Person:Andrew Lycan (1)

Information on Andrew Lycans

From "Nils Andersson and His Lykins Descendants" Swedish Colonial News, Peter Stebbins Craig: 2006, p. 4

Andrew Lycan, the youngest son [of Hans Laican], married Jane Cahoon at Christ Church in 1730 and then moved to the Pennsylvania frontier, where he was killed by Indians in Lykens Valley, Fermanagh township, Cumberland County in 1756.

From History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: 1886, pp. 847-851

In May, 1750, Richard Peters and Conrad Weiser were ordered to go to lands not purchased by the Indians in the new county of Cumberland and give information to the magistrates of such people as had settled on the lands beyond the Kittanning Mountains, and to bring them to conviction for not removing upon a previous notice from the Governor. As the trespassers still remained, the Indians of the Six Nations were complaining to the proprietaries of breach of their promises.

It will be noticed that reference is made to the settlement of Frederick Star at the place where William White and others were found. The extract from the same letter referred to gives the account of their proceedings while there. Mr. Peters and Mr. Weiser left Philadelphia on the 15th of May for the new county of Cumberland, where they met Mr. George Croghan, Andrew Montour and five Indians, who were authorized to transact business for the Six Nations.

A conference was held, and the magistrates gave the Indians assurance that the trespassers would be removed and strings of wampum were exchanged.

Mr. Peters, in the letter above referred to, gives the account of the movements and action of the magistrates after the conference above mentioned, as follows:

“On Tuesday, the 22nd of May, Matthew Dill, George Croghan, Benjamin Chambers, Thomas Wilson, John Finley and James Galbreth, Esquires, Justices of the said county of Cumberland, attended by the Under Sheriff, came to Big Juniata, situate at the distance of twenty-five miles from the mouth therof, and about ten miles north from the Blue Hill, a place much esteemed by the Indians for some of their best hunting-ground; and there they found five cabins or log Houses, one possessed by William White, another by George Cahoon, and another not quite yet finished, in possession of David Huddleston, another possessed by George and William Galloway, and another by Andrew Lycon; of these Persons William White, George and William Galloway, David Huddleston and George Cahoon appeared before the Magistrates, and being asked by what right or authority they had possessed themselves of those Lands and erected cabins thereon? They replied by no right or authority but that the Land belonged to the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania. They were then asked whether they did not know they were acting against the Law, and in contempt of frequent Notices given them by the Governor’s proclamation. They said they had seen one such proclamation, and had nothing to say for themselves, but craved mercy. Hereupon the said William White, George and William Galloway, David Huddleston and George Cahoon, being convicted by said Justices on their view, the under Sheriff was charged with them, and he took William White, David Huddleston and George Cahoon into Custody, but George and William Galloway resisted, and having got at some distance from the Under Sheriff, they called to us: ‘You may take our Lands and Houses and do what you please with them; we deliver them to you with all our hearts, but we will not be carried to Jail.’

“The next morning, being Wednesday, the 23d of May, the said Justices went to the log House or cabin of Andrew Lycon, and finding none there but children, and hearing that the Father and Mother were expected soon, and William White and others offering to become Security, jointly and severally, and to enter into Recognizance, as well for Andrew’s appearance at Court and immediate removal, as for their own, this proposal was accepted, and William White, David Huddleston and George Cahoon entered into a recognizance of one hundred Pounds, and executed Bonds to the Proprietaries in the sum of Five Hundred Pounds, reciting that they were Trespassers and had no manner of Right, and had delivered Possession to me for the Proprietaries. When the Magistrates went to the cabin or log House of George and William Galloway (which they had delivered up as aforesaid the day before, after they were convicted and were flying from the Sheriff), all the Goods belonging to the said George and William were taken out, and the Cabbin being quite empty, I took possession thereof for the Proprietaries; and then a conference was held, what should be done with the empty Cabbin, and after great deliberation, all agreed that if some Cabbins were not destroyed, they would tempt the trespassers to return again, or encourage others to come there should these trespassers go away; and so what was doing would Signify nothing, since the possession of them was at such a distance from the inhabitants, could not be kept for the Proprietaries; and Mr. Weiser also giving it as his opinion that if all the Cabbins were left standing, the Indians would conceive such a contemptible Opinion of the Government, that they would come themselves, in the Winter, murder the People, and set their houses on fire. On these considerations, the Cabbin, by my order, was burnt by the under Sheriff and company.

“Then the company went to the House possessed by David Huddleston, who had entered into Bond as aforesaid, and he having voluntarily taken out all the things which were in the cabin, and left me in possession, that empty and unfurnished cabin was likewise set on fire by the under Sheriff, by my order.

“The next day, being the 24th of May, Mr. Weiser and Mr. Galbreath, with the under Sheriff and myself, on our way to the mouth of Juniata, called at Andrew Lycon’s, with intent only to inform him that his Neighbors were bound for his appearance and immediate Removal, and to caution him not to bring him or them into trouble by a refusal. But he presented a loaded Gun to the Magistrates and Sheriff, said he would shoot the first man that dared to come nigher. On this, he was disarmed, convicted and committed in the custody of the Sheriff. This whole transaction happened in the sight of a tribe of Indians, who had by accident in the Night time fixed their tent on that plantation; and Lycon’s behaviour giving them great offence, the Shickcalamies insisted on our burning the cabin, or they would do it themselves. Whereupon everything was taken out of it (Andrew Lycon all the while assisting) and Possession being delivered to me, the empty cabin was set on fire by the under Sheriff, and Lycon was carried to Jail.”

