> My story is long so please bear with me. > > I am searching for the family of my great, great grandfather who according > to the 1850 (W)VA census was born near Hagerstown, Md in 1769. They also > lived near Gettysburg, probably at an earlier date. > > The name is spelled today STEORTS, STORTS, and STEORTZ, but we know it has > had many variations during the last 250 years which may have incuded > STORTZE, STOTTS, STAATS, and perhaps the earliest in America being STOTZ > and STURTZ. > > Family tradition says that the family came from Germany around 1750 to > Philadelphia and may have been carpenters. The father of George STEORTS (b > 1769) was the immigent, was also named George, and fought "under > Washington." They later came across Braddocks old road to the Morgantown, > (W)VA area. This could have been in southwestern Pennsylvania. Later the > family split up with a brother Frederick going on toward the West. George, > following the West Fork of the Monongahelia River south to what is today > Harrison and Lewis Co. West Virginia, bought land there in 1817. > > Here George was married at the age of 58 in 1827 to Eunice Bailey Stalnaker > and they had three sons and three daughters. There was probably an earlier > marriage but I have no record. One son James died during the Civil War with > no known children, and another son Perry Commodore STORTS b 1836 moved to Slator, > Missouri in the 1850s. This branch of the family uses the spelling STORTS. > The only ones who use STEORTS are the descendants of my great grandfather > George Washington STEORTS, born Jane Lew, Lewis Co. (W)VA in 1834 and died > at Wallback, Clay Co. WV in 1914. > > There is a well documented history of a Revolutionary War soldier, John > Jacob Storts, (DAR records) born 1763 in Bucks Co. PA. d in 1852 in > Southhamption Township, Perry Co. New Lexington, OH. whose great grandfather > Peter STOTZ came to America in 1750 on the ship OSGOOD, captioned by > William Wilkie. He was accompanied by son Ludwig, b in Germany in 1710, > died 1782 in North Hamption, PA., son Johannes Christian, b Germany 1711, d > 1791 in PA., son Hans Balthass b Germany 1713. > > Johannes Christian had a son Johannes George STOTZ or STURTZ and another son > Christian who was the father of John Jacob Storts. I have thought it > possible that Johannes George STURTZ could be the father of George > STEORTS/STORTS but this is just a guess. > > Places named in the documented record of the Peter STOTZ/ John Jacob STORTS > family include Philadelphia, Lehigh Co., Bucks Co., North Hamption, > Southhamption Township in Somerset, Carlisle, Jerusalem Church in > Salisbury, all in PA. Most of the family seemed to migrate to Ohio. > > This has been a brick wall forever. Would appreciate any help. > > Linda kaufman@wvhomes.com