Since my last post, cousin Gail sent me yet another information-filled packet. One item in particular provides a closer look at Philip Myers (1759-1835), great-grandfather of Dan Myers, and Philip’s brother Lawrence (1754-1810).
“Genealogical and Family History of Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys — —- (illegible words)” by Horace Edwin Haydon. However, openlibrary.org lists the author as John W. Jordan, LL.D. ISBN number is 0788429175.
You will recall that the Wyoming Valley is in Pennsylvania; the territory that would one day be the state of Wyoming had not yet been discovered by Europeans at the time of the Revolutionary War. Here begins the passage on the brothers Myers. The highlighting is from an earlier researcher, either cousin Gail or his niece, cousin Paula.
Another printed source gives the year of immigration as 1766. By “hardships and perils of those days,” the author means the many Indian wars and conflicts in the area, including an infamous massacre at Forty Fort in 1778, immediately after the fort had surrendered to the invading Indian and British forces. The same Horace E. Haydon wrote a whole book on the massacre and its aftermath. It can be read for free at this site. It is awfully dry, though. I recommend instead, this brief article.
Frustratingly, the name of the father of Philip, Lawrence, Henry, and Michael Myers; that is, the “founder of the family,” is apparently unknown, even to this very well-sourced author. I am sure it is Valentini (or some variant); I believe I have that in some document from cousin Gail, as well as from the Mainz church records (see previous post). But I have yet to find any documents relating to the father’s presence in Maryland.
The “Pennamites” were the Tory settlers who had aligned with the Indians and British, still making “troubles” ten years after the massacre at Forty Fort. One can easily imagine the spiral of revenge upon revenge that ravaged both sides. The narrative now backs up to 1777. It implies both brothers are present; Lawrence must still be a private:
Here is Wikipedia’s account of the Americans’ defeat at Germantown.
Note that no children are mentioned of Lawrence Myers and Sarah Gore. That will figure into Philip Myers’ family in the next post. Stay tuned.
Myers Land In Maryland « Ole's Blog
Dec 11, 2010
[…] Lawrence Myers, who had been an officer, was granted a parcel of approx. 150 acres in Baltimore county, about 30 miles north of the city of Baltimore, in 1790. The name of the parcel was “What’s Left” (!). In 1792, the parcel was resurveyed, and a new warrant issued to Philip Myers. Also issued to Philip were three small parcels (about 16 acres altogether), adjacent to Lawrence’s original grant. […]