Historical Collections Relating to Gwynedd
By Howard M. Jenkins
Second Edition
1897
Chapter
22. The Boones,
The Boones,
This George, the elder, died in Berks county (the Oley or Exeter Friends'
settlement),
In 1721, John Rumford, who had been a member with Friends, at Haverford, and
George Boone, who had been a member at Abington, being now settled at Oley,
applied at the same time to Gwynedd meeting, for membership. This George was
the son of the other; he had been several years at Abington (and I think,
therefore, came over before his father), where he was clerk of the monthly
meeting, and a prominent and useful man. He had married, in 1713, Deborah
Howell (b. 8th mo. 28, 1691, d. 1st mo. 26, 1759, at
Oley), daughter of William and Mary. Deborah was a preacher, and
Besides this son George, the elder George Boone had, as stated above, seven
children: including Squire, who m. Sarah Morgan, Mary, who m. John Webb, James
who m. Mary Foulke, Joseph, Benjamin, and two others. Squire and Sarah Boone
had nine children (perhaps more), recorded at Oley from 1724 to 1740. Of these
Daniel, the
Squire Boone was one of the trustees of the property of Oley meeting, in
1736, showing both his substantial character and Quaker affiliations, at that
date. But he is said to have been disowned in 1748 for countenancing the
"disorderly" marriage of his son
[Note 1: James Boone's Bible says: "They left
[Note 2: Among the papers of my grandfather, Chas. F. Jenkins, I find this
letter from Absolom Thomas, Washington Town, Mason Co., Kentucky:
"Respected Friend: --I expect thee art ready to conclude that I have
forgot thee being so far off, but thee may rest ashured that I have not. I
often think of the many agreeable hours we spent in conversation and
sociability, which distance now deprives us of. But no more Introduction --I
proceed to give thee a little sketch of the times. After my being disappointed
in getting my land from Col. Boon, as probably thee may have heard before now,
which lay'd me under the necessity of following my trade. Since I came to this
place and after three months paying for my board and washing, I made an
acquaintance with a young woman which after a while I married, and now I live
in as much harmony with her I flatter myself as ever man and wife did and find
the matrimonial life far more agreeable than I ever expected to. I have told
thee what I have done, I will inform you of what I am doing. I have taken a
five acre lot to put corn in to the shares, my share will be two-thirds of the
crop, which if the season proves favorable I expect an Hundred and Seventy
Bushels of Corn. Here is great encouragement for farmers, much more than for
mechancks. I must stop wrighting for I have no more room and paper is scarce in
this town.
A memorandum on the letter say A.T. was the first cousin of Margaret Foulke
(dau. of Theophilus, afterward wife of Cadwallader, the surveyor), to whom the
letter was addressed. "He was one of the pioneers of
The
Abraham Lincoln, who was killed in 1784, in an Indian fight (in which his son Mordecai, a boy of 14, killed one of the Indians), had three sons: Mordecai, Josiah, and Thomas. The President was the son of the last named.
It will be observed that the removal of Squire Boone and his family to
As to a removal, first, to Fayette county, I do not know; but as has already been noted, John Hank was in Rockingham county, Virginia, at least as early as 1787, when his daughter Hannah married Asa Lupton. That this John was the one described by Mr. Lincoln is probable, or he may have been a son of the Berks county man, for the latter was in all probability the same John Hank who was born 1712, the son of the Whitemarsh yeoman and Sarah Evans, of Gwynedd.
[H.M. Jenkins note, 1897: John Hanke, of Whitemarsh, m. Sarah Evans, of Gwynedd, dau. of Cadwallader, the immigrant. She, after his death, m. Thomas Williams. It was the daughter of John and Sarah, Jane Hank, who was the wife of John Roberts, of Whitpain, and the mother of Squire Job Roberts]
Thomas Lincoln of
2004, 2009, Editor's note: Since the documentation from Nancy Hanks' cousins and stepmother was not found in an internet search we have put some letters and statements from them to William H. Herndon on the Gwynedd web site. The ancestry of Nancy Hanks Lincoln remains a controversial subject to this day that can only be solved through DNA analysis, particularly maternal lines via mitochondrial DNA. So far, DNA testing of the y chromosome of descendants of John "the Rail splitter" Hanks' line shows it to be the same as the Maryland William "the Quaker" Hanks (m. Ruth Shipley) of West River MM and perhaps also the same as some, but not all, Richmond Co., Virginia Hanks lines. No one from the Gwynedd MM line has yet been tested. From the statements of the cousins the only thing that can be said with any conviction is that Nancy's mother was probably named Lucy Hanks, and is the same one that married Henry Sparrow in Mercer Co., KY on April 03, 1791 (Dennis Hanks names her Nancy's mother and John Hanks says Henry Sparrow was his uncle. There seems to be confirmation of the name Lucy from the Sophia Hanks line [see Barton below]). This marriage to Henry Sparrow occurred 7 years after Nancy was born according to a Bible record in Lincoln's handwriting that says his mother Nancy was born on February 05, 1784. On 24 Nov 1789, a Mercer Co., KY jury presented a charge of fornication against Lucy Hanks. She was called a spinster, not a widow by this court. This case was not brought to trial. It is suspected that daughter Mary Sparrow was born in 1790, before the marriage to Henry Sparrow.
