I've been reexamining my Adams County MYERS and ZINN records in my old files
and came up with the following ...
I had always known where my great-grandfather, Henry MYERS, was living in
1860 (with his parents) in Oxford Township, Adams County, PA. I also knew where
he was in 1880 and 1900--with his wife in Reading Township, Adams County.
What I didn't know was WHICH of the many many close-in-age Henry MYERS' NOT
with parents or wives were MY Henry on the 1870 census.
What I found in looking back through my old records was a court document I'd
copied YEARS ago. The background info: Henry MYERS is the son of Conrad
MYERS, born 23 June 1830 and Maria ZINN (daughter of Christian ZINN and Lucy
ARNOLD). That is about as far back as I have the MYERS line nailed down
CONCLUSIVELY.
The ZINN and ARNOLD lines I know far more about--back to the immigrants and
beyond. Christian and Lucy ZINN had daughters. On the 1850 census there are:
Elizabeth, 19, Maria, 17, Sarah, 13, Anna, 12, and Louisa (later listed as
Lucy on the next census) age 8.
What I have found in this huge pile of stuff I copied out in York and
Gettysburg is an Orphans Court record from 1929: "The petition of Annie E. BROWN, a
resident of the Township of Oxford, County of Adams, Pennsylvania,
respectfully represents. That your petitioner is the owner in fee of a tract of land
situate in Oxford Township, Adams County, adjoining lands of Jonas RINEHART,
the New Chester Road, Widow WOLF, Conewago Creek, and Aaron BROWN containing
twenty six (26) acres and one hundred and nineteen (119) perches more or less,
with improvements. That your petitioner acquired the title to said premises
by deed from Anna M. BROWN dated April 7th, 1915, which said deed was duly
recorded in the office for Recording Deeds in and for the County of Adams in
Deed Book 75, Page 276. That the said Anna M. BROWN acquired the title to said
premises by deed dated April 1, 1891 from Wm. Arch. MCCLEAN, assignee of
Solomon BROWN and wife and said deed being made in pursuance of an order of the
Court of Common Pleas of Adams County, which said deed was duly recorded in the
Office of Recording Deeds in and for the County of Adams in Deed Book YY
page 331. That the said Wm. Arch. MCCLEAN, Assignee of Solomon BROWN and wife
data May 26, 1890, which said deed is recorded in the for Recording Deed in and
for the County of Adams in Deed Book QQ pages 287 and 288..."
This paper goes on and on back to when Christian ZINN and wife Lucy owned
the property and the petition involves Lucy ZINN's dower rights -- her 1/3 right
to the property.
Anyway, the paper goes on to list the heirs/children of Christian ZINN and
wife Lucy: Coletta ZINN BROWN, married to James BROWN, Elizabeth ZINN MILLER
married to Silas MILLER, Maria ZINN MYERS married to Conrad MYERS, Anna ZINN
BROWN married to Solomon BROWN, and Lucy ZINN HAWK married to Edward HAWK.
"After diligent search your petitioner is informed and believes that these heirs
outlived their mother Lucy ZINN and after her death were paid their shares
of said dower charge and that all of them have been dead for a number of
years. That the period of twenty one years has elapsed and many more years since
the principal of said dower charge became due and payable and that no payment
of either principal and interest has been made within said period and no
satisfaction or release of said dower charge appears of record. "
It isn't clear to me from the above what Anna BROWN was asking for and what
she was claiming wasn't paid--but that isn't really what the interesting part
is for ME. What was of interest to ME is the fact that she named the children
of Christian ZINN and Lucy ARNOLD and told me who they MARRIED.
I'm not sure what happened to Sarah ZINN, age 13 on the 1850 census and I'm
not sure where Coletta ZINN who married James BROWN came from--possibly they
are the same person--but that isn't what took my eye the most. What took my
eye was Lucy ZINN who married Edward HAWK--BINGO! That is who MY Henry MYERS
is living with in 1870 and was apprenticed to Edward HAWK, wagonmaker. Henry
was a carpenter by trade on later census records.
I couldn't figure out that THIS Henry MYERS could be MY Henry despite being
the right age because I couldn't figure out why he'd be living all the way up
in York Springs when he was in Oxford Twp. in 1860 and in nearby Reading Twp.
(near New Chester) later on and he married a gal from right around the
corner from his parents' house in Oxford Twp. It made NO sense to me at all...and
even though I knew Henry was a carpenter I didn't think he'd had to have
learned the trade from anyone OTHER THAN his carpenter FATHER. But the fact that
Lucy ZINN HAWK is his AUNT--now it all makes PERFECT sense.
I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with additional information about
the children of Christian ZINN and Lucy (ARNOLD) ZINN as listed above. Does
anyone know whether Sarah and Coletta are one and the same? If not, where did
Coletta come from and what happened to Sarah?
There is always more to learn.
Joan
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