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GENEALOGY IN PROGRESS

DESCENDANTS OF CAPT. WILLIAM GREENWAY of PHILADELPHIA

STONE

Now Available on AMAZON.COM DESCENDANTS of THOMAS STONE, ca. 1720-1791

published by GENEALOGY HOUSE, MAR 18, 2021, 442 pages

A substantial illustrated genealogy is currently being complied of the descendants of Thomas Stone, a small time planter who died in Prince William County Virginia in 1791. Thomas had five children: daughter Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah Bradfield of Prince William County; daughter Mary wife of Zachariah Leatherwood who settled in South Carolina; daughter Sarah wife of Leonard Bradfield who lived in Prince William County and Hardy County [West] Virginia; son George who died unmarried in Prince William County; and son James who settled in Hardy County Virginia. All descendants of Thomas who bear the Stone surname descend from James.

The purpose of this work is to preserve the research of several dedicated Stone family genealogists over the past thirty years. It concentrates on the descendants of James of Hardy County, tracing male lines through six generations. It also includes a section of family memoirs and papers that have survived.

Now available on amazon.com Descendants of Thomas Stone, ca. 1720-1791

Published by Genealogy House, Mar 18, 2021, 442 pages

ONGOING RESEARCH

JOHN HARPER

John Harper was a Philadelphia and Alexandria sea captain and merchant. According to Capt. John's bible he was the son of Robert and Margaret Harper and was born on 3 Oct. 1728. A Robert Harper married Margareta Archer at Holy Trinity Church, Wilmington DE on 9 Dec 1727 "about 3 of afternoon."

Nothing is known about John until he married Sarah Wells (dau of Joseph) on 20 Oct 1750. Sarah was read out of meeting for this marriage.(William Wage Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy Vol. 2 (1936 - p. 681) John and Sarah attended the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. They owned several pieces of property in Philadelphia including a parcel on Elfreth's Alley, as well as property in Whiteland Township, Chester CO. Capt. John sailed for Thomas Clifford. Letters from Antigua discussing the conditions of the flour markets are found in the Historical Society of PA. Shortly before the Revolutionary War Capt. John decided to move his growing family to Alexandria VA. Reese Meredith, a prominent Philadelphia businessman wrote a letter of introduction to Geo Washington on behalf of John and his business partner Wm Hartshorne. John spent the night at Mt. Vernon of 11 Jun 1773 and became the owner of the Fairfax Townhouse at 207 Prince St. in Alexandria. In 1775, on behalf of George Washington, he procured ammunition, casks of powder, drums and colors from Philadelphia for three of the independent companies of Prince William and Fairfax Counties in VA.

Capt. John's dealings and life in Alexandria are well documented. He attended the Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria and was a member of the Masonic Lodge there. He became a well respected merchant and was responsible for building what is now known as Captain's Row on lower Prince St. in Alexandria. He and Sarah have 13 children before Sarah died around 1780. John remarried again on 25 Nov 1782 to Mary REYNOLDS Cunningham, a childless widow. They had 7 or 8 children.

John died on 7 May 1804 at his residence on Washington St. in Alexandria. John and Sarah had 13 children who lived to adulthood:

Joseph b. 27 July 1751 Philadelphia, d. 30 Nov. 1809 Alexandria; m. Eliza/Sally Pearson
John b. 29 May 1753 Philadelphia; d. Fairfax Co VA; m. Margaret West
Sarah b. 16 Apr 1755 Philadelphia; m. Nicholas Waln Lloyd
Robert b. 2 Apr 1757 Philadelphia; d. c. 1781 Fairfax Co VA; m. Sarah Washington
Rebecca b. 16 Aug 1759 Philadelphia; d. 1803 Alexandria; m. Joseph Greenway
William b. 14 Mar 1761 Philadelphia; d. 18 Apr 1829 Alexandria; m. Mary Scull
Edward b. 1 Aug 1763 Philadelphia; d. 4 Dec 1803 Alexandria; m. Rosalie Hickerson
Samuel b. 24 Jan 1765 Philadelphia; d. 25 Dec 1834 Upper Marlborough MD; m. Sarah Brooke
Elizabeth b. 1767 Philadelphia; d. ? m. Apr 1794 William King
Charles b. 7 Mar 1768 Philadelphia; d. 9 May 1848 Albemarle CO, VA; m. 1- Sarah Janney, 2 - Lucy Smither
Fanny b. 1769 Philadelphia; d ? ; m. Joshua Riddle
Mary b. 28 Feb 1772 Philadelphia; d. 13 Aug 1805; m. Thomas Vowell
Margaret (Peggy) b. 1775; d. July 1806 Alexandria; m. John Crips Vowell

