1st Lieut Jeptha Massie served with Maryland Militia during the American Revolution.
Jeptha Massie (aka "Massey") was the son of John and Sarah (Strong) Massie. He was born around 1740 in Kent County, English Province of Maryland. He moved to Augusta County, then to Greenbrier County, Virginia before the American Revolution. In 1799 Monroe County, was formed from Greenbrier County, Virginia, USA.
He married Mary Sowards, b: about 1750 in Virginia. They married in Greenbrier County, Virginia, around 1767. They are said to have had 17 children:[1]
From History of Summers County from the Earliest Settlement to the Present, By James H. Miller 1908, p 263
The land on the opposite side of Greenbrier River at Talcott, the Chatting and Bacon farms, was owned by Jeptha Massy, the patent bearing date August 15, 1794.... Jeptha Massy and his wife moved from the eastern shore of Maryland to Keezletown, Virginia, and from there to Greenbrier County, and from thence to lands above mentioned, and raised the following named children : Reuben, Moses, Jeptha, Henry, John and Jonathan, and Hanna, Lana and Navagal, girls.
This information is somewhat questionable - Rev War Officers Image for the source has last name 'Massey' with no 1st name visible, with date of Commission Apr 24 1775 in Maryland Militia. SAR and DAR site do not have a person with this name. Title on the image is Return of the American Officers and other Persons on Parole on Long Island. The when and where taken is Oct 4 1777 in Germantown, Pennsylvania, so it not when he 'enrolled', as previously stated.
Residences:
In 1799, Monroe County, was formed from Greenbrier County, Virginia, United States.
↑ "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F18K-FVS : 27 February 2018), Jeptha Massey and Anne Medows, 27 Feb 1806; citing Monroe, West Virginia, p 18, county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 1,710,516.
↑ "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL65-FSDY : 15 March 2018), Massey, 04 Oct 1777; citing 04 Oct 1777, United States, citing NARA microfilm publication M246. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1980. FHL microfilm 830,414.
↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH28-MBV : accessed 5 June 2019), Joptha Massey, Monroe, Monroe, Virginia, United States; citing p. 597, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 70; FHL microfilm 181,430.
↑ Ancestry.com Public Member Trees Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;
History of Summers County from the Earliest Settlement to the Present, By James H. Miller 1908, p 263.
"Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3KKL-2YF : accessed 19 December 2018), entry for Mary Sewards; "OurCrazyFamily" file (2:2:2:MM6V-R6K), submitted 26 November 2018 by fcl1952 [identity withheld for privacy].
Ancestry.com Public Member Trees: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;
Marriage permission of his daughter Elizabeth to James Ewing. DC Ewing Sr has copy of the original handwritten document from Greenbrier Historical Society Archives, Lewisburg, West Virginia:
Transcription as close as possible using elec typing. Massie has the long S or double s symbol in the "sworn to by" section .
"July the 24th 1797
Sir, this is to impower you to issue a marriage
license to join to gether James Ewins and my
daughter Elisbeth given under my hand this
day and year above mentioned . Jeptha Massee
attest
Henry Massee
Sworn to by Henry Massey
Jno Stuart"
This was followed by a handwritten marriage bond dated 25 Jul 1797, bonded by James Ewing (not Ewins as in permission) and Henry Mass(long s/double s)y (not ie or ee as before). and signed by Jam es ewing and Henery Massee and "test" by John Stuart
No evidence has been found suggesting two Jeptha Massie/y/ee are living in Greenbrier in or around 1797 (except father sr and son jr ).
Coupled with the overwhelming "connection" (triangulation) of DNA evidence connecting me [Ewing] with not only with Ewing but also Massie, , Sowards and most strong (no pun) evidence to Strong. That would be a DNA connection to both Elizabeth's paternal and maternal sides and her husband. I could get a verdict that would lead to the death penalty if this was evidence in a murder case.
Someone has confused two Elizabeth Massies, one who m a Ewing and one who married a Jarret....but the one who married a Jarret is not the child of Jeptha Massey and Mary Sowards and the granddaughter of Mary Strong, unless they had two daughters named Elizabeth, or Elizabeth had two husbands and two full families with each husband and lived in two places 600+ miles apart.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to D C for creating WikiTree profile Massie-217 through the import of Crumpgedcom.ged on May 29, 2013.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Jeptha by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Jeptha:
I wish I had something to add. I'm from his son Henry's line, based on DNA and family history. From Greenbrier county they moved to Fayette County then Raleigh County.
Amanda, it is great to meet cool relatives. It is my belief (not knowledge) that your Henry was the "best man" of the time--the bondsman and witness to a superior life event...Marriage
How cool is that.
If you are ever in or around Mobile AL , give me a shout. I am guessing that you are the world famous HR professional. We RV a lot and were in Charleston in May of last year.
PS: I was born and raised just outside of the coon capital of the world --Rogersville MO. Blue Ticks rule
Extreme caution must be used when accepting/believing genealogical "facts" relating to Jeptha Massie/Massey/Massy. I have confirmed 6 Jepthas and have myself confused several .
As an example: the Elizabeth Massie #17 who someone indicates m Bentley Jarret, is more likely Elizabeth Massey b 1792-1798 (who m George Bentley Garrett/Jarrett) daughter of Jeptha Massey ~1740-1822 who m Mary Alexander .
And the Elizabeth Massie who m James Ewing in 1797 Greenbrier was this Jeptha and Mary Sowards's child, or the 238 Massie, Sowards and Strong DNA matches that I have defy biology
Looks like the 'source' for the list of children in this profile is a rootsweb page, which of course, has no sources. The attached Elizabeth profile has some information after her being a child of this family, but again, it is not showing a 'source'.
Any sources that can be added to get these families straightened out would be appreciated.
Massey-1104 and Massie-217 appear to represent the same person because: Dates and spellings are different but married to same person. See bio in Massie-217. No info in Massey-1104.
How cool is that.
If you are ever in or around Mobile AL , give me a shout. I am guessing that you are the world famous HR professional. We RV a lot and were in Charleston in May of last year.
PS: I was born and raised just outside of the coon capital of the world --Rogersville MO. Blue Ticks rule
edited by DG Ewing Sr
As an example: the Elizabeth Massie #17 who someone indicates m Bentley Jarret, is more likely Elizabeth Massey b 1792-1798 (who m George Bentley Garrett/Jarrett) daughter of Jeptha Massey ~1740-1822 who m Mary Alexander .
And the Elizabeth Massie who m James Ewing in 1797 Greenbrier was this Jeptha and Mary Sowards's child, or the 238 Massie, Sowards and Strong DNA matches that I have defy biology
edited by DG Ewing Sr
Any sources that can be added to get these families straightened out would be appreciated.