Weekly Puzzle - The Go To Ancestor

William (1709-1774)  is the go to guy! (I'll post his bio in a few weeks)  Every Trindle descendant is sure that he is their GG+ grandfather.  Unfortunately, it isn't always true.  Besides the Irish and German Trindles that filtered in from the early 1800s on, there are a number of Trindles in Pennsylvania that just don't fit in.

You know that story that William came from ......fill in your country of choice (Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man).... with two brothers?  I've heard it from most Trindle researchers.  Well, it very well could be true.  Either we have a number of family members that could be in two places at once (or even three) or there were Trindles who were contemporaries of William. And then there are those random names that just don't fit in.

With my husbands link to William verified by probate and other documents, our connection is secure.  And it really isn't really that we want to disown you!  It's just that I like the puzzle pieces to fit.  I do get a bit worried when some of the family trees running around on the internet have Alexander married to Alexander, and William born circa 1794 the son of .... hm "I can't quite remember who" born about 1815.  I'd really like to get it right!  And if we can find brothers for William, we just might be able to find a father and we'll all be one big happy family again!

Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission; Records of the Office of the Comptroller General, RG-4; Tax & Exoneration Lists, 1762-1794; Microfilm Roll: 327

So the next few weekly puzzles will show some of the many loose ends found in Pennsylvania before 1800.  Perhaps you have found a document that does make a connection for one of these families.  Perhaps you have a document that I'm missing that puts other links in question.  Everything is welcome.  I'll be happily post any opinion that is civil, but I do get to comment!

Let's take the case of John Trindle, Sr. and John Trindle, single,  found in Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County in 1785 and subsequent years.

William had a son John, born circa 1731 who lived in Cumberland county.  One might believe he could have owned land 150 miles away, however he died in 1784.  Additionally John Sr. in this listing appears to be relatively poor.  John Trindle in Cumberland County left quite an estate.

So John, Sr. was not William's son.

John, born 1831 had a son John born in 1868, he was not old enough to be either John listed in the tax record here.

Mapquest - Westmoreland Co.

Therefore, neither of these John's can be a descendant of William.  However, they might be a brother, a nephew, a great-nephew.

Now I know there are quite a few of you out there that are descendants of William of Westmoreland,  born 1765-1774, died 1821 in Fairfield, Westmoreland, PA.  I'd like to challenge you to find a connection to these Johns.  The distance from Mt. Pleasant to Derry is only 21 miles.  Delving further into land records in the county and looking for probate records might provide further clues.

The more people looking the more likely we are to eventually find the right connections.

While looking pay attention to records for an Archibald Trindle as well.  Some records appear to say Trimble others Trindle.  Archibald was born about 1755 and was living in Derry, Westmoreland, PA from at least 1786 through 1800.  He had five or more children, one may have been John bn abt 1794.

Second Census of the United States, 1800 M32-41 page 1226