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Am researching CLEMMONS (as spelled by Charles Augustine CLEMMONS) other
variations all over the map. CLEMONS, Clemmens, Cleman. Charles was
born 15 Dec. 1816 in White Co. Tennessee. Parents unknown to me and the
point of my research. Charles had an older brother named JOHN WESLEY
CLEMMONS born 10 Nov. 1812 in sourthern Kentucky and one older sister
named Adaline born 8 April 1815 in southern Kentucky. John Wesley
married a lady named Marilda TURNER in 1836 and Adaline married a man
named Clifton B. HENSLEY on 16 Feb. 1837; Charles married a lady named
Mary Jane HENSLEY in 1840 all of these marriages in Boone Co. Missouri.
Charles moved on into Oregon in 1849 and his brother and sister ramained
in Missouri the rest of their lives. Charles moved on into Washington
state where he died in 1882. His first wife died on the wagon train
from Missouri to Oregon and he remarried a lady named Rebecca Griffith.
Children born to his first wife and my direct line were Clifton CLEMAN
born 1845 in Boone Co. Missouri, Mary born 1847 in Misouri, and Jane
born along the Oregon trail in 1849. Trying to locate parents of the
Charles Augustine CLEMMONS probably originally from Virginia, then
Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Oregon, Washington. Denise Dunn
This is taken from an article titled-"George Valentine (Felty) KLEMMER" by
Charles W. Hite Jr. and John F. Clemmer III.
""OUR KIN" states on p. 152, Adam CLONINGER II married Susanna CLEMMER,
daughter of Felty CLEMMER 1803, and Elizabeth PLONK. Many have read the
above statement to mean that Adam CLONINGER II married Susanna CLEMMER,
the daughter of Felty CLEMMER and Felty's second wife, Elizabeth PLONK.
There are CLONINGER genealogies in the Gaston County Library, North
Carolina that say this. However the truth is that Adam CLONINGER II
married Susanna CLEMMER the daughter of Goerge Valentine KLEMMER on 11
November 1803, and later on 29 June 1830 Adam CLONINGER married Elizabeth
PLONK."
They also state that Susanna CLEMMER was born 22 June 1784 and she died in
1825. That would make her 19 when she married. She was born in
Pennsylvania and was christened in 1784. Felty KLEMMER's will was probated
in York Co.,Pennsylvania 7 October 1785. Susanna is the last child listed
in the will. Her mother was Margrett. Margaret CLIMORE is listed as head
of house and a widow in the 1800 Lincoln Co.,NC census.
Barb Lewis
White81429 wrote:
>
> Does anyone have birth date for Susanna Clemmer from N. Carolina records??
> Know she married Adam CloningerII about 1800. Thanks Charles Hite
>
> ==== CLEMMER Mailing List ====
> Send the following address to those who might want to join us;
> http://clemmer.org/clemmerlist.html
Hi,I got this from the LDS .Susanna Clemmer b.1785/89-Lincoln,NC.
I show a second wife of JOSEPH CLEMMER AS A CATHARINE CLONINGER,no date.
I have a page of Cloninger's from Barbara a. Lewis,it was on Clemmer
Roots.Roland Young
Hi Barb, I also descend from your NC CLEMMERS via John, bro to your Susanna
who m Adam CLONINGER. Unfortunately, my data looks like yours. I have been
watching the CLEMMER LIST for maybe a year. About the only thing I have
learned from them is that a lot of people are working on the PA CLEMMERS, but
no one knows when our gf Valentine came to NC, or if indeed he did come
himself, or just his widow and ch???
I descend from Valentine/John/Anna who m my gf John David YOUNG, either
before the John CLEMMERs came to Monroe Co, TN in the 1820s, or very soon
thereafter??? The YOUNGs went on to Parker Co, TX ca 1860s, then on to
Muskogee Co, OK 1904 where they met my MACs.
