Godfrey Carnes, a native of Westmoreland
County, Penn., and of German extraction, settled in Mercer County in 1801, on
the place where his grandson, Godfrey G., now
resides, in Pymatuning Township. He purchased first 200 acres, and
subsequently added several hundred more. He was a Revolutionary soldier and
served through the entire war. He married Mary
McDowell, and reared twelve children: Edward,
William, Robert, George, Samuel, John, Margaret, married Robert
McCord; Mary, married Samuel Ingram, and
died; Jane, married Samuel
Ingram as his second wife; James, Elizabeth,
married George Snyder; Ruhanneh, married Henderson
Turner, all of whom are dead but Mrs. Ingram,
of Kentucky. He was one of the enterprising of the day, was a Democrat and
held many of the township offices. His wife died in 1839 and he in
1842. John, the youngest son, was born in
1803 and reared on the old homestead, always followed farming, and was married
in 1828, to Miss Sarah, daughter of John
Kepner, of Hartford, Ohio. By her he had the following
children: Godfrey G., Kepner, Seth, James , William
Elizabeth, married Thomas McCord, and Mary.
The mother died in 1871, and the father in 1873. Godfrey
G. Carnes was born December 25, 1830, and was reared on the farm and
educated in common schools. In 1856 he engaged with Allison
Chew as clerk in a store in Brookfield, Ohio. He subsequently
engaged in the mercantile business, under the firm name of
Chew, Carnes & Bowden. He was engaged in the lumber business
for a few years. He is now located on the old homestead, engaged in
farming and stock raising. He is a Democrat, and has filled some of the
town offices.
History of Mercer County, 1888, page 904.
Godfrey Carnes served in the
Revolutionary War in the Eighth Regiment, which was raised in Westmoreland Co., PA.
The regiment was sent east to join Washington's
army in the Jerseys, where it participated in the
Battles of Trenton, Brandywine, Princeton, Paoli,
Germantown, and wintered in the Valley Forge.
The 8th Regiment was returned to Fort Pitt in the
spring of 1778 under Brigadier Lochlan McIntosh.
Godfrey participated in the construction of Fort
McIntosh at the mouth of the Beaver River, and Fort
Laurens on the Muskingham River. He also participated in the Brodhead Expedition up the
Allegheny River in August, 1779.
Godfrey's term of service was three years and two
months.
He
was married to Mary McDowell, also
a native of Westmoreland County.
Godfrey came from Westmoreland County in 1801 and
obtained a land patent in Pymatuning Township in 1803
(The patent was dated January 19th 1803).
He applied for pension on July 4, 1828, pension
no. S-46432. Burial
was at Oakwood
Cemetery.
Ref. V.A. N.S.S.A.R., Fed. Pen. File, P.A.
Godfrey
and Mary's first cabin was erected upon the present
Sharpsville and Orangeville Road, near the state line
about two-and-a-half miles northwest of Sharpsville.
Later it was replaced by a more substantial one.
And in the house, the early elections of
Pymatuning Twp. were held. Godfrey was a Jeffersonian Democrat and was active in local
affairs, holding many of the Pymatuning Twp. offices.
Godfrey
and Mary reared 12 children: Edward,
William, Robert, George, Samuel, John, Margaret, Mary,
Jane, James, Elizabeth and Ruhanneh.
All were raised on the family homestead.
Godfrey
was a successful pioneer and accumulated a large estate
of several hundred acres.
He died in 1842 and his wife died in 1839.
Research
submitted by Beth
Rollinson