Mr. Peters says, in closing his letter,--

“Finding such a general submission, except the two Galloways and Andrew Lycon, and vainly believing the evil would be effectually taken away, there was no kindness in my power which I did not do for the offenders; I gave them money where they were poor, and telling them they might go directly on any part of the two millions of acres lately purchased of the Indians; and where the families were large, as I happened to have several of my own plantations vacant, I offered them to stay on them rent-free till they could provide for themselves; then I told them that if, after all this lenity and good usage, they would dare to stay after the time limited for their departure, no mercy would be shown them, but that they would feel the rigour of the law.

“It may be proper to add that the cabins of log-Houses which were burnt were of no considerable value, being such as the Country People erect in a day or two, and cost only the charge of an entertainment. “Richard Peters.”

...

Upon the opening of the Land-Office, February 3, 1755, William White and John Lycon each took out warrants—White for two hundred acres, and Lycon for three hundred and twenty-three acres. John Cahoon purchased of William White a tract of land, April 16th of the same year. All three of these tracts are on the Juniata, White and Cahoon on tracts adjoining and above the James Patterson tract, at the mouth of D. O. Run. John Lycon’s tract was below the Patterson (the Valentine Stern) tract, and above Thompsontown, relatively in the same position as when Peters left White’s, May 24th,--“on our way to the mouth of Juniata, called at Andrew Lycon’s,” Dr. Egle says that Andrew Lycon had but one son, John, who was commissioned lieutenant about 1762, and disappears before the Revolutionary War. All the evidence here given inclines to the idea that after the purchase of the lands William White returned to his settlement on the Juniata, where his cabin was evidently left standing in 1750 (as Peters was very particular in all cases to state what was burned), and to the place he, in his wanderings for a location, had decided upon. John Lycon, a son of Andrew, settled below on the river and John Cahoon or Calhoon, as is shown later, adjoining lands of White.

...

It will be remembered that, with the names of William White and Andrew Lycon, the Galloways, David Huddleston and George Cahoon also appear. The Galloways, by Mr. Peters’ account, abandoned their lands, and probably never returned. There is nothing to show, either, that Huddleston returned.

From "A Note on Scalp Bounties in Pennsylvania", Pennsylvania History, Henry J. Young: 1957

Aside from seven or eight scalps brought home from Kittanning by Armstrong's volunteers in September, 1756, during the whole colonial period we know of only eight scalps that the Pennsylvania government actually bought. The only persons recorded as receiving the bounty were Andrew Lycan and Daniel Cressop, for two scalps each; George Lynderman, for one scalp; 'Murray and Company,' for three scalps; and Colonel John Armstrong, 'for sundry Prisoners and Scalps brought from Kittanning.' It is indeed possible that the government bought a few other scalps, as the public accounts of the period are in some places vague, but it is impossible that any substantial number was involved.

From History of the Counties of Dauphin and Lebanon, William Henry Egle: 1883

On the morning of the 7th of March, 1756, Andrew Lycans and John Rewalt went out early to fodder their cattle, when two guns were fired at them. Neither being harmed, they ran into the house and prepared themselves for defense in case of an attack. The Indians then got under cover of a hog-house near the dwelling-house, when John Lycans, a son of Andrew, John Rewalt, and Ludwig Shott, a neighbor, crept out of the house in order to get a shot at them, but were fired upon by the savages, and all wounded, the latter (Shott) in the abdomen. At this moment Andrew Lycans saw one of the Indians over the hog-house, and also two white men running out of the same and get a little distance therefrom. Upon this Lycans and his party attempted to escape, but were pursued by the Indians to the number of sixteen or upwards. John Lycans and Rewalt being badly wounded and not able to do anything, with a negro who was with them, made off, leaving Andrew Lycans, Shott, and a boy engaged with the Indians. The savages pursued them so closely that one of them, coming up to the boy, was going to strike his tomahawk into him, when Ludwig Shott turned and shot him dead, while Lycans killed two more and wounded several in addition. At last, being exhausted and wounded, they sat down on a log to rest themselves; but the Indians were somewhat cautious, and stood some distance from them, and consequently returned to look after their own wounded. Lycans and all his party managed to get over the mountains into Hanover township, where they were properly cared for. Here Andrew Lycans died, leaving a wife, Jane Lycans, and children, — John, Susanna, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Mary, and Margaret.

1. ↑ Family Recorded, in Craig, Peter Stebbins. Nils Andersson and His Lykins Descendants. Swedish Colonial News. (Swedish Colonial Society, Fall/Winter 2006)
   3(5):2.

   ... Hans Laican, born in 1668, married Gertrude Johansdotter, daughter of Johan Classon c. 1695. In 1697, he sold his land at Shackamaxon and acquired 160 acres at Pennypack in Lower Dublin Township, Philadelphia, which remained his home until his death on 19 September 1751. The land was then sold to pay off the mortgage.
   
   He had five sons and two known daughters.
   - John Lycan, the eldest, married Elizabeth (surname unknown) and moved to Burlington County; the last report on him was the fact that he escaped from the Burlington County jail in March 1742.
   - Peter Lycan, born in 1699, married Brita Jones in 1719, and lived for several years in Moorland township, Philadelphia, before moving to Frederick County, Virginia, where he died in 1753.
   - Hans Lycan, Jr., remained at Pennypack and was twice married, dying in 1761.
   - Nicholas Lycan remained with his father until the home plantation was sold and then moved to Burlington County, NJ, where he died in 1766.
   - Andrew Lycan, the youngest son, married Jane Cahoon at Christ Church in 1730 and then moved to the Pennsylvania frontier, where he was killed by Indians in Lykens Valley, Fermanagh township, Cumberland County in 1756. ...

2.   Egle, William Henry. History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania: biographical and genealogical. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts and Peck, 1883).
3.   Ellis, Franklin, and Alfred Matthews. History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts, Peck & Richards, c1886).