Person:Peter Thorn (1)

Peter Thorn was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Records of Peter Thorn in Augusta County, VA 2 Information on Peter Thorn		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Records of Peter Thorn in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:

• Page 80.--18th May, 1748. Peter Thorn qualifies administrator of John Woolffallier, with sureties William Walling.

• Page 315.--13th November, 1750. Henry Thorn's will--Wife, Sarah, with child; father, Peter Thorn. Teste: James Scott, Henry Sheabler, Hunkrist Carlock. Proved, 27th February, 1750, by Carlock, and others to be summoned.

• Page 314.--27th February, 1750-51. Sarah Thorn's bond as administratrix of Henry Thorn, with sureties Peter Thorn, John Dunbarr. (Note: Henry Thorn was the son of this Peter Thorn).

• Page 338.--28th May, 1751. Edward Williams' bond as administrator of Isaac Jones, with sureties Peter Thorn, Abel Westfall.

• Page 400.--10th August, 1751. Edward Cherry's appraisement by Abel Westfall, Peter Thorn. Due by Loury Myers. Due by Abra. Hite.

• Page 135.--22d February, 1753. Peter Reed and Cathern of So. Fork of So. Br. of Potomac to Peter Hoos, of same. Trace No. 1 on So. Fork of the Wappacomo or Gr. So. Br. of Potomac, 680 acres. Teste: Hendrick Cortreght, Peter Thorn, Tobias Decker.

• Page 489.--15th March, 1753. Robert Fryer's (Tryer?) appraisement by James Simpson, Peter Thorn, Francis McBride, and vendue by Israel Ward To Daniel Richardson, John McDoyle, Israel Ward.

• Page 524.--21st November, 1753. Blandena Westfall's estate appraised by John Cunningham, Henry Lancisco, Peter Thorn, John Scull.

• Vol. 2 - Page 307.--3d December, 1757. Vendue held at Michael Stump's, on South Fork in Hampshire County, by Anthony Reager, Peter Thorn, administrators of Christian Dousher--To Peter Heath, Thos. Crawford, Tobias Thorn, Michael Oxer, Lazarus Thorn, Philip Moore, Jr., Jno. Welton, Henry Couchman, Simon Hornback, Philpole Yeokham, Abraham Wise, Jno. Cock, Adam Rutherback, Harmus Hook, Conrad Moore, Thomas Singleton, Martin Job, James Hornback, Adam Harpole, Jonathan Coburn, Leonard Knave, Thos. Parsons, Sr., Nicholas Smith, Gaisper Reed, Michael Earsest, Sr., James Taff, Henry Miars, Ruda Bozard, Wm. Jennings, Jno. Varrill, James Parsons, Solom Hedges, Windle Miller, Peter Hive, Henry Shipler, Peter Andrew, Stophel Hoofman, Thos. Crawford, Benj. Scott, Andrew Byarly, Mary Smith, Henry Mook, Philip Hupp, John Mason.

