The Winders Family

Taken from An Addington/Chalfant Family History by David Vern Addington, published 1992.

The Winders Family

Elizabeth Winders who married Jesse Chalfant, Jr. on 21 Sep 1826 in Highland County, Ohio was a great grandmother of Alma Marguerite Chalfant. R. Winder Johnson published in 1902 his book Winders in America which lists a Thomas Winder as the patriarch of the Winder family that first settled in New Jersey. Thomas Winder was born in England, probably in London sometime around 1680.

Thomas was in America by 1703 when he purchased land in Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. He evidently returned to London because he married Sara Bull on 5 Jun 1704 at St. Margaret's, Westminster. Since the first genealogy on Thomas Winder was published, there have been questions raised about whether this marriage record is correct or may have been later altered. Recent research has concluded that the marriage record is correct and is the Thomas Winder of our ancestral line. Thomas and Sara immigrated to New Jersey about 1705 and settled on their previously purchased land.

Thomas and Sara (Bull) Winder had five known children
(1) John Winder, b. c1707, d. 9 Aug 1770
m. Rebecca Richards
(2) Thomas Winder, nfi
(3) James Winder*, d. 2 Jul 1789
m. 9 May 1743, Elizabeth Sherwood
(4) Jane Winder, m. John Slack
(5) Elizabeth Winder, m. Peter Phillips

Sara (Bull) Winder died sometime before 1731 since Thomas married second on 1 Apr 1731 to Rebecca Gregory in New Jersey. Thomas and Rebecca (Gregory) Winder has one child, Elinor Winder, who was later married on 31 Jul 1751 in Philadelphia to Thomas Guinnup.

New Jersey land of this era was often sold many times over by corrupt land speculators and it appears that Thomas Winder's rights to his land were in dispute. In 1732 and 1733 he acquired two tracts of land in Lower Makefield Township of Bucks, County, Pennsylvania, probably with the intention of moving there.

It is believed that Thomas Winder drowned in 1734 in the Delaware River while attempting to board a ship. His estate records a payment for "taking deceased body out of the water, he having been drowned." An inventory of his estate in 1734 shows "a canoe, new rifle barreled gun, old ditto, old sword, two great Bibles and three small ones, negro Ben, valued at six pounds, negro Toby, valued at 30 pounds, wheat sold to Benjamin Pidcock, as well as 552 acres of land in Lower Makefield Township of Bucks Co., Pa." plus a listing of about ten individuals who owed Thomas. Records show Rebecca (Gregory) Winder was appointed administrator of the estate on 23 May 1734. Rebecca later remarried to a Collins since she is listed as Rebecca Collins in a final accounting of the estate in 1746.

James Winder, the son of Thomas and Sara (Bull) Winder, moved to Prince George County, Maryland sometime prior to 1743. There he married on 9 May 1743 to Elizabeth Sherwood in All Saints Parish. In 1752 James bought a hundred acre tract of land known as "Medcalfs' Meadow." This land was described as Beginning at a bounded White Oak standing by the side of a little spring within half a mile of the Waggon Road that goes from Stulls Mill to the mountains." Stulls Mill was located on Antietam Creek, just shortly to the east of present-day Hagerstown, Maryland. James evidently lived on this land from 1752 until his death in 1789. James had written his will on 15 Mar 1785 and it was proved in Washington County on 15 Aug 1789. A tombstone inscription has been reported from Funkstown Cemetery, Maryland supposedly reading "James Winder, died 4 July 1782." This is possibly our James Winder with the date mis-copied as 1782 rather than 1789. James lived close to Funkstown as did several of his children. His will listed a complicated scheme of distributing his estate to his wife, five surviving daughters and seven sons.

James and Elizabeth (Sherwood) Winder had the following children
(1) Thomas Winder, birthdate unknown, lived in Shenandoah County, Virginia
(2) James Winder*, b. c1747, d. Mar 1831, Fayette Co., PA
m. c1770, Elizabeth Grable, d. bef. 1830
(3) John Winder
(4) Daniel Winder, birthdate unknown, d. 1795, Washington Co., Maryland
(5) Alexander Winder, b. 2 Nov 1765, d. 30 Aug 1789, Washington Co., Maryland
(6) Isaac Winder, birthdate unknown, in 1800 Washington Co. census
(7) George Winder, nfi
(8) Mary Winder, m. ? McCown
(9) Susanna Winder, b. c1760, d. 11 Apr 1844, m. John Orr
(10) Mercy Winder, m. ? Darling
(11) Rachel Winder, m. by 1785 John Snebely
(12) John Winder, m. by 1785 ? Bond

Our direct line ancestor is the second son, James Winder who was born about 1747. Records show that James Winder migrated to Fayette County, Pennsylvania sometime before 1768. He was an early settler in Redstone Township as reported in Ellis' History of Fayette County. The 1790 Fayette County census lists James Winder in Redstone Township with a family of 2 males under 16, 2 males over 16 and three females. He is also listed in Fayette County in the 1800, 1810 and 1820 census.

James Winder married Elizabeth Grable although it is not clear where the marriage occurred or the exact date. Elizabeth Grable was the daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Earhart) Grable who were early settlers in Redstone Township. Samuel Grable is reported to have been born 17 Sep 1725 in Germany. He immigrated to America some time before 1751, when his name first appeared on the tax roles in Chester County, Pennsylvania. A Nicholas Grable whose will was written 16 Apr 1774 in Frederick County, Maryland, names Samuel Grable as one of his sons. Nicholas Grable appears on the tax roles in Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania as early as 1729 and as late as 1760. A 1764 land deed in Frederick County, Maryland shows he bought a tract of land known as "Old Barrel."

