Notes and queries historical, biographical, and genealogical, Vol. I, Part 22

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Publication date: 1884
Publisher: s.n.
Number of Pages: 618

USA > Pennsylvania > Notes and queries historical, biographical, and genealogical, Vol. I > Part 22

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The first minister called was William Bertram. He was born in the city of Edinburgh on the 2d of February, 1664, was educated at the University there, studied for the ministry, and licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Bangor, Ire- land, who gave him, says the New Castle records, "ample testimonials of his ordi- nation, ministerial qualifications, and regular Christian conversation." He came to Pennsylvania in the year 1731, and the following year we find him unan- imously received by Donegal Presby- tery, which he joined. At the same time George Renick presented him an invita- tion to settle over Paxtang and Derry, which he accepted. He was installed No. vember 17, 1732, at Derry meeting house. The congregations then appointed rep- resentatives, "On this side Thomas Fos- ter, George Renick, William Cunning. ham and Thomas Mayes; on the other side Rowland Chambers, Hugh Black, Robert Campbell, John Willson, William Willson, James Quigley, William Mc-

Cord and Jobn Sloan." The former were of Paxtang, the latter of Derry. These representatives executed to Mr. Bertram the right and title to the "Indian town tract" situated in Hanover township on the north side of Swatara, containing three hundred and fifty acres. It was at the settlement of Mr. Bertram that the congregation took the name of Derry.

In 1735, Mr. Bertram complained to Presbytery of the "intolerable burden" he was under with the two congrega- tions, and on the 13th of September, 1736, he was released from the care of Pax- tang. He was an earnest minister of the New Testament. He died on the 2d of May, 1746, at the age of seventy-two. His wife was Elizabeth Gillespie, sister of the Rev. George Gillespie.

In Mr. Bertram's latter days he was in feeble health, and resigned his pastorate of Derry in 1742, when the Rev. John Elder, of Paxtang, gave one third of his time to that congregation. In 1745, how- ever, Derry chose to be alone, and called the Rev. John Roan, who was ordained their minister. Then came the division in the Presbyterian churches. Almost every congregation was rent asunder. Owing to the loss of the minutes of the sessions of Paxtang and Derry, covering these years of importance in their history, we are all more or less left in the fog, for during the period when the Rev. Roan was the regular minister of Derry until his death, he is spoken of as the "Pastor of Derry, Paxtang and Mount Joy," while at the same time the Rev. John Elder was pastor of Paxtang and Derry. The facts are that while the Rev. Jolın Roan was the pastor of the "New Side" congregation of Derry and the division holding the same views from Paxtang-the Rev. Mr. Elder was pastor of the "Old Side" congregation of Pax- tang and the division holding similar views from Derry. Hence, both Roan and Elder were ministers of Paxtang and Derry during the same period.

The Rev. John Roan came from Greenshaw, Ireland, where he was born on the 30th of April, 1717. He was brought up as a weaver, but began to study for the ministry early in life, and emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1739. He entered the celebrated "Log College,"

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and taught school on the Neshaminy and in Chester county, while pursuing his theological studies. He was licensed by the "New Side" Presbytery of New Castle, June 27, 1744. The following year he was called to Derry, and sub- sequently became pastor over the "New Side" congregations of Paxtang, Derry and Conewago, the latter having one- fifth of his time. The minutes of Synod placed Roan in Donegal Presbytery, and "points of difficulty continually arose." Towards the latter days of his ministry Mr. Roan missionated frequently on the south branch of the Potomac. After serving his people faithfully and well he departed henee, his mortal life ceasing on the 3d of October, 1775.

Bertram and Roan were the only min- isters whose entire time was given to Derry. Both are buried in yonder en - closure. Permit me to read the inserip. tions on their tombstones:

Over the Rev. William Bertram's is this:

Here Lieth the Remains of the REV. WILLIAM BERTRAM first pastor of this Congregation who departed this life ye 2d May, 1746, aged 72 years.

