BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES - SOUTH ANCESTORS EVERLY (Also recorded as EBERLE, EBERLY and EVERLEY) 100-Johann Leonhard EBERLE (my 4G Grandfather) was born about 1715-1720 in Eiterbach, Baden, Germany. He married 101-Eva Maria Beckenbach on 8 Feb. 1740 in the Reformed Church, Eiterbach, Baden, Germany. Their first five children, Eva Margaretha (who died in infancy), Eva Margaretha II, Johann Nicolaus, Georg Leonhard and Maria Elizabetha were born in Germany, before the family moved to America in about 1749. They settled in Maryland where three additional children, 50-Adam, Anna Barbara and Leonard were born. In 1758 100-Leonard paid quit claim rent to Lord Baltimore on land called "Leonard's Lot" (155 acres) and on part of "Tasker's Chance" (163 acres). He also paid rent on the "Tasker's Chance" acreage from 1763 through 1773. "Tasker's Chance" was part of the property on which the city of Frederick, MD was later built. 100-Leonard, 101-Eva Maria and some members of their family moved to southwestern Pennsylvania about 1781 where Leonard purchased 300 acres of land in what is now Dunkard Township, Greene County. Records show that they lived in German Township, Fayette County from 1783 through at least 1790 where, in 1785, Leonard was listed as a trustee of the German Lutheran Church. In 1797 he transferred his land grant rights in "Dunkard's Neck", his Dunkard Township property, to son 50-Adam. 100-Leonard and 101-Eva Maria's names, without dates of birth or death, are listed on a large grave marker along with the names of other family members in one of the Everly Cemeteries on the family farm near the site of the old Paw Paw Church in Dunkard Township. Possibly they are buried here but there are conflicting reports indicating that they died and are buried in Fayette County. 50-Adam EVERLY (my 3G Grandfather), was borne in Frederick County, MD in 1750. During the Revolutionary War he served as a Corporal with the 9th Company, Light Infantry, Maryland Militia. In 1780 he married 51-Barbara SMITH. About 1781 they moved to what is now Southwestern Pennsylvania along with Adams' parents. They had at least six children, George, Nicholas, 25-Eve Mary “Millie”, who married 24-Charles South, Elizabeth, Adam and Barbara. In 1797 Adams' father transferred the land rights in "Dunkard's Neck" a 300 acre tract of land in Dunkard Township to him and they lived there the rest of their lives. 50-Adam died in 1802 at age 52 and 51-Barbara in 1816 at age 60. Both are buried on the family farm in Dunkard Township. SUPPLEMENTAL BIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL - EVERLY
(Added after initial printing) The following applies to my 4G Grandparents 100-Johann Leonhard EBERLE (Leonard EVERLY) (1720-1802) and 101-Eva MarieBECKENBACH (1718-1790). Johann Leonhard EBERLE was born in Germany about 1720. On Feb. 8, 1840 he married Eva Marie BECKENBACH (later, in PA, recorded as PICKENPAUGH) in the Reformed Church at Eiterbach, Baden, Germany. Their marriage certificate indicates that Leonard’s father’s name was Johann Adam EBERLE and Eva Marie’s fathers name was Johann Adam BECHENBACH. In 1749, Leonard, his wife and children were given permission to immigrate to America after payment of four florins to buy himself out of vassalage and forty florins in additional tax. On first arriving in America, they established a home in Westminster, MD about 1750, where they lived in a rented home. The first record found of Leonard owning property is 29 March 1755 when he paid 48 pounds, 18 shillings for a 163 acre Chevy Chase tract next to Gasper BOGABECK (i.e., BECKENBACH). Leonard EVERLY, along with two brothers, Adam and Michael EVERLY, served with Maryland troops in the French and Indian Wars in 1757-58 on Capt. Peter BAINBRIDGE’S muster roll. Leonard and Adam became citizens in April 1760 in the provincial court of Maryland. THE FAMILY OF PETER EVERLY by James SHAW reports that Leonard EVERLY’S brother Adam (Johannes Adam), was born 19 June 1727 and died 20 June 1795, that he married Anna Catherine (no surname) and that their child Eva Marie was baptized 8 Oct 1752 at the Reformed Church in Frederick, MD. SHAW goes on to say that Michael (Georg Michael), another brother, was born 1725, married Catherine SIMS before Aug 1750 in MD and they had a son Michael born in PA in 1761. Maryland German Church Records, Vol. 1: Christ Reformed Church, Middletown, Frederick County, MD has Leonard and Eva sponsoring baptisms and baptizing their own children beginning in 1752 and ending in 1778. The first record found of Leonard EVERLY in Fayette County, PA is in 1780 when he and son Nicholas signed the petition to the Continental Congress asking that their part of the state, claimed by both Pennsylvania and Virginia, be made a new state called “Westsylvania”. SOURCE: STEVENSON AND RELATED FAMILIES by Robert Presley STEVENSON plus family records in the possession of cousin Jan (EVERLY) WILLIAMS of Kaneohe, HI. ****** The following applies to my 3G Grandparents 50-Adam EVERLY
(1750-1802) and 51-Barbara
SMITH (1756-1816) and includes the first
information I have found concerning 4G Grandparents 102-Philip SMITH
and 103-Barbara MARKLEY.
