The Bordners- Oberhochstadt, Germany to Tulpehocken Settlement, PA

My descent from the Bordners

Balthaser Pauley Bordner m. Merrilis (Mary Elizabeth)

Johan Jacob Bordner m. Sarah Balt

Anna Maria Bordner  m.  Johann Nicholas Schneider

Margaretha Elizabeth Schneider m. Johannes Shaffer

Eva Shaffer m. Isaac Mohney

Valentine Mohney m. Sarah Mulkin

Paul Silas Mohney m. Margaret Jane McCamey

Valentine Edward Mohney m. Margaret Annetta Book

Donna Evalyn Mohney

 When the ship "Adventure," Robert Curson, Master, arrived in Philadelphia, the passenger list included “Balthaser (Baltzer) Bordner, who at the age of thirty-four years, together with his wife Marilles, aged thirty-seven years, and three children - Jacob, Hanna, and Mela, aged ten, eight, and seven years, respectively” There was also a babe-in-arms, George according to family tradition.

The Adventure originated at Rotterdam, Germany, and reached their destination on 23 September 1732. (Jacob’s age was actually 2 years older than given here, perhaps to save money on his transport.)

Balthaser Bortner's signature [Balser] is in the list of Oaths of Allegiance taken on September 23, 1732.

Balthaser Pauley Bortner was born in Oberhöchstädt, Electorate of Bavaria (Bavaria), Deutschland (Germany) about 1698. (Ancestors of Elvis Presley, lived here and migrated to Pennsylvania on board the ship Lydia in 1749, moving to Tulpehocken. They were members of Host Church.))

In 1710,  Balthaser Bortner, from Oberhöchstädt, was confirmed at the Niederhochstadt Reformed church.

He married Maria Elizabetha whose maiden name has been reported as Born or Merrilis. (Merrilis is a shortened form of Maria Elizabetha. Born? Did someone mistake Born (as in nee) for Born (a surname)? Merrillis was born about 1695 in Oberhöchstädt,

They had probably left their home in Oberhockstadt in the spring, travelling for up to 5 weeks, by barge on the Rhine. Reaching Rotterdam, the family would have had to wait for a ship and then suffered through miserable sea voyage. At the time, ships were overcrowded, cold and damp, food and water were not healthy, and sickness and disease took many lives.

Although the family arrived during the wave of immigrants from the area of Germany known as the Palatines, and they were labeled as such upon arrival,, it is believed that they were not Palatines. The Bordners spoke High German were members of the German Reformed and the Lutheran Churches.

It is likely that they left their homes to be free, to escape religious discrimination and to avoid the frequent wars. I’m sure the ability to escape the rules of the upper class and to be able to earn money ane own land.

Balser may have become an indentured servant (known as "Redemptioners.") to pay for his family's passage. Born between 1697-1698 in Bayern Pfalz, Oberhochstadt, Balthazer was a farmer.

Balthaser was the father of Johan Jacob Bordner, Anna Maria Barbara Bortner Kann, George Bortner, Peter Bortner, Philip Jacob Bortner, Philippina Bortner Shaffer Frasher, & Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Bortner Low.

In the year 776, the village of Hochstadt in the Palatinate (the Pfalz), was first mentioned in documents. Höchstädt, meanss "Staette des Hoho" or places of the Hoho. Hoho would be the name of a tribe. In the middle of the 15th century an adjacent village was founded west of the Haardt Mountains; it was called "Oberhochstadt" (where Balthasar was born), while the original was called "Niederhochstadt." Hochstadt is located in present day West Germany, projecting into Franc near the Rhine River. Along with nearby Alsace and Lorraine, it was this land that was coveted by the French King, Louis XIV of France. Louis and his troops severely ravaged during the latter part of the 17th century and the early part of the 18th century.

There is a record of a coat-of-arms authorized in 1454, by the German Emperor awarded one Hans Bortner, and his sons, Hans and Paul, presumably presented for valor in battle. Of course, there is no record of the connection to Balthazer.

Batlthaser Bordner settled in Tulpehocken township, Lancaster (now Berks) county, immediately after landing, and died there in 1747."

1734 Balthaser and Maria Elizabetha were members of the Little Tulpehocken (Christ) Church, which was an Evangelical Lutheran Church. This church, which was founded in 1734, was first housed in a log structure in the Tulpehocken Settlement. It was located on the Tulpehocken Trail between the Delaware Indian village of Shamokin (now Sunbury) on the Susquehanna River, and Womelsdorf, home of Conrad Weiser, a leader in the Tulpehocken Settlement and mediator with the Indians. Host is about 3 miles northwest of Womelsdorf. The church records begin in 1748 and included several records of the Bortner family. Today the church is located 1.5 miles southwest of Bernville, Jefferson Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

1735 Peter Bortner warranted land on Mill Creek Bridge on Tulpehocken Creek in Heidelberg Twp, Lancaster County on 12 November, 1735. The land was surveyed on June 30, 1737 and was adjacent to tracts owned by Ludwick Plumb, David Evans, and Erasmus Buggamer. The land was vacated and then patented by Martin Heckaborn in 1743.

1736 Daughter Phillipena was born in the Tulpehocken Settlement. A son, Philip Jacob, who married in 1760, may have been born about the same time.

1737-48 Jacob Burtner received a warrant for 200 acres on Swatara creek in Tulpehocken Twp, Lancaster County on January 26, 1737. On April 10, 1738, a survey was made in Earl Twp. On January 20, 1743, the land was vacated for want of compliance and was to be returned for the use of Jacob Byerly. Jacob Byerly received a patent for the land in 1748. Jacob was age 15 in 1737. The land was in Tulpehocken Twp, Lancaster County, later Berks County. Perhaps this was a different Jacob Burtner.

In 1738, their daughter Maria Elisabeth was baptized by Reverend John Casper Stoever at the Little Tulpehocken (Christ) Church. (Evangelical Lutheran) (near the present village of Bernville, Jefferson Township, Berks County.

Before 1740, he received a Warrant from the Proprietors to purchase 160 acres located in Earle Township, Lancaster County, PA. He paid about 25 pounds for the land. He evidently didn't keep up with the payments as, in 1743, a Deed was issued to someone else.

1745-1746 Balthasar Bortner died. Record of his estate are found in Philadelphia County. Apparently, the Bortners spoke "High German", since their recorded wills were written in that dialect.

Merrilis died before 1750. She and Balthaser were likely buried on the family farm.

Some records list him as Balthaser Bortner III. I haven’t been able to locate the documentation this is based on.

Children of Balthaser and Merreles Bordner:

1. John Burtner b:1721 in Bucks, Pennsylvania 23 Oct 1754 Tulpehocken d. 6 jan 1837 Tulpehocken buried Salem Reformed Church Cem m Anna Maria Broz

2. Hanna Bordner Bortner b: 1724 in Germany

3. Anna Maria Bortner b: 1724 in Germany

4. Sarah Bortner b: 1727 in Germany

5. Johann Jacob Bortner b: 10 Aug 1731 in Germany  (see below)

6. George Bortner b: 1732 in Germany

7. Peter Bortner b: 1734 in Pennsylvania

8. Anna Barbara Bortner b: 1735 in Germany

9. Philip Jacob Bortner b: 1735 in Pennsylvania

10. Philippina Bortner b: 1736 in Pennsylvania

11. Mary Eliz. Bortner b: 8 Mar 1738 PA

Johan Jacob Bordner

Johann Jacob Bortner was born 10 August 1731 in Oberhöchstädt, Electorate of Bavaria (Bavaria), Deutschland (Germany). His parents are listed as Balthaser and Elisabetha Bortner. He was baptized on 12 August 1731 and the sponsors were Jacob Sauter and Apollonia Meyer, both single.

Jacob Bordner, on 10 April 1761, a foreigner was naturalized in Philadelphia.

Before 1740 Jacob received a Warrant from the Proprietors to buy 160 acres of land in Earle Township, Lancaster County, for about 25 pounds. He probably occupied this land as a tenant on a rental basis while he undertook to pay for it, as was the usual custom. In 1743 a Patent (Deed) f or this property was given to somebody else, probably because Jacob had n t made the required payments to obtain title for himself. These facts are found in the Bureau of Land Records of The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. In one of these records Jacob's name was misspelled " Burtner", but in another place the correct spelling was shown.

He was in colonial military service during King George's War. On July 14, 1746, Jacob voluntarily enlisted in a force of 400 men raised in the Pennsylvania Colony to be employed, with troops from other colonies and British Regulars, to invade Canada. This was during King George's War, one of several French and Indian Wars that finally resulted in conquering Canada for the British in 1760. We learn from history that this Pennsylvania force was raised by the Colonial Governor over the objection of his pacifist-minded, Quaker-dominated legislature. The Pennsylvania troops went into Winter quarters in Albany in 1746. They were discharged in October 1747, the expedition having been laid aside, although the War continued another year.

