Maria Elizabeth (Maus) Hevener (1751 - 1816)

Born 1751 in South Branch, Pendleton, Virginia

Wife of Frederick Hevener Sr. — married 1767 in Augusta County, Virginia Colony (now Pendleton County, West Virginia)

Descendants

Died 22 Sep 1816 at about age 65 in Brandywine, Pendleton, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Grady Loy [send private message]

Biography

Maria was born about 1751. Maria Maus ... She passed away in 1816. Marie/Elizabeth had an amazing but tragic life. Her father and some siblings were killed during the Ft. Seybert Massacre. She was captured along with her brother John. In various accounts, her mother died along with her father but a few state that her mother was captured as well.

Research

Excerpts from Update to the William Maus Story John “Tankard” Maus Story By John Douglas Maus, Tulsa, OK, but originally from Otto Township, Cattaraugus Co., New York State, USA Updated May 4, 2008 http://mausfamily.com/TankardMaus.html

"Elizabeth was a daughter of George Mouse (Maus/Mauss) and an unknown mother. George was killed during the massacre at Fort Seybert on 4-28-1758. it appears that 7 year old Elizabeth was one of the children taken captive by the Shawnee Chieftain Killbuck. Elizabeth next appears 7 years later when on 5-21-1765 an Augusta County VA Court approved her choice of John Dunkle as her guardian. This John Dunkle was a neighbor of Nicholas Hevener and of Frederick, his son and Elizabeth's future husband, in the South Branch community. George Mouse was born about 1715 in Hornbach, Germany and arrived in Philadelphia, PA on December 3, 1740 “It appears he spent but little time in Pennsylvania as his ...... is recorded in the Pendleton Country records of 1749 (not sure of this date either) with reguard (sic) to an appraisal of property he owned on the South branch. There was also a Frederick Mouse noted in the Augusta County records of 1760 as being a brother and next of kin to the senior George Mouse, deceased. “ We now know this Frederick Maus was a hosier in Philadelphia.

Another account says that this Elizabeth was recovered at Fort Pitt, site of Pittsburgh, PA. The fact it took place in Pittsburgh adds credibility in my mind to the Columbian Co., NY account of Tankard being redeemed in Detroit by Henry Van Schaack, which appears to be from his point of view at least. I recently came into more information provided by Sandra Keltner: “ 26 Feb 1761 letter of Rev. W. Stoy of Lancaster, PA to Henry Bouquet indicated that his father-in-law (Frederick Maus) had a brother named George. George, his wife, and three children were killed by the Indians at the Fort Seybert massacre. Three other children, the oldest of which was a 14-year-old boy, were taken prisoner. It was reported by a white girl named Le Roy--who had escaped from captivity in March 1759--that they were still among the Indians in the vicinity of Fort Pitt.”

This is the first indication of more than two children being captured, or that three more were killed in addition to the parents. Also, Sandra Keltner provided this link to a story detailing the Bouquet expedition (British Military aided by Pennsylvania and Virginia Militia) to recover captives and her comments to me. http://www.openlibrary.org/details/histaccount00smitrich

“It should open to the biographical sketch of Bouquet (his name was deceptive - he was born in Canton Berne and a German-speaker). The whole book is interesting, but, in particular, the pages 44 - 67 describe Bouquet's expedition against the Indians to gather up the estimated 300 who were still captive. That would have included all three of George Maus' children. He was only able to get 206 (and the story is fascinating). Elizabeth Maus/Mouse and Adam Mallo were among those delivered to him in Nov 1764. Adam no longer even knew his own name and was not returned to his father until after June of the next year. Elizabeth Maus was on his list of those returned to Virginia from the expedition.”

Sources

• Find A Grave: Memorial #32382460 Elizabeth Maus Hevener
• West Virginia Genealogy Trails: http://genealogytrails.com/wva/pendleton/fortseybert.html
• WV Culture Archive; https://archive.wvculture.org/history/settlement/fortseybert01.html
• Setting All the Captives Free: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Setting_All_the_Captives_Free/lV1vDrfxDk0C?q=elizabeth+mauss+abducted+fort+seybert&gbpv=1#f=false; pg. 188.

Acknowledgements

• This person was created on 14 September 2010 through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged.
• Grady Loy, Wednesday, April 23, 2014.