As far as I know, my ancestor John Campbell died in Madison County, Kentucky in 1806. I believe he was dead before Lemuel Dunn married Sarah (Sally) Campbell in 1809 because Jane Garvin Campbell, John's widow, gave written permission for Sarah to be married then, even though Sarah was about 20 years old at the time. I had found this document on FamilySearch but it was a real thrill to actually hold the original handwritten note in my hands this past week. (Incidentally, the ink was as clear and the handwriting as legible as if it had been written 9 years ago, not 209 years ago). I have always been puzzled as to why no will for John Campbell can be found. I still don't know the answer to that question, but on a brief trip to Richmond, Kentucky this past week I found an inventory for him. It answers some questions and poses a whole set of new questions, and unless I get to go back to Richmond (not likely) I don't know how many answers I will find.
The first part to the inventory is an actual listing of John Campbell's inventory. No land is listed and I have never found a record that he owned land, so I am going with the idea that he was either a tenant farmer or had some kind of trade, or both. I've found several John Campbell's in early tax records but can't say which is ours for certain. At any rate, the farm animals he had would be considered the minimum to farm. Most of what he had was farm implements, household guns, a rifle, and a few things that may indicate he had more than the usual amount of nuts, bolts, gudgeons, and other metal items. He had 20 kegs, listed after the rifle, and they were valued at $17.00. Were these kegs of whiskey, or were they empty kegs that he hoped to sell, or what? I don't yet know. The last three items on the inventory may be revealing. He had a bond "on" Joseph Barnett for $50, cash in hand of $135, and one bond on "Ken Hutchison in Virginia" of $52.
Purchasing items at the sale were Schuyler Barnett, David McWilliams, Ralph Allen (several items), Jane Campbell (who purchased several items including a bed and other items necessary for housekeeping), Samuel Glasgow, James McCormack, Thomas Reid (several items), John Campbell (possibly a son), Samuel Ervine, Hugh Kilpatrick, Wiley Wood, David McAlexander, Lemuel Dunn (son-in-law) and William Brok (?). There is no mention of what happened to the cash or the bonds.
The inventory was signed by Jane Campbell as administratrix, and ordered recorded on the 5th day of November, 1810.
I have several questions. Besides the question of land ownership, or at least where John lived, I would like to understand why the inventory wasn't filed until four and a half years after John died. There were children born in 1797 and 1799, who would have been too young to have been considered an adult in 1810. (I haven't located guardianship papers and they may, if found, hold some answers to this question). Was Jane perhaps preparing to move to Mercer County, Ky with Lemuel and Sarah Dunn and perhaps others of her family? I would like to understand why there were at least four "bands" that were sold separately, and what the kegs represented, and whether gudgeons would have played into this in any way. I would like to know what some of the words are in the inventory that I am not sure I am reading correctly. I'd still like to know where John is buried, but perhaps if the FAN club (names listed above) helps me locate some of these people, I'll have a better idea of that.
I love to research at courthouses and I am truly grateful for the unexpected time I was able to spend there. I have been at a dead end in researching John for quite some time and now I have clues to follow, and more thoughts to think. I'll be working on these questions for a while yet and will update or write another blog post if I make any more breakthroughs!
The line of descent is:
John Campbell-Jane Garvin
Sarah Campbell-Lemuel Dunn
Margaret J Dunn-Archibald Allen
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Dunn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dunn. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Beeks line: Who are all these people?
While researching for a possible book in the future, I came across this newspaper article. I am intrigued by it because I don't know all the names featured-yet. However, they all seem to have some connection to the Aldridge family, however, distant, and therefore they would be part of the Beeks family history, too
Here is the article,from the Huntington Herald Press of August 28, 1951, written by "Miss Barbara Beeks", Andrews correspondent:
"Meet at Park
A family gathering was held at the Memorial park Sunday in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Aldridge and Frances and Madeline Dunn, and Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Aldridge of Midland, Mich. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Herman Harrell and son of Lagro, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Osborn and family, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Aldridge and son Bill, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Beeks and family, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Harrell and son of Lagro, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Beeks of Wabash, Mrs. Bonnie Clements, Mrs. Sherll Clements, Sr.;, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Urschel of Bippus, Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland Harshbarger and family, Mrs. Lucile Gressley and family of Walkerton, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Keefer and son, Mr. and Mrs. Floren Kreider and family of South Whitley, Mr. and Mrs. George Inyeart and daughter of Liberty Mills, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Aldridge and family, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Harrell and son, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Aldridge and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Aldridge and Madeline Dunn."
Of course some of these people can be readily identified. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Beeks and family would have included Donald, Barbara and Vicky. Others of their children and grandchildren in this list would be Anna Mae (Beeks) Osborn and children David, Diana and probably Ron (don't have his birth date) Norman Beeks, Bonnie (Beeks) Clements, Mary (Beeks) Harshbarger and children John and Roger.
Frank Aldridge and Sam Aldridge were sons of Harvey and Margaret Catherine Dunham Aldridge, so they would be siblings of Cleo Aldridge Beeks. I will have to do some more digging to figure out the rest of these connections, and to get them properly documented, but I'm pretty sure they all have a connection to one or another of the Aldridges. If someone could help me out here, I'll be glad to post updates to this post so everyone can be properly identified. Meanwhile, this will be a fun spare time project for me1
Here is the article,from the Huntington Herald Press of August 28, 1951, written by "Miss Barbara Beeks", Andrews correspondent:
"Meet at Park
A family gathering was held at the Memorial park Sunday in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Aldridge and Frances and Madeline Dunn, and Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Aldridge of Midland, Mich. Those present were Mr. and Mrs. Herman Harrell and son of Lagro, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Osborn and family, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Aldridge and son Bill, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Beeks and family, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Harrell and son of Lagro, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Beeks of Wabash, Mrs. Bonnie Clements, Mrs. Sherll Clements, Sr.;, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Urschel of Bippus, Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland Harshbarger and family, Mrs. Lucile Gressley and family of Walkerton, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Keefer and son, Mr. and Mrs. Floren Kreider and family of South Whitley, Mr. and Mrs. George Inyeart and daughter of Liberty Mills, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Aldridge and family, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Harrell and son, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Aldridge and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Aldridge and Madeline Dunn."
Of course some of these people can be readily identified. Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Beeks and family would have included Donald, Barbara and Vicky. Others of their children and grandchildren in this list would be Anna Mae (Beeks) Osborn and children David, Diana and probably Ron (don't have his birth date) Norman Beeks, Bonnie (Beeks) Clements, Mary (Beeks) Harshbarger and children John and Roger.
Frank Aldridge and Sam Aldridge were sons of Harvey and Margaret Catherine Dunham Aldridge, so they would be siblings of Cleo Aldridge Beeks. I will have to do some more digging to figure out the rest of these connections, and to get them properly documented, but I'm pretty sure they all have a connection to one or another of the Aldridges. If someone could help me out here, I'll be glad to post updates to this post so everyone can be properly identified. Meanwhile, this will be a fun spare time project for me1
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Allen line: Humphrey Belt, Virginia immigrant 1615-1698
I don't know very much about Humphrey Belt, not even where he was born. He came to Virginia in 1635, as the indentured servant of William Clarke. He was reported to be 20 years old when he arrived on the ship "America", when Jamestown Island was still a small colony on the edge of a great big continent. Somehow, he survived native American wars, the diseases that were so common to the area, and the accidental deaths such as drowning that were all too frequent. So we can guess that he was of hardy stock.
It's reported that he married Mary or Margery Cragges in Linhaven Parish, Lower Norfolk, Virginia in 1649. We don't know who she was either. Humphrey Belt, or a different Humphrey Belt, appears as a headright for James Warner, who was his employer when Humphrey finished his indentureship, in 1642. This may have been a bit of hanky panky, or it may have been two Humphreys, or it may have been that our Humphrey travelled to England and back and circumstances were such that he could be claimed again. Perhaps he had gone on business for Mr. Warner, and found a bride when he was there.
Humphrey owned land in Virginia, registered in 1654. It appears that sometime between 1659 and 1663, the Belt family moved to new land in Maryland. Perhaps his Virginia land was already depleted from growing tobacco, or perhaps the family left because of their religious beliefs. We don't know for sure that Humphrey became a Quaker, but his son was quite active in Quaker life and it's not unreasonable to think that Humphrey at least was leaning that way. This time period is significant because Quakers were being forced out of Virginia in the 1660s.
