Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Family Stories & Legends II

BALLINGER: Josiah Ballinger, Sr. was a pioneering Quaker. His parents, Henry Ballinger, Sr. and Mary Wright settled in Burlington Co., NJ. Josiah moved his family to the Monocacy Valley in present-day Frederick Co., Maryland in 1725. Quaker monthly meetings were held at Ballinger's home until a new meeting house could be built. The Ballingers were on the move again by 1736. This time they moved to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Josiah settled along Apple Pie Ridge north of Winchester [formerly Fredericktown]. He was instrumental in helping to establish the Hopewell Monthly Meeting. Josiah died in 1748. In 1755, the 44th and 48th British regiments camped on the Ballinger property. On 6 August 1755, surviving members of General Braddock's command also camped there. It was noted that the "two old maid Quakers" who lived there did a good job of caring for the troops. Josiah's daughter, Sarah, married Evan Rogers. The Rogers clan helped pioneer the Back Creek Valley of Frederick Co., Virginia.

Note: The Ballinger family still requires some research, at least Josiah's wife does. For some years it was believed that MaryWright Ballinger's mother was Mary Davis. An article by Stewart Baldwin in the April 2000 issue of the American Genealogist disputed this, providing evidence that it was Mary Bowater who was Mary Wright's mother. Supporters of the Davis theory have challenged Baldwin's findings.

Can you say SLIG Problem Solving project? :)-

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