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Abraham Piatt and Annabelle Andrew

Abraham Piatt was born c1741 (or 1745) in Six Mile Run, Middlesex County, New Jersey, to John and Frances Van Vliet Piatt and died November 13, 1791, Penn's Valley, (possibly Watsontown), Haines Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, [now Centre County]. He married c1769 (probably in New Jersey) to Annabelle Andrew who was the daughter of James Andrew and Catherine Livingston. Annabelle was born c1748 in New Jersey and died April 16, 1822, in Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, where she is buried.

The known children of Abraham and Annabelle Piatt:

The youngest 7 children above (excluding William whose record is not with the others) were baptised at Six Mile Run Church in New Jersey. The baptismal records were printed in the Somerset Co Historical Quarterly, Volume 8, reprinted in 1989 from the 1919 issue.

I seem to find Abraham along with his brother, John Piatt and John's son, John Piatt Jr on the 1790 census of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, as follows:

To me, this seems to be Abraham (over 16) with sons, Jacob (under 16), Abraham (under 16), John (under 16), and James (under 16) along with his wife (female) and daughters, Catherine (female), Frances (female), Elizabeth (female), Margaret (female), Jane (female), Eleanor (female) and Annabelle (female). This would account for all of Abraham's known family if his son William who died young had already died by this time.

Abraham Piatt served in the Revolutionary War as a Quartermaster from Somerset County, New Jersey, a Captain of the 2nd Regiment of Middlesex County New Jersey Militia, Colonel Neilson's Regiment, on duty at Cranbury, New Jersey, 1 Feb 1777 to 2 Apr 1777, and later, in 1778, as a Captain in the 5th Batallion, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Militia, John Kelly, Colonel. He moved from New Jersey to Penn's Valley, Pennsylvania and settled on land obtained in exchange for doing some surveying jobs. He was Judge of the Courts of Northumberland County in 1786.

Abraham died in 1791 and all his family removed to Ohio where Annabelle died in Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio. James Piatt was but a small boy when his father died. An "Abstract of Wills and Administrations of Northumberland County" erred in giving the surname as PRATT. Abraham's brother, John Piatt, who married first Jane Williamson and second Elizabeth Young Bear was in White Deer Valley, Northumberland/Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

Abraham's estate administration (died intestate) was found in the Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, courthouse and was abstracted by Marti (Baldwin) Swanson:
(1) 4 Jan 1792 - a brief statement where Anna Piatt renounced her widow's right to administer the estate;
(2) 12 Jan 1792 - estate inventory (cover and 3 legal size pages. MBS)
(3) 25 Aug 1795 - payments made on behalf of the estate (incongruously including a Carlisle newspaper subscription--how DID they deliver it to him? MBS) and the distribution of the residue (cover and 4 legal size pages. MBS):
to Anna, widow (246, 17, 7); to Jacob, the eldest son - 82, 5, 10-4/12 to Abraham 41, 2, 11-2/12; to John 41, 2, 11-2/12; to James 41, 2, 11-2/12; to Catharine 41, 2, 11-2/12; to Fanny 41, 2, 11-2/12; to Elizabeth 41, 2, 11-2/12; to Margaret 41, 2, 11-2/12; to Jane 41, 2, 11-2/12; to Eleanor 41, 2, 11-2/12; to Anna 41, 2, 11-2/12
(4) Orphan's Court papers: (a) 23 Aug 1796, p 63 - appoint John Hall guardian of the persons and estates of the minor children under the age of fourteen = Jane, Eleanor, John, Anna, and James (These appear to be in birth order, in contrast to the listing in #3. MBS) (b) 23 Jan 1797, p 79-82 - petition of-- Jacob Piatt, the eldest son; James Andre & wife Catherine; James Watson & wife Fanny [This must be Frances. MBS]; Betsy Piatt (later usually spelled "Betsey". MBS) [This is Elizabeth. MBS]; and James Hall, guardian of Jane, Elinor [sic], John, Anna, and James Piatt -- stating that "Abraham Piatt died intestate previous to the passing of the Act of Assembly lately made for the distribution of Intestate Estates passed on the 19th day of April 1794, leaving a widow named Anna, yet alive and eleven children to wit Jacob is eldest son --- Catherine intermarried with the said James Andre, Fanny intermarried with the said James Watson, Betsey Piatt the petitioners aforesaid of full age Abraham and Margaret Piatt the petitioners aforesaid minors above the age of fourteen years, and the said Jane Piatt, Eleanor Piatt, John Piatt, Anna Piatt and James Piatt minors under the age of fourteen years. . . ." (p 79) - that Abraham died having land in Haines Twp consisting of a 250 acre tract and also a 70 acre tract from the estate of George Riddle (=???) - asking the court to divide or appraise the land; the court therefore ordering the sheriff and 12 "good and lawfull men" to divide the land into 3 parts, one for the widow, the remaining 2/3 to be divided into 12 parts with Jacob getting 2 of those 12 and the other kids 1/12 of the 2/3 each. The kids are then named again, with Elizabeth being "Betsy" this time. All this is "Provided the lands aforesaid can be divided to and amongst the Heirs aforesaid without injury to and spoiling the whole thereof. But if the same lands cannot be so divided without spoilation as aforesaid, then command is given to the sheriff aforesaid that he cause the Inquest aforesaid upon their oaths and affirmations to value and appraise the same to a just and reasonable price according to the form force and Effect of the Act of Assembly in such case made and provided." (pp 81-82). (c) 25 April 1797, p 92 - The sheriff returned the writ of partition or appraisement of AP's lands with recommendation to amend the court's order. (d) 27 Aug 1797, pp 105-07 - determination that the lands couldn't be divided without injury to the whole; appraised value was 1250 pounds and seventeen pounds, ten shillings for each tract. Therefore, the four children who had reached their majority (again being named, with "Betsey" being used this time. MBS) AND "their Heirs and Assigns" were awarded the lands as tenants in common, provided they paid the other heirs the value of what might have been due them had they been old enough (this is a guess as to the intent. MBS). Pages 106-07 again name the children in birth order; it's "Betsey" again, twice. "And the Court direct[s] the said Jacob Piatt, James Andre, James Watson and Betsey Piatt to pay to the other Heirs their respective shares aforesaid in this manner. . . " (p 107). The order also required them to pay the widow Anna annually.

Source:

Updated Jun 2005

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