Spouse  Rebecca Arvecost
Birth: 15 Jan 1763              probably Washington Co. PA
Death: Nov 1841                 Vertrees, Hardin Co. KY
Marriage: abt 1780

Children:     
1. Jacob (1781-)
2. Mary (1783-1858)
3. Rebecca (1785-1857)
4. John Jr. (1788-1829)
5. David (1790-1827)
6. Elizabeth (1792-1817)
7. Rachel (1795-1840)
8. Catherine (1796-)
9. Hannah (1797-)
10. Joseph (1800-1867)

John Hartley's son, Joseph Hartley, describes his father:

My father's name was John Hartley; my mother's maiden name was Rebecca Arvecost. They had born to them twelve children, six sons and six daughters; of which they raised ten--five of each. They were originally from Virginia, and, like most new comers in those days, very poor. The country being new, and having but few advantages, they had to make their living in the hardest toil; and, even in my raising, constant labor was the order of the day. My father had no education, not so much as to enable him to read; and, having been always a frontier man, was extremely illiterate and awkward in language. My mother had but just learning enough to read imperfectly. Thus it was, that in my childhood, I acquired a habit of speaking imperfectly; and, as I advanced in years, I became sensible to this awkwardness, while mixing with others who had been better instructed. Being sensitive of my situation, I was all the time, when in company, laboring under serious embarrassments.

I will here remark, by way of advice to parents; when your children are learning to talk, teach them to speak properly, if you know how; if you do not, try to learn how; because it is almost impossible for them to throw off habits contracted in early life. My opportunities for acquiring an education were very limited. A winter school, of about three or six months, at most, was about all that was taught in a year; and, from the time I was old enough to be useful at work, I was kept close at that, except a short time in the worst of winter weather. Judging from others, and my opportunities, I learnt very fast--perhaps from my anxiety to learn. Reading, writing and the first rules of arithmetic, was all the education I ever got; and, to the best of my recollection, I was in my sixteenth year before I was ever twenty miles from home. I do not wish to be considered as casting any reflections upon my parents; for, with few exceptions, this mode of life was the rule of the times. . .

My mother was a member of the Baptist church, and, I believe, a God-fearing woman. She would often talk to us of the consequences of sin, and the danger of going to the bad place when we died, which would produce in my mind, for a short time, some gloomy fears. . . Most of the families in the vicinity of the church were more or less members of it, excepting my father's--not one of them, whom, besides my mother, made any pretensions of religion. I sometimes thought we were worse than others, and that the Lord had reprobated us to destruction. 1

The Daughters of the Amercan Revolution have accepted evidence that John Hartley served in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War:

HARTLEY, John
Birth: PA 25 Feb 1755
Service: PA
Rank: Pvt
Death: KY 1834-36
Patriot Pensioned: No Widow Pensioned: No
Children Pensioned: No Heirs Pensioned: No
Spouse: (1) Rebecca Arvacost 2

An apparently separate, but not conflicting, DAR record shows:

Hartley, John:
b 2-25-1755
d bet 1834-1836
m Rebecca Arvecost
Pvt Mil PA 3

The Records of the Comptroller General of the United States in its “Military Accounts: Militia” has a record of John Hartley, private first class in the Washington County, Pennsylavania, 1st Batallion, 6th Company with “remarks: (1781-1783),” There is a disclaimer on the record that “The basic record does not prove active duty.” This is a record of a John Hartley serving in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War period.

Thus it appears that John Hartley served in 1st Battalion, 6th company of the Washington County, Pennsylvania Militia, 1781-1783. In 1781 1st Battalion was lead by Lt. Col. Henry Enoch, 6th company was from Greene Township, and lead by Capt. John Guthery.

A history of Ten Mile Creek (4) indicates that:

Year: 1782--First Battalion, Washington County. Recruited in Whitelely and Greene Townships (now Greene County). A few from Dunkard (Township).
John Gutherey, Captain Eleazer Clegg, Lieutennant, Richard Totson, Seergeant, Gideon Long, Ensign, Mathew Hanon, Sergeant, John Roberts, Sergeant.

Whiteley Twp, Greene Twp, and Dunkard Twp are all next to each other roughtly west of Masontown on the Monongahela River, PA, roughtly south of Ten Mile Creek. This entry is followed by about 50 names of privates but they do not include John Hartley.

