The progenitor of the Trahern family is Nehemiah Trahern and his wife Amelia. We don't know that much about them, but below you will find the information that we do know. It is important to note that prior to 1830 we find records for only 4 Trahern/Trahearne families. Nehemiah's family, the descendants of William Trahern in Loudon County, VA, the Somerset Trahearnes and I found a will for someone in another state but he had only daughters and no sons.
Nehemiah
Trahern's age in 1776 was about 50, that places his birth about 1726,
most likely in what is now Calvert County, Maryland. The earliest
information on him is billeting information for the French Indian
wars in either 1757 or 1758. In 1762 we find him listed as a
batchelor in Pautextant Hundred, Queen Ann's Parish. In 1760, the
estate of Robert Trahern was probated. A William Trahern was the
executor. I suspect that this is the same William Trahern that was
the father of the Loudon County, Virginia Trahern's, who are recorded
as Quaker's who moved from Baltimore, Maryland.
The
information that still needs to be researched in Maryland Wills on
the Trahern's is found at the Maryland Archives.
Maryland
wills
William
Trahere, Liber 24 folio 245 account 1703
William
Trahern Liber 24 folio 219 1703
William
Trahern Liber 70 folio 255 inventory 1760? Calvert
William
Trahern Liber 46 folio 192 account 1760 Calvert
Robert
Trahern ditto ditto
William
Trahorn Liber 70 folio 255 1760 Calvert
Note
William Trahern in 1760 is the executor of Robert Trahern
In
1772, John Trahern, the son of Nehemiah and Amelia is baptized in St
John's (Episcopal) Church, Prince George's, Maryland. In 1775,
another son, Samuel was baptized. In 1776, a census of Prince George
and Queen Anne's county show Nehemiah age 49, with a wife (Amelia)
age 30, daughter (Mary Ann) age 9, son (James) age 7, son (John) age
4, and son (Samuel) age 1. In 1772 he is also listed as a creditor
in the will of Elizabeth Brooks. This places Nehemiah and Amelia in a
different county than they had previously lived. Unfortunately there
are no church records for that county for this period.
In
1777 he witnesses a deed in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and in
1784, he obtains land there. In 1785 he is shown as having 10 souls
and 3 buildings at his home. In 1799, Samuel, John, James and
Nehemiah are all listed seperately on the taxlist. Also in 1799, the
journal of Bishop Asbury mentions stopping at Brother Trahern (and
mentions a Church, which is Jonathan Church). According to this entry
Nehemiah had been a member of the methodist episcopal church for 20
years, which places him among the early methodists in the United
States.
Nehemiah's
will is indexed in Abstracts
of Pittsylvannia County Va Wills 1767 -1820 Book 1 (also found in
book 6 when Amelia dies) P. 262
6
august 1803
PR:17,
September, 1804
LWT
Nehemiah Trahern being weak of body but of sound memory.
To
my daughter Mary Ann, a negro woman Cas.
To
my son James, a negro boy George.
To
my son John, an negro named Phillis.
To
my daughter Elizabeth Hester, a negro Hannah.
To
my son Samuel, a negro Stepney.
To
my daughter Serena, a negro Bob.
To
my son Wesley, a negro called Gilbert.
To
my daughter Milley, a negro girl Little Lucy.
To
my son William, a negro girl Mary.
I
desire my daughter Polley to have as much money to make equal with
the value of the negros given to the others.
I
gave Hester a negro earlier. (Is this his son in law Samuel Hester?)
to
my beloved wife Amelia, during her natural life, the tract of land
where upon I now live, with all the stock, furniture and negros,
Harry, Watt, Lucy, Cloe, and Jenny.
At
her decease, the negros to be divided between my children above
named. I desire the children under age remain with their mother
until lawful age.
Appoint
my son, James and Samuel Hester executors. Nehemiah Trahern
There
is no census for 1790, 1800, 1810, 1830 or 1840 for Pittsylvania
County, so it is difficult to determine anything about the family.
Assuming the order in the will is eldest to youngest, the children
are as follows, Mary Ann, James, John, Elizabeth, Samuel, Serena,
Wesley, Milly, William, Polly and then Hester (question on this, he
may be referring to his son in law).
If
in 1785 the family had 10 white souls, that would mean 8 children had
been born by 1885. That would appear to leave William, Polly, and
Hester as born after that time. By the time of his death, John,
Elizabeth and Serena had married. No marriage has been found in
Virginia for any other family members, but it appears that James may
have been married.
Given
the exact birthdates for Samuel and John, and the 1775 census, we
know that Mary Ann was 18 in 1784, James was 18 in 1786, John was 18
in 1790, and Samuel turned 18 in 1793.
Since
the Tax Records enumerate males over 16, James would be 16 in 1784,
John in 1787, Samuel in 1791. Presumably Wesley would be 16 in 1794
or so, and William was under age in 1803, so he was less than 21 at
that time, meaning he was born no earlier than 1882, and would be 16
anytime from 1798 on.
