Who's Your Grammie?

I have been writing about the grandmothers in our family tree since August of 2012. Beginning with "A is for Anna" each entry introduced you to a different grandmother. Telling the Grandmother stories was a fun way to share my research with family and friends. Now I am looking at our Revolutionary War ancestors, their service records, the story of their families and of course the stories of their wives, our grandmothers. After all, "Who's Your Grammie?" is about our grandmothers!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Michael Worman (1729 - 1818)

Michael Worman was ready to serve his country as a member of the Pennsylvania Militia. His name is found in the list of the Militia belonging to Captain Nicholas Patterson's Company of Militia for Tinicum township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Michael Worman belonged to the 5th class. The men in each company were listed as being either part of the first class, second class, third class, etc. and were required to show up for their two months of active duty at the time and in the order that their class was called up.

Born in March of 1729, he was the son of Johann and Elsbeth Bossert Worman. He married Catherine Hertzel, a daughter of Henry and Margaret Hertzel, on November 27, 1760 at the Tohickon Reform Church, Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Catherine who was born in June of 1745 was just 15 years old at the time of their marriage.

He was active in local civic affairs as evidenced in1768 when he was listed among the inhabitants of Tinicum, Nockamixon, Bedminster and Plumstead who asked permission of the court to build a stone bridge at their own expense to replace the wooden one, but it was not granted. Among the petitioners are the names of George Hillpot, William McIntyre, Michael Worman and Abraham Fretz. "The History of Bucks County"

Michael was a farmer who owned a significant amount of land, which had been left to him from his father. From the Bucks County Transcript - Tinicum Tax List we can learn;
1781 Michael Worman owned 200 acres, 4 horses, 8 cattle p. 192
1782 Michael Worman taxed 202 acres, 3 horses, 8 cattle p. 257
1784 Michael Worman owned 200 acres, 1 house, 1 bld, 10 inhabitants p. 467
1785 Michael Worman owned 393 acres, 2 horses, 4 cattle p. 546

At the time of his death the will of Michael shows that he had a daughter named Elizabeth along with ten other living children.
Abstract of Bucks Co. Will # 9.266. Michael Worman, Tinicum Twp., yeoman
June 27, 1814. Proved May 12, 1818. Sons Henry and Abraham executors. Wife Catharine.
Son Isaac 100 acres whereon I live, joining Jacob Hoppock and Thomas Henry.
Son Jacob 100 acres joining Henry Overholtz and Tohickon Creek.
Son Emanuel 7 acres he lives on joining Henry Worman and Daniel Sollada.
Children: Ludwick, John, Henry, Abraham, Joseph, Emanuel, Isaac, Jacob, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Mary. Grandson, Lidy Worman. Witness: Henry Overholt and Joseph Nash.
Not mentioned was a son Conrad and a daughter Susanna. Making at least thirteen children.

Michael Worman's daughter Elizabeth married John Peter Long. The great grandson of Elizabeth Worman was Howard Herbert Long who became the father of Eliza Long McEwen my grandmother.

Michael lived to be 89 years old when he died April 15, 1818. They had been married for 58 years. Catherine lived to be 86 when she died on January 3, 1832. They are buried in the Old Section of Lower Tinicum Union Cemetery, Tinicum, Bucks County, Pennsylvania near the Tinicum United Church of Christ on Dark Hollow Rd, Pipersville Pennsylvania.

                                   Michael and Catherine Worman were my 5th great grand parents.

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GENEALOGY IS A WORK OF HEART Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. It is with pleasure that I am able to present this information here for you to see. If you discover a relationship here, I would very much enjoy hearing from you.

Monday, March 4, 2013

John McEwen (1745 - 1815)

There is evidence that my Scots-Irish McEwen ancestor, John, was living in Northampton County, Pennsylvania during the time of the Revolutionary War. He was among the people who made up the Hunter Martin Settlement in Lower Mount Bethel.

His name appears on the January 1775 Tax List for Hunter Settlement in Mount Bethel Township as John McKoun. On August 7, 1777, John McQuown signs the Oaths of Allegiance, Northampton County. And in 1785 we find land warrants under the name John McOwen for 80 and 200 acres in Northampton County. The McEwen name is found spelled many different ways in the old records: McCowen, McCuen, McQuen, McQuan, McQuowin, McQuowen, McQuown and McEwen. At that time, this area was populated with predominantly German speaking people. I am sure the McEwen Scottish brogue was very difficult to decipher to the ear of the German men who recorded the name in all these different records.

The following passage, taken from "The Scotch-Irish in America: Proceedings and Addresses of the Second Congress at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 29 to June 1, 1890" sums up the character of these frontiersmen. "The Scotch-Irish, as they were called, were emigrants from the northern part of the sister kingdom, descendants of the Scotch colonies planted there by Cromwell. They were a hardy, brave, hot headed race, excitable in temper, unrestrainable in passion, invincible in prejudice. Their hand open as impetuously to a friend, as it clenched against an enemy. They loathed the pope, as sincerely as they venerated Calvin and Knox. If often rude and, lawless it was the fault of their position. Impatient of restraint, rebellious of any thing that in their eyes bore the resemblance of injustice, we find these men readiest among the ready on the battle fields of the Revolution. If they had faults, a lack of patriotism or of courage was not among them."

