King Men in Northampton
The two key individuals are Samuel King (1753? – ?) and Joshua King (1775?-1853). Both arrived in Northampton in the year 1809, within a year after Northampton was first established. Both paid property taxes in Portage County beginning in 1809 and continued to do so annually for many years thereafter. Samuel was clearly the older man and Joshua likely his son.(()) One local history specifically describes Joshua as Samuel’s son.(())
Another son of Samuel’s, Hezekiah King (1784? – 1828) appears to have arrived in Northampton from the Wyoming Valley a year or so after Samuel and Joshua. He and his wife Polly sold a parcel of land in Huntington Township, Luzerne, Pennsylvania on 9 November 1810.(()) Hezekiah is documented in Portage County, Ohio at least as early as 1812 because in April of that year he was one of the grand jurors in the infamous trial of John O’Mick, an Indian who was found guilty and hanged for murder.(())
Other suspected sons of Samuel or Joshua followed, including:
- Charles King (1785? – ?)
- Hiram King (1787? – 1846)
- Samuel King, Jr. (1790-1879?)
- Henry King (1796-1848)
- Ambrose King (1798-1877)
- Appolos King (1800-1847)
- Salmon King (1802-1874)
Samuel King, Jr. was first assessed taxes in Northampton Township in 1811. Charles in 1814. Henry in 1820. Hiram (Hudson) 1820. Ambrose 1821 Portage.
In most cases, I have identified the wives of these men and many of the offspring. Nonetheless, simply trying to verify how they are all related remains a challenge.