Rudy and Elizabeth Basom lived in Dauphin County and Perry County, and had fourteen children. They appear in a thirty-year span of records but we learn surprisingly little about them. The records do not show where they came from before they first appear in 1785, or when their children were born, or the last name of Elizabeth. Rudy and Elizabeth were almost certainly Mennonite, a group averse to keeping records. This makes it harder to piece together the marriages of their children and birth of the next generation; what makes it easier is that there was only one Basom family in Perry County in this time period.1

Basom is not a common name, and it is possible that all of the Basoms in central Pennsylvania were descended from Rudy. There are two early references to other men named Bessem in the same area, but there is no evidence to connect them to Rudy and no sign that they had families. Henry Bessem was taxed in Frederick Town (later in Dauphin County) in 1770.2 Frederick Town was an early name for Hummelstown, which is just north of Londonderry Township where Rudy would appear fifteen years later.3 Rudy did name a son Henry, but he had eleven sons, so this is hardly conclusive. The other early Bessem was Peter Beassem, who appeared in the 1781 Cumberland County militia roll, in Captain Philip Mathew’s company. Rudy was probably born about 1763, and Peter would be about the same age, so if he is related it would be as a brother.4

Rudy first appears in the records in 1785, when he was taxed in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County.5 Rudy paid taxes of 2s 6d, less than some of his neighbors. He was still there through 1787, when he was taxed for 5 shillings as an inmate (non-landholder), suggesting that he had sold his land. He does not appear in the 1790 census for Dauphin County.6 Perhaps he was living and working in someone else’s house, suggesting that he was poor.7 In 1794 he was in a list of freeholders in Lower Paxtang Township, Dauphin County, which included much of the southwestern corner of the county at the time.8 Finally in 1797 he bought a 150-acre farm from James Potter of Lewistown and moved his family about sixty miles north to Greenwood Township, Cumberland County (later Perry County).9 The farm lay in the hills above Millerstown, close to the rich farmland of the Pfoutz Valley. The valley was settled by many Germans, and even years later it remained predominately German.10 A letter written in 1791 described the rich farmland of these central Pennsylvania valleys.

“This is the best part of the country that I have Ever seen for industrius people of Every Trade. Carpenters and Masons 7s. 6d. per day, and Labrers 5s. per day, and everything is plentiful, the best of Wheat 4s. pir bushel, Rie [rye] 3s. this currency, Inden corn and buckwheat in proportion. Beef, Mutton and Bacon at 3d. per pound. This is a fearful Country for wild creatures, Such as Dears, Bars, Wolves and Panters, the Dears meet yousd for Beef or venison, and Bears meet Good Bacon. Fishes and Folls in Great plenty. This is a fine Country for Roots and Vegtales. I shall send you a smal account of them Coowcumbers, Water Mellens, Squashes and Pomp-cans, with a variety of Beanes, sich as you have none in England, with many others too tedis to Name. Al rises from the Ground With out much troble and comes to Great pirfection.”11

In 1798 Rudy was taxed on the “windowpane” tax in Cumberland County. He had a cabin 26 x 22 and a stable 18 x 14, both on a tract of 109 acres, 40 perches. He was taxed $248.12

In 1800 Rudy was farming in Greenwood Township, and had nine people in the household. He already had seven sons and a daughter. There was no adult woman listed in the household, raising the possibility that Elizabeth was a second wife. (More likely this was an omission by the census taker.) 13

Rudy had fourteen children, probably with Elizabeth, although there are no birth records for any of them. Their names are known from the Orphan’s Court records after Rudy and Elizabeth died. In the 1800 census record, one of the sons was over 16 (Christly), two were 10 to 16 (Jacob & another uncertain), and four were under 10 (Henry, Samuel, David, and possibly John).  The daughter under 10 was probably Mary. By 1810 most of the children were born and some of them were already married. There were only two sons and two daughters still at home.14 Some of them may have been living with other families.

Rudy and Elizabeth were probably Mennonites. There are no early records to show this, but at least three of their sons were buried in Mennonite Cemeteries, and several of their children married into known Mennonite families, such as Shirk. In addition the names of some of their sons—Henry, Michael, Jacob, and Christly—were popular among the Mennonite families such as the Aukers and Lauvers.15 The Mennonites built a meeting house in Greenwood Township, near Richfield.16 Rudy and Elizabeth probably worshipped there.

When Rudy died, before April 1813, he left eight children under the age of 14 and a total of fourteen children altogether.17  He did not leave a will, so the Orphans Court supervised the administration of the estate. Caleb North was appointed as administrator, and Caspar Auker was chosen as guardian for the eight younger children: John, Martin, Rudolph, Peter, Abraham, Elizabeth, Ann and Daniel.18 North reported that the goods in the estate available for distribution amounted to $168.42.19 On December 10, 1816, the current guardian George Hoffman reported that Elizabeth, Rudy’s widow, was also dead, along with their daughter Mary. Mary’s share of the estate was to descend to her surviving brothers and sisters. What happened to the minor children, eight of them under 21? They must have strained the households of the older brothers, who were beginning to have children of their own.

