General Notes

Occ: Tanner, Farmer
Rel: Protestant
Note: Born name is Johann Adam Rausch, anglicized to John Adam Roush. Born in Meinback Over Maschul, Palatinate- Darnstadt, Germany
Died in New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia
John and Susannah had 9 sons who served in the Revolutionary War. He is buried near Mt. Jackson Va.--History of the Roush [Rausch] Family in America, Volume II, p. 415 says that "nine Roush brothers, Jacob, John, Daniel, Samuel, Henry, Lewis, Michael, George, and Jonas, were soldiers in the Revolution. If so, they were probably in the famous German Regiment of which no roll has been preserved. Public and church records show that these men and their father were living in the vicinity of Solomon's Church and Forestville from 1783 to 1795. Two of them, Jacob and Henry, were enrolled in Capt. John Tipton's company, in 1775. Their father, John Rausch, Sr. died October 19, 1786, and his tombstone may be found in the Old Pine Church graveyard, between Forestville and Rinkerton. " Vol III p 59, the tombstone says: "Anno 1711 Gebohren Johannes Rausch Gestorben Den 19, October 1786" [Translation: The year 1711 Born John Roush Died The 19th October 1786]. It is assumed that his wife Susannah is also buried there.
Johann Adam Rausch Americanized his name upon arrival in the Americas in 1736, and from that point on, he is known as John Adam Roush.
John Adam sailed for America, by way of Rotterdam on the Brigantine John of Perthamboy with Master George Frazer, arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 19, 1736. Upon arrival he immediately went to the Philadelphia court house and subscribed to the "Oaths of the Government". Taking the oath with John, was a fellow passenger, Johannes Sehler. It is believed that he was the father of Susannah, whom John married.
Also sailing to America with John, were 110 fellow Palatinates. German History reveals that there were two Palatinate states. The upper, known as the Bavarian Palatinate and the lower, known as the Rheinish Palatinate. Wars like the "30 year war", (1618-1648) and war with the Spanish Netherlands which was called the "Spanish War of Succession" (1701-1713) had laid waste and destruction to the Palatinates, and during those times, 50% of the people were murdered. John had lost his great great grandfather Johann Wilhelm Rausch in death during the "30 years war". However, hard times were yet to come when war broke out with Louis the XIV when he laid claim to the lands in the "Predatory War" (1667-1697). He was angered when this small country gave refuge to the Huguenots (French Protestants). This disheartened the Palatines and they grew ready for a change to peace and religious freedom. Queen Ann however, offered them a way out. If they would serve the English Navy, by obtaining tar and tar products from New York State for seven years, they would then own the land they had worked. Thousands accepted, and the first ships of Palatines began sailing for America in 1709. Upon arriving in America however, it became apparent that the Queen's representatives had betrayed them and misrepresented the offer, so this began a mass migration to lower Pennsylvania where William Penn was truly offering them land and religious freedom. So John had decided to join them in this new land. Thus, we find the reason that he sailed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John Adam is believed to have lived on a farm or in a small community in or near Philadelphia, when he married Susannah Sehler (Sellers) in 1740, and this is where the first eight children are born. By 1761 he and his family are living in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia on their Mill Creek Farm where their 9th child is born. Records indicate that George was Baptized in the Old Pine Lutheran Church in Philadelphia in 1761.
John Adam Roush's land increased from 400 acres to include the Forrestville Tan Yards and with this growth came the need to control the waterways because he had obtained land where he planted Oak trees for the purpose of obtaining their chemicals for use in the tanning of hides, as this was his occupation. This was a very lucrative business in those days because of the many uses for the leather. This was especially true during the Revolutionary War when he supplied leather goods such as saddles and other equipment to the Army. Besides being a most beautiful area, it was a land that was very fertile, and it produced all kinds of grains, vegetables and fruits while sustaining much livestock.
