JOHN VALENTINE WAYMIRE
Born Johan Voltine Weymeyer about 1697 in Germany. His wife's name
is unknown. He had a least three children: John Rudolph Waymire and two
daughters.
John Valentine and his son, one of the bodyguards for Frederick William
I, both joined the Quaker movement and became more and more outspoken
against military actions. After his son was jailed twice for publicly speaking
out, they decided to take their families and go to AMERICA. In the summer
of 1753, the 56 year old John Valentine left Germany forever. He took his wife
and 2 daughters, his 28 year old son John Rudolph, his daughter-in-law and
two grandchildren. They all left on The Leathley out of Hamburg.
On the 3 month ocean journey, his wife became ill and died. She was
buried at sea.
When the remaining family docked at Philadelphia in September, his
two daughters were somehow separated from them in the crowds. Although he
looked and looked, he never saw his daughters again or had any explanation
what had happened to them. It's as if they vanished out of sight.
He stayed in Pennsylvania and began farming. After only 4 years, John
Valentine died at the age of 60. His decision to leave his homeland, the terrible
voyage and the loss of his wife and daughters had taken its toll on his spirit.
The trunk that John Valentine brought with him across the ocean in 1753
still exists. It was handed down through the generations and for a time was
exhibited in the Richmond, Indiana library. One of his grandsons stored it
away in his attic, where it stayed for several years. After the grandson died in
1909, the house was sold and new owners moved in the house. They found the
old trunk in the attic but did not know its history, so they stored it in the
hayloft of the horse stable. In 1921 its history was discovered and the owners
gave it back to the Waymire family. The trunk was still covered with the
original animal hide, and the hinges and straps made of rawhide, were still
usable!
In 1925 Dr. William M. Reser. John Valentine's great-great grandson,
wrote the Waymire Family History and published it in LaFayette,Indiana. At
that time, Dr. Reser owned the trunk and an original wedding photo of his
parents from 1857.
A special THANKS goes to Margo McBride a descendant through her great-great-great-great grandmother Eleanore Malinda Waymire who married Jacob Fouts. Margo wrote the above biography from her Genealogy research, and sent me a copy. Research: *Broderbund Family Archive #17, Ed 1, Birth Records: United/Europe, Birth Records, CD #100, AAI Birth Records Extraction for Waymire/Weymeyer,Voltaine, Birth date: Abt 1697, place: Germany.
to Genealogy
GEOCITIES
Get Your FREE Home Page