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Descendants of John Gossett of Pennsylvania
Peter Gosset of Franklin County, Pennsylvania
It is safe to assume that Peter was one of the oldest children of John Gosset's family. Peter Gosset's name is first found in the records of Cumberland County in 1749, where he is named as a neighbor in a list of adjoining landholders of Guilford Township. From 1751 to 1783 land records and tax lists show him married and living on the same large plantation up to 1783, when he disposed of it with his wife Eve to two sons.
The Land Office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was able to furnish a photostatic copy of an original warrant to Peter Gosset, dated October 28, 1765, and signed by John Penn. The date and other details of this document correspond to the record in the Pennsylvania Archives for a warrant of 250 acres to Peter Gosset.
Further information gleaned from a study of this document, Warrant No. 90, indicates that Peter had already made "Improvement" on this land and that the names of the adjoining landowners correspond in general with those to whom he is named as neighbor 1749-1754. Interest and quit rent starting in March, 1753, make it evident that Peter Gosset had been living in Guilford Township for some years before applying for a warrant.
In view of the fact that the land licensed to John Gosset in 1735 and the land warranted to Peter in 1765 were in the same neighborhood, a further assumption seems reasonable. The two tracts may have comprised some of the same acreage.
The first step in the legal acquisition having been completed, the second step, a survey of the land warranted, followed in the next year, July 7, 1766. A photostatic copy of this survey shows that the original 250 acres had been increased to approximately 327 acres. With one exception the adjoining landowners are the same as those named in the warrant. The plantation is located in Guilford Township, Franklin County, which was formed from the southwestern part of Cumberland County, where John Gosset's land lay.
The final return was made on November 2, 1774. Boundaries and neighboring landowners correspond to those of earlier records.
The requirements of this land purchase had all been met by November 2, 1774, when a patent was issued, the original of which is on file in Harrisburg. A photostatic copy with its interesting old seal will be furnished on request to the Land Office (fee of $3.75). It is a striking document.
The patent conforms in details to the other two documents already described with two additional items. The first of these items names the consideration paid as 50 pounds, 15 shillings, 8 pence with quit rent of 1/2 penny sterling for each acre.
The second item gives the name to the plantation: "A certain piece of land called 'Goosehead'." "Goosehead" is also inscribed under the name of the patentee, Peter Gossett. (On this document, the Gossett name is spelled for the first time in the records with double "t".)
The main fact, substantiated by court records, is that Peter Gosset who was named as a warrantee of land in Cumberland County in 1765 (Pennsylvania Archives) is not the Peter who emigrated from the Isle of Jersey, ca. 1760, with his wife Catherine and children. This incorrect assumption has been made by former researchers.
The evidence points to the Peter of Cumberland County as being the son of John of 1735 and the nephew of Peter whose wife was Catherine. Peter of Cumberland cannot be the husband of Catherine and a brother of John, as the records show that he was living in Cumberland County (now Franklin) as late as 1783 in which year he sold his plantation. His wife named in the deed of sale was Eve.
A marginal note on the deed, dated November 14, 1783, makes it plain that the two men who bought the plantation of Peter and Eve Gossett were their sons, Valentine and Phillipe Gossett. This tract of 327 acres which the sons bought in 1783 was sold two years later, December 7, 1785. The title, as described in this deed, goes back to the warrant granted to Peter Gosset the 28th October 1765, followed by the survey and patent. The subsequent sale by Peter and Eve Gossett in 1783 is given. (Ref. Franklin Co., Deed Books No. 1, page 155 and pp. 236-7.)
Further research disclosed there were no further property taxes for either of these two sons, so it is evident they did not purchase other land, although tax returns and the 1790 census show that both continued to reside in the same section. There is an absence of wills, etc., and the histories of Franklin County have no items on these two sons of Peter and Eve Gossett. Consequently, no additional information on this family is available.
A confusion has existed concerning the men named Peter Gosset and John Gosget who were living about the same time. Numerous speculations have been made in the endeavor to identify these men. However, genuine evidence of their relationship has been established by the recent discovery of the records of John Gosset and of Peter Gosset in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
Therefore, the following explanation of the relationship is understandable:
1. Peter Gosset from Jersey Island had two sons, John and Matthew.
2. John Gosset from Jersey Island had sons, Peter, John, and Matthias.
It is quite possible that Daniel Gossett was another son of Peter and Eve Gossett. A Franklin County record (Deed Book I, pp. 189-190) shows that Daniel Gossett and Andrew McCausland sold a tract of land, 300 acres, December 16, 1785. The description of the land locates it in Peters Township in the western part of the county near the boundary separating Bedford from Franklin County. Daniel's name does not appear in the tax lists available for Franklin County, Pennsylvania, nor is he listed in the Pennsylvania 1790 census. Therefore, he lived in another place.