I've not found a land record for Humphrey in Maryland, but James Warner's land was in Anne Arundel county so it is possible that Humphrey's land was near there. We know that he owned 200 acres in the vicinity of St Mary's City, but that is the extent of our knowledge.
Humphrey died in Maryland in Anne Arundel County in 1698. As far as I can determine, no one has yet found a will for him, nor have they determined what happened to his land. Humphrey lived through some fascinating times, and it's frustrating that we don't know more of his life. What military actions did he join in? Did he fight Indians? Did he have an occupation other than planter?
What was his religion? Who were his parents? Where did he come from? It will be a happy day when those questions are answered.
The line of descent is:
Humphrey Belt-Margery Cragges
Elizabeth Belt-John Parrish
Humphrey Parrish-Mary Walker
Humphrey Parrish-Mary
Moses Parrish-Mary Hill
Tabath Parrish-James Allen Jr.
Archibald Allen-Margaret J Dunn
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
It's reported that he married Mary or Margery Cragges in Linhaven Parish, Lower Norfolk, Virginia in 1649. We don't know who she was either. Humphrey Belt, or a different Humphrey Belt, appears as a headright for James Warner, who was his employer when Humphrey finished his indentureship, in 1642. This may have been a bit of hanky panky, or it may have been two Humphreys, or it may have been that our Humphrey travelled to England and back and circumstances were such that he could be claimed again. Perhaps he had gone on business for Mr. Warner, and found a bride when he was there.
Humphrey owned land in Virginia, registered in 1654. It appears that sometime between 1659 and 1663, the Belt family moved to new land in Maryland. Perhaps his Virginia land was already depleted from growing tobacco, or perhaps the family left because of their religious beliefs. We don't know for sure that Humphrey became a Quaker, but his son was quite active in Quaker life and it's not unreasonable to think that Humphrey at least was leaning that way. This time period is significant because Quakers were being forced out of Virginia in the 1660s.
I've not found a land record for Humphrey in Maryland, but James Warner's land was in Anne Arundel county so it is possible that Humphrey's land was near there. We know that he owned 200 acres in the vicinity of St Mary's City, but that is the extent of our knowledge.
Humphrey died in Maryland in Anne Arundel County in 1698. As far as I can determine, no one has yet found a will for him, nor have they determined what happened to his land. Humphrey lived through some fascinating times, and it's frustrating that we don't know more of his life. What military actions did he join in? Did he fight Indians? Did he have an occupation other than planter?
What was his religion? Who were his parents? Where did he come from? It will be a happy day when those questions are answered.
The line of descent is:
Humphrey Belt-Margery Cragges
Elizabeth Belt-John Parrish
Humphrey Parrish-Mary Walker
Humphrey Parrish-Mary
Moses Parrish-Mary Hill
Tabath Parrish-James Allen Jr.
Archibald Allen-Margaret J Dunn
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Oh, what a happy dance! Field trip to Ohio
Husband and I took a field trip to the area of Richland County, Morrow County, and Knox County Ohio last week. I researched for four wonderful days (while husband watched a lot of movies) and here is a list of the wonderful treasures I brought back with me:
*Death record for Mary Elizabeth Hetrick Black, died Dec.1, 1862 of typhoid fever. The gem? In the remarks section "Truly a pious woman."
*Article "The Mansfield that Was" from the September 28, 1971 News Journal about the town of Bellville, mentioning founder Robert Bell. I think "The Mansfield that Was" was the name of a column.
*Plat of Bellville, Ohio from 1900
*Original Blat of Bellville, plus a brief history of the town, from a 1975 book published by the OSU Department of Architecture.
*A lead on where to fid the actual marriage records of Thomas Knott and Hannah Bell, but time ran out.
*Richland, Ohio, marriage record (not the documents, just the record) for marriage of Mr. Joseph Withers and Miss Ann Montgomery, by Elijah Clark, J.P. on September 23, 1852.
*Map of West Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio, showing location of land of Abraham Hetrick. Not sure of date.
*Copy of Abraham Hetrick deed to John Wirick,
*Copy of Abrham Hetrick and Mary E Hetrick deed to Hiram Cravin dated December 14, 1859. Need to research this but is likely the son of our Abraham who was married to Sarah Lemmon.
*Abraham Hetrick deed to Levi Lucas Feb. 22,1850
*Record of marriage of March 12, 1839, Isaac Hetrick to Elizabeth Black by L. or S. B. Leiter
*Guardian bonds for Isaac Hetrick (also L.S. and Ezra Hetrick, December 9, 1863 for minors Alice Hetrick and F. Owen Hetrick, per the estate of Peter Black, deceased, of Noble County, Indiana. These were the minor children of Peter and Elizabeth Black Hetrick.
*Copy of Deed of Abraham Hetrick to Isaac Hetrick, March 13, 1856, land in Richland County, sum of $3000 dollars.
*5 pages from the Index of Deeds of Richland County, showing transactions with Robert Bell as grantor of land in Bellville (mostly).
*Copies of original plat of Bellville 1815 and Bell's addition 1826.
*Copy of Deed of John Bell and Hanna Bell to Benjamin Crummell, for $150
*Copy of deed of various Shirk family members to Peter Black, Richland County Ohio, $1000 November 25, 1834.
*Copy of deed for John Carey, Admr to Isaac Hetrick, March 21, 1854 showing order to sell at auction, sold for $1108.50; Then on January 18, 1855 Isaac Hetrick sold the same land to John Carey Junior for $1200.
*Copy of deed from Robert Bell and Hannah his wife to trustees of the M.E. church, for $20, dated January 15,1833 and recorded August 19,1836.
*Copy of deed from Peter Black and wife Martha to Jacob Biddle for $5500; 160 acres, April 4,1853, recorded November 7, 1854. Isaac Hetrick was a witness.
*Copy of Deed from Abraham Hetrick to Justice Frary, August 18, 1849; no mention of wife so hard to know which Abraham this was.
The above were found in Richland County, Ohio court records and a few in Morrow County.
In Knox County, Ohio, where I'd hoped to find more about Joseph and Mary Gearhart Withers, I found only what may or may not be clues:
*Bond of Christopher Mosley with John Ely and John Gearhart as witness, guardian to John and Mary Ann Gearhart, who were the children of Aron Gearhart, deceased. dated October 21, 1845.
*Then just 8 days later, guardian bond of John Higgins, Asher F. Ely and Joseph Shinaberry, as guardians of Aaron Gearhart, Mary Ann Gearhart, and William Gearhart.
*Several pages of estate records for Aron Gerhart, including inventory and sale records. Aron apparently died close to July 10, 1845. He may be a brother or other relation to Mary Gearhart Withers???
And then, from the Ohio Genealogy Society Library at Bellville, Ohio, a wealth of material:
*A chart of the Ulrich Ruble family
*The obituary of Andrew Farmer, who died in Columbia City, Indiana in 1897, mentioning his early years.
*A short history of Johnsonville Community, (Morrow County, Ohio) mentioning Abraham Hetrick as an early resident and as a veteran of the War of 1812.
*A transcription of the will of John Wyatt, who died in 1799 in Franklin County, Va.
*A transcription of a quitclaim deed from Jane Farmer widow of William to Adam Black, September 18, 1839.
* A transcript of the marriage bond for William Farmer and Jane Wyatt, October 21,1799, Franklin County, Va.
*A transcript of a deed from Franklin County, Va. from William Farmer and Jane to Joseph Bolin, June 25, 1813.
*Transcript of the will of Mathew Farmer, written 18 December 1834 and probated October 23,1845 in Miami County, Ohio.
*Copy of Deed for sale of Andrew Farmer's share of Mathew Farmer Estate, September 18, 1839. Various other persons are mentioned and the deed was recorded in Allen County, Indiana and Clark County, Ohio.
*A possible clue to Lemuel Dunn, who may have had a brother James. James was born in Monongahela County, Virginia and came to Brown County, Ohio about 1800.
*From "A History of Summit County, by Perrin, 1881, more than a full page of stories about the Keplers, brothers Andrew and John.
*A copy of the will of Alexis Lemmon, written January 12, 1825 and proved July 15, 1826.
