10

Children
Job Gorby b: Abt 1760 in Chester Co, PA - Has Children
Rebecca Gorby b: 1772 - Has No Children
Nora Gorby b: 1775 in Chester Co, PA - Has Children
Eli Gorby b: 1777 in Chester Co, PA - Has Children
Thomas Jeahue Gorby b: 1779 in Chester Co, PA - Has Children
Hannah Etta Gorby b: 1782 in Rostraver Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA - Has Children
Ebenezer Gorby b: 1784 in Rostraver Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA - Has Children
Jesse Gorby b: 1789 in Washington Co, PA - Has Children
John G Gorby b: 25 May 1792 in Washington Co, PA - Has Children

also listed as
Faithful Gorby 1773 - 1814
Job Gorby 1775 - 1842
Rebecca Gorby 1775 - 1814
Hannah Etta Gorby 1777 - 1868
Eli Gorby 1780 - 1881
Thomas Jeahue Gorby 1782 - 1856
Ebenezer Gorby 1782 - 1852
Jesse Gorby 1786 - 1814
John G Gorby 1788 - 1814


Private in Capt. Andrew Lynn's Company of Westmoreland Co, PA. Private in Capt. Stokeley's Co. of Frontier Rangers, Westmoreland Co., Pa. A return to the State of Capt. Stokeley's Co. of Rangers for the month of April, 1783, of the 3d, 4th, and 5th class drafted, and returned by Capt. Andrew Lynn. Ser. 6, Vol.2, P.359 of PA Archives.

From the Pennsylvania Archives we find Thomas Gorby on the tax list in Chester Co, PA in 1769; in 1783 in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland Co; in 1785 in Washington Township, Fayette Co; and in 1788 in Washington Co until 1798. From 1798 until 1802 he lived in Greene Co, having owned land in each of the last four named counties. After 1802, until the time of his death in 1814, he lived in Ohio Co, then VA, where he bought land and conducted a successful farming and milling business. So far the location of this farm and mill has not been found.

Thomas Gorby's will was made March 24, 1814 and filed during the May term of court, 1814, so he died sometime between those two dates. He was survived by his wife and nine grown children - six sons and three daughters. The will is on file in the Wheeling courthouse.

At the present time neither the date of death of his wife, nor the burial place of the two has been found. As was often the custom in those days, they may have been buried on their farm.

Thomas Gorby blazed a long trail through the forests and over the rough mountains of Pennsylvania down to Wheeling, and it took courage, force of character, and marvelous determination of both husband and wife to accomplish what they did. In spite of the hardships, maybe because of them, they lived to be near 84 or 85 years of age.

Revolutionary War Veteran, Moved to Ohio County, Virginia about 1802.


http://gorby.info/2013/02/12/joseph-thomas-and-wil...w-about-generation-2/

Of Thomas, the historical record begins later, but is more clearly documented in the Pennsylvania Archives through land and tax records.

Alva Gorby found Thomas “Garby” on the tax list for Kennett Township, Chester Co, PA in 1769.

In 1783 Thomas is living in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland Co, PA then in 1785 he is living in Washington Township, Fayette Co, PA but — he did not actually move. Washington Township was created from Rostraver Township when Fayette County was split from Westmoreland County in 1783.

In 1786, Thomas is living in Washington Co, PA, first in Donegal Township then after it is split in 1788 in Finley Township. Finley is then split into East Finley and West Finley in 1828 with Thomas’ property ending up in East Finley.

This is quite important to us because this leads us to our one and only historical record which ties the descendants of Thomas to the descendants of Joseph.

From “WARRANTEES OF LAND IN THE County of Washington 1784-1892”, 34-Vol. XXVI, 3rd Ser. we find:

Gorby, Thomas 200 acres, Date of Survey March 24, 1788.

Then from Records of the Land Office, PATENT INDEX, P SERIES , 1792-1800. {series #17.155}, on page 113, we find that Joseph Gorby purchased on June 3, 1795 400 acres of land in Washington Co, PA adjacent to Thomas’ patent, which he sold on the day of the survey to Job Gorby, son of Thomas.

To make things easier on us, the original land records are now on line through the Pennsylvania Archives here:

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/land_records/3184

When we search them we find the two Gorby plats, side-by-side.

What we do know is that the name ‘Joseph’ was rarely used by Thomas’s descendants, but was common in Joseph ’s branch of the Family.

Alva assumed the 1795 purchase was made by Thomas’ brother Joseph , but then she had also made the error that Joseph who married Hanna Stilley was the same person as his father Joseph .

Regardless of which Joseph made the 1795 purchase, it has always been assumed that the purchase ‘proves’ the familial link between the two branches. In light of the lack of any other documentation, it is the best we have.