Christopher SANTMYER

Notes:

Indexed as 'Christopher Santonie' in 1860 Census in Scioto, Delaware, Ohio

Susan Updike's father was Amos Updike. Her mother Was Sarah Updike, Sarah was Amos's brother Daniel's daughter. Amos was born in the late 1790s and Sarah about 1804.
Amos was quite a character. He had a store in Brownsville, Virginia. (now called Browntown) He kept very detailed records for the store. He bought large quantities of sugar on a regular basis. The sales made to his customers did not add up to the total bought, not by a long shot. The extra sugar went to the production of illegal alcohol. He had a large cabin with massive fireplaces on either end. His door was always open to the men of the area, where Amos would tell tales about his hunting prowess. He said he had killed a 400 pound bear in hand to hand combat. He also sold his bootleg booze at these gatherings. He was not a favorite of the wives of his customers! He disappeared from the Brownsville area shortly after Susan's marriage to Christopher. It was said that he followed his daughter to Ohio.
We have some of his ledgers in the archives. One lists Christopher's purchases in 1852.

Ron Santmyers



"Christopher Santmyer, was born in Virginia, and having attained his majority, married Susan Updike, also a native of that State. Four years later they removed to Seneca County, Ohio, where the father followed farming, also carried on blacksmithing and shoe making. In 1861 in Delaware, Ohio, he enlisted in the Union army and served until the close of the war, and participated in many important battles. He afterward went to Saginaw Mich., where he continued for a number of years, then returned to Seneca county. He is still a resident of Ohio. Their children were John, a farmer of Hancock county, Ohio; Robert, a farmer of Bloom township; R.C. our subject; David H., of Wayne county, Ohio, and Mrs Jane Vogelson." -History of Wood County, Ohio

Christopher's birth year is noted in some family papers as 1832, but this is unlikely, as his mother would have been 52 years old.

Christopher married Susan UPDIKE 2 Apr 1850, Rappahannock Co., Virginia. Susan was born 1827; died 18 May 1891, Bloom Twp, Wood Co., Ohio; was buried Weaver Cemetery, Bairdstown, Bloom Twp., Wood, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Name appears as Christopher Santmyer on marriage record.

1. John Amos SANTMYER was born 21 Jul 1851, Warren Co., Virginia; died 01 Feb 1898, Wood Co., Ohio (struck by a train); was buried Weaver Cemetery, Bairdstown, Bloom Twp., Wood, Ohio.
2. George Robert SANTMYERS was born 28 Nov 1852, Warren Co., Virginia; died 13 Mar 1920; was buried Weaver Cemetery, Bairdstown, Bloom Twp., Wood, Ohio.
3. Rufus Christopher SANTMYER was born 27 Oct 1854, Seneca Co., Ohio; died 10 Oct 1935, Liberty Township, Putnam co, Ohio; was buried Weaver Cemetery, Bairdstown, Bloom Twp., Wood, Ohio.
4. David Harvey SANTMYER was born 5 Mar 1857, Fostoria, Seneca, Ohio; died 4 Mar 1931, Dalton, Wayne, Ohio; was buried Dalton Cemetery, Dalton, Wayne, Ohio.
5. Jane Elizabeth SANTMYER was born 24 Jun 1859, Fostoria, Seneca, Ohio; died 18 Mar 1936, Wayne, Montgomery, Ohio.

Notes:

John relocated to Brownsville, Virginia about 1820, known presently as Browntown. (not the Browntown in zip code 22937, but the one in zip code 22610)



John's son John Wesley Zentmyer was a special grandson to Christopher and Barbara Zentmeyer. When Christopher's will was written in 1824, there was a special provision for John to receive two hundred dollars from the estate at Christopher's death. By 1824 Christopher had as many as eighteen additional grandchildren, none of whom were similarly provided for. The will also indicates that one John Zentmyer was living on the farm at that time, and since Christopher's son John was living in Brownsville, Virginia by then, the John residing on Christopher's farm must have been John Wesley Zentmyer. The will also provided for a shed to be built and finished adjoining John Zentmyer's house for Christopher to enjoy during the remainder of his natural life. So it appears John Wesley Zentmyer and his wife Eleanor cared for grandparents Christopher and Barbara into their old age, and were therefore rewarded.

