NameChristopher STEELE
Death16 Oct 1782, Frederick County, Maryland696
Spouses
Death17631753
FatherJohannes SHLIEFFER (->1767)
MotherBarbara —— (->1767)
ChildrenBarbara (1762-1850)
Birthabt 17421755
Deathabt 1814, Rockingham County, Virginia1755 Age: 72
Notes for Christopher STEELE

Biographical Sketch (1985):69, p. 125-126. "A second proof of Barbara Steele’s ancestry was found in a document which George Baughman and his wife, Barbara Steele, made in 1785. In this document they gave power of attorney to George’s brother, Jacob Bachman. The document, called a ‘Letter of Money, George Bachman to Jacob Bachman,’ was made in Northampton County. It is on file in the Courthouse in Easton.69, p. 125. As his authority, Littrell cites Northampton County Deed Books, Book D, v. 1, p. 279, Easton, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately the document had been filmed so that the available copy has white lettering on a black background. It was impossible to get a photocopy. Two of us who are interested in the Bachman family have tried to obtain the original book with the original copy. Both of us have been unsuccessful. The document2176 reads as follows:

"Know all men by these presents that George Bachman of Springfield Township in the County of Bucks in the state of Pennsylvania, Carpenter, and Barbara his wife late Barbara Stiehl being a daughter of Christopher Stiehl some time of the same place but late of Frederick County in the State of Maryland Farmer (or Tanner) deceased Have made and examined Constituted and appointed their trusty friend and brother, Jacob Bachman of the same county of Northampton in the state aforesaid Gentm. their true and lawful attorney for them and in their name and for their own proper use and benefit to ask demand recover and receive of and from the presenters of administrators of the said Christopher Stiehl deceased all such legacies, share, or shares divident or divident given or bequeathed unto them the said George Bachman and Barbara his wife of late Barbara Stiehl." Signed by George Bachman, X Barbara (her mark) 8 January 1785.

Barbara’s father, Christopher Stiehl, evidently had left her in Springfield Township with her grandparents. He died in Frederick County, Maryland, but when he went there I was unable to ascertain. Christopher Stiehl made a will696 on 2 October 1782. It was recorded in Frederick County, Maryland, following his death on 16 October 1782.

From his will I learned the following about Christopher Stiehl. He was a farmer and a turner. A turner was a person who either worked in a sawmill, or in carpentry work — e.g. turning a lathe. He had married a second time to a woman named Catherine. By his second wife he had a son Abraham to whom he willed ‘ . . . all my Turning Tools and such other tools as am I obliged to make use of in my Turning Trade . . . ‘ He owned a Plantation on Spring Plains. His ten children, all by his second wife, were Elizabeth, Abraham, Catherine, Mary, Hannah, Susanna, Sarah, Eve, Solome, and Christopher.

In his will he did not provide for Barbara Stiehl, the only child by his first wife. At the time of her father’s death, Barbara was twenty years old and had been married for one year. Whether or not Jacob Bachman, Barbara’s designated attorney, was ever able to acquire any money or property for her from Christopher Stiehl’s estate is not known."

Biographical Sketch (1997):1753 "Christopher Stahl / Steele, once a staunch Lutheran, married into Dunker families. . . . Christopher Steele who had purchased his land Spring Plains from Dunker minister, Jacob Danner, of the Beaver Dam Brethren settlement (Bk. K:811) in 1766, apparently became a member of the Brethren, for he was fined by the Committee of Observation as a 'non-associator' on Apr. 12, 1776, but was reduced from £6.10 to £4.10 on June 18, 1776, because of hardship. (See Maryland Historical Magazine, v. XI, no. 3, Sept. 1916, p. 257). He was deceased by 1782. His will, written Oct. 2, 1782 was probated in Frederick County on Oct. 16, 1782. (Bk. GM:275). Steele's second wife, Catharine Wine Steele, was one of three designated executors. Named children were: Elizabeth, Abraham, Catharine, Mary, Hannah, Susanna, Sarah, Eva, Solome, Christopher. Several of the Steele children moved to Rockingham County, some descendants marrying into the Bowman family."
Last Modified 2 Feb 2003Created 5 Aug 2014 using Reunion for Macintosh