Capt. John and Mary Reynolds had 7 or 8 children:

Robert b. 5 Dec 1784 Fairfax Co VA; d. c. 1804 (of consumption)
John b. 4 Apr 1786; d. 1805, drowned
James b. 30 Dec 1788; d. 26 Feb 1854 New York; m. Eliza Ward
Sarah Ann b. 12 Dec 1790
Nancy b. 4 May 1794 Fairfax Co VA; d. 12 July 1871 Washington Il; m. Rev. Wells Andrews
Joshua Riddle b. 13 Apr 1796 Fairfax CO VA; d. 26 Feb 1882 Geneseo, IL; m. Sarah Thomas
Sophia b. 22 Sept 1797 Alexandria; d. 12 Jan 1807 Alexandria (of consumption)
Ruth (?)

OF NOTE: Two clues that to be considered: in Mary G. Powell's The History of Old Alexandria, VA (1928,p.318) she mentions Capt. John coming from Frankford PA where his family owned most of the town. That needs to be fully investigated as well as the impression from the F.L. Brockett's The Lodge of Washington (1876, p. 105+) as well as Effie Gwynn Bowie's Across the Years in Prince George's County (1975, p. 86) that Capt John's roots originate in VA. There were VA Harpers from the late 1600s on. No connection has been found.

Re: further research needed on the following children of Capt. John and his first wife Sarah Wells

1) Their son John b. 1753— need to find probate and estate information

2) Elizabeth b. 1767—need to find out about Betsy King and whether she was actually married more than once (i.e. Balch) Did she have any children?

3) Fanny—need to find out about any Riddle children and descendants

He first appears in Alexandria records around 1780. He is Harbor Master there in the early 1790s and dies intestate circa 1793.

Re: further research on issue of Capt. John and his second wife Mary Reynolds

1)Sarah —did she die young?

2)Ruth —was there a daughter named Ruth as Capt. John's will suggests?

Most of the documentation for this is found in either:

In Search of An Ancestry: The Stone-Shearmire Family History, by Pamela. S. Eagleson, 1984.
Lewises, Meriwethers and their Kin, by Sarah Travers Lewis (Scott) Anderson 1938 (reprinted by Genealogical Publishing CO, Inc. 1984)
The Harpers of Virginia, West Virginia and Mississippi, by Frank O'Beirne, 1982.
Seaport in Virginia, by Guy M. Moore, 1949.
The Story of OLD TOWN & " GENTRY ROW" in Alexandria Virginia, 1983.

FOR INFORMATION ON JOSEPH GREENWAY, HUSBAND OF REBECCA HARPER

Pamela S. Eagleson, “The Art, Trade and Mystery of a Mariner: Captain William Greenway of Philadelphia, Mariner and Patriot,” National Genealogical Society Quarterly 92:4 (December 2004),285- 300.

JOSEPH JANNEY

Joseph Janney, the eldest son of Abel and Sarah Baker Janney, was born in Bucks CO PA around 1733. He settled in the Loudoun CO area of VA at about the age of 18 (c. 1752) when his parents and siblings moved there from PA. He, along with other Loudoun CO Quakers, Israel Thompson, John Hough, and Mahlon Janney were the first merchants to subscribe to Leesburg town lots in 1758. He owned several lots/houses there, and maintained a stable and tanyard there.

He married Hannah Jones, daughter of John and Rebecca Head Jones in 1764 at the Horsham Monthly Meeting in PA.