*Copies of the family record section of a Bible purchased by Alexis Lemmon in 1803 in Annapolis, Md, listing his children's births, marriages, and some deaths.
*Copy of the will of Jesse Finch of Belmont County, Ohio, dated February 9,1824 and probated September 8, 1829.
*Pages from "History of Morrow County", by Baskins, 1880, mentioning Abraham Hetrick as a trustee in 1817 in Perry Township, and also mentions Hetrick residing there at the time of Perry's victory on Lake Erie.
*Part of Chancery Court proceedings of April 11,1840, regarding a deed not given to a purchaser, and naming (apparently) all of Robert Bell's living descendants.
*Copy of Washington County, Pennsylvania Deed of Thomas and Hanna Rees to John Brown, land in Frederick County, Md dated January 1, 1793.
*Transcript of deed from Thomas Rees to Jonathan Garber, showing land was warranted to Jonathan Garber February 28, 1805; dated April 7, 1806 and showing Thomas as living in Fairfield County, Ohio as of that date.
*Transcript of deed from Thomas Rees Sr. of Fairfield Co. Ohio to Thomas Rees Jr. of Washington County, Pa. February 23,1810.
*Copy of bond and appraisal papers for Thomas Rees, dated January 30, 1812 in Fairfield County, Ohio.
*Copy of deed of heirs of Thomas Rees (many) to Mathew Ewing, August 29, 1812.
* Copy of Rees names from Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume VI, page 425; showing marriage of Thomas Rees son of Morris and Rah, and Margaret Rees, daughter of Thomas and Margaret in 1763, plus many other entries.
*Copies of two letters with information about the (van) Gundy family.
* An article from The Pennsylvania German, no date found, about the Buchtel family, and pages of a passenger list showing Johannes Buchtel's arrival in Philadelphia in 1753.
Obviously, each and every page that I've found needs to be read and analyzed and recorded properly, but do you see why I am doing my happy dance? This was all found in four days, with time out for cemetery visits, a newspaper interview, and serendipitous meetings. I'll write more about all that in my next post!
*Death record for Mary Elizabeth Hetrick Black, died Dec.1, 1862 of typhoid fever. The gem? In the remarks section "Truly a pious woman."
*Article "The Mansfield that Was" from the September 28, 1971 News Journal about the town of Bellville, mentioning founder Robert Bell. I think "The Mansfield that Was" was the name of a column.
*Plat of Bellville, Ohio from 1900
*Original Blat of Bellville, plus a brief history of the town, from a 1975 book published by the OSU Department of Architecture.
*A lead on where to fid the actual marriage records of Thomas Knott and Hannah Bell, but time ran out.
*Richland, Ohio, marriage record (not the documents, just the record) for marriage of Mr. Joseph Withers and Miss Ann Montgomery, by Elijah Clark, J.P. on September 23, 1852.
*Map of West Perry Township, Morrow County, Ohio, showing location of land of Abraham Hetrick. Not sure of date.
*Copy of Abraham Hetrick deed to John Wirick,
*Copy of Abrham Hetrick and Mary E Hetrick deed to Hiram Cravin dated December 14, 1859. Need to research this but is likely the son of our Abraham who was married to Sarah Lemmon.
*Abraham Hetrick deed to Levi Lucas Feb. 22,1850
*Record of marriage of March 12, 1839, Isaac Hetrick to Elizabeth Black by L. or S. B. Leiter
*Guardian bonds for Isaac Hetrick (also L.S. and Ezra Hetrick, December 9, 1863 for minors Alice Hetrick and F. Owen Hetrick, per the estate of Peter Black, deceased, of Noble County, Indiana. These were the minor children of Peter and Elizabeth Black Hetrick.
*Copy of Deed of Abraham Hetrick to Isaac Hetrick, March 13, 1856, land in Richland County, sum of $3000 dollars.
*5 pages from the Index of Deeds of Richland County, showing transactions with Robert Bell as grantor of land in Bellville (mostly).
*Copies of original plat of Bellville 1815 and Bell's addition 1826.
*Copy of Deed of John Bell and Hanna Bell to Benjamin Crummell, for $150
*Copy of deed of various Shirk family members to Peter Black, Richland County Ohio, $1000 November 25, 1834.
*Copy of deed for John Carey, Admr to Isaac Hetrick, March 21, 1854 showing order to sell at auction, sold for $1108.50; Then on January 18, 1855 Isaac Hetrick sold the same land to John Carey Junior for $1200.
*Copy of deed from Robert Bell and Hannah his wife to trustees of the M.E. church, for $20, dated January 15,1833 and recorded August 19,1836.
*Copy of deed from Peter Black and wife Martha to Jacob Biddle for $5500; 160 acres, April 4,1853, recorded November 7, 1854. Isaac Hetrick was a witness.
*Copy of Deed from Abraham Hetrick to Justice Frary, August 18, 1849; no mention of wife so hard to know which Abraham this was.
The above were found in Richland County, Ohio court records and a few in Morrow County.
In Knox County, Ohio, where I'd hoped to find more about Joseph and Mary Gearhart Withers, I found only what may or may not be clues:
*Bond of Christopher Mosley with John Ely and John Gearhart as witness, guardian to John and Mary Ann Gearhart, who were the children of Aron Gearhart, deceased. dated October 21, 1845.
*Then just 8 days later, guardian bond of John Higgins, Asher F. Ely and Joseph Shinaberry, as guardians of Aaron Gearhart, Mary Ann Gearhart, and William Gearhart.
*Several pages of estate records for Aron Gerhart, including inventory and sale records. Aron apparently died close to July 10, 1845. He may be a brother or other relation to Mary Gearhart Withers???
And then, from the Ohio Genealogy Society Library at Bellville, Ohio, a wealth of material:
*A chart of the Ulrich Ruble family
*The obituary of Andrew Farmer, who died in Columbia City, Indiana in 1897, mentioning his early years.
*A short history of Johnsonville Community, (Morrow County, Ohio) mentioning Abraham Hetrick as an early resident and as a veteran of the War of 1812.
*A transcription of the will of John Wyatt, who died in 1799 in Franklin County, Va.
*A transcription of a quitclaim deed from Jane Farmer widow of William to Adam Black, September 18, 1839.
* A transcript of the marriage bond for William Farmer and Jane Wyatt, October 21,1799, Franklin County, Va.
*A transcript of a deed from Franklin County, Va. from William Farmer and Jane to Joseph Bolin, June 25, 1813.
*Transcript of the will of Mathew Farmer, written 18 December 1834 and probated October 23,1845 in Miami County, Ohio.
*Copy of Deed for sale of Andrew Farmer's share of Mathew Farmer Estate, September 18, 1839. Various other persons are mentioned and the deed was recorded in Allen County, Indiana and Clark County, Ohio.
*A possible clue to Lemuel Dunn, who may have had a brother James. James was born in Monongahela County, Virginia and came to Brown County, Ohio about 1800.
*From "A History of Summit County, by Perrin, 1881, more than a full page of stories about the Keplers, brothers Andrew and John.
*A copy of the will of Alexis Lemmon, written January 12, 1825 and proved July 15, 1826.
*Copies of the family record section of a Bible purchased by Alexis Lemmon in 1803 in Annapolis, Md, listing his children's births, marriages, and some deaths.
*Copy of the will of Jesse Finch of Belmont County, Ohio, dated February 9,1824 and probated September 8, 1829.
*Pages from "History of Morrow County", by Baskins, 1880, mentioning Abraham Hetrick as a trustee in 1817 in Perry Township, and also mentions Hetrick residing there at the time of Perry's victory on Lake Erie.
*Part of Chancery Court proceedings of April 11,1840, regarding a deed not given to a purchaser, and naming (apparently) all of Robert Bell's living descendants.
*Copy of Washington County, Pennsylvania Deed of Thomas and Hanna Rees to John Brown, land in Frederick County, Md dated January 1, 1793.
*Transcript of deed from Thomas Rees to Jonathan Garber, showing land was warranted to Jonathan Garber February 28, 1805; dated April 7, 1806 and showing Thomas as living in Fairfield County, Ohio as of that date.
*Transcript of deed from Thomas Rees Sr. of Fairfield Co. Ohio to Thomas Rees Jr. of Washington County, Pa. February 23,1810.
