George, Eldest Son of Jacob and Nancy Christlieb
1782–1857
The Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family Association, in the 1980s, asked Association members to design and construct banners for each branch of the Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip family. This banner represents George Christlieb/Chrislep, the third child of Jacob and Nancy Christlieb.
George was the third child of Jacob and Nancy Christlieb. Born 23 December 1782, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, he and his two elder siblings, Mary (born 1780) and Elizabeth (born 1781), were born during the time period when Jacob was serving in the American Revolutionary War.
This is George’s birth entry as set down in an old family record:
George Christlieb/Crislip and his first cousin, George, son of Carl Christlieb, were both named after their half-uncle, Georg Bock. The two nephews were favored with larger shares of their namesake uncle’s estate than their siblings.
Not long after George was born, his parents moved from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, into northwestern Virginia, where they settled, first, in Berkeley County, and later in Hampshire County. George and his family later removed to Harrison County, in 1792.
Land Acquisitions
When George was about age 26, he married Mary Boice/Bice, the fifth of eight children born of Thomas B. Boice and Edith Applegate. Shortly thereafter, in 1809, he purchased 11 acres of land on Brushy Fork from William Cunningham for $100. Sixteen years later, he expanded his holdings on Brushy Fork, purchasing an additional 150 acres from William Reed, on 16 February 1828.
"Mary “Polly” Bice, daughter of Thomas B. and Edith Applegate Boyce/Bice was born ca. 1786 in Windsor, Middlesex County, New Jersey. In 1808, Mary married George Chrislep, born 23 December 1782 in Pennsylvania. After their marriage in German Twp., Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Mary and George removed to Harrison County, Virginia, where their son, Thomas B.W. Chrislep was born in 1813. Prior to her marriage to George Chrislep, ca. 1808, Mary was first wed to a John Creslin who was reportedly born in 1787.” Fayette County Genealogical Society, Jefferson Street, Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
This is George’s signature as it appeared on a court document in 1820, when he was 38 years old. Both he and his two sons spelled their names Crislep.
At age 43, George purchased 221 acres on the Brushy Fork of Elk Creek, in 1825. The area would later be known as Pepper [Pepperville/Peppertown]. A pioneer settler in that area, George and his progeny became its leading citizens.
Below is another of George’s signatures as it appears on his daughter, Edith’s, marriage bond, dated 30 August 1834. Although he had finally decided to include the “h” in the first syllable of his surname, he chose to spell the second syllable with an “e.” Even though he finally settled on Chrislep, his gravestone was inscribed GEORGE CRISLIP, perhaps an indication that it was erected several years after his death.
An interesting court case centered around 40 acres of land in Barbour County, that George had purchased or had laid claim to. On 11 February 1847, a summons was presented to the Sheriff of Barbour County from the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding the land dispute. The summons commanded “George Crislip that he justly and without delay [surrender] unto John S. Carlisle one tenement containing 40 acres of land with the appurtenances in the County of Barbour which he claimeth to be his right and whereof he complaineth that the aforesaid George Crislip doth withhold the possession and unless he shall do so then summon the said George Crislip to appear before the Judge of our Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery … on the 1st day of May – Term next, to shew whereof he hath not done it.”
In the case of John S. Carlisle vs. George Crislip, an entry for the Fall Term of the Barbour County Circuit Superior Court reads: “On motion of the demandant by his Attorney it is ordered that the surveyor of this County do go upon the land in controversy and survey and lay out the same as either party my require and return … plats and report thereof to the Court.”
It appears that the suit against George involved nothing more than a dispute over property lines.
As nothing further was found on the case, it can be assumed that the survey, which was ordered by the Court, took care of the problem.
George made his Last Will and Testament on 19 June 1856. In regard to his wife he wrote: “To my beloved wife Mary, should it please God to continue her life beyond mine, I give and bequeath all household & kitchen furniture we now enjoy and farming utensils such as plows, hoes, axes, horse geers, and her choice of two of my horses and two cows such as she may choose, six head of sheep and hogs sufficient for her use, and I will that during her life that she have all the profits arising from my lands and have full power to rent and receive any therefore and to dismiss from her said tenement any refractory persons to place or displease at pleasure as she may think best for her profit or convenience the said land to be hers during her life except the land on which my son, Thomas Crislip now lives …” Barbour County Will Book 1, p. 113.
