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Sign Our Guest Book / Charles Henry Greathouse, Sr and Sadie Marie Steddom Greathouse

« Last post by marygr8house on March 09, 2010, 04:19:16 AM »

These are my grandparents. Grandpa Charley was born circa 1887, Saint Patricks Day and Grandma Sadie was several years his junior. He lived to be 94 and remained active all his life; climbing his last tree about a month before he passed. Grandma was less lucky in health, tho she lived to be 97. She. broke her hip several years before her death and was never able to walk very well even with a walker. They had 5 children. Lucille Lukits, Margaret Wagner, Frances Erickson and Fern Russell were the girls and my father was the youngest, Charles Henry Greathouse, Jr. Grandpa had sisters; Sarah Law, Neppie Marie Melton, Katherine Whiteman. He also had 2 half brothers; John and Ridgley by a second marriage.

Lucille and Ted Lukits did not have children but made great contributions to the art world. Margaret and George Wagner had two children Barbara Higa Swasey and Edwin Charles Wagner. Frances and Don Erickson had 2 daughters, Yvonne de Graffenreid and Janet Spleithoff. Fern Russell died young leaving 2 boys; John Robert Russell and William Russell. Dad and Mom (Annabelle) had 6 kids. I am the oldest Mary Greathouse Duffy, Melvin Charles Greathouse, Martha Lynn Mills and Marcia Ann Sinclair, Laura Elaine Miller and Henry Lee Greathouse. I have info in a box somewhere, that shows our lineage all the way back to Hermann Groethausen. I also have a leather bound church registry handwritten, showing where Catherine Waring became Greathouse. There is so much more to tell before I can no longer remember it.

Most Wanted Greathouse / William Greathouse of Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA

« Last post by Rick on February 20, 2010, 03:11:54 PM »

A William Grothaus has been documented to have been a resident of Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA, from, at least, 1775 through Sep 1783, when he either died in said township, or he may have moved elsewhere.

See: Greathouse of Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA.

His wife was named as Maria, in his son's, John Leonard, baptismal record which was recorded to have occurred on 5 Nov 1775, in the records of Plainfield Reformed Church, of said township.

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1775, Sep 10 - Plainfield Township: Plainfield Reformed Church Records:

Entries by the Rev. John Wm. Weber, Sept. 1772 - May 1783.

John Leonard, son of William & Maria Grothaus, b. 10 Sep 1775, bap. 5 Nov 1775; Sponsors: Leonard Bayer [Johann Leonhart Beyer] & wife.

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The question is... if he moved elsewhere, where did he move to?

So we are looking for a William Greathouse, who would have appeared in the records of the county he moved to, after 1783. We would also be looking for records, in which his wife, Maria; son, John Leonard; and any other children this couple may have had, whom perhaps were not documented in the county of origin, in this case, Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA.

An article from Penn in Hand, Vol. 21, no. 2 - - June 2000, Tax Records and their Cousins: The PA Septennial Census, online: http://www.genpa.org/research_taxrecords.html, states:

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Tax lists can be very helpful in establishing the comings and goings of individuals. When someone “disappears” from a particular township’s list, it ordinarily means the person either died or moved elsewhere.

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Conversely, when someone first appears on a particular township's list, it ordinarily means the person either moved in to the township from elsewhere or that a son of a resident of the township, came of age to move out on his own, either as a resident of said township or perhaps as a resident of a township in an adjacent county.

Also, in 1783... a second William Greathouse appeared in Turkeyfoot Township, Bedford County, PA, where he paid taxes upon 150 acres of land in said township, as a non-resident freeholder. While the first William Greathouse, whom was known to have been a resident of said township from 1774-1776, 1779 and 1783, paid taxes upon 200 acres of land in said township, as a resident freeholder.

See: Greathouse of Bedford County, PA

The same article from Penn in Hand, defines the following terms which are typically found in those early colonial PA tax lists:

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The Colonial and early 19th century lists were usually divided into several lists – one of property owners, usually dubbed “freeholders”; another of married renters heading households, called “inmates”; and a “single freemen” list composed of unmarried men (usually age 21 and above). At times the best proof of an individual’s marriage may be when the groom moves from “single freeman” to “inmate.”

