Oh, how cool! I've just seen the will for this man, actual digital images on line at the National Library of Wales. I am supposed to cite the record thus: http://handle.net/10107/934427. Fortunately, the will is in English so I can read some of it. Other parts are beyond my skill level, but here is a brief summary of what I can understand and of what was new to me.
He describes himself in his will as a yeoman, meaning (I believe) farmer with property. His inventory which was taken on July 7, 1712 gave a value of 120 pounds, 10 shillings. This included wearables, and various animals and crops, including six oxen, four cows, and something else that may be sheep or could be something else entirely. It also lists hard corn (that already harvested), and corn growing in the ground, and the implements of husbandry. Yes, Morgan Abraham was definitely a farmer.
What else do we know about him? There is at least one record that refers to him as a carpenter. We know he was planning to come to America when he died, and that his wife and at least some of his children made the trip as planned a year later. His wife's name was Sarah but that's all we know at this point. Although his will is found in the National Library of Wales, it seems that the area he lived in, Longtown, Parish Clodock, Herefordshire, is English, although at one time it had been Welsh and many place names, etc., were Welsh. Since Morgan Abraham is the first known person in this line, it's hard to know for sure whether he was of English or of Welsh roots.
He was born about 1660 and died June 28, 1712, having written his will on June 24 of that year. William, his oldest son, and Sarah were able to sell the land that had been left to Sarah and this allowed the family enough funds to migrate to what is probably Chester County, Pennsylvania. A lot of Welsh Quaker families lived there and they may have been among neighbors. I need to do more research to determine whether a Sarah Abraham indexed in the Ancestry Quaker records, noted as of "Delaware, Pennsylvania" could be our Sarah Abraham.
Morgan and Sarah are listed as having children James, Joseph, Noah, William, Mary, Enoch, Sarah, and Elizabeth. Sarah, widow of Morgan died in 1746 in "Wayne, Delaware, Pennsylvania" so she is the immigrant ancestor in this line.
I still can't believe how neat it was to actually see his will on line. Isn't the Internet great?
The line of descent is:
Morgan Abraham-Sarah
Elizabeth Abraham-Lewellen Bowen Martin
Joel Martin-Anna Thompson
Llewellen Martin-Elizabeth Painter
Joel Martin-Nancy Bane
Matilda Martin-David Wise
Elizabeth Wise-John Beeks
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
Update: 9/14/2015 I apologize for the error. Morgan Abraham, as fascinating as he is, doesn't belong to the Beeks line. The Matilda Martin who married David Wise is a different Matilda Martin. However, I'm choosing to leave this blog post up in case it can help someone else.
Showing posts with label Bane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bane. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Beeks line: Anna Smith Bane 1782-before !870
I thought it would be fun to write about a woman, for once. Most of my posts have been about men but I find this woman to be remarkable, and worthy of a much better post than I can write, yet.
Anna Smith was born about 1782, possibly in Virginia. One source indicates she was born in Ohio, but that would have been a very early time to have been born there, and her marriage record shows that she was married on August 24, 1801 in Montgomery County, Va to William Bean or Bane. The first nineteen or so years of her life have very little documentation. Her marriage record indicates that her father was Jacob Smith, but no mother's name is given. William Bane's parents aren't noted, either, which would indicate he was over 21. He was probably born about 1769, in Virginia.
Jacob Smith is a mystery. There are several Jacob Smiths in that area but so far I have not been able to figure out which of the several is Anna's father. It is probably safe to speculate that she lived a frontier kind of life, in one of the valleys of the Appalachian mountains. Montgomery County became a county in 1777. Prior to that it was part of Fincastle County, which included several western counties of Virginia as well as the entire state of Kentucky. We don't know whether Anna had siblings or not, but the chances are that she had siblings or, if her unknown mother had died early, half-siblings.
From this basic framework we can see the makings of a pioneer woman. She had at least 9 children with William Bane, ending with William Jackson Bane born in 1829 in Giles County, Va. It is quite possible that she had never moved during her marriage, as Giles County formed out of Montgomery
County in 1806, and Mary Bane was noted as having been born in August of 1806 in Giles County.
The other children were James C, Mary, Henry, Jane, Nancy, Sarah, and Hannah. There is a gap of about 9 years between Jane born in 1812 and Nancy born in 1820, so the possibility of other children cannot be dismissed. In fact, there are 8 young children listed in the 1820 census for William Bane, and at least two children were born after that census, so there may be more children yet to be found.
At any rate, there was a large number of children living when the family was preparing to celebrate Christmas on December 25, 1829. The family, however, went from excitement to heartbreak when William Bane, the husband and father, drowned or froze to death in a nearby river that very day. I have often thought about Anna, and wondered what she was feeling at that time. They had likely been living a hard-scrabble life, and now there was no husband although son James was about 26 and Henry was about 19. What's a woman to do in this situation?