I'll bet that I am the only responder you hear from that knows where Elkins,
AR is located. My father was b there 1886 where he attended Ole Frog Level
School before migrating to Muskogee Co, OK 1898 by wagon train with my TUCKER
line. I live near San Francisco, CA but am now visiting my bro & sister in
Tulsa. I have visited your area several times trying to locate the exact area
where my MCCAWLEY & TUCKER families actually lived down on the Co line near
Tuttle.
Bye for now,
Hal McCawley
Barbara A. Lewis wrote:
> This is my first posting to this list. I am descended through two lines of
> Valentine(Felty) CLEMMER and Elizabeth TOTHEROW. Would like to correspond
> with others of this line. My information is minimal on the older
> generations. I have been working on the CLONINGER and other lines to date.
>
> 1 Valentine KLEMMER
> + Elizabeth TOTHEROW b. NC
> 2 Susanna CLEMMER b. NC
> + Adam CLONINGER II married 1803
> 3 Valentine (Felty) CLONINGER b. 1811 NC d. 1864 Pope Co.,AR
> + Mary A LONG b. 19 Jan 1805 NC d. 1 Feb 1879 Pope Co.,AR
> 4 Alfred Lee CLONINGER b. 5 June 1845 NC d. 21 Dec 1919 Mt.
> Vernon, Franklin Co.,TX
> + Mary Isabell RHODES b.1 Oct 1846 NC d. 10 Feb 1935 Mt. Vernon,TX
> 5 Susannah Lennie CLONINGER (my g-grandparents)
> + Silas Archie CARPENTER
> 2 Lewis CLEMMER b. NC
> + Molly CLONINGER b. NC
> 3 Susannah CLEMMER b. 14 June 1808 NC d. 20 Nov 1897 Yell Co.,AR
> + Jacob RHODES b. 21 Oct 1809 NC d. 30 Aug 1863
> 4 Mary Isabell RHODES b.1 Oct 1846 NC d. 10 Feb 1935 Yell Co.,AR
> + Alfred Lee CLONINGER b. 5 June 1845 NC d.10 Feb 1935 Mt.Vernon,TX
>
> Barb Lewis blewis(a)comp.uark.edu
> Elkins, Arkansas
>
> ==== CLEMMER Mailing List ====
> A great Klemmer history page;
> http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/4340/
This is my first posting to this list. I am descended through two lines of
Valentine(Felty) CLEMMER and Elizabeth TOTHEROW. Would like to correspond
with others of this line. My information is minimal on the older
generations. I have been working on the CLONINGER and other lines to date.
1 Valentine KLEMMER
+ Elizabeth TOTHEROW b. NC
2 Susanna CLEMMER b. NC
+ Adam CLONINGER II married 1803
3 Valentine (Felty) CLONINGER b. 1811 NC d. 1864 Pope Co.,AR
+ Mary A LONG b. 19 Jan 1805 NC d. 1 Feb 1879 Pope Co.,AR
4 Alfred Lee CLONINGER b. 5 June 1845 NC d. 21 Dec 1919 Mt.
Vernon, Franklin Co.,TX
+ Mary Isabell RHODES b.1 Oct 1846 NC d. 10 Feb 1935 Mt. Vernon,TX
5 Susannah Lennie CLONINGER (my g-grandparents)
+ Silas Archie CARPENTER
2 Lewis CLEMMER b. NC
+ Molly CLONINGER b. NC
3 Susannah CLEMMER b. 14 June 1808 NC d. 20 Nov 1897 Yell Co.,AR
+ Jacob RHODES b. 21 Oct 1809 NC d. 30 Aug 1863
4 Mary Isabell RHODES b.1 Oct 1846 NC d. 10 Feb 1935 Yell Co.,AR
+ Alfred Lee CLONINGER b. 5 June 1845 NC d.10 Feb 1935 Mt.Vernon,TX
Barb Lewis blewis(a)comp.uark.edu
Elkins, Arkansas
Not a bad idea, but. I don't know exactually when it is to become effective
but Rootsweb is going to start bouncing "all attachments". If everyone
likes this idea or maybe just a few of you like the idea may I suggest
sending a gedcom to me personally at dlcict(a)worldnet.att.net . I'll combine
all gedcoms received and post it as a single gedcom on my web page for
downloading. I think I can handle just about any gedcom. If this is
acceptable fire away and I'll try to keep up.