Daniel Gossett settled in Rockingham County, Virginia, where his son, John, was born in 1784, according to the information furnished in the following records from Vital Statistics filed in Frankfort, Kentucky:
In Muhlenberg County, Ky., county seat Greenville, one John Gossett died in 1864. He was born in Rockingham Co., Va., son of Daniel Gossett. This John was 80 years of age at death. His wife, Mary Gossett, died age 69 in 1855. She was the daughter of Wm. Jacob Noffsinger.
Muhlenberg County is situated in western Kentucky near the Indiana border and the Ohio River. In the fall of 1811, John Gossett who married Mary Noffsinger settled on a farm in Muhlenberg County. Descendants still live on this farm. Mrs. Nancy E. Gossett, whose address is Central City, Muhlenberg Co., Ky., writes (1952) that she has lived on this farm for fifty-nine years. She gave data of her husband's family.
The line of descent follows. (The Roman numerals indicate the succeeding generations in America, while the Arabic numerals indicate the children of the different families.)
- John Gosset, b. 1699 in Jersey Island, was licensed land in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1735.
- Peter Gosset owned a plantation in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, 1765 to 1783. Peter and Eve Gosset had sons:
- Valentine, Phillipe Gossett of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Also, possibly, Daniel Gossett, who belonged to this third generation and moved from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, to Rockingham County, Virginia. Daniel had a son, John, who migrated to Kentucky.
- John Gossett, b. 1784 in Rockingham Co., Virginia, m. Mary Noffsinger and settled in Kentucky in 1811. He died in 1864 at 80 years of age. His wife, Mary, died in 1855 at 69 years of age. She was a daughter of William Jacob and Susan Stoner Noffsinger. John and Mary Noffsinger Gossett had ten children. Here the records follow, as given by Mrs. Nancy E. Gossett:
- Sam married Sally Whitmer.
- John Jr. married Polly Scott. Lived near Sikeston, Missouri.
- Jake married Elizabeth Hill, then Frankie Hill (sisters).
- Isaac married Annie Jones.
- Daniel Gossett, fifth child of John and Mary Noffsinger Gossett, was born June 1828; d. February 8, 1877; m. November 2, 1852, Nancy Catherine Drake, b. December 19, 1835; d. January 2, 1897. They had eleven children:
- Mary Anne, b. August 14, 1853; d. August 30, 1855
- Louisa Jane, b. September 6, 1854; d. Feb. 22, 1894.
- David Ellen, b. August 24, 1856; d. July 4, 1872.
- George Washington, b. January 14, 1858; d. May 22, 1877.
- Jessie William, b. January 5, 1861; d. January 21, 1916. Jessie William Gossett, the fifth child of Daniel and Nancy Drake Gossett, was married October 4, 1893, to Nancy Ellen Hendricks, b. September 16, 1875, who gives the names of their children, as follows:
- Lillie Mae, b. October 26, 1894; d. December 5, 1918.
- Orien Pratt, b. March 16, 1896. Orien Pratt Gossett, second child of Jessie and Nancy Hendricks Gossett, chief petty officer in the Naval Air Force, has been in the Air Force since 1917. He is stationed in Midway Islands with part of his family, including his wife. They have two sons, Orien and William, who are in the service, on active duty in the Air Force.
- Vida Doris, b. September 26, 1898; d. March 19, 1904.
- Guy Thomas, b. May 20, 1901.
- Jacob Howard, b. December 7, 1904.
- Ethel Jessie, b. March 19, 1906.
- Forest Benton, b. May 23, 1908; d. March 14, 1913.
- James William, b. May 28, 1911
- James Robert, b. October 23, 1862; d. May 3, 1877.
- Rachel Rebecca, b. January 25, 1865; d. May 22, 1877.
- Daniel Thomas, b. May 24, 1867; d. December 31, 1950.
- Virginia Catherine, b. November 17, 1870; d. March 1, 1951.
- John Benjamin, b. August 17, 1873; d. October 7, 1951.
- Jacob, b. March 11, 1876; d. March 18, 1876.
- Susie married John Whitmer.
- Betsy married Bob Wright.
