Monday Is for Mothers: Martha Woodward (1676 - 1775)

My maternal eighth great grandmother Martha Woodward is named in her her father Richard's will and she survived her husband Joseph Baker Jr. by more than 20 years.

It seems there's only one mention of Martha in Quaker records for the Chester Monthly Meeting it doesn't specify what she had done that merited a visitation but Lewis Woodward, the author of a family history of the Woodwards, thought that was likely that the complaint referred to something to do with her marriage.*

[Genealogy of the Woodward family of Chester county, Pennsylvania, with an appendix giving a brief account of the Woodwards of some other portions of the United States by Woodward, Lewis, b. 1848; Publication date 1879. Digitizing sponsor Boston Public Library.

Source: The Internet Archive.]

[From "Our Family Ancestors" by Thomas Maxwell Potts. Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, 1895.

Source: Internet Archive - original at Allen County Public Library, Ft. Wayne, Indiana ]

*I tried to locate the original of this Chester Monthly Meeting record but didn't have any luck.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Ann Baker Sill - Chester County, Pennsylvania - 1779

Last month I posted about this maternal seventh great grandmother, Joseph Baker Jr.'s daughter and the wife of James Sill, who survived her husband and wrote her own will in 1777 which was probated two years later. Ann made small bequests including several silver objects, some pewter dishes, glassware, her clothes and tea ware to each of her children and two of her granddaughters. From looking at the list of her possessions, I now have a mental picture of Ann pouring her tea from her pewter teapot and perhaps adding cream from her glass jug before taking a sip of tea from one of her cups.

Ann Sills Will} The Second day of September in the year of our Lord one Thous=
=and Seven Hundred & Seventy Seven I Ann Sills of Edgment in the the Count=
=ty of Chester in the Province of Pennsylvania being ^very^ Sick and weak in Body but
of Perfect mind and memory thanks be giving to God therefore Calling unto mind
and the mortality of my Body and Knowing that it is appointed for all man
Kind once to die to Make & ordain this my last will and Testament that is to Say
principally & first of all I give and Recommend my Soul into the hands of God that 
Gave it and for my Body I Recommend it to the Earth to be to be Buryed in a Christian
Like and decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors herein after named and as 
Touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God to bless me in this life
I Give Device & Dispose of the Same in the following manner & form Item I give
and Bequeath unto my Daughter Ann Cannady the sum of Ten Pounds and my
Cloak & puter Dish Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son George Sill a pair of 
Silver Buckeles & Sleve Buttons Item I give and Bequeath unto my Son Richard
Sill my Tea Cittle Item I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter mary moris 
a puter plate and Porrenger & Cream Jug Item I give and Bequeath unto my 

["Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99B-L52M?cc=1999196&wc=9PMD-W36%3A268496301%2C280802301 : 3 July 2014), Chester > Wills 1774-1783 vol 6-7, F-G > image 255 + 256 of 441; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.]

Daughter Martha Houlston a arm Cheer & puter Tea pot Item I give and Bequeath unto 

my grand Daughter Ledy Sill my Saddle and my Wareing apearl to -- Equilly Deve=

ded Between my three Daughters & the above mentioned Grand Daughter, Lydia

Sill. Item I give and bequeath to my Grand Daughter Sarah Cannaday three 

Chessy[?] Cups & Sacers & Glass Cream Jug the Remainder of the tea ware to be Devided

Between my three Daughter as they can agree & my will is that all the Remain=

der of my Effects to be appraised and Sold by Publick vandue[?] & all my Just Debts

& funerall Charges to be paid and Discharged with the Same and if there

Shall be any more the same^ to be Equally Devided Between all my Children & I

Do hereby Constitute make and ordain my Brother Nehemiah Baker & my

Son James Sill to be my only and Sole Executors of this my last will and Testa=

=ment and I Do hereby Utterly Disalow Revoke and Disanull all and eve=

=ry other former Testaments with legacies and Executors by me in any ways

before this time Named willed Bequeathed, Ratifying and Confirming this

and no other to be my Last will and Testament In whiness whereof I have here

unto Set my hand and Seal the day and year above "Writing Sign"

Seald Published pronounced and Decleared By the Said Ann Sill as her

Last will and Testament in the presents of us the Subscribers Viz all

the Legacies to be paid by my Brother Nehemiah Baker and my son

James Sill in Lawfull money of Pennsylvania to be paid within Six months

after the Sale of Such goods or Effects Ann her/mark Sill {Seal} Lydia Baker

Joseph Robins

If you look at the downloaded probate transcript of Ann's will you will notice that someone noted all the misspellings in the original will.

