tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272378953838266412024-03-16T11:41:40.434-07:00Happy Genealogy DanceA blog to celebrate genealogy finds in the Allen, Holbrook, Harshbarger, and Beeks families, and all of their many branches. I'm always looking for new finds to celebrate! Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.comBlogger1021125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-12467958963449185472024-03-14T23:30:00.000-07:002024-03-14T23:30:00.136-07:00The family of (Hugh) David Rees 1655-1706<p> Researching this family has been like herding cats. Just when one thing seems to fall in line, everything or everyone else is ready to escape to a new and better life, different parents, a possible second spouse, more or fewer children-anyone who has tried to research an early Pennsylvania family who traces back to Wales knows what I am experiencing. In briefly researching for this family sketch, I've found a lot of questions, a lot of confusion, and a lot of dead ends. This post will attempt to sort some of this out, point out possible alternatives, and at least leave some bread crumbs for the next searchers. All help is most welcome. </p><p>The first question is David's name. Was his first name Hugh, or was it David? I'm using David because I've not found anything at all that used the name Hugh, but it's possible that someone knows something I don't. And as for "Rees", well, it could be Reece, Reese, Rhys, or even ap Rhys, which some have then interpreted as Price. </p><p>David is the son of (unconfirmed) Henry and Elizabeth Lewis Rees. (I'm reasonably confident that the mother's name is correct but I have also seen the father as John and as Price.) He was born about 1655, probably in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and married Elinor Lloyd, who may be the daughter of Thomas and Catherine (verch) William Lloyd. I don't have a firm marriage date for them, but it was sometime in the mid 1670's, still in Wales. David and Elinor came to Pennsylvania in 1682, probably but not necessarily with their first children. I'll explain that statement in a moment.</p><p>This family was party of the Welsh Quaker community. In fact, I have seen David referred to as "Reverend", although of course the Society of Friends, as they are also known, did not use such titles as far as I know. However, the Rees name does show up in Quaker records for generations. <br /></p><p>"Everyone" says that Rebecca, born in 1676 in Wales, is the daughter of this couple, and that she married Moses Bowen, the son of Evan and Mary McMillan Bowen. It's also stated that they came to Pennsylvania in 1698. For all of this information to be accurate, Rebecca would have had to stay in Wales from the time her parents emigrated until she married, or she would have had to return to Wales to marry Moses. (Or perhaps they came earlier and the 1698 trip was a second one, which is plausible because Moses seems to have been relatively well=off.) Rebecca and Moses are said to have had several children: John, Gwentholyn, William, Robert, Thomas, Margaret, Daniel, Henry, Catherine, and Priscilla. I don't know when Rebecca died. The most common date I've seen, without documentation, is 1780, which would have made her a truly ancient woman. </p><p>Margaret is generally given as the next daughter. She was born about 1678. Her death date is sometimes shown as 1761 but I believe that applies to a different Margaret. It is possible that she died as an infant or child and never made it to America. </p><p>Morris is the next child and the first son, according to most lists. He was born in 1680 and died in 1768 in Frederick County, Virginia. He married Sarah Butterfield, the daughter of Thomas and Mary (possibly Taylor) Butterfield. Their children are John, Morris, Jacob, Mary, Margaret, David, Thomas, and Hannah. I will write more about this family in an upcoming post. </p><p>Another family that I will be following in a future post is that of Thomas. He was born in 1681 and died in 1713 in Haverford, Chester County, Pennsylvania. His wife was Rebecca Price, the daughter of Philip Price and an as yet unknown mother. It is possible that these families, Rees and Price, were related, as Rees and Price are both known variations of "ap Rhys". Thomas and Rebecca's children are Thomas, Henry, William, David, Robert, Solomon, and Jane. It is possible that there were two children named Robert. </p><p>Lewis is the next son, and born in 1683, not long after David and family (or some of them) arrived here. He married Grace Row, the daughter of William and Eliza (maiden name unknown) Row. Their children are Mary, Rebecca, David, Elinor and Hannah. Lewis died in 1775, in Newtown, Chester, Pennsylvania. </p><p>The final child who is traceable is John, born in 1686. He married Hannah Welsh, the daughter of Philip and Hannah Haggett Welch. (Note: I'm not sure whether this was a proper surname or whether it was simply descriptive of their origins.) This couple is credited with a large family. Rose, Edward, Ellen, Jane, Hannah and John seem to belong. I have also seen Lucretia, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Harry, Thomas and Edward listed as part of this family, but I am not convinced. I hope someone can come to my aid on this family. I have not found a death date for him; the 1759 date I've seen applies to a different man.,<br /></p><p>As in John's family (above) there are three more names I've seen as children of David and Elinor. There may have been another John and another Thomas, and also a son James. However, I haven't yet been able to verify anything about any of these babies, boys, or men. I would leave them as "possible" at this point.</p><p>Although David died at a relatively young age, his children lived to see the settling of Pennsylvania, and the various battles and violence of the French and Indian War. As Quakers, they may not have actively supported military activity, but they would have done what was necessary to protect their families. <br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-59401406893625935952024-03-07T23:30:00.000-08:002024-03-07T23:30:00.135-08:00The family of Vincent McCoy 1807-1857<p>Vincent McCoy is my great great grandfather. I've been to his grave site and I've seen the area in which he lived (although I am not absolutely sure we located the actual site). He is really just a hop, skip, and a jump from where we live, just two or three counties over and up. So I feel close to this man, even though so many years separate us. Learning about his family has been a joy, even though, once again, there are unanswered questions.</p><p>Vincent is the son of William and Nancy Lane McCoy. He married Eleanor Jackson, the daughter of Alexis and Catherine Moore Jackson in Marion County, Indiana, and soon moved his family to what became Fulton County, Indiana. As I was researching (well, really, all I can do for these posts is a relatively quick survey, not real feet to the ground and nose to the wheel research) the children of Vincent and Eleanor, I was shocked and delighted to learn that I had missed their first child entirely. Vincent and Eleanor had at least eleven children.</p><p>The first child born was Thomas H. He is not to be confused with the Thomas H who married Malinda Pound and died in Marshalltown, Iowa, mentioned in a previous post as the child of William and Nancy Lane McCoy. This Thomas was born in 1830 or 31, and married Elizabeth Brandow (also seen as Brando), the daughter of Moses and Phebe Wood Brandow. Their children are James, Loretta, and John. It is more than possible that Thomas was a Civil War veteran, as there were several Thomas H McCoy's from Indiana listed on the NPS web site. However, I have not yet been able to differentiate the various men, so I won't claim that as certain. I have been unable to find a death date or location for him, but the frequently seen date of 1916 and location of Marshalltown, Iowa is not this Thomas.</p><p>James was born April 21, 1832 and that is the last I know of him. He is not found in his parents' household in 1850, the first year a US census listed household members by name. He was 18 at the time of the census so it is possible that he had already left home, but it is also possible that he didn't survive to adulthood.</p><p>Catherine was the first daughter, born in May of 1834. She married Brant McKee, son of Anthony and Nancy Agnew McKee. Their children are Eleanor, Phebe, Virgil, Emma, Homer, Albert and Ira. Her death dates are conflicting, but it was in August of 1899 in Rochester, Fulton County, Indiana. Brant had died in 1875 and she then married Charles Wileman. Wileman was a Civil War veteran, and she filed to collect a widow's pension after he died. There were no children born to the second marriage.</p><p>Nancy was the next born, in 1836. She married George R Allen, son of Archibald and Margaret Dunn Allen, and I've previously written of their family. Their children are Emma, the mysterious "Major" Andrew, Edward, Edwin, and George. Nancy died November 4, 1880 in Fulton County, Indiana. </p><p>Isaac was born next, in 1838. He died in 1855 in Fulton County, Indiana. That is all that I know of his life, except that he must have been loved and mourned.</p><p>Next was William H McCoy. He was born August 24, 1840 and died in 1928 in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. He married Huldah Carter, the daughter of Evan and Mary Sharp Carter. Their children are Henry, Mary, Elmer, Minnie, Edward and Charles. The 1910 census indicates that he was not a veteran.</p><p>John was born September 2, 1842 and died March 15, 1926 at the Soldiers' Home in Lafayette, Indiana. He was a Civil War veteran. He married Surilda Warman, whom I have not been able to trace. Their children are Nettie, Tina, James, Nelson, and Joseph. Surilda died, and John then married Margaret Hampton. (Her name is also seen as Hanson or Anson, but at the time of her death, the obituary says she was the daughter of James and Jane Hampton.) No children were born to this marriage.</p><p>Next born was Eliza, on January 7, 1845. She died in August of 1855, just a few days before brother Isaac. It's possible, perhaps probable, that whatever the cause of death was (and there are many possibilties), it was a contagious disease. What a sorrowful month for our Vincent and Eleanor!</p><p>George was born October 30, 1846 and died March 22, 1932, probably in Wichita, Kansas, which is where he was buried. His wife is Addie Liza Ogburn, daughter of Wilkins and Helen Hunt Ogburn. Their children are Vincent, Vera, Virgil, and Vernon. George was the last of this McCoy family, having lived 85 years.</p><p>Sarah was next. She was born January 10, 1850 and died May 16, 1931 in Winamac, Pulaski County, Indiana. She married Thomas Dudley Moore, the son of Thomas and Mary Ann Mowdy Moore. Their children are Granville, Luke, Maude, Mabel, Thomas, and Marie. </p><p>And finally, their son Nelson was born September 8, 1853, the last of the eleven known children of Vincent and Eleanor. (I note a three plus year span between the birth of George and Sarah, and again between Sarah and Nelson. It's possible there were other pregnancies or births during this time, with children being born and dying between census dates.) However, when Nelson was born, all of the known family was intact, although one or more of the older ones may have left home. Nelson married Mary Finley, the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Burley Finley. Their children are Lillie, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Gemima, Leota, Sadie, Ida, Minnie, Mary, and Eva. I wonder if Nelson was at all disappointed to have 10 daughters and no sons? He died October 11, 1917 in Vermilion County, Illinois.</p><p>In the short amount of time I've had to look at this family, I have not found records of their religious affiliation. Vincent was the son of a Baptist minister, and I'd be interested to test the common belief that some of the grandchildren of strong Christians fall away from the church. I do know that John's wife was a member of the Christian Church in Lafayette. Perhaps John was also part of that congregation. There was a Christian Church located near the border of Pulaski and Fulton Counties, where the McCoy children largely grew up, but I don't know if they attended there or not. It's just one of the questions I have about the family.