Allen line: The family of Thomas Noble 1632-1704

 There are various conjectures as to where Thomas came from, and who his parents are.  I am not sure enough of any of them to state them as fact, or even as probables.  It is probable, however, that Thomas was an immigrant from some part of England, and was born about 1632.  We're not sure when he arrived in America, but he married Hannah Warriner, the daughter of William and Joanna Searles Warriner, in 1660 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts.  The couple made their home in what became Westfield in 1669. The couple had at least ten children.  After Thomas died in 1704, Hannah married Medad Pomeroy, the son of Eltweed and Margery Rockett (Rockwood) Pomeroy.  Medad is our ancestor in our Holbrook line, and I hope to write about that family in the future.  

John seems to have been the first born, in 1662.  (He was born almost exactly two years after his parents married, so it is possible there was an earlier pregnancy.)  He died in New Milford, Litchfield, Connecticut in 1714, but not before he had married twice.  His first wife is Abigail Sackett, the daughter of John and Abigail Hannum Sackett.  They have one daughter together, also Abigail, but sadly, John's wife died 4 days after giving birth to Abigail.  Less than a year later, he married Mary Goodman, the daughter of Richard and Mary Terry Goodman.  They have 10 children together-John, Stephen, Elizabeth, Mary, David, Hannah, Sarah, William, Margaret, and Mabel.   

Hannah was born next, in 1664.  She married three times and died in 1741 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts.  Her first husband was John Goodman, the daughter of John and Hannah Edwards Goodman (I have not yet found a connection between Richard and John Goodman, but there is at least a possibility that these two families are related.)  Hannah's children with John are John, Hannah, another Hannah, Stephen, and James.  She later married Nathaniel Edwards, the son of Alexander and Sarah Searle Edwards, and then Samuel Partridge, the son of William and Mary Smith Partridge.  I have not found any mention of children with Nathaniel, and she was well along in years when she married Samuel.  

Thomas was born next, in 1666.  He married Elizabeth Dewey, the daughter of Thomas and Constant Hawes Dewey, and died in 1750 in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Their children are Thomas, Job, Jonathan, Seth, Israel, Elizabeth, Louis, Ebenezer, Thankful, Anna, and Jonathan.  I will follow this family in my next blog post. 

Matthew was born in 1668 and died in 1744 in Sheffield, Berkshire, Massachusetts.  He married Hannah Dewey, the daughter of Thomas and Constant Hawes Dewey (see above).  Their children are Joseph, Hezekiah, Matthew, Solomon, Elisha, Obadiah, Hannah, Hester, Jonathan, and Rhoda.  

Mark was the first child born in Westfield, in 1670, and like several of his siblings, didn't leave.  He died there in 1741.  He married Mary Marshall, the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Newberry Marshall.  Their children are Noah, Mary, Abigail, John, Miriam, and Noah.  

Elizabeth was born next, in 1673.  She died in 1751 in Colchester, New London, Connecticut.  She married Richard Church, the son of John and Sarah Beckley Church, who are also our ancestors and I hope to write about one day.  Their children are John, Hannah, Rachel, James, Joseph, Jonathan, and Samuel.  Her second marriage is to Samuel Loomis, the son of John and Elizabeth Scott Loomis.  This was a late in life marriage and there were no children of this couple.

Luke was born in 1675 and died in 1744 in Westfield, Massachusetts.  He first married Hannah Stebbins, the daughter of Thomas and Abigail Munn Stebbins, who are not our ancestors but are related. (The Stebbins families are another goal of mine.) Their children are Luke and Samuel, although I am not sure about Samuel.  He may be a child of the second marriage, or there could be two Samuel Nobles in this family, but I haven't been able to confirm birth dates.  His second marriage is to Ruth Wright, the daughter of Joseph and Ruth Sheldon Wright.  Their children are Ruth, Moses, Anna, Asa, Naomi, Samuel, Jacob, and Ephraim.  Luke's third wife is Sarah Dewey, who was the widow of David Dewey but whose parents are unknown.  There are no children know to have been born to this couple.

James was born in 1677 and died in 1712 in Westifeld.  He married Katharine Higley (also seen as Higlee), the daughter of John and Hannah Drake Higley.  Their children are Lydia, James, and David.  

