Robert McDaniel

Kindly submitted by: Judy McElderry

Part 1.

Robert McDaniel was b. August 28, 1756 in Maine, his origins there have not been found. By 1770, according to his obituary he came to Philadelphia. The text below regarding the information in the "History of Carbon County Pennsylvania" by Matthews and Hungerford shows he was placed with the Longstreth family as an apprentice. I have included notes on early families in the area who were involved with Robert's early years in Bucks which might

help other researchers. By 1783 Robert McDaniel had come to Carbon, then Northampton County. A Bucks County man, Septimus Hough bought the Gilbert Mill in Carbon County from Joseph Longstreth or from his estate before 1820,

when he appears in the Carbon County Census living adjacent to Robert McDaniel. Septimus Hough's relations married early into the Ditterlines, and

that line went south in the late 1700's, and one of Robert's descendants married a Ditterline in the early 1900's, so we come full circle in 250 years.

The information regarding Robert I have found from many sources is below:

It is not known where Robert came from in Maine. The area stated to be "near

the Penobscot falls, Maine", ("History of Carbon Co. PA" Mathews and Hungerford, pub. 1884}, was an Indian Village in 1756. The nearest white settlement to the falls was Castine, about 30 miles south of the falls on the Penobscot. 1762 was the year the first known white child was born in Castine. I did find one notation in my Maine research which stated that there were a few white settlers in the area of Bucksport prior to 1762, but that their names are unknown.

There were falls and lumbering mills near Salmon falls on the Piscataqua River which defines the border between N. NH and S. Maine near Berwick ME.

This was a settled area in the year Robert was born, and there were McDaniels in nearby villages. There were also McDaniels in Gorham, Cumberland Co. ME from about 1742 on. These McDaniels were also from NH. To date I have not discovered who Robert's parents were. It is also possible that his family was from somewhere else, possibly MD, VA or NJ, and that for

some reason they or the father of Robert was in Maine. A hint in the obituary below is that New Hampshire is mentioned in the obit, and at that time NH was part of Massachusetts, not Maine. Anabaptists were not welcomed in New England, Baptists, Quakers and Presbyterians were "encouraged" to leave for more "friendly" areas. A Daniel McDaniel married Ann Boags, June 12, 1755 in Suffolk Co., Boston MA.

According to Robert's obituary of 1847 he removed to Philadelphia County in 1770, where he lived until 1785. The History of Carbon County states he was apprenticed to Joseph Longstreth, a Quaker in the Warminster PA area, by his

father to; "learn the trades of tanner and currier". Joseph Longstreth and his brother Isaac owned a tannery in the Hatboro area:

Information regarding the Longstreth tannery comes from; From "Land Tenure in Hatboro and Vicinity", Spruance Library, Doylestown PA.

"When Moses Vancourt left Hatboro, about the year 1758, his cooper-shop and tanyard were taken over by an unidentified purchaser, probably Joseph Longstreth of Warminster, who held that title in 1776. In that year he deeded the property to his younger brother Isaac (Md 6, 426), who had already paid the assessment for at least two years. Isaac Longstreth is known to have lived in Hatboro as early as 1768, when he obtained title to the present Wunderle house (Md 3, 324). It remained his residence until 1787, when he moved to Chester county. The property had previously been occupied by John Bond, a brother of Abraham and a cooper by trade, who may have had charge of the cooper-shop after its sale by Vancourt.

Isaac Longstreth was known as a tanner throughout his residence in Hatboro, and the cooper-shop, during his ownership, is believed to have been managed by William Wilson, a son-in-law of Isaac Bellew." ( Note: The intermediate ownership of this lot (lot # 13) provides the background for an interesting episode, brought out in the minutes of the Union Library Company. It had been sold by John Harrison's estate to Bartholomew Longstreth, and after his

death had been inherited by his children as tenants-in-common...). Joseph and Issac were the sons of Bartholomew Longstreth and Ann Dawson.

Regarding the residence of Robert McDaniel with the Longstreths in the Philadelphia area, a mention in the will of Mary Kirk of Moreland PA

follows:

The will of Mary Kirk:

Kirk, Mary, Moreland Co. of Phila., Widow.

