TRANSCRIPTION OF A LOST BIBLE RECORD REA/RHEA FAMILY OF LANCASTER COUNTY

contributed by D. Brenton Simons*

he Bible record for the family and descendants of Samuel Rea/Rhea T(1800-74), a farmer of Little Britain Township, Lancaster County, was lost or inadvertently discarded by descendants after I960, but this transcript survives,1

[MARRIAGES] Samuel Rhea was married in February 27th 1832 to Pamela Webster. His second marriage in March the fifth, eighteen hundred and fifty to Margaret Jane Brown. Chandlee H. Rea, son of Samuel and Margaret J. Rea[}] was married in [sic] September 25th in Baltimore 1868 to Margaret E., daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Biles of Harford County, .2

[BIRTHS] Samuel Rhea, son of John and Elizabeth Rheaÿ was born in eighteen hundred (August the ninth)3

D. Brenton Simons is the Assistant Executive Director of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) . He may be contacted at [email protected]. L The Bible was transcribed by Alice (Rea) (Eysenbach) Post [Mrs. Welles M. Post] of Wayne, , in a letter dated 15 November I960 to her younger half-sister, Marguerite Bailey (Rea) Fitch, of New Haven, Connecticut, my grandmother. Introducing the Bible record, Mrs. Post wrote “My dear Mag: It was so nice to see all of you . . . Before I forget it, I want to send you the information from the family Bible; I shall quote it exactly” and closed, “So you see our grandfather, Chandlee H. Rea, died when Papa was only four years old.” Letter deposited at NEHGS, Mss A2O90. 2 Margaret/Margaret.ta (Biles) Rea was the daughter of Charles Biles and Elizabeth Cook Jackson. Bryan W. Biles, The Biles Family: How Green Was My Valley (Altus, Oklahoma: the author, 1969), 62. 3 The will of John Rhea was signed 11 October 1851 and affirmed 15 March 1855. John Rhea names in it his surviving daughters Mary Rhea, Rebecca Rhea, Eliza Rachel Rhea, and Francina Walters, deceased daughter Ann Brown, and sons John Rhea, Junior, and Samuel Rhea; Lancaster County Probate Court V:836. The inventory, dated 15 March 1855, valued his estate at $407.90; record group 03-00-0133, box 119, folder 19, LCHS (Lancaster County Historical Society), Lancaster. Elizabeth is given as “Elizabeth Brown” in an undocumented 1957 research report on the family by Alfred Decker Keator in the Rea/Rhea Family file, LCHS. Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 42 (2002) 367 368 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine [Vol. 42

Pamela Webster, daughter of Nathan and Rachel Webster,4 was born in August the third, eighteen hundred and three. His second wife, Margaret J. Brown, daughter of Jacob and Jane Brown, was born September the eighth, eighteen hundred and twelve. Chandlee Harvy Rhea, son of Samuel and Margaret J. Rhea, was born January the twenty-fifth in the morning, eighteen hundred fifty-one. Samuel Orlando Rea, son of Chandlee and Margaretta E. Rea was born August 7th, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine. Charles Allen Rea, son of Chandlee H. and Margaret E. Rea was born July 20, 1872. 5

DEATHS Pamela Webster Rhea departed this life February 28lh, 1844 about two o’clock in the morning. Samuel Rea departed this life May 20 at six o’clock in the evening, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four aged seventy-three years, ten months and twenty days.6 Samuel Orlando Rea departed this life December 2 at six o’clock in the morning, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three. He was the son of C. H. and M. E. R.7 MargaretJane Rea died February 20th 1879 in the 68 year of her age.8 Chandlee H. Rea died April 20, 1876.9 Margaret Elizabeth Rea died January 30, 1927 at about 10 p.m.

