Seventh Generation

120. Abraham* BANTA^{323,1080,1081,1082,1083} was born on 18 Apr 1745 in Hackensack, Bergen Co., NJ. He was christened on 7 Jul 1745 in Hackensack, Bergen Co., NJ. Reformed Dutch Church of Hackensack. Witnesses: Daniel Brouwer and wife.
He served in the military on 17 Sep 1776 in , York Co., PA. Soldier in the American Revolution: Captain Hugh Campbell's Company of the 2nd Batt. of York County, PA, Col. Robt. McPherson at Perth Amborg, NJ 17 Sep 1776. It is not known as to whether he saw any action against the British. He died in 1793 in , Henry Co., KY. He had his estate probated in 1793 in , Henry Co., KY.¹⁰⁸⁴ Showed slave ownership. He was buried in , Henry Co., KY. He was a weaver. Deacon of Conewago Dutch church. Later a colonist in KY from Conehago PA. He moved with his parents to Straban Township, York County, Pennsylvania, where Abraham was appointed to the Committee of Safety, with his father, Hendrick, Abrahan prospered in York County, eventually owning 303 acres, one tract bought in 1768 and a larger one in 1769. During the Revolution the Low Dutch gave strong support to the people of Boston and the Continental Congress. For a short time, York, Pennsylvania was the capital of the country, for during 1777 and 1778 the British occupied Philadelphia and the Continental Congress fled to York. During this time the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation.

Abraham and his family joined the Great Migration to Kentucky in the 1780s, led by Abraham's father. Abraham was one of the leaders of the Dutch in Kentucky, and he was appointed the agent for the Dutch to negotiate for land purchases from Squiree Boone, Daniel Boone's brother. He bought 12,000 acres of land, in one piece, on Drennon's Creek and Six Mile Creek, about six miles northeast of Painted Stone from Squire Boone on 13 Mar 1786. This was known as the Low Dutch Tract. The land remained in legal litigation for years, due to Squire Boone's shady land dealings and manipulations. Boone eventually became insolvent and absconded from the area. The case dragged on until May 1810.

" 31 May 1781: Abraham Banta assignee of Henry French enters 800 acres upon part of a Treasury Warrant no 5808? also 1240 acres as assignee of John Cowan who was assignee of the said French upon part of the above warrant 5808 beginning 40 poles below the mouth of Debans Run which empties into Muddy Creekon the west side beginning as before said and running nearly west 326 poles thence at right angles up the said creek so as to include the quantity and to bind with the Knobs. [This warrant in the R's Office 1993/4 Surveyed)"

The Low Dutch Colony came into existence on 13 Mar 1786, at the Low DutchStation, near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Abraham was the trustee, or agent, for the Colony, but his father remained the driving force. The center of the Dutch settlement was near Bantatown, in Henry County. Abraham managed the log fort that they lived in. Bantatown is now (1983) called Pleasureville (since 1842). Abraham made a trip to Baltimore at some time, and returned on a mule with a hand-mill for grinding the grain of the entire settlement.

It is known that Abraham owned slaves, and at his death, his wife sold 6 slaves to their son, Hendrick. She wanted them to not be set free, but Hendrick sold them. It became a contentious point between Hendrick and his mother. Slavery was very common among the Dutch of New Jersey.

Abraham and his father settled at White Oak Spring Station, on the Kentucky River, Madison County, Kentucky, one mile above Boonesborough. A little later they moved to where Harrodsburg now stands, and a few years later they settled permanently around Six Mile, later Bantatown, and now called Pleasureville in Henry County. Abraham and his family were attacked by Indians many times on the trip to Kentucky, and after they settled there.
Abraham* BANTA and Margrieta* MONTFORT were married in 1770.¹⁰⁸⁵

121. Margrieta* MONTFORT was christened on 22 Apr 1750 in , Bergen Co., NJ. She died in Feb 1826 in , Preble Co., OH. She was born.³²⁵ Source: Marriage record from "Banta Pioneers" by Elsa Banta. !Source: Parent's names, baptism and death data from combined Mormon Ancestral File submisions by: Jennifer Ann Gibbons, 1223 Sisley Rd., Penryn, California 95663, # AF83-072744; Bonnie Lindstrom, 1104 11th Avenue North Extension, Nampa, Idaho 83687, # AF91-103904; and Norman D. Catanzaro, 4915 Samish Way, # 118, Bellingham, Washington 98226, # AF91-104187. Children were:

	i.	Rachel BANTA was born on 23 Oct 1769 in Conewago, Adams, PA. She died in Jun 1842. !Same sources as father.
60	ii.	Henry* BANTA.
	iii.	Johanna BANTA was born on 4 Jul 1773 in Conewago, Adams, PA. Merged General Note: !Sources: "Banta Pioneers and Record of the Wives and Allied Families", by Elsa Banta, 1983. Also, submission to Mormon Ancestral File by Jennifer A. Gibbons, 1983, # AF83-072744. Also, "A Frisian Family. The Banta Genealogy" by Theodore Banta.
	iv.	Margrieta BANTA1086 was born in 1775. She died before 1777.
	v.	Margrieta BANTA was born on 31 Aug 1777 in Conewago, Adams, PA. !Sources: "Banta Pioneers and Record of the Wives and Allied Families", by Elsa Banta, 1983. Also, submission to Mormon Ancestral File by Jennifer A. Gibbons, 1983, # AF83-072744. Also, "A Frisian Family. The Banta Genealogy" by Theodore Banta. Merged General Note: !Sources: "Banta Pioneers and Record of the Wives and Allied Families", by Elsa Banta, 1983. Also, submission to Mormon Ancestral File by Jennifer A. Gibbons, 1983, # AF83-072744. Also, "A Frisian Family. The Banta Genealogy" by Theodore Banta. This person must have died quite young, as her parents named their next child the same name only 18 months after this person's birth.
	vi.	Peter BANTA was born on 24 Oct 1782 in Conewago, Adams, PA. !Sources: "Banta Pioneers and Record of the Wives and Allied Families", by Elsa Banta, 1983. Also, submission to Mormon Ancestral File by Jennifer A. Gibbons, 1983, # AF83-072744. Also, "A Frisian Family. The Banta Genealogy" by Theodore Banta.
	vii.	Constantine Christiana BANTA1087 was born about 1784 in Conewago, Adams, PA. !Sources: "Banta Pioneers and Record of the Wives and Allied Families", by Elsa Banta, 1983. Also, submission to Mormon Ancestral File by Jennifer A. Gibbons, 1983, # AF83-072744. Also, "A Frisian Family. The Banta Genealogy" by Theodore Banta.