This article discusses the maternity of Cornelius Bogard who lived m Hardy and Randolph Counties of West Virginia and died in 1800 in Ross County, Ohio. The subject of Cornelius' maternity is an area of disagreement among many Bogard researchers Some believe that Cornelius is the son of his father's first spouse and others the son of his second.
It is a fact that there is a baptismal record that states that one Cornelius Bogard was baptized in 1723 the son of Gysbert Bogard and Catrina Decker. It is also a fact that Gysbert Bogard married second to a widow woman named Elizabeth Petty.
The path of Gysbert Bogard to Hardy County is not at all certain. It is thought that he was born in New York and then moved into Hampshire County (now Hardy County) in the 1740's. There could be evidence that he might have lived in New Jersey or Pennsylvania before coming to West Virginia, but the fact is that he moved to West Virginia, and that be died there m 1778. Did his spouse come with him? Or did she die in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or on the journey? We do not know. The fact is that Gysbert was in West Virginia and so were his children
Gysbert's second spouse was Elizabeth Petty. As stated earlier she was widowed, and her spouse was Mr. Petty. The question here is where did this husband die? We know they were Pennsylvanians. Did he die in Pennsylvania, in West Virginia, or on the journey? We do not know. It would be nice to know where Mr. Petty and Mrs. Bogard died. It is my "two cent" theory that both Gysbert and Elizabeth came to West Virginia as married people and their spouses died after arriving in West Virginia, but that does not matter as this moment. The question is who is the mother of Cornelius Bogard, Catrina Decker or Elizabeth Petty.? This article will answer that question.
Gysbert had two sons, Ezekiel and Cornelius. Ezekiel Bogard settled in Franklin County, Ohio. He died there in 1807 Ezekiel's brother, the subject of this article, settled in Ross County, Ohio. Cornelius died a few years before his brother arrived in the state. Their homes were 30 minutes apart by today's highways and vehicles.
It is my opinion and that of David Armstrong of Elkins, West Virginia that Gysbert Bogard had four sons, two by Catrina Decker mad two by Elizabeth Petty. We believe that the two sons by Catrina Decker, named Cornelius and Ezekiel, died young, maybe at the same time as their mother, Catrina. Gysbert named his second two sons after his first two deceased sons. These are the sons that we know as Cornelius and Ezekiel mentioned in many records of West Virginia and Ohio. The reasons that we believe this to be true will follow in this article.
David did research into the naming of children of many Dutch families. It is not uncommon to name children after deceased siblings. I have personally run across these many times in my twenty plus years of genealogical research. David found two separate accounts of this in the Bogard family. The following is an abstract from a letter to me from David Armstrong dated July 17, 1996:
Enclosed find family group sheets on two Bogards, one on Jacob Bogard who married Nelly Kuykendall, brother of our Gysbert, and one on another Gysbert Bogard, this one of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, a very distant cousin if a relative at all. I fell into this Gysbert Bogard of Bucks County when I was poking around looking for Pettys, or for a Gysbert and Elizabeth Bogard in Pennsylvania about when we think ours was there. This Gysbert is definitely a different guy, his baptisms and will are cited on the sheet, but it is the children on both the Jacob and Bucks County Gysbert group sheets that are important to his mystery. Look at them carefully Do you see what I see? Jacob Bogard named two daughters Sara. This sheet is from my research in the published baptisms as cited. And look at the Bucks County Gysbert sheet, He named two daughters Maritje and two daughters Sara, in the same order. My first thought was do we have the same or two different Gysbert Bogards? But his will mentions son John A by the first wife Marritje etc..... So we have good, solid evidence of another Bogard naming kids after their own apparently deceased siblings.
