Revocation of Edict

The Daniel and Marie Ferree family had many obstacles to overcome on their journey to finding freedom and a new homeland. They showed strength, determination, and durability in their quest to realize that goal. These traits appear to be inherent as reflected in the various interests and accomplishments of the Ferree descendants shown below.

Vocations

• Jacob Ferree, powder manufacturer and gunsmith is said to have made the first gunpowder east of the Alleghenies.
• One of the first teachers employed by Leacock Township was Daniel Lefevre in 1844.
• The Postmaster General made a contract with Thomas Ferree in 1804 for the carrying of mail from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh by way of Lancaster, Carlisle and Chambersburg in four and one half days by the "Good Intent Line".
• The first boatload of coal taken down the Monongahela River was by Jeremiah Ferree.
• The Colt Firearms Company is said to have been founded by descendants of the Ferree Family.
• Joel Ferree (1731-1801) was the first of his family to have practiced gunsmithing as his primary trade.
• The last of the old Ferree gunsmiths was George Spencer Ferree who died in 1896.
• Abraham Ferree was a wagon maker in Paradise.

Religious

• Owning a protestant bible in France such as the one owned by the Isaac Lefevre family was a capital crime.
• In the First Reformed Church of Lancaster formed in 1731, sermons were preached in French.
• John Ferree (Philip/John/Madame) was a Methodist circuit rider preacher in southwestern Ohio. The Methodist Church of Boston was started in his home.

Military

• Ft. Ferree in Sandusky, Wyandot County, Ohio, was built in 1812 by men of the 1st Regiment, 2nd Detachment of the Pennsylvania militia lead by Lt. Col. Joel Ferree.
• John Fulton Reynolds (1824-1863), great, great, great, grandson of Madame, a most esteemed Union Army officer and commander at the Battle of Gettysburg was killed by a stray bullet within the first few minutes on the first day of the battle.
• Richard Ferree, a Private in the Union Army 2nd Reg OVI, died in Andersonville Prison on August 10, 1864 and is buried there.

Politics

• Joseph Ferree (Daniel/Madame) was politically active during the time of the American Revolution and was appointed by the Committee of Safety to collect lead window weights, clock weights and other lead that could be used to make bullets.
• Joel Ferree (Philip/Madame) served the American cause as a member of the Safety Committee of Lancaster. He received an official request from the Committee to manufacture guns for the army and complied with an offer to make 15-20 a week.
• John Ferree was Sheriff of Lancaster 1773 - 1775.

Properties

• The Ferree land grant originally thought to be 2000 acres was later found to contain 2300 acres. The family paid an additional 21 pounds and was granted a new patent. About 140 pounds plus 10 pounds interest was paid for the original 2000 acres. When the surveying error was corrected increasing acreage to 2300 there was also an allowance of 138 acres for roads and highways.
• On April 22, 1773, Abraham Ferree (son of Leah and Philip) gave land for a schoolhouse for a term of 999 years. Yearly rent was one red rose to be paid each June.
• Abraham Ferree also granted on April 1, 1774, access and use of a spring for a yearly payment of one pepper corn.
• The Fountain Inn on Water Street in Pittsburgh owned by Thomas Ferree served as the western terminal of the stage coach "Good Intent Line" on the old turnpike (Hwy 30).
• Joel Ferree, prior to his death in 1801, acquired a land patent of 323 acres on Peters Creek, Jefferson Township, PA. which was known as "Ferree's Purchase". This land was later purchased by Jonathon Large who built a distillery which produced Monongahela rye whiskey that became known for it's excellence.
• There is a Ferree Street in Coraopolis, PA.

Kindred

• The earliest known Ferree in America was Michiel Ferree not Madame's family.
• John Ferree, son of Madame Ferree, became a Quaker.
• The first white child born in Paradise was Daniel Lefevre, third son of Isaac and Katherine Ferree Lefevre.
• Joel Ferree, the gunsmith, was killed and scalped by Indians in 1801 while hunting during a visit to his brother's farm in Coraopolis, PA. His body was returned to Paradise and buried in Carpenter's Cemetery.
• George Ferree was the model for a monument at Gettysburg honoring the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry.