This Family History is a continuation and branching of kesslerfamilyhistory.wordpress.com
My first effort at developing a family history blog involved focusing on my direct genealogical line, starting with Johann Georg Bernhard Kessler and continuing to my current generation. My grandfather moved to Baltimore from Frederick, Maryland, where he was raised. It was straightforward to trace the lineage.
In 2004 my brother, Edgar (Ed), asked me to take a DNA test based on a request from Karen Kessler Cottrill, whose brother, James C. Kessler, had already taken the DNA test. Karen’s family ancestors lived Botetourt, Virginia and she was trying to determine if her line was descended from the Frederick, Maryland Kessler line. I took the test, confirming that her brother and I were a DNA match, providing the evidence she was seeking.
Fast forward to 2017, and I received an e-mail from Rich Kesler, from Ohio, who stated that he had taken a DNA test and it showed that we were related. Rich and I interacted frequently over the next year, sharing family information and investigating our common lineage. A year later, in 2018, I received another e-mail from Vance “Chip” Keslar indicating that he too had taken a DNA test and seeking to compare our test results.
These events motivated me to develop a broader, more comprehensive blog to accompany the one that I had already developed, but focused on the Keslar/Kesler lines. This content represents the result of those efforts.
In conducting the research, several issues and questions arose that I had not previously confronted when developing my own family tree. I am descended from Andreas Kessler who immigrated to America from Germany in 1751 with his father, mother, brother Johannes (John), and likely with his sister, Susana Catherine Kessler. The family arrived in Pennsylvania and within a year relocated to what is now Frederick County, Maryland.
However, is 1796, 45 years after arriving in America, part of the family left Frederick County, Maryland, relocating to the wilderness of western Pennsylvania, which only a few years before had been the scene of numerous violent native American attacks against white settlers. Many descendants who have Keslar and Kesler surnames descended from those that made this move.
The following narrative explores possible reasons why the family relocated, who might have been part of that group, where they settled, and how the family expanded and relocated over time. There is insufficient information to definitely know the answers to many of the questions that the current and future generations might have, but there are some plausible possibilities, grounded in facts based on available data that are discussed in this blog.
All of my distant cousins are invited to add replies and comments with their own thoughts and speculation. I have done my best to create a narrative that provides useful context for Kessler/Keslar/Kesler family who are interested in trying to “piece together” their family history. I accept full responsibility for any errors that I might have made in trying to assemble this family history.
Tom Kessler, Punta Gorda, Florida, May 2018
Germany and Immigration to the American Colonies
For information about where the family lived in Germany and German ancestors, please visit kesslerfamilyhistory.wordpress.com … Rather than repeat the information here and make changes in both places if changes are needed, the European content is contained there.
The Kessler family sailed to America on the ship Janet, arriving on October 5, 1751. The children were Johannes, Andreas, and Susanna. One child, Isaac, died in 1747 before the family left Germany. Another, Margaretha, was born in Maryland in 1753. The family arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and resided in Pennsylvania for two years before moving to Frederick, Maryland.
1751 to 1789 Life in Jefferson Township in
Frederick County, Maryland
The American colonies were prospering, and their combined population exceeded 1.5 million by the time the Kessler family started farming in Jefferson Township. Frederick was heavily populated by German immigrants. It was possible to attend churches where services were conducted entirely in German and to interact with many who also spoke the language.
When the family arrived in 1751, Johannes was nine years old and Andreas was seven years old. As Johann began clearing land and operating his farm, his two sons likely spoke German and helped their father with farm chores and activities.
Major historical events that would shape the future of their new country were happening during the second half of the 18th century, but it is likely that the family’s location in the countryside outside of Frederick Town, limited understanding of the English language, and the challenge of establishing an economically viable farm consumed most of their time, effort, and attention.
The French and Indian War raged along the Appalachian mountain frontier and beyond from 1754 until 1763. The French had constructed a series of forts from Canada to what is now Pittsburgh and, with their native American allies, were destroying settlements, killing settlers and threatening the American colonies. Much of this fighting occurred in western Pennsylvania where Andreas and his family would relocate several decades after the end of the French and Indian War.