The main asset was the farm, 150 acres bounded by lands of Henry Limpart, David Pfouts, and Abraham Adams. Thirteen of the children were still alive: the eight younger ones, plus Christian, Jacob, Henry, Samuel and David.20 The court asked the sheriff to determine whether the farm could be divided or whether it must be sold. The following May the sheriff gave an appraisal, and the heirs were summoned to accept or refuse it. They did not appear, although they were called again four more times over several years and notices were printed in the Carlisle Herald and a Philadelphia newspaper. Finally in 1826 the court ordered the property to be sold.21

Normally an administrator would sell the property and divide the proceeds among the heirs, but apparently this did not happen. Instead Christian, the eldest son, continued to live on the home farm, although he did not own it outright, only a share. He may have been living on it and taking care of his parents before they died, as well as his younger brothers and sisters after Rudy and Elizabeth died. Since it was not sold and divided, his brothers and sisters had a right to their share. This might explain why the Orphan’s Court did not close the books on the estate settlement until 1860, long after Christian himself was dead.

In 1860 we have another list of the heirs, when there was another Orphan’s Court record. It named William Auker as an heir to the property, along with David and Martin Basom, both dead by then but with heirs, and John and Abraham Basom, both of unknown residence. Presumably Henry and Rudy Jr. were still alive, though neither is mentioned in the proceeding. As published in the Perry County Democrat of November 29, 1860, the officers of the court appealed for missing heirs to appear before the court to accept or reject the settlement of the estate of Rudolph Beasom. “And now to wit: October 29^th, 1860, Inquistion confirmed and Rule on the heirs of the Real Estate mentioned in this Inquisition, to wit: —William Auker, David Beasom, who is now dead, and left a widow and a child, the residence of said widow and child is unknown, Martin Beasom, now dead, and left a widow and issue one child, a minor daughter, who resides in Perrysville, Juniata county, and has for her Guardian Edmund S. Doty, of Mifflintown, Juniata county, Pa., John Beasom and Abraham Beasom, the residence of neither of the last two named is known; William Auker, above named, being the owner of eight-twelfths, to appear at the next term…”22 Note that only four of the Basom heirs are still concerned with the property—David, Martin, John and Abraham—and David and Martin are apparently dead.23

The older children of Rudy and Elizabeth stayed in Pennsylvania, while the younger ones tended to scatter. In particular the four oldest sons stayed around Juniata County. There are no apparent records for three of the children and they may have died young—Elizabeth, Ann (unless she is identical with Nancy, and Daniel). Since no birth records have yet been found for any of the children, the dates of birth are not known, and several are estimated from cemetery or census records.24 Two consistent threads run through the records of the next two generations: they did not name children after parents or grandparents, and when there was a trade mentioned, other than farmer, it was usually carpenter.

Rudy and Elizabeth had at least 40 grandchildren, whom they never knew.25

Children of Rudy and Elizabeth: 26

Christian (Christly), b. ab. 1783, d. Jan. 30, 1845, m. ab. 1809 Susannah Lang (d. 1881), daughter of Andrew & Eva, lived in Greenwood Township, Perry County, a cooper and farmer. They had six children.27

Jacob, b. Feb. 15, 1786, d. 20 April 1859, m. ab. 1816 Catherine Albright, a farmer, buried at Graybill Cemetery, Richfield, Juniata County. Catherine was born 1791 and died July 3, 1861. They had six known children.28

Henry, b. 1790 or 1791, d. June 1861 age 70, m. ab. 1818 Susan Shirk (1791-1881), a farmer, buried at Lost Creek Mennonite Cemetery, Juniata County. They had four known children.

Samuel, married Barbara Page about 1811, d. about 1844 in Mifflintown. They had five known children.

Mary, died unmarried after 1812 and before December 1816

David, b. before April 1799, died before 1860. The Orphan’s Court record of 1860 said that he had a wife and child. However the wife (Elizabeth Graham) and child Mary Margaret sometimes listed for him probably belong to a different man, a David Beesom of Franklin County. There is not enough evidence to identify him here.29

John, b. about 1801, probably married Nancy Haxton and moved to Ohio, if this is the correct John Basom.30

Martin, b. after April 1799, d. 1844, r. Turbett Twp, m. Elizabeth LNU, had a daughter Matilda. Buried at Kilmer Church, Turbett Twp.31 After he died Elizabeth married William Rice.

Abraham, b. Dec. 1804, moved to Clarion County, Pennsylvania, a farmer, married about 1829 Christina Carney, had eight known children. He died on Dec. 24, 1864.

Rudolph Jr., b. ab. 1805, d. 1875, m. about 1833 Julia Ann LNU, a farmer, moved to LaPorte County, Indiana, where he died 21 Dec 1875. She d. 1872. They had five known children.

Peter, b. ab. 1805, no further solid information. The Peter of Columbia County, Pennsylvania, married to a woman named Catherine, with eight children, was consistently in the census as Basan or Basin, not Basam. 32

Elizabeth, no further information.

Ann (Ann Nancy?), b. ab. 1807, possibly married Peter Weaver, but not the Peter Weaver of Dauphin Township, Mifflin County.33

Daniel, probably alive in 1814, no further record. 34