Lucy had the following siblings: (1) Nancy m. October 18, 1802, Green Co., KY, to Levi Hall (mother of Dennis, who had been born 1799, out of wedlock). (2) William m. September 12, 1793, Nelson Co., KY, Elizabeth Hall (mother of John the railsplitter). Because this wedding occurred in Neson County, it is commonly supposed that William is the son of Joseph Hanks and Nannie who left a will in Nelson County (will book A, p. 102 dated 8 Jan 1793, and probated 14 May 1793) naming children Thomas, Joshua, William, Charles, Joseph, Elizabeth, Polly, and Nancy. However, this Joseph names no daughter Lucy and there is no evidence he was ever in Mercer County. There is a tradition that Thomas Lincoln apprenticed as a carpenter with Joseph Hanks, the son of Joseph in Elizabethtown. (3) Elizabeth Hanks m. October 17, 1796, Mercer Co., Thomas Sparrow also in Spencer Co., IN. with Lincolns. This couple died of milk sickness 28 Sep 1818 with Lincoln's mother. Elizabeth and Thomas Sparrow had adopted Dennis Hanks, and after they died Dennis moved in with the Thomas Lincoln family.
The documentation leads one to speculate that this is the family of orphaned Hanks children, left to fend for themselves in Mercer County, Kentucky about 1783. However, the links to Joseph Hanks (will in Nelson county 1793) are almost convincing (see theories b and d below).
There are numerous other theories about the ancestry of Nancy Hanks. If interested, here is a list: (a) the Shipley hypothesis; (b) the results of the investigations of the Historian, W. E. Barton (c) Aden Baber's Hypothesis (now contradicted by y DNA evidence); (d) the Joseph of Richmond Co., VA and Nelson Co., KY hypothesis (e) the John of Richmond Co., VA and Mercer Co., KY hypothesis; (f) Sturgill's New River hypothesis (contradicted by y DNA evidence); (g) the New England hypothesis; (h) the North Carolina hypothesis; (i) the central Pennsylvania hypothesis from the Maryland line; (j) other Virginia hypotheses; (k) in addition there is the hypothesis of Howard Jenkins above. At last count there were a couple dozen families claiming Nancy Hanks as one of their own. A list of various Nancy Hanks of the period is HERE. DNA results are HERE.
In addition here are the Quaker records from Gwynedd, Exeter, Hopewell (VA), Crooked Run (VA) and elsewhere for the Hanks family as found in William Wade Hinshaw's card catalog at the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College and his Encyclopedia of Amercian Quaker Genealogy Volumes 2 and 6.
Darby MM, Pennsylvania
1732-6-2 John Hank, John: receive on certificate from Haddonfield MM dated 1731-10-13
1734-5-3 John Hank, got certificate to Philadelphia MM
Exeter Monthly Meeting (formed from Gwynedd MM 1737)
p. 140-1, 1754-5-30 Joseph Hank, received on certificate from Gwynedd MM
p. 145-1, 1754-9-26 Joseph Hank, disowned for marriage out of unity
Gwynedd Monthly Meeting, Pennsylvania
P 37-1, John Hank, and wife Sarah [Evans] ch: John b. 9-20-1712; Jane b. 8-12-1714 d. 10-7-1762, Eliz. b. 11-28-1716; Wm b. 1719; Wm b. 9-12-1720; Samuel b. 1-15-1723; Joseph b. 1725; Sarah b. 8-8-1728
p. 165-1, 1732/3-1-6 Sarah Hank, Phila Co., PA married Thomas Williams at Gwynedd Meeting House
P 203-1 , 1736-3-13, Jane Hank, daughter of John: Phila Co., PA married John Roberts at Gwynedd Meeting House
1737-2-26 John Hank and Margaret Williams reported married
P 38-1, John Hank and wife Margaret; children: Jane d: 6-9-1745; Joshua d. 5-31-1758
P 39-2 , 1750-5-31 John Hank and wife got certificate to Richland MM
p. 74-2 , 1752-3-31 Sarah Hank, got certificate to Burlington MM
p. 79-2, 1752-7-28, Samuel Hank, disowned
p.84-2, 1752-8-25 Jno Hank and wife--: rec'd on certificate from Richland MM dated 8-20-1752
p. 95-2, 1753-2-27 Joseph Hank, got certificate to Exeter MM
P 381-2, 1763-12-27 John Hank, disowned for disunity
P 24-2, 1768-1-26 John Hank, disowned for disunity
P 42-3, 1768-8-30, Caleb Hank, offered an account for Marriage contrary to discipline
p. 170-3, 1774-2-22 Margaret Hank, and daughters, Susanna, Eleanor, Margaret and Hannah: got a certificate to Hopewell (Va) MM
Philadelphia Monthly Meeting
John Hank received on certificate from Darby MM dated 1734, 5, 3.
