Last week, I went back to Whitley County, Indiana to the recorder's office, with a long list of potential landowners. I wanted to find as many deeds as I could during the two hours or so I spent there. I spent too much time in the first book of deeds, but once I figured out what the most efficient way to locate the deeds was, I made great progress. I am quite sure I didn't find everything, but here's what I found:
An 1837 deed filed in 1838 from George Harter and wife Elizabeth and John Geiger and wife Ruth, Joseph Geiger and wife Polly, William Rhodes and wife, and Reuben Gilliland and wife sell land to Anthony Geiger Jr and Thomas Geiger. Of the 10 people who signed the deal, only George Harter and Joseph Geiger signed their names; the others signed with an X. This involves land in Allen County, Indiana, and was filed in Licking County, Ohio.
An 1851 deed from Solomon Bennett and his wife Margaret to John Farmer
An 1843 deed from Solomon Bennett and his wife Margaret to James G Simcoke
An 1851 (I think) deed from Henry Cook and Catherine Cook his wife to Ephraim Strong (or Stroup?)
An 1843 deed from Henry Swihart, County Agent of Whitley County, to Henry Cook and Catherine his wife
An 1849 deed from George Essig and Catherine Essig to Lydia Feller. This may not be the George Essig that is directly an ancestor; I need to do more research on this one.
The 1837 certificate from the United States of America to Anthony Geiger
An 1848 certificate from the United States of America to Anthony Gigar (not sure if this is our Anthony, or son Anthony)
An 1856 deed from John A Essig and Mary his wife to John Crawford (not a direct ancestor, but of the family)
An 1856 deed from John Harshbarger and Julia Ann his wife to Lewis Harshbarger and Catherine his wife
An 1841 deed from Moses Thompson to Solomon Bennett
An 1860 deed from Solomon E Harris (or Kerns) and wife Emily to Benjamin Buchtel
An 1854 deed from Peter Snider and wife to William Cook
An 1870 deed from William Cook and Elizabeth his wife to Williams and Withers
An 1869 deed from Philip Knisely and Lydia his wife to Lewis Harshbarger
An 1854 deed from John L Cotton and wife to William Koch (not sure this is our William Cook)
A suit for partition involving Emanuel Harshbarger and Lavinia Harshbarger Gradeless vs. Catherine Harshbarger Sr., Milo Harshbarger, Matilda Harshbarger, Henry Harshbarger, Catherine Harshbarger Jr, and Mary Harshbarger (actually, all the names are spelled Harshburger) in 1879.
An 1878 deed from William Cook and Elizabeth his wife to Barbara Withers et al. This one is especially interesting because the Notary Public who signed it on October 28th, October 1878 was Thomas R Marshall, who later became governor of Indiana and then two term vice president of the United States.
So-I have 18 new deeds, only two or three of which I am not certain are ancestors of my children! I paid $23 for these, but they are priceless! The names above which are in the Harshbarger line, one way or another, are Harter, Geiger, Bennett, Cook, Essig, Buchtel, Harshbarger, and Withers. I am sure I missed some transactions, and I stopped mostly by 1880, so there is more to be done in Whitley County. It's a good thing that the room is so pleasant and the people there are so polite and helpful!
I just realized I have no Kemery deeds! I'll have to go back and look for that name, too!
If you have questions about any of these, let me know. I may not be able to read every word of a deed, but I will try to give you the gist of it, if you're interested.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Holbrook line: Robert Amos 1771-1826
Robert Amos was born in 1771 and died in 1826. He was born in Baltimore County, Maryland and died in Harford County, Md., but these were probably the same, or very close to the same, locations. Harford County was formed from part of Baltimore County in 1774. There are indications that at one time the family estate was very large, and based on the early land records I've found, that is probably the case. My deduction is that the family probably raised tobacco, as that is the main crop cash of Maryland during this time period. My question about this would involve slaves: Did this family own them? If not, how was the land planted, tended, and harvested? I know that at least some of the Amos family were Quakers, which would make it difficult to reconcile slavery with the family holdings.
As usual, I don't know much about this man. He was born May 6, 1771 in Baltimore County to Robert Amos and Martha McComas, the second of 10 children. He married Elizabeth Amos on January 2, 1792, in Harford County. As the daughter of Benjamin Amos and Sarah Bussey, she was his first cousin. Their common grandparents were James Amos and Hannah Clarke.
He must have been a highly respected man, because beginning in 1796 he was sheriff of the county, and held that position for 20 years. I've not yet found any record of him in military records, so I don't know whether he served in the military during the war of 1812, or not.
He and Elizabeth had at least 8 children: Martha, Sarah, Benjamin, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Ellen, Corbin, and Robert. Martha was born in 1792. I believe Robert was the last child. The birth date I have for him is a bit hazy, "about 1818" but if that is so, his birth may have contributed to Elizabeth's death in 1818.
