The family of Owen Traveler Reese 1792-1876

At last!  A Reese family that I can mostly trace!  And best of all, in working on this family, I learned that I only had found three of their 8 (or possibly more) children.  It was a lot of fun doing the admittedly superficial research for this family, as I had to pull it together from a lot of different sites and documents.  Of course there are still remaining questions, but this was a very close knit family, with Owen and his wife, Margaret Ellen Moon,and most, if not all, of their children living out their lives in and around Kempton, Tipton County, Indiana, and buried at the Kempton cemetery.  The children were born in Fayette County, Ohio and the Reese family moved to Kempton between the census years of 1850 and 1860.  

One thing I've learned about Owen is that he may have served in the War of 1812.  There are records for Owen Rees and Owen Reece in Ohio but I have not delved into them yet.  It was only after the family moved to Indiana that the Reese spelling was standardized in this branch of the family.  

Owen and Margaret were married in 1813 but their first known child was born in 1818 or 1819, so it's possible that there are other children not yet discovered, or that there were unsuccessful pregnancies.  Their first known child is Christine or Christiane.  She married David Goodnight, who was a descendant of Samuel and Magdalena Berkheimer Goodnight. His parents are Leonrad and Martha Fernaugh Goodnight  The Goodnight name will show up later in this post, as the families had several mingled branches.  Christine and David's known children are William, Samuel, Isaac, Margaret, Martha, Margaret (again), John, Mary, Levi, and Christie Ann.  She died in 1877.

Thomas Jefferson Reese was the first known son, born in 1821 and died in 1887.  Some sites are giving him the designation "Rev." but I have not yet found what denomination he was associated with.  It is also possible that he was in the Civil War.  There were two Thomas Reese soldiers from Indiana on the National Park Service database, but I haven't explored that further.  He generally used the name "Jefferson"; that is on his headstone.  Thomas married Priscilla Gustin, the daughter of James and Sarah Palm Gustin or Gustine.  Their children are John, Sarah, William, Andrew, Jackson, James, Margaret, Emma, Mary, David, and Thomas J.  

Ann Marie was born in 1824 and died in 1902.  She never married, living with her parents, then as a boarder, and in her last years with another family member.  I don't know whether it was her choice to stay single or whether she had a physical or mental challenge.  

Isabella was born in 1827 and died in 1892.  She married William Floyd, the son of John and Nancy Spurgeon Floyd.  Their children are Margaret, John, Henry, Mary, and unnamed female, Martha, and Christina.  

Andrew Jackson was born in 1828 and died in 1903.  He married Lucinda Moomaw, the daughter of Henry and Anna Gray Moomaw.  Their children are Margaret, John, Eliza, Owen, Mary, Amanda, and Isabell.  It is a little confusing here regarding Lucinda.  There seem to be records for a Lucinda Rees who married George Hoover in 1870 and then a Lucinda Hoover who married David Croy in 1881, all in Tipton County.  There are three possibilities:  Perhaps the death date for Andrew is wrong (there were other men named Andrew or Jackson Reese in the same area).  Perhaps Andrew and Lucinda divorced.  Or perhaps the Lucinda Rees who appears to have married George Hoover is a different one, although Lucinda is not a name I've found in connection with other Reese families.  

Eliza Matilda Reese was born in 1830 and died in 1900.  She married Samuel Goodnight Dunham, the son of Jacob and Catherine Goodnight Dunham.  (Catherine Goodnight and Leonard Goodnight, mentioned above, were siblings.) Their children are William, Margaret Catherine, Jacob, and James.  

Margaret was born in 1832 and died in 1912.  She married Amos Dunham, who was also the son of Jacob and Catherine Goodnight Dunham.  (Do not ask me to figure out all the ways the children of Christine, Eliza, and Margaret are related.  It is too much for this brain!)  Their children are Margaret and James.  Amos died and Margaret then married John Wilson, also seen as Rev. John Wilson.  They had no children together.