[Freeholder - married males who owned land/property in a township.

Inmate - married males who rented land and owned property in a township.

Single Freemen - unmarried males, usually age 21 and above, who owned land/property in a township.]

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By 1785, both William Greathouses were taxed as resident freeholders upon 400 acres of land, each, in Turkeyfoot Township, Bedford County, PA.

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1785 - Tax List: Turkeyfoot Township

Frederick Achor
Wm Greathouse, acres: 400.
William Greathouse, acres: 400.
John Greathouse, single freemen.

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So it appears that the second William Greathouse who was a non-resident freeholder of the township in 1783, had moved to the township by 1785, where he had increased the amount of land he owned, from 150 acres to 400 acres, between 1783 and 1785.

By 1787, William Greathouse Sr., William Greathouse Jr., John Greathouse and Frederick Akert, all residents of Turkeyfoot Township, Bedford County, PA in 1785, had moved to Harrison County, VA, where they were each taxed as residents of said county, in said year.

See: Greathouse of Harrison County, WV

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1787 - Tax List: Return of Nicholas Carpenter, Comm., Harrison County, VA

Jun 6 - Ackert, Frederick; white males age over 21 [born 1766 or before]; horses: 7; cattle: 4.
Jun 6 - John Greathouse; white males age over 21 [born 1766 or before, named in Ackert's household].
May 24 - Greathouse, Wm; white males age over 21 [born 1766 or before]; white male age 16-21: 1 [born between 1766 - 1771]; horses: 2; cattle: 1.
Jun 6 - Greathouse, William; white males age over 21 [born 1766 or before]; horses: 3; cattle: 6.

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Regarding William Greathouse Jr., he was named as such, starting with one of the earliest known records for Greathouse in Harrison County, VA.

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1786, Oct - Petition To Work Out Taxes And Build A Good Road From The State Road To The Mouth Of Little Kanawha
John Greathouse
William Jr. Greathouse

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He was named as a son/heir in his father's, William Greathouse Sr.'s will:

I also give and bequeath unto my son William & Daughter Mary the value of the two above mentioned guns to be divided betweeen them & paid to them in property.

which was recorded in Harrison County Court on 16 Jan 1792:

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1792, Jan 16 - Harrison County Court

This day the last will and testament of William Greathouse deceased was produced in Court and proven by the oath of Owen Davee and Joseph Skelton witnesses thereto and the same is ordered to be recorded.

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He appears to have used the Jr. suffix while his father was living in the county from 1786 through the death of his father, William Greathouse Sr., in 1792. In what appears to have been the first record created by William Jr., in the county, after his father's death, he was not named as William Greathouse Jr., but rather as William Greathouse:

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1792, May 22 - Harrison County Court:
Ordered that William Greathouses Mark and Brand be recorded, which is as followeth, to wit, Mark - crop off of the right ear and 2 slits in the left Ear. Brand - W G H.

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In the 1793 tax list for Harrison County, VA, a William Greathouse was taxed with two (2) titheable males in his household, who were age over 16.

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1793 - Personal Property Tax List, Return of Benjamin Coplin, Comm., Harrison County, VA
Feb 9 - Graithous, William; white males age 16 or over: 2; horses: 1.

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If one of his sons had become age over 16, in 1793, then that son would have been born about 1777, or before. This record also suggests that a marriage between a Greathouse male and another resident in the county, or elsewhere, could be expected, in the near future. Aside from the marriage of William Jr.'s brother, John Greathouse to Milly Gillaspy on 8 Apr 1793, the next marriage which involved a Greathouse male in the county, occurred on 8 Nov 1801. More information about that marriage, will be shared later.

A William Greathouse Jr./William Greathouse was taxed as a resident and head of household in Harrison County, VA, continuously year after year, from 1787 through 1803, except for the 1799 tax list, upon which he was not named as a resident of the county.