</p><p>This is my last post tracing the McCoys and their families, unless I someday can go back further in time. I've enjoyed learning of their lives and livelihoods, their service to their country, and their service to God. <br /></p><p> </p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-72470546310333573302024-02-29T23:30:00.000-08:002024-02-29T23:30:00.125-08:00The family of James McCoy 1777-1833<p>James McCoy is one of my favorite ancestors. He was the son of a Baptist pastor and a "clerk" of the Baptist churches, and became a pastor after moving to Washington County, Indiana in 1820. He was born in Pennsylvania, lived for some years as a boy and young man in Kentucky, and ended up in Clark County, Indiana, where he and his wife and a son died in the terrible cholera epidemic of 1833. His wife, Nancy Lane, is also one of my favorites, simply because she endured. James and Nancy married when Nancy was barely sixteen years old, and she went on to bear children for close to 29 years. I am not entirely clear on how many children, exactly, but census records from 1820 and 1830 appear to indicate perhaps as many as 12 children lived to make the slash marks on the census records. There may be others who were born and died in between census reports, or prior to 1820. It is also possible that some of the youngest children in the 1830 census were actually grandchildren or other relatives, rather than the children of James and Nancy.</p><p>Let's see what we can figure out...</p><p>Sarah seems to have been the first born, likely within a year or two of her parents' marriage. She married Jesse Wilson, the son of James and Susan Decker Wilson. They had three children together, Polly, Nancy, and James, who were granted 1/9 of their grandfather's estate. Sarah must have been deceased by then, but whether it was in the cholera epidemic, or from childbirth, or other causes, I have not yet learned. (Jesse still had a wife of Sarah's age in 1830.)</p><p>Lewis was born January 31, 1806 and died in 1874 in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. He married Rebecca Hester, daughter of Matthias and Susannah Huckleberry Hester. Their children are George, John, Henrietta, and William. Most of the McCoy children were named for someone else in the family but I can't say for sure about Lewis. </p><p>Vincent was born in 1807, probably still in Shelby County, Kentucky, and died in 1857 in Fulton County, Indiana. He married Eleanor Jackson, the daughter of Alexis and Catherine Moore Jackson. Their children are James, Catherine, Nancy, Isaac, William, John, Eliza, George, Sarah, and Nelson. I'll write more of this family in my next blog post.</p><p>Elizabeth may be the next child, born about 1808 and died in 1844 in Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana. She married Thomas Hume, the son of John and Mary Barnett Hume. Their children are Priscilla, James, John, Thomas, William, Isaac, and Henry. The Pike Township location is interesting because that is where Eleanor Jackson McCoy's father died. Vincent (above) may have lived there while he courted and met his wife. </p><p>Priscilla is the next daughter, , born in 1812 and died in 1890 in Washington County, Indiana. She married Richard Thompson, the son of Levi and Jane Nicholson Thompson. Their children are Nancy, Jane, Elizabeth, Christiana, John, Richard, Thomas, William, Lewis, James, and Edwin. </p><p>Milton, sometimes seen as James Milton, was born in 1814 and died in the cholera epidemic of 1833. </p><p>Isaac was born in 1816 and died in 1903 in Boone County, Illinois. He married Cynthia Penwell, the daughter of Reuben and Cynthia Winslap Penwell in Boone County. Their children include Esther, Mary, Amanda, Carrie, Frederick, Vincent, Sarah, and (possibly) James. As yet, I do not know how or why Isaac was in northern Illinois. Most of the family stayed fairly near to Washington County, Indiana, or at least had a reason and additional family for moving on.</p><p>Nancy was born in 1818. She was alive at the time of her father's estate settlement, but I have not been able to trace her further. There is a woman of that name who married Thomas Moulton in Decatur, Adams County, Indiana in 1839 and died there the same year, but I don't know if this is our Nancy.</p><p>Christiana was born in 1822 and alive in 1833. Her court appointed guardian was Jeremiah Payne, but I haven't been able to trace her after that. </p><p>John was the next son. He was born in 1825 and died in 1893 in Johnson County, Indiana. He married Mary Rozor or Razer, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Kean Razor. Their children are Fleming, Christiana, John, Lucyh, Martha, Mary, Dora, Sarah, and Jennie. </p><p>Finally, in 1829 Thomas was born, the last of the known children. He died in 1916 in Marshalltown, Iowa. His wife was Malinda Millsap, the daughter of Byrd and Gemima Morrow Millsap (Milsap). Their children are Ida, Ollie, and Earl. I have also seen James, John, and George as his children, but not as hers, so their may well be an earlier marriage I haven't yet uncovered. Again, there is a mystery here, both as to a possible prior marriage, (the marriage mentioned here was in 1870, when Thomas would have been 41 years old) and how Thomas ended up in Iowa. </p><p>I have seen one other daughter mentioned as being the child of James and Nancy. Her name was Rebecca, reportedly born in 1808. It looks to me like she belongs to another of the McCoy families, but there is a female mentioned in the 1820 census aged 10-15, which would fit Rebecca. The jury is still out on this one.</p><p>As always, I'd love to hear from anyone who can shed more light on some of the questions I've posed in this post. I'd also love to hear from you if you are a cousin! We can honor these ancestors, who surely led difficult and dedicated lives. <br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-24269253339195003612024-02-22T23:30:00.000-08:002024-02-22T23:30:00.141-08:00The family of William McCoy 1754-1813<p> Learning just a little bit about this family has been so very interesting to me. William is the son of James Thomas and Ann Bruce McCoy, and a Revolutionary War veteran, and a Baptist pastor. He is also a survivor. In learning about his family, I was able to see life breathed into the history books I've been reading, and since I've briefly visited southern Indiana, some of it really hits home.</p><p>William's story starts in 1754, in either Virginia or Pennsylvania. I am unable to find documentation for an earlier date than his father's deed in 1769 near Uniontown, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. There were not many settlers that far west in 1754, and of course later many people who had gone west were forced to return east due to the many raids and battles of the French and Indian War. William married Elizabeth Royce, said but not yet proven to be the daughter of John and Hannah Royce. (There are records for a John Royce who married Hannah Bellamy in Wallingford, Hartford County, Connecticut in 1751. The dates fit. There is also a John Royce who died in 1808 in what is now Hampshire County, West Virginia. But are these the same man? I can't tie them together-yet. Can you?)</p><p>I have found varying lists for William and Elizabeth's children, and for their grandchildren, and also varying birthdates. I have not proven all of them, especially the grandchildren, so this is another family that needs further research. However, what I have found is, to me, exciting. </p><p>First, I've found three daughters listed on some sites whom I can't confirm. They are Mary, who lived from 1777 to 1787, Ann, given a birth year of 1779, and Rachel, given a birth year of 1781. Mary may well have been their child; Rachel is more likely to have been the daughter of Isaac and Lydia Gaddis McCoy, so a niece to William and Elizabeth. About Ann, I haven't a clue. </p><p>James, however, is their son. He was born in 1777, and married Nancy Ann Lane in 1800 in Shelby County, Kentucky. She is the daughter of Lambert Lane and possibly Nancy Ann Anderson, although the jury is still out on that. Their children are Vincent, Priscilla, Isaac, Thomas, Elizabeth, John, Nancy, Christiana, and Sarah. I will follow this family in my next blog post. James and Nancy both died in the cholera epidemic of 1833 in Salem, Washington County, Indiana. </p><p>William was born in about 1778, and may be the William who died in 1842 in Spencer County, Indiana. He may have had a first wife, currently unknown, and they may have had two children, Lucinda and John. He also may have married a Nancy Craycraft, the daughter of Charles and Eleanor Atkinson Craycraft. Their children are Reuben, John, Susanna, Thomas, William, James, Nancy, Uriah, Eveline, and Lucy (unless she is the same as Lucinda, mentioned earlier.) Clearly, this family needs further research.</p><p>Sarah, also known as Sallie, was born in 1779 and died in 1851 in Washington County, Indiana. She married Jeremiah Payne, the son of Samuel and Mary Stilwell Payne. Their children are Elizabeth, Lewis, Indiana, William, Simon, Priscilla, James, Sarah, Mary, Christiana, and Martha. </p><p>John McCoy was born in 1782 and died in 1859 in Clark County, Indiana, where his parents had died. He married Jane (called Jincy) Collins, the daughter of Spencer and Jane McClure Collins. Their children are Lydia, Lewis, Spencer, Isaac, Thirza, Mahala, Eliza, William, George and John. John was a major in the War of 1812, mainly against native Americans who raided the area, and was also a pastor. </p><p>Isaac seems to have been the next born, in 1784 and died in 1846 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. He was a Baptist missionary to several native American tribes, and I've written about him previously. His wife was Christiana Polk, the daughter of Charles and Delilah Tyler Polk. Their children are Isaac, Mahala, Rice, Josephus, Delilah, John, Elizabeth, Sarah, Spencer, Christiana, Nancy, Eleanor, Maria and Charles. </p><p>Lydia was born in 1787 and died in 1857. She married Amos Littell, the son of Absalom and Mary Norris Littell. Their children are Lucinda, Elizabeth, Naamah, Malinda, Ozena, Hiram, Lydia, and Abraham. </p><p>Rice, also seen as Royce, was their last child. He is said to have been the first white child born in Cincinnati, when his parents were enroute from Pennsylvania to their new home in Kentucky. Whether or not he was the first white child in Ohio, he was born in 1789 and died in 1834. He married Malinda Pound, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Stark Pound. Their children are Elizabeth, Ann, Eusebius, Christiana, Elizabeth again, Priscilla, Isaac, Sarah, Adoniram, William, John, Rice, Josephus, Melinda, Sarah, and Ann. Rice was also a Baptist pastor and, as his brothers did, fought in battles with the native Americans.</p><p>Almost all of these people were Baptists, with their home or mother church being Silver Creek in Clark County. They were pastors, missionaries, and clerks for the church. They came to Indiana at an early date and fought for their families and their homes against the native Americans who did not want white people on their lands. In their time, they were heroes, fighting both secular and spiritual battles. We owe much to this family.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-59266255125127722042024-02-15T23:30:00.000-08:002024-02-15T23:30:00.128-08:00The family of James Thomas McCoy 1720-1801<p> James Thomas McCoy is another of the rather mysterious ancestors in our Allen line. He is the first immigrant in the family, who came as a young teen-ager from Ireland. But his birth date and his parents are in doubt. I am using the birth year of about 1720 although some say he was born as late as 1738. My reasoning for the earlier birth date is that his children were born starting in 1748. And I'm not going to make a guess as to his parents. I have long thought they were John and Anna Kallas McCoy, but in reviewing the available material prior to writing this blog post, I have seen at least two alternative sets of parents. One set seems to lead back into a Lord and a Lady, and since I have been burned several times by believing fraudulent genealogies that wrongly tied back to nobility and royalty, I can only say "Show me the evidence." </p><p>We do know that James married Ann Bruce by about 1747 in Frederick County, Virginia. Ann is the daughter of John and Sarah Parrell Bruce. James and Ann had several children and moved at some point to Fayette County (which was then Westmoreland County), Pennsylvania, where land was purchased in 1769 and a fort was built for family and community protection from expected indigenous people's attacks.</p><p>I am not at all sure how many children James and Ann had. There are seven mentioned in James's estate records and I have seen as many as 6 others named as his children. I have also seen varying birth dates for several of the children, so take these with a grain of salt. I am fairly confident that I at least have spouses and children (or some of the children?) identified correctly.</p><p>Mary Catherine does appear to be the first child born, in 1748. (She may have had a twin, as Joseph is also attributed to this family and also was born in 1748. I can find no record at all for Joseph, so he may have died as an infant or young child, if in fact he existed.) Mary married Thomas Broomfield, the son of Charles and Elizabeth Bird Brownfield. Their children are Ann, Elizabeth, Sarah, John, William, Nathan, James, Enos, Isaac, and Thomas. Mary died in 1818.