Catoctin Mountain is part of the eastern ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is also called Ketoctin, Kittochiny, Kittockton, Kittocton, and South Mountain. The Ketoctin Baptist Church in Loudoun County, Virginia was founded in 1745. It was a log church with an earth floor. Many settlers in the area were atheists or deists and when others gathered for services, they remained outside socializing.
Clare Oxley was born on July 23, 1745 in Hopewell, Mercer (formerly Hunterdon) County, New Jersey. His parents were Henry Oxley and Mary Everit.
On January 6 1771 his father, Henry, gave him 221 acres of land on Catoctin Mountain adjacent to Everett Oxley, Hannah Stephens Rachael Oxley, John Oxley, and Henry Oxley, Jr.
He married Rachel Stout on June 7, 1773 in Loudoun County, Virginia. Her parents were Joseph (James, David, Richard) Stout and Mary Hixon. The Stout family was instrumental in organizing the Hopewell Baptist Church.
On April 24, 1773 Clare sold 20 acres to his brother Everett.
Rachel and Clare's children were Joseph Oxley (1774), Micajah Oxley (1776), Mary Oxley (1779), Everett Oxley (1781), Ann Oxley (1786) and John Levy Oxley (1793).
Loudoun County is part of Northern Neck of Virginia.
Settling of the Loudoun area began between 1725 and 1730 while it was owned by
Lord Fairfax. Permanent settlers came from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.
For more than two centuries, agriculture, especially growing tobacco, was the dominant way of life in Loudoun County.
Hopewell is currently in Mercer (formerly Hunterdon) County, New Jersey. Mercer County was formed in 1838 from portions of other counties including Hunterdon. Early settlers found that their deeds were worthless and they were forced to repurchase their land or relocate. On April 23, 1715 the settlers who stayed organized Hopewell Baptist Church.
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