WILLIAM MACKEY, from FRANKLIN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
William was actually born in 1803 in Hagerstown, Maryland, just 10 miles south of Welsh Run, Pennsylvania, where his parents lived. He was baptized at the Presbyterian Church in Welsh Run and so were all of his brothers and sisters. Most of the residents of Welsh Run were Welsh and Scotch-Irish descendants of the first folks who settled there by the mid-1700s.
William married Katharine Leonard in 1828 and they had two sons and a daughter. Katharine, our 3g great grandmother, died in 1838 of unknown causes. Soon after this sad event, William and others from Welsh Run made the journey to Zanesville, Ohio. So, you could say, that because of William's change of state, our branch of this Mackey family lived in Ohio from this point on.
In October 1839, William married Rosanna Pensinger, who was also from Welsh Run, in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio. William was a builder and a contractor and was training his two sons to become good carpenters as well. From newspaper articles I have read, it seems as though Zanesville was having many destructive fires in their downtown area and I also noticed a cholera epidemic in the late 1840s. Perhaps these were strong reasons for the Mackeys to move further west.
So, in the 1850 census, the William Mackey family and his father-in-law's family were living in the same neighborhood in Washington Township, Morrow County, Ohio. But, Rosanna died in 1852, another tragic event in the home life of William and his loved ones.
William decided to make a trip back to Welsh Run to ask his friend, Peter Gingrich, the miller in town, for his daughter's hand in marriage. Peter agreed and Rosannah Gingrich consented to be his wife in June 1854! William and Rosannah had a long and pleasant life together and lived in Galion, Crawford County, Ohio. They had one son named Martin John Mackey born in 1856 in Galion. By the way, Galion is just north of Washington Township. They were bordering towns, you could say.
William and his first two sons built and owned the flourishing Galion Lumber Company in Galion. The three of them built many of the homes in this city. Son, David Leonard Mackey, furthered his education and became an architect. He designed, built, and directed the Galion National Bank in the Mackey Block on Market Street.
William died in Aug 1887 at age 83. He was first buried at Green Cemetery but his body was later moved to Fairview Cemetery. He was a member of the Democratic Party and attended the English Lutheran Church.
William Mackey
Born: 23 NOV 1803 Hagerstown, MD
Married: 1828 Hagerstown, MD
Died: 10 Aug 1887`Galion, Crawford, OH
Buried: Fairview Cemetery, Galion, OH
Sources: Census 1810 to 1880; William's father's bible page with family statistics; Palmer Papers from the Conocheague Institute in Montgomery Twp., Franklin, PA; Obit from Galion Inquirer; Book: "Galion Public Cemetery Records of Crawford County, Ohio"; Galion Public Library photographs of Mackey buildings in Galion and obits; GenealogyBank news items re Zanesville, Ohio history; death records of William's children.; Welsh Run Presbyterian Church's baptismal records.
It gives me great pleasure to be able to share this pretty fraktur with you this evening. (See below.) What is fraktur, you might ask? Fraktur is a folk art form practiced by Pennsylvania Germans principally from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries. It is a highly artistic and elaborate illuminated creation, usually made to document a birth...and in this case, Elizabeth Utley's birth. I discovered this framed treasure on the wall of the restored former home of Martin Barnhisel's brother, Henry Barnhisel, in Girard, Ohio. You can see her name and birth date among the German words in the piece. One day I will ask a German speaking person to translate these words, hopefully to find the names of Elizabeth's parents in the work.
Recently I found this following explanation of the surname Utley:
"Utley Meaning and Origin
English (South Yorkshire): habitational name from Utley, a place in West Yorkshire, near Keighley, named from the Old English personal name Utta + Old English lēah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’. This interesting and unusual surname recorded as Otley, Utley, Uttley, Huttley and Hutley, is of northern English locational origin. It is probably from Utley, a village near the town of Keighley in Yorkshire."