For the years 1792 through 1796, He was taxed in the same district as John and Gabriel Greathouse and then again from 1800 through 1803. While from 1797 through 1798, he was taxed in the same district as Michael Greathouse, the Husteds and the Stackhouses. In 1799, he could have been the 2nd male titheable, age over 16, in Michael Greathouse's household.

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1799 - Tax List: Return of Joseph Davidson, Comm., Harrison County, VA

Apr 2 - Greatehouse, Michael; white males age over 16: 2; horses: 2.

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This Michael Greathouse appeared on tax lists of the county, in the same district as William Jr, John and Gabriel Greathouse from 1789 through 1792, when he appears to have moved to the same district as the Husteds and Stackhouses, between 1792 and 1793. He was taxed in the same district as the Husteds and the Stackhouses from 1793 through 1800, except for 1797, when he was not named on any tax lists of the county.

Again, between 1796 and 1797, a William Greathouse appears to have moved into the same district as Michael Greathouse, the Husteds and the Stackhouses, because he was taxed in the same district as they were, for the years 1797 and 1798 and he may have been the second titheable male counted in the household of Michael Greathouse in 1799.

It has been reported that this Michael Greathouse married Nancy Husted on 12 Oct 1792, although the source for their marriage is unknown. Michael Greathouse's eldest known son, Moses was born in 1794. So Michael would not have had any sons age 16 or over by 1799.

Also, this Michael Greathouse was not named as a son/heir in the will of William Greathouse Sr., deceased, when the will was probated in said county, in 1792. He first appeared as a head of household on tax lists of the county in 1789. If he was age 21 or over in that year, then he would have been born about 1768 or before. Based on the 1830 census of Harrison County, VA, this Michael Greathouse was age 60-70, so he would have been born between 1760 and 1770.

Regarding the children of William Greathouse Jr., there does not appear to be any evidence available in Harrison County, VA, suggesting whom any of his children may have been, until 1798... when he was taxed as a resident of the same district as Michael Greathouse, the Husteds and the Stackhouses, where in the marriage bond of Rohanah Greathouse and John Stackhouse, Rohanah was named as the daughter of William Greathouse.

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1798, Oct 8 - Marriage Bond: Rehonah [Rohanah] Greathouse married John Stackhouse

Know all men by these presents that we John Stackhouse and David Caldwell of the county of Harrison & State of Virginia are held and firmly bound to James Wood Esq. present Governr of this Comin the and his Liufsers in the sum of $150 which payment will & hereby to made we bind our Selves our heirs, exers and admins firmly by these presents witness our hands and Seals this 8th day of Oct 1798 and 23rd year of the Com.

The condition of this obligation is such that should there be no lawful cause to obstruct a marriage intended between the above bound John Stackhouse and Rehonah[Rohanah] Greathouse daughter of William Greathouse of said county then this obligation to be paid els to remain in full force.

John (his mark) Stackhouse
David Calwell

Test
Benjamin Wilson Clk

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Regarding the wife of William Greathouse Jr., there does not appear to be any references in records of Harrison County, VA, which names the wife of William Greathouse Jr., until 28 Feb 1799, when a William Greathouse and his wife, Mary, sold land to George Roby:

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1799, Feb 28 - Deed: William and Mary Greathouse to George Roby [ Page 1 | Page 2 ]

William Greathouse and his wife Mary sold 100 acres of land on Coplin Run, Harrison Co., WV to George Roby.

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Regarding the marriage of a Greathouse male which occurred on 8 Nov 1801, there does not appear to be any records which would suggest that there was a [John] Leonard Greathouse in Harrison County, VA, until 8 Nov 1801, when a Leonard Greathouse was named in his marriage bond with Sarah Parsons of said county.

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1801, Nov 8 - Marriage: Leonard Greathouse to Sarah Parsons

Know all men by these presents that we Leonard Greathouse and John Corzad of Harrison County are held and firmly bound unto James Wood in the sum of $150 which payment will and truly to be made and we bind our selves our heirs, executors also firmly by these presents witness our hands and Seals this 8th day of November 1801.

