Margaret Bishop Harry's brother.

To give you a little background:

Margaret Bishop was wife of David HARRY and mother of John Bishop HARRY.

David Harry is listed on the muster rolls in Maryland,but I have not found a pension application. His obituary refers to his participation in the Revolutionary War.

The challenges and hardships our female ancestors faced were equally challenging, but seldom documented. Reading between the lines helps to understand a lot of what life must have been like for them. So stretch you mind to imagine the faith and determination these women had to raise families in such times.

After Hans Jakob Bischoff, Margaret's grandfather, died in 1739, Anna Catharina Rauch/Rouch Bischoff, and her sons traveled down the Rhine River to Rotterdam in the south of Holland. Rotterdam was the port they used to leave Germany. They traveled on the ship "Two Brothers". (Remember this is the name of the ship. There are more than two brothers in the family.)

Hans Johannes Bischoff/ John Bishop
Frantz Michael Bischoff
Johann Jacob Bischoff/(Jacob Bishop) Margaret's father. They eventually were naturalized in Philadelphia.

(I accidentally deleted information about a married brother and his family. I will add that info when I dig it out. But we don't know where he moved with his family after arriving in the US.)

Margaret's mother was Margaret Church, who was born in Germany in 1729.

Margaret Bishop grew up in Hagerstown, Maryland. Her family lived next to the Lutheran church they attended. The Harry family also attended the same church. They wanted a better life.

When you hear about George Washington crossing the Delaware river...



.. you will know that Jacob Bishop, Margaret's younger brother was there. Perhaps David was with him.

Jacob enlisted in the Continental Army twice. The first time he was sixteen or seventeen years old. Friends had him released from service because of his youth. But in the summer of 1776, he enlisted again for a three year term. He founght in the engagements of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, White Plains and Monmouth. He help capture the Hessians. In one of his engagements he received a wound in his foot. He and others were compelled during the winter to wrap their feet in rags and wear old shoes and often he with others left traces of blood from their feet upon frozen ground and snow.

Jacob completed his service 26 July 1779 and received an honorable discharge. He had served in Col Haussegger's German Regiment. (This same regiment was at Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered.)

Jacob married Mary Powell at Philadelphia, PA on 25 December 1781. The Minister, Joseph Powell, appears to be her father. He was one of the 69 delegates who attended the PA state convention in 1777, which ratified the Constitution of the United States..

Jacob died 10 April 1813. Mary received a widows pension or $80/year. This information is from her application for the pension and from letters supporting her application. One supporting document attested to a statement by David Harry, who married Margaret Bishop. These documents are stored at the National Archives.

If you are interested in the Battle of Trenton, read David McCullough's "1776". Jacob was a private.