CHRISTOPHER TRINKLE




Born: about 1751

Died: March 1829

Burial Site: Trinkle Farm, Madison Twsp, Washington Co, IN
GPS N 39 31.261 W 086 16.433 Elevation 790 feet
Located in SE 1/3, Section 15, T1N, R2E

Service: Enlisted in 1777 as private in the Virginia line and served 5 years under Capt TRIPLETT, SIRBLING, SHEPERD, Col CAMPBELL
In battles of Brandywine, Camden, Roolsford, Grueford and Eutaw Springs

Proof: Pension S 36829
PATTON GENEALOGY

Married: Elizabeth HICKMAN

Children:
Mary Ann
Elizabeth: married Sampson PATTON
Stephen
Polly: married BURRIS, CLARK, KESTER
Henry: married _____ SHELLABARGER
John
Fred: married Sallie HICKMAN
Adam: married Hannah RUTHERFORD
Jacob: married Peggy HICKMAN

Directions: Sinking Springs Cemetery
From Salem, Indiana take ST RD 56 West about 10 miles and just on the edge of Livonia you'll see Hardisnburg-Livonia Rd to your left. Go about 2 1/2 miles to McCullough Rd. Turn right and cemetery is on your left about 100 feet from the road and easily seen.

On this gravesite we had Edward Hickcock of the Daniel Guthrie Chapter, John Sheets of the David Benton Chapter and Stephen Franklin of the Hoosier Pioneer Patriots Chapter. Photos were taken August 10, 2003.

TRINKLE HISTORY


In 1738, from the Palatinate of the Rhine Valley in Germany, comes Christophil Trenkl and Stephen Trenkl. They came to America on the ship "Charming Nancy", arriving in Philadelphia on 9 November 1738. Trinkle was spelled many different ways before Trinkle.

Like thousands of other immigrants from that part of Europe - they probably came to avoid persecution; religious, political or other. Christophil, age 48, Stephen, age 20, relationship not established. We follow this Stephen down to Winchester, Virginia, in 1739. Here on 8 July 1739, we learn that Stephen Trenkle was on of the sponsors at the baptism of a son of George Adam Hayl, of Mosennutton, Va on the 16th of April 1764 in Wincheste. Stephen Trenkle is listed as one of the thirty-three founders of the church of Evangelican Lutherans. This was the first Lutheran church in Virginia.

John Stephen Trenkle was married to Eva Catherine HAMBRECHT, also a recent German immigrant, on 27th March 1739. From the STEIT Diary, we find that, from apassage on page 337, dated 2 Mat 1786, "Buried Catherine Trenkle". Catherine is buried at the old Lutheran Cemetry at Mount Hebron, near Winchester, Virginia.

We know from records that Stephen and Catherine had two sons, Michael and Chistopher (1752-1929) and a daughter Susanna (1765-1799) who married Nicholas Bierly MADERA. Little is known about Michael Trenkle. His family lived in Virginia, in the STEIN Settlement. He maried and had 3 Children:

Margaret: Born about 1769
Michael: Born 1770
Catherine: Born about 1772
.

John Stephen TRENKLE was in Pennsylvania less than a year when he moved south to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley near Winchester, Va. Here he settled and reared a family. The area was known as Opequon Creek Colony - just below Winchester. The inhabitants were predominately German. A close-knot, hard-working, frugal, and prolific group of excellent German farmers.

Of John Stephen's and Catherine children, were are concerned primarily with Christopher, who was born in 1752 at Winchester, Frederick Co, Virginia. Here Christopher grew to manhood and married (ca 1776) , a neighbor girl, Elisabeth WEISER, daughter of Adam WEISER. A land deed dated 1806 in Virginia establishes that Elisabeth TRINKLE, wife of Christopher TRINKLE was the daughter daughter of Adam WEISER. Elisabeth died in Montgomery County, in 1812 and is believed buried in WEISER Cemtery at Dublin, Virginia.

The family of Christopher and Elisabeth are shown in the Montgomery County, Va Federal land census for 1810.

At this time there children were: Elisabeth, Margaret, Stephen, Frederick, Jacob, Henry, Adam, John, Mary (Polly), and Catherine.

