Johan Sabastian Klein 1743-1788 (1000010)

Johan Sebastian "Bostian" Klein Jr. was the son of Johan Sebastian Klein Sr. and Susan Christina Elizabeth Bieber of Postroff, Alsace, Germany. He was naturalized as an American citizen with his father on 16 Jul 1755 in North Carolina, which suggests that he was probably born before his parents came to America in 1739, though probably only shortly before. So, he was born in Postroff and migrated with his family to Pennsylvania. Since he was the only child needing to be naturalized, he must have been the eldest child of his parents.

Bastian and his family traveled from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Lincoln County, North Carolina.

Bostian grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. When he was a young teen, he relocated with his family to Lincoln County, North Carolina. They would have made the trek on foot, with their belongings in a wagon pulled by oxen. Since much of their community relocated with them, they would have had help along the way to clear any sections of road that could not accommodate a wagon. The road through Virginia would have been well trodden by the time they traveled it, but much of the North Carolina road would have had to be created as they traveled, since they were the first settlers to arrive in the Catawba River valley. Before their arrival, only trappers and Native Americans had traveled through the area.

When he was in his early twenties (about 1760), Bostian married Margaret Ramsauer, a daughter of Derrick Ramsauer and Kadrina Heil, in what was then Rowan County, North Carolina.

Children of Johann Sabastian Klein Jr. and Margaret Ramsauer:

1) Samuel Klein b. bet 1760-1765 Rowan, NC; d. 1789 Lincoln, NC

2) Katherine Klein b. 1768 Rowan, NC; d. 10 Jun 1820 Lincolnton, Lincoln, NC

3) Daniel Klein b. 1770 Rowan, NC; d. 1794 Lincoln, NC

4) William Klein b. 1775 Rowan, NC; d. Aft. 1840 Lincoln, NC

5) David Klein b. 1776 Rowan, NC; d. 20 Dec 1828 Cleveland, NC

Bostian Cline Jr. appears in the 1768 Rowan County tax list with his father, Bostian Cline Sr., and his brothers Christopher and John Cline. He participated in road projects in 1767, 1769 and 1771 in Rowan County. In September of 1770 Derrick Ramsour deeded 200 acres of land in Tryon County,  in an area that would later become Lincoln County NC, to Bostian Kline. This was the same day that Derrick Ramsour deeded land to his other son-in-law, Jacob Carpenter.

pp 281-283 26 & 27 Sept 1770, Derrick Ramsoeur of Tryon Co., to Bostian Cline of same, for (lease s5, release L 50 proc. money)…land on S fork Cataba, part of a larger tract, granted to Peter Broyal, 3 Sept 1753, conveyed to sd. Ramseur by sd. Broyal, 3 Jun 1758, estimated 200 A…Derrick Ramsour (X) (Seal), Wit: Will Reed, Jacob Ramseur, James Huston. Proven Oct. term 1770.

pp 283-285: 26 & 27 Sept 1770, Derrick Ramseur of Tryon Co., to Jacob Carpenter of same, (lease s5, release L 50 proc. money)…land on S fork Cataba, granted to Peter Broyal, 3 Sept 1753…Derick Ramseur (X) (Seal), Wit: Jacob Ramseour, Will Reed, James Huston. Rec. Oct term 1770

Less than a year later, Bostian and his wife Margaret sold the 200 acres to Jacob Carpenter. I suspect that they were having money difficulties. This may be the cause of the marriage troubles that led to Bostian's undoing. About the year 1773, Sebastian abandoned his young family, and ran away to Georgia with Hannah Fry Burns, a married woman with children of her own.

Bostian ran off to Richmond, Georgia where he probably served in the Revolutionary War.

Court records document the anger of those left behind to pick up the pieces of two broken families:

"To the worship Court belonging to Tryon County. Hoping you will be serious spectators and judge the character of Bostian Cline, Jr., of Rowan County. Where we the undersigned subscribers will with much veracity endeavors to inform you as if thou were upon qualifications, whereas divers oathes and information hath made to Captain Blackburn when he was in the commission of the peace, setting forth, that the said Bostian Cline, Jr., a vagrant Jude [Lude] fellow, several times feloniously took away and seduced the wife of Conrad Burns from him, the lawfull wedded husband, and with her, carried off divers goods and chattalls, the property of said Burns. The said Cline, himself, has a lawfull wedded wife and a family of small children. There is no stop or premade in reguard to their malignant carried practices, but still hankering after that lewde woman, said Burns wife, and makes no industry for a living to support his small comers at home. Said Cline has run off with Burns' wife into Georgia Province and left his own poor distressed family to vindicate their own course as well as they could, and staying with said lewde woman between one and two years. During that time she became pregnant with child, which he, the said Cline, had one Bastard child with her before he had the instigation or motive of breaking the bonds of matrimony between Burns and his wife and himself and his wife. We humble petition, Gentlemen, that you will circumspect students in relation to the whole above written for such practice and carrying on must of consequince be pernidious and malignant in the sight of God, and you yourselves may be the judge what it is in the sight of man. Given under our hands this 10th day of October 1775. Witness Ch. Beckman, Peter Moll, Frances Palmer, [illegible German name] and Rudolph Conrad." [Pasted from <http://carolinagenealogy.org/all/pafg2379.htm> ]

It is likely that Bostian enlisted to serve in the Revolutionary War. He signed a petition in Georgia to the Continental Congress seeking removal of a General Mcintosh as an incompetent officer. Since General Mcintosh was from Savannah Georgia, it is likely that this is where Bostian was staying. This shows that Bostian had gone to Georgia, and that he enlisted there to serve in the war.  Perhaps he joined the military in order to support his new family.

