JOHN CONNELL
This story is a letter dated Nov 26, 1932, Portsmouth, Ohio
From Dr Samuel P Adams to Col M A Reasoner
This copy was donated by "Red" Hunter from BCG
Portsmouth, Ohio
Nov 26, 1932
Dear Col. Reasoner,
Family tradition is our branch of the CONNELL Family states that the name was at one time "O'Connell" (meaning "of Connell") We do not know when the "O" was removed, but suppose it to have been dropped when they left Ireland.
The knowledge of the family prior to the Revolution is vague, though it is understood that the family (our branch) came to the frontier, Western Pennsylvania and Ohio County, Virginia. At a very early date- about 1767; that they came from Virginia but were of Maryland stock. They were considered active in community affairs, progressive and fighters when necessity demanded it. If they came in 1767, they surely did not come West of what is now Fayette County , Pennsylvania.
Much has been handed down in story and record concerning John Connell, son of James and Ann Crawford Connell. When but a boy of 14 or 15, he joined the frontier troops before the close of the Revolution; he was one of the original town fathers of Charlestown, Virginia, (now Wellsburg, Wet Virginia); was a Lt. Col. In the war of 1812 He was born May 22, 1760 near what is now Connellsville, PA. died March 28,1831 at Wellsburg, Virginia (Now West Virginia). He married first in Ohio County, Virginia to Mary Hedges, second in Brooke County to Eleanor Swearingen.
All of Ann Crawford's children are mentioned in her will and all but Nancy left records to show that they had settled on the Ohio River in Ohio County, Virginia, where they lived until after the vormation of Brooke county from Ohio County. Do not know what became of Nancy Connell. Brooke County was formed from Ohio County in 1797.
Why William Crawford did not mention his grandson, John in his will I cannot state. It is quite likely though that when he wrote the will in May 1782 John Connell was in the army and no doubt considered lost by his people. The boy probably ran away from home before joining the Rangers at the Frontier. He must have lied as to his age. He was a very tall man and no doubt at that time could pass as one older than his years.
But little is known about James Connell, father of John and brother of Zachariah. The family has always held that he was born in Maryland, removed to Virginia and later settled in the District of West Augusta. He was supposed to have been in the Battle of Point Pleasant, and to have been with the Virginia Troop during the Revolution. The date of his death is not known but it is told that he died early, probably before the end of the Revolution. It is most likely that he died before Crawford. Sandusky trip as Crawford made extra provision for Ann's family in his will. She was probably a widow at that time.
We have no record of children by John's first marriage to Mary Hedges. His second wife was Eleanor, the daughter of John Swearingen and the grand-daughter of Thomas Swearingen. Both John and Thomas were Revolutionary soldiers. Thomas Swearingen was born in Summerset County, Maryland, now forming the District of Columbus. He was killed by the Indians in 1786 on Buffalo Creek, Ohio county, Virginia. John and Eleanor Connell are in the McNally lot in the cemetery at Wellsburg, West Virginia. The dates of their birth and death are recorded in their son's bible, James Connell's bible.
John and Eleanor had sons - James S Harrison, named after Wm. Harrison who married Sarah Crawford, Phillip and John.
James S Connell was given the contract in 1843 to move the Wyandotte Indians from Ohio. They were taken down the Ohio River in boats and on to their territory in the West . This was my Great Grandfather. Some of the furniture he started to housekeeping with is now in our possession.
There is a story in our branch of the family that the Connell's were entitled to a large grant of land in Maryland. This land grant was neglected by the earlier ancestors, who removed to Virginia.
This story was handed down by my Great grandmother, Eliza Mendle Connell, who knew John Connell, her father-in-law, very well. She died in 1899 here in Portsmouth. My Grand-mother, Julia Connell Adams, remembered John Connell, but was too young a child to have talked on such matters with him. Her information was gathered from her parents. Grandmother was born in 1828 and died in 1909.
All of the above led me to Maryland for my genealogical research. So far I have not found the grant of land, but my search has been very limited. I am sure that a careful research will reveal much of interest. LaPlata, Maryland is the place
The Connellsville history states that Zachariah was born in Virginia. He was he eldest of his brothers and sisters. In this event all were probably born in Virginia.
Through a number of years, it would be very easy for a family to confuse the two James Connells. Tradition could very easily confuse the place of birth, Maryland, of the father with that of the son James, brother of Zachariah, who was born in Virginia.
