Abraham Westfall (1755 - 1829)

Born 18 Nov 1755 in Montague Township, Sussex, New Jersey

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 5 Sep 1829 at age 73 in Washington Township, Columbiana, Ohio, United States

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Biography

Abraham was born to Petrus Westfall and Ariantje Rosenkrans.

Abraham's father Petrus died in an Indian raid in 1756 at the outbreak of the French and Indian War. After his death his widow Arientje remarried to John Leyde and moved away leaving her son Abraham with his Uncle Jurian and family. Abraham Westfall was born at Machackemeck (Deer Park Township, Orange County, N.Y.) Nov. 18, 1755, died 1829 in Carroll County, Ohio. He was a Capt. in the Revolutionary War. He fought under Washington and Lafayette at the battles of Grand Creek, Bunker Hill (where he was wounded), Stony Point, Brandywine, Trenton and Bloody Run.

He married Blandina Van Etten in Deer Park Township, Orange County, New York, daughter of Anthony Van Etten and Annatje Decker. ^[1]

Abraham and his wife moved to Washington County, Pa. in May 1797.^{[citation needed]}

Birth

About 1750. It is average age of pensioners from the militia records. See Research Note.

Children

• 12 children

1. Joseph Westfall Find a grave
2. Hannah Westfall - February 25, 1784, in Orange County, New York. She married John Moreledge.
3. Annie Westfall - February 9, 1786, in Orange County, New York. She died in 1866. She married Jacob Marshall.
4. Eunice Westfall - March 12, 1788, in Orange County, New York. She married Samuel Gamble.
5. Levi Westfall -December 7, 1790 in Deer Park Township, Orange County, New York, and died February 23, 1869 in Ohio. He married 1st Eliza Maxwell. He married 2nd Sarah Cameron. He married 3rd Elizabeth Hales April 15, 1851 in Ohio. Find a grave
6. Naomi Westfall - February 2, 1793, in Orange County, New York. She married Thomas Sargent.
7. Simeon Westfall - born March 4, 1795 in Port Jervis, Orange County, New York, and he died in 1880. He married Cassandra Shaw Find a grave
8. Catherine Westfall, born 1798; married James Patrick. Their daughter Katherine (born at New Philadelphia, Ohio, on 25 September 1831, and died near Chicago, Illinois, on 1 October 1894) married Joseph Medill of the Chicago Tribune and had three daughters.^[1]
9. John Westfall - born Jun 3, 1798 in Washington Co., PA. She married James Patrick - born 22 Jun 1800 in Washington Co., PA
10. Thomas Westfall - born Sep 28, 1802 in Washington Co., PA. He married Prudence Caskey Find a grave
11. Abraham Westfall - born Aug 13, 1804 in Washington Co., PA. He married Nancy Sutton English
12. James Westfall - born Jan 31, 1811 in Washington Co., PA Find a grave

Research Note

This Abraham Westfall-466, apparently lacking a baptismal record of his own, is sometimes confused ^[2] with the Abram Westvaal (Westfall-43) who was baptized with his twin sister Sarah on 9 Jan 1763, children of Jacobus Westvaal and Jennetje Dekker. ^[3] To be born in wedlock, Westfall-466's birth needs to be in the range 1754-1757. Find A Grave ^[4] provides a birth date of 18 Nov 1755, apparently drawn from in-family sources. In any case, he was born during the French and Indian War, when Rev. Fryenmuth's visits to the area were infrequent for fear of Indian attack. Possibly he was never baptized at all.

And then there's disagreement which of the two Abrahams married Blandina van Etten and had the 12 or so children (Joseph, Anna, Anna, Eunice, etc.). Find A Grave awards Blandina to the 1755 Abraham while R. Clarke ^[5] gives her to the 1763 Abraham. It's not yet clear if there's another wife and set of children to go with the loser, or perhaps one of these Abrahams died young and disappeared from history.

There's also disagreement whether Blandina died in Augusta, Ohio in 1848, or at an unnamed location in 1830. Find A Grave ^[6] makes Ohio seem more likely, in the absence of clearer information about the 1830 date.

One or both of the Abrahams have Revolutionary War records and may have pension applications which could pinpoint which is which. (see comments 23 Jan 2023. .... Pension Number: S*W4386

Captain Abraham Westfall served with Colonel Albert Pawling's Independent Corps or Levies during the American Revolution.

Abraham Westfall is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A123444.

Abraham Westfall is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-316913
Rank: Captain

Abraham served in the NY Militia with Col Albert Pawling as stated in the SAR not Col Paulding as stated in the DAR. ......Colonel Albert Pawling's Independent Corps or Levies Pawling-90

SAR lists his service: Enlisted soldier 1777-1778, Capt Rosekrance Co, Colonel Lewis, NY Regt., Lt under Capt, Wood, Colonel Albert Pawling, NY Regt., Capt 01 May 1780. Spouse: Blondina/Dinah Van Etten Children: John; Abraham; Catherine; Hannah; Simeon; Levi; Anne; Eunice; Joseph; ^[7]

Sources

• Capt Abraham Westfall, Find-A-Grave
• Vosburgh, Royden Woodword (editor). Minisink Valley Reformed Dutch Church records, 1716-1830: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. V; published New York, 1913. See https://archive.org/details/minisinkvalleyre00vosb/page/n10/mode/2up
• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rclarke/genealogy/page1/westva-j.htm
• Find A Grave: Memorial #102350241 Blandina Westfall

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The Van Etten Family of Ulster and Orange Counties, New York, New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, vol. 30 (1899), page 184.
2. ↑ For instance, see "177. Abraham <Petrus> Westvaal" in http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rclarke/genealogy/page1/westva-j.htm as of 6 Jul 2020
3. ↑ Royden Woodward Vosburgh, ed; Minisink Valley Reformed Dutch Church records, 1716-1830: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. V; published New York, 1913, page 143.
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #22483116
5. ↑ See http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rclarke/genealogy/page1/westva-j.htm
6. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #102350241
7. ↑ SAR https://sarpatriots.sar.org/patriot/display/316913

Acknowledgments

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