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- " William, according to Egle, was bom in 1736, and this may be right. James and his wife Elizabeth were married in January 1734 in Philadelphia, so could have had a child as early as late 1734. Bertram, the next, was bom in 1738; and Thomas was supposedly bom in 1746. Several sources, including DAR papers for people claiming to be descendants of William, say he was married to Jean Webster. He may have been at some much later date in his life (although I believe these sources have him confused with another William Galbraith), but his first wife was named Margaret Buchanan, and they were married in Carlisle in 1754 when he was only about 18 years old. I found this in the marriage records of a German Lutheran minister, the Rev. John Casper Stoever--the last place you would expect to find the marriage of a staunch Scotch-Irish Presbyterian--while I was looking for Harrigers, who were Lutheran. Of course, at first I had no proof that this William was the son of James Jr., until I found additional information in the York County courthouse which proves it was the same William. In the York Co. Orphans Court, James Galbraith of Derry Township, Lancaster Co. (James Jr. lived there until 1761) appeared in 1754, acting as guardian for his son, William, and William's wife, Margaret, who were both under legal age, representing them against Jane Buchanan, widow of Robert Buchanan, in an attempt to obtain a share of Buchanan's estate for his daughter Margaret. (Whether they got any of it or not, I was unable to find out.) Jane and Robert Buchanan were among the earliest settlers of Cumberland County, having moved there from Donegal at least 20 years earlier than James Galbraith.
I also found references in later York County records to land deeds involving both Bertram Galbraith (of Lancaster Co.) and a William Galbraith "of Baltimore, Maryland", I feel the latter had to be William, brother of Bertram, for although Bertram did have a son William, he would have been too young at this particular time to be involved in land purchases. So it would appear that William may have lived in Maryland for awhile after his earlier marriage, which certainly had some aspects of a "hurry-up" affair and was probably embarrassing to both families. William, and his wife were both under the legal age, meaning they would have had to have parental consent, and this may be why they were married by an itinerant Lutheran minister (who also married many other Scotch-Irish couples in the area) rather than in the Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, which had been established in the 1730s (and still stands today). I believe also that James must have given William a cash settlement of some kind, as I can find no record in Lancaster, Cumberland or York counties of any land transfer between the two, while James' gift of land to Bertram is recorded in the Lancaster County courthouse. (James may have owned land in Maryland, which borders on Lancaster County, and may have given this to him. I have been unable to research Maryland records to date, so have not been able to follow up on this.) The reader may wonder how William, whose family lived Der-ry, LancasterCounty, metMargaret Buchanan, whose family lived in Cumberland County near Carlisle. Actually the distance was not great, only about 15 or 20 miles, but the Susquehanna River divided the two counties. However, colonial records show that William, young as he was (I8, according to Egle's birthdate, but he could have been as old as 20) was a surveyor for the provincial government and as Cumberland County had only been erected from Lancaster in 1750, there was a great deal of surveying of land warrants there for years afterward. Also, there were strong ties between the Galbraiths and the Buchanans (going all the way back to Scotland) and they had also been neighbors of the Galbraiths at Donegal before moving to Cumberland County in the 1740s. So William undoubtedly knew the family well before his marriage to Margaret.
Letter from Richard Peters, secretary of the Provincial Council, to Thomas Penn in 1755: Ed. Shippen succeeds himself for office except that of Deputy Surveyor, which is given by Mr. Scull with the Government's approval and on my recommendation to a son of Mr. James Galbreath of Paxtang, who has been a steady friend to the Government and the Proprietary Interests ever since your departure."
This could only have been Wiffiam, as in 1755 he was the only son of James who was old enough to have been a surveyor. Bertram, bom 1738, was a noted surveyor in his time, but he would have been only 17 at this time. William was just married, and it is quite probable that his father obtained this position for him through his influence with the government and his close friendship with Robert Peters (from whom he bought the land he later occupied in East Pennsboro Township). (Source - The Galbraith Families of Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, A Collection of Works, The Clan Galbraith Association of North America, May 1992)
WILLIAM GALBRAITH OF BALTIMORE AND SONS - WILLIAM NOBLE AND THOMAS GALBRAITH
By Elizabeth Galbraith DeCarolis
The Red Tower, Clan Galbraith Association International, Volume XX, No. 2, December 1998.
