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Re: Reganah Speer 1765 Kentucky
Posted by: Lena Seng (ID *****9083) Date: November 08, 2005 at 09:19:55
In Reply to: Reganah Speer 1765 Kentucky by Barbara Vaillancourt of 221

Her parents were Peter Henry Speer and Regannah Froman. Here are my notes regarding them; some of which are from previous Genforum submitters. Enjoy.

THE OLD AND NEW MONONGAHELA
Gibsonton.
Death Of Mrs. Mary Finley.
page 388
This village is situated on the Monongahela river, in Westmoreland county, about one quarter of a mile below Bellevernon. In 1771, Henry Speers the older and Regina Froman, his wife, from Germany, settled near the site of this place and became the owner of it, as well as a large tract of land surrounding it. The farm at that time was within the limits of Bedford county, from which Westmoreland was formed February 26th, 1773. Richard Penn was then Governor. The old log house, the primitive part of which he built, stood across the ravine from the present stone mansion, where yet may be seen some old fruit trees. This was in time improved until it was sixty feet long, most of the timber being hewn logs. The house now occupied by Jacob Irons was built partly with logs taken from this house. Henry Speers the older died from the kick of a horse in 1773, not having long enjoyed the comforts of his new home. His remains are supposed to be interred in the graveyard near the present school house on the same farm. We have no data on which to fix the date of the death of his wife. By his will, Henry Speers, May 14th, 1773, conveyed the present Gibsonton farm to his son, Noah Speers, who, by his will, bearing date of June 2nd, 1832, conveyed it to his son, Noah W. Speers, now a resident of Memphis, Tennessee. Noah Speers was born March 27th, 1769, being only about two years old when his father, Henry Speers settled on the farm. He, that is, Noah, died June 9th, 1832, also from a kick of a horse, having lived on this farm ever since his father settled on it. The addition to the primitive house was built by Noah Speers, this part being of hewn logs whilst the original cabin was of round logs, as were all the first houses.
It was the second generation of settlers who in Western Pennsylvania began to erect houses with hewn logs. So far as we can ascertain, the round logs in the primitive house formed the blacksmith shop which once stood near the old residence, but most of which shop now constitute the old Jane [p.389] Goe house on Bellevernon hill, to which place it had been moved in 1843. The late Jas. Beazell for a time worked at his trade in this shop whilst it stood on the Speers farm, of which we are now writing. The old log barns which stood one in the meadow just below the present road before reaching the row of houses of Gibsonton, and the other on the site of the present large frame barn in front of the residence of Jacob Irons, were both burned about 1850 or 1851. Noah Speers was in his early days a large slaveholder, and to accommodate his slaves he erected the main part of the stone mansion. His slaves were manumitted under the gradual emancipation laws and were all free before his death. The mansion house was enlarged and fitted up by Noah W. Speers for an academy in 1842, as we have already mentioned in a former part of this history. He also resided in it after the school closed until the farm was sold to John Niccolls in about the year of 1846. In 1848 it was sold to Wm. Eberheart, who remodelled and improved the stone mansion, putting on the cornice around the roof and adding other changes which gave it a neat and desirable appearance. The present large frame barn on the public road was built for Eberheart by the late Geo. Whiting, of Fayette city. During his ownership Eberheart also had erected the stable now standing near the mansion on the site of the former one which was burned. After the financial embarrassment of Wm. Eberheart in 1853, the farm was sold to J. K. Moorhead by the Sheriff of Westmoreland county. The farm was sold by Moorehead to John Gibson, of Philadelphia. At the death of John Gibson, his son Henry C. became sole owner. The extensive distillery known the world over as Gibsonton Mills, was erected on this farm in 1856-57 by the firm of John Gibson Son & Co. The firm subsequently took in Charles Gibson, and then it was changed to John Gibson, Sons & Co. On the death of Charles the firm became John Gibson Son & Co.

Ancestry.com
Born 1725 Westphalia, Germany; died 1773 Rostraver, Westmoreland, PA. The son of Peter Abram Spears who was born 12 Sep 1690 Grossburen, Brandenburg, [state], Germany; died 1772 in Pennsylvania and Margaret Graefenreid born1690 Brandenburg, [county], [state], Germany. She died abt 1784 in Germany.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/speers/messages/3.html
Looking for descendents of Capt Peter Henry Speer/s or Spears and his brother Michael Christopher Spears. Henry m Regina Froman (French) and Michael m Marie Delano or De La No (French). Henry was in Va about 1730's until 1761 then setteled near what became Belle Vernon, PA. Henry Speers, Jr. settled Speers, PA about 1785 (West Bellevernon) and one of his other sons Noah Speer or Speers founded Belle Vernon in 1812 across the Monongahela River. One other son Jacob Spears was the Paris, KY person who named Bourbon Whiskey about 1783. He went to KY with his brother Solomon the "Northern" Ohio River route. Solomon was killed by Indians on the Salt River in KY. Note the spellings of these above last names - all three ways.
Michael Christopher Spears' sons George Frederick and Jacob Spears were living in VA and moved to KY the southern route through the Cumberland Gap to the Lincoln and Jassamine County area of KY.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/speers/messages/148.html
Posted by Tom Speers
(Peter) Henry Speers (Senior) really had his name spelled Henry Speer and Spears in VA records. The stream by Belle Vernon was also initially named Spears Run. Henry's son Rev. Henry Jr. 1756-1840 and his line spelled their last name Speers adding the s to Speer. Henry's son Noah (there are 17 Noah's) who founded Belle Vernon spelled his name both Speer and Speers. Speers is on his tombstone and Speer and Speers is on the town sign. Noah's son Louis Marchand and his line used the spelling Speer. He founded North Belle Vernon. Henry Jr. located in West Belle Vernon which had a Post Office named West Belle Vernon. Later it was changed to Speers, PA. One of Henry Speers, Jr.'s grandchildren in Pittsburgh changed their last name to Spear. Some of these descendents are in Nebraska or Oklahoma. Two of Henry Sr's children - Jacob and Solomon who went to KY in 1787 used the spelling Spears. Henry Sr's brother Michael Christopher Spears in VA and his descendents Jacob and George and others who went to KY all used the spelling Spears.

Noah Speers married Nancy Virginia Frye and both are buried in the Belle Vernon Gibsonton Cemetery. 5 of Henry Sr's children including Rev. Henry Speers, Jr. married into different branches of the Fry and Frye family. Some of them use the original spelling Frey. This is a larger family and have an association named HFFA - Heinrich Frey Family Association.


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