People usually called Anna "Tina", a shorter version of Christina. She was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on the 20th day of November in 1745. She was christened at a Calvinist Church in Lancaster County.
At age 18, she married J. Martin Berntheusel in 1763 in Albany, Berks, PA. Their ten children were all born in Berks County, PA. Their names were: Susanna, Johannes, John Jacob, Samuel, Adam, Mary, Martha, Henry (our ancestor), Catharina, and Wilhelm.
On the 20th of September in 1803 Tina died at age 57. Her grave is at the Loysville Union Cemetery in Loysville, Perry County, PA.
ANNA CHRISTINA MARGARETHA CHATEAU
BORN: 20 Nov 1745 , Lancaster, PA
MARRIED: 1763 Albany, Berks, PA
DIED: 20 Sep 1803 Loysville, Perry, PA
BURIED: Sep 1803 Loysville Union Cemetery
SOURCES: : Brøderbund Family Archive #17, Ed. 1, Birth Records; date---1763, in parentheses<BR>IGI PA record states that Johann Martin Bernheisel married Anna Christina Chateau in 1763; Church records.
There is much to tell you about this ancestor because he is our immigrant from Klein-Neidesheim, Germany where he was born on the 19th of March in 1729. I mentioned to you readers earlier that I have a large volume about the Berntheusel/Barnhisel families who came to America from Germany. It is because of this big book, the Hysell/Hisel Group, and the many newsletters that I have read about these people that I have so much to write about here. And, of course, I have dug into many census records, church records, local histories of where Barnhisels lived and so forth. It is my hope that you will begin to gain an appreciation of the Barnhisels from what I'm able to tell you about them.
"Martin", what most folks called him, arrived in the port of Philadelphia with other members of his family on the 24th of August 1749, at the age of 20. They sailed on the British American ship, called Eliot, with Captain John Adams in charge. Martin signed his own name at the customs house, which is an indication that he was an educated young man.
By 31 Aug 1750, Martin was living and working as an apprentice, to pay for his passage to America, in Lancaster County where he signed his Naturalization Papers, at age 21. Some time before 1758, Martin apparently moved to Berks County, PA and we find him on a Tax List there, which tells us that he owned property, of course.
At age 34 he found his bride and married. He and his wife were members of the New Bethel Church in Albany Twp. of Berks County. They had 10 children but the last two died when very young. The tax list of 1767 showed that Martin had one cattle that was taxed, in addition to taxes on his real estate.
Martin didn't enter the Revolutionary War as a soldier but did patriotic service at age 47. We Barnhisel descendants are quite proud of the fact that George Washington paid a visit to Martin's home to thank him for his aid.
In the first federal census of 1790, Martin appears in East Cumberland County, PA. "Along Interstate 81, across the highway, is a bridge named 'Bernhiesel Road', probably named for John Martin Bernhisel who lived in this area in the late 1790s and early 1800s. Martin was the first in the family to settle in Tyrone" wrote our editor, Phil Hysell, of the Hysell/Hisel Newsletter, after witnessing the bridge on a trip through Pennsylvania in the 1990s. (Tyrone is the name of the town where Martin and his family lived. Notice all the various spellings of Berntheusel.)
In 1794, Martin and his good friend, Michael Loy, who is also our ancestor, generously gave land to the Lutherans to give them a place to build a church in Sherman Valley.
In the 1800 Federal Census, Martin is shown with his spouse and children but their county is now called Cumberland, not East Cumberland.
In 1802, Martin wrote and signed his will naming his wife and his son Samuel as his heirs, but to share his property with all his children after his wife's death. Martin died on the 29th of June in 1802 and was age 73. He was buried at the cemetery of the Lutheran church located on the two-acre tract of land donated by Michael Loy and John Martin Bernheisel in Sherman Valley.
Johannes Martin Berntheusel
BORN: 19 May 1729 Klein-Neidesheim, Bad Kreuznach, Germany
MARRIED: abt. 1763 Albany, Berks, PA
DIED: 29 Jun 1802 Tyrone, Cumberland, PA
SOURCES: Federal Censuses of 1790 and 1800; Tax Lists; Church Records; Will; Deeds; Hysell/Hisel Newsletters; Book: "Barnhisel/Bernhisl Lines" by Constance Boyer; Researchers, Charlene Barnhisel and Ginnie and Stephen Barnhisel
The last four known names of our 4G Grandparents are 1) Elizabeth Mackey, wife of Robert Mackey of Welsh Run, Franklin County, Pennsylvania; 2) William Scott, the father of Margaret Scott of Crawford County, Ohio; 3) Pefus Utley, the father of Elizabeth Utley of Wethersfield, Trumbull County, Ohio; and 4) Bridget Tegue, Pefus Utley's wife. I have no further information about these four ancestors, at this time. It's possible that either I will find more details about them at a later date or some of you readers will.