If Elizabeth's last name is English, then why would there be a fraktur of her birth? Confusing, isn't it? I don't have a good answer for you at this time. She married Martin Barnhisel of German descent and many of their neighbors in Pennsylvania were Pennsylvania Germans. I wonder who made the fraktur, don't you?
Here is another curious problem with this 3g grandmother: Her parents were listed in my great grandmother's scrapbook as Pefus and Bridget Tegue Utley, and even though these are less than common names, I have not found them and none of my other relatives have either. One note among my research papers says they were Elizabeth's grandparents!
For now, I am enjoying this fraktur and thank the Barnhisel Museum, in Girard, for hanging it up for me to find. I am fortunate indeed to have this artifact.
Elizabeth Utley
Born: 8 Apr 1801 Cumberland, PA
Married: 1820
Died: 28 May 1871 Weathersfield, Trumbull, OH
Sources: Great Grandmother, Mary Lewis' scrapbook; Connie Boyer's compilation: "Barnhisel/Bernheisel Family Lines"; Federal Census: 1820 to 1870.
Martin's life began in 1799 in Tyrone Township, Cumberland, Pennsylvania on the farm of his parents, Henry and Ann Eva Loy Barnhisel. Martin was their oldest child and he had 10 siblings. When Martin was about 14 years old, he and his family made the journey to Ohio. In my possession, I have a handwritten letter that tells about the youngest Barnhisel children who sat in baskets on either side of horses, being led through the forests on this trip. As I understand it, the Barnhisels mostly walked all the way to their new property in Liberty Township, Trumbull, Ohio in 1813.
Being the oldest child, Martin had many responsible jobs to do to help his father build up a good farm and house in their new community. Henry depended on Martin a great deal. But, that didn't keep Martin from finding his own spouse and independent life. He married Elizabeth Utley as soon as he turned 21, in 1820.
Now, I can tell you about my other large genealogy book (410 pages), of "Barnhisel/Bernheisel Family Lines" by Carol Constance (Younker) Boyer, Denver, Colorado. Mrs. Boyer was also a descendant of a Barnhisel ancestor, like me and my siblings. She diligently researched and compiled the Barnhisel surnames and generously shared her information with all the folks who are members of the Hisel/Hysell Group. In turn, I will quote some of what she wrote about our 3g grandpa Martin here:
"In 1830 and 1840 census in Weathersfield Twp., Trumbull Co., Ohio;" Martin is listed as a carpenter and a farmer in the 1850 and 1860 census in Weathersfield. In the 1870 census, son-in-law J. S. Bell is added to the family household. (Mrs. Boyer's research notes are in quotes. I added my comments along with hers, but not in quotes.)
"In 1825 tax list in Trumbull Co. Settled in Weathersfield Twp. Co-administrator of his father's estate in 1824-1825 probate in Trumbull Co. [He is] "M" on 1874 Weathersfield Twp. plat map by Everts' 'Combination Atlas Map of Trumbull Co., Ohio.;'"
"Died 28 Jul 1875 in Girard, Trumbull Co.; buried Girard-Liberty Union Cemetery, Liberty Twp., Trumbull Co. Will in Trumbull Co. gave $300 & 3-cornered cupboard to daughter Caroline Bell with son-in-law Joseph Bell to rent farm till half of it was sold, with proceeds to go to son & 5 daughters.
Barnhisel children (7)"A sixth daughter, Margaret, died at age 2.
Martin Barnhisel
Born: 8 Sep 1799 Tyrone Twp., Cumberland, PA
Married: 1820
Died: 28 Jul 1875 Trumbull, OH
Buried: Union Cemetery Girard, Liberty Twp.,Trumbull, OH
Sources: Census 1800 to 1870; Tax records; biography in "History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties of Ohio"; "Barnhisel/Bernheisel Family Lines"; wills, deeds, plat map of estate; marriage records; visit to cemetery in May 2015.
Christene, or Christiana, Hoffman was born in April 1776 in Pennsylvania. The name Hoffman means "comes from a farm".
