Henry Heth, Sr.

Henry Heth was born in Ireland and immigrated to the British colony of Virginia sometime before 1750. He settled in Frederick County and married Agnes McMahon, the daughter of William McMahon. During the Seven Years War, Heth established a tavern in the city of Winchester, which served many notable Frederick County residents, including Col. George Washington and many soldiers passing through to the front, near modern day Pittsburgh.

From https://alliedfamilies.wordpress.com/virginia-and-maryland-heath-fa...

Henry Heth, immigrated from Ireland, first settled in Pennsylvania, where he married, and then came to Virginia in 1759, settling in Richmond. His wife was Agnes McMahon. Henry Heth and Agnes, his wife, brought a suit against Gabriel Jones and Lewis Meill, the executors of William McMachan, deceased, in August, 1750. William McMachan of Frederick County, Virginia land adjacent Richard McMachan and Henry Heth. Henry’s will was probated in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on September 2, 1793. In his will he mentions his wife Agnes, and sons William, Andrew, John, Harry, Hervy, and Richard M. Heth. He notes daughters, but not by name, and son-in-law Gabriel Peterson. William was the eldest and had been deeded land near Pittsburgh.

Henry, William, John and Andrew Heth who were all members of the Society of the Cincinnati. There is a wealth of information about this family in the records. They were involved in coal mining, using slave labor, and the distribution of coal throughout the country, particularly during the War of 1812. They struggled with production and distribution, hampered by northern brokers and bankers.

Henry was a captain and major in the 1st Virginia regiment in the Revolution with Gen. Montgomery at Quebec, where his bravery was noted. A sketch of him is given by George Mason in a letter to his son. It states that Henry was a person of character and based in Richmond where he was involved in commerce. The records of West Virginia are filled with large land purchases and sales by Henry and Agnes. It is likely that some of this land became the Chesterfield Coal Mines which Col. Henry Heth owned.

William Heath (Heth) Henrico Co received an undivided half of 1370 acres in Pendleton County which was a tract patented to Henry Heth, deceased, in July 15, 1780. This land was conveyed to Carrington by Agnes and William Heth, executors. William Heth, a Richmond Federalist, held the rank of colonel at the close of the American Revolution. He was collector of cutoms at Bermuda Hundred, Virginia. On July 18, 1798 Washington wrote to Heth: Your favour of the 13th. Instant, with its enclosures, came duly to hand…I thank you… for the offer of becoming one of my Aides…and although I shall keep you constantly in mind, I do no care to be under any promises… In a letter to Alexander Hamilton he wrote, …I should appear more like an Irishman than I really am, were I to offer as an apology for the verbosity of this…. Col. Heth was captured at Charleston.

Henry held land in Hampshire County, Frederick County, and Hardy County. In January, 1799, Agnes Heth and William Heth, executors of Henry Heth, dec’d sold 256 acres on Mill Creek, under the South Branch Mountain, and another on Little Capacaon of 400 acres, which Agnes was devised and her sons William Andrew, John and Harry, agree.

William Heth’s will filed in 1807 in Richmond mentions first and second wives, son Henry Heth, daughters Elizabeth Agnes, Margaret Thomas Jacqueline, and Mary Andrietta all under age. Son William M. Heth, was noted as commander of the ship, Marshall, of New York. William Heth’s orderly book from the Revolution has been published and is very interesting reading.

Henry Jr. was known as Captain Harry Heth of the Revolution. His daughter was Ann Eliza Agnes Pleasants Heth. He lived at Blackheath, in Chesterfield County. The Blackheath Coal Mine was begun in 1785. In 1839 an explosion killed all but 3 of the 54 miners. Another disaster struck in 1844 and the mine was closed until 1938. The mine was run by John Heth.

Andrew Heth and John Heth were Lieutenants in the Revolution. John served under Gen. Anthony Wayne, and was in the 1792 campaign against the Northwestern Indians. eHHHe rAndrew served as commissioner for apportioning and surveying the lands granted by Virginia to the Illinois regiment. In Augusta County, in December, 1776, the house of Andrew Heath, on the Monomgahela River was chosen as the most convenient place for holding Court. In 1780 he was ordered to have the court-house and gaol (jail) repaired and to build a pillory and stocks.

https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localities.northam.usa.states.virgi...

From part of https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/heath/5494/

Early Heth/Heath/Haythe families connected to southwestern Pennsylvania and northwestern Virginia

Our families seem to be descended from four possible Heths who settled in the Northern Neck lands near the Forks of the Cacopon River in what was then Frederick County, Virginia.Early voting, property, marriage, wills, and merchandise records indicate a Henry, b 1718, and a William, b 1724, Heth.Slightly later records include a Jonathan Heath, b 1726.Later Pennsylvania records add a Samuel Heth, b 1738.Geographically these people live in what is today Frederick County, Virginia, Hampshire and Hardy counties, West Virginia, and Allegheny, Washington, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties, Pennsylvania.

