Batavia Cemeteries

Pioneer Cemetery

Many thanks to Jim Weaver who sent me this information!

My name is Jim Weaver and for the past 10 years I have been caring for this

cemetery. I have gathered the following information on the people buried in

Weaver Cemetery (Pioneer Cemetery). Incidentally Phebe (Gest )Dimmitt is

buried here.

This is a list of the people buried in Weaver Cemetery. The cemetery is

located 2.5miles south of Batavia. Take State Route 222 two and one quarter miles south

of Batavia. Turn left on to Elklick Rd. The cemetery is one quarter mile on the

right,directly across from the entrance to Elk Run Golf Course.

The following is a list of the people buried in the Weaver Burial

Grounds. I have included as much information as I currently have on the lives of these

people.

1) John Weaver---John was born in Pennsylvania circa 1750. He was the son of

Christopher Weaver and Anna Elizabeth Lintz. Christopher and Elizabeth were

married 2o January 1751 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. They had seven

children John is believed to be the oldest male child. John’s other siblings are:

Henry Weaver---was born in Pennsylvania circa 1750. Henry was married to

Sarah Sturm. He died in Mason County, Kentucky in 1802.

Christopher Weaver Jr.---was born in Philadelphia, Buck County,

Pennsylvania in about 1753. Christopher was married to Mary Rector. He died in Urbana,

Champaign County, Ohio after October 7, 1835.

Elizabeth Weaver---was born near Philadelphia, Buck County, Pennsylvania

circa 1755. Elizabeth married Henry Sturm in 1786 in Virginia. She died at

the age of 85 on April 3, 1840 in Green Township, Shelby County, Ohio.

Mary Magdalene Weaver---was born in Philadelphia, Buck County, Pennsylvania

on the January 31, 1752/53. Mary married John Baltzer Wollam on January 31,

1770 in Sleepy Creek, Berkeley County, Virginia. She died on November 22, 1823 in

Calcutta, St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.

Dolly Weaver---I have no information on her.

William Weaver---was born near Philadelphia, Buck County, Pennsylvania on

the December 24, 1759. He was married to Mary Kiger in Maryland in 1783.

William was a Private in the Revolutionary War from Virginia and was an eyewitness

to Cornwallis march from Yorktown. He died on June 8, 1836 in Champaign County,

Ohio.

According to the Daughters of the American Revolution. records, John

enlisted in the Berkeley County Militia from 1777 to 1784. and was married to Catharine

Peckenpaugh. I am not certain that this was his first wife. There is a

record of marriage for John Weaver and Rebecca Cartmell on August 8th 1790 in Berkeley County,

Virginia. In February 1779 his father Christopher Weaver purchased a tract

of land on Sleepy Creek in Berkeley County, Virginia.

In 1784 his first son, John Jr. was born in Maryland. On the 26th of

December 1786 John’s second son, William is born in Virginia. When his father died in

about 1788 he bequeathed the farm to his son Christopher Weaver Jr. In about 1790 John’s

third son Henry is born in Virginia. In about 1791 John’s daughter Susannah is born in

Virginia. In about 1794 John’s daughter Sarah is born. In September 1794 Christopher

Jr. sells the property on Sleepy Creek to his brother John. On the 12th of February

1797 John’s fourth son Samuel is born in Virginia. According to her obituary John’s

daughter Rebecca was born on the 7th January 1799 near Paw Paw Station, Berkeley

County, Virginia. In 1801 John youngest child Simeon is born in Berkeley County

Virginia.

John has one more daughter, Elizabeth Potter. She is mentioned in his will

as his deceased daughter and he leaves money to her children. She probably is one

of his eldest children as she is not listed on the 1810 Virginia census, in his

household. On the 20th December 1806 John Jr. marries Christianna Miller. In 1807

John Jr. and his new bride move to Batavia Township. Clermont Co. Ohio. In 1810 John Sr.

and the family moved to Batavia Township., Clermont County, Ohio. On the 7th of

January 1813 John purchases the 580 acre Martin Survey from George and Mary Ely.

John died in March of 1831. He was living with his son Samuel Weaver at

the time of his death. Samuel’s home was about a quarter of a mile south of the cemetery

on the left side of the road. The house still stands today.

2) Catharine Weaver---Catharine was born in Maryland in about 1754. The

tombstone gives her age as 75 years at the time of her death. She died on

the 25th of February 1829.

3) Henry Weaver---Henry was born in Virginia in about 1790. He died on the

24th of October 1812 in his 22 year. On his tombstone is says “Son of John

and Catharine Weaver” So this probably rules out John’s marriage to Rebecca

Cartmell.

4) William Weaver--- Son of John and Catherine Weaver.

William was born on the 26th of December 1786 in Virginia. He died on the

10th of June 1840. William was 54 years 5 months and 15 days.

