*Joseph Mercer
born 1766 Chester County, Pennsylvania?
died Noble County, Ohio 8 November 1852 (age 86 per gravestone)

father:
possibly *Job Mercer born 1733? died 6 October 1790 (DAR)
or
probably *Joseph Mercer
born on September 11, 1739
died after 1787
married out of unity 7 May 1762

mother:
*Margaret Gordon (wife of Job Mercer)
married 7 March 1771 Holy Trinity Church, Wilmington, Delaware
or
unknown wife of Joseph Mercer

siblings:
a.Mary Mercer, b. 1765, d.
b.John Mercer, b. 1769 (Oct. 21, 1768), d.
d.Joshua Mercer
e.Thomas Mercer, b. 1783, d.
f.Caleb Mercer
g.Rachel Mercer, b. 1790
h.Robert Mercer
i.William Mercer, b. 1781, d.
j.Lydia Mercer
k.Phoeba Mercer, b. 1790?
l.Job Mercer Junior,b. 1782, d.1850, m.Sarah Greene
m.Hannah Mercer, b. 1780,
n.Allie Mercer
o.Nancy Mercer
p.Elizabeth Mercer

spouse (1st);
*Nancy Yornley (also given as Nancy Yarnall or Yonally)
married October 10, 1799
Chester County, Pennsylvania?(also given as Frederick Co. Virginia)

children (from 1st marriage):
*Thomas Mercer born 31 May 1800 Chester County, Pennsylvania
died 14 March 1879 Pike County, Benton Township, Ohio
James Mercer
Henry Mercer
Solomon Mercer
Aaron Mercer
Mollie Mercer

spouse (2nd):
Amy Dial (or Doyle)
married before 1824 (about 1823?)

children (from 2nd marriage):
Joseph Mercer
Rachel Mercer
Jackson Mercer
Barton Mercer

biographical and/or anecdotal:
Joseph Mercer was born in Pennsylvania, probably in Chester County, since that is where
Job Mercer and Margaret Gordon lived when Job joined the Pennsylvania Militia.
He was probably married there also.
In the 1830 Ohio census we find Joseph in Richland Township, Belmont County
and in the 1840 Ohio census in Union Township, Belmont County.
By the 1850 Ohio census, Joseph, his second wife Amy Dial (Doyle?),
and their youngest son, Barton are in Starke Township, Morgan County, Ohio.

Joseph does not seem to be
Job's son. Histories claim him as a son of Job, and
even a couple of Job's grandchildren (of Ohio) refer to Joseph as
"uncle". The biggest problem is Joseph's age. According to cemetery
records, Joseph died in Noble County, Ohio on November 8, 1852, age
86-thus born in 1766. Job was born on April 29, 1753 making him 13
when Joseph was born. I entertained the posibility that the tombstone
was wrong, however, the ages of Job's children don't really leave any
room for another, and census records seem to support the older age. The
most telling point is that a William Mercer
signed the marriage bond for Joseph when he married. What I've found out
in my research in Frederick County, Virginia is that there was yet another
Mercer populating the area, and that was Joseph, Job's older brother.
Joseph was born on September 11, 1739, married out of unity on May 7, 1762
(wife not named), and was taxed in Chester County, Pennsylvania from 1780
to 1785. He was taxed in Frederick County, Virginia in 1787, and died
soon after. This Joseph seems to be the father of the following children
William, born in 1765, and married Elizabeth Cruson (he signed Joseph's
marriage bond); Joseph, born in 1766?, married Nancy Yonally; Elizabeth,
born about 1770, and married Adam Shepard; Mary, born about 1776, and
married Abner Gossett; and Phebe, born about 1778, and married Adam Grub.

I think what has cause this confusion is that Job took charge of Joseph's
family when he died. As I recall, some of Job's children signed marriage
bonds for Joseph's daughters. Joseph probably kept a close relationship
with his uncle, and certainly his cousins, as the whole group of them went
to Ohio together. He may have been considered an uncle by many of the
family. Afidavit's of Joseph's descendents do not indicate one way or the
other who Joseph's (married Nancy Yonally) father was.

Thomas, son of Joseph and Nancy (Yonally) Mercer, and grandson of Joseph
Mercer (greatgrandson of Robert and Olive of Chester County, PA), was born
in Virginia in 1800, married Fannie Frye in 1825, and Eliza Frye in
Guernsey County, Ohio on June 10, 1838. Thomas died in Pike County,
Benton Township, Ohio on March 14, 1879. Eliza was born on March 3, 1811,
and died on May 3, 1879. They are buried in Gardries Cemetery. They
resided in Guernsey County, Jackson Township, Ohio in 1850.