Events during the 1760s, as Johannes and Andreas grew to adulthood, set the colonies on a path to revolution. George III ascended to the throne in 1760 and appointed political leaders who favored a stricter policy toward the American colonies. This resulted in passage of the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act and the Quartering Act in 1765. By mid-1765, colonial activists and political bodies were actively protesting “taxation without representation” and the protests grew violent. While the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, the Townshend Acts were enacted in 1767, imposing duties on glass, tea, and other items imported into the colonies. The Americans reacted by adopting non-importation agreements and refusing to buy British goods. Formal and informal protests and objections continued through the remainder of the 1760s. The stage was set for the events that followed in the 1770s.
The 1760s were likely a time of prosperity and economic success for the Kessler family as their farm matured and the colonial economy expanded. Andreas and Anna Marie Rehman married in October 1768, and it is likely that older brother Johannes married during this decade as well.
The 1770s were a time of revolution and no matter what level of isolation existed on the Kessler farm, family members likely closely followed unfolding events whenever they had occasion to travel into Frederick Town. The Boston Massacre occurred in March 1770, setting off a series of events leading to the rebellion that was fueled in 1775 with the Battles of Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill. The colonies signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Revolutionary War raged over the next seven years, culminating in Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown in 1781 and the signing of the Paris Peace Accord whereby Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation.
Little is known about the Kessler views on the revolution and their loyalties to one side or the other. There is some evidence that Kesslers were involved in some of the Revolutionary War activities, but it seems that for the most part, the family continued to operate the family farm and avoid conflict during the revolutionary period.
As they grew to adulthood, brothers Johannes (John) and Andreas purchased some of their father’s land and some land for their farms on the edges of what is now called Jefferson, Maryland, 12 miles south of the City of Frederick.
Possibility that Not All Keslar/Kesler Descendants are Descended from Andreas
Johannes (John) and Andreas’ mother, Anna, died on September 20, 1768 at the age of 54. The summer of 1768 was hot, but there is no account of significant pandemics or diseases in America in this and the preceding year. Their father, Johann outlived his wife, by 24 years, dying on January 1, 1792 at the age of 80. Her two sons, John and Andreas were in their mid-to-late 20s, and her daughters, Susanna and Anna, were in their teens when she passed.
There are few records that provide familial details about John. We know that he was born in January of 1742, came to America with his family, and died in Feb 1826 in Frederick County, Maryland. One record was located with his name – a christening for a daughter, Anna Maria Kessler, dated November 16, 1766 at Evangelical Lutheran of Middletown, Frederick, Maryland. Her parents are listed as Johannes and Catharina Kessler. Also, as will be discussed again shortly, there is an entry for John Kesler in the 1790 US Census for Frederick County, Maryland which indicates seven family members, including two males under the age of 16, four males age 16 and older, and one female, which was probably John’s wife, Catharina.
This is important, because there are some significant issues that cannot be reconciled unless we accept the premise that John parented children during the 1760s.
The reason that establishing the likelihood that John had children is important because it helps explain things that would be difficult to reconcile otherwise. For example:
- The 1790 U.S. Census for Frederick County, Maryland, includes entries for Andrew (likely Andreas rather than his son Andrew) Kesler, John Kesler, George Keisler, and Jacob Kesler. Andreas had sons named John, George, and Jacob, but all were too young in 1790 to be included in the Census and to have families with up to five children. Andreas’ son John just turned 18 in 1790, George was 14, and Jacob was 8 years old.
- Assuming that the 1790 US Census included both Andreas and his brother John, there is no reasonable explanation for the presence of George and Jacob, or for Mathias Kesler who lived in nearby Washington County.
- In 1783, a deed was recorded in Springhill, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the name of Petter Keslar, obviously not Andreas’ son, Peter, who was born in 1778.
So who were these other Kessler/Keslar/Kesler/Keisler’s? Is there another explanation for their presence in the Census and land records? One possibility is they could be uncles or cousins of John and Andreas. According to genealogical records, their father, Johann George Bernhard Kessler, had a brother, Peter Kessler, who was born in 1690, making him 21 years older than Johann. It is possible that he also emigrated to America and that the 1790 Kesslers are his children or even his grandchildren. It is unlikely, however, that Johann’s brother is the Petter Keslar listed in the 1783 Westmoreland County real estate transaction because he would have been 93 years old by this time.