The tree I've outlined in this article needs to be documented since it claims a link with the Galbaiths of Donegal. Since I wrote the articles about William Galbraith of Baltimore that appeared in the March and June, 1998 issues of The RedTower, I have found still more material to substantiate the family ties. Williams (1736 - 1788) in his will of 1780, proved in October, 1788, names his next younger brother Bertram (I738 - 1804) as executor and for a long time I had looked for evidence that Bertram had actually performed such a duty. While he was still leasing a waterfront lot on Baltimore's Gay Street, William Galbreath "of Baltimore Town in the Province of Maryland' had deeds recorded of land purchases in both Cumberland and York counties, PA from Thomas Colhoun (sic) 'late of the County of Cumberland in the Province of Pennsylvania but now of the Province of Nova Scotia," eldest son and serving as surviving executor of his father John Colhoun's estate.
These two deeds were:
6 Oct 1768 (recorded 5 May 1769 Cumberland County) - a deed for land in West Pennsboro, Cumberland Co., PA: 200 acres for f 200, adjoining the lands of Ezekiel Dunning and Robert Dunning, 'which land is claimed by the said Robert Dunning.ff' This is the same parcel which Rebecca Calhoun, widow of John, had already deeded to her younger son James 'for Natural love & affection" and 5 shillings on 20 July 1763 but which was not recorded until 09 August 1790.' James Calhoon then had sold the land to one of the Carothers, according to William of Baltimore's will.
6 Oct 1768 (recorded 7 Feb 1770 York County) - deed for land in Manchester Twp., York Co., PA for 402 acres for F200, 'adjoining lands of John Welsh, John Connely and Connewago Creek."' This is the same tract which had already been sold by Sheriff David McConoughy through a court order to William Smith, merchant of Baltimore on 31 Oct 1767. (See section - Five Confusing Deeds.)
Both deeds appear to have been executed and witnessed in Nova Scotia, with further verification by John Monro, Notary Publick (sic) for Nova Scotia but located in 'Boston in New England" on 29 November 1768. Was William on a trading trip to Nova Scotia in 1768 with a stopover in Boston on the way back to Baltimore? Was he uneasy about his financial decisions and wished the extra verification before telling his father, James, Jr., who had advanced him f 200, and brother Bartrem about his land purchases? Or had he been sent as an agent by father James to negotiate for and buy the strategically-located parcel in West Pennsboro? Why did he buy the second parcel in York County? As late as 1780 when William wrote his will leaving household furniture to his "beloved consort' Hester Rees and land and money to his two sons, William Noble and Thomas, he still believed that his estate included the parcel in West Pennsboro because he lists the land "kn(ywn by the name of Calhoones Land near to dunnings spring sold by a certain James Calhoon to one Carruthers for which I have a deed from Thomas Calhoone and Recorded in the Office for Cumberland Countey." He apparently did not know that the transaction from Rebecca Calhoon to her son, James had taken place before he paid f 200 for the same parcel! And did Thomas Calhoon as executor of his father's estate not know about the land transactions?
Court Cases and Bartram as Executor for William
In April, 1754, there is an entry in the index for the Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County, PA for James Galbreath vs Ezekiel Dunning which was not heard but rather continued from year to year until the entry finally reads James Galbraith, deceased, vs Ezekiel Dunning for the January session 1792 and continued again to August 1795. Could this be about a land dispute? The subject matter is not given but the plaintiffs are steadily dying off. And then, for the October, 1788 court term in Cumberland County, PA (the same month William's will was proved in Baltimore County, MD) there is an entry which reads "Banram Galbreath, Executor of William Galbreath Deceased vs John Galbreath (Galbreath here may be an error on the part of the court clerk since the index reads John Calhoun), administrator of Rebecca Calhoon Deceased Origl action No. 56 to October Term 1760 continued April 1789 on Motion on behalf of James Carother-s that the judgment in this Sci. Fa. (L. for scire facias) be set aside and that a Trial shall be had of the Merits of the Cause and by consent of the Plaintiff's attorney the Court directs that the judgment on the Sci. Fa. be set aside, defendant Pleads payment with Leave to give the Special Matter in Evidence Replecn. (?) non Solvit and Issue and Rule for Trial." Court costs are listed and the case is continued each session until April 1791 when the entry Removed by Certiorari is written, probably meaning appealed to a higher court.' There's more work to be done here but at least Bartram Galbraith has been identified in his role as executor of William of Baltimore's estate.
Five Confusing Deeds in York County, PA
Something which has puzzled me for some time are several deeds related to the Manchester Twp., York Co., PA tract of 402 acres (the same tract William of Baltimore had been deeded in Nova Scotia, 1768).
