Sarah Hormell

Sarah married Warren Lee Burk on 12 Aug 1819 in Warren County, Ohio, United States. Warren was born on 20 Mar 1792; died on 15 Jan 1839. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Gunsmith and farmer
• Census: 1830, Turtlecreek Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States
• Will: 11 May 1836; Probated April 8, 1839

Notes:

John Hormell, Jr. was one of the first settlers in Warren County, Ohio. He left Pennsylvania for the Ohio frontier in September 1796, and moved to Warren County, in the month of June 1798. After all the confusion over land ownership was cleared up and John Sr., finally received clear title to his land, John Jr., was able to buy his first 171 acres in 1805 for $500. In 1814 he bought another 102 acres from his father for $1000. After his father's death, he inherited another 125 acres in 1824, which he claimed adjoining his original 171 acres. John Jr. and Rachel Blair raised their family on their 398 acre farm. He saw the founding of Lebanon in 1802 and the building of route 48 past his farm.

On June 12, 1812, Congress declared war on Great Britain. William H. Harrison, who later became the ninth president of the United States, was commissioned to lead the troops from Cincinnati up to Lebanon where he added the Warren Co. regulars to his every growing army. From Lebanon, the army marched north on Rt. 48 toward Dayton and finally on to Canada. It is said that people ran for a mile or more through the woods and over the fields to see this great spectacle. Perhaps some of the Hormel family saw General Harrison ride by on his stately horse at the head of his army of volunteers at the beginning of the War of 1812.

In referring to the roster of 1812 veterans, we see that John Hormell (Hormel) served under Capt. John Patterson from July 6th to July 23rd in 1814.

Sadness also was a part of John, Jr.'s life. Before his death, he saw three of his children pass away; Lydia, Amy in 1835, and Joseph in May, 1838. Less than a year later, John, Jr. passed away on his farm. Rachell Blair Hormell lived for eight more years and died also on the farm on January 27, 1847. They are both buried in the Kirby Cemetery across the road from their land.

Perhaps the finest evidence of the respect and honor the community accorded to him was found in
"The Western Star", Lebanon's newspaper. Here below is what the editors had to say about him on February 1, 1839:

OBITUARY
DIED - Near this place, on Wednesday the 23rd of January, Mr. John Hormel, age 73. Mr. Hormel came to Warren county in the month of June, 1798, and has resided here ever since. He has ever sustained the character of a good citizen, being regarded by his friends as a quiet, upright, unobtrusive and honest man. He was a believer in Christ and died in the full hope of a glorious immortality beyond the grave. We part with an old, true and steadfast friend of the Western Star. He saw the first paper struck off, nearly thirty-two years ago, and from that period to his death he has been a regular subscriber, invariably

John Jr. settled on a farm about three miles north of Lebanon, called the Bundy farm. He died there as did his wife also and they are both buried in a little grave yard near the creek on the same farm. After John Jr's death his farm was sold to a Mr. Thompson. [Source: H. H. Hormell, "Record of the Descendants of John Hormell of Washington County, Pa. & Warren County, O."]

John married Rachel Blair in 1788 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. Rachel was born on 23 May 1769 in England, United Kingdom; died on 25 Jan 1847 in Turtlecreek Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States; was buried in Jan 1847 in Warren County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Rachel Blair was of an English family, and was raised at Steubenville, O. Her brother was a gunsmith and made guns for the government. They came from Philadelphia. [Source: H. H. Hormell, "Record of the Descendants of John Hormell of Washington County, Pa. & Warren County, O."]

Other Events:

• Military: Revolutionary War
• Property: 16 Feb 1786, East Bethleham Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States; filed an application for a Warrant to purchase 400 acres
• Survey: 7 Apr 1788, East Bethlehem, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States; in pursuance of the warrant granted to John Hormall the tract of land called Garland was surveyed on 1 June 1786 and returned
• Land Patent: 8 Apr 1788, East Bethleham Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States; was granted a Patent for a tract of land called "Eutaw" containing 398½ acres for the price of 12 Pounds 8 Shillings
• Property: 31 Jan 1811, Butler County, Ohio, United States; purchased 641.76 acres for $1000 from Leonard Rush; Address:
  (Section 30, Township 2, Range 4 East)
• Property: 2 Feb 1811, Butler County, Ohio, United States; sold 295.25 acres $1771.50 to Samuel Mattix; Address:
  (part of Section 30, Township 2, Range 4 East)
• Property: 21 Feb 1811, Butler County, Ohio, United States; sold 75 acres for $300 to Aaron Southard; Address:
  (part of Section 30, Township 2, Range 4 East)
• Property: 18 May 1811, Butler County, Ohio, United States; sold 50 acres for $200 to David Patten; Address:
  (part of Section 30, Township 2, Range 4 East)
• Property: 1 Jan 1816, Butler County, Ohio, United States; sold 163.75 acres for $859.12½ to Theophilus Eglesfield; Address:
  (part of Section 30, Township 2, Range 4 East)
• Will: Apr 1818, Warren County, Ohio, United States; Codicil was added 15 April 1822
• Probate: 1 Feb 1823, Warren County, Ohio, United States
• Newspaper: 27 Nov 1824; The Western Star (Lebanon, Ohio), 27 November 1824, p3
• History / Bio: 1882; History of Washington County Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), p766
• Newspaper: 13 Sep 1952; The Journal Herald (Dayton, Ohio), 13 September 1952, p21

