USA > Pennsylvania > Notes and queries historical, biographical, and genealogical, Vol. II > Part 7
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FAMILY OF GLOSSBRENNER.
Prof. A. W. Drury, of Dayton, Ohio, is gathering material for a biography of the late Bishop Glossbrenner, of the U. B. Chureh. In his researches he has come
across the following facts concerning the an- . cestry of that distinguished prelate of his Church, which we herewith give in the hope that some of our Berks county correspond- . ents may furnish us additional information :
I. JOHN FREDERICK GLOSSBRENNER came to America in 1750 and settled in Berks county, probably in Heidelberg town- -ship. His name appears on the assessment Iist for 1769. He died in 1788. His chil- . dren were:
2. i. Ernest-Gotleib; m. and left issne.
3. ii. Frederick; m. and had issue.
iii. Jacob; descendants reside in Indiana. iv. Philip; in 1804 resided in Hagers- town, Md.
It is probable there were other children.
II. ERNEST GOTLIEB GLOSSBRENNER removed to Hagerstown, Md., after 1788 and before 1792. He m and had issne :
i. Gotlieb or Godfrey.
ii. Adam; m. and had Susan, Mary and Catharine.
iii. Peter; m. and had William, Adam, Jacob J. and Catharine. Jacob J. was the Bishop.
iv. Elizabeth.
HI. FREDERICK GLOSSBRENNER; proba- bly settled in York county. He married, aud left children, which the court records at York ought to verify :
i. Peter.
ii. Elizabeth.
iii. Frederick.
iv. Catharine.
Desiring to assist Prof. Drury in his laudable work, we hope those to whom these notes are sent will take interest in our queries.
MASON & DIXON'S LINE.
This survey is historical, the late civil war gave it a bloody notoriety, and the present peaceful effort to preserve it deserves to be noted. We therefore think the following notices respecting it worth recording in N. & Q.
The Valley (Chambersburg) Spirit gives this account of an examination of the boun- dary stones marking the lines between Penn- sylvania and Maryland in Franklin county : "The southern border of Franklin county is thirty-four miles in extent and the com- inissioners found the work laid upon them by the Legislature a most arduous under- taking. The site of each of the thirty-four stones was visited by all the commissioners, the three being together the entire time. Counting the distance traveled from and to their homes the commissioners walked aud rode nearly four hundred miles locating the stones.
"On the first trip, from the Fulton county line to Middleburg, half a dozen different guides were employed. On the last half Con- stable John Rodgers acted as pilot for the commissioners over the South mountain. The difficulties encountered may be estimated when it is mentioned that often an hour, in one case three hours, was consumed in locat- ing one stone, even after they had driven to the close vicinity of it. On the mountain the underbrush, grown in some places seven or eight feet high, made travel slow and hid very effectively the stoues. In the level country the work was in some instances equally as onerous and a vivid recollection is retained by the three connty officials of a hunt for a mile stone in a thirty-aere field of corn. On
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one occasion they were informed by some women that a crown stone was located in a corn field near at hand. After the commis- sioners had started to search for it they were rendered suspicious by the hearty laughter which the women indulged in. Going back and questioning them closely they were told by the women that the stone had been re- moved a long time before. In other eases men volunteered to show the stones, and found upon a test that they knew very little about the location of them.
"The commissioners started from Middle- burg on Tuesday morning. Tuesday night they spent in Waynesboro, and Wednesday night at the Hoover House, near Penmar. Several times it was 10 o'clock at night be- fore they were able to get to their hotel after finishing the work of the day.
