Jehu Grubb
Encyclopedia
Jehu Grubb (c1781 - 1854), unacknowledged son of the prominent ironmaster Curtis Grubb
, was an early settler who became a leading citizen in Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio
. Jehu served in the War of 1812
, was a Justice of the Peace
, served in the Ohio House of Representatives
in 1828 and 1832, and in 1852 donated land for the Whitehall School. Jehu was often called John in various documents, and seems to have used both names himself. His stepson built the beautiful and historic Jacob H. Bair House on what been a corner of Jehu's farm.
, Curtis Grubb
, who with his brother Peter Grubb, Jr.
owned and operated Pennsylvania's historical Cornwall Iron Mines
and Cornwall Iron Furnace
. Jehu was born to Curtis, a widower not yet married to his third wife, apparently by his housekeeper and cousin Hannah Bellarby Grubb. Jehu, along with Hannah, was basically disowned by his father, who did not mention him in his will. The true nature of the relationship was discovered when Jehu and his mother “Aunt Ann” were identified during a close examination of the 1790 will of Curtis’ 17-year-old son and principal heir Curtis Jr. Jehu was left 50 pounds annually for his support and education, showing his connection to the family. Further research pointed to Curtis' paternity, which has been confirmed by the SAR
and DAR
and verified with DNA testing. Both Hannah and Curtis Jr. were buried next to Curtis, and her headstone proclaims her as his wife. Ironically, although Curtis Grubb fathered six “legitimate” children, all but one died without issue; his only documented modern descendants carrying the Grubb surname are through Jehu.
After Curtis Jr.’s early death, his heirs sold what was by then their half interest in the ironworks to Robert Coleman, in 1798. Over time, Coleman accumulated a 5/6 interest in the ironworks and went on to become Pennsylvania's first millionaire. The rest was retained by heirs of Curtis' brother Peter Jr., who build their own fortunes on it.
. He served in the War of 1812, as a Justice of the Peace, and twice in the Ohio House of Representatives. He was thrice married and twice widowed, with eleven children of his own and an unknown number of stepchildren. His father's heirs did provide for his education, and that undoubtedly provided a foundation for a successful life.
In 1803 Jehu was on the tax rolls as a married landowner in Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
, where he was a hackle (a flax or hemp combing implement) maker and farmer, having purchased 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) of land from Henry Schultz. The 1810 census lists him with a wife and two sons in Earl Township. His wife was probably a daughter of John Swiggart of Lancaster, and one of the sons was named Curtis, after Jehu’s father. They had a third son William in Pennsylvania just before moving to Stark County in May 1811.
In Ohio, Jehu first purchased a quarter section of patent land in Richland County
, and another in what is now Summit County
near Canal Fulton
. These parcels were later sold, the first in 1815 and the second to Abraham Miller in 1833. In August 1812 Jehu was drafted as a private into the Ohio militia where he served during the War of 1812, until his discharge at Lower Sandusky on February 24, 1813. He subsequently purchased, on April 30, 1813, a third quarter section (Range 8, Twp. 11, Section 9, NE/4) in Plain Township
, where he made his farm and lived out his life. In the 1850 census, his land was valued at $6,400, and in 1852 he donated a parcel to build the Whitehall School. There was also a cemetery, but the marked graves (only) were later moved for road widening. A corner of the Plain Twp. property was later acquired from Jehu's estate by his stepson and became the site of the beautiful and historic Jacob H. Bair House. Jacob was the son of Jehu's widow Elizabeth.
Jehu’s first wife died, most likely while giving birth to their fourth son Simon Peter on March 6, 1814. On October 8, 1815, Jehu married Elizabeth Reber, apparently a widow with children. Her parentage is unclear, as different documents give her surname as Reber and Sorrick; families with both names lived in the area. Some evidence suggests she may have been related to Frederick Reber and widowed by John Sorrick, but no connections to either family have been verified. Jehu and Elizabeth Reber had five children before she died in 1833. On September 1, 1833, he married his third wife Elizabeth Harter Bair, the widow of Abraham Bair. She was already a mother of seven children, and she bore Jehu three more.
Jehu was, according to his widow, a man “six feet tall if not more, black hair and eyes, dark complexion.” Although his father Curtis Grubb was of Cornish ancestry, Jehu resided in Pennsylvania and Ohio communities with large Pennsylvania Dutch
populations and he married women of those backgrounds. When Jehu donated the land for the school, he stipulated that there was to be “no preaching, except Dunkards
and Lutherans” which, of course, were primarily German faiths. His son Simon’s bible was in German, and his descendants spoke “dutch” well into the 1900s. Andrew Keplar conducted the marriage ceremony for Jehu and Elizabeth and it was humorously recorded for posterity at the time:
"You bromise to take this voman you holt by the hant to pe your vife, and that you thtick to her through hell-fire and dunder? Den I bronounce you man and voman, by cot Now, vers mine tollar?”