</p><p>There may or may not have been a James Thomas Jr., born about 1752. He was not mentioned in his father's will. A James McCoy was a member in 1782 of the expedition to Sandusky, and that credit, if you can call it a credit, is usually given to James who was born about 1720. He would have been 62 or so at the time of that expedition, so I have wondered whether it might be this James who should have the credit for the service. I simply don't know, but wanted to put that idea "out there". <br /></p><p>William was born in 1754 and died in 1813 in Clark County, Indiana. He became a Baptist pastor and married Elizabeth Royce, whose parentage is in some dispute but most often is shown as a daughter of John and Hannah Royce. William and Elizabeth's children are James, John, Isaac, Sallie, Lydia, and Royce or Rice. I will follow this family in my next blog post.</p><p>George was born about 1756 and died in 1820 in Ohio. He is reported to have never married. He was not included in the estate records of James, so there are several explanations. Perhaps James gave him his "inheritance" when he left the state. Perhaps George died earlier than the 1820 date I've seen. Perhaps the father and son had parted ways. Or perhaps, just perhaps, George doesn't belong to this family. His name isn't used in the children of any of his siblings, although other names were used over and over.<br /></p><p>Isaac was born in 1758 and married Lydia Gaddis, the daughter of Colonel Thomas and Hannah Rice Gaddis. I have not been able to determine whether Hannah Rice is of the Royce/Rice family that included Elizabeth, wife of William mentioned above. Isaac is said to have had five children but I have been able to identify only four. They are Lydia, Thomas, Mary, and James. Isaac died in 1796.</p><p>Sarah may have been born next. I show her birth year as 1758 which would possibly make her a twin, also, to Isaac. Or the birth years may very well be off. She married Samuel Sutton, the son of Moses and Rachel Doty Sutton. Their children are David, John, Benjamin, Moses, Aaron, Samuel, William, Jacob, Rachel, Isaac, James, another James, and Amy. <br /></p><p>Ann was born about 1760 and married David Askren, the son of Thomas and Martha New Askren. Their children are shown as Mary, Joseph, John, Anna, Isaac, Sarah, and Elizabeth. She died about 1840 in Blair County, Pennsylvania. </p><p>Rachel was born about 1762 and married Lambert Flowers, the son of Charles and Priscilla Flowers. Their children are Thomas, James, George, John, and William. Rachel died in 1827 in Charles City, Virginia. </p><p>John was probably the last born child. He was born about 1764 and married Rith Gaddis, another daughter of Thomas and Hannah Rice or Royce Gaddis. Their children are Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Mary, Leah, Ruth, Anna, John, Priscilla, James, Thomas, Bruce, and Asenath.</p><p>By this count, which may not be complete, the McCoys were blessed with 58 grandchildren. As you can see, this is less of a documented blog post than it is a collection and an attempt at analysis of conflicting dates, with not many written records to review. It should be headed "Notes for further research". I am hoping there are McCoy cousins who will find this and communicate with me and share their information. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-34555623664585668372024-02-08T23:30:00.000-08:002024-02-08T23:30:00.142-08:00The family of Jude Foster 1759-1789<p>This is the last post in the Foster family series, because Jude Foster, the son of Nathan and Elizabeth Lansford Foster, had five children, all female. He was born in 1759 and died in 1789 in Paxton, Worcester, Massachusetts. He actually lived in Rowe, as noted in the town records but probably had been either visiting or staying with his brother, Rev. Joel Foster, when he died. He was just thirty years old, but he had been involved in some of the hard campaigns of the Revolutionary War, and had just received pension approval at the time of his death. I don't know whether he actually made it to Canada or not, but he seems to at least have been at Fort Ticonderoga and possibly other battles. He would have been in his late teens then.</p><p>There is confusion about the identity of his wife. Some say she was Sally Goodenough or Goodnow, and it's possible that she was his first wife but died early. Some say she was Lydia Goodenough, the daughter of David and Mary Bent Goodenough. In the Rowe records, she is noted simply as "Lydia M." and I have found no records that would further identify her. However, Lydia is recorded as being the mother of all the daughters.</p><p>The daughters themselves have also been a bit of a mystery to trace. Sally was the first one, in 1780. She married Luke S Blackmun, the son of Andrew and Deliverance Hill Blackmun. Their children are Polly, William, Delia, Jude, Samantha, Andrew, and Martin. Sally died in 1827 in Mooers, Clinton County, New York. (I have seen other dates as 1854 in a different part of Massachusetts, but that woman is clearly identified as Sally Foster, not Blackmun, and I think these were two different women.)</p><p>Next was Lydia, born in 1782 and died in 1802 in Hartford, Washington County, New York. </p><p>I am not absolutely sure about Polly. Her name in the Rowe records is clearly Polly, not Mary, but there are a lot of sites that list Mary (Polly) as the daughter of Jude and Lydia. Polly was often a nickname for Mary so I am including the information about "Mary" here, although I am not 100% sure this is correct. Mary/Polly was born in 1784 and married William L. Bull, the son of Nathaniel and Sarah Bartholomew Bull. Their children are Sophronia, Laura, Nathaniel, Sarah, Betsy, Lydia, Sarah, John, Caroline, Mary, William and Minerva. Mary died in 1869 in Otto, Cattaraugus County, New York.</p><p>Betsy was born in 1787 and married Josiah Whittemore, the son of Josiah and Lucy Snow Whittemore. Their children are Josiah, John Dexter, John Foster, Mary Elizabeth, and Martha. I have written of this family earlier. Betsy died in 1854 in South Hartford, Washington County, New York. </p><p>Finally, there is the big mystery of Judith, who was born in 1789, a few weeks after her father died. All that I can find of her is that she was still alive in 1801, when Lydia was appointed guardian for her three youngest daughters. If there are marriage records for her, they would probably be in Washington County, New York, but I have not located them there, or anywhere else. </p><p>So our mysterious Lydia was left to raise five daughters. As mentioned earlier, I don't know what happened to her. I don't know what the "M" stood for in the Rowe documents that recorded her family. I only know that I would certainly like to find out more about her, and Judith, too! Jude was a Revolutionary War hero, but Lydia certainly fits the definition of heroine.<br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-18598952752655309542024-02-01T23:30:00.000-08:002024-02-01T23:30:00.133-08:00The family of Nathan Foster 1728-1809<p> Rabbit holes and BSOs (bright shiny objects) are so much fun, and I've been chasing both as I write these family blog posts. I've learned a few interesting things about some of the folks who would are siblings to our direct ancestors, and I usually try to include at least a brief summary of what I've learned as I write. Since Nathan Foster and Elizabeth Lansford had such a large family, this would have been a long post anyway, but the side trips made it even more interesting, at least to me.</p><p>Nathan was born in 1728 in Stafford Connecticut, the son of Nathan and Hannah Standish Foster. He married Elizabeth Lunsford or Lansford, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Hackben Lunsford, in 1750 in Stafford, and died in 1809 in Western (now Warren), Massachusetts. Most of his children stayed near either Stafford or Western, so he would have known many if not most of his grandchildren. That's my definition of a wonderful life, although of course there were difficult times along the way.</p><p>One of those difficult times may have been the birth of their first daughter, Tirza or Thirza. She was apparently born "about 1750". I have not found a further record about her, and I wonder if she was perhaps a short-lived twin to Azubah, who was born in 1751.</p><p>Azubah married Caleb Rogers, the son of Caleb and Mary Harlow Rogers. They had possibly three children, Nathan, Thirza, and John Foster. Azubah died in 1777 and her husband remarried. </p><p>Nathan and Elizabeth's first son, Nathan, was born in 1753 and married Abigail Seely, the daughter of Nehemiah and Abigail Guyre Seeley. Their children include Clarissa, Eliza, Tryphena, Rebecca, Huldah, Abigail, Anna, Nathan (finally, a son!) and Sophia. Nathan died in 1820 and Abigail remarried, but she was past child-bearing age. There are several men named Nathan Foster who served in the Revolutionary War but I am not able to find records that prove that any of them were this Nathan.</p><p>Joel Foster was the next son, born in 1755. He married Priscilla Foster, who was the daughter of Rev. Isaac and Elizabeth Emerson Foster. Rabbit hole warning: Isaac Foster was Nathan's first cousin, and he preached the ordination sermon for our Joel, who was Rev. Joel Foster. Joel and Priscilla were second cousins. Their children are Sophia, Priscilla, Fanny, Joel, and Nathan. Joel served as the executor for his brother Jude's estate (see below) and died in 1812.<br /></p><p>Elizabeth, called Betty in some records, was born in 1757 and died about 1778. She married Nathan (which apparently was a popular name in this area and era!) Wood, the son of Joseph and Tabetha Haseltine Wood. Their son Jasper was born in 1776, and Betty died about 1778. </p><p>Jude was born in 1759, served in the Revolutionary War and died in 1789, shortly after his application for a pension was approved. He married Sarah Goodenough and "Lydia M." According to Rowe, Massachusetts records, all of the children appear to his and Lydia's, but there are family historians who disagree about this. At any rate, his children, all girls, are Sally, Lydia, Pollly, Betsy and Judith. I will follow this family in my next post.</p><p>John, a pastor and graduate of Dartmouth College, was born in 1762 and married Harriet Webster, the daughter of Grant and Hannah Wainwright Webster. Harriet is interesting because she wrote two early American novels, one considered scandalous. <i>The Coquette</i> was based on a true life situation of a woman who was seduced and then abandoned, with the baby stillborn and the heroine/object lesson dying in an inn. She wrote another novel, and newspaper articles, and passed the writer's gene to two of her daughters. John and Harriet's children are Wainwright, John, Hannah, Henry, Elizabeth and Harriet. John died in 1829 and Harriet actually died in Canada, where she had gone to live with two daughters after John died.</p><p>Asa was their last son, born in 1764. He married Elizabeth Thomas, the daughter of Archibald and Hannah Conkey Thomas. Their children are Thomas, Asa, Justus, Elizabeth, Asa, and Hannah. He died in 1803. I have wondered if this was the source of the rumor reported in my last post, about an Asa Foster who was sued for desertion by Elizabeth Thompson in 1803. Were these two separate Asas, each married to a woman with a similar name? I don't have an answer to that question yet.</p><p>Surely Elizabeth was tired of child bearing by this time, but she delivered yet one more daughter, Lydia. Her birth date is given as 1771, with a question mark. If this is accurate, this is 7 years after the birth of their son Asa, and Elizabeth would have been 42 years old, which is not out of the question. But were there other children born, or pregnancies which were not successful, in that seven year interval? That's another question to determine. Lydia has a death date of 1776. so she lived only a few years.</p><p>By my count, this gives Nathan and Elizabeth 35 grandchildren, which is a lot but others of the Foster family had even more. The family includes at least two pastors, at least one Revolutionary War soldier, and others who were well respected and successful in their communities. I'm happy to honor them in some small way with this post.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-31089781856009162472024-01-25T23:30:00.000-08:002024-01-25T23:30:00.281-08:00The family of Nathan Foster 1700-1753<p> Nathan is the fourth in our line of Foster ancestors. His great grandfather, Renald, is the immigrant, and then there is his grandfather, Abram/Abraham, and his father, Abraham. Nathan married a descendant of a Mayflower passenger, and some of his children married descendants of other of these earliest settlers. Our tangled tree has many intertwining branches.