SETTLEMENT DATES,
WASHINGTON CO. PENN.

[SOURCE: National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Sept 1966; Volume 54, number 3. Transcribed by Savanna Wiesner, proofread by Brenda Wiesner for Genealogy Trails]

By Raymond M. Bell

In the September 1957 N.G.S. Quarterly the writer listed the dates of settlement in Washington County, Pa. from the certificates granted by Virginia 1779-80. At that time he quoted from Ohio Co. and Yohogania Co. records, and presumed that the Monongalia Co. records were lost. (All three counties claimed jurisdiction in Washington County before 1781.)

According to The Transallegheny Historical Magazine (1901-02), Vol. I, p. 209, the Monongalia certificates are at the Morgantown courthouse. The list is copied beginning on p. 66, vol. I. These records were in another building when the Morgantown courthouse burned in 1796.

This enables several Washington Co., names to be added:

NAME	YEAR	SECTION
Barnett, James	1773	E. Bethlehem
Bishop, Thomas	1773	E. Bethlehem
Bomgardner, Jesse, heir of Adam, heir of George	1769	E. Bethlehem
Braden, James	1771	W. Bethlehem
Conkle, John	1773	W. Bethlehem
Crooks, Thomas	1772	W. Bethlehem
Drake, Peter	1772	E. Bethlehem
Hadden, Charles	1773	E. Bethlehem
Hames, Christian	1774	E. Bethlehem
Hatfield, James	1770	E. Bethlehem
Hill, Joseph	1773	E. Bethlehem
Hill, Thomas	1774	Amwell
Hupp, Everhart	1769	Amwell
Leatherman, Christian	1774	W. Bethlehem
Leatherman, Daniel	1776	W. Bethlehem
Miller, John, assignee of Philip Swartz	1772	Amwell
Myers, George	1771	W. Bethlehem
Peck, Jacob	1774	E. Bethlehem
Sage, Frederick	1774	W. Bethlehem
Tucker, James	1773	Amwell
Tucker, John, son of Edwin	1774	E. Bethlehem

The writer also stated in 1957 that the Pennsylvania records did not list the dates of settlement, but he has found dates when interest was to commence which may indicate the time of settlement on the land. In the Washington and Jefferson College Historical Collection there are several hundred orders of survey issued by Pennsylvania in 1780’s to Washington County surveyors. These in settlers gave this information. About half the orders list interest dates preceding many cases list the date of interest on the land was to commence. Not all the date of issue. No doubt records at Harrisburg give many more names.

One reason for the earlier dates for interest to commence is that no land grants were made by Pennsylvania in the 1770’s and 1780-83. This was due to the dispute with Virginia and the Revolutionary War. Many land grants were made beginning in 1784.

None of these dates has ever been published. Those differing by more than five years are listed (mostly Washington Co. with a few from Greene Co.):

