My great grandfather, Charles Hartman Penrose, was born on July 3,1820 in Philadelphia. His father was one Joseph Penrose, a descendant (grandson?) of a Col.Joseph Penrose who served in the revolution. I believe the Colonel died about 1784 or '91 and Charles's father, Joseph, was born in Philadelphia (est.) around 1800. (So there must have been another, unknown, Penrose in between. Soon after Charles was born his Aunt Eliza Penrose took Charles and raised him as her own. Not sure whether it was death of Joseph's first wife, divorce or whether Charles was born to Eliza out of wedlock. In any event, in 1821, Eliza Penrose married one Mathias Freck who had come from Baden Baden, Germany in 1815. By 1822 they had relocated to Lykens Valley in Dauphin County where my grandfather and father were born. Eliza Penrose, On her mother's side, was descended from the Pratt family in Philadelphia. (one of Charles Hartman Penrose's children was named Euphen Pratt Penrose). Family history says that Joseph Penrose then remarried and had four sons by an (unknown) second wife: Joseph, a Philadelphia policeman for some 25 years. He had two boys and two girls (Meb Croft & Kate Flaherty). The name Maribah is also in the record given to me by my aunt Mary. The second son, James, was a mail carrier in Phil. for some 25 years and he is reported to have had two boys. The third son, Anthony, was employed by the City Gas company in Philadelphia. The last son, John, is reported to have built the stationary steam engine for the machinery used at the Centennial in 1876. He is reported to have died at the Danville Asylum in PA but a telephone call & letter to Danville found no record. Can anyone help me here? It's been a "Brick wall" to me for some time now and I could sure use some help! Oh-Oh-Oh I forgot. The middle name "Hartman" appears in my family for the first time with Charles Hartman Penrose (my gggrandfather). Anyone have any theories about that? I know there were Hartman's in the area at that time.