</p><p>Nathan was born in 1700 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, the son of Abraham and Mary Robinson Foster. He had just two known siblings, both brothers, which was unusual for the time, and for the family, but future generations, including Nathan's, would contribute many more Fosters to the country. Nathan married Hannah Standish, the daughter of Josiah and Sarah Cary Standish, in 1724 in Stafford, Connecticut. I'm not sure how Nathan arrived there, but Hannah's parents had lived there. Hannah was a descendant of Captain Myles Standish of Plymouth Plantation and Duxbury, Massachusetts. </p><p>Nathan and Hannah had 11 known children, and all but one had children of their own. In my quick research, I found one son who may have been the black sheep of what appears to be an otherwise upright family. </p><p>Mary was the firstborn, in 1725. She married Josiah Rood or Rude, the son of Jabez and Mehitable Standish Rood. Yes, Mehitable was also a descendant of Captain Myles Standish, so the two were second cousins, once removed. Their children are Lebbeus, Alpheus, Lebbeus, Mary, Josiah, Lebbeus, Thaddeus, Mehitable and Hannah. (It appears that the first two carrying the name of Lebbeus died young.) She died in 1797, possibly in Warren, Massachusetts. </p><p>Nathan was born next, in 1728. He married Elizabeth Lunsford (also seen as Lansford) in 1750 in Stafford, Connecticut. She is the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Hackben Lunsford. Their children are Tirzah, Azubah, Nathan, Joel, Elizabeth, Jude, John, Asa, and Lydia. We'll learn more about this family in my next post. Nathan died in 1809 in Warren, Massachusetts.</p><p>Hannah was born in 1730, and married Zephaniah Alden, who was a descendant of John and Priscilla Mullins Alden of Mayflower fame and romance. She died in 1777 in Stafford or Stafford Springs, Connecticut, apparently without having had any children. </p><p>The next born was Lois, born in 1732. She married Elihu Palmer, the son of Elihu and Abigail Robinson Palmer. Their children are Eunice, Thaddeus, Eunice, Hannah, Thaddeus, Lois, an unnamed infant, Elihu, Olive, Nathan, Lucy, and Abigail. She died in 1808 in Windham, Connecticut.</p><p>Eunice was born in 1733 and married Elijah Parish, the son of Samuel and Mary Rood Parish. (Yes, Mary and Jabez Rood, mentioned above, were siblings.) Their known children are Asa, Elijah, Ariel, and Philomela. Eunice died in 1797 in Andover, Massachusetts.<br /></p><p>Another daughter, Mehitable, was born in 1733. She married Silas Lilly the son of Reuben and Mary Brewster Lilly or Lillie. Yes, Mary was a descendant of William and Mary Brewster, or Mayflower fame. Their children are Aenas, Asa, Lydia, Silas, Mehitable and Enoch. </p><p>Phebe was born in 1739. She married Isaac Crittenden, the son of Isaac and Lucy Benton Crittenden. Their children are Phoebe, Sara, Isaac, Hannah, Bulah, and Isaac. Phebe died in 1809 in Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts.</p><p>Sarah was born in 1743 and married Jonathan Lilly. He was the son of Samuel and Mehitable Bacon Lilly. I haven't yet determined a connection between Reuben and Samuel Lilly but I also would not rule out the idea that they are likely connected somehow. Sarah and Jonathan are the parents of Phebe, Bethuel, Eliakim, Phebe, Foster, Sarah, Eunice, and Jonathan. Sarah died in 1828 in Ashfield, Massachusetts.</p><p>Finally, another son was born, which probably made Nathan, especially, rejoice. Daniel was born in 1744 and married Kezia (Keziah) Sawyer, the daughter of Joshua and Sarah Flint Sawyer. It appears that he was a captain in the Revolutionary War. The children of Daniel and Kezia are Nancy, Formella, Flint Royal, Fanny (I've seen this as Finance?), George, and Faith. Kezia died and Daniel next married Welthea Ladd, the daughter of Jeremiah and Jerusha Ladd, in 1803. Daniel and Welthea had two children together, Fidelia and Lafayette. Lafayette is especially interesting; he was a politician and was US Senator from 1854 to 1867. He was President <i>pro tempore</i> of the Senate when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Under the constitution at that time, had anything happened to Andrew Johnson, he would have become acting president of the United States, and this would not be the first time I'd heard of him! Daniel died in 1824 in New London, Connecticut.<br /></p><p>Now we come to a son who may have been the black sheep of the family. Asa was born in 1742 and died in 1813 in East Pharsalia, Chenango County, New York. It appears that he may have first married Huldah Wheeler, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Wheeler. and had at least one daughter, Hannah. Huldah died in 1774, and Asa next married Anna Robinson, who may be the daughter of Simeon and Jerusha Kingsley Robinson. Their children are Roxy, Anna, Mary, Pamela, Asa, Alexander and Eunice. There is a third possibility. An Asa Foster is reported to have deserted Elizabeth Thompson, who sued him for that action in 1803. I am not willing to say this is our Asa, nor am I willing to say it is not. If it is, he may have had an affair that resulted in a child, but so far, I've not found divorce records for Asa and Anna, and the timing doesn't seem to be quite right. Eunice was born in 1802 and the desertion charges were in 1803. There may or may not be more to be learned here.<br /></p><p>The last son was Standish Foster, born in 1749. Standish may have had a twin brother who died at birth. Standish married Sarah Spaulding, the daughter of Ebenezer and Mary Fasset Spaulding. They had at least four children, Festus, Sally, Septimus, and Ezekiel. Standish died in 1831 in Rowe, Franklin County, Massachusetts. </p><p>My count is 74 grandchildren, some of whom died as infants, for Nathan and Hannah. They certainly contributed their fair share of descendants who can claim an ancestor, or more than one, came over on the Mayflower! <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-18975789120091966492024-01-18T23:30:00.000-08:002024-01-18T23:30:00.133-08:00The family of Abraham Foster 1659-1741<p>Try as I might, I have not been able to locate much information about this Abraham. He had only three known children, so this will be a short post.</p><p>Abraham was the son of Abraham and Lydia Burbank Foster, born in 1659 in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He married Mary Robinson, the daughter of Robert and Mary Silver Robinson, in the nearby town of Newberry, and they lived out their years in Ipswich. There are records for an Abraham Foster who served in a military expedition in 1710, but this would have been a fairly advanced age (51) to be our Abraham. It may have been his son, who was just 14 in 1710, and there were likely other Abraham Fosters at the time. </p><p>At any rate, Abraham and Mary were married in 1693, and their first son, Abraham, was born in 1696. He marred Sarah Dwinnell or Dunnell, the daughter of Michael and Hannah, possibly Cove, Dwinnell. Their children are Abraham, Sarah, Thomas, Hannah, Amos, Ruth, and Abigail. Abraham died in 1767.<br /></p><p>There was a gap of about four years before their son Nathan arrived in 1700. He married Hannah Standish, the daughter of Josiah and Sarah Cary Standish. Their children are Mary, Nathan, Hannah, Lois, Eunice, Mehitable, Phebe, Sarah, Daniel, Asa, and Standish. I will follow this family in my next post. In case you are wondering, yes, Hannah was a descendant of Captain Myles Standish of Plymouth fame. Nathan died in 1753.<br /></p><p>Then there's another gap of about five years, when Daniel was born in 1705. I have seen him referred to as Reverend Daniel Foster, but that may or may not be correct. There was a Reverend Daniel Foster of a later generation, and it's possible the two men were confused. Daniel married twice. His first wife was Hannah Clark, the daughter of Judah and Hannah Kilborne Clark. Their children are Isaac, Mercy/Mary (unsure whether this was one person, or two), Daniel, Hannah, Susannah, and Ebenezer. He next married Elizabeth Davis, the daughter of Cornelius and Sarah Jewett Davis. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, and may have a son Daniel. Again, I'm not sure whether there was a Daniel born to each of his wives, or whether there is an "extra" Daniel in this list. Daniel died in 1752.<br /></p><p>Because of the four and five year gaps shown here, and because Mary didn't die until 1752, it's possible that there were additional pregnancies and possibly children. These three are the ones mentioned in Abraham's will, and as much as this family has been researched, it seems unlikely that any additional children survived to adulthood. Abraham and Mary had at least 25 grandchildren, and would have lived long enough to have known most if not all of them. It's a legacy to be proud of.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-3204469821584804472024-01-11T23:30:00.000-08:002024-01-11T23:30:00.131-08:00The family of Abraham (Abram) Foster 1622-1711<p> Well, this family has some interesting tie-ins to one of the more famous incidents/tragedies in colonial American history, the Salem witch trials. But let's start at the beginning.</p><p>Abraham Foster, the son of Renald (Reginald) and Judith possibly Wignoll Foster, was born in 1622 in Exeter, Devon, England (no sources found for that statement, but at least this will identify which Abraham we are talking about). He came to Massachusetts Bay Colony as a teenager and married Lydia Burbank. Her parents are in dispute because if she was the child of John and Jemima Burbank, and she was born in 1644, she married at an extremely young age and was only thirteen when her first son was born. (I am accepting these parents until shown otherwise, but I'm always open to other documentation that could change my mind.) </p><p>An interesting fact about Lydia, which I just learned, is that she testified again Elizabeth How or Howe, one of the accused Salem "witches". </p><p>Abraham and Lydia's first son, Ephraim, also has a connection to the Salem trials. He was the constable in Andover, which is near Salem, and as such, is believed to have arrested some of those who later stood trial. Ephraim was born in 1657 and was a blacksmith by trade. His wife was Hannah Eames, the daughter of Robert and Rebecca Blake Eames. (Rebecca was accused, convicted, and imprisoned for witchcraft but was not executed.) I wonder whether Ephraim had to arrest his own mother in law? This must have been an incredibly difficult time for Ephraim and Hannah. It really brings the situation home, to imagine this in the context of the people who up to now have been just names dangling from the family tree! Ephraim and Hannah added several children to this tree. Their known children are Hannah, Ephraim, John, David, Moses, Joshua, and Ruth. Ephraim died in 1746.</p><p>Their next son was Abraham, born in 1659. He married Mary Robinson, the daughter of Robert and Mary Silver Robinson. Their children are Abraham, Nathan, and David. I have written of Abraham before, and will follow this family in my next post.</p><p>James was the next born, in 1662. I could find no information about him, except that he died before 1698. </p><p>Isaac was born about 1668 and died in 1717 of smallpox. He may have married Abigail, and they may have had a son, Jacob. I could find no documentation for this. </p><p>There was also an infant daughter born about 1668. who did not survive. I don't know whether this child and Isaac are twins or not. </p><p>Benjamin was born in 1670. He died in 1735 in Lunenberg, apparently the first of this family to travel west, even though the distance was only about 52 miles. His wife was Ann, possibly Dunham. It appears that the source for this name may be Pierce's book about the Fosters, and that is not trustworthy information. Their children are Benjamin, Amos, Deborah, Kezia, Gideon, Jemima, Isaac, and another Jemima. </p><p>Next born was Ebenezer, in 1672. He married Mary Boardman (several different spellings), the daughter of David and Hannah Hutchinson Boardman. Their children are Jemima, Ruth, and Moses. Ebenezer died in 1718.</p><p>And then, finally, a daughter was born. Lydia must have been thrilled! Mehitable was born in 1675. She married Ebenezer Averill, the son of William and Hannah Jackson Averill. Their children are Mehitable, Susanna, Ruth, Hannah, Mary, Lydia, Jemima, and Phoebe. Mehitable died in 1740.</p><p>Caleb was born in 1677. He married Mary Sherwin, the daughter of John and Francis Loomis Sherwin. Their children are Lydia, Jonathan, Sarah, Caleb, Stephen, Mary, Philemon, Sarah, and John. </p><p>The last known child was Ruth, born "after 1678". She married Jeremiah Perley, the son of John and Mary Howlett Perley. Ruth died in 1709, apparently childless. Jeremiah later married twice, but there is no record of any children. </p><p>This gives a total of 38 known grandchildren for Abraham and Lydia. No wonder the Foster family was well known in the area of Ipswich! <br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-3345007816401856132024-01-04T23:30:00.000-08:002024-01-04T23:30:00.130-08:00The family of Renald (Reginald) Foster 1595-1681<p> This will start a series of blog posts about the Foster family, that eventually merged with the Holbrook family. As in other posts, I am following the children of the ancestors, just mostly dates and basic information. These aunts and uncles of generations back all have interesting stories, some of which I've found. For instance, several of these children lived in the area of Topsfield, Massachusetts, and were directly or indirectly involved with the cases involving the "witches" of Salem fame. It is more than possible that the men were part of one or more military expeditions that made up King William's War, among others. </p><p>Reginald himself is something of a mystery. He is said to have been born in Exeter, Devon, England, and is claimed by a man who wrote some fraudulent genealogies to have a record going back to the 9th century in England. Others say he was actually of French Huguenot ancestry. The jury is out, obviously. His wife, Judith, is also a mystery. Older trees give her name as Wignol or Wignall, but most of those that are built on careful research dispute that, saying there is no proof, and giving her name only as Judith.