From the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine
Volume 1
The Three Joseph (Van) Gundys
Mark K. Meyer
For many years the early history of the Gundy and Van Gundy family in Pennsylvania has been accepted as published by Dr. William Henry Egle. Dr. Egle tells us that Peter Van Gundy died in Bethel Township, Lancaster (now Lebanon) County, Pennsylvania, prior to 1763 leaving a widow and children: John, Peter, Magdalena, Joseph, Benjamin, Christian, and David. He then continues with the family of Joseph, saying he was the father of Joseph, Jacob, Samuel, Catharine, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, and Susanna. He further states, that Joseph, son of Peter, was a Lieutenant in the company of associates during the Revolutionary War and was granted a tract of donation land in the New Purchase for his services.
Dr. Egle's account of the family was accepted without question by various descendants as well as patriotic organizations as a basis of membership for more than 75 years. It was also assumed that there was but one man named Joseph Van Gundy in that area at that period.
In recent years an exhaustive research effort on this family has been undertaken under the auspices of the Gundy-Van Gundy Family Association. It soon became apparent that an overabundance of records existed concerning Joseph Van Gundy. It was more than apparent that one man could not have lived in as many different locations at the same time, could not have been married to as many different women at the same time and served in the Militia in as many different Pennsylvania counties at the same time as did this Joseph (Van) Gundy.
By careful sifting of the records of Pennsylvania and Ohio, enough evidence was accumulated to identify three different Joseph (Van) Gundys, all living at one time in the same general area. Our search was complicated by a complete lack of birth, baptism, and marriage records of the families of the children of the first (Van) Gundy in Lancaster County as well as the infrequency of deeds and later census records for the family. It has been said that the early family in Pennsylvania were Mennonites. Some Credence for this statement is found in the fact that one of the Joseph Gundy's was a minister of that faith.
JOSEPH GUNDY of SOMERSET COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA,
and HARRISON COUNTY, OHIO
The second Joseph Gundy with whom we are concerned is the one who died in Harrison County, Ohio, leaving a will dated 28 June 1820 which was proved 18 March 1823. He was buried beside his wife in the Methodist Burying ground in Conotton, Ohio. Unfortunately the inscriptions on both stones are completely illegible. On Joseph's stone only his given name can be read, and on that of his wife the inscription is completely worn away.
It has been stated by various sources that this particular Joseph was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a son of Peter Gundy who was a native of Switzerland. The biography of Joseph's grandson, Michael V. Gundy, was in all likelihood furnished by Michael himself. Michael repeated the same statements in a letter some fifteen years later. A brief account of Joseph Gundy reciting much the same story appears in a small Ohio church history and is attributed to Professor W.H. McGuffey. One wonders where this latter account first appeared and under what circumstances it was written.
Peter Gundy died intestate prior to 25 March 1763, seized of a tract of land in Earl township, Lancaster County, leaving a widow Ann (or Fronica), and seven children; John, the eldest son; Christian, Peter, Joseph, Benjamin, David, and Magdalena. The sons, John and Christian were above the age of 21 years, as no records are found of guardianship for them, and John was the petitioner for settlement of the estate. The children Peter and Magdalena were above the age of 14 years, but under the age of 21 years and chose their own guardian. Jacob Kurtz of Manheim Township, and Jacob Erb of Warwick Township, Lancaster county, were appointed guardians of the younger children, Joseph, Benjamin, and David, on 25 March 1763.
On 8 May 1772, Jacob Kurtz and Jacob Erb came into court to exhibit their account. David and Benjamin, having attained the age of 14 years, chose their brother, John, as their guardian, Joseph having attained the age of 21 years. We know, therefore, that Joseph was born after 25 March 1749 but prior to 8 May 1751.
We lose track of Joseph for some years after this. However, in 1780 and 1781 a Joseph Gundy is listed in Capt. Reagel's Company of Berks County Militia. Whether or not he was this particular Joseph it is difficult to say. Joseph probably married in Berks County, as his wife, Fronica Kaufman, was a daughter of Stephen Kaufman and his wife Barbara, of Berne Township, Berks County. Joseph's wife's name is also given as Veronica in the same instrument. This same information is given in the Kaufman Genealogy without proof or cited source.
We next find Joseph, now a Mennonite minister, in Brother's Valley Township, Bedford County (now Elk Lick Township, Somerset County), assessed for 100 acres of land, two horses and two cows, on the 1783 tax lists. In 1784 he appears on a tax list for the same township with one house and six whites in the household. Here he took out warrants for some 265 acres of land dated 25 June 1793, and 13 January 1801. The survey on the lands was dated 25 June 1819, and the Deputy Surveyor General, John Wells, entered a note on the report stating the first improvement on the land was made in April 1784, and the family had lived there since that date.
Joseph was a cooper and, as before stated, a Mennonite Minister. He may have been the leader of the Mennonites who settled in Brothers Valley; certainly he was one of the important members of the community. He is mentioned several times in Christian Newcomer's Journal. Gundy and Newcomer evidently became good friends. On one occasion Newcomer wrote in his Journal under the date of 27 October 1798, "I stayed this night with a Mennonite preacher named Gundy; our souls immediately flowed together in Love." Newcomer appears to have stayed with Joseph Gundy whenever he visited in Somerset County. It may have been through Newcomer's influence that Joseph left the Mennonites and joined the United Brethren.
