Notes:

Asher was a manufacturer. He and his wife had 8 children, most of whom were thought to be born in Montgomery Co., Ohio He lived in Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio in the 1880 census. He is indexed in an 1893 Probate Court Record as taking guadianship in Miami Co., Ohio. (C-756, 1025)

Asher married Lucinda HARTZELL in 1853 in Greenville, Darke, OH, USA. Lucinda was born on 3 Aug 1835 in Of Greenville, Darke, OH, USA; died on 20 Jun 1917; was buried in Riverside Cemetery, West Milton, Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Absolam's named in spelled in a variety of ways in various first hand records, Absolom, Absalom or Absolam. Absolam Mast's families birth dates come from his bible. He was born in Randolph Co., NC at the Hury Court House according to Judy Ireton in the articles in the Englewood Independent Magazine. He moved with his family from North Carolina to Ohio when he was about five or six. He was one of the most prominent citizens in the county according to "The Mast Family History". He was a farmer by trade.

He lived in Randolph Twp., Montgomery Co. census records from 1830 to 1850. He built a lovely home still standing and well cared for in 2004 on State Route 48 on the corner of Philipsburg Rd in Randolph Twp., Montgomery Co., Ohio. This home is within a quarter mile of his father's home, also restored and in lovely condition in 2004 on section 3 of Randolph Twp. Absalom's home was highly likely to be built on his father's property. Known as "Captain Mast" he headed the Militia known as a Light Horse Co. He loved horses and was a fine horseman. He is listed living with Labin/Sabin? (age 63) and Rebecca Jenks (age 60) in the 1860 census at age 62 and lived in Milton Twp. (now the town of West Milton), Miami Co., Ohio. Their appears to be no relationship to them as they were both born in Rhode Island. He was born in North Carolina, was a farmer and had property worth $14,000 in that census. (C-79,756, 1025, 2537)

At least two of his children were highly valued citizens from the following undated newspaper clipping. "Accident Fatal to Aged Woman, Mrs. Jane Pickering, 94, Dies at West Milton,..Feb. 1. Mrs. Jane Pickering died yesterday at the advanced age of 94 years. About two months ago, the decedent fell from her chair and broke her hip. This accident coupled with the infirmities of age was the immediate cause of her death. She was the widow of Albert Pickering, a successful business man, who dies in 1891, and a sister of the the late Asher Mast. Probably no other residents of West Milton were held in higher esteem than Mr. and Mrs. Pickering who had always resided here and were prominent members of the social and business life of the town. There were no children in the home but a niece, Mrs. Ida Coate, was reared in their home as well as other relatives who loved and revered her as a mother. Not withstanding the age of the decedent, she retained an active and keen interest in all current events. Funeral services will be held from the residence, Thursday morning at 11 o'clock. Interment will be made in Riverside." (C-372)

Absalom married Mary JOHN on 11 Sep 1817 in , Montgomery, OH, USA. Mary (daughter of David Davis JOHN, * and Elanor POWELL) was born on 5 Mar 1799 in Little Cove, Franklin, Pennsylvania, USA; died on 23 Aug 1846 in Union Twp., Montgomery, OH; was buried in West Branch Quaker Burial Grounds, Union Twp., Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The ancestry of our Mary John was unknown until the publication of the Chancery Court Records for Montgomery Co., Ohio In two different land cases, she is listed as the daughter of David John and wife of Absalom Mast along with the siblings I now have listed for her. It should be noted that there was another Mary John in Montgomery Co. that had been connected to this family instead in places like Brien's "Miami Valley Genealogies, Vol. II", but the Chancery Court records are as clear as day on this. It's this Mary married to Absalom Mast who is the d. of David John and Eleanor Powell. (C-2318) Mary's birth date is listed as Mar 5, 1797 in her husband's bible, her cemetery stone and in a published book "The Mast Family History" (Mar 3, 1797). She is listed as age 16 in the guardianship papers after her father's death in 1815 with her older brother, Bowen being listed at age 18. This would calculate his birth date at 1797 and hers at 1799. She is definitely the sibling born after Bowen (b. 1797) and before Samuel (b. 1801) in all of the court records on this family. I suspect that the earlier dates of birth, given when they were children are more correct. It should be noted that in a transcribed Bible record belonging to Gr.Gr. Aunt Jane Pickering, she was listed as a Mary Johns with an s on the end of the name.

