A
record of the birth of John Henry Rasley is found
in the baptism records of the
Tohickon congregation of Bucks County. The record was originally written in German and in the old German script. The English transcription shows: “Johan
Heinrich Rossly born Feb. 17, 1761, bap., Mar 7, 1761." His parents names are given as Conrad
Rossly and Maria Magdalena. Sponsors were Henry Frey and Margaret Weyerbach. This record clearly establishes him as
the son of Conrad and Magdalena. Throughout his life he was known as Henry Rasley.
The
Rasley family historian, Gladys Gardner, now deceased, of Kintnersville,
Pennsylvania provided the ancestry
account of Henry Rasley from the family records which she kept. The Rasley family has held summer
reunions in the Slate Belt Area of Northampton Co., Pennsylvania since 1910.
Henry grew up in a family of seven siblings, he being the second born. The
family lived in the area of Williams and Lower Saucon Townships. By 1777 when he was 16 years old he aligned himself with the Militia of Northampton County,
Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Archives 5th Series, Volume 8 provides documentation of his
service as a Private 7th Class in the 1st Battalion, 1st Company of the Northampton County Militia. The 1st Battalion in Northampton County was formed in Williams and Lower Saucon
Townships in 1777 under
Colonel George Hubler. Like all Battalions it remained active
for a term of three years when a
new Battalion was organized. You can read about how the Revolutionary War Militia was
organized on the Pennsylvania State Archives page. Joseph Frey was elected Captain of
the First Battalion of Northampton Co. in 1777.
By 1782 his division of the Militia
was reorganized into the 4th Battalion under Lt. Col. Philip
Boehm. Captain Anthony Larch
was the leader of the 1st Company in which Henry
Rassly was a member of the 7th
class.
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|
While this
card shows “Inactive Duty” we can still understand that Henry made himself available for
service for a period of at least 5 years and very probably for the duration of
the Revolutionary War.
John
Henry Rasley married Anna Elizabeth
Schmell about 1788. While
little is known about her, it has been determined that she was the daughter of
John Michael Schmell. Evidence of
this relationship is found in the will of John Michael Schmell of Bucks
County. “ March 16, 1795 , michael smell, haycock twp. died sept
1794. left 7 children; michael,
phillip, george, mary, w/o john resly, elizabeth, w/o henry resly, margaret,
w/o jacob schoch and susanna, (a minor).” Of interest in this record is that we learn that sisters, Mary and
Elizabeth Schmell married Rasley
brothers, John and Henry.
Henry and Elizabeth became
the parents of 13 children. The first of the children were born in
Lower Saucon Township. John H., June 17, 1789; Anna Margaret, Oct.
16, 1790; Magdalena, June 22, 1792; Jacob, March 23, 1794;
Johan Heinrich Rasely Jr., (aka Henry Rasley) who was born on September 2, 1795,
married Jane Ayers and is my 4th great grandfather; and
Elizabeth, March 4, 1797. Sometime after the birth of Elizabeth the
family relocated in Upper Mt. Bethel Township, Northampton Co, Pa. where
the last five children were born. Samuel, Feb. 26, 1799;
Conrad, Nov. 26, 1800; Katherine, June 13, 1802; Susanna,
Feb. 28, 1804; Jude, Dec. 28, 1805; Anna Maria, Sept. 15, 1807; and Judith,
1808.
The mystery of where these two souls, Henry and Elizabeth, are buried has not been solved. I have not been able to find death dates for them either. If anyone can shed light on this I welcome your input. Henry and Jane Ayers Rasley were my 4th great grandparents. Their daughter Sarah married William McEwen. Sarah and William had a son, she named Henry, to honor her father and grandfather. Henry McEwen married Clara Illick. They were the grandparents of my mother, Lois McEwen Hughes.
These books are
available for research at the Marx History Room of the Easton Library, Easton, Pennsylvania.
Sources:
- Pennsylvania Archives 5th Series, Vol. 8
- Church-book of the Reformed Congregation in Lower Sauconheim : to be used for the congregation to record the births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, also for confirmation, began in the year 1756.
- Church record of the Lutheran and Reformed congregations in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, 1774-1833 / copied by Wm. J. Hinke.
- A history of the Tohickon Union Church, Bedminster township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania : with copy of church records, Reformed congregation, 1745-1869, Lutheran congregation, 1749-1840; prepared and translated at the request of the Pennsylvania German Society.
Please see this list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors.
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