Elizabeth Brumbach circa 1715 - circa

6th Great Grandmother - Maternal Side

Elizabeth Brumbach was the eldest of four daughters born to Melchoir & Elizabeth Fishbach Brumbach (one of many spellings) who immigrated from the Nassau-Seigen area of Germany (See Sources 1, 2, & 3). She was the first in her family to be born in the Germanna, Virginia* settlement circa 1715. Germanna  was a fort on Alexander Spotswood's land named after Germany and the Queen of England. The immigrants and their families had daily prayers in the stock house and services twice on Sundays in German.

The settlers later move to a place which became known as Germantown, Virginia where Elizabeth continued with her schooling, which was most likely in German but she was able to write her name in English. Elizabeth and two of her sisters gave their portion of the original parcel owned by Melchoir to their youngest sister, Agnes, after they left the Germantown area.(See Source 4)

Elizabeth married Stehpen Hotzenbulher (one of many spellings) between 1732 and 1736 in Germantown. Together they had 12 children:

1. Mary; b about 1737 married Valentine Switzer
2.  George; b about 1738 married Catherine McKeever
3.  John, Sr.; b. about 1739 married Barbara Schurf
4.  JACOB; b. about 1740 married Elizabeth Huber (5th great grandparents)
5.  Agnes; b. about 1741 married Rudolph Bomgardner
6. Catherine; b. about 1742 married Kerns
7.  Elizabeth; b. about 1743 married Jacob Hoover (Huver most likely brother to Elizabeth who married Jacob Hostenpiller)
8.  Peter; b. about 1745 (was not listed in will)
9.  Anna Maria; b. about 1747 married William Stroop, II (Stroup)
10. Sarah; b. about 1749 married Hopliel Coffman
11.  Susannah; b. about 1750 married Siegler
12.  Stephen, Jr.; b. about 1752 (was not listed in will)

During her lifetime she was baptized by the Rev. Johann Casper Stover, Jr.(See Source 1). 

There are no records of her death and burial that have surfaced. It is known that her husband outlived her so she likely is buried in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia area around the year 1767.

*For more information about Germanna see www.Germanna.org where descendants can join the Society.

Sources:

1. https://catalog.hathitrust.org - Brumback-Hotsinpiller genealogy; some of the descendants of Melchior Brumback of the 1714 Germanna Colony in Virginia through his daughter Elizabeth who married Stephen Hotsinpiller, and allied families of Afflick, Anderson, Bunger, Burns, Campbell, Coffman, Cornwell, Denny, Dotson, Graham, Jennings, Kessler, Kincaid, Knapp, Knox, La Rue, Lemley, Lewis, Livesay, McCutcheon, Neal, Nichols, Pollock, Powell, Ransberger, Rector, Rudolph, Sharp, Surbaugh, Tuckwiller, Watts, Williams, and others, by Elizabeth Chapman Denny Vann and Margaret Collins Denny Dixon.1961; Englewood, New Jersey.

2.  www.Germanna.org
3. Ancestry and Descendants of the Nassau-Siegen Immigrants to Virginia 1714-1750 by B.C. Holtsclaw;1964; The Memorial Foundation of Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Incorporated.
4, Prince William County Virginia, Deed Book I, page 156

Nancy Coker 1766-1823

4th Great Grandmother - Paternal Side

Nancy Coker was born January of 1766 in Brunswick, Virginia to Joseph Coker and Mary Nellie Aldridge. It is unclear as to how many siblings she had due to only 4 brothers being named in her father's will. The family moved from Virginia to South Carolina around 1780 when her father was granted land for his service in the Revolutionary War.

While living in South Carolina, Nancy met a Revolutionary War Veteran, Frederick Thompson. They were married in Surry County, NC on 24 December 1784.

The couple lived in North Carolina for a few years until land opened up in Georgia around 1787. Together they had 9 children:
1. James Fredrick (1785-1856); married Frances Ellen Austin
2. David (1787-1857); married Dancella Camp
3. Nancy (1788-1823); married Robert Allison
4. John (1790-1850); married Mary Lake
5. Lucy (1792-1883); married Paul Patrick
6. Alexander (1794-1824); married Nancy Luck
7. Charolette (1796-1876); married Eldon Mitchell
8. Elizabeth (1798-1852); married William Kilgore
9. Martha Faithy (1802-1835); married Hiram Casey

Nancy died on June 5, 1823 and was laid to rest in the family plot on the farm but her remains were later removed to be by her husband's side in the Bethlehem United Methodist Church Cemetery in Bethlehem, Georgia.

Sources:
1. Ancestry.com
2. Find-a-grave.com
3. Georgia Settlers, Vol. 9, No. 3, August 2008; East Georgia Genealogical Society
4. Marriage Record was given to me by Nancy Panagoulias

Sarah Dense 1778 - 1872

3rd Great Grandmother - Maternal Side

Sarah Dense from some accounts had a colorful history, I for one, have found nothing to corroborate the fantastic tale you are about to read but it was out on the internet so I will let you decide on your own.

"Rumors are that Sarah was born in The Netherlands and came to America as a young girl. She was captured by Indians and lived with them until her escape then she married John Van Wie." Wow! If only I could find documentation!

Sarah Dense (or Duense) was born on September 24, between 1778 and 1782 depending on the source. On the 1850 Census it states her birth place as New Jersey; on the 1860 Census she is shown as having been born in New York; on the 1870 Census it states that she was born in Connecticut. It is my opinion that she was born in New York state but I have no documentation to prove it. New York Genealogical Records state her birth date as 1782 and born in New York City.