Over the last pastor of Derry, the Rev. John Roan-

Beneath this Stone Are deposited the Remains of an able. faithful courageous & successful Minister of Jesus Christ the REV'D. JOHN ROAN Pastor of Paxton, Derry & Mount Joy Congregations from the year 1745 till Oct. 3, 1775 When he exchanged A militant for a triumphant Life In the 59th year of his age.

Bertram and Roan deserve to be held in grateful remembrance. They were both valiant soldiers of the eross, never swerving from duty, battling for the faith as delivered to them in that noted era when the people ran after strange teachers. In the days of the Whitfield excitement, the Rev. John Roan was the only one of the Presbyterian ministers who in the presence of Whitfield dis

puted his religious theories, and the scene at Fagg's Manor, where the courageous minister of Derry combatted the schisms of Whitfield, was one of the grandest pic- tures which emblazons the annals of American Presbyterianism. What he hoped for he never lived to see, nor any of his congregation. It was a hundred years after his death that the Union he prayed for was accomplished.

Following Roan, came again as the guardian of old Derry that good old hero, civil and spiritual, Parson Elder; and from 1775 to July, 1792, when he, too, passed to his final rest, was the revered min- ister of united Paxtang and Derry. And so Bertram, and Roan and Elder, holy men of God, with the flocks whom they tended, passed from the land of the living.

From the death of Parson Elder to the year 1803, there appear to have been three ministers. In 1793 the Rev. Nathaniel R. Snowden was called. Two years after he applied for a dissolution from Derry-but Paxtang, true to her first and only love, preferred Derry to Harrisburg, and declared in favor of holding the connexion therewith. Thus approved by Presbytery, Paxtang and Derry were declared vacant, Mr. Snow- den remaining as minister of the new congregation at the county town. For several years thereafter the pulpit of Derry was occupied by supplies. On. the 29th of October, 1798, the Rev. Joshua Williams was installed pastor of these churches, and for four years con- tinued with their rapidly diminishing flocks. Then came the young and talented Adair-but before he was installed death called him away from the earthly to im- mortal life. In yonder graveyard is a stone with this inscription :

In Memory of JAMES ADAIR, Preacher of the Gospel, who departed this life Sept. 20, 1803, aged 32 years.

Until the year 1807 the churches were without a regular minister. In September of the previous year a call was given the Rev. James R. Sharon. He was installed pastor of Paxtang and Derry on the 29th of May, 1807, and for a period of thirty-

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six years he ministered to these congre- gations. He was a man universally re- spected for the purity of his faith and the integrity of his moral character. He was a native of Lost Creek Valley, in now Juniata county, Penn'a, where he was born on the 27th of April, 1775. He graduated at Dickinson College, studied theology, and was licensed by Carlisle Presbytery. He died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. MeMean, near New- berry, Lycoming county, on the 18th of April, 1843.

On the 9th of April, 1844, a eall was presented to Presbytery for the Rev. John M. Boggs, but he was not ordained until the 9th of April, 1845. On the 6th of October, 1847, Mr. Boggs' pastorate came to a termination; and it was almost three years before Paxtang and Derry received a permanent supply. This was the Rev. Andrew D. Mitchell, who from the 10th of April, 1850, until the 12th of Febru- ary, 1874, almost twenty four years was the pastor of these people. He was the last minister who officiated in old Derry ehureh. Andrew Dinsmore Mitehell was a native of York county, Pennsylvania, born the 2d of Feb-

ruary, 1829, graduated at Jeffer- son College in 1841, and from the Theological Seminary at Princeton in 1844. In 1850 he accepted the call from the congregations of Paxtang and Derry, was duly ordained and installed, and until 1874 acceptedly served the little eongre- gation of Derry and the diminished one of Paxtang. In 1876 he went as chaplain in the United Statesarmy, and died while on duty at Fort Grant, Arizona, on the 26th of March, 1882. As a preacher he was clear, logical and foreible, and his memory is yet sweet in the congregation of old Paxtang.

