aaa-0759.html

27 January 1983

Report to Carmen J. Finley from Antoinette J. Segraves.

Objective: to locate a connection between the Rev. John Thomson family and the John Finley family, both of Lancaster County, PA from the early to mid-1700’s; to locate a connection between the Caldwell family and Finley family, both of Lancaster County, PA.

Tax lists for Lancaster County, PA were searched as follows:

Lancaster County Tax Lists, 1718–1726 (formerly Chester County)
(These are tax lists of that portion of Chester County which became Lancaster in 1729. They were copied from the originals and are in the Historical Society of PA)

Hugh Thomson (also spelled Tomson, Thompson)
    Pequea Township
    1721    2/6 tax
    1724    2/0
    1725    2/0
    1726    2/0

John Thomson (also spelled Tompson)
    Pequea Township
    1724    2/0 tax
    1725    3/8
    1726    2/6

Robert Baker & 2 sons
    Conestogoe Township
    1719    15/4 tax

Samuel Baker with his father
    Conestogoe Township
    1719    16/0 tax

Caleb Baker with his father
    Conestogoe Township
    1719    16/0 tax

Robt Baker & Sons
    Conestogoe Township
    1720    12/6 tax

Robert Baker & son
    English at Conestogoe
    1721    7/9 tax

Robert Baker & son
    West Conestogoe
    1722    10/0 tax

Robert Baker & son
    Conestogoe Township
    1724    8/0 tax

Robert Baker & son
    Conestogoe Township
    1725    7/6 tax

Robert Baker & son
    Conestogoe Township

1726    7/0 tax

Dutch Baker
    Conestogoe Township
    1720    4/0

There were no Finleys, Caldwells, Sankeys, Shilladays, Grahams or McGehees listed.

No tax records prior to 1751 have been located either at the Lancaster County Court House, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania or in print.

In National Genealogical Society Quarterly, vol 21, 1933, pages 1-13 are tax lists from various townships of Lancaster County as follows:

Hempfield    1751
Manor    1751
Conestoga    1757
Earl    1756
Donegal    1751, 1757
Drumore    1757    (this is probably Drumore but no names of our interest were listed.)

On microfilm at the Historical Society of PA are the following tax lists:

Bethel Township    1751–1783
Derry Township    1754–1781
Hanover Township    1750–1783
Heidelburg Township    1751–1788
Lancaster Borough    1814
Londonderry Township    1769–1783
Paxton Township    1750–1782
Upper Paxton Township    1769–1783

These are unindexed and are of the originals therefore difficult and time-consuming to read. Since Drumore was not among them, I did not search these lists. If you feel it would help, I will search them.

Land records for Lancaster County were next checked:

Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Volume 24
Warrantees of Land – Lancaster County, 1733–1896

page  377    Caldwell, Henry    100 acres    March 27, 1735
page  378    Caldwell, John    150    Dec. 22, 1737
page  380    Caldwell, Samuel    50    March 18, 1742
page  381    Caldwell, Andrew    100    May 21, 1742
page  382    Caldwell, Andrew    200    Jan. 12, 1744
page  383    Caldwell, James    150    Sept. 16, 1747
page  384    Caldwell, Andrew    20    May 5, 1749
page  386    Caldwell, James    10    May 28, 1752
        Caldwell, David    25    May 12, 1758
        Caldwell, David    25    May 12, 1758
        Caldwell, David    25    May 12, 1758
        Caldwell, David    50    May 12, 1758

page 387    Caldwell, Andrew    200    Oct. 4, 1765
        Caldwell, John    300    Oct. 4, 1765

page 388    Caldwell, James    25    June 13, 1770

page 389    Caldwell, John    50    Aug. 24, 1784
        Caldwell, Hugh Senr.    150    March 29, 1785
        Caldwell, John    80    April 3, 1786
        Caldwell, Andrew    8    Jan. 12, 1790
        Caldwell, Olever    10    Feb. 20, 1794
        Caldwell, Olleven    10    Feb. 20, 1794

page 390    Caldwell, James A.    10    Dec. 2, 1818
        Caldwell, James A.    24    Dec. 2, 1818
        Caldwell, James A.    8    Dec. 23, 1819

page 404    Finney, Samuel    150    Jan. 16, 1733

page 405    Finney, Robert    150    March 16, 1736

page 407    Finly, John    100    July 5, 1745

page 408    Finly, William    100    Feb. 26, 1747
        Finly, John    200    May 11, 1747

page 409    Finley, Thomas    100    June 8, 1749

page 410    Finney, James    200    Oct. 4, 1765
        Finney, Thomas    150    Oct. 4, 1765
        Finney, James    60    Oct. 22, 1770
        Finney, James    168    Jan. 19, 1775
        Finney, James    150, 120    Jan. 20, 1775

