He is the son of Stephen Richardson and Mary Trueblood.

I don’t have a lot of information on him. I think he might have died in 1777 in North Carolina.

He married Nancy Mary and together they had maybe 5 children.

• William Drury (1735)
• William (1750)
• Stephen (1753)
• Elizabeth (1755)
• David (1760)

The problem is, when you have someone with such a common name like David or John David, you find it difficult to distinguish them from other men of the same name who also live in the same area.

While trying to find information about John David and his wife, I had to start by working on the files of his son, David Richardson. His son had more information available because he was in the military, having fought in the American Revolution.

1845, Oct 27 — Revolutionary War Application
Sarah Richardson (age 85), widow of David Richardson applied
lists David Richardson as dying on May 17, 1842 in Moore County, NC
listed marriage as 1785 in Cumberland County, NC
lists children as John Richardson, Polly Cockman, Jenney Smith, Nancy Richardson, Vicey Richardson, Betsey Morgan, Angy Brown, Peggy Richardson & Malony Smith.

1852, Oct 25 — Revolutionary War Application
John Richardson, son and administrator of David Richardson, deceased applied for pension
lists David Richardson as dying on May 17, 1842 in Moore County, NC
lists Sarah Richardson as dying on Oct 30, 1847
lists children as Polly Cockman, Jenny Smith, Nancy Richardson, Vicy Richardson, Betsey Morgan, Angy Brown, Peggy Richardson & Malony Smith.

David Richardson is the son of John David Richardson and the father of John David Richardson. Confusing? Yeah don’t worry, it was for me too.

David Richardson lived in Moore County, along Buffalo Creek, a tributary of Deep River.

We know that Jonathan David Richardson was born in 1760 because of his marriage record.

I was trying to find out if he was the same David Richardson that was born in 1760 in Cumberland County.  Turns out I couldn’t find out the record of his birth because in 1769 all Cumberland County records were destroyed in the burning of the Bladen County courthouse.

So what I needed to find is what could be the link between Cumberland County and Moore County.  And I finally found it!  Moore County was formed from Cumberland County in 1784.

A year later in 1785, he married Sarah in Moore County.

4 years after that he got a grant of land (50 acres)

And there we have it …. that is how I made the link, to confirm he is the same person.   I know it’s not scientific proof but it’s the best I can come up with. 🙂

Maybe one day I can get some kind of church records or whatnot to prove his birth is one in the same but for now, this will have to do.

David Richardson fought in the American Revolution. At the age of 85, his wife Sarah applied for a war pension as his widow. This is how we know he died on May 17, 1842.

She lists his children as John Richardson, Polly Cockman, Jenney Smith, Nancy Richardson, Vicey Richardson, Betsey Morgan, Angy Moore, Peggy Richardson & Malony Smith.

Through various records and notes, we found that David served as a Private and Lieutenant under Captain Cox-Captain Buie and Captain Henry Carter. He was taken prisoner at Charleston, SC and conveyed to Wilmington, NC where he was kept in confinement four months and then exchanged.

It appears that David Richardson fought on the side of the Confederate during the American Revolution. He served with the North Carolina Infantry as a Private. The American Revolution took place between 1765 and 1783. He was in the 45th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company D. Film # M230 roll 33.

David Richardson was born in 1760. He married Sarah in 1785 (when he was 25 years old and Sarah was 20). That same year their daughter Polly was born.

In all, they had at least 9 children during their marriage.

• Polly
• Vicey
• Jenney
• Jonathan David
• Peggy
• Maloney
• Nancy
• Angy
• Betsey

1789, Sep 3 — Land Grant #310, Moore County, NC

David Richardson died on May 17, 1842.

So to note this means he is not the same David who served in the Civil War because that was from 1861-1865. He was long dead. We know his exact date of death because of his widow’s request for a war pension.