Your moderator
Danny Clemmer
-----Original Message-----
From: Jo Ann Vincent Pedersen <joannvp(a)open.org>
To: CLEMMER-L(a)rootsweb.com <CLEMMER-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Date: Monday, May 18, 1998 10:48 PM
Subject: [CLEMMER-L] Clemmer census
>Dear Clemmer List,
>
>Does anyone have any idea how many Clemmers en toto descend from, lets
>just say Ludwig Clemmer and Elizabeth Maria Boeckle? It would be very
>interesting to see if we could come up with a number of descendants from
>this marriage. I would like to see a count of the total number of
>descendants as well as a count of the descendants who are alive today. I
>am choosing this couple because it seems that it is as far back as we can
>DEFINITELY PROVE the line goes.
>
Dear Clemmer List,
Does anyone have any idea how many Clemmers en toto descend from, lets
just say Ludwig Clemmer and Elizabeth Maria Boeckle? It would be very
interesting to see if we could come up with a number of descendants from
this marriage. I would like to see a count of the total number of
descendants as well as a count of the descendants who are alive today. I
am choosing this couple because it seems that it is as far back as we can
DEFINITELY PROVE the line goes.
I have a pretty accurate count of the descendants of Julia Ann Clemmer
daughter of John Clemmer and Hannah Hoffman which I could contribute to
the sum. I can't figure out how to do the tally. Is anyone else
interested or does anyone have any ideas how it could be done? Maybe it
has already been done. If so, please enlighten me.
_______________________________________
Jo Ann Vincent Pedersen, Salem, Oregon, joannvp(a)open.org
"GRANDGOUSIER - (gran-gooz-YAH) If you are a grandgousier then your
favorite meal is the all-you-can-eat special, for the grandgousier will
eat anything and everything, especially to excess. From "There's a Word
For It" by Charles Harrington Elster
I know little about my Clymer line, not from a lack of looking but a lack of
finding anything. So I am asking for help.
What I do know is
Mary Jane Climer was born in 1821 in NC per the census reports.
She was married on Sept 10 1843 in Guilford Parrish Town of College to
Joseph W. Freeland of Orange Co. NC. born 1817, after there marriage they
and several other families move to Carroll Co. TN town of Buena Vista. the
other families that I know that moved were the Haywoods and Morris lines,
they were connected by marriages between the families.
I could sure use some help on the Climer line PLEASE.
Thanks Donna
I also descend from the John CLEMMER that migrated to Monroe Co, TN ca 1827. I
would love to see a 3 generation descendancy chart with John in the middle.
Please!
Best, Hal McCawley in CA
White81429 wrote:
> From: Charles Hite----My post for "Our Kin" was for a descendant of John
> Clemmer(wife Hanna Hoffman) who was born in
> Littlestown PA, s/o Valentine Clemmer(wife Elizabeth Margaret). Said John
> Clemmer migrated from Dallas NC to Monroe Co TN about 1827, and OUR KIN is
> reliable for this Hoffman-Clemmer. The error in OUR KIN is it incorrectly
> says Valentine Clemmer(f/o John wife Hanna Hoffman) came to Dallas NC.
> Actually the
> following is correct: Valentine Clemmer died in Littlestown PA in 1785 with a
> legal, probated will, naming widow Eliz Margaret, and all his kids in the
> correct birth order
> except the oldest, Lewis. The widow and children then migrated to Dallas NC
> by 1800. The Valentine Clemmer in Dallas NC records is the son of George
> Clemmer(wife Hanna Smith), and they are buried beside each other in the
> Lineberger-Clemmer cemetery off the Dallas-Cherryville highway.
>
> ==== CLEMMER Mailing List ====
> To send a message to the group, address it to;
> clemmer-l@rootsweb,com
White 81429 wrote
>Did anyone like Dorothy Creelys article by Joseph Neal Clemmer, and his
>grandfathers Indian stories?