For years the ancient log structure was tenantless. Pastors and people all passed away! One by one the former were gathered to their fathers Of the latter, family after family sought the homes of their kindred and neighbors in distant localities, while others fell asleep in Je. sus. In yonder grave-yard they lie-the dust of several generations-the Boyds, Campbells, Chamberses, Clarks, Har- rises, Hayses, Logans, Martins, McNairs, Mitchells, Moodeys, McCords, Rodgers,

Snoddeys, Thompsons, Wilsons and Wal- laees-the vast majority without a stone to tell who rest beneath.

And we who have come up here to-day to ereet the memorial of the Derry church of a past eentury should not be unmind- ful of the duty we owe to the pious an- cestry who originally founded this church. It is very right and meet that they be held in grateful remembrance. Postericy will bless you for the work you have projected and will accomplish. It will also be a memorial of your faith-of that ageless fabrie whose eorner-stone is Christ.

NOTES AND QUERIES

Relating to the History of Dauphin County.

XL.

THE FERRY RIGHT. - We have had several queries relating to the "Ferry Right," which will be answered soon.

THE FAMILY OF JOHN HARRIS will be continued in the next number. We are glad to learn that theartiele has interested so many of our readers.

THE FAMILY OF CURRY.

I. ROBERT CURRY, an emigrant from the North of Ireland, settled in Paxtang prior to 1732. He died in June, 1768, leaving a wife, MARY ANN, and children as follows :

i. William, b. 1739; m. Agnes Curry. ii. Margaret, b, 1741.

iii. Jean, b. 1743; m. Robert McMul- len.

iv. Agnes, b. 1745.

v. John, b. 1747.

v1. Daniel, b. 1749; m. March 7, 1774, by Rev. John Elder -but to whom does not appear.

vii. James, b. 1752.

II. WILLIAM CURRY (Robert), b. 1739, in Paxtang township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania; d in 1820, in Amwell township, Washington county, Penn'a. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and in 1783 removed to Washington county, Penn'a., where he settled. At the time of his settlement the land had not been patented, but he rode on horseback to Lancaster to secure the warrant. Mr.

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Curry married April 14, 1774, by Rev. John Elder, of Paxtang, AGNES CURRY, his cousin. They had issue:

i. William.

ii. Margaret, m. William Harbeson, of Lawrence county, Penna., and left issue.

iii. Elizabeth, m. John Carlisle, of Amwell twp., Washington county, Penna., and Icft issue.

iv. John, b. 1795; d. August 6, 1880; and left issue-Thomas B., Milton B., Hugh W., Francis M. and Mary m. Aaron Bane. W. H. E.

THE WILLS MURDER IN 1814.

[In the Harrisburg Chronicle for May 2, 1814, is a brief account of the murder of Isaac Wills, a merchant of the town, and which at the time caused an immense excitement. In the subsequent issue of the Chronicle appears the proclamation of Governor Snyder offering a reward for the discovery and apprehension of the murderer. These facts have brought to mind the following account which was written many years ago by a distinguished lawyer of our county-the late Herman Alricks. It is worth preservation in Notes and Queries :- w ]

In the month of April, 1814, a horrible murder was committed in this city. A young man, but twenty two years of age, named Isaac Wills, kept a store in a rented room on the upper corner of Front street and Blackberry allcy. He was a young man of dissipated habits and bad associations, sometimes having cock fights in his store late at night, and allowing his companions occasionally to spend the night with him. One morning his brother, Esquire Wills, who lived on the opposite side of the river, and who had an interest in the store, in looking through his spy-glass, observed that the storc was shut. He then came over on the flat, and, being unable to gain admit- tance to the store, or to obtain any in- formation on the subject, he went into the house and inquired of the family if there was any way to gain access to the store from the dwelling. He was told that there had been a great noisc in the storc room shortly before daylight, and that if he would go up into the chamber over the store room and remove

the carpet, he would find a hole in the floor occasioned by the accidental dis- charge of a gun several years before, and thus he might sec into the store room. He went up, and, looking down through the opening, saw, to his horror, by the light of the transom over the door, his brother lying dead, in a pool of blood, in the middle of the room. He gathered the neighbors together and forced the door open and found that the young man had been stabbed in the neck, and then his handkerchief tightly twisted around bis throat.