• 1780 — Tax List, Cumberland County, NC
  David Richerson listed in Captain John Cox’s District
  listed 400 acres valued at $450
  3 Horses, 7 Cattle and $7 cash
  Total tax value $7171783 — Tax List, Cumberland County, NC
  David Richardson listed as paying $10 in Captain John Cox’s District1789, May 18 — 1784-1795 County Court Minutes, Moore County, NC Page 228
  A deed from John Shuffield to Stephen Smith was proven by David Richardson

  1789, Jun 4 — Land Entry #189, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson entered 50 acres located on Mill Creek

  1789, Sep 3 — Land Grant #310, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson received a 50 acre Land Grant located on Mill Creek

  1789, Sep 3 — Land Grant #334, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served as a Chain Carrier on John Morgan’s 50 acre Land Grant located East of Cabin Creek

  1790 — Census, Moore County, NC Page 156
  David Richeson
  (16+) 1M
  4F

  1790, Aug 17 — County Court Minutes, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson proved a Deed from John Morgan to William Morgan

  1790, Aug 17 — County Court Minutes, Moore County, NC
  Davey Richardson served Jury Duty

  1794, Aug 20 — County Court Minutes, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served Jury Duty

  1795, Mar 27 — Land Grant #1054, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served as a Chain Carrier on John Morgan’s 100 acre Land Grant located on Cabin Creek

  1795, May 20 — County Court Minutes, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served Jury Duty

  1795, Nov 16 — County Court Minutes, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served Jury Duty

  1798, Feb 14 — Land Grant #1740 & 1741, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served as a Chain Carrier on William Smith’s (2) 100 acre Land Grants located on Wet Creek and Cabin Creek

  1798, Nov 30 — Land Grant #1474, Moore County, NC
  John Morgan receives a 100 acre Land Grant located South of Cabin Creek that included David Richardson’s improvement

  1800 — Census, Moore County, NC Page 69
  David Richardson
  (45+) 1M
  (26-45) 1F
  (16-26) 1F
  (10-16) 2F
  (0-10) 1M 2F

  1800, Jul 26 — Land Grant #1686, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served as a Chain Carrier on Murdock McLeod’s 100 acre Land Grant located between Dry Creek and Horse Creek

  1803, Nov 15 — Land Grant #1837, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson listed as a Neighbor on John Dunn’s 100 acre Land Grant located South of Mill Creek

  1804, Apr 7 — Land Grant #1954, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson served as a Chain Carrier on Levy Deaton’s 50 acre Land Grant located East of Wet Creek

  1810 — Census, Moore County, NC Page 624
  David Richardson
  (45+) 1M 1F
  (16-26) 2F
  (10-16) 1F
  (0-10) 1M 4F

  1814, Nov 11 — Land Grant #2228, Moore County, NC
  Daniel McNeill received a 52 acre Land Grant located West of Wet Creek adjoining Grove, Neil McLeod, Thomas Harvel and Key. Phillip McNeill and David Richardson were chain carriers.

  1814, Nov 11 — Land Grant #2230, Moore County, NC
  Hector McNeill received a 15.5 acre Land Grant located East of Wet Creek adjoining own line, Neil McLeod and Grove. Phillip McNeill and David Richardson were chain carriers.

  1815 — Tax List, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson lists 75 acres valued at $75

  1818-1823 — Tax List, Moore County, NC
  David Richardson lists 75 acres valued at $100

  1820 — Census, Moore County, NC Page 310
  David Richardson
  (45+) 1M 1F
  (16-26) 2F
  (10-16) 1F
  (0-10) 1M

  1830 — Census, Moore County, NC Page 477
  David Richardson
  (60-70) 1M
  (50-60) 1F
  (40-50) 1F
  (20-30) 1F
  (15-20) 1M
  (10-15) 1M

  1836, Jan 9 — Land Grant #2970, Moore County, NC
  Hiram Deaton received a 100 acre Land Grant located between Mill Creek and Cabin Creek and adjoins the land that he purchased from David Richardson

  1845, Oct 27 — Revolutionary War Application
  Sarah Richardson (age 85), widow of David Richardson applied
  lists David Richardson as dying on May 17, 1842 in Moore County, NC
  listed marriage as 1785 in Cumberland County, NC
  lists children as John Richardson, Polly Cockman, Jenney Smith, Nancy Richardson, Vicey Richardson, Betsey Morgan, Angy Brown, Peggy Richardson & Malony Smith.

