Joseph Marr

Joseph Marr was one of the pioneers of Turbut township, Northumberland Co., Pa. He was born in Northampton county, Pa., June 15, 1750, the son of Lawrence Marr, supposed to have come to America from Scotland in the early part of the year 1700, who settled in Upper Mount Bethel township, Northampton Co., Pa., died (aged ninety years) and was buried there. On July 2, 1792, Joseph Marr purchased from the widow of Turbut Francis a tract of land, one mile square, a part of the tract known as the "Colonel's Reward," lying on the east bank of the west branch of the Susquehanna river, embracing the northern part of what is now Milton, including the three farms north of that place. For this land he paid "four pounds per acre lawful money of Pennsylvania and a negro girl at the price of thirty pounds." He settled on the property in 1793 and immediately built a stone house beautifully situated on the banks of the river. It is still standing. In later years it was purchased from the family of Alem Marr, his son, by Moses Chamberlin. Joseph Marr died Sept. 18, 1796, aged forty-six years, and was buried in what was then the Marr burying ground, where the Lincoln street schoolhouse stands. Later his remains were removed to the upper cemetery, where they now rest. Mr. Marr was an earnest and consistent member of the Episcopal Church, in his day called the Church of England. On Aug. 18, 1794, he and his wife Susanna gave a tract of land, in Church lane, adjoining Upper Milton, to the trustees of the Episcopal congregation for burial and church purposes. He was one of the founders of the church of that denomination and the prime mover in the erection of the first church of that faith in Northumberland county. The church as an organized body dates back to 1793. Mr. Marr married Susanna Price, who was born April 27, 1754, and died Dec. 27, 1826. Mrs. Marr, who was of Quaker ancestry, was the daughter of David Price and Hannah Frampton. Through her mother she was descended from William Frampton, of England, who was appointed by William Penn, Feb. 23, 1685, a member of his Council held at Philadelphia, commissioner of Kent and Sussex counties, 1685-86, was registrar general for the Provinces of Pennsylvania and Delaware at the time of his death, in 1686, and one of the signers of Penn's "Actual Treaty with the Indians in 1685 for the land of the present city of Philadelphia and the adjacent country out to the Susquehanna." Penn returned from New York the end of 1682. To this period belongs the "Great Treaty" which took place at Shakamaxon. Thomas Wescott, whose researches have exceeded perhaps any other, says there is no evidence that a "Treaty of Peace" or of purchase of lands ever was held under the great elm tree at Shakamaxon in 1682 by William Penn, and yet tradition is very positive on the subject. This pleasing transaction has been so fully engrafted on Pennsylvania history we hesitate to dispel it. The site of the elm tree is marked by a monument erected in 1827. It is strange that for so important-a matter as the Deed and Title to the lands which Philadelphians and even as Pennsylvanians we occupy, we have no original treaty to show, but the fact is, as the records at Harrisburg show, that the Actual Treaty made for the lands, the present Philadelphia and adjacent county out to the Susquehanna, wa made in the year 1685 by Thomas Holme, as president of the Governor's Counsel and was signed by William Frampton and seven other white men and eleven Indians. It is recorded in the Book of Charters and Indian Deeds, page 62, in the office of the secretary of state at Harrisburg.The children of Joseph and Susanna (Price) Marr, all born at Upper Mount Bethel, Northampton Co., Pa., were:

(1) Mary, born April 20, 1775, died Jan. 27, 1830. On Dec. 25, 1795, she married Robert Martin, lawyer, and they had four children, Jane, Susanna, Joseph Marr and James. Left no descendants.(2) Hannah, born April 20, 1776, died Feb. 24, 1857.(3) David, born March 14, 1779, died Feb. 14, 1819, unmarried.(4) William, born March 26, 1782, died Dec.18, 1823.(5) Joseph died Oct. 5, 1804.(6) Alem. Hannah Marr, daughter of Joseph, born April 20, 1776, died in Milton Feb. 24, 1857. On Jan. 12, 1797, she married William Hull, who was born in Sussex county, N. J., July 17, 1771, and settled in Turbut township, Northumberland Co., Pa., in 1792 or 1793. He died April 28, 1828, upon the homestead farm, which was a part of the original Marr farm. They were the parents of fourteen children, those who lived to maturity being: (1) David, born in 1806, died in 1886. He married Emily Rittenhouse and (second) Jane Welch, and had several sons. (2) Alem, born in 1808, died in 1842. He was drowned at the time of one of the big floods of the Susquehanna river. (3) William Price, born in 1813, died in 1876, unmarried. (4) Thomas Ryerson, born in 1815, died in 1886. (5) Sarah A., born in 1817, died in 1859. She married John H. Brown, and had children, Sarah, Emma and Frampton. (6) Hannah Maria, born in 1821, died in 1864. She married Robert M. Slater. No descendants. Thomas Ryerson Hull, born in 1815, died in 1886. He read medicine and practiced his profession until his death in Milton. He married Elizabeth J McCormick, and their children were: Margaret; Alem, a physician, living at Montgomery, Pa.; William, who married and has a family; Thomas; Elmer, a physician, living at Montgomery, Pa., who married Mary Weimer, of Lebanon, Pa., and has a family of three sons, Elmer, Alem and Weimer. William Marr, fourth child of Joseph and Susanna Marr, married Mary Barber, and they had nine children, all born on the farm near Milton: Joseph, Phineas Barber, Susanna, Ann, James Barber, David Price, William H., Margaret and Alem Kennedy."  Joseph and Susanna's sixth child Alem became a prominent lawyer and politician and served two terms in Congress. Joseph Marr died September 18, 1796 at Milton, Pennsylvania. He was buried at the Milton Cemetery, Northumberland, Pennsylvania.

* Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 25 2020, 7:16:06 UTC

History of the land bought by Joseph Marr from Turbut Francis - The New Purchase was advertised by the land office Feb. 23, 1769. In 1764 officers who served under Colonel Bouquet made an agreement in writing with each other that they would apply to the Proprietors (the Penns) for a tract of land for their services, to be divided among themselves. One Col. Turbutt Francis' tract was 2,775 acres, surveyed to him in one tract adjoining the tract bought by him in Montour, embracing what is called Turbut township. It was called the "Colonel's Reward."

Joseph Marr bought part of this land from the widow of Turbutt Francis on July 2, 1792, a tract of land one mile square, a part of the tract known as the "Colonel's Reward," lying on the east bank of the west branch of the Susquehanna river, embracing the northern part of what is now Milton, including the three farms north of that place. For this land he paid "four pounds per acre lawful money of Pennsylvania and a negro girl at the price of thirty pounds." He settled on the property in 1793 and immediately built a stone house beautifully situated on the banks of the river. It is still standing. In later years it was purchased from the family of Alem Marr, his son, by Moses Chamberlin. Joseph Marr died Sept. 18, 1796, aged forty-six years, and was buried in what was then the Marr burying ground, where the Lincoln street schoolhouse stands. Later his remains were removed to the upper cemetery, where they now rest. Mr. Marr was an earnest and consistent member of the Episcopal Church, in his day called the Church of England. On Aug. 18, 1794, he and his wife Susanna gave a tract of land, in Church lane, adjoining Upper Milton, to the trustees of the Episcopal congregation for burial and church purposes. He was one of the founders of the church of that denomination and the prime mover in the erection of the first church of that faith in Northumberland county. The church as an organized body dates back to 1793.

From Bell's History of Northumberland County PA 1891: JOSEPH MARR was born June 15, 1750, in Northampton county, Pennsylvania. In 1793 he settled upon his purchase, where he died, September 3, 1796; his widow survived him until December 27, 1826. They were the parents of six children: Mary, who married Robert Martin; Hannah, who became the wife of Williarn Hull; David, who died, February 14, 1819; William. who died December 18, 1823; Joseph, who died October 5, 1804; and Alern, who became quite a prominent lawyer and politician and served two terms in Congress.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 25 2020, 7:22:53 UTC