*Copy of bond and appraisal papers for Thomas Rees, dated January 30, 1812 in Fairfield County, Ohio.
*Copy of deed of heirs of Thomas Rees (many) to Mathew Ewing, August 29, 1812.
* Copy of Rees names from Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume VI, page 425; showing marriage of Thomas Rees son of Morris and Rah, and Margaret Rees, daughter of Thomas and Margaret in 1763, plus many other entries.
*Copies of two letters with information about the (van) Gundy family.
* An article from The Pennsylvania German, no date found, about the Buchtel family, and pages of a passenger list showing Johannes Buchtel's arrival in Philadelphia in 1753.
Obviously, each and every page that I've found needs to be read and analyzed and recorded properly, but do you see why I am doing my happy dance? This was all found in four days, with time out for cemetery visits, a newspaper interview, and serendipitous meetings. I'll write more about all that in my next post!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Allen line: Lemuel Dunn revisited
I posted Lemuel Dunn's will in the early days of this blog and have been looking for more information about him since that date. I have come up with two additional pieces of information, both of which help understand him better but neither of which tells us anything about his parents.
The first item is from the Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, page 136 in which "Lemuel Dunn, major of the same regiment (43rd) in place of William Miller, promoted", which action took place on Friday, January 15, 1819. So now we know that the biography of George Washington Dunn (his son) that referred to "Major" Lemuel Dunn was correct. I have so far not been able to find Lemuel in a lower rank, and I've not found a history of the 43rd Regiment, so my research in this area is far from over.
The second item I found, just last night, was that he was listed as a subscriber to "The History of the American Revolution", volume 2, by David Ramsay on page 485. He is listed as being from Mercer County, Ky, and the publication date of the volume was 1815 so I am confident this is our Lemuel. The book was published in Lexington, Ky. Just this little bit of information verifies Lemuel's inventory, which included about 50 books. It tells me that he had at least some money, because there were only a few people from Mercer County (more from Harrodsburg, but they were listed separately) who subscribed. It tells me that he had an active interest in the Revolutionary War, which tends to lend substance to the idea that Michael Dunn, his father, did fight in the "Glorious Revolution".
I found both of these references on Google books, just by Googling Lemuel's name, but I found them at different times.
I've also found some references to Michael Dunn that I didn't have before, but I'm not sure this is our Michael Dunn. The reference I found most recently was a Michael Dunn who witnessed a will of Joseph Renfro (Rentfro) in Bedford County, Va on November 14, 1772 and proved by his oath on April 22, 1776. Part of Bedford County eventually became Henry County, and there was a Michael Dunn listed there on the tax lists of 1782. So I think I need to do further research in that area, to see whether there are records that could help decide whether these two Michael Dunns are the same, and whether this might be our Michael Dunn.
I hope this information is useful to some of my distant cousins, and that the speculation about Michael might spark some ideas and additional thoughts from someone that can help lead us to Michael and his wife. Please contact me via comments or email if you can help, or want to help!
The line of descent is:
Lemuel Dunn-Sarah Campbell
Margaret Dunn-Archibald Allen
George Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendents
The first item is from the Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, page 136 in which "Lemuel Dunn, major of the same regiment (43rd) in place of William Miller, promoted", which action took place on Friday, January 15, 1819. So now we know that the biography of George Washington Dunn (his son) that referred to "Major" Lemuel Dunn was correct. I have so far not been able to find Lemuel in a lower rank, and I've not found a history of the 43rd Regiment, so my research in this area is far from over.
The second item I found, just last night, was that he was listed as a subscriber to "The History of the American Revolution", volume 2, by David Ramsay on page 485. He is listed as being from Mercer County, Ky, and the publication date of the volume was 1815 so I am confident this is our Lemuel. The book was published in Lexington, Ky. Just this little bit of information verifies Lemuel's inventory, which included about 50 books. It tells me that he had at least some money, because there were only a few people from Mercer County (more from Harrodsburg, but they were listed separately) who subscribed. It tells me that he had an active interest in the Revolutionary War, which tends to lend substance to the idea that Michael Dunn, his father, did fight in the "Glorious Revolution".
I found both of these references on Google books, just by Googling Lemuel's name, but I found them at different times.
I've also found some references to Michael Dunn that I didn't have before, but I'm not sure this is our Michael Dunn. The reference I found most recently was a Michael Dunn who witnessed a will of Joseph Renfro (Rentfro) in Bedford County, Va on November 14, 1772 and proved by his oath on April 22, 1776. Part of Bedford County eventually became Henry County, and there was a Michael Dunn listed there on the tax lists of 1782. So I think I need to do further research in that area, to see whether there are records that could help decide whether these two Michael Dunns are the same, and whether this might be our Michael Dunn.
I hope this information is useful to some of my distant cousins, and that the speculation about Michael might spark some ideas and additional thoughts from someone that can help lead us to Michael and his wife. Please contact me via comments or email if you can help, or want to help!
The line of descent is:
Lemuel Dunn-Sarah Campbell
Margaret Dunn-Archibald Allen
George Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendents
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Allen and Holbrook lines: Actively pursuing, too (AKA brick walls)
My last post was about the people who are still in hiding in the Beeks and Harshbarger lines. Today I'll write about the folks I'm still looking for in the Allen and Holbrook lines. Some of these people I have already written about, but I'm putting them all in one place for my own benefit as much as for anyone else's. I do truly hope that someone, somewhere knows something about some of our missing people. Again, these are third and fourth grandparents for my generation. Without further ado, here are the "Elusive Eight":
Allen line:
James Allen apparently dropped out of the sky and landed in Goochland County, Virginia. We first hear of him in 1755, when his son Richard was born, in St James Northam Parish. We know he was married to Sarah Croudas (various spellings), and we know he died in 1801. He owned land around Licking Creek Hole, I think (not sure it was the same James Allen. He and Sarah had nine children: Richard, Martha, James, Mary May, George, William, Sally, Susannah, and Elizabeth. His will can be found on the Library of Virginia website. He left everything to his wife, Sarah, and when she died it all went to his children. Based on the 1755 birthdate of Richard, James could have been born from 1725 to 1735, so I'm guessing about 1730.
Mary Hill was married on January 20, 1761 to Moses Parrish. She was probably born around 1742, but I don't know who her parents were. There were three marriages in this time period between Parrishes and Hills, but so far I have not been able to tie them together. This couple may have lived in Louisa County or in Goochland County, Virginia. There were 6 known children. Mary is my hero because of the life she had to live while her husband was fighting in the Revolutionary War for at least three years, so I'd like to honor her by learning more about her.
Michael Dunn is pretty much a total mystery. The one known fact about him is that he had a son named Lemuel who died in 1829. Michael is believed to have fought in the Revolutionary War, and is thought to have been born in Virginia although of Irish ancestry. He may have lived in the Henry County, Virginia area in the early 1780's.
John Campbell is supposed to have been born in Pennsylvania in about 1760. He married Jane Garvin, who was Irish, but I don't know if she was born there. They had 6 children together. John died in Madison County, Kentucky in 1806 and Jane died 50 years later, in 1856 in Putnam County, Indiana. Both John and Jane are on my "missing" list.
In the Holbrook line, I have three missing ancestors. I've written about two of them previously.
James Lamphire (various spellings) was born in 1773, somewhere in the world. He married Hannah Eames in 1796 in Bozrah, Connecticut. They had 6 children together. James was married to a second wife, Susan Roster, when he died in 1847 in Cazenovia, Madison County, New York.
Sarah Goodnough (spelled any number of different ways, probably) may have been an ancestor. Or the one I'm looking for may be Lydia M. unknown maiden name. Both of these ladies were married to Jude Foster, but it's not clear who the mother of his five children were. Maybe it's more specific to say I'm looking for Betsy Foster's mother. Jude Foster was a Revolutionary War soldier who died less than a month after his pension was finally approved in 1789. I believe I am looking for people in Rowe or Western, Massachusetts.
And finally and always, there's Molly Wright. The lady who haunts my dreams was born in 1759, married Amariah Holbrook in 1779, had 7 children, and died in 1845 in Bellingham, Massachusetts. Of all my missing ancestors, she tugs at my heart and calls to me.