  1852, Oct 25 — Revolutionary War Application
  John Richardson, son and administrator of David Richardson, deceased applied for pension
  lists David Richardson as dying on May 17, 1842 in Moore County, NC
  lists Sarah Richardson as dying on Oct 30, 1847
  lists children as Polly Cockman, Jenny Smith, Nancy Richardson, Vicy Richardson, Betsey Morgan, Angy Brown, Peggy Richardson & Malony Smith.

Sometimes I swear it would probably be easier to find your family members if you just had a list of every person who lived in the town at that time and be like, yeah that’s my guy.

I mean really how many people could possibly have been living in Moore, North Carolina in 1800? Turns out the answer to that question is 4,767 people lived in Moore, NC in 1800.

If you step back to the 1790 Census specifically for Moore County, North Carolina, we find that there are a few Richardson’s. Keep in mind there were a few typos so these names might not be exact.

• Fagan Richardson
• William Richardson
• Drury Richardson
• David Richardson

Unforutenly for us, it only tells us that this David listed is the head of household and is living with 5 (free white) females.  Since our John David would be 5 at the time, this makes me think that’s not a David Richardson from my family tree. But then again, we don’t know so I’m going to write this one off as a dead end and move to the next clue.

Now let’s go with what we do know to be true. John David was a loyal military man.

We know he was in the Moore County Regiment, Fourth Company during the war of 1812 and appears on the NC 1812-1814 Muster Rolls.

This is a verifiable fact using database NC 1812-1814 Muster Rolls. This database contains indexes to the North Carolina (U.S.A.) portions of the 1790-1870 U.S. Federal Censuses as well as indexes to 1812-1814 Muster Rolls, the 1840 Pensioners Lists, the 1890 Veterans Schedules, and other early censuses. Information contained in these indexes can include name, state, county, township, year of record, and name of record set.

John Richardson fought in the Civil War. He was a farmer and enlisted on March 13, 1862, in Moore County, North Carolina. He fought on the side of the Confederacy.

This is another verifiable fact which comes from at least 16 sources, but mostly from Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA.

He served our country from April 9, 1862, to April 9, 1865, under the 48th Infantry Regiment North Carolina. He fought in many battles including …

