Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Johan Christopher Illick (1746 - 1818)


Hans  Rudolph Illig  (Illick)  and his  wife  Magdalena of Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania  are  known to have had one son who was Johan Christopher Illick. The records of  Williams Township Congregation, also known as St. Lukes Lutheran in the Marx History Room of the  Easton Public Library contains his baptism record:
"Illick, Johann Christoph,  son of Rudolph and wife Magdalena,
born     Jan. 2, 1746
baptized     Feb. 9, 1746
sponsors  Christoph  Guthman  and  wife  Benigna."

He was also known as Stofel Illick, Stofel being a common nickname for Christopher.  Stofel Illick was a farmer and a weaver by trade.  He married  Elizabeth Huber  on March 31, 1768.    But,  I found a reference that  Christoph and Elizabeth llick took Holy Communion on Good Friday, 1767, indicating that they would have been married in 1767 before the Revolutionary War began in earnest. Together they became the parents of eleven children.  The tomb stone inscription of Elizabeth Illick says she was the mother of 11 children, eight sons and three daughters.   Johann Phillip  born March 24,1770,  Elizabeth born November 9,1771,  Johannes    born  January 22,1774, Johann Christophel  born March 12,1778,  Christina  born  January 9,1780,  Frederick,  Ann-Margaratha,   Johann Heinrich born August 26, 1781,  Johann Phillip  born  January 15,1786.  Good thing the boys followed the German custom of being called by their middle name!  

With all these children to provide for it is a good thing he farmed.   As a  weaver he would have had a loom in his home to make cloth from yarn.  The yarn may have been spun on spinning wheels from wool collected from sheep.  Raising the sheep, shearing the wool, carding and processing the  wool into yarn would have been tasks  preformed by the children much like we see here. 


This scenario copied from a woodcut printed in The Little Book of Early American Crafts and Trades (first published in 1807) illustrates the family economy at work in the home! 

Christopher Illick served several  enlistments in the army during the time of the Revolutionary War.  In 1777 he was a private in the 1st Company of the  1st  Battalion,  of Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania Militia under Colonel George Hubner and Captain Joseph Frey.  In 1780 he served again as a private in the 1st Company of the 4th Battalion under Captain Anthony Larch.  And in 1782 he provided service in the Militia as a private in the 1st Company of the 4th Battalion, Northampton County.  

The graves of Johan Christopher Illick and his wife Elizabeth Huber Illick are located in the St Lukes Old Williams Cemetery in Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. This is not far from where the Illick family lived.




Johan Christopher Illick  was 72 years old when he died on November 27, 1818. Elizabeth Huber Illick was born on September 15, 1746  And lived to be 69 years old when she died April 25, 1816.  Her tombstones notes that they were married 15 days short of 45 years.

My great grandmother, Clara Illick McEwen was the great granddaughter of Christopher and Elizabeth.  



Pennsylvania State Archives @ http://www.digitalarchives.state.pa.us

                             Please see this list of all My Revolutionary War Ancestors.

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