The condition of the above obligation is such that should there be no lawful cause to obstruct a marriage intended between Leonard Greathouse and Sarah Parsons of said county then this obligation to be void els to remain in full force and virtue.

Leonard Greathouse
John Corzad

Teste
Ben Wilson, CHC

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Therefore, it does appear that the William & Maria Grothaus and son, John Leonard of Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA, could have moved to Turkeyfoot, Bedford County, PA between 1783 and 1785, and then moved to Harrison County, VA with his father, William Greathouse Sr., between 1785 and 1786.

If that would be the case, then William Greathouse Sr., his wife Barbara, his son William and their son John, all of Harrison County, VA; and their daughter Catharine; would appear to be in common with the similarly named individuals, who were named in the records of Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA and St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Germantown, PA from 1748 through 1757.

General Discussion / Greathouse County Update, 20 Feb 2010

« Last post by Rick on February 20, 2010, 02:25:48 PM »

There have been some additions and updates posted for our Greathouse County Project. A summary has been posted on the News page at Greathouse Point.

Of particular interest, would be:

Rev. W. H. Brong, History of Plainfield Reformed Church. The Pennsylvania German, Vol X, No. 7, July 1909.

Brong lists the names of the individuals involved in the catechetical classes 1 through 3 between 1763 and 1767, but after that, he just states the number of individuals involved in the catechetical classes from 1769 through 1783, which is the time period we would be interested in.

For the first three catechetical classes recorded in the first Church Book of Plainfield Reformed Church, see Page 308.

Rev. John William Weber, reported on two catechetical classes during his service as pastor of the Church... the 6th class confirmed 1 Apr 1775 with 24 members and the 7th class confirmed 28 Apr 1776 with 14 members.

For his class summaries, see Page 309.

For those just joining us, we would be interested in Rev. John William Weber's service as Pastor of Plainfield Reformed Church because of the following baptism he performed on 5 Nov 1775:

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1775, Sep 10 - Plainfield Township: Plainfield Reformed Church Records:

Entries by the Rev. John Wm. Weber, Sept. 1772 - May 1783.

John Leonard, son of William & Maria Grothaus, b. 10 Sep 1775, bap. 5 Nov 1775; Sponsors: Leonard Bayer [Johann Leonhart Beyer] & wife.

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For more information about William & Maria Grothaus and their son, John Leonard, see:

Most Wanted Greathouse: William Grothaus of Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA

Queries / Arend Grothaus 1831 - 1907

« Last post by arendf on February 01, 2010, 09:09:33 PM »

I am trying to trace my great-grandfather's line back to Germany. He came to the U.S. in 1859 and spent most of his life as a farmer in SW Ohio. But so far I have struck out in all attempts to connect him to Germany. I think it is reasonably likely that he is a direct descendant of Johann Arend Grothaus, whose son Jorgen (Georg) Henrich Grothaus was born in Lengerich, Germany in 1727. He died in Tecklenburg in 1784. Jorgen’s son was Johann Hinrich Grothaus, born in 1753 in Lengerich. I have no record of his death. He is not likely to have been Arend Grothaus’s father, but he could certainly have been his grandfather, or perhaps great-grandfather. (Information on these German Grothauses is via the familysearch website.) If anyone has any more information on Johann Arend, Jorgen Henrich, Johann Hinrich, or of course my great-grandfather Arend, I would greatly appreciate it.

Most Wanted Greathouse / Re: George Rex and wife Barbara ? [? Greathouse]

« Last post by Rick on January 30, 2010, 10:29:22 PM »

Extract: Records In Common Between Greathouse, Ottinger and Rex of Philadelphia County, PA

From: Back Part of Germantown: A Reconstruction
By Hannah Benner Roach

Source:

Hannah Benner Roach, "Back Part of Germantown: A Reconstruction", Jefferson M. Moak, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 2001. ISBN 188709914x, 97817887099141.

