I was going to start this short series out with a post about John Lemmon and Elizabeth Smith, who I believed to be the parents of Alexis Lemmon. It's possible that they are, but it's also possible that they are not. So let's just leave it there for now, until more convincing evidence one way or the other turns up. (I have seen Edward and James listed as his parents, also, so that's why the hesitation on my part.
We do know that Alexis was born in 1718 in either England or Ireland, and died in or before 1786. He is listed as a patriot of the Revolutionary War, as he provided wheat to the army and also signed the oath of allegiance. His first wife, the mother of his children, is Martha Merryman, the daughter of John and Martha Bowen Merryman. His second wife is Rachel Cottrell Jones, the daughter of Thomas Cottrell and the widow of Jacob Jones. There were no children born to the second marriage. Alexis and Martha have eight known children, although there are some trees that list fewer or give the children different names. I hope this list is correct!
John is the first son, born in 1740. He died in 1811 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. His wife is Sarah Stansbury, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury. Their children are Lemuel, Martha, Hannah, Alexis, Matthew, Thomas, John, Benjamin, Eleanor, and Charles. John is a Revolutionary War veteran.
Ruth was born next, in 1741. Unfortunately, that is all that I know of her. There are several trees that give her husband as Thomas Stansbury, the son of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury (see above). I have been unable to confirm that. He married a possibly second wife, so perhaps Ruth died soon after the marriage. I find no record of children and to me, this case is still very much open.
Mary was born in 1744 and died in 1818 in Piasa Township, Jersey County, Illinois. She married Ulrick William Burke, so son of Thomas and Sarah Sicklemore Burk. Their children are Martha, Sarah, Thomas, Elisha, Alexis, Ulrick, John, and Pat. Ulrich died in 1784 and I am not sure how Mary arrived in Illinois. Perhaps she was living with one of her children.
Alexis was born in 1746 and died in 1826 in Perry Township, Richland County, Ohio. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War as well as the War of 1812. He married Rachel Stansbury, who is the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Gorsuch Stansbury. If the Ruth connection with Thomas is correct, then three Lemmon siblings married three Stansbury siblings. Their children are Sarah, Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary, James, Rebecca, Rachel, Jane, and Temperance. I will follow this family in my next blog post.
Hannah was born in 1751 and died in 1840 in Baltimore. Some say she never married, and some say she was the Hannah Lemmon who married Thomas Cochran in 1788. Perhaps the marriage never actually took place, or this may be a different Hannah Lemmon. It appears that she is buried with the name of Lemmon, and that she was staying with a Micajah Merryman, likely a relative of some sort, at the time of her death.
Eleanor (who may have preferred and used the name Elizabeth) was born in 1757 and died about 1779, most likely in Maryland. She married Zebulon Headington, the son of James and Ruth (maiden name not known) Headington. They had two children, Laban and Ruth.
Rebecca was born in 1758 and died in 1786, in Baltimore County, Maryland. She married Jabez Murray Tipton, the son of John and Martha Murray Tipton. Their children are Moses, John, and Alexis.
Finally, there was Moses, born in 1759 and died in 1852 in Union County, Illinois. He married Sarah Jones, the daughter of Jacob and Rachel Cottrell Jones, his step-sister as Rachel had married Alexis after Martha's death. Their children are Moses, Joshua, Jacob, Elizabeth, Susannah, Rebecca, and Mary. Moses is a Revolutionary War veteran.
Alexis, the patriot, saw all three of his sons, go off to war, at least one more than once. Some of his sons-in-law also served their country. He and Martha raised quite a remarkable family. and it is fitting to honor them, among many others, on this Independence Day.
Side note: For anyone who is doing research on Alexis, his name is also found as Electius and Alexius and possibly other spellings also.
