OUR EMIGRANT ANCESTOR
Christopher Kettering, the 7th listed child of Christian and Maria Magdalena Kettenring, and his family, consisting of his wife, Anna Maria Susannah Gose and eight children, arrived in the port of Philadelphia aboard the ship "CHANCE"
on 9 Sep 1765. They had traveled from Germany to Rotterdam, perhaps
via the Rhine River, where they boarded ship and sailed to the port of
Cowes, England. The ship then sailed from Cowes to Philadelphia.
Traveling with them were Christopher's cousins, Johann Michael Kettenring and Johann Jacob Kettenring, who were brothers.
They all soon settled in Lancaster County, PA, but shortly
thereafter, Christopher and Jacob and their families moved south to
Montgomery (later Wythe) County, Virginia.
Christopher and Anna Maria's son Johann Franz Kettenring preceded his parents and siblings to America by a year, having arrived aboard the ship "SARAH" in 1764. Leaving Pennsylvania, he traveled in a south-westerly direction and ultimately settled in Sumner Co, Tennessee.
Christopher and his wife settled on Tates Run in Montgomery/Wythe Co, VA. His land was taken up under the Loyal Company and a survey was made for 395 acres on the waters of Tates Run in 1775 (see Montgomery Co, VA Plat Book A, Page 193). That branch of Tates Run took the name Stuffle Run and was named for this Christopher Kettering, "Stuffle" or "Stophel" being a way of spelling/pronouncing Christopher. The small stream is currently locally known as Greasy Creek, although maps still use the name given it over 200 years ago.
The tithable list of Walter Crockett in 1771 listed Christopher and his two sons, Frank (Francis) and Adam, under the spelling Stofel Ketring. The following year, Stophel Kettering, Jacob and Adam appeared under various spellings. In 1773 his name is listed as Stophel Ketterning and he had 4 tithables (see Kegley, New River Tithables, pages 9, 15 & 29).
Robert Doak's list of militia in 1774 lists Francis, Jacob, Adam, Peter and Philip Catron, who appear to be the children of Christopher, Sr (see Thwaites and Kellogg, Dunsmore's War, page 40).
Mary B. Kegley's "Militia of Montgomery County, VA 1777-1790" in records for 1781 of Capt. John Ward's Company, lists Jacob Kettering Jr. and Sr, Francis Kettering and Philip Kettering. Kegley's "1782 Tax List of Montgomery County, VA" lists Stophel Kettering as a property (land) owner, but no personal property is listed.
After Christopher's death, his estate was inventoried (4 Jul 1795) under the name Stophel Katren, these inventories usually conducted within a year or less of death. Settlement of his estate was recorded 9 May 1797; administrators were Adam and Christian (or Christopher?) Catren as noted in Mary Kegley's transcription of wills from Will Books I and II. This begs the question: were Christian and Christopher the same person, or two different people? Henry Catron's book on the Kettenring Family lists no information on Christian other than his name.
The inventory of Christopher's estate listed a considerable amount of cash as well as horses, harness, colts, sheep, cows, calves, hogs, a large "house Bible," six other books, pewter plates and spoons, beds and furniture and spinning wheels, amounting to L317.14.5. The appraisal was recorded 9 Nov 1804 (see Wythe Co, VA Will Book I, pages 54, 82 & 301).
From "The Annals of Southwest Virginia, Volume I" comes the following information relative to Christopher (Stophel/Stovel/Stofel) Kettering (Ketring/Katren/Catron):
see records of Botetourt Co, VA, page 97.
At a court held the 11th day of October, 1770, Stoval Kettering is appointed surveyor of the road from the forks of Reed Creek to the South Fork of the same and ordered that the tithables in that Precinct attend him and that he cause the said road to be cleared and kept in good repair.
see records of Montgomery Co, VA page 734:
At a court held March the 7th, 1780, Jacob Kettering, son of Stophel, appointed a constable in the room of Adam Walker.
see records of Montgomery Co, VA page 765:
At a Court held April the 3rd, 1782, Stophel Kettering produced sufficient proof to this Court that he had 7 Bullocks for which he ought to be paid the sum of L29.3.4; one Mutton for which he ought to be paid the sum of 5/; 40 pounds of beef for which he ought to be paid the sum of 6/8, and one bushel of oats 2/ for the use of Magr. Quicks Company of State troops when stationed at the Lead Mines.
see records of Montgomery Co, VA page 773:
At a Court held May the 8th, 1782 Christopher Kettering produced sufficient proof to this Court that he ought to be paid 10/ for ten diets, 5/ for pasturage for ten horses one night, 12/ for one Muttom, 2/ for two large of loaves of bread for the use of Capt. Campbells Company of light horse Militia of Montgomery County.
The children of Christopher and Anna Maria Susannah Gose Kettering listed in Henry Catron's book, "Kettenring Family" are as follows:
1 - Anna Catherine Kettering born 16 Jan 1744 in Zeselberg, Germany; no other information given.
2 - Johann Franz Kettering born 22 Dec 1746 in Scharrhof, Germany; died 15 Jul 1819 in Sumner Co, TN. He married Barbara Houch.
3 - Johann Adam Kettering born (date unknown) in Scharrhof, Germany; died 1825 in Wythe Co, VA. He married Anna Maria Etter.
