The Israel Thomas Family -- No. I-2

New Year's Resolution #1 for 2012 - Utilize this blog more! One of the things I am going to do is label the generations of the family lines. Israel's line will start with an I, and as such, Israel himself would be I-1. This generation would be I-2, and I'm thinking that I may just label them with the first letters of their names (i.e. Edward would be I-2-E) if I must talk about them specifically. I know that I could number each person, however, for blog purposes that could be very confusing, as I don't have a book written with an index.

So let's start with Israel's family.... We do not know where Israel is buried. He is not listed anywhere on the WPA records (which are both in XLS files and on each municipality's site on the various cemetery and church links). Sarah is buried at Old Union Methodist Church Cemetery in Nether Providence Township.

Note: There is an Israel Thomas buried in Old Union, but it is not Sarah's husband; that Israel is the son of Seth Thomas Jr. - Seth Jr. is Israel 1's brother. See what I mean by confusing with all the many Seths and such?

Back on this post I mentioned that Israel 1 died at the age of 32, leaving his wife, Sarah Lane Thomas (I-1-SLT), with 8 children to raise. They are: Ann C., Elizabeth B., David, Louisa E., Edward Lane, Seth C, Sarah, and Mary L. Prudence.

~Ann C. (I-2-AC)was born in 1809, and married George Grimm of Nether Providence, and had four children. Ann died in 1882, and is buried at Old Union Methodist.

~Elizabeth B. (I-2-EB) did not marry. She was born about 1810, and died in 1891. She is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon, PA.

~David (I-2-D) was born about 1812. We do not know what happened to him. We believe he may have died young, as when his father Israel died, Edward took over running the family.

~Louisa E. (I-2-LE) was born in 1813. She married Robert Watkins of Nether Providence, and had five children. She died in 1852 and is buried in Old Union Methodist.

~Edward Lane Thomas (I-2-ELT) was born in 1814. He married twice - first to Margaretta Lytle, daughter of Samuel Lytle, the schoolteacher. They had six children, and she died of "child-bed fever in 1859. His second wife was Catherine Watkins, who we believe was the sister of his brother in law, Robert (above), and had one child. Edward took over the family, and his mother lived with him in her old age. Edward died in 1880, and is buried in Old Union Methodist.

~Seth Collie (I-2-SC) was born in 1817, and married Matilda Watkins, sister of Robert and Catherine Watkins (above). They had seven children, and moved to Lancaster County about 1861. According to a family document, Seth was the "only one" to move away from the Media/Delaware County area. Seth died in 1903 is buried at Georgetown Methodist Church Cemetery, in Georgetown, Bart Township, Lancaster County.

~Sarah (I-2-S) was born in 1823. Nothing more is known about Sarah.

~Mary L. Prudence (I-2-MLP) was born about 1824. She married Abner Pyle, of Thornbury, Delaware County, and had six children. Abner was a prominent citizen, and the marriage put the entire Thomas family in a "better position" in society. Mary became the family matchmaker, and married Edward's daughters off to other prominent Chester and Delaware county citizens. Mary died in 1874, and is also buried at Old Union Methodist.

Things to note:

The initials ELT, the name Seth, and the name Watkins have been carried down for many generations through the family.

Many male Thomas children have had Watkins as their middle name. There have been at least four Robert Watkins Thomas males that I know of.

There have not been many (if any) male children named Edward since that second generation, however, many many women have had the initials ELT.

The other names that have had continued use down through the family are Robert (usually in conjunction with Watkins Thomas), Seth, and Louisa or Louise.