I loved the stories, really did, but I think the first part of the story
did not get sent. At least in my mail box I opened the email and it was
part 2 and started mid sentence and I didn't know who the protagonist of
the story was and I just thought that I had messed up somehow and
discarded part 1. But Roland Young said he didn't see the story either
and I bet maybe others didn't see that first part either.
Why don't you send part 1 again. Or the whole story again. It is great.
_______________________________________
Jo Ann Vincent Pedersen, Salem, Oregon, joannvp(a)open.org
"hadeharia" (Hay-di-HAR-ee-uh).The hellacious practice of constantly
using the word "hell" in one's speech. From "There's a Word For It" by
Charles Harrington Elster
In a message dated 98-05-14 14:36:14 EDT, you write:
<< Thanks to Lenny Clemmer et al, they may build around it which would make
everyone happier. We have suggested a greenway-park in the industrial
complex >>
Charles: I like the idea of a greenway-park. I'm not near Gastonia, but if I
can be of help let me know.
Gene Smith
He was then about sixteen years old, and served to the end of the
war. He was in
the siege of Yorktown and in the charge which compelled Cornwallace to
surrender,
giving us our Independence. He seemed never to weary of telling of that
event, and it is
not to be wondered at--for it was one of the greatest events in the history
of our country
- equal to the surrender at Appomattox. {Joseph Clemmer was a Yankee soldier}
When Jacob grew to manhood he married Anna Blossner. They loaded
their
household goods on two pack horses and with others, took the trail across the
Alleghenies for what was then known only as the great back woods - now
Western PA
and West Virginia. He built his cabin near the banks of the Monongehela
River--took
his gun on his shoulder and with hatchet (then called a tomahawk) marked out
what land
he thought he would need - drove the Indians away and the government gave him
a deed.
It was a long struggle between the early settlers and the
Indians, but "poor Lo"
has had to go{C.H. as written}. I could relate many of his adventures with
the Indians.
but will tell only a small part as I remember now clearly after so Many
years.
When they landed in the western country, they took up their quarters
in Fort
Swerengen; this they had to do on account of the Indians. All the families
in the
neighborhood had to do this. The Indians never molested them in the winter -
they would
chop down the timber, clearing up the land , where they intended to build
their house, and
when it was dry enough, it was set afire and burned.
The men generally had all they could to watch the Indians. Scouts
were constantly
on the lookout and if they discovered a trail--the alarm was given and every
thing was put
in order. An armed body of men at once took the trail and a regular game of
hide and
seek would take place. The Indians were as good at scouting as the whites and
when
they met it was a fight to the death.
The whites being better armed than the Indians, they were too much
for them--
and what was strange, the Indians always came encumbered with their squaws and
children, but the women had all the work to do. If an Indian killed a deer,
he let it lay and
sent his squaw to take care of it. He was too much of a man to do anything
of that kind.
A band of them had eluded the scouts and murdered a family some
distance down
the river. A Company was formed and started in pursuit of them. When they
overtook
them they were just ready for a war dance. They had some whites they had
captured tied
to a stake and were ready to set them afire. A number of them were
killed--but most of
them ran into the brush and escaped, as it was getting dark, and pursuit was
out of the
question.
There was one incident that took place there that granpap never
forgot-or rather--
never got over. There was a man by the name of Dunbar--a Frenchman--who was
right
by the side of granpap when they charged the camp. A squaw had left her
papoose in the
teepee. Dunbar saw it. He grabbed it up and dashed its brains out against a
tree.
Granpap saw him do it and he was so enraged that he rushed upon him and would
have
brained him with his tomahawk, but a man named Corbin sprang in between them.
He
never forgave Dunbar. His eyes would flash with indignation whenever he spoke
of it.
I relate one more incident that took place west of the Monongohela River.
-I
relate it from the fact it was the last invasion the Indians made in that
country. -A man
named Corbin{Corbley} was an early settler on Whittly Creek. -For the
protection of his
family and the few neighbors who lived by, they had built a large strong fort,
and had
surrounded it with a heavy stockade.
The Indians took this as an offense and determined to kill Corbin and
his family.
They made a number of attacks upon it but were repulsed with heavy losses.
This
enraged them and they determined to have revenge!
In the mean time, the Settlers had come in fast. -The Americans had
taken
possession of Fort Duqueane (now Pittsburg) and the Indian's means of
obtaining,
supplies were cut off. -They were compelled to take refuge west of the Ohio
river, and
for two years there had been no Sign of Indians, and the whites had become a
little
careless as to scouting. They depended on a class of men called hunters, and
they were
not much better than the Indians.
Three Indians eluded the scouts, came to Whitly creek and camped on top
of the hill
across the creek where they could have a clear view of Corbin house and
grounds
around it. -They could see him at work, but he always carried his gun and
they wore
afraid to attack him. How long they were there, no one knows, for they had
sunk a hole
in the ground so they could make a fire and not be seen.
Corbin was a Baptist preacher. A small log church had been built and on
this Sunday
morning, he and his family - a wife and two daughters and a son started to
church. When
the Indians saw them coming thru the clearing and Corbin not armed - now was
the time.
-They could {go}down the hill - cross the creek - go up thro the brush without
him seeing
them. They had gone some distance from the house when Corbin discovered he
had
forgotten his hymn book and turned back to get it. As he came out of the
house, he
heard 3 guns crack, well he knew what that meant.
He grabbed his gun and called to his large savage dog to "go". He
could hear the
screams of the boy - one Indian had shoot at him and missed him - but the
mother and
oldest girl were killed. The youngest girl hid in the brush. The boy, with
his hatchet and
dog were holding tie Indian at bay, when Corbin came running toward them. The
Indian
turned and ran, and just as he came to the bush where the girl was hiding, she
-thinking the
Indians had gone - stepped out and he scalped her and made his escape.
The girl was not seriously hurt, but the wound in her scalp never
healed. The alarm
was given and in a few hours a posse was on their trail. -They followed then
as long as
they could see, hoping to overtake them as they got to the river, but they
were just a
minute to late. They were across and out of range of the guns. -Granpap
was one of
the pursuing party and he had a long range gun. -One of the Indians stood
there patting
on the seat of his blanket. "He laid down and the others carried him away!
was the way
granpap used to tell it.
I have been particular in relating this for as I said, it was the last
time the Indians
attempted to invade that country. -I have seen the old church and gone to
meeting there
- have also seen the old Fort and the graves of the Corbin family.
I do not know as this will be of enough interest for you to read it,
but I wanted to tell
you of these two incidents, to give you some idea of how our forefathers had
to contend
with the relentless savages. But he has gone and the white man is in his
place, enjoying
the fruits of the toil and privation of the early settler of our wonderful
country.
They had little idea of what they were doing, or the foundation they
were laying for
what has followed.
It was about 1802-1803 when granpap came to the great back woods, but on his
arrival
he and his wife and baby took up their abode in the Swerengen fort--the baby
was my
father, Jasper Clemmer. The fort was built by a company of men that had come
from
Maryland, or the western part of what is Maryland now--most of them were Welch
and
the Zarley(Zerley) family was among them--it was built the same as all the
other forts and
in the summer time the families had to take refuge there.
Others who had helped build the fort, were people of Scotch-Irish descent, who
had
come from northern Ireland on account of religious persecution. They were
Protestants(Presbyterians) and the names of some of them were
Neal(Neil)--Kilpatric--
Gilkey and Swerengen.
When granpap got there with his little colony-Blossners - Keggeys -and
Bairds--it made
quite an addition to their fort, but they were more than glad to receive them.
The women
and children were compelled to keep within the stockade or near it. The men
were
divided into squads a scouts and choppers. -The choppers cut down the timber
and
cleared up the land. The stock consisted of horses, cows, and sheep which
had go be
brought into the stockade every night for fear of the Indians.