The history goes like this.-
20 Feb. 1779 - William Smith of Baltimore Town to Bartram Galbraith, Esq. of Lancaster County: 402 acres in ManchesterTwp.forf2OO. Withinthis deed are sections which relate the land's earlier history: the Court of Common Pleas in the fifth year of the reign of George III (1 764 or 1765?) had ordered the sheriff to sell the land in settlement of John and Rebecca Calhoon's estates. Sheriff Robert McPherson completed his term of office and 3was succeeded by Sheriff David McConoughy, Esq. who had then on 31 Oct 1767 conveyed the 402 acres to William Smith, merchant of Baltimore, for f 200. 6 Oct 1768 - this is the sale from Thomas Colhoon in Nova Scotia to William Galbraith described earlier. Beyond these two deeds there were also three others dealing with the same piece of land 3 May 1794 - Banram Galbraith to Michael Flouri: 12 acres for f 60.13 June 1796 - Bartram Galbraith to Abraham Leib: 53 acres for L233.6.8. 16 March 1797 - Bartram Galbraith to Samuel Gross: 105 acres for f 328. "But the fi na I section of the 20 Feb 1 779 deed provides another important piece of documentation about Bartram's management and financial skills and his relationship to William of Baltimore: this deed was executed in Baltimore and witnessed and signed by William Neill and William Galbraith. That same year Bartram began showing up on the Manchester, York County tax list. Bartram Galbraith of Donegal appears to be a man of enormous energy and attention to minute detail, a tireless and conscientious younger brother to William of Baltimore. And yes, he was keeping track of his travel expenses because in James, Jr.'s estate inventory' dated 29 Aug 1786 are listed:
'Bonds of William Galbreath in Bartrim Galbreath's hand -f 563.0.0"
'to Cash due from William Galbraith being money lent 20 Years past -f 200.0.0"
William Noble Galbraith
After Hester Rees Galbraith's marriage to John Farmer in Baltimore Town (see footnote 18) on 12 September 1788, the 1790 Maryland census does not list a John Farmer, but William Noble as eldest son according to his father's will, appears in the public record in 1790 on a Probate Record index in Baltimore County,'o working as a tanner in Baltimore County. He is always meticulous in using the initial N or the name Noble in the middle of his name as he pursued two separate land transactions: 4 March 1793 - a lease assignment and mortgage deed for 3.5 acres in the Chatsworth parcel northwest of the city along the Reisterstown turnpike from Jacob Kuhn, also a tanner." 31 October 1793 - assignment deed to lease Lot #49 on the east side of Calvert Street along the waterfront, also from Jacob Kuhn."
One of the most important clues for William Galbraith researchers is the announcement of the marriage of William Noble Galbraith to Mary Range. The ol November 1793 issue of the Baltimore Daily Intelligencer reports that William Noble Galbraith, of Baltimore, and "the agreeable Miss Mary Range, of Pennsylvania, were married a few days ago.' I was able to locate on microfilm the actual announcement. (if one wants to read this, the lntelligencer replaced the Baltimore Daily Repository, ran for a year, then, in turn, was replaced by the Federal lntelligencer and Baltimore Daily Gazette.)
More deeds followed:
*15 August 1794 - William Noble assigns the deed to lease the Chatsworth parcel to job Smith of Baltimore Town. 13
*25 June 1795 - he assigns the lease on Lot #49 on the harbor to Thomas Gilbert as he and Mary Range Galbraith prepare to move back to Pennsylvania. The deed states that he still owes Jacob Kuhn f 130 in back rent and repayment of his mortgate."
16 May 1796 - now in Cumberland County, PA William Noble is deeded 100 acres in Tyrone and Juniata Twps by John Lawshe."
3 September 1796 - sells the Tyrone/ Juniata parcel to Jacob Kuhn of Baltimore County. "
With each of the land sales he makes a slight gain, but after 3 years of marriage and probably one or two children he appears to still be in debt.
* August 1797 - Case #47 in Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County
William N. Galbraith vs Henry Brangan, charge of trespassing. Case not heard, continued until August 1808 when a finding of N.I.H.I.L. (nothing) is reached. 11 July 1798 - in Kline's Carlisle Weekly Gazette he petitions for relief from debt and the petition is scheduled to be heard in the August 6 session of the Court of Common Pleas for Cumberland County. This case also is never heard. Have William Noble and Mary Range removed to York County to be near her family? 7 February 1799 - William (no Noble in this signature) receives with Mary Range the legacy from Theobald Shollas, Mary's grandfather, in the amount of F36-9.7 to be paid by John Range, executor for Shollas's estate." I had long believed that the William and Mary Galbraith in Mt. Pleasant, Adams county, PA in the census records of 1800 through 1840 were William Noble and Mary Range Galbraith. But the will of Mary Galbraith in the September RedTower submitted by Frances Williams, indicates that Mary's parents were Robert and Isabella Galbraeth. Are any of our members descended from William Noble and Mary Range Galbraith? Have they removed to Tennessee with others of the Range family? Jean Harriger seems to think so but I haven't located them yet.
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