Discussion of children of Francis (3) and Mary (Lincoln) Yarnall

Items and contents
1. Some Land records provide evidence.
2. Records of the Lincoln family.
3. Birthdate of Rachel Yarnall.
4. The maiden name of Rachel Lincoln.
5. Some Penrose records.
6. The Heber Gearhart Papers.
7. Confirmation of birthdate of Mary Yarnall, daughter of Francis & Mary (Lincoln) Yarnall

Some Land Records provide evidence.
There has been much discussion as to the parents of Alice and Rachel Yarnall. I believe the Yarnall Geneology Book (A Partial Genealogy of the Name Yarnall-Yarnell, pub. 1970) is incorrect in listing them as children of Francis and Mary Morris, not only were Francis and Mary too old to be the parents, but both lived and died in Chester county and were members of the Quaker Meeting and they kept excellent records. I am sure they were the children of Francis Yarnall (born 1719)(third generation) and Mary Lincoln. Francis lived all his life on the frontier in Berks and Northumberland Counties and on at least two occassions was forced out of the area by Indian troubles. The genealogy book is correct in listing 7 children, however, I think there were at least 2 more children; Rachel, married to Isaac Penrose and Alice, married to Joseph McIntyre. (There may also have been a son Francis and another daughter Ellen). Listed below are the reasons I believe this.

1. The genealogy book is wrong as to Francis' (second generation) second wife being Mary Lincoln; prior to her marriage to David Morris her name was Mary Phillips daughter of Phillip Phillips.

2. The will of Francis Yarnall (second generation) only names one child from the second marriage, Mary (married to Joseph Thomas), even though his step children are named.

3. Alice McIntyre is listed in the settling of the estate of Jesse Yarnall, (son of Francis and Mary Lincoln Yarnall), who I believe was her brother.

4. Joseph McIntyre is listed in the Day book (survey book) of Mordacai Yarnall (1772) as having borrowed 35 pounds from him.

5. Isaac, Jesse, Peter Yarnall and William McIntyre (a son of Alice) all owned land joining each other in Center County, Pennsylvania.

6. Alice and Rachel (and Francis and Ellen) are listed as children of Francis and Mary Lincoln Yarnall in the Heber Gearhart papers.

7. Francis Yarnall's parents were Peter and Alice. Mary Lincoln's parents were Mordacai and Hannah. We know Francis & Mary had children named, Peter, Hannah and Mordacai. Quaker customs were to name children after the parents and grandparents.

8. Francis Yarnall lived at Yarnall's (now Taylorsville). Also living there were sons Peter, Isaac and Jesse. The boundary line for Northumberland County, when it was surveyed in 1772, was the Yarnall Path. This path went from Yarnalls to the Catawissa area. Living in the Catawissa area was Francis' son Mordacai and daughter Hannah (married to Ellis Hughes). Also living in the area were Alice and Joseph McIntyre and Rachal and Isaac Penrose.

9. Alice Yarnall was mentioned as to her helping the survivors of the Wyoming Massacre in 1778 as the Connecticut settlers came down the river from Wilkes Barre. I believe that Francis Yarnall and Ellis Hughes and Mordacai Yarnall were in the Catawissa area around this time surveying and finding good land for speculators and settlers.

Documents to prove the above are as follows:
1. Marriage certificate of Mary Phillips and David Morris.
2. Francis Yarnall Jr's. will.
3. Estate papers from Jesse Yarnall.
4. Day Book of Mordacai Yarnall.
5. Map of land of Wm. McIntrye and the Yarnall's in Center Co.
6. Heber Gearhart Papers from the Pa. Historical Society.
7. self explanatory.
8. Boundary line for Northumberland Co. PA and Ellis Hughes deed and Mordacai Yarnall's deed.
9. History of Catawissa, Pa and an agreement Ellis Hughes for selling land, and Mordacai Yarnall Day Book.

I agree! And to support your beliefs [and mine], I quote from "Jason & Martha Harmer Penrose, Their Ancestors, Descendants & Related families 1200-1982" by Evelyn Thompson Penrose ..... pg 70:
Isaac Penrose, son of Richard and Margaret Wright Penrose, was born 27 July 1757 in Maiden Creek township, Berks county, Pa; he died 15 May 1826 (or 3 Aug 1826) in Whitchurch township, York county, Home District, Upper Canada. Isaac's marriage about 1790 to Rachel Yarnall, born 28 Dec 17__, died 30 Aug 1836, was contrary to Friends' discipline and he was disowned at Exeter Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania. Isaac and Rachel moved to Catawissa township (now Roaring Creek), Northumberland County, Pa; both Isaac and his father were listed in that area in the 1790 census. Isaac was re-admitted to Exeter Monthly Meeting in 1796 and transferred his membership to Catawissa Monthly Meeting by certificate dated 31 May 1797 and presented 26 Aug 1797. His wife Rachel was received into membership at Catawissa Monthly Meeting 24 Mar 1797. Isaac took the oath of Alligiance in Canada 31 Dec 1805; and he and Rachel were received as members of the Yonge St Monthly Meeting 16 June 1808.