Robert and Elizabeth are both buried in the Amos Family Cemetery on the old Corbin Amos farm, on Baldwin Mill road in Harford County. This is a small family cemetery, that also includes the burial site of Robert's parents and Robert Jr.'s brother, Daniel, and his wife, Sarah. Also buried there is Robert Jr.'s sister, Martha Amos McComas, and her husband, Aquila McComas. It is possible that other family members are buried there, also, but this is the only record we have.
Of course, there is more that I would love to know, much of which I've already mentioned. Was he in the War of 1812? Were there slaves? Is my assumption that the main crop was tobacco correct? What religion was he? Is there a will? What was the cause of death? He died at age 55, which is somewhat young. I'd love to go to Harford County and do more research on this family!
Our line of descent is:
Robert Amos-Elizabeth Amos
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Lois/Gladys/Ray/Howard
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of Lois and of Gladys.
As usual, I don't know much about this man. He was born May 6, 1771 in Baltimore County to Robert Amos and Martha McComas, the second of 10 children. He married Elizabeth Amos on January 2, 1792, in Harford County. As the daughter of Benjamin Amos and Sarah Bussey, she was his first cousin. Their common grandparents were James Amos and Hannah Clarke.
He must have been a highly respected man, because beginning in 1796 he was sheriff of the county, and held that position for 20 years. I've not yet found any record of him in military records, so I don't know whether he served in the military during the war of 1812, or not.
He and Elizabeth had at least 8 children: Martha, Sarah, Benjamin, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Ellen, Corbin, and Robert. Martha was born in 1792. I believe Robert was the last child. The birth date I have for him is a bit hazy, "about 1818" but if that is so, his birth may have contributed to Elizabeth's death in 1818.
Robert and Elizabeth are both buried in the Amos Family Cemetery on the old Corbin Amos farm, on Baldwin Mill road in Harford County. This is a small family cemetery, that also includes the burial site of Robert's parents and Robert Jr.'s brother, Daniel, and his wife, Sarah. Also buried there is Robert Jr.'s sister, Martha Amos McComas, and her husband, Aquila McComas. It is possible that other family members are buried there, also, but this is the only record we have.
Of course, there is more that I would love to know, much of which I've already mentioned. Was he in the War of 1812? Were there slaves? Is my assumption that the main crop was tobacco correct? What religion was he? Is there a will? What was the cause of death? He died at age 55, which is somewhat young. I'd love to go to Harford County and do more research on this family!
Our line of descent is:
Robert Amos-Elizabeth Amos
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Lois/Gladys/Ray/Howard
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of Lois and of Gladys.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Allen line: Who was Michael Dunn?
Michael Dunn is very much a brick wall ancestor. I don't know when he was born, when he died, who his wife was, who his parents were, or when he or they or their ancestors came to America. At this point, all I know about him is from a short biography of his grandson, George Washington Dunn, which states that his father, Lemuel Dunn, was the son of Michael Dunn, a native of Virginia but of Irish parentage, and a noble defender in the War of Independence. That's it. That's all I know for sure, and of course the biographies that were published in the late 1800s are known to not be 100% accurate, so this may not be 100% accurate, either.
However, working on what little "information" I think I have, I've found two Michael Dunns in Virginia during the time period I'm researching (roughly 1775 to 1800). One is a Michael Dunn who married Elizabeth Cheney in Maryland and went to Wythe County. He may be the Michael Dunn who was in the militia in Montgomery County, Va, but the other facts don't fit, because the Dunn family was in Maryland for many years prior to the Revolution. I haven't completely ruled him out, but he's not my top candidate at the moment.
I've found another Michael Dunn to consider. The earliest I can place him so far is in Henry County, Va, in a 1782 tax list. That means he would have been born by 1764, at least, and he could well have been born quite a few years earlier. There is also a Michael Dunn who was taxed in Botetourt County in 1984, which is a couple of counties away, or maybe just over a mountain ridge. Patrick Dunn and William Dunn are also in Botetourt County at the same time. Patrick and William are noted as being in military districts, but Michael is not. Perhaps he was too old by this time to be eligible for military service, although there are other reasons he could have been excused also.
The only other reference to a Michael Dunn that I've found was in a list of soldiers killed at the 1791 battle known as "St Clair's Defeat". A James Dunn was also killed that horrible day. I don't think this would be our Michael Dunn, or surely it would have been mentioned in George Washington Dunn's biography, but there is always an outside possibility so I can't discount it entirely. The fact that I haven't found a Botetourt-Henry County Michael Dunn after that time period is a little unsettling.
I need to do some research on William Dunn and Patrick Dunn, to see if more information is available about them, and also search more in Kentucky for Michael Dunn. Lemuel Dunn was married there in 1809, so it's possible that Michael had gone to Kentucky after he disappeared from Virginia.
Here's the line of descent:
Michael Dunn and unknown
Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Reid Campbell
Margaret Dunn and Archibald Allen
George Allen and Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen and Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Vernon/Tessora/Corinne
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren
If you know, or think you know, anything about Michael Dunn, I'd love to hear from you.