And the last known child is Albert, who married Eliza J. Bonecutter, the daughter of George and Nancy Conner Bonecutter.  (I did a little research and "Bonecutter" may be the rough translation of the German word for butcher.  Otherwise, I can't explain it!)  Their children are Margaret, John, Thomas, Albert, and Ada.  

I have also seen the names of James and Eleanor listed as children of Owen and Margaret.  The birthdate shown for James is much too late for the couple, and I've seen no birthdate at all for Eleanor.  At the moment, I consider them as being outside of this family, but I wanted to mention them in case someone knows more about these two.  

It's been fun doing this brief sketch.  I know more about my children's ancestors and how they would have interacted.  Can you imagine the family reunions that could have taken place?  Or maybe they all met for Sunday dinners together, after church.  That would be quite an event!   

This is the last of my posts for the Rees/Reese family, unless I find out some of the answers to the many questions I have.

 

The family of Solomon and Ann possibly McNeal Rees

The heading for this post is something of a misnomer.  I am really not at all sure about the "family" I'm writing about.  I'm not sure who Solomon's parents are, I'm not sure who his wife is, and I'm not sure who his children are.  Ugh.  But I am sure (or as sure as I can be, with limited documentation) that he belongs in the line of Rees or Reese families that eventually join the Dunham line, so I'll lay out some of the possibilities here.

Solomon's parents may be Morris and Sarah Butterfield Rees, or they may be Thomas and Margaret Bowen Reese, or they may be Thomas and Hannah Rees Rees.  At the moment, I'm leaning toward the parents being Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees, because they were disciplined for allowing a "hireling schoolteacher" to teach in their home, and Solomon is thought to have married a school teacher.  But I can find no other records that give me a confident feeling about this.  All three couples that I mentioned seem to have sons named Solomon, born in the time period that would "work".  I have as yet found no records for Solomon's marriage, nor have I found a likely McNeal family (supposed maiden name for Ann) in the general area.  And then, lists of his children are muddled and messy, and missing supporting documents.  What's a family historian to do?  I'm choosing to put this post together for the next people trying to sort this family, and I hope that they can zero in on the correct information.

I have names for seven children for Solomon and Ann.  I am confident about one of them, and there are possibilities for others, but take this with a grain of salt and a big desire for verification.

The son I am confident of is Owen, Owen Traveler to be exact.  He may actually be the youngest of the children, and there is a story that he acquired his middle name when he was born while his parents were enroute from Washington County, Pennsylvania to Fayette County, Ohio.  If that is true, Owen may have been born later than the 1791 birth year I have for him, because it is likely that his parents didn't arrive in Ohio until sometime about 1805.  Owen married Margaret Moon, the daughter of Thomas and Jean Gray Moon.  I currently show three daughters for them, Christine, Eliza Matilda, and Margaret.  Owen died in 1876 in Tipton County, Indiana.  

Rebecca seems a likely candidate to be a daughter.  She was born in 1793 and may have lived as long as 1896.  She married James Davis, the son of John and Sarah McNeal (!) Davis.  Their children are Jacob, Solomoin, John, Rebecca, Mary, Amanda, Thomas, and Isaac. 

Some lists show Hiram as a son.  He married Edith or Adah Dungan in 1828.  They had one daughter, Dezire.  I found a will for him but it listed a brother Stephen as executor, and as far as we know, there are no Stephens thought to belong to Solomon and Ann, so either this is the wrong Hiram, or he has been wrongly attached to this family.

Sarah is also a possibility.  There is a Sarah who married Moses Rees, the daughter of William and Charity Dillon Rees.  Her children are listed as Margaret, Moses, Catherine, Solomon, William, and James.  I am not sure this is the correct Sarah, but at this point, I can't eliminate her.  

