Universal York

My previous post told how researchers connected U.S. presidents Barack Obama, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and William McKinley with their York County, Pa. roots.
Below are a couple more presidents and a vice president whose families have been traced back to York County. I didn’t do any original research on this myself–the source is the website of super-genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner. After he passed away late last year, the Washington Post did an interesting article on Reitwiesner and his research. The website, which contains Reitwiesner’s own extensive genealogy as well as that of political figures and European royalty, is being maintained by his estate.

Reitwiesner found George W. Bush was descended from Rev. James Robinson, who was born in York Co. in 1769 and died in Ohio in 1847. James Robinson’s parents were Robert Robinson and Rebecca Wilson. This is through George W.’s mother Barbara Pierce Bush, whose mother was Pauline Robinson.
James Robinson was married to Mary Welch, who also died in Ohio. There were Welches in York Co., so perhaps Mary was also from here. Laura Bush’s maiden name was Welch and Reitwiesner traces her back to Samuel Welch who was married in North Carolina in 1818. Since many North Carolina settlers came from southern Pennsylvania, it is possible that those Welches also started out here.
Bill Clinton’s 5th great-grandfather was Ephraim Farr, who Reitwiesner thought was probably born in York Co., Pa around 1765. He married Esther Latta in Mecklenburg Co., N.C. in 1801, and they later lived in Tennessee. Lattas were also in this area by the time of the Revolutionary War.
Dan Quayle is a descendant of Johann Georg Ott and of his son Johannes Ott. Both Otts were Pennsylvania German immigrants. The father died in York Co. sometime after 1780s. The son had moved to Augusta Co., Va. before he died there in 1808.