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There is significant material to be found on the lives of this
family and their descendants, however Francis' Ancestry is elusive.
Some propose that Francis is a brother of Jacob, Anthony and Joseph
Dittoe, who went from PA to Fairfield/Perry County, Ohio circa
1803, but proof of this is lacking.
1. The Will of George
Markley, Clinton Twp., Fulton Co. OH:
Recorded in Volume 2, page 13
Signed March 29, 1858
Probated June 14, 1860
He devises to his wife, (MARIA CATHERINE) 1/3 of NE ¼ Sec.
11 in T6W R 6 E, also 1/3 of the premises on which DAVID
G. COULTER (grandson) resides. Being W pt. Of SW ¼ Sec.
2, T6N R 6E of about 52 acres, & 1/3 of 5 acres
in Sec. 2 in T6N R6E during her natural life, & at
her death the said property to go to the children: JOHN H.,
ANDREW L., GEORGE J., and FRANCES D. MARKLEY & to the
daughters: SARAH MILLER, MARY E. HERALD, MARIA C. LARIMORE,
ELLEN P. CLINE & DAVID GEO. COULTER & their
heirs to be divided equally & also to the same parties,
the balance of all the property.
**Remarks- George Markley served in the War of 1812. He married
a daughter of Frances Ditto, a Revolutionary Soldier from
Northumberland Co., PA and Eleanor Gift. The Markley burial
plot, on their farm, was made into a chicken park years ago,
and markers were destroyed, all except Eleanor (Gift) Ditto
who died in 1855 at the Markley home. It was place in the
Wauseon, OH Cemetery by descendants.
**Remarks- Page 63 Land Records of Clinton Township gives
names of the Children on March 29, 1859, Maria C. Larimore
(widow?), Mary E. Herald, wife of John L; Sarah Miller, wife
of Jacob; Francis D. Markley, George J., Andrew L., John
H., Catherine Markley, and Ellen P. Cline, wife of Matthias
Cline. Many Fulton Co. ladies have joined the DAR on War
record of Francis Ditto, wife Eleanor Gift, daughter of Adam
Gift and Maria Catherine, his wife, of Northumberland Co.,
also a Revolutionary War soldier.
From Fulton
County, Ohio Wills |
2. Submissions at Colonialancestors.com:
Name: Eleanor Gift
Birthdate: 15 Aug 1758
Birthplace: Weissenburg Township, Northampton (now Lehigh)
County, PA
Spouse: Frances Ditto
Marriage Date: Mar 1782
Date of Death: 1 Mar 1855
Place of Death: Fulton or Henry County, Ohio
Information: Eleanor Gift married Frances Ditto, a Revolutionary
War soldier who claimed he had spoken many times to General
Washington. Following his death, she appeared in court
to claim her widow's pension. She was at that time 91
years old. She and Frances had married soon after his
return from the war and were true pioneers, moving from
Pennsylvania into northwestern Ohio, at that time a wilderness.
Mrs. Mary M. DuBois stated, "When I last saw my
grandmother Eleanor, some time before her death, she
was so beautiful, so kind and good. Her skin was clear
and smooth, her hair was as white as snow, her disposition
was loving and amiable."
Email: paulajo2@msn.com
Source: Broderbund WFT Vol 1 ed 1 Tree #1410; History
of Gift, Kern and Royal Families
Name: Francis
Ditto
Birthdate: 1758?
Birthplace: near Harrisburg, York County, PA
Spouse: Eleanor Gift
Marriage Date: Mar 1782
Marriage Location: Snyder County, PA
Date of Death: 25 June 1841
Place of Death: Eden Township, Seneca County, Ohio
Information: Francis' father, Francis Gitteau, was a
member of the Susquehanna Land Company and emigrated
from Connecticut to Pennsylvania in 1754. Francis, whose
name was Germanicized to Franz Dido and later to Francis
Ditto, was born along with a twin brother, Jacob, in
1758 (?). Their parents died when they were young. During
the winter of 1777-78, the twins were recruited for service
in the Continental Army with a number of false promises.
When they arrived at Valley Forge and saw the conditions,
Jacob left, but Francis remained, serving under Captain
Jacob Storey. He met both General Washington and Lafayette.
He fought in the Battle of Monmouth and was taken prisoner
at Newark and imprisoned in a sugar house in New York
City. After a failed escape attempt, he was exchanged
and rejoined the army. He injured his hip when a baggage
wagon upset, an injury that would plague him the rest
of his life. He claims to have been a witness (not a
participant) to the mutiny against General Wayne. He
was literate and spoke Pennsylvania Dutch. He was an
accomplished hunter and trapper and continued in those
occupations throughout most of his life. He was granted
his pension in 1833 and died at the ripe old age of 83.
Email: paulajo2@msn.com
Source: National Archives, Index of Rev. War Applications;
The Susquehanna Company Papers (1962); Broderbund WFT
Vol. 1, Ed. 1, Tree #1410; deposition of Eleanor Gift; |
| The email address
of the submitter is no longer good as of April, 2004. The
history book she cites does include some of this information,
but does not include the or parent info that appears here.
The source of the birth information and information on
Francis Gitteau is unknown. Worthy of note is that G(u)itteau,
in French, seems to come from the Germanic Witto, the root
word Wid meaning wood. |
3. History of the Gift, Kern and
Royer Families, 1909
Eleanor, oldest daughter (of John Adam Gift), was
married to Frances Ditto. They lived on their farm, then
in Penns, now Adams Township, in Northumberland, now Snyder
County, in what is still known as Musser's Valley. This farm
is now (in 1906) owned by DA Kern. This county was then (in
1800), sparsely settled, full of wild animals, such as the
bear, the deer, the wolf, the wild cat, the catamount, and
all kinds of large and small fur-bearing creatures. Mr Ditto
was a great hunter and trapper. Many of these animals were
laid low by his unerring rifle and never failing strong steel
traps. He felt himself at home among such wild neighbors.