• Vol. 2 - Craigen vs. Thorn--O. S. 73; N. S. 25--Bill filed 1st April, 1796. Peter Thorn made a settlement on South Branch of Potomac, divided it between his sons, viz: Henry, Michael, Tobias and Lazarus, and then in 1758 died testate. Tobias died intestate 1764, leaving a widow Eve and an only son (infant) named Michael. Eve sold the land to Henry Crouchman, who died 1767 testate. Will dated 4th September, 1767, devising the land to his only son John Adam Crouchman, infant (who and Michael also was infant in 1773), who while still infant married oratrix Phoebe Crouchman, and while still under age made his will dated 4th February, 1782, devising the land to Phoebe. He lived to be 21 and then died, leaving two children who died infants. Susannah Crouchman, who married John Wilson, and Margaret Crouchman, who married George Reid, were sisters of John Adam Crouchman. Answer by Michael Thorn, a citizen of Fairfield County, Ohio: He was moved over the Alleghanies before he was one year old. His mother married John Stradler. The land lies now in Hardy County. (Colonel) Moses Hutton, aged seventy years, deposes in Hardy County 5th November, 1803: He lived near when Henry Crouchman lived on the land. William Heath, aged 45, deposes same place and time: He knew George Snyder who lived near the land and removed from it to Redstone about 31 or 32 years ago; also knows Edward Williams for 35 years and who moved to Patterson's Creek 35 years ago and then to Kentucky, then to the Army, and then returned to Patterson's Creek. Anthony Baker deposes same time and place: For 42 years he has lived within 3 miles of the land. Isaac Van Meter deposes 25th June, 1803: John Sebely, whose father was killed by the Indians, and lived in South Branch Manor. George See, aged 66, deposes in Hardy County 15th May, 1798, that Thorn was in possession in 1766-1767. Anthony Baker, Sr., deposes 15th May, 1798: Daniel Tevebough married widow of Henry Crouchman. Michael Moore deposes at Morgantown 11th June, 1799, aged 62 years, that he was a neighbor of Peter Thorn. Peter's eldest son Henry died, leaving widow who married Adam Harpole. Michael Thorn's father was killed by falling of a tree. Deponent moved over the Alleghanies with Stradler. George Snyder, aged 56, deposes same time and place as above, that he knew the land before Tobias Thorn was married. Tobias married Eve Bryerly. Adam Harpole, aged 64 years, deposes at Moorefield 24th March, 1798, that about 43 years ago Tobias Thorn was in possession of the land. Adam married Henry Thorn's widow. Adam Crouchman of Hampshire County, will dated 21st February, 1782, proved in Hardy County 17th March, 1786. Wife and father-in-law George Lee (See?). Peter Thorn, will dated 30th January, 1758, proved in Hampshire 14th February, 1758. Tobias and Lazarus shall administer and provide for their mother, but Christian's cattle to be sold separately. Deed 3d August, 1773, Fairfax to John Adam Crouchman, recorded in Hampshire, 10th November, 1773.

Information on Peter Thorn

In about 1757/8, Peter Thorn's family migrated to an area of Virginia on the South Branch of the Shenandoah which became known as "Decker's Creek". As shown in the following account listed below, on 16 October 1759, a band of Delaware and Mingo Indians attacked their settlement killing several of the settlers (including Peter Thorn's daughter Elizabeth, who had married William Westfall):

Gerrit, Tobias, Thomas (Decker), and others traveled into the South Branch Potomac River area and started farming. In May, 1757 Reuben Cox; the brothers Garret and Tobias Decker, David Morgan, Nathaniel Springer, John Ice, Henry Falls, Samuel Bingaman, and others trailed about twenty Indians and two Frenchmen from the South Branch of the Potomac River—where these Indians had murdered six white men and carried off another, George Delay—across the Allegheny Mountains and onto the Cheat River, where they overtook and skirmished with them, killing seven Indians and one Frenchman. This happened about five or six miles above where the Ice family kept a ferry. Delay was wounded and died of his injuries while being carried across the mountains. Cox and Morgan, among others, pursued the fleeing French and Indians to Bingaman Creek, on the West Fork River. Here they lost the enemy's trail. David Morgan, Nathaniel Springer, Cox and the others camped for about two weeks at the mouth of Deckers Creek. During this time, they hunted, gathered ginseng, and explored the Deckers Creek valley. They found documents on the French soldier ordering the attacks on the English settlements. They then returned home to the South Branch valley. Thomas Decker was the first to settle in the area of Deckers Creek and the Monongahela River in 1758. Others in the settlement were brothers Tobias, Garrett, and John, and their wives and children; the Deckers’ brother-in-law William Zern, wife and children; Garrett Decker’s son in law Richard Falls, wife and son Robert Falls; the Thorn brothers, Tobias, Henry, and Lazarus, their wives and children and their stepmother and her son, Michael, aged about two years; her brother-in-law, William Westfall, his brother, Abel, their wives and children; Reuben Cox and his ten-year-old son, George Cox; and a single man, John Statler. The settlement was destroyed on the afternoon of 16 October 1759. The settlement was attached by about 30 Delaware and Mingo Indians. Of the original settlers, eight people and their livestock were killed, including Thomas Decker, and their cabins and crops were burned and destroyed. Many were captured in the attack.

Source: "Friends of Decker's Creek website", http://www.deckerscreek.org