Abraham Pennington Jr. (abt. 1695 - 1756)

Born about 6 Oct 1695 in Baltimore County, Maryland

Ancestors

Husband of Katrina (Weister) Pennington — married 16 Aug 1714 in Christ Preby Church, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co, PA

Husband of Catherine (Williams) Pennington — married after 1744 in Orange County, Virginia

Husband of Catherine Williams — married after 1744 in Virginia

Descendants

Died 1756 at about age 60 in Berkeley, South Carolina

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kim Everton [send private message]

Biography

Abraham Pennington was born on 06 Oct 1694 in Baltimore (later Cecil) County, Maryland. ^{[1] [2]}

On 14 May 1714 he bought 160 acres of land in Baltimore (later Cecil) County, Maryland and called his estate "Penbrook".

He was a yeoman, planter and Indian trader ^[3]

Abraham Pennington married about 1720 in Orange, Frederick County, Virginia. ^{[1] [4]}

By 1728 Abraham had moved his family about 100 miles west to Frederick County, Maryland. He was the first known white man to settle in this area. There along Catoctin Creek and the Potomac River (present-day Brunswick) he set up a trading post and traded with probably the Susquehanna Indians. He built a cabin on a piece of land called "Coxon Rest" and also ran a ferry. His land was a narrow piece that hugged the Potomac River, 3 miles long and only 1/4 miles wide. But the area betweem the creek and west to the South mountains was his hunting ground. The nearby falls on the Potomac River was known as "Abraham's Falls".

On 29 Jan 1733/34 "Abram" sold "Penbrook" back in Cecil County, Maryland to John Graham. (If Abraham Sr. was with them, it's very likely that he died in 1733 in Frederick County, Virginia).

On 03 Oct 1734 Abraham was issued a patent to land in Orange County, Virginia on the west side of the Shenandoah River beginning at the head of branch. ^[5] "The Penningtons came to SC., it is believed, from Frederick Co., VA., which is the most northern part of VA., close to PA. The boundaries here were for a long time, in dispute.

By 1735 Abraham (Jr.?) had crossed the Potomac and moved about 25 miles southwest into Frederick County, Virginia where deeds are found for Abraham and Jacob recorded in the 1740s.

"Abram Pennington in open court acknowledged his Deed of Lease to Christopher Beeler". ^[6] Records of survey of land for early settlers were established there as "squatters" at earlier date than official survey. The Penningtons moved further south into Orange County, Virginia and later into South Carolina. Abraham Pennington petitioned the King for land on Indian Creek in South Carolina on 4 Feb 1752. Abraham in his Will dated 1755 names his wife Catherine, his sons: Isaac, Jacob, Abraham, John and a daughter Abigail. Isaac is named executor, being the oldest son. ^[7]

In 1748, a young George Washington visited Isaac’s home on a surveying trip.

His son, Isaac Pennington, was a Captain in the Colonial Wars. ^[8] On 01 April 1754, Isaac stated that he was from Virginia, when he petitioned for 50 acres of land near the Sante and Collins Rivers, so that he might establish an iron works. His brother-in-law, Charles King, also made a petition on the same day.

His son, Abraham Pennington (Jr.), accompanied the family when they moved from Virginia to the Enoree River area in South Carolina in the 1750s. Beginning in 1754, Abraham Jr. is mentioned with his brothers in accounts of Indian predations upon the settlers of the Enoree region.

Abraham Pennington (Sr.) made his last Will on 21 July 1755 in Berkeley County, South Carolina which named his wife, Catherine and children, Isaac, Jacob, Abraham (Jr.), John and Abigail.

He died about 1756. ^{[1] [9]}

The last Will of Abraham Pennington (Sr.) was probated on 29 May 1756 in Berkeley County, South Carolina son Isaac as executor. ^[10]

In 1760, his son Jacob "built a fort or stockaded house for the use of his family and friends on the Enoree River, about three miles below present day Whitmire" ^[11]

In 1761, brothers Jacob and Abraham (Jr.), were investigated on charges of conspiring to defraud settlers seeking the protection of the fort at the height of the hostilities. However, no case was proven against them.

Abraham (Jr.) witnessed his brother Jacob's last Will, written in 1762 in Berkeley County, South Carolina.

Research Notes

They must have lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania early on because his son Isaac Pennington had been christened at the Old Swede Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and his son Jacob Pennington petitioned for land in 1749, stating that he was from Pennsylvania,

There is some confusion about Abraham (Sr., c1670-c1733) and his possible son Abraham (Jr., 1694-1756). There is no proof of this connection and right now it is unknown who his father was.

"Pennington Family History" by Margaret C. Pennington in 1985, claims Abraham Pennington (Jr.) to be the progenitor of the Thomas Pennington line of Burke and Jefferson counties, Georgia. ^[12] This book relies heavily on research by "Starr Genealogical Service", PO Box 510906, Salt Lake City, UT, 84151 but has not been independently verified.

A possible clue in support of this claim is Abraham's supposed marriage to Mary, daughter of John Anderson. An Anderson family was closely associated with the family of Abraham Pennington (Sr.) whose Will was witnessed by Abel, Gabriel and Abram Anderson.

Abraham and Katrina were supposedly married in "Christ Presbyterian Church" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but there is no record of their marriage there ^[13]

There was supposedly a marriage of Abraham Pennington to Katrina Weister in 1714, in the Christ Church, Philadelphia records ... however the Christ Church database does not show such a record. The only Pennington marriage it has is for Thomas Pennington in 1744. There are some Penningtons in the baptismal records, but no Abraham.

IF there was a Katrina: Katrina died in 1744 and he may have married secondly to Catherine Williams. (Or possibly Catherine was the anglicized name of Katarina). An 1738 deed shows his wife as Catherine, as does his Will of 1755. But there is a big gap in the age of the children between 1718 and 1731, which usually indicates that there has been a change in wives! His son Isaac married Mary Williams, so maybe Catherine was a second wife related to her. ^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Family Data Collection - Individual Records compiled by Edmund West on ancestry.com; b: 1695 Cecil County, MD
2. ↑ Family Data Collection - Births compiled by Edmund West on ancestry.com
3. ↑ https://www.penningtonresearch.org/History_of_the_PRA_Part_2 Group#8
4. ↑ Family Data Collection - Marriages compiled by Edmund West on ancestry.com
5. ↑ Deed Book#15 p34
6. ↑ First Court Records of November Session, 1743, the third item in Court Minutes p20
7. ↑ Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendents by Cartmell at Virginia State Library
8. ↑ "History of Orange County, Virginia" by Scott (appendix, p258) PP2-1, p59
9. ↑ Family Data Collection - Deaths compiled by Edmund West on ancestry.com
10. ↑ Pennington Pedigree 7-1, p21; Will dated: 21 July 1755; probated: 29 May 1756 Berkeley County, South Carolina
11. ↑ "Pennington's Fort" by Mary Ann Johnson, Old Newberry District Quarterly, Spring 1994 v3 #1
12. ↑ "History of Orange County, Virginia" by Scott; PP 27-2 p18 article submitted by Cdr. Tom Williams]
13. ↑ Old Christ Church, Philadelphia records
14. ↑ Abraham Pennington in Willard & Related Families on rootsweb

• South Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index 1790-1890 on ancestry.com

• Ancestry Profile

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Pennington-767 was created on 25 Jul 2011 by Grady Lucas through the import of My Family File072211.ged