Category Archives: Razor Family

Paul Razor: An Unexpected Revolutionary Ancestor (52 Ancestors #45)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Documents, Family History, Genealogy, Razor Family

Paul Razor was my fifth great grandfather.  He married Mary Catherine Cook.  This was really all I knew about him until last week.  I was researching him to see if I could turn anything up and I came across a reference to service in the Revolutionary War.  Since I have access to the select and non-select Revolutionary War pension records, I looked for him in the index.  There he was.  I pulled the corresponding roll of microfilm and found the documents pertaining to Paul Razor.  It is often difficult to read the writing, but I’ve learned quite a bit about him.

Paul Razor began his service in Pittsylvania County, Virginia in April of 1777.  He volunteered under Captain William Witcher for six months.  They began at Pittsylvania Old Courthouse and marched to Long Island, where they were stationed under the command of Colonel Shelby.  Here, they were charged with driving the Indians out of the settlements.  In June of 1781, no longer a volunteer, he was instructed to take a load from the mill to Pittslyvania County and to William Penn’s house in Amherst County, Virginia in his wagon with his team of horses.  He was then ordered to join the army near Williamsburg.  He did meet the army, which was under the command of General Lafayette and General Wayne.  Paul was then attached to this unit and was employed in hauling goods and whatever else they needed a wagon to do.  They then marched to Petersburg and continued on toward Richmond.  They camped 18 miles below Richmond.  Here he was discharged by General Wayne in September of 1781.

He requested pension in January of 1834.  In his pension request he included other information about himself.  Paul Razor was born in Easttown, Pennsylvania in 1750.  He lived in Pittsylvania County, Virginia until 1790.  He then moved to Fayette County, Kentucky, where he lived for five years.  He then moved to Shelby County, Kentucky, where he lived at the time of his pension request.  His testimony of service was confirmed by two witnesses and pension was granted.

Sources

  1. National Archives and Records Administration. “Paul Razor (R8626).”  Microfilm. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files (Select and Non-select) (1800-1900): roll m804-2008. Accessed 4 November 2015. Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room.

John Wiseheart: Which John Are You? (52 Ancestors #40)

Posted on by under 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, Family History, Genealogy, Razor Family, Research Process, Wiseheart Family

I’ve been trying to source the Wiseheart line on the pedigree chart that my grandma gave me.  It’s been very difficult.  I can get it back to my third great grandfather, but proving his connection to the man that I believe is his father is, so far, impossible.  The pedigree chart says that my fourth great grandfather is John Wiseheart (1775-1837), who was married to Catharine Razor (1787-1850).  John was born in Pennsylvania.1

Here’s where my biggest problem comes in.  There were two John Wisehearts (or Wisehart) born in Pennsylvania in 1775, at least.  But of the the two I’ve come across, is he John, son of John, son of John, or John, son of Hans Nicholas, son of Henrich?  The only thing I’ve been able to find for John Wiseheart and Catherine Razor is a marriage record, which does not give his father’s name.

The only thing I have been able to find about John is that he married Catharine Razor in Jefferson County, Kentucky on October 9, 1798.1,2,3  According to the transcription on Ancestry.com, Catharine was born in 1787, which would have made her eleven years old.1  Now, this isn’t totally unheard of, but it seems highly unlikely to me, as the print index done by The Filson Historical Society does not list consent given.  That would have been a requirement for an eleven-year-old.  Having read some old handwriting myself, I think it’s far more likely that a 6 looked like an 8 or a 1 looked like a 7, or some combination thereof.  John Razor was the bondsman.3  Perhaps trying to find John Razor and Catharine Razor on a record together will yield some information.

In the end, all I really know about John Wiseheart is that his wedding anniversary is in two days.

Sources

  1. Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.  Source number: 4178.015; Source type: Family group sheet, FGSE, listed as parents; Number of Pages: 1.
  2. Dodd, Jordan. Kentucky Marriages, 1802-1850 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997.
  3. Dawson, Nelson L., ed. Jefferson County, Virginia-Kentucky, Early Marriages, Book I, 1781-July, 1826. Owensboro, KY: Cook-McDowell Publications, 1980. Print. p. 32.