Joseph L Reeder (1738 - 1794)

Born 3 Sep 1738 in Makefield, Lower Makefield Township, Bucks, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy (Sutton) Reeder — married before 1760 in Bucks, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 8 Feb 1794 at age 55 in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Joseph Reeder died 8 February 1794

1797 Lycoming County, PA. Land Indenture - Joseph Parker and wife (Susanna Reeder) to Thomas Grant

Joseph Parker of Lycoming County ..and Susanna his wife, the late Susanna Reeder of the one part and Thomas Grant of Northumberland the other part....bounded by lands by James Greer, John Sutton, WIlliam Ellis and other , which said Joseph Reeder died intestate having heirs. The aforesaid Susanna (since intermarried with the aforesaid Joseph Parker ...whereas the decease of the said Joseph Reeder a preemption warrant was obtained by his heirs or representatives for the before described land.." 17 May 1797 Certified by William King

RESEARCH

Some trees show Elizabeth Henderson married in 1758 as Joseph's wife. Land deeds and Wills prove he did not marry Elizabeth Henderson. It is probably a cousin to this family who married Elizabeth Henderson.

Two compilation on the early generations of the Reeder family have been found.

Mr. Truman A. Reeder of Clarksburg, West Virginia authored the "Twelve Generations of Reeder’s in America" Sources: Pennsylvania State Library. or FamilySearch

The other work, "The Reeder Family in America" was compiled by Consuelo and Robert Furman, in 1944 and was updated by Consuelo Furman in 1981. (Amazon)

Notes from the Furman book were made by Allan Frandsen. Both accounts list Joseph Reeder as the fifth generation Reeder in this country. They agree that Joseph was the son of Charles Reeder, of Bucks Co., PA, born 3 September 1738 in PA, but "their" Joseph married circa 1758 in Bucks County, an Elizabeth Henderson and located near Philippi, Harrison County, VA. His death date is stated as 2 August 1798 in Virginia. The Lycoming deeds prove that Joseph married a Dorothy, and they were the parents of the Reeder’s of Lycoming and Erie County, PA. The two compilations also disagree on the birth and parentage of Joseph Reeder, the third generation Reeder. Mr. Truman Reeder lists Joseph having been born in Newtown, Long Island about 1681, the son of Jacob and Martha Furman of Newton, Long Island. The Furman book lists his father as an Isaac, about 1656. The obvious conclusion is several Reeder families have been erroneous combined. There is no doubt that there were two Joseph Reeder’s. Charles Reeder, son of Joseph Reeder, had three brothers, John Reeder, William Reeder, and Isaack Reeder. One of these three may well have named a son Joseph, after the father as did Charles.

Florence Frandsen Family History of Erie (obtained on microfilm at FH Library) uses these sources for the Reeder family:

1. History of Bucks County, Biographical Sketches.

2 King information from Michelle Amsbury.

3. History of Lycoming County, Maginnessm Pub. 1892

Biographical Sketches, page 975

4. Information received from Mrs. George E. Shannonn, Jr., oc Cockeyvill , MD.

5. History of Erie County, PA, Warner-Beers, published 1884. Biographical Sketches.

"Joseph Reeder and his father-in-law Amariah Sutton came from New Jersey to Northumberland County, Pennsylvania before 1772. They settled on farms at Lycoming Creek, then Muncy Township. Amariah built the first road from Muncy to Lycoming Creek where his cabin was. His home was the meeting place of the First Methodist Society of Lycoming Creek. When Joseph Reeder was killed by Indians, his wife left her older children to board at the neighbor, John Sutton home (who later transported the children to Newtown, Pennsylvania), but went herself to New Jersey to her relatives, where her child Job was born. Joseph's Estate was not settled until 1785 at Sunbury. Widow Reeder returned to Lycoming Creek for her children, moved to Newtown, Pennsylvania. A William King's wife and children were also massacred and buried at the Massacre Cemetery.

1790 Northumberland County, PA U.S. Census lists William and Joseph Reeder

1800 Lycoming County, PA U.S. Census lists Charles Reeder innkeeper, .

A copy of the Intestate papers of Joseph Reeder of Northumberland, PA., 19 Sep 1785 can be found in the Frandsen Family History on microfilm.

John Sutten and Dorothy Sutton were the Administers of the will. It lists all the debtors owed, and money needed to care for the five minor children of Joseph Reeder left. The keeping of four of the children who were 6 years, 5 and 3 months, three and eight months, and one year and nine months. John and Dorothy Sutton took care of some of the children for Dorothy. Some of the names mentioned in the will: Amariah Sutton, Harry Scott, William Tharp, Edward Huff, James Haines, William Snodgrass, Sam Horn , Henry Scott, John Martin, William Jones, William WIley, Alexander Hamilton, Alex Murray, James Parr, John Dun, John Allimond, Robert Thomson, Andrew Culberson, Robert Martin, Willem Wyckof, Peter Kirlin, Jos. Corbett , William Hepborn, William Wuckoff.

