COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES priesthood by Archbishop F en d c^ ast of the diocese o f Fhiladelphia. F o r his future field he selected the diocese o f Harrisburg. He was assigned to St. I ’atrick's cathedral at H ar risburg as an assistant, and remained there for thirteen months, when he was appointed assistant to Father Galligan at l.ocust Gap, where he spent three months. Following that he was made pastor pro tcm o f S t. Michael's Lithuanian parish at Shamokin, Pa. .After a year o f faithful service there he was appointed pastor pro tcm o f St. M ary's Croatian parish at Stcclton. Pa., and four months later was assigned to his present parish at St. M arv's Church o f Berwick, Pennsylvania. T he pansh consists o f various nationalities, and being able to converse in eight languages he is well fitted to administer the spiritual needs o f all (he Catholics that are assigned to his carc. V A S T IN E . Abraham Van de Wocstync. with his w ife and three children, viz., John, Catherine and Hannah, left Holland in the seventeenth ccntuiy and crossed the ocean in a sailing vessel, landing in New Y ork. They soon crossed over into New Jersey. .About the time William Penn founded Philadelphia they came into Pennsylvania. In 1696 wc find them in Germantown, Philadelpliia. Tn 1698 John V an dc Woestyne purchased several tracts o f land from one Jeremiah Langhorn, in HilUown township, Bucks Co., Pa., and there erected a granite dwelling along the pike leading from I ’hiladclphia to Bethle hem. It stood, as was the custom in that day, with its gable lo the road, fronting south, at a point two miles north o f Line I.cxington and four miles southwest o f Selkrsville. Bucks Co.. Pa. The name Jolm V an dc Wocstync appears on a numlicr o f official papers nnd documents 011 record in Bucks county; it is found on many papers ficrtaining to roads and impruvemcnis in Hilltown township. John V an dc Woestyne died Feb. 9, 1738. his wife. .Abigail, surviving some time. T hey were the parents o f five children, as follow s: ( i ) Abraham, born M ay 24. 169S. died in Octo ber. 1772, in Hilltown. H e married Sarah Ruckniaii. and they were the parents o f fi% ‘c daughters: .Abigail, married to Andrew Arm strong: Ruth, nurried to Jam es A rm strong: M aty, tiurrie<l to Robert Jam eson; Rachel, married to Hugh M e a rs; and Sarah, married to Samuel Wilson. Thus fa r we have been unable to learn anything about their descend ants. (2 ) Jeremiah, bom Dec. 24. 17 0 1. died in Hilltown, 1760. He and his w ife, Deborah, were the parents o f one son and two daugh
603
ters: Jerem iah died in New Britain, Bucks Co., Pa., in .April, 177 8 (his w ife's name was E lizab eth ); Martha nurried John Louder; Hannah married Samuel Grcshom. ( 3 ) Ben jamin, bom Ju ly 9. 1703, died in August ( 17 t h? ), 1749. (4 ) John died Feb. 9, 1765. in Hilltown, Pa., unmarried. ( 5 ) M aiy. bom March i. ( ^, marrieil a Air. Wilson and removed to f^u th Carolina. Benjamin Vastine, son o f John and .Abigail, w as the progenitor of the fam ily in Northum berland county. Pa. H e became a member of the Friends Meeting and at one of the meetings held in Philadelphia requested per mission to hold meetings in his house. He married M ary Griffith, and their union was blessed by the birth o f seven children, as fo l low s: Hannah married Emerson K e lly; John married Rachel M organ; Abraham married Elizabeth W illiam s; Benjamin married Cath erine Eaton (he died in September, 1 7 7 5 ); Jonathan married Elizabeth L e w is; Isaac nurricd Sarah M atthews; Amos married .Martha Thomas. T he lum e V an de W ocstync has changed gradually, first to Voshnc, then lo Vashtinc and lastly lo V'astine. T he name in Dutch meant forest, hence Ihe early settlers often called John Van de Woestyne ••Wilderness. John Vastine, son o f Benjamin and Mary (Griffith) Vastine, married Rachel Morgan, and they became the parents o f two sons and two daughters: Beniamin, who married Mary Van Z an t; Simon, who had a son named Jo h n; Nancy, and Margaret. •Abraham ‘astmc, second son o f Benjamin and M ary (Griffith) Vastine, married Eliza beth W il iams. Their family, four sons .and two daughters, were as follow s: John. W il liam, .Ahnaham, Nancy, .Mary and Jeremiah. T his family first settled in Y ork county. Fa., and later removed to Kentucky. Benjamin Vastine. third son o f Benjamin and A laiy (Griffith) Vastine, married Cath erine Eaton, ami they were the parents o f two sons and two daughters: M aty married J o siah I.unn; Fctcr married Hannah, daughter n f Jonathan 'astin c; Benjamin married Dor othy. daughter o f .Amos Vastine; Elizabeth marrie<l .Alem Morris. Jonathan Vastine. fourth sou o f Benjamin and M ary (Griffith) Vastine, with his nephew Peter, who was also his son-in-law, came to Northumberland county. Pa., where they pur chased two large fanns. the former aliout 600 acres (later owned by ’alentinc E p lcr), and the b ttcr 300 acres near that o f his uncle. Jonathan, like his father, was a member o f