According to John T. Phillips' book The Historian's Guide to Loudoun CO Virginia, Vol. 1, those Quaker merchants dealt primarily with Philadelphia import houses, using Carolina Road and Noland's, Clapham's and Payne's Potomac ferries, but their links to the PA colony were as much familial as they were mercantile. Through the years, Joseph acted as agent for many people including PA "cousins" Jeremiah Warder and John Head. With the many real estate transactions recorded in county records, it is obvious Joseph made part of his livelihood as a real estate investor. He also owned property in Alexandria and ran a mercantile business there. By the time he died in 1793, Joseph had accumulated a "healthy" estate which he passed onto his 10 children.

Joseph and Hannah had 10 children:

John b. 16 July 1765; d. 10 May 1823; m. 1- 1795 Elizabeth Hopkins, 2- 1817 Ann Shoemaker
Sarah b. 14 May 1768; d. 1795/6; m. 1791 Charles Harper
Elizabeth b. 12 Apr 1770; d. 6 Aug 1847; m. 1791 Thomas Irwin
Thomas b. 28 Apr 1772; d. before 1847; m. Sarah Hinkle
Joseph b. 1774, d. 1775
Hannah b.19 May 1774; d. 25 Nov. 1846; m. 1792 Samuel Hopkins
Rebekah b. 14 Aug 1776; d. 1817; m. 1798 John Lloyd
Susannah b. 7 Jul 1778; d. 25 Mar 1856; m. 1804 James Russell
Joseph b. 21 Jul 1780; d. 1841; m. 1- 1812 Elizabeth Hopkins, 2- 1822 Hannah Hopkins
Mary b. Jul 1784; d. 1848; m. 1808 David Ross Jr.

Research continues on the life and times and businesses of Joseph and his family. Fairfax Co and Alexandria deeds and records need to be thoroughly searched.

WILLIAM BUTTS

William was born in the 1730s. He bought land in Culpeper CO VA on 16 Apr 1776 from Nathaniel and Betty Pendleton. He and his wife Alender/Eleanor and family settled there.

In Sept 1779 William entered into the service of the state of VA during the Revolutionary War. He served as a private in Capt. Mark Thomas' Company in Major George Slaughtor's Corps against the Indians in what is now Kentucky. In June 1780 he was taken prisoner by the Indians and marched to Montreal where he died. In the 1830s his children filed claim for bounty land due him for his service during the Revolution. William and Eleanor had 7 children:

Elizabeth b. c. 1767 m. 27 Feb 1787 James Ginn
Samuel b. c. 1775; m. 22 Sept 1803 Nancy Oder
Rosamond b. 1766; m. 7 Mar 1799 John Brady
John b. c. 1776; m. 28 Mar 1800 Elizabeth Norris
William b. c. 1771; m. 17 Apr 1796 Elizabeth Green
Eleanor b. c. 1775; 16 Aug 1795 John Cahill
Thomas N. b. c. 1781; m. 11 Feb 1806 Catherine Gaines Broaddus

Research continues on the ancestry and lives of William and Eleanor Butts as well as their descendants.

Documentation is found in In Search of An Ancestry: The Stone-Shearmire Family History, by Pamela S. Eagleson, 1984 (privately published). Also of interest is the file of William Butt of Culpeper CO found in VA State Archives, Richmond, VA in Rejected Bounty; Chris McHenry, compiler, Rebel Prisoners At Quebec 1778-1783 - Being a List of American Prisoners Held by the British during the Revolutionary War; http://www.shawhan.com/prisoners.html ; and http://www.liming.org/nwta/culdischarge.html. .

JOSEPH COSNER

Joseph was born between July and Sept 1802 in or near Lancaster PA.

From The History and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley (CA) comes this information: "the lineage of the Cosner family is traced to Germany whence the first name in America crossed the ocean to VA during the colonial period of our nation's history. The cause of independence had in him, a devoted ally. Through 7 years of struggle with England he followed the fortunes and suffered the misfortunes of the army, the hardships of forced marches to the perils incident to warfare with an enemy numerically stronger. On many a fiercely contested battle field he proved his loyalty to the land of his adoption. The struggle ended, he returned to his VA home and took up the life of a planter. His son, Adam, who was born in Germany came with him to America and during middle life moved from VA to PA settling upon a farm in Lancaster CO, 16 miles from the city of Lancaster. There occurred the birth of his son Joseph and Grandson Robert, the latter of whom forms the subject of this narrative."