Then came Mary, in 1680.  She also died in Westfield, in 1750.  Her husband is Ephraim Colton, the son of Ephraim and Mary Drake Colton.  Their children are Mary, Ephraim, Deborah, Jerusha, male twins who died very young, Damaris, Job, Samuel, and Hannah.  

And lastly came Rebecca, in 1683.  She married Samuel Loomis, the son of Samuel and Hannah Hanchett Loomis.  (Yes, the Hanchett line is in our tree also.)  Their children are Rebecca, Samuel, Rachel, Rebecca, Mabel, Mercy, Moses, and David.  I am confused about her death date.  It may be 1720, it may be 1750, or it may be 1759, but whichever is correct, she died in Westfield, Massachusetts.  

This Noble family is interesting for several reasons.  First, of course is the number of ties to other lines in our families.  Then there are the first names-almost every name of the grandchildren, as well as the children, is from the Bible.  The family lived through trying times with King Philip's War and later battles with natives, and I'm sure many of these names will be found on military rolls.  Many of these children lived into their 70s, and they would have told many stories to their children and their own grandchildren.  It's been fun to write about this family that ties to ours in so many ways.   

The family of Alexis Lemmon 1746-1826

As I write this, it's the Fourth of July weekend, and it seems fitting that I'm writing about the family of Alexis Lemmon (Jr.), who served in the Revolutionary War as a captain in the Maryland militia.  We should never forget the sacrifices made by our ancestors to give us a chance at freedom, as well as life itself.  

Alexis was born in 1746 in Baltimore, Maryland, and died in 1826 in Perry Township, Richland County, Ohio.  I have had the honor of visiting his gravesite.  He married Rachel Stansbury, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury.  (Hannah is one of our lines back to British royalty, if you trace her far enough.)  They raised their family in Maryland, on an estate known as "Eight Sisters", because, yes, this family was blessed with daughters only.  He owned a 400 acre estate in Maryland, so the supposition is high that he held slaves, although the only hint I've found was in the 1820 census, when "Electius" reported one slave.  

Sarah was the first born, in 177, in Baltimore County, Maryland (birthplace of all of the children).  She died in 1834 in Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio.  She was married to Abraham Hetrick, the son of Johan Jacob and Anna Elizabeth Nuss Hetrick.  Their children are Mary Ann, Rachel, Elizabeth, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Susannah, Abraham, and an unnamed daughter who may have died at a young age.  This is our line, and at some point I hope to write about the Hetrick families.

Ruth was born in 1774 and died in 1846 in Morrow County, Ohio.  She married John Edwards, the son of Johan and Jane Flanigan Edwards.  Their children are Christianaa, Alexis, Jessie, Rebecca, Edward, and Elias.  (Marion is also seen as their child, but he seems to have been born much later; perhaps he is a grandson.)

Elizabeth was born in 1776 and that is what I could learn about her.  There was an Elizabeth Lemmon who married a Robert Anderson in 1801, but I have been unable to determine whether this was her, or what might have happened to her, whether she was married or not.

Mary was born in 1778 and died in 1818 in Woodbury, Morrow County, Ohio.  She married John Singrey (Singry), son of Christian and Elizabeth Ingold Singrey.  Their children are Sarah, Jehu, Mary, John, Rebecca, and Harriet.

Rebecca was born in 1780 and died in 1855 in Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio.  She married John Shauck, son of John and Mary Magdalene Ebaugh Shauck.  There are three known children born to Rebecca, but there may be more as yet not located.  The known children are Elah (Eli), Mary Ann, and John.   

Rachel is a bit confusing.  Her birthdate is given as both 1780 (on the same date as Rebecca) and again on the same date but in 1782.  So she may or may not be a twin.  Also, she married Jehu Singrey in 1832, who is the son of Christian and Elizabeth Ingold Singrey (see Mary's paragraph, and also Jane's, who follows this one.)  Because she was 50 or more when she married, there were no children born to this couple.

Jane, however, had married Jehu Singrey first.  She was born in 1784 and died in 1831 in Morrow County, Ohio.  Jane and Jehu, son of Christian and Elizabeth Ingold Singrey, have 6 children-Elizabeth, Rachel, Sarah, Joshua, David, and Alice.  

