Archived news from 1997

Post date: Apr 26, 2009 5:34:42 PM

9 February 1998 - Bob Whitesell -The Benjamin Whitesell of Neward, NJ who had an inventory done on Feb. 12, 1841, was hte son of Andreas Whitesell and Elizabeth Weinland. Born Jan. 14 1804. Was killed in a railroad acciden. His full name is Christian Benjamin Whitell. He married Catherine Leibert. Children were; Benjamin, Charles, Francis and John Bock. Charles went to live with Andrew Whitesell in Nazareth after father's acciden.

15 October 1997 - Laurie Burk - The following Whitesells are buried at the Nazareth Moravian Cemetery (text of the stones): 1. Amelia S. Whitesell / m.n. Kuchine (?) / Born March (?) 22 (?),183(8?) / in Upper Nazareth / Departed January 2(?), 1880 at Easton, aged 41 years (stone badly pitted with age and pollution -- text after the "facts" is virtually illegible) 2. In Memory of / Andrew B. Whitesell / Born February 2, 1833 / in Bushkill Township, Died May 14, 1903 / Aged 70 Years, 3 Mo. / & 12 Days // At Rest (I assume this is a grandson of Andrew (1779-1859) -- is this a son of John David (1805-1854)??) 3. Mary A. / wife of / Andrew B. / Whitesell / Feb. 12 183(?) / Oct. 31, 191(4 or 5?) // At Rest 4. Carrie E. / Dau. of C.F. & Ellen / Whitesell / May 21, 1880 / Aug. 1, 1908 // Rest in Peace

21 April 1997 - Dick Musselman - I have placed an inquiry on the Bedford County Page (GenWeb). Joseph was baptised at Hope on July 30, 1785 and Daniel was baptised at Hope on April 17, 1791.

21 April 1997 - Bob Whitesell - Stopped at Bethlehem Moravian College. In the Hope book Henry and Benjamin were baptized on Jan 2, 1785, by John Mader. Their birth date was given as Mar 5 1781 the one was crossed out and three inserted. The archivist did not know of a Moravian group in Bedford Co. during this time. Richard Jr. and Elizabeth were Baptized on Feb. 4 1781, by John Etweine. The asst. archivist told me their was a Moravian Church in Manhattan, NY. around late 1740's also about the same time one was started in Staten Island. There are some records on both of these churches in the archives. There was also a Church in Swedesboro NJ. did not get a chance to look at it's records but they have been transcribed.

16 April 1997 - Enlow Ose -Anyone have any thoughts on the possibility that Margaretha (Green) Whitesell could have been a daughter of Samuel Green, Jr. by a Native American woman?

14 April 1997 - Bruce Johnson - Have recently searched FHL film #387898, Record of First Moravian Church, Philadelphia, Bap. 1759-1778 and Mar. 1812-1855. There is a Walter Brown, s/o of Charles and Ann M. b. 23 Nov. 1762; bp. 23 Nov. 1762. Katherine Wright d/o of Geo. and Rebecca Wright, adult bp. 9 April 1749. Searched FHL film #387890, Moravian Church in Phil. and Nazareth, cem. 1744-1876 and Marriage Records, Moravian Cong. At Lebanon PA, 1751-1811 at p. 71 is in 1801 a William Weitzel m. Elizabeth Rudy, Dec. 27. FHL film #908829, Marriage Reg., Nazareth, 1742-1800 gives Franz Clewell and Elizabeth Weinland, 16 Nov. 1786.

6 April 1997 - Enlow Ose - There was a Henrick/Henry Whitesell/Weitzel b. 1700 in Hesse Kassel Electorate Germany who arrived in Pa. in 1738 and settled in Berks Co. Pa. two sons, Heinrick Jr. and Adam,emigrated to North Carolina in 1751. Henry Jr. was a Captain in the Revolutionary War and a battle was fought at Whitesell's Mill that belonged to Henry. Any connection there?

5 April 1997 - Enlow Ose - A Donna Ward contacted me several years ago about a David [b.1810] and Elizabeth [b. 1813] Whitzel who had five children named Sarah [b.1833], Henry [b.1842], James [b.1845], John [b.1847]. and William [b.1849]. This James was born April 19, 1845 in Huntingdon Co. Pa. and married Martha B. Emerick. James and Martha had seven children: David J. b. in Pa in 1871, Jennie b. in Shelbyville, Ill. in 1873, and Mary, Rebecca, Samuel. William H., and Marguerette Elizabeth b. in 1883, all born in Shelbyville, Ill. I do not know of any connection with this family.

