Elizabeth Carpenter (m.c1771 - d.c1775)
47-673: Curtis Grubb ( c. 1730—1789), Patriot and oldest son of Peter and Martha Bates Grubb , was a second-generation member of the Grubb Family Iron Dynasty along with his younger brother Peter Jr. The brothers operated the Cornwall Ironworks , making significant contributions to the American Revolutionary War effort, and Curtis served several terms in the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly . He
94-693: A Jehu Grubb "for his education" and an "Aunt Ann" Grubb. "Aunt Ann" appears to have been Hannah Bellarby Grubb, another cousin who was the adopted daughter of Curtis' uncle Samuel Grubb. Hannah had come to help Peter Jr. as his housekeeper in 1774 after his wife died in childbirth, and they had a daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, later that same year. Peter Jr. didn't want to marry again and it appears Hannah moved to Curtis' household to care for his infant children, along with her own. She probably remained in Curtis' household until he decided to marry Ann, at which time she and their son Jehu would have been forced to move out. Perhaps
141-600: A child. But Curtis did return and eventually wanted to rectify the situation and requested the Provincial Assembly to dissolve the marriage and allow him to remarry. No one had ever been granted a divorce allowing for remarriage; but Curtis pressed his case and by a special act of the Assembly in 1769, he was granted a divorce. All acts passed by colonial legislatures had to be reviewed by the British Board of Trade, and it
188-466: A minority, however, fled the nation for Canada , Great Britain , Florida , or the West Indies . Historians have explored the motivations that pulled men to one side or the other. Yale historian Leonard Woods Labaree used the published and unpublished writings and letters of leading men on each side, searching for how personality shaped their choice. He finds eight characteristics that differentiated
235-624: A notable life in Stark County, Ohio , and had a large family. Ironically, Curtis Grubb's only documented descendants still carrying the Grubb surname are through Jehu. Patriot (American Revolution) Patriots , also known as Revolutionaries , Continentals , Rebels , or Whigs , were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who opposed the Kingdom of Great Britain 's control and governance during
282-588: A recommendation in 1787, to which the parties agreed. Curtis and Coleman received the Cornwall Iron Furnace and 6,520 acres (26.4 km ) of land; the Grubbs received the Hopewell Forges and 3,741 acres (15.14 km ) of land, and their father's furnace at Mount Hope . The agreement also stipulated that all parties would have full access to the iron mines at Cornwall to extract whatever ore they needed for
329-644: A resolution. Curtis conveyed to his son an interest in the ironworks, which unfortunately required a legal subdivision of the assets that had previously been shared informally. Included in Peter III's new assets was a one-third interest in the Hopewell Forges on Hammer Creek. Peter, who had been running the forges, became fearful and reacted by purchasing land at a place he called Mount Hope to build his own furnace in competition with his brother, going heavily into debt. The feud intensified and Peter III became concerned for
376-543: Is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Henry married Ann Carson on June 18, 1805. They had a son Henry Carson, but she died shortly thereafter on October 19, 1806. Henry remarried, to Harriet Amelia Buckley, on December 1, 1808. They had five sons and two daughters before his death in 1823, managed Mount Hope Estate until 1836, and died in 1858. Three of their sons, Edward Burd, Clement Brooke and Alfred Bates, grew to adulthood and further expanded
423-484: The Cornwall Furnace that produced pig iron , and Peter, who had more ironmaking experience, ran the nearby Hopewell Forges on Hammer Creek that produced more valuable bar iron . In 1773, Curtis paid taxes on 1,000 acres (4.0 km) at the furnace location and Peter paid taxes on 500 acres (2.0 km) at the forges location, reflecting both the size of the operation and their proportional ownership. They operated
470-471: The Grubb Family Iron Dynasty , the founder of the family's enterprises headquartered at Mount Hope near Lancaster, Pennsylvania , and perhaps the family's first "true" ironmaster . He was the son and heir of Peter Grubb, Jr. who, with his brother Curtis , had owned and operated the Cornwall ironworks founded by their father Peter Grubb in 1737. Henry and his heirs rebuilt the family business after most of
517-561: The Thirteen Colonies called themselves "Whigs" after 1768, identifying with members of the British Whig party who favored similar colonial policies. Samuel Johnson writes that at the time, the word "patriot" had a negative connotation and was used as a negative epithet for "a factious disturber of the government". Prior to the Revolution, colonists who supported British authority called themselves Tories or royalists , identifying with
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#1733086143222564-671: The colonial era , and supported and helped launch the American Revolution that ultimately established American independence. Patriot politicians led colonial opposition to British policies regarding the American colonies, eventually building support for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence , which was adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. After the American Revolutionary War began