Soon after clearing their lands, the family built the Old Pine Church. John Adam gave the land for the church, the cemetery and a school, while Philip, his first born son provided the house for the Minister. Diaries of the paster, Paul Hinkle give mention of the kindness and generosity of the whole Roush family. When need arose for a new church, John's other son Henry deeded the land for it, with Henry, Jacob, Daniel, George and Jonas contributing to the building of it. Even Susannah, their aged mother was listed on the record as having helped in the building of the church. As the community again through growth, had need of another church, John Jr. promoted and built the church near New Market, calling it the Davidsburg Church.
John Adam was against the institution of slavery and would have no slaves put to work caring for his vast holdings. He had taught his children to love liberty, and that liberty was worth fighting for so when the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, all nine of his sons fought at one time or another in the Continental Army. When America is called to arms, John himself is too old to serve, so he will be content to send his sons, and stay behind to supply badly needed equipment and saddles to the army that is now home to his beloved sons.
John Adam died on October 19, 1786, exactly 50 years to the day of his arrival on American soil, and was laid to rest in the cemetery of " Old Pine Church", with his wife Susanna who followed ten years later resting beside him. On August 22, 1936, a large granite monument was erected and dedicated to the "Family" of John Adam Roush and the Sons of the American Revolution assisted at the dedication ceremony. An Official S.A.R. grave marker rests at the base of John Adam's old monument that is now encased in glass to preserve it from the elements. This tribute can be seen in the cemetery of the "Old Pine Church", (now called St. Mary's) in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.
John Adam's son Jacob had fought in the battle of Point Pleasant, so he had returned home with wonderful stories relating to his brothers how beautiful the Ohio River Valley was. He had wanted his parents to take up lands there, however, they were unwilling to leave their beautiful home and start over at that point in their lives, so the family had stayed in Virginia. But now that John and Susanna were gone, he was able to convince his brothers to sell their holdings and migrate to the Ohio Valley, so by 1798 this is where we find all the brothers except Mark and Balser. The latter two choosing to settle farther west, where no other word was heard from them except that Balser may have gone to Tennessee, taking up a squatter's claim at the junction of the Chackee and Clenah Rivers. It is sadly expected that Mark died young, possibly killed by Indians, not too long after the split. Eleanor, Elizabeth and Mary stayed in Virginia to run the Tannery, with Eleanor and her husband Alexander following her brothers to Ohio in 1816 where she settled in Green Township before moving on to Green Mountain Tennessee.
Jacob and Phillip bought two tracts of land lying side by side around Cheshire in Adams County, Ohio, with their brother, Captain John Roush purchasing land that had originally been owned by England. It was a settlement named Graham Station in Adams County Ohio, and the purchase was for 5,850 acres for $5,020.00. John named himself and his brothers Jonas, George, Henry, Daniel and Jacob as owners of the property.
The book "A History of Shenandoah County" by Wayland, has a chapter talking about the Shenandoah Valley Roushes on pg. 721 that was contributed by Rev. L. L. Roush of Rutland, Ohio. It says , "John Roush and his wife Susanna were among the early settlers in Shenandoah County. About 1738 they emigrated from the Palatinate, a small country on either side of the Rhine, near Alsace-Lorraine. It says the causes of their coming to America were religious persecutions, devastating wars and political oppression, but most especially the former. Devout Protestants they were from the beginning and more ardently so later when they espoused the pietistic movement, or "religion of the heart" which even occasioned greater persecution from their Catholic neighbors. First in Pennsylvania and later in the Shenandoah Valley they became active as land owners, tanners, builders of churches, etc. John Roush Senior, took up a tract of 400 acres of land on Mill Creek, a little west of Mount Jackson, and from time to time added and sold until there are more than thirty land transactions recorded in his name or the name of some of his sons.
This man and woman were the progenitors of such a large family of descendants, that offspring can be found in almost every state of the union. They are especially numerous in Mason County, West Virginia, Adams, Highland, Meigs and Gallia Counties, Ohio, to which they emigrated from the Valley in 1795-1800. They were active in the Lutheran faith in those days, and John Roush Sr., lies buried in the old cemetery at Pine Church. The leaning grave stone shows him to have been born in 1711 and died in 1786. The family was largely responsible for the founding of Old Solomon's church near Forrestville in 1793, with a son, Henry Roush, having deeded 2 1/2 acres of land now occupied by the church and cemetery. For this sort of things they have made themselves prominent in the communities to which they went.
