungen: mit Eltern; Vertr./Prüf.27.2./3.3.1854. Quelle: Huschke 823; G 15 Bergstraße 2 Nr. 284 1854

NACHWEIS Kammler, Katharina, Herkunft: Seeheim. – Auswanderungsdatum: 1854 / Ziel: Amerika, USA. – Alter/geb.: * 1836-12-15. Quelle: HFV-Kartei; Heimatbuch Seeheim-Jugenheim, S. 251

neither seems relevant.

I have ordered the following microfilms from the LDS:

FHC Microfilm (NARA Baltimore Ships Lists) K-560 and K-566 FHL #0821575

Beuern ev. Kirche Taufen, Heiraten, Tote 1821-1840 FHL INTL Film 800674

Allendorf/ Lumda Taufen 1825-1845 FHL INTL Film 1195876

Grünberg, Hessen Taufen 1817-1835 FHL INTL Film 801274

Grünberg (Kr. Gießen)Tote 1827-1828 Tauf-, Heirats-, Totenindex 1808-1828 Tote 1829-1845 Tauf-, Heirats-, Totenondex 1829-1845 Tote 1846-1861 FHL INTL Film 1201518

17 Oct. 2010: New information, worthy of exploraion, has been discovered in the Henry County History vol. 1 copyright 1982. This document states that William’s family was from Beuern, Hessen. In researching the location of Beuern a second Lumda was found within 5 miles of Beuern. Church records for Gruenberg and Stangenrod (both near Lumda) are being sourced for Katharine’s birth; and, Beuern Church records are being sourced for Wilhelm’s birth.– these documents produced nothing of interest.
14 Sep. 2010: Sadly, I reviewed the Church records for the ev. Kirche in Lumda and was unable to find either William or Katharine’s birth.

I will search on. If anyone knows of possible family members in Hesse (in Germany) or of possible birth record locations, please let us know!

Jan 1, 2010

Mennonites

Mark Rabideau / Europe, Henss, Histories / Henss, Martin, Rich / 0 Comment

This Wikipedia article excerpt is provided in order to give a bit of historical context to the circumstances surrounding Henss and Rich family history and migrations. More history texts are available here.

Henss

This page is under development; research is on-going

The Grandfathers

Section I

John Hall c. 1732 – 1794

Miller on Rockcastle Creek

Hearing

Change

Family

Business

Real Estate

Neighbor

War

Record

Will

Test of Will

Discussion

Slavery

Wife

Marriages

Summary

Marriage Bond Date

Use of [the above] Text Material

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This page is under development; research is on-going

The Immigrant Grandfather

Inventory

Family

Brothers

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1850

1856

1860

1863

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1870

1880

1885

1900

1910

1914

1920

1925

1926

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Mystery 1

A Brief Look at John’s Genealogy

Mystery Two

Mystery Three

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This page is under development; research is on-going

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25th Regiment Infantry

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Wenger Bros., general merchants.

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From The European History of the Swiss Mennonites from Volhynia

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Basel-Holee (Basel Switzerland)

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