John Nelson and Margaret "Peggy" Graffius
Husband John Nelson 1 2 3
AKA: John Wilson 4 Born: 24 Dec 1774 - Logan Twp, Huntingdon Co, PA 3 Christened: Died: 1859 - Springfield Twp, Mercer Co, PA 3 Buried:
Father: William Nelson ( -1804) 5 6 Mother:
Marriage: 1802 6
Wife Margaret "Peggy" Graffius 3 7
AKA: Margaret Graff 2 Born: 27 Oct 1776 - Huntingdon Co, PA 3 Christened: Died: - Springfield Twp, Mercer Co, PA Buried:
Father: Nicholas Graffius (1746-1822) 7 8 Mother: Elizabeth Coryell ( -1843) 7
Children
1 M John Nelson 3 9
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1883 - Logan Twp, Huntingdon Co, PA Buried:
2 M Nicholas Nelson 3 10
Born: 9 Jan 1806 - Franklin, Venango Co, PA 11 Christened: Died: Abt 1882 - ? Springfield Twp, Mercer Co, PA Buried:Spouse: Catherine Howe Lightner (1800-Abt 1859) 11
3 M James Alexander Nelson 3 9 12
Born: Christened: Died: 22 Apr 1887 - ? Springfield Twp, Mercer Co, PA 12 13 Buried:Spouse: Lydia Holman (1806-1903) 12 Marr: 26 Mar 1833 13
4 M Daniel Nelson 3 9 14 15
Born: 1 Oct 1815 - Huntingdon Co, PA 2 15 Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Mary Webb ( - ) 14 15 Marr: Abt 1838
5 F Harriet Nelson 3
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
6 F Margaret Nelson 3
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
7 F Lydia Nelson 3
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
General Notes: Husband - John Nelson
He was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and there grew to man's estate. Moving to Franklin, Venango County, in 1802, he lived there eight years. Returning to the parental homestead in 1810, he was there engaged in farming until 1837. In 1836 he came on horseback to Mercer County, searching for a favorable location. He bought large tracts of land in Springfield Township, and in 1837 came there to live, his children and their families coming with him, bringing their household goods. The entire distance was traversed with teams, the only mode of traveling in those days, and one that was necessarily slow, and oftentimes dangerous. Settling on the farm later owned and occupied by his grandson, Samuel L. Nelson, he lived here until his death.
Although very young at the time of the Revolutionary War, he remembered many incidents connected with its closing years, the sufferings and terror caused by the Indians, who cruelly murdered women and children in the neighborhood in which he lived, making a vivid impression upon his childish mind. In 1794, prior to attaining his majority, he left home and spent two years on the frontier in Kentucky and Ohio. In 1802 he settled in Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania, but at the end of eight years, in 1810, he returned to the parental homestead, in Huntingdon County near Petersburg, and there assisted in building upon the place a commodious stone house, which was still standing and in good repair a century later. He was subsequently there actively engaged in farming and stock-raising for a number of years. In 1836 he went to Mercer County on a prospecting tour, bought a large tract of donation land in Springfield Township, paying eight dollars an acre for it. In 1837 he came there with his children and their families to live, making an overland trip and bringing all of their earthly effects. Locating in the eastern part of the township, he built a house close to that of his oldest son, and here resided until his death. [HMC 1909, 909]
General Notes: Wife - Margaret "Peggy" Graffius
She was of German ancestry.
On her mother's side she belonged to the Carroll family and was a relative of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, and of Capt. Henry Lee, famous as "Light Horse Harry," the father of Gen. Robert E. Lee, of Virginia.
1 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 309, 417.
2 Editor, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 688.
3 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 909, 914.
4 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 403.
5 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 309.
6 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 909.
7 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 417.
8 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 229.
9 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 418.
10 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 404, 418.
11 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 914.
12 Editor, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 942.
13 J. G. White, A Twentieth Century History of Mercer County Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Pg 910.
14 Editor, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 688, 994.
15
George P. Donehoo, Pennsylvania - A History (NW) (New York, NY; Chicago, IL: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1926), Pg 288.
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