Discharged from the militia, Jacob Bortner was an executor of the estate of his father, Balthaser Bortner. It is likely that he took responsibility for his younger brothers. His sister, Anna Maria Barbara married in 1748 and went with her husband to York County- probably taking her 2 sisters with her. (Her brother, George, later went to York County. He wrote about his life and stated that Anna Maria Barbara had her 2 sisters with her there.

Jacob married Sarah Balt, according to records of certain of his Berk County descendants. This was doubtless in the early 1750's, because their child, a son, Jacob, was born October 23, 1754.

Sarah was born in 1730 9^th month in Oberhöchstädt, Landkreis Südliche Weinstrasse (Hochstadt), Rheinland Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Allemagne (Germany)

Her parents were Johannes Baldt and his wife, Anna Catharina Wagner.

A farmer in the Tulpehocken Settlement, Lancaster (now Berks) County, Jacob was in Berks after 1752. He acquired a farm of 25 acres, by deed, in Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1761 from Richard and Thomas Penn, sons of William Penn. The land was just north and east of the present village of Bethel and lies on both sides of the Harrisburg-Allentown Road (Route 22 ). He was the first to change his name to Bordner (originally Bortner).

In 1753, Jacob Bartner was taxed in Tulpehocken Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Jacob married Sarah Balt, sometime before the birth of their first child, Johan Jacob.

1754-58 Records of the Host Tulpehocken Church at Marion Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania name the following children: Johan Jacob (1754, born 23 October and baptized 27 October), Anna Maria (1756), William (1757), and unnamed son (13 November 1758, other research indicates this son to be named Daniel).

In 1754 Johan Jacob Bortner, son of Jacob Bortner, was born on October 23. He was baptized on October 27, 1754 at the Host Reformed Church, Tulpehocken Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

1754 Jacob Portner and wife are sponsors of Sara, daughter of Joh. Bast. Weber at Host Tulpehocken Church.

1756 Anna Maria Bordner, daughter of Jacob and Sarah Bortner was born on December 9, 1756, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Anna Maria was baptized at Host church with sponsors Johannes Meyer and Anna Maria Meyer.

1757 Jacob Bartner was taxed for 50 acres of land in Tulpehocken Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

1758 Jacob Bortner was a signer of a letter sent to sponsors in Holland asking for help because many had died from Indian attacks.     

1758 Unnamed Bordner, son of Jacob Bordner and Sara, was born on November 13. He was baptized on November 29, 1758, at the Host Reformed Church in Tulpehocken Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America.

1761 Jacob Bordner, of Berks County, was naturalized as a British citizen, on April 10, at Philadelphia, after taking sacrament on April 7.

20 June 1761 Jacob Bortner, of Tulpehoccon, purchased a tract of land on Swahatawro Creek in Bethel Township, Berks County on June 20, from the Penn proprietors. The tract had been previously leased (Patent A15-503) by Jacob Hoffman, innholder, and his wife Eve, who was unable to pay his rental. This property is located just north of Bethel, on both sides of the Harrisburg-Allentown Road (U. S. Route 22). The Blue Mountains are about five miles north but his land was fairly level.

During the 1760's, his land was on the frontier. Indians, during the French and Indian Wars, attacked the English settlements. There sprung up a row of forts along the Blue Mountains for the protection of those in the settlements. Jacob's land was within sight of one of the forts.

On April 10, 1761 Jacob was naturalized as a British citizen by the Colonial Supreme Court in Philadelphia. Their records showed his name to b e "Jacob Bordner", and his residence in County.

Shortly thereafter, on June 20, 1761, Jacob acquired land in Bethel Township, Berks County, by Patent (Deed) from the Proprietors, Richard and Thomas Penn, - on default by the person 'who held the Warrant. That property is just North and East of the present Village of Bethel; it lies on both aides of the Harrisonburg-Allentown Road (U.S. Route 22). It is s aid to be good "limestone" land, which was prized by the Pennsylvania Dutch. It is fairly level land, although the Blue Mountain lies within sight about five miles North.

In the 1760's Jacob's Bethel farm was on the Pennsylvania frontier. Occasionally settlers in that area were killed by the Indians. During the " French and Indian Wars (for which a final peace treaty was not signed until 1763), the French incited the Indians to attack the English Colonial frontier settlements. There was a line of forts along the Blue Mountain for protection of the settlers. One such fort was within sight of Jacob's house.

1768 Jacob Bortner was taxed in 1768 in Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Jacob was too old for service in the Pennsylvania militia during the Revolutionary War, but three of his sons, Jacob Jr., John, and William, were in the militia. Although the record shows that Jacob Jr. was fined for skipping militia drills during the latter part of the war, it appears that he must have had some active service, because he was voted a pension of $40 per month in 1836 by the Pennsylvania Legislature for his war service (only about one year before he died). His name is recorded o n one of the plaques to the memory of Revolutionary War soldiers in the DAR Chapel at Valley Forge. After the war, Jacob Jr. held the rank of Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania militia.

1778 Jacob Bordner took the oath of allegiance in Berks County and paid a supply tax. He provided service in support of the American Revolution.

1779 Jacob Bordner was taxed in 1779 in Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania for 180 acres, 3 horses, and 4 cows. Jacob Bordner, single freeman, was also taxed. His total tax was 2015.

1780 Jacob Bordner was taxed in 1780 in Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania for 180 acres, 3 horses, and 4 cows.

1781 Jacob Bordner was taxed in 1781 in Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania for 180 acres, 3 horses, and 4 cows.

1782 Jacob Bordner was taxed in 1782 in Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania for 180 acres, 3 horses, 4 cows, and 6 sheep.

1784 Jacob and Sarah Bortner were sponsors at the birth of John Jacob Krag, son of El. and Anna Maria Krag.

1789 Jacob Bortner of Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania, dated his will, written in German, on December 10. An English translation is with the estate papers and named sons Jacob, William, John, Daniel, Peter; daughter Sarah married to Nicholas Schneider; and deceased daughter Barbara.

1790 Jacob Bordner Senior lived in Bethel Twp, Berks County, Pennsylvania, in a household with 1 male age 16 and over, and 1 female.

On the 1790 United States Federal Census, Jacob Bordner Senior is living in Bethel Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. In his home are one male over age 16 and 1 female.

1790 Jacob Bordner, the elder, in Bethel Township, wrote more specifications for his estate, on April 2, naming sons John and William and wife Sarah. Witnessed by Jacob and John Bortner.

1792 Jacob Bortner surveyed 60 acres in Bethel Twp, Berks County, on April 3. Jacob Bordner patented the land in 1828.

When Jacob Sr. died in 1792, he willed his 186 acre farm to Jacob Jr., but he made a settlement with his other children by requiring Jacob Jr. to make payments to them over a period of years. That was a normal pattern of handling estates in those days. Jacob Sr. was survived by five sons and one daughter, Anna Maria Schneider. Another daughter, Barbara, had died young.

Jacob Bortner died before March 2, 1792 when an inventory was made for the estate of Jacob Bortner on March 2. Items included a bible, hymnal, and prayer books and weaver tacklins. He willed his 186 acre farm to his oldest son, Jacob Jr, who was then required to make payments to his siblings. (One portion of his land remained in the hands of his descendants until 1944

1793 The administration account was made. March 29 - April 3.

Last Will and Testament of Jacob Bortner :

