Jacob Adams (1758 - 1803)

Born 23 Sep 1758 in West Fallowfield Township, Chester, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine Hoy — married about 1786 (to about 1795) in Mifflin, Pennsylvania, United States [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 23 Aug 1803 at age 44 in Belleville, Mifflin, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Andrea Taylor [send private message]

Biography

Private Jacob Adams served with Pennsylvania during the American Revolution.

Jacob Adams is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A000510.

Linda Bischoff Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997

These two letters were written by two of Joseph Adams' children to a nephew (son of Samuel Adams who was putting together an Adams genealogy - this thing is in the library of congress or in the DAR or somewhere. I got it on account that someone had it in my family and passed copies down or around!)

"Prepared by Jacob Adams: The first of our family that came to this continent"..... and he continues on about Adams family ...... "Our

Grandfather Jacob Adams (their second son)" .... he is speaking of James & Isabella Adams...... "was born in Mifflin County in 1758 and in 1786 was married to Catherine Hoy. We do not know where she was born, but she was of Scotch-Irish descent, and it is from her that one branch of the family get their black eyes, as the other brances have light eyes.

"The had three children: Joseph, James and Mary. The mother died about 1795" (....this is wrong because second wife's dau was bom in 1794) "and Grandfather married a second time in 1796 and raised four children: three sons and one daughter. These are the Juniata branch of the family of whom you know all about. Our Grandfather died in 1803." (.....was speaking of Jacob Adams)

The letter goes on to say about Catherine Hoy's first son: "Your Grandfather, Joseph Adams, was born in Lost Creek, Mifflin County (now Juniata) November 3rd 1787 (where his father had entered land and made a farm after his marriage). He remained at home until his father's death, when he went to Lewistown and clerked in a store until his arrival at manhood, when he received his share of the family estate (250 pounds). He then removed to Manor Hill in Huntingdon County where, in connection with his old employeer, James Milliken of Lewistown, they established a country store. This was about 1808. Here in 1811 he married our mother Mary Crum"..... then some about her ancestry..... "They lived here until about 1818, when the store and all they possessed was burned by a rascal whom your Grandfather had assisted on his way to the penitentiary by being a witness against him.

They then removed to a farm in Hearts Log Valley near Alexandria owned by my mother. She died in Alexandria in 1829. We lived in this vicinity until 1834 when we removed to Hollidaysburg, your Grandfather being appointed Weighmaster on the canal at that place which position he held until 1836, and also engaged with Peter Shoeberger in the coal business. In 1837 you Grandfather was again married to a widow, Mary Roller of Canoe Valley. She died in 1843, leaving no children, - in 1840 we had removed to Williamsburg and resided there until 1849 when we came West"... (west meaning Galena and Rock Island IL)

' "My father's sister Isabella married a man named Lee and they removed to Holmes County Ohio with uncle James about the year 1812 where many of their descendants still live."(...That was wrong, according to the next letter) signed etc. Milan, IL 20 Sep 1885 (town where Jacob was living at that time — he was a bookkeeper and never married)

The second letter was from Rebekah McLaughlin, of Milan IL, 4 Jan 1886. She is obviously commenting on what was written by Jacob Adams, her brother. The Mary she is speaking of is her daughter.

"Mary and I have been engaged this Monday morning in writing out the history of my father's family for you and I think it is quite as correct as any member of the family that is now living can write......."

"After our Grandmother, Catherine Hoy Adams died, leaving three children, -Joseph, James & Mary, grandfather married a second wife who was the mother of four children: John, William, Jacob and Isabella. Isabella married a man by the name of Gallagher and he was just about as worthless as Dan Lee. They were both intemperate men. Father and Uncle James Adams provided for their sister Mrs. Lee and the other brothers did likewise for their sister Isabella. They both raised good families of children: I have seen two of Aunt Mary Lee's sons, Jacob & Felix; and was well acquainted with Robert, John & James Gallagher".....goes on to tell about the Gallaghers, who are not related at all to Catherine Hoy.....

"Now I wish I could know more of my Grandmother Catharine Hoy. Her father owned a farm on the Loyal Hanna [River] in your County [Westmoreland] some place and I think if you would examine the records in Greensburg you would find out where it is.

Father was to see them when he was 19 years of age and while he was there wrote his Grandfather's will" (meaning Grandfather Samuel Hoy), "but did not receive any portion. When he told me the circumstance I remarked that if I had been him I would have broken the will, but he was too independent to do that. If I am ever permitted to visit Penna again, think I will hunt them up. I don't think we can be very certain about father's birthplace. I think he was born in Kishicoquillas Valley. However, it is of no particular importance as that and Lost Creek are not more than 12 or 15 miles apart.

I know they lived on a farm in the latter place. Still grandfather" (meaning Jacob Adams) "lived in the former valley and it is more likely that Grandfather lived in Kishocoquillas until after his first marriage. If so, why could not father have been born there.?"

Joseph Adams was a judge in Huntingdon Co. PA. There is quite a bit of info on him. He also wrote some stories concerning early life in that county that were publised in one of the histories. He is kind of an interesting character. I have photo of Joseph Adams and a pencil drawing of his daughter Elizabeth Jane Adams who married William Young, who is my direct ancestor (my name Young at birth).

Sources

Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed June 13, 2019), "Record of Jacob Adams", Ancestor # A000510.

McAllister, Addams S. The descendants of John Thomson, pioneer Scotch covenanter; genealogical notes on all known descendants of John Thomson, covenanter, of Scotland, Ireland and Pennsylvania, with such biographical sketches... New York, NY: The Chemical Publishing Company, 1917.