John A Skidmore (1736 - 1809)

Born 10 Jun 1736 in Fisher's Delight, Little York, Kent County, Delaware

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Magdalena (Henckel) Skidmore — married 1762 in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 12 Oct 1809 at age 73 in Franklin, Ruddle, Pendleton County, Virginia, United States

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Captain John Skidmore served during the French and Indian War.

Biography

Category:French_and_Indian_War_Project Category:French_and_Indian_War Capt. John Skidmore fought in the French and Indian War. Join: French and Indian War Project Discuss: french_and_indian_war Cpt. John Skidmore was born in 1736 in Delaware and died in 1809 in Pendleton County, Virginia.

He married Mary Magdalena (Polly) Henckle on 2 Mar 1762 with Reverend Alexander Miller presiding.

At the time of his marriage John Skidmore settled near Mud Lick on the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac about two miles from the Mouth of the Seneca. This was not far from the Fort Hinkle built by his father in law.

The Battle of Point Pleasant — known as the Battle of Kanawha in some older accounts — was the only major action of Dunmore's War. Fought on October 10, 1774, primarily between Virginia militia and Indians from the Shawnee. Captain John Skidmore had 2 wounds, leg & hip.

John Skidmore was 31 years old when he first fought in the French and Indian Wars in 1767 as a captain. His Augusta County Militia was called out for service in 1774, when he was 38 years old. His military service ended in 1778 at the age of 42, when he resigned with the rank of Major. He was the father of 15 children, 13 of whom survived him. We don't know alot about John Skidmore, except we believe that he was at least 6 feet tall (an early day report said all of the men in the Augusta Militia were that tall), possibly auburn-haired (as many Skidmores were reported to be), and that he was a powerfully strong man. One report said John Skidmore once defeated an indian in hand-to-hand combat. He was a quiet and serious man, who was very religious and devoted to his family. He married Mary Magdelena Henckle (also known as Polly), in 1743. Captain Skidmore (later promoted to Major) was wounded twice in the Battle of Point Pleasant, often referred to as the first Battle of the American Revolution. He was one of 11 justices that organized present day Pendleton County, West Virginia.

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John A. Skidmore, a son of Joseph and Agnes Ann (Caldwell) Skidmore, was born on the plantation "Fisher's Delight" in Kent County, Delaware, June 10, 1736. Soon after his birth, the family moved to that part of Augusta County, Virginia that is now Pendleton County WV.

John served in the Augusta County Militia during the French and Indian War. He was called out in 1755 and and served until the end of the War. John married Mary Magdalena Hinkle in the early 1760's. Mary was a daughter of John Justus and Magdalena (Eschemann) Hinkle. John Hinkle and his family settled in the section of Virginia known as Germany Valley and were the builders of Hinkle's fort.

In 1767, John Skidmore was appointed Captain of the Augusta Militia and in 1770, he was commissioned as one of His Majesty's Justices for Augusta County. In 1774, John's company of the Augusta Militia was mobilized for service in Dunmore's war and took part in the battle of Point Pleasant. John was wounded twice during the battle of Point Pleasant, in the leg and in the hip.

In 1778, John was appointed a justice of the newly formed Rockingham County by Patrick Henry. The first Rockingham County Court, in session April 28, 1778, found John A. Skidmore "fit to serve as major" of the Augusta Militia. John declined the appointment, but retained his captaincy for several years.

When Pendleton County was formed in 1778, John was elected the first president of the new court. John served the new County for several years, including two terms as sheriff. John died in Pendleton County October 12, 1809 and Mary died October 18, 1829.

• Note; born on the plantation "Fisher's Delight" in Kent County,[Murderkill Hundred, Kent County, Delaware CONFLICTS with FAG]
• Note; John married Mary Magdalena Hinkle in the early 1760's. [2 MAR 1762 U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900]

[Harris-25184]

Burial

Burial:

Date: October 1909

Place: John Skidmore Cemetery, Ruddle, WV

Directions to the John Skidmore Gravesite

Before you go on your journey, remember that John Skidmore's grave is on private land! Be sure to ask permission before entering the property! --The owner's home is clearly visable, once you turn off of US Highway 220. Please take note that the "road" is in really bad shape, so you may want to park your car and continue by foot before you reach the first brook, or consider borrowing a jeep, truck or All-Terrain Vehicle.

Start at the Pendleton County founder's memorial, on US Highway 220, at Ruddle, West Virginia

Travel: North on U.S. Highway 220 for 2.1 miles to Squire Road,

Turn right onto Squire Road and go over bridge

Take the first right onto Sugar Maple Bridge Road

Travel: 0.2 miles to gate (just past barn on the left). Go through gate, cross a brook twice

Turn left at second gate.

