Abraham Workman & Annette Anna Smith, 1709-1777
Family history in this section was compiled by Phil Hayes.The original content of his treatise entitled A WORKMAN FAMILY HISTOROY: from Jans William to Melvrie is presented herein without alteration.
Birth:
On April 27, 1709, Abraham was christened in Raritan, Somerset County, NJ. He was one of the twelve children of Jan Derick Woerkman and Anna Maria Andriessen. (Sayre, page 65)
His siblings were: Andries, Dirck, Jan Albertse Bout, Pieter, Elizabeth, Jan, Hermitien, Anna, Jan Jane, Jan (?), and Fammi
Somerset County, NJ
Raritan
Childhood:
His childhood was probably spent in and around Raritan, NJ.
Military:
Abraham (Sr.?) probably had no military service; although, that is unknown. However, the records show that three of his sons were in the Chester County, PA., militia in the mid-1700s.
According to Anderson’s Workman Family History, page 28-29, Abraham (Jr.?), 5’9”, enlisted in Captain Paul Jackson’s regiment 5/6/1756 when he was 19.
Also in Anderson’s Workman Family History, page 29, Andrew enlisted 5/8/1759 as labourer when he was 17. He was apparently in Captain Charles Stewart’s company since he was listed as a return of that company 5/9/1759. In addition, Anderson says that Andrew was enlisted for service in die Revolution 8/28/1776. (Writer’s underline)
Sayre says in his book, Some Branches of the Workman Tree, “‘Pennsylvania Archives,' Series 5, Volume 1, gives a record of a 6 May 1758 enlistment in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in Captain Paul Jackson’s Company for the Pennsylvania Regiment of the following: “Joseph Workman... age 21 and Abraham Workman... age 19.”
Sayre also notes the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission records which show, Provincial Service’ of a Joseph Workman who enlisted as a private in Captain Charles Stewart’s Company 22 April 1759 at Chester, Pennsylvania....” (Writer’s underline)
Abraham’s (Jr.) age is inconsistent in both accounts. Also note that Abraham (Jr.) and Andrew were probably twins.
Occupation:
Abraham’s occupation is unknown.
Marriage:
Around 1728, Abraham married Annetje Anna Smith. Further details of their marriage are unknown. He would have been around 19. She would have been around 22.
They were probably married in Raritan, or thereabouts, since that was Abraham’s home and all of their children were born in Somerset County, NJ.
Anna was christened July 14,1706, in the Dutch Reformed Church in Ulster County, NY.
Married Life, Anna:
Abraham and Anna had possibly eleven children (all boys) all of whom were born in Somerset County, NJ. They were: Benjamin (b. c 1729), Samuel (b. c 1731), Joseph (b.1736), Jacob (b.1740), twins Abraham (Jr?) and Andrew (b.1742), George (b.1744), William P. (b. c 1746), John (b. 1733?), Isaac (b. 1738?), and Stephen (b. 1748?).
Their sons dispersed over the land. They were pioneers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio:
Abraham ?
Andrew 1776 ~ settled west of Fort Cumberland, MD.
1788 ~ secured military land grant in Allegany County, MD.
Benjamin ?
George ?
Isaac 1776 ~ settled west of Fort Cumberland, MD.
1788 ~ secured military land grant in Allegany County, MD.
Jacob 1776 ~ settled west of Fort Cumberland, MD.
1788 ~ secured military land grant in Allegany County, MD.
1821 ~ died in Bourbon County, KY.
John 1776 ~ settled west of Fort Cumberland, MD.
1788 ~ secured military land grant in Allegany County, MD.
1788 ~ migrated to Orange County, NC.
Joseph 1776 ~ settled west of Fort Cumberland, MD.
1785 ~ received land grant in Washington County, PA.
1785 ~ received land grant in Westmoreland County, PA.
1788 ~ migrated to Orange County, NC.
1789 ~ settled in Burkes Garden, Wythe County, VA.
1813 ~ died in Burkes Garden, Tazewell County, VA.
Samuel ???? ~ died in Washington County, PA.
Stephen 1776 ~ settled west of Fort Cumberland, MD.
William 1788 ~ secured military land grant in Allegany County, MD.
1836 ~ died in Poultney TWP, Belmont County, OH.
From when they were married around 1728, until around 1746 when son William was born, Abraham and Anna lived in Somerset County, NJ, before moving to Pennsylvania.
Sayre say in his book, Some Branches of the Workman Tree, “A study of old county records in Pennsylvania indicate that Abraham Workman had an agreement with a Philadelphia man to settle on a plot in the borough of Lancaster, in Lancaster County. About 1749, after Abraham failed to develop the property, it was resold. This would indicate that Abraham brought his family to Pennsylvania sometime before 1749…”
There are several records of the family being in Chester County in, and after, 1756. The family’s location during the period from 1746 to 1756 is unknown. Moreover, it seems that the family had moved to Chester County, PA, by1756, since that is the date of Abraham (Jr)’s military enlistment there.
In 1758, Abraham (Sr.) is listed as a renter in Oxford, Chester County, PA. No further record of him has been found, according to Sayre. He would have been only 49 at that time.
For reference, Chester County is just west of Philadelphia. Oxford is in the south western corner of Chester County, north of Havre de Grace, MD, and west of Wilminton, DE.
Upper Oxford, Chester County, PA
Health:
Details are unknown.
Death:
He was thought by Sayre to have died in Chester County, PA, because no further record was found after 1758. The date of his death is unknown as is his place of burial.
One online source lists his place of death as Waco, Chester Coounty, PA. No date was given. The current map doesn’t list a place called Waco in Pennsylvania, although there may well have been in colonial times.