The Hyphen Family Lineage

[Excerpts from Immel and Imel Families in America, pp299-303. Note that references to "my ancestor" and other possessives or individual pronouns were written by the text's author, Velma Byrum Keller, in 1974.]

[inset, p299]

Research in Maryland indicated that Henry was one of five brothers brought over by England in 1776, during the Revolutionary War as "Hessian" soldiers; Henry b. 1756; Thomas b. 1757-8; Jacob b. 1760; Joseph b. 1762; and Peter b. 1764. These Imel brothers went AWOL shortly after arriving in America and joined the Continental Army. Peter was a drummer boy (age 12) in General Morgan's Virginia Riflemen. Both Joseph and Henry lived in Maryland and then both later moved close to each other in Fayette Co., Penna., where both died and are probably buried.

[inset, p300]

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Frederick, Maryland (founded in 1738) are records of Peter Imel's marriage and Henry Imel as a witness to a marriage on February 6, 1781, which reads as follows:

"Christop Nied & Sophia Wagnern [sic] both widowed. Proc. Jan. 28, Feb. 4, 6. Witnesses: Wilhelm and Christian
Wagner, Henrich Meyer, George Braun, Mich. Fries, HENR. IMMEL, Margreth Tischon"

[main text, pp300-302]

HENRY IMEL SR.
Eldest of the five "Hessian" brothers
(My Oldest Known Ancestor)

HENRY IMEL SR. - b. Jan. 5, 1756, Germany. d. Nov. 5, 1948 [sic] in Fayette or Somerset Co., Pa. (The Bible of a granddaughter, Nancy Imel Rugg, states that Henry died in Somerset Co., Pa., probably at the home of his daughter Elizabeth Imel Henry. However, I was unable to find Henry's grave or place of death.) He was married in 1778 in Maryland to MARGARET DISHER - b. Sept. 29, 1756 in New Jersey. Died Nov. 29, 1841, Fayette Co., Pa. and is probably buried in the Imel Cemetery there. In the 1880 census of Fayette Co., Pa., the son, Henry Jr. lists his mother as "born in New Jersey."

Edward L. Imel of Gowrie, Iowa says the tradition in his line is that Henry and Margaret Imel had five sons and five daughters. I could not find Henry Imel in the 1970 [sic] census of Maryland - the first record of him is the 1800 census of Belfast Twp., Bedford Co., Pa., which lists his children as follows:

3 sons under 10. (John and Henry Jr. would be under 10; Samuel ca 14)
1 son 16-26. (Jacob would have been ca 16)
1 female under 10. (Born between 17900-1800 - name unknown)
1 female 10-16. (Elizabeth would have been 13)
1 female 16-26 (Sophia would have been 17)
Isaac, James, and Mary were already married and not living home.

The 1820 census of Saltlick Twp., Fayette Co., Penna. lists the following:

1 male under 10. (Grandson James, age 6, son of Samuel)
1 male 10-26. (This could be either a son of Samuel - or Henry, son of Jacob who was deceased in 1920 [sic]. Henry would have been 10 or 11)
1 male 26-45. (Samuel, age 34, widower, living home with parents)
1 female 10-16. (Born after 1800, probably ca 1804, name unknown)
1 female 26-45. (Daughter born between 1790-1800)

Note: Samuel was the only son who could have been living at home in 1820. He married a second wife ca 1833, when he was 47 years of age and had four other children.

The 1830 census of Saltlick Twp., Fayette Co., Penna. lists Henry and Margaret with a male between 15-20. This would be James above, now age 16, a grandson.

Children of Henry and Margaret:
1. Isaac Imel, b. 1780 in Maryland.
2. James Imel, b. 1781 in Maryland.
3. Mary Imel, b. June 20, 1782, Maryland.
4. Sophia Imel, b. July 2, 1783, Maryland.
5. Jacob Imel, b. ca 1784-5, Maryland.
6. Samuel L. Imel, b. 1786, Maryland.
7. Elizabeth Imel, b. July 24, 1787, Maryland.
8. John Imel, b. Nov. 23, 1789, Maryland. (My ancestor).
9. Henry Imel, Jr., b. Jan. 15, 1792, Bedford Co., Penna.
*10. Daughter, name unknown, born between 1790-1800.
*11. Daughter, name unknown, born ca 1804 in Bedford Co., Penna.