Well, it appears that Anna moved the family, or went with the family, to Washington Township, Preble County, Ohio, where James Bane is listed as the head of household, aged 20-29. He may have a wife in the same age bracket, but there is a male aged 15-19 and two white females 10-14 who would not have been his children. There is also a female aged 40-49, who would be Anna. Other children of Anna may have been "bound out", either in Virginia or Ohio.
Preble County, Ohio at this time was somewhat involved in the Underground Railroad from Kentucky to Ohio to Canada, but we have no indication of whether the Bane family was involved in this. They may have been pro-slavery, or they may have been anti-slavery but not abolitionist at this time.
We don't know whether it was for political, or for financial, or for family reasons, but by 1840 the family was starting to move to Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana. Henry Bane was there in 1840, but Anna is not shown. I haven't located a "likely suspect" for Anna in the 1840 census. Henry, however, was in Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana and Anna may have been with a daughter or other relative during this time period. In 1850 she was living with her son William Jackson Bane, in District 52, Huntington County, Indiana, and in 1860 she was living with Philip Martin and his wife (her daughter Hannah) in Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana. She would have been about 78 at this time, and there the trail ends.
Anna was born just as the Revolutionary War was ending, and died probably just as the Civil War was underway. We don't know how these wars and the War of 1812 affected her. We don't know what she thought about the new inventions that were developed during her lifetime. We don't know what health problems the family might have had. We don't know their religion, or their educational level. But we do know that Anna persevered, somehow raised her family, and probably helped some of her children raise theirs.
I have great admiration for Anna, a pioneer woman, a wife, mother, widow, and survivor. I'd love to know more about her.
The line of descent is:
Anna Smith-William Bane
Nancy Bane-Joel Martin
Matilda Martin-David Wise
Elizabeth Wise-John W Beeks
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Beeks children, grand children, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren
Update 9/14/2015: Anna Smith and William Bane, along with Nancy Bane and Joel Martin, are not related to the Beeks line. The Matilda Martin who married David Wise is a different Matilda Martin. I apologize for the error, but I'm leaving this post up because I think this woman was remarkable. I hope someone who is from her family will find this post and appreciate their heritage.
Anna Smith was born about 1782, possibly in Virginia. One source indicates she was born in Ohio, but that would have been a very early time to have been born there, and her marriage record shows that she was married on August 24, 1801 in Montgomery County, Va to William Bean or Bane. The first nineteen or so years of her life have very little documentation. Her marriage record indicates that her father was Jacob Smith, but no mother's name is given. William Bane's parents aren't noted, either, which would indicate he was over 21. He was probably born about 1769, in Virginia.
Jacob Smith is a mystery. There are several Jacob Smiths in that area but so far I have not been able to figure out which of the several is Anna's father. It is probably safe to speculate that she lived a frontier kind of life, in one of the valleys of the Appalachian mountains. Montgomery County became a county in 1777. Prior to that it was part of Fincastle County, which included several western counties of Virginia as well as the entire state of Kentucky. We don't know whether Anna had siblings or not, but the chances are that she had siblings or, if her unknown mother had died early, half-siblings.
From this basic framework we can see the makings of a pioneer woman. She had at least 9 children with William Bane, ending with William Jackson Bane born in 1829 in Giles County, Va. It is quite possible that she had never moved during her marriage, as Giles County formed out of Montgomery
County in 1806, and Mary Bane was noted as having been born in August of 1806 in Giles County.
The other children were James C, Mary, Henry, Jane, Nancy, Sarah, and Hannah. There is a gap of about 9 years between Jane born in 1812 and Nancy born in 1820, so the possibility of other children cannot be dismissed. In fact, there are 8 young children listed in the 1820 census for William Bane, and at least two children were born after that census, so there may be more children yet to be found.
At any rate, there was a large number of children living when the family was preparing to celebrate Christmas on December 25, 1829. The family, however, went from excitement to heartbreak when William Bane, the husband and father, drowned or froze to death in a nearby river that very day. I have often thought about Anna, and wondered what she was feeling at that time. They had likely been living a hard-scrabble life, and now there was no husband although son James was about 26 and Henry was about 19. What's a woman to do in this situation?
Well, it appears that Anna moved the family, or went with the family, to Washington Township, Preble County, Ohio, where James Bane is listed as the head of household, aged 20-29. He may have a wife in the same age bracket, but there is a male aged 15-19 and two white females 10-14 who would not have been his children. There is also a female aged 40-49, who would be Anna. Other children of Anna may have been "bound out", either in Virginia or Ohio.