Fought on 25 Jun 1862 at King’s School House, VA.
Fought on 27 Jun 1862 at Gaines’ Mill, VA.
Fought on 31 Aug 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD.
Fought on 12 Sep 1862 at Frederick, MD.
Fought on 13 Sep 1862 at South Mountain, MD.
Fought on 14 Sep 1862 at South Mountain, MD.
Fought on 15 Sep 1862 at Maryland.
Fought on 15 Sep 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD.
Fought on 15 Sep 1862 at Harper’s Ferry, WV.
Fought on 17 Sep 1862 at Frederick, MD.
Fought on 17 Sep 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD.
Fought on 18 Sep 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD.
Fought on 19 Sep 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD.
Fought on 20 Sep 1862 at Sharpsburg, MD.
Fought on 2 Dec 1862 at Winchester, VA.
Fought on 13 Dec 1862 at Fredericksburg, VA.
Fought on 1 Jul 1863 at Gettysburg, PA.
Fought on 3 Jul 1863 at Gettysburg, PA.
Fought on 6 Aug 1863.
Fought on 14 Oct 1863 at Bristoe Station, VA.
Fought on 9 Nov 1863 at Culpepper, VA.
Fought on 10 Nov 1863 at Culpepper, VA.
Fought on 27 Nov 1863 at Payne’s Farm, VA.
Fought on 15 Feb 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 30 Mar 1864 at Fort Harrison, VA.
Fought on 4 May 1864 at Malvern Hill, VA.
Fought on 5 May 1864 at Wilderness, VA.
Fought on 6 May 1864 at Wilderness, VA.
Fought on 7 May 1864 at Charlottesville, VA.
Fought on 9 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House, VA.
Fought on 10 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House, VA.
Fought on 12 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House, VA.
Fought on 15 May 1864 at VA.
Fought on 15 May 1864 at Wilderness, VA.
Fought on 15 May 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House, VA.
Fought on 20 May 1864 at Little River, VA.
Fought on 22 May 1864 at Hanover Junction, VA.
Fought on 23 May 1864 at North Anna River, VA.
Fought on 24 May 1864 at Mechanicsville, VA.
Fought on 24 May 1864 at North Anna River, VA.
Fought on 24 May 1864 at Hanover Junction, VA.
Fought on 24 May 1864 at Hanover Court House, VA.
Fought on 31 May 1864 at Turkey Bend, VA.
Fought on 1 Jun 1864 at Cold Harbor, VA.
Fought on 2 Jun 1864 at Cold Harbor, VA.
Fought on 3 Jun 1864 at Cold Harbor, VA.
Fought on 4 Jun 1864 at Cold Harbor, VA.
Fought on 11 Jun 1864 at Gaines’ Mill, VA.
Fought on 11 Jun 1864 at Cold Harbor, VA.
Fought on 15 Jun 1864 at Richmond, VA.
Fought on 15 Jun 1864 at Riddle Shop, VA.
Fought on 15 Jun 1864 at White Oak Swamp, VA.
Fought on 15 Jun 1864.
Fought on 15 Jun 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 22 Jun 1864 at Malvern Hill, VA.
Fought on 16 Aug 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 17 Aug 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 20 Aug 1864 at Weldon Railroad, VA.
Fought on 21 Aug 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 21 Aug 1864 at Globe Tavern, VA.
Fought on 24 Aug 1864 at Reams’ Station, VA.
Fought on 25 Aug 1864 at Reams’ Station, VA.
Fought on 26 Aug 1864 at Reams’ Station, VA.
Fought on 9 Sep 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 30 Sep 1864 at Fort Harrison, VA.
Fought on 1 Oct 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 2 Oct 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 7 Oct 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 27 Oct 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 27 Oct 1864 at Burgess’ Mill, VA.
Fought on 4 Nov 1864 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 15 Dec 1864 at Belfield, VA.
Fought on 5 Feb 1865 at Hatcher’s Run, VA.
Fought on 6 Feb 1865 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 7 Feb 1865 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 15 Feb 1865 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 15 Feb 1865.
Fought on 25 Mar 1865 at Hatcher’s Run, VA.
Fought on 25 Mar 1865 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 25 Mar 1865 at Fort Stedman, VA.
Fought on 31 Mar 1865 at Hatcher’s Run, VA.
Fought on 1 Apr 1865 at Point Of Rocks, VA.
Fought on 1 Apr 1865 at Hatcher’s Run, VA.
Fought on 2 Apr 1865 at Hatcher’s Run, VA.
Fought on 2 Apr 1865 at Petersburg, VA.
Fought on 2 Apr 1865 at Burgess’ Mill, VA.
Fought on 3 Apr 1865 at Hospl., Richmond, VA.
Fought on 3 Apr 1865 at Richmond, VA.
Fought on 3 Apr 1865 at Sutherland’s Station, VA.
Fought on 3 Apr 1865 at Amelia Court House, VA.
Fought on 3 Apr 1865 at Appomattox River, VA.
Fought on 4 Apr 1865 at Appomattox Court House, VA.
Fought on 5 Apr 1865 at Nottoway, VA.
Fought on 5 Apr 1865 at Paynesville, VA.
Fought on 5 Apr 1865 at Amelia Court House, VA.
Fought on 6 Apr 1865 at Farmville, VA.
Fought on 6 Apr 1865 at Sayler’s Creek, VA.
Fought on 6 Apr 1865 at Amelia Court House, VA.
Fought on 7 Apr 1865.
Fought on 12 Apr 1865 at Salisbury, NC.
Fought on 13 Apr 1865 at Raleigh, NC.

