My Mennonite Ancestors and the Revolutionary War

UPDATE: Records received from the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society show that my Kline family were NOT Mennonite after all. See “What Information…” post for more.

Mennonites are pacifists opposed to war and violence. So, I was surprised to find my Kline ancestors in a Mennonite database on Ancestry.com. On the card for the Michael and Dorothea Kline family, their third child is listed as Frenia [seen as Frances on other records]. She and her husband, Michael Quiggell [seen in other records as Quigley or Quiggle], are my fifth great grandparents. He fought in the American Revolution. I wonder what his pacifist in-laws thought of his service! And, I wonder if he was a Mennonite, too. If not, what did Frances’s family think of their daughter marrying outside of their faith?

It is possible Frances’s father, Michael Kline, also served in the Revolutionary War. Although DAR is now requiring future applicants to prove his service, there are 20 DAR members who have claimed him as a patriot through three of his children: Frenia/Frances, Nicholas, and Gertrude [seen on these cards as Gertraut].

Several years ago, I joined DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution, as a descendant of Michael Quigley. Previous DAR applications gave me the names of Frances’ father: Michael Kline. These newly found cards also give the names of her mother and sibling and indicate the family was living in Warwick Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and were Mennonites.

The cards appear to list 14 children for Michael and Dorothea Kline. Many of the children also have their spouses listed. But, where did this information come from? Is it reliable? And what else can I find out about this family?

Thankfully, the last card lists several sources including some references to land records. And, the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society offers a genealogy “research by mail” service. Today I am sending in my request for two hours of research, and I’m hoping they have some great records that will reveal more about my Kline family!

Do we share common ancestors? Do you know more about the Kline or Quigley families? Or do you know more about Mennonite research and/or their role in the Revolutionary War? I’d love to talk! Please leave a comment or email me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net.