[NI0076]
Abstract of Alexander Robison's will (from McClenahen, Dan, Wills of
Mifflin County):
ROBISON, Alexander, Milford Twp., w. 8/29/08, p. 11/11/11, sons Thomas,
James, Alexander, daughters Esther, wife of John Cunningham, Elizabeth,
wife of Alexander Sanderson, Margaret, wife of Joseph Shaffer, Exec. sons
James & Thomas. (Will Book 2)
Much of the information entered in this database about the descendants of
Alexander Robison and John Hardy are taken from Everts, Peck, and
Richards, History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys
embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder in
the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1886.
Robert Robison's account in Louden's Narratives gives many names,
including two of his brothers who were killed in the Indian Wars in PA
between 1750 and 1800. Robert and his brothers may have been brothers of
Alexander Robison though there is no evidence in the Narrative to support
this. But clearly they were of the same generation and lived in the same
immediate area as Alexander so it seems reasonable to conclude that they
were either brothers or cousins of his. It also seems likely that George
Robison was an elder as a Fort was named for him. He may have been
Alexander's uncle or Grandfather. (This is speculation.)
In all, the following Robison's are mentioned: George, and the brothers
James (killed 1756), William (killed 1763), Robert (the author of the
Narrative, wounded in 1763), and Thomas (wounded and mangled in 1763).
Among the many names mentioned as resident's of the area in the Narrative
are the following:
Mentioned in connection with the First War, 1756-1757:
McCord's Fort
Captain Hamilton
James Robison, killed by Indians in 1756
Mr. James Blair, killed by Indians in 1756
The Woolcomber's family on Shearman's Creek, Quakers, all but a boy of 14
killed by Indians in 1756
A Fort at George Robison's
Col. John Armstron, with 307 men, September, 1757, including
Thomas Burke and
James Chalmers, two "old traders"
Lieut. Hoge, killed in Sept., 1757
A boy of the name of Crawford
Captain Jacobs (an Indian), his squaw, and son
Captain Mercer and his company, including
Sergeant Brown
Thomas Burke
Ensign Scott
John Ferguson, a soldier
Franks town
Fort Littleton
Andrew Douglas
Samuel Chambers, killed in 1857
old Captain Patterson
Mentioned in connection with the Second War, 1763
General Boquet
David Owens, married an Indian woman, had three children, then killed and
scalped
them all for the bounty on their scalps.
William White and his family, all but one boy killed by Indians at
Juniatta in July, 1763
Robert Campbell's on the Tuscarora creek, he and his family killed by Indians in July, 1763
George Dodds, with Campbell at the time of the attack, but escaped
William Dicksen's in Shermans Valley
Edward Elliott
John Graham
John Christy
James Christy
William Anderson, an old man killed by Indians in 1763 with his son and a
girl he had raised
Graham
the Christys
Collins's family in Tuscarora Valley
James Scotts family in Tuscarora Valley
Nicholson's
Alexander Logan
George McCords
William Robison who acted as captain, killed by Indians in 1763
Robert Robison, the relater of this narrative
Thomas Robison, mangled by Indians in 1763
John Graham, killed by Indians in 1763(?)
Charles Elliott, killed by Indians in 1763
William Christy
James Christy
David Miller
John Elliott, a boy of 17
Edward McConnel, killed by Indians in 1763
William McAlister
John Nicholson
Alexander Logan, killed by Indians in 1763
his son John Logan, killed by Indians in 1763
Charles Coyle, killed by Indians in 1763
William Hamilton, killed by Indians in 1763
Bartholomew Davis
Captain Dunning
An Incident in July, 1756:
... at our own (Robison's) fort at Shearman's Valley
James Wilson
Robert Miller
John Simmerson
James Wilson
widow Gibson, killed by the Indians
Hugh Gibson, taken prisoner by the Indians
Betsey Henry, taken prisoner by the Indians
One additional name, not connected to the events above:
James McClung
[NI0079] Said to have died of a horse kick.
[NI0082] Joseph Shafer died in Federal service during the Civil War as Lieutenant in Company K, 126th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His place of death is given as Martinsburg, West Virginia. He never married.
[NI0085] No word on whether John served in the Civil War or not...
[NI0087]
Sarah is buried in Otterbein United Brethren Churchyard, Reading
Township, Perry County Ohio.
OTTERBEIN CHURCH ; church ; Perry ; 39ø46'21"N 082ø21'47"W
[NI0088]
Alexander Robison Shafer was apparently born with the name Shaver but
changed the spelling of his name to "Shafer".
Alexander was born in Milford Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, an
area which is now known as Juniata County. He moved as a child to
Fairfield County Ohio. He is buried in Otterbein United Brethren
Churchyard and his obituary appeared in the Somerset Post, Volume XX,
No. 21, p. 3, 11/28/1850.
The entire text of his obit reads:
"DIED -- At his residence, near this place, on the 24th inst., Mr.
ALEXANDER SHAFFER, at an advanced age."
