Notes and Links

• m. John Verner* (1725-1798) in about 1758.
• Mary and John had 11 children:
  • Mary Verner
    • m. Caldwell Ewing; in 1786, and moved to Indiana Territory, and had many children.
  • David Verner (1760-1852), who served in the Amer. Rev.
    • m. Esther Turpin, and had 4 children:
      • Mary Verner (1782-1860)
      • A child who died as an infant.
      • David Verner, Jr. (1788-1857)
      • Caleb Verner (1802-1864)
  • James Verner; b. 1762, Capt. in Rev. Army, died c1780 in British prison in Charleston SC of smallpox.
  • John Verner, Jr.* (1763-1853)
  • Samuel Verner (1764- ___?), migrated to TN in about 1783, and then to Colorado Terr.
  • George Verner (1765-1853)
    • m. Mary Dobson
  • Sarah Verner; b. 1768.
    • m. James Montgomery; in about 1790, and had 7 children.
  • Nancy Verner; b. 1770
  • Diannah Verner; b. 1772
    • m. William Henry Wakefield (1765-1817)
    • Diannah and William settled in Illinois and had 9 children.
  • Charles Verner; b. c1773-4. This link provided by extensive research on the Verner/Varner genealogy, Chapter 6, by Foy Varner. Jr.
  • Jane "Jenny" Verner; b. 1776.
    • m. Mr. Lorne; after 1798.

Brief Biography:

Mary would have grown to adulthood along the Pennsylvania frontier on a settlement that was on March Creek somewhat west of Chambersburg or Marsh Creek, somewhat east of Chambersburg, PA. In the gathering storm of the French and Indian wars, life along the PA frontier became more hazardous due to marauding indian attacks, Mary moved with her parents and growing family into Virginia after Braddock's Defeat at Fort Dusquene (now Pittsburgh) in PA, 1755. Braddock's defeat precipitated many migrations of English-speaking rural Pennsylvanian settlers southward because of the threat of Indian attacks along the frontier. The opportunity to build larger plantations using slave labor also contributed to the southern migration. It is not known exactly where they settled in VA, except that one of their children seems to have been born at Lunenberg County within or near the Caldwell Presbyterian Settlement. Mary's father, James Pettigrew sold his lands in PA and rented a farm in Lunenburg County VA for a while. They did not stay in VA very long but migrated further south into the Carolinas in about 1761. Mary married John Verner* in about 1758 in Lunenburg County. John and Mary Verner* may have migrated with the Pettigrew family into Granville County NC in 1761, but their later move to SC was much later than when the Pettigrew family made their move to SC.

References;

• The Will of John Verner, [Sr.], as copied by John Verner Stribling in 1921.
• Descendants of John Verner, Sr., by Cynthia Verner Eckert.
• Leaves from the Family Tree by Penelope Allen, State Chairman of Genealogical Records, Tennessee Society DAR.
• The Verner Genealogy by Clara Verner Wallace.
• Verner/Varner genealogy, by Foy Varner, Jr.
• The on-line Verner Family Genealogy, by Don Verner of Texas.