Temperance was the final child.  She was born in 1786 and died in 1814.  SHe married Jacob Coltrider, the son of Johannes George Peter and Weylet, maiden name not found, Kaltreider.  They may have had a son, Jacob, but I have not been able to verify that.

Rachel, Alexis' wife, died in 1823 in Baltimore County, Maryland.  Alexis lost little time in moving to Morrow County, along with his as yet unmarried daughter, Rachel.  All the surviving daughters lived within a short distance of each other, and Alexis must have taken great comfort in being in their presence once again.  

I have a great deal of admiration for the daughters of Alexis and Rachel.  They left home, probably together or within a short time period of each other, and traveled hundreds of miles to settle in a new to them land that was yet unsettled.  Their husbands, pioneers and then leaders of their communities, helped build their state, and the daughters were there supporting them and raising their children to also be good citizens.  They were remarkable, every one of them. 

 

 

Holbrook line: The family of Alexis Lemmon 1718-1786

 I was going to start this short series out with a post about John Lemmon and Elizabeth Smith, who I believed to be the parents of Alexis Lemmon.  It's possible that they are, but it's also possible that they are not.  So let's just leave it there for now, until more convincing evidence one way or the other turns up.  (I have seen Edward and James listed as his parents, also, so that's why the hesitation on my part.  

We do know that Alexis was born in 1718 in either England or Ireland, and died in or before 1786.  He is listed as a patriot of the Revolutionary War, as he provided wheat to the army and also signed the oath of allegiance.  His first wife, the mother of his children, is Martha Merryman, the daughter of John and Martha Bowen Merryman.  His second wife is Rachel Cottrell Jones, the daughter of Thomas Cottrell and the widow of Jacob Jones.  There were no children born to the second marriage.  Alexis and Martha have eight known children, although there are some trees that list fewer or give the children different names.  I hope this list is correct!

John is the first son, born in 1740.  He died in 1811 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.  His wife is Sarah Stansbury, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury.  Their children are Lemuel, Martha, Hannah, Alexis, Matthew, Thomas, John, Benjamin, Eleanor, and Charles.   John is a Revolutionary War veteran.

Ruth was born next, in 1741.  Unfortunately, that is all that I know of her.  There are several trees that give her husband as Thomas Stansbury, the son of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury (see above). I have been unable to confirm that.  He married a possibly second wife, so perhaps Ruth died soon after the marriage.  I find no record of children and to me, this case is still very much open.

Mary was born in 1744 and died in 1818 in Piasa Township, Jersey County, Illinois.  She married Ulrick William Burke, so son of Thomas and Sarah Sicklemore Burk.  Their children are Martha, Sarah, Thomas, Elisha, Alexis, Ulrick, John, and Pat. Ulrich died in 1784 and I am not sure how Mary arrived in Illinois.  Perhaps she was living with one of her children.  

Alexis was born in 1746 and died in 1826 in Perry Township, Richland County, Ohio.  He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War as well as the War of 1812.  He married Rachel Stansbury, who is the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury.  If the Ruth connection with Thomas is correct, then three Lemmon siblings married three Stansbury siblings.  Their children are Sarah, Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary, James, Rebecca, Rachel, Jane, and Temperance.  I will follow this family in my next blog post. 

Hannah was born in 1751 and died in 1840 in Baltimore.   Some say she never married, and some say she was the Hannah Lemmon who married Thomas Cochran in 1788.  Perhaps the marriage never actually took place, or this may be a different Hannah Lemmon.  It appears that she is buried with the name of Lemmon, and that she was staying with a Micajah Merryman, likely a relative of some sort, at the time of her death. 

Eleanor (who may have preferred and used the name Elizabeth) was born in 1757 and died about 1779, most likely in Maryland.  She married Zebulon Headington, the son of James and Ruth (maiden name not known) Headington.  They had two children, Laban and Ruth.  

Rebecca was born in 1758 and died in 1786, in Baltimore County, Maryland.  She married Jabez Murray Tipton, the son of John and Martha Murray Tipton. Their children are Moses, John, and Alexis.

Finally, there was Moses, born in 1759 and died in 1852 in Union County, Illinois.  He married Sarah Jones, the daughter of Jacob and Rachel Cottrell Jones, his step-sister as Rachel had married Alexis after Martha's death.  Their children are Moses, Joshua, Jacob, Elizabeth, Susannah, Rebecca, and Mary.  Moses is a Revolutionary War veteran.

