Valentine Treish was the son of Martin Treish, who died in Baltimore County, Maryland c1762 and his wife, Elizabeth (MNU).

Valentine reported that he was born in 1749 in Germany; ship’s passenger lists show his father arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1750 so Valentine would have not had any memory of his life in Germany.

Valentine was just entering his teen years when his father passed away. A year later, his mother had remarried and just a few years after that, Valentine and his brother Jacob headed to North Carolina for a new life.

Valentine Thrash’s Revolutionary War pension file gives a detailed accounting of where he lived after he left Maryland.

When the war broke out in 1776, he was a resident of Orange County, North Carolina and volunteered there for the first of his five enlistments. He doesn’t mentioned living in Caswell County, which was set off from the northern portion of Orange County in 1777.

Both Valentine and Jacob are found on a 1777 tax list of Caswell County:

During the war, he participated in several skirmishes with the British and Tories and took part in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on 15 March 1781.

About 1777, Valentine moved to Botetourt County, Virginia, which he mentioned was divided and Montgomery County was set off from it on 31 December 1776. He then lived in Montgomery County. He spent about 16 years in total living in Virginia.

Valentine returned to North Carolina in 1798 and settled in Buncombe County, in the western part of the state.

He died there on 3 March 1835, according to information in the widow’s pension of his second wife, Barbara Yountz.

Valentine Thrash married (1) Unknown, c1771 (2) Barbara Yountz, 10 October 1818.

Children:

1. Sarah, born c1771, probably Orange County, North Carolina; died after 1850, probably Saline County, Missouri; married Samuel Cole, 4 September 1792, Montgomery County, Virginia. By 1850, Samuel and Sarah Cole had removed to Saline County, Missouri, where they were enumerated in the census, aged 81 and 79, both born in North Carolina.
2. Catherine, born c1776, Orange County, North Carolina; died between 1810-1820, probably Montgomery County, Virginia; married John Cooper, 30 December 1797, Montgomery County, Virginia. In 1810, John Cooper Sr. lived in Christiansburg, Montgomery, Virginia with his family. John Cooper is still in Montgomery County in 1820, but there is no female in the home to match Catherine.
3. Rachel, born c1779, probably Montgomery County, Virginia; died March 1870, Leicester, Buncombe, North Carolina; married David Cole, c1798, probably Montgomery County, Virginia. Rachel is enumerated in the 1870 mortality schedule and died of old age, aged 91 years.
4. Hannah, born c1785, probably Montgomery County, Virginia; died after 1850, possibly Henry County, Iowa where she is last found; married Luke McKern, c1807
5. William, born c1793; died 2 September 1853, Mahaska County, Iowa; married Catherine Lester, 21 January 1815, Montgomery County, Virginia
6. John, born c1801, Buncombe County, North Carolina [per his father’s statement that he lived in North Carolina from 1798] or Virginia [per his census reports]; died 4 January 1871, Buncombe County, North Carolina; married Lucinda Yountz, c1829

Valentine Thrash left a will that isn’t terribly helpful in terms of genealogy because he only named his wife and grandson, John Thrash Jr.

Here is a transcription of his Revolutionary War pension application:

Valentine (Volintine) Thrash W1332

State of North Carolina, County of Buncombe: Court of Common Pleas & Quarter Sessions, July Sessions 1833

On this 3rd day of July 1833 personally appeared before the court aforesaid Valentine Thrash a resident of the County of Buncombe and State of North Carolina aged 84 years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832.

That he volunteered in the service of the United States as a private in the year 1776 under Captain Falkner Colonels Ramsey and more and General Rutherford and was marched from Orange County North Carolina (where he first volunteered) up the State after the Indians but was in no engagement he volunteered for three months and he received no written Discharge was discharged verbally by Colonel Moore.

He states that he volunteered again for the term of three months as a private under Captain George Oldham and was marched from Orange County NC and joined General Gates’s Army then marched to near Camblen to Rugeley’s Mill where General Gates and his Army was defeated.