Proved 22 February 1792

In the name of God amen. This tenth day of December anno domini one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. I Jacob Bortner of Bethel Township in the County of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, yeoman, being at present sick and weak in body, nevertheless of sound mind, memory and understanding thanks be to God. Calling unto mind the mortality of my body an d honoring that, it is appointed for all men, one to dye, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, that is to say prinsipally and first of all recommend my soul into the hand of God who gave it and my body, recommend to the earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner at the direction of my Executor herein after named and as touching such worthy estate where with it hath pleased God to help me in this life. I give, divide and dispose of the same in the following manner and from Imprimis, it is my will, and I do order in the first place, that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid of and satisfied as soon as convieniently may be after my decease. I give and bequeath unto my elder son Jacob Bortner and to his heirs and asigns all my certain plantation and tract of land whereon I now live. Situate in Bethel Township aforesaid, adjoining land of Jacob Schneider, Daniel Schneider & Leonard Miller and others. Containing one hundred and eighty six acres. Be the same more or less to be holden by him my said son Jacob Bortner his heirs and asigns forever, for which plantation or tract of land he shall pay the sum of six hundred and sixty pounds, in gold or silver money in yearly payments. In one year after my decease, he shall pay the sum of thirty pounds and so yearly until the aforesaid sum of six hundred and sixty pounds be fully paid and satisfied. The first payment shall be paid unto my son John, the second to my son William, the third payment again to John, and the fourth to William. The fifth payment to Daniel, the sixth to Peter, the Seventh to my daughter Mary, intermarried to Nicholas Schneider and then to begin again at John and then William, then Daniel, then Peter, then Mary and so on by rank as said above mentioned, until each of them hath received the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds, and the said two payments shall be paid unto the heirs of my daughter Barbara, deceased, and it is further my will and do hereby order that all my personal estate my executor herein after named, shall sell at suitable vender, and the money shall be distibuted in following manner. The one half thereof shall be in the hands of my beloved wife Sarah during her life, and the other half shall be equally divided to and among all my children and to the heirs of my daughter Barbara, deceased. Share and Share alike, excepting to my son Jacob, I give and bequeath the sum of five shillings, over and above his equall share for his birthright and it is further my will and do hereby order that the money I have heretofore advanced to some of my children, shall be deducted out of their part so that they may be made equal in share with each other. And it is further my will and I do hereby order that my son Jacob, shall give and deliver yearly and every year unto my beloved wife Sarah, the following enumerated articles, ten bushels of good wheat, five bushels of good rye taken to mill and the grist & bran home again, one fat hog to wey one hundred pound, thirty pound of good beaf, three pound of good wool, ten pound of hatcheted flax of the same quantity of toe, six pound tallach, one pair of shoes, firewood as much as she stands. To live in the house with my son and to have liberty in the kitchen & seller. And my son Jacob shall keep for her one good summer and winter as his own. One barrell of good syder and apels as much as she stands in need of. Fourth part of the garden potatos and cabige for her use and the fourth part of the hens. It is my will and do order that in case one or either of my children dye without such part or share of the one dying, shall be equally divided to and among all my children aforesaid. I do hereby order that the one half of the money owing from the sale of my personal estate which I have bequeathed unto my beloved wife aforesaid, shall not come into her hands, but it shall be and remain in the hands of my executor. And he shall pay of that money unto her as she shall stand in need of or shall w ant. And after her decease, that money, if any yet left, shall be divided in equal shares among all of my children and the heirs of my daughter Barbara deceased. It is my will that the above legacy given and bequeathed unto my beloved wife Sarah, shall be in full for her. I do hereby nominate and appoint my beloved son Jacob Bortner to be my executor of this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and making void all former and other will and wills and executors by me before made ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament.

Jacob (JB) Bortner (his mark)

.Sarah Balt Bordner died in 1800 in Bethel Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. They were probably buried on their farm. Jacob's farm in Bethel Township was passed on from father to son, generation after generation. At one point it was divided between two sons. One part remained in the possession of descendants for four generations until 1944, when the last Bordner owner died, leaving no children.

Children of Jacob and Sarah (Balt) Bordner.: (from his will)

Johann Jacob, Bortner, Jr. 23 Oct 1754 – 6 Jan 1837 m. Anna Maria Brosz

William Bordner 3 jan 1757 Berks Co – 8 Jan 1827 Dauphin County m. Maria Elizabeth Koppenheffer

Johannes Bordner 13 Nov. 1758 Berks - 3 June 1812 Mifflin Twp. Dauphin Co., pA

Burial Lykens Daupin County St. Peter’s Cemetery m. Susannah Mellinger

Peter Bordner 11 Mar 1763 Bethel, Berks – 24 Fdec 1816 Lykens Twp. m. 17 Oct. 1781 Stouchsberg Catherine Katterman burial St. Peters

Daniel Bordner 2 Nov. 1765 - 6 Jan 1844 PA buried Hamlin, Lebanon County Klopps Cem

m. Eve Catherine Kneaves

Mary, intermarried with Nicholas Schneider (See Schneider information for details on their lives.)

Barbara

Sources:

Philadelphia Council minutes

Kirchenbuch, 1727-1798, Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Oberhoch stadt [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/211459, FHL film 247646

Burgert, Annette Kunselman. Palatine Origins of Some Pennsylvania Pioneers. Myerstown, PA: AKB Publications, 2000. 574p.

A Biographical sketch by Harold Bordner

Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1971

Pennsylvania, U.S., Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952

Naturalizations of Foreign Protestants in the American and West Indian Colonies. (Supreme Court at Philadelphia), 10 April, 1760.

Pennsylvania, U.S., Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801

Geneanet Community Trees Index

Robert and Janet Chevalley Wolfe, Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy, "Notes for Balthaser Bortner and Maria Elizabetha" Webpage: www.umich.edu/~bobwolfe/gen/mn/m1263x1264.htm
Email address: JanetRobertWolfeGenealogy@gmail.com

Census and Tax Records

2022 05 17 Week 20 Textiles

 

Reaching back to last year for a topic, I found Peter Worden, I. His lineage takes us back to Kings and Queens etc! But Peter was a draper and in 1627, was named a deputy Aulnager (cloth inspector), This was a salaried position. The Aulnager certified the fabric with the Queen Highness' seal. Here is the story of Peter that I have discovered so far!

PETER WORDEN, I

Peter Worden was born in about 1569, probably in Clayton, Lancashire, England to Robert Werden or Worden and Isabel Worthington. His ancestors had acquired the burgess rights and they had been passed down to their children. Burgess rights were a valuable asset and much needed for trading purposes.

Peter Worden appears in the 1582, 1602 and 1622 Guild Rolls of Preston:

1582: William Werden of Clayton, son of Robert Werden; James Werden, his brother; Peter Worden, his brother

1602: William Werden, of Clayton; Peter Werden, his brother; James Werden, his brother; ? Werden, his son

1622: William Worden of Claton, Gent. ; James Worden, his son; William Worden, his brother; Richard Worden, his brother; Peter Wearden, Peter Wearden, his son. Peter Worden was listed as being a "Foreign Burgess" in the records of the town of Preston, just five miles from Clayton. Foreign referred to the fact that he was not a native of the town, but an outsider.

Peter attended school while living on the family farm. After finishing school, he chose to go to Preston to earn a living.

Peter had an acquaintance, Anthony Wall, who lived at Chingle Hall with his wife, Margaret Grice and children, William, Thomas, John , Alice and Mary. Anthony had served as mayor of Preston in 1592, and was also involved with the textile business.

Peter married Margaret Grice Wall after Anthony died in 1601. He and Margaret would have been guardians of William, his stepson, until he turned 21 and inherited his father's estate. Peter and Margaret lived in Chingle Hall with her five children and the 3 they had together, Elizabeth, Bridget, and Peter II.

(In 1260 Adam de Singleton built a small manor house known as Singleton Hall. It was surrounded by a moat and the studded oak front door was accessed via a small wooden drawbridge, which was replaced in the 16th century by a brick-built bridge. The door and bridge have survived to this day, although some of the moat has now dried up. The hall, renamed Chingle Hall, remained in the possession of the Singleton family until Eleanor Singleton, the last of the line, died in 1585. The house then passed to the Wall family through the marriage of William Wall with Anne Singleton. Their son Anthony Wall, once mayor of Preston, died there in 1601.)

1607; Per British National Archives, DDKE/3/30 3 Aug. & 8 Oct. 1607. These documents are held at Lancashire Record Office: "Contents: Writ of elegit and inquisition: Peter Werden and Margaret his wife, widow of Anthony Wale, v. Anthony Barton - for £14 7s. in payment of dower of Margaret Werden's in one burgage and four acres of land in Preston, formerly occupied by Anthony Wale"

23 January 1609, Peter Worden, Roger Langton, Thomas Ryley and Richard Charnock were witnesses to the will of Elizabeth, widow of John Orrell of Turton.

1609; Lawsuit:   "PLAINTIFF: Richard Werden of Preston, mercer; William Addison of Preston, yeoman, executors of Thomas Addison of Preston, deceased DEFENDANT: Leissaugh O'Connor of Staining, esquire, and Mary his wife; Peter Werden and Mary his wife PLACE: Preston; Staining      Date: 1609 Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives"

Before 1610, he was elected to the town council of the Borough of Preston. On 26 August 1612, a signature of Peter Worden was found.

From 1609 to 1613, Peter Wereden, gent., appears as a juror at 9 inquisitions (the title, Gent., is probably a courtesy one as was done with all jurors.

In 1611, Peter and Margaret were due to make a payment of 4 pounds to the Crown, along with other occupiers or "tenants" of the Chingle Hall Lands. He took the money to London (a 210 mile trip.)

At the same time he is employing someone to plough eight acres of land (part of Margaret's inheritance) for the sum of 4 pounds.

Margaret died in 1612, leaving Peter to raise their 3 children and also to care for his 5 step children as William was only 19 at the time.

1616 Land deed, Peter (the seller) is listed as Gent., (L 100 - land on the outskirts of Preston.)

In 1616, Peter made claim that Margaret should have received 20 pounds from her father's estate. The Grices countered that Margaret had received more than that as her dowry. Peter replies that as her administrator (She died intestate) he was owed her share and the share for his children who had died before reaching age 21. The Grices refused to pay and the outcome is unknown.

Sept. 1616 Peter sells his rights to properties that had belonged to Margaret, inherited as her part of her former husband's estate.