Jehu died on December 10, 1854 at the age of 73 and is buried at St Jacob's cemetery on State Street in North Canton
. His widow Elizabeth Harter Bair Grubb lived until 1887 and is buried alongside. She is credited with much of the information known about Jehu, as a result of claims she filed for benefits due her from his service in the War of 1812. On June 4, 1984, the Canton Repository
ran an article in 1984 based on an interview with Elizabeth 100 years before in 1884. She had been 91 years old at the time, and recalled coming to Ohio with her father George Harter in 1806, when "Canton Public Square
contained only a clump of bushes with just three log cabins."
Curtis Grubb
Curtis Grubb , Patriot and oldest son of Peter and Martha Bates Grubb, was a second-generation member of the Grubb Family Iron Dynasty along with his younger brother Peter Jr...
, was an early settler who became a leading citizen in Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio
Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio
Plain Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 51,997 people in the township, 35,543 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township...
. Jehu served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, was a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, served in the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
in 1828 and 1832, and in 1852 donated land for the Whitehall School. Jehu was often called John in various documents, and seems to have used both names himself. His stepson built the beautiful and historic Jacob H. Bair House on what been a corner of Jehu's farm.
Military and public service
- Served in the War of 1812. He was drafted as a private into the Ohio militia in August 1812, where he served until his discharge at Lower Sandusky on February 24, 1813.
- Served as a Justice of the Peace in Stark County. His name appears in that capacity on marriage and other legal documents of his day.
- Served in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1828 and 1832.
History rewritten
Recent research has determined that Jehu was the unacknowledged son of the prominent and wealthy PatriotPatriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
, Curtis Grubb
Curtis Grubb
Curtis Grubb , Patriot and oldest son of Peter and Martha Bates Grubb, was a second-generation member of the Grubb Family Iron Dynasty along with his younger brother Peter Jr...
, who with his brother Peter Grubb, Jr.
Peter Grubb, Jr.
Peter Grubb, Jr. , Patriot and second son of Peter and Martha Bates Grubb, was a second-generation member of the Grubb Family Iron Dynasty along with his older brother Curtis Grubb...
owned and operated Pennsylvania's historical Cornwall Iron Mines
Cornwall, Pennsylvania
Cornwall is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,486 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Cornwall Iron Furnace
Cornwall Iron Furnace
Cornwall Iron Furnace is a designated National Historic Landmark that is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in Cornwall, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The furnace was a leading Pennsylvania iron producer from 1742 until it was shut down in 1883...
. Jehu was born to Curtis, a widower not yet married to his third wife, apparently by his housekeeper and cousin Hannah Bellarby Grubb. Jehu, along with Hannah, was basically disowned by his father, who did not mention him in his will. The true nature of the relationship was discovered when Jehu and his mother “Aunt Ann” were identified during a close examination of the 1790 will of Curtis’ 17-year-old son and principal heir Curtis Jr. Jehu was left 50 pounds annually for his support and education, showing his connection to the family. Further research pointed to Curtis' paternity, which has been confirmed by the SAR
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a Louisville, Kentucky-based fraternal organization in the United States...
and DAR
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
and verified with DNA testing. Both Hannah and Curtis Jr. were buried next to Curtis, and her headstone proclaims her as his wife. Ironically, although Curtis Grubb fathered six “legitimate” children, all but one died without issue; his only documented modern descendants carrying the Grubb surname are through Jehu.
After Curtis Jr.’s early death, his heirs sold what was by then their half interest in the ironworks to Robert Coleman, in 1798. Over time, Coleman accumulated a 5/6 interest in the ironworks and went on to become Pennsylvania's first millionaire. The rest was retained by heirs of Curtis' brother Peter Jr., who build their own fortunes on it.
Personal life
Jehu Grubb was a man who overcame a difficult beginning, as the unacknowledged son of a prominent Pennsylvania ironmaster, but became an early settler and respected leading citizen of Stark County, OhioStark County, Ohio
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 375,586. It is included in the Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. He served in the War of 1812, as a Justice of the Peace, and twice in the Ohio House of Representatives. He was thrice married and twice widowed, with eleven children of his own and an unknown number of stepchildren. His father's heirs did provide for his education, and that undoubtedly provided a foundation for a successful life.
