Hannah Harmon and Her Children

Early in my genealogy research, when I discovered my third great-grandmother, Hannah (Townsend) Harmon, I was struck by the number of children she had. With her first child being born in 1836, and her last born 21 years later in 1857, she had about one child every two years for twenty years. Here is the list of her 13 known children:

Mary Jane, born in 1836
James, 1837
William, 1839
Nancy, 1841 (my great great grandmother)
Richard, 1844
Martha, 1845
Charles, 1846
Hiram, 1848
David, 1850
George, 1852
Sarah, 1854
Hannah, 1855
Albert, 1857

Hannah died in 1865, at the age of 48. She is buried at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Spring Creek, Iowa.

William Harmon's Farm in Boone County, Indiana

My 3rd great-grandfather, William A. Harmon bought land in Indiana when a young man. I saw the paperwork at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., in December of last year. 

Land certificate #18968

Jan 14, 1834

Received from William Harmon of Boone County, Indiana, the sum fifty dollars and -- cents; being in full for the North West quarter of the North East quarter of Section Nine in Township Number Seventeen North, of Range Number Two East, containing forty acres, and -- hundredths at the rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Abner MCorty, Receiver.

William's brother-in-law, Elisha Bishop Townsend also bought land in the same township the same year:

Land certificate #20456

Aug 14 1834

Elisha Bishop Townsend of Johnson Co., Indiana purchased NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of section 11, township 17 North Range 2 East; 40 acres, $1.25 per acres; $50.

The next year, William Harmon purchased another 40 acres.

Land certificate #22788

March 7, 1835

Received from William Harmon of Boone County, Indiana, the sum fifty dollars and -- cents; being in full for the North West quarter of the South East quarter of Section Three in Township Number Seventeen North, of Range Number Two East, containing forty acres, and -- hundredths at the rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Abner MCorty, Receiver.

By 1856, William and his wife Hannah moved their family to Spring Creek, Blackhawk, Iowa, where they remained for the rest of their lives.

John Conaway, Head of Family at 19

I've written before (Mar 17, 2013) about John Conaway, who purchased land in Coshocton County, Ohio and established a village there. Here is a transcript of the record of his land purchase. John purchased this land when he was 19 years old. By 1820, John and his wife, and his widowed mother, brother, and sister had moved to Coshocton County, Ohio. 

Land Office at Zanesville

April 5, 1825

Final Certificate

It is hereby certified, that pursuant to several acts of Congress providing for the sale of the public lands of the United States, John Conway of Brooke County, Virginia did, at the date hereinafter specified, purchase of the Register of the Land Office aforesaid, the following described lands, viz: being the North East quarter of Section No. Seven in Township No. Five of Range No. Nine of the Zanesville Military district, on which further credit has heretofore been granted, and to complete the payment due on said land, the said John Conway has availed himself of the relief granted by the act of Congress of the 18^th of May 1824 entitled “An Act to provide for the extinguishment of the debt due to the United States by the purchasers of public lands.” The account for said tract has therefore, been finally settled and closed on the books of this office, as will more fully appear from the following statement thereof:

No. of certificate: 1319

Date of purchase: 1815 May 22

Tract: To NE ¼ of S7 T5 Rg My

Purchase money $320

Rate $2

Acres 160

Date of Payment: 1815 May 22

Payment by Cash: $80

Date of Purchase: Apl 5 1825

To interest on $100 for 3.6.5: $21.08

Date of Payment: 1819 May 14

Payment by Cash:

Interest $9.68

Purchase Money: $40

Date of Payment: Apl 5 1825

Discount on $221.08: $82.90

Payment by Cash: 138.18

Total Interest: $9.68

Total Payment: 341.08

Now, therefore be it known, that on presenting this Certificate to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, John Conway aforesaid shall be entitled to receive a patent for the land described above.

Signed W. Tileman,

Register of the Land Office

Joshua Conoway, Orphan Boy

In researching the Conaways, I came across this order made in 1817 by the Orphans' Court in Baltimore, Maryland. I don't believe this child is in our direct line, although more research may show something different.

Joshua Conoway, an orphan boy of the age of ten years the first January last is bound to the Patapsico Manufacturing Company to be taught Cotton spinning, weaving, and carding, to be taught to read, write, and arithmetic as far as the rule of Three and to be found in sufficient meat drink washing lodging and apparel and when free customary freedom dues.

SOURCE: Family Search, Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1629-1999 Baltimore Orphans' Court proceedings 1814-1817 vol 9. Page 393. Image 206. 

Inventory of the Estate of John Weber

I almost missed finding the estate papers of my fourth great-grandfather, John Weber, because I was looking for John Weaver. It was fascinating to find the family still alternating between Weber and Weaver in 1877. 

A few years before John died, he deeded his real estate in Rapho Township, Pennsylvania, to his son and daughter-in-law, Frederick and Catherine Weaver, with whom he lived until his death. Here's the inventory of his personal property.

A true and perfect inventory and just appraisement of all and singular the goods and chattels rights and credits, which were of John Weber late of Rapho Township Lancaster County, Penna, deceased.