The murder was no doubt committed by onc of this young man's companions, and the fellow had watched his chance, for on the day before this deed was done, the gentleman who occupied the house had gone, with his daughter, up the Ju- niata, to be absent several days, and left nonc but females in the house. Pcr- laps in less than an hour before daylight on the morning of the murder, there was a tremendous concussion, which shook the house, and wakened every person in it; for the only three females in the house were sleeping over the back room, behind the storc room. They were greatly alarmed, but laid still and comforted themselves by sup- posing it to be but a cock fight. This atrocious murder produced of course the wildest excitement in the town and throughout the whole neighborhood, for such things at that day were very un- common. It was known that young Wills slept behind the counter, and it sccmed that after he was stabbed he had sprung over the counter and fallen on the floor, probably with the assassin on top of him, twisting the handkerchief around his throat, and it was this tremendous fall that shook the house and wakened every person in it.

The question in every mouth was, who committed the deed ? Suspicion fell upon one and on another, but every person was, after investigation, discharged. Onc hair-brained fellow, in order to discover the murderer, fixed up a contrivance in the alley near the store and turned a wheel all day, but the murderer did not "turn up." At that time there lived in the town a tall, well-built Yankee, named F ---- , with dark complexion and black

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hair, who taught school, and at the same time was a student of medicine, who as- sumed to be very pious, and was a mem- ber of the church, and besides prided himself upon his association with the most reputable families of the town. Sus picion fell upon this Mr. F-, for the colored man who let him into the hotel at which he'boarded in the Market Square, on the night the murder was committed, stated that F -- did not come in until near daylight. This placed him in an awkward predicament, for he could not give an account of himself, or at least he dare not. He had no doubt spent the night in some gambling house or some worse place, if there is any, but if, in order to get clear of the suspicions against him, he had stated the truth he saw plainly that it would result in his being turned out of church and excluded from the society which he almost adored.

Time rolled on for years and no clue could be found to the author of the crime -the mystery still remained. At length, after twenty or perhaps twenty-five years had elapsed, a man was tried and convicted of murder in New Jersey, and before execution he made a confession in writing, in which he declared that he had committed this murder of Wills. He gave the name and stated such circum- stances, in connection with the act, as would probably have been sufficient, if proved upon a trial, to have produced his conviction. The only crror he made in the facts was in regard to the time of year, he fixing it in October, whilst it happened in April, but the weather in April and October is often so similar that this mistake might readily occur. This criminal stated that he was at the time a recruit in the army, and had spent the night in the store with Wills, At that time, (for this was during the war with England) there was a recruiting station here, located on Fourth street, opposite the present Lutheran church, and he must have gone to it along Black berry alley, for the pocketbook of Wills was some days afterwards picked up by Mr. Fisher's old black man, London, in the back part of the lot on which the Presbyterian brick church now stands.

It was regarded by the public as a very remarkable fact that although the

murder was committed on market morn- ing, and that shortly before daylight; no trace could be found of its author. Had this Mr. F- been arrested and tried, he could no doubt, to save his life, have proved where he spent the night, although such proof would not have added much to his repu- tation; but to make things worse for him and to increase the suspicions against him, one of the older physicians of tlie town, who had seen the corpse, said that "whoever committed the murder, he was either a doctor or a butcher, for he had severed the jugular vein with a dirk." There was no other mark of violence upon the hody. We may here remark that one of the ladies who was sleeping in the chamber over the back room on that night, and who felt the shock and heard the noise, is yet living in this vi- cinity.

The student of medicine maintained a dignified silence in regard to his absence from his hoarding house on that night, and braved public opinion for a year or two, but at last he packed up and went to what was then the Far West, never to be heard of more. No doubt he had no hand in the perpetration of this crime but it was evide it to every person in the town that he had brought upon himself suspicions of being a participant in this foul murder and had utterly ruined his reputation by low associations and-late hours.

SOME OLD GRAVEYARDS.

We continue our record of old and un- used family graveyards.

On the south side of the edge of woods on the Shope farm, in Lower Swatara township, is the grave of a former owner of the farm-a negro :

In memory of William Jones, who departed this life, Jan. 25, 1858, aged 69 years.

