#52Ancestors: John HUDSON 1736-1789, Pennsylvania

Another post in the year-long challenge, #52Ancestors by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow. Although I am  behind, every post is another post! Today I am sharing information on John  HUDSON, my 4th greatgrandfather on our KUHN lines, 5th greatgrandfather to our children, and 6th greatgrandfather to our grandchildren. There is very little information to be found about John HUDSON/HUTSON, partly as there are a number of Hudson/Hutson men all with same names, generation after generation. However, here is what I've found to date:

John HUDSON was the eldest son the six children of Nicholas HUDSON & Jean/Jane BOWEN, both of whom appear to have emigrated from Wales in the early 1730s. They came to Lancaster County, PA, with John's grandfather George & stepmother Margaret and their adult children.

John's birthdate is estimated 1735/36 in Churchtown, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. [Photo is of 1830s building] No register has been found to date to verify this information. 

On 20 June 1768, John HUDSON married Mary MORGAN [b. 20 Jun 1748], the 4th child of Col. Jacob MORGAN & Rachel PIERSOL. Note that Col. Jacob MORGAN [Sr.] is a well-known Revolutionary War Patriot for whom Morgantown is named.

John and Mary had 7 known children said to have been born in Lancaster county - but note that Morgantown/Caernarvon in Berks county was on the county border with Lancaster County.
 
   1.   Rachel M., b.19 Mar 1769, d. 20 Apr 1849 Pottsville PA; m. 25 Aug 1794
         in  Exeter PA to Morgan A. Lewis [1771-1843]; 9 known children

   2.   Jacob B., b. abt 1772, d. 1823 PA; m. 1798 PA to Elizabeth Porter [-1823];
         no research on children as yet. 

   3.   Nicholas, b. abt 1773, d. 29 Sep 1861 Berks Co. PA; m. 25 Sep 1793
         in PA to Elizabeth McAnnully; no research on children as yet.

   4.   Rebecca [ancestor], b. 16 Mar 1777 Morgantown PA, d. 10 Feb 1844
         Berks Co. PA; m. 17 Jul 1797 Morgantown PA to Edward McCABE
        [1760s Ireland-1814 PA]; 3 known children

   5.   Jonathan [jr.], b. 30 Mar 1781, d. 1820 PA; m. est 1805 to Sarah Williams;
         no further research as yet.

   6.   Sarah, b. 6 Sep 1783; no further research as yet

   7.   George, b. 16 Nov 1785; m. 11 Sep 1808 Reading, Berks PA to
         Anna Williams; no further research as yet.  But note that Jonathan
         married a Williams in same period, likely  sisters. 

John apparently was in Capt. [later Col.] Jacob Morgan's company during the period from March 1777-1780.  

He died unexpectedly, intestate, before 13 May 1789, aged 54 years. His wife Mary was Administer of his account, and she signed a £500 bond to detail a full inventory on 13 May 1789, along with "Jacob Morgan Esquire and Aaron Rattice," who were signatories with her. The inventory [not including his property] signed off on 5 Jun 1789, came to £65 8s 11p. I can find no records of land ownership, but he did have a small farm. There should also be guardians registered for the children, the majority being underage, although I have not found these as yet.

I have not been able to find a cemetery where he might be buried, but it is likely in Caernarvon/Morgantown. 

Mary died only 6 years later, aged 47, in 1795, in Caernarvon, Pennsylvania. Again, I have not found a cemetery burial as yet.  I note that she would have seen only her first child married. No further documents found to date regarding the likely guardians appointed for the younger children.  

John - occasionally listed as Jonathan - does not seem to have left many clues to his life, his interests, nor to how he died so young.  More research is planned, but to date, these are the major points. 

                                     -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / 

If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below and I will get back to you either by email or in the Comments. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

Blogger - or my computer - is not letting me "reply" to your comments. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented! You truly make my day!! 

52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, No. 21, MILITARY: Col. Jacob MORGAN, 1716-1792

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog based on Themes. Last week, it was Black Sheep.  This week, the theme is Military, in keeping with the Memorial Weekend events in the USA [I'm Canadian].  

My 5th great-grandfather, Col. Jacob MORGAN, came to Pennsylvania from Wales with his parents, Thomas MORGAN & and Elizabeth ABREY, and his four older brothers, before 1718.  The Morgan family settled near Caernarvon township, in an area which includes the village of Morgantown which Col. MORGAN laid out in approximately 1779, after the Revolutionary War [about 1770, according to several accounts].  

Jacob MORGAN was born in Wales on 7 Nov 1716, and in 1739 he married Rachel PIERSOL [1723-1791], daughter of Richard PIERSOL and Bridget BROWN.  Jacob and Rachel had the following children, in Caernarvon PA:

1. Rebecca, b. 1741; m. John Price
2. Gen. Jacob jr., b. 1742, d. 18 Sep 1802; m. Barbara Leisure Jenkins; 6 children
3. Benjamin, b. abt 1745;  m. 27 Jun 1793 to Harriett Ashton, 1 child known
4. *Mary [ancestor], b. 20 Jun 1748, d. 1795; m. 20 Jun 1768 to John HUDSON, 7 children known
5. Sarah, b. abt 1750; m. to Joseph Jenkins
6. Frances, b. abt 1752 [not listed in his will]
7. John, b. abt 1755

With both senior and junior versions of Jacob MORGAN men in Pennsylvania, both active in military duty at the General/Colonel level, there are some confusing details in histories of the region.  The pronoun 'he' without a clarifying detail such as each man's birthyear, makes it a small challenge. I have quoted details from the article "Genealogies of Pennsylvania Families" printed in Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol III, p 469. Additional details may be found in histories of Pennsylvania, and histories of families and individuals who fought in the two Wars in which he participated.

