What you want and What you get

In the summer of 1799 5^th Great Grandfather Frederick Hanger died in Augusta County, Virginia. Frederick’s last will and testament let the family how he wanted his estate distributed. What you want and what you get can be two different things; it took 30 years to settle his estate.

Three suits would be filed in Augusta County Chancery Court by the Hanger heirs dated 1819, 1826 and 1830. (The Library of VA has digital images on its website.)

It’s too bad the Hanger siblings needed a judge settle their business. BUT…I must admit I’m pleased because I know I’ll find genealogical goodies in the records.

The 1^st Hanger chancery suit unfolded April 7, 1815 when a newspaper notice was published in the Staunton papers and posted on the front door of the Court House. Sixteen years had passed since Frederick’s death and his estate was not yet settled.

Clipping from

1819-003 Augusta County Chancery Causes

Augustine Argenbright & wife, etc.

vs. Peter Hanger, etc.

His children were divided about how to proceed.

Those in favor of getting a court order to settle the estate included:

Plaintiffs

     Augustine Argenbright, executor and husband of Barbara Hanger, daughter

     George Baylor, Bernhard Lowman and Molly Hanger,

          executors and executrix of Frederick Hanger Jr., deceased son

     George Hanger, son

     Martin Hanger, son

     Jacob Friedly and wife Hannah Hanger, daughter

Those against the idea:

Defendants

     Peter Hanger, son

     Charles Hanger, son

     Charles Shaver, perhaps a lawyer

     John Hanger, son

     John Wise and wife Catherine Hanger, daughter

     Peter Eagle and wife Ann Eliza Hanger, daughter

     George Eagle and wife Mary Eliza, daughter

     Warner Peters and wife Eve (Hanger) Joseph, daughter

     Betsy (Hanger) Thomas, daughter

The plaintiffs’ bill of complaint addressed Frederick Hanger Sr.’s will and his wishes. Great Grandfather wanted his land divided between 2 sons—Charles and Peter. It was a 250 acre tract lying on Smoky Row Creek 6 miles west of Staunton. Charles was to get the east side and Peter the west side. According to the will, Charles had to pay 250 Pounds and Peter 350 Pounds which would be divided among Frederick’s children. One share was to be paid yearly beginning with the youngest child and continue to the oldest according to their birth.

Peter and Charles took possession of the land after Great Grandfather died. The plaintiffs often asked Peter and Charles for their legacies but received no money.

Another complaint involved my 4^th Great Grandparents Eve Hanger and Daniel Joseph. During the last few years of Daniel’s life, he was heavily in debt. His creditors must have sued his brother-in-law, Augustine Argenbright, to get their money. Frederick ordered that Daniel Joseph’s debt to Augustine be paid out of Eve’s legacy. By this date Eve had married a 2^nd time to Warner Peters.

The plaintiffs wanted Peter and Charles Hanger to pay their siblings legacies and to pay Augustine the money he advanced Daniel Joseph. Augustine Argenbright acted as their Orator and presented the bill to Judge John Brown in Chancery District Court at Staunton. The petition was filed April 3, 1816.

To be continued ….

To view the 1819-003 Chancery Cause 1819-003 ‘Augustine Argenbright & wife, etc.

vs. Peter Hanger, etc.’ on the Library of Virginia website click here.

In the Year 1762 … a daughter was born into this world

Anno 1762 ten 12 Augusty is Mir ein docter auf Disse Welt gegoren ihr Nahme is Eva Marakreta ihr Taug Zeigen wahren Gorg Keller und seine Frau Barabara. [German]

In the year 1762 on the 12^th of August to me a daughter was born into this world. Her name is Eva Margaretha. Her baptismal sponsors were George Keller and his wife Barbara. [English Translation]

The image above is an excerpt from the ‘Baptismal Record of the Children of Johann Frederich Hengerer/Hanger of Augusta County, Virginia’.