611-931: The Cornwall iron banks, while Henry retained a one-sixth interest in the iron banks to supply his Mount Hope Furnace which he fully owned. Henry Bates Grubb, the second son of Peter Grubb, Jr., was born at Hopewell on February 6, 1774. His mother died after childbirth, leaving Henry and his older brother in the care of a cousin Hannah Bellarby Grubb. Hannah soon bore their father a daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, but Peter didn't want to marry so Hannah and her daughter left Peter's household, apparently for his brother Curtis' household, whose wife had also died and whose son Jehu Grubb she also apparently bore. The boys were at school in York, Pennsylvania, when their father committed suicide in 1786. Henry began his iron making career early on, and
658-613: The Hellan Iron Works and renamed it the Codorus Forge. He also purchased land on Manada Creek in Dauphin County on which his sons later built a furnace. His sons further expanded the holdings during the 19th century. In 1802 Henry agreed to the partition of the common holdings between himself and Coleman, in order to obtain the funds to pay off his brother. Coleman received the Hopewell Forges and another one-sixth interest in
705-423: The Hopewell Forges from Peter's heirs. Upon Curtis' death in 1789, his estate passed to his heirs, primarily to his son Curtis Jr. But he was only 17 and in poor health; he died in 1790, leaving his inheritance to other family members, none of whom could operate the ironworks. Coleman managed the ironworks for the family until 1798, when they agreed to sell to him. With his previous acquisitions Robert Coleman became
752-554: The Loyalist position, while those who were offended by British responses to actions such as the Boston Tea Party became patriots. Merchants in the port cities with long-standing financial attachments to Britain were likely to remain loyal, while few patriots were so deeply enmeshed in the system. Some Loyalists, according to Labaree, were "procrastinators" who believed that independence was bound to come some day, but wanted to "postpone
799-643: The Thirteen Colonies prior to the American Revolution, the issue divided patriots, with some supporting its abolition while others espoused proslavery thought . The patriots included members of every social and ethnic group in the colonies, though support for the patriot cause was strongest in the New England Colonies and weakest in the Southern Colonies . The American Revolution divided
846-584: The age of 59. Curtis was buried at the Tabor Reformed Church cemetery, later removed to the Old Hebron cemetery in Lebanon. The six children, from Ann Few, Elizabeth Carpenter and Ann Grubb, comprised Curtis' acknowledged family. But Curtis' personal life from 1775 to 1783 is not well documented and Curtis would have had two infant children needing motherly attention. Fortunately for historians, Curtis Jr., who
893-519: The boys' guardians and certainly assisted with the transaction. Henry was barely seventeen when he began a series of transactions to rebuild the family iron business, acquiring several properties. The combined operations grew to become one of the largest iron producers in Pennsylvania over the next century. In 1800 Henry built the Mount Vernon Furnace on Conewago Creek . In 1802 he purchased
940-472: The business and sold his interest to Robert Coleman, a friend who had worked for the brothers and was by then also an ironmaster. Curtis reacted to the competition from his brother and allied himself with Coleman, trying various tactics to put his brother out of business. Succumbing to the pressure, Peter became distraught and committed suicide in 1786. The ironworks were apportioned by the courts among Curtis, Peter's estate, and Coleman. Coleman also later acquired
987-428: The business through and after the Revolution, becoming quite prosperous until they died, Peter in 1786 and Curtis in 1789. Most of the Cornwall ironworks fell out of family hands during the period 1783 - 1802, to Robert Coleman who became Pennsylvania's first millionaire. But a portion, including rights to access the ore, remained with Peter Jr.'s heirs, who added to it to become major Pennsylvania producers of iron in
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#17330861432221034-451: The colonial population into three groups: patriots, who supported the end of British rule, loyalists , who supported Britain's continued control over the colonies, and those who remained neutral. African Americans who supported the patriots were known as Black Patriots , with their counterparts on the British side being referred to as Black Loyalists . The critics of British policy towards
1081-519: The divorce Curtis married Elizabeth Carpenter and they had two children, Curtis Jr. in 1772 and Elizabeth about 1775. Elizabeth Carpenter appears to have died sometime after their daughter was born, as she disappeared from the historical records. In 1783 Curtis decided to marry his 20 year old cousin Ann Grubb, which of course led to the family crisis described above. Curtis and Ann had three children, Samuel, Martha and Julianna, before Curtis died in 1789 at
