John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 320

There have been recent questions about Susanna Klaar (Clore), who married Joseph Weaver, Jacob Crigler, and Nicholas Yager.  All three of these men had wives, at least at one time, named Susanna. Was it the same Susanna?

The evidence is circumstantial and not entirely strong.  For example, Susanna Yager gave slaves to Crigler men, which is evidence that she was married to Jacob Crigler.  For the significance, genealogically speaking, of the question of the Yager marriage, this is enough evidence.  The Clore - Weaver - Crigler connection is significant because the Clore connection establishes her ancestry, and the Weaver and Crigler connection identifies her descendants.

There is most excellent evidence, of a very strong, albeit circumstantial, nature in the baptisms of the children of Christopher Crigler (who married Catherine Finks).  A detailed look at the sponsors answers the question.  These occurred at the Hebron Lutheran Church in the period 1751 to 1778.

During this time, the sponsors were usually chosen from siblings of the parents, or from the first cousins of the parents, plus the spouses of the siblings and cousins.  Looking at the sponsors:

Andrew Carpenter .  He married Barbara Weaver, the niece of Christopher Crigler.  This is an exception to the sibling-cousin rule, but remember that the Weavers were a little older than the Criglers so that Barbara was closer in age to Christopher than an uncle-niece relationship might indicate.  The important point here is that she was a close relative from the Weaver family.  On six occasions, Andrew Carpenter was a sponsor.  On two occasions, Barbara (Weaver) Carpenter was a sponsor.  These two, Andrew and Barbara, show that marriage was as good a bond as blood.

John Weaver .  Similar to the previous, John was a nephew of Christopher.  Three times, John was a sponsor.

Dorothy and John Clore .  She married John Clore, a cousin of Christopher.  She sponsored five children of Christopher.  On six occasions, John Clore sponsored children.

Paul Leaderer . He was a sponsor to the child, Lewis.  He married Margaret Clore, the cousin of Christopher Crigler.

Of the 31 sponsors for the first ten children of Christopher Crigler, 29 of them come from the Clore and Weaver branches.  This is extremely strong evidence of the Clore - Weaver - Crigler connection.

The sponsors for the eleventh child, William, are another completely different story.  Tied in to this question is the total lack of Finks-related sponsors in the first ten children who are given above.