He volunteered a third time as a private for three months under Captain Dudley Reynolds in the light horse Service who was under Colonel Paisley and was marched to Salisbury and from Hillsboro and Joined General John Butler thence he was marched to the Shallow Ford of the Yadkin River in pursuit of the Tories he did not arrive till after the Skirmish was over. Then he was marched back to Salisbury and was dismissed – but received no discharge only verbally.

He states that he volunteered a fourth time as a private for the term of four weeks under Captain George Oldham who was under Colonel Moore who was under General Butler. And was marched to the Reedy fork of Haw River and was in a small Skirmish with the British then the Soldiers being dispersed we went home and in a few days was collected and marched to Guilford County and Joined General Green and on the next day was at Guilford Battle he received no written discharge.

He states that he volunteered the same year which he thinks was 1781 as a private (as was at all times before) for the term of three months under Captain Adam Saunders who was under Colonel Moore who was under General Rutherford and Butler. And was marched to Cross Creek then to what was then called the North East Bridge and was in a small engagement with the British or Tories at a place called Brown Marsh then we crossed Cape Fear River and was discharged he received a written discharge from Colonel Moore but does not recollect what became of it.

And he further states that he has no other way of proving his Services only by his home of. That he knows of no witness living. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any Agency of any State.

Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid. S/ Valentine Thrash, X his mark

Interrogatories by the Court Interrogatory

1st When and in what year were you born? Answer: I was born in Germany in the year 1749
2nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? Ans: I had once a record of my age in a Dutch sermon book belonging to my father which was sold at his decease in Maryland
3rd Where were you living when called into service: where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? Ans: I was living in North Carolina in Orange County when first called into service and I lived there about one year after the war then I moved to Virginia in Botetourt County afterward divided and I lived in Montgomery part the whole term of my residence in Virginia was about 16 years then I moved back to North Carolina again to Buncombe County in the year 1798 where I have lived ever since and where I now live
4th How were you called into service; were you drafted; did you volunteer or were you a substitute, and if in substitute, for whom? Ans: I never was Drafted – nor Substituted but volunteered in at [sic] five Different times during the war
5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served, such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service. Ans: On first entering the Services Colonels Moore and Ramsey was Commanders, and General Butler, Colonel Caswell and General Caswell of the militia was of my Regiment and General Gates of the Continental line latter part of my services I was under Colonel Moore General Rutherford and Butler and was generally in pursuit of the British and Tories and was in the Country about Cross Creek at Wilmington and Cape Fear
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given and what has become of it? Ans: I received no written discharge for any Tour that I served except the last which was in the year 1781 when I left the service I received a written Discharge from Colonel Moore who I had been generally under during the Services but being an illiterate man I took no care of my discharge for I saw it would never benefit made anything and the war being ended I never knew what became of it.
7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief in your services as a soldier in the revolution. Ans: Nathan Harrison, Isaac [illegible last name], Andrew Plimons, William Brown, Benj. Radcliff and David Roberts are all old citizens resident in the same neighborhood with myself and can testify as to my character.

In March 1853, Barbara Thrash of Buncombe County, aged 69, filed for a widow’s pension stating that she married Valentine Thrash on the October 10, 1818; and that her husband died on March 3, 1835 or thereabouts.

A number of ladies have joined DAR under the service of Valentine of Valentine Thrash with corrections added to his file.

This concludes the family sketches of the children of Martin Treish because what happened to his daughters, aside from Catherine, is unknown at this time.

If you believe you might be descended from one of them, please leave a comment!

Jacob Treish was the second child and eldest son of Martin Treish and his wife, Elizabeth (MNU). He was born c1742 in Germany and came to America as a young boy with his family in 1750.

Jacob married Catherine (MNU), c1765, likely in Maryland, but possibly in North Carolina.

Jacob and his brother, Valentine, were kindred spirits when it came to adventure and migration to new lands.

