Tim and Mark’s Database of Keesling's

2001 Keith L. Smith Note:
John's last name has been found spelled numerous ways including: Kisling, Kessling, Kezling, and Keesling. I have found no documents where he signed his name with the Kißling spelling.

DAR Member # 471921 Dorothy (Raper) Maier
Information extracted from her application and checked off by DAR:
John Keesling b. March 3, 1758 in Pennsylvania d. December 31, 1839/40 in Henry Co., Indiana
Place of residence during the Rev. War: Reading, Berks Co., Pennsylvania
1st wife: m. 1788 Eve Miller b. December 31, 1765 in Pennsylvania d. October 4, 1804 in Henry Co., Indiana
2nd wife: m. 1808 Barbara Staley
Added month and days to the birth dates of the children and corrected that Susanna was born on February 1, 1801 m. Rice Price and that Dorotha (child of 2nd marriage) was born on November 15, 1808 and m. Adam Carter.
John served as a substitute for his father - Jacob Keesling and as a wagoner and a Private.
Other DAR members: cousin - Mary Margaret McClure # 469393
Sources used:
1. Raper Family Bible (belonged first to John Raper, then to John William Raper and now Charles Morton Raper has it. copies submitted with # 469393 Mary Margaret McClure.
2. Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution Buried in Indiana, pages 215 & 216 by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne.
3. Pension Application S. 16434 - 13 May 1833
4. DAR Patriot Index, p. 389
5. P. A. Archives 5th Series, Vol. 5, p. 240

DAR Member # 701240 A696 Rosanne (Poor) Jones [Verified and approved Jun 14, 1990]
Information extracted from her application - supplement for John Keesling (different from prev. DAR):
John Keesling b. March 23, 1758 in Pennsylvania d. December 31, 1839 in Henry Co., Indiana
1st wife: m. 1788 Eve Miller b. December 31, 1765 in Pennsylvania d. October 4, 1804 in Preble Co., OH
2nd wife: m. May 28, 1808 Barbara Staley
Sources used:
1. previously submitted marriage and death certificates.
2. #2, #3, #4, & #5 from # 471921
3. Berks Co. in the Revolution, Missourintgomery, p. 132

SAR Member Natl. # 82175 State (CA) # 3106 Ernest Lisle Keesling [Examined & approved Jun 10, 1957]
Information extracted from his application (different from prev. DAR):
John Keesling (Keisling) b. Mar. 23, 1758 near Reading, Pennsylvania d. Dec. 31, 1839 Mechanicsburg, Indiana
1st wife: m. abt. 1783 in Pennsylvania, Eve Miller b. Apr. 12, 1765 d. 1806 Preble Co., OH
Sources used:
1. family records and history
2. #3 & #5 from DAR # 471921
3. Virginia Valley Records by John W. Wayland

SAR Member Natl. # 136451 State (Indiana) # 3130 Jeffery Benjamin Yeager [Verifed & approved Dec. 25, 1990]
Information extracted from his application (different from prev. DAR or SAR):
John Keesling (Kisling)
1st wife: m. no date or location, Eve Miller b. ca 1765 d. ca 1805
Sources used:
1. family records and "The Family of Arthur Clinton Keesling" by Ruth H. Dane, 1983
2. #2 from DAR # 471921
3. NSDAR 70240
4. NSSAR 82175

Mary McMinn: (KLS comments in (...).
John Keesling, Revolutionary War Pension Claim - 515424 (actually S. 16434). He served with Pennsylvania. Troops. His claim was allowed May 1833.
He moved first to Penn Laird, Pennsylvania. (not able to locate any records to substantiate this location & he moved to VA - first to Montgomery County, then to Grayson County and then to Wythe County. From Wythe County he moved to Rockingham County and from there to Preble County, OH about 1801. His son George reported he was born in 1804 in VA in the census reports which could have meant that he was born in the Virginia Territory of which Preble Co. OH was a part of until Ohio became a state or that he was born in perhaps Rockingham County, Virginia and the family joined John in Preble Co., OH after George's birth.); To Preble Co. Ohio in 1801. Then to Mechanicsburg, Indianad. - Henry Co. - in 1824. (1824 is an early date for settlement in Henry Co., Indiana - 1827 or 1828 is the date that most family historians use.)
He was known as the "Honest Dutchman" being the Banker for the Pioneers, who came to Henry Co. to settle. His home was one mile southwest of Mechanicsburg, Indianad. He first bought 80 acres for $195.00. (According to the History of Mechanicsburg, John Jr. not John Sr. bought 80 acres from William Jones shortly after Jones entered the land in about 1833 for $195.00.) Later purchased 240 more acres. It was on the first Land Grant, the name "Kissling" was misspelled to "Keesling." (John's son Jacob is referred to as the "Honest Dutchman" and banker for the settlers around Mechanicsburg and it was Jacob who purchased the land 1 mile sw of Mechanicsburg - John Sr. actually purchased land south of son - Jacob's. The Keesling spelling was used first in Virginia, not in Indiana.)
He died Dec. 31, 1835 and is buried in a small hillside cemetery, south of Middletown, Indianad. known as the Fatic Cemetery. The Henry Co., Indianad. D. A. R. erected a monument for him in 1920. (John died either in 1839 or 1840, both dates have been used on various family histories and the SAR & DAR accept 1839 as the date of his death.)

The oral family history always said that John lived about 5 miles southeast of Richmond, Wayne Co., Indiana on the Ohio side of the Indiana and Ohio state line. So it was surprise to find John Keesling, Sr. listed in the 1820 Federal Census for Indiana index as living in Wayne Co., Indiana (Pg # 209 on Microfilm. The other two entries in the for John's family create some questions - which need to be researched.
1) James Keeslings listed (Pg # 215 on Microfilm) as living in Wayne Co., Indiana. John did not have a son named James nor did he have cousins who would be of the age to be included in the 1820 census named James. Who is James Keeslings?
2) Jacob Keisling, Jr. listed (Pg # 245 on the Mircofilm) as living in Wayne Co., Indiana. John's grandson - Jacob Jr. would have been only seven (7) years old at the time of the 1820 Census. Is this Jacob then John's son Jacob or ?????

church records - Trinity Lutheran Church Records, Reading, Berks Co., Pennsylvania - Communion, p 4 - John Kiesling