He married a lady by the name of Nancy Perry. Together they had at least 9 children. They might have married in 1819 (still looking for documents to confirm this).

• Sarah Sallie (1821-1891)
• Rosana (1822-1880)
• Angelica (1824-1880)
• Thomas (1826-1898)
• Enoch Spinks (1828-1910)
• Catharine (1830-?)
• Eliza A (1833-1880)
• Deborah Debby (1840-1900)
• Lydia  (1842-1870)
• Margaret Roseanne (1843-1885)

Thanks to the 1850 US Federal Census we know that he was 57 at the time, so is birth year was about 1793. He was family # 998 and lived in Moore, North Carolina at the time of that census. Nancy, his wife was 50 at the time.

These were the people who lived in his household at the time of the 1850 US census.

Interesting to note, despite the fact that he fought on the side of the Confederacy, which fought to preserve slavery, he himself didn’t seem to own any slaves prior to the war, even though farmers often did.

In the 1830 census, he had a total of 6 free white persons living in his household, and no slaves or free colored.

In 1840 you find the same thing, he lives with his wife and children – no slaves.

Something else that caught my attention – he, his wife, and his eldest three children couldn’t read or write. However, Eliza, Deborah and Lydia could – his 3 youngest children.

I wanted to know more about John David’s wife Nancy. We know her first name from the US census records. But I thought if we could find the death certificate of one of the children, we might be able to identify their mother’s maiden name.

The problem is, death certificates in the 1800s were rare.  So I’m also search for birth and christening records. I’ll keep you updated with what I am able to find.

• Sarah Sallie (1821-1891)
• Rosana (1822-1880)
• Angelica (1824-1880)
• Thomas (1826-1898)
• Enoch Spinks (1828-1910)
• Catharine (1830-?)
• Eliza A (1833-1880)
• Deborah Debby (1840-1900)
• Lydia  (1842-1870)
• Margaret Roseanne (1843-1885)

Jonathan George Wegley was my second great-granduncle and a son of Joseph William Wegley and Eve Berkebile. He was born on September 3, 1836, in Pennsylvania and eventually left the Somerset County area, where he spent his childhood, to establish a large family of his own in Ohio.

Jonathan’s life matters to the larger Wegley family story because two of his sons eventually traveled much farther west. One, Joseph “Joe” Wegley, became mayor of Williston, North Dakota, while another, Frederick Wegley, became caught up in a highly publicized dispute over illegal liquor sales in the same city.

Born in Pennsylvania

Jonathan’s gravestone provides unusually precise evidence for his birth date. It states that he died on March 1, 1892, aged 55 years, 5 months, and 28 days, which calculates back to September 3, 1836.

The exact birthplace is less certain. Some family-tree information has listed Piqua, Miami County, Ohio, but the evidence currently available points more strongly toward Pennsylvania.

Jonathan appears as a fourteen-year-old in the 1850 household of Joseph and Eve Wegley in Shade Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The household included Jonathan, his parents, several siblings, and his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Berkebile.

Jonathan’s son Joseph later reported on his own death certificate that his father had been born in Pennsylvania. Taken together, the evidence supports Pennsylvania as Jonathan’s birthplace, although I would describe Somerset County as probable rather than proven until a birth, baptismal, or other contemporary record is located.

Growing Up in the Joseph Wegley Household

The 1850 United States census provides the first detailed snapshot of Jonathan’s childhood household. Joseph and Eve were living in Shade Township with seven of their children and Eve’s mother, Elizabeth Berkebile.

Jonathan was recorded as fourteen years old. His siblings in the household included Theresa, Josiah, Susanna, Frederick, Adeline, and Amanda, while Elizabeth Berkebile was sixty-one.