This would indicate that the parents or at least the mother, came to Virginia about the time Zachariah Connell was born. James, the father, may have come earlier.
From the records at Maryland we find that James Connell came to America in 1670 and settled in St Marys County. He was still living there in 1694, as is shown by Robert Gates will of that year. He died before 1701, probably in Charles County, Maryland, as he is not mentioned as father of Eleanor Connell at time of her marriage. Dennis is given as her brother. He left a wife, Mary, who as living in 1714 in Charles County; died after that date.
James and Mary Connell left children:
1) Eleanor
2) Daniel
3) Dennis
4) Elizabeth
5) Thomas
6) Mary
All but Mary probably born in St Marys County, she may have been born in Charles County. All married in Charles County, Maryland but Daniel. Have not found his marriage records though he seems to have left a family.
1) Eleanor, married a many by the name of Bryan
3) Dennis married Mary, daughter of Mathias and Eleanor O'Bryan
4) Elizabeth married James Burn
5) Thomas married Mary Ogden
6) Mary married John Dempsey
2) Daniel who settled finally in Baltimore County left sons William and John. (This John marries a Mary and left a daughter who married Wm. Asqueth in 1766. He was a son of Wm. Asqueth of St Marys County, who in 1690 witnessed Garrett Von Swearingen's will in the City of St Mary's. Garrett left a son Zachariah who died in St Marys County in 1711. An Edward Dennis died in Calvery County in 1694 and Gerrard Von Swearingen was an executor of the estate.)
Thomas and Mary of Charles County left a son, James, who married Ann Williams, daughter of John Williams. This James and Ann are no doubt the parents of Zachariah, James, Thomas William John and sister who married a Ragon.
A James Connell, no doubt the son of Dennis, died in Alexandria, Fairfax County Virginia in 1777; from his will it is shown that he left no family.
Now is Zachariah Swearingen in any way connected with John and Sarah Williams? Or could old James Connell's wife Mary, have been a sister of Zachariah Swearingen? Zachariah Swearingen was a son of Garrett Von Swearingen.
You will note how the Swearingen and Connell lines have run along together.
Also, in the Zachariah Connell line, there was a tradition of a grandmother, Ann Connell, that confused the earlier investigators. Some confused her with Ann Crawford Connell. I am sure that this tradition is well founded, but time has confused the generation of Zachariah Connell with that of his parent in much the same way as the two James Connells were confused in our line.
I will be glad to help in any ay to clear this line up and I am sure that an investigation of the record at LaPlata, Maryland will put us straight.
At the present there is not the money not time to make a trip. I guess everyone is in the same boat. However, if we can get the proper party to check up for us, I will be glad to help with the expenses. We could get someone in LaPlata I am sure.
I enjoyed your book very much and found a lot of important matter that I copied. Saw mention of Samuel Adams, one of my line and also mention of John Connell at the mouth of Buffalo Creek on the Ohio River; a John McDowell also was mentioned.
In an old history of the Scioto Valley, Ohio, I found an article on John R Connell. Will copy it and sent it to you. It is a very large book. Do not think it will have any new history for you.
I made one trip to Adams County but did not locate the cemetery. It was very late in the evening before I started the hunt. Will try it again soon.
I am returning your book to Alton this day and I think you very much for the use of it. It is a very fine work, with good records. I am sending you all that I have of the early Connells. I am sure that you have enjoyed your work on both the Reasoner and Connell lines.
Thank you for the pictures, they were very interesting and I am glad to have them. I believe I asked you as to whether you had one of the histories of Connellsville. If you have not I will be glad to let you have mine for a while; or if you want one, they are on sale at the Public Library at Connellsville, Pennsylvania. I have sone papers at the house on which I have copied some of my records and I will send them to you when I go out home. May you find some of this letter of interest, I remain,
Yours truly,
Sam. P. Adams
LETTER TWO
Portsmouth, Ohio
December 6, 1932
Dear Col. Reasoner,
This last Wednesday afternoon I ran down to Adams County and this time, located the John R Connell cemetery on the old John R Connell f arm.
It is about 2 ½ miles Northwest of Bentonville, by way of the Ellis Pike. The cemetery is on a farm now owned by a Mr. Ambrose Sininger. It is situated on a knoll to the right of a land that runs past the Sininger house and barn, and is about 1/8th of a mile, I would say, from the Pike. There are tow cedar stumps now standing on the lot. These trees died a number of years ago and were cut down.
