Jacob Light was born probably in Caernarvon Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 10 Aug 1757,[1] the son of John[2] and Catherine (–?–) Light. He died New Richmond, Clermont County, Ohio, 13 May 1831.[3]
He was married possibly in Westmoreland Co PA about 1782 to Catherine Harmon, possibly one of two Catherine Harmons known to have been in Westmoreland Co PA. Caty (Harmon) Light was born 16 Mar 1764 and died in New Richmond 21 Jul 1833.[4] DNA evidence says she was the daughter of Christian Harmon and his wife Christina Magdalena Lenhard.
Jacob Light served in the Revolutionary War.[5] Sometime after the war he moved probably to Berkeley Co VA [later WV] and then to Detroit. In 1785, a Jacob Light signed a petition addressed to the President of the United States Congress, “Petition of Inhabitants West of the Ohio River.”[6] He founded the town of New Richmond, Ohio, and survived an Indian attack on the Ohio River.[7]
By at least 1802 he was settled in New Richmond, where he lived for the rest of his life.[8] His father and the family of his brother Daniel also settled in Clermont Co OH.
In 1820, eight[9] of his children were still at home: Clermont Co OH, p 34: Jacob Light, 11302/11111. In 1830 the family was in New Richmond Twp, Clermont Co OH, p 213. Jacob Light, 0100000001…/001000101…
Jacob and Caty had the following children:
1. Elizabeth LIGHT. Born on 23 Apr 1783 in PA, Elizabeth died in Edgar Co IL, on 7 Sep 1858. On 15 Feb 1806, she married Hugh RANKIN in Clermont Co OH. Born ca 1780, Hugh died bef 1850; he was 70. Elizabeth was in Edgar Co IL in the 1850 census, in the household of her brother David.
2. Mary LIGHT. Born on 18 Apr 1785 in Mingo Bottom, Northwest Territory [now Brooke Co WV], Mary died in Ohio Co IN or Dearborn Co IN, on 10 Apr 1859. She married William DORREL, and they had the following children:
i. Jacob (1801-)
ii. Nancy (1802-)
iii. Catherine (1808-)
iv. Rachel (1809-)
v. Sarah (1811-)
vi. William (1813-)
vii. Daniel (1815-)
viii. Rebecca (1822-)
ix. Hester (1824-)
x. Peter (1827-)
xi. Margaret (1829-)
3. John LIGHT. Born on 6 Feb 1787 near the present city of Detroit MI, John died in New Richmond, Clermont Co OH, on 6 Oct 1872. On 27 Oct 1811, John married Mary CRAWFORD in Clermont Co OH. Born in 1781. Mary died in Clermont Co OH, on 1 Nov 1849. They had the following children:
i. Nancy (1816-)
ii. Catherine (1818-)
iii. Margaret (1821-)
4. Susannah LIGHT. Born on 12 Mar 1789 near present city of Detroit MI, Susannah died in Dearborn, Ohio Co IN, on 17 Oct 1858. She married Timothy CONNER. They had the following children:
i. John (1805-)
ii. Mary (1807-)
iii. Catherine (1808-)
iv. David L (1810-)
v. Daniel (1812-)
vi. Jacob (1813-)
vii. Moses (1815-)
viii. Aaron (1817-)
ix. Timothy (1819-)
x. Elizabeth (1821-)
xi. Nancy (1827-)
5. Daniel LIGHT. Born on 28 Jun 1791 in Ohio, Daniel died in Clermont Co OH, on 22 Jun 1874. On 4 Apr 1812, he first married Rebecca LEWIS in Clermont Co OH. Born on 14 Apr 1789 in PA, Rebecca died in Clermont Co OH, on 22 Jul 1833. They had the following children:
i. George F (1814-1889)
ii. David (1817-1851)
iii. Elizabeth Jane (1819-1901)
iv. Catherine (1821-1840)
v. Andrew C (1823-1853)
On 4 Jan 1835, he second married Cynthia STEWART in Clermont Co IL. Born on 6 Sep 1803. Cynthia died in Clermont Co OH, on 13 Mar 1853. They had no children. On 26 Jun 1856, he third married Susan WOOD in Clermont Co OH. Born on 1 Jan 1806 in KY, Susan died in 1883. They had no children.
6. Catherine LIGHT. Born on 5 Dec 1793 in Clermont Co OH, Catherine died in Coles Co IL, on 11 Sep 1846. On 3 May 1812, Catherine married Samuel RARDIN in Clermont Co OH. Born on 16 Nov 1770 in Elizabeth Port, Allegheny Co PA, Samuel died in Rardin, Morgan Township, Coles Co IL, on 12 Aug 1843. They had the following children:
i. Rebecca (1813-)
ii. Jacob Light (1814-)
iii. Susannah (1816-)
iv. John Hull (1818-)
v. David R (1820-)
vi. Peter C (1822-)
vii. Nancy (1824-)
viii. Harriett (1826-)
ix. Julia Ann (1828-)
x. Benjamin Franklin (1832-)
xi. George Washington (1836-)