Here's how I descend from this tea-drinking ancestor:

[Ancestry.com]

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: James Sill - Chester County, Pennsylvania - 1774

The Pennsylvania probate files for James Sill, one of my maternal 7th great grandfathers, contain both the original will and the transcribed version by the Register of the court. This week we'll look at the original will and then note the differences between the two version, if any, at a later date.*

I James Sill of the Township of Edgement in the County of Chestor and Province of 
Pensylvania Do make this my Last will and Testament in the manner and form
following that is to say
First my will is that all my Just Debts and funerall Expences be paid as soon as
conveniently may be after my Decease
Item   I Give and Bequeath to my beloved ^wife^ Anne Sill the Yearly sum of Eight pounds
Lawfull money of Pennsylvania to be paid to her by my Son James Sill yearly and
Every year and sufficient Meat and Drink During her Naturall Life to be
Paid Out of the profits of my Lands and Real Estate in Edgemont Aforesaid
I also Give to my Said wife During the Said term the use and Priviledge of 
my Loding Room and all the Furnature thereunto belonging and one horse
or Mare at her Choice, and the keeping of the same or some Other A
Side Saddle and my Silver Buckle, and my will is that my Son James Sill shall
find and Provide for my Said wife for the term of Seven Years next after
My Decease firewood what she shall have Ocation for at a Suitable length
at or near her Door If she shall think Proper to  live in the Said room but if 
She Shall remove therefrom then and in Such Case she shall take none of 
the Said furnature with her Except the bed beding and tea ware And after
the Decease of my Said wife the above mentioned Goods and furnature
Shall Decend and belong to my Above Said Son James Sill
Item   I Give and Devise to my Son James Sill and to his heirs and assigns forever
all my massuage tenements Plantation and tract of land in Edgement
Aforesaid with the Appurtenances thereof he paying and performing all
things herein above Given to and provided for my wife, and in Default 
whereof my Said wife Shall or may at any time take my plantation
into her Possession and Receive the Rents and profits thereof untill
all arrears of any kind Due to her are Satisfied and paid
Item   I Give and bequeath to my ^Son^ Joseph Sill the sum of twenty pounds Lawfull Money
of Pensyvania to be paid to him within one year after my Decease
Item   I Give and Bequeath to My Son Richard Sill the sum of twenty pounds Law-
-full money of pensylvania to be paid to him within two Years after my
Decease I also forgive my Said Son Richard all the Intrest that Shall be Due on 
his to me at the time of my Decease
Item   I Give and Bequeath to my Son George Sill the sum of twenty pounds 
Lawfull money of Pensylvania to be paid to him within three Years After
my Decease
Item   I Give and Bequeath to my Son Michael Sill the Sum of twenty pounds Lawfull money of pensylvania to be paid to him within four years after My Decease
Item   I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Mary Morris the Sum of twenty pounds
Lawfull money of pensylvania to be paid to her within five years after
My Decease
]Item   I Give and Bequeath to My ^Daughter^ Martha Holston the sum of twenty pounds
Lawfull money of pensylvania to be paid to her within five years after
My Decease
Item   I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Ann Kenady the Sum of twenty
pounds Lawfull money of pensylvania to be paid to her within Seven
years after my Decease

[Estate Papers, 1713-1810; Author: Chester County (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Chester, Pennsylvania. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Original data: Pennsylvania County, District and Probate Courts.]