1 Scythe, oilcloth, basket, and sundries 1.25

1 Chest, box, chain, double and single trees & sundries 2.00

1 Plough and Dung Hook 1.00

1 Scythe, broom machine, box and Sundries 1.50

1 Trunk, 3 Chests 4.00

Shoemaker tools, knives, and Sundries 2.00

1/2 doz. spoons, 2 chairs, 1 Saddle and sundries 1.00

2 Iron Wedges, Augurs, 1 Gun, 2 Saws, & Sundries 5.00

10 Bags, 1 Clothing Cupboard, 1 Bed, Bedstead 6.00

1 Watch, Spectacles and Sundries 8.00

1 Promissory note against George Halman with interest 15.70

Books and wearing apparel 18.00

                                           65.55

Dower int recd from Uriah Carpenter 29.64

                                                         95.19 

Taken and appraised by us this 15th day of January A.D. 1877

John G. Kopp                   Levi Young

A shoemaker's tool kit

John McCloud, War of 1812 Veteran

John McCloud was my fourth great-grandfather. He was 5 feet, 11 inches, had blue eyes and black hair, and was 34 years old and a farmer from Vermont when he enlisted on June 5, 1812.

His pension file has only a handful of documents, one of which tells how John's service to his country ended. I've transcribed it here.

Fort Erie 28 August 1814

It is hereby certified that John McCloud a Private soldier in Capt Horace Hales company 11 Regt. U.S. Infantry is rendered incapable of performing the duty of a soldier by reason of a wound inflicted while he was actually in the service aforesaid and in the line of his duty Viz. in action. By satisfactory evidence and accurate examination, it appears that on the fifth day of July in the year eighteen hundred and fourteen being engaged near a place called Chipawa in the province of Upper Canada he received a wound in his leg by reason of which he lost his right leg and he is thereby not only incapacitated for military duty, but in the opinion of the undersigned is totally disabled from obtaining his subsistence by manual labor and is entitled to a pension of eight dollars per month.

Gordon A. Spencer

Surgeon 11 Inft.

The Children of Henry and Anna Maria Weber

Henry Weber is my 5th great-grandfather through his son John Weber. This statement, from Henry's Revolutionary War Pension file, is a gold mine of information about his children.

Statement of Jacob Weber of North Lebanon Township in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania a son and heir at law of Henry Weber late of South Lebanon Township in the county of Lebanon aforesaid who was a pensioner under the Laws of the United States, made the 25^th day of  March in the year of our Lord, One Thousand eight hundred and forty three as follows to wit:

My said father Henry Weber, who was a pensioner under the Laws of the United States, died intestate on or about the 27^th day of March A. D. 1840 leaving a widow name Anna Maria and issue twelve children and five grand children, the children of a deceased son named Michael Weber as follows, to wit. Maria Catharine, the wife of Peter Rukle of South Lebanon Township, aforesaid; Eva Maria, the wife of Adam Schwanger of Bethel Township, Lebanon County, aforesaid; John Weber of Rapho Township, Lancaster county, Penn; Joseph Weber of Annville Township Lebanon County aforesaid; Elizabeth, widow and relict of Michael Schwanger of Heidelberg Township Lebanon county aforesaid, decd., Anna, widow and relict of Henry Sheets, late of Erie County, Penna decd., Maria the wife of Martin Fosnacht of Knox County, Ohio; Salome, the wife of Philip Mease of South Lebanon Township aforesaid; Jacob Weber, aforesaid the maker of this statement, Susannah Weber of Swatara Township, Lebanon county aforesaid, Magdalena, widow and relict of Samuel Flavel late of Londonderry Township Lebanon county aforesaid, decd. And Peter Weber of Heidleberg Township aforesaid and Henry, Polly, Hannah, Samuel and Susan Weber, grandchildren, the children of Michael Weber late of said Rapho Township decd. and the son of said Henry Weber as aforesaid.

That the said Henry Weber was married as per family register and certificate of Wilhelm Kurtz, evangelical parson, on the 27^th day of March A. D. 1787 to said Anna Maria the Mother of the said children of said intestate. That the said Anna Maria, widow of aforesaid died intestate on the 5^th day of January A. D. 1843 at the residence of her said son Jacob Weber who makes this statement leaving issue the aforesaid children and grandchildren.

In testimony that the above is a true and correct Statement I the said Jacob Weber have hereunto subscribed my name this 25^th day of March A.D. 1843. Jacob Weber

Lebanon County P.  

Personally appeared before me John Shindel Esq. one of the Judges of the several courts of said county the above names Jacob Weber, who being duly sworn according to law, Desposeth and saith that the above statement is true and correct to the best of his knowledge and belief – sworn and subscribed March 25 1843 before me John Shindel. Jacob Weaver

Document from the pension file of Henry Weber

SOURCE: www.fold3.com. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. Henry Weber, Pennsylvania, Pension Number W.2887. Statement of Jacob Weaver is found on image 12. Document shown above is image 3.