Regardless of when or where she was born, Sarah was married to John Van Wie around 1797 supposedly in Orange County, New York.  They lived around Seneca, New York and by all accounts lead a very normal life. Sarah and John had 9 children during their time together.

1. Lesbe Van Wey (1798-1871) married Daniel Easton
2. Mary Dense Van Wey (1799-1883) married Joseph Gallup
3. Charles Van Wey (1801-?) may be buried in Boise, Idaho
4. John M. Van Wey (1802-?)
5. Richard Stuphin Van Wey (1805-1880) married Catherine Lord
6. Eliza C. Van Wey (1808-1889) married Morgan Lewis Walldorf
7. Grace G. Van Wey (1810-1813)*
8. Infant Van Wey (1812-1812)*
9. Sarah Van Vey (1813-1813)*

After John's death in 1814*, Sarah married Thomas Horton in 1815. She must have thought highly of her 1st husband because her son with Thomas was named 10. John Van Wey Horton who was born in 1816 and later married Margaret Jordan. After Thomas died in 1830 Sarah went to live with her daughters until her death in 1872. Her obituary in "The Havana Journal, NY" dated June 29, 1872 states: At the funeral services of Mrs Sarah Horton, held at the M. E. Church in Lodi, on the 2nd of June, there were represented in the line of mourners five successive generations, the deceased, ninety-four years of age, having a daughter, a granddaughter, a great-granddaughter, and a great-great-granddaughter, all of whom followed her remains to the grave. Very few can say that they have attended their great-great-grandmother's funeral.

Sarah is buried in Ovid Union Cemetery, Seneca County, New York.

*There were several epidemics that were recorded along the Canadian border during the War of 1812. Among them were measles and typhoid fever. It is only speculation on my part that this might have been a contributing factor to these deaths.

Anne Dodson 1729-1807

5th Great Grandmother Paternal Side

For February the theme is "Ladies Month". I hope not to disappoint you but the articles will be short due to the extremely limited documents that I can find on most. Anne is a little different since her father died young and she married a "Character" which will be explored next month.

Anne was born on November 12, 1732* in North Farnham Parish (Richmond County), VA. to Fortunatus (**See previous blog post) and Alice "Ellis" Goad Dodson (See Source 1). She was the 3rd or 4th of 6 children. After her father died Anne's uncle William Dodson became her guardian until her mother married a widower John Fowler. Anne was bound to John in 1747 and she was also known as Anne Fowler. (See Source 2)

Anne married Moses Cornelius before 1767 in Northern Virginia. The family relocated to the Pittsylvania County, VA around this same time. There were at least two sons born to this union:
1. William 1754-1842; married Lettice Cargil (Revoluntionary War Soldier)
2. Jeptha 1758-1818; married Margaret "Peggy" Everett

Anne was granted a 202 acres tract of land in Pittsylvania Co., VA on Frying Pan Creek for the amount of 20 shillings sterling. (See Source 3) The grant was signed in 1780 but the original was dated 1753. She sold the land for 100 Pounds to Daniel Kryder in 1790.

After Moses died Anne married George Phillips, son of Tobias Phillips and Hannah Goad, who was her first cousin. George had been married to Anne’s sister, Hannah Dodson, who died around 1760. George’s mother, Hannah Goad Phillips, later married Anne’s uncle William Dodson who had been her guardian. Anne was left personal property in her uncle’s will. The estate was divided in 1786 after Aunt Hannah’s death. They lived in Pittsylvania Co., VA and around the Pigg River area. Confused yet? Research so far has not turned up any children between Anne and George but an article by Benton Beverly Cornelius stated that his grandfather William was one of 7 sons. This could have meant his step brothers or half brothers were his first cousins if you think about it. It all makes my brain hurt!

By 1790, (See Source 4) Anne is shown as a widow and is living in South Carolina not very far from her sons. This may have been why they sold the land on Frying Pan Creek. It is speculated that she remained there until her death. A transcribed bible record puts her death as 4 October 1807 but a burial record is not included and no will has been found as of this writing.

This was the life of Anne Dodson Fowler Cornelius Phillips. She lived a full life in her 75+ years!

Thank you is not enough words to describe how grateful to Francis Cornelius Douglas and Robert Johnston, Jr. for their knowledge and research! If not for them I would have been stuck on Anne Cornelius and this would have been shorter than it is.

*The date of Anne's birth is listed as different years in two records that I have. The date of 1732 is from the "Dodson Book" or Source 1. The transcribed Bible record shown above lists her birth 1729. From a family point of view I would believe the Bible record, however from a genealogist point of view I would have to go with the Dodson Book and let me give a short explanation as to why: 1.) There is no bookplate stating when the Bible was published so we don't know if it was filled in before or some years after her death. 2.) Since it is a transcribed copy the handwriting can not be compared to other entries to see if the entries were made "at one sitting" or if they were filled in by different people as the events occurred. This does not make the transcribed copy invalid by any means I am only following standard guidelines as a very amateur genealogist. Please keep comments coming as they make me re-evaluate my records and I really, really want this to be as correct as possible.

**Fortunatus & Alice Dodson were married on September 9, 1726. Anne was their 3rd or 4th child so it is unlikely she was born 2 months after they were married.

Sources:

1. The Dodson (Dotson) Family of North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia; A History and Genealogy of Their Descendants, Volume One by Mrs. Sherman Williams and The Rev. Silas Emmett, Lucas, Jr.:  Southern Historical Press, 1988
2. Headley, Robert K. Married Well and Often: Marriages of the Northern Neck of Virginia, 1649–1800. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2003
3. Pittsylvania County Virginia (Deed Book 2, Page 246)
4. Year: 1800; Census Place: Greenville, South Carolina; Series: M32; Roll: 47; Page: 252; Image: 489;