James "Gentleman James" Culbertson and Margaret Smith
Husband James "Gentleman James" Culbertson 1 2
AKA: "Beau James" Culbertson 3 Born: Bef 1750 Christened: Died: 1812 1 Buried:
Father: "Irish" Samuel Culbertson (1719-1789) 4 5 6 Mother: Jennet Shields ( - ) 7
Marriage: 30 Oct 1782 2
Wife Margaret Smith 2 8
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
Father: Robert Smith ( - ) 2 Mother: Grizzel Newell ( - ) 2 8 9
Children
1 M Samuel Culbertson 10
Born: Bef 1775 Christened: Died: Aft 1839 Buried:Spouse: Esther Culbertson ( -Aft 1823) 11Spouse: Francis [Unk] ( - ) 12
2 M James Culbertson 12
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
3 M Robert (?) Culbertson 12
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
4 F Esther Culbertson 12
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Rev. James Russell Sharon ( - ) 12
5 F Jane Culbertson 12
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Alexander McCoy ( - ) 12
General Notes: Husband - James "Gentleman James" Culbertson
"Gentleman" or "Beau James" Culbertson first appears on the tax lists of Letterkenny Tp. in 1771 as "James son of Samuel." This would lead to the inference that he was born 1750 or before that. He lived in the Row and his farm was next to that of Col. Samuel Culbertson. He erected a magnificent stone mansion (do not know the year this was built), which was still standing well into the twentieth century. It had many large rooms in it, finished in beautiful wood. "Gentleman James" was a princely entertainer and many a sociable gathering was held in this stately mansion. James was a great dresser, and he kept hounds and was very fond of hunting. Besides this farm, he was in a land company which owned 3400 acres of land in Toboyne Tp., Cumb. (now Perry) Co., Pa., and he sold his interest in this in 1795 for $1783. His father in 1785 deeded him a farm in Montgomery Tp., Franklin Co., Pa. He sold this in 1795 to Abraham Smith and Wm. Irwin, for £3000. Deed recites that this land was deeded to him in 1785 by his father, Samuel Culbertson, Sr. He was "Commissioned Cornet, May 10, 1780, in Capt. John Johnston's Troop of Light Horse, from Cumberland (now Franklin) Co., Pa. Wm. Sharpe was a Lieut. in this Co. This Company marched to Lancaster, but their services were not needed." (Pa. Archives).
A copy of Scott's Bible Commentary which belonged to his wife, was much later in possession of a descendant, Mrs. Martin of Springfield, Ohio, and in it was written "Margaret Culbertson, wife of James Culbertson." She was Margaret Smith, a daughter of Robert Smith, grandson of Wm. Smith, who laid out Mercersburg, Pa. Robert Smith's first wife was Grizell Newell and second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Archibald Irwin.
Irish Samuel Culbertson in his will left the plantation on which he lived to his son, James, under the following conditions: That owing to his obligations to me, bearing date herewith, I have ordered him to pay by my assignments on said obligations for some of my heirs, and in order also to enable him to give and pay to my aforesaid wife the support and maintenance bequeathed to her annually during her life, which I allow him to pay quarterly to my ex'rs, for benefit of my widow; which support aforesaid I here subject my son, James, to pay as long as he enjoys the use of said plantation, providing my wife lives so long. If at the end of seven years it appears to my ex'rs that he has paid my widow the proper sums for her support then my son shall have the power to dispose of said farm and keep all the proceeds of said sale. But if he has failed to fully carry out all stipulations of my will then my executors shall sell my farm seven years after my decease and shall give my son James one-half of the proceeds of such sale, and the other half shall be equally divided among my sons and daughters then alive.
The accounts filed by Samuel, Joseph and Samuel Culbertson (1794-1800) ex'rs of Irish Samuel Culbertson show that he only paid $50 to the widow, therefore he did not carry out the provision in his fathers will, hence he got only one-half of the proceeds arising from the sale of his father's farm. Census 1790 gives him in Green Tp. Males over 16 years, 2; males under 16, 1; females 5. The latter included wife and step-mother. This shows James had one son over 16 years (Samuel). Therefore he must have married by or before 1772. Still resided in Greene Tp., 1799 (taxes). In Row.
"Baron" James died in 1812, intestate and his widow and Alexander McCoy were appointed administrators, Sept. 23, 1812. They sold his home farm. I could find no inventory or account of his estate. The widow lived in Mercersburg in 1816 as shown by deed of Power of Att'y to Wm. Irwin by James Smith and wife of Hamilton Co., Ohio, and Jennet Campbell of Rockbridge Co., Va. for land in Mercersburg, Pa., to Margaret Culbertson for $200, July, 1816.
In Margaret Culbertson's Bible Commentary it says, "Robert Culbertson, son of Samuel, died Oct. 24, 1819." The presumption is that this is a grandson of Gentleman James.
Mathew Patton was appointed Administrator of Margaret Culbertson in Franklin Co., Pa., Nov. 28, 1822. In a sale bill, 1832, of this estate the heirs are the same as given in Genealogy, but Robert is not given. Mathew Patton filed his final account and same approved in 1846.
General Notes: Wife - Margaret Smith
The source states that she was a daughter of Robert Smith, as given, but from the dates given, this seems unlikely. Perhaps she was his sister?
1 Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 214.
2 G. O. Seilhamer, Esq, The Bard Family (Chambersburg, PA: Kittochtinny Press, 1908), Pg 456.
3 Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 243.
4 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 128.
5 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 640.
6 Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 133, 211.
7 Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 212.
8 Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 244.
9 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 85.
10 Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 216, 245.
11 Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 216.
12
Lewis R. Culbertson, M.D., Genealogy of the Culbertson and Culberson Families (Zanesville, OH: The Courier Co., 1923), Pg 245.
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