Eva Margaretha Hanger was the daughter of German immigrant Frederick Hanger and my 4^th Great Grandmother. Frederick arrived with his parents when he was 14 years old in 1740. The family lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and then spent some time in Greenbrier and Frederick Counties in Virginia.  Before settling in Augusta County, Frederick resided in Shenandoah County.

I’m very lucky that the late Peggy S. Joyner compiled and published “Frederich & Peter Hanger of Virginia, 1740 Immigrants, Some Ancestors & Descendants” in March 1977 with a revised edition October 1986. I purchased a copy of her booklet and my introduction to the family began. While Peggy was a Frederick Hanger descendant, she was also a certified genealogist. Her research and documentation is topnotch.

Peggy found references to Frederick Hanger’s Bible but couldn’t locate it. Forty years later Peggy had in her hands a page of births that had been inserted in Frederick’s bible. She and the Bible owner arranged to have the original page deposited in the Special Collections at the Alderman Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.

That’s how I came to know about my Hanger family.

Family historians believe Frederick married Eva Margreta Mayer in 1767. My Great Grandmother Eva Margaretha Hanger was born August 12, 1762—too early to be Eva Margreta Mayer’s child. Eva’s mother must have been Frederick Hanger’s former wife.

4^th Great Grandmother Eve would become the wife of Daniel Joseph and the mother of four children—Eve born in 1785, John in 1787, Margaret born about 1796 and Daniel in 1797.

After Daniel died she married Warner Peters in Rockingham County, Virginia Jan. 5, 1799.

  

TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY: Eve (Hanger) Joseph Marries Again Rockingham Co. VA 1799

A few years after Daniel Joseph died, 4^th Great Grandmother Eve (Hanger) Joseph married Warner Peters in Rockingham County, Virginia. Warner Peters and Adam Bowyer acted as bondsmen for the marriage which took place shortly after the date of the bond—Jan. 5, 1799. 

Rockingham County, Virginia Marriage Bonds

Library of Virginia Microfilm Reel 45A

Daniel Joseph and Miss Hanger

The father of John Joseph was named Daniel Joseph. His wife was a Miss Hanger. John Joseph was my great grandfather so he is your great Grandfather.

“Copied from the old bible”

These words are how Rachel Joseph began telling the history of her family. She sent handwritten notes to her cousin James McFall Joseph (my grandfather) many years ago. Rachel Jane Joseph was born March 28, 1896 in Augusta County, Virginia to Henry Milton Joseph and Lillie Jane Barger. She passed April 1981 in Virginia. I’m grateful ‘Ray’ shared her family history with us.

I’ve been able to add to Rachel’s family history and collected many documents for Daniel Joseph which I will share in future blog posts. Today is just a few facts to rouse your curiosity.  

4^th Great-grandfather Daniel Joseph was the progenitor of the Joseph family and resided in Augusta County, Virginia. I’ve estimated his birth between 1755 and 1760. He married Eve Hanger, daughter of Frederic Hanger also from Augusta County, Virginia and died between July 27, 1795 and Feb. 22, 1796. A daughter, Eve Joseph, was born Sept. 8, 1785 followed by my ancestor, John Joseph born Aug. 4, 1787, and then Margaret Joseph born about 1795. Daniel Joseph Jr. was the youngest child.

Daniel served in the Augusta Militia during the American Revolution. He probably came to Augusta County with some savings as he bought and sold properties. In June of 1783, his name started to appear in the Rockingham Co., Virginia Minute Books and Rockingham Co., Virginia Judgment books in court suits.  Daniel was quite often the plaintiff (party who starts lawsuit) and just as often the defendant. He wasn’t in the Rockingham County personal property tax lists making me believe his home was in Augusta County with a business in Rockingham.

The Augusta Court Fee Books dated 1780 provided a welcome clue about his heritage. Daniel Joseph was identified as “Jew” which was a surprise to my branch of the family.[1] As far as I’ve been able to determine, none of Daniel’s descendants practiced the Jewish faith.

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[1] Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish, Vol. II, p. 410