For my four-generation accreditation project, I am researching the Beck/Fisher family of Pennsylvania. I recently revisited records I had previously found to create a timeline of the life of Jacob Fisher, who is the 4th Generation for my project. Creating a timeline was the first step in analyzing my sources for my research project in the Research Like a Pro Study Group I am currently participating in. Looking carefully at existing records and putting them in chronological order led to several clues and questions for further research that might help me solve my research objective: to determine which of two Jacob Fisher’s living in Northampton County in 1790 is my ancestor.
As I examined existing records, I noticed something I had never seen before. Daughter Susannah’s birth and christening dates were listed on FamilySearch with no sources. However, in the notes for the birth and christening dates, the contributor added the address of the church where the christening record is located.[1] The church is in Whitehall Township. One of the Jacob’s listed on the 1790 census is residing in Whitehall Township. The other resides in Upper Milford. The christening record at a church in Whitehall could be a very important clue in solving this case.
Several of Jacob’s children were christened in Lehigh (Northampton prior to 1812) County, Pennsylvania.[2] The last christening date of one of his children in that county was 1798. Jacob’s next known location was in Hempfield, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, where his three youngest children were all christened on the same day in 1808.[3] An interesting note is that these younger three children’s birthdates were listed on the christening record as 1799, 1803, and 1804. Where was the family from 1798-1808? Why did the younger children have to wait until 1808 to be christened? Since I have christening records that show that the older children were christened shortly after their births, a possible hypothesis would be that the family left Northampton County in the last half of 1798 or early in 1799, and the children were born in Westmoreland County or somewhere in between Northampton and Westmoreland Counties. Did their migration happen over the course of several years, or was there simply not a Lutheran church or pastor in Hempfield until 1808? In either case, Jacob and his family migrated from Northampton County to Westmoreland County sometime during this 10-year period. Searching the 1800 and 1810 censuses in Northampton County might show whether both Jacob Fisher’s are still residing there and provide clues to which one is which.
As I looked at my timeline, I realized that most of the existing evidence for my research objective consists of birth records. The birth records are direct evidence that Jacob and Elizabeth Fisher lived first in Northampton County and later in Westmoreland County. I have one other very important piece of evidence that helps prove that the children in these birth records all belong in the same family. It is the will of Jacob Fisher’s son, Jacob, Jr.[4] He died in Westmoreland County in 1846. In his will, Jacob, Jr. named his parents and each of his siblings as benefactors. Sisters were listed with their married names. This evidence has helped confirm that the children found in christening records in both Northampton County and Westmoreland County with parents Jacob and Elizabeth Fisher belong in this family. The will, together with christening records, also helps prove the family’s residence in each of these counties.
Since my evidence comes mostly from christening records, it will be great to search other record types in Northampton County to see what I can discover. Jacob Sr.’s headstone has a marker indicating he fought in the Revolutionary War. Searching for military records may help distinguish between the two Jacob Fisher’s in Northampton County. I am guessing there may be land or tax records that will help as well.
The next step in the Research Like a Pro Process is to create a locality guide for the area so that I will know what records are available and be ready to create a research plan. I’ve started working on the locality guide and I’m really excited about what I’m learning!
Stay tuned for further updates as I continue working on this
project.
[1] FamilySearch, database (https://familysearch.org: accessed 04/19/2019), Susannah Fisher, KZBW-ZYR.
[2] FamilySearch, database (https://familysearch.org : accessed 04/19/2019), Jacob Fisher, LZ2R-FZG.
[3] “Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 30 March 2019), Catharina Fuscher, 03 Jan 1808; Christening, citing First Lutheran Church, Greensburg, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm 1,531,275.
[4] “Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994, Westmoreland Wills, 1839-1870,” vol 3-5, p. 158. Entry for Jacob Fisher, image 82, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 27 March 2019); FHL microfilm 005547051.