Alexis, the patriot, saw all three of his sons, go off to war, at least one more than once.  Some of his sons-in-law also served their country.  He and Martha raised quite a remarkable family. and it is fitting to honor them, among many others, on this Independence Day.  

Side note: For anyone who is doing research on Alexis, his name is also found as Electius and Alexius and possibly other spellings also.   

 

 

Harshbarger line: The family of John Wyatt 1748-1802

 When I chose this family as the next target in my "family" posts, I thought I had four generations of Wyatts in America to write about.  The more I reviewed my research and that of others, the less sure I became.  So I now have one generation of Wyatts to write about.  I will mention that the line I thought I had went from John to Thomas who married Sukey Edmondson to John who married Anna Keen Jones to William who married Anne.  If someone has actual documentation taking John even one generation further back, I'd love to talk with you.  I suspect that the Wyatt "connections" may have been made by someone trying to connect the family back to Haute Wyatt, but I haven't found any documents supporting that.  

I should note that I believe this is the first family in the Harshbarger line that is not Swiss or German in origin, although it is possible that the Farmer family was just a bit earlier.  Regardless, we are talking Anglo-Saxon heritage here, something different for this line. 

So to start at what is now my beginning, John Wyatt was born in 1748, probably in Loudoun County, Virginia, to unknown parents.  He married Alice Gordon, the daughter of John Gordon and an unknown mother, and lived in Shenandoah County, Virginia before dying in Franklin County, Virginia in 1802. John and Alice had at least eight children together.  

Their first son was Edward, born in 1768 and died in 1846 in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio.  He married Ann Gordon, the daughter of John Gordon. (I don't know if there is a connection between the two John Gordons, but I suspect that is the case.)  Edward and Ann's children are John, Elizabeth, Joseph, Jeptha, Susannah, Sarah, Jane, Margaret, and Naomi.  Note: Some trees say Ann is the daughter of John and Lucy Churchill Gordon, but I don't think that is the case.  I stand ready to be otherwise convinced.

Elijah was the next son, born about 1770 and died in 1858 in Chattanooga, Georgia.   He married twice, to Francis Canterbury and Mary "Polly" Richardson, but does not appear to have had children by either marriage.  Further research may provide clarification.  There is an Elijah Wiat in the 1820 census in Urbanna, Middlesex County, Virginia, who had children, but I do not know whether this is our Elijah.

Solomon was born in 1773 and died in 1840 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.  He married Hannah Reece or Reese, the daughter of William and Mary Crenshaw Reece.  (As far as I know, Hannah is not connected to the Reese family in the Beeks family line, but diligent research may find a connection.) Their children are Reuben, Mary, Lorenzo, William, Solomon, Alexander, and Sinah.  Solomon was a private in the War of 1812.

Thomas was born in 1774 and died in 1853 in Shelby County, Ohio.  He married Mary Reese, the daughter of William and Mary Crenshaw Reese (see above-the two young ladies are sisters).  Their children are Thomas, Margaret, Abner, Andrew, Joseph, Mary, and John.

John was born in 1778 and died in 1831 in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio.  He married Susannah Law, the daughter of John and Mary Jane Miller Law.  Their children are Margaret, Milly, Hannah, Cheadle, Drusilla, John, Susannah, James, and Martha.   

Yet another son, Andrew, was born in 1779 and died in 1831 in Bethel Township, Miami County, Ohio. (Please note this is the same death date, October 20, that I found for John. Assuming these are correct dates, I wonder what happened.  Illness or accident?  There should be a story there!)  Andrew married Sally Maddox or Maddux, the daughter of Nathan and Michelle (maiden name not known) Maddox.  Their known children are Mary, Nathan, and John.

Finally, on the seventh try, a daughter was born.  Do you suppose she might have been just a little bit spoiled?  Jean or Jane was born in 1781 and died in 1831 in Miami County, Ohio.  I don't have an exact date of death for her, but again, it's Miami County and 1831.  She married William Farmer, the son of Matthew and possibly Margaret Farmer.  Their children are Margaret, John, Andrew, William, Matthew, Sarah, Nancy, and Betsy.  This is the family in the Harshbarger line.