3 mo. 18, 1782, S.133

Children: Ann Sams, Mary Walton, Susanna Walton, Sarah Harding.

Son-in-law: Nathaniel Sams

Grandchildren: Children of Daughter (Ann Sams).

Exec: Son-in-law-: Isaac Walton, Daniel Longstreth

Wit: Joseph Longstreth, Robert McDaniel, Susanna Longstreth. (Philadelphia wills, online)

(Notes regarding Mary Kirk: Mary was the daughter of John Shaw and wife Susanna, b. November 26, 1710. She married Thomas Kirk, son of John Kirk and

Joan Elliott on October 28, 1728. Thomas Kirk was born February 26, 1703/04 in Darby Twp., Delaware Co. PA. Their Children were:

Ann Kirk, b, 14, June 1734, at Moreland, married Nathaniel Sams; Mary Kirk, b. March 3, 1736/7 married Jeremiah Walton; Susanna Kirk b, November 11, 1740 at Moreland, married Isaac Walton; Joseph Kirk b. December 23, 1745 Sarah Kirk b. December 1745. The Kirks and Longstreths were Quakers.

Elizabeth Hicks or Johnson, wife of Robert and her daughter Elizabeth were also stated to have been Quakers in the Carbon County History).

In the 1790 census there are McDaniels in Bristol and in Abington PA, nearby

communities, and I believe in Nockamixon Bucks County. No connection has been made to date. There was also a Daniel McDaniel in the militia lists of Southampton Twp., Bucks County, then Philadelphia County, no further record found. (Davis' History of Bucks County PA). Daniel McDaniel may just be a clue, as Joseph Longstreth owned land in Southampton Twp., Bucks County, and

I have found information that a Daniel McDaniel, wife Ann Boags married in Boston in 1755.

The Gilbert family was also from the area of Hatboro, this family moved to near the Gnadenhutten settlement on the Mahoning Creek to establish a mill there in 1775. Benjamin Gilbert's wife was the widow Elizabeth Peart, formerly Elizabeth Walton. On April 25, 1780 the family was kidnapped by Indians who raided the property and captured the family, taking them by land

over the mountains to Canada. The captured were: Benjamin Gilbert, age about

69 years, (died in captivity), Elizabeth, his wife age 55, Joseph Gilbert his son, Jesse Gilbert, his son, Sarah Gilbert wife of Jesse, Rebecca Gilbert a daughter, Abner Gilbert, a son; Elizabeth Gilbert, a daughter, another daughter age 12, Thomas Peart son of Elizabeth Peart Gilbert, Benjamin Gilbert a son of John Gilbert of Philadelphia, Andrew Harriger a German worker at the mill, Abigail Dodson, daughter of Samel Dodson who lived on a farm about a mile away. (From "Annals of Philadelphia" by Sims).

The family was slowly redeemed and Benjamin Gilbert's widow sold the mill property in Carbon Co. to Joseph Longstreth. About this time Joseph brought Robert with him to Carbon Co. PA

 

Since Robert came to PA in 1770 at age 14 he was of age to be apprenticed as

stated in the history. By the time of the Revolution many Quakers were expelled from the colony and left for VA or MD. This may be the case with Robert's unknown parent(s),

Obituary of Robert McDaniel

Carbon County Gazette, June 26, 1847

Dimmick Library, Jim Thorpe PA

"On Monday last, in Mahoning Township, Mr. Robert McDaniel, at the advanced age of 91 years.

Mr. McDaniel was at the time of his death, the oldest inhabitant of the township in which he resided. He was born in the state of Maine on the 28th.

day of August, 1756, at that time the province of New Hampshire. In 1770 he removed to Philadelphia County, where he lived until 1785, when he moved to Mahoning Township in this county. He arrived there on the 25th. day of January, and continued to live at the same place until the day of his death.

Mr. McDaniel was rather an extraordinary man. He partook a good deal of the qualities of Daniel Boon. He was a man of intelligence and had gone through all the dangers of a pioneer's life, and many were his hair-breadth escapes.