</p><p>And then, there is the question of their children. One source says he had at least 12 children, but I've found no record, not even a name, for 5 of them. The children I'm mentioning here are all included in Renald's will, and all can be traced.</p><p>Mary was their first born child, about 1618. She first married Daniel Wood, and had two children, Judith and Daniel. Daniel died, and she next married Francis Peabody (Pabodie), son of John and Isabel Hager Pabodie. They had a large family together, including Mary, Isaac, Sarah, Hepzibah, Ruth, Damaris, Samuel, Jacob, Hannah, and Nathaniel. Mary died in 1705.</p><p>Sarah was their second daughter, born in 1620. SHe married William Story, who was possibly the son of Andrew Story. Their known children are Sarah, Ann, Seth, William, Samuel, Susannah, and Hannah. Sarah died in 1703.</p><p>Abram or Abraham was their first son, born in 1622. He married Lydia Burbank, whose parentage is disputed. She may have been the daughter of John and Jemima Smith Burbank, or she may have been the daughter of Caleb and Martha Burbank, who were from nearby Rowley. Both couples seem to have had a daughter named Lydia, so more research needs to be done. At any rate, Abraham and Lydia have nine known children-Ephraim, Abraham, James, Isaac, Benjamin, Ebenezer, Mehitable, Caleb, and Ruth. Abraham died in 1711.</p><p>There is a gap here of several years duration before the next child, Isaac, was born in 1630. Possibly there were infants born during this time period who did not survive. Isaac, however, did survive. He married Mary Jackson, who may have been the daughter of John and Katherine Jackson. Their children are Jonathan, Mehitable, Jacob, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Mary, Daniel, Martha, Ruth, Prudence, and Hannah. Isaac died in 1692. He seems to have next married Hannah Downing, who was possibly the daughter of Malcolm and Margaret Downing. No children are known from that marriage. Finally, he married Martha Hale, the daughter of Henry and Constant Esterly Hale. There are three known children from that marriage-Hannah, Eleazer, and Sarah. <br /></p><p>William was next, born in 1633. He also married a Mary Jackson, but not the same one as Isaac had married. This Mary seems to have been the daughter of William and Joanna Collin Jackson. Their children are Mary, Judith, Jonathan, William, Timothy, Hannah, David, Samuel, and Joseph. William died in 1713.</p><p>Then came Jacob, born in 1635. He first married Martha Kinsman, the daughter of Robert and Mary Kinsman. Their children are Judith, John, Jacob, Mary, and Sarah. Sadly, of this family, only Sarah lived to adulthood. After Martha's death, Jacob married Abigail Lord, the daughter of Robert and Mary Waite Lord. Their children are Abraham, Jacob, Amos, Abigail, Nathaniel, Samuel, Joseph, James, and Mary. </p><p>Son Renald or Reginald's birth date is in dispute. He may have been born as early as 1628, which would help fill in some of the gap between Abraham and Isaac. Others say he was not born until 1636. He married Elizabeth Dane, daughter of John and Eleanor Clarke Dane, in 1652, so perhaps the 1628 date is closer to the truth, but records have not been located. Renald and Elizabeth's children are Elizabeth, Isaac, Judith, Sarah, Mary, John, Rebecca, Naomi, Ruth, Eleanor, Hannah, and Nathaniel.</p><p>I've noticed two things about this family, based on the children's names. Most of the names used are biblical, and are used by more than one of the children (Hannah, Ruth, Samuel, etc). It also appears that this family did not get the memo telling them there was a naming pattern to be followed, as none of the grandchildren are named Renald, although there are several Judith's. Tracing the grandchildren, of whom I count 77, would likely be a life long task, so, as usual, I will follow this post with one about our next ancestor, Abraham.<br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-22384152542574520562023-12-28T23:30:00.000-08:002023-12-28T23:30:00.127-08:00The family of John Harter 1830-1902<p>One of the reasons I write these blog posts is to see what connections there might be among some of the different families I profile. Another reason is to double check the information I have gathered, hoping to find new information or reasons to change my mind about one person or another. I've accomplished all three goals in this blog post. </p><p>John Harter was born in 1830, almost certainly in Licking County, Ohio, the son of George and Elizabeth Geiger Harter. His parents moved to Whitley County, Indiana when John was just a boy. John married Mary Bennett in 1851 in Whitley County, and they had a least six children together. All of the children stayed in the general area from South Whitley eastward to Allen County, Indiana. </p><p>I found serious confusion on various family trees about Harvey, their first born son. He has been confused with a Harvey who stayed in Ohio and married Janette Harvey. That is not our Harvey. Ours was twice married. His first wife, whom he married in 1873, was Sarah Gordon, the daughter of James and Catherine Harter Gordon. (Yes, Catherine was a distant cousin, descended from the same George Harter that Harvey was from, several generations back.) Sarah died in 1875, apparently without children. In 1877, he married Laura Harshbarger, the daughter of John and Julia Snyder Harshbarger. (Yes, Laura is a relative, the niece of Lewis and Catherine Mentzer Harshbarger, so there are at least two Harter-Harshbarger marriages that we know of as of now.) Harvey and Laura had three daughters, Mamie, Naoma or Naomi, and Klessa, known as Dessie. Harvey died in 1939.</p><p>Next was Sarah, born in 1854. She married Anderson Gordon, who was the son of James and Catherine Harter Gordon mentioned above. Their known children are Sanford, Alice, Amanda, Perry, Sarah, Mary, Bessie and Edward. Sarah died in 1934.</p><p>Elizabeth was next, born in 1856. She married Richard Claxton, the son of Isaac and Sarah Crow Claxton. Their children are Harvey, Ira, Oren, Ella and Frances. Elizabeth died in 1902.</p><p>Clara was the next daughter. She married Emmanuel Harshbarger, the son of Lewis and Catherine Mentzer Harshbarger. Their known children are Lewis, Maude, Olive, Edward, Bertha, Grover, Luke, and Logan. I've written about this family previously.</p><p>Laura was born next, in 1858. She is not shown in the 1860 census, nor the 1870 census, so she possibly died young.</p><p>Some trees show a Mary E born in 1859. I believe this is incorrect. She belongs to another Harter family, possibly the one in Ohio that I mentioned earlier. If someone has information that shows otherwise, please contact me, as I don't want to overlook a family member if I can help it.<br /></p><p>Finally, there is Henry Harter, born in 1859. He was the "rebel" in the family, moving to Wabash County for at least some of his life. He married Edith Jackson, the daughter of Myron and Elizabeth Gilbert Jackson. Their children are Bessie, May, Olive, and Alice. </p><p>The Harter family started out in Germany, came through Rockingham County, Virginia, Licking County, Ohio, and mostly settled in or near Whitley County, Indiana. It would be fascinating to actually hear their stories, instead of just knowing the facts.<br /></p><p> <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-42353359880190358972023-12-21T23:30:00.000-08:002023-12-21T23:30:00.156-08:00The family of George Harter 1801-1854<p> George Harter, also seen as George Harter Jr., left a few more bread crumbs for us to follow. He was born in 1801 in Rockingham County, Virginia and died in 1854 in Whitley County, Indiana. His wife was Elizabeth Ann or Anna Geiger, the daughter of Anthony and Mary Kirk Geiger. The couple had met and married in 1825 in Licking County, Ohio.</p><p>George and Elizabeth had at least six children together. There may be more, because the first known child was not born until 1830.</p><p>John was the first son we have knowledge of. He married Mary Bennett, the daughter of Solomon and Margaret Farmer Bennett, in 1851 in Whitley County, Indiana. Their children are Harvey, Sarah, Elizabeth, Clara, Laura, Mary, and Henry. I will follow this family in my next blog post.</p><p>Mary was born in 1832. She married Ozias Boggs, the son of William and Susanna Mohr Boggs. Their children are a bit hard to decipher on the various census records. They were Owen or Orin, George, John, Laura or Flava (or something else!), Lewis, Ida, an infant son who was born and died in 1867. and Nemmea, seen as Nimmie. Mary died in 1932.</p><p>Henry was next, born in 1834. He married Mahala (Mary) Hill, the daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Crow Hill. Their children are Sarah, Marie or Maria, Naoma or Naomi, Amelia, George, Charles, and Ethel. Henry died in 1900, </p><p>Anthony was born in in 1836 and married Susannah Catherine Boggs, the daughter of William and Susanna Mohr Boggs, another case of siblings marrying siblings. Their children are Amanda, Laura, Joseph, Perry, Howard, and George. Anthony died in 1909.</p><p>Elizabeth was born in 1838 and married James Jackson, the son of Lemuel and Mercy White Jackson. James is a bit interesting because he was born in Maine, which is a bit different from the Ohio-Virginia-Pennsylvania locations of the families so far mentioned in the Harter line. Their children are Sarah, Isaak, Isaiah, Samuel, Eleazor, Joseph, and Eldora (seen as Dora). Lemuel died in 1880 and Elizabeth married William Hoverstock in 1893. There were no children born to that marriage, as Elizabeth was 55 at the time of her second marriage. She died in 1924.</p><p>Sarah was a surprise to me. She is not noted in my previous blog post, because I did not know about her. She was born in 1841 and married William Miller, the son of Daniel and Margaret Wolf Miller. Their children are George, Noah, Ella, Sarah, and Lewis (also seen as Louis). Sarah died in 1909.</p><p>These children all lived in a tight geographic area of Noble, Whitley, and Allen Counties in Indiana. Their children would have known a lot of cousins! If my count is correct and complete, George and Elizabeth had 39 grandchildren. They surely had an impact on their neighborhood! <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-75891132522698155072023-12-14T23:30:00.000-08:002023-12-14T23:30:00.162-08:00The family of George Harter 1772ish-1835<p> I wish I knew more about this family. George was likely born in Rockingham County, Virginia, the son of George Harter and possibly Eva Bracker. (I'm not certain of this connection, but it's a possibility.) His wife is shown as Anna Elizabeth Geiger, but this may be confusion with a later George who married Elizabeth Geiger. Her name may better be recorded, for the time being, as Elizabeth unknown. George died in Burlington Township,Licking County, Ohio in 1835. </p><p>George and Elizabeth had 10 children, and there is very limited information about them, with confusion about birth dates as is often the case for this time period.</p><p>Catherine was born about 1800. She married Richard Holtsberry, the son of Nicholas and Catharine Corbus (?) Holtsberry. Their known children are Martha, John Nicholas, Gabriel, Harvey, and Mary. </p><p>George was born September 21, 1801. He married Anna Elizabeth Geiger, daughter of Anthony and Mary Kirk Geiger. Their children are John, Mary, Henry, Anthony, Elizabeth, and Sarah Ann. He died in Whitley County, Indiana in 1854, and I will follow this family in a future post.</p><p>John Harter was born May 25, 1803. He married Mary Bower, who remains unidentified. Their children are Benjamin, William, Harvey, Margaret, Henry, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Catherine. He died in 1871 in Smith Township, Whitley County, Indiana.</p><p>Susannah was born about 1807 and married John Geiger, the son of Anthony and Mary Kirk Geiger. Sadly, they were married about two years when she died. I've found no record of children born to them.</p><p>Frances Harter is also thought to have been born about 1807. She married James Holtsberry, the son of Nicholas and Catharine Corbus (?) Holtsberry. Their children are Catherine, John, Martha, Isaac, Solomon, William, Christenia and Mary Ann. She died in Licking County, date not known.</p><p>Isaac Harter, birth date not known, married Sally Holtsberry. This was the third Harter-Holtsberry marriage, as Sally was also the daughter of Nicholas and Catharine Corbus (?) Holtsberry. I have not been able to trace Isaac and would love to know details of his life.