"Of the thirty-four stones all but Nos. 3, 8, 21, 23, 24 and 34 are in good condition. No. 3 is in Warren township. The top of it has been broken off and is now used as a step at the residence of Mr. John Baer. No. 8 is not in its proper place. No. 21, on the farm of Peter Eshelman, a short distance soutli- east of Middleburg, is broken off and set up at a fence fifty yards from its proper place. No. 23 is broken off and covered up by the turnpike. A pile of limestone marks the place where it should be, on the farm of John Wingert, on the Marsh turnpike, running from State Line into Maryland. No. 24 is entirely destroyed. No. 34 is destroyed and was found in two pieces on the farm of David Hoover, one-half mile from Blue Ridge Sum- mit. Beginning with No. 3 every fifth stone is what is known as a "crown" stone, the stones being marked with different coats of arms. "
The commissioners of York county com- pleted an inspection of the boundary monu- ments, or mile and index stones, between that county and Maryland. They started at the Susquehanna, about four miles below Peach Botton, where the boundary line be- tween Pennsylvania and Maryland crosses the river, and traveled westward on foot un- til they reached the Adams county line, a distance of 41 miles. The stones inspected are those placed by Wm. Penn's heirs and Frederick Calvert, last Lord Baltimore, in 1768, and most of them were found in fair condition, while one was in use as a step to a porch at a Maryland farm house, 60 yards from the line; one in the engine house of a grist mill, and one had been shipped to Bal-
timore. It is expected that the commission -- ers of Adams county will also soon make an inspection of the stones on Adams county's. part of the line,
We have no report of the inspection on the part of Fulton, Bedford and the other counties of the southwestern border.
A floating paragraph gives this interesting- account of the proceedings of modern "relic- hunters:"
"So alluring to relic hunters have become the five mile monuments or crown stones on the Mason & Dixon line that shrewd fellows are preparing casts of the stones and selling them at good priees. It is said that from along the southern border of some of the connties of Pennsylvania nearly all the bound -- ary stones have been removed by curiosity seekers."
NOTES AND QUERIES.
Historical, Biographical and Genealogical.
CCIII.
HOME BALLADS, by Rev. J. H. Dubbs, D. D., of Lancaster, is a collection of verses illustrating some historic incidents in Penn- sylvania Germanic life. The first ballad is that of "Conrad Bucher," which was re- printed in Notes and Queries several years ago. Others no less interesting, and prettily eoneeived, are the "Grave of Ilenry Antes," "A Legend of Ephrata," and "The Legend. of Tambour Yokel."
MCKEAN, SAMUEL. - Samuel Mckean, b. September 19, 1790, in Huntingdon county,. Pennn'a. ; d. June 23, 1840, in Bradford county, Penna. His father, James McKean, was a native of Cecil county, Md., but re- moved to Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania,. at the close of the Revolution. In 1791 he. went to Bradford county and located in what
is now Burlington that
township, county, where he was the first white settler. He had a family of eight children, James, Andrew, John, Robert, Samuel, Benjamin, Rebecca and Jane. Samuel studied law, represented the distriet of Brad- ford and Tioga in the Legislature front 1815- to 1819; elected a member of Congress from the Nineteenth district 1822-24; State Sen- ator in 1829, resigning in Deeember that
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year to accept the appointment of Secre- tary of the Commonwealth under Governor Shulze. Ile was United States Senator from Pennsylvania from March, 1833, to March, 1839.
PORTERFIELD .- "I am especially inter- ested to learn everything possible about any members of the Porterfield family, other than Robert and Charles (who moved to Jefferson county, Va., from Pennsylvania and whose careers it is easy to trace). The branch I want to know about settled in Ab- ingdon, Washington county, Va., where my grandfather, Francis Potterfield, was born in 1785. His father was John and his grand- father Francis Porterfield.
"W. PORTERFIELD."
New York City.
[Upon the first return we have of IIanover township, Lancaster, now Dauphin county, that for 1757 is found the name of Robert Porterfield. He is marked as having "fled" owing to the Indian incursions. Ile returned, however, and his farm remained in the pos- session of his son Robert. He had a large family, some of whom went to Angusta county, Virginia. In old Hanover church- yard are stones marking the graves of the following :
Robert Porterfield, sen., d. August 28, 1829, aged about 72 years.
Elsie Porterfield, consort of Robert, d. July 28, 1826, aged about 65 years.
Robert Porterfield, d. June 22, 1836, in his 50th year.