He lived a life of usefulness, and died at a good old age, enjoying the confidence and esteem of a large circle of friends and aquaintences."

The entry in Robert's burial information, (Reverend Bauer's Records, LCHS), is given the number of living children, grandchildren and great grandchildren at the time of the decedent's death. Robert's record states he

had 9 children living, 27 grandchildren living and 27 great grandchildren living in 1847. Elizabeth's obituary states that in 1844 she had 9 children,

28 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.

One known daughter of their son James, Amanda, b. abt. 1843 died July 30, 1845. That brings the number of grandchildren back to 27 as in Robert's obituary. Total possible number of grandchildren known to the couple in 1847

is 19, including POSSIBLE grandchildren Lyman and Amos of Pottsville, suspected to be sons of James but possibly of one of the missing sons, the unknown daughter of Rachel and Charles Haney, Pierce suspected son of Charles and Rachel and Henry, the suspected son of Mary and Conrad Solt. So this number of 19 is all inclusive even with all POSSIBLE grandchildren included. This would leave 8 GRANDCHILDREN MISSING, 3 of those born between

1844 and 1847. Out of 9 children of Robert and Elizabeth, 4, Nancy, Robert, unknown female and unknown son show no children found. The included possible

grandchildren is purely speculative at this point, the calculation is made to show the maximum number of "found" grandchildren, including suspected individuals, not proven.

I have a 1937 LDS record placed at a mass baptism in 1937 which lists the Carbon County McDaniel family. This is a listing of about 200 individuals declared to be relations by a John McDaniel who placed the listing. This listing has many McDaniel names and others, John lists our McDaniels as one of his direct lines of ancestors. No information on how he descends shows in

the record. The earliest McDaniel in the listings is a Timothy married to a Margaret Smith in Philadelphia in 1737. No further information on Timothy has been found. There was a Timothy McDaniel who arrived in Maine from an unknown location in the early 1770's. His wife's name was not Margaret as far as I know. I believe this man was accused of Loyalist leanings and may have gone to Canada, or his son went to Canada. The only possible explanation I have found for an Indiana McDaniel connection is that in J. T.

McDaniel's obituary of 1906, (Lehighton newspaper, Dimmick Library, Jim Thorpe PA), there are given two sisters of J. T. as still alive in 1906. One

is Adeline Schuler, who has been traced and proved, the other is given as "Miss Adeline McDaniel", obviously a typesetter's error in the given name. I

have not found a single un-married female McDaniel in the 1900 or 1910 Indiana census records whose age corresponds to the age range of James lifespan in Indiana.

There is a Robert McDaniel, b. 1820 living in Towamensing Twp., Carbon Co.

PA. This man may be a descendant of the family but there has been no documented linkage to date. As usual placing out of children may have occured with this man. See Jackie Pacholke's genealogy online for more information about Robert McDaniel, b. 1820. I have placed Robert under James

McDaniel, 1793's family line. This is done for research purposes at present,

though it seems he is likely a descendant of the family from a male line.

Text from "History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon in the Commonwealth of PA", Matthews and Hungerford, 1884, page 744.

"It will be remembered that Capt. Joseph Longstreth purchased the Gilbert farm in 1783, and at that time Robert McDaniel came to the valley with him.

He was born Aug. 24, 1756, in a small lumbering village near the Penobscot Falls, Maine. He was apprenticed by his father to Capt. Joseph Longstreth, of Philadelphia, to learn the trade of a tanner and currier, and lived in that city some years. After a residence of a year or two at the mill with Capt. Longstreth in the valley, he bought a tract of land not far from the Gilbert mill, now partly owned by Samuel Moser, and married Elizabeth Hicks.

