• General Notes

  There were AMBROSES in the Maryland/Virginia area as early as 1635, but they appear to have been English. This Henry AMBROSE was definitely German and probably a first or second generation immigrant as German appears to have been the family's first language. The Morgan County Historical Society has a prayer book which belonged to Henry's son, Mathias. His notations are written in English, but the book was printed in German. The family belonged to the United Brethren Church and the German language dominated in that General Conference until 1833.
  
  Many researchers have thought William Henry was the son of Mathias (1696-1784), who immigrated from Germany in 1732; settled in the Monocacy area in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania and later moved near Thurmont, in Frederick County, Maryland. Contributing to the confusion was the German naming practice whereby a child's first given name was a baptismal, religious name; and the second or middle name was the secular, "call" name by which the child was known both in the family and the community. Thus, William Henry (Wilhelm Heinrich?) and Mathias' son, Augustus Heinrich, both appear in contemporary records simply as "Henry Ambrose".
  
  Augustus Heinrich was named the son of Mathias when he was deeded a part of "Arnold's Chance" by his father in 1759. When he sold this land in 1761, his wife was shown as Mary Eve. In March of 1771, he sold his portion of "Arnold's Delight" to his brothers, Philip, Jacob, and Mathias. Again, his wife is shown as Mary Eve. Most researchers indicate William Henry was married to Sarah during this same period. I have found no primary source to support this assertion. However, a Henry Ambrose of Hampshire County, Virginia, and his wife Sarah sold a 50 acre parcel located on Sleepy Creek in August of 1815, almost four years after Henry Senior's death. Presumably this is Henry Junior. Could an earlier researcher have mistakenly assumed this deed was executed by Henry Senior?
  
  In fact, we have no proof that William Henry was born in 1740, or indeed, that his name was "William" Henry.
  
  Curiously, Mathias' son, Augustus Heinrich, disappears from the records of Frederick County after his sale of "Arnold's Delight" in 1771. Is it coincidence that William Henry first appears in the records in Berkley County, Virginia, in 1772? At this point, we still have many more questions than answers, and any relationship to Mathias remains unproven.
  
  On 17 Nov 1772, our Henry AMBROSE signed the lease (for 5s.), and purchased the following day (for £375 Pennsylvania currency), 400 acres on the middle branch of Sleepy Creek in Berkeley Co., Virginia. This is near present day Berkeley Springs in Morgan County, West Virginia. Formerly called Bath, it was called Medicine Springs on a map drawn in 1747 by Thomas Jefferson's father. The 74 degree mineral water flowing from Warm Springs Ridge drew Indians to this site long before colonial settlers arrived; and the State Park Service operates a spa there today.
  
  In 1772 it was located in Berkeley County, Virginia, which included that part of old Frederick Co., Virginia, which is now Berkeley County, West Virginia, plus a western portion of what is present-day Morgan County, West Virginia. Morgan County was not formed until 1820, and West Virginia was formed in 1861 when Virginia seceded from the Union and the counties of western Virginia refused to secede and organized a separate government supporting the Union.
  
  The deed refers to Henry Ambrose "of the County of Berkeley and the Colony of Virginia". Thus, we know that Henry was living in this area of Virginia prior to his purchase. His son, William, indicated on the 1850 census that he was born in Maryland, so they must have moved sometime in 1771 or early 1772. Henry AMBROSE is found on the Rent Rolls of Berkeley Dist., Virginia, in 1772, between 1774 and 1781 and again in 1787. He is also listed in Land Owners, 1st Battalion, Berkeley, Virginia, between 1784 and 1794; except for 1786 when only the 2nd Battalion was listed. According to Cecil Ray Ambrose, the farm owned by Henry at the time of his death was "located on the Old Frederick grade (now Morgan-Frederick grade) and as of 1980 belonged to Paul Myers.
  
  Henry may have served in the Revolutionary War. The records of his service have been lost; but according to Cecil Ambrose [1975] the military pension file for private Michael WIDMYER [National Archives No. S-11857] contains a deposition by Mathias AMBROSE in which he states that "his father, Henry AMBROSE, was a Captain in the Berkeley Co., Virginia, Militia in which Michael WIDMYER was a private; that Mathias' brother and Michael WIDMYER were drafted into the Army from the Militia Company in September 1780; and that his brother was subsequently killed at the Battle of Guilford Co., North Carolina (50 killed on 15 Mar 1781)". Cecil Ambrose thought this referred to Mathiasâ€(tm) brother, Peter. But Peter, if born in 1772, would have been too young to have served in the Militia.
  
  Another pension application file for Jesse WALLER (S-4719), states that he was a resident of Berkeley County when he entered the service, that he served under Captain AMBROSE (as well as several others); and that after rendezvousing at Martinsburgh, Virginia, he served at Fort McIntosh until his term expired in February 1779.
  
