An American Family History

Sarah S. Hartley Teas Fox was born in Pennsylvania on March 15, 1814 according to her tombstone inscription. Her parents were Thomas Hartley and Barbara Larr (Loar).

Her father, Thomas, was a member of the Buckingham Monthly Meeting in Bucks County, Pennsylvania when he was dismissed for marrying out of unity when he married his second wife, Barbara Larr. The minutes recorded

Thomas Hartley hath returned and settled amongst us without producing a certificate and hath gone out in marriage with a woman not of our Society. (Bucks County, Volume 2: Falls Monthly Meeting Minutes)

Her mother, Barbara Larr, was the daughter of Peter and Esther Larr. They were German and probably Methodist or Mennonite. Barbara used to sing German hymns to the children. A copy of her catechism from her Mennonite school was kept by a descendant (Hartley of Bucks County, p. 13).

Eventually Thomas was restored to membership in the Society of Friends and Barbara joined the Redstone Monthly Meeting on October 2, 1812. (Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, p. 91).

Sarah's family moved to Ohio and on September 9, 1818 Thomas and Barbara and their children joined the Cincinnati, Ohio Monthly Meeting (Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, p. 127).

To Cincinnati Monthly Meeting, Dear Friends; Being informed that Thomas Hartley and Barbara his wife have removed and settled within the limits of your meetings and inquiry being made and no obstruction appearing we therefore recommend them as members to your care with their minor children: Eliza, Leah, Esther, Sarah, Norton and Rachel and we are your friends. Signed in and dated by Director of Providence Monthly Meeting, the 22 of the 9th month, 1818.

On December 20, 1822 Thomas and Barbara and children, Eliza, Leah, Esther, Sarah, Norton, Rachel, Rebecca, Elias, and Hannah joined the Silver Creek, Monthly Meeting in Liberty Township, Union County, Indiana. (Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, p. 909).

On July 25, 1832 Thomas and his sons Norton P, Elias F. and James S. as well as Barbara and daughters Sarah T., Rachel L., Rebecca D., and Hannah F. joined the Whitewater Monthly meeting.

Sarah married Joseph Gibson Teas on June 5, 1834 at the Smyrna Monthly Meeting. Joseph was born on March 23, 1799 in Pennsylvania. His parents, Charles Teas and Mary Gibson, were also Quakers from New Jersey. He had been married before to Sarah Russell (1802-1834). Joseph's children with his first wife were William Teas (1826), Spicer Teas (1828), and Rachel Teas (1831). They were born in Wayne County, Indiana.

Sarah and Joseph had at least two children who were probably born in Iowa. John Teas was born about 1835 and Barbara Hannah Teas Tuttle was born September 21, 1838.

Joseph died in 1838 in Henry, Iowa.

Only one Sarah Teas appeared in the 1850 census in Fairfield, Butler County, Ohio. Census records indicate that she was a widow born in 1810 in New Jersey. She was living with her daughter Barbara Teas born in Ohio in 1838.

On December 4, 1850. Sarah Teas married Levi Fox in Butler County, Ohio. 

In 1855 Barbara Teas married Noah Tuttle in Lucas County, Iowa. 

When Levi died in 1877, Sarah inherited

all of the land and the appurtenances there-unto belonging, and described as follows: The South West 1/4 of the North East 1/4 and the South East 1/4 of the North East 1/4 and the East half of the North East 1/4 of the South East 1/4 of Section Thirty four (34) Township Seventy one (71) Range Twenty one (21), also the West half of the South West 1/4 of North West quarter and West half of North West 1/4 of South West 1/4 of Section Thirty Five (35) Township Seventy one (71) Range Twenty-one (21), Containing in all, One Hundred and Forty (140) acres to have and to hold during her natural life, and also all my personal property, except Forty Dollars.

She died August 23, 1881 at age 68 in Washington Township of stomach and liver cancer. She is buried in lot 149, New York Cemetery with her husband Levi and step-son Josiah Fox.