Valentine Siegrist/Secrest/Sechrist was born in Basel, Switzerland in 1734 and married Susanna (Hall) born there in 1739 according to a 1760 Basel Census which also included a son, William, born in 1755. Along with a daughter, Mary, born in 1761, the family sailed from Rotterdam, Netherlands and landed in Baltimore, Maryland in April 1765. Another son, John, was born in 1765 (location unknown) and seven additional children were born in Maryland and Pennsylvania in later years: Valentine 1768; George 1776; David 1780; Jacob 1781; Elizabeth 1783; Susanna 1785 and Henry 1788.
The Family name was Siegrist (meaning keeper of the church) when they arrived in America, but through the years the Census takers spelled the name as it sounded to them and the older children became Secrest while the younger ones are Sechrist. The name is often misspelled as Seacrest and Secrist also.
The family remained in Maryland for several years and then moved north into Augusta County, Virginia, which later became what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania. This accounts for records stating some of the children were born in Virginia. In 1779 Valentine secured land near Dawson, Pennsylvania and had a large farm which included a blacksmith shop and a saw mill. The Alliance Furnace (first one west of the Allegheny Mountains) was nearby and the family provided meals for the workers.
In later years the farm belonged to Valentine's son, John Secrest, who raised his family there. Since Susanna is not mentioned in Valentine's will, she may have preceded him in death.
Valentine and Susanna were originally buried on the farm, and later their tombstones were moved to a nearby hill known locally as "Old Baldy" but when an AT&T tower was built on that site, the tombstones were removed. This property in Perry Township, Fayette County, was claimed by Valentine in 1779 and was part of his large land holdings.
The Family name was Siegrist (meaning keeper of the church) when they arrived in America, but through the years the Census takers spelled the name as it sounded to them and the older children became Secrest while the younger ones are Sechrist. The name is often misspelled as Seacrest and Secrist also.
The family remained in Maryland for several years and then moved north into Augusta County, Virginia, which later became what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania. This accounts for records stating some of the children were born in Virginia. In 1779 Valentine secured land near Dawson, Pennsylvania and had a large farm which included a blacksmith shop and a saw mill. The Alliance Furnace (first one west of the Allegheny Mountains) was nearby and the family provided meals for the workers.
In later years the farm belonged to Valentine's son, John Secrest, who raised his family there. Since Susanna is not mentioned in Valentine's will, she may have preceded him in death.
Valentine and Susanna were originally buried on the farm, and later their tombstones were moved to a nearby hill known locally as "Old Baldy" but when an AT&T tower was built on that site, the tombstones were removed. This property in Perry Township, Fayette County, was claimed by Valentine in 1779 and was part of his large land holdings.
Valentine Siegrist/Secrest/Sechrist was born in Basel, Switzerland in 1734 and married Susanna (Hall) born there in 1739 according to a 1760 Basel Census which also included a son, William, born in 1755. Along with a daughter, Mary, born in 1761, the family sailed from Rotterdam, Netherlands and landed in Baltimore, Maryland in April 1765. Another son, John, was born in 1765 (location unknown) and seven additional children were born in Maryland and Pennsylvania in later years: Valentine 1768; George 1776; David 1780; Jacob 1781; Elizabeth 1783; Susanna 1785 and Henry 1788.
The Family name was Siegrist (meaning keeper of the church) when they arrived in America, but through the years the Census takers spelled the name as it sounded to them and the older children became Secrest while the younger ones are Sechrist. The name is often misspelled as Seacrest and Secrist also.
The family remained in Maryland for several years and then moved north into Augusta County, Virginia, which later became what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania. This accounts for records stating some of the children were born in Virginia. In 1779 Valentine secured land near Dawson, Pennsylvania and had a large farm which included a blacksmith shop and a saw mill. The Alliance Furnace (first one west of the Allegheny Mountains) was nearby and the family provided meals for the workers.
In later years the farm belonged to Valentine's son, John Secrest, who raised his family there. Since Susanna is not mentioned in Valentine's will, she may have preceded him in death.
Valentine and Susanna were originally buried on the farm, and later their tombstones were moved to a nearby hill known locally as "Old Baldy" but when an AT&T tower was built on that site, the tombstones were removed. This property in Perry Township, Fayette County, was claimed by Valentine in 1779 and was part of his large land holdings.
The Family name was Siegrist (meaning keeper of the church) when they arrived in America, but through the years the Census takers spelled the name as it sounded to them and the older children became Secrest while the younger ones are Sechrist. The name is often misspelled as Seacrest and Secrist also.
The family remained in Maryland for several years and then moved north into Augusta County, Virginia, which later became what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania. This accounts for records stating some of the children were born in Virginia. In 1779 Valentine secured land near Dawson, Pennsylvania and had a large farm which included a blacksmith shop and a saw mill. The Alliance Furnace (first one west of the Allegheny Mountains) was nearby and the family provided meals for the workers.
In later years the farm belonged to Valentine's son, John Secrest, who raised his family there. Since Susanna is not mentioned in Valentine's will, she may have preceded him in death.
Valentine and Susanna were originally buried on the farm, and later their tombstones were moved to a nearby hill known locally as "Old Baldy" but when an AT&T tower was built on that site, the tombstones were removed. This property in Perry Township, Fayette County, was claimed by Valentine in 1779 and was part of his large land holdings.
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