Samuel Grable's will was written 12 Sep 1809 and probated in September 1811 in Fayette Co., Pennsylvania. He made bequests to
the two children of my daughter Catherine Several the sum of $60 each
my daughter Elizabeth Winders the sum of $230
my son David Grable the sum of $320
son Samuel Grable $300
daughter Susannah Wells $230
daughter Mary Colvin $230 and one cow
daughter Hannah Ratcliff $230 and use of my plantation for two years after my decease, rent free
my son Philip Grable $300
my daughter Sarah Stubaker $230

Returning to the Winder family, James and Elizabeth (Grable) Winder had the following known children
(1) James Winder, b. 1775, d. 1861
(2) Daniel Winder*, b. c1785
m. 29 Jan 1806, Fayette Co., PA, Mary Kennedy
(3) David Winder, nfi
(4) Sarah Winder, m. Elisha White
(5) Katherine Winder, m. James Laughlin
(6) Elizabeth Winder, m. Nathan McGrew

James and Elizabeth (Grable) Winder lived in Fayette County, Pennsylvania from 1780 until James's death in 1831. James wrote his will on 28 May 1829 and the will was probated on 8 Mar 1831 after his death. Well before his death, James had bought two tracts of land in what is now Harrison County, Ohio. He later sold these tracts to his sons James, Daniel and David.

James Winder's will reads "In the name of God, amen, I James Winder of the township of Redstone, County of Fayette and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Yeoman, being of far advanced in years and of sound mind and memory thanks be to Almighty God, and calling to mind the uncertainties of this life, do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament.
First burial and funeral expenses and all my just debts are to be paid.
Second- I give and bequeath unto my son James Winder the sum of $50
Third- I give and bequeath unto my son Daniel Winder the sum of $50
Fourth- Unto my son David Winder I bequeath the sum of $50
Fifth- I give unto my daughter Sarah White the sum of $100
Sixth- I give unto my grandchildren, namely Elizabeth White and James N. White, the sum of $100, divided equally among them.
Seventh- I give unto my daughters, Katherine Laughlin, Elizabeth McGrew, and Sarah White the residue of my estate to be sold at public sale and the proceeds equally divided among them.
Eighth- I appoint my confidential friends Philip Grable and Nimrod Grable to be my executors. Done 28 May 1829"
Witnesses Salome Grable, Queen Esther Grable, Earhart Grable
Proved 8 Mar 1831, Fayette County, Pa.

Of the sons of James Winder, son James evidently stayed in Pennsylvania in Crawford County. Daniel and David Winder moved to Harrison County, Ohio but the date is uncertain. Daniel Winder was apparently the youngest son and married Mary Kennedy. One genealogical source gives a marriage date of 29 Jan 1806 in Fayette County. It is known for sure that Daniel and Mary (Kennedy) Winder were in Harrison County, Ohio by 1813.

Daniel and Mary (Kennedy) Winder had the following children
(1) Elizabeth Winder*, b. 30 Oct 1806, prob. Fayette Co., PA, d. 1896, Delaware Co., Indiana
m. 21 Sep 1826, Highland Co., Ohio, Jesse Chalfant, Jr.
(2) Samuel Winder, b. 8 Mar 1808, prob. Fayette Co., PA
m. Ruth B. Hibbs
(3) Saloma Winder, b. 1 May 1810, prob. Fayette Co., PA
m. Horace Belknap
(4) Chelnessa Winder, b. 17 Jan 1813, Harrison Co., Ohio
m. 5 Oct 1835, John Gandy
(5) Dorcas Winder, b. 2 Mar 1815, Harrison Co., Ohio
(6) James Robert Winder, b. 4 Nov 1817, d. 16 Nov 1817
(7) Katherine Winder, b. 8 Feb 1820
(8) David Winder, b. 4 Apr 1820, d. 21 Jun 1881
m. Anne Holliday

Daniel Winder purchased his land in Harrison County from his father on 20 Oct 1813. Later deed records show he sold 2.5 acres to the trustees of the Nottingham Friends Meeting, the land that currently contains the Greenmont Cemetery. Daniel and his family may have been members of this Quaker Monthly Meeting but their names are not found in the surviving records. Daniel Winder's name is listed in another 1839 land deed. He apparently died sometime between 1839 and 1852 but the exact date is not known. Mary (Kennedy) Winder died sometime after 1832.

Daniel's first born, daughter Elizabeth, was married to Jesse Chalfant, Jr. on 21 Sep 1826 in Ross County, Ohio. Ross County is located in the central part of the state while Harrison County is in the far east bordering upon Pennsylvania. The Jesse Chalfant, Sr. family was living in Belmont County according to the 1820 census. Belmont County is directly south of Harrison fCounty so Jesse and Elizabeth must have met there sometime before 1826. Why the marriage took place in Ross County is unclear. Perhaps the Chalfants moved on to Ross County and Jesse returned to woe Elizabeth but married her in Ross County. There were some other Winders families in Ross and Highland Counties, that were a couple of generations removed from Daniel's line. Maybe there still existed contact between these Winders. The 1830 Ohio census shows Jesse and Elizabeth (Winder) Chalfant to be in Adelphia Township of Ross County. Jesse Chalfant, Jr. moved his family to Delaware County, Indiana probably sometime in 1839. His son Alexander Chalfant was born on 14 Jan 1840 in Indiana according to later censuses.

(pages 149-154)

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