A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 39

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press]
Number of Pages: 683

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II > Part 39

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Col. John Jenkins died at his home in Exeter Township March 19, 1827, and Mrs. Bethiah ( Harris) Jenkins died there August 12, 1842. In The Susquehanna Democrat (Wilkes-Barre), of May 4, 1827, the following notice of Colonel Jenkins' death was printed. "Another Veteran Gone ! Died at his residence in Exeter, in March last, Col. John Jenkins, aged seventy-six years. Colonel Jenkins was a native of Con- necticut, whence he emigrated to this country before the Revolution. He bore the commission of a Lieu- tenant in the Continental army, and was equally distinguished for his attachment to the cause of liberty and for his intrepid bravery. He was left in command of the fort in Kingston during the memorable battle of Wyoming. He afterwards accompanied General Sullivan in his expedition against the Six Nations of Indians; having been selected for that service on account of his accurate knowledge of the then almost unknown and savage wilds of northern Pennsylvania and western New York. In the cruel and relentless warfare prosecuted by the British Indians and refugees against this defenceless frontier, he bore a distinguished part. It has been well said that ' he defended and supported the first settlers of this valley with his rifle in one hand and his hoe in the other.' As a patriot and soldier, on the narrow stage upon which it was his destiny to act, he developed those traits of character which in a more ex- tended sphere would have given his memory to fame. He lived to see that colony-whose commence- ment was amidst scenes of famine, bloodshed and desolation-to the defence of which he had devoted his best days, enjoying in the midst of abundance the blessings of health, liberty and peace, and has, in the fullness of his days, committed himself to rest in the bosom of that soil which he had contributed so well to defend."

Col. John and Bethiah (Harris) Jenkins were the parents of the following-named children; (1) Lydia, born September 8, 1780; became the wife of Jabez Hyde, 8d; died December 3, 1788. See below. (2) John, born August 24, 1782; died October 15, 1804, unmarried. (3) Harris, born July 22, 1784; died August 11. 1850. See below. (1) William, born April 17, 1786; married February 28, 1809, to Elizabeth Slocum of Pittston. (5) Franklin, born March 2, 1788; married May 8, 1810, to Margaret Gay of Kings- ton. (6) Rachel, born January 4. 1792; married February 2, 1829, to David Goodwin. (7) Falla, born February 7, 1794; married March 21, 1811, to Lot Brees ; died November 28, 1877. See below. (8) James, born January 20, 1796; died August 8. 1878, See below.

Jabez Hyde, 3d, who, September 1, 1797, was married to (1) Lydia Jenkins, was born at Norwich, Connec- ticut, July 9, 1776, the eldest child of Jabez Hyde, Jr. (born at Norwich West Farms, Connecticut, June 15, 1740: died at Rush, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1885), and his wife Martha Pettis (born at Norwich July 15, 1742; married January 12. 1775; died at Rush, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1816). Jabez Hyde, Jr., was the second child of Jabez Hyde, Sr. (born at Norwich, Connecticut, September 16, 1713; died at Franklin, Connecticut, March 6, 1805), and his wife Lydia Abel (born at Norwich July 28, 1719; married December 8, 1786; died June 25, 1803). Jabez Hyde, Sr., was for some time a Justice of the Peace at Norwich, and was an extensive landowner. He was the father of eleven children. Prior to 1805 Jabez Hyde, Jr., settled in that part of Luzerne County which in 1810 was erected into Susquehanna County-his home being in that section of the new county which in 1818 was erected into the township of Rush. From 1810 till 1813 Jabez Hyde, 8d, was Sheriff of Luzerne County. In 1813 he was elected one of the two Representatives to the State Legislature from the district comprising the counties of Luzerne and Susquehanna, and about that time he removed to Rush Township in the latter county. From 1816 to 1820 he was Prothonotary. Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds for Susquehanna County, and in 1822 and again in 183 he was elected one of the three Representatives to the State Legislature from the Luzerne- Susquehanna district. He was a delegate to the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1887-'38, and in 1840 was appointed an Associate Judge of the Susquehanna County Courts. Mrs. Lydia (Jenkins) Hyde having died December 3, 1798, leaving an infant child-John Jenkins Hyde-Jabez Hyde, 3d, was married (2d) in August, 1803, at Rush, Pennsylvania, to Lucy Smith of Windham, Connecticut. He died at Rush October 8, 1841, and his wife Lucy died there February 16, 1849.

