The Corwin Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania

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Matthias Corwin

Matthias Corwin was born in England between the years 1590 and 1600, died September, 1658. He came to New England and in 1634 received a second grant of land at Ipswich, Massachusetts. He joined a company under Rev. John Young and settled in Southold, Long Island, in October, 1640. There he lived for eighteen years, until his death. He owned considerable land and held town offices. His wife was named Margaret —–. Children:

  1. John Corwin.
  2. Martha Corwin.
  3. Theophilus Corwin. Of whom further.

(II) Theophilus Corwin

Theophilus, son of Matthias Corwin, was born in 1634, died before 1692. In 1655 he had lands at Southold, Long Island. He married Mary —–. Children:

  1. Daniel Corwin. Of whom further.
  2. Theophilus Corwin.
  3. David Corwin.
  4. Mary Corwin.
  5. Mehitable Corwin.
  6. Bertha Corwin.
  7. Phebe Corwin.

(III) Daniel Corwin

Daniel, son of Theophilus Corwin, was born between 1660-70, died before 1719. He married Mary, daughter of Simon and Mary Ramsay. Children:

  1. Daniel Corwin. Of whom further.
  2. Henry Corwin.
  3. Simeon Corwin.

(IV) Daniel (2) Corwin

Daniel (2), son of Daniel (1) Corwin, was born about 1690, died September 7, 1747. He was a freeholder of Southold, Long Island, in 1737. He married January, 1722-23, Elizabeth Cleavess. Children:

  1. Nathan Peletiah Corwin.
  2. Mary Corwin.
  3. Michal Corwin. Feminine.
  4. Lucas Corwin.
  5. Jedediah Corwin.
  6. Silas Corwin.
  7. John Daniel Corwin.
  8. Edward Corwin. Of whom further.

(V) Edward Corwin

Edward, son of Daniel (2) Corwin, was born 1710, died March 16, 1732. He married and had sons who are mentioned in the will of their grandfather, Daniel Corwin, as his grandchildren:

  1. Edward Corwin. Of whom further.
  2. Separate Corwin.

(VI) Edward (2) Corwin

Edward (2), son of Edward (1) Corwin, was born about 1731. About 1760 he was taken from his family in the night by a press gang, put on a ship where he died four or five years after, without ever getting back to his family. He married, in Mattituck, Long Island, Hannah Horton. Phineas and his brother Edward were in mercantile business in New York City for a time under the name Currin, but soon altered the spelling to Corwin, the proper name.

Children:

  1. Hannah Corwin.
  2. Edward Corwin. Of whom further.
  3. Sarah Corwin.
  4. Phineas Corwin.
  5. Elizabeth Corwin.

On July 29, 1764, Widow Hannah Corwin had three children baptized: Hannah, Edward and Sarah. Previous to February 22, 1756, Phineas and Elizabeth were baptized.

(VII) Edward (3) Corwin

Edward (3), son of Edward (2) Corwin, was born on Long Island, New York, February 13, 1759, died at the farm of his son on Potato Creek, McKean county, Pennsylvania, September 15, 1849. He moved to Connecticut about 1775, and after the revolutionary war was a merchant in New York City, then moved to Cazenovia, Madison county, New York, thence about 1822 to Norwich township, McKean county, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the continental army at the age of seventeen years and served six years. He received a pension for his revolutionary service until his death in 1849. During the revolution he was taken prisoner by the Indians, who delivered him to the British, they holding him twenty-two months. He also received five hundred acres of bounty land, which, however, he was cheated out of by agents and a lawyer. He had many thrilling experiences during his military career; was in the battle of Monmouth, at the surrender of Burgoyne, saw Major Andre hanged and was with General Sullivan in his expedition up the Susquehanna after the Wyoming massacre. He lived to the great age of ninety years. He was a farmer, and he and his wife were for over forty years members of the Baptist church. He married (first) November 4, 1784, Yetonce Barstow, of Franklin, Connecticut, born May 9, 1766, died August 20, 1797. He married (second) March 4, 1798, Olive Colegrove, born in Rhode Island, May, 1775, died December 31, 1859.

Children of Edward (3) Corwin:

  1. Harry Corwin. Died in infancy.
  2. Ghordis Corwin. Died in Smethport, a saw and grist mill owner; married Armenia Sartwell.
  3. Benjamin Corwin. Of whom further.
  4. Philetus Corwin. Died in Corwin Center, a farmer; married California Gallup.
  5. John Corwin. Died in Friendship, New York, a carpenter, farmer and oil producer; married Julia Robbins.
  6. Edward Corwin. Died in Norwich township, McKean county, unmarried.
  7. Esther Corwin. Died in Ohio; married Jonathan Southwick, a farmer.
  8. Eliza Corwin. Died in the west; married Andrew Still.
  9. Nancy Corwin. Died in Smethport; married Chun Gallup, a farmer.
  10. Diana Corwin. Died in the west; married Warren Edson, a shoemaker.
  11. Olive Corwin. Died in Norwich township; married Loren Wilcott.