And when compared to the wording of the will of Hampshire County Gysbert this sheet takes on added importance. Hampshire County Gysbert said that his eldest son was Cornelius and his youngest son was Ezekiel. This matches the birth order in the 1723 and 1738 baptisms in New York for the sons of Gysbert and Catrina Decker Bogard. But it does not necessarily mean the sons in 1776 (will of Gysbert) are the same sons from 1723 and 1738. What if Bucks County Gysbert had referred in his will to "my eldest daughter Marritje and her younger sister Sara?" He didn't, but if he had he would have been talking about two daughters who had older deceased siblings of the same name and birth order. So the sons mentioned in the will of Gysbert Bogart in Hampshire County, could be the sons of the same Gysbert who had sons of those names born 1723 and 1738, but still not be the same sons. This whole thing makes perfect sense in my mind, but am I getting it down intelligently on paper?
In the Court records of Hampshire County, West Virginia, Elizabeth (Petty) Bogard mentions 100 acres that belonged to her by will in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. In further searches two powers of attorney statements are found in the records of Randolph County, WV. These powers of attorney documents are back to back in the records. The first one is written by Cornelius Bogard, giving John Petty power of attorney, to act on land for him in Pennsylvania. The second is written by Cornelius Bogard as power of attorney for Ebenezer Petty to give power of attorney to John Petty to act on land in Pennsylvania. The documents read as follows:
Cornelius Bogard to } Know all men by this Presents that
John Petty } I Cornelius Bogard of the County of Ran-
Power of Attorney } dolph and Commonwealth of Virginia have
for divers causes me hereunto moving Con-
stitute appoint and confirmed John Petty of the County of (sic) and State of Pennsylvania my true and Lawful attorney to Act and do for me and in my Name and behalf in all cases and actions either in Law or equity so for as may be necessary for the obtaining my part and proportion of a certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in the County of and State of Pennsylvania late the estate of Elizabeth Bogard deceased Demised to her by the late Will and Testament of (sic) and now deceased in equal parcenary to the aforesaid John
Petty and Joseph Petty and Ebenezer Petty my half Brothers and Sons of the said Elizabeth Bogard and to me Cornelius Bogard and Ezekiel Bogard my Brother and further to sell Transfer aline enfeoff and convey unto my purchaser my said part and proportion of the aforesaid Tract or parcel of Land and also further to Constitute and appoint one more attorney to act and do for him and me in all cases causes and actions either in Law or equity touching or in anywise concerning the premises and I the said Cornelius Bogard do by Virtue of the presents Ratify and confirm whatsoever my said Attorney or Attorneys may or will act or do at any time and at all times conducting with and according to the Powers hereby invested in him or them as fully effectually and intirely as that I was actually and personally present in the Execution of the same actions and doings and in Witness of the premises I have hereunto set my hand and seal
this 22nd Day of January 1790.
Cornelius Bogard SEAL
Ebenezer Petty to } KNOW all men by these present that I
John Petty } Ebenezer Petty of the County of Bourbon &
Power of Attorney } Commonwealth of Virginia have for divers
causes me hereunto moving Constitutes ap-
points and confirmed and by these presents doth Constitute appoint and confirm John Petty of the County of (sic) and, State of Pennsylvania my true and Lawful attorney to act and do for me in my Name and behalf in all cases causes and actions there in Law or Equity so far as may be necessary for the obtaining my part and proportion of a certain Tract or parcel of land lying and being in the County of (sic) and State of Pennsylvania late the property of Elizabeth
Bogard deceased demised to her by the late Will and Testament of (sic) and now deceased in equal percenary to the aforesaid John Petty, Joseph Petty, and me Ebenezer Petty Brothers and Cornelius Bogard and Ezekiel Bogard half brothers and Sons of the said Elizabeth Bogard and further to sell transfer aline enfoff and convey unto any purchaser my said part and proportion of the aforesaid Tract or parcel of land and also further to constitute and appoint one more attorney to act and do for him and me in all cases causes and actions either in Law or equity touching or in anywise concerning the premises and I the said Ebenezer Petty do by virtue of these present Ratify and confirm whatsoever my said Attorney or Attorneys may or will act or do at any time and at all times conferring with and according to the Powers hereby invested in him or them as fully effectually and intirely at the I was actually and personally present in the Execution of the same actions and doings and in Witness of the premises I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 22nd Day of February 1790.