However, working on what little "information" I think I have, I've found two Michael Dunns in Virginia during the time period I'm researching (roughly 1775 to 1800). One is a Michael Dunn who married Elizabeth Cheney in Maryland and went to Wythe County. He may be the Michael Dunn who was in the militia in Montgomery County, Va, but the other facts don't fit, because the Dunn family was in Maryland for many years prior to the Revolution. I haven't completely ruled him out, but he's not my top candidate at the moment.
I've found another Michael Dunn to consider. The earliest I can place him so far is in Henry County, Va, in a 1782 tax list. That means he would have been born by 1764, at least, and he could well have been born quite a few years earlier. There is also a Michael Dunn who was taxed in Botetourt County in 1984, which is a couple of counties away, or maybe just over a mountain ridge. Patrick Dunn and William Dunn are also in Botetourt County at the same time. Patrick and William are noted as being in military districts, but Michael is not. Perhaps he was too old by this time to be eligible for military service, although there are other reasons he could have been excused also.
The only other reference to a Michael Dunn that I've found was in a list of soldiers killed at the 1791 battle known as "St Clair's Defeat". A James Dunn was also killed that horrible day. I don't think this would be our Michael Dunn, or surely it would have been mentioned in George Washington Dunn's biography, but there is always an outside possibility so I can't discount it entirely. The fact that I haven't found a Botetourt-Henry County Michael Dunn after that time period is a little unsettling.
I need to do some research on William Dunn and Patrick Dunn, to see if more information is available about them, and also search more in Kentucky for Michael Dunn. Lemuel Dunn was married there in 1809, so it's possible that Michael had gone to Kentucky after he disappeared from Virginia.
Here's the line of descent:
Michael Dunn and unknown
Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Reid Campbell
Margaret Dunn and Archibald Allen
George Allen and Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen and Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Vernon/Tessora/Corinne
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren
If you know, or think you know, anything about Michael Dunn, I'd love to hear from you.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Holbrook line: John Adam Brown, Jr.
Earlier I wrote about Adam's father, John Adam Brown who married Catherine Clapp in North Carolina and moved from there to Preble County, Ohio, where they both died. Today is the day to write about his son, John Adam Brown, known as Adam, who was also a pioneer.
Adam was born March 18, 1804 (probably a few days earlier, as this is his date of christening) in Guilford County, N.C. When he was a toddler or very young boy, his parents moved to Preble County, Ohio, where they were very early settlers, and where they lived out their days on a farm.
Adam married Phoebe Myers, daughter of Christopher Myers and Elizabeth Nation, on March 11, 1830 in Preble County. The Myers family were also early settlers in the area, and Christopher was born in North Carolina also. It is unknown whether the two families knew each other from "way back", or whether it was coincidence that they arrived at the same place from the same general area of North Carolina. At any rate, the two married.
Shortly before the death of Adam Sr, Adam and Phoebe and son Christopher set off on their own. They apparently traveled by themselves to the southern edge of what became Bloom Township, Cook County, Illinois. They may have traveled to Elkhart County, Indiana, first, with Christopher and Phoebe Myers, and stayed there long enough to help them build their cabin and get some land cleared. Christopher and Phoebe stayed in Elkhart County, but Adam and Phoebe, along with son Christopher, moved on.
When they came to Illinois in about 1833, the family settled on land at the intersection of the Vincennes Road and Sauk Road. The Vincennes road was used by traders, merchants, and others traveling from the Vincennes area to the north, and the Sauk Road was primarily an Indian trail until others moving west started using it. There surely must have been some interesting characters traveling on these roads!
Adam went to work clearing land and building his home. He first built a log cabin, but by 1838, when he purchased the land, he had built a "house" and planted an orchard. He purchased land on all four corners of the intersection, which turned out to be the perfect place for an inn, which was apparently his next enterprise. He evidently did rather well financially. The 1850 census gives the value of his land as $4,800. The state census in 1865 shows that he had livestock, grains, other products, and wool. Possibly some of the other products included fruit from the orchard he had planted. By 1870, he had real estate holdings worth $20,800 and his personal property was valued at $27,000. It looks like this man was a hard worker, and his wife would have worked equally hard.
Adam is noted in the Cook County, Illinois History as having been a "Universalist" in religion, which was very different from the Lutheran upbringing of his childhood. Universalists of the time generally believed that all would be eventually reconciled to God, thereby not acknowledging the Biblical doctrine of eternal damnation. We don't know whether Phoebe shared these views, but since Fremont and Phoebe Holbrook were staunch Methodists, as were Phoebe Brown's parents, the Myers, it seems likely that Phoebe Brown may have gently led the children in another direction.
Adam Brown died on March 3, 1893, in Will County, Illinois, where he had gone to live with family following the death of Phoebe on February 27, 1892. They are both buried in Crete Cemetery, Will County, very close to the lands they lived on for about 60 years. The inn was carried on by family members until about 1906, and the intersection was known as Brown's Corners.
Their known children were Christopher, Lovina (first white child born in the township), Elizabeth, George, William, Sarah, Mary J, Phoebe, and Adam.