Lydia Rees married Jacob or/and Joseph Butler and had a son John.  She is reported to have lived from 1774 to 1863, so it seems possible that there are more children.  I'm not at all sure she belongs to this family, but again, I can't eliminate her.

I have also seen John and Sampson on lists of children, but find nothing at all to give credence to these reports.  Facts, I need facts!

Again, I would appreciate any help anyone can give me on this family.  And please, don't take any of this as fact.  This is not a family I have spent a great deal of time on, and I'm mostly making suggestions here, hints to prove or disprove if time allows.

 

The family of Thomas Rees and Hannah Rees

 In case you haven't noticed, this is not an easy family (Rhys, Rees, Reese) to follow.  Not only did cousins marry, but other family connections are also in the mix.  And then there's the matter of the names of the children.  I don't have enough fingers and toes to count all the Thomas, Hannah, Margaret, Morris, and so on Rees names that I've come across.  If a child wasn't named for their parent, then they were named for aunts and uncles, with only an occasional "where did that name come from" thrown in just to upset the apple cart.  

All this is to say, I've found a lot of errors in family trees and have probably made a few myself.  I started out with a list of 16 potential children for the family of Thomas and Hannah Rees Rees, but only have some degree of confidence about 8 of them, and the birthdates of each child could be wrong by a matter of years.  Thomas is the son of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees, and Hannah is the daughter of Morris and Sarah Butterfield Rees.  Thomas died in 1812 in Fairfield County, Ohio, and his wife probably died there too.  Thomas, at least, had been born in Chester County, Penssylvania, then went to Frederick County, Virginia, and they raised their family mostly in Washington County, Pennsylvania.  Thomas and Hannah would have been close to 70, or maybe a little older, when they moved to Fairfield County.  

Morris Rees was one son, born about 1757.  He died in 1842 in Fairfield County, Ohio.  His marriage was to Coracy or Corracy Townshend, the daughter of John and Hannah Richards Townshend.  As did his parents, he is considered a patriot in the American Revolutionary War, having suffered depredations in 1781, probably at the hands of one of the indigenous peoples loyal to and stirred up by the British.  Their children are John, Hannah, Mary, Thomas, Morris, Sarah, Coracy, Anna, Isaac, Gertie, a second Mary, and Lewis.

Thomas may have been born about 1759 and died in 1832.  He married twice.  His first wife is Ann Crumley, who may be the daughter of William and Hannah Mercer Crumley.  Their children are Nancy, Rachel, Jesse, Sarah, William, Solomon, Hannah, James, Thomas and Asenath.  His second wife is  Elizabeth Harlan, the daughter of George and Mary Harris Harlan.  They had one daughter together, Kessiah.  

Margaret was born about 1760 and died in 1845 in Fairfield County, Ohio.  She may have married Larkin Reynolds, but I've found no further information for that marriage.  She married James Hunter, the son of David and Martha Hunter.  The only child I've found for that couple was Thomas.  If seems likely that there are more children.

Jesse was born about 1767 and died in 1812 in Fairfield County, Ohio.  He married (are you ready for this?) Hannah Rees, the daughter of William and Keziah Pray Rees.  I have not yet determined which Rees family William belonged to.  Jesse's children are Rebecca, Hannah, John, Thomas, Maria, David, Elizabeth, Abner, and Margaret.  

There seems to have been a daughter Hannah, who married an Isaac Davis and then a Nathan Paxton, but I've not found children listed for either marriage.  Hannah's death date is given variously as 1820 and 1850, so it's quite possible that there are two Hannahs, mixed together.  In 1850, there was a Hannah Paxton living with Jesse and Sarah Greene, in Clark County, Ohio.  The census shows that she was born in 1774 in Virginia, so this could indeed be Hannah, and Sarah could possibly be a daughter.  Could and possibly, not is...

Mary was born about 1769 and died about 1775.