(3) Harris Jenkins, second son of Col. John and Bethiah (Harris) Jenkins, was born in Exeter Township. During his long life he was a farmer, school-teacher, clerk and merchant. In 1820 and '21, and other years about that period, he was an innkeeper in Kingston Township. From December, 1845, to December, 1848, he was Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds for Luzerne County, and for a num- ber of years at that period was a Justice of the Peace. Prior to 1821 he was a Colonel in the Pennsyl- vania Militia. August 2, 1819, Colonel Jenkins became a member of Lodge No. 61, F. and A. M., Wilkes- Barre. He was Senior Warden of the Lodge in 1822 and Master in 1825. He was married January 5, 1808, to Mary Booth (born February 14, 1790), and they became the parents of eight children. Colonel Jenkins died at Pittston, Pennsylvania, August 11, 1850.

Lot Brees, who, as previously noted, became the husband of (7) Falla Jenkins, was born January 8, 1788, the son of Capt. Samuel Brees mentioned below. He was by occupation a farmer, and was also at one time a Justice of the Peace, and for a while a Captain in the Pennsylvania Militia. He died at the borough of Wyoming May 1, 1868, and his wife died there November 23, 1877. They were the parents of eleven children, as follows : Steuben, Freeman (married to Margaret Ann Sharps), Sarah Maria (mar- ried to William Sharps), Elizabeth (married to Peter Sharps), Lydia (born April 19, 1820; married Octo- ber 4, 1840, to Albert, son of William and Christiana ( Winter) Polen), Catharine Bethiah (married to John Sharps), Esther (married, as his first wife, to Jacob Sharps Hice), Ruth Ann (married to James H. Melick), James, John, and Murray (married to Mary Courtright). Margaret Ann, William, Peter and John Sharps, mentioned above, were sister and brothers.

(8) James Jenkins, youngest child of Col. John and Bethiah (Harris) Jenkins, spent his whole life in and near the present borough of Wyoming, in Kingston Township, where he was a successful farmer, merchant, innkeeper, etc. He was married July 2, 1815, to Elizabeth (born March 27. 1793), daughter of Capt. Samuel Brees (originally of Basking Ridge, Somerset County, New Jersey), and his wife Hannah (born March 15, 1760; died at Wyoming April 9, 1817). Captain Brees (born April 17, 1758 ; died at Wyo- ming July 21, 1887) was a son of John and Dorothy ( Riggs) Brees, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and in 1815 and other years was an innkeeper at New Troy, now the borough of Wyoming. James Jen-

Digitized by Google

808

stances Before ye General Assembly In may Next and also to Prefer a Petition or me- morial to the Genrl Assembly for the Purposes mentioned in the above vote and sequre the same as agents in behalf of this Town and fully to act thereon before sd assembly.

"voted-that this town Does Now appoint the selectman to set out ye several Districts to Each surveyor of Highways, and that ye several Highways allready Laid out or shall be Laid out in ye several Destricts In this town shall be Legal Rodes for ye sur- veyors to work on.

"voted-that each Pound allready Built in ye several Destricts shall be known to be Lawfull pounds for ye town, and if any Destrict be yet Destitute of any Pound that such Destrict may agree at their own cost to build pounds for themselves & at such places as they shall think best, & that said Pounds so built shall be Lawfull Pounds.

"voted-that Capt. obadiah Gore & obadiah Gore Junr are appointed raters and Branders of Horses* for ye year Ensuing.

"voted-that for ye Present ye tree that Now stands Notherly from Cap! Butlers House shall be ye town sign post. t

"voted-that ye Hogs are allowed to go at Large on ye Commons."

kins died at Wyoming August 8, 1873, his wife having died there October 22, 1871. They were the parents of nine children, of whom the third was Steuben Jenkins (mentioned on page 28, Vol. I), who was born at the old Jenkins homestead, on the site of Fort Wintermute, September 28, 1819. He was admitted to the Bar of Luzerne County August 8, 1847. In 1856 and again in 1857 he was elected one of the Repre- sentatives from Luzerne County to the State Legislature, and from 1868 to 1870 he was Clerk and Solicitor to the Board of Commissioners of Luzerne County. He was well known for many years as an earnest and careful investigator and student of all that related to the early history of Wyoming Valley, and upon many occasions he delivered addresses and published monographs on subjects connected with that his- tory. (For a fuller account of his life see Kulp's " Families of the Wyoming Valley," 1:55, and Johnson's "Historical Record," IV: 9, 14.) Steuben Jenkins was married February 24, 1816, to Catharine M. (born July 27, 1822), daughter of John and Jerusha ( Johnstone) Brees, and a descendant of John Brees of Somerset County. New Jersey, previously mentioned. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins became the parents of one son and three daughters. Steuben Jenkins died at Wyoming May 29, 1890, and his wife died there July 18, 1905.

