John (Seeler) Sailor (1776 - 1829)

Born 4 Mar 1776 in Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 18 Feb 1829 at age 52 in Walker Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Loretta Layman [send private message], Richard Saylor [send private message], and Maurice Saylor [send private message]

Biography

In each of the two census where John Sailor has been found, his age places his birth between 1775 and 1784.^[1][2] Given the baptisms of the six eldest children of John's parents - with birth dates of 1776 (unnamed), 1777 (Catharina), 1780 (Vallentin), 1781 (Maria), 1782 (Elisabeth), and 1783 (Georg), as well as the inscription on his brother William's gravestone placing William's birth in 1785 - it is clear that John is the child born on 4 March 1776, whose first name was omitted from the church register.^[3] That view is further supported by the fact that, in the 1800 census, John already had two children in his household. The church in which he and five siblings were baptized is the Reformed Congregation of East Vincent [RCEV]. While his parents were members there, tax lists dated 1768, 1779, and 1781 show that the family lived in Pikeland Township. Pikeland and East Vincent share a border, and apparently the RCEV was the closest church that suited his parents' religious views. It is, in fact, just 3-4 miles from Pikeland.

John was the eldest living son in 1817. On 20 May he served his father, Philip, with a summons [image attached to this profile] issued by the Court of Common Pleas in connection with the death of John's younger brother George.^[4]

By the time John served his father with the summons, the family had moved to Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. They were there, in fact, by 1800. The summons compelled Philip to "produce two good & sufficient sureties for the faithful performance of his said administration on the estate of the aforesaid Decd or return to me [John] the letters of Adm." Less than five months later - on 4 November 1817 - his father entered an indenture to rent 100 acres of land in Morgan [then Washington] County, Ohio. Philip took his wife and two or three of their younger children to live in Morgan County.^[5] It was not until 1819 that John took steps to secure Pennsylvania land that was due George from his military service.

On 8 February 1819, "John Sailor of Turbett Township in said County" filed a two-page petition [copies attached to this profile] with the Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas concerning the estate of his brother George.^[6] He stated therein that George had enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1812 and died in service at Plattsburgh, New York. One John Wilson appeared the day the petition was filed and gave deposition that : (1) he was well acquainted with George; (2) George was the son of Philip Sailor and wife Elizabeth, formerly of Milford Township, Mifflin County, as well as a soldier in the U.S. Army; (3) George had died at Fort Larremore, intestate, unmarried, and without issue, leaving as heirs his brothers and sisters John Sailor, Peter Sailor, William Sailor, Samuel Sailor, Joseph Sailor, Silas Sailor, Mary wife of John Beckel, Elizabeth wife of John Hartman, and Tamar wife of Benjamin Wimer; (4) John and his siblings all were 21 years or older; and (5) Philip and Elizabeth had no other children. John signed the petition "John Sailor".

On 6 February 1829, John was living in Walker Township, which is adjacent to Turbett Township, now in Juniata County. On that date, John wrote and signed his will.^[7] In it, he named his wife and one John Knox to be Executors, and he named his sons : James, John, Elexander [Alexander], and Isaac C.; and his daughters : Elizabeth Henderson "my eldest daughter", "second Sidney Saylor", and "third daughter Mary Ann Saylor". The full text of John's will, including misspellings and grammatical errors, is as follows ...

The last will and testament of JOHN SAYLOR SEN of Walker township, Mifflin County State of Pennsylvania. John Saylor considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound mind and memory Blessed be almighty god for the same do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say - I will that my Just debts as shall be by me owing at my death together with my funeral expenses and all Charges touching the proving of or otherwise concerning This my will shall in the first place be paid out of my personal estate and effects be fully Paid and satisfied and from and after payment thereof and subject thereunto. then my will is that all the residue of my goods stockes chattels merchandises and household furniture shall be my loving WIFE ELISEBETH SAYLOR that it to say as follows. ELISEBETH HENDERSON one beauroe my eldest DAUGHTER. SECOND SIDNEY SAYLOR bed and bedding beauroe one cow. third DAUGHTER MARY ANN SAYLOR one beauroe bed and bedding one cow. ISAAC C. SAYLOR my wife Elisebeeth Saylor is to give him nersery schooling [son]. JAMES SAYLOR is to have one dollar [son]. JOHN SAYLOR one dollar [son]. ELEXANDER SAYLOR one Dollar and no mor of personal or real esteat [son]. my wife Elisebeth is to have all the residue of my Property personal and real esteate after the three Daughters is paid for to do as she thinks proper with as long as my wife Elisebeth remains my widdow, and if she marreys she is not to have nothing more then her thirds, and the residue Divided between my two Daughters that is not Maried, and my desire is that my loving wife Elisebeth and John Knox of Walker township shall be Executres of this my last will and testement hereby revoking all former will be [sic] me made