After leaving Maryland, no record of Jacob’s whereabouts has been found until he appears on the 1777 tax list of Caswell County, North Carolina.

His brother, Valentine, received a pension as a Revolutionary War soldier. In his application, he stated that he first lived in Orange County, North Carolina at the start of the war.

Caswell County was set off from Orange County on 31 December 1776 and since both brothers were taxed in 1777, it is reasonable to suspect that they traveled together and that Jacob, too, first lived in Orange County.

It is said that Jacob Thrash stopped for a short while in Culpeper County, Virginia, which might be accurate because his sister’s family (Caspar and Catherine Starr) did, in fact, live in Culpeper County through most of the American Revolution. I found the Starrs because of the clue that Jacob had stopped there.

Jacob Thrash received £90 from the state of North Carolina dated 27 June 1781, supposedly for military service. He apparently lived in Caswell County at the time, although his payment receipt doesn’t state that.

Jacob didn’t remain long in Caswell County, either, because on 12 May 1783, he sold land there and the clerk noted that Jacob was “of Rowan County, North Carolina.”

Although Jacob’s sister had settled in Rowan County, he didn’t remain long there either as he received his first land grant in Wilkes County, Georgia in February 1785 – 300 acres “on which he now lives.”

He moved to Putnam County, Georgia c1806 and spent the rest of his life there.

Jacob Thrash wrote a lengthy will dated 18 May 1815, In it, he named his wife Catherine and eleven children.

Jacob married Katherine (MNU), c1766, possibly in Maryland.

The birth order of their children is uncertain since a number of them died before 1850. I generally placed them based on ages in 1850, marriage dates and the order in which their father grouped daughters and sons.

Children:

1. George, born c1767, North Carolina or Maryland; died after 14 September 1850, probably Troup County, Georgia, where he was enumerated in the census; married Martha (perhaps Stubblefield)
2. Katherine, born c1769; married [Nathan?] Carter; died after her father’s 1815 will
3. Priscilla, born c1771, North Carolina; died after 8 August 1850, possibly Baker County, Georgia, where she was enumerated living with her son’s family; married [Johan Peter?] Strozier
4. Polly, born c1773; died after 18 May 1815, the date of her father’s will; married Mr. Hinch
5. Andrew, born 1775; died before 24 October 1831, Putnam County, Georgia, when his will was proved; married Margaret Parrot, 1 December 1808, Putnam County, Georgia
6. Martin, born c1777; died after 1820; married Susey Sturdivent, 11 June 1809, Putnam County, Georgia. He served as a private in the War of 1812. In 1820, Martin lived in Jasper County, Georgia
7. Christopher, born 20 January 1779; died 12 October 1844, Meriwether County, Georgia; married Polly Callaway, 20 August 1806, Wilkes County, Georgia
8. Daughter, born c1781; died before 1815; married Mr. Lunsford. Her daughter Margaret was named in Jacob Thrash’s will.
9. Valentine, born 1783, North Carolina or Georgia; died 14 July 1864, Coosa County, Alabama; married (1) Lucinda Peevy, 10 October 1812, Putnam County, Georgia (2) Lydia Lawrence, 22 October 1818, Wilkes County, Georgia
10. David, born c1785, probably Wilkes County, Georgia; died after 1870, possibly Monroe County, Georgia where he was enumerated in the census; married perhaps Mary Reynolds, c1812
11. Jacob, born c1787, Wilkes County, Georgia; died after 1830, possibly Putnam County, Georgia; married Betsey Rowe, 20 December 1818, Putnam County, Georgia
12. Isaac, born 1789, Wilkes County, Georgia; died before 7 June 1869, when his will was probated; married Nancy Thompson, 11 February 1810, Putnam County, Georgia

This concludes the family sketches of the children of Martin Treish, who died in 1762 in Baltimore County, Maryland because, at this time, who his daughters married and what became of them is not unknown.