In 1803 Jehu was on the tax rolls as a married landowner in Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Earl Township is a township in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,183 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, where he was a hackle (a flax or hemp combing implement) maker and farmer, having purchased 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) of land from Henry Schultz. The 1810 census lists him with a wife and two sons in Earl Township. His wife was probably a daughter of John Swiggart of Lancaster, and one of the sons was named Curtis, after Jehu’s father. They had a third son William in Pennsylvania just before moving to Stark County in May 1811.
In Ohio, Jehu first purchased a quarter section of patent land in Richland County
Richland County, Ohio
Richland County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 124,475. It is included in the Mansfield, Ohio, Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Mansfield–Bucyrus Combined Statistical Area....
, and another in what is now Summit County
Summit County, Ohio
Summit County is an urban county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 542,899. In the 2010 Census the population was 541,781. Its county seat is Akron...
near Canal Fulton
Canal Fulton, Ohio
Canal Fulton is a city in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 5,479 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. These parcels were later sold, the first in 1815 and the second to Abraham Miller in 1833. In August 1812 Jehu was drafted as a private into the Ohio militia where he served during the War of 1812, until his discharge at Lower Sandusky on February 24, 1813. He subsequently purchased, on April 30, 1813, a third quarter section (Range 8, Twp. 11, Section 9, NE/4) in Plain Township
Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio
Plain Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 51,997 people in the township, 35,543 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township...
, where he made his farm and lived out his life. In the 1850 census, his land was valued at $6,400, and in 1852 he donated a parcel to build the Whitehall School. There was also a cemetery, but the marked graves (only) were later moved for road widening. A corner of the Plain Twp. property was later acquired from Jehu's estate by his stepson and became the site of the beautiful and historic Jacob H. Bair House. Jacob was the son of Jehu's widow Elizabeth.
Jehu’s first wife died, most likely while giving birth to their fourth son Simon Peter on March 6, 1814. On October 8, 1815, Jehu married Elizabeth Reber, apparently a widow with children. Her parentage is unclear, as different documents give her surname as Reber and Sorrick; families with both names lived in the area. Some evidence suggests she may have been related to Frederick Reber and widowed by John Sorrick, but no connections to either family have been verified. Jehu and Elizabeth Reber had five children before she died in 1833. On September 1, 1833, he married his third wife Elizabeth Harter Bair, the widow of Abraham Bair. She was already a mother of seven children, and she bore Jehu three more.
Jehu was, according to his widow, a man “six feet tall if not more, black hair and eyes, dark complexion.” Although his father Curtis Grubb was of Cornish ancestry, Jehu resided in Pennsylvania and Ohio communities with large Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
populations and he married women of those backgrounds. When Jehu donated the land for the school, he stipulated that there was to be “no preaching, except Dunkards
Dunkard Brethren
The Dunkard Brethren are a small group of conservative Schwarzenau Brethren churches that withdrew from the Church of the Brethren.The Church of the Brethren represents the largest body of churches that descended from the original pietist movement began in Germany by Alexander Mack and 7 other...
and Lutherans” which, of course, were primarily German faiths. His son Simon’s bible was in German, and his descendants spoke “dutch” well into the 1900s. Andrew Keplar conducted the marriage ceremony for Jehu and Elizabeth and it was humorously recorded for posterity at the time:
"You bromise to take this voman you holt by the hant to pe your vife, and that you thtick to her through hell-fire and dunder? Den I bronounce you man and voman, by cot Now, vers mine tollar?”
Jehu died on December 10, 1854 at the age of 73 and is buried at St Jacob's cemetery on State Street in North Canton
North Canton, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,369 people, 7,114 households, and 4,382 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,697.1 people per square mile . There were 7,506 housing units at an average density of 1,236.8 per square mile...
. His widow Elizabeth Harter Bair Grubb lived until 1887 and is buried alongside. She is credited with much of the information known about Jehu, as a result of claims she filed for benefits due her from his service in the War of 1812. On June 4, 1984, the Canton Repository
Canton Repository
The Repository is a daily newspaper serving the greater Canton, Ohio, area. Founded March 30, 1815, by John Saxton, it started as a weekly, and began publishing seven-days-a-week in 1892...
ran an article in 1984 based on an interview with Elizabeth 100 years before in 1884. She had been 91 years old at the time, and recalled coming to Ohio with her father George Harter in 1806, when "Canton Public Square
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
contained only a clump of bushes with just three log cabins."
Notable Descendants
- Firman R. Grubb (1896–1983) was the legendary lawman of Kent, OhioKent, OhioKent is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the largest city in Portage County. It is located along the Cuyahoga River in Northeastern Ohio on the western edge of the county. The population was 27,906 at the 2000 United States Census and 28,904 in the 2010 Census...
, who twice gained national recognition, once in Ripley's Believe It Or Not newspaper strip.