Ann Porterfield, d. Dec. 2, 1831, in her 52nd year.
John M. Porterfield, d. March 27, 1820, in his 25th year.
Gracey Porterfield, sister of the foregoing, d. July 29, 1793, in her 9th year.
Wallis Porterfield d. May 11, 1822, in his 25th year.
Elizabeth Porterfield, d. Nov., 1800, aged 7 months.
By further reference we find that the first Robert Porterfield died in April 1785. Be- sides Robert and other children he had a daughter, deceased, who married David Work and whose children were John and Ruth Work. He also left a grand-daughter, Grizzle Porterfield. ]
ANECDOTES OF TEDYUSCUNG.
[Our friend, Dr. Lyman C. Draper, of the Wisconsin Historical Society, forwards- these extracts taken from the Weekly Maga- zine, published in Philadelphia in 1798.]
Tedyuscung was a noted chief among the Delaware tribe of Indians. He lived about thirty-seven years ago, was a man of great sagacity, and well-known to many of the present inhabitants of Philadelphia.
He once observed to his friend, that in his conferences with the then Governer, his words only came from the outside of his teeth; and added: "I will talk so, too."
One evening he was sober and sitting by the fireside of his friend. Both of thenr were silently looking at the fire, indulging their own reflections and desiring each other's improvement. At length the silence was interrupted by the friend, who said: "I will tell thee what I have been thinking of. I have been thinking of a rule delivered by the author of Christian religion, which from its excellence, we call the golden rule." "Stop!" said Tedyuscung. "don't praise it to- me, but rather tell me what it is, and let me think for myself. I do not wish you to tell ine of its excellence; tell me what it is."> "It is for one man to do to another as he would the other should do to him." "That's impossible-it cannot be done," Ted- yuscung immediately replied. Silence again ensued. Tedyuscung lighted his pipe, and walked about the room. In about @ quarter of an hour he came up to his friend with a smiling countenance, and (taking the. pipe from his mouth( said, "Brother, I have been thoughtful of what you told me. If the Great Spirit that made man would give him a new heart he could do as you say; but not else." Thus the Indian found the only means by which the Gospel declares man can fulfil his social duties. Afte . he had settled this difficult point, Tedyuscung said, "Now, brother, it is no harm to tell you what I was thinking of before you spoke. I think it is- what you white men call a sin. I thought that the Great Spirit who made the land never intended one man should have so mueh- of it as never to see it all, and another not to have so much as to plant corn for his. children. I think the Great Spirit never meant it should be so." Silence again en- sued, till at length the one retired to bed, and the other spread his wateh-coat and slept before the fire.
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At another time Tedyuscung was a little cockoosey .* The friend said to him, "There is one thing very strange, and which I can- not account for. It is, why the Indians get drunk so much more than the white people ?" "Do you think strange of that ?" said the old chief; "Why, it is not strange at all. The Indians think it no harm to get drunk whenever they can; but you white men say it is a sin, and get drunk notwithstanding!"
*An Indian term for intoxication.
GEDDES, OF DERRY.
I. JAMES GEDDES, born in the year 1704, neor Randallstown, County Antrim, Ireland, emigrated to America, landing in August, 1752, with his wife Margaret and three sons. Ile died in 1764; and his wite born in 1699, died in 1783; and with her husband lie bur- ried in Old Derry Church graveyard. They liad issue :
¿. Paul; b. 1732, in Ireland ; d. May 25, 1814, in Northumberland, Pa. ; he removed to what was subsequently Turbut township, now Chillisquaque township, that county, about 1765; was quite active during the Revolution, and a member of the Committee of Safety for Northumberland.
2. il. William; b. 1735; in. Sarah McCallen. iii. Samuel; b. 1739, in Ireland; d. in 1788.