And then there is Solomon, who married Ann, and is a mystery to me.  I show him twice on our family tree, once as the son of Thomas and Hannah, and once as the son of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees.  Obviously, one of these is wrong.  But for the record, their children are Sampson, John, Sarah, Lydia, Owen, Hiram, and Rebecca.  

There may also be a daughter, Sarah, but I've found nothing definite about her.  

Even those these children mostly died less than 225 years ago, the records about them are not easily found.  I would so love to hear from others who can tell me more about this family. 

 

The family of Thomas Rees and Margaret Bowen

 Are we ready for a deep dive into a very complicated family?  I've heard of twisted and intertwining branches before, but this one is more like a whole thicket of such trees.  I am not at all sure I have it all figured out correctly, but here is my attempt to make sense of the family of Thomas Rees and Margaret Bowen.  Margaret is the daughter of Henry and Jane Carter Bowen, and Thomas is the son of Thomas and Rebecca Price Bowen.  Thomas was born "about 1705". in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the third generation of his Welsh Quaker family to have roots here. His grandfather, David Rees, was the original immigrant.

Thomas and Margaret married in Chester County in about 1732, although I have not found documentation to support that date.  Nor have I found confirmation of many of their children's birth dates or even years.  I'm reasonably sure that the children I will mention here are their children, but I'm not at all sure about the birth order.  Thomas and Margaret moved from Chester County, Pennsylvania to what was then Frederick County, Virginia (now Berkeley County, West Virginia) in about 1753.  This was just prior to the French and Indian War, and it's possible that the family, or at least part of it, had to leave soon after they arrived, due to the repeated raids from the native people that began during this time.  As Quakers, they were against all violence and it's uncertain how or if they would have defended themselves, had they stayed at their new home. It's also possible that they simply went to the nearest fort and sat out the difficult times.

There are 9 known children of Thomas and Margaret, with two others showing up on some lists but not others.  I'll mention them all here.

Henry seems to have been the first born, in 1732.  He married Martha Thomas, the daughter of Evan and Catherine Thomas, and had one child, Catherine.  He next married Ann Neill, the daughter of Lewis and Lydia Hollingsworth Neill, and they had at least five children-Gabriel, Lydia, Gideon, Lewis, and Margaret.  (I have not yet determined whether Lydia Hollingsworth is part of the Hollingsworth family that is shown on another line tying into the Beeks family.)  Henry died in 1772 in Frederick County, Virginia.

Thomas was born about 1734, according to some sources, and in 1749, according to others.  The date must have been closer to 1734 because his children were born starting in 1755.  His wife was Hannah Rees, who was the daughter of Morris and Sarah Butterfield Rees.  Thomas and Hannah were first cousins once removed, as Thomas was the great grandson and Hannah the grandaughter of David Rees the immigrant.  Thomas and Hannah's children are Solomon, Morris, Thomas, Margaret, Thomas again, Sarah (twice), Jesse, Mary, and Hannah.  It may be this same Thomas (or possibly a son or another of the Thomas name) who later married Ellen Downing, the daughter of William and Phebe Downing. Thomas died in 1812 in Fairfield County, Ohio.  I'll follow this family in a future post.

William was born about 1736 and died in 1822 in Greene County, Tennessee.  He married Charity Dillon, the daughter of William and Mary Rees Dillon.  Trees show that Mary was the daughter of Thomas and Margaret but the dates don't add up.  She was likely part of another of the Rees men.  William and Charity had at least the following children-Moses, Mary, William, Sampson, Thomas, James, Margaret, Ann, Mary and John.

David is a true challenge, and one that I have not yet solved.  At least three different families are claiming David, born 1738 in Chester County, with Thomas and Margaret as his parents.  He is said to have died in 1786 in Virginia, in 1787 in Newberry, South Carolina, and in 1812 in an unspecified location.  I'm reasonably sure that he married Elizabeth Babb, the daughter of Philip and Margaret Babb (or, barely possible, Thomas and Sarah Foulk Babb).  Their children are John, Hannah, Elizabeth, Ann, and Sarah.  Many online trees call him the "Fighting Quaker" who fought on the British side in the Revolutionary War.  Obviously, he was dismissed from the Quaker Meeting for this and other transgressions.  The Fighting Quaker David was the one who died in Newberry, S.C.  I'm just not convinced yet that this was our David.  If someone has evidence that would prove or disprove him, I'd love to see it!!

