George Hagen ^130,134

  General Notes:

A copy of a page from the John & Martha Hagen Family Bible (publication date of 1833) in the possession of John Wesley Hagen (of Parkesburg, Chester Co., PA April 2008) records the birth of George Hagen as November 23, 1799 and his death as July 4, 1840 ... see below ...
A copy of a page from the John & Martha Hagen Family Bible in the possession of John Wesley Hagen (of Parkesburg, Chester Co., PA April 2008) records "George Hagen departed This life July 4, 1840 Aged - - - 39 years 4 moth [months]". [Original Bible in possession of Wilma Fauth Jones as of Nov 2008]
It should be noted that while in the Family Bible, George's death is clearly written as July 4, 1840 at the age of 39 years, it is equally clear that the will and estate inventory for George are dated in the year 1841. The Family Bible also has written that George was born on November 23, 1799, thus, he would have been 41 years of age, not 39 as the bible has written ... there is no explanation for the discrepancy; however, this researcher believes that the court documents give the accurate date and that George had to have died in 1841. The bible record was probably filled out at a much later date from family recollections.
Also ... Pennsylvania Birth Records 1778 - 1889 by John T. Humphrey, Pg 91 transcribes the birth of George Higgins as born September 23, 1799, christened August 11, 1802, father: John, mother: Martha and John Higgins, born January 23, 1802, christened August 11, 1802, father: John, mother: Martha - from Records of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster.

The book, The History of Lancaster County, references the John Hagen family of Martic Township. In this book, sons Joshua, David (Davis), and Elijah are said to have carried on the Blacksmith/Ax Maker tradition of their father. Neither George nor Enoch is mentioned in this book, researched and written and published in 1883, as sons of John Hagen, blacksmith, maker of the "famous Hagen Axe", an early settler of Martic Township. This is most likely because they had died many years before the book was written. Of the other sons, Elijah died in 1871, Davis in 1880, and the last remaining son, Joshua passed away 1 year before publication. George's surviving family had moved to Phoenixville with sons John and Joshua moving to Reading and Levi to Lancaster City. By the time the book was being written, the only Hagens that remained in Martic where children of Elijah and Davis who were born after the death of George and too young to remember George and his family.

Also in this book is a reference to the cemetery at Mount Nebo Preysyterian Church at Clark's Family Burying Ground. This is most likely where John Hagen and his son George are buried. Many of John's children and grandchildren are buried there. The church was built in 1855 and was torn down ca 1970. As of 2008 the borders and headstones are still visible at the graveyard along West View Rd near Mt. Nebo.

From the book The History of Lancaster County (published 1883):
Subject : Mount Nebo Presbyterian Church
This place of worship is chartered under the name of the Presbyterian Congregation of Mount Nebo. It is located at what is commonly known as Clark's graveyard, an old burial ground of the forefathers of the present generation. When the first interment took place we have no means of knowing. The oldest tombstone in the yard bears this inscription, "William Neil, [William Neil was at this time constable of Martic township, and in attempting to arrest Hugh McFalls, met his death in the following manner: McFalls warned him to stay away or he would shoot him. Neil endeavored to arrest him before he could load his gun, and as McFalls had not time to put a load of shot in his gun, he turned quickly and shot him with the ramrod.] Feb. 8, 1814," although, as is well known, it was used as a burial ground long before that time. The charter was granted April 23, 1854 (D. W. Patterson, attorney), to John Bear, York County, Maris Hoopes, John J. Porter, Thomas Stewart, and George Campbell, who composed the first board of trustees. This board held their first meeting May 15, 1854. The church was dedicated in October, 1855. Rev. Alfred Nevin preached the dedicatory sermon, assisted by Rev. Lindley C. Rutter. The church was supplied with preaching by Rev. L. C. Rutter, of Chestnut Level; Rev. Mr. Farquhar, of Chanceford, York Co.; by Rev. Mr. Gamble (Farquhar's successor), and occasionally by others until the installation of the first pastor, Rev. Ezra S. Heany, who was installed in June, 1879. The present board of trustees are George Campbell (president), Joseph Clark (secretary and treasurer), Joseph Armstrong, A. L. Pegan, Lewis Jenkins, and Isaac Walton. Chapter: Chapter LXVI. Martic Township. [By S. C. Stevenson.]