My grandmother Neal(My mother was Deliah Neal, her father was Willliam Neal
and her
mother was Delilah McClure) was either born in the fort, or came there when a
very small
child, for their earliest recollections were connected with it. The old fort
was about all
gone who I came on the scene of action, but the old men and women were there
to tell
their experiences of the early days
"I have often head my father say, that the only way he would know when Sunday
came,
his mother would make coffee for breakfast. Occasionally a preacher would
come along
and preach a sermon or two for them.
I wen to school in the same old log school house my father leaned his letters
in. It was an
old dilapidated house when I went to school in it. The seats were made out
of what they
called puncheons--trees split--smoothed of a little and legs put on--no
backs. What
would the children do now if they had to sit on that kind of seat from eight
to twelve and
one till four, without any intermission?
The teacher sat on a high stool with a long stick, convenient to use on the
most trifling
occasion. -But it was not long till the Free School System was adopted--but
not till after
a hard fight, and then our schools were all right. The little log school
house served t its
day. Such men as Lincoln, Buchanan Blaine, and many others, got their start
in the little
log school house.
I have often wished these relics of the past had been preserved--the old
forts--and old
churches--so that we could now look on them. What a curiosity they would be.
But the
people who built them were glad enough to get better, and when they got out of
them,
they were let go to decay. -I think hardly a man could be found today who
could tell
where Fort Swerengen was located, or in fact knows there was such a place.
The Clemmer family has been represented in every war the United States has
been
engaged in--except the war with Spain--I am not sure whether any of our
relatives were in
it or not. -Mike Clemmer was killed at Cold Harbor in the grand charge the
18th of June
1864. -I was in the same dreadful charge.
by Mrs.
Della Clemmer Cutter, Castlana Iowa 1924
Preserved by Dorothy Creely, data-entered by Charles Hite
Subj: Re: Lineage of Joseph Neal Clemmer Date: 98-05-07 From:
DCreely103
To: White81429
1.Ludwig Clemmer(1718-1756), wife Maria Eliz. Bockle, married 1742,
Friedelsheim,
Germany
2. Jacob born abt 1744, wife Barbara Naphf (referred to as "great grand
Andrew, I
think"--brother of Valentine Clemmer whose kids to Dallas, NC
2.Jacob-Jasper b. 1766 wife Ann Blossner
3.Jasper-Jacob b. about 1800, wife Deliah Neal d/o William
4. Joseph Neal Clemmer b. 1826
Charles, Yes, that is right lineage. His{Joseph's} family left Fayette
County, Pa{south
of Pittsburg} about 1850, maybe earlier, and went to Wisconsin. Later Iowa,
Franklin
County. -I figured that when they left, his grandfather, Jacob, came forth
with all the
stories, perhaps feeling he would never see him again. Striking how Jacob is
such a
talker. -I have a picture of him. Joseph Neal Clemmer probably forgot some
of what he
had been told. I have a description of Swearingen's Fort from the book "The
Frontier
Forts of Pennsylvania. "p. 392-3. "Swearingen's Fort was in Springhill
Township, near
the cross-road from Cheat river towards Brownville{due south of Pittsburg}.
It derived
its name from John Swearingen, who owned the land on which it stood, or from
his son
Van Swearingen, afterwards sheriff of Washington County, a captain in the
Revolution
and in the frontier wars, and whose nephew of the same name fell at St.
Clair's defeat."
The Swearingen Fort was on the Catharine Swearingen tract of 468 acres
surveyed Ajpril
17, 1786; not more than one mile from Morris Cross Roads. It stood on a
knoll; the spot
can be pointed out definitely. Duke Swearingen was captured by the Indians
near it while
fetching cows. He never returned. [I have quite a story on Duke. He wanted
to be
captured by Indians and live that lifestyle and it did happen. He must be one
of the
original hippies; -John Wayne made a movie about this episode called Blue
Jacket.]
"The fort was built of split puncheon and dirt [stockade], and covered a large
space of
ground. There are no signs of the old fort visible, except what is indicated
by the surface
of the gound being at this place a little higher than the surface immediately
around it."
(Geo. H. Swearingen, MS). The land originally was owned by John S.
Swearingen; it is
now owned by the heirs of Michael Crow, dec'd. This fort was made in 1774.