Robert was another son, born sometime in the 1740s.  He married Sidney Lewis, the daughter of Henry and Mary Roger Lewis, "contrary to discipline".  I haven't followed their story, but usually this meant dismissal from the church, unless the couple could convince the fellowship that they truly repented of this.  Sometimes it simply meant that the happy couple had not bothered to get approval from parents and the church, and had been married by a justice of the peace.  The couple did stay married, and had children Lewis, Robert, David, Thomas, Elizabeth, Signey, and Margaret.  It may be this Robert who later married Rachel Brackney had had a daughter Mary, but I'm not sure that this is correct.  Robert died in Clinton County, Ohio in 1815.

And here's our first "maybe", as far as children go.  Mary Susannah was reportedly born about 1725, before the supposed marriage date of her parents, and died in 1781 in Frederick County, Va, or in 1831 in Greene County, Tennessee.  She is said to have been the Mary Rees who was married to William Dillon (see above).  If correct, then when William Rees married Charity Dillon, he was marrying his niece, which isn't impossible in that time and place.  

Mary is listed as another daughter, and may have been referred to as Polly.  She died in 1820 in Berkeley County, WV.  Her husband was John Brabson, who is so far unidentified.  Their children are Thomas, John, Elizabeth, Ephraim, Margaret, and Robert.

Jane or Jean was another daughter, also born in the 1740s.  She married Jacob Moon, the son of Simon and Louretha Humphrey Moon.  (The Beeks line also includes this couple, and I hope to someday write about the Moon family.)  Their children are Jacob, James, Margaret, Mary, Thomas, Simon, and possibly another James.  Jane died in 1812 or 1817 in Arden, Berkeley, West Virginia.  This is another couple that married outside of church discipline.  

John was born about 1744 and died in 1821 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.  He left the Quaker faith and became a Baptist, and served in the Revolutionary War in the Pennsylvania militia.  From the dates we know, he would most likely have been involved in the ongoing battles with the natives that continued after Yorktown, for his dates of service are shown as 1782-1783.  He married Nancy Carter, the daughter of James and Hannah Chenowith Carter.  I have not been able yet to place James in the Carter family that came early to Pennsylvania but there is a possible connection there.  John and Nancy's children are Thomas, Elijah, Margaret, Hannah, Ruth, Mary, John, Nancy )John and Nancy are twins) and James.  After Nancy's death, he married Sarah Huston, and they had two children, Robert and David.

Solomon was born about 1745 and died in 1829 in Fayette County, Ohio.  He married Ann, possibly McNeil, and their children are Sampson, John, Sarah, Lydia, Owen, Hiram, and Rebecca. I will also follow this family in a later post.  

The final daughter is Margaret,  who was born in the late 1740s and married Thomas Rees, another son of Morris and Sarah Butterfield Rees.  Their children are Sarah, Martha known as Patsy, Charity, Jane, Hanna, Evan, Leah, Mary, and Joel.  I have not yet determined a death location for Margaret.  She is said to have died about 1815.

So the Beeks (actually Aldridge) family has strong Rees roots, with three direct ancestors shown here-Thomas, Jane, and Solomon.  That is, if I haven't confused my Thomases at some point.  I am very open to corrections and additions.  Please contact me!

 

 

Thomas Rees family 1681-??

 This is the most confusing family I've come across, in my 18 years of working on family history.  At this point, I have little to say about the Thomas Rees who was born in Wales and traveled with his parents, David and Elinor Lloyd Rees, to Philadelphia, where he eventually settled in the Welsh Tract, at least for a time. Thomas Rees and Morris Rees, whose family I wrote about last week, are brothers.