Notes:

In the 1750's, Forbes Road between St. Loudon through Ft. Bedford was built to Ft. Pitt at the forks of the Ohio, and Gist's Trace was built from Cumberland, Maryland, to the Monongahela River area south of Ft. Pitt. At first, it was illegal for the white man to settle there since it was considered Indian territory. However, in 1768, the Treaty of Ft. Stanwix opened the whole region south and east of the Ohio River. A land office was established at Pittsburgh in 1769 and by 1771, the population in the region reached 10,000 families.

In 1770, John Hormell settled on a tract of land situated on the West side of Monongahela River, now in Washington County, Pennsylvania and became one of the first frontiersmen on the new western Pennsylvania frontier. His land was finally officially surveyed in 1786 and included 398-1/2 acres. The estate was to be called "Eutaw" and began at a Box Elder tree on the bank of the Monongahela River and ran by land of Jonas Potts, John Jenkinson, and Henry Hormell, and up said river to the place of beginning. The land patent from Philadelphia was issued on April 8, 1788, and in October, 1789, John and his wife Eleanor sold 135 acres of "Eutaw" to Jacob Hormell for 200 pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania. It is presumed that both Henry (born on January 1, 1747 and died in Warren County, Ohio, on February 16, 1834) and Jacob Hormell (born in 1737) were brothers of John Hormell, Sr. Jacob called his 135 acres "Garland" and lived there until his death, in 1821, raising his family and passing it onto his heirs.

John Hormell, who was born in 1743 was already 27 when he settled with his wife Eleanor, aged 29, on the Pennsylvania frontier to build a new life from scratch on land that had to be cleared and developed out of the forest.

John was enrolled during 1781 and 1782 as a Private First Class in Captain Robert Sweeny's Sixth Company, Fifth Battalion, of the Washington County, Militia during the Revolutionary War, along with his two brothers. It is not known whether or not the Hormell brothers saw any action against the Indians.

After the end of the Revolutionary War, John and Eleanor continued to raise their family which eventually included, besides their son John, seven daughters. The 1788 tax records for East Bethlehem Twp. in Washington County, Pa., show John Hormell as owning only about 278 acres of the original 400 acres he claimed in 1786. For this land he paid 173 shillings in land tax. He also paid 17 shillings tax for the three horses he owned, 8 shillings for four cows, 30 shillings for two stills he owned and operated, and 90 shillings for the two "Neagors" he owned. This was considered high by their standards and they had to be rather prosperous in order to pay it. The 1794 tax records show John Hormell's taxes as follows: 280 acres-140 shillings, 1 negro-40 shillings, 5 horses-30 shillings, 5 cows-12 shillings.

Slavery was abolished gradually in Pennsylvania by a law passed in 1780 which stated that any person born to a slave after the date of passage would not be considered a slave. Slavery existed in that state legally far into the 19th century. John would have had either to free or sell his one slave when he migrated to Ohio since slavery was forbidden there by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. There is no record of what he did. John and Eleanor sold their farm "Eutaw" on October 19, 1795 for 1000 pounds.

When most people are starting to think about retiring, John, at 54, and his wife Eleanor, at 56, were starting all over again in a land where people literally had to begin anew with nothing but hard work and what they brought with them.

On December 22, 1797, John Hormell, Sr. bought 420 acres for $400.00 from James Matthews in what is now Warren County,. The senior Hormell also bought on that date 160 acres for $175.00 from Ephram Kibbey, one of the founding fathers of Columbia, a town which has since been incorporated into the east side of Cincinnati. The next year on December 31, 1798, he sold the 160 acres in Range 1, Township 3, Section 13 to George Palser, his son-in-law, the husband of Rebecca, his daughter. It seems that the older Hormell used his money to buy land for his children while it was still relatively cheap and easy to get, and then sold it to them when they had the money.