It has been stated by Beers, and quoted by Rev. Michael Gundy and subsequent descendants, that Joseph removed from Somerset County to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and thence to Harrison county, Ohio, in 1812. Beers further states that Joseph, with his daughter, Magdalena, then age 10 years, came to the location of Conotton, Ohio, in 1805, built a cabin, cleared some land and returned to Pennsylvania in the fall.
These statements, however, are not altogether accurate. We know from her gravestone that Magdalena was born 15 June 1786, and would have been nineteen years of age in the summer of 1805. Joseph did have a daughter Fanny, age 10 years that summer. Secondly, there seems to be no real evidence that Joseph ever lived in Westmoreland County.
We know that Joseph was still living in Somerset County in November 1803, as he was visited by Christian Newcomer, who probably stayed the night in the Gundy home. One 17 November 1803, Newcomer wrote in his Journal, "This morning we set out very early. rode 36 miles over very mountainous country, arrived at night at Joseph Gundy's." Newcomer preached there on Sunday, 27 November, to a Catherine, "followed by Brother Crum and then Gundy, a Mennonite preacher."
Newcomer did not return to Brother's Valley again until 3 September 1807, when he wrote in his Journal, "traveling west from Frankford, leaving Joseph Crisup's, I again pursued my journey; rode all day across a very mountainous part of the country; stopped at a public house to get refreshment for myself and beast. After we had recruited our strength, I set off with the intention of reaching Joseph Gundy's. When I arrived at the place where he formerly lived, I found he had removed to the western country, but found his son-in-law lived at the place. Both young people rejoiced to see me and entertained me with the greatest pleasure."
Joseph Gundy "of Somerset County, Pennsylvania," entered the N.E. 1/4 of Section 14, Township 13, Range 6, in Harrison County, Ohio, 28 April 1806. The land in what is now North Township, Harrison County, was patented to him 10 January 1812. It seems unlikely that Joseph would have given his place of residence as Somerset county if he was actually living in Westmoreland County at the time. It would seem reasonable to conclude, therefore, that Joseph moved his family directly from Somerset County to Harrison County sometime in the spring of 1806 or 1807.
As stated earlier, Joseph Gundy appeared on a tax list of Brother's Valley township, Bedford County (now Elk Lick Township, Somerset County) in 1784, with six whites in his household, himself, his wife, and probably 4 children. In 1790 he appears in the census as Joseph Gundy with one male above 16 years, (himself), and 6 females (probably his wife and 5 daughters).
In 1800, Joseph is listed in the census in Elk Lick township, Somerset county with one male above 45 years (himself), 2 males under 10 years of age (born between 1790-1800), two females also under ten years of age, four females 16 to 26 years of age, and one female above 45 years of age.
If these figures are correct in all instances and if we accept them as representing only Joseph, his wife, and children as members of his household, we may conclude that Joseph had four daughters born
prior to 1784; by 1790 there were five daughters in the family, and two girls and two boys were born between 1790 and 1800, a total of nine children. But Joseph named only eight children in his will (see below), leaving us to assume that one of the children died prior to the father's death. We might also assume that more than one child was born between 1784 and 1790, and if so, that all of them died young except one.
Using these figures, dates, gravestone inscriptions, marriage records, and Joseph's will, we can now construct a picture of Joseph's family.
Children of Joseph Gundy:
i. Rebecca Gundy b. abt. 1774-1784, m. Mr. Overholzer (eldest dau.).
ii. Christina Gundy b. abt. 1774-1784, m. John Heastand
iii. Mary Gundy b. abt. 1774-1784, m. Joseph Nafzinger
iv. Regina Gundy b. abt. 1774-1784 m. Mr. Folk
v. Magdalena Gundy b. 15 June 1786 (T.I.), m. David Fierbaugh
vi. Benjamin Gundy b. 1790-1791, d. 16 April 1867, ae. 76 yrs. (T.I)
vii. Framia or Fanny Gundy b.. abt. 1790-1800, m. Peter Forney
viii. Joseph Gundy, b. 10 July 1799 (T.I.)
As Joseph seems to have had at least four children born prior to 1784, one may suppose that he had been married approximately nine or ten years by then, or about 1774-1775. If he were about 24 years of age at the time he married, we could conclude he was born about 1750-1751.
Joseph, the son of Peter of Lancaster County, was born, as previously stated, after 25 March 1749, but prior to 5 May 1751. An exhaustive search for birth records of the children of Peter Gundy has been made, but none have been found. Although we have not proved conclusively that the Joseph under discussion here was the son of Peter of Lancaster County, we have shown him to be the strongest if not the only possible candidate for the position.
And we must admit to the possibility that Rev. Michael V. Gundy, grandson of Joseph of Harrison County, Ohio, did indeed know for a fact that his great-grandfather was Peter Gundy of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