Cornelius Bogard attorney in fact for Ebenezer Petty SEAL
Signed Sealed and acknowledged }
in open Court }
Teste John Wilson, Clerk
Cornelius Bogard gives a power of attorney (Randolph County, WV power of attorney book 1) to his "half brother" John Petty on Feb. 22, 1790. In his power of attorney it states "the Estate of Elizabeth Bogard deceased demised to her by the late will and testament of (sic) and now deceased in equal parcenary to the aforesaid John Petty and Joseph Petty and Ebenezer Petty my half Brothers and sons of Elizabeth Bogard and to me Cornelius Bogard and Ezekiel Bogard my Brother and further sell transfer aline entooff and convey unto any purchaser my said part and proportion of the aforesaid tract or parcel of land…" The other power of attorney of Ebenezer to his brother John Petty is a similar document and almost exact. In fact, it was written by Cornelius Bogard as an attorney in fact for Ebenezer. Ebenezer must have given his half-brother Cornelius a power of attorney to write a power of attorney for him. He (Cornelius, power of attorney for Ebenezer) states that John Petty, Joseph Petty, and me Ebenezer Petty brothers and Cornelius Bogard and Ezekiel Bogard are half-brothers and sons of the said Elizabeth Bogard. Some say that Cornelius made a mistake and recorded half-brother instead of stepbrother when talking about the relationship of himself to John, Joseph and Ebenezer Petty. And that Cornelius made another mistake when they said Elizabeth Bogard was their mother instead of stepmother. I do not believe this to be true and that Cornelius was simply giving his half brother authority to do what needed to be done to the Pennsylvania lands that his mother inherited.
There is a will of an Owen Jones in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania recorded in Will book H page 470, that mentions Elizabeth Petty. This is the only Elizabeth Petty in the abstracted index of the Philadelphia wills. The following is the abstract of this will that I found in the Abstracts of Philadelphia County (Pennsylvania) Wills, page 212, in the Ft. Wayne Public Library, Ft. Wayne. Indiana:
Jones, Owen. Merion, Philadelphia County, Tanner, Jan 16, 1747/8. Jan. 28, 1947 H. 470. Exec. wife Ann and Mary Meredith. Daughters in law: Mary Meredith, Margaret Casilbury, Pisillow Howell, Abigail Davis, and Elizabeth Petty. Beneficiary: Thomas Thomas (servant). Trustees: Stephen Evans and Henry Pawling. Witnesses: John Calahan (his mark), Eve Beinor (her mark).
This Owen Jones owned 100 acres in Merion Township of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Petty mentions having and interest in 100 acres in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Also, there happens to be a John Petty owing 500 acres in White Marsh township, which borders Merion Township to the East.
David Armstrong continues in his letter of July 17, 1997. It should not be assumed that the presence of the power of attorney documents in the debate is the only problem with the maternity of Cornelius Bogard of Randolph County. In fact there are multiple problems with assuming that Randolph County Cornelius is born in 1723 and a son of Catrina Decker. To begin with, if we assume that Randolph County Cornelius is that old we must assume.....
That would be a remarkable series of assumptions! No, it is clear to me that Randolph County Cornelius (there is only one here according to the tax lists) was a younger man born about 1750 to Elizabeth Petty, and married Sarah about 1770.
The author of this history believes that Elizabeth Petty and Gysbert Bogard had children. I believe that they had at least two sons. These are the sons that Gysbert mentioned in his will, Cornelius and Ezekiel, the youngest. This is also the belief of several other Bogard researchers including David Armstrong of Elkins, WV. We have collected much data on this family. We believe with the available information we have collected from this time we must make a conclusion. The mother of Cornelius Bogard, sheriff of Randolph County, who fled to Ross County, Ohio in the late 1790's and died there in 1800 was Elizabeth Petty, spouse of Gysbert Bogard.
I [Rick Brown] welcome all correspondence on this matter, but please do not send me any copies of published histories, pedigrees, or group sheets that contradict this as I have seen them. I would however welcome any new, original evidence that disproves any of this.
The Allegheny Regional Family History Society
Comments regarding this page to: Deborah Johnson.