It seems that John did this for his son also because according to the "Western Star", Lebanon's newspaper during the first half of the nineteenth century, John Hormell, Jr., "moved to Warren County, in the month of June 1798," and was one of the original settlers.

Not knowing that his land patents (titles) would not be assured because of a dispute over how much land belonged to whom, John Hormell, Sr. continued to contract to buy more land. Little did he know that he would become involved, as a victim, in the famous Symmes Land Purchase dispute. John Cleves Symmes was a New Jersey congressman who, seeing a chance to make a lot money, petitioned Congress in 1787 to buy two million acres between the Great and Little Miami Rivers, starting north from the Ohio River. Without waiting for approval from Congress, he started advertising the land for sale, sold $83,000 worth of it, and started west to visit and oversee the establishment of settlements on it. Congress approved only one million acres of the request, starting on the east side of the Great Miami River and going eastward only 21 miles. This left out the town of Columbia, which was founded in 1788, and the land John, Sr. bought north of Lebanon. By the time Symmes heard that Congress had not granted him all the land that he had asked for, he had already sold much of the land which was not really his. In the hopes that Congress would eventually grant him the rest of the land between the two Miami Rivers, he continued to sell to the incoming settlers during the 1790's. John Hormell, being among these, continued to buy land. On November 3, 1799, he bought 402 acres lying on the north side of Sec. 26, T 4, R 1 in the Miami Purchase for a loan of $1,703 of which he promised to $853 by June, 1800, and $852 by June 1801. On March 4, 1800, he bough 35 acres in the town of Columbia plus 160 acres of farm land outside of town from Ephram Kibbey for $301. On June 13, 1801, John, Sr. of Columbia Twp., Hamilton Co. bought 430 acres in R 2, T 3, Sec. 21 for $1,200 from John C. Symmes himself who then lived in Northbend (west of Cincinnati) on the Ohio.

About this time, the federal government decided that the land ownership dispute had to be resolved in the Miami country. Congress delineated very specifically which lands had been sold to Symmes and thus were legal sales, and which lands still belonged to the U.S. government and would have to be bought again. The Hormell lands were very definitely outside the legal Symmes land grant. This ownership "mess" took five years to clear up. Between March of 1799 and March of 1804, Congress passed five Symmes Land Acts which stated, in essence, that all people who had bought tracts of land from the speculator John C. Symmes would be allowed to keep their land if they would apply to the U.S. government for a patent, pay $3.00 to have their tract surveyed, and pay $2.00 per acre on all land they claimed. Arriving early in the Ohio Country had assured the Hormell family of choice land, but not the best financial advantage. The land north of Lebanon would have to bought again; $840 for the 420 acres for which John, Sr. had already paid $400 in 1797. He not only paid for the 420 acres again, but he bought the whole section which included 640 acres. While he was at it, he also bought the 640 acre section (Sec. 33, T 4, R 4) directly to the north of the original Sec.. 32, T 4, R 4. This made a total of 1,280 acres (or two square miles) that John, Sr. bought for $2,560. On November 13, 1801, the land office granted him Section 32 in the Preempted Land Symmes Purchase and on November 14, 1801, it granted him Section 33 in the Congress Lands Between the Miami Rivers Survey. The original land patent that John Hormell finally received federal government in 1804 for Sec. 32 reads as follows: To all to whom these presents shall come, GREETING: Know Ye, that John Hormel of Hamilton County, having deposited in the Treasury a certificate of the Register of the Land-office at Cincinnati, whereby it appears that he has made full payment for Section Number Thirty Two of Township Number Four in the Fourth Range of the Land lying between the Great Miami river and the Virginia reservation, sold under the direction of the Register of the Land-office at Cincinnati, by virtue of the right of pre-emption granted by law to certain persons who have contracted with John Cleves Symmes or his associates,

THERE IS GRANTED, by the United States, in pursuance of the act of Congress in that case provided, unto the said John Hormel the section of land above described: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said section of land, with the appurtenances, unto the said John Hormel, his heirs and assigns forever. In testimony whereof, I have caused these Letters to be made Patent, Given under my Hand at the City of Washington the Twenty Second day of August in the year our Lord one thousand eight hundred four and of the Independence of the United States of America, the Twenty Ninth.
By the President, Th. Jefferson
James Madison, Sec.of State

The patent for Sec. 33 reads the same except for the change in facts for land description. That next June 1805, John Sr. was able to sell his son 171 acres in Sec. 32. By this time, John, Jr. and Rachel had already built their log cabin, cleared the land for farming, and had started to raise a family.