John married Catherine WELSH 13 Dec 1804, Washington Co., Maryland. Catherine was born Abt 1780, Pennsylvania; died Bef 1860. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

There is much additional material related to Christopher on the York Co. and Franklin Co. pages on this web site.



The deed by which Christopher conveyed his farm to his son Daniel was also his will, a shrewd legal strategy, see 'Third' below. But it is an interesting document for several reasons.

First, John Wesley Zentmyer was a special grandson to Christopher and Barbara Zentmeyer. When the will was written in 1824, there was a special provision for John to receive two hundred dollars from the estate at Christopher's death. By 1824 Christopher had as many as eighteen additional grandchildren, none of whom were similarly provided for. The will also indicates that one John Zentmyer was living nearby at that time, and since Christopher's son John was living in Brownsville, Virginia by then, one must conclude the John residing near Christopher's farm must have been John Wesley Zentmyer. The will also provided for a shed to be built and finished adjoining John Zentmyer's house for Christopher to enjoy during the remainder of his natural life. So it appears John Wesley Zentmyer and his wife Eleanor cared for grandparents Christopher and Barbara into their old age, and were therefore rewarded in the will.

Second, the will illuminates for us the diversity of economic activity on the farm. There are references to crops of wheat, rye, corn, hay, and apples; a stable with cows, horses, cattle, and hogs; a weaver shop, and wool, so presumably sheep; and firewood production indicating logging.

Third, the will presented an interesting legal question, namely do certain economic provisions in a grant deed survive a foreclosure. The deed stated that "Daniel Zentmeyer engages to give to his father Christopher Zentmeyer yearly and every year during his natural life and the life of his wife Barbara twenty bushels of wheat, twenty bushels of rye, and twenty bushels of corn, also two good loads of hay, and one third of the rows of apple trees divided the short way and pasture two cows and one horse with his own cattle also to let them keep four hogs which are to run with his hogs." Neighbor George Harbaugh took title to the farm in 1828 after a foreclosure sale, and ceased fulfilling the provisions Christopher had specified in the deed. The Zentmeyers sued Harbaugh. The court held: "I look upon it as a covenant to pay rent in kind; and if it be, it is a covenant running with the land, and the defendant is clearly liable; for, upon such covenants, which concern real property, or the estate therein, the assignee of the lessee is liable for an action for a breach of covenant after the assignment of the estate to him." So Harbaugh was required to continue to supply the goods and services to Christopher as required in the deed, a much better result than had Christopher simply written a will.

Johann married Barbara LAUMAN 22 Apr 1777, St. James Episcopal Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania by Rev. Barton. Barbara was born Abt 1750, Pennsylvania; died Jan 1844, Washington Twp., Franklin Co., Pennsylvania; was buried Zentmyer Cemetery, Washington Twp., Franklin Co., Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Bernhard was the Patriarch of the Zentmeyer/ Zentmyer/ Zentmire/ Santmyer/ Santmyers families in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and later into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska.

There is a Bernhard Nicholas Santmyer listed in FamilySearch records and elsewhere as a member of this family, but he never actually existed, he is an unfortunate synthesis of several records by an unidentified compiler. I am working diligently with FamilySearch to remove this fabrication from the record.

Bernhard is also not related to Henricus Zentmaÿr of Brilon, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany, an actual person, who had been incorrectly linked to this family in good faith by Dorothy Zentmyer Jones

Penn Township was formed out of Warwick Township in 1846.

Johann married Maria Salome ROTH 16 Feb 1739, Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France. Maria (daughter of Jacob ROTH and Catharina WALTHER) was born 16 Mar 1712, Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France; died 1774, Warwick Twp., (now Penn) Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania; was buried Union (White Oak) Cemetery, Penryn, Penn Twp., Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Headstone Inscription:
(East Face) Here lies with God Salome Zentmeyer was buried in the year 1774
(West Face) Was 61 Years Old
Salome was born 16 Mar 1712 per church records (Kirchenbücher) in Bischwiller, so she must have died before March 1774.