She was born in 1766, and is said to be a native of Lizard Creek Valley, and

when very young was placed in charge of William Thomas, who lived near where

the Benn Salem Church stands. No other knowledge of the Hicks family is obtained. They settled upon the farm, and lived many years. They died there,

and were buried in the Benn Salem churchyard. Their children were Rachel, Nancy, Lydia, Elizabeth, Robert and James. Rachel became the wife of Charles

Haney, and settled in the township. Mrs. Henry Arner , (no, granddaughter of

Rachel and Charles), is a daughter. Lewis Haney, for many years a teacher in

the township and the first coroner of the county, was a son. Nancy became the wife of Samuel Solt, and settled in Lehighton. Lydia married Joseph Musselman, lived for a time in the township, and moved to Ohio. Oliver, a son, remained with his grandfather, and taught school in the township, was elected register and recorder in 1846 and 1849, and later moved to Ohio, where he is now a journalist. Elizabeth became the wife of Christian Klotz (who came from Lowhill, Lehigh Co.), in 1816. They settled near the homestead, and in 1823 moved to what is now the Hoppes mill, where she died in 1826, aged thirty-one years. Robert, son of Robert, emigrated to the West. James, the youngest son, settled in the township, and died there. His son, J. T. McDaniel keeps the old Freyman Hotel, and is postmaster.

The sketches given thus far are of families who settled in the Mahoning Valley between the years 1750 and 1785. From the latter year, to 1805-6, no settlements seem to have been made, and but one or two of the famiies that were there remained. In fact, the descendants of Robert McDaniel are the only ones whose ancestors were in the limits of the present Mahoning township prior to 1800."

Corrections and notes to the text above:

1. Elizabeth Hicks may be Elizabeth Johnson. That surname is in the burial records of Rev. Bauer in Rachel McDaniel Haney's burial information, in the comments section. Rachel's information states she was the wife of Charles Haney, and that she had 3 children, 27 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren at the time of her death in 1855. Only 1 child. Lewis has been proven. Another son might be Pierce Haney who moved to Nobel Co.

Indiana shortly after Rachel's death.

2. As Quakers there would be no burial markers on the graves. So while it is

stated that Robert and Elizabeth were buried at Benn Salem Church in E. Penn

Twp., there are no burial markers to find for this couple.

3. No proof of Nancy McDaniel or any further information has been found on her.

4. Mrs. Henry Arner is Harriet Haney, a great - granddaughter of Robert and Elizabeth.

5. No burial for Lydia who married Joseph Musselman has been found. Joseph is stated to be buried at Indianland Church, (information from Carl Musselman), and while they may have gone to Ohio that is not certain. The burial location of Joseph is uncertain, and may not be where indicated. I believe Lydia appears as a baptismal sponsor in an 1845 baptism at Ben Salem

Church. Unnown as to where or when she died.

6. Oliver Musselman left Carbon Co. about 1855 and moved to Warsaw, Indiana with his wife Wilhemina Long and children.

Notes on Joseph Longstreth:

Joseph Longstreth was the son of Bartholomew Longstreth and Ann Dawson.

Joseph was born Dec. 11, 1744, (11 years older than Robert McDaniel), died May 18, 1803, buried at Horsham; m. at Abington Meeting April 16, 1772, Susanna Morris daughter of Joshua and Mary Morris of Abington, b. Sept. 1, 1746, d. August 14, 1814. Buried at Abington. Joseph's brother Isaac, who co-owned the tannery with Joseph was b. Feb. 16, 1742-3, d. April 12, 1817, buried at Pikeland buring ground; m. at Horsham, Nov. 15, 1770.

Research by Dale Berger states:

"Extracts from the Journal of Samuel Preston, Surveyor, 1787". In his accounting of his travels of 14 June 1787, Preston, accompanied by Isaac Longstreth, rode to Gnadenhutten on Mahony Creek and then over the Lehigh to

Col. Weiss' near where Fort Allen formerly stood. then he says "Here I parted with Isaac Longstreth, and started for George Hoods. I proceeded over

the Barrens along up the N. W. side of Head's Creek about 7 miles, where I crossed it just below a saw mill. they raft 6 and 7000 feet of boards at a time down from this mill. I then kept up the Barren Hill, on the S. E. side of the creek, and passed a few little houses. The land is exceedingly poor and I could obtain no provisions for myself or creature until I reached the place where Fort Norris formerly stood, where I got a cup of milk and bread and let my mare bate in the meadow. Here lives an old woman, the widow Serfass..."