Note the use of the spelling "Shaffer" in the last name!
In "Marriages of Perry County, Ohio, 1818-1878," compiled by Miss Nada M.
Seymoour, Washington, D.C., 1957 (FHC 977.159 v25S Vol. 1), the names of
Alexander and Sarah are spelled "Alexander R. Shaffer" and "Sarah
Meddagh".
A copy of Alexander Robison Shafer's last will and testament, dated
September 9, 1850, is in hand (SAS 9/16/96). The will names wife Sarah
and his four oldest children as benefactors and names guardians for all
nine of his children. As executors, wife Sarah, Peter Middaugh, and John
Heck are named. Alexander's name is spelled with one "f" on the last
will and testament.
OTTERBEIN CHURCH ; church ; Perry ; 39o46'21"N 082o21'47"W
[NI0091]
Nancy was "Scotch-Irish" according to Lilly Letterman Shaffer.
Nancy was said by their granddaughter Jane to be very upset because two
of her children married Cantrels, members of a notorious outlaw family.
Nancy Jane Callison's parents may have been Ezekial Callison and
"Bonnett" Tipton. Check in Strafford, Green County, and Niangua and
Marshfield, Webster County, for these names.
According to Vera Lindgren (letter to Steve Shaffer 7/96), Nancy and
Israel "lived on produce from the farm, even shearing the sheep and
making yarn which they wove into cloth for their woolen clothing."
[NI0092]
Israel was said by Lilly Letterman Shaffer to have been "Black Dutch from
Pennsylvania."
According to Vera Lindgren (letter to Steve Shaffer 7/96), Nancy and
Israel "lived on produce from the farm, even shearing the sheep and
making yarn which they wove into cloth for their woolen clothing."
Israel may have been in the Civil War, may have been injured in the war.
Served the Union from the state of Missouri (?). (Edith Selby, 8/25/96
conversation w/ SAS.)
[NI0093]
1939 Visalia City Directory:
Letterman John C jr (Thelma) h246 Levis.
Note: John and Eliza Letterman lived at 240 Levis at this time.
1944 Visalia City Directory:
Letterman John C (Thelma L) h713 S Encina.
[NI0095]
1944 Visalia City Directory:
Letterman Harry W lab r713 S Encina.
Note: Same as John C and Thelma L Letterman.
[NI0112] Migrated to Muscatine County, Iowa after marriage (Source: Allen, Cameron, "Four Generations of the Middagh Family in Perry County," Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, 32:3, 95-100, 1968.)
[NI0121] William H. Spencer was the Reverend Spencer.
[NI0125]
Aert immigrated to new Amsterdam by 1654 from Heicop in Utrecht, The
Netherlands. He settled in Brooklyn, New York.
[NI0128] Vergie and Charles had 10 children...
[NI0129] Ed Brown, Marty and William Brown's son, spent his life in the Navy. He was a nuclear physicist with a degree from Harvard University. Was stationed for at least part of his career at Treasure Island. May have attended the Univ. of California also. One note in family records gives his birthdate as 11-23-1924. Elsewhere it was given as 1904. Note Marty and William's marriage date of 1903.
[NI0133]
Obediah's daughter Hope is said to have married a man named Eggleston and
settled in Bellingham Washington.
[NI0134]
Obadiah was baptized on December 2, 1794 at the Bethel Baptist Church in
Shipley.
Obediah is said to have owned 1,000 acres in Missouri and to have lived
on income from his family in England. He did not own slaves but hired
them from neighboring farmers for 25c a day. This is the nearest any of
our ancestors came to slavery.
[NI0137]
Israel Letterman first married Alma and had four children by her (Stella,
Bessie, Della, and Ernest). Ernest died in his teens.
Alma died in about 1908 and Tude's brother Ezekiel died at about the
same time, leaving a wife, Ann, and at least 6 children. Tude then went
back to Missouri, collected Ann, brought her (and her children) back to
California and married her. His 3 daughters immediately left home and
moved in with their cousin Lillie and her husband Otto Shaffer. They
stayed with the Shaffers until Stella was able to support herself and
Della. Bessie married Ogle Shaffer, Otto's brother. (See notes on Bessie
for further information on her family.)
[NI0138] Zeke Letterman is said to have farmed north of Bakersfield, east of the highway (Vera Lindgren, conversation with Steve Shaffer 1/2/95).
[NI0141] Called "Arzonie" by her siblings and others, according to Edith Selby (conversation with SAS 8/25/96).
[NI0147]
The graves of Sanuel and Angeline are at Methodist Cemetery, Rome
Township, Davison County, South Dakota, at Addition 13, Block 3, Lot 20,
Graves 3 & 4.
[NI0148]
William died at less than a year of age and less than a month after his
mother, Almeda's, death and is buried in the McCrary Cemetery, Daviess
County, Missouri.
[NI0149] Obediah III is said to have had 5 children.
[NI0150]
Grant is said to have had 5 children.
Grant is buried in the Brown Cemetery, Gallatin, Daviess County Missouri.