And then there is Sarah, born in 1782.  My best guess, not documented, is that she died in September, not October, of 1831, possibly in Clark County, Ohio.  She married John Farmer, who was also the son of Matthew and Margaret Farmer (see above paragraph.  Their children are John, William, James, Isaac, and Andrew, and possibly others.  

I would love to hear from others who are researching this family.  There are a lot of John, Thomas, and Andrew Wyatts to sort out, and if any of my information is incorrect, I'd love to update it.   

 

 

Beeks line: The family (or part of it) of Timothy Martin 1798-?

There will only be one post in this line, because this is one of the brick walls we are facing.  It's frustrating, because his children, at least some of them, lived within a few miles of our current location, and they should not be hard to trace.  Some are very difficult indeed, and I will have nothing but a general birth date based on census records.  Others I am giving a somewhat educated guess on.  There are some that I feel more confident about.  I will try to indicate clearly which is which.

Timothy was born about 1798 in Vermont, according to the 1850 census, or 1810 in New York, in other records.  Take your pick.  I've recently found records of a Timothy Martin who bought land in Whitingham, Windham County, Vermont in 1796, but have not yet been able to determine whether the two Timothy Martins might be related.  We do know that Timothy Martin married Hannah Tilberry (various spellings) in Shelby County, Ohio.  She may be the daughter of Jacob and Barbara Voelker Tilberry, although that isn't proven yet.  Their first two, and possibly three, children were born in Ohio before the family moved to Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana in the early 1840s. And once again, the family may not be complete, as they married in 1833 and the first child wasn't born until about 1838.  I have no death date for Timothy or for Hannah, but neither is found in the 1870 census.  

John, middle initial W, is the first son we have record of.  He was in the 1860 census in his parents' household, and then I cannot trace him any further.  I don't think he is the John Martin who married Ellen Ann Smallwood, as later records from Chester Township, Wabash County, Indiana, show that John Martin as being "colored".  

Mary Ann Martin was born about 1840.  There is a Mary Ann Martin who married Jesse L Cramer in Wabash County in November of 1860, so after the census that was taken showing her as living with her parents.   If this is our Mary Ann, in 1870 she and Jesse were living in Antioch (now Andrews), Huntington County, Indiana and they had four children-John, Ellen, Mary, and Rosettie.  Jesse is the son of Laurence and Anna Maria Lehman Cramer.  There is a Jesse Cramer who served in the Civil War and is buried at Hartford City, Blackford County, Indiana, but any birth or death dates are no longer visible, and if this is Jesse, I don't know what happened to Mary Ann, or when.  Or, of course, whether this is even the correct Mary Ann.  If you know, let me know, please!!

Eli was born in September 1841 and died sometime after 1900.  He was drafted into the Civil War during the last months of the war, along with several other men in our tree from Wabash County.  He married Elizabeth Wise, daughter of Andrew and Mary Serfass Wise, shortly before leaving for Army duty.  Their known children are John and Timothy.

Ellen was born May 3, 1843 and died in July, 1918 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Her first husband is Joseph Snyder, the son of Joseph and Phebe Pulley Snyder.  I find three children for them-Ullysses, Mary, and Elsworth, but her census records show that she had 8 children, 6 of them living in 1910 so I am missing some.  After Joseph died, she married William Utley, the son of Joseph Utley and an unknown mother.  This marriage was in 1908 so there were no children from this marriage.  

Matilda was born in 1846 and died in 1876 in Wabash County, Indiana.  She married David Wise, the son of Andrew and Mary Serfass Wise.  (See Eli Martin, above, who married a daughter of this same couple.) Their children are Andrew, Hannah, Elizabeth, John Philip, and Martin.  

Timothy is pretty much a mystery.  He was born about 1846 (some give his birth date as August 6, 1847).  He is credited with three wives although I am not sure that this is the same Timothy in each marriage.  Perhaps his wife is Elizabeth Boman or Bowman, the daughter of Levi and Elizabeth Stout Bowman.  It is possible that Clarinda is their child. There is a Timothy Martin whose gravestone indicates a birth date of 1847 and a death year of 1931 buried in Jackson, Jackson County, Ohio.  I do not know whether or not this is our Timothy.  Again, is you know something, and can shed some light on any other possible wives and children, please contact me!

