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Pennsylvania Female Ancestors

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Below is a list of Pennsylvania's Qualifying Female Ancestors that have been added to the Register of Ancestors. The entries include their NSCDA Ancestor Number; their name; their birth, baptism, death, and burial dates if known; and their service category and years of service which qualifies them as an ancestor for The NSCDA.

As of January of 2025, the NSCDA/PA has added 61 women total to the PA list of qualifying ancestors.

Click on the individual's name to view their biography.

(047) | Baker, Elizabeth (Nicholson) | ? -1812 PA | Founder of County, 1773

(067) | Bartram, Ann (Mendenhall) | 22 Sep 1703 - 29 Jan 1789 PA | Woman of Distinction: Entrepreneur

(117) | Biddle, Mary (Scull) | 2 Aug 1709 - 9 May 1789 PA | Woman of Distinction: Map Editor

(056) | Biles, Jane (Boid/Bond) Atkinson | ? - bur. 21 Dec 1709 PA | Minister, Society of Friends, c.1688-1706

(055) | Biles, Johannah (Hillard) | 8 Nov 1647 - bur. 4 Sep 1687 PA | Historic Founder, arrived 4 Jun 1679 (with husband and 7 children)

(199) | Breintnall, Esther (Parker) | c.1698 - 18 Oct 1762 PA | Woman of Distinction: Tavern Owner/Public House (The Hen and Chickens)

(198) | Breintnall, Hannah (Sharp) | c.1707 - 25 Aug 1770 PA | Woman of Distinction: Proprietor Optician Shop "Sign of the Golden Spectacles"

(200) | Breintnall, Jane (Blanchard) | c.1656 - 25 Aug 1725 PA | Historic Founder (arrived on "Thomas & Anne", 1683); Quaker Minister, c.1700

(114) | Brodwell, Mary (Freeman) | 1 Jan 1629/30 - 2 Jan 1729/30 PA | Midwife and Shop Owner

(146) | Carpenter, Hannah (Hardiman) | c.1645 - 24 Jul 1728 PA | Historic Founder & Quaker Minister

(126) | Clare, Esther (Peacock) | ca.1674 - 3 Oct 1742 PA | Quaker minister, by 1714

(110) | Cloud, Elizabeth (Bayley) | bap. 19 Mar 1667- aft. 21 Dec 1717 PA | Historic Founder, Chichester, c.1683

(083) | Coates, Mary (Langdale) | 6 Jun 1713 - 23 Oct 1770 PA | Woman of Distinction - business owner, 1734-1770

(076) | Cock, Margaret (Lorn) | c.1626 - bur. 13 Feb 1703 PA | Historic Founder (Service also qualifies in DE)

(078) | Cock, Martha (Ashman) | August 1650 - aft. 1724 PA | Historic Founder

(080) | Conaway, Mary (Hollingsworth) | 25 Mar 1656 - 1746 PA | Historic Founder (Arrival 1682 Penn Ship)

(046) | Croasdale, Agnes Hathomthwaite | c.1646 - bur. 20 Oct 1684 PA | Historic Founder - Arrived on "The Lamb" (22 Oct 1682)

(049) | Dickinson, Mary | 17 Jul 1740 - 23 Jul 1803 PA | Woman of Distinction - estate owner/manager, 1766

(195) | Draper, Rachel | c.1715 - bur. 26 Apr 1794 PA | Woman of Distinction: Boardinghouse/Tavern Owner, beg. c.1767

(070) | Drinker, Elizabeth (Sandwith) | 16 Feb 1735 - 25 Nov 1807 PA | Woman of Distinction: Diarist (1758-1807)

(050) | Franklin, Deborah (Read) | c.1704 - 19 Dec 1774 PA | Woman of Distinction - Business owner/manager

(066) | Fraser Dunlap, Jane/Jean (Bell) | 1735 - 1815 PA | Woman of Distinction: celebrated frontierswoman and innkeeper, c.1755/58

(192) | Guest, Alice (Bailys) | bap. 28 Apr 1642 - 3 Sep 1705 PA | Founder, arrived 1683; Woman of Distinction: Tavern Operator and Land Patent/Wharf Owner

(127) | Harvey, Rebecca (Owen) Minshall | 1687 - aft. 1751 PA | Quaker minister, 1729

(093) | Henry, Ann (Wood) | 21 Jan 1734 - 8 Mar 1799 PA | Woman of Distinction, beginning 1755

(089) | Hoff, Justina Margaretha (Schnertzel) | 1743 - 1806 PA | Woman of Distinction

(079) | Hollingsworth, Ann (Calvert) | Nov 1650 - 17 Oct 1697 PA | Historic Founder (arrival 1682 Penn Ship)

(190) | Holton, Elizabeth (Guest) | 1675 - 10 Apr 1757 PA | Founder, arrived 1683; Quaker Elder

(048) | James, Elizabeth | ? - bef. 13 Jan 1747/78 PA | Organized Montgomery Baptist Church, 20 Jun 1719