Hannah returned to NC in 1787 with a ten year old son, and some believe a toddler daughter as well, but no Bostian. He probably died about this time, because no subsequent records have been discovered for him.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

John Olphant's List of Taxables Rowan County, NC, NC 1768: Bostian Cline and John, 2 tithables; Stuffle Cline 1 tithe; Bostian Cline Jr. 1 tithe.

"Boston Jr. also appears in several court records as he is assigned to road projects in 1767, 1769 and 1771 in Rowan county. Boston Cline Jr is deeded 200 acres on Clarks Creek by Derrick Ramsour in September 1770 in Tryon county during the brief period that it existed (1769 to 1779) and included the area that would become Lincoln county. On June 6, 1771, this 200 acres is sold to Jacob Carpenter by Boston Cline Jr. and his wife Margaret. Boston Jr. is appointed as a local constable in 1772.

"Boston Jr's wife, Margaret, is most likely the daughter of Derrick Ramsour. On the same date that Derrick deeds the 200 acres to Boston Cline Jr, husband of Margaret, Derrick also deeds 200 acres to Jacob Carpenter, the husband of his daughter Catherine Ramsour. Lorena Eaker (GSP) states that Margaret Ramsour Cline is born 1740-1744 and dies on January 5, 1789 in Lincoln county. This is consistent with the fact that she does not appear in the 1790 North Carolina census." [From Derick S. Hartshorn III website on the Cline family: http://www.ncgenweb.us/catawba/Cline/b355.htm]

"Rowan County NC Court Records show that Sebastian Cline [? Sr.] naturalized 16 Jul. 1755 and Sebastian Cline, Jr. is naturalized 16 Jul. 1775 [This is probably a typo, since other sources give this date as the same as his father's], lending strength to the theory that Sebastian m. in Alsace and that Sebastian, Jr. was born there or on the way to America. He is the only apparent child of Sebastian to appear in naturalization records." [German Speaking People West of the Catawba River in NC 1750-1800 by Lorena Shell Eaker]

"'Boston [Sr.] receives another Granville deed on May 10, 1762 for 598 acres on Clarks Creek, in current day Catawba county. This land is adjacent to a 693-acre grant of same date to Mathias Beaver (Bieber, in German), Boston's brother-in-law (or father-in-law according to some researchers). On March 29, 1764 Boston [Sr.] and his wife Elizabeth sell half of their Elk Creek land to George Smith with the deed witnessed by their son Boston Cline Jr. The other half of this Elk Creek land is sold to George Pope in November 1771." [German Speaking People West of the Catawba River in NC 1750-1800 by Lorena Shell Eaker]

Derick Hartshorn gives the following information on Bostian's removal to Georgia:

"A court petition filed in October 1774 against Boston Cline Jr. reveals that he has abandoned his wife and family of small children and has "run off to Georgia" with Hannah Fry Burns, wife of Conrad Burns. One record is found in Richmond county, Georgia in 1777, wherein Boston Jr. signs a petition to the Continental Congress seeking removal of a General Mcintosh as an incompetent officer.

Nothing further of Boston Jr's life and death in Georgia has yet been found. However, Lincoln county court records in 1787 and 1788 document Hannah Fry Burns' return to Lincoln county with a son Jacob Cline Burns, born in 1777. GSP notes that Boston Jr and Hannah Fry Burns also have a daughter Elizabeth, born 1785-1786. Elizabeth's subsequent fate is unknown.

"It is assumed that Boston Jr. dies in Georgia prior to 1790, since he does not appear in any of the surviving 1790 Georgia tax lists. Perhaps Hannah Burns returned to Lincoln county in 1787, due to Boston Jr's death. Hannah Burns is found in Lincoln county court records in 1795 with an abuse complaint against her brother's wife for abusing her son Jacob Burns, and in 1799 contesting being disowned in her father's 1784 will.

"Sebastian, Jr. appears in the records many times. Nicholas Fry disinherits his daughter, Hannah Fry Burns, for deserting her husband Conrad Burns and going to Georgia with Sebastian Cline, Jr.

"Hannah returns to Lincoln County, NC ca 1788 with her two illegitimate children, Jacob b. 1777 and Elizabeth b. 1785-6 and they appear in Lincoln County, NC records. Jacob is often referred to as Jacob Burns/alias Cline. What happened to Elizabeth is not known but Hannah, d. ca 1818, in Lincoln County.

"It must be noted that in the Sebastian Cline family history, Ciscero Cline does not recognize the existence of Boston Cline Jr. and attributes his wife Margaret, as well as his children, to be those of Boston Jr's brother, Christopher Cline. It is certainly understandable that the remaining Sebastian Cline family and descendants would not treasure the memory of this Boston Jr who abandoned his family and that they would not speak of him to the younger and succeeding generations. Therefore, by the time that Ciscero Cline is writing (1910-1915), he and his family of history contributors have no recollection of Boston Jr. They probably remembered only Boston Jr's abandoned children and had come to believe that they belonged to Christopher Cline. This association is natural because Christopher was the only other son of Boston Cline old enough to have fathered these children."

Pasted from <http://www.ncgenweb.us/catawba/Cline/b355.htm>