John McEwen's service record is recorded in the Revolutionary War Military Abstract Card File of the pennsylvania Archives. Item number 54 names John McQuen, Northampton County, 6th Battalion, 6th company, 2nd class, May 14, 1778.

His record is also recorded in the Pennsylvania Archives 5th series Vol. 8 p. 426 - 437. There are no other men with a similar name in Northampton Co. at that time.

The 6th Battalion, Northampton County Militia was under the command of Colonel Jacob Stroud at Fort Penn which was located on the site of present-day Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The men of the 6th Battalion played a pivotal role in General Sullivan's campaign to destroy the Indian settlements on the frontier.

John (McQuown) McEwen was born on April 15, 1745. He married Margaret Herin, a daughter of John Herin, who also was a part of the Hunter Martin Settlement in Martin's Creek, Lower Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania. Margaret was born November 29, 1755. They were married December 3, 1771. It is not known exactly were John and Margaret lived out their lives and where they are buried. Evidence shows that they lived in both Northampton County and Columbia County.

They became the parents of nine children. Their son, William, was born in Berwick, Columbia County, Pennsylvania on November 8, 1775. He married Sarah Johnson of Lower Mount Bethel township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. William and Sarah pioneered to Ohio in 1823, but their son John returned to Northampton County. Descendants of John McEwen still live in Northampton County today.

I wish to thank Bruce McEwen for all the research he has done on the McEwen family and for his generosity in sharing it with me. His diligence in searching for the forbears in the McEwen family is to be admired.

Pennsylvania Profiles: Scotch-Irish. http://gentreeforme.files.wordpress.com
Pennsylvania State Archives @ http://www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us.

This page and all contents © 2013 Cynthia H. Smith
Email to chsmith47@yahoo.com

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Peter Laufer (1752 - 1830)

Peter Laufer, The Shoemaker

We can be happy that Peter's wife, Magdalena Susanna Grosher, refused to travel to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1774 with the rest of the Laufer's when Peter's father, Christian, opted to relocate there and fight the Indian hostilities on the Western front. Peter first married Magdalena Susanna Grosher who was the mother of his children. Later he married Magdalena Althause.

The following is taken from The Lauffer History (1905), The Peter Laufer Branch. "He lived in troublous times, for it is said that it was not safe to sleep in the house at night, for fear of the Indians. The settlers had to go to the block house at Howersville. When his father Christian, and all his brothers and sisters emigrated into Westmoreland Co., he alone remained in Northampton Co. Tradition has it that he married a wife who refused to cross the Mountains."

He was a farmer and a shoemaker by trade. It is reported that he was a very short man and therefore too small to carry a musket, but he was one of the Pennsylvania German farmers who wanted to contribute to the success of Liberty's cause. So he joined Washington's army as a shoemaker and practiced that skill during the length of his enlistment. His name appears as a private of the 8th class, spelled Lawfart, in the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Company under Captain John Deeter of the Northampton County militia, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Kern, in 1782, and again on March 3, 1783. He joined the company in 1780.

The shoemaker's shop in Williamsburg, Virginia

In 1780 Peter Laufer was assessed on his property in Moore township at 292 pounds. In 1785 Peter Laufer is named as the owner of 150 acres of land in Moore township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania and was by occupation a farmer and shoemaker.

He married Magdalena Susanna Grosher. They were members of the Reformed congregation of Stone Church at Kreidersville, Northampton county. They were the parents of eight children who were:

1. Catharine, born July 26, 1778, and died may 28, 1847. She married Michael Asch.
2. Eizabeth, born Nov. 14, 1779, and died Nov. 14, 1859. She married Mathias Greber. They resided near Petersville, Pennsylvania.
3. Susanna, born December 8, 1782, and died in 1847. She married Andrew Lilly, of Petersville, Pennsylvania.
4. Peter Laufer, Jr., born June 25, 1785, and died Aug. 29, 1855. He married Eva Bush. They are buried at Kreidersville, Pennsylvania.
5. Adam Laufer, born in 1790, and married Elizabeth Koehler and moved to Monroe county.
6. Jacob Laufer who married Elizabeth Strauss.
7. Rachel, married Henry Renner.
8. Anna Maria, born Sept. 20, 1792, and died March 18, 1877. She married George Marsh, of Klecknersville, Pennsylvania.

Peter Laufer, son of Christian "The Pioneer" Lauffer and Susanna Best, was born Oct. 18, 1752, and died July 21, 1830. He is buried at Kreidersville Church, Allen township, Northampton county where his grave is marked with an American Flag by the Veteran's Administration to recognize his service in the Revolutionary War.

It is unknown when his first wife Magdalena Susanna Grosher died or where she is buried. A record of burial for his second wife Magdalena Althause is found in the Burial Record of Zion's Stone Church. She was born May 15, 1767 and died in 1831 and is also buried at Zion Stone Church in Kreidersville, Pennsylvania.

We have two lines of descent from Peter Lauffer. Estella May Kunkle Smith was the granddaughter of Peter's daughter, Anna Maria Laufer who married George Marsh. Through a different line she was the great grand daughter of Peter's daughter, Susanna who married Andrew Lilly.

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