It would be a happy dance day indeed if someone can help me with any of these people. It's not likely that I will ever be able to travel to Virginia, or Massachusetts, or Connecticut, to look in person through old records to try to give these people a birth family. It's also unlikely that I will be able to pay for research help. I will of course keep looking, learning, and hoping, but a nudge from someone who knows something would certainly be welcome.
Allen line:
James Allen apparently dropped out of the sky and landed in Goochland County, Virginia. We first hear of him in 1755, when his son Richard was born, in St James Northam Parish. We know he was married to Sarah Croudas (various spellings), and we know he died in 1801. He owned land around Licking Creek Hole, I think (not sure it was the same James Allen. He and Sarah had nine children: Richard, Martha, James, Mary May, George, William, Sally, Susannah, and Elizabeth. His will can be found on the Library of Virginia website. He left everything to his wife, Sarah, and when she died it all went to his children. Based on the 1755 birthdate of Richard, James could have been born from 1725 to 1735, so I'm guessing about 1730.
Mary Hill was married on January 20, 1761 to Moses Parrish. She was probably born around 1742, but I don't know who her parents were. There were three marriages in this time period between Parrishes and Hills, but so far I have not been able to tie them together. This couple may have lived in Louisa County or in Goochland County, Virginia. There were 6 known children. Mary is my hero because of the life she had to live while her husband was fighting in the Revolutionary War for at least three years, so I'd like to honor her by learning more about her.
Michael Dunn is pretty much a total mystery. The one known fact about him is that he had a son named Lemuel who died in 1829. Michael is believed to have fought in the Revolutionary War, and is thought to have been born in Virginia although of Irish ancestry. He may have lived in the Henry County, Virginia area in the early 1780's.
John Campbell is supposed to have been born in Pennsylvania in about 1760. He married Jane Garvin, who was Irish, but I don't know if she was born there. They had 6 children together. John died in Madison County, Kentucky in 1806 and Jane died 50 years later, in 1856 in Putnam County, Indiana. Both John and Jane are on my "missing" list.
In the Holbrook line, I have three missing ancestors. I've written about two of them previously.
James Lamphire (various spellings) was born in 1773, somewhere in the world. He married Hannah Eames in 1796 in Bozrah, Connecticut. They had 6 children together. James was married to a second wife, Susan Roster, when he died in 1847 in Cazenovia, Madison County, New York.
Sarah Goodnough (spelled any number of different ways, probably) may have been an ancestor. Or the one I'm looking for may be Lydia M. unknown maiden name. Both of these ladies were married to Jude Foster, but it's not clear who the mother of his five children were. Maybe it's more specific to say I'm looking for Betsy Foster's mother. Jude Foster was a Revolutionary War soldier who died less than a month after his pension was finally approved in 1789. I believe I am looking for people in Rowe or Western, Massachusetts.
And finally and always, there's Molly Wright. The lady who haunts my dreams was born in 1759, married Amariah Holbrook in 1779, had 7 children, and died in 1845 in Bellingham, Massachusetts. Of all my missing ancestors, she tugs at my heart and calls to me.
It would be a happy dance day indeed if someone can help me with any of these people. It's not likely that I will ever be able to travel to Virginia, or Massachusetts, or Connecticut, to look in person through old records to try to give these people a birth family. It's also unlikely that I will be able to pay for research help. I will of course keep looking, learning, and hoping, but a nudge from someone who knows something would certainly be welcome.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Allen line: Moses Parrish 1742-1800
Moses Parrish was born in 1742 (approximate date) to Humphrey Parrish Jr and Mary Morton Hamilton, in Goochland County, Va. (My tree shows Mary Morton Hamilton as having a really rich Scottish ancestry, but now I am not sure it is proven. So take that part with a grain of salt.) There was probably more than one Mary Morton Hamilton in that time frame, and I'm not sure I have the correct one, but let's at least go with the idea that his mother's name was Mary. Moses was one of seven children. Their land was around Licking Hole Creek and Little Byrd Creek in Goochland County, Va.
Moses had an eventful life He served in the French and Indian War, Dunmore's War, and the Revolutionary War. He must have been loyal but not particularly talented militarily, because he apparently was never promoted above the rank of private. For his service in Dunmore's War, he was awarded 50 acres of land which he chose to take in "Fincastle County", which was basically the state of Kentucky in later years. It appears that he may have sold that land. As far as we know, he never went west.
His Revolutionary War service is particularly exemplary. He enlisted in February of 1977 and appears to have served his entire term, except that he was furloughed in the winter of 1777-1778, Prior to that and after that, he saw hard service, but the months that he was furloughed were the months that the soldiers were undergoing such hardships at Valley Forge. He is listed as having been at Paramus (N.J.), White Plains (N.Y.), Newark (N.J.), Pumpton Plains and Middlebrook in 1778, after being on the rolls at Valley Forge in May. He was at Morristown in November of 1779. It appears that he would have participated in most of the New Jersey battles and perhaps some of those in Pennsylvania, but the White Plains camp was a couple of years after that battle. None of the records on Fold 3 indicate that he was ever sick or wounded, but there is a good chance that he was sick at one time or another. Most soldiers were. It's also reasonable to think that he did not have a good diet, as our soldiers were often hungry and poorly fed. Can we say "hero"?
I've not found evidence that he re-enlisted in 1780 when his term in the 5th Virginia Regiment of Foot was up, although it's possible that he was still a member of the Virginia militia and continued to fight in skirmishes after he had officially returned home. In 1785 he was awarded 56-13-3 in Virginia dollars in back pay. This surely would have been helpful, for it was the equivalent of several months pay as a soldier.
We don't know very much more about Moses Parrish. He may have first married Sarah Martin, and then married Mary Hill (date not found). They had 6 children: Nicholas, William, Tabath (Tabitha), Mathew, Frankie (Francis) and Sukey (probably Susan or Susanna). Moses died in 1800 and there is apparently a will or estate records for him, as noted on the Library of Virginia website. I'm unclear as to whether Goochland County has a copy of the records or not.
We know one other fact about Moses. His father left him two slaves in his will in 1773, and by 1782 he had three slaves. Perhaps Moses's will has more to say about that. It's hard to think that our ancestors "owned" slaves, but with such a small number, they may have been treated more like family than the traditional slave treatment that we "know" about.
Facts for this post were gathered from Fold 3, Ancestry, the Library of Virginia, and a 1782 tax list.
Our line of descent is:
Moses Parrish-Mary Hill
Tabath Parrish-James Allen Jr.
Archibald Allen-Margaret J Dunn
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Vernon/Tessora/Corinne Allen
descendants of the Allens named above
Moses had an eventful life He served in the French and Indian War, Dunmore's War, and the Revolutionary War. He must have been loyal but not particularly talented militarily, because he apparently was never promoted above the rank of private. For his service in Dunmore's War, he was awarded 50 acres of land which he chose to take in "Fincastle County", which was basically the state of Kentucky in later years. It appears that he may have sold that land. As far as we know, he never went west.
His Revolutionary War service is particularly exemplary. He enlisted in February of 1977 and appears to have served his entire term, except that he was furloughed in the winter of 1777-1778, Prior to that and after that, he saw hard service, but the months that he was furloughed were the months that the soldiers were undergoing such hardships at Valley Forge. He is listed as having been at Paramus (N.J.), White Plains (N.Y.), Newark (N.J.), Pumpton Plains and Middlebrook in 1778, after being on the rolls at Valley Forge in May. He was at Morristown in November of 1779. It appears that he would have participated in most of the New Jersey battles and perhaps some of those in Pennsylvania, but the White Plains camp was a couple of years after that battle. None of the records on Fold 3 indicate that he was ever sick or wounded, but there is a good chance that he was sick at one time or another. Most soldiers were. It's also reasonable to think that he did not have a good diet, as our soldiers were often hungry and poorly fed. Can we say "hero"?
I've not found evidence that he re-enlisted in 1780 when his term in the 5th Virginia Regiment of Foot was up, although it's possible that he was still a member of the Virginia militia and continued to fight in skirmishes after he had officially returned home. In 1785 he was awarded 56-13-3 in Virginia dollars in back pay. This surely would have been helpful, for it was the equivalent of several months pay as a soldier.
