Genealogical Gems

W. Henry Williamson and Lt. Samuel Williamson, Civil War soldiers, are buried together in the Cheyney Burial Grounds. The cemetery is located in Thornbury Township , Chester County . The Cheyney land, including the university that now stands there, crosses both Delaware and Chester Counties .   William Henry enlisted in the Co. D 124 th Regt. Pennsylvania Infantry. He was, according to his stone, just 19 when he died at the Stafford Court House in Virginia on 3 February 1863. He was also known as William Henry and William Harry, according to the National Park Service (NPS), which lists his rank as musician.   Samuel was a lieutenant with Co. D 5 th Pennsylvania Calvary (65 th Volunteers). He was, according to his stone, just 20 when he was killed on 7 February 1863 in an engagement in Williamsburg , Virginia .   Samuel enlisted as a Sergeant on 30 July 1861. He was promoted up to Full 2 nd Lieutenant on 26 January 1862 and to Full 1 st Lieutenant o...

Thomas Cheyney lies in rest at the Cheyney Cemetery near Cheyney University in Chester County . He is one of those men locals learned about in school – until the schools stopped actually teaching US history.    Born about 1732, he fought in the Revolutionary War. He provided information about the location of the British troops directly to General George Washington which aided Washington and his men to evade the British.  It is widely accepted that his persistence to speak with Washington saved not only Washington and his men but was a vital point in the fight for our freedom. He married twice. First he married Mary Taylor. She passed in 1766 and three years later he wed the widow Mary Bennett Vernon. He had, according to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, eight children! The children were: Ann, Lucy, Richard, Mary, John, Alice , Elizabeth, and William. The account did not specify who mothered whom.    He died on 12 January 1811. His land is...