Jacob Sr. amassed a large amount of land over his years, inheriting about 400 acres from his father Thomas MORGAN when he died in 1740.  When Jacob died he owned over 5,000 acres of land.  

From 1755 to 1760, he was a Captain in the First Battalian of the Pennsylvania Regiment; later his company formed part of the Second Battalian, in the "Seven Years War" - the French/Indian Wars - receiving 3,000 acres for his service as Captain. He enlisted again in the Revolutionary War, June 1776 to Dec 1780, receiving the title of Colonel. 

He was commissioned as a Justice of the Peace and of the courts, during the period between 1764-1784. 

"From 22 May, 1777, until 8 January, 1781, he was Lieutenant of Berks County, with the rank of colonel, and as such, was at the head of military affairs in that county, and rendered constant and most valuable services to the cause of Independence."

Jacob and his wife, Rachel apparently moved to Philadelphia after 1784, where Rachel died 19 Dec 1791, aged 68.  

A year later, on 11 Nov 1792, Jacob died at the age of 76. He is buried in the cemetery of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Morgantown, Caernarvon township, Berks, PA.  

If you have more information on the MORGAN family, including Jacob MORGAN Sr., please do not hesitate to contact me via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below. I appreciate being corrected or having additional sources pointed out!  

Blogger is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented! You make my day.

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, #20: Rachel PIERSOL

Following the challenge of writing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, issued by Amy Johnson Crow, here is my 20th installment, another woman ancestor with virtually no details about her aside from Birth, Marriage, Death.  

The PIERSOL family grew up around Morgantown, Berks, Pennsylvania, with many other Welsh immigrants with surnames such as Davis, Evans, Hudson, Jenkins, Hughes, Bowen, Allen, Owen. Interestingly, I noted that a Pearsall Family DNA study shows that the males have a Swedish origin from perhaps 2000 years ago; they list many spellings for the Piersol/Pearsall surname. If this is your surname, do check out their site for testing. 

Note: I have a copy of the Caernarvon Township map of Warrants/Surveys/Patents of landowners, constructed in 1934 from original drafts.  This may be requested of me by direct-message or below, using my email address as shown; for personal use only, not for publication, as it is copyrighted. 

Rachel is my 5th great-grandmother on my mother's lines.  The PIERSOL surname is spelled many ways, of course: e.g., Pearsall, Pearsol(l), Piersol(l), Persall, and so on.  

Rachel's father was Richard PIERSOL, born about 1677, apparently in Wales. He immigrated with his father (name either John or Richard Sr.), about 1683. His family settled in Pennsylvania. On about 1720, in Caernarvon, Richard married Bridget BROWN about 1720. Bridget emigrated before that date, but I know nothing about Bridget's family.Well, except that a Richard Brown was one of the executors of her will - a brother? Maybe. Richard was the only living son, along with at least 4 sisters, as named in his father's will, 1777. 

Rachel PIERSOL was born about 1723 in Caernarvon Township/Morgantown area - note that Morgantown (Morgan's Town) was not laid out until about 1770. She married Jacob MORGAN in 1739 in Honey Brook, Chester, PA.  Honey Brook is only about 5 miles south of Morgantown area. 

Much is known of Jacob MORGAN (Sr) as he was very well known in the region in various roles, e.g., as a Judge and other official capacity; a Captain in the Seven Years War (French & Indian Wars), in Col. Weiser's regiment; plus a Colonel in the Revolutionary War.  A number of DAR and SAR applications may be researched, based on Jacob Sr. or his son Jacob Jr. MORGAN's military service.

Rachel and Jacob seem to have settled in the Caernarvon/Morgantown area, raising their 7 known children:

1. Rebecca, b. 1741; m. John Price
2. Jacob (Jr.), b. 1742; m. Barbara Leisure Jenkins, 6 children
3. Benjamin, b. abt 1745; m. Harriett Ashton, at least 1 son
4. Mary [ancestor], b. 20 Jun 1748; m. John/Jonathan HUDSON, 7 children
5. Sarah, b. abt 1750; m. Joseph Jenkins
6. Frances, b. est. 1752
7. John, b. est 1755 

In the mid 1780s, Jacob & Rachel appear to have moved for a time to Philadelphia, returning to Morgantown area before 1791. I still have much research to do on Jacob's various roles in his very active life.

Rachel died at the age of 68 years, on 19 Dec 1791 in Montgomeryville, apparently. I am not certain why she was there - visiting relatives? Or one of her married daughters?  Her husband, Jacob, died the following year on 11 Nov 1792, aged 76, in Morgantown.  The gravestone - a large horizontal one on a raised base - has details of both Jacob and Rachel, and can be seen here on FindAGrave.  

If you have further information about Rachel PIERSOL and her parents, or if you have questions about any of this information, contact me via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments section below.