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Facts and Events
Two Wives?
Dates of marriages needed for Leonard's two supposed wives. Wife Margarer appears to be too young to have been the mother of Barnabas, needs additional research. Leonard Bivens does not name a wife in his will, which further complicates situation.
Will Transcript
- Washington Co., MD Will book 264-265
- Leonard Bivens, Sr. FHL #0014644
- In the name of God Amen, I Leonard Bivens, Senior of Washington County in the State of Maryland being in perfect health of body and of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, considering the certainty of death and the certainty of the time thereof and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepaired to release this world when it shall please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I command my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named and after my debts and funeral charges are paid and my wifes third to her out, I devise and bequeath as follows.
- It is my will and desire that all my real estate and personal estate in Washington County excepting the burying ground herein and my plantation in Allegheny County in the State of Maryland. I desire my plantation in Bedford County, State of Pennsylvania, USA and my plantation in Franklin County to be sold at Public Venue after my descease.
- I give and bequeath unto my son Alexander the sum of Six Dollars.
- I give and bequeath Forty Dollars to my church and the remainder of the monies from the sale to be equally divided among the rest of my children exclusive of what they have received from me. James, Mary, Basil, Martha, Jane, Thomas, Leonard, Anna, Margaret, Elizabeth and Susannah.
- And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint Leonard Bivins and John Ad__ to be Executors of this my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 23rd day of October in the year of Our Lord, One thousand, eight hundred and twelve.
- (Signed) Leonard Bivens (Seal)
- Signed, sealed, published and declared by Leonard Bivens the named testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto
- ______Henry ______Sam Miller
- Washington county to Wit______ and John ___ and ___ of Leonard Bivens late of Washington County deceased that they were present and that they __ know __-__- Samuel Miller___ sign and seal this will and __ __ of their __ of sound and disposing mind___ ___ understanding and that they subscribe their names to this __ and at the request of the testator.
- ______of George____
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
- Foreman, Harry E. History of Little Cove, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974).
Bivens: The writer is not certain when the earliest Bivens settled along the line. One David Brown warrent indicates Leonard Bevans was a neighbor in 1767. The Bivens buriel ground is slightly south of the Mason and Dixon Line on the present Ray Bivens farm. The Bivens place in PA was purchased by Leonard Bevins from David Brown, Jr. and John Evans, son-in-law, of David Brown, Sr. in 1789. This farm was on the west side of the Licking (south at this point) and Brown had secured a Pennsylvania warrant on it in 1767. Mr Franklin Dyer now owns the old Bivens farm. To many Bivens descendants the place in Pennsylvania between the Mason and Dixon Line and the Licking Creek has been regarded as the home place since most of the descendants stem from this farm. Early members of the Bivens family were probably Catholics and were intermarried with members of a number of Catholic communities such as St. Mary's, Doylesburg, Pa. Margaret Doyle was married to an Alexander Bivens while on of the Leonard Bivens was married to Margaret McFall, another was married to James McElhany. In 1830 some of the Leonard and Margaret Bivans heirs are named as: the Doyle heirs, James McElhany, Alexander Moore, Catherine Wentling, Moses Quigley, Thomas Bivans heirs, and Mary McCoy. In the 1830 releases to Leonard and Barnabas Bivens neighbors were as follows: Thomas Mardis (Al. Weller) on the east, the Licking Creek on the north, J. Hull (Dyer) and Cath. Wentling (old Myers place) on the west, and the Maryland Line. Leonard Bivins heirs released the old Bivens homestead to Powell Bivens in 1888. The place is located on the Maryland Line and the acreage is practically the same. Following are the heirs of this Leonard Bivens: Eliza, William and Mary Knable, Peter and Nancy Shives, Barnabas and Susan Bivens, Jude, Ferdt, James and Mary Bivens, John K. and Christian Miller, all of Fulton County; John Bivens, Iowa; Michael and Elizabeth Bivens of Washington County, Maryland; Henry and Mary Yeakle, and John and Amanda Pittman of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. One Leonard Bivens who was married to Margaret McFall, became owner of the McFall land in 1786. This is the present Frank and Robert Cook farm which was long known as the Helser Cook place. Malcolm McFall applied for this land Dec. 4, 1766. Leonard and Margaret McFall Bivens deeded this farm to Alexander and Sally Bivens in 1812, and Alexander and Sally Bivens deeded the place to Frederick and Nancy Bivens Fritz in 1821. In 1849 the Alexander Bivens children are mentioned as follows: Leonard and Mary, Frederick and Margaret, John and Mary, Joseph and Eliza, all of Franklin County, and Alexander and Sophia of Ohio, and Thomas and Eleanor of Virginia. One Leonard Bivens (1802- 1874) and Elizabeth (1808-1887) are buried at the Stone Church. One Alexander Bivens who was born in 1826 migrated to Nebraska. The name of Arthur Bivens is found on the 1799 tax list. A later Henry Bivens owned up the Cove. Members of the Bivens family were long know for their distillery. Alexander Bivens was taxed on it as early as 1804. Ray E. Bivens does not reside in Warren Township. He lives across the Line in Maryland on the early Bivens place. The second Bivens place is on the north side of the Line. The Bivens (Weller) Buriel ground is on the Bivens farm slightly in Maryland. Ray and his wife Izora Shoemaker Bivens are the parents of two children: Carl E. and Helen M. There are a number of Bivens descendants living nearby such as Frank "Pete" Bivens well known paving contractor, Merrill Bivens and many others.
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