* Inasmuch as horses, cattle, sheep and swine were allowed to run at large, or to graze on the com- mon lands belonging to a town or settlement, at the period of which we write, the owners of such ani- mals were required by law to have their horses branded and their other stock either branded or ear- marked, in such a way that they could be easily identified. The statute law of Connecticut governing branding was as follows : " Each town in this Colony shall have a Town Brand to brand their horses with-every of which brands shall be set respectively on every horse and horse-kind on their near or left shoulder. And the inhabitants of each town shall choose a suitable number of persons (not exceed- ing six) to be branders of horses in such town; and each brander shall be under oath, and shall make a record of all horses by him branded, with the age and color, natural and artificial marks; and also all sales and exchanges made of any horse-which shall be presented to him-he shall enter, * * with the names of buyer and seller and place of residence. * * Any person having a horse above two years

old shall cause one of the branders of the town in which he lives to brand such horse with the town brand, and enter the marks, etc .; on penalty of forfeiting the sum of forty shillings for every such horse that he shall neglect. * * If he shall sell, give or exchange any such horse he shall have them entered and recorded on penalty of thirty shillings." The fee for branding and recording each horse was six pence; and for recording a sale, three pence. The following were the brands in use in some of the Con- necticut towns in 1774 and 1775 : Hartford. "A "; Lyme, "Q"; New London, "L"; Windham, "& "; Litchfield, "9" ; Danbury, "II" ; New Haven, "H" ; Norwich, "N".

It was further provided by law (in 1772): "Whoever shall steal any horse in this Colony and be con- victed, shall pay to the owner of the horse three times the value thereof, and a fine to the Colony of £10; and be further punished by being publicly whipped on the naked body, not exceeding fifteen stripes; and be confined in the Work House, or House of Correction, not exceeding three months- there to be kept at hard labor, and be further whipped on the first Monday of each month, not exceeding ten stripes each time." The statute law of Connecticut relating to ear-marks was as follows : " All owners of any cattle, sheep or swine shall ear-mark or brand the same that are above one-half year old; and they shall cause their several marks to be registered in the town book. And all cattle, sheep and swine that shall be found unmarked and not branded. as aforesaid, the owners shall forfeit two shillings per head."

The following are descriptions of some of the ear-marks found registered in the West- moreland records. Jonathan Prichard's, en- tered May 31, 1775, " a slit in the end of the right ear"; Nicholas Manvil's, entered June 9, 1775, " a halfpenny on the upper side of the left ear, and a slit in the end of the right ear"; William Comstock's, entered October 21, 1774, "a smooth crop of ye right ear, and a half- penny ye under side of each ear "; Job Tripp, 2d, entered April 2. 1776-" his ear-mark a smooth crop of ye left ear, and a halfpenny ye fore side of each ear"; Asaph Whittle- sey's, entered April 28, 1774, "a smooth crop of ye left ear, and a halfpenny ye under side of ye same ear "; William Reynolds', entered April 28, 1774, "a swallow's tail in the left ear, and a half-crop on ye right ear "; Samuel Ransom's, entered April 28, 1774, "a half- penny the under side of the right ear and the upper side of the same, and the upper side of the left ear"; John Franklin's, en- tered May 16, 1774, "a swallow's tail on ye left ear "; Philip Goss', entered November 26. 1774, "a half crop ye under side of ye right ear."

(From an Old Print.)

t "This matter of the legal sign-post," says Miner (" History of Wyoming," page 157), "is of weightier import than, without explanation, might be imagined. Newspapers in those days were little known save in the larger cities. It had therefore been enacted that a sign-post be established in each town,