</p><p>Charlotte was another daughter. She married Presley Trumbo and probably died before 1850. They had at least one child, Matthias.</p><p>Gabriel Harter is said to have married Edy Boners. I have no further information about him.</p><p>Finally, there is Christian, who is believed to have married a Catherine. </p><p>I don't know why there is so little information about some of these last Harters. I am not locating any in of them in the 1850 census, anywhere in the country. There was a terrible cholera epidemic in 1833-1834. Did they die then, or later? More research needs to be done, to complete the story of this family.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-75238586829235657092023-12-07T23:30:00.000-08:002023-12-07T23:30:00.126-08:00A very short post about Eli Martin, 1841-??<p> Who, you might ask, is Eli Martin? I'm asking the same question. Usual on line sources are not giving me very many answers. So, if he's not a direct ancestor, and I don't know much about him, why am I writing this blog post? The answer is simple, to my mind. He served in the Civil War. He was in the same unit as his brother in law, David Wise, and David's brother, Philip Wise. All three men are from Lagro, a very small town in Wabash County, Indiana. Eli served with the other two men in the 123rd Indiana Infantry, company I. He was drafted in 1864 and discharged in Louisville, Kentucky in 1865, having served about 9 months. This was long enough that he filed for disability benefits in 1890. I would love to have the genealogy dollars to order his pension file, because that might shed some light on some of the many unanswered questions I have. <br /></p><p>I briefly mentioned Eli in the recent blog post about the family of Andrew Wise, because Eli, the son of Timothy and Hannah Tilberry Martin, married Elizabeth Wise, the daughter of Andrew and Mary Serfass Wise. They had three children together. Normally I write at least a paragraph about each child, giving the spouse's name and the names of their children. However, I am at a standstill. Census records show that their children are John, Timothy, and John again, which leads me to believe that the first John, born in 1867, didn't live long. But what happened to Timothy and the second John? </p><p>I have no information about Timothy at all, and the John Martins that I've found don't seem to match what little we know about him. This family was one that was in the lower economic strata. They were farm laborers, so may have moved into another county. However, I've found no marriage records nor death records for either man, and that seems strange. Did they both die without marrying and without children? </p><p>Eli deserves more recognition than he has received so far. I apologize for not being able to answer the questions I have about him. Can anyone help? <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-77964367809327397502023-11-30T23:30:00.000-08:002023-11-30T23:30:00.125-08:00The family of Jackson Wise 1817-1893<p>Jackson Wise may or may not be an actual blood relative but he is certainly a part of the Wise family. The question always is-was Mary Wise, who married William Beeks, actually the daughter of Jackson and Charity, or not? I've been told she was "adopted" unofficially, and I've been told she was their biological daughter. I don't know how, at this point, it would be possible to prove either story. </p><p>Jackson was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Harshbarger Wise. He was born December 31, 1817 so was less than two years old when his father died. He married Charity Botkin, the daughter of George and Elizabeth "Fannie" Feathergill Botkin, in 1836 in Shelby County, Ohio. The couple had four children together, or maybe just two, but all were treated as their children.</p><p>The first child, Sarah, was born in either 1834 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, or more likely, in 1837 in Shelby County, Ohio. She was listed as 13 years old in the 1850 census in Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana, but there appears to be a different date on her headstone. Headstone dates can be wrong, especially when the person dies as a spouse of a second or subsequent spouse, but so can census dates. Sarah first married Ambrose Wright, the son of Ambrose and Eunice Hale Wright. Their children are Riley, Mary, Emma, Annis, Charles, Hiley, and Ruella. After Ambrose's death, Sarah married Levi Stevens. She died in 1890 near Lincolnville, Wabash County, Indiana.</p><p>Mary, our mystery lady, was born in either 1840, 1844 or 1846. The last two dates come from census records. I'm not sure where the date of August 31, 1840 comes from. Mary married William Beeks, the son of John and Mary "Polly" Carter Beeks, and they had at least 10 children. The known children are Jackson, Charity, Sarah, John, George, Rachel, and Martin. There are also three additional children or babies who perhaps didn't live long enough to leave any written records.</p><p>Abel Wise was born in 1851, was reported on the 1860 census, and then completely disappears. He would not have been old enough to fight in the Civil War, but it does seem that he must have died somewhere, before the 1870 census. If anyone has information about Abel, we'd sure love to have it. Jackson was still in prison in 1851 so it's a little confusing. Abel may not have been a Wise at all.</p><p></p><p>Finally there was Rachel, who was born in 1855. She was a servant in the home of possibly Frank Lynn (name is hard to read) in 1880, and died in 1881. </p><p>Whether or not Jackson and Charity are biological parents to Mary, they would have been treated as such, and the family members would have interacted with the children and grandchildren of Andrew Wise (see my last post) and with the Beeks family. Additional information is always welcome!<br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-8774419827360952922023-11-23T23:30:00.000-08:002023-11-23T23:30:00.140-08:00The family of David Wise 1837-1927<p> This week's post will try to follow the family of David and Matilda Martin Wise. David was the son of Andrew and Mary Serfass Wise, and was a Civil War veteran, although he didn't enlist until near the end of the war. (His brother, Philip, and his brother in law, Eli Martin, all from the area of Lagro, Wabash County, Indiana were also Civil War veterans. (I've written of Philip earlier and plan to write of Eli soon.) Matilda was the daughter of Timothy and Hannah Tilbury Martin. David died in 1927 in Andrews, Indiana, at the home of his grandson.<br /></p><p>I've located just five children for this couple, one of whom died young and another who I believe also died young. Andrew was their first son, born in 1864 and died in 1866. David would have missed much of his first son's life, as he spent most of 1865 in the US Army. </p><p>Their next child, a daughter Hannah, born in 1867,married James Harris, the son of Aaron and Mary Ann Denton Harris. She was about 30 years old at the time of her marriage. James died and in 1913 she married Frank Brian in St Joseph, Berrien County, Michigan. They apparently had one child, Alvin. I've not found death information for her.</p><p>Elizabeth was born in 1870. She married John W Beeks, the son of William and Mary Wise Beeks. They had three children, Chester, Charity and Wilbur. Elizabeth died in 1922 in Andrews, Huntington County, Indiana, at the home of her son Wilbur.<br /></p><p>John was born in 1872 and died in 1941 at the home of his nephew, Wilbur Beeks in Andrews, Indiana. He had been a farm laborer all his life, and had never married. Mentioned as flower bearers in his obituary are Anna Mae Beeks, Mary Margaret Beeks, Norma Jean Beaks, and Bonnie Lou Beeks, who were the older daughters of Wilbur and Cleo Aldridge Beeks. <br /></p><p>And finally, Martin was born January 22, 1876. His mother Matilda died the same year, but I don't have a death date for her. I can't find Martin in the 1880 census so there is a possibility that he didn't long survive his birth. And of course, Matilda may have died as a result of this birth. </p><p>David and Matilda apparently had just four grandchildren. They lived simply but raised their family, and they have many descendants today. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-17266972954801934702023-11-16T23:30:00.000-08:002023-11-16T23:30:00.136-08:00The family of Andrew Wise 1796-1868<p> We're getting close enough to the present time and we're in the county right next door, and I still don't have all the answers to this family. Some of the dates don't seem to quite match up (birth dates vary by as much as five years in census reports) but I have reasonable hopes that this list is not too far away from accuracy. In order words, do your own research if you are not comfortable with this, and if you can add to this in any way, please contact me.</p><p>Andrew Wise, the son of Johan Jacob and Charlotte Raub Weiss or Wise, was born about 1796, in either Northampton County, Pennsylvania or in New Jersey. He traveled with his father to Miami County, Ohio, and married Mary Serfass (Ceirfoss, other spellings) in 1821 in Shelby County, Ohio. She is the daughter of Philip and possibly Eva Serfass. </p><p>In the 1840 census, Andrew and Mary are in Shelby County, Ohio, with at least five children, plus a mystery male listed as 20-29 years old. He could have been a laborer on the farm or a boarder in the house, but there is the possibility that he was a son born to one or both of them before their marriage.</p><p>Based on ages shown on this census, and on what is shown on the 1850 census, and a couple of hopefully educated guesses, this is the family as I see it at this time. The children would have been born in Shelby County, Ohio, with the possible exception of the youngest, Philip, who may have been born in Indiana.</p><p>The first son was John, born about 1827. I don't know what the situation was with John, but he was at home in 1860. In 1870 he was at the "poor farm" in Noble Township, Wabash County, Indiana, and by 1880 he is listed as a resident of the county infirmary, which was basically the same place. I think possibly the term infirmary indicates that he was no longer able to work on the farm, but I don't know any more than that. Neither have I yet located death records for him, although I haven't found him in the 1900 census. Also, the 1880 census shows him as married, but I've not found evidence of that and I think it could be a mistake.</p><p>Samuel was the next born, about 1832. It looks like he was married twice, first to Elizabeth Miller, who seems to be the mother of his first two children, Jeremiah and Andrew. It appears that she died in the early 1860s, and he then married Elizabeth "Bettie" Greenwalt, the daughter of John and Marthas Brookhart Greenwalt. She was about 20 years younger than Samuel. Samuel and Bettie had at least the following children: Noah, Clara, Rubin, Nancy, and Neada. I found a reference that he was the father of 9 children, so perhaps there are more that I've not yet located. Samuel died in 1894 in Elkhart County, Indiana, where he seems to have lived most of his adult life.</p><p>Then there was Elizabeth, who is confusing because her birth dates are given as 1834 and 1843. There is a possibility there were two Elizabeths, but I view the 1843 date with a grain of salt, as there was another child born that year. Elizabeth married Eli Martin, who is the son of Timothy and Hannah Tilberry Martin. Their children are John and Timothy, and they also had a nephew, David Martin, who lived with them. She is seen in the 1900 census in Licking Township, Blackford County, Indiana. </p><p>David Wise was born in 1837 and married Matilda Martin, who was the daughter of Timothy and Hannah Tilberry Martin, noted above. (Lagro. Indiana was a small town and there were several marriages of local people in that time period.) Their children are Andrew, who died at about 18 months of age, Hannah, Elizabeth, John Philip, and Martin. I will write more of this family in my next post. </p><p>And finally, there was Philip, born in 1843. He married Elizabeth Grimes, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Flowers Grimes. Their children are Louis (sometimes seen as Lewis), Mary Ellen, Philip, Hettie and Elmer. Philip died in 1902.</p><p>This leaves one female aged 15-19 in 1840 unaccounted for. She may not be a daughter at all, of course, and she is not listed with the family in the 1850 census. I have seen a reference that made me wonder whether this might be a daughter called Mary, but it was just a hint and not really anything to pin one's hopes on. I would like to know who this person was, though, and whether she was related in some way to the Wise family, or for that matter, the Serfass family.