FLEMING researchers, I hope this has been a wonderful holiday season for you. Speaking only for myself, I've eaten way too much food, sat around and goofed off, and generally have enjoyed myself immensely! As of today, our FLEMING surname discussion group has upwards of 135 members. Isn't that amazing?!? While we are growing daily, I wonder from time to time whether any of you have found connections with your roots. I'd love to hear the good news as well as the notes of frustration. So, if you've connected, please post. Some of you have become a bit discouraged because no one has responded to your query. Take heart, it sometimes takes patience and a willingness to post your query several times before someone responds with the information you need; and, of course, there is a very real possibility that no one will respond. However, I must say that I have personally been rewarded by perseverence. For example, I recently posted a query with a County genealogy web site and it sat there for almost four months before someone responded to me. That one response resulted in connecting with an ancestor line which now stretches all the way back to Charlemagne! Okay, 'nuff "philosophizing." I'll start the "New Year" out by posting my one-and-only FLEMING (actually, it was my desire to find her roots that prompted me to start this discussion group). Her name is Agnes FLEMING. I have a little information on her father also, so I'll include him in this post. I encourage everyone to brush off the dust from your old queries and repost them to the list. Who knows who might be reading the query for the first time and have that precious connection that you've been looking for? Happy Holidays! Bob Francis FLEMING listowner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First Generation _________________________________________ 1. William FLEMING. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Col. William Fleming was an enfeebled Veteran of the Battle of Point Pleasant, who was appointed by the Governor of Virgina in 1779 to go to Ky. to untangle the land grants. He came from Scotland and was a Physician, and a surgeon on George Washington's staff in the French and Indian Wars. He was also a State Senator from Augusta Co. Virginia. William married UNKNOWN. They had one child: 2 i. Agnes (1700-1785) Second Generation _________________________________________ Family of William FLEMING (1) & UNKNOWN 2. Agnes FLEMING. Born in 1700 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Agnes died in Carnegie, Pennsylvania in 1785; she was 85. Circa 1737 when Agnes was 37, she married Robert BELL, son of ---?--- BELL. Born in 1700/1710 in County Tyrone, Ireland. Robert died in Romney, Virginia in 1772; he was 72. Occupation: farmer. W. J. Winstein of Academy street furnished the following interesting story of the early settlers in the Chartiers Valley. The paper was presented to Mr. Winstein by descendants of Robert Bell, Sr., and for a number of years was stored away in an old trunk, where it was recently found. The Bells were the first settlers in the Chartiers Valley, staking out a claim in what is now known as Rosslyn, in 1768. Many descendants of the original settlers are still living in this vicinity. The paper follows: Robert Bell, Sr., of Tyrone, Ireland, and wife, of Edinburgh, Scotland, located four miles from Romney, Va., on the south branch of the Potomic river, in the seventeenth century. Mr. Bell had many narrow escapes from the Indians of that forest. In company with two other young men, named Vaughan and Scisson, one day Robert Bell was in search of strayed horses, when the party was surprised by an Indian ambushcade on a branch of __augherty Run, Va. Vaughan was killed, a savage threw his tomahawk at Bell and wounded him. Scisson turned on his horse and fled. After the fight Mr. Bell was able to get on his horse, but he only went a short distance when he fell off. Mr. Bells horse arrived home before Scisson did and a party at once was formed to search for Bell. The party met Scisson at the Ohio river and he related what had happened to Mr. Bell. They supposed he was dead and returned to their homes. Within a week later they found Bell at Ft. Pitt, his wounds dressed by Dr. Knight, who figured conspicuously at the burning of Crawford. Mr. Bell served in the expedition of 1754, during the French and Indian War, and was among the number who accompanied General George Washington on his first trip on the Ka_awha. General Washington made a note in one of his diaries of those who accompanied him in his canoe. Mr. and Mrs. Bell had eight sons and two daughters. James Bell, Sr., the oldest, was born in 1751. When he was a small lad of ten years, his father went to Patterson Fort for a wagon load of wood. James and his brother went along, their father wanted them to gather wood while he was hauling some home. The two boys were busy gathering wood when the Indians attacked them. They caught James but his brother ran and the Indians shot at him and he fell under a log, the Indians thinking he