A Glass Family Archive

Mike Cavenaugh's research has indicated our Glass lineage goes back to a John Philip Glass, who was born about 1712. He and his wife Anna Maria arrived in Philadelphia in 1732. Soon thereafter, they discovered a beautiful place in the Appalachian mountains of western Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley. They settled there in a new community called Opequon, (being at that time in Orange County but which is now called Frederick County). However, having raised their children there, they packed up the whole family and moved to what is now called Guilford County, North Carolina. Their land in Virginia was sold in 1763 and his will was dated 17 Feb 1773 in Guilford County. All his children married into German speaking families. Some connection seems likely, since they had arrived in Philadelphia on a boat filled with German emmigrants, .
Christian Glass, son of John Philip and Anna Maria Glass, and his wife, Philipena (surname unknown) had but one known child, GEORGE GLASS. Christian's will, being proved/probated in February of 1772 in Guilford County, NC named only his wife and George. Since George was old enough to inherit land, he must have been at least sixteen at the time. Much more work must be done to obtain more specific dates. Over time the Glass Clan began to spread across the land. One, a grandson and namesake of the original John Philip Glass, moved to Wilkes County, NC in or about the year 1800. As an interesting point aside ( I certainly do not mean to implicate in any way anyone in our family, for hopefully there is no connection), however, Wilkes County became well known for it's illegal 'White Lightning' whiskey stills and 'rum-running' during the "Prohibition Era" of the 1920's and 1930's.