The line of descent is:
Adam Brown-Phoebe Myers
Phoebe Myers-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Lois/Gladys/Ray/Howard Holbrook
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren
Adam was born March 18, 1804 (probably a few days earlier, as this is his date of christening) in Guilford County, N.C. When he was a toddler or very young boy, his parents moved to Preble County, Ohio, where they were very early settlers, and where they lived out their days on a farm.
Adam married Phoebe Myers, daughter of Christopher Myers and Elizabeth Nation, on March 11, 1830 in Preble County. The Myers family were also early settlers in the area, and Christopher was born in North Carolina also. It is unknown whether the two families knew each other from "way back", or whether it was coincidence that they arrived at the same place from the same general area of North Carolina. At any rate, the two married.
Shortly before the death of Adam Sr, Adam and Phoebe and son Christopher set off on their own. They apparently traveled by themselves to the southern edge of what became Bloom Township, Cook County, Illinois. They may have traveled to Elkhart County, Indiana, first, with Christopher and Phoebe Myers, and stayed there long enough to help them build their cabin and get some land cleared. Christopher and Phoebe stayed in Elkhart County, but Adam and Phoebe, along with son Christopher, moved on.
When they came to Illinois in about 1833, the family settled on land at the intersection of the Vincennes Road and Sauk Road. The Vincennes road was used by traders, merchants, and others traveling from the Vincennes area to the north, and the Sauk Road was primarily an Indian trail until others moving west started using it. There surely must have been some interesting characters traveling on these roads!
Adam went to work clearing land and building his home. He first built a log cabin, but by 1838, when he purchased the land, he had built a "house" and planted an orchard. He purchased land on all four corners of the intersection, which turned out to be the perfect place for an inn, which was apparently his next enterprise. He evidently did rather well financially. The 1850 census gives the value of his land as $4,800. The state census in 1865 shows that he had livestock, grains, other products, and wool. Possibly some of the other products included fruit from the orchard he had planted. By 1870, he had real estate holdings worth $20,800 and his personal property was valued at $27,000. It looks like this man was a hard worker, and his wife would have worked equally hard.
Adam is noted in the Cook County, Illinois History as having been a "Universalist" in religion, which was very different from the Lutheran upbringing of his childhood. Universalists of the time generally believed that all would be eventually reconciled to God, thereby not acknowledging the Biblical doctrine of eternal damnation. We don't know whether Phoebe shared these views, but since Fremont and Phoebe Holbrook were staunch Methodists, as were Phoebe Brown's parents, the Myers, it seems likely that Phoebe Brown may have gently led the children in another direction.
Adam Brown died on March 3, 1893, in Will County, Illinois, where he had gone to live with family following the death of Phoebe on February 27, 1892. They are both buried in Crete Cemetery, Will County, very close to the lands they lived on for about 60 years. The inn was carried on by family members until about 1906, and the intersection was known as Brown's Corners.
Their known children were Christopher, Lovina (first white child born in the township), Elizabeth, George, William, Sarah, Mary J, Phoebe, and Adam.
The line of descent is:
Adam Brown-Phoebe Myers
Phoebe Myers-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Lois/Gladys/Ray/Howard Holbrook
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren
Friday, February 21, 2014
Beeks Line: Samuel Goodnight
This is another case of too many questions, and not enough answers. Samuel Goodnight's claim to fame today is that he was the father of Catherine Goodnight, who was married to Jacob Dunham. Catherine and Jacob, of course, are ancestors of President Barack Obama. I wonder what Samuel would have said to us in his last days, looking back on his life? What would he have said were the most important accomplishments in his life?
He was born in Germantown, Pa in 1761, the son of Christian Gutknecht (Americanized to Goodnight when the parents arrived in Philadelphia in 1752) and Mary Magdalena Grunholtz. The Gutknechts were from the Alsace region of France or Germany, depending on the time period, and can be traced back to the village of Ried bel Kerzers, near Bern, Switzerland. It's a German speaking village to this day. Germantown was largely a service oriented area which became swallowed up by Philadelphia, and Christian became a "tobacco preparer" there. Samuel was one of 7 children. We don't know how he got to Montgomery County but one possibility was that he was set up in an apprenticeship there. This was common among families with many children, especially if they didn't own enough farmland to support adult children.
Samuel worked, then, at some sort of trade or business, but we don't know what it was. He married Magdalena Berkheimer about 1785 in Montgomery County. He is found in tax lists for Worcester Township, Montgomery County in 1786 and 1788, and is on the Septennial census there in 1793.
He is noted as having had military service in the Montgomery County Militia from 1785-1786, in the 7th Co of the 6th Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Robert Curry, but perhaps this is incorrect. According to what I've been able to learn, the 6th Battalion disbanded at the end of the Revolutionary War. Lt. Col. Robert Curry was in command from 1775 to at least 1777. So either Samuel served in the Revolutionary War at a very early age, or the facts are wrong concerning his dates of service. DAR says anyone trying to prove this ancestor must prove his service. I didn't find him on the Pa Digital Archives listings, nor did I find him on Fold 3.
By 1810, he and his family had moved to Berkeley, Va. Samuel and Magdalena were each over 45 years of age, but by now they had a full house. There were two males aged 10-15, 2 males 16-25, one female aged 10-15, and one 16-25. The names of five of their children are known: Martha, Samuel, Christopher, Catherine, and Leonard. We may be missing the name of one son, or perhaps there was a boarder in the household. Another problem I have is that I have the birthdate for Samuel Jr. as being 1819. This would be much too late for him to be a child of this couple, although he could be a grandson, perhaps.
The 1820 census shows them in Bath Township, Morgan County, WV but it is unlikely that they moved. Morgan County was formed in 1820 from part of Berkeley County. Of course, this was actually Virginia and not West Virginia during this time period. The 1820 shows one male under the age of 10, one male between the age of 26 and 44, one female between the ages of 26 and 45, and then Samuel and Magdalena, each over the age of 45. This looks like it could be one of their children, plus a spouse and grandson, who are living with them, but that is just a guess. In 1830, the family is still in Morgan, Virginia. It is now composed of Samuel, a free white female 50-59, and a male aged 10-14. The female aged 50-59 may not be Magdalena, or she may simply not have "aged" as much as Samuel did during the 10 years between the censuses.
One other possibility is that I saw one record, undocumented, that said Samuel and Magdalene weren't married until 1819, in Berkley County, Va. I have not seen a source for that. However, because Leonard Berkheimer, Magdalena's father, is found in Worchester Township, Montgomery County at the same time as Samuel, I think the likelihood is that the Montgomery County location and date of 1785 are likely correct. We need to keep looking for those records.
It is believed that Magdalena died about 1830. Samuel then went on, probably with family, to Fayette County, Ohio, where he died about 1833.
I'll keep looking for answers about this couple. I don't know their religion, or his occupation, and I may be missing the name of one child. When was Samuel Jr really born? Was our Samuel in the Revolutionary War? And what would Samuel have thought that his greatest accomplishment was?
The line of descent is:
Samuel Goodnight-Magdalene Berkheimer
Catherine Goodnight-Jacob Dunham
Samuel Goodnight Dunham-Eliza Matilda Reese
Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Homer Aldridge
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Beeks children, grand children, etc.
He was born in Germantown, Pa in 1761, the son of Christian Gutknecht (Americanized to Goodnight when the parents arrived in Philadelphia in 1752) and Mary Magdalena Grunholtz. The Gutknechts were from the Alsace region of France or Germany, depending on the time period, and can be traced back to the village of Ried bel Kerzers, near Bern, Switzerland. It's a German speaking village to this day. Germantown was largely a service oriented area which became swallowed up by Philadelphia, and Christian became a "tobacco preparer" there. Samuel was one of 7 children. We don't know how he got to Montgomery County but one possibility was that he was set up in an apprenticeship there. This was common among families with many children, especially if they didn't own enough farmland to support adult children.
Samuel worked, then, at some sort of trade or business, but we don't know what it was. He married Magdalena Berkheimer about 1785 in Montgomery County. He is found in tax lists for Worcester Township, Montgomery County in 1786 and 1788, and is on the Septennial census there in 1793.
He is noted as having had military service in the Montgomery County Militia from 1785-1786, in the 7th Co of the 6th Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Robert Curry, but perhaps this is incorrect. According to what I've been able to learn, the 6th Battalion disbanded at the end of the Revolutionary War. Lt. Col. Robert Curry was in command from 1775 to at least 1777. So either Samuel served in the Revolutionary War at a very early age, or the facts are wrong concerning his dates of service. DAR says anyone trying to prove this ancestor must prove his service. I didn't find him on the Pa Digital Archives listings, nor did I find him on Fold 3.
By 1810, he and his family had moved to Berkeley, Va. Samuel and Magdalena were each over 45 years of age, but by now they had a full house. There were two males aged 10-15, 2 males 16-25, one female aged 10-15, and one 16-25. The names of five of their children are known: Martha, Samuel, Christopher, Catherine, and Leonard. We may be missing the name of one son, or perhaps there was a boarder in the household. Another problem I have is that I have the birthdate for Samuel Jr. as being 1819. This would be much too late for him to be a child of this couple, although he could be a grandson, perhaps.
The 1820 census shows them in Bath Township, Morgan County, WV but it is unlikely that they moved. Morgan County was formed in 1820 from part of Berkeley County. Of course, this was actually Virginia and not West Virginia during this time period. The 1820 shows one male under the age of 10, one male between the age of 26 and 44, one female between the ages of 26 and 45, and then Samuel and Magdalena, each over the age of 45. This looks like it could be one of their children, plus a spouse and grandson, who are living with them, but that is just a guess. In 1830, the family is still in Morgan, Virginia. It is now composed of Samuel, a free white female 50-59, and a male aged 10-14. The female aged 50-59 may not be Magdalena, or she may simply not have "aged" as much as Samuel did during the 10 years between the censuses.
