"Behavioral"
evidence which connect Charles to Abraham: by Joan Higgins
~~~The
SPELLING connection
-There
are several Charles Streapers
born about the same time and the 'Streaper" spelling, which was used by
Joseph Price for Lt Abraham Streaper's estate, is also used by the Charles who
is living on the Charles Ramsey farm, in the 1850 and
who is married to Hannah and 1860 census. This family line uses
the spelling of Streaper longer. The other Streaper lines change there
spelling to Streeper.
~~~The
MERION or GENERAL WAYNE INN connection
-
In the 1930 census Charles' Grandson, named George Gerhard Conley, and his
family are living across from the General Wayne Inn
-
Charles' Granddaughter, named Elizabeth Conley Wislar lived in the Joseph
Price House, next to the General Wayne Inn.
-
There is a photo of George Gerhard Conley's son, George Renault Conley and
Elizabeth Conley Wislar's son, Samuel Wislar III, which was taken in the
Albrecht Gardens, with their Uncle Joe Simpson.
Joe Simpson married Charles' granddaughter Ann Conley, the sister of
George Gerhard Conley and Elizabeth Conley Wislar.
The Albrecht Gardens were on Meeting House Lane, across from the Merion
Meeting House, which was behind the General Wayne Inn.
~~~
The QUAKER Connection
-
After the extensive search of cemeteries, I have come to believe that Charles
considered himself a Quaker and is probably buried in either MERION or RADNOR
Friends cemetery, with no marker or "ornamentation".
He may have considered himself a Quaker even if he didn't attend
meetings regularly.
-
Hannah did not die until 1907. Looking over the Tombstone Inscription for the
family grave site at St. Dennis Cemetery Havertown, one notes that she is
listed AFTER her son and daughter-in-law, even though she died before them.
This poses the hypothesis: If her husband was Quaker then she may have
been influenced by the Quaker tradition and requested no marker. Later
generations, not knowing that, decide to mark her grave. It is also possible
the family did not have the funds for a marker.
-
A search of the records at Drumore Friends Cemetery found the burial of his
grandparents William and Martha Streeper in unmarked graves.
-
Although he was of the proper age to serve in the Civil War, I could find no
records that indicate he did so. Although his first cousins Lewis D. Idall and
Cromley Idall sons of Mary Streaper Idall his fathers sister from Drumore were
both killed serving in the Civil War.
~~~The
1860 CENSUS connection
-
Charles first son is born in 1860 and Abraham is obviously not at home as the
enumerator lists his wife's name as "unknown", the possibility
exists that he was visiting his first grand child.
It is also about time when Abraham's sister, Mary Streeper Idall, dies.
~~~The
TURNPIKE connection
-
In 1900 the census indicates that, Charles Streeper's son-in-law, Thomas
Conley, was the Turnpike Gate Keeper in, Radnor Township, Delaware County,
Pennsylvania.
-
When I researched this in the book "The History of Radnor Township"
I found that William and Martha Streaper had been the gatekeepers here in
1800.
-
The Joseph Price Diary indicates that William Streaper was the first
gatekeeper here and that his first son (probably Abraham) was born here, in
1797. William and Martha moved to
an unknown place.
-
The 100-year span of these events makes this coincidence really amazing and
leaves open the possibility that Catherine Streaper Conley could have heard
family stories of the first gatekeeper.
- The proximity of the gate at the County line and the location of a property
owned by William Streaper, the later property owned by Catherine Streaper, the property with the home of Catherine Streaper Conley and Thomas Conley and property rented to the Augustinian brothers located where the field house of Villa Nova Univeristy now stands are all located within the same 1/4 mile on either side of the Lancaster pike (Route 30) at the Montgomery/Deleware county line.
~~~The
RAMSEY connection
-
The first mention of the Ramsey name I found was in the 1880 census a child
William Ramsey, age 2, born in New Jersey, is living with Patrick and Ann
Conley. (They would be the In-laws for Catherine Streeper Conley)
-
The next Ramsey connection that I found was in the 1850 census, our Charles
Streaper is living with a Ramsey family.
They are enumerated in this order Charles Ramsey - age 41, Martha
Ramsey - age 22, William Ramsey - age 11 (probably not her child), Charles
Streaper- age 28. We thought this
could be his sister; but found a daughter 'M.M.' enumerated in 1850 in
Allegheny County, with 'A. Streper and wife Margaret.