After Elisabeth died, Christopher moved in 1813, with his family, except son Stephen and daughter...Stephen was pro-slavery and Christopher was opposed to slavery, so they split their ways, Stephen staying in Virginia and the remainder of the family going west to the Northwest Territory, in what was the Indiana territory. The family settleed near what later became Washington County. Probably the reasons for moving were several:

The slave question, death of Elisabeth, the end of the War of 1812, the opening of land in the Northwest territory and the desire to find better and more farm land.

Here the migrant family put down its roots..land was purchased, and homes were built. Christopher, now a 60 year old widower, lived with his son Jacob for a while, Jacob had already built a home in the new territory. Jacob married Margaret HICKMAN of Winchester, Virginia and historians somehow came to the conclusion that Christopher's wife was Elisabeth HICKMAN.. many genealogies and books have been written about the TRINKLE family indications that this was the case.

Stephen TRINKLE who remained in Virginia, became the ancestor of E Lee TRINKLE, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Stephen married Sarah TROLLINGER of near the town of Dublin, Virginia.

Members of the Trinkle family and others had gone to the new Indiana Territory as early as 1807 - after they had established homes, the word got back to Virginia and other members of the family moved.

Samson PATTON, who married Elisabeth, Christopher's first daughter - who was a signer of the 1806 deed mentioned earlier - settled in Madison Township of Washington County, Indiana in 1812. Jacon and Henry settled on land in the southwest section of Madison Township. So there were Trinkle kin in the territory when Christopher arrived. In 1820 Washington County census we find Christopher living in the same household with Jacon and his wife.

Christopher TRINKLE, Absalom SARGENT and William YOUNG built a Fort at Sinking Springs, a name derived from the community of the same name in Virginia. Christopher entered a 160 acre farm in Madison Township, later known as the PATTON-TRINKLE Settlement. Protection from Maruading Indians required the vigilance of everyone - every day , every night.

The will of Christopher Trinkle was dated 13 January 1829, and was probated 31 August 1929. In his will he left only one dollar to his daughter Elisabeth, and to his daughter Margaret who remained in Virginia. His Executors were sons Jacob and John. Christopher had lived a long and useful life, in an era that required strength and stamina, with a purpose in life.

Christopher had served in the Revolutionary War. In the military records obtained fromt he National Archivesl and pension records obtained from the Virginia State Library, we find that Christopher enlisted from Bedford County, credited to Winchester and Montgomery Counties in 1777. He received a pension on appication dated June 16, 1819, when he was 67 years of age... Hen then living in Washington County, Indiana. The amount of the pension was eight dollars per monthh. Christopher lived for 10 years after receiving his first pension check.. He died 16 August 1829, and was buried on the TRINKLE Farm. The remains, together with the Goverment marker were later moved to the cemetery at Sinking Springs, where many of the TRINKLES, PATTONS, TRABUES, and other close families were buried. The cemetery is near where the old fort stood. The cemetery is well kept and is enclosed with woven fence, and is now located on the original (Jacob TRINKLE Farm), McCULLOUGH farm, 2 1/2 miles south of Livonia, Indiana.

Date: Sat, 18 Jun 2005

I am writing about patriot Christopher Trinkle buried in Washington County, Indiana. My mother is a descendent of the Elizabeth Trinkle Patton (husband was Samson Patton). My eighty-six year old mother, Mary Ellen Patton Coulter, grew up on the Patton farms. She can look out her window at her present home on HWY 56 near Millersburg and see the barn and house where she was born in 1919. Her father was Ernest Patton. She was told by the Patton-Trinkle relatives that Christopher Trinkle was killed by Indians. By the time he was found his body was too decomposed to bury at Sinking Springs. I remember as a child, my mother showing us Christopher’s grave. The marker was later moved to Sinking Springs by the DAR because the farmer kept plowing closer to the gravestone. I have not found any documentation to confirm the story of Christopher’s death by Indians. However, my mother’s recollection of stories told by her relatives should be noted.

Thank you,

Cathy Coulter Qualkinbush
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