It appears it wasn't a simple matter to settle this probate of Joseph Reeder's will.

Frandsen Family History by Florence Frandsen located in the Firelands Historical Library in Norwalk, Ohio. The book has an Eleanor Reeder who was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in about 1768. Eleanor married Samuel Galloway about 1790 and had 13 children.

The book called The Descendants of Job Reeder of Erie County, Pennsylvania. (DAR Library in Washington, D.C.)

The Spruance Library in Bucks County, Pennsylvania has quite a bit of information on the Reeders. (Gen.forum) Also, a paper compiled by Sara T. Giles Reeder in 1905 and edited by Ernestine Siegel, Director of The John Reeder Association in 1983 on the Descendants of Job Reeder.

Gen. Forum (Wes Reeder) speaks of an interesting letter written by James G. Reeder in 1933 to Orilla (Reeder) Ostrander. James was the grandson of Job Reeder. At the end of the letter he indicates that Job and Moses and their brother (Isaac?) ran away from home at Williamsport, Pennsylvania because their father was dead and their mother had married again and they disapproved of their stepfather. They never wrote their mother after that. In reference to Moses and his brothers the letter also states: "There were three brothers, including the two who originally went to Canada, probably between 1780 and 1790. One brother, Job Reeder, was a surveyor and helped survey Erie and Crawford counties, Pennsylvania. The other two brothers maintained communications with him during all of their residence in Canada. During the War of 1812 the two Reeder brothers in Canada h ad joined an insurrection against the English government and were compelled to flee the country. They came to my grandfather's house in Erie, Pennsylvania and remained for something over a year. They assisted Commodore Perry in the building of his fleet. They also did some service under Ma j Anthony Wayne. They were eventually pardoned by the English government and returned to Canada.

Joseph :Farmer

The following is excerpted from page 403 of Otzinachson: A History of the West branch in Valley of the Susquehanna, by Meginness. It is transcribed to describe the situation prevalent at the time of the original settlement of this area of Pennsylvania:

The Settlements on the north side of the river, and west of Lycoming Creek, were made in violation of the laws of the Province, on land yet unpurchased from the Indians. It seemed that the hardy adventurers of that period, knowing the danger that they would incur, could not resist the temptation of taking possession of these beautiful lands. The Indians looked upon these encroachments with alarm. They beheld their favorite hunting grounds taken and appropriated by the whites. True to Indian character, they remonstrated, but in vain. On complaint being made, the Provincial Government became alarmed, and at a meeting of the Council held at Philadelphia, the 18th of September 1773, reference was made to this matter as follows"...A Proclamation was issued by the Honourable John Penn, Esquire, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New-Castle, Kent, Susex on Delaware. The Proclamation forbade anyone to settle on these lands as yet unpurchased from the Indians..."

Notwithstanding this proclamation, and the punishment that was to be inflicted upon all who violated it, it appears that not the least attention whatever was paid to it, and settlers quietly came in, and settled themselves upon the forbidden lands. Whether any arrests were made does not appear, but it is presumed there were none. In 1774, after this sharp proclamation had been issued, Thomas Ferguson settled west of Lycoming Creek on the farm now owned by James Grier. A family of Kings, named William, and Joseph Reeder also settled near the mouth of the Creek."

Above refers to Joseph Reeder who left Bucks County and went to Northumberland County with his family and settled near Williamsport, that is now Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. This Joseph Reeder is the father of Isaac Reeder who apparently returned to Bucks County in later years and in 1796 married Sarah Yardley in Bucks County. Joseph Reeder's daughter, Martha, married William King, a neighbor. (See William King for more history about the massacre that killed William King's first wife).

JACKSON AND COGAN HOUSE (History of Lycoming County Pennsylvania).

The last post office was established May 26, 1892, at Buck Horn and name d Steuben, in honor of Baron Steuben, who has descendants living in the township, and Joseph F. Reeder was appointed postmaster.

Sources

• Northumberland Co, PA Will Book 1772-1845 Vol 1 page 39.

• Frandsen Family History on microfilm. Frandsen Family History by Florence Frandsen located in the Firelands Historical Library in Norwalk, Ohio. The book has an Eleanor Reeder who was born in Bucks County, PA in about 1768. Eleanore married Samuel Galloway about 1790 and had 13 children. The book called The Descendants of Job Reeder of Erie County, Pennsylvania. (DAR Library in Washington, D.C.)

• WikiTree profile Reeder-223 created through the import of Leehawk201202171001146495.ged on Feb 18, 2012 by Chilton Hawk. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Chilton and others.