In their father’s will, dated 24 October 1793, he references…and my eldest daughter Mary Neale, deceased. There is no other mention of her, and we have found no records which indicate her husband’s name. But I found a clue.
Road to Cissna’s Gap: The January 1771 Session of Cumberland County Court, in a petition for a road from Shippensburg to Cissna’s Gap (and across the mountain to Fort Littleton & Burnt Cabins). …from west end of Shippensburg to Herron’s Ford, …to Cissna’s , by Andrew Naylor’s old place, now property of John Cessna. In the April 1771 Session, the recommendation for road is approved and outlined as: Beginning at west end of Shippensburg, west to the top of Cemetery Hill, north nearly three miles to the foot of Lee’s Hill: north west to where it crossed Herron’s Branch; southwest to Andrew Neill’s place, and on up to Cissna’s Gap. In the survey it states: West 186 perches to Andrew Neil’s old place. So, at one time, before 1771, Andrew Neil lived on a farm that was later owned by John Cessna. And John’s daughter married a Mr. Neale. The Neil/Cessna Farm: The road survey states that this farm is .58’s of a mile west of Herron’s Ford. This fits exactly the Cessna farm survey outlined by Dick Eschenmann. (See Below). But…this farm was never owned by Andrew Neil. A search of the deeds reveals the following. John Cessna sold this farm to his son, Theophiles Cessna, on 4 Nov 1793 (a week after he wrote his will) Deed book 3, p 429. That deed states It was a part of a tract of two hundred seventy seven ¾ acres which the late Proprietaries of Pennsylvania by warrant dated 16 Dec 1755, granted to John Cessna (or Sisney). John owned the property from 1755 until 1793, and was probably the first settler. Usually, they picked the farm site, and developed it for several years before they could apply for Warrant, so John may have settled it 1749-52. When did Andrew Neil live on this farm? Was he renting from John Cessna? Tax records for this farm indicate: In the 1751 & 52 taxes the following persons are mentioned as farmers for Lurgan Twp (everything west of Shippensburg): John Cessna, Andrew Neil, Thomas Neil, John Kirkpatrick, John Kirkpatrick Jr., James Kirkpatrick, Oliver Culbertson, James Culbertson, Alexander Culbertson, Samuel Culbertson and Joseph Culbertson. No property deed is found for Andrew or Thomas Neil owning land in Lurgan/Southampton Townships. And in the deed for the above mentioned farm, Andrew Neil is not listed as an owner. Andrew Neal and John Cessna were contemporaries in Wilmington (New Castle County, DE) before moving to Cumberland County. On 11 May 1738, Nathan Hussey, late of Christiana Hundred, sold to Jonathan Evans, land that borders the land formerly of Andrew Neal. Joseph Simpson, John Stalcop and John Cessna sign as witness. Alexander Neal’s Estate was filed in New Castle, Delaware on 1 Oct 1740. So the Andrew and Thomas Neal living might be his sons. This would suggest that Andrew and Thomas Neil came to Cumberland County about the same time as John Cessna. About the time the road was built: two men who seem to be sons of Andrew Neil appear a few miles away in the next township. Alexander Neil warranted 100 acres in W. Pennsboro Twp dated 28 Nov 1771. He sold this land to John Campbell on 11 Apr 1815. Deeds also record that Adam Neil warranted 40 acres in W. Pennsboro Twp on 3 Aug 1773. Tax records (and the 1790 Census) for W. Pennsboro Twp show the Neil families consistently living 5 miles North East of Shippensburg. Andrew Neil lived on a farm owned by John Cessna from 1751 until about 1771. John Cessna’s eldest daughter married a Mr. Neil, but died sometime before 1793. Questions: Were the Neils and Cessnas related. Perhaps in-laws? Did John Cessna’s daughter marry the son of Andrew Neil? Perhaps Adam Neil or Alexander Neil? Is it possible that Andrew Neal was the father or brother of John Cessna’s second wife, and that is why Neal was living on Cessna land? Is it possible that Mary Cessna married her cousin, Mr. Neil/Neale? If Mary Cessna was his eldest daughter, was she born to John’s first or second wife? If she was born to John’s first wife (1726-30)…Andrew Neal would be her second/half cousin.
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AuthorBill Cissna Archives
June 2023
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