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Archiver > BRETHREN > 1997-07 > 0869086216


From: James Shuman <>
Subject: Abraham FLORY-Catherine BLOCHER
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 12:50:16 -0800


The question is:

>>> Who was Catherine BLOCHER? <<<

I have noticed over the past several months that many queries mention her
name in some other context. A few have even attempted to deal with the
question of her ancestry. I may have missed it, but so far, I haven't seen
anything definitive on this question.

Some say she was the daughter or sister of Mathias Blocher, immigrant, or
his brother Martin.

In carefully searching the book "Ancestry and Descendants of Joseph Blocher
and Elizabeth Roberts," published January 1997 by Marjorie Blocher Kinsey,
CG, I find no evidence that she was either the daughter or the sister of
Mathias Blocher who married Barbara Schwab(in) and immigrated on the ship
"Phoenix" in 1751. In fact, the evidence points strongly against it: there
*were* women named Catherine and Anna Catherina in these families, but not
married to Abraham Flory (and the one with the appropriate birthdate was
married and lived in Germany, not the US).

The closest connection I could find was a reference to one of Martin
Blocher's sons, Friedrich Blocher, born 13 Jan 1763, died ca 1844 in
Fayette Co, PA; "thought to have married Catharine Flory, daughter of
Abraham Flory." [see below: I don't have record of such a daughter]

I do not have many records for the other Mathias Blocher, who arrived in
Sept 1753 on the ship "Brothers." His parents are listed as Johann Jacob
Blocher and Anna Maria Gerstenacker. It is said that he came with three
brothers. Might a sister have accompanied them?

I also recently read an exchange in which it was proposed that Catherine
Blocher should be listed as MRS. Catherine Blocher -- implying that her
maiden name was not "Blocher," but that she had been previously married to
an un-named Blocher man. Hm-m-m-m.

Catherine's husband, Abraham FLORY, seems to be well documented:

He was the youngest child of Joseph J. FLEURE, who was born 1682 in Germany
and died 1741 in PA, having arrived in Philadelphia 28 Aug 1733 on the ship
"Hope" from Rotterdam. Abraham was born 1735 in Lancaster Co., PA and died
1827 in Montgomery Co., OH. He lived in Brothers Valley Twp., Somerset Co.,
PA from 1796 - 1809, then moved to Montgomery Co., OH. He was a minister in
the German Baptist Brethren Church.

I do not have a marriage date, but it was apparently ca 1760. If this was
her first marriage, one would expect her DOB to have been somewhere between
1735 and 1745. I have their children listed as:
Emanuel (no dob; married Sarah KEAGY)
Rachel (1763 - 1841; married Henry MILLER)
Abraham (1764 - 1796)
John (1766 - 1845;. married Catharine GARBER)
Susannah (1768 - 1856; married John BEEGHLY)
Joseph (1769 - 1823; married Elizabeth BEEGHLY)
Henry (1777 - 1824; married Anna KEAGY)

If anyone can help fill in the information on Catherine Blocher, I would be
very appreciative, and I'm sure many others would be, also.

Thanks!

JS

James Shuman, Telecommunications Coordinator
The California Arts Project
http://www.ucop.edu/tca

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