Jacob Purkeypile family of Crawford Co OH and York Co PA (Long)
I posted this answer to an inquiry about John Andrew Purkeypile on another board and since it contains a lot of family history, I thought that it deserved its own thread. So here it is:
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John Andrew was one of at least 12 children born to Jacob Purkeypile and Rebecca Edwards Purkeypile, both of whom were born in York and Lancaster counties, respectively. Jacob was the son of Andrew Purkeypile and wife Jane.
The family lived in Hopewell township of York County from their marriage in 1832 up to about 1845, whereupon they moved to Crawford county Ohio.
My records show that the first 8 children were born in Pennsylvania:
Theodore (1834) - marries Sarah Spraw in Ohio
Maryann (1835) - marries John Morkel in Ohio
Sarah Jane (1838)
John Andrew (1840)
Amelia (1842)
Matilda (1843)
Calvin (1844) died in 1846 in Crawford County, Middletown Cemetery
Milton (1846)
So some time after Milton was born, the family moved to Ohio, for little Calvin died on Sept. 24, 1846.
Thereafter, Francis Levi (my great grandfather) born in 1848
Franklin (1850)
Rebecca (1858)
Emily (1859)
The 1860 census also lists another Jacob, age 11, which would have put him in 1849. I missed him previously. Theodore has his own family and farm in the 1860 census.
In the 1870 census, the family has moved to the town of Upper Sandusky in Wyandot County, just west of Crawford County. In approximately 1869, Jacob purchased an interest of shares in the Upper Sandusky Mills. Theodore is listed as a miller rather than farmer, so he probably moved there too to run the mill. The mill was eventually sold in the early 1870s.
Jacob is alleged to have died in 1875 at Leesville Crossroads back in Crawford County. I have never been able to find a death record that would prove the date and place. I suspect that he is buried in Middletown Cemetery -- I don't think that anyone has ever looked for his burial site. If you are in the area, then please look up Jacob's grave site at Middletown or at Leesville Cemetery.
Rebecca lived in Upper Sandusky at the corner of 8th Street & Crawford St. on the south side of the town. In the 1880 census, she is shown living with a grandson and grand daughter both of the name Morckel. There is also a Leib living with them, probably related to the Leib's back in York, one of whom, John, had married Mary Purkeypile, a sister of Jacob.
One other interesting fact: Jane Purkeypile launched a law suit against the executors of Andrew Purkeypile's estate to recover some $240.00 Among the plaintiffs listed in the court documents are:
Elizabeth Purkeypile Dorcas
Margaret Purkeypile Smith
Ann Purkeypile Snyder
Mary Purkeypile Leib
Andrew/George/Jesse Hammer (children of Catherine Purkeypile and George Hammer
and Sarah Thurgh, and Jacob Harshiser. I don't know who these last two people are, undoubtedly grand children of one of Andrew's other sisters.
The law suit document is invaluable, because it provides a list of all of Andrew's brothers and sisters and affirms that his wife was named Jane.
So Andrew was the brother of Elizabeth, Margaret, Ann, Mary, Catherine, and I'm going to make the supposition that Jesse Purkeypile was another brother. All of these same people are listed in the Andreas Birkenbile/Anna Catherine family tree, but clearly these are two different Andrew's. We have proof that Andrew is married to Jane (don't have her birth name though).
I've also been able to find several land deeds in the York County archives. There is one where "Andrew and wife Jane" sell a piece of land to Jacob Perkepile of Lancaster County in about 1815. I think that this is a different Jacob, as our Jacob would have only been about 5 or 10 years old in 1815. This is the same Jacob who is married to Margaret and they are found living in Crawford County/Polk Twp in the 1840 and 1850 census. Jesse Purkeypile lives next door to this Jacob (an uncle perhaps?)
We also have a land deed wherein Andrew Purkeypile sells land in Hopewell Twp to Jacob Purkeypile (probably our Jacob). Jacob meanwhile had married Rebecca Edwards in 1832. HIs first wife, Eliza Grosh died in 1831.
The other Jacob sells his Hopewell land to John Krout in 1841 and later moves to Ohio. We find Andrew Purkey in the 1840 census living in Sandusky Twp in Richland County Ohio. So Andrew probably moved there after selling his land to his son Jacob back in 1831. The 1840 census lists 1 male 15-20 (Jesse?) 1 male 60-70 (Andrew) and one female 60-70 (wife Margaret). Jesse probably moved there to help Andrew with the farm.
Andrew died on December 24, 1840 and was buried in Middletown Cemetery outside of Crestline Ohio. In the 1850 census, his land, now in Polk Twp of Crawford County (a piece of Richland was sheared off and given to Crawford co) shows Jesse living there. A Jacob and Margaret Purkeypile live next door to Jesse. They are listed as being age 63 and 64, respectively, so they are not our Jacob, who is listed in Jackson Twp of Crawford at age 38. By the way, Jacob changes his age with each census, so we can never really pin down the year that he was born.
Well, that is about all that I have on the Jacob Purkeypile family of York and Crawford counties. The search goes on. :)
Jim Purky
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Re: Jacob Purkeypile family of Crawford Co OH and York Co PA (Long)
Jim Purky 10/28/11