Theophilus SIMONTON, I b. Abt 1685 Ulster, Ireland d. Abt 1754 Conestoga, Lancaster, PA, USA

Abt 1685 - Abt 1754 (~ 69 years)

Name	Theophilus SIMONTON [1]
Suffix	I
Born	Abt 1685	Ulster, Ireland [1]
Gender	Male
Died	Abt 1754	Conestoga, Lancaster, PA, USA [1]
Buried	Theophilus Simonton Farm, Conestoga, Lancaster, PA, USA [1]
Person ID	I661	Boyd
Last Modified	22 Feb 2015

Family Mary SMITH, b. Abt 1690, Glebe Of Urney, Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland , d. Abt 1765, , Rowan, NC, USA (Age ~ 75 years)

Children

+	1. Theophilus SIMONTON, II, b. Abt 1708, Tyrone, North Ireland , d. 1750, Conestoga, Lancaster, PA, USA (Age ~ 42 years)
	2. Maj Robert SIMONTON, b. 1710, Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland , d. 5 Jun 1788, , Rowan, NC, USA (Age 78 years)
	3. Anne SIMONTON, b. 1712, Ireland , d. 1748, , Lancaster, PA, USA (Age 36 years)
	4. William SIMONTON, b. Abt 1716, d. 22 Aug 1811, Statesville, Iredell, NC, USA (Age ~ 95 years)
	5. Mary SIMONTON, b. Abt 1718
	6. Magdelene SIMONTON, b. Abt 1720

Last Modified 10 Nov 2007

Family ID F477 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Event Map

Born - Abt 1685 - Ulster, Ireland

Died - Abt 1754 - Conestoga, Lancaster, PA, USA

= Link to Google Earth

Notes

It is believed that Theophilus and Wife Mary Smith Simonton came to America
in about 1725 and landed in Lewes Delaware. They lived in Lewes where
Theophilus apparently worked with Mary's brother Archibald Smith.
Mary Smith Simonton's brother Archibald had settled in Lewes Delaware before
1713 and was a successful merchant. There are a lot of land
transactions on file in Delaware that were recorded by Archibald Smith.
Archibald Smith died in 1729 and left some land to Mary, his sister. It appears
that the Theophilus Simonton family sold this land and since Scotch-Irish
settlers were being welcomed and the possibility of land was available in the
territory of Pennsylvania the family moved to The Conestoga Manor,Township,Lancaster
Co, Penn. In the Court Records of 3 May 1737, Lancaster Co. PA a 51 year old Theophilus Simonton appears on the Tax List. This would make him being born in 1686 which would have been in North Ireland.
Theophilus Simonton came to this country with his entire family and
very possibly, a sister Jane Ann and a brother John. In Delaware records it
appears that Jane Ann Simonton married Robert Frame. John Simonton is shown
as a land owner around this period as well. Theophilus Simonton's children
appeared to be between 1 and 20 years old when they arrived in America. Theophilus is in the New Testament Bible and means "Friend of GOD". Conestoga Manor was established by the Penn Family and in the Manor of 18000 acres there was a 3000 acre area set aside as the Proprietiers and on this area Theophilus Simonton and his children cleared the land and established their Homes. Conestoga Manor was changed to Manor Township, Lancaster Co. PA in 1759 after the Simontons had gone to NC.

Theophilus was a farmer who worked his own land with his family and very
proudly referred to himself as a YEOMAN Farmer which means landowner and a
a person who works the land himself.The oldest child Theophilus II died in
Lancaster Co PA in 1750. In 1751 Tax list of Manor Township, Lancaster Co there
was a Tax of 4s.6d paid proving that Theophilus I was not the person whose
Will Jacket was dated 1750. The other children except for William, married in PA
and then went to Rowan Co NC around 1750-1754 and settled on land that was
available through Granville Land Grants and the Cost was much less than in PA.
After Theophilus Simonton I died in 1754 in Lancaster PA and was buried on his
land in PA, Mary his wife, and his son William, his youngest son and the
"grandchildren" came to Rowan Co. NC. We also believe that Daughter Mary
who married Samuel Thornton in Lancaster Co. PA and Patrick Duffey came with them at this time.
Patrick Duffey was a person who the Senior Theophilus Simonton brought over
from Ireland as he was a close friend of his family Or possibly a brother in Law
and so he worked for The Senior Theophilus in PA. Shortly after son William
came to Rowan Co, he married Mary McKee. Mary, Theophilus Simonton's wife
died in Rowan Co and she is buried in Statesville (Rowan) Iredell Co. Theophilus
Simonton's will was probated in Rowan Co but he died and he was buried in
Lancaster Co PA. He is buried on the land he so loved in a private Cemetery. Today there is a very small stand of trees in the middle of a beautifully tilled field just below where he lived.
Also one daughter, Ann who married Andrew Allison died in Lancaster, PA, USA. and is probably buried with her father as is her brother Theophilus II and wife. Ann's husband and children went to Rowan Co. PA. after Andrew Remarried in PA. Theophilus signed his own will in a very shakey hand and it was spelled "Theophilus Simontoun"
The other Simontons who came to New Jersey, other places in PA, Maine
and Delaware were undoubtedly Cousins or brothers as they all came from
North Ireland. It is possible that they descended from a John Simonton who came
to North Ireland in about 1630 and received 1000 acres in North Ireland during
the "Plantation" of Scots to North Ireland by the English during this time.
It can also be noted that around 1630 a John Symington who was the Baron of Symontoun, lost the Barony because of financial hardship and he sold his assets in Scotland and there was not further record in Scotland of this John. This is the reason it is believed he went to Ireland to start over. Undoubtedly there were numerous other Symingtons in Scotland that had moved to various places in Scotland and prospered.
The Barony of Symons Town was originally granted to Symon Locard (Lockart) in about 1140. This included lands in Ayreshire where there is a Church that is one of the oldest Churches in Scotland and still in use. It is belived that Symon Locard is buried under the Altar of this church. Also included in the Barony was the Town of Symington in Lankashire Scotland and possible as well in Kyle.
The Village of Symon Toun in Lanarkshire was thought to be the center of the Barony. this was lost by the Locard Family descendents in 1290 because the Baron Locard sided with the English King and signed the Ragman Roll. In the War between England and Robert the Bruce, Robert the Bruce won the war and took the barony and gave it to Richard Dixson who assisted the Black Douglas a close ally of Robert the Bruce in his battles. Richard Dixson was a descendent of a the Keith Clan and of the Douglas Clan and when he was awarded the Barony of Symons Toun, he was required to take the name of the Town. Therefore in 1306 the name of Symontoun was first originated. This name has numerous spellings which consist of Symington, Simonton, Symontoun and Simington and Simanton. It is also possible that various land holders before 1290 and after that took the name of the village as that was often a custom as well. An example would be "James" of Symonstoun" which develped as James Symonstoun etc.

Sources
[S10] Find a Grave, 94635232.