The Henthorn Family
Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia
With Notes On
Cresap and Quinn Families
by
Norma L. Henthorn
Bethany, Oklahoma
1990
Bottom This PageOne of us, Norma Latham Henthorn, has been gathering Henthorn data for 30 years. With such a rare surname, nearly all Henthorns in America are descended from the first John and James who, about 1730, came from Ireland to Chester County, Pennsylvania, according to John's grandson, James Quinn.
The other of us, Raymond Martin Bell, became interested in the Henthorns 25 years ago, while writing the History of Methodism on the Upper Ohio. Mary (widow of John Jr.) Henthorn of Uniontown was a leading Methodist, as was her preacher nephew, James Quinn. The graves of Mary, in Ohio, and her husband John, in Pennsylvania, have been visited. The biography of James Quinn tells about the Henthorns.
Could the surname be derived from Hent (plowing) + Horn? The family likely originated in England. In 1311, Henry de Henthorn lived at Whalley, Lancashire. The name appears in Ireland about 1700.
That year new land was opened up by Pennsylvania to the west across the Susquehanna River. Some of this land was also claimed by Maryland, as part of Baltimore County. James Henthorn was one of a number of persons who petitioned Maryland for land in the area of Pennsylvania near Wrightsville, now York County, then Lancaster County. The Governor of Maryland agreed to grant land to both James and John Henthorn.
These grants were challenged by Pennsylvania authorities. The sheriff of Lancaster County was sent to disperse the so-called Marylanders. In the scuffle which followed, late in November 1736, John, James and Mary participated. The Henthorns evidently settled on this land. When John was married in 1738, he and his wife, Frances Low, were both of Cordorus, now York County. In 1740, John bought land from Frances' father, John Low. John Henthorn sold it in 1745, part going to his brother James. James sold his a year later.
Apparently discouraged by the boundary dispute, both brothers James and John moved to Frederick (now Washington) County, Maryland, near the Potomac River at Antietam. They were living here during the French and Indian War, 1755-1763. The All Saints Parish records in 1761 list James, John and John's son James. From 1739 to 1761 John Henthorn owned land near Hancock, Maryland. It is unlikely that he lived there for any length of time.
At the end of the French and Indian War settlement in what was western Cumberland County became possible. John and sons migrated to Wills Creek in Cumberland Valley Township, now Bedford County. Their land was near Cooks Mills, about 9 miles north of Cumberland. Their names are on the first tax list - 1768. Also on the list is Adam Henthorn, oldest son of James Sr. Their stay here was brief, for their names as residents are soon gone.
James Henthorn and John Henthorn Jr., sons of John Sr., and their brother-in-law, David Jennings, applied Jun 14, 1769 for land near what is now Uniontown, Fayette County. David's land was surveyed September 26th, John's September 27th and James' September 28, 1769. Patents were issued in 1792, 1796, 1864.
Meanwhile, James Henthorn, Sr. moved across the Potomac River and in 1769 purchased land which he owned at his death in 1776. It was in what is now Jefferson County, West Virginia. His sons, in 1772 were near Uniontown. Taxed were Adam 37, James Jr., 33, and William, 31. John was under 21. Also taxed here were John Sr.'s sons, James 31 and John 29. John Sr.'s name is not on the tax list. He must have died shortly before the list was made.
But the move was ever westward. Three sons of James Sr., were in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1782. All were listed in the Militia. The sons moved on west to Ohio County, now West Virginia, near Wheeling. Adam died there about 1790. His widow, Susannah, died there about 10 years later. About 1791, James, Jr., moved from Fayette County to Ohio County. He ended up in Monroe County, Ohio. His brother, John, joined him there. By 1806, John had gone to Licking County, Ohio. In 1813, William went 600 miles down the Ohio to Clark County, Indiana, near Louisville.
John Henthorn, Jr., died at Uniontown in 1786. His brother, James, went 425 miles down the Ohio about 1793, ending up in Boone County, Kentucky, near Cincinnati.