We don't know very much more about Moses Parrish. He may have first married Sarah Martin, and then married Mary Hill (date not found). They had 6 children: Nicholas, William, Tabath (Tabitha), Mathew, Frankie (Francis) and Sukey (probably Susan or Susanna). Moses died in 1800 and there is apparently a will or estate records for him, as noted on the Library of Virginia website. I'm unclear as to whether Goochland County has a copy of the records or not.
We know one other fact about Moses. His father left him two slaves in his will in 1773, and by 1782 he had three slaves. Perhaps Moses's will has more to say about that. It's hard to think that our ancestors "owned" slaves, but with such a small number, they may have been treated more like family than the traditional slave treatment that we "know" about.
Facts for this post were gathered from Fold 3, Ancestry, the Library of Virginia, and a 1782 tax list.
Our line of descent is:
Moses Parrish-Mary Hill
Tabath Parrish-James Allen Jr.
Archibald Allen-Margaret J Dunn
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Vernon/Tessora/Corinne Allen
descendants of the Allens named above
Friday, February 28, 2014
Allen line: Who was Michael Dunn?
Michael Dunn is very much a brick wall ancestor. I don't know when he was born, when he died, who his wife was, who his parents were, or when he or they or their ancestors came to America. At this point, all I know about him is from a short biography of his grandson, George Washington Dunn, which states that his father, Lemuel Dunn, was the son of Michael Dunn, a native of Virginia but of Irish parentage, and a noble defender in the War of Independence. That's it. That's all I know for sure, and of course the biographies that were published in the late 1800s are known to not be 100% accurate, so this may not be 100% accurate, either.
However, working on what little "information" I think I have, I've found two Michael Dunns in Virginia during the time period I'm researching (roughly 1775 to 1800). One is a Michael Dunn who married Elizabeth Cheney in Maryland and went to Wythe County. He may be the Michael Dunn who was in the militia in Montgomery County, Va, but the other facts don't fit, because the Dunn family was in Maryland for many years prior to the Revolution. I haven't completely ruled him out, but he's not my top candidate at the moment.
I've found another Michael Dunn to consider. The earliest I can place him so far is in Henry County, Va, in a 1782 tax list. That means he would have been born by 1764, at least, and he could well have been born quite a few years earlier. There is also a Michael Dunn who was taxed in Botetourt County in 1984, which is a couple of counties away, or maybe just over a mountain ridge. Patrick Dunn and William Dunn are also in Botetourt County at the same time. Patrick and William are noted as being in military districts, but Michael is not. Perhaps he was too old by this time to be eligible for military service, although there are other reasons he could have been excused also.
The only other reference to a Michael Dunn that I've found was in a list of soldiers killed at the 1791 battle known as "St Clair's Defeat". A James Dunn was also killed that horrible day. I don't think this would be our Michael Dunn, or surely it would have been mentioned in George Washington Dunn's biography, but there is always an outside possibility so I can't discount it entirely. The fact that I haven't found a Botetourt-Henry County Michael Dunn after that time period is a little unsettling.
I need to do some research on William Dunn and Patrick Dunn, to see if more information is available about them, and also search more in Kentucky for Michael Dunn. Lemuel Dunn was married there in 1809, so it's possible that Michael had gone to Kentucky after he disappeared from Virginia.
Here's the line of descent:
Michael Dunn and unknown
Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Reid Campbell
Margaret Dunn and Archibald Allen
George Allen and Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen and Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Vernon/Tessora/Corinne
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren
If you know, or think you know, anything about Michael Dunn, I'd love to hear from you.
However, working on what little "information" I think I have, I've found two Michael Dunns in Virginia during the time period I'm researching (roughly 1775 to 1800). One is a Michael Dunn who married Elizabeth Cheney in Maryland and went to Wythe County. He may be the Michael Dunn who was in the militia in Montgomery County, Va, but the other facts don't fit, because the Dunn family was in Maryland for many years prior to the Revolution. I haven't completely ruled him out, but he's not my top candidate at the moment.
I've found another Michael Dunn to consider. The earliest I can place him so far is in Henry County, Va, in a 1782 tax list. That means he would have been born by 1764, at least, and he could well have been born quite a few years earlier. There is also a Michael Dunn who was taxed in Botetourt County in 1984, which is a couple of counties away, or maybe just over a mountain ridge. Patrick Dunn and William Dunn are also in Botetourt County at the same time. Patrick and William are noted as being in military districts, but Michael is not. Perhaps he was too old by this time to be eligible for military service, although there are other reasons he could have been excused also.
The only other reference to a Michael Dunn that I've found was in a list of soldiers killed at the 1791 battle known as "St Clair's Defeat". A James Dunn was also killed that horrible day. I don't think this would be our Michael Dunn, or surely it would have been mentioned in George Washington Dunn's biography, but there is always an outside possibility so I can't discount it entirely. The fact that I haven't found a Botetourt-Henry County Michael Dunn after that time period is a little unsettling.
I need to do some research on William Dunn and Patrick Dunn, to see if more information is available about them, and also search more in Kentucky for Michael Dunn. Lemuel Dunn was married there in 1809, so it's possible that Michael had gone to Kentucky after he disappeared from Virginia.
Here's the line of descent:
Michael Dunn and unknown
Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Reid Campbell
Margaret Dunn and Archibald Allen
George Allen and Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen and Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Vernon/Tessora/Corinne
children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren
If you know, or think you know, anything about Michael Dunn, I'd love to hear from you.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Allen line: Will our John Campbell please stand up and identify himself?
The known facts about John Campbell are few and far between. We know he died in Madison County, Kentucky, on April 20, 1806 and is buried in Madison County, Kentucky. This John Campbell is most probably "our" John Campbell, because he was married to Jane Garvin and in 1809 we have a copy of Jane G Campbell giving permission for her daughter, Sarah, also known as "Sally", to marry Lemuel Dunn in Madison County, Ky.
There was a John Campbell who was the witness of his brother Thomas's will in Madison County, Ky on May 17, 1796. We don't know if this is the same John Campbell, because Campbell was a common name in Kentucky at that time, and even in Madison County there seem to be several families of Campbell. There was a John Campbell listed in the Madison County Tax list of 1800. On that list, he is named as "John A." Is this a correct initial for our John? What might it signify? There is also a John Campbell who was a witness to the will of William Hamilton on June 28, 1800 in Madison County, Kentucky. Again, is this one ours, or someone else's?
A transcript of information, or more precisely, a query, was printed in the Boston Transcript on January 14, 1929. "Wanted, parents of John Campbell born in Pa in about 1760, married Jane Garvin born in Ireland abt 1763. They were married about 1784, and had John G, born January 22, 1785, Mary Powers, born December 22, 1786, Sarah Reid born November 22, 1788, Isaac, born March 19, 1797, and David Garvin, born October 2, 1799. The younger members of the family were born near Union, Monroe County, WV. They emigrated to Kentucky 1802-1805, settled in Mercer County. John Campbell died April 20, 1806 and is buried in Madison County, Kentucky. He had a brother, Hugh, and I do not know names of other children of this family. Would like this information. H.M."
There were Garvins in Madison County, Ky during this same time period, and also in Monroe/Greenbrier County, WV a decade earlier. If we trace Garvins back further, they can be found in Cumberland County, Pa., as can several families of Campbells. This may be a possible clue. However, there are also a large number of Campbells in Augusta County, Va,, who may somehow be connected. To complicate matters, a biography of George Washington Dunn, son of Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Reid Campbell, indicates that John Campbell fought in the Revolutionary War from Virginia. There are too many pieces to this puzzle; some have to belong to some other family. The question is, which ones?
Well, H.M., I would certainly like to have the answers to your query, also. I can find hints and bits and pieces of two or possibly three John Campbell families in Monroe/Greenbriar County, WV and in Augusta County, Va, but nothing that would rule one of the families in or out. Then there is a list of taxables from 1792 in Washington County, Virginia that includes the names of Hugh, James, John, and Thomas, (also Anne Campbell) which should probably be pursued, since John's brothers were Hugh and possibly Thomas, and there was a James Campbell in Mercer County, Ky (where Sarah Campbell Dunn lived) in 1830 who would have been the right age to be the brother of John and possibly Thomas and Hugh. There are so many clues, but my puzzle just isn't taking shape yet.
I'm reasonably sure that John is going to trace back somehow to one of the Campbells of Scotland, but I don't know if it will be ever be possible to make that connection. For now, I'd just be excited to find out whether he came from Cumberland County, Pa, or August County, Va, or Washington County, Va, or some other location entirely, and I'd be thrilled to know who his parents were!