One other possibility is that I saw one record, undocumented, that said Samuel and Magdalene weren't married until 1819, in Berkley County, Va. I have not seen a source for that. However, because Leonard Berkheimer, Magdalena's father, is found in Worchester Township, Montgomery County at the same time as Samuel, I think the likelihood is that the Montgomery County location and date of 1785 are likely correct. We need to keep looking for those records.
It is believed that Magdalena died about 1830. Samuel then went on, probably with family, to Fayette County, Ohio, where he died about 1833.
I'll keep looking for answers about this couple. I don't know their religion, or his occupation, and I may be missing the name of one child. When was Samuel Jr really born? Was our Samuel in the Revolutionary War? And what would Samuel have thought that his greatest accomplishment was?
The line of descent is:
Samuel Goodnight-Magdalene Berkheimer
Catherine Goodnight-Jacob Dunham
Samuel Goodnight Dunham-Eliza Matilda Reese
Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Homer Aldridge
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Beeks children, grand children, etc.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Allen line: Finishing Thomas Knott's letter
We're finishing up the letter that Thomas J Knott wrote to the Sacramento Daily Union following the murder of his son and the prompt acquittal of the gunman. Elzy Knott was murdered on March 8, 1859, and by March 24, 1859 the trial was held with the verdict given, Thomas Knott had collected himself enough to write this letter, it had made its way over the mountains to Sacramento, and it was published. The letter is viewable in its entirety thanks to the California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, Ca. The URL is http://cdnc.ucr.edu. Knott is continuing his list of reasons why the trial was not a fair one, and then ends his letter with a plea:
"4th. Again, one juror signified to some persons that he firmly believed my evidence to be true, and contrary to his belief, declared the murderer innocent.
5th. I had just reason to believe that the Vigilance party had exercised their influence in this case; because my son, Elzy, was strongly opposed to them, because some of their most influential men had expressed themselves in strong terms against him; because the criminal had asked to be tried by the Vigilance Committee, and the Court was composed principally of them; lastly, because, before the reading of the verdict in Court, some of the officers informed Hern's family that they would escort the boy to Eagle's Valley for his safety.
6th. When the people were called to vote on the motion of a new trial, the jurors were against all right permitted to vote, and even so, the votes in favor were 16, and those against, 17.
My petition, however, of a new trail was objected to on the ground that my reasons were not previously proposed, and the right tribunal not chosen at first. If the objection was good, a man should relinquish the pursuit of his rights every time that he does not take the right course at the first start. If is thus that I, an aged father, and a poor desolate wife, are left to mourn the loss of one of our dearest inmates, without any alleviation of grief from human justice. There is no doubt but that the rights of justice and humanity have ben this time sacrificed to the malignant spit of party. As long as this small community is distracted by internal divisions, it is impossible to expect an impartial decision in any case whatsoever. The Vigilance Committee was here organized for the purpose of protecting life and property, and now it proves itself detrimental to both. Two murders have already been committed in cool blood, and both criminals have escaped with impunity. We hope that our Governor will soon put an end to our evils, by establishing law with energy and force. When that will be accomplished, these beautiful valleys will become the favorite resort of our Californian neighbors. But for the present, I fervently request our California brethren not to assist in any way the murderer who may seek refuge in that illustrious State. I have caused already to be printed, a notice of a reward of $500, which I will pay to any one who shall apprehend the murderer of my son, and keep him in custody until I obtain an order of trial from the Governor of this Territory.
John Hern is about eighteen years of age, about five feet five inches high, spare built, very large and prominent eyes, brown hair and dark complexion.
My obj(e)ct in all this is to prevent crime, to redress wrongs, and to exalt justice.
Respectfully yours,
T. Knott"
One would have to learn a lot about Nevada history to understand the background of this story. At the time of this letter, Nevada was a part of the Utah territory, and was therefore governed, to the extent it was governed, by Mormons. Thomas Knott was not a Mormon, but had gone to Nevada on several occasions to set up mills (a saw mill and a grist mill, at least). In the early 1850s, he had reported to Brigham Young as a sort of Indian scout, reporting that the Indians were peaceful and could be kept that way. It sounds from this letter as though Thomas at this point had little interest in becoming an independent state, or in being governed by California, although there were proponents of both views in Nevada.
I looked up the definition of "inmate", because I didn't understand it in the context of this letter. When Thomas referred to Elzy as "one of our dearest inmates", he was apparently using it in the archaic definition of "occupants of a house". Elzy was certainly not in a prison or poor house. Also, the $500 reward was not insignificant. In today's dollars, that would have been about $13,900.
Thomas refused to have Elzy buried in the Mormon cemetery, but he was instead buried on his own land. (I'm not clear as to whether this was Thomas's land, or Elzy's, but the two were neighbors so it makes little difference as far as locating the grave. Elzy's grave is noted on Find-a-Grave.)
It was a sad story to read, but it brought home to me that some of those old TV westerns we watched as kids (or at least, our fathers, husbands, etc. did) were not so far from the truth of what actually happened. It was truly a wild, wild West, made up of good people caught in desperate situations, some of their own making.