page 544    Thompson, Thomas    100    March 8, 1734
        Thompson, Hugh    250    May 15, 1734
        Thompson, John    200    Sept. 10, 1736
        Thompson, Thomas    100    April 7, 1737
        Thompson, Jno., Jr.    200    Aug. 1, 1737
        Thompson, James    200    Oct. 3, 1737

page 545    Thompson, John    250    March 29, 1738
        Thompson, Lawrence    150    March 29, 1738
        Thompson, Mathew    200    June 21, 1738
        Thompson & Williams    200    Aug. 18, 1738
        Thompson, John    200    Oct. 6, 1738
        Thompson, William    250    June 14, 1740
        Thompson, Jno & Mary    140    Oct. 9, 1740
        Thompson, John    200    Oct. 16, 1741
        Thompson, John    50    Oct. 16, 1741
        Thompson, Hugh    100    Jan. 25, 1743
        Thompson, William    150    Feb. 18, 1743
        Thompson, Thomas    300    Jan. 10, 1744
        Thompson, John    200    Feb. 20, 1744
        Thompson, Henry    100    April 18, 1745
        Thompson, Matthew    150    July 5, 1745
        Thompson, Andrew    150    Oct. 18, 1745
        Thompson, Sam’l & als    100    April 9, 1748
        Thompson, Alex’r    100    Nov. 26, 1748

page 547    Thomson, Hugh    176    April 20, 1749
        Thomson, Hugh    176    April 20, 1749
        Thomson, Sam’l    240    May 13, 1749
        Thomson, Sam’l    100    March 4, 1750
        Thomson, Thomas    150    Dec. 5, 1750

page 548    Thompson, John    150    Aug. 21, 1765
        Thompson, Robert    15    Oct. 22, 1765

page 549    Thompson, Nathan    80    Dec. 17, 1785
        Thompson, Nathan    200    June 8, 1786

These were the only names of interest checked. I know there is much here that is not pertinent, but felt that it all should be copied as there just might be something.

The deeds for Lancaster County, PA are indexed both in a Grantor Index and a Grantee Index. These indexes along with the deed books are on microfilm at the Historical Society of PA and can be searched if you feel necessary. However, I did use the following source, which is acceptable, because it is easier and therefore quicker:

Lancaster County, PA, Deed Abstracts and Revolutionary War Oaths of Allegiance. Deed Books “A”–“M”, 1729–ca1770. R. Thomas Mayhill. 1973.

page 16  B309  John Finley witnessed a deed for land in Hopewell Township
    10 Jan. 1745/6

page 17  B369  John Finley witnessed a deed for land in Hopewell Township
    18–19 Sep. 1746

page 74  G93  140 acres on Octorara Creek patented 5 Dec. 1740 to Revd.
    John Thompson & w Mary; Wm. Morrison adjoin tract by L-rel. (lease-release, AJS) 23 Feb. 1741

There are other Thompson deeds but none of interest.

page 22  B577  250 acres on Pequea Creek: David Jones – late of Robert Baker, decd. Granted to Robert Baker, father of Caleb, who died intestate. Rec. 10 Dec. 1748.
Pat. 500 acres to Caleb Baker and wife Martha

There were no Sankeys, Shilladays or Crocketts listed. The following made oaths of allegiance:

page 151  Thomas Caldwell    Jan 26, 1778
page 159  James Finley    before March 26 1778
page 158  George Finley    June 13–Sept 29, 1777
page 158  James Finley    July 1777
page 154  Saml Finley    June 1778
page 146  John Finley    Oct. 25, 1777

Probate records for Lancaster County show:
Abstracts of wills

Findley, James  (D) Aug. 27, 1814  (P) April 1, 1816
    Exec. Henry Brenneman. Strasburg Township. Legatee, Henry Brenneman, Jr. (L-1569)

Finny, James  (D) July 26, 1770  (P) May 4, 1774
    Exec. Jane and Thomas Finney. Hanover Township. Wife Jane Finney. Children, Thomas, Jane, Mary and Rebecca. (B-1-662)

Finley, Alexander  (D) April 12, 1775  (P) May 3, 1775
    Exec. Matthew McHugh and Adam Orth. Lebanon Township. Legatee, James Braun. (C-1-174)

Thomas Finney was executor for the will of Thomas McClure (D) Jan. 6, 1778, (P) Feb. 3, 1778. Hanover Township.