According to the terms of the will, George’s son, Thomas B., and the children of his sister, Edith Wright, would have shares in the estate. According to the terms of the will, George’s elder son, Jacob, was to receive “five Dollars out of my estate which with what he has already received shall be his portion of my estate …” Jacob died 13 months after his father’s will was drafted. The reason for Jacob’s small inheritance might be that he was in ill health and not expected to live very long. Last Will & Testament of George Chrislep, Barbour County Will Book No. 1, p. 113.
Back to TopGeorge Crislip died six months after drafting his will, on 11 January 1857, at age 74 years and 20 days. He and Mary had been married for approximately 49 years. In his history of the family, Benjamin F. Christlieb wrote that George died on January 17th. The discrepancy between “11” and “17” was probably a printer’s error that occurred when the family history was published in 1895.
Although there is no gravestone for Mary in the Crislip Cemetery at Pepper, it is assumed that she was buried in the unmarked grave next to George. On the other side of George's marker is the gravestone of George and Mary's son, Jacob, who died seven months after his father.
After George’s death, his widow, Mary, deeded a parcel of land to the Trustees of the Methodist Protestant Church at Pepper. Dated 6 June 1859, the document was witnessed by Mary’s son, Thomas B. Chrislep and Thomas’ son, John W. Chrislep. The text of the deed reads as follows:
“This deed made this 6th day of June 1859 between Mary Chrislip of the first part and Geo. Rimer. [Hiram Cottrill, and J.W. Lawson,] Trustees of the Methodist Protestant Church and their successors in office for ever of the other part. Witnesseth that in consideration of one dollar the said Mary Chrislip doth grant unto Hiram Cottrill, J.W. Lawson and Geo. Rimer, Trustees as aforesaid one acre of land situated on Brushy Fork, a branch of Elk Creek in Barbour County where a house is now erected for religious worship to have and to hold the same for the use of the Methodist Protestant Church (and for a school house when not occupied by worship), aforesaid, free from the claim of the said Mary Chrislip and her heirs forever. Witness the following signatures.”
The surname spelling on the deed and the aforementioned marriage bond shows that three generations used the Chrislep spelling. George and his sons appear to have been the only line of Jacob and Nancy’s descendants to adopt this spelling.
The year of Mary’s death is unknown. Born ca. 1786, and four years her husband’s junior, she appears in the 1860 census as living alone in Barbour County, at age 74. (The place of her birth in the census was erroneously given as South Carolina.)
It is probable that Mary (Boice) Chrislip was buried in the Crislip Cemetery at Pepper. There is an unmarked grave next to George’s. No gravestone has been found for her elsewhere.
Back to TopChildren of George Chrislep and Mary Bice
Jacob Lloyd Chrislep (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Jacob Christlieb2, George Chrislep3) [151], born 8 June 1809, in German Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania; died 1 July 1857, at age 48 years, 23 days; married Sarah Moury. Jacob died a month after his father made his will. He is buried in the Chrislip Cemetery at Pepper. The 1860 census shows a widow, Sarah Chrislip, living alone in Barbour County, at age 60.
Edith Chrislip (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Jacob Christlieb2, George Chrislep3) [151], born ca. 1811; died 1850-1860; married, August 1834, Willis Wright.
Thomas B. Chrislip (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Jacob Christlieb2, George Chrislep3) [152], born May 15, 1813, in Pepper (Brushy Fork), Harrison County, Virginia; died May 8, 1897, at age 84; married 29 September 1836, Camilla “Millie” Wilson, born 16 October 1811; died 24 October 1866, aged 55 years, 8 days. Camilla was the daughter of Thomas Wesley Wilson and Mary J. Hartley of Monongalia County. Over the course of their 30-year marriage, Thomas and Camilla had seven sons and five daughters. After Camilla’s death, Thomas B. married Elizabeth George, daughter of John and Elizabeth George. The 1870 census shows his wife listed as Elizabeth, age 43. Residing in their home were Abram A. Chrislip, age 19 and Jacob L. Chrislip, age 16.