Making a Reasoned Assumption
Given the preceding dilemma regarding “who is who” in Frederick County, Maryland in 1790, we have to make some assumptions in order to proceed with the most likely scenario for the Frederick County, Maryland, western Pennsylvania, and southwestern Virginia families.
Of the Frederick and Washington County families listed in the 1790 Census, all are also listed in the 1800 US Census as residing in those same counties. Some of the names are spelled differently in the 1800 Census:
- Andrew Kefler, Andreas’ son. Andreas had relocated to Westmoreland County, Pa. and the Census entry indicates four males under the age of 10 years old. We accept that this is Andrew and not AndThe entry indicates that Andrew
It is likely that in the 1790 Census Andrew was really Andreas, but in the 1800 Census, Andrew was likely Andreas’ son, since we know that Andreas departed for Westmoreland County in the 1790s.
Therefore, for narrative purposes, we must assume that those who migrated from Maryland to Pennsylvania consisted of Andreas and several of his sons and daughters. It is possible that one of John’s sons had traveled to western Pennsylvania in the 1780s or early 1790s and brought back reports that encouraged Andreas to relocate, but other than the 1783 deed recording, there is no other evidence suggesting that any family members other than Andreas and his sons located to Westmoreland and Fayette counties.
1790 to 1796 – Frederick County, Maryland to
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Situation in 1790 When First U.S. Census was Conducted
After breaking from England, the American colonies adopted the Articles of Confederation on March 1, 1781 which created a weak central government, hindering the ability to repay war debts, conduct interstate commerce, and stimulate economic growth. Consequently, during the summer of 1787, state representatives at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia drafted the U.S. Constitution, and after lengthy debate, it was ratified by June 1788. The new Constitutional government commenced on March 4, 1789. Land on the Potomac River bordering Maryland and Virginia was designated to be the new federal government location, and Washington, D.C. was founded on July 16, 1790.
The Kessler family, residing in Jefferson, a small community located six miles west of Frederick, Maryland, was certainly aware of these events and the potential consequences, both in terms of how the new nation would be governed, its politics, and the proximity of the new national capital to their community, which was located only 50 miles to the west, closer to Frederick than they were to Baltimore, Maryland, which was located 65 miles east.
Article 1 Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution called for an “enumeration” of the population to determine how many representatives each state could send to the House of Representatives. Congress enacted the 1790 Census Act, which governed census taking until 1840. The first U.S. Census was conducted on August 2, 1790 by the U.S. marshals. Every household was visited, and the completed census was then posted in public locations such as on courthouse doors so that citizens could review and verify that the information was correctly recorded.
Literacy rates in 1790 at the time of the first U.S. census were surprisingly high, ranging from 70 to 90 percent. Literacy was higher in cities than in rural areas. Devout families valued literacy as a means of reading the bible.
Literacy was an important census data accuracy factor. If the person whom the census-taker interviewed was not literate, the census-taker could only rely on the phonetic enunciation of family names. Since the U.S. marshals conducted the early census’, it is also possible that the census-taker had limited literacy.
The compound issues of trying to correctly record the spelling of names based only on how they sounded to the listener, and modest education levels of the census-takers themselves, created significant potential for census errors. Hence the Kessler surname was recorded at different times as Kessler, Keslar, Kesler, Kefler, Kepler, Fessler, Hessler, and Keisler. Some writers tended to shape the letter “s” as an “f” because they placed a slash through the middle of the “s.” Similarly, a slanted letter “s” with a slash through it can easily be mistaken for the letter “f.”
During the period after Johann and Anna Catharina and their children first immigrated, the family likely spoke German in the home. Over time, however, the children and grandchildren were less likely to speak German than were their parents and grandparents. The Kessler family literacy levels of the earliest generations are not known.
It is likely that as the sons reached adulthood they focused on purchasing additional farmland, building their own homes, and expanding the family’s farming efforts. During the 1770s and 1780s Andreas, who married Anna Maria Rehman (Mary) in 1769, fathered nine boys and one girl. The role of farmer and father likely kept him busy and only tangentially focused on the activities that occurred during the 1770s and 1780s.
