Author Topic: William Greathouse of Plainfield Township, Northampton County, PA  (Read 7269 times)

Rick

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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.

« Last Edit: April 21, 2010, 05:02:41 PM by Rick »
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