1128-465: The family, who wrote the will, felt they were owed something, or perhaps they wanted to avoid any potential claims to the estate. The theory is strongly supported by the fact that Hannah, not his third wife Ann, was buried near Curtis at Tabor Reformed Church. Her headstone at Old Hebron cemetery in Lebanon, to which the graves were moved, proclaims her as Curtis Grubb's wife. Of Curtis' acknowledged children only Peter III had children. But Jehu went on to
1175-557: The formal beginning of the American Revolution , many patriots were active in groups, including the Sons of Liberty . The most prominent patriot leaders are referred to today as the Founding Fathers , who are generally defined as the 56 men who, as delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia signed the Declaration of Independence . Patriots included a cross-section of
1222-563: The fragmentation of the ironwork's ownership and its eventual loss by the Grubb family into the hands of Robert Coleman , who used it to build his fortune. Both the Grubbs and the Colemans used African American slave labor in their operations. Tensions between the brothers reached the crisis point in 1783 when Curtis decided to marry his 20-year-old cousin Ann Grubb, granddaughter of the brothers' uncle Nathaniel Grubb . Curtis' oldest son, Peter III, became concerned for his inheritance and demanded
1269-432: The iron making properties, resulting from legal partitioning of the various Grubb holdings, had become very contentious between their father Peter and his brother Curtis , and also involved Robert Coleman . While a resolution of these issues had been agreed upon in 1785, Peter's death in 1786 nullified the agreement. The boys' inheritance had to be resolved by a jury, which found it a difficult matter. The jury finally made
1316-579: The mid-19th century, operating out of Mount Hope Estate . Curtis Grubb was an outspoken radical and an early supporter of the Revolution. The brothers were major contributors to the Revolutionary War effort, their ironworks supplied cannon, ammunition, shot and saltpans (used to make salt from seawater) to the Colonial forces. George Washington personally visited Cornwall to inspect the facility. Both brothers were elected as militia colonels , Curtis' unit
1363-416: The moment", while the patriots wanted to "seize the moment". Loyalists were cautious and afraid of anarchy or tyranny that might come from mob rule; patriots made a systematic effort to take a stand against the British government. Finally, Labaree argues that Loyalists were pessimists who lacked the patriots' confidence that independence lay ahead. The patriots rejected taxes imposed by legislatures in which
1410-487: The operation of their furnaces. Henry apparently decided early on to enter the iron business, because he was still not of age when he purchased his older brother's share of the inheritance in 1798, for $ 29,266 to be paid over time. Alan had decided not to enter the iron business, and eventually became a medical doctor in Tennessee. Their father's friend and prominent attorney Jasper Yeates , and Edward Burd, had been appointed
1457-420: The original Peter Grubb holdings were gradually acquired by Robert Coleman between 1783 and 1802. The Grubbs and Colemans were among the largest iron producers in Pennsylvania through the mid-19th century. Henry Bates Grubb, along with his older brother Alan Burd Grubb, inherited their father's iron making holdings after his death in 1786 at the age of 45. They were only 11 and 13 at the time. The ownership of
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1504-463: The owner of most of the former Grubb holdings, which he added to his own and expanded to become Pennsylvania's first millionaire. The holdings remaining in Peter Jr.'s estate were eventually expanded upon by his second son Henry Bates Grubb , whose family went on to become one of Pennsylvania's largest iron producers in the mid-19th century, with their center of operations at Mount Hope Estate . Curtis
1551-560: The period of " salutary neglect " before the French and Indian War . Some radical patriots tarred and feathered tax collectors and customs officers, making those positions dangerous; according to Benjamin Irvin, the practice was especially prevalent in Boston where many patriots lived. Henry Bates Grubb Henry Bates Grubb (February 6, 1774 – March 9, 1823) was a third-generation member of
1598-677: The political philosophy of traditionalist conservatism as it existed in Great Britain. During the American Revolution , these persons became known primarily as Loyalists . Afterward, some 15% of Loyalists emigrated north to the remaining British territories in the Canadas . There they called themselves the United Empire Loyalists . 85% of the Loyalists decided to stay in the new United States and were granted American citizenship. Prior to
1645-515: The population of the Thirteen Colonies and came from varying backgrounds. Roughly 40 to 45 percent of the White population in the Thirteen Colonies supported the patriots' cause, between 15 and 20 percent supported the Loyalists , and the remainder were neutral or kept a low profile regarding their loyalties. The great majority of Loyalists remained in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution;