5) Mary (Robinson) Weaver--- Wife of William Weaver---

Mary was born on the 19th of August 1789 in Virginia. She died on the 1st of

November 1861. Her age was 72 years 3 months and 13 days. There is an

interesting story told about Mary in the “1880 History of Clermont County, Ohio” and

also in “Howe’s Historical Collection of Ohio”. The story goes as follows.

In the summer of 1807 Charles Robinson(Mary’s father) moved to his new

home, which was very plain as the family was poor, they were obliged to

resort to many devices to provide themselves with clothing. The boys were clothed with

buckskin breeches, the skins having been furnished by Richard Doughty, a good hunter

and a true pioneer neighbor, living in the southern part of Batavia. The girls

were dressed in a coarse cloth made at home, the reels for weaving having been borrowed from

Sarah Mitchel, living in Miami township, above Newberry. It was while returning

there in the fall of the year that a thrilling adventure befell Mary Robinson, the eldest

daughter, at that time a robust young lady. Mounting a spirited horse, she started in the

afternoon for Mrs. Mitchel’s distant about 12 miles. Quite a deep snow was on the

ground and she did not make the speed she expected to. and as it again commenced to snow it

soon became so dark that she could with difficulty see the blazed trees which

indicated the bridle-path she expected to follow. Losing the trace she alighted and tied

her horse securely to a tree until she could investigate. While thus engaged she heard

the howling of a pack of wolves, which caused her to turn back to her horse. By the time

she reached him he was so alarmed that he would not permit her to approach him, and no

persuasion could quite him. The wolves now approached nearer, and she began

to realize her situation, and at the same time she keenly felt the effects of the cold.

To keep from freezing and being attacked by the wolves she decided to keep moving in a

path far enough from the horse to be out of danger of kicked and yet close enough to

prevent the wolves from approaching. So she walked backwards and forwards the entire

night, the wolves keeping up their fiendish howls and the horse his stamping and

kicking. If she approached him it would have been at the risk of losing her life; to remain

quite would have frozen her; and had she wandered away she would have exposed herself to

the mercy of the wild beasts thirsting for her blood. At the dawn of the day the

wolves disappeared, and after a good deal of effort she was able to mount her horse

and reach the home of John Mitchel. As soon as he saw her approach he exclaimed, “Why

Mary have you been in the wilderness all night!” She said “Yes” and had hardly

been assisted from her horse before her strength gave way, and she fell into a swoon. She

recovered enough to tell the family what had happened, when she became sick again, and

was very ill for a few days. As she did not return home, her absence alarmed her

parents, who sent Jacob Gest in search of her. He found the place where she had passed

the terrible night, and proceeded to Mr. Mitchel’s, saw Mary too weak to move; and it was

several days more before she could be taken home. Mary became the wife of William

Weaver, and was highly esteemed for her many good qualities.

6) Ezekiel Dimmitt--Born August 10, 1774. Died March 9, 1857.-- 82 y 6m

27d.

7) Phebe Gest-- Wife of Ezekiel - born Jan 11, 1779, died Feb 8, 1841, 62 y

22d (on one stone)

From the “1880 History of Clermont County, Ohio” page 243 the following

information is given about Ezekiel and Phebe.

The best accounts of the pioneer settlement of Batavia give to Ezekiel

Dimmitt the credit of rearing the first home within its bounds. He was a Virginian

by birth, belonging to the family of John Dimmitt, whose history can be traced back to

the year 1760. The other members of the family were Moses, John, and several

daughters, one of whom married Joseph Duckwall. Most of the family moved to Kentucky in 1795,

when Ezekiel was about 22 years of age. The following year he came to Ohio

prospecting for land and he and James Gest selected a very fine tract of land on the East

Fork, what are now know as Duckwall Bottoms. At this time he was unmarried, but on Nov. 3.

1797, he was united in wedlock with Phoebe Gest, and soon made the necessary

arrangements to move to his Ohio purchase, whither he was accompanied by James and John

Gest. A cabin was erected the same season (the fall of 1797), near where is now the

residence of Moses Duckwall, which had a stick chimney and puncheon floor; yet had and

air of comfort, and afforded friendly shelter to many a pioneer on the lookout for

a new home. The following spring they made a little maple-sugar near their cabin, and

in due season planted a few acres of corn on a piece of land they had leased at Columbia,

fifteen miles distant, and where they went by following blazed paths through the dense

woods. A little corn, flax, and potatoes were also planted around the cabin on

partly-cleared ground. When the corn at Columbia had to be tended the men left to cultivate

it. and Mrs. Dimmitt remained at home, which was seven miles from another cabin. On

the afternoon of the first day a party of six Indians passed by, looking very

intently at he cabin, as if to ascertain how many inmates it contained. That night the

wolves howled as if frenzied by rage, adding to the alarmed state of mind in which Mrs.