The
Indian scalping and killing episode took place in 1792. The father of
Delilah Neal
Clemmer, wife of Jasper Clemmer, s/o Jacob, was Joseph Neal{?William Neal per
article}. He had a ferry on the Monongahela River, near the junction with the
Cheat
River. -There are Clemmers all over the place in Springhill Township, Fayette
County,
Pa. I have done a little research on the York Furnace mentioned. It is in
Chanceford
Township, York Co., PA. -Casper/Jasper/Jacob owned land there with his wife
Barbara
Neff, Naves, Naph, Nef. -A neighbor John Blosser had a daughter Anna, and
Jacob,
s/o CasperJasper/Jacob married her after the Revolution and went out to
Fayette County.
They may have stopped briefly in Frederick County, MD, where the brothers of
Casper/Jasper/Jacob were living, in the site very near to site of their
captivity{1756}.
This was posted earlier, but apparently many missed it so here is the repeat
in two parts---From Dorothy Creely, data entered by Charles Hite:
The following events were written by Joseph Neal Clemmer in1900, relating
oral
history his grandfather Jacob Clemmer had told Joseph as a boy about 1840,
some 60
years earlier. Said Joseph's grandfather telling the events was Jacob
Clemmer, the son of
Casper-Jasper-Jacob Clemmer{wife Ann Blossner}, the son of Jacob Clemmer(wife
Barbara Naphf) who was the brother of Valentine Felty Clemmer of Littlestown,
PA
whose children & widow(Elizabeth Margaret Clemmer) went to Dallas, NC. -Both
brothers were sons of Ludwig Clemmer who was married in Friedelsheim Germany
on the
Rhine River. Said Ludwig, and his wife, Maria Elizabeth Bockle Clemmer were
killed by
Delaware Indians in 1756. -------" It is very odd to me though that Casper-
Jasper-Jacob
did not tell his son Jacob about the death of his parents{Ludwig,wife Maria}
at the hands
of the Delawares, but saved all his wrath for the French." Dorothy Creely,
5-5-1998
1.Ludwig Clemmer(1718-1756), wife Maria Eliz. Bockle, married 1742,
Friedelsheim,
Germany
2. Jacob born abt 1744, wife Barbara Naphf (referred to as "great grand
Andrew, I
think"--brother of Valentine Clemmer whose kids to Dallas, NC
2.Jacob-Jasper b. 1766 wife Ann Blossner
3.Jasper-Jacob b. about 1800, wife Deliah Neal d/o William
4. Joseph Neal Clemmer b. 1826
"A Biographic History of the Clemmer Family", written by Dr Joseph Neal
Clemmer,
Clarksville, Iowa 1900.
The facts I am about to relate were given to me by my Grandfather- Jacob
Clemmer - when I was a small boy living near Fairchance Furnace, Fayette Co.,
Pennsylvania. I was born Aug 22, 1826
Our family was originally French - and the name was Klammer, but it was
changed to Clemmer - giving it an English termination. Our ancentors were
descenters
from the Catholic church - Huguenots. -In the latter part or the 15th
century, the King of
France conceived the idea of bringing all his subjects into the Catholic faith
in accordance
to the custom or the time, an appeal to arms was the outcome. The Huguenots &
others
armed and resisted.
They lived in the mountainous districts of France sad were a hardy and
thrifty
people - peacable and loyal to the King in political matters, but when it
came to dictating
to them in what they should believe in ecclesiastical matters, that was
another thing and a
war of unusual violence was the result. After the French had met with a
number or
reverses and heavy losses, the King decided to, at least for the present,
conclude an
armistice and proclaimed peace
Now, comes one of the most dammable pieces of treachery that blackens the
pages of history, namely the massacre of what is known in history as that of
Saint
Bartholemew's Eve - an account of which you can find in any reliable history.
-The
leading men of the Clemmer family lost their lives in that terrible massacre
- to relate the
particulars of which would take more time and labor than I feel would be
profitable.
