Ephraim Logue of New Castle County, DE, Early 1700s

Ephraim Logue was born c1675, probably in Ireland. Someone with this surname in Ireland was “the descendant of the devotee of St. Mhaodhòg” or St. Mulvogue.

While we don’t know the ancestral village of Ephraim Logue, his surname originated in Counties Galway and Clare, but was also found in Northern Ireland in County Donegal by the 1700s.

It’s likely that Ephraim was born in one of those three counties. His given name might narrow the possibilities down even more as the Republic of Ireland is primarily Roman Catholic. In centuries past, babies had to be given a saint’s name in order to be baptized. The only St. Ephrem I can find was Syrian. I don’t think it’s likely that an Irish baby born in the 1600s was named for a Syrian saint.

Therefore, it might be more likely that Ephraim was from Northern Ireland and County Donegal and of the Protestant religion. Given that the family are later said to have been Presbyterian, this makes sense.

Some say Ephraim was born in Delaware, but I find no evidence of that, nor have I found any documents supporting the idea that his father (who shall remain nameless for now) died there in 1720.

In fact, a quick check of the land deed index for New Castle County shows no Logue entries until almost 1800. Further the extant tax records for New Castle County in 1693 and 1697 have no men named Logue listed.

Therefore, I believe that Ephraim Logue may well have been the immigrant ancestor.

Tax records for Chester County, Pennsylvania exist from 1715, but not for all years. There is no Logue found in Lower or Upper Chichester Township in 1715. The records are missing between 1716 and 1719. There is a “Loog” whose first name is taped over in the book for 1720. This is likely the source of a father for Ephraim dying in 1720. However, no will for any Logue is recorded in that time frame in Chester County.

Ephraim himself is listed on the tax list of Upper & Lower Chichester Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1721 and 1722 and then gone.

Chester County bordered Delaware at the time so it is likely that Ephraim moved his family a few miles into New Castle County.

Ephraim Logue married Margaret (MNU), who survived him in 1751 and is named in his will (New Castle County, DE Will Book G:474).

Ephraim wrote his will on 28 May 1750. It was proved in court just over a year later on 1 June 1751.

I cropped the entry about John Stalcop along with Ephraim because Lawrence Thompson’s daughter Margaret married Emer Stalcup. With a unique name like that, it is more evidence that the FAN club kept close to each other for decades.

The Logue family lived in Christiana Hundred in New Castle County at the time of Ephraim’s death.

Ephraim had only four children who survived him.

Children:

  1. John, born c1700; died c1769, Orange County, North Carolina; reportedly married (1) Matilda (MNU) (2) Jannet Scott
  2. David, born c1702;
  3. Catherine, born c1705; married Samuel Allen
  4. Margaret, born c1710; died before 1790; married Matthew Robinson/Robison, c1730. This family lived in West Nantmeal, Chester, Pennsylvania

Many Pennsylvania and Delaware records are locked. Until I have access to them in a library, there isn’t much else to say about the Logue family.

 

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