Adam EVERLY was born in 1750 in Frederick Co. MD. He died on 14 Dec. 1802 in Greene Co. PA. Buried in 1802 in the Everly cemetery across from Bennett farm, Dunkard Twp. Greene Co. PA. Occupation: farmer. Adam enlisted 20 Jan. 1776 in the 9th Co. Light Infantry, Maryland Troops, under Capt. George STRIKLER, and served until the end or near the end of the war, advancing to the rank of corporal. He was with Gen. “Mad” Anthony WAYNE at the battles of Stony Point* and White Plains. The Battle of White Plains, New York, was fought 28 Oct. 1776. Four thousand British and Hessian regulars under Sir William HOWE attacked 1,600 Americans holding Chatterton's Hill near White Plains; the Americans were driven from the hill. The British suffered 300 casualties compared to the Americans' 200; the main American position was not hit for reasons the British commander never explained. * The Battle of Stony Point, New York, was fought 16 Jul. 1779. Gen. Anthony WAYNE of Pennsylvania, commanding 1,200 men of the new elite American light infantry, carried out a surprise night attack using only bayonets against the British post at Stony Point. Fifteen Americans were killed and 83 were wounded, among them Anthony WAYNE. The British had 133 casualties and 543 captured. About 1780 Adam married Barbara SMITH, daughter of Philip SMITH (SCHMIDT) & Barbara MARKLEY, in Pennsylvania. Adam’s wife was born on 11 Sep. 1756 in Frederick County, MD and died on 11 Sep. 1816 in Dunkard Twp., Greene Co., PA. Buried in 1816 in the EVERLY cemetery across from Bennett farm, Dunkard Twp. Greene Co., PA. Barbara had a brother Valentine. Her family lived in Fayette Co. Pennsylvania, near Uniontown. SOURCE: Cousin Jan (EVERLY) WILLIAMS of Kaneohe, HI. MICHAEL BAKER
Cousin Michael BAKER, subject of the following biographic sketch, was a great grandson of my 4G Grandparents 100-Johann Leonhard EBERLE (Leonard EVERLY) (1720-1802) and 101-Eva Maria BECKENBACH(1718-1790). Michael BAKER married my 2G Aunt Mary Jane DOWLIN (1837- ), sister of Great Grandfather 14-Lewis DOWLIN (1818-1896). Michael BAKER is of German-French extraction, and was born in what is now Nicholson Township, Fayette County, Penna, February 12, 1827. He is a son of Joseph BAKER and Anna (LARCH) BAKER. Joseph BAKER, Michael’s father, was the son of Michael BAKER, a German Baptist minister and early settler of Fayette County. Joseph BAKER was born, reared and educated in Springhill Township. He was a farmer and owned a valuable farm of 128 acres; he subsequently added to it by purchase, forty-five acres of adjoining land. He was a life-long democrat, an upright member of the Mount Moriah Baptist church at Smithfield, and was one of the oldand substantial citizens of Nicholson Township, and died May 15, 1858,aged fifty-five years. He married Miss Hannah LARCH, daughter of Paul LARCH. Their union was blessed with four children: Michael BAKER and George BAKER, twins; Josiah BAKER, cabinet maker in Hamilton, Ohio; and Caroline BAKER, married and resides in Smithfield. Paul LARCH, Hannah’s father, won his wife in rather a romantic manner. He was a native of France, immigrated to the Illinois country, and engaged as an Indian trader. He stole his wife at night from an Indian camp where she was confined as a prisoner. She had been employed during that day in carrying wood, which the Indians intended to use in burning her during the next day. He owned four hundred acres of land where Kaskaskia, Illinois, now stands. Being in fear of the Indians, he came to George's Creek and took up four hundred acres of land where he resided till his death. Michael BAKER grew to manhood on the farm, attended the subscription schools and read and studied during his spare moments around the fireside at home until twenty-one years of age. Starting out in life for himself, he engaged in farming as his life pursuit. He now owns the home farm of 128 acres, besides having an interest in a large cattle ranch in Wyoming Territory. On September 20, 1859, he was united in marriage to Miss Jane DOWLIN, daughter of John DOWLIN of Greene County, and sister of John DOWLIN, ex revenue collector. They have three children: Lizzie BAKER, Ella BAKER, married, and Chauncey Larch BAKER. Mr. BAKER and his family are members of the Mount Moriah Baptist church at Smithfield. In 1873-75 he served very acceptably as poor house director of Fayette county. He is a prosperous farmer, an energetic and reliable business man. SOURCE: BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA OF FAYETTE COUNTY by GRESHAM and WILEY |