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.
Source: 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
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