The cemetery is very small, unfenced and enriched upon as it is now isolated in a plowed field. When Mr. Sininger bought the farms a few years ago the cemetery had been reduced to a square of about twenty feet. But now head stone marks a grave and this stone has been broken off below the line of inscription. Five fragments of partly legible stone were found upon the lot. They bore sufficient evidence to definitely identify the John R Connell cemetery. They were as follows:
A stone to Dunseth, who died July 6, 1853, aged 4 months and 25 days.
A stone to Nancy, wife of Moses Connell
A stone to "Elle"
A stone to "Jo---" son of M and "Na----" Connell
A stone un-named and broken giving incomplete record of age.
If Wednesday is a good day, I will try to take some photographs of the land and also locate the cemetery two miles to the west of this place. You will hear from me again soon.
Yours truly,
(signed) Samuel P Adams
Connell, James 20, 184 Transported from Ireland to Maryland in 1678 (Index of Early Settlers 1633 to 1680 V 1, A to H Annapolis, Maryland Will of Robert Gates, St Marys, County, Maryland Written 5th February 1694 Probated 6th of June 1698 Test: Rich'd Edelen, James Connell Jas. Haggon. 6.113 (Maryland Wills V2. page 140)
Connell, Eleanor, m Bryan, 1701 Was sister of Dennis Connell, Charles County Maryland (Deeds Liber. V 1 folio 337, LaPlata, Maryland)
Connell, Dennis, m Mary Obryan, 1714. Daughter of Matthias & Elinor Obryan, Charles County, Maryland. (Deeds Liber. !#2 folio 53, LaPlata, Maryland)
Connell, Elizabeth, m James Burn, 1714. Daughter of Mary Cannell, Charles County, Maryland. (Deeds F No 2 folio 31 Charles County Maryland
Connell, Thomas, m Mary Ogden, 1717, Charles County, Maryland. Court Prb. Liber I #2 folio 249, Laplate, Maryland
Connell, Mary, m John Dempsey, 1724. Charles County, Maryland.
Connell, Elizabeth , m James Bourn, 1722, daughter of Dennis Connell, Charles County Maryland (Deeds Liber L#2 folio 5)
Connell, James, m Anne Williams, 1740. daughter of John & Sarah Williams, Charles County, Maryland. (Deeds Liber Z#2 folio 74-95, LaPlata, Maryland
Williams, John m Anne Wilkinson, 1723 daughter of John Wilkinson, Charles County Maryland. (Court Prob. Liber.P#2 folio 240 LaPlata, Maryland.
This is all of the Charles County material I have on Connello. The above marriage records were taken by myself from the filed at Annapolis, Maryland in 1928. I did not get to go down to the above. I am quite sure that we can get more information then the above. Also I would like to know if these are from marriage records for the year or from land records that merely show them as man and wife. It is quite likely that many of the early marriages records were later thrown in with other records and pushed aside. What do you think about it?
"The founder of the Borough of Connellsville was ZACHARIAH CONNELL, who was born in the State of Virginia in 1751. " Centennial History of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 1807-1906, Page 41)
This would indicate that the parents removed to Virginia from Maryland prior to 1741. Is there any record of James and Anne Connell in Maryland after 1740? Charles County, Maryland is just across the Potomac River from Virginia.
From Page 42 of the above Connellsville History we find that with Zachariah Connell came two younger brothers Thomas and James and a sister who married Reason Reagan. The one known as James Connell, Sr. married Anne Crawford. On page 45 on a Bill of survey rendered by Alexander McLean in 1795 is given the names(only Connell names given here) Zachariah Connell, Debtor of the following surveys: Thomas Connell, James Connell, John Rice Connell, Hiram Connell, Zachariah Connell, - Ragon's place, Zachariah Connell - town, Zachariah Connell, the Salt works.
Fayette County, Pennsylvania County records, Will Book 1, Page 13, Ann Connell of Westmoreland County.
To son, John Connell, money
To son William Connell, one-half of plantation
To son James Connell, the other half of plantation
Daughter Nancy
Polly
Executors: Zachariah Connell and Providence (Mounts?) Dated May 17 1703. Proved
March 23 1784
Witnesses: Samuel Trimble, Zacher Connal, Thomas Hur.
Ann Connal held a Virginia Warrant, dated in 1676. This claim was not adjusted until October 31, 1785, more than a year after her death.
Index to Marriage Docket, Ohio County, Virginia (now West Virginia) Viol 1 Page 24, Year 1791 "John Connel to Mary Hedges"
Marriages from Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia-
Book 1a.44 - 1802 Polly Connell to Samuel Marshall.
