Of the many questions facing Yoho family historians and often asked by many folks who are simply interested in their particular Yoho family line is, “What the actual relationship between John Yoho, born 1746, and Jacob Yoho, born 1775.” Family tradition tells us John is the father of Jacob, but I know of no written evidence to support this supposition, although I think this is likely the case.
Below I have listed in chronological order everything I know about these two men and their family that might contribute or be pertinent to determining their relationship. Following this listing are my comments using numbers corresponding to those in the chronological order of events.
I invite anyone reading this document to contact me with their comments, additions or corrections to any mistakes, of which I am sure there are more than a few.
EVENTS SURROUNDING THE LIVES OF JOHN AND JACOB YOHO
1. 1712: Johannes Joho born in Switzerland or Alsace, France
2. 1738: Johannes and Susanna Joho arrive in Philadelphia
3. 1745: son, Peter Yoho born
4. 1746: son, John Yoho born
5. 1752: son, Henry Yoho born
6. 1763: Henry Yoho moves to western Virginia with his family from near Winchester,VA
7. 1765: Jacob born (son of Johannes?)
8. 1771, Jul. 20: John Yoho sells land in Frederick Co., VA (now Shenandoah Co.)
9. 1774: District of Augusta created
10. 1775 Jacob (son of John, born 1746?) born in Beaver Co., PA
11. 1776, Oct. 9: District of Augusta divided into counties of Ohio, Monongalia and Yohogania
12. 1777, Aug. 27: Johannes (John Sr.), John Jr., Peter and Henry take oaths of
allegiance in Fayette Co., PA, administered by Thomas Gaddis
13. 1777, Oct.1: John Jr. and Henry stationed at Fort Pitt under Major Chew
14. 1781: Monongalia Co., VA (WV) was reconfigured from old Monongalia Co. as a result of extension of the Mason-Dixon Line
15. 1782: Henry and Peter listed as members of First Battalion, Big Whitely District, under Lt. Col. John Pomeroy
16. 1783, 26 Sep.: Fayette Co., PA created from Westmoreland Co., PA
17. 1790: Census for Springhill Township, Fayette Co., PA lists a John Jehu
18. 1794, Feb. 4: George Yoho (son of Johannes?) patents 312 acres in Springfield Township, Fayette Co., PA
19. 1799, 11 Feb.: John Yoho (son of Jacob Yoho, born 1775) born
20. 1800, 12 Mar.: Beaver Co., PA created from parts of Washington and Allegheny Cos., PA
21. 1808, 25 Aug.: Jacob Yoha witnesses power of attorney to John Cooper, executed by Philip Maines and Nicholas Maines of Beaver Co., PA, to sell a tract of land in Monongalia Co., VA (WV) on Sanday Creek, known as Crab Orchard settlement, formerly property of John Mains. (Maines spelled two different ways)
22. 1810: Jacob Yoho, born 1775, living in Beaver, Co., PA
23. 1812: Jacob Yoho, born 1775, serves in War of 1812 under Capt. Matthew Johnson in the 5 Battalion (Nelson’s), Pennsylvania Militia
24. 1818: Preston Co., VA (WV) created from Monongalia Co., VA (WV)
25. 1820: Jacob Yoho, born 1775, living in Beaver Co., PA
26. 1843, between 15 Jun and 9 Aug.: Jacob Yoho, born 1775, dies
COMMENTS REGARDING THE FOREGOING STATEMENTS
1. We have hard and convincing evidence, plus family tradition, that our ancestor, Johannes, lived in Alsace before coming to America.
2. The arrival of Johannes and Susanna is well documented from the Two Sisters passenger list.
3. Peter’s birth year is based on family tradition.
4. John’s (Jr.) birth year is based on family tradition.
5. Henry’s birth year is well documented from his Revolutionary War pension
application.
6. This information also based on Henry’s pension application. It would seem that only a portion of Henry’s father’s family made this move, because John did not sell the Frederick Co., VA property until 1771, 8 years after Henry’s move to western Virginia.
7. We are quite sure of Jacob’s birth year from census records, but we only have family tradition telling us he is a son of Johannes. Interestingly enough, Jacob’s birth place based on family tradition, is Beaver Co., PA. However, I have some reservations about this Jacob being born in what is now Beaver Co. I doubt any other references to a Jacob Yoho in this document refer to this man because we know he settled on the forks of Wills Creek in Noble Co., OH in 1805, and later applied for a Revolutionary War pension which was rejected.
8. We have the actual document of land sale, but the question remains if the John Yoho mentioned is Johannes or his son, John.
9. This year is well documented.
10. Jacob’s birth year is based on census records. However, he couldn’t have been born in Beaver Co. because that county was not created until 1800. I think it is likely he was born in an area that was to become Beaver Co., as was his uncle Jacob, born 1765. This problem of describing an event happening in a place that didn’t come into existence until after the event, while incorrect and to be avoided, is very common. For example, many happenings regarding the Yoho family before 1863 are written to have occurred in WV, before that state was created from VA.
11. This date is well documented.
12. We have a copy of this document. However, we have an inconsistency here in that these oaths were said to be taken in Fayette Co. in 1777, but Fayette Co. was not created until 1783.
13. This event is well documented.
14. This year is well documented.
15. This event is well documented.
16. This date is well documented.
17. This information provided by Wayne Gillespie, a Yoho family researcher. This could well be John Yoho, born 1746, and, for what it’s worth, Springhill Township in Fayette Co., PA is very close to Preston Co., WV (see number 21 below).