I should point out that the name Rees was a common Welsh name, originally spelled Rhys, and Thomas was also a common name for men.  I suspect that there are several men by the name of Thomas Rees in the time period of 1680-1750, and in Pennsylvania.  It appears that David may have had a brother Thomas.  David certainly had a son named Thomas, and he is most probably the one who belongs in this lineage.  But is our Thomas the one who died in 1713, or the one who died in 1740?  I cannot decide so I'll lay the two possibilities out.

The Thomas who died in 1713 had children Thomas, Sarah, Daniel, Mary, David, Isaac, Philip, Miriam, Thomas (again, likely the first one had died) and John.  Our Thomas, the sort of subject of this post, married Francis or Rebecca Price, the daughter of Philip Price, so including the name of Philip as a child is completely logical. Thomas and Rebecca had married in 1692 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  But I am wondering if this Thomas was actually the age of David's brother, which would explain the early birth date.  There are several references to Thomas Rees as taxpayer and landowner in the 1680s and 90s, which would be prior to the time our Thomas would have been of age to own land and owe taxes, if his 1681 birthdate is correct.

Another Thomas Rees died in 1740 in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  I do not know where this list of children comes from but I show his children as Thomas, Henry, William, David, Robert, Solomon, Jane, Margaret, Mary known as Polly, and John.  I show son Thomas as having been born in Chester County, also.  This is likely to be either our Thomas or the son of the Thomas who died in 1713, but there are other possibilities, also.  

Since I have not much faith in either option (or in none of the above), I am not going to try to trace the children of Thomas until I have more confidence that I'm following the correct family.  I will simply note that both of the men I've mentioned had sons named Thomas, and in my next post, I'll follow that Thomas.  

If I've thoroughly confused you, join the crowd!  And if you have answers, please contact me.

The family of Morris Rees 1680-1768

 Morris Rees, an ancestor of the Beeks family, lived an interesting life.  He was born in Wales in 1680 and died in 1768 in Frederick County, Virginia.  In between those dates, he'd lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania and possibly at least one other location before settling in Virginia.  As a Quaker, his name is on several Society of Friends records, but also as a Quaker, birth information was not necessarily recorded for his children.  

We know that Morris was the son of David and Elinor Lloyd Rees, the immigrants.  He married Sarah Butterfield, the daughter of Thomas and Mary (possibly Taylor) Butterfield in 1718 at the Chester Monthly Meeting in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  Morris and Sarah had at least eight children and those children helped to thoroughly confuse the Rees family tree, as some married cousins and other Rees relatives.  

John was the first known son born, in 1720.  He married Lydia Hastings , the daughter of John and Mary Williams Hastings.  Their children are Lydia, Sara, Jacob, John, Morris, Hannah, Rachel and Enoch.  Various death dates are assigned to John (doubtless a confusion among several men named John Rees) but it appears that he died between 1791-1795.  He would have been of prime age and location to have served in the French and Indiana War, possibly even the Revolutionary War, if his Quaker beliefs had permitted.  I'm still researching that aspect of his life. There was a John Reese who was on the roll during Lord Dunsmore's War in 1774.  Is it this John?

Morris was the next son born, about 1721.  He married Sarah Hackney, the daughter of Joseph and Charity Harlan Hackney.  Their children are Morris, Mary, Margaret, Rebecca, Phebe, Charity, David, another Morris, Mary, and another Rebecca.  Morris died in 1800 in Frederick County, Virginia.  He also was old enough to have served in the two wars mentioned above.  It is also possible that the Rees families left Virginia (they mostly arrived in 1752-1753) and traveled east to less volatile locations during the wars. Morris Reece Sr and Morris Reece Jr were each listed as having missed one private muster from John Linsey's Company of Troop in Frederick County at a Court Martial held September 2, 1755, and it is quite possible that it is this Morris and his son Morris who are being referred to here.  Perhaps they missed a muster due to seeing that their families were safe. 