Preble County, Ohio at this time was somewhat involved in the Underground Railroad from Kentucky to Ohio to Canada, but we have no indication of whether the Bane family was involved in this. They may have been pro-slavery, or they may have been anti-slavery but not abolitionist at this time.
We don't know whether it was for political, or for financial, or for family reasons, but by 1840 the family was starting to move to Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana. Henry Bane was there in 1840, but Anna is not shown. I haven't located a "likely suspect" for Anna in the 1840 census. Henry, however, was in Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana and Anna may have been with a daughter or other relative during this time period. In 1850 she was living with her son William Jackson Bane, in District 52, Huntington County, Indiana, and in 1860 she was living with Philip Martin and his wife (her daughter Hannah) in Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana. She would have been about 78 at this time, and there the trail ends.
Anna was born just as the Revolutionary War was ending, and died probably just as the Civil War was underway. We don't know how these wars and the War of 1812 affected her. We don't know what she thought about the new inventions that were developed during her lifetime. We don't know what health problems the family might have had. We don't know their religion, or their educational level. But we do know that Anna persevered, somehow raised her family, and probably helped some of her children raise theirs.
I have great admiration for Anna, a pioneer woman, a wife, mother, widow, and survivor. I'd love to know more about her.
The line of descent is:
Anna Smith-William Bane
Nancy Bane-Joel Martin
Matilda Martin-David Wise
Elizabeth Wise-John W Beeks
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Beeks children, grand children, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren
Update 9/14/2015: Anna Smith and William Bane, along with Nancy Bane and Joel Martin, are not related to the Beeks line. The Matilda Martin who married David Wise is a different Matilda Martin. I apologize for the error, but I'm leaving this post up because I think this woman was remarkable. I hope someone who is from her family will find this post and appreciate their heritage.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Beeks line: Llewellen Martin
I started wondering about Llewellen Martin as soon as I found his name. I had a lot of questions about him, including where the "Llewellen" came from. That is typically a Welsh first name. I was surprised to find that the family traces back to Wales, but I found that very interesting. Apparently someone else found it interesting, too...I would love to give credit to the wonderful person who uncovered most of the facts about the Martin family that lead back to Wales, but I have misplaced her name. In correspondence with her, she advised she had been working on this family for 20 years, so she certainly deserves credit! Thank you, unknown researcher!
Llewellen (It's spelled a lot of different ways-I'm leaving it with two L's because that will help me remember his family came from Wales) Martin was born in Charleston, Chester Twp, Pennsylvania to Joel Martin and Anna Thompson. By this time, his family had been in Pennsylvania for about 90 years. He was one of at least 7 children. After his father died in 1775, his mother took the family to the Salt River area of Mercer County, Kentucky, about 1787. I have not yet learned what family group she was traveling with, but surely there was some family involved in this. Mercer County in 1792, when Llewellen married, was still very much frontier country, so it would have taken nerves of steel to move a family at that time unless she was with a family group. Even then, it would have been an exceedingly difficult move, and Anna goes on my "most admired females" list.
By 1792, Llewellen was ready to marry. His wife was Elizabeth Painter or Pantier, daughter of Philip John Pantier and Susanna Devine (she was actually of French Huguenot ancestry, if you go back far enough), and they were married March 10, 1792 in Mercer County, Kentucky. The Martins didn't stay in Mercer County for long. By 1799, they were in Ohio, and several of the Martin brothers signed a petition to Congress asking for a change of law providing for the sale of lands in an area northwest of the Miami River, in Ohio. Several of the Martins, including Llewellen, are listed as having been in Madison Twp, Butler County, Ohio in 1799, where they each made homes for themselves and their families. In 1820, they are listed as being in Lanier Township, Preble County. Preble County was formed from part of Butler County in 1808, so it is possible that the family had not moved. If they did move, it was not very far.
In 1834 the family pulled up stakes and moved yet again, to Wabash County, Indiana. Llewellen had owned farmland in Butler, Preble, and Wabash Counties, but I also found a brief reference to him (unsourced) as a tinsmith and a teacher. I would love to know the source of that snippet, for there may be more information there. Llewellen would be considered a pioneer settler of Wabash County, also, since he was there before 1840. He died in Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana on September 15, 1844, and was buried in Eliot Cemetery, Wabash County. His wife, Elizabeth lived about 14 months longer, and died November 25, 1845. (I was puzzled about why she died in Grant County until I learned that she was living with a son, just across the road from the farm she had lived on for 10 or so years, but the road was the dividing line between Wabash and Grant Counties.)