Family Status Based on 1790 U.S. Census
The 1790 US Census for Frederick County recorded the head of household name, and the number of family members based by age category: males under 16, males 16 and older, females, slaves, and total family members. In that census, there are five entries that are relevant to our genealogy, with numbers listed according to this census sequence — males under 16, males 16 & older, & females:
- Andrew Kesler (Frederick County p. 34) — 5, 3, and 3
- John Kesler (Frederick County p. 12) — 2, 4, and 1
- Jacob Kesler (Frederick County p. 20) — 1, 2, and 4
- George Keisler (Frederick County p. 41) — 0, 2, and 1
- Mathias Kesler (Washington County) — 2, 1, and 2
It is important to remember that John and Andreas’ father, Johann Georg Bernhardt was 78 years old and still alive in 1790. He did not die until 1792, so he was likely living with one of his two sons or with his daughter Anna. It is likely that the Andrew Kesler and John Kesler entries in the US Census were the two brothers.
We have little information about Andreas’ brother John (birth name Johannes). We know that he was born in January of 1742, came to America with his family, and died in Feb 1826 in Frederick County, Maryland. One record was located with his name – a christening for a daughter, Anna Maria Kessler, dated November 16, 1766 at Evangelical Lutheran of Middletown, Frederick, Maryland. Her parents are listed as Johannes and Catharina Kessler. This is important, because there are some significant issues that cannot be reconciled unless we accept the premise that John parented children during the 1760s.
Another possibility is that Jacob, George and/or Mathias are relatives that followed Johann and his family from Germany, locating to Frederick County because of the family relationship.
The entry for Andrew, as suggested earlier, is probably Andreas who was 45 at the time of the census. His children align with the counts of the others in the household, for the most part. In addition to Andreas (age 45), there was his sons Andrew (age 20) & John (age 18) to account for the three males age 16 and older. Males under age 16 were likely George (age 14), Peter (age 12), Jacob (age 8), William (age 6), and Thomas (age 2). Females included Anna Maria (age 38) and Mary (age 16). The identity of the third female is uncertain — possibly a wife of Andrew or John.
Since there are only five male children under the age of 16, we have to speculate regarding why that number is not seven. Andrew had a son Samuel who was born in 1786, but there is no later record of him so perhaps he died before 1790. Also, infant David was born in March 1790, and should have been counted, but perhaps he was not included for some reason.
Jacob Kesler. listed in the 1790 census, does not appear in the 1800 U.S. Census in Frederick, Maryland. The 1800 U.S. Census includes entries for Andrew Kesler, John Kesler, George Kesler, and Mathias Kesler (last name spelled Kesler rather than Keisler as it was in the 1790 census) residing in Maryland. We will consider the implications of the 1800 U.S. Census later in this narrative.
Andrew Kesler — 1790 US Census
John Kesler — 1790 US Census
Jacob Kesler — 1790 US Census
George Keisler — 1790 US Census (appears as George Kesler in 1800 US Census)
Mathias Kesler — 1790 US Census (resided in Washington County, Maryland)
The 1796 Migration from Maryland to Western Pennsylvania
John and Andreas’ father, Johann George Bernhard died in 1792. A few years later Andrew and some of his children and their families relocated about 150 miles northwest to Donegal Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1796. Donegal Township is located in Westmoreland County about 50 miles southwest of present day Pittsburgh. He lived and farmed in Donegal Township until his death in 1809. Andreas was a member of the Evangelical Reformed Church. He is buried in the Keslar Family Cemetery located near Salt Lick Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.
Why Did Andreas Kessler Move from Frederick to Donegal in 1796?
Westmoreland County is located about 150 miles from Frederick, Maryland so it was no small decision to relocate from the family home of almost 50 years to the western wilderness that was to eventually become the Pittsburgh area. Roads were non-existent at the time and consisted of old Indian trails that had been somewhat widened when the British Army traveled to the region to fight the French and Indian War in the 1760s. So the decision to make the move was significant. The challenge is more complex because of the mystery in understanding why Andreas and some of his children made the move but others remained in Frederick.
It is clear that Andreas and his sons Johannes, George, Peter and William relocated from Frederick to Donegal Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1796. John Newton Boucher in his book: “History of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania, Volume I” noted the following: “Among the old families was the Kistler family, the father, Andrew coming from Germany to Maryland, and then moving to Donegal Township in 1796. Other early settlers were Andrew Harman, who was killed by the Indians; William R. Hunter, the Millhofs, Virsings, Shaeffer, Havses, Gettemys, Jones and Blackburns.”