(129) | James, Mary (Goodwin) | ? - ca. 1776 PA | Quaker minister, 1718 or 1737

(053) | Jones, Mary (Porter) | 1707 - Sep 1761 PA | Woman of Distinction: School Mistress (owner No. 8 Drinker's Alley)

(091) | Keurlis, Elisabeth (Doors) | c.1647- aft. 1 Feb 1727 PA | Historic Founder, 1683

(060) | Kunders, Lijntijen | c.1650 - bef. 19 Jun 1723 PA | Historic Founder, 1683

(136) | Lewis, Margaret (Thomas) | 1712 - 1789 PA | Quaker minister, 1744

(164) | Lloyd, Mary (Jones) | c. 1640 - 1683 PA | Historic Founder (arrived on "America", 1683)

(165) | Mackenet, Sarah (Shoemaker) Pastorius | c. 1723 - Apr 1795 PM | Woman of Distinction: Tavern Owner, (Green Tree, Saddler's Arms, Widow Mackent's)

(054) | Marsh, Elizabeth (Allibone) | 1 Aug 1683 - prob. 1741 PA | Woman of Distinction: Premier Schoolmistress known for her pupils' extant examples of fine needlework, 1720-1740

(084) | Masters, Sybilla (Righton) | c. 1676 - 3 Sept 1720 PA | inventor: First American Colonist granted an English patent (no. 401) held under her husband's name, Thomas Masters, 25 Nov 1715

(058) | Mattson, Margaret (Erichsdotter) | c.1630 - 1693 PA | Founder, arrived New Sweden on the Eagle, 1654; Woman of Distinction: Fought oppression, exonerated of Witchcraft by William Penn, 1683.

(077) | Morris, Elizabeth (Hudson) | 1722 - bur. 23 May 1783 PA | Quaker Minister, 1743-1783

(167) | Morris, Susanna (Heath) | 12 Oct 1682 - 28 Apr 1755 PA | Quaker Minister, c.1711-1755

(090) | Op den Graeff, Catharina "Trijntje" (Jansen) | bef. 1660 - c.1710 PA | Historic Founder, 1683

(147) | Painter, Ellinor (Musgrave) | ? - bur. 23 Jan 1689/90 PA | Historic Founder, arrived on the "Unicorn" 31 October 1683

(051) | Paschall, Elizabeth (Coates) | 1702 - 10 Apr 1767 PA | Healer

(026) | Penn, Hannah (Callowhill) | bap. 11 Feb 1670 - 1726 PA | Manager of Proprietary Affairs for the Colony of Pennsylvania, 1712

(189) | Pennell, Mary (Morgan) | c.1678 - 10 May 1764 PA | Quaker Minister

(075) | Rambo, Brita (Mattsdotter) | 1630 - 12 Oct 1693 PA | Historic Founder

(168) | Read, Sarah (White) | bap. 16 Dec 1675 - 7 Dec 1761 PA | Woman of Distinction: Business Owner, Apothecary

(088) | Richards, Jane | ? - aft. 16 Feb 1710/11 PA | Arrived on The Amity, 3 Aug 1682

(163) | Roberts, Gaynor (Roberts) | 1653 - 20 Feb 1722 PA | Historic Founder (Morning Star, 1683)

(081) | Robinson, Catherine (Hollingsworth) | Jul 1663 - 29 Aug 1746 PA | Historic Founder (Arrival 1682 Penn Ship)

(094) | Ross, Elizabeth "Betsy" (Griscom) | 1 Jan 1752 - 30 Jan 1836 PA | Woman of Distinction, Business Owner: Upholsterer and flag maker

(115) | Rufner, Barbara (Leininger) | c.1743 - bef. Sep 1824 PA | Woman of Distinction: Abducted and held captive by Indians in 1755 until her successfully planned escape 3 1/2 years later.

(092) | Seimens, Mercken Williamsen (Lucken) | 1652 - c.1715 PA | Historic Founder, 1683

(191) | Sharples, Edith (Yarnall) | 13 May 1743 - 18 Jan 1787 PA | Quaker Minister

(052) | Shoemaker, Dorothy (Penrose) | c.1704 - 11 Aug 1764 PA | Woman of Distinction: Business Owner "Dorothy's Mill", 1746

(201) | Shoemaker, Sarah | ? - c.1708 PA | Historic Founder, Cheltenham Twp., 1686

(166) | Steel, Rebecca (Steel) | c.1704 - bur. 29 Dec 1783 PA | Woman of Distinction: Business Owner

(082) | Thompson, Ann (Hollingsworth) | 28 Dec 1680 - aft. 1712 PA | Historic Founder (Arrival 1682 Penn Ship)

(044) | unknown, Dinah | btw c.1720 & c.1730 - 21 Feb 1805 PA | Woman of Distinction - Requested and won her freedom from Hannah Emlen Logan and William Logan at Stenton, April 15, 1776.

(194) | Wishart, Ann (Betson) | c.1690 - 16 Jan 1770 PA | Women of Distinction: Tallow Chandler/ Candlemaker & Merchant

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