"4th. Again, one juror signified to some persons that he firmly believed my evidence to be true, and contrary to his belief, declared the murderer innocent.
5th. I had just reason to believe that the Vigilance party had exercised their influence in this case; because my son, Elzy, was strongly opposed to them, because some of their most influential men had expressed themselves in strong terms against him; because the criminal had asked to be tried by the Vigilance Committee, and the Court was composed principally of them; lastly, because, before the reading of the verdict in Court, some of the officers informed Hern's family that they would escort the boy to Eagle's Valley for his safety.
6th. When the people were called to vote on the motion of a new trial, the jurors were against all right permitted to vote, and even so, the votes in favor were 16, and those against, 17.
My petition, however, of a new trail was objected to on the ground that my reasons were not previously proposed, and the right tribunal not chosen at first. If the objection was good, a man should relinquish the pursuit of his rights every time that he does not take the right course at the first start. If is thus that I, an aged father, and a poor desolate wife, are left to mourn the loss of one of our dearest inmates, without any alleviation of grief from human justice. There is no doubt but that the rights of justice and humanity have ben this time sacrificed to the malignant spit of party. As long as this small community is distracted by internal divisions, it is impossible to expect an impartial decision in any case whatsoever. The Vigilance Committee was here organized for the purpose of protecting life and property, and now it proves itself detrimental to both. Two murders have already been committed in cool blood, and both criminals have escaped with impunity. We hope that our Governor will soon put an end to our evils, by establishing law with energy and force. When that will be accomplished, these beautiful valleys will become the favorite resort of our Californian neighbors. But for the present, I fervently request our California brethren not to assist in any way the murderer who may seek refuge in that illustrious State. I have caused already to be printed, a notice of a reward of $500, which I will pay to any one who shall apprehend the murderer of my son, and keep him in custody until I obtain an order of trial from the Governor of this Territory.
John Hern is about eighteen years of age, about five feet five inches high, spare built, very large and prominent eyes, brown hair and dark complexion.
My obj(e)ct in all this is to prevent crime, to redress wrongs, and to exalt justice.
Respectfully yours,
T. Knott"
One would have to learn a lot about Nevada history to understand the background of this story. At the time of this letter, Nevada was a part of the Utah territory, and was therefore governed, to the extent it was governed, by Mormons. Thomas Knott was not a Mormon, but had gone to Nevada on several occasions to set up mills (a saw mill and a grist mill, at least). In the early 1850s, he had reported to Brigham Young as a sort of Indian scout, reporting that the Indians were peaceful and could be kept that way. It sounds from this letter as though Thomas at this point had little interest in becoming an independent state, or in being governed by California, although there were proponents of both views in Nevada.
I looked up the definition of "inmate", because I didn't understand it in the context of this letter. When Thomas referred to Elzy as "one of our dearest inmates", he was apparently using it in the archaic definition of "occupants of a house". Elzy was certainly not in a prison or poor house. Also, the $500 reward was not insignificant. In today's dollars, that would have been about $13,900.
Thomas refused to have Elzy buried in the Mormon cemetery, but he was instead buried on his own land. (I'm not clear as to whether this was Thomas's land, or Elzy's, but the two were neighbors so it makes little difference as far as locating the grave. Elzy's grave is noted on Find-a-Grave.)
It was a sad story to read, but it brought home to me that some of those old TV westerns we watched as kids (or at least, our fathers, husbands, etc. did) were not so far from the truth of what actually happened. It was truly a wild, wild West, made up of good people caught in desperate situations, some of their own making.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Allen line: Letter from Thomas Knott, continued
We're continuing the letter that Thomas Knott wrote to the Sacramento Daily Union, printed on March 24, 1859. He is a grieving father, commenting on the murder of his son and the "trial" that followed shortly after. Elzy Knott was killed on March 8, so or this letter to be published on March 24, the wheels of justice would have been moving at pretty much warp speed. Remember, this was the old, old West, in Carson Valley, Nevada. (Thanks to the California Digital Newspaper Collection , Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, California, http://cdnc.ucr.edu for making this available.)