A separate historical blog — KeslarKeslerFamilyHistory.Wordpress.com — provides additional detail about the lineage of those who left Frederick and moved to western Pennsylvania in the 1790s.
Donegal Township in Westmoreland County and Salt Lick Township in Fayette County are located near each other and about 50 miles southeast of present day Pittsburgh. During the late 1700s this region was still a wilderness and settlers often were attacked by Indians. Even though the French and Indian War took place in the 1760s at Fort Duquesne near Pittsburgh, Indian tribes continued to resent infringement by the settlers and would often attack, kill and burn settlements. Here is an example of a description illustrating this point: “In the later years of the eighteenth century small colonies of pioneers settled in the Ligonier Valley near Fort Palmer, Fort Ligonier and Donegal township. These were troublous times because the restless savages were a constant source of danger and the people built their cabins within easy reach of the forts and blockhouses to which they were compelled to flee for refuge from the turbulent Indians.”
In trying to understand why Andreas, Peter, George and William and their families relocated to this region there is anecdotal evidence that they were seeking to relocate to a less-developed area. In 1796 George Washington completed his second term as President. In the 1796 election John Adams, a Federalist who advocated a strong federal government defeated Thomas Jefferson who advocated a restrained federal government and who was an advocate for farmers such as Andreas. The Residence Act of 1790 had determined that the emerging federal government would be located on the banks of the Potomac and not far from Frederick, Maryland. It is entirely possible that Andreas resented what was happening and decided to seek a more rural and remote place to live.
In the Official Poll of the Presidential Election of 1796 Andrew Kessler’s name appears as a voter, substantiating his appearance in the Census of 1790. He is listed as a Federalist which is the same party as George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. I believe that this is Andreas’ son (also listed in this census are Andreas’ other sons, Jacob and John). It is possible that Andreas and his son Andrew had substantial disagreement over the election which might partially explain why Peter, George and William accompanied Andreas to western Pennsylvania but Andrew and the other sons did not.
Included below is a map of Donegal Township from 1876. There are numerous citing of relatives on this map who are mostly children of Peter Kessler and grandchildren of Andreas, including William J. Keslar, J. W. Kesslar, and E. Kessler. One of the maps has an insert of Donegal Township and one of the homes in the town is labeled A. Keslar. Many are buried in the Keslar Family Cemetery located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. There is also a road in the areas named Kessler School Road which is named after William and his involvement with the local school district in the mid-to-late 1800s.
The names on the maps including William J. Keslar, J. W. Kesslar, and E. Kessler are likely the children of Andreas’ son Peter. William J. Kessler was born in Donegal on Oct. 20, 1817 and died in 1876. Agnes Kessler was born in 1805 but her death year is not known. She could also be the A. Keslar living in town in 1876. J.W. Kessler is John Wesley Kessler, Peter’s grandson and William J. Kessler’s son, born in 1845 and 31 years old at the time the map was made.
How did the Western Pennsylvania Kessler family become Keslar and Kesler?
Although there is not clear record of how the name evolved from Kessler to Keslar and Kesler, it is likely related to the fact that most of the ancestors were farmers who were either semi-literate or not literature. Farming ability was valued more than formal schooling. The first U.S. Census was conducted in 1790 as often those hired to collect census data, especially in rural areas, also were more likely semi-literate and likely to phonetically spell the names as they were communicated to them. Often older census content is difficult to read, reflecting the challenges and likely accounting for variations in surname spellings.
In April, 2017 I received an e-mail from Richard J. Kesler (Rich). Here is what he said:
“I recently received my Family Tree DNA report and it shows we are related. I saw your email address there. I am able to trace most of my family to Europe but am unable to get very far with my surname, Kesler with one “s.” Maybe you can help? Here is a brief version of my tree:
Richard J. Kesler – John P. Kesler – James C. Kesler – Richard C. Kesler – Jacob H. Kesler 1844 – 1916 – Jacob Ulery relation unknown (I am from Ohio and Jacob was from PA)
After researching the mystery, and knowing that we are genetically related, we concluded that Jacob H. Kesler’s mother was probably Elizabeth Ulery and his father was probably John S. Kessler who was born 1/11/1813 and died 3/6/1845, the year after Jacob was born.