On the Shope farm, which was formerly the Gayman place, in Lower Swatara township, one a half miles southeast of Highspire is an old graveyard, whence we derive the following :

Gayman, Abraham, b. Feb. 13, 1760 ; d Mar. 2, 1808,

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Gayman. Ann, w. of Abraham, b. Nov. 5, 1759; d. Feb, 25, 1827.

Gayman, Henry, s. of A. & A .; b. June 6, 1784; d. June 6, 1883, aged 99 years.

Gayman, Martha, w. of Henry, b. Oct. 29, 1785; d. Feb. 20, 1857.

Gayman. Samuel, b. 1793.

Gayman, Ann, b. 1793.

Gayman, S., b. 1806.

Gayman, Susan, d. of H., b. Dec. 25, 1813; d. Sept. 26, 1840.

Gayman, Elizabeth, d. of H., b. June 3, 1809; d. Mar. 26, 1841.

Gayman, H., b. 1821.

Gayman, C., b. 1823.

Kohr, Harriet, w. of Michael Kohr; b. Feb. 13, 1826; d. Oct. 31, 1846.

Young, Liza Ann, d. of Samuel, b. June 19, 1825; d. April 14, 1871.

"W. G." 1829.

"H. G." 1838.

Eshenauer, Frederick, b. Dec. 5, 1807; d. Dec. 2, 1857.

Eshenauer, Mary, d. of F. and M.,. b. May 11, 1846; d. April 12, 1850. "E. D.," b. Oct. 4, 1840. "1795."

D. 12 F. A. N. L. I.

In Chambers Hill cemetery, in Swatara township, are the following:

Eshenauer, John, b. June 16, 1828; d. May 13, 1879.

Kissle, Henry, b. Dec. 30, 1795; d. May 13, 1876.

Kissle, Catherine, b. Aug. 10, 1801; d. April 21, 1867.

Roop. Peter, b. Jan. 9, 1791; d. April 22, 1868.

Roop, Catharine, w. of Peter, b. Jan. 21, 1793; d. Aug. 24, 1854.

Roop, Christian, b. Sept. 3, 1788; d. Mar. 11, 1872.

Roop, Mary, w. of Christian, b. Nov. 9, 1800; d. July 28, 1872.

Roop, Solomon, t. Dec. 18, 1827; d. Dec. 28, 1848. Shuh, Jacob, b. March 4, 1787; d. Sept. 18, 1848.

Shuh, Esther, w. of Jacob b. Feb. 22, 1792; d. June 17, 1867.

In Lower Swatara township, one-half mile northeast of Highspire, on the "Greiner farm," now owned by the Grays, is a very old family burying

ground, from which we gather the fol- lowing:

Degen, John Henry, b. 1702; d. Sept. 21, 1783.

Degen, Barbara, w. of John Henry; b. 1706; d. Sept. 14, 1783.

Degen, Felix, d. aged 24 years.

Degen, Hans Heinrich, 21 years.

The foregoing are inscribed on one stone.

Rupp, Jacob, b. July 21, 1720; d. Sept., 1793.

Rupp, Barbara, b. July 30, 1720; d. Aug, 10, 1793.

Rupp, Jacob, b. July 22, 1740; d. Mar. 22, 1826. Roop, Hetta A., b. March 30, 1754; d. Jan. 2, 1834.

Roop, John, b. Aug. 11, 1750; d. Mar. 9, 1824.

Rupp, Elizabeth, b. Jan. 11, 1770: d. April 22, 1792.

Roop, Mary, b. Aug. 1, 1816; d. Oct. 1, 182%.

Fisher, John, b. Oct. 13, 1775; d. Dec. 26, 1830.

Fisher, Elizabeth, b. July 6, 1786; d. Aug. 17, 1857.

Greiner, Joseph, b. Aug. 28, 1712; d. April 19, 1787. .

Greiner, Philip, b. Mar. 12, 1749; d. Dec. 2, 1822.

Greiner, Barbara, b. Aug. 26, 1755; d. April 26, 1822.