When the Henthorns settled in Chester County about 1730, Pennsylvania was largely confined to the southeastern corner. Indian purchases in 1736, 1749, 1754, 1768 opened all of the state for settlement except the northwest corner.
Maryland claimed up to 40 degree north latitude. This placed part of the present York County in Baltimore County. Here, Thomas Cresap settled near present Wrightsville. The Henthorns lived here from about 1737 to 1746. John moved to Maryland, and about 1766 to present Bedford County, Pennsylvania. James moved to Maryland and in 1769 to present Jefferson County, West Virginia, where he died.
Cumberland Valley Township, now Bedford County, became available for settlement in 1755, but Indian wars from 1755 to 1763 made settlement impossible. In 1767 the township was organized as a part of Cumberland County. John Sr. with his sons, and Adam, son of James Sr. moved into this area. Their stay was brief for by 1769 they were in the newly opened area that became Fayette County in 1783 - near present Uniontown.
Virginia also claimed southwestern Pennsylvania and on December 6, 1774 organized it as the District of West August, administered by Augusta County. Two years later on November 8, 1776 the district was divided into Monongalia, Ohio and Yohogania Counties, Virginia - named for the three main rivers. A line running through Washington, Pennsylvania from northwest (at the Ohio) to southeast (at the Maryland line) set the southern boundary of Yohogania County. The county disappeared after the Pennsylvania - Virginia line was established. A line south from Washington set the boundaries for Ohio County (Wheeling) on the west and Monongalia County (Morgantown) on the east.
It is likely that the Henthorn settlement was in Monongalia. Early records were lost when the courthouse burned in 1796. So, Revolutionary records are not available for this region. The settlement became part of Union Township, when Fayette County was formed on September 26, 1783.
The first cabins were built of round logs, the spaces filled with clay. Men cleared land, plowed and sowed, and hunted. Women cooked, baked, spun, washed, mended and did the milking. The children gathered wild fruit and berries. The cabin roof was of clapboard, the chimney at one end was of stone, the floor puncheon. As for furniture, slab benches, three legged stools and a table were made. The family slept on bedsteads of cord or straw with blankets or furs for covers. There was a clapboard cupboard. Clothes were hung on pegs around the walls. The door had two sections. The upper half was open in fair weather, the lower one closed against unwanted intruders. A window might be of a thin skin. The children slept on a loft opposite the fire.
Life was difficult from 1776 to 1782 because of the threat of Indian attacks. The Henthorn settlement in Fayette County was never attacked. Adam and John, his brother, may have been in Ohio County, (West) Virginia in 1782, fleeing to Washington County, where they appear on tax and militia records, Bethlehem Township. William Henthorn was taxed in Somerset Township, Washington County 1782-89. He then went to Ohio County. In 1787, Adam and brother, John, were in Ohio County; James Jr., in Fayette County. These were the four sons of James Henthorn Sr., who died in Berkeley (now Jefferson) County, (West) Virginia.
The sons of John Henthorn Sr., who died in Fayette about 1771, were John Jr., (died Fayette County 1786) and James. James in 1787 was in Fayette County. He later went to Kentucky.
A puzzle is Philip Henthorn, born about 1758. His Virginia service 1777 to 1783 was as follows:
The last record of John Henthorn Sr. is as a witness October 27, 1770 in what is now Fayette County. At the beginning of 1768 he was living in Bedford County. Sometime that year John Sr. and his two sons moved to present Fayette County. John's grandson wrote that John "was among the first adventurers to the Redstone country and was associated with the Beesons." Henry Beeson stated that he arrived in Fayette County in 1768. John Sr.'s sons and son-in-law applied for adjoining tracts in June 1769. John must have died about 1771, for his name is not on the 1772 tax list. No will or estate record has been found. In 1771 it was a long trip to the county seat - before March Carlisle - after March Bedford. A tombstone incorrectly reads, died 1799, age 66.
