Michael Wiland and Family

The parents of Michael Wiland are currently unknown. His wife was Christina but her last name is not known. It is possible that she is the Christina Geiger that married a Michael Wyland in the First Reformed Church of Lancaster Pennsylvania on 27 Nov 1773 (this church had a congregation of German, Swiss, and French settlers and was established as the German Reformed Church in 1736). However, there is currently no proof that Michael Wiland's wife is this Christina Geiger.

As early as 1778, Michael was living at Antrim Township in Franklin County (part of Cumberland County at that time), Pennsylvania. He shows up on the Antrim tax rolls in 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, and 1782. In 1782, Michael served as Private in Cumberland County Militia, Second Class, First Battalion, Sixth Company. His daughter Christina was also born that year. On May 10, 1783, Michael purchased 150 acres known as "Antrim Plantation" in Hamilton Township (just north of Antrim Township) from John Thomson (part of an original warrant issued to David Brigham on June 3, 1762). The rest of Michael's known children were born on this farm. On July 23, 1787, Michael purchased 100 acres from Paul Barnet, and on Dec 16, 1789, he patented the original 150 acres which he had purchased from John Thomson in 1783.

Michael owned and operated a grist mill on his property. Several accounts have been written concerning the origins and location of this mill, much of which is incorrect. The mill and mill dam were probably built by Michael in 1783 or shortly thereafter and were located on the original 150 acres. The mill was a log structure and for years the machinery inside operated to convert wheat into flours for farmers miles around. The farm and the mill remained in the family for almost a century until Michael's grandson sold it in 1872.

The 1790 census shows the Michael Whylen [sic] household with four males over age 16, three males under age 16, and three females. In 1817, two deeds dated June 14 convey the property of Michael and his wife Christina (both having died intestate), that property then being held jointly by all of their children. The deed indicates that Michael died sometime before Apr 19 1794. Christina must have died sometime before or in 1817. Total land holdings are essentially split between the sons John Wiland and Christian Wiland. John gets the 100 acres purchased from Paul Barnet, 43 acres of the original "Antrim" patent (which includes the mill), and 13 acres purchased from Thomas Chestnut. Christian gets 96 acres of the original "Antrim" patent (which includes the mill dam). After Christian died (sometime before or in 1829), his brother John Wiland bought the 96 acres of the original "Antrim" patent from Christian's heirs and reunited the original "Antrim" patent land. John's son Jacob is bequethed the land after John dies in 1861.

Michael and Christina had at least six children that grew to adulthood according to the 1817 deed: Elizabeth, Christina, John, Christian, Susanna, and Nancy. The year and order in which Elizabeth, Nancy, and Christian were born is unknown. It is known that Christian is younger than his brother John and therefore born after 1786. There could have been other children that died before adulthood and some that grew to adulthood but died before the 1817 will. In fact, this seems likely. The source for the known six children is the 1817 deed.

The 1790 census numbers viewed in conjunction with the heirs mentioned in the 1817 deed implies that four male children may have died between 1790 and 1817 although the census figures may have included males that were not part of the immediate Wiland family. A 1792 petition relating to a land dispute by John Deeds gives Christly Wiland as the administrator of Michael Wiland estate. This might have been an older son that died before 1817, a brother to Michael, or a shortened version of the name of Michael's wife Christina. If there were other male children, they were not metioned in the deed possibly because they had died or their whereabouts were unknown.

Of the six children of Michael and Christina, we only have detailed information on the descendents of John Wiland and Susanna Wiland (Coble). There is currently no information on whether Elizabeth Wiland (Jones)or Nancy Wiland (Coble) had any children. There is also no information on what happened to the four children of Chistian Wiland or the three children of Christina Wiland (Maxheimer).

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