Elizabeth was 28 in 1850 and that would make her 21 or 22 years old when Jacob was born in 1844. Her birth year would be something either 1822 or 1823. This suggests that John and Elizabeth married before 1844, parented Jacob in 1844, and then John died sometime in 1845. That likely explains why Elizabeth remarried a short time later, to Jacob Ulery.
According to the 1850 U.S. Census, Jacob Ulery was 5 years younger than Elizabeth. And according to the 1840 Census for Salt Lick, John Kesler lived only 3 or 4 properties away from a Peter Ulery in Saltlick. We can assume that John and Elizabeth Kessler knew the Ulery’s and that perhaps they even hired young Jacob Ulery to work on their farm. It is possible that they named their son after him. That would have created a sense of responsibility in Jacob Ulery that would explain his willingness to marry Elizabeth after John’s death and to raise his son.
In the 1860 Census Jacob & Elizabeth Ulery are 33 and 38, respectively. There children include Jacob Kesler, 17, Mary Elizabeth Ulery, 12, and Sarah A. Ulery, 10. It is not known why Mary and Sarah were not listed in the 1850 Census.
One curious fact is that both John S. Kesler and his older brother Elias Kesler died on the same day, March 6th, 1845. Efforts were made to locate newspaper or other obituary information explaining what happened to them, but no information could be located. This suggests that their deaths were not health-related but were in fact traumatic.
A final note related to this part of the family history. The preceding work was accomplished by “walking the roads” of Salt Lick. This means finding a relative in the Census for a particular year, and then going page-by-page through that Census, observing who lived near whom, and looking for relatives living just down the road. It takes a lot of time and patience to do this, but its fun.
While “walking” the 1850 Salt Lick Census it was learned that a third son had accompanied Andreas to Westmoreland County. Initially it was believed that Andreas traveled to Westmoreland/Fayette County with two sons …. Peter and George. By examining the 1850 Census it was determined that Peter was there – age 70 with wife Mary, age 69, and a young female named Martha, age 17. George was there at age 72. But another of Andreas’ sons was there too, William, age 66, and his wife Nancy Slater Kessler.
From studying the Census information that following likely family members were identified:
1850 Census
Many of the older Keslers and some younger ones lived just down the road from the Ulery family.
— Ulery’s with Jacob are on p 17
— There is a Henry Ulery, Blacksmith on p 16
— William Kesler, 66, and family are on p. 10
— Samuel Kesler, 38, and family are on p 9
— George Kesler, 72, and family are also on p 9
In Donegal Township there were:
— William J Keslar, 38, and family on p 2
— Peter Keslar, 70, with wife and one young girl, Martha, age 17 on p 4
— Eli Keslar, 44 (might be Keplar, but I doubt it), and family on p. 10
— Thomas Keslar, 57 (also might be Keplar), with wife Mary and young male, Absalom, age 19 on p 13
1810 Census Saltlick:
— George Kesler
— Henry Kesler
— Peter Kesler
— William Kesler
1840 Census Saltlick:
— George Kesler
— William Kesler
— Samuel Kesler
The following 1840 U.S. Census for Salt Lick Township shows that John Kessler lived very close to Peter Ulery, which is pretty significant evidence that he married Elizabeth, fathered Jacob in 1844, and died in March, 1845.
Kessler Family Migration from Frederick, Maryland to Botetourt County, Virginia
One particular topic of current genealogical interest to some family members involves Andreas’ son, John Kessler. The Virginia family line, currently managed (as of 2013) by Karen Kessler (kesslerwv@aol.com) traces itself back to Botetourt County, Virginia. Karen’s brother James (Jim) and I took a DNA test that concluded that we are related. Given that we have used science to prove the linkage between the Frederick, Maryland and Botetourt County, Virginia branches of the family, the question is how did the Frederick, Maryland or Donegal Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Kessler family get to Botetourt County?
The answer was found by researching the family of John Kessler’s wife, Nancy Waskey (1779 – 1852). A book titled Botetourt County Virginia Heritage 1770-2000 by S. E. Grose provided a detailed history of the Waskey family. George Waschke (1712-1766) arrived at Savannah, Ga. on 7 April 1735 after a journey from Moravia to Germany to England. On 23 Feb 1736 his mother Anna and Juliana Jaeschke arrived at Savannah and George married Juliana on 10 Jun 1738. At the end of 1738 they moved from Georgia to Germantown near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their son George Waskey Jr. (1741–1787) married Margaret Heim (1744-1827) and they are documented as living in Frederick, Maryland. Their daughter Nancy Waskey married John Kessler in Frederick, Maryland in 1794.