Notes:

David was according to some 2nd hand sources born in Lancaster Co, PA and others in Wautuga Co., North Carolina. He moved with his family to NC where he was reared. David Mast is erroneously listed as being a soldier in the Revolutionary War with his father, both having supposedly fought at Charleston. However, when the records of the Siege of Charleston are checked, the name is spelled Mash and does not refer to him. He was known by the name of Captain Mast because he was one of two leaders, the other being David Hoover, who brought 64 families from North Carolina to the Stillwater area of Ohio in 1801/2. He built five cabins in 1802 according to a website by Judith Baker on the internet. (C-2570) One of them was still lived in in 1918 and in 2002 it still existed in Butler Twp., Miami Co., Ohio at 2151 Kershner Road. It's logs were covered by clapboard by 1914.

David is the Capt. Mast listed as living in what is now the Poke Grove, Randolph Twp. area of Montgomery Co., Ohio in 1806. Originally, the 64 families settled on lands on a 4 mile stretch along the Stillwater River. It encompassed lands in what was then Butler Twp., Clay Township and most of them in Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio However, boundary changes in 1825 placed David's land in Randolph Twp., Montgomery Co., Ohio instead. His cabin was the first to be notched in the Stillwater Woods with many others following for the large party of families they brought to Ohio. The beautiful large two story home he built afterwards has been restored by Cinda Lightner Kratzner and is located just outside of the town of Union in Randolph Co., OH on State Route 48. He was taxed in 1804, 1810 and 1816 in Montgomery Co., Ohio. He was in the deed records of West Milton, Miami Co., Ohio in 1836 dealing with Lot 50. (C-1025)

Absalom, one of his son's, apparently used the same title as displayed in a letter quoted below. W.H. Beers in THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, BOOK III, (1882) on pages 54-56, give a very interesting account of David Mast's migration to Ohio with his family. The account is quoted from a letter written by son, Capt. Absalom Mast. "On the 10th day of Sept. (1802) ... my father, with four of his sisters and their husbands, bid adieu to old North Carolina, in company with one or two more families. They resided in Randolph County, (NC), of the Hewary River. They were all in low circumstances; had money enough to make their entries, and to buy some provisions during the winter. They halted for winter quarters at what is now called Ridgeville, eight miles north of Lebanon; rented a log cabin of Luther and Calvin Ball . . . Our Carolina tramps, or families, left Ridgeville vicinity (just north of Lebanon, OH) on the 4th day of March, 1802. They proceeded to the Stillwater woods, (arriving on 20 Mar.1802) where they had previously made their selections and on my father's purchase the first house or cabin was raised or notched." An interview with Mary Hoover of the same Montgomery Co., Randolph Twp. area, Ohio adds further interesting detail. "They had to cut a road north, through the wilderness, as they moved on their entries of land, which were purchased in 1798. . . David Mast settled on the northwest quarter of section 3." Nearby neighbors included Daniel Hoover, Daniel Hoover, Jr., and David Hoover. "Indians were numerous then but never molested the settlers of this township, although as settlers arrived and rumors of Indian depredations were being committed, there were block-houses built and the neighbors were collected in them at night for mutual protection against the Indians, but every morning the settlers would disperse to their respective clearings." Capt. Mast has several letters quoted on these pages of Beers book. It is most interesting to look up. Items in ( ) are quoted from other sources: Mrs. McIntosh and "Beside the Stillwater" articles published in "The Independent". (C-270g)

Another accounting of this same story comes from his grandson, Wesley J. Mast, in a letter he wrote at age 85 on Sep. 3, 1910 to Mr. C. Z. Mast. "David Mast, his two brothers, John and Jacob, seven sisters and their husbands came here in the early part of March 1802. They had left their homes in North Carolina in 1801 and had spent the winter in Ridgeville, Ohio north of Lebanon, Ohio. The sisters were Nancy, Elizabeth, Hannah, Mary Mollie, Catherine, Susannah. Their husbands were James Curtis who married Nancy, Daniel Hoover who married Hannah. John Waggoner who married Mollie. Henry Fouts who married Susannah. Leonard Eller who married Elizabeth and David Hoover who married Mary. Andrew Sheets who married Catherine." He lived in Montgomery Co., OH in the 1804 and 1810 tax lists. He was the grantor of land in West Wilton, Miami Co., OH in 1836, the year he died.