7. Samuel LIGHT. Born on 31 Mar 1796, Samuel died in 1797.
8. Jacob LIGHT. Born on 8 Apr 1798 in New Richmond, Clermont Co OH, Jacob died there on 20 Aug 1870. Jacob married Elizabeth LIGHT, daughter of Daniel LIGHT & Susannah STEWART. Born on 25 Apr 1803 in Clermont Co OH, Elizabeth died in Clermont Co OH, on 9 May 1879. They had the following children:
i. William Henry (1822-1886)
ii. Nelson A (1824-1876)
iii. Mary Jane (1825-)
iv. Maria (1827-)
v. Malinda (1829-1891)
vi. Lavinia (1831-1863)
vii. Lucinda (1833-)
viii. Susannah (1834-1850)
ix. Katherine (1836-1908)
x. Cynthia (1839-)
xi. David B (1841-1863)
xii. James B (1843-1924)
xiii. Amanda (1845-1914)
9. David LIGHT. Born on 5 Sep 1800 in Clermont Co OH. David died in Edgar Co IL, on 16 Sep 1888 and was buried in Mt Carmel IL. 1830 census: Clermont Co OH, Washington Twp, p 242: David Light, 30011/01002. 1840 census: Edgar Co IL, p 77. David Light, 113001/0101. 1850 census: Edgar Co IL District 19, page 170B, lines 16-22. 1860 census: Edgar Co IL, Brouillets Twp, p 741. 1870 census: Edgar Co IL, Logan Twp, p 13, 206-179. 1880 census: Edgar Co IL, SW Paris Twp, p 195. On 6 Dec 1821, he first married Harriet DICKINSON, daughter of David DICKINSON & Anna GILBERT, in Clermont Co OH. Born on 20 Nov 1802 in Wyoming, Ontario Co NY. Harriet died in Edgar Co IL, on 26 Jan 1873. They had the following children:
i. Charlotte (1822-1891)
ii. Charles Dickinson (Died as Infant) (1824-1824)
iii. Benjamin Franklin (1826-1873)
iv. Oliver Perry (1828-1904)
v. Reuben Spencer (1830-1904)
vi. Catherine Ann (1832-1926)
vii. Samuel Henry (1834-1914)
viii. William Wallace (1836-1917)
On 12 Nov 1874 when David was 74, he second married Rebecca (TABOR) SCOTT in Edgar Co IL. Born on 4 Feb 1803 in Cabell Co VA [now WV], Rebecca died in Scottland, Prairie Twp, Edgar Co IL, on 7 Feb 1886. She was the mother-in-law of David’s daughter Charlotte.
10. Peter LIGHT. Born on 10 Feb 1803 in New Richmond, Clermont Co OH, Peter died in the same county, on 3 Jun 1880. On 1 Dec 1828, Peter married Hepsibah WHITNEY in Clermont Co OH. Born on 3 May 1805, Hepsibah died in Clermont Co, on 24 Jan 1851. They had the following children:
i. Ruth (1835-)
ii. Harriet Ellen (1840-)
iii. Jacob (1844-)
11. Benjamin LIGHT. Born on 26 May 1805 in New Richmond OH, Benjamin died in Clermont Co OH, on 31 Jul 1874. On 11 Jan 1830, he first married Elmira BONNEY in Clermont Co IL. Born in 1810 in CT, Elmira died in 1854. They had the following children:
i. Catherine (1831-)
ii. Frances Ann (1832-)
iii. John Wesley (1836-)
On 20 Jun 1855, he second married Mary LEWIS in Clermont Co IL. Born in 1815, Mary died in Clermont Co OH, in 1862. They had the following children:
i. Andrew Allison (1856-)
ii. Benjamin (Died as Infant) (1859-1860)
On 11 Nov 1863, Benjamin third married Esther CRANE in Clermont Co IL. She was born in 1820.
Jacob’s Revolutionary War service has been approved by the NSDAR.[10]
©2008, Kathy Alvis Patterson
[2] OP Light papers. In 1966, my grandmother obtained from her sister O. P. Light’s hand-written family records, which I copied and returned. These papers have since disappeared, probably thrown away by my great-aunt’s daughters when she gave up housekeeping. These papers provided dates and several generations of the Light, Prather and Veach families. There was nothing on the Dickinsons but the name and dates of Harriet Dickinson. The Lights he listed are exactly as later research has proven his family to be.
[3] Jacob Light will (1831), Clermont Co OH Will Book D, 164. SearchLight I: II: 2, copies a deed record naming his heirs, including David and Harriet Light. Extracted by Bertha Minnick: “To his wife, 40 acres New Richmond, river front; after her death, it goes to his daughter Betsy Rankin and son Benjamin Light, to share and share alike. To his three oldest sons, John, Daniel, and Jacob, each $1000.00 one month after his death. To his son David, 150 acres, to his son Peter, New Richmond, 100 acres, to his son, John Light, Benjamin Light, 100 acres, Betsy Rankin, 100 acres, this off the same tract of land as above. Mary Dorrel and Susannah Conner, $500.00 each. Caty Hardin tract of land his son-in-law Samuel Hardin now living on in the State of Kentucky opposite New Richmond, Ohio. To his four grandsons, being the sons of Caty Hardin, Jacob, John, david and Peter Hardin, all of his lands laying and being in the State of Kentucky, supposed to be 100 acres. All of his town property in the town of New Richmond, Ohio, to be sold and divided between all of his heirs. His two sons Peter and David Light and his brother Daniel executors of his last will and testament. His will made 19 Mar 1831.”
[4] http://www.rootsweb.com/~7Eohclecgs/cemeteries/oldtown/original_inscriptions.gif Clermont Co OH genweb, died of cholera.
[6] Ohio in the time of the confederation. Marietta, Ohio: Marietta Historical Commission, 1918, p 106.
[8] Clermont Co Pioneers 1798-1812: 1802 census, election 1804, 1806, 1802 deed, office holder. “River Town, the Story of New Richmond,” written for the New Richmond OH Sesquicentennial. “Davis Caps Marker to New Richmond’s Founder,” Clermont Co Courier, 9 Jun 1966. “New Richmond Founded by Pennsylvania Pioneer,” Cincinnati [unidentified newspaper], Oct 1975.
Alvispat's Weblog 
Thank you for this post. My grandfather was a descendant–Ezra Lawrence Light.