Some of the men associated with forts in the area match with the soldiers in the 1st Batallion, 6th company"

From Draper's Papers:  Jackson's Fort on south fork of Tenmile, was principal station in that region. Ross's, and John Antrim's (Ankrom's) on the south fork. Jacob Vanmeter's on Muddy Creek, Legg's (Clegg's) on Dunkard Creek, William Minors on Big Whitley Creek, Guthrie's on Big Whitley, John Swan's on Swan's Run, Henry Vanmeter's also on Swan's Run, Henry Enoch's at the forks of the Tenmile, (he was the father of Captain Enochs) Bell's Fort on Rough Creek and others. 5

Sometime before 1800 John Hartley and his family migrated to Hardin Co., KY.

The next record for Hartleys is in Hardin Co., Kentucky which branched from Nelson County in 1792, the year of statehood. Mary Hartley, daughter of John Hartley, married Nathaniel Harned on March 24, 1804, in Hardin County, Kentucky. Her father's name appears on the license, and so by that date he was probably iving in Hardin Co. Descendants say that the Hartley and Harned families came into Kentucky on the same date. 6

Researcher Arthur Leslie Keith indicates that:

John Hartly settled in Kentucky at an early date. His daughter, Mary, married Nathaniel Harned. His daughter Rachel married Hiram Carlton. His daughter Rebecca married John Ament. He had also sons Jacob and David Hartly. He had also sons Jacob and David Hartly. Jonathan Hartly, who in Hardin county, in 1828 married Elizabeth (Bettie) Smithers, daughter of John Smithers, may have been another son of John. This Jonathan Hartly died In 1828. John Smithers was adm'r of his estate. On October 23, 1827, Margaret Hartly, of Hardin county, widow of David Hartly, deceased, makes reserve from his estate and for nominal sum sells to children of Nathaniel Harned one-fourth, and to those of John Hartly, Jr., one-fourth, keeping the remainder, except one colt, which goes to Joseph Hartly. This would seem to add a John Hartly and perhaps a Joseph Hartly to the children of John Hartly, the pioneer.

In 1840, in Hardin count!y, died Rebecca Hartly, advanced in years. The older Keith’s claim her as an aunt, and the writer believes she was a daughter of Jonathan Harned, Sen'r but lacks the proof. 7

There is some evidence that John Hartley owned land “waters of Rough Creek, near Denton Geoghegan’s Mill” Rough Creek being in Hardin Co. KY and “Denton Geoghegan, was the high sheriff who kept Thomas Lincoln in litigation over the hewing of timber for a mill.” Thomas Lincoln being father of Abraham Lincoln who was born in Hardin Co. KY.

. . . The following list of settlers of Hardin County, Kentucky, along with the location of their places of residence, is taken from an estate book containing enteries from 1806 to 1815. Hardin County at that time included a large area from which several counties were subsequently established.

No other know record of pioneers lists the site of their homes. Deeds note the location of properties, but rarely state whether or not the owner actually lived upon the land . . .8

A listing of Hardin Co., KY pioneers compiled from 1806 to 1815 indicates that John Hartley lived on Rough Creek:

Hartley, John - Waters of Rough Creek near Denton Geoghegan's Mill . . . 9

A court proceeding in Hardin Co., KY in 1835 indicates that there was a Hartley Mill, perhaps owned by John Hartley on Rough Creek:

Excerpts of Court Proceedings, 1835-1837, Hardin County Monday 20th July 1835-
Ordered that Henry Ament be appointed Surveyor of that part of the road leading from Hartley's Mill to Brandenburg. which lies between the said mill and the crop plains. and that all the hands(?) in the following bound towit Beginning at Anthony Amen's sur. down Rough Creek to the Mill thence to Thomas Thomas's thence to Joseph Hartley's thence to John Smithers's thence to the Beginning; do asist the said Henry Ament in Rasping(?) said road in refrain.

Since Joseph Hartley (son of John Hartley) tells us in his biography 1 that John Hartley and Benjamin Singleton were neighbors, we have further evidence of John Hartley lived on Rough Creek (near Vertrees, Hardin Co., KY) through a land transaction:

1 March 1870. Robert M. Tabor and Sarah, his wife, to John Sawtell. $6 per acre for 35 acres adjoining Denton Geoghegan and Ben Singleton on Rough Creek. 10

Note: Sarah, the wife of Robert M. Tabor is the daugher of Rebecca (Hartley) Ament, and thus the grandaughter of John Hartley b. 1755.

There is a deed of land in Hardin Co., KY from Eliza Walters, daughter of Benj. Singleton to Robt. M Tabor, viz:

Deed Book 3 pg 349, 5 Aug. 1857: Robt. M. Taber, from Eliza Walters, whose father, Benj. Singleton, died on this land, on Rough Creek, mouth of Vertrees Cr; Mary Singleton lives on the land.