NAME	ACRES	DATE OF ORDER	INTEREST FROM	AREA
Adamson, Thomas	318	1784	1769	Enoch’s Run
Allen, Joseph	300	1784	1768	Monongalia River
Arnold, Abraham	190	1787	1780	Ten Mile Creek
Baldwin, Caleb Jr.	400	1786	1777	Ten Mile Creek
Baldwin, Jabez	400	1786	1777	Ten Mile Creek
Benham, Robert	200	1784	1777	Ten Mile Creek
Beverd, James & Gibson, William	332	1785	1766	Monongalia River
Carrol, Taylor	303	1785	1772	King’s Creek
Clare, Thomas	45	1788	1772	Whiteley Creek
Clare, Thomas	200	1788	1778	Whiteley Creek
Clark, Joseph	200	1787	1776?	Chartiers Creek
Conkle, Henry	400	1788	1780	Adj. James Breaden
Conkle, John	400	1788	1780	Adj. James Breaden
Cook, Peyton	400	1786	1780	Adj. Reason Pumphrey
Cooper, Thomas	330	1785	1778	Bethlehem Twp
Coulson, Samuel	400	1786	1771	Ten Mile Creek
Crane, John	300	1784	1773	Mid. Whiteley Creek
Crawford, Alexander	75	1785	1775	Cumberland Twp
Crawford, Alice	200	1785	1779	Muddy Creek
Crawford, Mary	150	1785	1779	Cumberland Twp
Cree, William	250	1789	1780	Muddy Creek
Crow, Lawrence	300	1784	1773	Pike Run
Davis, Azariah	400	1784	1771	DeLong Run
Delinger, Augustine	200	1785	1774	Greene Twp
Dennis, Michael	200	1794	1784	Buffalo Creek
Dickeson, John	200	1785	1774	Ten Mile Creek
Donahy, John	400	1784	1776	Cross Creek
Dorsey, Joseph	250	1785	1773	Bethlehem Twp
Dougherty, Edward, heirs	300	1785	1769	Enlow’s Run
Dunn, Edmund	100	1787	1780	Ten Mile Creek
Eagon, James	300	1784	1774	So. Ten Mile Creek
Evalt, Henry	300	1785	1771	Peter’s Creek
Finney, Thomas	250	1785	1778	Peter’s Creek
Forsythe, James	300	1785	1774	Peter’s Creek
Harden, Myles	200	1784	1774	Ten Mile Creek
Hall, John	300	1785	1775	Montour’s Run
Hall, William	400	1785	1773	Montour’s Run
Hill, James	300	1784	1774	So. Ten Mile Creek
Hill, Thomas	400	1786	1773	No. Ten Mile Creek
Hormell, Henry	400	1786	1779	Bethlehem Twp
Hughs, Felix	400	1785	1770	Muddy Creek
Hughs, James	400	1785	1770	Muddy Creek
Johnston, James	200	1784	1771	Saw Mill Run
Kerr, James	240	1785	1775	Ten Mile Creek
Kitton, Thomas	250	1784	1777	No. Ten Mile Creek
Kripes, Barbara	333	1786	1769	Adj. Joseph Brinton
Levengood, Peter	200	1786	1776	Cumberland Twp
Lewis, Andrew	150	1786	1774	Greene Twp
Morrison, James	400	1785	1779	Montour’s Run
Neasly, Jacob	300	1784	1772	Raccoon Creek
Nichol, Thomas Phillips, Jabish	300	1785	1773	Chartiers Creek
Phebe& Mary Hill	300	1784	1769	No. Ten Mile Creek
Pickenbough, Peter	400	1785	1777	Greene twp
Polk, Samuel	250	1786	1779	Muddy Creek
Pollock, John	350	1785	1772	Crooked Run
Provance, Sarah Jr.	300	1785	1771	Dunard Creek
Provance, Sarah	400	1785	1769	Greene Twp
Provance, Sarah	300	1786	1779	Greene Twp
Ramsey, Thomas	140	1785	1779	Chartiers Creek
Read, Joseph	150	1788	1772	So. Ten Mile Creek
Redick, David	200	1786	1776	Chartiers Creek
Reed, Joseph Jr.	200	1788	1775	Chartiers Creek
Right, Benjamin	400	1785	1770	Dunkard Creek
Robinson, James Jr.	400	1784	1774	S. Tomlinson’s Run
Roney, Hercules	400	1785	1774	Mid. Wheeling Creek
Sergent, Thomas Jr.	300	1785	1779	Ten Mile Creek
Shepperd, William	400	1786	1780	Cumberland Twp
Silver, Jonathan	200	1785	1769	Dunkard Creek
Smith, Catharine	300	1785	1778	Greene Twp
Smith Charles	150	1784	1774	Adj. Oliver Ormsby
Stall, Michael	400	1784	1775	Hanover Twp
Stroud, Samuel	200	1786	1780	So. Ten Mile Creek
Stull, John	200	1786	1780	Ten Mile Creek
Summers, Philip	400	1784	1779	Adj. Rebecca Gray
Tage, Frederick	300	1786	1780	Bethlehem Twp
Updegrove, Samuel	400	1784	1774	Dunkard Creek
White, Jacob	151	1785	1776	Bethlehem Twp
Williams, Jerret	340	1787	1774	Buffalo Creek
Williamson, Daniel	400	1787	1772	Buffalo Creek
Williamson, David	300	1786	1776	Buffalo Creek
Williamson, David Sr.	400	1787	1772	Buffalo Creek
Williamson, David Jr.	400	1787	1773	Buffalo Creek
Williamson, Eleazer	300	1786	1776	Buffalo Creek
Wilson, William	380	1786	1769	Lit. Whiteley Creek

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SETTLEMENT DATES, WASHINGTON CO. PENN.

SETTLEMENT DATES,
WASHINGTON CO. PENN.