John Hormell, Sr. continued to buy land and on November 12, 1805, he bought from Marsh Williams 220 acres in Sec. 25, T 4, R? for $1400. On April 28, 1818, he bought 14 acres for $216 (in Creek Twp. Sec. 5, T 3, R 2) from Martin Gray. Whatever happened to these properties in Hamilton County, is a mystery since a good search of the records at the courthouse in Cincinnati reveals a great confusion in property deeds for that period because of the Symmes Land Scandal. It seems that he abandoned his claims to lands in Hamilton County, and concentrated his efforts on the two square miles of land north of Lebanon. Although John, Sr. and Eleanor were still officially living in Columbia Twp. in Hamilton County, in 1805, they were residents of Warren County, by 1809 when he was listed on the tax returns. In 1810, he paid $10.05 tax on the 1,005 acres that he still owned, having sold 171 acres to his son and 75 acres to someone else.

When he died in 1823 at the age of 80, John, Sr. could rest peacefully in the knowledge that he had attained the goal that the New World promised and which all who came to America hoped to achieve. He is buried on a knoll on his farm near Rt. 48 beside his wife, Eleanor who died also at the age of 80, in 1821. Although the tombstones are now across the road in the Kirby Cemetery, they are still on their frontierland where they belong. [Source: Stanley Wright Aultz, "Chronicles of a Griffis Family", Miamisburg, Ohio: S. W. Aultz 1981]

The earliest history at present known of the Hormells in America is that about 1770 they were living at or near Brownsville, Fayette County, and West Brownsville, Washington County, Pa., two brothers, John and Jacob, and a cousin of these, Henry. Tradition says they came from Holland. The probability is that the family is of French Huguenot stock and took refuge in Holland or Germany at the time of the persecutions and later some of them emigrated to America. the three all married and raised families. In 1808 John and Henry migrated to Warren County, Ohio taking their children, some of whom even already married, with them or sending for them later. As they all seem to have been in the Washington Co. militia about 1782-3 they must have lived in that county, though Silas Swindler, a son-in-law of Henry lived at Redstone, Fayette Co. John and Henry settles on farms north of Lebanon on or near the Dayton Turnpike, John south of Merrittstown and Henry on Clear Creek, 3 1/2 miles south of Ridgeville. John had five children, four of them girls. The son had eight children but only two of them boys, so there are comparatively few of the descendants by the name of Hormell. Jacob remarried in Penna. and the Hormells in and about Brownsville are his descendants.

John an Eleanor Hormell sold their farm of 393 acres in 1789, part of it to Jacob Hormell, and moved to Columbia Township, Hamilton County, Ohio (Warren County, Ohio was later extablished from Hamilton County, Ohio in 1803). In 1796 John Hormell paid taxes of $2.73 on 726 acres of land.

Eleanor Hormell, wife of John Hormell, died March 17, 1821. john Hormell died Jan. 15, 1823 and was interred beside his wife in a pasture on his farm, now (1963) the Guard Farm one mile north of Lebanon, Ohio east side of Route 48 in turtle Creek Township, Warren County, Ohio near the Old Kirby Cemetery.

The two old tombstones in a cow pasture, up on a knoll, read as follows:
In Memory of
John Hormel
who departed this life
January 15, 1823
aged 80 years

In Memory of
John Hormel
who departed this life
January 15, 1823
aged 80 years

John Hormell left over 1,000 acres to be distributed among his heirs. His will is found in Old CP book 26 Number 2 filed Feb. 3, 1823, Recorded June 14, 1824. [Source: Gillis, W. Floyd, "Hormell Family"]

Vol. 1A P. 210 dated Oct. 22, 1771 John Hormell to Abraham Teegarden for 10 pounds lawful money of Great Britain by me claimed on the North side of the north fork of Ten Mile Creek about 12 miles above the great fork of said creek.

Vol IL P. 724 dated Oct. 19, 1795 John Hormell to Rees Cadwallader of Fayette County, John Couzens and Joseph Townsend of Washington County 1,000 pounds for 278 acres. [Source: Gillis, W. Floyd, ""Hormell Family", pg. 6]

Land Patent:


Patent Book 14, page 103
The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: Know Ye that in consideration of the Monies paid by John Hormall into the Receiver Generals Office of this Commonwealth at the granting of the Warrant herein after mentioned and of the Sum of Twelve pounds eight Shillings lawful Money now paid by him into the said Office there is granted by the said Commonwealth unto the said John Hormall a certain Tract of Land called "Eutaw" situate on the River Monongahela in Washington County Beginning at a Box Elder tree on the Bank of said River thence by land of Potts & Jenkinson North thirty three degrees East Ninety six perches to a Stone thence by land of Henry Hormal South forty seven degrees & an half East four hundred & fifty seven perches to an hickory by said River thence up the same five hundred & eighty one perches & an half to the place of beginning,, containing three hundred & Ninety eight Acres & an half and allowance of 6 percent for Roads, &c. with the Appurtenances [which said Tract was surveyed in pursuance of a Warrant granted to the said John Hormall dated the 16 February 1786. To have and to hold the said tract or Parcel of Land with the appurtenances unto the said John Hormall and his heirs to the use of him the said John Hormall his Heirs and Assigns for ever free and clear of restrictions and reservations as to Mines, Royalties, Quit-Rents or otherwise, excepting and reserving only the fifth part of all Gold and Silver Ore for the use of this Commonwealth, to be delivered at the Pitt's mouth clear of all Charges. In Witness whereof the honorable Peter Muhlenberg, Esq; Vice President of the Supreme Executive Council hath hereto set his Hand and caused the State Seal to be hereto affixed in Council the Eighth day of April in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Commonwealth the twelfth.

Newspaper:

~page 3
Notice.
Is Hereby given to all persons having any legal demands against the estate of John Hormel senr. late of turtlecreek township Warren county, dec'd. to present them legally authenticated for settlement within eighteen months from this date, and all persons undebted to said estate are requested to make immediate payment. John Hormel, Ex'r.

History / Bio:

p766, 767
John and Jacob Hormel were among the earliest settlers of East Bethlehem township. John warranted a tract of land Feb. 16, 1786, which contained three hundred and ninety-three acres, and was surveyed June 1, 1786, and given the name of "Garland." Jacob Hormel resided upon the tract "Garland" until his death in 1821, and left it to his sons, William and John Hormel, Jr. William Hormel died in 1827, and John Hormel then purchased his share and still owns the whole property. Thus it has been in the possession of the Hormel family nearly one hundred years, John Hormel, Jr., was born in 1801, and is now past eighty years of age. Two younger members of the Hormel family, Robert and Nathan, served in the war of the Rebellion. Both enlisted Sept. 5, 1861, in Company H, Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, Robert serving until September, 1865, and Nathan receiving his discharge April 30, 1862.

Newspaper:

The Journal Herald, Dayton, Ohio, 13 September 1952, p21
When Was It I said something about Third and Main being asked to find everything but tombstones? That, believe me, was just an old phrase I threw into the conversation. . .
How long is it going to take for me to learn I just can't throw old phrases around in conversation: Somebody picks them up and throws them right back every time.
"Well, here's the day. Find the tombstones of John Hormel Sr. and his wife, Eleanor, who are buried in the vicinity of Lebanon—the name sometimes spelled Hormell or Hormal.
There is a small pioneer cemetery just off the east side of Route 48, south of Route 73, and I had a hunch John and his wife might be there. I ventured in a few weeks ago, wearing rubber boots, worrying about poison ivy because the weeds were over two feet high. Chiggers didn't enter my mind. But, the next week, the one-armed paper hanger with the hives had nothing on me!
"I did find the graves of John's brother, Henry, and his wife, also named Eleanor, but the chiggers prevented my searching farther.
"Marj, as you've guessed, I've been tracing our family genealogy. It's a fascinating and absorbing hobby and I'm wondering if there is a genealogical society in Dayton? . . ."
Oh, no, you don't—you don't entice me into any old cemetery with chiggers!
But, I just had to mention your plight. Now, Third and Main readers HAVE been queried about tombstones which is about the most far-fetched thing I can think of at the moment. Unless it would be—oh, oh, watch it, there, Marj. No matter how far-fetched you think it is SOMEBODY will catch you up on it . . .

John married Eleanor _____ in 1760. Eleanor was born in 1741; died on 17 Mar 1821 in Turtlecreek Township, Warren County, Ohio, United States; was buried in Warren County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Eleanor Hormell

Other Events:

• Name: Henry Hormell
• Name: Johan Hendrick Hermel
• Immigration: 1731, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, British Colonial America; aboard the ship Samuel from Rotterdam

Notes:

Johan Immigrated to America September 21, 1727 on the Ship Samuel which sailed from Rotterdam to the Port of Philadelphia.

[List 14 A, B, C] Samuel
Captain: Hugh Percy
From: Rotterdam
By Way of: Cowes
Arrival: Philadelphia, 17 Aug 1731

John married Maria Eva Felker. Maria (daughter of Johan Jacob Felker and Anna Barbara _____) died in 1745. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Maria Eva Velker