In 1791 Margaret Heim Waskey purchased land in Frederick County, Maryland. On Jun 5, 1798 she subsequently purchased 378 acres of land from John and Mary Hamilton in Rockbridge County, Virginia near the location of the now famous natural bridge. She and Nancy Waskey’s father George Jr. relocated to Rockbridge County after making this purchase while John and Nancy Waskey Kessler remained on Margaret’s farm near Frederick.
John and Nancy’s first three children were born in Frederick, Maryland: Polly in 1794, Samuel in 1795 and Christopher Lee in 1802. The remaining children were born in Virginia: Margaret Agnes in 1803, John in 1804, Sophia in 1806 and Nancy in 1810. According to land records Margaret Heim Waskey sold her land in Frederick, Maryland to John Kessler’s brother Andrew Kessler on Oct 31, 1804. Based on this evidence it can be concluded that John and Nancy likely relocated from Frederick to Rockbridge County, Virginia and began searching for suitable acreage sometime in 1802 or early 1803.
On March 21, 1805 John Kessler of Rockbridge County, Virginia purchased 156 acres located in Botetourt County, Virginia from Michael C. Stevens named Cedar Ridge (now named Simmons Ridge). The acreage was on Catawba Creek, a tributary of the James River beginning at 2 White Oaks corner to Greenwoods. On November 23, 1808, an additional 73 acres was purchased from Frances Preston, William Kyle and Peter Crowder. It is important to note that this land was purchased in close proximity to land purchased by Jacob Kessler in 1785 and there IS NO KNOWN relationship between these two Kessler families.
Nancy Waskey’s brothers George Waskey III (1776-1850) and E. Christopher Waskey (1778-1850) also relocated to and eventually died in Botetourt County. Christopher Waskey purchased Beale’s Mill in 1818 and turned it into Waskey’s Mill which was operated there until at least 1846[2].
Included below is a map of the Catawba Creek area in Botetourt County dated 1885[3]. Note that there are several Kessler homes noted on this map on or near the Fincastle-Covington Turnpike, north-west of Fincastle. These are likely our relatives since one home next to a Kessler home is labeled Dooley. John and Nancy Kessler’s daughter, Nancy Mary married Stephen Dooley on Oct. 8, 1832. This is likely her home.
American Generation #2
Andreas Kessler Wife and Children
| Andreas Kessler | b: Sep. 27, 1744, Winden Germanyd: Sep. 24, 1809, Frederick, Maryland |
| Anna Maria Rehman Kessler (Married Andrew in 1769) | b: Feb 23, 1752, Marylandd: Dec. 16, 1840, Pennsylvania |
Children
| Andrew Kessler | b: Nov. 2, 1770, Frederick, Marylandd: Jan 1, 1860, Frederick, Maryland |
| Johannes (John) Kessler (Married to Nancy Waskey) | b:May 24, 1772, Frederick, Marylandd: Feb 1850, Botetourt County, Va. |
| Mary Kessler (Married to Henry Schau) | b: Oct 18 1774, Frederick, Maryland |
| George Kessler | b: Apr 21, 1776, Frederick, Marylandd: Mar 10, 1855, Fayette County, Pa. |
| Peter Kessler | b: Apr 10, 1778, Frederick, Marylandd: Jul 2, 1860, Donegal Township, Pa. |
| Maria Barbara Kessler | b: Sep 19, 1780, Frederick, Maryland |
| Jacob Kessler | b: Jun 25, 1782, Frederick County, Pa.d: Apr. 1817, Frederick County, Pa. |
| William Kessler | b: Mar 25, 1784, Frederick County, Pa.d: 1864, Donegal Township, Pa. |
| Samuel Kessler | b:May 17, 1786, Frederick County, Pa.d: May 9, 1830, Frederick County, Pa. |
| Thomas Kessler | b: Feb 1788, Frederick, Maryland |
| David Kessler | b: Mar 1790, Frederick County, Pa.d: Feb 11, 1839, Frederick County, Pa. |