This indicates that Benjamin Singleton lived on Rough Creek at the mouth of Vertrees Creek, and since John Hartley was a neighbor we know that John Hartley lived on Rough Creek near the mouth of Vertrees Creek.

One reference tells us that:

The probable location of this mill was on Severns Valley Creek just over the original bounary of Elizabethtown. (11)

It is difficult now to track Severns Valley Creek as it apparently wanders through Elizabethtown, KY.

There is an interesting reference to a John Hart who appears to be John Hartley, since John Hartley was the father of Mary Hartley who married Nathaniel Harned, son of Jonathan Harnet. The description of Alexander Keith aquiring land from John Hart (Hartley) is as follows:

The year 1800 marks the removal of Alexander Keith from Nelson County to Hardin County.  His new home was only 25 miles a little south of west from Boston on Vertress Creek, a branch of Rough Creek.  Here Alexander lived till his death 24 years later.  He appears in the Hardin County tax-lists of 1800 without land.  In 1802 Alex. Keith is taxed for 110 at Rough Creek.  The records do not show how he aquired this land.  In 1803 he is taxed for 125 acres of 3rd rate land on Vertress Creek, entered, surveyed, and granted to John Hart.  In 1805 he has 175 acres on Ruff Creek.  In 1806 then amount is given as 150 acres, granted formerly to John Hart.  In Hardin County on March 25, 1805 Alexander Keith bought from Nathaniel Harned and Mary, his wife, for six dollars, 150 acres on Vertress Creek, at the corner of Jonathan Harned.  This Jonathan Harned was Alexander Keith's father-in-law who had accompanied him from Nelson County to Vertrees Creek, Nathaniel Harned was Jonathan's son, and Nathaniel's wife Mary was the daughter of John Hart, the original owner of the land bought by Alexander Keith. (12)

This seems to indicate that John Hartley had been granted land in Hardin County before 1803.

There is little direct evidence of where John Hartley b. 1755 was before 1800. I have put together some clues indicating he was most likely in Lord Dunmore's War in 1774 in a short documented essay.

I have gathered information about selected descendants of John Hartley and Rebecca Arvecost.

1. A Sketch of the Life of Elder Joseph Hartley by Joseph Hartley, Advocate Job Office, Salem, Illinois, 1841 (appearing as part of the book Hartley Family, no author , no editor listed, but given to the Shawnee Library System, Carterville, Illinois by John Tanner Aichele, Fort Wayne Indiana)

2. DAR Patriot Index, The Third Supplement. National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington D.C., 1976, p 23, according to Some Families of Revolutionary War Patriots fromVirginia, Maryland, Pennsyania, South Carolina and Kentucky, by Will Mac (Duncan) Coulter, Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1993;

3. DAR Patriot Index, Volume II, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, page 96, Washington, 1979.

4. The Tenmile Country and Its Pioneeer Families, Howard L. Lecky, Greene County Historical Society, Wayesburg, Pennsylvania, 1977, page 38.

5. The Tenmile Country and Its Pioneeer Families, Howard L. Lecky, Greene County Historical Society, Wayesburg, Pennsylvania, 1977, page 243.

6. Some Families of Revolutionary War Patriots fromVirginia, Maryland, Pennsyania, South Carolina and Kentucky, by Will Mac (Duncan) Coulter, page 226, Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1993

7. “Notes on Larue, Hodgen, Keith, Harned, Irwin & Related Families” contribibuted by Arthur Leslie Keith, Ph. D., Northfield, Minn, William & Mary Quarterely, Vol 20, N0. 2, Oct 1911, pp 109:

8. Some Families of Revolutionary War Patriots fromVirginia, Maryland, Pennsyania, South Carolina and Kentucky, by Will Mac (Duncan) Coulter, page 233, Gateway Press, Baltimore, 1993; Coultier in Some Families is quoting from "a record in Ancestoral Trails Historical Society, Vol. XIII, N0. 2, Summer 1988, Vine Grove, Kentucky".

9. "Names and Home Locations of 400 Hardin County Pioneers", The Lincoln Kinsman, issue 27, Sept. 1940, Fort Wayne, IN.

10. Kentucky Ancestors, Volume 11-13, page 124;

11. Lincoln's Parentage and Childhood: a history of the Kentucky Lincolns supported by documentary evidence, Louis Austin Warren, The Century Company, New York, 1926, page 161.

12. Alexander Keith of Baltimore County Maryland, by Arthur L. Keith. Edited by David S Keith

This page was prepared by Charles Hartley.