</p><p>I would like to have more definite information about this family, but I'm pleased to have learned this much about them. The men in this family were farm laborers, which means they had important jobs but made little money from their efforts. I honor them for their hard work and for the families they supported. <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-51020272273702651252023-11-09T23:30:00.005-08:002023-11-09T23:30:00.131-08:00The mysterious family of Jacob Wise 1767-1829<p> I know next to nothing of this family, and am left with just a few people of interest, basically. It's hardly enough for a "wanted" poster. If anyone can help with the children of Jacob and Charlotte, I'd be most grateful! </p><p>Johan Jacob Wise was born in 1767, the son of Felix and Anna Maria Weiss, and died in January of 1829 in Shelby County, Ohio. (As I mentioned in my last blog post, I am not at all sure of Anna Maria's maiden name. She is usually shown as van Buskirk, but she married a van Buskirk after Felix's death. That doesn't necessarily rule out a van Buskirk couple as her parents, but I haven't found any hint of them yet.) He married Charlotte Raub, the daughter of Andreas (Andrew) and Maria Charlotta Weber Raub. She was from New Jersey, and their first son, Peter, is said to have been born in Knowlton Township, Sussex County, New Jersey in 1791. </p><p>That is as much as I know for sure about Peter-he was born. Different trees give him different wives, but none make geographical sense to me at the moment, and I don't have a guess for what happened to him. </p><p>Jacob was born in 1794 and died in 1819 in Shelby County, Ohio. His wife is Elizabeth Harshbarger Phillips, and they had one child, Jackson. </p><p>Andrew was born in 1796 and died in 1868 in Wabash County, Indiana. He married Mary Serfass, the daughter of George Philip and Eva maiden name unknown Serfass. Their children are John, Samuel, Elizabeth, David, and possibly Mary. I will follow this family in my next post. </p><p>Samuel Wise is reported to have been mentioned in Jacob's will, but the relationship is not clear. Is he a son? There is a Samuel Wise in the 1830 census in Newbury Township, Miami County, Ohio (bordering Shelby County) who would have been born sometime in the 1800-1809 decade, but I am not sure this is the same man. I am intrigued by the marriage of Samuel Wise to Malinda Enos in Shelby County, Ohio on November 24, 1828. If this is our man in the 1830 census, Malinda was quite young when she married, as the oldest female is 15-19. By the 1840 census, there were 6 children in the family, all under 10. I'd love to know more!</p><p>I have seen a tree giving two additional children for this family. Joseph Wise married Nancy Hicks on May 14, 1822. I am unable to trace him further.</p><p>John Wise married Polly Danner, the daughter of Leonard and Catherine Harmon Wise in Miami County on August 27, 1818. Again, I am unable to trace him further. Andrew did name a son John, perhaps for his brother, but this is speculation.</p><p>As you can see, this family needs much more work. It's one of many projects on my to-do list, but if you can help, I would be so pleased. <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-47249072048797958232023-11-03T06:20:00.001-07:002023-11-03T06:20:00.139-07:00The family of Felix Weiss (died 1779)<p> I like to start my posts with a bit of certainty-so and so was born (date) in (wherever) to (names of parents). Unfortunately, this post starts with Felix Weiss/Wyss/Wise is said to have been born between 1720 and 1725, in either Germany or Switzerland, possibly the son of Felix and Anna Huber Weiss. I have not found any documentation for dates, or for location, or for parents. The first documentation I've found for Felix is his 1747 arrival in Philadelphia. This may or may not have been his first arrival in America. There were several Huber men on the same ship, the Bilander Vernon, and all took the oath of allegiance together. That ship had sailed from Rotterdam so either Germany or Switzerland would work as a point of origin. This particular record did not record women or children so that tells us little.</p><p>But at least it's something. It is likely that Felix was married when he arrived in 1747, to Anna Maria whose maiden name I have not found. She is frequently seen as van Buskirk, but that is because she married George van Buskirk the year after Felix died. Felix died in 1779 in Hamilton Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Felix and Anna Maria had at least six children together, although some are not documented to my satisfaction, and I am reasonably sure that this list of children and grandchildren is incomplete. Here is what I've been able to find.</p><p>Henry is fairly well documented. He was born in 1750 and died in 1827. He was a Revolutionary War soldier, and married Margaret (Margaretha) Borger, the daughter of Johan Nicholas and Ottillia Schaffer Borger. Their known children are Jacob, Ann, Elizabeth, Margaretha, Catharine, Henry, Susanna, Anna, Sara, George, Magdalena, and Maria. Interestingly, his property border on that of William Serfass. who may be part of the Serfass family that married into the Wise family four generations later. </p><p>Anna was probably the next born, as her birth is estimated as before 1755 and the next child was born in 1754. She married Johan George Hood or Huth, and died in 1842. Their children are Anna, Margaret, and Magdalena, and possibly more. </p><p>Margaret was born in 1754, and married Henry Brinker, the son of Jacob and Susannah Hinkle Brinker. She died in 1845. I've found three children for them-George, Henry, and Margaret. There may be more. </p><p></p><p>We have a break of 10 years before another child is mentioned. I don't know what happened. Were there unsuccessful pregnancies, or children who were born and died young? Either is possible but neither is proven.</p><p>The next child is Felix, born in 1764 and died in 1854. He married Eva Catherine Bossard, the daughter of Johannes Melchior and Margaretha Catherina Keller (may be Heller). Their children are Margaretha, Susanna, Felix, Daniel, and George.</p><p>Johan Jacob was born in 1767 and died in 1829 in Shelby County, Ohio. He married Charlotte Raub, the daughter of Andreas and Maria Charlotta Weber Raub. They had three or possibly four children, all known by the Wise spelling-Peter, Andrew, Jacob, and possibly Samuel. I will write more of this family in my next blog post.</p><p>Daniel is believed to be the last child, born in 1762 and died in 1812. He married Elizabeth, whose identity is still unknown to me. There was probably more than one child, but the only one I know of is Felix. The 1800 census shows two males under the age of 10. </p><p>I would love to hear from Weiss/Wise family researchers, who may have names and dates of these children and grandchildren. I'd especially love to know of the maiden names of Anna Maria, and of Elizabeth, who at this point are not identified. Please contact me if you have any information, or thoughts! <br /></p><p> <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-89235829501888589482023-10-26T23:30:00.001-07:002023-10-26T23:30:00.137-07:00The family of John Root 1672-1731<p> In my last blog post, I completed the line of Root men and their families that is the longest, from John to John to Samuel to Martin to Martin Jr. Martin Jr.s daughter Ruth married Samuel Falley, and that was the end of the Root name in our family. But there is one more Root to write about. </p><p>John, then John, and then John again, the brother of Samuel, was ignored while I traced the longer Root line, but he deserves his own post because he also had a family, although a small one. John was the son of John and Mary Ashley Root, born in 1672 and died in 1731 in Westfield, Massachusetts. He married Sarah Stebbins, the daughter of Edward and Sarah Graves Stebbins, in 1701 in Westfield. </p><p>They had one child, Sarah, born in 1702, who married Thomas Noble, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Dewey Noble. Sarah and Thomas's children are Sarah, Thomas, Stephen, Eunice, John, Silas, Elizabeth, Caleb, and Seth. </p><p>John's wife, Sarah, died sometime between the birth of her daughter and 1712, when John married Elizabeth Bissell, the daughter of Samuel and Abigail Holcombe Bissell. She had first married Samuel Sackett, but was widowed in 1709. I have seen various death dates for Sarah but have not been able to determine which is correct, so that's still a blank spot in my records.</p><p>John and Elizabeth had three or possibly four sons in short succession. Stephen, an unnamed son, and possibly another unnamed son all died as newborns or infants. The last son, Moses, born in 1717, did live to adulthood. He married Sarah Ingersoll, the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Dewey Ingersoll, and died in 1748. I have found no record of children for Moses and Sarah. Sarah Dewey Ingersoll was a niece of Elizabeth Dewey Noble, if I have this figured correctly. </p><p>So we have "daughtered out" again with Sarah Root Noble, and I will start a new family line in my next blog post. <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-27843034054019808602023-10-19T23:30:00.001-07:002023-10-19T23:30:00.152-07:00Blog post #1001: The family of Martin Root Jr. 1753-1822<p>If you don't mind my saying so, this family intrigues me. Martin is a DAR recognized Revolutionary War soldier, for one thing. For another, in his later years he moved from Westfield, Massachusetts, to Montgomery, (still in Hampshire County), Massachusetts and then later still to the Buchanan Settlement in Harrison County of what is now West Virginia. Why did he leave Massachusetts, the home of his ancestors for generations? So far, all I can deduce is that members of his family as well as other settlers from Montgomery traveled and settled together. I'd love to find the rest of this story!</p><p>Martin was the son of Martin and Eunice Lamb Root, of Westfield, Massachusetts. He was born in 1753 and died in 1822. He was married twice, as I just recently learned. His first wife is Ruth Noble, the daughter of Stephen and Ruth Church Noble. She died in 1790 and he then married Lois Smith, the daughter of Warham and Martha Belding Smith, in 1793. I have seen her referred to as Ann Lois, but the marriage records of Westfield list her name as Lois, so that is the name I'm using.</p><p>Martin and Ruth had at least 6 children together, all born in Westfield. What I find fascinating about this family is that three of the six children married siblings, the children of Daniel and Rebekah Bosworth Barrett. These two families must have been very close friends, probably members of the same church, and the cousin relationships are hard to keep straight. </p><p>Noble Root was their first son. He married Damaris Barrett, daughter of Daniel and Rebekah Bosworth Barrett. Their children are Alanson, Belinda, Cynthia, Rebecca, Laurinda, Oriliana, and George. After Damaris died, Noble then married Harriet Bushnell, the daughter of Ebenezer and Susanna Hubbard Bushnell. They had three daughters-Harriet, Elizabeth and Susan. Noble died in 1831 in Granville, Licking County, Ohio.<br /></p><p>Martin was the next born, in 1781. He married Mary Barrett, daughter of Daniel and Rebekah Bosworth Barrett, and sister to Damaris above. Their children are Marcus Aurelius, Linus, Mary, Moses, Martha, Samuel, Lysander and Damaris. Martin died in 1838 in Granville, Licking County, Ohio. </p><p>Ruth was the next born, in 1784 and she was their first daughter. She married Samuel Falley, the son of Richard and Margaret Hitchcock Falley. Their children are Lois, Clarissa, Richard, Charles, Samuel, Francis, Ruth, Edmund, Linus, Eunice and Charlotte. (So many of these names are used over and over, I certainly hope I haven't mis-identified any!) Ruth died in 1862 in Granville, Licking County, Ohio.</p><p>Charlotte was born in 1786. She married Theodore Stearns, the son of Jonathan and Elizabeth Edwards Stearns. Their children are Mary, Charlotte, Daniel or/and possibly David, Henry, and Theodore. She died in 1863 in Easthampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. I usually ignore middle names when I name the children, but this one is so unusual it must be mentioned. Theodore's middle name was Obookiah. He was likely named for Henry Obookiah, a native Hawaiian who was educated in Connecticut as a Christian pastoral candidate, but who died of typhus before he could return to Hawaii. It would certainly be interesting to know how close Charlotte or Theodore were to this man, and the source of their relationship! Theodore is noted as being a deacon, so it's likely that there was a connection through church.</p><p>Charles was the next son, born in 1789. He married Mary Jackson, the daughter of John and Jemima Davison Jackson. Their children are Jemima, Charles, Elizabeth, William, another William, Carlton, Henry, Charlotte, and Truman. Charles died in 1847 in Edwards County, Illinois.