1737, 6, 26. John Hank got certificate to Burlington MM to marry.
NEW JERSEY
Burlington Monthly Meeting, New Jersey
Hannah Hank, daughter of John and Rebecca, born 7-14-1738 (Rebecca, daughter of Thomas Brian)
1737, 7, 22. John, son of Luke Hank, Philadelphia Co., married Rebecca Brian, daughter of Thomas Brian of Burlington County, at Burlington Meeting House. [note thought to be the son of Luke Hank and Hannah Brown of Derbyshire, England]
1738/9, 12, 5. John Hank received on certificate from Philadelphia MM, dated 1738, 9, 24.
1752, 6, 1 Sarah Hank received on certificate from Gwynedd MM, N. Wales, dated 1752, 3, 31.
1754, 3, 4. Sarah Hank disowned
1757, 8, 1. John & wife Rebecca, & daughter, Hannah, got certificate to Haddonfield MM
1767, 8, 3. John Hank received on certificate from Evesham MM, dated 1767, 7, 9.
1770, 11, 5. John Hank reported married to Rachel Ewing.
Evesham Monthly Meeting, New Jersey
p. 6-1, John Hank, son of John & Rebekah, b. 6-17-1747
p. 153-1, 1767-7-9 John Hank, got certificate to Burlington MM
Haddonfield MM, New Jersey
p. 153-1, 1730-6-10 John Hank, received on certificate from Breach MM Derby Co., Great Britain
p. 170-1, 1731-10-13 John Hank, got certificate to Derby(Pa) MM
p. 373-2, 1757-10-10 John Hank and wife Hannah [should read Rebecca?] & daughter Hannah; received on certificate from Burlington (NJ) MM dated 8-1-1757
p. 428-2, 1760-3-10 John Hank got certificate to Burlington (NJ) MM
VIRGINIA (from Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy)
Hopewell MM
1777,6,2, Margrat & daughter Susannah, Elenor, Hannah & Margret, received on certificate from Gwynedd MM, dated 1774,2,22
1777,12,1. Susannah Bryan (form Hank) reported married out of unity; disowned
1778,2,2. Elleanor disowned
1779,4,5. Margaret, daughter Margaret, reported married out of unity
1781,5,31. Margaret widow, disowned for disunity (when first comdemned 5-1779, her daughters Margaret & Hannah, are also comdemned for non-attendance; Margaret disowned marriage oout of unity; no further mention of Hannah)
1784,3,1. Hannah Hank recieved on certificate from Crooked Run MM, dtd 1784,2,28
1787, 5, 17. Hannah Hank, Frederick Co., VA, daughter of John, dec, & Margaret, of Rockingham Co., VA married Asa Lupton
Crooked Run MM
1783,11,29 John Hank, received in membership on request
1784,2,28 Hannah Hank, got certificate to Hopewell MM
1792,5,5 John Hank, got certificate to Westland MM
Will Abstracts, Philadelphia County:
1. John HANK, Whitemarsh township, Co. of Philadelphia. Yeoman. December 12, 1730/1 (wonder if Feb 1730/1). Proved May 31, 1731. Philadelphia Co. Book E.158.
Wife: Sarah. Children: John, William, Samuel, Joseph, Jane, Elizabeth, Sarah. Cousin: John Hank.
Exec: Sarah Hank.
Trustees: John Evans, Thomas Evans, Jonathan Robeson.
Wit: Isaac Williams, William Trotter, David Davies.
note: mention of cousin John Hank is interesting. This could be the John Hank of Breach, Haddonfield, Darby, Philadelphia, Burlington and Evesham MM. If so, John Hank of Whitemarsh is of the Derbyshire, England Hank family.
2. A John Hank witnessed the will of Robert Parry of Philadelphia in 1738.
3. Joseph Hanks (yes there was an s at the end) witnessed the will of John Edwards of Montgomery township, Philadelphia County in 1748.
4. Anne Hanks witnessed the will of Oliver Williams of Philadelphia on March 13, 1749/50.
Source: Philadelphia PAGenWeb Archives
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