4 - Johann Jacob Kettering born 15 Jun 1749 in Scharrhof, Germany; died in Germany, as infant or young child. See child # 7, obviously named for this child.
5 - David Solomon Kettering born (date unknown) in Germany; no other information given
6 - Johann Peter Kettering born 10 May 1754 in Scharrhof, Germany; died 1840 in Wayne Co, KY. Married Elizabeth Houck.
7 - Johann Jacob Kettering II born 15 Nov 1756 in Scharrhof, Germany; died 1816 in White Co, TN. Married Elizabeth Gose.
8 - Johann Phillip Kettering born 1758 in Scharrhof, Germany; died bef. June, 1828 in Washington Co, VA. Married Elizabeth Spraker.
9 - Maria Barbara Kettering born 22 Jan 1760 in Scharrhof, Germany; died 12 Jun 1820 in Russell Co, VA. Married John Stephen Gose.
10 - Catharina Elizabetha Kettering born 20 Aug 1762 in Scharrhof, Germany; died (date unknown) in VA. Married Henry Eller.
11 - Christian Kettering - no other information given. Probably born in Germany. His birth order is given as the 11th child, although he was likely the eighth and YOUNGEST LIVING child of Christopher and Anna Maria to make the voyage to America.
12 - Christopher Kettering, Jr. born 1769 in Virginia; died 2 Feb 1804 in Wythe Co, VA. Married Susannah Houck.
4 comments:
Possibly useful for this very appreciated site would be the following from an 18 pg chapter on Catrons
in a book by Claude E. Norcross 1992 Lib congress # 92-60217 on pg 366 he give the following fact.
Location of the 'Kettering Mill' is shown on a map of the names and location of early settlers from 1745-1848 (? now Wythe Co VA)
The Map hangs (or hung 1992) on the wall in the office of the Circuit Court of Wythe Co VA
Norcross, goes on to indicate that living near the Mill were;
Christopher 'Stuffle'(Stophel) Kettering, Lawrence Ketttering, M Catron and Jacob Catron.
also indicates that Christopher was the first to adopt name change to spelling of the way it sounded in English when spoken.
This family member of his son Peter's Mary-'Polly with the famous petticoat (some say red!)', hopes someone else can verify this Maps currently location.
My thanks for the details about streams and locations above I can attempt further cross referencing of that Mill. FYI the associated family of Stopels son ('Johann' Peter) Dau, Polly-Thos Swift, went on to create Saw Mills on Fields Township of raw frontier at the head of the Santa Fe Trail and later Oregon Trails in MO by abt 1822. Mary-Polly then crossed the ORE Trail 1853 at age 73!
Ricia Saxton Banther, Boise Idaho
Nov 2016, 10 miles 'as the crow flies' from Stonehenge in Wiltshire England
Sorry I don't know where the map is, but I have been to the site of Jacob's mill and his home a little further down the road. There are still remnants of the mill dam standing. But the home/ ordinary is now totally gone.
I am the original author of this post. If you are determined to copy and re-post the information I provided, please........at least have the decency to credit me (Connie Catron Hunt) with the information the information you copy and re-post. I have researched my German family for over 35 years and have visited many courthouses to obtain records of any and all kinds, to verify information. What I have written here is no copied from anyone's family tree........it is my own research. And yes, I did use the Kettenring Family Book, (1978 edition, which was researched and published by Henry Hardy Catron, to find the name of Johann Philip Kettering, who was my 3-great-grandfather. PLEASE NOTE that Henry made 28 trips to Germany as he researched the Kettenring family) . That is what you call RESEARCH, my friends, and it takes DEDICATION plus a lot of money to do that! So please, let your character be evident by giving me and my site, credit for the information you so easily copy and publish! It is not YOUR work.....it is MY WORK !
Further information: Due to the high number of spellings of the Kettenring surname which I have found in court records over the years, I have come to realize that no one....NO ONE..... purposely changed the spelling of our name.
When my branch of the Kettenring family first arrived in America, and for 250 years after that time, our surname has been spelled as the one HEARING the name, thought to spell it. I am convinced that no one asked anyone, "How do you spell your name"! I have over 12 spellings of my surname which I have collected from court records over the past 35 years, and I find evidence of two truths: #1 many names or words are pronounced differently, depending upon where the speaker lives. People in the South speak differently from people in the North. I'm sure there's also a difference in pronunciation of names or words in the East vs. the West. #2 If the "writer" (the person writing information on a piece of paper) does not ask the "speaker" how to spell the name or word..........then the "writer" writes it down as best he understood it to have been said, and as best his level of education permits him to write it. That is called phonetic spelling. Examples of the German surname I have found in Virginia are as follows: Kettring, Ketterning, Kathrine, Ketron, Katron, Ketrine, Katrine, Ketring, Katring, Kettern, Catron and Cattron. My paternal grandfather pronounced his last name as "Ket-urn" which resulted in the spelling Kettern. It is of interest to note that when Philip signed a document in middle Tennessee in the 1770's, he signed his name as Philip Catron! If you have been a student in school since the 1950's, you studied phonics! Apply what you learned in elementary school ! Stop to think how a non-German speaking person from Virginia may have attempted to understand what a primarily German speaking person was saying when communication was attempted!
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