</p><p>Martin and Ruth's last child was Eunice, born in 1790. (Ruth's death that same year may well have been connected to the childbirth.) She died June 29, 1822 in West Virginia. Her husband was Elisha Dow Barrett, son of Daniel and Rebekah Bosworth Barrett. In the approximate six years of their marriage, they had four children-Lysander, Louisa, Eunice and Louvinia. </p><p>Martin and Lois, his second wife, had at least two children. </p><p>Edmund was born in 1795 and married Eva Reinhart, the daughter of George and Susannah Wiles Reinhart.Their children are George, Susan, Mary Jane, Flora, and a son who died in infancy. Edmund died in 1848 in Bone Gap, Edwards, Illinois. </p><p>Linus was born in 1797. He married Martha Burr, the daughter of John and Mary (Polly) Copeland Burr. (If we follow the Burr line back far enough, she was a descendant of John and Mary Warren Burr, who are ancestors on the Holbrook side of the family). Their children are Lois, Louisa, Martin, John, Mary Jane, Edmund, Linus, David, Charles, David again, Martha, and Richard. Linus also died in 1848 in Bone Gap, Edwards County, Illinois. <br /></p><p>Martin is credited with 64 grandchildren. His children settled mostly in Granville, Ohio and Bone Gap, Illinois, although one stayed behind in Massachusetts and one died shortly after arriving in West Virginia. The family was growing as the country grew, thanks to the efforts of men like Martin, and other Revolutionary War soldiers mentioned in this post without reference to their military service. <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-32868976870729048972023-10-12T23:30:00.002-07:002023-10-12T23:30:00.153-07:00The family of Martin Root 1721-1793<p>Martin Root, the head of the family we're reviewing today, was born in 1721 in Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, the son of Samuel and Mary Gunn Root. He died in Westfield in 1793. Presumably he left the town for short trips but other than that, he stayed there his whole life. One of his contributions to the town was another generation of Roots, several of whom stayed in the town their whole lives. He married, in 1745, Unis/Eunis/Eunice Lamb, the daughter of Samuel and Martha Stebbins Lamb. Their children are:</p><p>Unis, born in 1746 and died in 1747. It must have been terribly hard to lose their first child, despite the presence in the town of many family members.</p><p>Miriam, born a few months before Unis's death, in 1747. She married Samuel Falley, the son of Richard and Anna Lamb Falley. (I have not been able to determine any relationship between Anna Lamb, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and Eunice Lamb, whose roots go back to Dorchester, England.) Samuel Falley is also our ancestor, through another line. Miriam and Samuel Falley's children are Anna, Samuel, Miriam, Theodosia, Rachel, and Rhoda. Miriam died in 1813 in Lenox, Berkshire, Massachusetts.</p><p>Samuel, their first son, born in 1749. He married Tryphena Kellogg, the daughter of Samuel and Merab (Mary) Nash Kellogg, and died in 1817 in Westfield. Their children are Tryphena, Samuel, Mary, Lucinda, John, Polly, and Samuel. I have seen Warham also listed as their son but this seems to relate to a Warham born and died in eastern Massachusetts. I think he likely belongs to another family, but am certainly open to additional information.</p><p>Unis, born in 1751 and a bit of a mystery. She was single when her father wrote his will in 1817, because she was provided for in the will as a single woman. She died in 1819 so it may be that she was in ill health or physically challenged in some way. Some sites say she married a Recompence Miller but I can find no documentation for that, nor can I find any information about Mr. Miller. If she did marry, it was for a very short time. She died in Westfield.<br /></p><p>Martin Jr, born in 1753 is our line and I will write of him in an upcoming post. He married Ruth Noble, the daughter of Stephen and Ruth Church Noble. Their children are Noble, Martin, Ruth, Charlotte, Charles, and Eunice. Ruth died in 1790 and Martin then married Lois Smith, the daughter of Warham and Martha Belding Smith, still in Westfield. They had two children together, Edmund and Linus. Martin died in 1822 in Buchanan, Harrison County, (West) Virginia.</p><p>Jared, born and died in 1756.</p><p>Jonathan, born and died in 1757. This makes three children who died as infants/toddlers within 10 years. </p><p>Theodosia, born in 1759, and died in 1812 in Westfield. She married Gad Root, her third cousin. He was the son of Solomon and Mary Church Root. (Mary was a descendant of John and Sarah Beckley Church, who are also our ancestors. It's complicated!) Their children are Isabella, Gad, Grace, Sophronia, Asher, "King William", Theodore, and Elizabeth. </p><p>Sarah, born in 1767 and died in 1846 in Westfield. She married Moses Drake, the son of Moses and Mary Shepard Drake. Their children are David, Elijah, Moses, Sally, Hiram, Samuel, and Oliver.</p><p>Peggy was born in 1765. She married Matthias Gates, possibly the son of Matthias and Thankful Ackley Gates. Their children are Richard, Martin, Theodocia, John, Matthias, Roderick, Hannah, Jarvis, Minerva and Peggy. I am lacking a death date and location for her. I have seen two additional marriages listed for her but I believe those are for her daughter Peggy, although I am open to additional information as always. </p><p>William, born in 1767 may or may not be their child. I have been unable to find any information about him so perhaps he died young, or perhaps he doesn't belong to this family. </p><p>If this list is complete and accurate, Martin and Eunice are the grandparents to 46. And the Roots are beginning to spread out, with Martin Jr moving to what was then western Virginia. <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-78333496789307561802023-10-05T23:30:00.001-07:002023-10-05T23:30:00.186-07:00The family of Samuel Root 1675-1756<p>Samuel Root, the son of John and Mary Ashley Root, was born in 1675 in Westfield, Massachusetts, and died there in 1756. He is just one of the reasons (two uncles settled there also) that the family was "rooted" in Westfield for several generations. He married Mary Gunn in 1702, the daughter of John and Mary Williams Gunn, and the couple had at least 7 children together. They were a somewhat fortunate couple in that "only" one child died while very young, and a second before she turned 30.</p><p>The first child was Jonathan, born in 1704 and died in 1760 in Sheffield, Massachusetts. He married Dorothy Vosburgh, the daughter of Abraham and Claartje Bressy Vosburgh. (This marriage is interesting to me because this family was apparently from the Low Countries, and I've not yet figured out how the two families met.) Their children are Moses, Martin, Abraham, Lydia, Rhoda, Martin, Hannah, Lucy and Stephen. </p><p>Mary was their first daughter, born in 1706 and died in 1788 in Lee, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. She married John Williams, who is often seen as the son of John and Sarah Weld Williams. (I think this man may be mis-identified. The son of John and Sarah was born in 1710 in Roxbury, near Boston, and died there. There is likely another Williams couple we should be looking for.) At any rate, Mary and John's children are Warham, John, Desire, Content, Bill, and Hannah. </p><p>Margaret was the next daughter, born in 1710. She is the one I alluded to in my first paragraph, who died in 1714 at approximately four years of age. </p><p>Abigail was born that same year, in 1714 and died in 1788 in Salisbury, Litchfield, Connecticut. She married Cornelius Dutcher, son of Roelef and Janettje Bressie Dutcher. This was another family originally from the Low Countries. I don't know whether Janettje and Claartje Bressie/Bressie were related, but it seems possible. Abigail and Cornelius had children named Margaret, Roelof, Abigail, Jane, Cornelius, John, Solomon, Cornelius, William and Revland or Rowland. </p><p>Namesake Samuel was born in 1717 and died in 1743 at Westfield. He married Sarah Sitton, the daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Kibbe Bush Sitton. (A note in the Westfield records says her name at death was Sarah Taylor, so she apparently remarried). I find only two children born to this couple, but they had been married only about four years when Samuel died. The children are Ruth and Oliver. </p><p>Martin was the next son, born in 1721 and died in 1788 in Westfield. He married Eunice (Unis) Lamb, the daughter of Samuel and Martha Stebbins Lamb. Their children are Unis, Miriam, Samuel, Eunice, Martin, Jared, Jonathan, Theodosia, Sarah, Peggy, and William. I will follow this family in my next blog post. </p><p>The last known child was Margaret, born in 1728 and died in 1756 in Westfield or West Springfield. She married Henry Rogers Jr., the son of Henry and Sarah Remington Rogers. The only child I've located for them was named Grace. </p><p>If I had all the time in the world, which I don't, I'd love to explore the Dutcher and Vosburgh families further. As far as I'm aware, these are the first families not of British origin to marry into the colonial Root family. They aren't the last, I'm sure. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727237895383826641.post-73502795287640971662023-09-28T23:30:00.001-07:002023-09-28T23:30:00.143-07:00The family of John Root 1642-1687<p> Our next family head is John Root, the son of John and Mary Kilbourne Root. He has my admiration because he chose to marry one of my favorite ancestors, Mary Ashley, the daughter of Robert and Mary (maiden name unknown) Ashley. Anyone who chooses to marry a feisty woman like Mary goes high on my list. John was born in 1642 in Farmington, Connecticut and was one of several Roots who moved north. John died in Westfield, Massachusetts, as did at least four of his adult children.</p><p>John and Mary were married in 1664 and their children started arriving in 1667, all born in Westfield. There may be an unsuccessful pregnancy at the start of their marriage. (Many couples in this time period had a child born within 15-18 months of their marriage, it seems.)</p><p>The first child we know of is Mary, born in 1667. She married John Smith , the son of John and Mary Partridge Smith. Their children are Mary, Mercy, John, Rachel, Hezekiah and Noah. Mary died in 1721 in Hadley, Massachusetts.</p><p>Sarah was born in 1670 and married Adijah Dewey, the son of Thomas and Constant Hawes Dewey. (Thomas and Constant are our ancestors also, so we are once again in an entwining family, with deep and inter-connected roots. Sarah and Adijah's children are Abijah, Thomas, Adijah, Sarah, Esther, Mary, Abigail, Bethiah, Anna, and Moses. Sarah died in 1721 in Westfield.</p><p>John was the next born and the couple's first son, born in 1672. He married Sarah Stebbins, the daughter of Edward and Sarah Graves Stebbins, who are also our ancestors. They had just one daughter, Sarah. He next married Elizabeth Bissell, the daughter of Samuel and Abigail Holcombe Bissell. They had two children, Stephen and Moses. John died in 1731 in Westfield. I'll write more of this family in my next post. </p><p>Samuel was born in 1675 and died in Westfield in 1756. He married Mary Gunn, the daughter of John and Mary Williams Gunn. Their children are Jonathan, Mary, Margaret, Abigail, Samuel, Martin, and Margaret. We are descended through this line, also, and I will write more of this family in a later post.</p><p>In almost every family I've been writing about, there is at least one mystery person. In this line, it's Hannah, who was born in 1677. We know that she married John Davis, "of Coventry" and that's all we know. On one ancestry tree, John is identified as the adopted son of Samuel Root who died in 1711, but I find no documents to back that up. We also don't know what happened to this couple. I refer to these as witness protection plan people, because they seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth. It's possible, of course, that they were killed in an Indian raid or lost at sea or died in an epidemic. It's also possible that we just haven't looked in the right place to find them yet.</p><p>Abigail was the next daughter, born in 1680. She married Joseph Moseley, the son of John and Mary (maiden name not found) Mosely. Their children are Abigail, Abner, Sarah, David, Mary, Hannah, Isaac and Rachel. Abigail died in 1773 in Glastonbury, Connecticut. </p><p>Joshua was born in 1682 and died in 1730. He married Margaret Gilbert, the daughter of Thomas and Anna Bancroft Gilbert. (Anna is a descendant of yet another of our ancestors, Samuel and Margaret Stratton Wright.) Joshua and Margaret's children are Mercy, Joshua, Margaret, Hannah, Thomas, Ruth, Experience, Catherine, and Israel. Joshua died in Sheffield, Massachusetts.<br /></p><p>The last child born to John and Mary was Mercy, born in 1684. She married Samuel Fowler, the son of Samuel and Abigail Brown Fowler. Their children are Mehitable, Samuel, David, Bethesda, Stephen, Mercy, Bildad and Daniel. </p><p>If this count is complete and correct, John and Mary Ashley Root are the parents of eight children and 51 grandchildren. Many of the men fought in the various colonial wars and their descendants fought in the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars. They helped establish the families that helped establish America. <br /></p>Janice Harshbargerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10979616914583582697noreply@blogger.com0