At age 24, Christiana married Charles Wilderson at the Emanuel Reformed Church in Hanover, York County, PA. (I discovered a few men named Christian Hoffman, to suggest a possible father's name for Christiana, in York County, PA but I haven't been able to prove who her parents were, as yet.)
Christene and Charles had 9 children. Their names: Carl, George, Anna Catherine, Margaretha, Henry, Samuel, John, Martha, and Mary A. The only child that wasn't born in PA was the last one, Mary A., who was born in Newton, Trumbull, OH.
Christene died on the 26th of December, 1855 at the age of 79. She is buried at the Wilderson Cemetery.
Christene Hoffman Wilderson
Born: Apr 1776 , , PA
Married: abt. 1800 Hanover, York, PA
Died: 26 Dec 1855 Newton, Trumbull, OH
Sources: Census of 1850 Newton, Trumbull, OH; Book of York County marriages; Warren Chronicler newspaper articles regarding the Wilderson Family.
Our first 3g grandparent stories begins with Charles Wilderson who was born in Mannheim, Lancaster County (later York County), Pennsylvania on the 31st of May, 1773. The Wilderson family lived on a large farm close to the Maryland border among other German families. Charles and Christene Hoffman were married at the Emanuel Reformed Church in Hanover, York, PA when Charles was age 27, around 1800. Most of their children were born in York County and were baptized at the same church. Their names: Carl, George, Anna, Margaretha, Henry, Samuel, John, Martha, and Mary.
Charles and his family moved to and lived in Baltimore, MD for about three years before they made plans to journey to Ohio c. 1832 with Charles' brother, Martin, and other Wildersons. The arduous trek in a huge covered wagon drawn by oxen took about four weeks through forests and often along muddy Indian trails. But they were brave and determined to reach their destination of Beaver Twp., Mahoning County, Ohio. Martin and his family were pleased with this new situation. But Charles, his sons, George and Henry, and his sister, Margaretha thought they could find better land elsewhere and moved on to Newton Twp. in Trumbull County in 1835.
Newton Twp. remained Charles' home until his death on the 5th of February, 1863, where he became a well respected citizen of his community. He lived 89 years!
Charles Wilderson
Born: 31 Mar 1773 Mannhein, Lancaster, PA
Married: abt. 1800 Hanover, York, PA
Died: 5 Feb 1863 Newton, Trumbull, OH
Buried: Wilderson Cemetery, Newton, Trumbull, OH
Sources: Emanuel Reformed Church Records of marriage and baptisms, Hanover, York, PA; Beaver Twp., Mahoning, OH Tax Records of 1834; Census of 1850 and 1860 Newton, Trumbull, OH
Before I begin writing about our sixth generation of ancestors, let's look below at our list of surnames thus far. How many of these names did you know before reading these stories on our blog? I knew a few before I began my family historical research...Shepard, Lewis, Mackey, Phillips, Spitzer, and Wilderson. Although, when I was young, I thought the Wilderson name was Wilderness for a long time.
I want to make sure that all of you know that there are many various ways that almost all of these listed names have been spelled in their records. Since I'm on the subject of the Wilderson name, here are three of the variations I encountered in my research: Wildasin, Wiltensinn, Wiltinsen.
Barnhisel is especially interesting because in the 1600s the name was listed as Hausel. The ancestor's name was Bernhard Hausel.
Perhaps you can see how the two names became one?
I'll stop here about name variations. I merely want you to be aware of this issue. Here are our surnames:
BARNHISEL
BROKAW
DAVIS
HAAS
LEWIS
MACKEY
MAUS
MORRISON
PENSINGER
PHILLIPS
SHEPARD
SPITZER
WILDERSON
You will be learning more new names in the weeks to come and this is part of the fun, I think. Also, learning where each of our ancestors were born and where and how they lived their lives gives us a rich background of our very own personal history.
Our sixth generation of ancestors, our great, great, great grandparents, will be called 3g grandparents for short. I will begin with Charles and Christene Wilderson because they were also buried in the Wilderson Cemetery. Then we can move away from this cemetery and the Newton Township area.
WILLIAM MACKEY, from FRANKLIN COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