II. WILLIAM GEDDES (James), b. 1735 in Ireland; came to America with his father's family in 1752; his farm was located six miles west of Harrisburg in Cumberland county, on which he d. in 1789. He mar- ried Sarah MeCallen, daughter of John and Sarah MeCallen (see N. and Q.), b. in 1733; d. 1773, in Londonderry township, both buried in Derry church yard. They had issue :
i. James; b. July 22, 1763; d. August 19, 1838, in Onondago county, N. Y., where he resided and left a family.
ii. Margaret; b. December 31, 1764; d. n 1818 near Fannettsburg, Franklin county, Pa.
iii. John; b. August 16, 1766; d. Decem- ber 5, 1840, near Newville, Cumberland county, Pa.
iv. Paul; b. June 9, 1768; d. October 22, 1832, in Path Valley, Franklin county, Pa., where he resided and left a family.
3. v. Robert; b. Sept. 30, 1771; m. 1st, Jane Sawyer; 2dly, Mrs. Martha MeClure.
III. ROBERT GEDDES (William, James); b. Sept. 30, 1771, in Londonderry township, then Lancaster county, Pa. IIe inherited the farm of his mother's brother, Robert Mc- Callen, situated near Campbellstown, Leba- non county, Pa. IIe died July 14, 1832, and is buried in the grave of his grandmother, Sarah MeCallen, in Derry church yard. He in., first, March 2, 1797, by Rev. James R. Sharon, Jane Sawyer, daughter of John Sawyer (see N. and. Q. criar). 1. May 25 1770; d. Nov. 29, 1803. They had issue:
¿. Robert; b. Dec. 11, 1797; d. March 11, 1866.
ii. Sarah; b. July 10, 1799; d. Ang. 25, 1819. 4. iii. John; b. March 19, 1801 ; resides in Ypsilanti, Mich.
it. William; b. Dec. 28. 1802; d. May 21, 1877 ; removed in 1844 from Pennsylvania to Michigan, where he died.
". Jane; b. August, 1804; d. Feb. 8, 1882.
ci. Isabella; b. Sept. 17, 1806; d. Nov. 21, 1834.
Robert Geddes m. 2dly March 22, 1810, Mrs. Martha MeClure and they had issue :
vii. James; b. Dec. 12, 1812; m. and re- sides near Decatur, Macon county, Ill.
viii. Thomas ; b. Sept. 10, 1812; d. May 6, 1837. ix. Agrippa ; b. Sept. 31, 1814; d. Dec. 25, 1849.
r. Anna ; b. July 1818.
IV. JOHN GEDDES (Robert, William, James) b. March 19, 1801, in now Lon- donderry township, Lebanon county, Pa. In company with his brother Robert, he left Pennsylvania April 19, 1825, arriving in Ann Arbor, Mich., May 11, 1825. John resides at Ypsilanti, Mich. IIe m. first, April 6, 1837 Fanny Savage; b. Feb. 19, 1806, in Orange county, N. Y .; d. Dec. 6, 1855; and there was issue :
i. John; d. s. p.
ii. Sarah; m. and has two sons and three daughters.
iii, Rachel; m., but has no children.
John Geddes in., secondly, Julia Ettie Savage, a sister to his first wife, b. July 22, 1800; d. Aug. 18, 1883. Further information con- cerning this family is desired.
E. W. S. P.
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NOTES AND QUERIES. Historical, Blographical and Genealogical. CCIV.
"A LEAF FROM THE HISTORY OF THE REBELLION," is the title of a very interest- ing pamphlet by our friend William B. Wil- son, now of Philadelphia. "General, " as we were oft to title him, long before the war, has rendered history valuable service in writing out his reminiscences of "the late unpleasantness," of all of which he was a part. It is of just such material that the history of the war for the Union will eventually be written, and every contri- bution to this end will be eagerly songhit for and read. The author has done well, and he :should not hesitate while the lamp of life is burning to note the many interesting and ·entertaining incidents of which he was a par- ticipant. In the pamphlet before us, the tributes to Thomas A. Scott, Simon Cam- .eron and Abraham Lincoln are eminently proper.
THEATER AND CIRCUS IN THE LONG AGO.
