YorksPast

Following my talk on the Dosch Burial Grounds in Lower Windsor Township, several people asked for more details on several of the families noted in my talk.  This is the second post centering on John Gilbert; his first and second wives are daughters of Michael Dosch, the originator of the burial grounds that bear his name.

This post concerns the relationship of three Gilbert generations with Canadochly Church.  John Gilbert was an Elder in the Canadochly Church, he was buried next to the east wall of the 1801 Church building.  Andrew Gilbert, the father of John Gilbert, was an immigrant from Germany and was one of the earliest members of Canadochly Church; attending services held in the 1763 built log church building.  Samuel Gilbert, a member of the building committee responsible for the 1867 Canadochly Church building, was a son of John Gilbert.

John Gilbert Family Part 2 is the eleventh in this series of posts.  Other posts in this series and related posts include:

• Christian Rathfon Family in Pleasant Garden from 1784 to 1827   NOTE: New information has been added to the Rathfon post.
• Michael Dosch Family from about 1773 in Eastern York County
• Christopher Dosch Family; Father of York Co.’s Michael Dosch
• George Dosch Family Part 1; Uncle of York Co.’s Michael Dosch
• George Dosch Family Part 2; Uncle of York Co.’s Michael Dosch
• George Dosch Family Part 3; Uncle of York Co.’s Michael Dosch
• George Dosch Family Part 4; Stepfather of York Co.’s Peter Klein
• Susquehanna River Bridge Planned at Long Level in 1793; George Dosch Family Part 5
• Peter Kline Family from about 1773 in Eastern York County
• John Gilbert Family Part 1; from 1772 in Eastern York County
• Gilbert Sisters in Big Hats
• The tale of Gilbert Bridge over Yellow Breeches Creek

 

The early 1940s photo in the oval at the center of the illustration comes from a portion of the aerial photograph in the introductory pages to the publication Canajohela 1753 to 2003, Celebrating 250 Years at the Canadochly Evangelical & Reformed Church.  This portion of the photograph shows the third Canadochly Union Church building; built in 1867.  Using descriptions within the publication, I’ve added a depiction of the second Canadochly Union Church building; built in 1801.  As seen in my 2012 photo, only the steps and retaining wall that once was around the 1867 church building remain from either of these church buildings.

The first Canadochly Union Church building for members of the Lutheran and Reformed Congregations was constructed of logs in 1763.  The log church was located east of what is now Canadochly Road, i.e. surrounded by the old cemetery.  The immigrant Andrew Gilbert was deeded his 123-acres north-west what became East Prospect on April 3rd 1769.  Probate records indicate Andrew Gilbert died in early 1816; he is most likely buried in the old cemetery that surrounded the log church building.  A gravestone has not survived.

Andrew Gilbert’s son John Gilbert was elected Elder in the Lutheran Congregation of the Canadochly Union Church during 1818.  A deed was made December 20, 1825, securing the Penn Warrant dated March 9, 1753 for the original 25-acres to be used by the Congregations of the Canadochly Union Church.  In this 1825 deed, John Gilbert for the Lutherans and Michael Paules for the Reformed paid $46 to obtain legal right to the property originally issued in trust.  John Gilbert died August 15th 1846, he was buried next to the east wall of the 1801 Church building.

John Gilbert’s son Samuel Gilbert was involved with construction planning for the 1867 Church building.  John Leiphart and Samuel Leber were the Reformed members of the Building Committee and George Keller and Samuel Gilbert, the Lutheran members.  Samuel Gilbert was also a Justice of the Peace in the area for many years.  Samuel Gilbert died August 3rd 1884; he was buried within the new cemetery just to the west of the 1867 Church and close to East Prospect Road.

The 1876 Map shows what was then called the Wrightsville Road [now called Canadochly Road] realigned as it currently exits onto East Prospect Road; i.e. directly over former location of the 1801 Church.  The 1876 map also shows the old cemetery east of Canadochly Road; although it does not show the new cemetery west of the 1867 Church; maybe the new cemetery looked more like formal gardens to that 1876 map surveyor.

The 1867 Church was originally enclosed by a white picket fence.  Eventually the fence was removed and the current retaining wall was built.  When the Reformed Congregation constructed their own modern church in 1907 west of the Union Church, the 1867 Church was purchased outright by the Lutheran Congregation; ending a union of 154 years.  The 1867 Church was torn down in the early 1970s, several years after the Lutheran Congregation constructed their modern church east of the former Union Church sites.

The Gilbert men were buried in close proximity to the Canadochly church buildings that existed during their lifetimes.  Those early church buildings, shown in the illustration, have long since been torn down, leaving the Gilbert men buried in close proximity to a road intersection; the pictured Canadochly Road at East Prospect Road.

This is my 108th post. An inventory of the general topics and locations that have been the subjects of my first 100 posts are presented in a 100-tile mosaic that breaks down these posts into seven general categories.

Reading the Headlines: A Quick Index to All YorksPast Posts