Immedietely after the Massacre, the French government forbid any one leaving
the
country. The priests came with the cross and said "Bow to this"-- the
soldiers followed
with the sword and on refusal, the word was "take this" - and that meant
death.
There were three familys- Clemmer, Naphf, and Blosser - that lived in the
same
valley and were great friends. They united and made a strike for liberty -
cut their way
thru the cordon of French soldiers and made their way, or rather escape,
into Prussia
and Switzerland. Our folks into Switzcerland and settled in Zurah(Zurich),
and there the
name was changed to Clemmer -what authority there was in changing the name I
am not
able to say. {C.Hite, name actually changed by English clerks in Philadelphia
1747,
Ludwig wrote German, not English}.
My great grandfather, Andrew I believe, came to America when but a young
man with
the Blossers and Naphfs. He married a Naphf{Barbara}and settled in the town
of York
in York Co Pa. -He was a blacksmith by trade, but when the Revolutinin broke
out, he
closed his shop, joined Washington, and served to the close of the contest, -
but did not
live long after. Now as to the part my great grandmother took in gaining our
freedom -
she spun the wool , wove the cloth, and made her husband his first uniforms
and did so
every year he was gone. -She andd her two boys cultivated a small patch of
ground,
rented the shop - and from the vegetables they raised, and what the boys
earned at small
jobs, they managed to live reasonably we well for them.
The two boys, Andrew and Jacob, - Andrew was twelve and Jacob ten at the
breaking
out of the war. -Andrew was a stay at home, but Jacob spent most his time
in the
British army--selling doughnuts to the soldiers, and picking up any news he
could carry to
Washington. -I have heard him say he was but 13 years old when he first
commenced to
spy. He carried on for two years before the British suspected him and had him
arrested.
-When he was in the army, he could not talk English, and when they took him
before an
officer, all he could say was "Nix for stay"-which meant he could not
understand{Nix
forshtay would be in German " Nichts forstehe"}.
Finally they got an interpreter who was an officer. He asked him a great
many
questions about Washington, but he knew nothing about him. He then told him
to leave
the camp, and if he ever came back he would have him shot. He would laugh
when
telling it and say he felt rather streaked.{as written} He reported it to Gen
'1 Washington
and he told him not to go any more. He asked for a gun, and the General got
him one
and gave it to him and he took his place by the side of his father in the
ranks.
End Part #1
I have been an active member of the Clemmer List for some months now, and
would like to thank Dorothy Creely, and others who
commented favorably on the material I wrote, and Jeff Clemmer posted at the
following website--- http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/4340/ -- If the
comments
had been unfavorable, I was going to blame Johnny Clemmer f/o Jeff who
collected most of the raw data on Valentine Clemmer deceased Littlestown PA,
ca1785. --An update on Gaston Co NC moving the Lineberger-Clemmer cemetery,
Thanks to Lenny Clemmer et al, they may build around it which would make
everyone happier. We have suggested a greenway-park in the industrial
complex. That would provide easy access for the descendants of George Clemmer
s/o Valentine, s/o Ludwig Clemmer married Friedelsheim Germany, and to the PA
in ther New World to seek fame and fortune.
Charles Hite
From: Charles Hite----My post for "Our Kin" was for a descendant of John
Clemmer(wife Hanna Hoffman) who was born in
Littlestown PA, s/o Valentine Clemmer(wife Elizabeth Margaret). Said John
Clemmer migrated from Dallas NC to Monroe Co TN about 1827, and OUR KIN is
reliable for this Hoffman-Clemmer. The error in OUR KIN is it incorrectly
says Valentine Clemmer(f/o John wife Hanna Hoffman) came to Dallas NC.
Actually the
following is correct: Valentine Clemmer died in Littlestown PA in 1785 with a
legal, probated will, naming widow Eliz Margaret, and all his kids in the
correct birth order
except the oldest, Lewis. The widow and children then migrated to Dallas NC
by 1800. The Valentine Clemmer in Dallas NC records is the son of George
Clemmer(wife Hanna Smith), and they are buried beside each other in the
Lineberger-Clemmer cemetery off the Dallas-Cherryville highway.