The theater is an old institution here. Long before a building was erected for that purpose, the plays were conducted in the large rooms of taverns. The most promi- nent and snitable house was at Mr. Geo. Zeigler's tavern, in Market square, the build- ing now occupied by German's book store, and others. Some of the most prominent stars of that day played here, but they must have performed under great difficulties, with the meagre mcans they had, in light and ma- chinery.
In 1822, John Wyeth, sen., erected the Shakespeare building, at the corner of Locust street and Raspberry alley, chiefly for theatrical purposes. After the erection .of the Masonic Hall the theater was held there; subsequently Brant's Hall, built in 1846, and finally to the Opera House, built in 1874.
The circus was once a permanent place of amusement, especially during the winter. Mr. Pettit erected a circus of boards, on the .corner of Third street and Blackberry alley, now occupied by the State printing house. This building was crushed by the great weight of snow which fell upon it, but for- tunately it fell when there was no perform-
ance. The writer recollects being taken when a boy to see a circus held on the cor- ner opposite, now occupied by the houses of the late Anthony King and others on Third street.
Animal shows were exhibited in the yards of taverns. The shows and circuses at an early period remained here for several days. Cook', circus was once built of boards, on State street, in front of the Roman Catholic church, prior to the borough line extension from South street. OLD TIMES.
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
[The following letter written by John Downey in July. 1808, has never been in print. We do not know to whom it was ad- dressed. A rough copy was found in the Old 'Squire's docket in our possession. ]
DEAR SIR: Previous to your leaving Lan- caster, I could not deny myself the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of your favor of the 2d inst. ; and of regarding your ad- dress when you shall have retired from Legislative duties. Occasion will never be wanting on my part to render a correspond- ence with a person so well qualified to in- struct as you are, "a matter devoutly to be wished for."
Every day of the present important period is pregnant with events that will command a conspicuous place on the page of history. I am anxiously waiting to learn the fate of our merchant vessels clearing out. I fear our Government las receeded too much. The Omniscient eye which beholdeth the events of futurity is alone adequate to foresee the con- sequences-they are beyond the reaclı of human ken, but if we may judge of the fu- ture by the past, we are doubtless appaoach- ing a period of time when Whig & Tory will again be the only distinguishing epithets of party. It is our duty to meet it with the same firmness, and guided by the same prin- ciples which led your patriotic sire to victory, and inine to the altar. I feel confident that in the several stations alloted us, we will not be found wanting in inclination to perform our several duties. On your return home, present iny respects to your venerable parent -the name of Downey will bring to his re- collection the remembrance of a long siuce departed friend and acquaintance. For your- self accept assurance of my unfeigned re- spect & esteem. May the hand of Omnipo- tence guide you thro' life.
JNO. DOWNEY.
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THE WHITEHILLS.
[The following comes to us from Oakland, Ohio. It supplements the data we have pub- lished concerning the family of Whitehill. We trust that others will place ns in posses- sion of additional information. ]
I am a grandson of Joseph Whitehill, who was one of the sons of James Whitehill, born in 1700. Mary Kennedy was my grandmother. Their children were:
i. James; b. April 21, 1781; d. January 18, 1810; unm.
ii. Jane; b. June 11, 1783; d. September 15, 1865; unm.
iti. Rachel; b. February 15, 1785; d. April 27, 1856.
io, Joseph; b. December 30, 1786; a. No- vember 4, 1861; unm.
2. Mary; b. October 19, 1788; d. August 28, 1849.
vi. Hannah; b. November 28, 1790; d. December 25, 1866.
vii. Susannah; b. October 20, 1792; d. January 13, 1873.
viii. Thomas; b Nov. 2, 1794; d. July 18, 1816; unm. ix. Rebecca; b. Oct. 21, 1796; d. April 13, 1838.
.r. Julia-Ann; b. June 20, 1801; d. Jan- nary, 1813.
On February 6, 1817, my mother, Mary Whitehill, married my father, Thomas Smith.