1692-404: The severe war-induced shortage of labor. The Hessians were housed in a local Moravian Congregation's meeting house, over the objections of the pastor. Unfortunately, they behaved poorly and caused serious problems, including damage to church property. Later, the pastor told Curtis that "they made themselves outrageously drunk, and then the women began to fight; after them the men, who took sides with
1739-631: The taxpayer was not represented. " No taxation without representation " was their slogan, referring to the lack of representation in the British Parliament. The British countered that there was "virtual representation" in the sense that all members of Parliament represented the interests of all the citizens of the British Empire. Some patriots declared that they were loyal to the king, but they insisted that they should be free to run their own affairs. In fact, they had been running their own affairs since
1786-470: The two groups. Loyalists were older, better established, and more likely to resist innovation than the patriots. Loyalists felt that the Crown was the legitimate government and resistance to it was morally wrong, while the patriots felt that morality was on their side because the British government had violated the constitutional rights of Englishmen. Men who were alienated by physical attacks on Royal officials took
1833-557: The women; finally the fight became general." The life of a Colonel was not all about fighting the British! Peter and his brother took over the operation of the ironworks about 1765, with Peter operating the Hopewell Forges and Curtis the Cornwall Furnace. They were successful operators of the ironworks through the Revolution. They were, however, complex individuals whose affairs were closely intertwined and became increasingly acrimonious. Their ongoing feuds and legal entanglements led to
1880-703: The year before, in 1775, many patriots assimilated into the Continental Army , which was commanded by George Washington and which secured victory against the British Army , leading the British to acknowledge the sovereign independence of the colonies, reflected in the Treaty of Paris , which led to the establishment of the United States in 1783. The patriots were inspired by English and American republican ideology that
1927-440: Was also one of the largest enslavers in Pennsylvania at the time of independence, registering twenty-five people as his property in 1780 in accordance with state gradual abolition law . The brothers inherited the ironworks from their father in 1754, with Curtis (the oldest) receiving a two-thirds interest and Peter one-third. The brothers took over operation of the ironworks about 1765 and expanded it successfully. Curtis operated
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1974-468: Was apparently determined to make it a success. An iron master of the time needed an appropriate residence, and Henry had begun the Mount Hope Mansion by 1800. He may have designed the elaborate formal gardens himself. The mansion and gardens were completed by 1805, and various outbuildings and a church were added over the years. Mount Hope Estate became the center of the family's iron making empire and
2021-555: Was part of the Age of Enlightenment , and rejected monarchy and aristocracy and supported individual liberty and natural rights and legal rights . Prominent patriot political theorists such as Thomas Jefferson , John Adams , and Thomas Paine spearheaded the American Enlightenment , which was in turn inspired by European thinkers such as Francis Bacon , John Locke , and Jean-Jacques Rousseau . Though slavery existed in all of
2068-569: Was the 2nd Lancaster Battalion, Peter Jr.'s the 8th Lancaster Battalion, both assigned to the Flying Camp . Curtis was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1775, 1777, 1778 and 1782. An interesting anecdote provides a bit of insight into the times. One of Curtis' roles during the war was to oversee 340 Hessian prisoners of war who had been brought to Cornwall in August 1777 to help alleviate
2115-425: Was the more gregarious of the brothers and led a sometimes unconventional life. He married Ann Few in 1754 and in 1757 they had a son, Peter Grubb III. But marriage didn't agree with Curtis and he left for Europe soon thereafter, abandoning his family. Such a tactic was not uncommon in colonial America, where divorce was virtually impossible. Ann, believing Curtis to be dead, remarried to Archibald McNeal in 1763 and had
2162-427: Was the principal heir to his father's estate, died as a teenager and left a will leaving his recently inherited estate to family members, primarily to his sister Elizabeth. Close examination of that will, probably written by the family, sheds light on that eight-year period. Curtis Jr.'s will left most of his estate to his sister Elizabeth (who soon sold it to Robert Coleman), but surprisingly also left small bequests to
2209-524: Was thought that the unprecedented nature of this act might have impinged upon the powers reserved to Parliament. Curtis' divorce was allowed to become final, but in 1772 the Governors of the Colonies were directed not to accept any further acts of divorce passed by colonial legislatures. This was an example of the kinds of British actions experienced by the colonists that led to their desire for independence. After
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