This man didn't just live through the formation of our country; he helped define it. I have such great admiration for these pioneers who were willing to leave their surroundings and perhaps their families, and step out into the unknown, time and time again, as Lewellen did. From the civilized world of Chester County to frontier life in Mercer County must have been a real cultural shock. Then he made two more moves, neither of which would have been easy. Crossing the Ohio River with all of his household goods to get to Ohio, where there were still some tensions with the native Americans, and then on to Wabash County which was still frontier in 1834 rate right up there as a "profile in courage", as far as I'm concerned.
I don't know what role, if any, Lewellen had in the war of 1812, but I would guess that he was at least a member of the militia. I have found hints that his parents may have been Presbyterians, but I haven't found any records yet indicating his religion. Again, I've like to substantiate the "tinsmith and a teacher" hint. As always, there is still much to learn about him.
The line of descent is:
Llewellen Martin-Elizabeth Painter
Joel Martin-Nancy Bane
Matilda Martin-David Wise
Elizabeth Wise-John W Beeks
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Beeks children, grandchildren, and further descendants
Update 9/14/2015: I just learned that this line of descent is in error. Llewellen Martin and Elizabeth Painter don't belong in the Beeks line. I've chosen to leave this post up, hoping it will help someone who is related to this couple, but I've learned that the Matilda Martin who married David Wise is a different Matilda Martin.
Llewellen (It's spelled a lot of different ways-I'm leaving it with two L's because that will help me remember his family came from Wales) Martin was born in Charleston, Chester Twp, Pennsylvania to Joel Martin and Anna Thompson. By this time, his family had been in Pennsylvania for about 90 years. He was one of at least 7 children. After his father died in 1775, his mother took the family to the Salt River area of Mercer County, Kentucky, about 1787. I have not yet learned what family group she was traveling with, but surely there was some family involved in this. Mercer County in 1792, when Llewellen married, was still very much frontier country, so it would have taken nerves of steel to move a family at that time unless she was with a family group. Even then, it would have been an exceedingly difficult move, and Anna goes on my "most admired females" list.
By 1792, Llewellen was ready to marry. His wife was Elizabeth Painter or Pantier, daughter of Philip John Pantier and Susanna Devine (she was actually of French Huguenot ancestry, if you go back far enough), and they were married March 10, 1792 in Mercer County, Kentucky. The Martins didn't stay in Mercer County for long. By 1799, they were in Ohio, and several of the Martin brothers signed a petition to Congress asking for a change of law providing for the sale of lands in an area northwest of the Miami River, in Ohio. Several of the Martins, including Llewellen, are listed as having been in Madison Twp, Butler County, Ohio in 1799, where they each made homes for themselves and their families. In 1820, they are listed as being in Lanier Township, Preble County. Preble County was formed from part of Butler County in 1808, so it is possible that the family had not moved. If they did move, it was not very far.
In 1834 the family pulled up stakes and moved yet again, to Wabash County, Indiana. Llewellen had owned farmland in Butler, Preble, and Wabash Counties, but I also found a brief reference to him (unsourced) as a tinsmith and a teacher. I would love to know the source of that snippet, for there may be more information there. Llewellen would be considered a pioneer settler of Wabash County, also, since he was there before 1840. He died in Liberty Township, Wabash County, Indiana on September 15, 1844, and was buried in Eliot Cemetery, Wabash County. His wife, Elizabeth lived about 14 months longer, and died November 25, 1845. (I was puzzled about why she died in Grant County until I learned that she was living with a son, just across the road from the farm she had lived on for 10 or so years, but the road was the dividing line between Wabash and Grant Counties.)
This man didn't just live through the formation of our country; he helped define it. I have such great admiration for these pioneers who were willing to leave their surroundings and perhaps their families, and step out into the unknown, time and time again, as Lewellen did. From the civilized world of Chester County to frontier life in Mercer County must have been a real cultural shock. Then he made two more moves, neither of which would have been easy. Crossing the Ohio River with all of his household goods to get to Ohio, where there were still some tensions with the native Americans, and then on to Wabash County which was still frontier in 1834 rate right up there as a "profile in courage", as far as I'm concerned.
I don't know what role, if any, Lewellen had in the war of 1812, but I would guess that he was at least a member of the militia. I have found hints that his parents may have been Presbyterians, but I haven't found any records yet indicating his religion. Again, I've like to substantiate the "tinsmith and a teacher" hint. As always, there is still much to learn about him.
The line of descent is:
Llewellen Martin-Elizabeth Painter
Joel Martin-Nancy Bane
Matilda Martin-David Wise
Elizabeth Wise-John W Beeks
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Beeks children, grandchildren, and further descendants
Update 9/14/2015: I just learned that this line of descent is in error. Llewellen Martin and Elizabeth Painter don't belong in the Beeks line. I've chosen to leave this post up, hoping it will help someone who is related to this couple, but I've learned that the Matilda Martin who married David Wise is a different Matilda Martin.
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