He was also a Revolutionary soldier. He related to his granddaughter,
Mrs Mary M DuBois, now residing at Tiffin, Ohio, that during
his military service he often met and talked with General
Washington. She further says her grandfather was a strong
minded and resolute man and not easily frightened, yet he
was strictly honest and upright in his dealings with his
fellowmen and he expected the same from them. The following
incident happened while living in Musser's Valley. Mr Ditto
was in the habit of burying his apples in a hole or pit in
the ground and covering them during the winter. About the
holidays when the family began to use these a small hole
was dug through the frozen earth and a plug of hay or straw
was inserted to keep the cold out. After the family had used
apples for a while he made the discovery that the apples
were disappearing too fast. He made a new hole opposite the
first one and set one of his strong steel traps over in front
of the old hole, inside closing the new hole tightly and
covering it nicely with snow. The next morning when Mr Ditto
came out of his house he discovered that he had caught his
apple thief and his empty bag beside him. He called Mr Ditto
saying, "come quickly and loosen me, I am almost frozen
to death." In Pennsylvania German he said "Kum
gaschwind un moch mich lose ich bin by naw zum dod ferfrora." He
replied, "I have not time now I must go to the barn
to feed my stock." Upon his return he loosened the apple
thief and told him: "We have plenty of apples you could
have had for the asking, but I don't want them stolen. I
will give you a bushel in your bag as a compensation for
detaining you so unceremoniously at my apple hole. If you
come back again for apples without permission, I will fill
you full of buckshot." Mr Ditto never revealed the name
of his apple thief, but it leaked out afterwards that the
guilty person was one of his neighbors. Mr Ditto's residence
was close by the north branch of the Middlecreek near its
junction with Swift Run.
This locality was densely covered with heavy timber and under
brush. This made splendid hunting ground. Mr Jeremiah Gift
when a young man from 1783 to 1790 often accompanied his
brother-in-law, Francis Ditto, on his hunting and trapping
expeditions, often camping out over night. This was related
to the writer, AK Gift, when a small boy by his grandfather,
Jeremiah. In the evening, after a day's hunt, Mr Ditto would
pass the time in taking the hides off the animals killed
during the day.
Francis Ditto followed farming and his favorite business
of hunting and trapping up to 1812, when the country became
more thickly settled and game more scarce.
On the 4th day of July 1812, Francis Ditto, and his wife
by their deed granted and confirmed a certain tract or parcel
of land containing 228 acres to Adam Kern for the consideration
of five hundred pounds, $2433.00, situated in Penn's now
Adams township in Northumberland, now Snyder county, Pa.
After having so disposed of his farm and personal property,
such as could not be transported by wagon teams, as there
were no railroads in that early day, Francis and family were
ready to go on their long journey early the following morning,
July 5, 1812, for the far west, as the Ohio country was then
known. The evening before their departure their neighbors
gathered to give them a last good bye. While they were thus
assembled a member of the family came and reported that the
fence beyond the barn was on fire. This was quite a distance
from the house. The family and their guests all ran out to
put out the fire. Mr Ditto, however, refused to leave the
house, saying: "You go, I will remain here with my loaded
rifles and my money bag." There were then no banking
facilities so he kept $700 in a strong canvas bag all in
silver and gold coin. This was considerable wealth for those
early days. Mr Ditto readily apprehended what the fire beyond
the barn meant so late that night. The fire was soon extinguished
by the family and their friends and no attempt was made to
rob the house.
After a long and tedious journey they arrived at their destination
in Pickaway county, Ohio. In Pickaway county, Francis Ditto,
procured considerable real estate, mostly government land,
in the fertile Scioto river valley. Here he located permanently.
Most of his children had grown to manhood and womanhood in
Pennsylvania and were a strong and hearty family, well suited
for pioneer life. This Ohio country was then thinly settled
and full of wild game, so Mr Ditto was in his element, for
he found hunting and trapping more renumerative here than
in the state and county from which he had come.
In 1822, John W, eldest son of Francis and Eleanor Ditto,
moved with his family to a new home of 160 acres in Seneca
County, Ohio, which was then wild and heavily timbered. He
cleared some land and built a house for himself and one for
his parents. He afterwards brought them from Pickaway county
to their new home. Here Francis Ditto died at a good old
age. By his own request, he was buried on a lot on the farm
of his other son, George, near the home of John W. Francis
Ditto was a Revolutionary soldier and was personally acquainted
with General George Washington. The farm of George Ditto
on which he is buried has changed owners many times since
the burial of this honored veteran. It is said that his resting
place is unmarked and greatly neglected.
Eleanor, daughter of Johan Adam Gift and who became the wife
of Francis Ditto, was born in Pennsylvania about 1762 and
died in Henry county, Ohio, in about 1858 where she is buried.
Her age was 96 years.
Mrs. Mary M DuBois says, "When I last saw my grandmother
Eleanor, some time before her death, she was so beautiful,
so kind and so good. Her skin was clear and smooth, her hair
was as white as snow, her disposition was loving and amiable.
This picture can never be erased from my mind as I last saw
her in life". |
| A good read,
but no leads as to siblings or parents of Francis. |
| 3. Ancestry
World Trees: |
| Worth checking out, but
source citation is lacking. Francis shown in all of them
as born 15 Aug 1758 in Northampton (now Lehigh) County,
PA; the source being Broderbund submissions and Riley's
History of the Ditto Family...neither of which cite a record
source. |
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