Having had personal acquaintance with George Washington and Peter Muhlenberg, their ten sons engaged in the war of independence, some of them remaining in the service until its close, George and Jonas being with Washington when Cornwallis surrendered. Jacob was with Andrew Lewis in the terrible battle of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, October 10, 1774. By nature, they have been a patriotic, home-loving people and have served their country in every conflict from the French and Indian War to the late World War."
This has been a direct quote from the book previously sited. There is still another Paragraph written in the book telling about each of the brother's family lines, but I will quit the quote at this point and move on to other things.

Another source of information "BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE EARLY SETTLERS OF MEIGS COUNTY" By An Old Pioneer Jeremiah Ackley Wolfe states that John Adam lived near New Market which is the county seat of Shenandoah County, Virginia. It mentions that his eight sons, Balser, Phillip, John, Jacob, Daniel, Henry, George and Jonas emigrated to Mason County, W. Virginia.
It also says that the Roushes were known for their easy good nature, simplicity and honesty. It tells a story about a Roush family member that was being codded by a young man who had bragged to his companion that he would get the best of him. The story reads....(word for word)
One, Conway and pal of his, seeing old Uncle Abe Roush coming up the road toward them, Conway said "now watch me cod the old man" and after cordially shaking hands with him and pretending to be so glad to have met him, expressing mock motive and surprise, "don't you know me?" and winking to his chum. On taking another look, the old man said "Oh yes, I remember you. Your father was put in jail for stealing hogs," in a tone intended to be friendly but Conway couldn't appreciate his well meant reminiscence--neither could his pardner see where the cod came in. Nothing so completely baffles one who is full of tricks and deceit himself, as a straight forward simple integrity in another. "Next to sincerity, remember still thou must resolve upon integrity".
It says on page 894 that the average Roush is too slow for this fast age---in business, he is good natured, yields to every request, can't for the life of him say "NO", but is always ready to oblige a friend or sometimes even a stranger with money on usually his name. Repeated losses teach him nothing; he is likely as ever to do it again the first opportunity that presents itself. The Roushes take everything at face value and pride themselves on simple honesty.
The descendents of the Roushes need not be ashamed of the awkward manners, unpolished language or want of knowledge pertaining to trickery and deceit--it is hard to instill into honest minds the slow poison of worldly wisdom.
On page 895 it says that the Roushes were Democrats and stood up for their Democracy as for their Church, ever ready and always willing to give a reason for their faith, honesty, and truth.
Also from Stuart/Morgan Family History web page, Rootsweb: "Came from Palatine (Germany) via Rottingham on the Brigatine "john of Perth-Amboy" George Frasier was the Master, 110 persons on board. They arrived at Philadelphia, PA, on 10/19/1736. Only one other ship came to Pennsylvania from Germany that year. The Princes Augusta was the first, and the Amboy was the second. Other families on board the Perth Amboy with the Raushs were: Frantz, Hellar, Lambert, Steiger, Herr, Eberhart, Schultz, Haas, and Smith.
John Adam Rausch settled in Shenandoah Co, Va. and was a tanner by trade. He refused to own slaves. All 9 sons fought inthe Revolutionary War. The Roush family wre among the charter members of Solomon's Church, Shenandoah County VA
1783 Heads of Families, Shenandoah Co. VA (listed with number of persons in household:)
John Roush Sr 2
Philip Roush 10
John Roush Jr 4
Jacob Roush 5
Henry Roush 5
Daniel Roush 2
George Roush 3
John Roush 7 (This might actually be Jonas Roush)


1785 Heads of Families, Shenandoah Co VA (listed with number of persons, dwellings, and outbuildings)
John Roush Sr 3 1 -
Philip Roush 10 1 1
John Roush Jr 3 1 -
Jacob Roush 5 2 3
Henry Roush 5 1 -
Daniel Roush 2 - -
George Roush 4 - -
John Roush 6 1 2 (this might be Jonas Roush)

Also History of the Roush Family in America, 1928, p 51 - 73.