Genealogy traditions (Ida Lee, Margaret Heath Titus) link Henry, or Henry, John, and William, or Henry, John, and Samuel, as brothers migrating from either Northern Ireland or Aberdeen, Scotland. Margaret Heath Titus has three brothers, but confuses the some of the second generation in America with the first.

Heth, Heath, and even Haythe appear to be spellings for this family name. Henry’s family consistently used Heth.John or Jonathan, if they are the same person, uses Heath early on. Samuel’s family began with Heth and after several generations switched to Heath.In 1806, my family used Heath, but some later branches use Heth.In Fayette County, Pa. census takers in Fayette County appear to have mistaken Heth for Hess on several occasions. Heth is a hard name to hear.

Henry, b 1718, seems to be both a landowner and a merchant (tavern keeper?).Henry marries Agnes McMachen, daughter of William McMachen (d. 1750) in Winchester sometime before 1749.Their oldest son William is born in 1750.They have property as early as 1752 on the North Fork of the Cacopon River. They deed away two city lots in Winchester in 1753.Henry votes for Col. Washington in 1755 and 1758.Henry sells supplies and forage to the colonial militia and is apparently engaged in trade with both Ft. Pitt and eastern Virginia (Hofstra, 2004).His 18 year-old son William apparently handled some of his Ft. Pitt trade while Henry and Agnes still lived in Frederick County.But, as early as 1764, Henry has court cases heard in the Augusta County courthouse in southwestern Virginia. He buys land in Ft. Pitt in 1761 and later (1773?) has 603 acres near the Monongahela River near Samuel Heth in what is now Washington County.Henry and Agnes’s youngest son Richard McMachen Heth is born at Ft. Pitt in 1774.Heth’s Delight (sold to Joseph Negley in 1799, now Pittsburg Zoo) was either part of a military land grant to Henry senior, or to his son Captain Henry.Henry dies in 1793 and is reputably buried on the Calamity near modern day Floreffe, Washington County, Pa.This cemetery is most likely the Lobbs Run historical cemetery located on land first owned by his brother in law Richard McMachen and adjacent to the early home of his son Andrew Heth.His daughter, Margaret Charlotte (Heth) Peterson is likely the unreadable marker next to her husband Col. Gabriel Peterson in this cemetery. Three of Agnes and Henry’s children, Colonel William, Lt. John, and Captain Henry, eventually move to the Henrico Co., Virginia area.Son Lt. Andrew, quartermaster for George Rogers Clark, and wife Eleanor eventually settle as founders of Clarksville, Indiana.Sons Harvey and Richard McMachen Heth are early settlers of Harrison County, Indiana.Daughters Margaret Charlotte, Mary, Nancy, and Sussanah all marry Revolutionary War officers. This is a politically well connected, well known family.

      Children of Henry and Agnes McMachen Heth

      Colonel William, b 1750 Winchester Va. m (2nd wife Eliza Briggs, d 1807 Curles, Va.

      children: Wiiliam, Henry Gray, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary

      Lt. Andrew born abt 1756, m Elinor lived Clarksville, Ind., Louisville Ky. d 1832

      no children

      Lt (later major) John, b 1760, m Elizabeth Bethel, lived Richmond, Va. d. 1810

      Captain Henry (Harry), b abt 1764 m Ann (Nancy) Hare, lived Henrico Co., Va. d. 1821

      children: Lt. John, Lavina, Henry, Catherine

      Harvey (Hervey) b., m. Rebecca Kuykendal, d Heth Twp., Harrison Co., Ind.

      Richard M. b. 1774, m. Elizabeth Applegate, d 1818 Heth Twp., Harrison Co., Ind.

      children: Elizabeth

      Margaret Charlotte, b 1766 Winchester, Va. m 1788 Major Gabriel Peterson, d. 1857 Mifflin        Twp, Washington Co., Pa. children:

      Mary, b., m. Captain Robert Porterfield, d. children:

      Nancy, b. Winchester, Va. m. Lt Joseph Tannehill

      Susannah, b. July 3, 1777 Frederick Co., Va., m. Col. Samuel Gilkerson, d., children: Henry

      Rebeccah, b. m., d. children:

      (Another list has Elizabeth, Agnes, and Sarah instead of Mary, Rebeccah, and Nancy.)

The order of his sons: William, Andrew, John, Harvey, Henry, and Richard. This is based on: https://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&d...

http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full...

http://gilliamsofvirginia.org/Frederick/Frederick.html - there are a lot of mentions of Henry Heth in here along with his wife Agnes