Item   I Give and Bequeath to My Grandson James Regester the Sum of twenty pounds
Lawfull money of pensylvania for Services he Did for me after he was of 
age to be paid to him within Eight years After My Decease
I order it, and my will is that My Executors herein After Named or the
Survivor of them shall Sell all my plantation and tract of Land
Cituate in the township of willistown in the County of Chester
to the Purchaser or Purchasers
And all the Rest and Residue of my Estate I Give and bequeath to My
wife Ann Sill and My ^Son^ James Sill to be Equally Divided between them
And I Do hereby Constitute and apoint My beloved wife Ann Sill
and my ^Son^ James Sill Executors of this my Last will and Testament
Revoking all Other wills and Testament by me Made In
Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett My hand and Seal this Third Day
of July in the year of Our Lord one Thousand Seven hundred and Seven-
-ty two ___ ___ ___ ___ 1772
Signed Sealed Published and Declared by James Sill
to be his Last will and Testament In the presents of us

Nehemiah Baker                                             James Sill {}
Ludia Baker
Nathan Baker

Chester 15th April 1774.  Then Personally appeared Nehemiah
Baker, Lydia Baker and Nathan Baker, and on their solemnly
Affirmations according to Law, did Declare; Affirm and Say, that they
were personally present and did see and hear James Sill, the 
Testator, in the foregoing Writing named, Sign, Seal, Publish,
Pronounce and Declare the same Writing, as and for his last Will
and Testament, and that at the doing thereof, he was of a sound and
well disposing Mind and Memory, to the best of their Understandings

     Affirm'd before,
          H H Graham Reg'r

James Sill appears to be a traditionalist, leaving the bulk of his estate to his wife and oldest son James, my direct ancestor. All his other children were bequeathed 20 pounds which James directed should be paid to them after periods of one to seven years after his decease. Only one of his grandchildren, James Regester[?] was named in the will receiving his 20 pounds because of some service he performed for him. It seems to me that this grandson must be the son of a daughter of James Sill but I don't know the mother was his known daughters Martha, Ann or Mary or another child** whose name hasn't come down to us.


*There are some differences but I haven't compared the two to see if they're material.
**If so, presumably she had died before James Sill made this will.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: Joseph Baker, Jr. (1667 - 1735) Yoeman

It seems there were two men known as Joseph Baker, Jr. in late 17th century Pennsylvania only one of whom was the son of Joseph Baker Sr. who arrived in the colony in 1684 with his older brother John. And that Joseph Jr. isn't my direct ancestor.*

Of course, historically the appellation of Junior could be applied to the younger of two men with the same given name without it signifying a father-son relationship and that what happened here. My Joseph Baker is believed to be the nephew of Joseph Sr. and John, therefore he would have been a grandson of John Baker, Sr. of Edgmond in Shropshire (about 2 miles west of Newport). His father's name is unknown.

['Shropshire by John Seller' Seller, J. (c. 1703) Furneax Antique Maps]

It's unclear when Joseph Jr. left Shropshire for Pennsylvania--he may have traveled with his uncles but the reason they all left was because they were Quakers** and hoped to find greater religious freedom in the New World. The township they ended up living in was named Edgmont, originally in Chester County, now in Delaware County.

[From "Our Family Ancestors" by Thomas Maxwell Potts. Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, 1895.

Source: Internet Archive - original at Allen County Public Library, Ft. Wayne, Indiana ]

Thomas Maxwell included a "fac-simile" of the page of the Baker family bible.

[From "Our Family Ancestors" by Thomas Maxwell Potts. Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, 1895.

Source: Internet Archive - original at Allen County Public Library, Ft. Wayne, Indiana ]

And here's a reminder of how I'm descended from him:

[Ancestry.com]

*Joseph Sr.'s son Joseph had four children we know of: Robert, Sarah, Hannah and Joseph.
**There are numerous mentions of "Joseph Baker" in the Chester Monthly Meeting Minutes but I don't know which ones might refer to my ancestor.





© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Anne Baker (1703 - 1779)

Anne Baker, one of my maternal seventh great grandmothers, was the grandmother of William Sill whose life and probate we've been examining in the last week. She outlived her husband James and wrote her own last will in 1779.*

[Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Methodist Church Records. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Eastern Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History.]

 As far as I can tell, Ann and James had eight children, five boys and three girls. I'm descended from their oldest son, another James Sill.

[Ancestry.com]

All the records we have for the Sills place them in Pennsylvania, first in Chester County** and later in Allegheny. My great great grandfather Abner Webb was the first of that lineage to leave, settling first in Iowa in the 1850s and later dying in Texas, probably in 1861..



*Which I'll post about at a future date.
**Edgmont Township is now in Delaware County, which was created out of Chester in 1789.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.