Jacob Godfrey Persinger Jr (abt. 1749 - 1840)

Born about 19 Jan 1749 in Potts Creek, Botetourt County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Kimberlin) Persinger — married 10 Nov 1778 in Botetourt County, Virginia

Descendants

Died May 1840 at about age 91 in Covington, Alleghany County, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Mona Jensen [send private message]

Biography

He was kidnapped, along with his mother and an older brother, by Shawnee Indians when he was about 4 years old. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 included return of all prisoners. When this happened, at the joining of the Jackson and Cowpasture Rivers, Jacob Sr. and his second wife claimed the boy, now about 14. Not convinced he was their son, Jacob Jr. went back to the Indians and was returned 3 times. He remembered a different farm, maybe in Pennsylvania, and the name Godfrey; it was never obvious whether that memory was his first or family name, or whether he remembered it for some other reason. There was a Godfrey family in Pennsylvania who lost a son, but they had moved and were never contacted. This birth date may be that of a Godfrey son who was also taken by Indians, or it could be the birth date of the Persinger son. The whole issue will never be resolved, but at least Jacob Jr. was the recognized son of Jacob Sr. and his first wife Mary^[1], who was never recovered.

Jacob used the skills taught him by the Shawnee in Ohio to become a hunter and fur trader. Family legend says he was much more comfortable in the woods than in houses, much less towns. During the Revolution, from 6 Sept 1775 until 1 Nov 1776, he was a scout under Captain Matthew Arbuckle and General Lewis defending the frontier.

Buried: Persinger Memorial Cemetery, Potts Creek, Alleghany County, Virginia.

Sources

1. ↑ "Mary Pringer & two children" kidnapped, according to "The papers of Col. Henry Bouquet V. 18," page 250. At HathiTrust online here: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106005503211&view=1up&seq=274

• Will of Jacob Persinger, Sr. Alleghany Co. Will Book 2 pgs. 113 & 114. "Alleghany, Virginia, United States Records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9PH-396K : September 27, 2020), image 257 of 706; Virginia. County Court (Alleghany County).
• The Botetourt County Virginia Heritage Book 1170-2000 (N.p.: Walsworth Publishing Co, Inc., n.d.), 189.
• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVLL-CQ3N : 13 December 2015), Jacob Godfrey Persinger, 1841; Burial, , Alleghany, Virginia, United States of America, Persinger Memorial Cemetery; citing record ID 100185313, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
• "United States Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHZ6-6YW : 17 May 2016), Jacob Persinger.

• https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/003-0018/

• http://revwarapps.org/s30019.pdf