  Family legend says Henry was present at the surrender at Yorktown. On October 19, 1781, Charles Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, to General George Washington, thereby ending the War for Independence. Henry did provide supplies to the Army of the State of Virginia during the war. Public Service Certificate No. 414 dated 6 Feb 1781 is a receipt to Henry AMBROSE and five of his neighbors for 16-1/2 bushels, 6 quarts of wheat; for which they are to be paid "333 pounds, 15 shillings current Money".
  
  The family was intimately involved with the establishment of the United Brethren, and later the Methodist Church in this country. In 1963, Fred T. Newbraugh, a church historian, referred to the Berkeley area as "a crossroads for the Christian soldiers going to and from the West". One of the early Bishops of the United Brethren Church was Rev. Christian Newcomer, whose journal (translated from the German) mentions the Ambroses:
  July 25, 1799 - went to Ambroses where a two day meeting had been appointed.
  Aug 7 1800 - began a meeting on Sleepy Creek which lasted through Sunday. Never have I witnessed the power of God in so great a degree among so many people. Meeting was protracted till late at night and many found peace. Next day crowds greater, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Mennonites, Baptists and Methodists all drew near the Lord's table.
  Aug 9, 1800 - Our meeting [was] at Sleepy Creek. Brother Geeting followed me. We stayed the night with brother Ambrose.
  Aug 30, 1811 - I reached the place of meeting, Crum, Duckwall and Reiser were there. Christian Crum spoke first. At night we had a meeting at Ambroses.
  
  A separate building, to be used only for church services, was a luxury these early settlers could not afford. Services were held in a member's home. The Ministers were itinerant. They traveled from one congregation to the next and several months might pass before they returned. When a church was finally built, it was often shared by several congregations of different faiths.
  
  Great meetings were held once and sometimes twice a year. Usually, someone would have a barn which could accommodate the huge crowds, who would travel for miles to hear famous preachers. "The preaching was positive and dogmatic. 'Thus saith the Lord' settled all questions. After going over the circuit and preaching gratuitously, they [the preachers] went home. They built no houses of worship, gave no attention to the training of the young, set in motion no working activities, and collected no money, unless for the benefit of the poor. So the preacher came, preached, and went home, and he paid his own way. He worked on his farm. All the people had to do was to hear the preacher, feed him and his horse, and wait till he came again."
  
  I have not found mention of William Henry as a lay preacher, but it would be surprising if he were not. At least one son, two grandsons, and one great grandson are known to be ordained ministers; and many descendants and in-laws were lay preachers. The Ambrose Chapel in Berkeley Springs is built on land which Henry deeded to his son, William, and others "for the erection of a free meeting house where any minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ might preach his doctrine". The present Chapel is said to be the oldest church in Morgan County and has recently (1999) been restored. It was built in 1851, near where a much older church had stood. According to Cecil Ambrose, the church is built on land which was originally a part of the 400 acres purchased by Henry in 1772. He divided this land among his children about 1797 and set aside one acre for a Free Meeting House. Mathias purchased all the other's shares, and after his death, the 400 acre parcel was advertised for sale "with the exception of one acre reserved for a Meeting House".
  
  The named heirs in the estate of Henry AMBROSE, were sons Mathias and William, and daughters Margaret RIZER and Catherine CLAUVER. He died intestate, so why his other children were not named as heirs in the Chancery Court proceedings is not explained. At least six of the eight others were probably still living at the time of his death. His son-in-law, George RIZER, was named administrator of his estate. Henry died owing a bond of £300 to Susanna B. STORM. In September 1814, Susanna obtained a judgment against the estate for £150, plus interest, plus $15.51 costs. George RIZER filed an account on 13 May 1815 showing a balance of personal property of 257 dollars and 2-1/2 cents. Since the estate had insufficient (cash) funds to pay the judgment, Mathias paid Susanna $200, for which sum, Susanna signed an acquittance of all claims and demands against the estate.
  
  At the time of his death, Henry owned 142 acres on the South Fork of Sleepy Creek. It is not clear why this land was not sold to close the estate. Perhaps Henry's widow was still living and wished to stay on this land. Perhaps there was difficulty getting releases from William and Catherine, who had both moved to Ohio. In any event, after Mathias' death in 1842, his estate made application to force the sale of the 142 acres, to repay the $200 advanced to Henry's estate by Mathias. The sale was ordered and the land was sold at Commissioner's auction on 25 Mar 1844. An interesting, but unexplained sidelight to these proceedings, is that according to the 1787 Census of Virginia - Berkeley County Tax List A, Henry AMBROSE paid the taxes for himself, son Mathias, and a "P. STORM".
  
  Lease from George Darr 17 Nov 1772:
  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~pasher/documents/deeds/amb-henry1772.htm
  
  Promissory note for grain furnished to the Army of Virginia 6 Feb 1781:
  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~pasher/documents/misc/revwarpay.htm
  
  

Details of William's family with Sarah