(VIII) Benjamin Corwin

Benjamin, son of Edward (3) Corwin, was born in McKean county, Pennsylvania, April 27, 1807, died in Smethport, December 9, 1881. He was a carpenter by trade, also a farmer, owning a good farm about one mile from Smethport. In later life he sold his farm and moved to Smethport. He married Betsey Chapin, born in Connecticut, July 4, 1812, died in Smethport, November 18, 1886, daughter of Phineas Chapin, who died in New York state, and his wife (Hazleton) Chapin.

Children of Phineas Chapin:

  1. Sarah (“Sally”) Chapin. Married George Allen.
  2. Sophronia Chapin. Married Levi Coates.
  3. Lucena Chapin. Married Elbert Freeman.
  4. Lorenzo Chapin. Died aged twenty-one.
  5. Electa Chapin. Married Joseph White.
  6. Betsey Chapin. Of previous mention.

Children of Benjamin and Betsey Corwin:

  1. Theodore Corwin. Born February 22, 1833, died in infancy.
  2. Violette Corwin. Born July 21, 1836, died in infancy.
  3. Helen Electa Corwin. Born in Smethport, Pennsylvania, August 28, 1838; married Arnold Nelson McFall.
  4. Ghordis Corwin. Born May 31, 1842, died in infancy.
  5. Estella Corwin. Born June 6, 1844, died at Marvin’s Creek, June 30, 1865.
  6. Althea Corwin. Born May 1, 1847, died in infancy.
  7. Alice Corwin. Born April 15, 1849, died November 21, 1883, at Smethport, unmarried.
  8. George Corwin. Born March 19, 1852, died August 15, 1887, at Smethport; a carpenter; married Adelaide Oakes, of Silver Creek, New York, who survives him, a resident of Erie, Pennsylvania.
  9. Franklin Corwin. Of whom further.

(IX) Franklin Corwin

Franklin, youngest child of Benjamin and Betsey (Chapin) Corwin, was born at Marvin’s Creek, McKean county, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1854, died at Smethport, May 21, 1899, by drowning. He was educated in the public schools, and learned the carpenter’s trade. His home was in McKean county, but he was largely engaged in the erection of chemical works and tanneries (which he made his specialty) and was obliged to be out of the county a great deal. He was a Republican in politics. He married Carrie, daughter of William Specht. She was born in Smethport, April 9, 1856, died there December 23, 1886. Children:

  1. Ghordis Burdette Corwin. Of whom further.
  2. Harry Corwin. Born in Smethport, December 13, 1887; a graduate of The Case School of Applied Science; is a chemist in the employ of the Erie railroad; married Nina Hosmer, of Cleveland, Ohio, and resides in Youngstown, Ohio.

(X) Ghordis Burdette Corwin

Ghordis Burdette (called Corte B.), eldest son of Franklin and Carrie (Specht) Corwin, was born in Smethport, Pennsylvania, April 24, 1880. He was educated in the public school, finishing at Smethport high school. He enlisted, April 27, 1898, in Bradford in Company C, Pennsylvania National Guard, later being assigned to Company I of Warren for service in the Spanish-American war. He was discharged in the same year without seeing actual service. He entered the employ of the Camp Window Glass Company, of Smethport, continuing nine years, having the contract for packing the glass made by the company when he left them. In 1907 he engaged with Holmes & Gilfillan, remaining eighteen months, then located in Mount Jewett with the Consolidated Window Glass Company, continuing until December 19, 1904. He then returned to the employ of Holmes & Gilfillan in Smethport, where he is now engaged. He is a Republican in politics and was elected borough auditor, 1908-11. He is a volunteer fireman, belonging to both the Smethport and Bradford departments. He attends St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

He married, September 8, 1903, at Smethport, Edna Lorena Hafner, born in Kasson, McKean county, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1881, educated in the public school there and in Smethport high school, a member of the Baptist church. She is the daughter of William Hafner, of Clermont, Pennsylvania, a farmer, later a merchant of Smethport, now and for the past four years an employe of the McKean County Home for the Poor. He married Melissa Jane Potter, born at Larry’s Creek, near Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania.

Children of William and Melissa Jane (Potter) Hafner, all born in Kasson, Pennsylvania:

  1. Margaret Idella Hafner. Married Frank M. Spanogle, a telegraph operator, and resides in North Girard, Pennsylvania; children:
    1. Holmes Hafner Spanogle.
    2. Charlotte Lorena Spanogle.
    3. Margaret Spanogle.
    4. William Spanogle.
  2. Edith Alverna Hafner. Married Herman Frederick Grabe, an undertaker, and resides at State College, Pennsylvania.
  3. Edna Lorena Hafner. Of previous mention, wife of Corte B. Corwin.
  4. Earl Potter Hafner. Now an attendant in the Insane Asylum at Willard, New York.

See: Genealogy of the Allegheny Valley Pennsylvania

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content

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