He became a merchant, dealing in fabric and textiles, commonly known as a draper. Peter Worden had his shop in the Moothall of Preston, England. The Moothall was a two-story building, approximately 35' by 70', housing the town Council chamber and offices on the second floor and businesses on the first. Peter's shop was next to the stairs at the north end of the building. on the ground floor There were a vaariety of other shops (potter, leather, yarn, meat, dairy, etc.) and we can assume that Peter was selling finished cloth goods. Early archives list the following mention of Peter's lease from Preston Township,. "Item of Elizabeth Weren widdowe for on shop on the east side of moothall next adjoyning to the staires at the north end of the hall with a standing (open stall) at the south end of the hall formerly demised to Peter Werden by lease dated Primo Oct XVth Jac ye improved yearly rent of L01-15s-00d" This date would indicate that Peter Worden held a lease on the aforementioned shop and stand on 1iOct 1617.

1622 - Peter, along with his son, Peter, is listed as a Foreign Burgess of Preston. (A freeman qualified to participate in town government.) His son, Peter, aged about 13, was entered on the rolls of the Preston Guild, for the first time.

In 1625, Ralph Eyves of Fishwick filed a complaint stating that Eyves and William Wall of Chingle Hall were bound to Peter on William Wall's behalf in the sum of 40 pounds. William in 1613 would only have been 20 years old. He was the eldest son of Margaret Grice Wall and her first husband. The claim stated that they had both paid Peter and had not gotten receipts. Then claimed that Peter (for his own personal gain) had filed a writ which resulted in Eyves being arrested. He paid a surety of about 50 pounds in goods to assure that he would turn himself in. Eyves asked that Peter be brought before the Chancery Court to produce records. (No outcome is known.)

In 1625 his daughter, Elizabeth, had an illegitimate child, John Lewis. His father, John Lewis, Senior, was reportedly a "King's Preacher" who "fledd out of the country." She then married Hugh Swansey and had another son, Robert Swansey.

In 1627, Peter was named a deputy Aulnager (cloth inspector), which was a salaried position. The Aulnager certified the fabric with the Queen Highness' seal. Peter would receive part of the fee for this certification. The County Aulnager was Roger Langton. Peter retained this position until 1634.

The alnage was first ordered in 1196, during the reign of Richard I, that "woollen cloths, wherever they are made, shall be of the same width, to wit, of two ells within the lists, and of the same goodness in the middle and sides." This ordinance is usually known as the Assize of Measures or the Assize of Cloth. Article 35 of Magna Carta re-enacted the Assize of Cloth, and in the reign of Edward I an official called an "alnager" or "aulnager" was appointed to enforce it. His duty was to measure each piece of cloth, and to affix a stamp to show that it was of the necessary size and quality. If faulty, the cloth was forfeit to the crown.[

In 1628, a professional organization of drapers and mercers was formed and Peter was certainly a member and possibly one of the founders.

November 1628- Peter's daughter, Bridget died at about age 21 and was buried in the Preston parish churchyard.

21 January 1629/30 It appears that when the town needed money the councilors and burgesses loaned money to be repaid at a specific date. 29 men lent money to help with a project in the common lands of Fulwood. One of these entries read: "Item to Peter Werden viij.s. (8 shillings) "Paid in Full." (Giving proof that the Wordens were still in Preston.) This is the last mention of Peter in Preston records.

In 1629, Peter moved back to Clayton. It is probable that Elizabeth left John Lewis with Peter when she married Hugh Swansey later that year.

(Interesting side note- in this White Book of Orders of the Preston Records, appears mention of Captain Ralphe Standish, Thomas, Richard, Alexander Standish)

1629-30 Peter loaned money to his brother, William, receiving a mortgage on the Worden Property. (He was probably never repaid as his will mentions this property.)

1630 marked the start of the "plague" striking Preston. By November 1631, over 1000 people died. (1/3 of the population at that time.)   n the winter of 1630 Preston suffered a …”visitation of almighty God, the plague”. The parish registers for the town, record the grim progress of the disease. By the summer of 1631 almost 400 people a month were succumbing to a disease similar to Anthrax. That was when the population of the town was only about 4000. Anthrax is carried by spores and can be spread by textiles. Parcels of cloth were particularly feared and the disease spread rapidly amongst weaving families. Winter is not normally when plague strikes, but 1630 saw the first victims in Preston. The parish register records that whole families were wiped out in a few days. A 17th century version of lockdown was attempted, with parish officers ordered to keep a watch for people escaping from Preston. All markets had been stopped and with no income, they had to set up a relief fund.  I can't help but wonder if Peter was really suffering here as he dealt in cloth and that was believed to be the source of the plaque. 

In 1631, Peter purchased wine from William Barfield and failed to pay the 40 pounds by the due date. Barfield took him to court and on 20 February 1632, a warrant was issued requiring Peter to put up a house and 5 acres in Clayton. (No information on the disposition of the case.)

On 12 March 1636, Peter filed a complaint in the Palatine Chancery Court. - Stated that in 1631, Peter had bought the wine mentioned above and that Barfield had not considered any offers to settle this dispute.

25 March 1636 Peter filed court charges against Hugh Swansey, his son-in-law. He alleged that Hugh had been given money for his daughter's marriage portion. Swansey was to leave land and hereditatments to his oldest surviving son, and was not living up to his bargain. Swansey also failed to pay for goods sold, and return items that had been loaned; "1 trunk, 1 desk, 1 chair, 6 pewter dishes, 1 pewter salt, 2 pewter candlesticks, 3 brass candlesticks, 4 table napkins, 1 feather bed, 1 bolster, 1 pillow, blankets, 2 pairs sheets, 1 pillow beare (case), 6 ashens (milk pails) or collocks; 2 barrels, 1 trough, 1 brass posnet (a boiling pot with feet); 1 pewter flagon, 1 buffet stoole, 1 chest, 1 framed table, 1 little table, 1 pewter bowl, 1 quishion (Cushion) and 6 boards, " And he charged Swansey for the theft of "2 table carpet, 1 frying pan, curtains for a bed, 1 quilt, 1 brass pot, 3 pewter dishes, 2 earthen mugs, 1 pair satten breeches, 1 pair brass weighs (Scales) and weights, 1 stand, 2 pewter candlesticks and 1 pewter flagon, valued at 3 pounds. Again, no information on the disposition of the case has been found.  This is the last mention of him in Clayton.

By 1634, a Chancery bill of complaint relating to Peter's tenure as aulnager names him "Peter Worden of Clayton, gent." 

Another case in 1636 directly describes a "messuage and dwelling house in Clayton" where Peter "now laieth and inhabiteth". This case, recorded in March 1636, is the last known record of Peter Worden in England.

Soon after filing this case, something pushed Peter to take his family elsewhere. He was not the eldest son and didn't receive enough of an inheritance to live on. Also at that time farmers were experiencing bad crops and even worse economic returns. And of course, the political issues of more taxes being added to the working people. Given the offer of independent farming and self determination by the Puritans, he found his way to the colonies to find a future for his family. (at this time, his son Peter II, and his 2 grandsons, John Lewis and Robert Swansey)

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was established in 1630. Peter was not one of the Plymouth Rock arrivals in 1621- the "avid" Puritans but he may have been influenced by the success of the Plymouth Rock persons. Old reports state that he came on board the ship "Ann." However, his name does not appear on the passenger list. Peter Worden likely was one of those who came "On Their Perticulers" (not belonging to a group of emigrants from England who shared a common sectarian religion--such as the Pilgrims who settled in the Plymouth Colony.) This may account for the statement In "The History of Old Yarmouth," by Charles F. Swift, that "At the extreme easterly part of the Town, Peter Worden [sic] the elder and younger have established themselves, in spite of the opposition of some of their associates, and here the former died the first year of settlement."

In the spring of 1638, 22 men were identified as interested in settling in Yarmouth. Among them is Peter Worden, Sr. from Plymouth. Also Giles Hopkins, Rev. Marmaduke Matthews, Nicholas Simpkins, and Hugh Tilley. Interestingly, Peter has been there long enough to be identified as being from Plymouth. When they again asked the Plymouth Court for permission to leave, only Peter was 'excepted against.' (He may have refused to take the oath of allegiance and fidelity.) This didn't matter to Peter, ... when the group left, Peter joined them anyway. ("Hist. of Old Yarmouth, Mass." says "the elder Worden was one of those excepted to by the court, but was here early in 1638, and died that year; probably the first white man who died in the town. He came from Clayton, England where he owned an estate")

In September 1638 and on 7 January 1639 at Plymouth Colony Court meetings- Twelve settlers were awarded land and the Wordens were not among them. In fact Burnell, Wright, and Wat Deville along with the Wordens- showing that the four families for some reason were not welcome.

He is included in a reference of 7 Jan 1639 by the General Court of assistance which listed him as being one of the four men already at Yarmouth and lists names of men to whom grants have been made.

