When I started the quest for my Voshell roots, my project was to focus on my direct line. I quickly found that the different branches of the Voshell family used and reused only a few given names (a common practice). I’ve had to gather much detail in order to separate the various Williams, James, Johns, etc. Therefore, the project has taken on new dimensions getting the family groups identified. This Voshell identification project is nowhere complete. In the surname file, you will find several family groups that seem independent. This is not the case. It is just that the connection into the larger picture is not clear. Rather than making a determination that is not correct or merely a speculation, I have chosen to keep them a separate group until more information can be found to connect them correctly.
In my research at the DE Archives, I have come across as many stories, theories, and family lore as there are ways to spell the name Voshell. In this article, I will try to use the variations on the Voshell name as it appears in the documents.
Most of the first time family researchers at the Delaware Archives are directed to a microfiche file called the "Turner File." Rev. Joseph Brown Turner was a researcher who accumulated a vast collection of information on the early families in Delaware in the 1900’s. He compiled family interviews and extensive notes on the probate records and deeds, which were later donated to the Delaware Archives. The archivists recommend the Turner file as starting place but to search the actual documents for verification. There are many inaccuracies in Turner’s notes. Some of his speculations on family ties do not hold up against actual documents. The family interviews are the most interesting, along with letters and notes to the Reverend about his research. I found a wealth of information on the Voshell family in these files.
The first story about this family is that the Voshells are of French descent. They became a part of the great Huguenot Palatine migration from France to Germany, England, NY and finally to DE.
Henry Z. Jones, Jr. in his book The Palatine Families of New York published in 1985, documents that Aúgustÿn Bugsspúl (Augustine Vossel) his wife and 7 children, were on Capt. Duk's ship in the 4th party of Palatines in Holland in 1709 (Rotterdam Lists). An Augustin Buchsel age 50, his wife, sons aged 25, 22, 20, 16, 12, 8, and 1, Ref., carpenter, were in the 4th arrivals in England later that year (London Lists). Augustine left England around 1710 with children and a wife arriving at the "West Camp" now New Paltz, NY. His family is documented in several inventories of the West Camp in the years 1710 though 1712. The configuration of the family group varies as to how many children were still alive. The family numbers only four when the records in NY lose contact with them. This is probably do to physical hardships, both in the crossing and living conditions at the New York settlement.
Another Bugsspúl named Peter, a wife and a child are accounted for in the same lists as Augustine. Some have speculated that this Peter was either a son or a brother to Augustine.
In Henry Z. Jones, Jr. book (page 1116) shows "The children of Augustin Woshel/Voschel were:
1) Peter Anthony (HJ), Hunter's list #832
2) Francis
3) Obediah
4?) James
5?) Levi"
Augustine Vossel shows up in Delaware in 1716 receiving 100 acres of land. Peter Vossel is granted 200 acres in 1717 and Francis 200 acres in 1716. Obediah witnesses a deed for Levi in 1728.
I have not been able to find one document from this era that shows the names of Augustine’s family. Peter, Francis, and Obediah Vowshall show up together on a deed in 1729 dividing the land originally warranted in 1716 to Francis now deceased. Peter is named as the eldest brother and Obediah the youngest brother. There is also a Kathryn Vowshall signature, presumably the widow of Francis. No children are mentioned, and I have found no orphan court file for Francis Voshall.
It seems quite likely that Augustine Vossel is the progenitor of the Voshell family in the Delaware area, however, there is much more to the offspring of this progenitor. That information can be found in the notes of those individuals in the surname lists, and in future articles in this website.
The next major story on the origins of the family has two variations. The first is "Three Brothers" came from France and settled in Delaware. The second is "Three Brothers" came from France with Lafayette and stayed after the American Revolution. There are also variation in the sets of names. One group includes Daniel, James, and William. Another grouping is William, Levi, and Daniel.
The first set of names for these three siblings appears in the 1889 Runk’s, History of Delaware: "In the first part of the eighteenth century three Voshell brothers, Daniel, James, and William, left France and came to America. They chose Kent County Del., as their home and took up land there. Daniel elected to live in West Dover hundred, James began farming the tract on which the Kent county almshouse is now located and William went to Jones Neck."
Deed records show that James started to buy land in 1733. Daniel appears on a deed in 1748. The first William shows up on the back of a survey deed done for Peter Vosheel in 1722 . The survey is folded and "Wm. Voshal" is written on the outside. William is not mentioned in the deed text. (More on William later)
The other version transcribed from Family oral histories in the Turner Files has the three brothers coming over with Lafayette. This connection is not likely since Lafayette did not come until 1776 and again in 1780. The names of William, Daniel, and James are recorded in Deed transfers long before these dates. (The Lafayette story may be embellishment. When Lafayette made his grand tour of America in the 1800’s, everyone wanted to be connected to this French hero. This would have been a good time for the family to embellish.)