The early chronology of Col. Cresap, ... ties in with the Lows and Henthorns. During the "Conojacular War," the Henthorns fought on Cresap's side. When Cresap was captured and taken to Philadelphia in November 1736, his wife and small children fled to the Cordorus settlement, east of present York, Pa. Frances Low and John Henthorn were living in Cordorus, when married by Pastor Caspar Stover, a Lutheran minister, in April 1738.
An interesting event occured June 21, 1735 when Pastor Stover baptized Elizabeth Low, the younger sister of Frances, and 14 of her cousins - all grandchildren of Daniel Johnson. A similar event occured after the death of Daniel Johnson in 1715. All of his unmarried children were baptized in St. George's Parish, Baltimore Co.
After his release in Aug 1737, Thomas Cresap went to Antietam, Md, the Henthorns followed a few years later.
Events in the Life of Thomas Cresap, Sr.
The first visit of George Washington to Oldtown was in March 1748, the last in September 1784. Cresap's became a famous stopping place on the way west. His son, Thomas, was killed by Indians May 6, 1756. Thomas Sr., from 1756-58 lived at Cononcocheague, near Hagerstown, with his son Daniel.
In 1770 Thomas made a trip back to England. Soon after, he married, for the second time, a widow Milburn. Methodist circuit rider, Robert Ayres, visited with him June 11, 1786. Grandson, Joseph Cresap was an ardent Methodist. The will of Thomas Cresap, Sr. was written in January 1784 and probated in May 1790.
John Low married Elizabeth Johnson before the death of her father in 1715, for in the will of Daniel Johnson, John Low is named. Low likely lived near the Johnsons. Daniel lived at Lapidum on the Susquehanna River, just north of Havre de Grace. Daughter, Frances Low, was "born in Maryland."
After Elizabeth's sister, Hannah, married Thomas Cresap in 1727 the family looked north. About 1730 the sons-in-law of Daniel Johnson, under the leadership of Thomas Cresap, moved north along the Susquehanna. They settled near Wrightsville, Pa. about twenty miles north of the present state line. Here they had a land grant from Maryland. For six years there was fighting, ending in November 1736 with the capture of Thomas Cresap. The Lows and the Henthorns were involved.
John Low lived on Codorus Creek, just east of present York. Hannah Cresap and children lived with the Lows while Thomas was in prison. Here Elizabeth Cresap was born in January 1737. After the war John Low moved to Prince William County, Va. In 1740, he sold his land "on the wagon road leading from Susquehanna to Potomac" to John Henthorn, his son-in-law. There is no further record of Low.
On February 23, 1775 he was authorized to operate a ferry at Brownsville. But, when he returned from a trip to Kentucky in the spring of 1775, he found that the Maryland authorities wanted him to lead a rifle company to Massachusetts. Against his better judgment he set out with 130 men from both sides of the mountains, leaving Frederick, Maryland July 18, 1775. They reached Cambridge in August, having marched the entire distance. Ill, Captain Cresap started for home, but died in New York on October 18. A marker was erected at his grave.
In July 1774 John Quinn married Sarah Henthorn Parr, widow of William Parr. William, who died in March 1774, was a son of Richard Parr, neighbor of the Fayette County Henthorns.
James Quinn, the brother of John, married about 1781, Mary ____. In the first tax list (1782), for the new Washington County, James was taxed in Peters Township for 100 acres, 1 horse, 1 cow. John in neighboring Cecil (now Chartiers) Township was taxed for 1 horse and 1 cow. In 1784 he had 230 acres. John is listed for the last time in 1785 - the year he went to Fayette County. The name of James is listed for the last time in 1789. He went to Fleming County, Kentucky. In 1799, he bought a lot in Flemingsburg.