Arriving in Yarmouth, Peter looked for land on which to settle. They either purchased land from the Indians or simply found a spot they liked and settled down. (Neither is acceptable to the Plymouth Courts.) Peter's 12 acres of land was very near that of Stephen Hopkins who had arrived in Plymouth aboard the Mayflower. Stephen built the first home in Yarmouth and his son Giles moved into it.

When their house was finished, Peter, Sr., Peter Jr. with his pregnant wife, Mary, and John Lewis moved in.   Who is Mary, where did she come from? History has supposed that Mary was either a Seares or a Winslow. But there is no proof as yet. She is almost certainly NOT a Winslow.

There is no documentation of how Peter gained his land- some indicate that he may have bought it directly from the Indians, others that perhaps he was a squatter. But his 12 acres of land were identified as the West Fields- which in the past had been the Indian planting grounds.

Peter's land was located in the area later known as Yarmouth Port, Barnstable, Massachusetts", and he was probably buried there. (Modern Route 6A, Yarmouth-Dennis-Brewster Road; now part of East Dennis.)

By 9 February 1639 when Peter wrote his will, his place of residence is given as Yarmouth. He summoned his friends N. Sympkins, Hugh Tilley and Giles Hopkins. They recorded the first will in the Plymouth Court Records. After this, John Lewis disappears from the records and we do not know where he went or what happened to him. At some later date, a note was added to the Plymourth Court Meeting records: "Old Worden - Dead."

Peter Worden's will was probated on 5 March 1639. It is the first will printed in the Plymouth Court Records. A copy of the will remains in the Barnstable Probate Court (Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. I, part I, page 33.) . He and Peter Junior and wives are believed to be buried in the Worden Cemetery, overlooking Cape Cod Bay.

The last will and Testament of Peter Werden of Yarmouth ye elder deceased proved at ye genrall Court held at Plymouth the fifth day of March in ye 13th Yeare of ye Raigne of our Sovraigne Lord Charles I King of England &c 1638 by the oathes of Mr. Nicholas Sympkins Heugh Tillie & Giles Hopkins as followeth viz."

Be it knowne unto all men to whom this doth or may concerne that I Peter Worden of Yarmouth in New England in Plymourth Patten being very sick in this yeare of our Lord 1638 and on the ninth day off february do make my last will to testyfy unto all that I Peter Worden do give and bequeath unto Peter Worden my onely sonne and sonn & heire... all my lands leases tennements with goods moveable and unmoveable in the Town of Clayton in the County of Lankestar. Likewise I doe give unto Peter my sonne all my goods which I have at this present in New England."

My will is that my sonne is to give John Lewis one Nate Goat, also my will is my grandchild such money as is due for the keeping of Goates and Calves until this day, and that my son is with the mony to buy John a kid or dispose it otherwise for his use. Also 1 bed or bolster, 3 blankets, also my sonn is to have the tuition of my grandchild until he be at the age of one and twenty years of age. also my will is he shall fynd him with meate, drink and clothes, and at the last three years of the 21 years also to have 40 shillings the year after and above, for to add to his stock with a sowe pigg whne the sowe pitts."

In witness we present set our hand Nicholas Sympkings, Hugh Tillie (his mark), and Giles Hopkins (his mark.)

The will was deposed 5th March 1638-9

"Mr Nicholas Sympkins Heugh Tilly and Giles Hopkins weer all deposed (in Open Court) to this will the fift day of march 1638 xiiij Caroli Rs

CHILDREN

Elizabeth,died in July 1635 in Kirkham, Lancashire. She married Hugh Swansey

Bridget, died 19 November 1628 in Preston, according to the Preston Parish records. She was not married.

Peter, born in about 1609 and died in 1680/1681 in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, married Mary - probably in England.

2022 08 09 Week 32 At the Library- Starting Research

From a Log kept by Lynda Lindbeck Mohney Davis as we got hooked on genealogy.

October 29, 1982

We have done it! Finally after years of saying "someday" we have begun to search our roots. And what a challenge it has become. Who would have ever thought it could be so interesting, amusing, whimsically sad, exciting, puzzling and so time consuming! Oh, how I wish I could afford to really search out my and my children's roots; to be able to devote my free time to it with out neglecting something else; to not have to work to help make ends meet. It would be great to be able to pick up and go anywhere you needed to in order to follow an elusive lead, which may just as often lead you to no where. Oh Well, I can still dream!

I have wanted to know more about my Swedish ancestors for a long time. My aunt finally sent my mother a partial history of my Great-grandmother Lindbeck. I glanced at it, laid it aside, and forgot about it, for months.

Then I've intended to search out my Father-in-law's ancestry ever since we first bought a camp in the area where Donnie's dad, Val Mohney, grew up.

Well, I was up with Kristi; Beverlee Connolly, my husband's great niece, and a friend, April Chestnut. Donnie was hunting and we went out driving. We went to Ridgeway to look for Mohneys in the Cemetery there. We decided to stop at the courthouse to see what we could find.

First we started on marriage applications. We found several, including Donnie's Aunt Anna who was marrying Elmer Rickard. We also found John P. Mohney. It was not until later after barely skimming over deeds, etc. that I found out this was Don's great uncle Pope. Now I'm going back & check over the deed and births more carefully.

Meanwhile, Kristi was going through death notices and found her great-grandfather, Silas Mohney. After that we went through delayed birth certificates and found 2 of Silas' sons. There are differences in the information. Samuel Rogers Mohney said he was the 6th child, 5 living & Tom the 6th child, 6 living. ( A son George died after birth.)Sam said his father was Paul Silas and Tom... Warren Silas.

We decided to go down to the Historical Museum and see if we could find any information. We struck gold. We found a copy of the May 1902 Elk Co. Advocate with the Obituary of Silas Warren Mohney. (It appears Sam and Tom were wrong!

From Pope's children's delayed birth certs. we find he was a woodsman, then a barber. Silas worked in the logging industry, drove the yard engine at Hallton where he lived, and this is where he died at 51 yrs. of age. He was going through a trestle without much clearance, & for some never-to-know reason, he stuck his head out & was killed. Donnie tells it like this: "Grandfather was going down the track when he passed a pretty girl. He stuck out his head, watching her, & was killed. The moral of this story is 'never lose your head over a piece of tale.' which incidentally , Aunt Marybelle (Marybelle Book Anderson) said was Uncle Red's (Wilbur Anderson)Anderson's favorite line! When we left the courthouse, we drove to Hallton and inquired of 2 people the whereabouts of the cemetery. All we had was a twp. (Township) Millstone. We found an old man who lived there all his life had just died that week. He may have given us some local history. We started a week too late!! The second person we asked was a former Post Master who gave us the name and directions to the cemetery. We expected to have a time locating the stone but found it in a few minutes. Silas, Margaret, his wife, and their 2nd son, Frank, are all buried there with a nice large stone. It only lists first name & years of birth & death. Silas 1851-1902; Margaret 1855-1929; Frank 1879-1900. Frank (Francis Murphy)died as the result of a gun discharging in the back yard of their home. 

It is surprising what a wealth of information you can find in a short time! we learned that first day that Silas (We call the ancestors by their first names.) had 3 sons died- one in childhood, of an accident. We had located the marriage application of Anna & Elmer in 1892, yet in 1902 she was located by yet another name, Gulnac, Mrs. George. We found that Pope was a barber and woodsman. We knew he had a daugter, Helen, & a son, Don Pope. We had found out Silas' wife was Margaret McCamey, they had married 3 Aug. 1873, in Brockway. Silas was born 16 Jan. 1851 in Crenshaw, PA. A son of Valentine and Sarah Ann. Margaret was born in Karns City, Pa.

We were well pleased with our day's work. Next day we drove around some more and tried to find cemeteries, but didn't find any more Mohneys. We did find where a tunnel called Empire Tunnel was. For years, we thought Silas was killed driving through a tunnel, not a trestle. This tunnel is the only one in the area, so we walked 2 miles in to see it. Imagine our dismay when we arrived to read it had been built or finished the year after Silas died & is wide enough to have clearance on each side. It was worth the walk, however, as it is interesting and the children (girls) didn't mind the walk. (We had earlier gone rock climbing & cave hunting. We found a couple of Bears' caves- empty and not used recently, thank goodness.)

We decided we would go look up Don's cousin- rather his dad's cousin's son. He wasn't home but we found his brother's house. (Jackson Frantz) He was in his 60s and didn't know much about the Mohneys at all - only that his Grandmother had been one. He told us that she had been widowed- and then said it was his grandfather who had been killed! We were crushed. Our story to shock people not so!! Kristi said she was going to keep telling it anyway. (In the margin, mom wrote: Her husband Elmer was killed in a lumber accident.)

Anyway, Anna married a man with 7 kids & then had 3 more. She had twins, Zora & Zelda. Zora died about 16 years old. We found out her youngest daughter, Margaret, in her 70s was still living. We decided to go see her the next time we went up.

