32ND GENERATION

3817. Sampson BABB was born in 1741 in W Cain Twp Chester Pa. He died on 28 Oct 1815. Sometime during the last decade of the eighteenth century, Samson Babb found his way up Pine Creek and settled on a tributary of that stream. The territory then belonged to the county of Northumberland, and it was exceedingly wild and forbidding . There were no white settlers for many miles. The country was mountainous and broken. The stream on which he settled came to be known as Babb's creek, out of respect to him who had the courage to brave the terrors of the wilderness and pitch a ca bin in its depths.

Samson Babb was courageous and bold. He liked solitude. He congratulated himself that he had found a place where he could bury himself from the world. He was then past middle life, but he went to work and cleared a farm. He acquired more land an d soon laid another farm. Near the close of the century he built a rude sawmill and displayed great activity. Lycoming county had been organized and embraced his settlement. In 1804 Tioga county was erected and Samson Babb found himself in Lamar t ownship. He did not mind new-comers, but continued to improve his land. The region was still sufficiently wild to shut him out from the world. About the beginning of the present "19th" century Benjamin Morris and others, who had become intereste d in founding the town of Wellsboro, conceived the idea of building a road through the wilderness from Williamsport to the proposed new town. It was surveyed and pushed through, touching the settlement of Samson Babb. He favored the improvement an d assisted in its construction.

Who was Samson Babb? He came of an old family that once lived in Delaware. His great ancester, Thomas Babb, married Bathsheba Hussey, daughter of John Hussey, near Newcastle, prior to 1700, and lived in Brandywine Hundred. His parents were Peter B abb and Mary Lewis

In 1767 he married , Ann Way, daughter of John and Ann "Hannum" Way . She was born March 23, 1742 and died April 14, 1834 and is buried in the old Kennett Quaker burying grounds.

Samson Babb was brought up in the old Quaker faith, but he was disowned by the Society in 1767 for "Keeping and using a fiddle." It was on that account, it is thought, that he became worldly. On the removal of the county seat "1786" to West Cheste r he became a tavern keeper there for several years. When he left the tavern he made his way to the Pine Creek region and settled in the wilderness.

After more than twenty years of seclusion and hard work Samson Babb died in October, 1815. He left a will, now on record in Tioga county, in which he requested "to be buried in the northwest corner of my garden and walled in." His request was comp lied with, however, his headstone, found in a barn years later, has been erected in the Lewis Cemetery in Morris.

His will, which bears date May 13 1814 directs that his sons, William and Samson, shall serve as executors. They gave bond in $4,000. Provision was made for his wife during her life. His two farms were divided among his sons, who were made executo rs.

He was married to Ann WAY in 1767. Ann WAY was born on 23 Mar 1742 in Kennett. She died on 14 Apr 1834 in Old Kennett Quaker burying grounds. Sampson BABB and Ann WAY had the following children:

+4533 i. Caleb BABB.
+4534 ii. Jacob BABB.
+4535 iii. William BABB.
+4536 iv. Mary BABB.
+4537 v. John BABB.
+4538 vi. Sampson BABB.

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