I am taking a long shot here, to talk about one of the Beeks "brick walls". Polly was the wife of John Beeks. She was born about 1805 in Virginia, and husband John was born there, too, possibly about 1809. The only real fact I have about her is that the two were married in 1830 in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio. The Beeks family had been there for at least 10 years but the Carters were more recent arrivals.
In 1810, there is a John Carter in Monongalia, Virginia in the census, with a daughter the correct age to be Polly. I'm not sure I've located John in the 1820 census, but in 1830 he is in Xenia, Ohio. By this time his wife is gone, and there are two white females in the house. The census date of June 1 is before the marriage date of June 30,1830, so it is quite possible that the 20-29 year old female is Polly.
However, "possible" isn't proof. Just because two families by the same names lived in the same area in 1810 and again in 1830 doesn't mean that these are the same two families, or that their children married. I have looked at several other Carter families who claimed a "Polly" but there is always something "off" about them-John died in the "wrong" place, or before the 1830 census, or something. So I am still looking for Polly's parents, although the John Carter from Monongalia who was in Xenia in Greene County seems a possibility to be either a father or an uncle.
Polly lived her life with John, traveling with him from Xenia to Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana. They were there by 1850 (haven't located them in the 1840 census yet), and they lived out their lives there, having at least three children. There may have been more because Anna Meadows, three years old, who could possibly be a grandchild, is shown in the 1850 census. Known children are William, Casey, and Lucy.
I'd be thrilled to hear from any one who knows this couple, John and Polly, but especially thrilled to hear of someone who knows Polly, and whether John is her father. She was born not so long ago, a little over 200 years, and her grave is just a few miles from our home, at the Lagro IOOF cemetery. I'd love to know more of her story. Please contact me at happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!
The line of descent is:
John Beeks-Polly Carter
William Beeks-Mary Wise
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
No comments:
Post a Comment
Don't want to comment publicly? Feel free to email me: happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom. You can figure out what to do with the "AT" and the "DOT".