in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixth day of february one thousand eight hunderd and twenty nine

signed] John Sailor

Signed sealed published and declared by the above named John Saylor Sen to be the last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto.

John Knox

John Doeret

John has been reported in some places to also have a daughter Rebecca, who predeceased him. It turns out instead that Rebecca was the daughter of John's brother William.

John's will was proved by John Knox and John Doeret on 14 April, indicating that John had died sometime between 6 February and 14 April 1829. On the latter date, John's wife, Elizabeth, and John Knox took oaths of administration of the estate, Elizabeth by making her mark. The two made an accounting of the estate on 10 May, but Elizabeth died sometime between that date and 21 October 1829. On the latter date, letters of administration of John's estate were granted instead to David Walker, Justice of the Peace.

Three years later, on 20 April 1832, John's son-in-law William Henderson is seen as guardian of Mary Sailor and Sidney Sailor when Henderson petitioned for a final settlement of John's estate. As grounds for the appeal, Henderson reported that David Walker had died without filing an account.^[8] On 7 August 1832, the court ordered the settlement of the estate "[a]t the instance of William Henderson guardian of the person and Estates of Mary & Sidney Sailor minor daughters of John Sailor late of Walker Township decd."^[9]

In light of John Saylor's will, the 1832 proceedings, and the fact that Mary Ann was eventually married in the home of William Henderson in Mifflin County, it is clear that William was the husband of Mary's sister "Elisabeth Henderson".

John Saylor reportedly is buried in Old Church Hill Cemetery in Port Royal, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, but no gravestone survives.^[10] As his will proves, John died in 1829.

Sources

1. ↑ "US Census, 1800", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR4-4J2 : accessed 14 Jun 2019); citing p. 478, NARA microfilm publication M32,roll 37; FHL microfilm 363,340
2. ↑ "US Census, 1820", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLH-3KK : accessed 14 Jun 2019); citing p. 353, NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 102; FHL microfilm 181,407
3. ↑ Meldum, Charlotte & Reamy, Martha : "Early Church Records of Chester County, Pennsylvania", Vol. 2 (1997), pp. 47-52
4. ↑ Mifflin County, PA Court of Common Pleas : Summons of Philip Sailor dated 19 May 1817
5. ↑ Morgan County, OH Grantor/Grantee Index, Vol. A, p. 18 : Lease/Indenture, Philip Sailor, 4 Nov 1817
6. ↑ Mifflin Co., PA Court of Common Pleas : Petition of John Sailor of Turbett Township, Mifflin County, 8 February 1819
7. ↑ Mifflin County, PA Register of Wills : Photocopy of the original will of John Saylor, Sr. of Walker Township and related estate documents
8. ↑ Mifflin Co., PA Orphans Court : 1832 Petition of William Henderson as Guardian for Mary Ann, daughter of the late John Sailor of Walker Township, Mifflin County, PA [and for two other minor children of John Sailor, deceased]
9. ↑ Mifflin Co., PA Orphans Court, Ibid.
10. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58766806/john-saylor : Findagrave Memorial for John Saylor

Research Notes

Maurice Saylor - Saylor Schlichting Web Site

Family Tree: 230673041-1 - Discovery - 230673041-1 - John Saylor - 28 Apr 2019 - Added via a Smart Match - Discovery

Geni World Family Tree

MyHeritage family tree

Acknowledgements

• This profile was created by Maurice Saylor through the import of Saylor Family Tree 2014-02-05.ged on Feb 4, 2014.
• The biography was created and sources added by Loretta Ann Lynn, who notes : At the time of my visit to the Mifflin County Courthouse, original wills and other estate documents were kept in individual envelopes in wall storage units; and there were no will book and page numbers.