Ganser, Rleigomser, b. --- 20, 1761; d. - 6, 1785. Zimmerman, Henry, b. Dec. 30, 1786; d.

Zimmerman, Barbara, w. of H. and d. of Joseph and Barbara Greiner, b. Mar. 17, 1791; d. Mar. 4. 1866.

NOTES AND QUERIES

Relating to the History of Dauphin County.

XLI.

THE FLORA FAMILY. - JOSEPH FLORA d. September, 1785, in Paxtang township, leaving a wife CATHARINE, and children as follows:

i. David.

ii. Abraham.

iii. John.

iv. Katharine, m. John Bomberger.

v. Mary, m. Michael Bomberger.

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vi. Joseph.

vii. Peter.

JOSEPH FLORA, son of the foregoing, d. January 10, 1795, in Lower Paxtang township, Dauphin county, Penna. He left a wife CATHARINE, who died the same year, and children, as follows :

i. David, b. 1779.

ii. Elisha, b. 1781.

iii. Charity, b. 1783; d. prior to 1809.

iv. George, b. 1785; resided in Laneas- ter eo. in 1810.

v. Betsy, b. 1787.

vi. Lydia, b. 1789; in 1810 was the wife ot Frederick Nauman, and removed to Virginia.

vii. Sophia, b, 1791; followed her sister to Virginia.

viii. Peggy, b. 1793.

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.

WALKER REED.

WALKER REED, born in 1783, in Derry township, Lancaster, now Dauphin county, Pa., received a classical educa- tion, graduated from Dickinson College, Carlisle, in 1803, and began the study of law at Harrisburg the same year under George Fisher, then one ot the inost prominent lawyers of the bar. He was admitted to practice at the August term, 1807, and located at Harrisburg. In Feb- ruary, 1809, lie was appointed Deputy Attorney General of the counties of Cum- berland and Franklin, but had scarcely entered upon his duties when he died suddenly, while on a visit to Philadelphia, on the 10th of March, 1809, aged twenty- six years. Mr. Reed had he lived would have made his mark at the bar. He was a fluent speaker, and a fine pleader. His talents were of a higher order, and his excellent social qualities made him very popular in the community.

REV. MATTHEW WOODS.

MATTHEW WOODS, son of Andrew and Jean Woods, was born in Hanover town- ship, in 1758. Little is known of him, save that he studied for the ministry, and was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Carlisle in 1780. He was called to Hanover congregation July 20, 1781, ac- cepted it, and was ordained and installed pastor thereof on the 19th of June, 1782. He proved to be a faithful and zealous

minister of the Gospel, but he died in the midst of his great usefulness on the 13th of September, 1784. The members of old Hanover to show their affection and reverence ereeted a tombstone to his memory over his remains in the church burying ground.

THE PAXTANG BOYS.

A Characteristic Letter of Rev. John Elder.

[The following letter is worthy of pre- servation in Notes and Queries. It is an exceedingly valuable contribution to the history of frontier times, and especially of a transaction which almost disrupted the Province. The Col. Shippen to whom it was addressed was an officer in Col. James Burd's regiment from 1755 to 1763, the son of Edward Shippen, of Lancaster, but not the Joseph Shippen, jr., "Secretary to the Governor, and Council." John Penn was Governor, and, as the religious profession of his familv had changed to Episcopalian, and of a pretty easy sort too, he was disposed to overlook the conduct of the Paxtonians, but was overruled by his council, and accordingly strong measures were taken to ensure their punishment for killing the Indians at Lancaster, Dee. 27, 1763. The frontier men being in mortal dread of merciless and ignorant savages, were not disposed to submit to the course adopted by the weak administration at Philadel- phia; and so within "the purchase" they combined and armed themselves to the teeth, in all directions. against Indian in- eursions, or as Matthew Smith wrote, "against those who proteet Indian mur- derers at Philadelphia." Robert Ful- ton, father of Fulton the inventor of the steamboat, also stated

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Notes and queries historical, biographical, and genealogical, Vol. I, Part 22

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: s.n. Number of Pages: 618

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: s.n.
Number of Pages: 618