Parentage of Elizabeth SUMMERS, b. 1761-1767 (ID1143). Researched and compiled by P. Beggs. This document © 2001 P. Beggs. Documented additions and corrections welcomed. Please send your data and source copies via the submit info button in the menu. Thank you!

Elizabeth SUMMERS who married Nicholas CRESS, and after his death, George TAYLOR, has had several sets of parents attributed to her. From research done so far, only the following conclusions have been made:

This Elizabeth SUMMERS is NOT the daughter of the John SUMMERS who married Isabella YOUNG. Isabella YOUNG was born Isabella TODD, and was the widow of Philip YOUNG, whose will is dated 4 Apr 1761, proved 19 May 1761 Augusta County, Virginia. Patrick's will names "Wife, Esibala son James, daughters Sarah, Jannet and Allas".[1] By 23 Jun 1761, Isabella has remarried to a John SUMMERS in Augusta County, Virginia. They filed a court complaint on that date, and this John refers to Isabella as "wife".[2] Other researchers have tracked this John SUMMERS and his wife Isabelle to Barren County, KY, where John died in 1806 and Isabelle died ca. 1818. The will of this John SUMMERS, Barren County, KY, 1806 lists his children as John, Samuel, William, Mary and Isabelle. [note there is no Elizabeth listed] [3]

This Elizabeth SUMMERS is also NOT the daughter of the John SUMMERS who married Elizabeth RITENOUR (REIDENAUR). The will for this John, who died in Augusta Co., VA in 1803, lists "John Summers (German) will--To Wife Elizabeth, son John...daughters Mary Doame, Barbara Hull, Elizabeth Peck,...sons David, Henry Jacob; to children not before named, viz: Margaret, Catharine, Eve. [4]

Our Elizabeth SUMMERS is the daughter of John SUMMERS and an unknown mother, named only in one source, as Elizabeth (surname unknown) [5] Please note, that while this last source is documented, NO primary documents (vital records) are included. This John SUMMERS is speculated to be the BROTHER of the John SUMMERS who married Elizabeth RITENOUR, above. The same-name coming from Americanized germanic naming practices, explained later in this article. The will for this John SUMMERS, dated 9 May 1806, Augusta County, VA lists "John SUMMERS, Sr.'s will (German)--...sons Samuel and George; son Andrew, daughter Christiana Sinck; son Philip Summers, daughter Julianna Fawver; daughter Saran Summers, son John, deceased (his son and daughter); daughter ELIZABETH GRASS and children". NO WIFE IS LISTED. [6] I have seen an additional spouse attributed to our Elizabeth SUMMERS, namely Thomas ALLEN. This is most likely a simple misinterpretation of the court action filed in 1809 by the heirs-at-law for John SUMMERS. "Elizabeth Summers (defendant here) married Thomas Allen of Russell". Apparently some have assumed this is Elizabeth Summers CRESS, when in fact this Elizabeth is clearly referred to as Elizabeth GRASS and Elizabeth TAYLOR (one referring to the original will, the other to her current name). The Elizabeth SUMMERS who married Thomas ALLEN, is the daughter of John SUMMERS, Sr's son John, who was listed as deceased in the original will.

SUMMERS/SOMERS ORIGINS
Germanic naming practices that were Americanized further complicate tracing this family. Germanic naming practices commonly give a saint's name as the first name for a child. Usually all the males in the family have the same saint's name, and the females same, such as
Johan Adam SURNAME, Johan John SURNAME, Johan George SURNAME, Maria Eva SURNAME, Maria Anna SURNAME. This saint's name was NOT the name the persons usually went under. They would go by what we would call their middle name. The above children would go by Adam, John, George, Eva and Anna.

Obviously some Americanized corruption of this practice has occurred in this family. One example is that the two John SUMMERS listed above, one dying 1803 and the other 1806, are presumed to be brothers, the children of Johann George SOMER (aka Hans Jorg SOMER) and Maria Margaretha MENTZ. [7 8]

SOURCES (internet links as of December, 2001):

[1] Chalkley, Lyman. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County, 1745-1800. Vol. 3, page 62. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co,1974. Originally published by Mary S. Lockwood,1912 (Posted in its entirely at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~chalkley/>)

[2] ibid., Vol. 1 page 342.

[3] Genealogy.com <http://genforum.genealogy.com/summers/messages/1392.html> Source: will of John SUMMERS. Contact: Ellen <emarmor99@aol.com> and RootWeb.com <http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db-:I440936&id=I76234794> Source not listed. Contact: Mick Bradley <bradleys@fulnet.net>.

[4] Chalkley, Lyman. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County, 1745-1800. Vol. 3, page 224. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co,1974. Originally published by Mary S. Lockwood,1912 (Posted in its entirely at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~chalkley/>)

[5] Norman, Don. Descendants of Michael Somer. <http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hcpd/norman/SUMMERS/MICHAEL.htm> Researched and compiled by Dale L. Harmon, 3319 Waterbury Dr., Durham, NC 27707. (Source list/bibliography posted on last page.)

[6] ibid., Vol 3, p. 229

[7] Norman, Don. Descendants of Michael Somer. <http:///www.rootsweb.com/~hcpd/norman/SUMMERS/MICHAEL.htm> Researched and compiled by dale L. Harmon, 3319 Waterbury Dr., Durham, NC 27707. (Source list/bibliography posted on last page.)

[8] RootsWeb WorldConnect Project. <http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com> Numerous submitters.