4 April 1997 - Enlow Ose - A person by the name of Frank Crawn of Sussex Co. did extensive research on the Whitesell and Green lines. He died several years ago and placed all of his work in the Sussex Co. library. This info should be reviewed by someone. I have information on Nicholas Wetzel who came to this country from Germany about 1730 with brothers Henry and Martin but I am not aware of any connection with this family. A Nancy Kenley contacted me in 1991 about a Jacob Whitesell [1754-1809] who married Cathrine Markel [1757-1836] in 1785. They had nine children: Philip, Elizabeth, George, Hannah, Susannah, Cathrine, Mary, Jacob and Joseph. Nancy Kenley has a lot of info on their descendants.I do not know of any connection here.

19 March 1997 - Enlow Ose - At least two other Whitesell families appear in Ontario in the late 1700's. One was that of Nicholas Whitesell [Weitzel], a Hessian soldier who fought with the British in he Revolutionary War. Another was the family of Christian Whitesell.

15 March 1997- Bob Whitesell - regarding DAR records - The one person I know who had Andrew researched was a Pearl Haas, of Phillipsburg NJ. She is no longer listed in the phone book and was up in age 20yrs ago. There are others who also have used him as a base for joining DAR. According to a Dr. Keller's research Andrew was in Oxford Twsp.,Sussex Co., NJ. as early as 1752 as twin boys were born to his wife that year. Ref: Moravian records of the Schoenic Church Pg 1 thru 10. He also reported Andrew was believed to be of English descent, Also he did not enter port of Phila. or if he did so it was as a boy under age of 15. There is also a Whitesell line showing in Boon Station Cross Roads, NC. Names shown are Adam, Daniel, Jacob, Henrich(Henry). There is also a mention of him moving from PA to that area.

15 March 1997- Dick Musselman - The records of the Hope Church at the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, are in a large leather bound book which was handed to me when I asked for certain records. Most of the book is written in very small old german script with some lapses into english. The archivist was very helpful when I came to words or passages that I could not decipher.

15 March 1997- Dick Musselman - There is a very small historical society in the village of Hope, New Jersey. It keeps very short summer hours only, and has a small museum.

14 March 1997- Laurie Burk - I spent probably about 5 hours at the Schoeneck Moravian Cemetery on 2 different occasions, and unless some of the g.s. are so badly faded I could not read them, I didn't find anyone beyond Richard and his daughter-in-law Elizabeth. I hope to spend some time next month up in Nazareth area, looking up records and going to the various cemeteries.

14 March 1997- Laurie Burk - at the Somerset County PL here in Bridgewater, NJ. - regarding Nicholas, born 1818, died Venango Cty ... Some of the records I came across definitely point to a "South Jersey" connection. 1850 Census for NJ -- a slew of Whitesell/Whitesall/Whitsell in Upper Penns Grove enumeration district, which is Mercer or Burlington Cty, I believe. Another source of references to biographical sketches for late 19th/early 20th list Frank and William A. Wetzel from Trenton area, which is definitely Mercer, and another, Charles Reeves Whitesell from 1st Congressional district of NJ, which I believe is Trenton, too. Also came across a book on Loyalists of NJ. Reference made to a "John Witchell" of the NJ Volunteers, captured in 1777, from the Minutes of the 1777 Council of Safety. Does that ring any bells? [Bruce has more information on this John who was a Loyalist and in the New Jersey volunteers at the same time as the younger Andrew the Loyalist - any chance John and Andrew were brothers and that John was son of Andrew and Margaret who died before 1808?]

12 March 1997 - Dick Musselman - I drive by the [Swayze] cemetery almost every day. The "weeds" were cut at least once this summer; but the poison ivy is very bad. The stones are still in good shape as shown in ...pictures. ...there are "For Sale" signs on property across the road from the cemetery...

11 March 1997- Bruce Johnson: - Can anyone verify the current condition of the Swayze Cemetery and specifically the condition of the Whitesell grave stones? The cemetery was very overgrown and unkept when I visited it in 1990.

10 March 1997 - Laurie Burk - An interesting source giving some Whitesell / Howell /Van Vye information is History of Northwest New Jersey, Vol. 2, covering Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon counties, published in 1927, by Lewis Pub., NYC.