Hi, Kathy, The Custer research was done by my cousin Philip Essley, who gave
me a copy of his FTM files. Here's what notes I found about MARY RHODES
CUSTER, wife of George Custer. Mary was the daughter of John and Hannah
(Wilcox) Rhoads(sic) Mary was the sister of Sarah Rhoads (sic) who married
John Ball.
A pedigree Chart shows Mary's Father as John Rhodes b 1604 in Co., Derby,
Eng., married 8/28/1692, in Philadelphia, and her Grandfather as John Rhodes,
b. 1639, Co. Derby, Eng. and died 1701, Derby, PA. Phil questioned the dates
and the fact about being born in Derby, Eng., and dying in Derby, PA.
Mary's mother is listed as Hannah Wilcox, b 1675, Bristol, Glouchestershire,
Eng., and her grandfather as Barnabus Wilcox, married to Sarah.
George and Mary Rhodes Custer lived in Oxford of Franklin Township of
Philadelphia C., PA. In 1734, George was taxed on 100 acres in Hanover
Township of Philadelphia Co., PA. Later they lived in Bucks County, where
the family were members of the Richland Monthly Meeting.
Around 1750 George and his family moved to Northampton Co., PA, becoming one
of the first settlers of East Penn along Lizard Creek (now in Carbon Co.,
PA). The Journal of David Shultze describes George as an Indian Trader....1
November 1755 they found all in peace and quietness; but as they went the
next day through the Gap (Blue Mountains - Gloria), they found about a
hundred people in a great fight, who told them that George Custard had been
murdered. Letters of Administration for the estate of George Custard (sic)
were granted to his widow, Mary Custard, and his son, John Custard, on 10
Sept. 1756.
Mary was married second to William Thomas of Northampton Co., PA. William
was the son of Richard Thomas of Lower Dublin, Philadelphia Co., PA, and
grandson of Evan Thomas. William Thomas served as a Captain of the Bucks Co.
Queen's Rangers, a Tory group, during the Revolutionary War. For this he
was accused of high treason and had his estate confiscated by the
Pennsylvania Act of 1778. William and Mary Thomas moved to Nova Scotia (now
New Brunswick, Canada) where he received a townlot at Parrtown in 1784, and
became a Freeman of Saint John in 1787, admitted as a laborer.
I hope this is the Mary Rhodes you wanted to find. This is all the
information I have from my cousin. - Gloria ESSLEY Carpenter