• General Notes

  He was a captain the Virginia Militia in 1777, in the American Revolution.
  
  About Rebecca: She and Paul came to Cahokia Il, with her son, Abraham and his wife, Mary Kittle and her daughter Hanna Teter, and her husband Peter Mitchell who later married Mary Kittle Teter after Abraham and Hannah Teter's deaths. They all came in 1797.
  
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  Biography by Professor Joseph M. Kellogg
  
  Paul Teter was born about 1730, probably in Pennsylvania. He lived as a young man for some years in Rowan County, North Carolina, but removed from there about 1760 with the other Teters and Henkels to Augusta County Virginia. The first mention of Paul Teter on the records of Augusta County appears to be on August 19, 1766, when he and his brother George proved by their oaths in court the will of one Felten (or Valentine) Koil (later Kyle). They had been witnesses to the will which was dated October 11, 1765. It seems likely that the Goil (Kyle) family were relatives or close friends of the Teters (the two families continued to be associated in later years). An abstract of the will is as follows:
  
  I, Felty Goil, "under a lingering state of health," commends his soul to God, his body to be buried, etc.
  To loving wife Margaret fifty pounds, one milch cow, and half the produce of the land, whilst she lives.
  To eldest son Gabriel, one black horse rising five years old by me how delivered into his custody and possession, over and above his equal part of the estate after dividing the moveable part thereof.
  To son Jacob, one equal child's part of all moveables.
  To son George, one equal child's part of all moveables.
  To son Martin, all the freehold land that I claim by right, in quantity 130 acres, providing he pay his sisters Barbary and Elizabeth fifteen pounds each, on his entry into possession of the same, with one black horse and one set of plough irons. He to give to his mother and sisters the privilege of living peaceably on sd. land, to wit his mother as long as she lives with the half product of sd. land for her maintenance whilst she lives, and his sisters to reside till they are married or otherwise provided for, and if he prove disobedient or by turbulent means offers to deprive them of peaceable enjoyment is to lose all right of possession, and the land is to devolve to his mother and after her decease to Barbary and Elizabeth. He is likewise to have two milch cows.
  To daughter Barbary, 2 milch cows and one mare colt.
  To daughter Elizabeth, 2 milch cows and one mare colt.
  This I allow my daughters over and above a child's part.
  
  Appoints George Hammer and son George Goil as Executors, and empowers them to dispose of the estate in the above mentioned manner.
  Dated October 11, 1765.
  Signed Felten Koil
  Witnesses:
  George Teter
  Paul Teter
  George Wooldridge
  
  The will of "Valentine Goile, deceased" proved August 19, 1766, by the oaths of George and Paul Teter.
  The bond of George Coil and George Hammer as Executors is also dated August 19, 1766. Sureties were Henry Stone and Sebastian Hoover. (Augusta County Will Book 3. page 452).
  Tracings of signatures from the original will. [omitted]
  As can be seen Paul Teter signed his name in German script as "Paullus Dieder".
  
  The appraisement of the estate - "The prass. of Valentine Giles desesed Estate" - was dated Sept. 9, 1766. It was made by Jonas Friend, George Dice and Michael Mallow. Returned and recorded on May 22, 1767. The total was the comparatively large sum of £186-14-3. Among the items were: to George Teter's acct. £3-0-0; to acct. of Moses Elsworth £15-12-0; of Youst Henkel £18-0-0. The numerous personal accounts suggest that Valentine Koil was a sort of merchant or storekeeper. The settlement of the estate was recorded on August 19, 1767. After a long list of payments to various people, including Gabriel and Martin Coyle, there was a balance of £149-9-1 left for the heirs, (Augusta County Will Book 4, pages 14 and 35).
  
  On September 10, 1767, Paul Teter was granted a patent for 40 acres of land on the North Fork at the mouth of Seneca creek. (Virginia land books #37, page 122, in Land office at Richmond). On October 29, 1767, he had surveyed for himself another 53 acres below the mouth of Seneca. (Augusta County Survey Book 2, page 124). Survey plot follows. [plot not available].
  
  Patent for this tract was granted him on March 1, 1773 (Virginia Land book No. 41, page 269).
  
  On October 28, 1773, he also had surveyed another 43 acre tract on the north side of the North Fork, beginning at his own old corner etc.
  [tracing of survey omitted]
  
  (Survey Book 2, page 235)
  Patent for this granted him on July 17, 1783.
  
  On March 17, 1768, Paul Teter made oath in the Augusta Court that he had attended for 5 days as a witness for "Jesse Hancle" in the latter's suit for slander against Alexander Painter. For this service it was ordered by the Court that he be paid 125 pounds of tobaccos, (the common currency of the time). From Augusta County Court Order book No. 11, page 518.
  
  On April 19, 1773, when a new road was ordered to be made from Tygart's valley to the Mouth of Seneca, Paul Teter was appointed overseer of the work on the road from the top of the Allegheny mountains to the mouth of "Sinecar". (same Order Book 15, page 457)
  
  On January 18, 1775 his name appears in a list of those who made claims which appear to have been a result of the Dumore War in 1774 (Morton's History of Pendleton County, page 392; also the Augusta County Order Book No. 16, page 42)
  
  On August 20, 1777, in a list of Tithables taken in the various companies of militia, "Captain Paul Teter's company" is mentioned (Augusta County Order book #16, page 222). Evidently, therefore, Paul Teter was a Captain in the Revolutionary War. (Virginia Militia in Revolutionary War. - J. T. McAllister, page 184).
  