From the "History of the Lincoln Family" by Waldo Lincoln .... pg 50-51:
Mary [Lincoln], date of birth unknown; died after 1769; married in 1742, Francis3, son of Peter2 (Francis1) and Alice (Worrilow) Yarnall of Goshen, Pa., born Sept. 27, 1719; died after 1769 in which year he, being described as "yeoman of Reading, Pa.," with his wife Mary joined her brothers and sisters in a quit-claim deed to her half-brother Abraham. Francis Yarnall was a Quaker but his wife was not and complaint of his marriage "out of meeting" was made at Exeter Meeting 8 mo. 7th, 1742, and testimony was formally made against him 10mo. 30th of same year as follows: "Whereas Francis Yarnell, son to Peter Yarnall of Exeter, having but a short time past Requested of Friends to let him come under their care, which was granted him, but for want of being so Careful to mind the gift of God in himself as he ought to have done, he went to vain Pastimes, and took a wife of another Persuasion and took an oath before Magistrates; yet, notwithstanding what hath been acted by him, Friends care over him at several times hath been to bring him to a sense of his condition, but all seeming to work no contrition in him, therefore, for the Clearing of the Truth, and the Professors thereof, it is the sense and Judgment of this Meeting to give this as a Testimony against him for his disorderly proceedings, until he gives proof of his unfeigned Repentance; which in love of God we heartily desire for his soul's sake. "Signed on Behalf and by the Order of our Monthly Meeting held at Exeter the 30th of the 10th month 1742. (From records of Gilbert Cope, Westchester, Pa.)

They were certainly married before May 10, 1743, when Francis Yarnall "cordwainer" and Mary his wife of Amity joined William Tallman and Anne his wife, also of Amity, in a sale of 100 acres of land conveyed to Hannah and Mary Lincoln by their father. He probably united the trade of "cordwainer" with farming or perhaps abandoned the trade in the latter part of his life. The only occurrence of the name of Yarnall in the Berks County Probate Court is the granting of administration, March 10, 1781, on the estate of Mordecai Yarnall, late of Exeter township, Yeoman, deceased intestate, to Leah Yarnall, relict; surities: Francis Yarnall and Jesse Yarnall. It is quite probable these are the children of Francis and Mary (Lincoln) Yarnall. The recent discovery of a Lincoln family record at Lebanon, Ohio, which is printed in full under John Lincoln, adaa, has furnished positive evidence of two of the Yarnall children, the oldest and, probably, the youngest; and it seems safe to assume that Francis and Jesse, the sureties just named, were their brothers. (The Ancestry of Abraham Lincoln, pp. 72, 195.)

And from the same source on page 100-101:
"(From an old book in possession of Dr. I. L. Drake which belonged to his mother, on the cover of which is the name Rachel Lincoln Jan. 29, 1807.)

I did contact both the Genealogy and Historical Societies in Warren Co. Ohio hoping to find a copy of the above mentioned memorandum, but was not successful in finding it, nor any copy of it.

I believe that there was indeed a record of the children of Francis and Mary (Lincoln) Yarnall, and that record was in Ohio and may have been unknown of in Pennsylvania. As Eveleyn Penrose was also from Ohio, I suspect that she was aware of that record.

Regards, Eileen Stahl, 2/15/2000

Rachel Yarnall's date of birth is very important and personally I can only go by what has been written by others, previously. That is until or **if** someone can find birth records for this Yarnall family.

"Isaac's marriage about 1790 to Rachel Yarnall, born 28 Dec 17__, died 30 Aug 1836, was contrary to Friends' discipline ..." This is what was written in the Penrose book. The year it seems may have already been in question, or possibly was not clear enough for Evelyn Penrose to put the year in her book. When I asked Jim Eakins what source he got the year of 1759 from, he did not supply me with a source, although he said he thought it was the Lincoln genealogy. I now have the Lincoln genealogy, by Waldo Lincoln, and as mentioned, it does say that the children of Francis Yarnall and Mary Lincoln were on a page in the memorandum found in Ohio, and copied by Josiah Morrow. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find that memorandum, but I wonder if Evelyn Penrose found it.