Travel: Approximately 0 .1 mile;

The trail to the grave will be on your left. It is marked with a painted metal plate nailed to a tree on the left side of the "so-called" road you just drove.

Follow the trail 100 yards. To a small clearing.

The grave is surrounded by a small blue metal fence.

Total distance from the Founder's monument to the trail is approx 2.7 miles.

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Joseph was born in 1736. He passed away in 1809.

Research Notes

This person was copied from ancestry. The descendents (Elizabeth Skidmore Hall) from Ancestry are show on Wikitree as descendents of Joseph Skidmore

• Fact: Military Service (from October 1776 to April 1778) US Revolutionary War United States
• Fact: Birth Fisher's Delight Plantation, Kent, Delaware, United States
• Fact: Death German Valley, Pendleton, West Virginia, United States
• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch John A. Skidmore, a son of Joseph and Agnes Caldwell Skidmore, was born on the plantation "Fisher's Delight" in Kent County, Delaware, June 10, 1736. Soon after his birth, the family moved to that part of Augusta County, Virginia, that is now Pendleton County, West Virginia.

John served in the Augusta County militia during the French and Indian War. He was called out in 1755 and served until the end of the war. John married Mary Magdalena Hinkle in the early 1760's. John Hinkle and his family settled in the section of Virginia known as Germany Valley and were the builders of Hinkle's Fort.

Hinkle's Fort is located in present day Pendleton County, West Virginia. A marker was placed there by the Henckel Family Association in 1936.

In 1767, John Skidmore was appointed Captain of the Augusta Militia and in 1770, he was commissioned as one of His Majesty's Justices for Augusta County. In 1774, John's company of the Augusta Militia was mobilized for service in Dumore's War and took part in the Battle of Point Pleasant. John was wounded twice during the Battle of Point Pleasant, in the leg and in the hip.

In 1778, John was appointed a justice of the newly formed Rockingham County by Patrick Henry. The first Rockingham County Court, in session April 28, 1778, found John A. Skidmore "fit to appointment, but retained his captaincy for several years."

When Pendleton County was formed in 1778, John was elected first president of the new court. John served the new County for several years, including two terms as sheriff. John died in Pendleton County October 12, 1809.

John Skidmore was 31 years old when he first fought in the French and Indian Wars in 1767 as a captain. His Augusta County Militia was called out for service in 1774, when he was 38 years old. His military service ended in 1778 at the age of 42, when he resigned with the rank of Major. He was the father of 15 children, 13 of whom survived him. We don't know alot about John Skidmore, except we believe that he was at least 6 feet tall (an early day report said all of the men in the Augusta Militia were that tall), possibly auburn-haired (as many Skidmores were reported to be), and that he was a powerfully strong man. One report said John Skidmore once defeated an indian in hand-to-hand combat. He was a quiet and serious man, who was very religious and devoted to his family. He married Mary Magdelena Henckle (also known as Polly), in 1743. Captain Skidmore (later promoted to Major) was wounded twice in the Battle of Point Pleasant, often referred to as the first Battle of the American Revolution. He was one of 11 justices that organized present day Pendleton County, West Virginia.

• Fact: Burial Skidmore Cemetery, near Upper Tract, Pendleton, Virginia, United States
• Fact: Burial #22, Skidmore Cemetery, Ruddle, Pendleton, Virginia, United States
• Fact: Military Service A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA with the rank of Major. DAR Ancestor # A104687

• Fact: Burial John Skidmore Cemetery #22 , Ruddle, Pendleton County, West Virginia, USA

Sources

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• THOMAS SKIDMORE (SCUDAMORE), 1605-1684, OF WESTERLEIGH, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, AND FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT; his ancestors, and descendants to the ninth generation; by WARREN SKIDMORE
• Find A Grave: Memorial #21461038
• West Virginia genweb - List of soldiers - Find John Skidmore towards the bottom under Captains Wounded.
• History of Rockingham County, Virginia, Pages 53, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67...
• Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871, by Joseph Addison Waddell, Published 1902, Page 256.
• Capt John A Skidmore (1736-1809) on Find A Grave: Memorial #21461038 retrieved 28 July 2019
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 17 March 2019, 00:28), entry for Captain John A. Skidmore(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L7NN-GLJ); contributed by various users.
• "Public Member Trees", database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/50642434/person/26089169482/facts : accessed 27 January 2019), profile for Joseph Skidmore.