  Paul Teter's name also appears among those in Rockingham County who preferred claims for furnishing supplies to the army during the Revolutionary war. At a Court on Sept. 28, 1782, the claim of Paul Teter, of date August 8, 1778 for "24 Diets" (for soldiers) at 6 pence each was allowed; also the later claim dated August 3, 1782, for "Pasturage for 36 head of horses 1 night at 3 pence each". (Rockingham County Order Book 1, page 183). At the court on October 29, 1782, two further claims of his were also allowed: that dated June 5, 1782, for 15 horses and pasture, 1 night at 6 pence each; and that dated July 29, 1782, for 36 head of horses at 6 pence each in pasture. (Same, Book l, page 198). (also see Morton, pages 393, 394).
  
  In the Personal Tax lists for Rockingham County in 1782 he is noted as having 11 horses and 16 head of cattle (a rather large amount for that period).
  
  He appears again in the list for 1784 with 13 horses and 16 cattle. (These Personal Tax lists, which will often be referred to in these notes are a long series of Manuscript volumes in the Virginia State Library at Richmond, covering all the counties of the state from about 1782 to 1850. They form, of course, immensely valuable source material for the study of history and genealogy). In the "Property Books" (which show the list of those taxed for land, as distinct from the Personal tax lists), Paul Teter appears on the list for Rockingham County in 1782, as having 96 acres of land, of an assessed value of 25 pounds. (Although this is about 10 acres less than the amount of land owned by his brother Philip Teter, the value of Paul's land is over three times that of Philip's, showing of course either more fertile land or the presence of more or better improvements on it.)
  
  Paul Teter died some time in the year 1784, after the date of taking the property tax (usually done early in the year) since his name appears on that list, but before the taking of the second Personal tax list for that year (published in the volume for Virginia in the series of the 1st U. S. Census), where his name does not appear but instead his widow Rebecca is given as head of the family.
  
  On November 22, 1784, "the last will and testament of Paul Teeter was presented into Court and proved by the oaths of Joseph Cheverunt and Jacob Root, whereupon Moses Elsworth and Geo. Teeter Senr., the executors therein named, having complied with the law, certificate is granted to them to obtain probate in due form." (Rockingham County Minute Book 1, page 369). On the same date it was ordered "that Yost Henkle, Robert Minnis, Jacob Carr and Isaac, or any three of the them being first sworn do appraise the estate of Paul Teeter deceased and make a return to the next Court." (same. The name of Henkle is probably what is omitted after "Isaac" above). The actual will books and the files were long ago destroyed by fire in Rockingham County, so the original will or a copy, cannot now be seen.
  
  Paul Teter married about 1760, probably in North Carolina before the removal to Virginia, Rebecca Henkel. She was born October 5, 1736, and was the daughter of Justus Henkel Sr. and his wife Magdalena Eschmann. After the death of her husband, Rebecca Teter appears as the head of the family on the tax records, since their eldest son George was married and living separately and the other children were still rather young at the death of their father. In the so-called "Census" of 1784, Rebecca Teter appears as having 7 white souls in the family, 1 dwelling and 2 other buildings, (son George appears separately). She appears on the Personal tax lists for the years 1785-89, and on the Land tax lists for 1787 and 1788. In the latter she is 2 tracts of land one of 40 acres and the other of 43 acres. In the personal list for 1785 she has no male children of age over 16 yrs. but under 21 yrs. (she has 2 horses and 4 cattle); but in 1787 she has 1 son of such an age in her family (in addition to son George, who appears for himself separately).
  
  In September, 1794, "widow Teter" is mentioned in a letter from Moses Henkel in regard to her son Abraham's survey. (Augusta County Records, Chalkley Vol. 1, page 483). On June 5, 1792, Rebecca Teter was granted 62 acres of land in Randolph County on the Dry Fork of the Cheat river. (Land office records, Book #26, page 581). (Her son George Teter had also obtained land in that neighborhood both before this time and again afterward
  
  On March 6, 1797, Rebecca Teter, "relict of Paul Teter", together with Abraham Teter, "land heir of sd. Paul Teter decd" and his wife Mary, made a deed, for a consideration of 400 pounds, to Isaac Henkle, of, apparently, all the land which had been granted to Paul Teeter at various times in the vicinity of the Mouth of Seneca. This now consisted of 4 tracts as follows: (1) 42 acres granted to Paul Teter decd. by patent dated September 10, 1767; (2) 53 acres adjoining the above granted to Paul Teter decd by patent dated March 1, 1773; (3) 43 acres also adjoining the above first tract granted to him by patent of July 17, 1783; (4) 130 acres granted to Abraham Teter himself by patent of July 22, 1794. Abraham Teter signed the deed actually, the two women made their marks. The deed was acknowledged in court and recorded the same date, March 6, 1797. (Pendleton County Deed book 2, page 319)
  
  Then on March 29, 1797, Rebecca Teter, "relict of Paul Teter Decd. of Pendleton County" appointed Robert Green of Randolph County her attorney to make a deed for that land of 62 acres in Randolph County on the Dry Fork of Cheat which had been patented to her on June 5, 1792, he to make the deed to Daniel Ketterman of Hardy County. Rebecca made her mark. Witnesses were George Ketterman, Frederick Hedrick and Joseph Teter. Recorded March 6, 1798. (Pendleton County Deed Book #3 page 98).
  
  Thus all the land belonging to Rebecca and her son Abraham was disposed of. This was just prior to Abraham's removal to Illinois. It would seem that the mother Rebecca went with him. There seems to be no mention of either of them in Pendleton County after this date. We know that the two daughters, Mrs. Barbara Shook and Mrs. Hannah Mitchell also accompanied Abraham in his removal to the west, and probably the whole family made a wholesale removal with the exception of George who had already gone to Randolph County as so many of the Pendleton County families were doing at that time. The date of Rebecca Henkel Teter's death is not known. Probably it was during the epidemic of 1797, at New Design, Illinois.

Details of Paul's family with Rebecca Henckel