Subject : Graveyards
The oldest graveyard in this township is the one attached to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Marticville. The date of the first interment is not definitely known, but it antedates the French and Indian war. It was used as a burying-ground by the miners who worked the mines now known as the Pequea Silver Mines, in Pequea township. The next in point of age is the one attached to the Muddy Run Presbyterian Church, better known as the "Old Log Church." The first interment, according to the inscription upon the tombstone, is that of William Duncan, whose interment bears date 1744. This is followed by Sarah Rannels interment, bearing date 1750; William Leaman, interred in 1760; and Hugh Gray, in 1760. The old graveyard at the Mount Nebo Presbyterian Church, known as Clark's graveyard, has also been used for a long time as a place of interment, but as the date of the first burial at this place has faded from the recollection of the oldest inhabitants, we have no other data by which we might be able to fix the exact time at which this spot was used as a place of burial for the dead. There is also a graveyard adjoining the Methodist Episcopal Church at Mount Nebo, which was occupied as such as early as the building of the first Methodist Church at that place. Chapter: Chapter LXVI. Martic Township. [By S. C. Stevenson.]



The book from The Early Blacksmiths of Lancaster County, Elmer Z. Longenecker, Community Historians Annual, Number 10, Dec. 1971 indicates records found for both Joshua and George Hagen as blacksmiths of Martic Township. Joshua in 1827 and George in 1823, however, George is transcribed as "Hogen" ... a probable transcription error. This book also records Daviz [Davis] Hagen, Joshua Hagen, and George Hagen in 1831 in Hempfield Township. The Hagens never lived in Hempfield so I can only imagine that they traveled there trade. Hempfield is not contiguous to Martic.

The following census and land records from 1800 to 1850 clearly indicate that George Hagen was the oldest son of John Hagen. A birth record from The Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (of Lancaster County, PA.) indicates George as the son of John and Martha Higgins born Sept 23, 1799. However, a page from the Hagen Family Bible in the possession of John Wesley Hagen (of Parkesburg, Chester Co., PA April 2008) records the birth of George as November 23, 1799.

The 1800 Federal Census records a John Heagan and upon review of all individuals of Lancaster Co. is the only possible John "Hagen" of Martic Township and of Lancaster County. The 1810 and 1820 census records for Martic Township list a John Higgins in the same position for the two records, relative to neighbors, with children that fill the appropriate ages of Hagens in the census records to follow. The 1830 census shows a George Hagens (with 2 sons and 1 daughter all under 10) in the same respective area of Martic with an older woman neighbor, Martha Hagens. The next census, 1840, records a George Hagen family with 5 sons and 1 daughter and a wife (female of appropriate age) with a nearby Joshua Hagen. It should be noted that in that census Joshua Hagen has an older woman living in the home. The 1850 Federal Census of Martic Township records a Joshua Hagen household with a Martha Hagen, of appropriate age to be his mother, in residence. George is no longer listed in Martic Township; however, there is a record of a will for George Hagen in 1841. He leaves everything to his wife Barbara hoping to keep the blacksmith shop and farm (as indicated by the will and an estate inventory). It should be noted that while Barbara and children are not in Martic in 1850 there is a Barbara Haggan with children living in Phoenixville, Chester Co., PA. Son Levi marries in the early 1850s and moves to Lancaster City sometime in the 1860s. By 1860, George's son, Joshua, moves to Reading, Berks Co. where he raises his family. Many of Joshua's children and grand children remain in Reading throughout their lives. George's son, James, marries and remains in Phoenixville. He has two daughters who remain single and continue to live with their mother well into the 1900s, long after James' death.