Most Wanted Greathouse / George Rex and wife Barbara ? [? Greathouse]

« Last post by Rick on January 30, 2010, 08:13:32 PM »

George Rex's first wife was Barbara ? [? Greathouse], whom he married in Germantown, about 1719. Barbara ? [? Greathouse] may have been born between 1682 and 1704.

A descendant of George recently asked a question:

Was Barbara ?, maiden name Greathouse?

Considering the common appearance of George and Barbara Rex, Herman Groethausen and his son, John and the Ottingers in later records of Philadelphia County, PA, she would be a "Most Wanted Greathouse", if it could be proven that her maiden name was Greathouse.

On page 17, of Hannah Benner Roach's, "Back Part of Germantown: A Reconstruction", in the footnotes, she stated:

There was probably some relationship to the Rex family, but whether to the elder George Rex or his son George has not been established.

Source:

Hannah Benner Roach, "Back Part of Germantown: A Reconstruction", Jefferson M. Moak, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 2001. ISBN 188709914x, 97817887099141. Page 17.

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George Rex's land was located just across Stenton Avenue from Herman Groethausen's land.

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Note: Information colored in MAROON below was not part of the original article published in the NGS Quarterly. Where information has been added from additional sources, a source citation will follow.

Extract: Records In Common Between Greathouse, Ottinger and Rex of Philadelphia County, PA

From: George Rex (1682-1772) of Germantown, Pennsylvania
By Doris Rex Schutte

Hans Jurg Ruger (George Rex), a blacksmith, was the founder of this Rex family of Pennsylvania. Born probably in Europe in either May or June 1682 (if we accept his advanced age at death), "Georg Rieger" was buried from St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church at Germantown, Philadelphia County, on 18 October 1772, "alt 90 Jahr 4 Monat." He married in about 1719, presumably to Barbara ______?, known to have been his wife in 1733-1749, but presumed to be dead by 1762, when she was no longer a party to his deeds to their sons. Neither his nor his wife's gravestones have survived.

Hans Jurg apparently arrived at the port of Philadelphia before the systematic recording of ship manifests. He is first recorded 10 June 1720 when he purchased from Claus Braun 27 acres on the road leading from Philadelphia to North Wales [now Germantown Avenue at Chestnut Hill.

"Georg Ruger" appeared at Philadelphia Court 17 August 1728 and swore that he witnessed Pastor Anthony Jacob Henkel's nuncupative will on 12 August 1728.

He signed the will as a witness with Herman Groothausen and Hans Michael Schwenstock on 12 Aug 1728. On 17 Aug 1728, those three gentlemen appeared in court where on their oath they did declare that the testator Anthony Jacob Henkel, on the twelfth day of this instant, August, fell off his horse on the road from Philadelphia to his house in New Hanover Township, which disabled him, and he was carried to the house of the deponent Herman Groothausen in the manor of Springfield, where the testator lying very ill, bid the deponents take notice that the contents of the within and above writing was his will, and the deponents do say that the testator at the time of speaking the said nun-cupative will was of sound mind, memory, and understanding, to the best of their knowledge and belief..

Peter Evans, Reg.-General

Source:

Philadelphia County, PA, Letters of Administration: Estate of Anthon Jacobus Henkel. Reg. Office, Philadelphia, Book C, page 109.

1733, Dec 16 - Barbara Reuger and Christopher Ottinger stood as sponsors at the baptism of Margaretha Barbara, daughter of Leonhardt Kueffer.

1743 - George Rex purchased 50 acres in Springfield, Philadelphia [now Montgomery] County, from the estate of Herman Grotehause.

1746 - Georg and Barbara Rieger had a son baptized at St. Michael's Church.

1747 - Jurg and Barbara Rieger sponsored the baptism of Rahel, daughter of Herman and Maria Grothausen at St. Michael's Church.

1749, Dec 16 - Georg Ruger and Barbara (X) Rex conveyed 276 acres in Heidelberg Township to their son Georg, and 276 acres in the same township to their son Jacob. This was the last record on which Barbara Rex was named.