Here's the line of descent:
John Campbell-Jane Garvin
Sarah Reid Campbell-Lemuel Dunn
Margaret J Dunn-Archibald Allen
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Vernon/Edith/Corinne/Tessora/Richard
The rest of us-we know who we are!
There was a John Campbell who was the witness of his brother Thomas's will in Madison County, Ky on May 17, 1796. We don't know if this is the same John Campbell, because Campbell was a common name in Kentucky at that time, and even in Madison County there seem to be several families of Campbell. There was a John Campbell listed in the Madison County Tax list of 1800. On that list, he is named as "John A." Is this a correct initial for our John? What might it signify? There is also a John Campbell who was a witness to the will of William Hamilton on June 28, 1800 in Madison County, Kentucky. Again, is this one ours, or someone else's?
A transcript of information, or more precisely, a query, was printed in the Boston Transcript on January 14, 1929. "Wanted, parents of John Campbell born in Pa in about 1760, married Jane Garvin born in Ireland abt 1763. They were married about 1784, and had John G, born January 22, 1785, Mary Powers, born December 22, 1786, Sarah Reid born November 22, 1788, Isaac, born March 19, 1797, and David Garvin, born October 2, 1799. The younger members of the family were born near Union, Monroe County, WV. They emigrated to Kentucky 1802-1805, settled in Mercer County. John Campbell died April 20, 1806 and is buried in Madison County, Kentucky. He had a brother, Hugh, and I do not know names of other children of this family. Would like this information. H.M."
There were Garvins in Madison County, Ky during this same time period, and also in Monroe/Greenbrier County, WV a decade earlier. If we trace Garvins back further, they can be found in Cumberland County, Pa., as can several families of Campbells. This may be a possible clue. However, there are also a large number of Campbells in Augusta County, Va,, who may somehow be connected. To complicate matters, a biography of George Washington Dunn, son of Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Reid Campbell, indicates that John Campbell fought in the Revolutionary War from Virginia. There are too many pieces to this puzzle; some have to belong to some other family. The question is, which ones?
Well, H.M., I would certainly like to have the answers to your query, also. I can find hints and bits and pieces of two or possibly three John Campbell families in Monroe/Greenbriar County, WV and in Augusta County, Va, but nothing that would rule one of the families in or out. Then there is a list of taxables from 1792 in Washington County, Virginia that includes the names of Hugh, James, John, and Thomas, (also Anne Campbell) which should probably be pursued, since John's brothers were Hugh and possibly Thomas, and there was a James Campbell in Mercer County, Ky (where Sarah Campbell Dunn lived) in 1830 who would have been the right age to be the brother of John and possibly Thomas and Hugh. There are so many clues, but my puzzle just isn't taking shape yet.
I'm reasonably sure that John is going to trace back somehow to one of the Campbells of Scotland, but I don't know if it will be ever be possible to make that connection. For now, I'd just be excited to find out whether he came from Cumberland County, Pa, or August County, Va, or Washington County, Va, or some other location entirely, and I'd be thrilled to know who his parents were!
Here's the line of descent:
John Campbell-Jane Garvin
Sarah Reid Campbell-Lemuel Dunn
Margaret J Dunn-Archibald Allen
George R Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Vernon/Edith/Corinne/Tessora/Richard
The rest of us-we know who we are!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Allen line: James Allen Sr.
James Allen, whom I have designated as "senior" to distinguish him from his son James Allen, and his grandson James Allen, is pretty much a mystery.
He was born about 1735, (I suspect closer to 1733, perhaps even 1730) according to undocumented internet sources, in Goochland County, Va. I haven't found any records to support either the year or the location, but it's as good a guess as any, so I've tentatively put that information in our tree. I've found four different sets of parents for James, but no documentation for any of them. He could be the son of William Allen and Mary Ann Owen, or the son of James Allen and Anne Anderson, or the son of James Allen and Mary Dennis, or the son of James Allen and Lucy Hobson. All these families have sons named James, in the approximate area of our James, and born in the correct time frame.
The first thing we know for sure about James is that he was married sometime before December 14, 1755. That is the date his first (presumably) son was born as noted in the Douglas Register. His wife was Sarah Crowdas/Cloudas/Crowder (various spellings!), daughter of George Crowdas and Susannah. George and Susannah lived on the Little Byrd Creek in Goochland County, and James apparently lived in the same general area.
James and Sarah had several children, all born in Goochland County. Richard was born December 14, 1755; Elizabeth January 6, 1759; Susannah June 4, 1761; Mary May October 16, 1763; George November 29, 1766; James March 28, 1769; William 1772; Martha January 22, 1775; and Sally April 4, 1777.
There are several James Allen's from Goochland County who served in the Revolutionary War. It is possible that one of them was "ours", but not yet proven.
The next real information we have about James is his death. He died in 1801 in Goochland County, having left everything to his widow, Sarah. She died in 1825 and only then was James's will probated. The actual process took several years due to dealing with heirs in Kentucky (the heirs of James Jr, who had already died but were given James's share). The chancery court case is 45 pages long and is found on the Library of Virginia website (www.lva.viringia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=075-1834-026).
The body of the will states "My will is that my wife Sarah do possess and enjoy my whole estate furing her natural life or widowhood and after her death or marriage my desire is that my whole estate to be equally divided amonst my children, to wit: Richard Allen, Mary Glass, George Allen, James Allen, William Allen, and Martha Carroll, to them and their heirs forever." Elizabeth, Sally, and Susannah are not mentioned in the will. I have not tried to trace them but presumably they had already died when the will was written. It was written on July 6, but I can't make out the year (it's either 1800 or 1801).
I have seen references to James described as "planter" so presumably he owned land at the time of his death. The inventory of his personal property was fairly substantial, but sadly much of the value was due to his owning 5 slaves, each of whom had a high value. They were named Davy, Buck, Gib, Patty and child, and Charlotte. The estate value was $1925.10, leaving three hundred and twenty dollars and eight five cents for each of the six legatees.
That is what is known or guessed about James Allen, our ancestor. I'd love to connect with other people who are researching this man, to talk about the documentation they have that makes them think one of the couples mentioned above is our family,
Here's our line:
James Allen-Sarah Croudas
James Allen-Tabitha Parrish
Archibald Allen-Margaret Dunn
George Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen(Vernon, Tessora, Corinne, Edith)-Gladys Holbrook
He was born about 1735, (I suspect closer to 1733, perhaps even 1730) according to undocumented internet sources, in Goochland County, Va. I haven't found any records to support either the year or the location, but it's as good a guess as any, so I've tentatively put that information in our tree. I've found four different sets of parents for James, but no documentation for any of them. He could be the son of William Allen and Mary Ann Owen, or the son of James Allen and Anne Anderson, or the son of James Allen and Mary Dennis, or the son of James Allen and Lucy Hobson. All these families have sons named James, in the approximate area of our James, and born in the correct time frame.
The first thing we know for sure about James is that he was married sometime before December 14, 1755. That is the date his first (presumably) son was born as noted in the Douglas Register. His wife was Sarah Crowdas/Cloudas/Crowder (various spellings!), daughter of George Crowdas and Susannah. George and Susannah lived on the Little Byrd Creek in Goochland County, and James apparently lived in the same general area.
James and Sarah had several children, all born in Goochland County. Richard was born December 14, 1755; Elizabeth January 6, 1759; Susannah June 4, 1761; Mary May October 16, 1763; George November 29, 1766; James March 28, 1769; William 1772; Martha January 22, 1775; and Sally April 4, 1777.
There are several James Allen's from Goochland County who served in the Revolutionary War. It is possible that one of them was "ours", but not yet proven.
The next real information we have about James is his death. He died in 1801 in Goochland County, having left everything to his widow, Sarah. She died in 1825 and only then was James's will probated. The actual process took several years due to dealing with heirs in Kentucky (the heirs of James Jr, who had already died but were given James's share). The chancery court case is 45 pages long and is found on the Library of Virginia website (www.lva.viringia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=075-1834-026).