4 She is said to be Rachel (Sidwell) Webster, but this has not been pursued. See D, Brenton Simons, “A Matrilineal Line,” NEXUS [newsletter of the New England Historic Genealogical Society], 15 (1998) 196-97. 6 REA.— Suddenly, in Little Britain township, on the 21st inst., Samuel Rea, in the 74th year of his age.”; unidentified newspaper clipping [OP 5-27.74] from the Rea family file, CCHS (Chester County Historical Society). An inventory dated 5June 1874 valued his estate at $4491.99; record group 03-00-0133, box 120, folder 9, LCHS. 7 “REA. In Little Britain township, [died] Dec. 2d [1872], after a short but painful illness, Samuel O. Rea, son of Chandlee H. and Maggie Rea, aged 3 years and 3 weeks. Lannie, dear; what you suffered No one on earth can tell, But God above has taken you Home with Him to dwell", unidentified newspaper clipping [OP 12.25. 1872] Rea family file, CCHS. 8 An inventory dated 8 March 1879 valued her estate at $496.47; record group 03- 00-0133, box 20, folder 2, LCHS. 9 “REA In Little Britian [s*c] township, Lancaster county, on the 20th inst., Chandler [«c] H. Rea, in the 26th year of his age”; unidentified newspaper clipping [L4.26.76], Rea family file, CCHS. An inventory dated 6 May 1876 valued his estate at $2212.50; record group 03-00-0133, box 120, folder 4, LCHS. JAEGER FAMILY RECORD BERKS COUNTY

contributed by Sandra M. Hewlett; CGRS

his Family Register for the Jaeger family from Berks County was Tfound in an antique shop in .1 The Currier & Ives form, 1859, is 9" tall and 13W wide. Five pillars divide it into four areas for writing ‘Family Names,” “Born, When & Where,” “Married, When & by Whom,” and Died, When & Where,” each topped by appropriate scenes. All events appear to have been entered at once, except the deaths beginning in 1907. Only two of the children lived to adulthood.

Parents: Thomas Theopha,Jaeger2 [born] Aug. 29, 1826 Berks Co., Pa. [married] Dec.14, 1848, by Rev: Wm. Philips, Mercersburg, Pa. Mary Ann Palsgrove [born] Sept. 26, 1828 Franklin Co., Pa. Mercersburg [died] Dec. 28, 1917

Children: Ada Mary Susan [born] Nov: 10, 1849, Brickerville, Pa. [died] July 30, 1854, Age 4=8*20 at Womelsdorf, Pa. Anna Lizzie [born]June 12, 1851, [ditto mark for Brickerville] Lancaster, Pa. [in married column] (Died) Dec. 29, 1920 Nora ?Serlena/Sedena [born] Nov. 27, 1852 Womelsdorf, Pa. [died] July 14, 1939 Lewis Audenriede [born] May 31, 1854, [ditto mark for Womelsdorf] Berks, Pa. [died] Sept. 29, 1854, Age 3mo 29 da

1 It was purchased by the contributor at M. Finkel & Daughter, 936 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-6128; [email protected]. It has been do¬ nated to the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. 2 Editor’s note: In an interesting coincidence, he is the minister who performed the marriage of Ellen Rebecca Hiester and Joseph F. Jaeger recorded in the Hiester Family Record on page 365 in this issue. Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 42 (2002) 369 370 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine [Vol. 42

Mary Louisa [born] June 9, 1855, Reading, Pa. [died] May 11, 1907 Gottlieb Immanuel Frederick [born] Aug. 5, 1857, [ditto marks for Reading, Pa.] [died] Sept. 13, 1857 age 1 mo. 8 d Willie Sadrach [born] May 17, I860, [ditto marks for Reading, Pa.] [died] Apr. 29, 1861 age 11 mo 12 da Milton Valentine [born]July 26, 1861, [ditto marks for Reading, Pa.] [died] Jan. 22, 1863 age 1-5*26 Kate Miller, twins [born] June 14, 1863, [ditto marks for Reading, Pa.] [died] Aug. 19, 1863, age 2 mo 5 da Susan Alice [born] [ditto marks forJune 14, 1863], [ditto marks for Reading, Pa.] [died] Aug. 23, 1836, age 2 mo. 7

Two VIEWS OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE FROM NORTHAMPTON COUNTY DEEDS

contributed by Patricia Law Hatcher, CG, FASG

It isn’t clear whether the sentiments expressed are those of the scribes, the grantors, or the grantees, but it is clear that there was not unanimity in Northampton County over the American Revolution. This indenture made on the twelfth day of Octobr Anno Domini seventeen hundred and eighty five, it being now in the 10th year of that excellent and famous declaraton in and by which the 13 of America with the only confidence to the eternal being promulgated themselves as independant and sovereign people amongst the nations of the universe .. }

This indenture made the sixth day of January Anno Domini seventeen hundred and eighty seven in the 11th year of the poor and miserable American Independance . . 2

l Northampton County Deeds El:180-81; FHL #953,685. 2 Northampton County Deeds FI:108-10; FHL #953,685.