I am taking another road with this, and hope to find out if the Quaker cemetery where Rachel is buried gives her age, or date of birth. More on that once I know more.

The papers in the Heber Gearhart collection say "Rachel, b. ab. 1759". Putting these two together would yield a birthdate of Dec 28, 1759. I suspect this may have been how Jim Eakins arrived at the date that he supplied to me.

Or possibly, since it's so close to 1759, the actual birthdate for Rachel was Dec 28, 1758 (just three days before 1759 began). This is actually a good possibility. Keeping in mind that Isaac Penrose was born 27, 7m, 1757. Isaac's sister Hannah b. 26, 1m, 1759 married Jesse Yarnell, Rachel's brother b. abt 1750 [actual dob 02-02-1749/50-as per data from Karen Mullian]. And Isaac and Rachel's last child was born 1807, this would put her at the age of 49 at at the time of his birth. Not unusual in those days.

According to Waldo Lincoln's "The Lincoln Family":
John Lincoln b. 15 July 1755, Camaruon, Berks Co.PA
He was the son of John Lincoln (b. 3 May 1716, Freehold NJ) and his wife Rebecca (Flowers) Morris.
John Lincoln, son of John & Rebecca wed 27 June 1782, Mary Yarnall
Mary was born 9 April 1760 PA. <- See Mary's tombstone for a different birthdate.

Burke's "American Presidential Families" gives only Rebecca Flowers as John Lincoln, b. 1716's wife; stating that she was the daughter of Enoch and Rebecca (Barnard) Flowers.

Again from Waldo Lincoln's book: John Lincoln married, July 5, 1743, O.S., probably in Berks county, Pa., Mrs Rebecca (Flowers) Morris, daughter of Enoch and Rebecca Flowers, born March 30, 1720, O.S.; died July 20, 1806, probably at Linville's Creek, Va. She was widow of James Morris, by whom she had a son, Jonathan Morris, born Oct. 3, 1739. This previous marriage is the part that Burke's "American Presidential Families" leaves out.

In my search for documentation to prove Rachel's parentage, I have read the Catawissa Penn. Monthly Meeting records, and the Exeter Monthly Meeting records. This is what I found:

Francis Yarnall disowned for marrying out, and for taking an oath, 1742 (his wife is not named, however photocopies I received from Berks Co. Historical Society of Quaker records extractions that were compiled by John E. Eshelman, show her to be Mary Lincoln d/o Mordecai and Hannah (Saltar) Lincoln).

1790, reported from Maiden Creek, Isaac Penrose son of Richard Penrose reported to have married out and by the assistance of a magistrate.
1791, Isaac Penrose is disowned because of his marriage (the photocopies from Berks Co. Historical Society mentioned above show Isaac's wife as "(Rachel Yarnall?) :.

1797, Isaac Penrose offers acknowledgement of his marrying out, and is again taken under the care of the society
1797, Isaac Penrose requests of certificate to Catawissa
1797, Isaac Penrose is received at Catawissa Monthly Meeting on the certificate from Exeter.
1797, Rachel Penrose wife of Isaac requests to be joined in membership.
1798, Rachel Penrose accepted as member.
1798, Isaac and Rachel Penrose request that their four minor children, Mary, Y____ (the rest is unreadable , but this would be Yarnal), Joseph and Martha, be taken under the care of Friends.

Also in these records, 1799, Rachel Penrose requests that her two minor children Peter and Deborah be taken into membership. These are not the children of Isaac Penrose, as the removal certificate does not list them as children of Isaac and Rachel.

1806, Isaac and Rachel Penrose received a certificate recommending them and their six minor children: Mary, Yarnal, Joseph, Martha, Margaret and Isaac, to Pelham Monthly Meeting in Upper Canada.

The Yarnall History ( A Partial Genealogy of the Name Yarnall-Yarnell, pub. 1970) does not show Rachel, wife of Isaac Penrose, as a child of Francis Yarnall and Mary Lincoln, therefore my attempt to prove her parentage.

From the Heber G. Gearhart Collection, The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. Collected from: Herbert C. Bell, ed. History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania,..., publ. Brown, Lusk & Co., Chicago, Ill. 1891. PG 7 - Yarnall Family

Tombstone for Mary (Yarnall) Lincoln.
Mary (Yarnall) Lincoln [daughter of Francis and Mary (Lincoln) Yarnall] was buried in the Pioneer Baptist Cemetery, at Lebanon, Warren Co., Ohio. A photo of her headstone can be seen at the Yarnell-Yarnall Photo Gallery . The inscription on her headstone, although hard to read on the photo, is quoted in "History of the Lincoln Family 1932" by Waldo Lincoln. It reads line for line (each line is centered on the stone):