Book 1a 44 - 1802 Mar 14 John Connell to Eleanor Swearingen
Records of 1st Court of Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia)-"Tuesday May 23, 1797, Charleston, (now Wellsburg) Members present: John Beach, (Beck) William Griffith, John Connell, etc. Gentlemen" John Connell was made Clerk of the Court.
Brooke County Court, Wednesday August 23, 1797. Charleston Virginia (new Wellsburg West Virginia) "William Connell be recommended to his Excellency, the Governor and council for appointment as Capt. Of the Rifle Company in the first Battalion of the Fourth Regiment, and Tenth Brigade of Militia in this Commonwealth, in place of William Wells, resigned……etc"
Brooke county, Virginia (Now WV) Will Book 1 Page 82…..Will of Samuel Adams, dated August 18, 1813
Witnesses by: John McCormach, Sen. Executor: William Adams James Connell John Buchanan John McCormack Adam Willson Aaron Willson
Proved by the Oaths oif James Connell and Adam Willson March term. 1815 Exd. 20th Feb 18321. Teste: John Connell, C B C (The above James Connell was a brother of John Connell) (At the time James S Connell, John's son, was a small child.)
Virginia Soldiers of 1776 by Louis A Burgeas; published by the Richmond Press at Richmond, Virginia in 1929 Vol 3 Page 124 "Lt. John Hinckton's Roll" (a list of 24 names, the third of which is James Connell (Arhives Depty State Library, Pittsburgh, PA. (This could not be Ann Crawford Connell's son for her children would have been too young at this date. More likely her husband, brother Thomas and Zachariah Connell)
Rangers on the Frontier 1776-1783. Penn Archives, Page 202. From Washington County, Pennsylvania…"John Conwell, (Conell) (Washington County as formed in 1781 so this service was after this date. (this mistake in spelling or translation has also been made at times the records of William Connell.)
War Dept.. Adjutant General's office- "John Connell served in the War of 1812 as a Lieutenant -Colonel in 1st Regiment (Connell's Virginia Militia. Residence not shown.
Charleston West Virginia, State Department of Archives and History. Letters:- John Connell to Governor John Taylor Brooke county, Virginia (now WV)..February 25, 1808.
John Connell to General Biggs, Charleston (now Wellsburg,) Va (now WV) August 27, 1812
John Connell to Governor (James Barbour) Brooke C H VA (now WV) September 1, 1812.
James Marshall to Governor (James Barbour) Brooke County, VA. (now WV) September 1, 1812. In letter states "Col. John Connell an officer of some experience, tendered his services and is this day ready to march to the Frontiers in the direction to Detroit with about two hundred volunteers."
1) James Connell , b 1742, d before 1782 during the revolution, m 1767 in what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Ann Crawford, b 1752 in Virginia, dau of William Crawford and Hannah Vance, d 1783 near what is now Connellsville, PA
2) John Connell b May 22, 1768 in what is now Fayette County, PA. d Mar 28, 1831, Wellsburg, VA (now WV) m 2nd Mar 4, 1802 Brooke co. VA (now WV) Eleanor Swearingen b Jan 28, 1786 in Penn. Dau of John and Eleanor Dawson Swearingen d July 3, 1848, Wellsburg, VA (now WV)
3) James S Connell, b Apr 8, 18096 Charleston VA (now Wellsburg WV) d Sept 24, 18690 Charleston WV m Oct 22, 1826, Wellsburg, VA (now WV) Eliza Mendle, b Mar 29, 1811, Brooke County VA (now WV) dau of Henry and Sarah Reeves Mendle d Mar 29, 1899 Portsmouth, Ohio
4) Julia Amelia Connell, b Nov 12, 1828, Wellsburg, VA (now WV) d Aug 3, 1909 Cincinnati, Ohio William Quincy Adams, b July 20, 1827, Wellsburg VA (now WV) d Nov 12, 1892, Portsmouth, Ohio
5) Samuel Preston Adams, b March 18, 1869, Delhi, Hamilton County, Ohio. m Dec 17, 1891, Portsmouth, Ohio Bessie Cecelia Varner b Oct 4, 1867, Portsmouth, Ohio dau. Of Sampson E and Maria Huston Varner.
6) The above are my parents. I was born in Portsmouth, Ohio August 9 1899. These records are taken from Court House, Bible, Cemetery and old family records.