All of the above mentioned family members use the "HAGEN" spelling after 1850.

The 1830 Federal Census for Martick [Martic] Township, Lancaster Co., PA, page 117 records George Hagans (20-29) with a female (wife) (20-29) and female (sister) (10-15) and sons as follows: 1 (5-9) [John] and 1 (<5) [Levi]. Next door is his mother, the widow Martha Hagans and the rest of her family.

The 1840 Federal Census for Martick [Martic] Township, Lancaster Co., PA, page 274 records George Hagans (30-40) with a wife (30-40) and daughter (10-15) [Mary] and sons as follows: 1 (15-20) [John}, 1 (10-14) [Levi], 2 (5-9) [William & Joshua], and 1 (<5) [James]. Nearby on the same page of the census record is Joshua Hagan (30-40), 1 woman (60-70) [his mother Martha], 2 women (15-19, sisters; Mary & Abigail?), 1 male (20-29) [Enoch], 1 male (15-19) [Elijah]. Next door to Joshua is Davis Hagen (20-30), 1 male (15-19) [perhaps Elijah stays here sometimes], 1 male (<5) [Henry B. Hagen], 1 female (20-29) [Margaret]. Hannah Hagen Alexander, sister of George, Joshua, and Davis, and her family can be found 3 pages over on page 271.

The August 18, 1841 edition of the Lancaster Examiner & Democratic Herald reported a Notice for the Estate of George Hagen, dec'd regarding All persons indebted to the Estate of the late George Hagen required to make payment on or before Oct. 1, 1841 or those making claims against said dec'd to present on or before the said day to Isaac Grist. Barbara Hagen & Isaac Grist Executors - July 28, 1841

  Research Notes:

Memorial of citizens of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives asking the restoration of the public deposites (sic) and the re-charter of the Bank of the United States.
Serial Set ID: 256 H.doc.167
Document Date: Mar 3, 1834, 21 pgs.
There were approximately 2500 signatures on the petition including George Hagen, Joshua Hagen, Davis Hagen. Thomas Armstrong, Hugh Armstrong (also David Alexander, Thomas Alexander, James Alexander, and William McCreary); see page 13 of the document
(from online Heritage Quest, U.S. Serial Set, Salem Library, August 2009)

Marietta, February 1834
To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled.
[Referred to the Committee of Ways and Means]
Respectfully Represents:
That as citizens tenacious of our rights and liberties, we believe it our duty, though few in number, to make known to Congress our views on the present crisis in the money concerns of the country, and ask for relief. We, among others, have felt the effect caused by the removal of the public deposites (sic) from the United States Bank to the State Banks, which has paralyzed every description of business, destroyed the confidence between the banking institutions of our country, a panic has seized upon the public mind, capitalists withhold their funds, or take advantage of their fellow men by extracting exorbitant interest.

Our commercial transactions are confined to Philadelphia and Baltimore. Previous to the removal of the deposites, there was no difficulty obtaining from commission merchants cash advances on produce transported to them; at this time neither advances can be obtained, nor yet sales made to any amount for cash, at even the present low prices for flour, grain, etc. If sales are made on time, the best paper can not be cashed unless by paying a ruinous discount. The difficulties are daily increasing, and, in our humble opinions, the most speedy method of restoring public confidence, and relieving the money pressure, will be the immediate return of the public deposites to the Bank of the United States.
Therefore we humbly pray your honorable bodies to cause the public deposites to be returned to the United State Bank, there to remain until the expiration of the charter, unless Congress direct them or any part thereof, to be withdrawn at an earlier day.
And your petitioners will ever pray, etc.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Blacksmith, Axe Maker, Farmer.

George married Barbara about 1822 in Martic Township, Lancaster Co., PA. (Barbara was born about 1803 in Pennsylvania and died after 1850 in Phoenixville, Chester Co., PA..)