Freeman or Indentured Servants

We had a very nice, if short visit with David Armstrong in Elkins, WV in October of 1997. He presented us with an idea, a query and a challenge.

Some background is in order. David reminded us that passengers to America at the time of our Flesher ancestors either had enough money to pay their way or their fare was paid by someone else and they had to work for a period of time, usually seven years, for that individual or organization. We find mention of many situations in which someone transported someone else and someone was bound to someone else. We think this means one pays the passage of another who then is bound to serve the payer of his passage for a period of time or he may be serving someone else if business was transacted between two persons, such as a shipper and a land owner.

Our ancestors arrived on the ship Phoenix on 2 Nov 1752 in Philadelphia, PA. Up until now the next record we have found of them is in 1765 in Pendleton County, VA (now WV). Peter bought 200 acres from Thomas Parsons at that time. Thirteen years had elapsed after arriving in America. This allowed enough time to work for someone else for seven years to work off his passage. Peter Fleischer was naturalized in 1770 in Augusta County, VA, so that gave no further clue to what happened during that thirteen years from 1752 to 1765.

David Armstrong had some reason for believing that possibly there is a record of the presence of our ancestors (Henry and Peter) near West Gap in what is now Rockingham County, VA in a time frame that would greatly reduce this thirteen year interval. If we could find a proof that they were buying land before a period of seven years elapsed, then they were not indentured servants to pay for their passage to America. This would be a great find. This was the challenge David Armstrong presented to us.

We subsequently visited the family of John and Nellie Fleisher in Harrisonburg, VA and stayed overnight with their son Bill Fleisher. The next morning we researched in the Rockingham County Court House in Harrisonburg We found references to a man named Thomas West for whom West Gap was named, but the records in this court house only go back to 1761. With the help of Nellie Fleisher we went on south to Staunton (pronounced Stanton) VA to the Augusta County Court House. They have older records here than in Rockingham County. But, alas, the book we needed with deeds before 1760 was out being laminated. This seemed like a bad break. It would be six weeks before the book would be available again. While we were there, we decided to try the land surveys. Bingo. On page 84 of Book I of the Surveyor's Record covering the period of 1744 through 1762, we found a survey of lend near West Gap for Peter Flesher for twenty acres dated 1755. The entry says

"Surveyed for Peter Flefher 20 acres of Land Lying on the waters of Shanando in Wests Gap. This 29th March 1755
Burr Harrison afs
Tho" Lewis sae"

This is not a proof of purchase, but it does indicate that he was in the area described and was independent: that is, not a servant of someone else, and he was in the process of attempting to buy property. This means our ancestors were well to do enough to buy their own tickets and did not have to serve someone else for seven years.

We cannot find West Gap by exploring or on any current map. We tried current road maps end Geological Survey maps. We could not find a national forest map. The northeastern corner of Rockingham County, VA, where David thinks West Gap should be, is part of the George Washington National Forest. Sometimes the forest service maps will name something that has been known by another name for a long time. This information is a great find! It puts a whole new light on how we may look at our Flesher ancestors and their daily operations or activities.