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Note: --Source of information: Carl WISLER of Mitchellville, MD <cwisler@@erols.com>;
On the matter of the wives of William Nash (1696-1760). I recently received information from Stanley W. Nash (descended from Joseph Nash, son of William Nash and Agnes Kolb) which persuades me that Magdalena Godshalk was William's first wife, followed by Hannah Linderman, and then Agnes Kolb (widow of Martin Oberholtzer). That Agnes Kolb was his last wife has not been in doubt so the only question has been the order of his first two wives. Nash genealogies often state or imply that Hannah was the first wife and Magdalena was the second but I believe they are wrong when they do so.
As you know, the will of William Nash identifies Elise, Ann, and Katharine as the daughters of his unnamed first wife and children Magdalena and William as the children of his unnamed second wife. Stanley has two lines of reasoning for his beliefs: the first involving the marriage date of William Nash and Hannah Linderman and the birthdate of Elise/Alice; the second involving the names appearing on some land transactions and a land map.
Stanley furnished to me copies of records showing that William Nash and Hannah Limberman/Linderman were married 21 October 1731. The record appears to be a handwritten manuscript from the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. It was published in "Collections of The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania," Vol. XXVII, page 125 (Philadelphia, 1898).
The birthdate for Alice Nash, 26 August 1722, comes from "Deaths in the Skippack Region," by Hannah Benner Roach (Bulletin of Historical Society of Montgomery County, April 1952, pp. 105/6). The article says that Alice Nash, wife of William Sellen Tyson, died 15 Feb 1803, aged 80y, 5m, 19d--the age presumably being taken from a tombstone in Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery (my calculator actually shows 27 Aug 1722 but I guess that's close enough). Alice's birthdate before the William's marriage to Hannah and the fact that William had just 3 wives provides strong evidence that Magdalena was the first wife.
I was concerned that there was a second William Nash in Montgomery Co in the same time period and that it might have been he who married Hannah Limberman. However, Stanley Nash's second set of evidence seems to rule out the second William Nash theory. The full story is somewhat complicated, but I can summarize. John Linderman, father of Hannah, bought 100 acres in Roxborough Township, Philadelphia County from Wishart Levering. In 1738, the heirs to deceased John Linderman wanted to sell this property, but had a problem because they could not find the deed from Levering with which to prove ownership. For 5 pounds Levering made out a new deed to the Linderman heirs among whom were William Nash and his wife Hannah Nash, and Henry Hendricks and his wife Rachel Hendricks. This deed thus shows that William Nash had a wife Hannah in 1738, but more importantly it strongly suggests that this William Nash was the one who was previously married to Magdalena Gottschalk. The reasoning depends a land ownership map in the loose files of the Historical Society of Montgomery County. The map shows the William Nash farm and the properties of his neighbors in Towamencin Twp in 1727. Three of his neighbors were Jacob Gottschalk (father-in-law), Herman Gottschalk (brother-in-law), Paul Hendricks, and Henry Hendricks. Now it turns out that Henry Hendricks was married to Rachel Linderman, sister of Hannah Linderman and Rachel Hendricks, daughter of Paul, married William Nash Jr. For me, this effectively rules out the possibility of a second William Nash being married to Hannah Linderman because in 1727 we find William Nash (1698-1760) closely associated with both Gottschalks and a Linderman. It seems unlikely that there would be TWO William Nash's with those connections (remember that we can rule out William Nash, Jr because he was the son of William Sr's second wife and wasn't born till about 1740). William Nash, Sr bought the Towamencin property from Herman Gottschalk in 1727 but may have lived there earlier before he took title since he probably married Magdalena Gottschalk in 1720 or 1721.
Incidently, I have a copy of some relevant pages from "A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of William Nash of Bucks County, Pennsylvania by A. J. Fretz (Butler, NJ: Press of Pequannock Valley Argus, 1903). Fretz does not identify the first and second wives of William Nash nor does he trace the descendants of the first wife. I know that he traces the descendants of Magdalena, daughter of Hannah, but I don't know about William Jr. because I have copies of so few pages. I found the book a while back at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society. It has been republished as "Oberholtzer and Nash Family Histories."