Digitized by Google

809

From about the middle of March until the latter part of May or early in June, 1774, Maj. John Durkee was at Wilkes-Barre, and on the West Branch of the Susquehanna, for the first time after his release from his long and tedious imprisonment at Philadelphia (see page 741), and was engaged with Capt. Zebulon Butler, Capt. Stephen Fuller, Obadiah Gore, Jr., Nathan Denison and Seth Marvin (composing the Committee of Settlers) in disposing of "rights" in the Susquehanna Purchase, and in approving the surveying and laying out of tracts of land to various proprietors in The Susquehanna Company. April 23d the Committee approved the laying out of a township on Fishing Creek surveyed to Cornelius Hull, Daniel Andrus, Ebenezer Banks and others. As the time (May 12, 1774) approached for the convening at Hart- ford of the General Assembly of Connecticut in its regular semi-annual session*, Capt. Zebulon Butler, and probably also Timothy Smith and John Jenkins-who, with Christopher Avery, had been "appointed Agents for the town of Westmoreland" (see page 805) to appear before the General Assembly-repaired to Hartford. Christopher Avery did not go, but under the date of May 18th wrote from Westmoreland to Captain Butler that he had "been advised by the leaders of the people here not to attend this Court-they being of the mind now that this town will not be allowed the privilege of their Deputies sitting in the Court." This surmise was correct, for Westmoreland was not rep- resented by any of its agents in the May session of the Assembly, al- though Zebulon Butler, at least, was on the ground. The party of malcontents who had held their convention at Middletown met with very little countenance from the people in general; by many they were made a subject of banter and ridicule. They presented their memorial to the Assembly, but it was received with only slight consideration. At the same time The Susquehanna Company came forward with a pe- tition praying the Assembly to quit-claim to them the right and title of the Colony to the western lands. Among various resolutions passed by the Assembly was one providing "that a petition be presented to His

on which notices of public meetings, public sales, stray animals taken up, etc., should be nailed or placed, to render them legal. It is proper to add, that as an accompaniment of the sign-post, which was also the legal whipping-post. a pair of stocks was provided for a punishment of the guilty, and a warning to deter from crime. These (now abjured) monuments of civilization and law were derived from England, and were brought over-nay, almost venerated, by our Puritan fathers. The ancient pillory and wooden horse first disappeared ; the whipping-post and stocks soon followed."

The sign-post. in Connecticut, took the place of the town-crier, who, with his bell or speaking-trumpet, flourished in some of the other American Colonies as well as in England at that period. In 1774 the Con- necticut statute law relative to sign-posts (they were sometimes referred to as "Public Posts ") and stocks read as follows: "Near the center of every town there shall be a sign-post set up at the town's charge, and maintained in sufficient repair-on a penalty of ten shillings per month for neglect; at which sign- posts proclamations, notices of strays, sales of houses and lands, and advertisements of such like occa- sions, shall be set up. * * * Every town shall make and maintain a good pair of stocks, with a lock and key, sufficient to hold and secure such offenders as shall be sentenced to be set therein."

The tree selected by the inhabitants of Westmoreland for their town sign-post, as noted in the fore- going minutes, was a large white elm, which stood on the River Common nearly opposite the termina- tion of Northampton Street.

From the Westmoreland records we learn that in the Spring of 1774 it was voted " That ye Indian apple-tree, so-called, at Capouse, shall be ye town sign-post for ye town of New Providence." Hollister, writing in 1857 relative to this tree, stated (in his " History of Lackawanna Valley," page 191) : "This apple-tree, venerable in its broad branches, as if arrayed in the foliage of its youth, planted more than 150 years ago, yet blooms and bears its fruit by the roadside, between Providence and Scranton, a few hundred feet above the ancient village of Capouse." About the same time that the aforementioned sign-posts were designated a venerable elm, which stood near the east corner of the present Main and Elm Streets in the borough of Plymouth, was designated as the sign-post for the " Plymouth District." This old tree stood until some twenty-five years ago, when it was cut down.

* The law of Connecticut relative to its Legislature was, at that period, as follows : "There shall be yearly two General Courts, or Assemblies, held-one at Hartford, on the second Thursday in May, and the other at New Haven on the second Thursday in October-unless it be upon occasions of epidemical sickness, diseases, or the like. And the first shall be called a Court of Election, wherein shall be chosen from time to time, yearly, one Governor, one Deputy Governor and twelve Assistants, with a Treasurer and Secretary for the Colony. And the said General Courts shall consist of the Governor, or Deputy Governor, and six Assistants, at least, with those of the Deputies, or Representatives, from the several towns in the Colony that shall be present. * * The freemen of every town shall have liberty to send one or two Deputies to every session." (See, also, page 248, Vol. I, concerning the Assembly.)

Digitized by Google

810

Majesty, praying that commissioners may be appointed to settle the bounds between the contending Colonies." The Assembly also ap- pointed Zebulon Butler, Nathan Denison and Silas Park to be Justices of the Peace in and for the county of Litchfield for the ensuing year.