Dimmitt already was, so that by morning she was nearly beside herself with fear.

Singularly, James Gest had an impression of mind about the same time that his sister was in

distress. and persuaded the Ezekiel to return home with him. When they reached the cabin

she had barely enough strength to open the door, and although she was a brave woman,

she was never afterwards left home.

Soon other settlers began to come in, and in 1813, Ezekiel Dimmitt erected

a good stone house on his land. which was a prominent landmark many years.

About the same time he built a tannery, which proved to be a great convenience to the

early settlers. He was a very energetic man, and erected many public buildings,---

the old stone Methodist church in Batavia in 1819, and the court-house and jails, as

is else where narrated. They belonged to the first Methodist class in the State of

Ohio, organized by Rev. Francis McCormick at Milford in 1797, and their home was a

preaching-place for the early Methodist itinerants, who were also freely

entertained under its friendly roof. He was in many respects one of the most influential

men of his day. and although not free from evil report, the charges were not founded on

truth, and Ezekiel Dimmitt was generally esteemed a truly upright, Christian man. He

departed this life in March, 1857, at the rare age of eighty-four years, and Mrs.

Dimmitt died in 1841.

8) Daniel Duckwall-- died July 20, 1849--60y, 4m, 11d--Father

9) Keziah Dimmitt-- wife of Daniel-- died Aug 16, 1877--77y, 9m, 2d--Mother

(on one stone)

Keziah was the daughter of Ezekiel and Phoebe Gest Dimmitt.

From the “1880 History of Clermont County, Ohio”, page 281 the following

information is written about Daniel Duckwall.

In the year 1815, Daniel Duckwall, then in his twenty-fifth year of his

age. camefrom Virginia on horseback, possessing only his horse, saddle, and five

hundred dollars in money and located near Batavia. Here on Aug. 6th 1816. he was married by

Rev. Philip Gatch to Miss Keziah Dimmitt, a daughter of Ezekiel Dimmitt, one of

the first three persons who, in the spring of 1795 purchased land in Clermont county.

He bought at that time the Johnson Survey of one thousand acres, adjoining Batavia.

and comprising the beautiful farms in the bottom now owned by the four Duckwall

brothers. Daniel Duckwall died in 1849, leaving the following children: Phebe, married

to Thomas Marsh; Mary , to Thomas Fletcher; Moses H.; Ezekiel D.; Caroline,

married to Dr. J.M. Witham; George W.; John Wesley; and Mattie married to J. J. Mull.

Mrs. Keziah (Dimmitt) Duckwall died some two years ago, but her children are all

living.

10) Samuel Weaver--died Sept 23, 1863 -- 66y, 7m, 11d.

11) Catherine (Robinson) Weaver--Wife of Samuel Weaver, born Aug 10, 1800--

died Aug 10, 1859 -- 59 yrs.

12) William Weaver--Son of Samuel & Catherine Weaver. died Jan 17, 1827--

7y,8m, 20d.

Samuel Weaver was born in Virginia(probably in Berkeley Co, on the Sleepy

Creek homestead), on February 12, 1797. At the age of 13, Samuel moved to Batavia

Township with his family. Samuel and Catherine were married in Clermont

County by Jessie Justice, JP on October 2, 1817. They had 12 children that I am able

to account for.

13) John Weaver--died Jan 1856 -- 72 y 20 d

14) Christianna (Miller) Weaver-- Wife of John Weaver, died Oct 23, 1862,

77y,7m, 14d.

According to the 1850 Federal Census John Weaver Jr. was born in Maryland in

abt 1784.

On the 20th December 1806 John Jr. marries Christianna Miller. In 1807 John

Jr. and his new bride move to Batavia Township,. Clermont Co. Ohio.

The earliest record of land purchased by them was found in “Ohio Land

Records,1787-1812” Bk I pg. 8-289 Ely, George and Mary of Clermont Co. Ohio to John

and Christiana Weaver, 25 July 1812 - 69 acres - $200 - East Fork of the Little

Miami. John’s occupation was a farmer.

15) ? Weaver---Daughter of J & C Weaver; died Oct. 20, 1824, age 3 y, 11m,

19d.

(Name is broken off )

16) Abraham Hulick-- Died Feb. 18, 1871; age 81y, 6m, 12 d.

Abraham was born on the 6th Aug 1789 in Middlesex Co., New Jersey. He came

to Clermont Co. Ohio,in 1806, according to the “1880 History of Clermont County

Ohio” (p. 248) in the company of George Smith and George Ely. He married Anna Gest

in Clermont County on November 7th, 1810. He was a farmer by trade.

17) Anna (Gest) Hulick-- possibly the sister of Phebe & James Gest.

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