David married Nancy WORRELL in 1778 in Hillsborough D, Watauga, NC, USA. Nancy was born in Mar 1762 in , Randolph, NC, USA; died in 1816; was buried in West Branch Quaker Burial Grounds, Union Twp., Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The spelling of her name was Worrell in North Carolina as verified by her grand-nephew, Wesley J. Mast in a letter he wrote at age 85 to a relative. It is oft misspelled in Montgomery and Miami County records as Ware because there were other families in the area with the Ware spelling and the county clerks made the assumption that her surname was of the same spelling. Her parents aren't published in any source I've seen. In the 1790 census, the only Worrells in North Carolina live in Wayne or Randolph Counties. The only Worrell living in Randolph County at the time was a William Worrel whereas Wayne has about 8 Worrell families. I have a triangulation with a cousin who descends from Branham Worrell. He was born in 1810 so if he was her sibling, she was one of the oldest children in the family and he was one of the youngest. His father is supposedly Lewis and his birthplace is given as either of these counties in NC in public member trees. She might possibly be the "Nannie" Moss (Mast at it's current day spelling) who was the first person buried in West Branch Cemetery, Miami Co., Ohio Her stone was put up with letters on it that had been made by Frederick Yount, a relative. (C-2436)

Notes:

David emigrated from Little Cove, Franklin Co., PA to Madison Twp., Montgomery Co., Ohio in the spring of 1810. Sons Joseph and Jacob John were the administrators for David John's estate on Jan. 5, 1814 after he had died in Nov. of 1812. Securities were given by Enoch Bowen & Benjamin Bowen for this process. In the Guardianship records, #204, p. 25, in 1815, his heirs under age 21 were listed. They included: Powell age 20, Bowan, age 18, Mary age 16, Samuel age 14, Anna age 12, Daniel age 10, Sally age 8, Eleanor, age 5, minors of David John. (C-2317, 2320)

David married Elanor POWELL on 15 Jan 1785 in , Bedford, PA, USA. Elanor (daughter of Rev. Joseph POWELL and Rachel ROSE) was born on 10 Feb 1767 in Cove Gap, Franklin, PA; died on 22 Jun 1848 in Dayton, Montgomery, OH, USA; was buried after 22 Jun 1848 in Greencastle Cem., Dayton, Montgomery, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Here is the obituary of Elanor Powell John transcribed by my Gr. Aunt Grace in her handwriting. Items in parenthesis were added from a similar obituary transcribed in Beers "History of Darke Co., OH". "Died June 22, 1848 at the age of 81 (4 months, and 12 days), (2nd child of 8) of Rev. David Powell (Baptist) of Bedford Co., Pennsylvania Jan 25, 17(8)5. She married David John of Little Cove, Franklin Co., PA and became the mother of 13 children. On the spring of 1810, the whole family emigrated to Madison Twp., Montgomery Co., Ohio. On Nov 12 (10th), 1812 David John died leaving Eleanor in charge of a large family in a new country to encounter all the privations of such a situation as best she could. (but being a woman hale and industrious and with a confiding trust in God, she was enabled to bring up her family respectably and to see them settled in life. At the time of her death her children numbered thirteen, her grandchildren seventy-one, her great grandchildren thirty-seven, making her descendants 121.) She was a consistent member of the Wolf Creek Baptist Church where she maintained a very credible standing all through the years. She was as well and extensively known, loved and respected by both the rich and the poor as any other woman of her day and time. " (C-363) Elanor is in the 1820 census for Madison Twp., Montgomery Co., Ohio She purchased Troy lots 102, 110-111 in 1832 in Miami Co., OH that had been purchased by many of her children in 1830. In 1835, son Joseph R. John purchased Troy lot 111, probably from her. (C-2316)