On February 20, 1817, Hannah Whitehill married Thomas Freeman. He lived about a year after his marriage. Ou April 9, 1822, Mrs. Freeman married my uncle, George J. Smith, with whom she lived most happily until her death.
On December 25, 1817, Susannah White- hill married John Tate.
On November 8, 1824, Rebecca Whitehill married Wm. Cowan. He lived but a few months after bis marriage. Mrs. Cowan afterwards married Nathan Fisk.
Rachel Whitehill married Dr. DeWitt Morris.
Are you aware that Robert Whitehill's daughter, Mrs. MacBeth, was the grand- mother of Mr. J. Q. A. Ward, the eminent sculptor of New York. The MacBeth fam- ily resided in Champaign county, Ghio, where Mr. Ward was born and raised.
My grandfather about 1800 removed to Botetourt county, Virginia, where he died March 20, 1808; and my grandmother died at the same place March 22, 1810. Their
daughter Julia Ann died in that county in June, 1813. James, the eldest son, died in' Pennsylvania in 1810 (probably) in conse- quence of a fall from his horse.
In 1815, the remaining members of the- family removed to Warren county, Ohio, where they took up their permanent abode. After the death of James and Thomas, Joseph, the remaining son, became- the head of the family. He never married, but became a man of much note in this State. He was the sheriff of Warren county four years, a member of the Legislature sev- eral sessions, and State Treasurer twelve. years.
Susan, Hannah, Rebeeea and Mary left families of children. J. Q. S.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO PENNSYLVANIA BIOGRAPHY.
EDMONDS, WILLIAM.
The third representative of the county of Northampton in the Assembly of Pennsyl- vania, was William Edmonds. He was born 24 October, 1708, in Coleford, in the parish of Newland, Hundred of St. Briavells, County of Gloucester, O. E. His father was a merchant, and the family attached to- the Established Church.
Learning the skin-dressing trade, at Mon- mouth, in 1736, he immigrated to America, and established himself in business in New York. Here, in 1739, he married Rebecca de Beanvoise, of French Huguenot family, who bore him four children. In 1741 they united with the Moravian congregation in. New York. Ilis wife died in 1749, and. shortly after he made a voyage on the Irene (owned by the Moravian Church, and em- ployled in the transportation of their colonists- to America. ) to Holland and England, serving in the capacity of steward. On his return he removed to Bethlehem, where he was employed in the Church store and other positions. March 31, 1755, he married Margaret, daughter of Henry and Eve Anthony, who was born in New York in 1721. She died in 1773. In 1755 he was elected for the first time a member of the- Assembly. At the date of his election the Quaker or Penn party were losing their pop -- ularity, yet he was elected by a small ma- jority. The year following he again became a candidate, but was defeated by William Plumstead, the Proprietary candidate. Mr. Edmonds contested the election on the peti- tion of John Jones, Samuel Mechlin and D.
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Brown, who charged that Mathias Reigel, an inspector at the election, destroyed tickets which were in favor of Wm. Edmonds. Mr. Plumstead, however, retained his seat. Thomas Penn writing to Governor Hamilton, under date of 8 January, 1757, says: "Mr. Plum- stead I hear is elected in the room of Wm. Edmonds, which is a great point gained." Mr. Edmonds was again elected in 1770, and for the ensuing four years, his success being promoted by his adherence to the anti-pro- prietary party or rather the party that were then forming in opposition to the encroach- ments and oppression or the British Govern- ment. He was also a member of the Gen- eral Committ e of Safety, which mnet in Philadelphia in 1775.
In April of 1763, Mr. Edmonds took charge of the store opened by the Moravians at Rose Inn, near Nazareth, under the fol- lowing letter of Attorney from Bishop N. Seidel :
"WHEREAS, Application has been made to me through the Deacons of Bethlehem by eertain inhabitants of Nazareth, of Plain- field and Smithfield townships, that a reposi- tory of goods might be placed at a more convenient distance than to come quite to Bethlehem, and for as much that of many years experience William Edmonds, late storekeeper at Bethlehem, has approved him- self to be a careful and upright dealer, -
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