Graham, John  (D) April 12, 1743  (P) Feb. 2, 1743
    Exec. Richard and Brice Sankey. No township mentioned. Wife’s name omitted. Children, William and John. (A-1-85)

Graham, James  (D) Oct. 8, 1745  (P) Nov. 13, 1745
    Exec. Mr. Sankey & Patrick Watson. No township mentioned. Wife’s name omitted. Children, James, John and Mary.

Caldwell, Andrew  (D) June 23, 1757  (P) Feb. 14, 1759
    Exec. Andrew & John Caldwell. Drumore Township. Wife, McCartha Caldwell. Children, Alexander, Andrew, John & David.

Caldwell, Robert  (D) Aug. 21, 1754  (P) March 26, 1755
    Exec. Ann Caldwell. Leacock Township. Mother, Ann Caldwell. Brother, Andrew Caldwell. Sister, Rachel wife of James Creswell. (B-1-82)

Caldwell, Andrew  (D) May 2, 1749  (P) Dec. 28, 1752
    Exec. Ann Caldwell. Leacock Township. Wife, Ann Caldwell. Children, Andrew, Rachel wife of Croswell and Robert. Grandchild, Hannah Croswell. (J-1-25)

Caldwell, John  (D) Nov. 2, 1776  (P) March 29, 1782
    Exec. David Mitchel, John Hilton, Mary & David Caldwell. Paxton Township. Wife, Mary Caldwell. Children, David, James, John, Sarah and Ann. (D-1-57)

Caldwell, David  (D) Aug. 27, 1777  (P) June 7, 1783
    Exec. not given. Township not mentioned. Brothers, James and John. Mother, Mary J. Caldwell. Sisters, Sarah and one other whose name was not given.

Caldwell, James  (D) Aug. 15, 1783  (P) April 14, 1785
    Exec. John & Oliver Caldwell. Little Britain Township. Wife, Mary Caldwell. Children, John, William, Andrew, Oliver, James, Mary wife of William Money and Agness wife of James Atchinson. (E-1-207)

Caldwell, Mary  (D) Sept. 7, 1799  (P) Feb. 26, 1800
    Exec. Oliver Caldwell. Little Britain Township. Children, John, William, Agness, James, Oliver, Mary. (G-1-613)

Reid, William  (D) March 25, 1802  (P) June 16, 1802
    Exec. Mary and John Caldwell. Drumore Township. Children, Mary wife of ---- Caldwell and Jean wife of James Caldwell. Grandchildren, William and John Caldwell (Parents names not given).

Caldwell, Oliver  (D) March 22, 1813  (P) May 3, 1813
    Exec. Stephen Boyd and Timothy Hains. Little Britton Township. Child, James

Oliver Caldwell exec. of the will of Patrick McKaige  (D) June 15, 1784
    (P) June 30 1784  Little Britton Township.

John Caldwell exec. of the will of Andrew McCartney  (D) July 25, 1792
    (P) Oct. 8, 1792  Colerain Township.

Andrew Caldwell exec. of the will of Peter Patterson  (D) Aug. 21, 1781
    (P) Aug. 29 1786  Drumore Township.

Pinkerton, Thomas  (D) April 28, 1807  (P) May 12, 1807
    Exec. Andrew Caldwell and Watson McCurdy. Leacock Township.

Sister, Jane Caldwell.

John Caldwell exec of the will of Andrew Pegan  (D) Sept. 9, 1788
    (P) Jan. 13, 1789  Martic Township.

Andrew Caldwell exec. of the will of Samuel Pollock.  (D) March 12, 1778
    (P) April 17, 1778  Drumore Township.

Andrew Caldwell exec. of the will of William Rabb  (D) Aug. 12, 1752
    (P) Nov. 28, 1753

Andrew Caldwell exec. of the will of Nathaniel Watson  (D) Aug. 13, 1817
    (P) Sept. 19, 1818  Leacock Township.

Andrew Caldwell exec. of the will of Andrew McIntire  (D) Sept. 18, 1779
    (P) June 28, 1784  Drumore Township.

John Caldwell exec. of the will of John Karr  (D) March 22, 1785  (P) May 6, 1785  Bart Township.

John Caldwell exec. of the will of Samuel Coulter  (D) April 26, 1771
    (P) Dec. 21, 1778  Colerain Township.

Curry, William  (D) Jan. 24, 1704 (?)  (P) March 13, 1746
    Exec. Robert Curry and Andrew Caldwell. Township not mentioned. Wife, Agnes Curry. Child, Mary. Brothers, Robert Curry and Andrew Caldwell.

Andrew Caldwell exec. of the will of Robert Buyers  (D) July 20, 1801
    (P) July 20, 1801  Salisbury Township.

Hugh Caldwell exec. of the will of Alexander Kirkpatrick  (D) Feb. 16, 1746
    (P) ----- 1747  Martic Township.