It is known that Joseph had 4 brothers: John who stayed in PA and Mathias, Wm, and Charles all of whom went to Ohio along with Joseph.Joseph married Mercy Ann Wiggins c. 1830 in PA. She was the daughter of Robert and Hannah Hambleton Wiggins. Joseph and Mercy's first 5 children were born in PA, the other 7 were born after their move (c. 1839-40) to Haysville (Ashville CO) OH. They moved again to Dover Twsp, Bureau CO IL c. 1852-3 where Mercy died in 1880 and Joseph in 1881.

Joseph and Mercy Ann Cosner had 12 children:

Robert b. 22 Mar 1831; d. after 1909 in CA; m. 1866 Lydia Cleveland Musset
Adam b. 1833; d. Clarks NE;
Sarah Matilda b. c. 1834; d. 1915 Chillicothe MO; m. 1857 John Elliott Terwilliger
Charles Franklin b. c. 1836; d. Fort Donelson, KY during Civil War
James Harvey b. 30 Sept. 1837; d. 18 Jun 1904 Uitca MO; m. 29 Aug 1868 Ellen Frease
Andrew Marion b. 1838; d. 25 Mar 1865 Danville Il during the Civil War
Wm b. 1839; d. 1913 Clarks NE; m. 28 Dec 1865 Rosetta Epperson
John b. 1841; d. 15 Nov 1861 Smithland KY during the Civil War
Samuel Porter b. 1843; d. 1917 East Moline IL; m. 1871 Annie E. Doty
Joseph Paxton b. 1846;d. Clarks NE m. Mary Ann Sterling
Harrison b. and d. between 1850 + 1860
Amanda Emeline b. 1851; d. Clarks NE; m. Mr. Adams

So far searches of all printed Revolutionary War indexes and sources have failed to yield any Cosner linked to this family. All microfilm for Lancaster CO at the LDS library has been checked and therefore on site detailed research in PA is needed - deeds, wills, tax lists, etc. Also any attempt (online or through compiled/recorded sources) to link Joseph's possible father Adam to the Hardy CO Cosners has not been successful. However Philip Peter Cosner's 1819 Hardy CO will does list a son Adam and nothing more is known about this Adam. The generations do not quite match up but it is most likely that is this Cosner family where Joseph and his brothers belong.

The article entitled "A Brick Wall Crumbles: The Ancestry of Adam Cosner of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Wayne County, Ohio," published in 2019.

CHRISTOPHER/CHRISTIAN WISE

Christian Wise's will was written on 2 March 1816 and probated on 9 April 1816 in Hardy CO VA/WVA. The will names sons Frederick and John and son-in-law George Wilkins whose wife was Lydia Wise. From land records and published county histories it is also known that Christopher/Christian had a daughter Barbara.

According to a family bible as well as printed sources (Licking CO Ohio county history) Barbara was born in 1769 near Baltimore, MD. and married Thomas Stone in 1788 in Jefferson CO VA.

In county and state records Christopher Wise appears to be the same as Christian Wise. Christopher/Christian Wise was in Hampshire CO by the mid 1780s. He is listed in the census and tax lists for 1783 and 1785. On 10 Jun 1789 he was granted 295 acres on the Lost River (p. 430-431 Land Grants in Hampshire and Hardy Cos. Virginia, now West VA.) This was probably the land referred to in Book 5 p. 92 in 1801 where Christopher Wise granted to Thomas Stone 295 acres on Lost River. In 1803 (p. 233) Thomas and Barbara Stone sold to Christopher Wise 295 acres in Hardy CO on the Lost River of Great Cacapehon adjoining the land of David Wilson on the east bank of Lost River. This 295 acres was again sold in 1816 (Book 7 p. 464) by the heirs of Christian Wise to George Claypool.

Nothing more is known about Christian Wise. It is probable that Christopher/Christian is of German descent and some of the records Anglicize his name. The clue that Barbara was born near Baltimore MD suggests the possibility that they lived in one of the German settlements in Frederick CO or Washington CO MD. There are several records in those counties that refer to a Christian, Barbara and Magdalena Wise children of a Christian Wise of Lancaster CO PA. However, no link has been found between the two Wise families.

Anyone with comments, input, information or questions on any of the above research projects is encouraged to respond to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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