Michael Messinger has provided proof that Levi Drake had a daughter named Jane Drake. Michael is a descendant of Jane Drake and her husband, Ephraim Lockard. Levi's daughter, Jane, is not found in either the current edition of the BGD, or in Lillian Drake Avery's published work. Proof that Levi Drake had a daughter named Jane is found in the Orphan's Court records of Northampton County, Pennsylvania. On 20 January 1826, Silas S. Drake and Jane Drake, minor children of Levi Drake, Esq., late of Smithfield Township, petitioned the court stating that their father died intestate, that they were above the age of 14, and asked the court to approve their choice of guardians. Silas Drake chose William Van Buskirk, and Jane Drake chose Jacob Brown. An image of the page in the Northampton Records was provided by Michael Messinger.
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| Northampton, PA, Orphan Court records, Vol. 10, pp. 269-270 |
The Northampton County, Orphan's Court Records are online at Family Search. The page above can be found here. The record regarding Silas and Jane is fourth from the top on page 269. On the following page 270, fourth down from the top, we find the appointment of William Van Buskirk as guardian for Alfred Drake, and the appointment of Jacob Brown as guardian of James Drake, both minor children of Levi Drake. This second record mentions Daniel D. Drake and Wayne G. Drake as administrators of the estate of Levi Drake. The wife of Levi Drake was Helena Van Campen, and she had died in 1824, prior to her husband, and therefore is not mentioned in either record.
Jane Drake is mentioned as a daughter of Levi Drake in Commemorative Biographical Record of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe (1900) at page 590 under the sketch of her nephew Levi Drake (b. 1832) son of Joseph W. Drake (brother of Jane). Here it is stated that she married Ephraim Lockard. This work also includes a daughter Hannah, who had not previously been listed among Levi Drake's children. It states that she "married and died early in womanhood." This statement should be investigated further, but it can be noted that the 1800 U. S. census record for the household of Levi Drake (Lower Smithfield, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania) includes two females under age 10. Hannah may well be one of the two females recorded.
As per Michael's research, Jane (Drake) Lockard died 11 November 1869 and is buried in the Scotch-Irish Burial Ground in Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania. She was born 11 June 1811. Ephraim and Jane were married on 14 September 1830, and had six children. Euphema Lockard (1831-1914) married Elias Messinger; Joseph J. Lockard (b. ca. 1832) is found in 1880 in Washington, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania with a wife and children; Silas Lockard (b. ca. 1838, is also found in 1880 in Washington, PA, with a wife and children and his widowed father, Ephraim Lockard in the household; John Lockard (b. ca. 1839); Eleanora/Ellen, called Elewina (or Elemina) on the 1850 U. S. census was born, according to her death certificate, 12 January 1843; and Morris Lockard (b. ca. 1845). The Pennsylvania death certificate of Ellen Kunsman, names her parents as Ephraim Lockard and Jane Drake.
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| Ellen Kunsman, PA Death Cert., via Ancestry.com |
Thanks to Michael Messinger for identifying this previously unknown daughter of Levi Drake, and great-great-great granddaughter of Adam Brouwer. The family of Levi Drake will be revised when the BGD is next updated. Those interested in pursuing research on the descendants of Jane Drake should contact Michael Messinger directly.
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ReplyDelete"Lillian Drake Avery's seriously flawed." Back in the day there were no digitized records, little microfilmed, it was VERY hard work in early 1900's to do research, often relying on relatives for the information. She did travel, but it was page by page and little was organized at record repositories. However, these people learned genealogy methodology but didn't have the tools we have today. Researchers today have the tools, but seem to grasp at everything instead of genealogy methodology. :)
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