John Fegley (1819 - 1881)

Born 1819 in Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Reitz) Fegley — married 23 Apr 1839 in Jackson Township, Northumberland, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Apr 1881 at about age 62 in Eldred Township, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Beth Stephenson [send private message]

Biography

According to a biography written by a grandson of John Fegley, he was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the son of Peter Fegley and Elizabeth Low.^[1] This has not been fully proven.

Certainly, 20 year old John Fegley was living in Jackson Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania near extended family in 1839. There were a large number of Fegleys living in that area at the 1830 and 1840 Censuses.

John Fegley was married to Catherine Reitz on April 23,1839 at Jackson Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania by the Reverend R Duenger.^[2]

Marriage Announcement

The family started out in Little Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County, where they were located at the 1840 Census.^[3] Notice that in the record, he was called "John Fegely Jr," so more research is needed to determine if Peter Fegley is the correct parent:

John Fegley Age 20 - 30, Wife (Catherine) and Daughter (Eliza)

By the 1850 Census, the family had moved to Catawissa Township in Columbia County.^[4] At the 1850 Census, John Fegley's stated occupation was "fueller." According to an internet query into this occupation, this is someone who feeds the fires in a coal furnace. However, on page 1213 of a genealogical biography book of Columbia and Montour Counties, John Fegley was said to have run a fulling mill, which is an entirely different occupation that uses a water- powered mill similar to a saw mill to make woolen felt for clothing.^[5]

Fuller Mill Occupation Explanation

John and Catherine Fegley raised nine children in Columbia County.^[6] At the 1860 Census, John Fegley was self-employed as a "wool carder."^[7] The couple were parents of the following known children:

Eliza Fegley Fry^[8]

Nathaniel Fegley^[9]

Cornelius Fegley^[10] who died young.

Samuel Fegley^[11]

Mary C Fegley^[12] who died young.

Anna L Fegley Goss^[13]

Ellen Fegley Baylor^[14]

Caroline Fegley Zimmerman^[15]

John Fegley^[16]

At the 1880 Census John and Catherine were living in Eldred Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania with no children in their smaller household.^[17][18] Their next door neighbors on the 1880 Census were youngest daughter Carolina and her husband Hiram Zimmerman.

John Fegley passed away in 1881 at Eldred Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.^[19] No children were named in his small probate file. However, it does provide an exact date of death:

Source for Date of Death

There is a land record naming the heirs of John Fegley that can be found in Schuylkill County Deed Book 195, page 651.^[20] This record names all of the heirs of John and Catherine Reitz Fegley. The following page contains the signatures of the heirs.^[21] The names of the children match with the ones as outlined in the above biography.

Research Notes

Other John Fagely / Fegley / Fagley's of similar age and location:

This John Fegley is often confused with John Fegley who appears to have been a cousin about 9 years older. His elder cousin was married to Catherine Frymeyer. Their records are often conflated and even their find a grave pages are incorrectly linked. Luckily, the death certificates of their children mostly name the correct parents. Catherine Reitz, born in 1822, was too young to have begun having children in 1833, when John Fegley and Catherine Frymeyer started their family. The Fegleys, Frymeyers and Reitzes all started out in the same area, but this family moved about 20 miles east before the 1850 Census.

John Frederick Fegley roughly the same age as John Fegley Junior, who lived in Ralpho Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania and died in 1946. He was the son of Christian Fegley and Catherine Haas.

John Franklin Fegley, also about the same age as John Fegley Junior. He was the son of William Fegley and Elizabeth Wolf per his death Certificate dated 1947.^[22]

There was a couple named John and Justinia Fegley living in Tremont, Schuylkill County. They were proprietors of the Union Hotel and restaurant in Tremont. That John Fegley died in 1873 with several young children including Daniel O Fegley, Susan H Fegley and Howard M Fegley.

Sources

1. ↑ J H Beers & Co, Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Volume II, 1915, page 1213.
2. ↑ Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Historical Society, Volume 1, Marriages 1808-1861, citing Sunbury Gazette and Miners Register Published Marriages, page 86.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYD-ZWY : 30 September 2021), John Fegley, Little Mahanoy Township, Northumberland, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 175, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4HQ-PMX : 22 December 2020), John Fegely, Catawissa, Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ J H Beers & Co, Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Volume II, 1915, page 1213.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX5S-3JV : 18 February 2021), Cath Fagley in entry for Jno Fagley, 1860.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT3-VVB : 29 May 2021), Catharine Fegley in entry for John Fegley, 1870.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4HQ-PMN : 22 December 2020), Eliza Fegely in household of John Fegely, Catawissa, Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4HQ-PMJ : 22 December 2020), Nathaniel Fegely in household of John Fegely, Catawissa, Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4HQ-PMV : 22 December 2020), Cornelius Fegely in household of John Fegely, Catawissa, Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4HQ-PMK : 22 December 2020), Samuel Fegely in household of John Fegely, Catawissa, Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4HQ-PM2 : 22 December 2020), Mary C Fegely in household of John Fegely, Catawissa, Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
13. ↑ Pennsylvania Death Certificate naming parents John Fegley and Catherine Reitz.
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX5S-3J2 : 18 February 2021), E Fagley in entry for Jno Fagley, 1860.
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT3-VV1 : 29 May 2021), Caroline Fegley in entry for John Fegley, 1870.
16. ↑ "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VF9P-SW7 : 5 August 2020), John Fegely and Catharine in entry for John Fegely and Barbara Epler, 23 Sep 1890; citing Marriage, Northumberland, Pennsylvania, United States, multiple County Clerks, Pennsylvania.
17. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWVW-VQK : 14 January 2022), Catherine Fegley in household of John Fegley, Eldred Township, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
18. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldred_Township,_Schuylkill_County,_Pennsylvania
19. ↑ Affidavits of Administrators, 1874-1915; Author: Schuylkill County (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Schuylkill, Pennsylvania
20. ↑ Schulkill County Deed Book 195, Page 651. FHL Film #008090398, Image 167 of 813. Link to FHL
21. ↑ Schuylkill County Deed Book 195, page 652, FHL Film # 168 of 813. Link to p 652
22. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/5894889:5164