--Source of information: Horace WELK <HWelk32720@@aol.com>;
William Nash's third wife was Agnes Kolb OBERHOLTZER widow of Martin OBERHOLTZER, Settled in Bedminster Township in early part of 18th century. Wm. Nash resided in Tinicum Township near Erwinna on a farm later called Irvine Place. Died in Bedminster Township. William NASH & Agnes Kolb OBERHOLTZER are buried at old Mennonite Cemetary at Deep Run, Bucks County.
It appears that William NASH was the son of John NASH & Ann COLLEY. John was born in Europe, probably England. John's will dated Oct 26 1726 and proved Apr 14 1727. Settled in Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania. Children: WILLIAM Joseph, John, Ann,. Mary, Rebecca, Rachel, James. Ann Colley Nash born in England prior to 1863. Will proved 1755. This contradicts the genealogical record written by Rev. Fretz which hints that William Nash emigrated to America from England. Born Nov 24 1696 in Old Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Lived in Towanencin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, from 1727 to 1756. Moved to Deep Run, Bedminster Township, Bucks County where he died December 1760. Will proved Dec 23 1760 Weaver. Deep Run Mennonite Cemetery. Will No. 12 filed in 1761. The codicil to William�s will witnessed by Jos. Nash (381) and Abraham Schwartz. Will of William Nash (1696-1760) In the name of God, Amen, I William Nash of Bucks County and Township of Bedminster, being weak in body but of sound memory, blessed be God, do this eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord 1760, make and order this my last Will and Testament, in manner following, that is to say: First, I give and bequeath to Augnis, my wife, the stone end of my dwelling house for her to live in, as also 2 cows and a young horse , with a sufficiency of hay yearly to fodder said creatures, with four sheep and sufficiency of hay yearly to fodder said sheep, as also my Sd wife's saddle she is to possess and enjoy. And next, I give and bequeath to this my Sd wife's daughter, Barbara Frets, seven pounds, the remainder of ten pounds, which I have engaged to pay her. I also allow and bequeath to my son, Martin Overhold, the sum of ten pounds to be levied of my estate. I give and be bequeath to my daughter, Mary a new suit of in full, a bed and bedding of cloaths with a bedstead, a cow, a tub, a pail, a churn, pewter, an iron pot and frying pan. I also give and bequeath to my first wife's three daughters, Elise, wife of Wm. Tyson, Ann, wife of Joseph Tyson, Katherine, wife of Benjamin Hendricks, and William, son of my second wife, and my daughter Madaline, wife of Jacob Frets, and daughter of my second wife: as also I bequeah to Elizabeth, Joseph and Abraham, children of my now present wife, with my first wife's children, an equal part of the remainder of my estate, after the first above mentioned and bequeathed parts is first paid: and I make my loving friend Tilman Culp, overseer of this my last Will-to take care and see the same performed according to my true intent and meaning. and I also allow and bequeath to my present wife a bed and bedstead and bedding of cloaths for her own use and proper right, a pot and necessaries suitable for a citchen, as also the wool, flax &c., for the use of children now in my house .In Witness Whereof, I the s'd Wm. Nash, have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the day and year above written. ( Signed, sealed and delivered in the presents of Abraham Schwartz, Joseph Nash.)
From the Personal Ancestral File of Horace B. Welk, Jr. (Nash,Welk, Muir) refer to the first tax list for the province of Pennsylvania and the three lower counties. (Adams Apple Press, 1994. Dr. Stanley Nash of Vancouver, B.C. Canada writes "Pages 85-94 must be the list for Philadelphia, though it is not so labeled. Then follow (pp 95-105 ) the lists for other localities within the county, all labeled as such-Northern Liberties, Germantown, etc. On Page 88 one finds John f72, tax 6s., and John Nash f60, tax 5s. There are only three names between them so they must have been close neighbors and they are the only Colley and Nash on the entire list. I believe they were the maternal grandfather and father, respectively of William Nash Sr. (1696-1760) from whom both you (Horace) and I (Stanley) are descended. John Colley seems to have been a city man, a felt maker and hatter from Southwark, across the Thames from the London of that time. But John Nash was a farmer. He was soon living on a farm and married to Ann Colley. Possibly he was already married to her in 1693. The Colleys were involved in several land transactions, mainly for speculation or investment, I believe, rather than as a place to live and work. You may be in a position to look up some of these land transactions." William Nash signed the inventory of Estate of Frederick Gottshalk as an appraiser 3 DEC 1748.
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