We got home and found Donna sitting at the table writing down her family tree from info I'd put in some books and papers she'd found. So there we were in PA, and she in Ohio, both starting our paths toward the same goal, learning about our family.

My children, like myself, have no grandfathers to glean stories of their youth from. Oh, to be sure, they have a grandfather Lindbeck, but he lives in New Mexico and they don't know him. I never new mine- one died before I was born like Donnie's granddad did & I don't remember Granddaddy Leavelle at all. They really hadn't been around Mother that much but did spend a lot of time with Mom Mohney. She used to talk a lot about the past. She's who told me about Mr. Mohney's death and other stories. She was a very knowledgeable person & enjoyed talking about the past. 

But most of us know very little about family background. So were were hooked, all us gals, the same weekend. We're off & running and who knows what tales we'll learn. 

On Oct. 22, we left early Fri.. Morn. Sun. Night we called Don's cousin, Doris. (Doris is the daughter of Valentine's brother, Samuel Mohney) We told her what we were doing and she said she would send us what info she could. She told us Uncle Tom's wife, Bess, was still alive. (Thomas Mohney was the brother of Valentine.)We planned to visit her the next Fri. I told Donna not to plan any babysitting- we were going root-gathering! We also called Mother (Evalyn Leavelle Lindbeck Garvin) and she said she would send us her Godley family tree. I already had the Leavelle, back to 1600 something so I was glad to hear she had the other. I wasn't aware that she did. Then we called Ladeen (Ladeen Lindbeck Ring).When she found there was a family tree, she wanted a copy. So I said I'd send it to her. She is all excited about the prospects of adopting a child. A young woman is going to have a baby, she's not married and wants to give the baby up. Hopefully, they will not be disappointed! Ladeen's branch of Lindbecks ends with her- at least she will not contribute, and Jim has no children either. What a shame.

The next morning, Oct. 18, 1982, Ladeen and Jim got a baby girl. She was born early Monday & they drove down to Memphis & and saw her Thursday and brought her home Weds. They have named her wither Susan Lavonne or Jamie Lavonne. Lavonne (Lavonne Lindbeck Taylor, mom's sister) found the baby for them and went to a lot of work & spent time making arrangements, etc. So at 47, Ladeen is a mother!

Thursday, I came home from work and the Godley tree had come- what a surprise. It is a booklet 16 pages long, going back to the end of the 1600's and early 1700's on both sides of my grandmother's family. (A note added later: Plus running both the Godley lines to 1600 something.) And there is a huge family tree, that has all the children (Grandmother, her brothers and sisters, their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren of Martha Alice Benton and George Archibald Godley, my great grandparents. Mother's cousin Carol did a super job. Even my children are on it. It is great. Now- how do I copy it! It is too big for a regular xerox. It is about the size of an architect's house plans. They make copies so perhaps I can get it copied that way. My cousin's wife wants a copy and I'd like to get Donna a copy and my sisters and brother. I took it to the laundromat & poured over it. I think it fascinating. 2 of my ancestors were just cousins- married each other. Another was murdered. Still another was committed to a institution for the insane. We had war heroes, a town named for a relative, Godley, Texas, and others. There was only a few blanks- wife that weren't known or only first names. The records were really well done. 

I came home to find Donna had called her aunt Grace to find Bessie's address & she had given her information about Great-grandmother Mohney's family. Her parents were first cousins, like my ancestors, their grandparents were a Lord in parliament's son and daughter. Their mother was a Lady when he married her. They had immigrated from Ireland in 1832. It's getting more interesting.

We went to Oil City Fri. morn. to see Bess. She is 90 yrs old and lives alone and does very well. She is a tiny woman under 5 feet, & was probably a very attractive young woman. She had baked us an apple pie. It was delicious! Shaun had a case of either asthma or bronchitis. He was miserable. She couldn't tell us too much except she said there were two aunts, Aunt Line Callen & Aunt Grace Sibley. Her son Elmer came to meet us. He thinks that Val was red-headed I know I said that already! Elmer asked about Rusty. He remembers once Rusty stopped with an illegal catch of fish & he was tickled to hear he had been a game protector! She has 3 daughters living, 1 dead. Pauline and Fern came to see us. They were real interested & Fern said that she would help with the cost if we got a booklet together and print it up. 

We left Oil City and drove to Brookville. We were looking for the museum but found a library instead. We looked through a lot of books and found several Mohneys mentioned. We made notes and xeroxed some pages. Shaun very fussy & cried a lot. I took him out for a walk.

We, then drove thru Crenshaw, where Silas was from & on to Ridgeway. We stopped by Elmer Rickards and told them we'd come over the next morn, then went to the cabin to light the heater and get supper. We worked awhile on our book.

Next morning, we drove to Hallton, and I showed Donna the graves, then we visited with Elmer and Maxine Rickard Frantz (his mother was Zora Rickard.) By this time we had found out that Jackson Frantz was mistaken. HIs great-grandfather, Elmer Rickard was killed when he started to pole a few logs into the river to start downstream & the whole pile shifted & crushed him. Elmer showed us family pictures & shared some he had doubles of. He named everyone he could remember. We saw Uncle Pope, Madge, Anna, Helen (Pope's daughter) Mayme and others. (A later note- "We found out Uncle Pope's daughter Helen was living in Sebring, O. and got her address.) We had a nice visit. They have 3 children, a girl of their own & a boy and girl they adopted., one grandchild. He and his mother just moved into their own place. We left there & went to the Ridgeway library. Here I found a book about Rafting on the Clarion River & listed the raft pilots. They listed Silas Mooney, Pope and William Mooney. Is William a brother? or is he really a Mooney? Anyway we know Pope and Silas are Mohneys. Perhaps William is too. We'll be watching for a William.

Aunt Bess had told us that Tom was named for his Uncle Tom-Mockin_ Machen- whatever, but didn't know who he was. He was supposed to leave them some property. We'll have to check on that with her.

We then went to Crenshaw & onto Brockway. We went to a Library there & found a 1978 atlas showing Valentine Mohney's homesite. 2 acres on the county line between Jefferson and Elk Co. 

Donna went through some microfilm newspapers and found some mention or a Mrs. Mohney & Mrs. Cook visiting somewhere. I read a book on Ridgeway & it mentioned Uncle Pope and his barber shop. We have been looking for a history of Elk Co. which is supposed to mention Silas. The only one we find says some of the early inhabitants of Hallton are the Buehlers & the Mohneys. The Beuhlers were Swiss. I don't know if Russell, my brother-in-law, is Swiss or German but it's spelled the same. (Russell Beuhler was Grace Mohney's second husband.)

We drove around trying to find 2 cemeteries. The one we found had lots of Sibleys buried there but it was getting late so we didn't look through the stones. We didn't locate the other cemetery. We did find where the house would have been, and there is a house there. We took a picture, but don't know if it is the same house or just one built later.

Donna went home that night with the baby. He was feeling better, but still crying a lot. It made it hard trying to find things with him there. Donnie came up and we stayed till Sun.  Cut and loaded some wood & came on home. I had planned to stay over Mon so had taken the day off, then Don decided to work. (It was his birthday Sun. and he could have taken Mon. as a paid holiday, or just get paid for it.)

Since I was off, Mon., Donna & I went to Pittsburgh to the Library, and went thru a lot of books. Donna found a John Moni who married a Jane Pope in the 1700s. Could it be! We don't know. They were married in Gloucester, Mass. 

We then went to the microfilm room and went through the census. Donna found Silas in the 1900 census. It wasn't very plain or legible. It listed Silas, his wife 'Margrit,' 2 daughters whose names couldn't be read, Grace, Samuel, Valentine. It said they had 9 children, 7 living. Anna was married & widowed & remarried. Donna found her family. George and Frank were dead- but where was Tom? Was he living with a relative? And why the spelling of Margaret's name? As we were to find out, census aren't always correct. Peoples names are often spelled as they sound. I found a Linnbeck which was probably "Lindbeck" like my maiden name, but the 'd' is often not pronounced.

Meanwhile, I found Valentine in the 1860's census. He was 30 Sarah Ann 28- So he was born about 1830 & Sarah Ann 1832. She was a housekeeper, he was a laborer. She was born in N.Y., He in Pa. There were 7 children listed. Agnefs- 15, Edline 11, Paul S. 9, Thomas P. 7, William J. 5, Lizzie 2 and Olive 3/12- Agness (We found the 'f' was called a long S) was too old to be their child so may have been Valentine's sister, niece, cousin! Edline was probably Aunt Line. Could William be William Mooney the river pilot? I photocopied the census. Donna did hers but it didn't turn out. Then I found 1900. Valentine was 70, a gunsmith & had no one else listed at his home. Sarah Ann must have died, and it appears there were no old maid daughters. I got 1870 and I couldn't find him on it, the same with 1850. We were running late so we left. We wanted to go to Aunt Marybelle's and get the Book-Morrow history. We had a nice visit with her and copied the histories. There were several sets of twins & redheads. Family of Morrows were Irish- Van Eman and Glenn was Dutch- McConahy- Scotch & Book (Buch) German. SO on Don's side there are English Irish. German, Dutch, Scotch-Irish. On my side, Scotch-Irish, French-Dutch, Welsh & Swedish. Quite a variety. 

