Issues:Houston Genealogy of Old Chester County, PA

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GSH

General Sam Houston is commonly accepted as a grandson of John Houston who settled on Borden's Grant by 1748. That John Houston (commonly known as "Gentleman John", is said to have immigrated to America sometime in the 1730's, initially settling in Pennsylvania, before moving to Borden's Grant. Where he settled in PA is a matter of confusion. In the past many have identified him with the John Huston who settled near the Gap in Sadsbury/Leacock Townships. However, the latter John Huston continued to live in this area well after John, grandfather of GSH appeared in Bordens Grant, leaving a will which identifies his children, and shows that they are not the same as the children of GSH's grandfather.

GSH's grandfather is also said to have settled in Cumberland County, at least initially.

1. Is there any direct (Original Source) data that supports the presence of this family in Old Chester County?

Mill Creek Hundred

1. Is Person:James Houston (14), the elder, of Brandywine Creek, an unrecognized son of person:Christopher Huston (1) of Mill Creek Hundred?

2. Where did Robert, son of Person:Christopher Huston (1) of Mill Creek Hundred live? Is he the Robert who married marry Martha Work?

3. Chistopher Huston of E. Pennsboro on canodoguinet Creek appears to be related to Person:Christopher Huston (1) of Mill Creek Hundred. He is apparently NOT the son of Robert, as his son Christopher is believed to have moved to Iredell County NC. He could be the son of Person:James Houston (14) of Brandywine Creek. If not, then who?

4. Are the Whithorn Huston's who settled in New Castle, not far from James of Brandywine Creek, related to Person:James Houston (14) of Brandywine Creek, or Person:Christopher Huston (1) of Mill Creek Hundred?

The Gap

John Huston settled in the Gap in Salisbury/Leacock township, Lancaster County before 1740. At about the same time Samuel Huston and William Huston settled a few miles to the south on the Upper Octoraro. No other early Houston's are known to have settled in this area around this time.

1. Are these three Houston's kindred? What is their relationship?

2. John Huston's children have been identified in early family histories. Is there anything available for Samuel and William that documents their children?

3. John Huston is believed to have been a Quaker. Were Samuel and William also Quakers, or are they associated with the Upper Octoraro Presbyterian Meeting House. If so, does this say anything about the relationship between Samuel, William, and John.

Walnut Creek

Robert Huston received a land warrant in 1737. A survey and patent based on this warrant was obtained in 1774, by William McCulloch. This warrant was used for land in the Cornwall Furnace area, a terrain not obviously desirable from a farmers perspective in 1737. Virtually nothing, other than what can be derived from this warrant, has been learned about Robert's personal history, or his family.

1. Did Robert settle on the Walnut creek parcel for which his warrant was used to secure a patent? Or was the warrant left unused, and later sold; whereupon it was applied to the Walnut Creek property?

2. Can Robert be identified with any other Robert Huston in other areas that we know about? Is there any potential for him to be Robert son of person:Christopher Huston (1)?

3. Is this Robert related to the Robert Huston who appears in the Juanita River Basin?

4. If Robert settled here in 1737, was he involved in some way with the Cornwall Furnace?

5. There are other family lines that appear in this same area, some settling on equally implausible tracts of land, notably the Walkers and the Rutherfords. These surnames names appear in connjunction with the Wigton Walkers family line explored elsewhere on WeRelate. Is Robert Huston related to the Wigton Walkers?

Lower Conadoguinet

Christopher, person:Samuel Huston (5), and Person:James Huston (15) settled within a few miles of each other on the Lower Conadoguinet Creek in East Pennsboro, James settled close to Silver Spring Meeting House, but eventually left the area around 1785, settling in Penn's Valley in what is now Centre County. James is sometimes identified as the son of Samuel, but is not identified in Samuel's will.

1. Are these Houston's related to Christopher Huston of Mill Creek Hundred?

2. What is the relationship between these three Hustons?

McQuistons

Family records indicate that Robert, Thomas, and James McQuiston/McCuiston immigrated to American in 1735, landing at New Castle DE. By the early 1750's they had settled in West Pennsboro, Cumberland County, PA. Family historians of this line have them relocating to Rowan/Guilford County, probably during the French and Indian War. The family history of the McQuiston's is rather tightly defined, with limited potential for confusion with the other Houston lines in the area. However, McQuiston's do appear in the records of Washington County, some in association with [[prson:William Huston (4)] of Catfish Camp. There are indications that this William Huston may have come to Washington County from Cumberland County. This could be an indication of a family connection between him and the McCuitston's of Cumberland County.

Conococheague

A group of Houstons settled on the Conococheague Creek in modern Franklin County. For the most part their property is fairly close together, and they are presumed to be closely related. David Huston may be the father of some of these Houston's, but this is uncertain. Joseph Huston secured property at some distance from the other Houston's. Archibald Huston's property is transferred to other members of this group at a fairly early date. In other cases among this group where property transfers are made there are notations that the property originally belong to "X Huston, deceased". We infer from this that the property was transferred as part of an estate settlement. Property once belonging to Archibald Houston shows up in later land surveys as belonging to other family members, but there's no indication that Archibald has died.

1. What are the relationships between these Houstons?

2. Is Joseph Huston related to these other Houston's?

3. Did Archibald Huston move from the area? Is he the Archibald Huston who appears on Borden's Grant in Virginia sometime after 1738?

Juanita Basin

Several Houston's settled in the Juanita River watershed after 1755. Their affiliation with each other is unknown. One (James Huston) is believed to be connected with the Brandywine Creek Houston's, and through them to person:Christopher Huston (1) of Mill Creek Hundred.


1. How do these Houston's relate to each other?

2. Are there connections between them and the other study groups?

3. How were these Houstons affected by the French and Indian War beginning about 1756? Did they remain in the area, or were they forced to leave? If they left, where did they go.