There was one Vosselle, infantry officer; wounded at the naval battle off Santa Lucia the 19th of May 1780. However, he sees to have no direct connection to the Voshells in Delaware.
It seems likely that the "Three Brothers" joined Augustine’s family from France before Lafayette. The question is: Where do the Three Brothers fit into the family? They could be sons of a relative in France, or the sons of Augustine, or the sons of Obediah SR. Having better dates on these three names would help clarify my speculations.
Turner puts forth many lineage drawings for the Voshell family. One set of has most of the Voshells descended from Peter (on the original passage from England) and Susannah Voshel his second wife. Peter died in 1732 and Susanna died one year later. This seems to be unlikely because there was not enough time to father all the children listed for this couple. It appears that most of the branches get started from Obediah SR., son of Augustine.
I found three interesting sightings of the name "Augustine Voshall." The first is in 1752. Augustine witnessed the will of Jane Moore (a neighbor of John Voshall, son of Obediah SR). If this were the progenitor Augustine, he would have been ninety-two years old. It’s not unheard of living to that age in that era, but quite a feat.
Augustine appears again in Benjamin Goodwin’s Probate, 1773. This probate’s inventory, done by Obediah Voshall, listed "Desperate note of Augustine Voshall" due to the estate of Benjamin Goodwin. Could this be a very old debt? Most estates were settled at the time of death. (The progenitor Augustine would have been one hundred and thirteen years old. Not likely. Could another Augustine have been born to the family? By which father?)
The connection of the Voshall family to the Goodwin family is found in the Orphan Case files for Joseph Voshall. A petition of Joseph Voshall, a minor, was filed on Oct 7, 1769 may give a lead. "That whereas Moses Goodwin, Uncle to your petitioner and late of Baltimore County in the providence of Maryland now decd. was in his life time possessed of personal Estate and died interstate without issue; and whereas it appears that by a distribution of one half of said Estate among the brothers and sisters of the said decd. that the quota of each amount to the sum of fifty nine pounds; and Sarah, one of the Sisters who was a former Wife to Obediah Voshall, and mother to your petitioner, having left issue eight children and £59 equally divided among her issue of quota of each amount £7:7:6 and your petitioner being desirous to call his quota out of the hands of the Widow and Adm. of the said Moses Goodwin decd. which he is not able to do yet because of his Minority, he therefore prays that your worship would be pleased to appoint his Brother John Voshall to be guardian for him for the purpose of afor said and your petitioner as in duty beseech pray."
This leads one to assume that Obediah Sr. (son of progenitor Augustine) married Sarah Goodwin (first wife) and had eight children. Only the names of John, Obadiah, Mary, Elizabeth, and Joseph are mentioned in Obediah’s will in 1778. It is possible that Augustine was one of the three younger siblings not actually named in the will.
The third sighting of the name Augustine Voshall appears in Maryland. Two petitions are signed Augustine Voshall and another with Augustine Voshell. They are in reference to the inhabitants of "My Ladies Manor", Baltimore. There was a dispute between the heirs of Thomas Breerwood and the tenants that had leased the land. Apparently, this Augustine was one of the tenants. The petition was signed in 1782 near Baltimore. (There is a "Rachal Goodin widow" also on the list.) Moses Goodwin, the uncle of Joseph Voshal in Delaware died near Baltimore.
It is likely this Maryland Augustine is not the progenitor of the family in Delaware but an offspring. The second Augustine could have left Delaware, worked for his Uncle Moses near Baltimore, and then on his own. The "desperate note" mentioned in the Benjamin Goodwin Probate 1773 could also be attributed to a younger Augustine. More investigation on these MD connections is warranted.
One last theory on the parents of this second Augustine is that he is the son of Peter and Susannah Voshell. There is an orphan court case file administered by Miles Goforth, the brother of Susannah. No child’s name appears in the document just that the administration in Orphan Court takes place in 1733. If there were a child named Augustine from this union, he would have been approximately fifty in 1782.
There is extensive family documentation done on the William Voshell line from the Cordova, MD area. Tom Voshell (tvoshell@bellatlantic.net) from New Jersey is the leading expert on this particular line. He is a direct descendent and has been generous in giving his family's information for this web site.