In The Connecticut Courant of May 31, 1774, a few days after the adjournment of the Assembly, the following item appeared :

"PROGRESS OF THE STATE RACE .- On the 12th of May the two famous horses 'Charter ' and 'Westmoreland ' appeared in Hartford near the sign of the Golden Ball, in order to run the State race. There was nothing wanting to qualify 'Westmoreland ' for this race. The jockies and grooms that attended him had been vastly assiduous, and no pains spared to give him the advantage in the start, for which purpose he was pro- vided with a light, airy, subtle rider. 'Charter' appeared in good spirits, but not well fixed. A misunderstanding had happened among those who had been appointed to at- tend him; he was badly shod, and it is said was not so much as trimmed and curried until the very morning. * *

* Lest 'Charter ' should be entirely run out of breath, his friends gave over the race and paid their losings, upon the promise from the friends of ' Westmoreland ' ( who by this time had become very numerous) that the race should be completed at Newmarket, in Old England."

In the same issue of the Courant the following burlesque adver- tisement was printed :

"This is to notify all persons indebted to me for the service of my horse 'Charter '- either for races, journeyings or for colts-to make speedy payments, as it is expected he will soon be sent for to Old England to complete the race with ' Westmoreland,' and through infirmity of body and ill usage it is thought he will never return. [Signed] "CHARLES STEADY."

May 24, 1774, at or near the close of the session of the Assembly, The Susquehanna Company met at Hartford agreeably to adjournment. Col. Elizur Talcott was Moderator and Samuel Gray was Clerk of the meeting, and a considerable amount of business was disposed of, part of which was as follows :

" Voted, That Benjamin Stevens, Josiah Cowles, Benjamin Yale, Jonathan Root, Aaron Cleveland, William Judd, Gad Stanley and Joseph Sluman be a committee to hear and consider sundry complaints and matters of grievance now preferred to this meeting. [This committee reported, relative to] ' the grievances of Thomas McClure, * * that his settling right at Kingston, No. 36, &c., was voted to James Forsythe in June, 1773, that Thomas McClure be restored to the above settling right in Kingston, and quieted in possession thereof ; and that James Forsythe be quieted in the suffering right in the township six miles square at Muncy Creek-as we find his name enrolled among the sufferers in that township, which enrollment was made in lieu of the above right after it was voted to the abovenamed McClure.' The foregoing report is accepted by this meeting and ordered to be recorded, and the parties to be concluded thereby.

"'It appears that - - Slocum accepted a right in Providence in lieu of a right in Pittstown, in behalf of Mr. Updike, and ought to be content therewith. It appears to us that Mr. Elijah Shoemaker has had meet recompense in one of the suffering towns, for the rights he lost at Kingston, or 'Forty.' We are of opinion that the right Robert Frazier has had and disposed of in Wilkesbarry, is a sufficient compensation of all that he has done for the Company. John Stevens and son have been duly provided for by the Committee of Settlers at Westmoreland-the father having had a right in Wilkesbarry and the son in Providence. As to the complaint of Mr. Ebenezer Newton-we appre- hend that, by the votes of The Susquehanna Company, by his own neglect he has justly forfeited all further favor from the Company. [As to] the petition of James Bidlack, now lying before this meeting, wherein he prays to be restored to the right that was originally Jeremiah Ross', or to his original right in Plymouth, your committee are of the opinion that the said Ross be quieted in the possession of his said rights agreeably to the votes of this Company on the 2d day of June last ; and as to the said Bidlack being restored to his original right in Plymouth that he made over to Uriah Marvin, we are of opinion that it is out of our province to consider, as said Marvin was not notified of said petition.' The foregoing report of the committee was accepted by the Company and ordered to be recorded, and the parties to be concluded thereby.

"On the memorial of William Whiting, Esq., and proprietors of the town of War- wick on the East Branch of the Susquehanna River, showing to this meeting that they had pitched upon a tract of land on the southerly side of said river, at a place called Nescopeck Falls *- said survey about two and a-half miles wide from said river to the

*See page 776, relative to surveys made in the locality of Nescopeck Creek in 1778 by Pennsylvania land-claimants.

Digitized by Google

811

mountains, and ten miles long, surveyed to Zachariah Lothrop November 8, 1773, and containing the quantity of twenty-five miles square-and praying that the said survey of said town may be accepted and approved of by this Company as though the same had been laid out five miles square according to the votes of said Company. This meeting, having duly examined and enquired into the quality of the land lying southerly of the said survey two and a-half miles from the river-which appearing from the evidence to be mountainous and unfit for cultivation-do thereupon accept and approve of the survey made by the said Lothrop of said town of Warwick, as though the same had been laid out five miles square.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. II, Part 39

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press] Number of Pages: 683

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre [Raeder press]
Number of Pages: 683