- Rachel married John Danner.
- Polly married Isaac Miller.
- Katie never married.
That at least two sons of Peter Gossett of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, were of suitable age for Revolutionary [War] service is evident, and Peter himself may have served in the colonial wars. The historians of the Cumberland Valley report that while it is known that men from the district served in both wars, no returns of the companies giving the names of the soldiers have been found.
John Gosset of Virginia
There was a John Gosset, born circa 1733, who was another member of the second generation to which Peter Gosset of Cumberland Valley belonged; and, without a doubt he was another son of John Gosset. This John Gosset served in the forces of Virginia during the French and Indian wars. These wars occupied a space of years before the revolution. His service was around 1755-56. This date has been deduced from the date of enlistment of several other soldiers in the same list. Nothing beyond John Gosset’s name and fact of service with the Virginia troops is recorded in the Virginia Magazine, vol. 2, p. 366.
There appears to be no evidence to connect this John Gosset with John Gossett, who was born in 1753 and who served in the Revolutionary War. They were most likely father and son.
It should be noted that about the time the Revolutionary War began the Gossetts of the second and third generations in America were spelling their name with double "t" (Gossett). Invariably the early Gossetts in Pennsylvania and in Virginia used the long "S" in their signatures. On occasions, Gosset was mistaken for Gozet, which was written into the earliest records in Pennsylvania.
The Oath of Allegiance was administered to the aforementioned John Gossett who served in the Revolutionary War, August 30, 1777, in Henry County, Virginia. A record explains that "John Gossett was born John Gosset".
The Virginia war records furnish proof that John Gossett, b. 1753, served in the 7th and 9th regiments of the Virginia Continental Line. He was a fife-major and received bounty land and a pension. At the time of his death he was living in Washington County, Ohio. He died 1820-1821. References for these statements are to be found in the several publications giving Virginia soldiers: War Records of Virginia (Rev.) by G. M. Brumbaugh and Regiments of the Revolution by Gwathmey; also, National Archives, Washington, D. C..
The Official Roster of the Soldiers of the American Revolution who lived in the State of Ohio, vol. II, published by the State Society Daughters of the American Revolution of Ohio 1788-1938, contains the following record:
Gossett, John, Washington Co., Ohio, b. 1753.
Pvt. Va. Contl. Enl. Oct. 1776 Va. Served 6 yrs. Was born 1753; appld. for pens. Washington Co., O., May 14, 1818; again in 1820. Had one child named Abi; stated property value at $18.00. (Ref. V3, p. 430). Rept by State D.A.R.
Mary Gossett, Wife of the Rev. Morgan Morgan
Mary Gossett was born in 1743. The date of her birth is recorded in an old family Bible, now in the possession of Miss Emma G. Harley, Hedgesville, West Virginia. That date proves conclusively that she belonged to the second generation of Gossetts in Pennsylvania and she was a daughter of John Gosset of Cumberland Valley. She was married to a son of Col. Morgan Morgan, who was settled in Cumberland County in 1734, a year before John Gosset was licensed land in Cumberland County. These two prominent families of the same social rank and of the same locality, having taken up "land on the west side of the Susquehanna River," were united by a marriage. The records are found in a book of the Morgan Morgan line:
Vol. "State of W. Va. Report of Col. Morgan Morgan Monument-Commission," pub. Charlestown, W. Va. 1924. Hon. Ephraim F. Morgan, Gov. ex-officio-chairman.
Chart -- Col. Morgan Morgan, b. November 1, 1688; d. November 17, 1766; m. Catherine Garretson. They had 8 children, some of whom were born in Delaware. Their children were: James, Ann, David, Charles, Henry (went to South Carolina), Evan, Zackquill (Colonel), and Morgan, Jr.
Morgan, Jr., the youngest child of Morgan and Catherine Garretson Morgan, was born March 20, 1737; d. at Bunker Hill October 20, 1797; m. November 17, 1761, Mary Gossett; d. September 13, 1817.
Morgan and Mary Gossett Morgan had issue:
- Phebe, b. September 20, 1762.
- William, b. November 1764; d. young. Wrote epic music.
- Eli, b. October 27, 1766; d. young.
- Mary, b. September 1768; m. Thomas Lewis.
- Morgan 3rd, b. July 20, 1771.
- Catherine, b. September 20, 1773; m. Josiah Hedges of Hedgesville.