Elizabeth was born in 1851 and died in 1929 in Union Township, Huntington County, Indiana.  She married first John Culver, the son of Garrett and Caroline Mendenhall Culver.  Their children are Caroline, John, William, and perhaps Daniel.  She next married John Burgett, and finally Thomas Jefferson Brown, who was called by his middle name.  

Robert was born next, about 1854.  I find no record that I can positively identify for him after the 1860 census, so he may have died young.

Finally Isaac was born in 1857.  He died in 1909 in Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana.  He was single and I haven't found records of a marriage, although of course there could have been one.

This was an interesting and frustrating generation to research.  Some of these men served in the Civil War, on the Union side.  Society would say none of them seemed to amount to much, but society would be wrong.  They helped build our country and their children mostly climbed a step or two up the ladder.  I hope they all found joy in their lives and in their families.   

 

The family of John Wilson Knott 1836-1927

This was a terribly sad post to research, and it's a sad one to write.  Lots of our ancestors in the distant past had to deal with many losses of children, and although I feel a little tug at my heart as I learn of them, this family is much closer to me in time, and I have recollections of two of the "children", my grandmother and my grand uncle.  This one just plain hurts.

John Wilson Knott was born in 1836 in Jamestown, Steuben County, Indiana, the son of Thomas J and Hannah Bell Knott.  Thomas moved from place to place as part of his job, but I think Wilson, as he was known, probably thought of Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa as his home.  His mother and several of his siblings are buried there, and John and his wife are buried there also.  John's wife is Harriet Clarissa Starr, the daughter of John and Clarissa Falley Starr, and they were married in Tipton, where the Starr family had lived for decades.  

John probably profited from being moved from pillar to post so often during his childhood, because he continued that pattern his entire life.  As a Presbyterian pastor, he led at least 17 different congregations. I've written of his life before, but am mentioning it again here because the people I'm really writing about, his children, would have moved frequently also.  This is true, at least, of the ones who survived. If you're a family member reading this, grab the tissues!

The first son born to John and Harriet is Alfred.  He was born in 1863 in Tipton and died in 1865 in Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa.   

Herbert, called Bertie, was born in 1865 and died in 1879 in Shiloh Township, Jefferson County, Illinois.  Apparently his family was visiting his grandparents, and the newspaper account says that he died of poisoning.  Worse, it said that his mother had mistakenly given him arsenic, when she thought she was giving him his quinine medicine.   I can not begin to imagine the pain his mother must have felt, and how this could have affected her marriage.  

Walter Leroy was born in 1867.  He did live to adulthood, married, and had children, but his is not a happy story either.  He married Estella Huntington, the daughter of Septimius and Ruth Pherson Huntington.  They had three children together, Jane, Ruth, and Paul.  However, the marriage didn't work out and Leroy left the family.  The distress pushed his wife into severe mental illness, and she was institutionalized for what appears to be the rest of her life.  Leroy didn't remarry.  He died in 1930 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

Robert was born in 1870 in Mechanicsville, Cedar County, Iowa.  He married Nellie Burkhalter, the daughter of Henry and Hannah Dutro Burkhalter.  I have found no record of children for them, but it's possible that there were children who were born and died between census records.  Robert died in 1930 in Salt Lake City, Utah and my father knew him.  

Mary was born in 1872 in Lodi, Columbia County, Wisconsin and died in 1894 in Holdrege, Nebraska of "quick consumption".  She had begun a promising career as a concert soprano and her parents must have been heartbroken.

Anna was born in 1874 and died less than two years later, both in Lodi, Columbia, Wisconsin. Cause of death is "cholera infantum".

Edith was born in 1878 in Lodi, Wisconsin.  She married Edward Allen, the son of George and Nancy McCoy Allen.  He was a school teacher at the time and she the pastor's daughter, newly arrived in Soda Springs, Idaho.  Their children are Forest, Vernon, Tessora, Corinne, Edith, and Richard.  Edith died in 1954 in Salt Lake City, Utah, so she was the first of the children to have a long and mostly happy life.  

George was the next born, in 1880.  He was born in Anna, Union County, Illinois, and died in 1967 in Independence, Polk County, Oregon, where he was a physician for many years.  He married Martha Fratzke, the daughter of Johann August and Charlotte Tetzloff Fratzke, and they have three daughters-Margaret, Helen and Frances.  

