John Briggs (1773 - 1852)

Born 24 Nov 1773 in Willistown Township, Chester County, Province of Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Hanna (Klingmann) Briggs — married 1794 in Pennsylvania, United States of America

Descendants

Died 3 Jan 1852 at age 78 in Briggsville, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States of America

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Biography

John Briggs, founder of Briggsville, Pennsylvania, was fourth generation of the Quaker Briggs family which came from England to Southeastern Pennsylvania in the late 1600s.

John was the sixth child of John Briggs and Ann Ashton and born in Willistown, Chester County. His birth date was recorded in the Havertown Preparative Meeting of Friends as 24th day of the 11 month 1773.^[1]

John’s parents moved the family from Chester County further northwest, settling in Northumberland County in the last decade of the 18th century.

Around 1794, John fell in love with Hannah Clingman, who was the daughter of German immigrants and Lutheran. Because of this, he broke with the Quaker religion.

John and Hannah married and were the parents of nine children:

1. Samuel Clingman
2. John Michael
3. Thomas Young
4. Anna
5. Ann Eliza
6. Hannah
7. William J.
8. Georgd Washington
9. Peter Alexander

In 1811, John was appointed the first post master of Nescopeck Township in Luzerne County. Briggsville was later established as a post office.

John died 3 January 1852 in Briggsville and is buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery. ^[2][3][4]

Research Notes

Was appointed first post master of Nescopeck Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania in 1811.

John Briggs was not on the 1795 Nescopeck Tax List, perhaps because he did not own property at that time. The family lived in Northumberland Co. around the turn of the century and without looking up all the deeds, etc, it is impossible to determine if he moved from Northumberland Co. into Luzerne Co. or if he stayed in one place and the boundaries moved.

In 1829 he held the office of supervisor of Nescopeck Twp. He was justice of the peace in 1834 (or it may have been his sone John M Briggs who was justice).

On the 1850 census, his real estate was valued at $8000. John was from Quaker stock.

We have found in the records that on 28 Aug 1794 a complaint was made against John Briggs Jr at the Monthly Meeting for having been guilty of unchaste familiarity with a woman to whom he is since married. On 26 Oct 1794 John Briggs Jr was discharged.

So it seems that John was in disfavour with the Quakers. And, so it was at this time our branch of the Briggs family became Lutherans which is the religion that his wife followed. They attended the Lutheran Church in Briggsville and were buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ "U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935", digital image, Ancestry.com (Online: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014), [Original source: Haverford Preparative Meeting of Friends, "Record of Births Commencing 1732, Record of Deaths Commencing 1741, Lists of Members", p. 13]
2. ↑ Pennsylvania Supreme Court, "Pennsylvania State Reports, Volume 93", Google Books, (Online: Google Inc., 2009), [Original published: Norris, A. Wilson, "Briggs's Appeal", Pennsylvania State Reports, Vol. XCIII, Comprising Cases Adjudged in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Vol. XII, (Philadelphia: Kay & Brother, 1882), pp. 485-488]
3. ↑ "Luzerne County, SS:", digital image, Newspapers.com (Online: Ancestry.com, Inc., 2012), [Originally published "Luzerne County, SS:", Republican Farmer and Democratic Journal, Sunday, 8 Sep 1852, p. 5]
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 27 July 2021), memorial page for John Briggs III (24 Nov 1773–3 Jan 1852), Find A Grave: Memorial #88235482, citing Mount Zion Cemetery, Briggsville, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by stephanie (contributor 47098911) .