was dead; he was not hurt, however, and later went home and told that James was captured. The Indians took James to Indiana and kept him there till he was returned by treaty. When his father went after him he took two horses that James might ride home. When they met, James got on the horse but had ridden only a short distance when he saw a woman and some children who were also set free. James dismounted, letting the woman ride. When he arrived home it was at night. His mother, hearing the wooden latch lift with a string, called: Is that you, James? and his father answered, yes. It was a joyful meeting. James had many stories to relate of his capture. Among them, was that when the Indians took him the Ohio river they made a canoe and put him in it and they had nothing to eat save what they called cush meat. He always claimed they crossed into Pennsylvania and came through Chartiers Valley, near Chartiers Creek. He told how they would have two lines of Indians and would make him run between the lines. And of an old Indian squaw who would be angry if they struck him, but he was a fast runner and did not get struck often. They pulled all his hair out of the top of his head and put rings in his ears. After he had been with them awhile the Indians got very friendly with him and when he left the old Indian squaw cried. In 1765 his father, Robert Bell, Sr., came from Virginia to Western Pennsylvania. On returning as he was nearing home in Virginia, after inspecting the land he intended to settle on in Pennsylvania, he was thrown from his horse and killed. In October, 1768, John and James Bell, Sr., came to Chartiers Valley, to what is now Carnegie. The first night was spent in Chartiers Township, now east Carnegie, and the second day they crossed Chartiers Creek, to what now is Rosslyn. The second night they slept under a sycamore tree near the Fording. When they awoke in the morning, James was alarmed at the noise of Indians ringing bells to see if there were any horses in the neighborhood. The Indians did not disturb the first settlers, and waded the creek at the rocks near the Fording and continued on with their noise. The two Bell men, after marking their respective claims, returned to their homes in Virginia. In the following spring, 1769, they brought their mother and their families. The mother remained with John Bell at East Carnegie, until she died. James Bell, Sr., had marked for his claim at Rosslyn, some 400 acres and 151 perches. He built his first log cabin near the present old Bell homestead, formerly owned by Mrs. Morrow, a granddaughter of James Bell, Sr. Mr. Bell, Sr., erected a family altar in his new cabin. The Indians were quite numerous. His wife, Mrs. Mary Bell, (nee Newkirk), would hang blankets around the wood fire place, then she would sit and mould the bullets, while James Bell, Sr., would shoot out of a small window, whenever the horses would come running from the spring near the oak tree. Many an Indian rested in its shade. They knew to look and get ready for the red man. James Bell, Sr., always carried his gun on his shoulder to church. In 1772, James Bell, Sr., built a stone house. In that house he used to relate his stories of his captivity by the Indians to his grandchildren. One day he and his youngest son, James Bell, Jr., was in Pittsburgh. They met some friendly Indians and some he knew. They presented James Bell, Sr., with a bead belt and a small trunk. The bead belt is in the possession of one of his sons descendants in Virginia. The small trunk is in the possession of one of James Bell, Sr.s daughters descendants and is well preserved. James Bell, Sr., died December 5th, 1836, and was buried in Chartiers cemetery. The first burial plot was where the present Lead Works is located on the little knoll in Rosslyn. Biography: Death date: 1772 {ES} Research: ROBERT BELL SR was born in Ulster, County Tyrone, Ireland between 1700 and 1710. He was of Protestant ancestry. (The Bells in U.S.A. & Allied Families, by Getha Gina Bell 1977.) ROBERT and AGNES FLEMING married about 1737. She was born in Edinburgh, Midlothian County, Scotland between 1700 and 1710. They lived near Belfast, Antrim County, Ireland. (Source; Dr. & Mrs. J.H. Bell, Jr., 1110 Somerset Ave., Windber, Pennsylvania 15963. The FGS is located in the Hampshire Co., West Virginia Public Library. ) They emigrated to America with their four children, all under the age of seven in about 1744. This was during the Scots religious and political persecutions. Tradition is that he arrived at tbe Port of Philadelphia, with two of his brothers. One of the brothers went south and the other to Pennsylvania. (NOTE: William Bell of Chester County, Pennsylvania, born about 1700, could be a brother. His will was filed in 1774.) Robert and Agnes settled in the province of Virginia, on Patterson Creek, which is on the south branch of the Potomac River, four miles from the present town of Romney. This was an area known as the Manor of Patterson Creek, Hampshire County, Virginia and is now West Virginia. (NOTE: Land Record; Abstracts of Northern Neck Warrents & Surrveys, 1697-1784, Vol. 4, by Peggy Shomo Joyner, pg. 24 shows Robert Bell as a chain carrier for a survey dated 11 Dec. 1750 in Manor Patterson Creek. Page 38 he was a chain carrier 10 Oa. 1752-20 Apr. 1753 etc.) There, they engaged in farming and stock-raising on their 330 acre farm. (NOTE: Patterson Creek Manor Tax List of 1762.) After living in this county for ten years, Robert served in the French and Indian War, under Colonel George Washington. He was a Private on the rolls of Captain Stobo's Company and Captain Van Braam's Company. Robert was wounded in the battle of Great Meadows 09 Jul. 1754 and retired with a small one time disability. (NOTE: Library of Congress, Roll of Virgina Regiments, Washington's Journal 29 Ju1.1754. Virginia County Records Vol. 11, (Va Colonial Militia) 1651-1776. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1982. Page ll3 &116. Virginia Colonial Soldiers, Page 46, 47, 49-51, 128,131, 133,143,159. Journal of House of Burgess, 1752-58, Pagc 265 and 273.) Their son, James age fourteen was taken prisoner by the Indians and held for several years until he was returned as a consequence of a treaty. (NOTE: Encyclopedia of Biography Vol. VII Pages 2540-41, by John L. Jordan, LLD, N.Y. Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1916.) Their father, Robert signed a deed in 1771 in Romney. (NOTE: Hampshire Co., Virginia Deeds, Bill of Sale: Book No.3, Page 17, 18,289-291 from Thomas B. Martin 1771.) He owned a fine horse named Drednot, which was generally regarded as swift and sure footed, though spirited and irnpetuos; but once attemping to leap a brook, the settle girths burst and Mr. Bell Sr. was instantly killed in 1772. (NOTE: Source; Barbara A. O'Callaghan, 8042 N.14th Avenue, Phocnix, Arizona 35021. Thomas Jefferson Postlewait/Jane Mary (Bell) Postlewait/John Bell "Squire"/Robert Bell Jr/J ROBERT BELL.) His estate was sold by his heirs 09 Mar. 1773 to Okey Johnson. (NOTE: West Virginia Settlements, by Ross R. Johnston 1977.) This unfortunate accident did not deter his sons from pursuing the occupation in which they were already engaged, that of stock raising. Within a few years after their father's death the eldest two sons, James and John set out from home to seek more extended land ownership in the region west of the mountains, which was the formation of the "Ohio Company". The French wars had rendered this area familiar to many. They passed pass through Washington County and followed the Chartiers creek to it's mouth, reaching a point just above the borough of Mansfield on a evening in October where tradition says they passed the night. A bear had been killed during the day, and a large chip was cut from a swamp oak to afford means of cutting and preparing the meat. The vitality was not impaired; it survived several generations of the Bell family, and died of old age in October, 1873. They traveled by horseback to for the purpose of exploration. On the next day they crossed Chartiers Creek and spent the second night within Robison Township; and after marking the bounds of their respective claims inthe customary mannor, they then returned to Virginia,with the intention of removing their families to Pennsylvania and there making his home. The following spring they brought their families. James was the first permanent settler in Robison Township and John lived in Chartiers Township until their deaths. (NOTE: History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, A Warner & Co. Publishers, Chicago, ILL. in 1889.) All of Robert's family then moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania (NOTE: This area first settled in 1760 and became Alleghany Co., Pennsylvania in 1786.) settling in the Old Sewickley Settlement on the Ohio River and in Carnegie near Chartiers Creek. From there Agnes's sons and sons-in-law served in the Revolutionary War. After the war, her children Robert, William, DAVID, and Joseph moved to Harrod's Creek, Kentucky. They had not found the locality as well adapted to stock raising as they had anticipated. Samuel moved to Harrison Co., Indiana. James and John remained behind with their mother. Agnes was living with her son John near Chartiers Creek, in Carnegie, Pennsylvania when she died in 1785. She was first buried on her son's homestead in the Old Wood's Graveyard at Peter's Creek, Pennsylvania. Her body was moved back to Hampshire County, Virginia. (NOTE: Hampshire County, Virginia is now part of West Virginia.) The birth order of their children is uncertain. Dr. & Mrs. J. H. Bell Jr., Windber, Pa. report it to be Robert Jr. 1736, Joseph 1738, Samuel 1740, Margaret 1742, all born near Belfast, John 1743, Jane 1744, William 1746, DAVID 1748, James 1750 and Charles 1752. ("Robert BELL," pp. 17-19) They had the following children: i. Margaret Fry (1742-1795) ii. James (1740-1836) iii. John (1743-1833) iv. Robert (1736-1826) v. David (ca1755-) vi. Samuel (1742->1820) vii. Charles (1748-) viii. Joseph ix. William (-1816) x. Jane "Jean" (1746-)