3. Joseph² Gorby (Samuel¹) was born in Chester Co, PA. ABT. 1725.

He married Maria Littlejohn in Old Swede's Church (Holy Trini, Wilmington, New Castle Co, February 26, 1744/45. Maria was born ABT. 1709. Maria is the daughter of John Littlejohn and Maria ?. Ref: DM1-3.13.98, DS1-3.13.98

The records of Old Swede's Church in Wilmington, DE indicate that Maria, daughter of John and Maria Littlejohn was baptized on Jan 18, 1727 at the age of 18.

Joseph Gorby was Maria Littlejohn's was her third husband. By this time she is known to Gorby Family researchers as 'Mary Loan'.

Mary first married Erasmus Stedham by governor's license on 3 Dec 1726 at Old Swede's Church, second William Loan in Philadelphia, PA at Christ Church on October 18, 1732.

When her first husband, Erasmus Stedham died in 1732, Mary and her two daughters by Erasmus, Maria and Catherine, inherited jointly several hundred acres of property in New Castle Co, DE along Shilpot (Shellpot) Creek. Her son, also named Erasmus Stedham, was not mentioned in his father's will. In the 1750s, after she married Joseph Gorby and after her daughters were both married, Joseph and Mary purchased the daughters' share of the properties.

From 1755 to 1764 there are records of four deeds where Joseph and Mary sold approximately 600 acres of this property. On two of the deeds, the ownership of the property is traced back to the original land grant warrants. These records are in the Delaware Archives, New Castle County Deeds:

Joseph Gorby + wife Mary to William Forwood the Elder, 1755, Vol S-1, pg 80-81. Joseph Gorbey + wife Mary to James Houston, 1757, Vol T-1, pg 331-333. Joseph Gorby + wife Mary to James Huston, 1762, Vol U-1, pg 210-211. Joseph Gorby + wife Mary to James Huston, 1764, Vol W-1, pg 585-586. (1936) Joseph Gorby was born about 1725 in Chester Co, PA, married first Mary Loan on February 26, 1745, and second Hannah Stilley on December 20, 1770. Records of both marriages are found in Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church in Wilmington, DE, pages 392 and 733 of the marriage records.

In 1774 we find Joseph on the tax list of Bethel, Chester Co, PA, and on June 3, 1795 he purchased from the Government 400 acres if land in Washington Co, PA, which he sold on the day of the survey to his nephew Job Gorby. But during this time he must have been living near Claymont, DE, for the descendants of Joseph claim that both Mary Loan and Hannah Stilley lived in the old home there which he built after leaving Chester Co, PA.

Belle Gorby Collins (4th generation), claimed that this farm once belonged to her great-grandmother Gorby, which would be Mary (May) Gorby, and that would mean that she outlived Samuel, and that they moved from Chester Co, PA to Delaware. (1997 Note: As Belle's father Richard was not born until about 1811, her great-grandmother was most likely Hannah Stilley.)

This home is still standing and still owned and occupied by descendants of Joseph and Hannah Stilley Gorby through their daughter Lena, who married Joseph Pierce. Her grandson, George M Casey now owns it. (1997 Note: The house is still standing and is owned by a great-grandson of George M Casey, James Rambo and his wife Linda.)

(1978) Research by Lyn Black before 1978 disclosed that Joseph was on the 1790 tax lists, also the in the Census, of Brandywine Hundred, New Castle County, DE. And in Sussex County (lower third of DE), on the 1790 tax lists were the following names, but the last name was spelled "Gordy": Jackson, Jacob, John, Joshua, Benjamin and Eli. (1999 Note: The Sussex Co, DE Gordys are no relation to the Gorbys as they are ancestors of President Jimmy Carter and have been thoroughly researched as a result of that relationship.)

(1936) No record of Joseph has been found later than 1795 (1997 Note: Two Josephs were found on the DE 1810 & 1820 Census records), so it is not known when he and Hannah (Stilley) Gorby died nor where they are buried, but naturally would be in or near Claymont where they had lived so long. Joseph's will not found. Nothing is known of the families of either Mary Loan or Hannah Stilley, but from the marriage records they may have lived in Wilmington, DE. (1997 Note: Both Mary Loan's and Hannah Stilley's families found. Hannah Stilley was apparantly living with her son Joseph during the 1840 Census.)

Descendants of Joseph Gorby settled mostly in Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania, and in and around Columbiana and Hancock Counties in northern Ohio. It is not known to which mother his sons John, Richard and Jacob belonged.

(1999) Census data indicates that the Joseph Gorby who married Mary Littlejohn/Stidham/Loan is NOT the Joseph Gorby who married Hannah Stilley, but more likely his father. It also indicates that Joseph Richard Gorby may have been a son of Hannah Stilley as was John. The Richard and Jacob mentioned above were not born until after 1810, so it is likely that their father is Joseph or John, sons of Joseph and Hannah Stilley.

See Joseph Gorby generation III for the Census data mentioned above.

Marriage info: Marriage recorded in Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church in Wilmington, DE.

Joseph Gorby and Maria Littlejohn had the following children:

+ 5 i. Joseph³ Gorby was born 1749.

6 ii. Hezekiel Gorby was born July 7, 1751. (1936) No further record found.

Other info: On 25 OCT 1751 Was Baptized. Record found in Holy Trinity Church, Wilmington, DE, pg 558.

Send email to preparer: thegorb@one.net

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