Finally, John was born in 1882 and died in 1886 in Sweetland Township, Muscatine County, Iowa.  As far as we know, this was their last child, and it is always sad to lose the youngest.  

I should mention that there is a four year gap between children, between Anna and Edith.  Since the other children were born approximately every two years, it is possible that there was an unsuccessful pregnancy during this time.  Or perhaps Harriet was in need of a rest.

Wilson and Harriet are both buried in Tipton, Iowa, after dying in Oregon.  I feel sure that George paid for their funerals and burial, for in serving the Lord all those years, the only treasures they laid up are those in heaven.  I can't stop thinking about this family, about the love and faith that sustained them through all the sorrows in their life together.  They were amazing people.   

 

 

 

The family of Thomas J Knott 1808-1887

Tracing the family of Thomas Knott means chasing all over the country, basically.  Thomas is the son of Joseph and Mary Adams Knott, and was born in 1808,  His parents had moved from Pennsylvania to Jefferson County, Ohio, very early, and Thomas was born there, near Steubenville.  The family later moved to Richland County, Ohio, and Thomas married Hannah Bell there.  She is the daughter of John and Hannah Finch Bell.

Thomas was a man who couldn't stay in one place for long, partly for reasons of business (he was a millwright who built mills, ran them for a short time, and then moved on), and partly because he seems to have had a wanderlust.  During his lifetime he lived in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Nevada, and Illinois, and he made several trips to Nevada/California,at least once overland and other times by sea. His life is interesting and I've written about it in a previous post.  

However, he was home often enough to start and raise a family.  We're told that he and Hannah had 9 children.  I've been able to name 8, but I'm still missing one.  As mentioned, his children settled all over the country.  

The first born was Anna, born in 1830.  She married William Fesler, so far not identified further.  They had one son, George, before Anna's death in 1852 in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Michigan.    

Elzy Hedges (apparently named for a storekeeper in Richland County, Ohio) was born in 1832.  He married Mary Elizabeth Harris.  All that is known of her background is that she grew up in South Wales.  Sadly, Elzy was murdered in 1859 in Genoa, Douglas County, Nevada, where he had settled and where his parents planned to move until the sadness of his death changed their minds.  Mary gave birth to a daughter, Elzyette, a few months after Elzy's death.  

John Wilson, who used the name "Wilson", was born in 1836 and died in 1927 in Salem, Marion County, Ohio.  He married Harriet Clarissa Starr, the daughter of John and Clarissa Falley Starr.  Their children are Herbert, Alfred, Walter, Robert, Mary, Anna, Edith, George, and John, and I will write more of this family in my next blog post.

Harriet was born in 1838  and died in 1840 at Jamestown, Steuben County, Indiana, where Thomas and Hannah were living.

Thomas Knott was the first of the children to have a long life.  He was born in 1840 and died in 1921 in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois.  He was twice married, first to Elizabeth Simmermaker and then to Mary Simmermaker.  The women are cousins.  Elizabeth's parents are Philip and Margaret Beach Simmermaker, and Mary's are George and Aley Henderson Simmermaker.  There are no known children from the first marriage, and two, Fred and Clara, from the second.  

Louisa was born in 1873 and died in 1927 in Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois.  She married Benjamin Weaver, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Charles Weaver.  Their children are Ella May, Harriet known as Hattie, and Mary Etta.  

James was born February 10, 1846, and no more is heard of him, not being listed in the 1850 census.  He must have died as a baby or very young child. 

The last child we know of is Albert Adams, born in 1848 and died in 1947 in Vallejo, Solano County, California.  He married Margaret Welty, the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Bitzch Welty.  Their children are Elaz, Franklin, Albert, and Elizabeth. 

If the nine children is an accurate tally, then there is one child missing.  Since he or she doesn't show up on a census, it is likely that the child did not live long, and was possibly born after the 1850 census although it could have been earlier.  I like to read about Thomas as he left more records than many of our ancestors, but it's Hannah who has my heart.  She had to be mother and father to the children as Thomas traveled so much.  It's a reminder that our female ancestors deserve our respect and admiration. They didn't have it easy.