Joshua Hahn Sr. (1754 - abt. 1805)

Born 1754 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Eva (Unknown) Hahn — married about 1780 in North Carolina

Descendants

Died about Feb 1805 at about age 51 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Joshua Hahn was born 1 December 1754 in Lancaster County, Province of Pennsylvania to Johannes Hahn (anglicized as John) and his first wife, Elisabetha Margaretha Forster. Elisabetha died while Joshua was still very young. John remarried in July 1757 to Agnes Langlie.

The family moved to North Carolina in 1765. According to an account given by Col. George M. Yoder and documented by Walter Hahn, it was a rather eventful move, especially for Joshua's pregnant step-mother:

[John] came upon [Henry Whitener]'s road heading for Whitener's home. But before reaching his home, night overtook him and he went into camp in a beautiful oak grove near the house of the pioneer, Paul Anthony (Paulus Antoni), now the farm of Charlie Burris. During that night, a son was born in the wagon and he named him Christian Hahn.

Walter Hahn also reports that they camped at that location for four weeks while searching for a suitable homesite, which they eventually found along Henry's River, about 5 miles southeast of what is now the city of Hickory in Catawba County. They built their house, added a building to shelter their livestock, then got to work on a loom house for Joshua's father's loom, who was a weaver by trade.^[1] The location he describes seems to match the land warrant issued 28 April 1768 to "John Haun" for 456 acres of land in what was then Mecklenburg County.^[2]

In Charles J. Preslar's 1954 "A History of Catawba County", Joshua and his brother, Benedict, were listed on page 77 among the names of local militiamen who fought at the Battle of King's Mountain during the American Revolutionary War. Thus far, efforts to identify and obtain the underlying records Preslar used in compiling his list have proved unsuccessful.

Joshua's oldest children were born about 1780, so it is assumed he had married by that time. In 1789, Joshua and his brother, John Jr., received land from their parents.^[3] Joshua's growing family, with 2 boys and 3 girls, was enumerated in 1790 near his father and brothers in what was then Lincoln County, North Carolina.^[4] On 18 April 1793, John Sr. wrote his last will, completing the transfer of his land to his heirs,^[5] and is believed to have died soon thereafter.

Joshua and his family were enumerated in Lincoln County, North Carolina once more in 1800.^[6] About 1804, he and his family migrated to what later became southeast Missouri, joining several members of their German reformed Church from North Carolina who had already made the journey.

Joshua died about February 1805 in what was then the Cape Girardeau District of Upper Louisiana Territory.^[7] Eva, as his widow, served as administrator of his estate along with their son, Abraham. Abraham's family bible also identifies his mother as "Eve".^[8] "Eve Haun" appeared as a homeowner on the 1815 tax list of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Territory.^[9]

Burial details for Joshua and Eva are unknown. FindAGrave memorial 125232466 was created to memorialize him.

Sources

1. ↑ Papers of Walter Hahn, Hickory, N.C. and W. P. Yount, Missouri, copied by Mary Hahn Abernethy. The papers are in the archives of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, North Carolina.
2. ↑ "Mecklenburg Co., NC Land Warrants", File #2342.
   John Haun was issued 456 acres of land on 28 Apr 1768 in Mecklenburg County, located "On both sides of Henrys fork of Catawba river". Recorded in Land Patent Book 23, Page 201 as Mecklenburg County Grant # 91.
3. ↑ Lincoln Co., NC Deed Book, Vol. 16, Pages 404-405.
   John Hawn & his wife, Agenay, of Lincoln County convey 300 acres on both sides of Henry's River (from his 1768 patent) to Joshua Hawn of Lincoln County on 28 January 1789 for 5 £ of current North Carolina money. "Johannes Haun" signed his name and "Agnes" made her mark.
   Lincoln Co., NC Deed Book, Vol. 16, Pages 411-412.
   John Hawn Sen. & Agnay, his wife, of Lincoln County convey 156 acres on both sides of Henry's River (from his 1768 patent) to John Hawn Jun. of Lincoln County on 25 January 1789 for 5 £ of current North Carolina money. "Johannes Hahn" signed his name and "Agnes" made her mark.
4. ↑ United States Census, 1790, Lincoln, North Carolina, NARA microfilm Series M637, Roll 7, Page 111.

   Household of Joshua Haun (3rd column, 27th row):

   1 free white male over 16

   2 free white males under 16

   4 free white females

   0 enslaved persons

   7 total persons

5. ↑ Lincoln County, North Carolina Original Wills: Goodson, Abner - Lewis, Mary.
   Will of John Hawn, Sr., written 19 April 1793 (unknown probate date).
6. ↑ United States Census, 1800, Lincoln, North Carolina, NARA microfilm Series M32, Roll 29, Page 903.

   Household of Joshua Haun (5th row):

   1 free white male 45+

   1 free white female 45+

   1 free white female 26-44

   1 free white male 10-15

   1 free white female 10-15

   4 free white males < 10

   1 free white female < 10

7. ↑ Cape Girardeau District, Upper Louisiana Territory, Estate Papers
   Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Archives
   1805 Joshua Hawn, alias Hahn: Box 44, Record 867.
8. ↑ Abraham Hahn family bible, image of entries scanned from a photocopy, which had been submitted to the Cape Girardeau County [Missouri] Archive Center. Current location and custodian of original unknown.
9. ↑ 1815 Cape Girardeau County, Missouri Territory tax list.
   Eve Haun, row 10: 1 house in country valued at $30.

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