Perhaps Isaac Longstreth went to the Gilbert mill when he left Samuel Preston? The mill was likely still the property of Joseph Longstreth at that

time, sold later.

No baptismal records for the children of Robert and Elizabeth have been found. This is a strong indication that they were Quakers or of another Anabaptist sect originally, later generations practised the Evangelical and Reformed religion.

New England Research Notes:

The Name Robert McDaniel shows in various locations in N. New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. The following have been found though no reationship

to Robert in PA is implied or has been proven. The following Roberts appear in various records.

Robert McDaniel, male, Christening: June 6, 1759 Harpswell, Cumberland Maine, Father Walter McDaniel. From Vital Records: Harpswell, Maine, Elisha Eaton Account, Author Rev. Elisha Easton, 1754-1764 and his son Samuel Eaton, V.D.M., 1765-1843. Post by Martha Croasmun under Harpswell, at Ancestry.com

Matt Combs Genealogy page states among his lines Nehemiah McDaniel, b. abt.

1715 in Durham NH. It is believed that this man had a son Robert. Nehemiah McDaniel, age 61 in 1830 appears in Cornville Somerset Co. ME, possibly a son of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had a daughter Elinor who married William Knox, b.

1752 in Pembroke NH, Elinor was born in 1757 in NH, both died in Pembroke NH.

Mannasseh McDanals expelled from Maine 1751, no reason in Constable's record, possibly Quaker or other Anabaptist removal as was the practise with

the law in those days. The next page in the indictment states:

York Co. ME, warning to Richard Welch, Manasseh McDonald and John Wilmington

transient persons lately come into this town not being inhabitants thereof forthwith to Depart out of the limits of the same on pain of being proceeded

with as the law in such cases directs.

Isaac McDaniel b. 20 July 1734, son of Timothy and Elizabeth McDaniel. Wife of Timothy McDaniel died October 22, 1766, Timothy died Nov. 11, 1766.

"One MacDaniel was in the 1732 census of NH, and an Arthur MacDaniel of Dover, petitioner 1733 petition to Jonathan Belcher, information contained in NH State Archives". From Ted Chadbourne, 2002. There is a McDaniel cemetery at the McDaniel house on the University of NH campus in Durham.

This is a few miles from Dover.

A Daniel McDaniel appears in the militia in the Revolutionary War in Northampton Twp., Bucks County, in 1778.

Other Bucks County PA McDaniels, 1790;

Cupid McDonald no twp. given.

Alexander McDaniel, Bristol

Benjamin McDaniel, Bristol

David McDaniel, Abington Twp., Montgomery Co.

Robert McDaniel and family Census Records:

1790 census, Penn Twp.

Shows as Robert McDonald

1 male 16 and up

3 females

1800 census Robert McDaniel:

2 males under 10

1 male 10 to 16

1 male 45 and up

1 female under 10

2 females 10 to 16

1 female 16 to 26

1 female 45 and up

1810 census Robert McDaniel:

2 males under 10

1 male 10 to 16

1 male 26-45

1 female under 10

2 females 10 to 16

1 female 16 to 26

1 female 45 and up

1820 census Robert McDaniel:

1 male 10 to 16

1 male 45 and up

2 females 10 to 16

1 female 26 to 45

1840 census Robert McDaniel:

1 male 10 to 15

1 male 30 to 40

1 male over 80

1 female over 80

Note: From a PA history at State Library, Harrisburg PA, by Sherman Day, published 1843, page 191.

"The premises, (reference to the Gilbert Mill in Mahoning), where stood the dwelling and improvements of the Gilbert family, were in 1833, occupied by Mr. Septimus Hough, on the north side of Mahoning creek, on an elevated bank

about forty perches from the main road, leading from Lehighton and Weissport

to Tamaqua, and about four miles from the former. Benjamin Peart lived about

half a mile further up the creek, and about 1/4 mile from the same, on the south side. Mr. Robert McDaniel lived on the place in 1833. "

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

Page last updated: Wednesday, 25 July 2007

 

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