1762, Oct 29 - By indenture (apparently in lieu of a will) Georg Rux, of Germantown Tonwship, yeoman, conveyed his entire personal and real estate to his sons George, William, Jacob Christopher, John and Abraham Rex. He signed his name Georg Ruger on the receipt for 5 shillings.

Source:

Doris Rex Schutte, George Rex (1682-1772) of Germantown, Pennsylvania, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 68, Issue 4, December 1980. Page 243.

News and Updates / Greathouse County Update

« Last post by Rick on January 29, 2010, 08:59:56 AM »

Greetings,

29 Jan 2010

The following reports in our Greathouse County project have been updated:

Greathouse of Philadelphia County, PA [events added from 1721 through 1733]

Read more:
http://greathouse.us/news.htm

General Discussion / Greathouse County Update, 26 Jan 2010

« Last post by Rick on January 28, 2010, 06:12:23 PM »

Greetings,

An update for our Greathouse County Project has been posted at Greathouse Point, which we hope will start off a very productive year for our project in 2010.

We are pleased to present our report on Philadelphia County, PA, which has been compiled with the help of members of Guild Greathouse, who have diligently searched the early records of the county to document the Greathouse and associated ancestors who lived there. We hope that this work will build a much firmer foundation upon which we will
eventually be able to connect most of the Greathouses known to have been residing in America prior to 1800.

http://greathouse.us/county/pa/philadelphia/philadelphia.htm

Already, our Greathouse County Project has been a stellar success, by helping us to discover that there were two adult males, named William Greathouse, residing in their respective townships of Plainfield and Upper Saucon, Northampton County, PA between 1775 and 1783. That discovery will perhaps, eventually, allow us to correctly track their
migrations to where they settled, raised their families and lived out their lives.

William Greathouse of Upper Saucon Township, Northampton County, PA, married Mary Owen, also of said township. William gave his oath of allegiance to Jacob Moory, Esquire, Justice of the Peace, of said township, on 2 Jun 1778. William served as a Private in Captain John Roberts Company of the Upper Saucon Township, Northampton County, PA
militia in 1778 and as a Private in Captain John Stahl's Company of said township in 1783. He was taxed as a resident freeholder of said township from 1772 through about 1791 and then as a resident freeholder of Mifflin County, PA from about 1792 through the time of his death.

William Greathouse of Plainfield Township, of Northampton County, PA, married Maria [? perhaps Anna Maria Beyer, Source: Johann Leonhart Beyer descendant], marriage date unknown. A son, John Leonard, was born to William and Maria Grothaus on 10 Sep 1775, baptized on 5 Nov 1775 at Plainfield Reformed Church of said township, near present day
Wind Gap, of said county, by Rev. John William Weber. Sponsors for their son's baptism was Leonard Bayer [Johann Leonhart Beyer] and wife, of said township and county. William gave his oath of allegiance to Lewis Stacher, Esquire, Justice of the Peace, of said township, on 2 Jul 1778, as did Leonhard Beyer on 7 Jul 1778. William served as a Corporal in Captain Lewis Stacher's Company of the Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA militia from 1780 through about Sep 1783. He was taxed as a resident freeholder of said township from 1780 through 1782. He disappeared from the records of Plainfield Township after about Sep 1783, which could suggest that he either died in the township about Sep 1783, or perhaps he had moved elsewhere after Sep 1783.

With your help and continued interest in the research shared at Greathouse Point, we can expect to share more discoveries from our Greathouse County Project with you in 2010.

Also with your help, you made fiscal year 2009 our best year since we began tracking statistics on website usage in 2004.

A summary of Greathouse Point usage statistics for 2009 follows:

Year Page Loads Unique Visitors First Time Visitors Returning Visitors
2009 22,031 9,764 8,700 1,064

There will be a graph which shows the statistics for 2009, as compared to all previous years since 2004, posted in our 2009 Archives: New and Updates later this evening.

Read more:
http://greathouse.us/news-2009.htm

Thanks,
Rick