ANCESTORS
John, Eva, and oldest son Jacob (b. 1747/48 - d. 1838) came to America from Wurttemberg, Germany August 15, 1749 (from Salisbury Penn, History), arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John and Eve are buried on one of the original Markley farms now called Hoerchler Farm; it is about 1-1/2 miles west of West Salisbury, which is on the west bank of Castleman River and the village of Salisbury. It is a Pennsylvania registered landmark, established in 1801.
The inscription on their tombstone: "JOHN MARKLEY, born 1725 in Germany, died 1796. EVA his wife, born 1727 in Germany, died 1813. First settlers in Somerset County."
John and Eva had seven known children
Jacob born - Feb.17,1747 or 1748 -- died 1838 Peter born - 1754 -- died 1830/31 married Mary Miller(?)
Mathias born - 1750 -- died 1845 Catherine Miller - born 1756 -- died ???
Joseph born - 1752 -- died Sept. 9, 1831 Susanna Keagey (Jacob) & Fadeley (Peter) - b. 1758 -- d. 1820/30
Margaret Hendrickson (John) born - 1760 -- died ???
Copy of John Markley's Will 1796
Information found on RootsWeb Message Boards - Message [ John Markley, Will 1796 ]
OTHER THOUGHT TO BE KNOWN FACTS:
In 1786 there was a tract of land surveyed to John; the name given to this tract in the survey or patent was "John's Fancy" on April 25, 1786. The tract contained 242 acres and was on the east side of Castleman River. This was John's favorite spot and became the home place.
It is known that long before "John's Fancy" John lived in what is now known as Elk Lick Township, Somerset County. The family settled there about 1765.
John had other tracts of land surveyed to him.
In 1772 or earlier John had 200 acres surveyed to him.
In 1775 he had a tract of 355 acres called "Grassy Run" and about the same time he had a tract of 175 acres called "Flog Hill."
On March 28, 1785, 460 acres called "Mount Joy" was surveyed to him.
In 1788 John sold the homeplace "John's Fancy" to his son Joseph. The ancient village of West Salisbury in Elk Lick Township, Somerset, County, Pa. was founded April 15, 1795 by Joseph Markley on part of the tract of land surveyed to his father John in 1786.
John Markley (wife Eva) were the first white settlers in Salisbury, arriving in the area from Phildelphia. When he built his home north of Salisbury, Pa. around 1775, it sat on an 800-acre tract granted by the king of England (King George III). The house was marked, disassembled, and moved to a new site in 1895. In 1985 the two and 1/2 story house was once again disassembled and moved to its present location at Spruce Forest Artisan Village in Grantsville, Maryland. Markley House is the oldest building restored and preserved at Penn Alps (see photo below).
John and Eve had a second house, built sometime in the 1790s on one of Eve's two properties. The tract was called "Paradise." The carpenter who built the home was Adam Miller, a nephew. In 1798 after John's death Eve sold the home to Adam Miller. All of this is shown on the 1798 direct tax list. This house is now a Pennsylvania registered landmark maintained by the Somerset Historical Center (see photo below).
