Gideon, Samuel and Robert

The list below shows a partial list of persons that owned taxable property in 1773 Hempfield Twp. in what was then part of Bedford County in Pennsylvania. This list was actually compiled in 1772. In just the next year, Bedford Co. is divided and the area becomes Westmoreland Co, PA. Hempfield township encompassed Hannastown, the self-proclaimed County Seat, and what was known as "Miller's Blockhouse", the area where I believe the Millers (Robert, Samuel, Gideon and their families) all lived in 1772. Miller's Blockhouse was first established by Samuel Miller. None of the Millers names nor the Hanna name appear on the subsequent tax years of 1774, 1775, and 1776. We do know that Robert Miller dies in 1775, What happened to Gideon Miller we do not know. (SEE BELOW) Samuel Miller becomes at Captain in the Pennsylvania 8th Regiment which at the beginning of the Revolutionary War is meant to safeguard the western Pennsylvania frontier from frequent and violent Indian attacks and raids supported by the British. More about Samuel Miller here.

Robert Hanna continued to live in Hannastown. What else about Robert Hanna?

COUNTY OF BEDFORD-1773. 27

HEMPFELD TOWNSHIP

Name, Amount of Tax.

(in pounds and shillings)

Peter Lindsey,............. 1 .0

James Gobin,............... 2 .0

George Gree,............... 1 .0

James Gray,................ 2 .0

Christopher Harmon,........ 1 .6

Joseph Hunter,............. 2 .0

William Harry,............. 2 .6

Henry Huffman.............. 2 .0

Stophel Hays,.............. 4 .6

Samuel Hake,............... 3 .0

Robert Hanna, Esq'r,....... 1 .6

(In 1773 Robert Hanna, Esq'r. is listed as having two other taxable properties, One in Fairfield Twp. at 4.1 and one in Armstrong Twp. at 11.3. This last is termed as "uncultivated land".)

Stophel Harhold,........... 1 .0

Conrad Hake,............... 2 .0

Mr. Isherwood,............. 1 .ti

John Johnston,............. 1 .0

James King,................ 2 .0

George Lattimore,.......... 3 .6

David Lattimore,........... 2 .0

George Lattimore,.......... 1 .0

David Marshall,............ 2 .6

Samuel Miller,............. 4 .0

Alexander McNees,.......... 1 .0

Robert Miller,............. 4 .6

Gideon Miller,............. 3 .6

William Marshall,.......... 3 .0

Bryan Marks,............... 2 .0

John McGrue,............... 2 .0

Samuel McKee,.............. 3 .0

David McMahon,............. 2 .6

William Marshall,.......... 1 .0

Mathew Miller,............. 1 .0

Information that a Gedion Miller sold land to a John Andrew Miller on August 13, 1782. Records show that Gedion Miller proved ownership of that property possessing a conveyance of that property to him from a James Scott bearing the date of December 3, 1773. This land also is located on the south side of the Big Sewickley Creek close to Waltz Mills. Oddly enough is the fact that 1773 is the year that Gedion Miller sells his land across the creek from Robert Miller's land to Casper Marklin on Sept. 27, 1773. Also, it is coincidental that he sells his land to J.A. Miller in 1782 after the sack and destruction of Hannastown and Miller Blockhouse on July 13, of 1782. This was a year that many Pennsylvania settlers decided to call it quits there because of the continuing attacks by Indians on their homes and property. They left and went to Kentucky and Tennessee and various other points south. More New Information about Gedion/Gideon Miller dated November 2009 I recently discovered more information on RootsWeb.com concerning Gideon and his wife, Martha and the information seems reliable. The information states that Gideon was born in 1727 in Cumberland Pennsylvania and he was a Revolutionary War Soldier and is buried at Prospect Cemetery in Tarentum, PA. Martha was born abut 1732, also in Pennsylvania. They were married in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. They have at least one child, a son "Gideon". Martha's parents are Andrew Culbertson, b. 1694 in Londonderry, Ireland and her mother is Janet Breckenridge b: about 1696 in PA. This information dovetails with the discovery of two land patent warrants issued to Gideon Miller in Huntingdon Co., Pa. One parcel in Hopewell Township is dated July 10, 1762. The other land parcel is in Shirley Twp. dated also July 10, 1762. It is this "ridge and valley" area where our Millers first settled after they arrived in the USA, Huntingdon County being just north of Fulton County where arable land follow rivers and creeks between mountain ridges. It is interesting that Gedion's land in Westmoreland Count is also named Huntingdon Twp. Would it be a surprise to anyone if I told you I also found the name Markleberg and Merklien on places and roads in Huntingdon Co.?
In December of 2009 I uncovered a 1774 land survey from the Pennsylvania Archives website. I shows that a Robert Miller owned (or perhaps only had applied for a land patent) on land just west next door to Samuel Miller on a branch of the Sewickley Creek in Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland Co. The Miller family oral tradition tells that Robert Miller first moved to this area of Pennslyvania from the Big Cove Creek area in Fulton County, PA, probably sometime between 1769 and 1772. This land survey was performed for Dewalt Mechlin who was finalizing a patent on a large parcel of land just to the north of Samuel Miller's land. I find this to be further compelling evidence that Samuel and Robert were more than likely brothers. We certainly have records that show Robert Miller paid taxes on land in that area as early as 1773.

Further, this surveys shows that a Gustavus Miller owned land to the East of Samuel Miller's land . Could it be that Gustavus is another name for Gideon? After all, we know that Caspar Markel's first name was alternately spelled Gaspard and Jasper, among other spellings. Also, Markel was alternately spelled Merklein, Merkcle, etc.

It is my best guess that Samuel, Robert and Gideon were related. Gideon may have been another brother or an uncle or cousin. All of these families stayed in close proximity over many years as families did in those days. They did this for reasons of common religions, backgrounds, goals and interests. Last, but not least, they stayed close for reasons of safety. Today it is hard to relate to that kind of togetherness. Of course, as there are today, family quarrels, breakups and the going of separate ways but it was not so easy to do in those times.

Below is a land survey (dated June 22, 1769) of Samuel Millers land located in Hempfield Twp. Westmoreland County . It is also a large parcel (and grew larger over time) of land that remained the hands of Samuel Miler's heirs well into the 1800s and perhaps beyond.