We were well pleased with what we had accomplished all ready! 

Tuesday night, I spent an hour at the Youngs. Library, waiting for Ken at Sea Cadets. I really didn't add much but found a Beaver Co. Bicentennial Book & copied the Wallace story as it contained my family (Leavelle) background.

Wed. after work I went to New Castle to see what they have. They have a beautiful new Library, with a nice History room, and a microfilm room. There was a lady there who helped me try to find Valentine listed in the 1850 census. I went through the census & found the 1880 census showed Valentine to be 58 & a gunsmith, his wife Mary E. 46. Age couldn't be right. He would have been 50 If he was 70 in 1900 and 30 in 1860. Also the first (1860) census showed Silas name as Paul S. so is Sam right?

(Sam, by the way, is named for Samuel Rodgers, his mother's grandfather.) Was his name Paul Silas or Silas Warren? - In the 1860 Jefferson Co. on the same page are the Sibleys. They had an Olive, too, age 8 & one man was Warren. 

In 2 census reports we found on Silas, he had boarders. One was a Parker. The gun Valentine made Dad Mohney was marked Henry Parker, Warranted on the metal Perhaps a nephew or some relatives? Maybe one of the sisters married a Parker? Agness? (She wrote later "NO!.")

Friday, Dot watched Shaun & Donna and I spent 4 1/2 hours there (At the library). She researched Morrow ancestry and found lots of info on them. Of course, that was Lawrence Co. & they were from that area. We hope to go there as often as we can & search. We didn't find any new infor. in the census. - Except in 1850 I found a Thomas Makin. Could this be Uncle Tom? Maybe he married one of Silas' sisters. 

We plan to take a couple of days and go to Brookville, Brockway, Crenshaw & Ridgeway & checkout the courthouse, museums & Libraries again & see what we can find out. We plan to check births, deaths, wills, deeds, anything we can find. Who knows what we will find. 

November 10

Well, we made our trip to PA. Before we went, however, we have found a bit more census information and had visited Helen Mohney Olson in Copeland Oaks in Sebring. She is a lovely person, 89 years old. We learned quite a bit from her – She has two sisters living. One just died a month agon. (Wrong She died 2 years ago. Oct. 1980.)Her sister Vera lives in Darlington- since 1954. We couldn't believe it We still haven't seen her yet but hope to soon. Her other sister lives in Salamanca, N.Y. 

From Helen, we heard the story of how Frank (Francis Murphy Mohney) died. He had been out hunting , & was coming down the hill when he slipped and fell, as he fell, he yelled & uncle Pope heard him, heard the gun go off. Pope had been carrying feed into the barn. He ran to him, and found his gun had discharged, shooting him in the back. (If Pope hadn't heard & seen what he did, people could have thought someone had shot him.) He told Pope he had shot himself when he fell. (This was in January 1900.)

Frank's head was down the hill. (When Pope saw what happened he had yelled for Maggie, Frank's mother, & she was hurrying there. Frank asked if she was coming, & Pope said yes. “Turn me so I can see her coming.” When Pope raised his head higher than his heart, he died without seeing her coming. How sad! 

Then Silas was engineer on an engine going over the trestle at Arroyo (no longer there.) For some reason, he stuck his head out and looked backwards. His head hit the trestle, he was thrown from the train into the creek. (Spring Creek.) They carried him home but he was dead when they got there. Whether he was decapitated she didn't say, but I doubt it.

Next we learned Silas mother was Sarah Ann Mulkins & Thomas was her brother. They were born in New York. The family called her Sally Ann. When Pope was born, she was about 32 years old, and confined to a wheelchair. (Agnes was married to a Mr. Wilhelm then, with a child of her own, and she nursed both babies, one on each breast.) She died 2 or 3 years later. No one knew what her physical problem was.

By the time Pope was 11, his Dad had remarried a widow named Mary with one boy. In later years, Pope called her nothing but “old Mary.” (Mary Bundy daughter of Ebenezer Stephens.)She was so mean he ran away at 11 & went to live with his sister Agness. When she died we don't know, but she was listed on the 1880 census but not on the 1900.

We went to Brookville Mon. Morning & went through the records there & really found nothing to help us. We didn't find the death record of Valentine. (We had learned he died in the Jefferson county home and since we didn't find a record assume he died after 1906. Helen says he is buried in the same cemetery as Aunt Line- who incidentally was named Adeline. We have called the Jefferson Home bu they don't have records back that far & don't know who does. 

Donna checked the war records and found Valentine was drafted in 1865. Since he died in what was the old Soldiers Home, he was probably a veteran. Helen's other grandfather, McFadden, was in there too. She also found him registered several times. Once in Belmont Mills and in Spring Creek Twp.

We went to Crenshaw & Brockway trying to find tombstones but had no luck. 

We went to the historical society museum, but it was closed till spring. All were except Clarion and Ridgeway which we hit the wrong days! We went to Ridgeway the next day and Donna found a lot of births of Mohneys, including several of Popes which Helen didn't have listed. 2 boys were born the same day- John Pope and Don Pope. Were they twins or was mistake made and the wrong name given and then corrected later? Helen's mother died young, as did a lot of women then- delivering one child after another ! We found delayed birth certificates for Sally Anna Mohney Gulnac. We didn't know her first name was Sally. Also Aunt Grace Stauffer's marriage appl. Her name was Birdine Grace. Now we know why the family called her Grace Bird. She and Mary got married the same day – Grace was 21- Mary 23. Willis Stauffer was 24 years old & a teacher. Banfield Mercer was 24 & a laborer. Also Samuel's marriage license listed him as 24 and his wife Henrietta Messinger was 16. (Sam was listed as a machinist.) We also found Valentine's marriage in 1911, to Clara E. Mercer, 22- maybe she was related to Mary's (Mayme) husband. He was 21 and living in St. Marys, a laborer & she was a housekeeper.

(We had found a Thomas Mohney on the Brockway map in the 1878 Atlas of Jefferson Co.- later found Thomas in the 1870 census, the right age to be Valentine's son. He had a wife Hattie & a child Blanche. There is also a William listed, with only his age. We still haven't put all the pieces together.) (note added later: It is our Thomas. )

We went to Clarion Courthouse & found nothing we could use in delayed births. We never got to see the death records as some women had them for several hours. 

Then when we were ready to leave, and Kristi had already discovered we had a ticket, Donna found a thin, dusty old ledger, and it was an 1852 marriage ledger. She found a Rodgers listed. She saw another dusty book & asked me to check it. The book was torn into 2 parts. When I opened it fell open to the death record of Samuel Rodgers, Donnie's great-great-grandfather. We were able to learn his wife's first name (Margaret) when he was born, when he died, & where, and where he was buried. It listed George and Susan as his parents & a William as his son. It didn't mention his daughter, Mary. He died in 1852. We were so excited. (Note from Donna- Shaun was pushing a car around on the floor and it went under the shelf. When I went to retrieve it, I found the 2 ledgers.)

We then went to the Library, and checked books there. I had found an earlier version of “Tales of the Clarion River” and looking through it, found a story about Silas Mooney and one of boys (Probably Frank) taking a raft trip down river. This must be the book Sam & Doris were telling us about. I photocopied the story and one about a William Mooney, and later discovered that that story told about the death of Elmer Richard (Rickard). Then we found where Perry Twp. Was (where Samuel was buried.) & we took off. We couldn't find any Lawrenceburg, so we stopped, & asked a lady who knew Parker, in Armstrong Co, was once Lawrenceburg. She told us where 2 cemeteries were. We found an old, rundown uncared for cemetery and a larger cared for one. We looked thru the smaller & we found his stone, a tall marker with an epitaph we were unable to read. We looked around & in front of it was a large bronze monument. The first name I read was Georgie Mohney. Then George and Mary McCamey and Margaret McNickles. Then to one side were two stones alike- one Jane & one John McCamey. We were thrilled for we only expected Samuels and never expected to locate Georgie Mohney's grave. We still don't know how long he lived, but long enough to be called Georgie instead of George. The other child evidently was a daughter of our Maggie' sister- so we know there were 2 girls at least. It was almost dark, & we tried to take some pictures. Samuel, Jane and John's turned out but George and Mary McCamey's was blank 2 times. It was almost as if it never was. Real spooky. (Note from Donna- I tried one other time with a Polaroid and still nothing! But a film camera finally captured an image!)

