Facts and Fables
Back in 2014 I become acquainted with two very distant ‘cousins’. Both named Catherine, but one spelled with a “C” whom I’ve dubbed ‘Cee’ and the other with a “K”, who has become ‘Kay’. One lives in OKLA and one in TX. About a year later, we connected with Cousins SueBee and Deb. All are family genealogists like myself. All are ENGLE descendants, as am I.
Cee – Kay – Deb & I [aka JMB], descend from three brothers, William – Isaac – Levi Engle, sons of Levi Engle and his wife Nancy. Levi and Nancy are the earliest known Engle in our lineage.
Levi left his home state of PA and migrated to Hampshire Co., VA [WV]. It is not known if he was married to Nancy before or after entering Hampshire Co., VA. Their children were born there between 1786 -1808.
A land map of Harrison Co., OH dated 1805 shows Levi Engle with ¼ Section #35 [NE corner].
Tax Lists in Harrison Co., OH indicate Levi’s presence in Nottingham & Freeport Townships in 1819; also Archer Township between March 1818 & March 1819, a Land Transfer from Daniel David to Levi Engle.
Levi Engle’s Death
Levi’s death occurred in late 1819 or early 1820. We have a copy of the Letter of Administration to Nancy & son-n-law, Caleb Parry during the July 1820 session. This is followed 1 August 1820 with Estate Sale inventory and on 25 August 1820 the list of Estate Sales.
After his death and dispersal of his estate, Nancy apparently went to reside with her daughter Rebecca’s family in Tuscarawas Co., OH – the household of Caleb Parry [co-administrator to Levi’s estate] The 1820 Census record has an older white female residing in this household of Caleb & Rebecca [Engle] Parry. The older lady is likely our Nancy Engle, widow of Levi Engle. There is also one female slave listed, aged 14 to 25.
By the 1830 Census, Nancy Engle is no longer in the family of Caleb Parry. The Parry family is enumerated in the township of Bohman, Tuscarawas Co., OH, but the older woman and the female slave are no longer in the household.
By 1830, most of Levi’s children had migrated to Sangamon Co., IL. Daughters, Margaret [Mrs. Thos. J. Powell] & Rebecca [Mrs. Caleb Parry] would arrive in time for the 1840 census of Fulton Co., IL. Also, on the 1840 census of Fulton Co., IL is Eleanor [Engle] Mrs. Jacob Fosset and next to her family is her brother, Isaac Engle & family.
As for Nancy Engle, widow of Levi Engle, we haven’t seen her on the 1830 census, but have the following quote to confirm her location circa 1833. “
History of Menard/Mason Cos. states that William Engle came to IL. in 1823….his mother, a widow, came about 10 yrs after her son. “She was a genuine pioneer lady, large & stout almost as a man, kind & benevolent to all, and a great nurse and friend in cases of sickness.”
We have documented Levi Engle and his family up to circa 1840, with few exceptions and many unknowns.
I’d like to explain how and why this website ‘englegenealogy.com’ was developed.
In the Spring of 2015, an email arrived from an ENGLE researcher who announced a remarkable addition to the family branches……
“Nancy, wife of Levi Engle [1757-1819] now has a maiden name and place in history!” Heretofore our Nancy was either just plain ‘Nancy’ or, on occasion, ‘Nancy Ann’. But, without a hint of a maiden name. “She is NANCY BURR, daughter of Col. Aaron Burr, Jr. – V.P. of USA and killer of Mr. Hamilton”. Ta-dah…….bells and whistles clanging and chiming…..Really?
For several years I had noticed researchers on Ancestry.com mentioning the name ‘BURR’, with more and more accepting this knowledge and including it in their Family Trees on line. No sourcing or data to offer proof existed.
I did a quick research which proved that Col. Burr was only a few years older than our Nancy [not old enough to be her father] and his bio had referenced only one lovely, refined daughter who died early. I even considered Aaron Burr, Sr. [Co. Burr’s father], but no, he died a few years before our Nancy was born.
I chose to ignore the growing group of researchers flocking to the BURR theory. But, ignore no more! This fable is getting out of hand and beginning to sound like a proven fact. It is becoming an entrenched, taken for granted, bit of data that will lead new researchers down a pink, fuzzy path.
I posted a comment on each and every family tree which supported this Burr creation. None responded with sourcing or documentation for the addition of BURR, except one lady in OKLA now named ‘Cee’ and a bona fide ENGLE cousin. We exchanged emails and discussed our material and Cee suggested another researcher which she knew of, Kay in TX…..the three of us discovered our mutual heritage and links to three of the brothers Isaac, Wm. & Levi Engle. “WE THREE” were born. Later, we connected with Cousins Deb Hoover Rasch, a lifelong Engle researcher and SueBee in search of her elusive Michael Engle. (Please see our individual bios for more information on our areas of interest). We are now the FIVE SPECTACULAR COUSINS….at least we think so!
We have been collaborating on sources, facts & fables. Cee is a powerful researcher. Kay has introduced bits of wisdom and logic when we get too exuberant & start frothing at the mouths…we have documented dates, confirmed names, to pin-pointed locations for our Engles’ whereabouts and affiliations prior to the exodus to Illinois. We have confirmed the timeline which eliminates the AARON BURR connection. There is still no mention of Nancy’s surname to date. One respected researcher has offered the suggestion that Nancy was an Alkire [in Hampshire Co., VA]. There is no proof to validate this option, but it lingers in the recesses of the mind. Engle, Powell & Alkire are closely entwined.
Welcome to our website, englegenealogy.com.
Cousin JMB