18. I have two documents to support this land ownership. First is a difficult to read map of Springfield Township, Fayette Co., PA showing the following:
George Yoho, 312 As & all, War. Feb. 4, 1794, Survey Apr. 16, 1795, Pat. Mar 4, 1836 to Andrew Stewart, H 35 516.
Written in long hand on this document is: “Pg. 48, Horn Papers, Vol. III, Springfield so. Sect. Twp Fayette Co., PA. Entire Springfield twp (No. and so. Sections) ‘Salt Lick’ before 1849”.
The second document is page 486 from “History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania” showing “George Yoho 312 Acres.”
Written in long hand on this document is: “List of original surveys of Bullskin Township. By Franklin Ellis.” I am told that this property was sold for taxes by Commissioners of Fayette Co. on 10 Dec., 1822. Present day Fayette County has three adjoining townships named Springfield, Bullskin and Salt Lick. I don’t know how these townships were created, or if one or two were formed from the other. However, there is little doubt that a George Yoho once owned land in Fayette Co., PA. Family tradition says George is a son of Johannes Yoho and eventually went to Ohio where he was killed by Indians.
19. In the “History of Lawrence Co.” by Aaron L. Hazen the following is stated regarding William W. Yoho, born 1868: “John Yoho, the paternal grandfather (born 1799 and son of Jacob Yoho, born 1775), was born in Beaver Co., PA and was the son of an old Indian fighter, who, along with his two brothers, assisted in exterminating the savages in this section.”
Most Yoho researchers, including myself, think this should have read “grandson of an old Indian fighter” which would be John Yoho, born 1746, and
the two brothers would, of course, be Peter and Henry. This statement from the
“History of Lawrence Co.” is the closest to any written evidence we have that Jacob Yoho, born 1775 is a son of John Yoho, born 1746. Incidentally, there are several Hazen farms shown near the farms of J. Yoho and D. Yoho on an old Beaver Co. map (see number 21 below).
20. This date is well documented.
21. This information comes from “Monongalia County (West) Virginia Deedbook
Records 1784-1810 (Old Series Volumes 1-4). The spelling is given as “Yoha”.
I have an old undated map of Beaver Co., PA showing adjoining farms in what I think is North Sewickley Township belonging to J. Yoho and D, Yoho. I believe these men are possibly Jacob Yoho, born 1775, and his son, Daniel, born 1809. Nearby farms are owned by J. Main, A. Main, H. Main, P. Main and N(?) Main.
I suspect John Mains owned property in Monongalia Co., VA (WV) and eventually he and his family, or just his family, moved to Beaver Co., PA. Philip and Nicholas Mains then decided to sell the property in VA (WV) and gave a certain John Cooper power of attorney to act for them, with their neighbor in Beaver Co., Jacob Yoho, witnessing
the document. I further suspect the property in question lies on what is now BigSandy Creek in present day Preston Co., WV (see number 24 below).
22. From 1810 census records.
23. This event is well documented, but his place of duty is unknown.
24. This date is well documented. Crab Orchard settlement on Sanday Creek,
apparently no longer in existence, probably was located within current Preston Co., WV just South of Springhill Township (not to be confused with Springfield
Township), Fayette Co., PA.
25. From 1820 census records.
26. Jacob’s (born 1775) death date is based on the dates listed in his will. Information From a Jeanne McMillan indicates Jacob’s grave may be located in Upper Presbyterian Church Cemetery, North Sewickley Township, Lot 185, New Number G.A.R. Marker No.1415. The source of this information is “History of the
Northeastern District of the County of Beaver” from the section “Veterans’ Grave
Registration Record”, page 31. See my “concluding comments” below for remarks regarding Jacob’s wife and sister.
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
There is a very good possibility there are no records remaining that would establish the relationship between Jacob Yoho, born 1775 and John Yoho, born 1746. However, I’m sure many of us will keep searching.
One avenue to explore might be the histories of associated families such as the Mains, the Hazens and other names of those having farms in the vicinity of J. Yoho and D. Yoho on the old Beaver Co. map. We, of course are also lacking the place and date of John Yoho’s death along with the name of his wife. If nothing else, the above information seems to place Johannes Joho/Yoho and his sons (with the exception of Jacob, born 1765) in what is now Fayette Co., PA at one time or another.
I think it should also be kept in mind that the military duties of these Yohos evidently took them all over the region, and it should not be surprising to see them living in or marrying women from locations other than those where they were born or first settled. Although I did not document the life of Johannes’ daughter, Eva Catherine, born 26 May 1741 at Conwego, PA., it is important to note that she lived just north of the Mason-Dixon Line in Green Co., PA next to Fayette Co., PA after marrying George Lemley. Family tradition tells us Jacob Yoho, born 1775 married Mary Lawrence, and we have many of their descendants identified.
Family tradition also informs us of another child of John Yoho, born 1756, namely Barbara Yoho, who my records show as being born 23 Feb., 1765, died 10 Mar., 1816 at Whiteley Township, Greene Co., PA, buried in Mar., 1816 at Whiteley Township, Greene Co., PA in Bradford Cemetery, married to James Bradford, son of Robert and Margaret Bradford, born 1 Jan., 1754 at England/Ireland, died 18 Apr., 1822 at Whiteley Township, Greene Co., PA, buried Apr., 1822 in Bradford Cemetery. There is some speculation that Barbara might be a daughter of Johannes Joho/Yoho.
Perhaps a further examination of the Lawrence and Bradford family histories will reveal more information about the relationship of John Yoho, born 1746 and Jacob Yoho, born 1775.
Hugh Yoho
Sunland, CA
July 2007
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