Sunday, January 17, 2016

The Quakers of Loudon - descendants of William Trahern

I spent some time a few weeks ago reading through the minutes of the Quaker meetings of Loudon county. I wish the ones from Calvert were available, because I learned a lot. If you were a Quaker you are really easy to track. If you married, whether another Quaker or a non Quaker, it was recorded. If you moved away from the area, it was recorded. The comings and goings of the Quaker's was so well recorded, I wish all my ancestors were Quakers.

Tax lists of 1786 show that both William Trahern and James Trahern, sons of William Trahern and Rebecca were over the age of 21. That means that both Rebecca and William had at least two children prior to the death of a William Trahern, cabinet maker, in 1760 in Calvert County. I had thought that this William was the father of Nehemiah, but now I am not so sure. I think that this William is in fact the brother of Nehemiah whose listed as a relative along with Robert Glover. The transcription gives the widow name as Robert, but I have to wonder if it was an abbreviated for of Rebecca that was transcribed as Robert in error.

We know Rebecca was a Quaker. Her arrival to the Loudon area is recorded as are the acceptance of her children into the Quaker church in 1785. Her meeting changed because a new meeting was formed where she lived, but in the older meetings her children are among witnesses on some of the marriage certificates available.

There is no mention of William Trahern ever marrying. He is on the Tax lists of Loudon through 1804. I think  that the Sarah Trahern who is in the 1810 and 1820 census is the sister of James and William Trahern and that the children are her nieces and nephews, as there is also no mention of the marriage of Sarah. Nor did James remarry. It isn't until after the death of his wife that we see Sarah appear in the Quaker minutes. A spinster, she wasn't involved until her sister in law died.

James Trahern and Dianna Gregg were very active members of the church, as was Rebecca.

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