Eliza SAINTMYERS

Notes:

This Eliza 'Saintmyers' (per the marriage record) is presumed to be the daughter of John and Catherine for the following reasons: 1) The Census Records for both 1810 and 1820 reflect a heretofore unidentified daughter, born to them before 1810; 2) The 1860 census has Eliza born c.1818, the 1870 census has her born c.1817; the 1880 census has her born c.1806, and her headstone has her born 1811-12; and 3) Frederick County, where she married and was buried, was a stone's throw away from Browntown, in (then) Shenandoah Co., where John and Catherine long resided. Apart from the (not uncommon) multiple birth-year indications, here are no facts known to us which conflict with this conclusion, and no other families which could even remotely be considered to be her family of origin.

Eliza married Samuel N. MCDONALD 28 Jun 1834, Frederick Co., VA. [Group Sheet]

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.