Tax
Records (Pittslylvania unless specified)
Nehemiah
Trahern
1804B
0053
owed 2.56 (5 slaves over 16, 3 horses)
1803B
1044
owed 2.24 (one male over 16, 4 slaves over 16, 4 horses)
1802B
1053
owed 2.56 (one male over 16, 5 slaves over 16, 3 horses)
1801B
1153
owed 3.00 (one male over 16, 1 slave 12-15, 5 slaves over 16, 3
horses)
1800b
2053
owed 2.56 (2 males over 16, 5 slaves over 16, 3 horses) (William in
home?)
1799B
1053
owed 2.56 (1 male over 16, 5 slaves over 16, 3 horses)
1798B
1054
owed 2.41 (male over 16, 5 slaves over 16 4 horses) (Nehemiah)
1797B
3052
3 males over 16, 5 slaves over 16,2 horses (Nehemiah, Samuel and
?John or Wesley)
1796B
3052
3 males over 16, 5 slaves over 16 2 horses
1795B
3054
3 males over 16, 5 slaves over 16, 4 horses (Samuel, John and
Nehemiah)
1794b
3505
3 males over 16, 5 slaves over 16, 5 horses
1793A
3506
3 males over 16, 5 slaves over 16, 6 horses
1792A
3505
3 males over 16, 5 slaves and 5 horses
1791a
3414
3 males over 16, 4 slaves over 16, 1 slave 12-15, 4 horses (Nehemiah,
James and John)
1790B
3324
3 males over 16, 3 slaves over 16, 2 slaves 12-15, 4 horses
(Nehemiah, James and John)
1789B
2414
2 males over 16, 4 slaves over 16, one male 12-15 4 horses (Nehemiah
and James)
1788A
(as Nathaniel)
2323
2 males over 16, 3 slaves over 16,2 12-15 and 3 horses (Nehemiah and
James)
1787A
13258
1 male over 16, 3 slaves over 16, 2 12-15, 5 horses and 8 cattle
Jonathan
Church neighbor 1782-1786
1786
132714
1 male over 21, 3 slaves over 16, 2 12-15, 7 horses 14 cattle
1785
132615
1 male over 21, 3 slaves over 16, 2 12-15, 6 horses, 15 cattle
1784
132517
1 male over 21,3 slaves over 16, 2 12-15, 5 horses, 17 cattle
1782
14312
1 male over 21, 4 slaves, 3 horses, 12 cattle
Amelia
Trahern
1810b
with son Sam
1809B
02530000
owed 3.44 (2 slaves 12-15, 5 slaves over 16, 3 horses)
1807A
0053
owed 2.56 (5 slaves over 16, 3 horses)
1806A
0053
owed 2.56 (5 slaves over 16, 3 horses)
1805B
(as Nehemiah Dcd.)
0032
owed 1.56 (3 slaves over 16, 2 horses)
James
Trahern
1801B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1800B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1799B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1797B
1
nothing owed, male over 16
1796B
1
nothing else male over 16
1795B
1001
one male over 16 and horse
John
Trahern
1802B
1011
owed 0.56 (one male over 16, one slave over 16, one horse)
1801B
1012
owed 0.68 (male over 16, one slave over 16, 2 horses)
1800B
1012
owed 0.68 (male over 16, one slave over 16, 2 horses)
1799B
owed 0.56
1011
(male over 16, one slave over 16, 1 horse)
1798B
1001
owed 0.12 male over 16 and horse
Samuel
Trahern
1812B
1724000001530
(male over 16, 7 slaves over 16, 2 12-15, 4 horses, 1 2 wheel
carriage) owed $5.30
1811B
1524000001442
(male over 16, 5 slaves over 16, 2 12-15, 4 horses 1 2 wheel
carriage) owed $4.42
1810B
(Amelia
and son Sam)
1613000001413
(male over 16, 6 slaves over 16, 1 12-15, 3 horses 1 2 wheel
carriage) owed $4.13
1809
B
10010000
owed 0.12 (one male over 16, one horse)
1807A
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1806A
1002
owed 0.24 (male over 16 and two horses)
1805B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1804B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1803B
1
no tax, male over 16
1802B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1801B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1800B
1001
owed 0.12 (male over 16 and one horse)
1799B
1001
owed 0.12 male over 16 and one horse
1798B
1001
owed 0.09 male over 16 and one horse
We
know that in 1808 Wesley Trahern is in Mississippi Territory as he
marries there that year. We also know that his elder brother James
witnesses a document there in 1809. John and his wife Susannah move
to Tennessee sometime not long afterwards. Little is known of Samuel
Trahern, he is found in the 1820 and 1850 census, and on the
taxlists. If he had a family is unknown, but he may be the father of
the Louisiana Trahern's. William Trahern eventually moved to
Mississippi sometime after 1810 (from his son's biography).
In
1820 we find James in Pittsylvania and there is apparently in
Samuel's household his brother William, so I suspect, since the will
of Nehemiah is in the will book for that time frame, that Amelia died
and the boys went home to settle the estate. Wesley remained in
Mississippi.
We
can only trace the girls Elizabeth and Serena, as we have found no
marriage records for any of the others.
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