*One of these daughters lived to be 104 years of age.

The earliest record I could find of HENRY IMEL was land that he bought of GEORGE BOYLE on Feb. 6, 1792 of 133 1/2 acres located in Belfast Twp., Bedford Co., Penna. This would now be located in Belfast Twp., Fulton Co., Penna. Henry Imel sold this farm August 24, 1811 to JOHN WALKER. This would be approximately the time he moved to Fayette Co., Penna. When he purchased the farm from George Boyle in 1792, the deed was never registered. John Walker also did not have the deed recorded. It was only after Walker sold the farm in 1819 to JABOC STOANER that Stoaner had the deed recorded. The obituary of his daughter Mary stated that she was born near "Fredericktown", Maryland, so this must have been where his Maryland farm was and where his older children were born.

The farm of Henry Imel was located a short distance north of the farm of JOHN IMBLE/EMEL in Bethel Twp., Bedford Co., Penna. who bought 286 acres in 1787 and sold them again on Jan. 31, 1801 to a Rachel Mann, wife of Andred Mann. The proximity of the two farms and the spelling of the names suggests that they may have been related. However, I was unable to learn anything about thie John Imble other than the purchase and sale of the land. He was not listed in either the 1790 or the 1800 census records.

FARM OF HENRY IMEL IN BEDFORD COUNTY, PENNA.
(From the Mormon Genealogical Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Film 43536 pt 16, pp 560-61)

On April 15, 1819, JACOB STOANER had the deed recorded in Bedford Co., Pa. by Anthony Shoemaker, Justice of the Peace and David Mann, Recorder.

IMEL to WALKER: KNOW ALL MEN by these present that I, HENRY IMEL of BEDFORD COUNTY in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for and in consideration of the sum of Six Hundred and Fifty Dollars to me in hand paid by JOHN WALKER of the County and State aforesaid, yoeman, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged to have granted, bargained sold, released and confirmed and by these present do grant, bargain, sell, release and confirm unto the said JOHN WALKER, his heirs and assigns, a certain tract of land situate in Belfast Township in the County of Bedford aforesaid on the Waters of Licking Creek bounded and described as follows...containining one hundred and thirty three acres and one half acre and the usual allowance of six percent for roads, etc. (which said tract was surveyed on a Warrant granted to GEORGE BOYLE September 19, 1787 and sold to HENRY IMEL by GEORGE BOYLE, a reference to their Article of Agreement having date of the sixth day of February, 1792)...

IN WITNESS THEREOF I have hereto set my Hand and Seal the Twenty Fourth day of August One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eleven.

Sealed and Delivered in the HENRY IMEL (Seal)
presence of
JOHN WOBLE and ABRAHAM WALKER

Note: HENRY IMEL signed this deed himself as "HENRY IMEL" which establishes the correct spelling of the name. I had found a Bible record of a granddaughter who wrote the name "HENRY IMMEL" which sent me on a "wild-goose chase" of several years, trying to find a baptismal certificate for a "Henry Immel" in the various church records of Lancaster Co., Penna. The original name of "IMEL" I found only in Maryland.

During the Revolutionary War, a group of IMEL brothers were brought over as German Mercenaries by the British, to fight against the Colonists. But shortly after landing in America they went AWOL and joined up with the Continental Army. Peter Imel, age 12, was a drummer boy in General Morgan's Virginia Riflemen. The only record of these Imel brothers was that carried down in the line of Peter's descendants. However, the number of Imel brothers varied from three to four and even five. Only two names were remembered: Thomas born 1757 and Peter born 1764. And although Peter's descendants claimed to have lived in Virginia before they migrated to Indiana and had no record of ever having been in Maryland, the tombstone of Peter's son Henry reads: "NATIVE OF MARYLAND".