This record is important because it independently places Jonathan within the family of Joseph William Wegley and Eve Berkebile. Later family research also follows this same Jonathan into Ohio, where he married Sarah Circle and established his own branch of the family.

Here is a copy of the actual 1880 US Federal Census, which gives us more invaluable information about Joseph and his family.

Marriage to Sarah Circle

Jonathan married Sarah A. Circle in Ohio in 1857. The original marriage record corrects two details that have appeared incorrectly in older versions of this page.

The marriage did not take place on November 21, and the surviving record is from Muskingum County, not Mercer County. The license was issued on November 11, 1857, and the marriage ceremony took place the following day, November 12, 1857.

The record states that Zephaniah Shinpuff solemnized the marriage of “Mr. Jonathan Megley and Miss Sarah Circle.” The marriage was subsequently filed on December 24, 1857. Jonathan was about twenty-one years old at the time.

The records also indicate that Sarah’s father, James Circle, consented to the marriage. That detail provides another useful connection between Sarah and her Circle family and suggests that she was still legally young enough for parental consent to be required.

The Wegley Name Appears as “Megley”

One small but interesting detail in the marriage record is the spelling of Jonathan’s surname. The officiant recorded him as Jonathan Megley, rather than Wegley.

This is not unusual within this family. Wegley, Weigley, Weighley, Weagley, and other forms appear repeatedly across nineteenth-century records, and handwriting or clerical interpretation could introduce still more variations. The “Megley” spelling should therefore be treated as another documentary variation rather than evidence of a different family.

Jonathan and Sarah’s Children

Jonathan and Sarah had a large family. Current research supports at least eleven children:

1. George Wegley, 1859-1862
2. James E. Wegley, 1860-1937
3. Mary C. Wegley, 1863-1932
4. Emanuel Wegley, 1864-1936
5. Frederick Wegley, born about 1866, died 1951
6. Joseph Wegley, born in the 1860s, died 1946
7. Eva Jane Wegley, 1869-1939
8. Infant Wegley, 1870-1870
9. Adeline “Sarah” Wegley, 1871-1948
10. Daisy May Wegley, 1876-1940
11. Olive Alta Wegley, 1884-1960

Surviving records strongly support Jonathan and Sarah as this family’s parents. For example, their son Frederick’s Texas death certificate names his father as Jonathan Wegley and his mother as Sarah Circle.

A Birth-Date Problem With Frederick and Joseph

One family-history problem should remain openly unresolved. The death certificates of Jonathan’s sons Frederick and Joseph give birth dates that cannot both be correct. Frederick’s 1951 Texas death certificate records his birth as:

• February 28, 1866, Piqua, Ohio
• Joseph’s 1946 North Dakota death certificate records his birth as:
• March 29, 1866, Mercer County, Ohio

Those dates are only twenty-nine days apart. If both men were biological children of Jonathan and Sarah, they obviously could not both have been born to Sarah in 1866. Both records are internally persuasive because each man’s stated age at death agrees closely with the birth date recorded on his certificate. Nevertheless, one birth date or birth year must be incorrect.

Frederick Wegley’s Death Certificate Confirms the Family

Jonathan’s son Frederick Wegley died in San Antonio, Texas, on March 2, 1951. His death certificate identifies his father as Jonathan Wegley and his mother as Sarah Circle.

That is especially valuable because it provides twentieth-century vital-record evidence connecting Frederick back to Jonathan and Sarah. Frederick was recorded as a retired produce man who had operated his own business.

The certificate also places Frederick’s birth in Piqua, Ohio. That fact may explain why Piqua later became attached to Jonathan in some family trees, even though current evidence indicates Jonathan was born in Pennsylvania.

A Family That Moved West

Jonathan’s own migration from Pennsylvania into Ohio was only the beginning of the family’s westward movement. Several of his children eventually went much farther. His son Joseph Wegley settled in Williston, North Dakota. Joseph became a farmer and rancher and eventually entered local politics, becoming one of Williston’s early mayors.