"This is the true narrative of this melancholy event, which myself and another eye witness have deposed to upon oath, and which other witnesses have, in its various parts, confirmed. From the simple intelligence of the particulars of this fact, two conclusions can be easily drawn: first, that the murdered man had no design of offering violence or aggression to any one of Hern's family, for he did not even draw out his pistol when his imminent danger of life seemed to require it; the second conclusion is, that the murderer perpetrated the dead with full malice, premeditation, and without a just cause-since Elzy said in the house that he would not have a fuss but simply recover his bridle-and in the meantime the boy was ready to shoot him. If Elzy went into Hern's house in spite of Mrs. Hern's remonstrances, as she deposed in Court, he followed, in so doing, a custom which, as it was attested in Court by Mr. Gaige, seems to exist here, namely: that when an individual is robbed of his property-there being no law, no authority here to which to apply for it's recovery, he goes to recover it himself wherever he can find it. So have acted in more than one case, various persons, even some of those who are interested in this case, who, in default of payment by a person went to hi house, broke the lock, forced their entrance, and took away a box of tools, which they afterwards sold for their own indemnity. In conclusion, the facts narrated clearly prove malice, premeditation and want of a just cause on the part of the murderer. The verdict, then, of acquittal was entirely contrary to justice and humanity. The jury, have partially rejected my evidence because it was in conflict with Mrs. Hern's evidence,; but yet, my evidence was invincibly corroborated by three other witnesses, one of whom was along with me when the murder was committed, and the other two was me come to the front door immediately after they heard the report of the gun. Mrs. Hern's evidence, on the contrary, was confirmed by her own little children alone, and in some points only, for in some others their evidence was incoherent. But admitting that the two opposite evidences had equal force, their was no reason for receiving one and rejecting the other. The falsehood of one of them should have been clearly and unquestionably established. But this was not done, and only a decision hurried in favor of innocence, so I had a right to ask for another trial. But these were not the only motives for this demand. I had, moreover, the following reasons:
1st. The Court was not a legal one, but merely a people's convention; therefore it could not pass a definitive sentence without appeal in a case of such supreme entity as that in which the life and death of a criminal is concerned.
2d. A great disparity in the ability of the lawyers employed was plainly visible. The counsel for the defendant being well experienced in his profession, and the lawyers for the prosecution having never pleaded a case of the kind before.
3d. Some one of the jurors had not kept the secret of the verdict, for before it was read in Court, Hern's family were apprised of it, and from them it was made known to some persons in town."
Stay tuned for the conclusion of the letter. If you are interested reading more about Nevada history, which puts this trial into some kind of context, there is a lengthy article from the Nevada Observer of April 16, 2006. Google "Early Governments in Nevada" or "Trial of John Hern Nevada history" and you should easily find it. Nevada was not yet a state, but was part of Utah's territory. The article explains quite a bit about the politics of the time, and my conclusion is that there was more going on than "just" the trial of a murderer. Our family was caught in the middle of a difficult situation.
"This is the true narrative of this melancholy event, which myself and another eye witness have deposed to upon oath, and which other witnesses have, in its various parts, confirmed. From the simple intelligence of the particulars of this fact, two conclusions can be easily drawn: first, that the murdered man had no design of offering violence or aggression to any one of Hern's family, for he did not even draw out his pistol when his imminent danger of life seemed to require it; the second conclusion is, that the murderer perpetrated the dead with full malice, premeditation, and without a just cause-since Elzy said in the house that he would not have a fuss but simply recover his bridle-and in the meantime the boy was ready to shoot him. If Elzy went into Hern's house in spite of Mrs. Hern's remonstrances, as she deposed in Court, he followed, in so doing, a custom which, as it was attested in Court by Mr. Gaige, seems to exist here, namely: that when an individual is robbed of his property-there being no law, no authority here to which to apply for it's recovery, he goes to recover it himself wherever he can find it. So have acted in more than one case, various persons, even some of those who are interested in this case, who, in default of payment by a person went to hi house, broke the lock, forced their entrance, and took away a box of tools, which they afterwards sold for their own indemnity. In conclusion, the facts narrated clearly prove malice, premeditation and want of a just cause on the part of the murderer. The verdict, then, of acquittal was entirely contrary to justice and humanity. The jury, have partially rejected my evidence because it was in conflict with Mrs. Hern's evidence,; but yet, my evidence was invincibly corroborated by three other witnesses, one of whom was along with me when the murder was committed, and the other two was me come to the front door immediately after they heard the report of the gun. Mrs. Hern's evidence, on the contrary, was confirmed by her own little children alone, and in some points only, for in some others their evidence was incoherent. But admitting that the two opposite evidences had equal force, their was no reason for receiving one and rejecting the other. The falsehood of one of them should have been clearly and unquestionably established. But this was not done, and only a decision hurried in favor of innocence, so I had a right to ask for another trial. But these were not the only motives for this demand. I had, moreover, the following reasons:
1st. The Court was not a legal one, but merely a people's convention; therefore it could not pass a definitive sentence without appeal in a case of such supreme entity as that in which the life and death of a criminal is concerned.
2d. A great disparity in the ability of the lawyers employed was plainly visible. The counsel for the defendant being well experienced in his profession, and the lawyers for the prosecution having never pleaded a case of the kind before.
3d. Some one of the jurors had not kept the secret of the verdict, for before it was read in Court, Hern's family were apprised of it, and from them it was made known to some persons in town."
Stay tuned for the conclusion of the letter. If you are interested reading more about Nevada history, which puts this trial into some kind of context, there is a lengthy article from the Nevada Observer of April 16, 2006. Google "Early Governments in Nevada" or "Trial of John Hern Nevada history" and you should easily find it. Nevada was not yet a state, but was part of Utah's territory. The article explains quite a bit about the politics of the time, and my conclusion is that there was more going on than "just" the trial of a murderer. Our family was caught in the middle of a difficult situation.
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