Introduction
The Bedford County reference was omitted from a later book involving the same author, which may indicate a loss of confidence in the Bedford-related information reported in the 1990 book. As stated on the gunsmith project index page of this website, "This project encompasses every individual who, correctly or not, has been identified as a gun or accoutrement maker, gun repairer, or gun designer who worked within the present bounds of Somerset County and Bedford County during the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s. By including individuals who may have been incorrectly identified, the attributions can be scrutinized."
Chronology
1814 to 1834: My web page about Henry Topper, father of Josiah Topper, reports on sources that put Henry topper in Hampshire County, Virginia from 1814 to 1830, and in Napier Township of Bedford County, Pennsylvania from 1832 to 1835. Josiah Topper would have turned 17 in 1830, would have turned 19 in 1832, and would have turned 21 in 1834. If Josiah Topper lived with his parents until reaching his majority, or until nearly reaching his majority, then it would seem likely that he would have already been learning to be a gunsmith in Hampshire County, Virginia and would have likely been performing gunsmithing tasks with his father in Bedford County, Pennsylvania for some period of time.
1833: The 1990 book puts the gunsmith Josiah Topper in the town of Shellsburg in Bedford County, Pennsylvania in 1833. Can anyone find copy of an entry for Josiah Topper in an 1833 Bedford County tax list?
1834 to 1851: According to the 1990 book, the gunsmith Josiah Topper was in the town of Youngstown in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the 1834 to 1851 timeframe. Can anyone provide copies of entries for Josiah Topper from 1834 to 1851 Westmoreland County tax lists?
1839 to 1851: The Henry Topper biographical entry in the 2001 book "Gunsmiths of Bedford, Fulton, Huntingdon, & Somerset Counties reports that Henry Topper had a son named Josiah who worked as a gunsmith in Youngstown in the 1839 to 1851 timeframe. The 2001 book does not mention that Josiah ever worked in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Does this deviation from the 1990 book indicate a lack of confidence in the 1833 Bedford County-related information that is reported in the 1990 book?
1840: My source for census records doesn't have 1840 records for Unity Township or Youngstown Borough, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. If you have access for those records, please look for an entry for Josiah Topper.
1850: The following excerpt from the Youngstown Borough portion of the Unity Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania 1850 census records shows the listing for the household of the 37-year-old gunsmith Josiah Topper:
1860: When I looked through the manuscript census records of Youngstown Borough, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania I did not see a listing for Josiah Topper.
1862: An excerpt from an OCR transcript (cleaned up as best as I could) of the May 17, 1862 issue of the "Harrisburg Morning Telegraph" newspaper states, "a boy named Andrew Topper son of the late Josiah Topper of Youngstown was run over on the Pennsylvania Railroad near Herrode a crossing about three fourths of a mile West of Derry station Westmoreland county. During the last eighteen months he had been living with ___ Henry Sindorf of Unity township. Monday the 5th last, he left home and was wandering through the county until the time of his death. As engine no. 237 was passing the above Point the deceased was observed lying on the track with his right leg horribly mutilated two of the toes of the left foot cut off and his head cut and bruised to a considerable extent. The accident occurred about 2 o clock p.m., and he lingered until 9 p.m., when death an end to his sufferings." This indicates that Josiah Topper of Youngstown was already deceased in 1862.
L. Dietle
I became aware that the gunsmith Josiah Topper may have been a Bedford County, Pennsylvania gunsmith from a brief biographical entry on page 185 of James B. Whisker's 1990 book "Arms Makers of Pennsylvania". The sources of the Josiah Topper biographical entry in that book are reported as tax list(s) and the 1979 book "Gunsmiths of Pen-Mar-Va" by William S. Bowers. It would be helpful to this study if someone could provide copies of the relevant tax list(s).
1813: According to the 1990 book, the gunsmith Josiah Topper was born in 1813, and was a son of the gunsmith Henry Topper.
