10. Eli³ Gorby (Thomas², Samuel¹) was born in Chester Co, PA. 1777. Eli died June 8, 1831 at 53 years of age.

He married Mary Ann Ryan in Marshall Co, WV., 1816. Mary was born in Northumberland, PA. December 13, 1789. Mary was the daughter of John Ryan and ?. (1936) The first record of Eli Gorby was found in Greene Co, PA where he appeared as a witness for his father in 1800 in the trial of Thomas Gorby for assault and battery on Robert Carroll. In 1804 we find him indicted for assaulting a constable in Washington Co, PA, following in the footsteps of his father evidently.

in 1803 and 1808 records show him selling land in Washington Co, and in 1819 selling 200 acres in Ohio Co, VA for $125.00. All the early Gorbys seem to have done much buying and selling of real estate.

Eli and his wife lived at the mouth of Rocky Run on Fish Creek, in what is now Marshall Co, WV, in a log cabin built with their own hands. Their furniture was all home made, their table a log split and worked down with an axe. They did all their cooking over an old fashioned fireplace. They had one bed, but a comfortable loft with plenty of bear and deer skins.

The oldest son, John Ryan, often remarked that he was a grown man before he knew what it was like to sleep in a bed, he and William always sleeping in the loft. This is only a typical life of those hardy old forebears of ours in those early pioneer days, making the rugged, strong, splendid men and women from whom we are so proud to have sprung.

In his earlier years Eli spent much of his time hunting, trapping, and trading with the Indians. His son John Ryan, at the age of twelve years accompanied his father on one of his trading trips to the present site of Chillecothe, OH (1978 - where his sister Faithful (Gorby) Clark lived and was buried). Here they camped to hunt and trade with the Indians. The Indians became hostile because they thought the whites were cheating them, and started a fight. Eli grabbed a wooden poker and knocked one of the Indians into the fire. While the Indians were rescuing their comrade and getting over their surprise, Eli and John Ryan escaped under cover of darkness. John said they let no grass grow under their feet until they had put the Ohio River between them and the Indians. In these hunting and trading trips Eli wandered far afield, often going as far west as Indiana.

Eli Gorby died just eight days after the birth of his twin sons Eli and another who died in infancy. The twins were born June 16, 1831. He is buried in an old cemetery near his home, near the mouth of Rocky Run on Fish Creek, and near the post-office of Adeline, WV. It was once called the Gorby cemetery.

(1978) Family photos and data sent by Glenn Crane of Paden City, WV; some records by Nancy Gorby Martin of Apple Valley, CA; research on Postlethwaites by a friend in Wetzel Co, WV.

Eli Gorby's grandson Daniel L Gorby married Mary Jane Gorby, a great-granddaughter of his brother Jesse Gorby.

Eli Gorby and Mary Ann Ryan had the following children:

+ 42 i. John Ryan⁴ Gorby was born July 23, 1817.

+ 43 ii. William Gorby was born February 1820.

+ 44 iii. Isaac Gorby was born August 23, 1823.

+ 45 iv. Rebecca Ann Gorby was born July 9, 1827.

+ 46 v. Eli Gorby was born June 16, 1831.

47 vi. Son Gorby was born June 16, 1831.

Sibling info: Twin of Eli Gorby. Name not learned.

Send email to preparer: thegorb@one.net

Return to Table of Contents or Index

Go to Next Page

Go to Previous Page