- Zackquill, b. March 17, 1776 (moved to Tyler, later Welzel County, Ohio.) [January 1999: There is no Tyler or Welzel County located in Ohio. There is, however, a Tyler and Wetzel County in West Virginia. These counties border Ohio]
- Rebekah, b. January 27, 1782.
Notes from text of book on the Morgan genealogy follow:
Col. Morgan Morgan, b. in Wales 1688, is recorded in Orange County in 1742 as the first settler of West Virginia. He died in Frederick County, Virginia, now Berkeley County, West Virginia. He was educated in London. He is said to be not only the earliest settler but a very prominent settler in the Shenandoah Valley. In 1747 he served as one of the justices (judges) of the first court of Frederick Co., Virginia.
p. 28; p. 66. Morgan Morgan, Jr., who married Mary Gossett, lived and died in Virginia. He was also prominent and is named as commissioner, in 1773, in Berkeley County. He remained upon the old farm of his father. He was an Episcopal minister of great piety and worth. His deeds are recorded by Bishop Meade. He served in the Revolutionary War as a private under Capt. William Haymond. He was very active in the Bunker Hill Church affairs and asked to be buried under the porch of the old church (p. 93), fifty miles from Hedgesville, West Virginia.
p. 95. Morgan Morgan, Jr., was the only one of the Colonel Morgan Morgan's children to remain in Berkeley County. He sold most of his 1,000 acres, until 1765 only 182 acres remained in his possession. He and his wife had been living with their son, Morgan, for some time and on April 2, 1765, he deeded the last portion of his plantation to Morgan 3rd for 100£. English money.
There is no data given in the volume of the Morgan Morgan family regarding the female lines of the sons or grandsons of Col. Morgan Morgan.
A search of the marriage records of Berkeley County, West Virginia, 1781-1858, produced these marriages of the Morgan family:
- Morgan Morgan m. Rachel McCarty January 11, 1789.
- Zackes Morgan m. Margaret Morgan April 15, 1790.
Cumberland And Shenandoah Valleys
The Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia are really part of one great physical structure lying between two great mountain ranges, the Appalachian ranges of the Blue Ridge and the most western Alleghenies. In Virginia, the valley becomes the famous Shenandoah Valley and in Pennsylvania broadens out in the Cumberland Valley. The Shenandoah Valley begins with Berkeley County of West Virginia, part of the Colony of Virginia in colonial days.
Early settlements of the Cumberland and Shenandoah Valleys show much traffic between the two communities, for a road was laid out from Harrisburg to the Potomac River as early as 1734. This rough trail was heavily traveled, according to several historians, and passed through Guilford Township where the Gosset lands of both John and Peter lay.
In his History of the Shenandoah Valley, Dr. John W. Wayland wrote (1927):
"If one could ferret out the life story of each of these good citizens, the past would, no doubt, speak eloquently and in most cases, perhaps, the task would be easy for these were the first citizens of their days. . . ."
From data that has been accumulated concerning the Gosset family of Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, it is safe to make certain deductions:
- John Gosset, who was born in 1699 in Jersey Island and took up land in 1735 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, must have died before 1765, when his estate must have been settled. For, in 1765, his son Peter was granted a warrant for a large tract of land in Cumberland County; and in 1766, his son Matthias had funds to begin to make many investments in land in Frederick County, Virginia. Evidently the sons had received inheritance.
- The price of lands in Maryland and Virginia was much lower than in Pennsylvania, and historians have considered this an important factor in the frequent removals of some of the early settlers. In some cases, when a man had made an "improvement", meaning he had cleared and planted some land and built a cabin, he was enabled to sell it at a profit and then move on to acquire cheaper land nearer the frontier. Many times such pioneers moved into another colony.
- Sons and grandsons of John Gosset of Cumberland Valley bore the names of his brothers and uncles in Jersey Island. (Payne's Armorial gives these names.) These Christian names, including the familiar Peter, John, Matthew (Matthias), Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, appear in early records, even in the south. The members of the second and third generations of Gossetts began to leave Pennsylvania and Virginia. For instance, before 1820, the name of Gossett disappears entirely from the census records of Berkeley County, West Virginia, where descendants of John Gosset had been represented.
- The Gossett name appears in many sections of North and South Carolina in the Census of 1790, as well as in Tennessee and Alabama in later census returns; also in Kentucky and midwestern States.
The following chapters will be devoted to Matthias Gossett of Virginia, his sons, and some of his descendants. Worked back through completed lines, family history states that Matthias Gossett of Virginia was a son of John Gossett of Pennsylvania.
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