We stopped at New Castle Library on the way home, and just by chance I discovered George and Jane in Belmont Mills, Horton Co., in 1870. Maggie was 15 & she had one sister & 3 brothers. I also found Silas on the neighborhood, age 21 on the census, but he would have been only 19. Two years later they married, on his father's birthday. According to the date on the stone, her other was in her 40s when she died. We don't know where they were from there. Later we found there was another brother, Samuel McCamey.

Last week we found a Thomas Mulkins in the same 1870 census, listed as 83. The famly he lived with were Catharine Reedy, her husband & family, including twin daughters, Angeline and Adeline. If she was his daughter, Adeline may be a family name, for Silas' sister was named Adeline. In 1880 he was not listed so we have to assume he died. Then in 1910, I found a younger Tom Mulkin in Eldred, Pa, 74 years old, his wife, Lucy 73, married 52 years. This is Sally's brother. We would like to get a copy of his death certificate as it should list his parents and their birthplaces. Also Valentine's for the same reason.

We still have to find cemetery caretakes or someone who knows where hs is buried. I don't believe that there would be no stone, when there is such nice ones for Silas and Margaret, & for the McCameys. (who died earlier.) Surely someone cared enough.

We want to have Helen for dinner Thanksgiving if possible. We'll have to get in touch with her sister, Vera & see if they can come. Wayne and Eleanor (Wayne Valentine Mohney and his wife, Eleanor.) Chum (James Book Mohney) may if he's feeling better.

More Later.

Helen didn't come for dinner. She didn't feel up to leaving the nursing home. We went to visit her sister, Vera Sterling today, Nov. 27, 1982. She is very nice and so is her husband, who is a very tall, thin man probably in his 80s. We found he was born in 1904 which made him 78. 

Dec. 14. I've gotten behind took time out to go deer hunting- no luck!

I have located Thomas Mulkin in the Jefferson Co. Census, 1840 & 50. First in Young Twp, then in Warsaw twp. The 1850 census lists Thomas and his wife Mary &8 kids- no Catherine. It lists John as the eldest & Sally as second. In the same census I found a John already married & living away, & also Sarah listed as Valentine Moohney's wife. Here Sally was 21 and Thomas Mulkins, Sally was 20- Valentine 24- Agness who was 5 or 7. If 5 and Sally 21, she would have 16 when she had her (which is better than being 13.) (Later note- 1860 census lists Sally as 28 and Agness as 15.) 

When we visited Vera & Ralph Sterling, we discovered newspaper clippings in Pope's old Bible.

Obituaries of Silas and Nanna Mohney & a newspaper clipping of Adeline Callen in 1939- she was 90. She died in 1941 & is buried in Brockway “2 stones above Valentine,” according to Helen Olson.” We were there and had recorded her tombstone and didn't realize it. 3 or 4 of her children are buried there too. It (The Bible) said Val. died 1910 no month.

Kenny and I visited Helen Olson Thurs. Jan. 9. We went in the evening. She was glad to see us & remarked again about how Kenny was the image of his grandfather at that age, only his hair wasn't red enough. Earlier she had seen a picture of Donnie & said he looked like his Dad. She & Vera both said Donna is a definite Mohney, too. She told us about her hunting when she was younger and other stories. Vera told us Grace Sibley came to take care of them after their mother Nanna died. She was a large, very red headed woman. Her children were grown by then & she was widowed, I guess. Vera was the youngest and she said that Aunt Grace used to lock her in the attic so she wouldn't have to chase after her. When Pope found this out, he asked her to leave. She got a room in a rooming house & then later in the home in St. Marys. The day before I went to see Helen, I went to New Castle & checked the census. I found Grace Sibley & her family in 1880. She was 21, her husband Alvinson 24- a hotel keeper. 2 sons and her brother, John P. 17 years old. I checked upon McCamey & Rodgers. I found John McCam. Then were more children than George. But in 1840, they didn't list by names. I couldn't find any others besides George and Jane. 1850- they lived with Samuel and Margaret Rodgers & had 4 kids then. 

I found an earlier note to be incorrect as I do so often when I read back. Helen says Valentine did not go to war, that his wife's brother, William Mulkins went in his place, and died there! His brother Thomas went to Virginia and brought his body home in a wagon, and had a wolf follow him the whole way. But we don't know where he is buried. Also Reid McFadden and his wife died at the county home, not the old Soldier's home. Helen has changed her story! 

Dec. 14th. Donna and I visited Vera and Ralph. Ralph said his dad was probably from Canada. Ralph was born in New York and his father was an interior decorator. His father's sister was Mrs. Ott and lived in Youngstown. They didn't know that Maude Mohney's husband was Callen Sterling Bird. All they knew was Col Bird. We got a letter from their daughter, Nellie. (Millie?) She says Thomas and Hattie Mohney died early. Blanche and Maude were raised by others. Maud by a Frost Family and Blanche we don't know who raised her. Helen is trying to remember.

I haven't written here in so long . I don't know where to begin. We still have not gone any further back than Val Mohney & Thomas Mulkins. We are not sure if the Thomas we found is Sally's father. We need to find some proof.

We have found an article in the Wash. Co. History which tells that Samuel Rodgers was married to Margaret Cook. They had 8 children that we know of. Mary's husband is said to be George McKinney. She had a sister Susannah married to a George Harwood. Margaret and Same were born in Co. Donegal, Ireland. There was 1 brother William the one listed in Samuel's death certificate. He moved to Wash. Co. & it was his history we read to find the info about his dad. 

We tried to get death certificates for Valentine & Thomas Mulkins, but not knowing the year of death, would have to pay 10.00 an hour to search records. We found out now that Valentine died in 1910, so we may be able to get his. We hope to find an obituary or something!

Vera had her dad's Bible & it had the obituary of Silas' death from another paper. It listed his name as Warren Silas and Silas Warren, listed his sisters, gave dates of his brothers', Jim (William James) and Tom's deaths, his mother's death, among others. It was a very flowery sentimental affair & written by his sister Adeline (Line) Callen's daughter. 

We have visited different places in our search for family history. We have used library facilities at New Castle, Butler, Clarion, Brookville, Brockway, Pittsburgh, Beaver Falls, Youngstown, Ridgeway, and the Mormon Genealogical Library in Greentree & the Beaver Co. Historical Library in Beaver. We visited the Courthouse in Ridgeway, Clarion, Brookville, New Castle and Beaver Co. We have checked numerous cemeteries & checked over cemetery records- It has been interesting & rewarding. I never thought I would get so involved in searching the family tree- especially as most of my research is not even my own family but in-laws!

In my own research, I have added a bit to my mother's record, finding 2 grandmothers had remarried after death of our ancestor & finding their wills. Found a newspaper clipping from early 1600 about William Clayton being on a ship landing in New Jersey- a group of Quaker settlers. But am not certain he is my direct ancestor. On Daddy's side U have been told, without proof, that my Dad's grandfather Paulus Lindbeck was the son of a Prince of the line of King Gustav the _____. But I haven't tried to have this documented yet. 

We have great confusion on the Van Eman line of Mom Mohney's family. We went down the wrong branch and really found a wealth of information going back to the 15th century only to find we followed the wrong Nicholas Van Eman We lost 2 good lines we had been following – Scotts and Agnews that way. We had one Van Eman as son of our Nicholas & he was son of the contemporary Nicholas. There are several Nicholas Van Emans each generation. It really gets confusing. We have found Nicholas I was born in Emmens, Drenthe Province, Holland- His name was Nicholas Emmens- Van was added after they moved to Washington County, Pa.- Van means of 'Nicholas of Emmens'- He died in Dec. 1781. We don't know how old he was. We need to get to Wash. Co. & find a cemetery- maybe we can find where he is buried. We have learned his wife was Mary Wilson born in Wales. At least one of their children was born in Holland. 

Helen's sister Alma's granddaughter sent us copies of a picture of Valentine- of the 4 daughters of Uncle Pope and Lulu, Pope in the barber shop- Pope's obituary.

Helen told me about her Dad throwing Aunt Grace out because she mistreated the children- locking Vera on the 3rd floor, beating the boys with brooms, etc. Finally a Dr. told Pop if he didn't send his boy away, he would be damaged mentally. Then he sent her away. One day she came back & tried to force her way into the house & she & Helen got into a wrestling match, & Helen says she could have choked Grace to death if a neighbor boy hadn't intervened. It scared her badly & she tried to keep good control of her temper after that. But years later, Grace was ill & a minister tried to persuade Pope to take her in. Helen said he could but she would leave and not come back- so Pope refused. Grace had left her husband- years before & her sons had nothing to do with her. She died alone- about 1916 or so, maybe in the Co. home in St. Mary's.

We are taking a trip to the mountains in August.

We have done it! Donna found her “Mohney roots” in Clarion Co. We visited the historical society & found 2 sources listing Valentine as the son of Isaac & Eve Shaeffer & Isaac the son of Adam and Catherine Hilliard, dau. Of Frances & Christina Hilliard. At last, after 10 months searching, we have connected our branch with the Mohneys.