Patterson, Peter  (D) Aug. 21, 1781  (P) Aug. 29, 1786
    Exec. Andrew Caldwell and Joseph Lorimor. Drumore Township. Children, Mary wife of John Thompson, Margaret wife of Samuel Patterson and Hannah wife of James Mitchell. Son-in-law, Robert Kirkpatrick. Wife’s name not given.

(Unfortunately, this looks like it is too late to be our John Thompson of interest. AJS)

Robert Baker exec. of the will of William Patterson  (D) Sept. 23, 1745
    (P) Oct. 22, 1745  Paxton Township.

The numbers in parentheses are the will book number and page number.

The following tombstone inscriptions from Drumore Township are noted:

Tombstone Inscriptions from Graveyards in Lancaster County, PA. Copied by William Frederick Horner. Vol. 4. Lancaster, PA  1935.

Chestnut Level Presbyterian Graveyard
page 158  John Graham, died November 19, 1763  aged 61 years
page 149  Alice Caldwell, died February 4, 1802  aged 40 years
    Andrew Caldwell, died June 27, 1757  aged 45 years
    Andrew Caldwell, died March 11, 1808  aged 74 years
    Hugh Caldwell, died April 14, 1759  aged 10 years
    John Caldwell, died June 12, 1812  aged 76 years

page 150    Margaret Caldwell, died December 3, 1744    aged 30 years
    Oliver Caldwell, died April 7, 1843    in the 56th year
    Samuel Caldwell, died in June 1764    in the 19th year

page 174    Alice, wife of William McSaprran and daughter of James A. and Adaline Caldwell. Died August 17, 1847, aged 22 years and 3 days.

There were no Finleys, Bakers, Thomsons, McGehees, Shilladays, Sankeys, or Crocketts listed.

Church records at the Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, indicate that records for Middle Octorara and Chestnut Level Presbyterian Churches no longer exist. Printed and/or published materials at the Presbyterian Historical Society were searched as follows:

History of the United Presbyterian Congregation of Lewes, Coolspring and Indian River Churches, Lewes, Delaware. Atkins, Elizabeth Russell.
– contained a short one inch sketch of Rev. John Thomson – no family information – said he came in 1715 as a probationer, ordained and installed in 1717.

The Reverend John Thomson (ca 1690-1753). Herndon, John Goodwin. – a booklet which is identical to the material in Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, vol. XX, pages 116-158 and vol. XXI, pages 34-59 by Herndon which is almost identical to the material in the Virginia Historical Magazine which you sent. I have attached the pages which are not included in the Virginia Historical Magazine.

Inscriptions in Lewes Presbyterian Church Yard – not a complete listing but no Thomsons appear.

Middle Octorara United Presbyterian Church. Minutes for History. Beyer, Dorothy J. – page 11 – Thomson first full-time minister, 1730-1733. Thomson and first wife raised a family of 12, 9 boys and 3 girls. She died 1733 and is probably buried either at Octorara or Chestnut Level in an unmarked grave. Rev. Thomson then married Mary McKean from near Andrews Bridge, a widow with 7 children. They had one child, a daughter.

Register of Marriages and Baptisms of Rev. John Cuthbertson, 1751-1791, compiled by S. Helen Fields, 1934. – no mention of families of interest.

Faith and Works at Middle Octorara Since 1727. McElwain, Madison E. 1956. – sketch on Thomson – arrived at Yorktown, VA in 1715 with wife and child – none of the family listed in the cemetery but there are many unmarked graves. On page 330 is the following: In 1720, it was known as Sadsbury. In 1721, the name Octorara first appears – the designation “Upper” appears in 1727, at which time it became necessary to distinguish the churches bearing the name Octorara. Thus the former Sadsbury congregation became Upper Octorara, then there was Middle Octorara and the Mouth of Octorara became Lower Octorara and subsequently Lower West Nottingham.

Middle Octorara is at Quarryville, PA.

A portion of the section on Drumore Township from History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, by Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans. Philadelphia, Everts and Peck, 1883, is attached for your interest. It does contain some pertinent information.

Maps of Lancaster County are also attached to help locate the various townships.

Nothing conclusive has been found to determine the connection of the John Finley family to the Rev. John Thomson family. I have included a good deal of Caldwell information in hopes that it will help to straighten out the relationships there. Since you have so much Caldwell data, perhaps this will add something, or at least confirm.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania library does contain microfilm of Lancaster County records so anything you might want a copy of, I can do that for you. I was so in hopes the Peter Patterson will would be the very thing to show the maiden name of John Thompson’s first wife, but the dates are too late.