John Quinn had wanted to go to Kentucky in 1785, but his wife objected, wanting to be near her family. After her death in April 1789, John left Fayette County. He may be the John Quinn who got a land grant in Jefferson County, Kentucky in June 1789. He remarried. There is no further record, except that he had a son, David, by this marriage.
When John and Sarah Quinn got to Fayette County in 1785, they found Methodism strong, especially in Uniontown. They had heard Methodist preachers at the home of George Frazier in Washington County. The Henthorn and Jennings families were leaders. Quinn had his children baptized in 1786, when he and Sarah joined.
The oldest son, James Quinn, named for his Irish grandfather, became a well-known Methodist preacher in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. he was converted in 1792. For a time he lived with William Wilson, a local preacher in Ohio County, now West Virginia. In 1798, he crossed the Ohio River and spoke at the home of Jacob Holmes. He was licensed to preach in 1799.
The early preaching assignments of James Quinn were:
In Pennsylvania, Robert Ayres preached at the home of James Quinn, brother of John, March 25, 1787. When James Quinn got to Kentucky he lived in what became Limestone Circuit in 1790. Flemingsburg was founded in 1796, Fleming County in 1798. James and his descendants were associated with the Methodist Church, as were his nephews. James bought a farm on Mill Creek in 1800. Fleming Circuit was formed in 1810. At a Quarterly Conference the next spring, James Quinn was recording steward. The pastor was Caleb J. Taylor, once of Uniontown. When Fitch's Meeting House was built in 1812, James Quinn was one of the trustees.
The main preaching point on Redstone Circuit was the home of Widow Ann Murphy. Her farm adjoined the Henthorns. Ann had come to Uniontown in 1781 from Ellicott's Mils, Maryland. There her house was a strong preaching point on the Baltimore Circuit. Francis Asbury (later Bishop) preached at her house October 6, 1776. On his first visit to Uniontown in 1784 he stopped at Murphy's. He made a total of 13 visits to Uniontown, holding conferences of preachers in 1788, 1790, 1792 and 1796. He established an academy, Union School, which lasted from 1792 to 1797. Samuel Parker attended this school.
When John and Sarah Quinn moved to Uniontown in 1785, they found the families of John Henthorn and his brother-in-law, David Jennings, leaders in the new church. In 1786, the Quinns had their children baptized. James Quinn told of attending his first watchnight service at the home of his aunt, Mary Henthorn. Her husband, John Henthorn Jr., died in the spring of 1786.
The home of Mary Henthorn is listed in a number of preacher's journals:
Nathaniel B. Mills in his Journal reported seeing the Henthorns leaving for Ohio, April 13, 1813. They settled in Thorn Township, Perry County. Mary and son, James, and others were in the party. She died in Thorn Township in 1819.
At the time of the 1802 Quarterly Meeting Noah Fidler preached at David Jennings' home. It was a regular preaching point on Redstone Circuit in 1803 (James Quinn) and in 1813 (Mills). Jennings was a trustee of the Uniontown church built in 1786, deeded 1791.
Of the children of Mary Henthorn, daughter Elizabeth married Jesse Stoneman, a Methodist preacher. He had been on Redstone 1801-02. Two of the children married Fidlers. Three Fidler preachers visited Redstone. John, assigned to Redstone 1785, was a cousin; Daniel assigned in 1791 and Noah, who visited in 1802 were brothers of Sarah Fidler, who married James Henthorn, and of John Fidler, who married Ann Henthorn.
At Uniontown lived Samuel Parker (1772-1819), friend of young James Quinn. He became a Methodist preacher in Mississippi. Here also lived Caleb J. Taylor (1762-1817), hymn-writer, schoolmaster and later preacher. He died in Kentucky. In 1811, he was the preacher on the Fleming Circuit, when James Quinn, uncle of young James, was the recording steward of the Quarterly Conference.
Information on the Henthorns and others is given in the letters written to Daniel Hitt ([located at] Ohio Wesleyan University), preacher on Redstone 1795-96. The letters were written about 1800.
These letters were from preachers:
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