One of his great aunts, Ruth Estelle Voshell, did much research on the early Voshell roots at the DE Archives and ran into the Three Brothers story. She could trace her family back to a progenitor, William, from the family's own records. It can easily be assumed that the William Voshell line that settled in MD is the same William of the Three Brothers story found at the DE Archives. For lack of a better connection, let us assume this is correct for now.
More research in the MD Archives may help in establishing William's connection to France or to Augustine. Since that is the ultimate goal, we can use the story of the Three Brothers to help distinguish these separate progenitors.
Robert J. Voshell (RJVJAV@aol.com) has researched another distinct line. Robert's family is chronicled in the History of the State of Delaware by J. M. Runk published in 1899. This biographical sketch of Daniel Voshell starts with the paragraph:
"First part of 18th century three Voshell brothers Daniel, James, and William left France and came to America. They chose Kent county DE as their home and took up land there. Daniel elected to live in West Dover hundred. He had several children. He died on his farm and was buried there. He and his family were members of the M. E. church."
Deed research shows that Daniel Voshell, and his direct descendent, John Delaney Voshell, owned the land next to Thomas Chapel, Westville, DE. The connection to this particular area is very important. Since the earliest Voshell deeds of Augustine and Obediah are also in this area, one could assume that this Daniel line is the most likely to be connected to the Augustine line.
However, for now, we will identify this Daniel line as a part of the Three Brothers Story. Further research in the deeds and investigation of the clues in Scharf's History of Delaware 1607-1888 could lead to a connection to this Daniel line.
For the sake of the Three Brothers Story, James Voshell is the third brother. The information presented in my surname file is all that has been discovered. One note on this line is that James donated land for the Almshouse in Kent Co. There is no deed record of this transfer. The area west of Dover is where this particular James line settled. Further research could connect this James into the Augustine group.
It is hard for me to imagine three young men, walking arm in arm down a ship's gangplank in the New World, all at the same time. While this picture is not totally impossible, it is more likely that the family story was compressed to cover a longer time frame. The "Three Brothers Story" could be a type of short hand in telling the oldest part of the family history. The timeline on the deed research shows that the names of these progenitors show up at different times. It is quite possible that the "three brothers" are related to Augustine either as direct descendants or by blood in France. The fact that the family settled in the same area leads one to believe they were related.
Henry Z. Jones’s book is the first place I found that Obediah Voshall is the son of Augustine. I have only seen the two names connected on the Benjamin Goodwin probate. This is not the strongest proof of family connection. The only other place the names are connected is in the Turner file as his speculation. However, there are indications that this is a family connection based on the merits of logic. In the deed research, this branch of the family was well established in the "Forest of Murderkill" just west of Dover on the old Horsehead road near Westville. As I traced the deed transfers and probates though the Kent County courts, a pattern of marriage and inheritance developed for this small community. The neighbors of Goodwins, Freeman, Gooden, and Dulaney married into the family and created quite a dynasty. Even on the Maps of 1868, the Voshell farms are clustered in this area. I am hoping to investigate the Thomas Chapel Church records later to see if they will offer firmer family connections.
One of the best records for this family is in the Kent County Orphan Court records for Hannah (Freeman) Voshal the second wife of Obadiah Jr. She died around the year 1830. Her Orphan File has extensive petitions that describe the names and relationships of this large family of twelve. Subsequent court battles over the land and inheritances confirm these relationships on those documents.
This file is (what I believe to be) the link of my g-g-grandfather, William Voshell, to this long line of Augustine. Runk’s article on William H. Voshell (brother to my great grandfather) mentions the fact that his father William Voshell was orphaned at an early age and bound out to a farmer at a young age. The Hannah Voshall’s orphan file has the only lead to this fact I have found at the Archives. There is a William Voshall at age 18 who went to live and presumably work for a Jesse Montague after the death of his g-grandmother Hannah. The age seems to be correct. William in the orphan file was one of four children for Daniel Voshall (died abt 1827) and Nancy Ann Smith.
At the present time, the most logical identification of my g-g-grandfather William, is this William in the Hannah Orphan File. I am still searching for a second confirmation of his siblings though obituaries, and church and bible record. I am also trying to identify all the William Voshells in a process of elimination to make sure this is the correct connection.
This era is confusing enough as any one who has done research on their families can attest. The naming of children is perplexing and the fact that the family only used five or so names over and over leads research around in circles trying to guess which Wm., Daniel or James these documents refer to. There are many more questions on the early start of the Voshell family in Delaware and Maryland. More research needs to be done.