The double enumeration of the female M.M. Streper & Martha Ramsey
makes this confusing but all still possible because there were two female
children enumerated in the 1840 census with Abraham Streaper.
-
Later I found that William and Martha Streaper had left the tollbooth in
Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania and moved to Southern Chester
County. In reading history books
about that area I found a Charles Ramsey who was in the group who named the
Elk River which flows in Maryland (William Streaper was NOT mentioned in this
incidence but they could have been neighbors.)
-
The Last Charles Ramsey connection that I found was while I was reading the
tax records for Merion Township in the early 1800's.
These are not indexed and I was looking for the possibility that our
Charles may have been born in Merion, Pennsylvania rather than Maryland.
I was NOT able to prove or disprove that. I did find that Charles
Ramsey was caring for the property of Senator Jonathan Roberts(1771-1854).
The farm was located where Valley Forge Memorial Gardens stands today. Jonathan
Roberts was a cousin to Hannah Roberts Streaper, grandmother of Abraham
Streaper.
~~~The
MARTHA connection
- Charles
is enumerated with a Martha Ramsey in the 1850 census
-
The age span between Charles and Martha in the 1850 census is about the same
as 2 of Abraham’s children, in the 1830 census.
-
Abraham's mother's name is Martha.
~~~
The FAMILY HABIT connection - Sometimes families develop habits based on
their past experiences which are passed on from generation to generation. [For
example -- The new, young wife was cutting the ends off her roast; when her
husband asked her why she said because mother always did it that way.
When they asked Mom why she cut the ends off the roast, she said
because Grand mom always did it that way.
When they asked Grand mom why she did it that way she said it was
because she had a short pan and that is the only way it would fit in her
pan!!]
- When William Streaper dies in Lancaster County he leaves his widow Martha and the estate owes 90 people money. Martha even sells her widow's allotment. She has one daughter still living at home. She continues to live in Drumore Township Lancaster County and I think she might make some sort of arrangements for them to live in a small domicile in exchange for sewing or cooking or gardening or baby-sitting. She is essentially homeless and penniless.
-
In 1877, Hannah buys a parcel of land from Lewis J. Garrett, Doctor of
Medicine, for ($235) two hundred thirty-five dollars.
The deed starts this Indenture and notes that Hannah is the wife of
Charles Streeper. The 1880 census
indicates that Charles owns $400 of personal property but not real estate and
the census does not take note of Hannah's ownership of Real estate.
-
In 1900 Hannah sells that parcel of Real Estate to her daughter ONLY.
To purchase this land, her son-in-law, Thomas, gets a mortgage from the
priests at Villanova. Catherine's
name is on the deed but NOT the mortgage.
-
Catherine and Thomas put other real estate in her name only, not just the real
estate that was her mother's.
-
- To summarize this FAMILY HABIT - - the homeless, penniless Martha Streaper
traumatizes the family so much that the next three generations (Martha's son
Abraham, his son Charles, and his Granddaughter Catherine Conley) all take
steps to title the deeds and mortgages so that the woman will not be
responsible for the husband’s debts and won’t become a homeless and
penniless widow as did Martha Helms Streaper.
~~~
The FAMILY LORE connection
-
Every year my parents took my sister Connie to the Lancaster County Farmers
Market and the story that she was told that we were had Pennsylvania Dutch
roots in Lancaster County. William
and Martha Streaper would be the only connection here.
-
She was also told that we were descended form the Streaper’s of the General
Wayne Inn.
-
My sister Mary Ann also heard some vague references that we were descended
from the Streaper’s of the General Wayne Inn.
- Vivian Wislar, who was married to Sam Wislar, who had lived in the Joseph Price House, next to the General Wayne Inn did not remember being told of these relationships.
-
One of the adjoining properties in Lancaster County was owned by a family
Whisler.
~~~
FAMILY ARTIFACTS connections
- Connie has a plate, which was a wedding present to Blanche Renault Conley from her mother-in-law, Catherine Streeper Conley and billed as belonging to the Streepers. It is Cannonsburg China, from Cannonsburg, in western PA. Further research indicates that it was probably made after 1900 and neither Charles Streeper nor his parents touched it. Considering the date it is most likely belonged first to Catherine Streeper Conley.
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