Earl Township, Lancaster PA: 1769-1778

Enclosed herein is a transcript of letter to a Miss Pence from a genealogist in Lancaster.

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July 27, 1974

Dear Miss Pence:

This is what Mr. Dyke found on the Pence family from our tax records:

Earl Township          1769          Peter Pence          100 Acres.

Earl Township          1770          Jacob Pence         Sadler 162 A.

Earl Township          1777          Peter Pence

Earl Township          1778          Peter Pence

Earl Township          1778          Peter Pence

Jacob was on the tax list in Earl township for only one year. Hope that this is of help to you.

Sincerely,

(Mrs. Charles W. Lundgren)

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Ancestry.com does not include these years, starting instead at 1779, therefore the Lancaster archives are currently the only place where these records may exist.

The Peter above would most probably be Peter, son of Weyrich (Founding Father), possible husband of Barbara. This Peter is said to have died in Cocalico in 1814, according to Lancaster records. 

Likewise, Jacob is also the name of one of Weyrich's son. 

In 21 Jun 1762, Weyrich sold 162 Acres to Jacob of Earl Township (See Weyrich's page). Jacob, in turn, sold 147.25 Acres to Peter Bentz of Cocalico Twp in 1792. Both Peter and Jacob are named in Weyrich's will in 1783. 

We see a Peter Bentz still resident in Cocalico in 1793, 1800, and 1810. But not thereafter.

We see a Jacob Bentz still resident in Cocalico in 1793, 1800, and 1810. But, like Peter, not thereafter.

One of the mysteries of the Pennsylvania Pence's is in differentiating between Peter Pence of Armstrong County (moved there by 1800) and Peter Pence of Lycoming County (moved there by at least 1790). One question that's been asked is whether one of these Peters were Peter son of Weyrich (above). It seems fairly certain, with the above Peter remaining in Cocalico at least until 1810, that Weyrich's line is separate from the Armstrong and Lycoming Peters.

Y-DNA supports this supposition, as a known descendent of Armstrong County Peter has tested as R1b-U106. This is not Weyrich's line, so far as we've discovered.