Joseph’s death certificate provides another valuable link to Jonathan. It names his father as Jonathan Wegley and states that Jonathan was born in Pennsylvania, further supporting the conclusion that Jonathan himself was not born in Piqua.

Joseph Wegley Becomes Mayor

Joseph’s life eventually became one of the more colorful stories among Jonathan’s descendants. He was elected mayor of Williston and developed a reputation for attempting to eliminate illegal drinking establishments known as “blind pigs.”

A surviving newspaper report records Joseph winning another term as mayor by 137 votes to 90. His entire political ticket was reported elected along with him. Joseph’s political career became even more interesting because another of Jonathan’s sons soon found himself on the opposite side of Williston’s liquor controversy.

“Wegley’s Pig”

Jonathan’s son Fred Wegley was accused in 1907 of illegally selling intoxicating liquor in Williston. A newspaper described the alleged establishment as “Wegley’s Pig,” located in the lower portion of a concrete building on East Broadway.

The accusation was politically explosive because Fred’s brother Joseph had developed a reputation as the mayor who cleared Williston of blind pigs. Opponents accused Joseph of enforcing the law against others while allowing his brother to operate his own establishment.

Fred denied the allegations.

He was tried repeatedly. According to a 1909 report, Fred had been tried three times before justices of the peace and found not guilty each time, after which he was indicted by a grand jury.

That case also ended in acquittal. The jury reportedly deliberated for only three minutes before returning a verdict of not guilty.

Supporters of the Wegley brothers argued that the prosecutions had been politically motivated and designed to damage Joseph’s administration. Whether that interpretation was correct cannot be proven merely from the newspaper account, but Fred’s repeated acquittals are part of the documented record.

The Mayor Who Came Before Joseph

Joseph “Joe” Wegley entered Williston politics during a turbulent period. The city’s first mayor, William H. Denny, became embroiled in accusations involving stolen horses and was ultimately convicted in 1906 of selling stolen horses.

The conviction was later overturned, and a retrial did not occur after important evidence disappeared. Denny eventually left the mayor’s office, creating the political circumstances in which Joseph Wegley emerged as one of Williston’s early mayors.

This story belongs primarily on Joseph’s own page rather than Jonathan’s. On Jonathan’s biography, I would keep it brief because its importance here is what it tells us about the remarkable lives of two of Jonathan’s sons.

Jonathan’s Death

Jonathan George Wegley died on March 1, 1892, in Lockington, Shelby County, Ohio. He was fifty-five years old. His gravestone preserves both his death date and his exact age, allowing us to reconstruct his September 3, 1836 birth date with unusual precision. For a man born before Pennsylvania routinely issued civil birth certificates, that inscription is particularly valuable.

The original image is hard to read, but basically what it tells us is that he died on March 1, 1892, when he was exactly 55 years, 5 months, and 28 days old, and that his wife Sarah died on November 3, 1911, when she was 70 years, 7 months, and 19 days old.

I tried to clean up the image so you can see the information more clearly. Please keep in mind the image below has been digitally manipulated to clarify the text in the original image above.

We also happen to have additional documents about his death. In this case, his probate records. It gives us something his gravestone cannot: his legal residence immediately before his death, which was Cynthian Township in Shelby County. It also shows that his widow, Sarah, handled his estate within eight days of his death.

Jonathan’s Place in the Wegley Family

Jonathan represents an important transitional generation in this branch of the Wegley family. He was born into the large Pennsylvania household of Joseph William Wegley and Eve Berkebile, but as a young man he moved into Ohio, married Sarah Circle, and established an entirely new branch of the family.

His descendants spread still farther. One son became a North Dakota mayor, another became involved in one of that mayor’s most controversial political episodes, and other children established families across the country.

Jonathan himself may never have lived the sort of public life that brought his sons into newspaper headlines, but his place in the family is significant. Jonathan George Wegley helped carry the Wegley family from its Pennsylvania roots into Ohio, and his children helped carry it from there into the American West.