Although this blog is about the families that lived in Redbank Township, these families moved into and out of the Redbank area so it is necessary to see where they've been and where they go to trace their families. Such is the case with the Bash and Foringer families. The common connection between these families is Mary, whose maiden name may have been Clippenger/Klippenger. She was married first to Jacob Bash and then married Dewalt Foringer after Jacob died about 1807.
Jacob and Mary Bash first appear in Buffalo Township, Butler County in the 1800 census. They have a son and daughter under 10 in this census. Jacob writes his will in 1806 and it is probated in 1807 in Butler County. Jacob names his wife Mary in his will but does not name his children. Mary appears in Donegal Township, Butler County in the 1810 census with five children.
Jacob and later Mary are taxed in Donegal Township on 400 acres of land. A deed in Butler County (157:312) refers to the 150 acres that Jacob received as the settler's portion and states that there were five heirs. As a result of a 1792 Pennsylvania land law settlers that settled on 400 acre tracts in northwestern Pennsylvania received 150 acres from the patentee. The names of four of the five children of Jacob and Mary Bash are known.
1) John Bash (1795-1876) married Mary Snow (1805-1887) and moved to Grant County, Indiana about 1845.
2) Anna Maria was born 25 February 1799 and baptized at Evangelical Lutheran in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Jacob Pesch and Anna Maria. No further information is available regarding her.
3) Elizabeth born about 1804 married William Drips. Their only son Samuel W. Drips received money from William McCollough as an heir of Jacob Bash for the settlers portion referred to above since his mother Elizabeth had died.
4) Jacob (1806-1863) married Mary McKelvey and was living in Redbank Township in the 1830 census. He later moved to Indiana County, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Elizabeth and Jacob were both under 14 years of age in 1817 when they had guardians appointed for them in Butler County. The petitioners were "Dewalt Farringer and Mary Farringer, late widow of Jacob Bash." The marriage of Dewalt Foringer and Mary Bash about 1815 is the connection between the Bash and Foringer families. Dewalt's first wife Christina died sometime between 1810 when Dewalt and she appear in the census in Donegal Township, Butler County and 1815 when Dewalt and his second wife Mary had their first child.
Dewalt Foringer and Christina had eight children that are named in his will.
1) Jacob (1794-1854) married Elizabeth Wiles
2) Daniel (1796-1875) married Christena Wiles (1801-1840)
3) James (born about 1797)
4) Polly (born between 1800 and 1804)
5) Betsy (born between 1800 and 1804)
6) Dewalt or David (born 1805)
7) Catherine (1808-1878) married Joseph Wiles (1810-1878)
8) John (born about 1811) married Catherine Wiles
Two of Dewalt and Christina's children were baptized by the Reformed pastor, the Rev. John William Weber from Westmoreland County in 1796 and 1806. Dewalt is in Butler County by at least 1803 according to a proof of settlement that he filed in 1808 stating he had resided on his land for five years. He is living in Butler County in the 1820 and 1830 censuses but is in Redbank Township, Armstrong County in the 1840 census. He is living with his son Henry in Porter Township, Clarion County in the 1850 census. Porter Township was part of Redbank Township until 1839.
Dewalt and his second wife Mary were married sometime after 28 November 1814 when Mary is listed as a widow on a tax list in Donegal Township, Butler County. They had the following four children that are named in Dewalt's will.
1) Henry (1815-1905) married Susanna Delp (1819-1903)
2) George
3) Sally (1819-1896) married Nicholas Delp (1812-1874)
4) Joseph (1822-1892) married Hannah Barnhart (1833-1906)
Dewalt was born in December, 1772 and died 26 March 1859 according to his tombstone at Squirrel Hill Cemetery, New Bethlehem, Clarion County. His second wife Mary died sometime between 1838 when his will was written and 1850 when she does not appear with him in the 1850 census.
Hopefully this information will help someone researching these families. I believe Mary Bash/Foringer may be a daughter of George Clippenger/Klippenger of Westmoreland County based on an abstract of a partition filed after George Clippenger's death and the fact that he and his wife were sponsors at the baptism of a child of Jacob and Mary Bash. I plan on obtaining the actual partition filed after George Clippenger's death to see if it gives the names of Mary and Dewalt Foringer. Martin Bash from Westmoreland County has been named as a possible father for Jacob Bash. If Mary's family is from Westmoreland County and Jacob and she had a child baptized there, then that makes it more likely that Martin Bash was Jacob's father. If I find that George Clippenger is Mary's father, then I will edit this blog to reflect that.