Jacob was born in 1723 and may have died in 1789 in Harrison County, in what is now West Virginia.  He married Hannah Kirk, the daughter of Roger and Jane Bowen Kirk.  Their children are Joel, Sarah, Jonathan, Jacob, Nathan, Morris, Hannah, and Jesse.  

Mary was their first daughter, born in 1726.  She married Job or Joel Hastings, the son of John and Mary Williams Hastings.  Their children are Hannah, Isaac, Henry, Thomas, Reese, and Sarah.  After her first husband died, she may have married Jesse Faulkner when she was about 60 years old.  I'm not sure this was the same Mary, but it's possible.  Mary died in 1794 in Berkley County, in what is now West Virginia.

Margaret was born in 1728 and died before 1788.  She married Archibald Jobe, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Maxwell Jobe.  Their children are Morris, Thomas, Daniel, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Margaret. 

David was born in 1730 and died in 1812 in Berkley County, (West) Virginia.  He married Martha Chandler, the daughter of Jacob and Martha Greave Chandler.  Their children are Jacob, Jane, Enoch, Mary, Daniel, Ellis, Martha, Lydia, Hannah, and Samuel. A David Reece was fined in 1760 for being absent from a private muster from John Greenfield's Company in Frederick County.  We can't be sure this is our David, due to a multitude of David Rees (etc) men in the area, but it's possible.  `

Hannah was born in 1732 and died in 1803 in Frederick County, Virginia.  She married Thomas Reese, the son of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Reese.  (My next post will be about the family of Thomas and Margaret.)  Their children are Solomon, Morris, Thomas, Sarah/Sally, Margaret, Jesse, Mary, and Hannah.  

Finally, there is Thomas, born in 1734.  He married Margaret Bowen, who was the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Reese, mentioned above.  Their children are Elizabeth, Martha, Leah, Thomas, and Mary. Thomas died in 1819 in Berkley County, (West) Virginia.

As we can guess, there are many stories hidden in these brief facts.  Love, marriage (not necessarily in that order), children, war, religion, making a living and living a life were parts of each of these lives.  As near as I can tell, this was a family full of good people who faced challenging times and set a good  example for their descendants. 

The family of (Hugh) David Rees 1655-1706

 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.  

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.  

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.

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.  

"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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.    

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.,

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.

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. 

 

The family of Vincent McCoy 1807-1857

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.  

 

 

 

The family of James McCoy 1777-1833

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.

Let's see what we can figure out...

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.)

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.  

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.

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.  

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.  

Milton, sometimes seen as James Milton, was born in 1814 and died in the cholera epidemic of 1833.  

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.

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. 

 

The family of William McCoy 1754-1813

 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.

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?)

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. 

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.  

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.  

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.

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.

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.

The family of James Thomas McCoy 1720-1801

 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."  

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.  

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.  

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.

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. 

The family of Jude Foster 1759-1789

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.

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.

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.)

Next was Lydia, born in 1782 and died in 1802 in Hartford, Washington County, New York.  

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.

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.  

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.  

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.

The family of Nathan Foster 1728-1809

 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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.  The Coquette 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.

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.

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.

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.

The family of Nathan Foster 1700-1753

 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.

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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 pro tempore 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.

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.

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.  

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! 

The family of Abraham Foster 1659-1741

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

The family of Abraham (Abram) Foster 1622-1711

 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.

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.) 

An interesting fact about Lydia, which I just learned, is that she testified again Elizabeth How or Howe, one of the accused Salem "witches".  

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.

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.

James was the next born, in 1662.  I could find no information about him, except that he died before 1698.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

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! 

The family of Renald (Reginald) Foster 1595-1681

 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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.  

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.

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.