So, next week we will begin to study our 5G grandparents!! We are making excellent progress.
Since there is some confusion about the life of this ancestor, I will begin his story with the information that I received from Reverend Robert Barr in July 2006.
Robert Mackey's bible, which was printed in London, England in 1773, was handed down to his son, William Mackey. William handed down the bible to his youngest son, John Martin Mackey. John handed down the bible to his daughter, Ethel Mackey. Ethel's husband, Bernard Mains, quoted the entered, written words in Robert's bible to Rev. Robert Barr. And lastly, I was sent these words from Rev. Barr which I now quote to my blog readers:
"Robert Mackey married Sarah Ragon on 1 Mar 1796
Their daughters were:
Anna Mackey b. 18 Mar 1797
Sarah Mackey b. 24 Mar 1798
Sarah Ragon Mackey died 12 Apr 1798
Robert Mackey married Elizabeth Mackey on 16 Apr 1801 [Some researchers believe that Robert and Elizabeth were cousins].
Their six children were:
Elizabeth b. 8 Apr 1802
William b. 23 Nov 1803 [our ancestor]
James b. 3 Oct 1805
Robert, Jr.b.24 Dec 1807
Tabitha b. 23 Nov 1809 died 14 Jul 1810
Mary b. 31 May 1811
Elizabeth, wife of Robert Mackey died 16 Jun 1811
Robert, husband of Elizabeth, d. 3 Nov 1833"
I consider these written words in Robert's bible to be good evidence of some of the facts of Robert's life. I have further evidence from the Presbyterian Church, in Welsh Run, of the baptismal names and dates of Robert's children, however, sometimes it appears that their mother's name was Harriet. So, here the confusion begins.
Below is a record of the marriage to Sarah Ragon with a different month i.e. May instead of March (more confusion):
"Robert Macky
mentioned in the record of Robert Macky and Sarah Ragan
Name Robert Macky
Spouse's Name Sarah Ragan
Event Date 01 May 1796
Event Place German Reformed Church,Frederick,Frederick,Maryland
/search/collection/1675199https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Maryland_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)
"Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4V3-88X : 12 December 2014), Robert Macky and Sarah Ragan, 01 May 1796; citing German Reformed Church,Frederick,Frederick,Maryland, reference ; FHL microfilm 13,935."
Robert married a third time to Mary Davis Lewis and had five more children, according to reports from the Palmer Papers sent from the Franklin County Genealogy Society and other records from Conococheague Institute in Franklin County. [Local people pronounce the Native American word “Conococheague”: CONICA JIG. In 1822, Conococheague was defined as meaning, long indeed, very long indeed. The institute is headquartered within Rock Hill Farm, a well-preserved historic farmstead that was established in the early 18th century in southern Franklin County, Pennsylvania, near the village of Welsh Run.]
Robert owned considerable property, some of which he and his third wife received at the death of his father-in-law, Elisha Lewis, of Welsh Run. In one of the Franklin County censuses it is mentioned that Robert's occupation was in manufacturing.
Robert died on 3 Nov 1833 in Welsh Run, Franklin, PA
ROBERT MACKEY
Born: bef 1776 probably MD
Married 2nd to Elizabeth Mackey: 16 Apr 1801
Died: 3 Nov 1833 Welsh Run, Franklin, PA
Sources: Censuses of 1790-1830; Church Records; Palmer Papers from Franklin County Genealogical Society; Conococheague Institute Records about Welch Run history
Some of you readers may have noticed the similarity of the surnames SINGER and PENSINGER, which makes me wonder if Johann and Rosanna were possible cousins. Rosanna's ancestors may have shortened their surname, for instance. But, Rosanna was born in York County, Pennsylvania around 1784, not Lancaster County where her husband was born. Therefore, my theory could be all wrong.
Here is the list of this couple's eleven children and their birth years. They were all born in Franklin County, PA.
1784 Catherine
1785 Rosanna
1789 Jacob
1793 Mary
1796 John Henry (our ancestor)
1801 John
1803 Adam`
1805 Nancy
1808 Samuel
1809 Susannah
1812 Joseph
Rosanna died about 1828 in Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania at age 60.
ROSANNA SINGER
BORN: 1768 York, PA
MARRIED:abt. 1784 , , PA
DIED: abt. 1828 Montgomery, Franklin, PA
SOURCES: Family Group Record in Ancestry File at LDS library in Salt Lake, UT