The body of the will states "My will is that my wife Sarah do possess and enjoy my whole estate furing her natural life or widowhood and after her death or marriage my desire is that my whole estate to be equally divided amonst my children, to wit: Richard Allen, Mary Glass, George Allen, James Allen, William Allen, and Martha Carroll, to them and their heirs forever." Elizabeth, Sally, and Susannah are not mentioned in the will. I have not tried to trace them but presumably they had already died when the will was written. It was written on July 6, but I can't make out the year (it's either 1800 or 1801).
I have seen references to James described as "planter" so presumably he owned land at the time of his death. The inventory of his personal property was fairly substantial, but sadly much of the value was due to his owning 5 slaves, each of whom had a high value. They were named Davy, Buck, Gib, Patty and child, and Charlotte. The estate value was $1925.10, leaving three hundred and twenty dollars and eight five cents for each of the six legatees.
That is what is known or guessed about James Allen, our ancestor. I'd love to connect with other people who are researching this man, to talk about the documentation they have that makes them think one of the couples mentioned above is our family,
Here's our line:
James Allen-Sarah Croudas
James Allen-Tabitha Parrish
Archibald Allen-Margaret Dunn
George Allen-Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen(Vernon, Tessora, Corinne, Edith)-Gladys Holbrook
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Allen line: The will of Lemuel Dunn
I obtained this will on a trip to Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky a couple of years ago. I decided to transcribe it because although I've sent it to "cousins" who put it on their Ancestry trees, it is difficult to read. Maybe this will be a bit easier on the eyes:
This is from will book 9, page 234:
Mercer County and state of Kentucky in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven_I Lemuel Dunn of the county and state afroresaid do make and order [not sure I have that wording correct] the following to be and remain my last will and testament-that is to say, first of all, I give unto my beloved wife Sarah R Dunn during her life or widowhood the whole of my estate both real and personal to be and received [?] at her disposal by her the said Sarah R Dunn paying to each of my sons and daughters, David C Dunn, William H. H. Dunn, George W Dunn, Margaret J Dunn, Lemuel Dunn, Sally Dunn and Cynthia Dunn fifty dollars as they may become of age-or as much more as the said Sarah R Dunn may think proper to give to the above named. In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this day [and?] date above written. Signed Lemuel Dunn Sr.
Signed in the presence of the following persons:
David G Campbell Martha H Denney
Jane Campbell, Martha Denney senr
Rosannah Campbell, J.H. Hogue
Mercer County [?} September County County Court 1829- The foregoing last will and testament of Lemuel Dunn dec'd was this day produced into court and proven by the oaths of Martha H Denney ...Denny Seniot to subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded.
Att: Thomas Allin C.C.
I also have a copy of his inventory, which is about a page long. There were 8 head of cattle, 4 calves, 5 horses, and what I suppose would be typical farm equipment, plus a considerable number of tools. This family was not dirt poor, because a wooden clock valued at $25 is listed, which is actually the single most valuable item on the inventory, after the horses ($138) and the waggon and gear ($100). He also had 12 chairs, (enough to feed his whole family all at once and company, too), a watch, a looking glass, and 50 books valued at $20. The inventory was ordered on September 18, 1829, and totalled $501.75. Appraisers were James Campbell, Stephen Stone, A.S. Robards and Benj. Curd.
We don't know much more than this about Lemuel. His son George Washington went to Missouri, read law, and became a judge, and on-line biographies of the judge say that Lemuel's father was Michael Dunn, who fought in the revolution and was of Irish extraction. We don't know when Lemuel was born. He married Sarah (Sally) Reid Campbell on March 14, 1809 in Madison County, Kentucky. In the record, his name is clearly written as Samuel but we have other documentation proving that this was Lemuel Dunn. We don't know when he was born, or whether this was his first and only marriage. If he was, say, 25 when he married then he was only 45 when he died, but again, this is speculation.
Efforts to search for Michael Dunn are ongoing. There was a Michael Dunn from Maryland who married Elizabeth Cheney, daughter of Richard Cheney of Anne Arundel, Md, and went to Wythe County, Va. I located a Michael Dunn who was in the militia of Montgomery County, Virginia during the Revolution. There is also a Michael Dunn who died in the battle known as St Clair's Defeat on November 4, 1791, among the 623 soldiers who were killed or captured in that horrible massacre. James Dunn, who may or may not be related, was also killed that day. These Michael Dunns may be one and the same person, or there may be two or even three Michael Dunns in the same area at the same time, and one might be Lemuel's father. No proof is known to exist, but we're still looking.
I would love to learn more about Lemuel, and especially about his mysterious father. If we find anything definitive, you can bet that we'll be doing the Happy Genealogy Dance!
Our line is: Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Campbell
Margaret J Dunn and Archibald Allen
George Allen and Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen and Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Corinne/Tessora/Vernon Allen
This is from will book 9, page 234:
Mercer County and state of Kentucky in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven_I Lemuel Dunn of the county and state afroresaid do make and order [not sure I have that wording correct] the following to be and remain my last will and testament-that is to say, first of all, I give unto my beloved wife Sarah R Dunn during her life or widowhood the whole of my estate both real and personal to be and received [?] at her disposal by her the said Sarah R Dunn paying to each of my sons and daughters, David C Dunn, William H. H. Dunn, George W Dunn, Margaret J Dunn, Lemuel Dunn, Sally Dunn and Cynthia Dunn fifty dollars as they may become of age-or as much more as the said Sarah R Dunn may think proper to give to the above named. In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this day [and?] date above written. Signed Lemuel Dunn Sr.
Signed in the presence of the following persons:
David G Campbell Martha H Denney
Jane Campbell, Martha Denney senr
Rosannah Campbell, J.H. Hogue
Mercer County [?} September County County Court 1829- The foregoing last will and testament of Lemuel Dunn dec'd was this day produced into court and proven by the oaths of Martha H Denney ...Denny Seniot to subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded.
Att: Thomas Allin C.C.
I also have a copy of his inventory, which is about a page long. There were 8 head of cattle, 4 calves, 5 horses, and what I suppose would be typical farm equipment, plus a considerable number of tools. This family was not dirt poor, because a wooden clock valued at $25 is listed, which is actually the single most valuable item on the inventory, after the horses ($138) and the waggon and gear ($100). He also had 12 chairs, (enough to feed his whole family all at once and company, too), a watch, a looking glass, and 50 books valued at $20. The inventory was ordered on September 18, 1829, and totalled $501.75. Appraisers were James Campbell, Stephen Stone, A.S. Robards and Benj. Curd.
We don't know much more than this about Lemuel. His son George Washington went to Missouri, read law, and became a judge, and on-line biographies of the judge say that Lemuel's father was Michael Dunn, who fought in the revolution and was of Irish extraction. We don't know when Lemuel was born. He married Sarah (Sally) Reid Campbell on March 14, 1809 in Madison County, Kentucky. In the record, his name is clearly written as Samuel but we have other documentation proving that this was Lemuel Dunn. We don't know when he was born, or whether this was his first and only marriage. If he was, say, 25 when he married then he was only 45 when he died, but again, this is speculation.
Efforts to search for Michael Dunn are ongoing. There was a Michael Dunn from Maryland who married Elizabeth Cheney, daughter of Richard Cheney of Anne Arundel, Md, and went to Wythe County, Va. I located a Michael Dunn who was in the militia of Montgomery County, Virginia during the Revolution. There is also a Michael Dunn who died in the battle known as St Clair's Defeat on November 4, 1791, among the 623 soldiers who were killed or captured in that horrible massacre. James Dunn, who may or may not be related, was also killed that day. These Michael Dunns may be one and the same person, or there may be two or even three Michael Dunns in the same area at the same time, and one might be Lemuel's father. No proof is known to exist, but we're still looking.
I would love to learn more about Lemuel, and especially about his mysterious father. If we find anything definitive, you can bet that we'll be doing the Happy Genealogy Dance!
Our line is: Lemuel Dunn and Sarah Campbell
Margaret J Dunn and Archibald Allen
George Allen and Nancy McCoy
Edward Allen and Edith Knott
Richard/Edith/Corinne/Tessora/Vernon Allen
Monday, August 19, 2013
Finding the good stuff
Finding "good stuff" is fun, and the "good stuff" is probably not on line. There is some "good stuff" to be found in libraries, of course, but mostly library (and internet) finds are what point us to the "good stuff". I am very much a novice at looking in courthouses and historical societies, but the few times I have tried this I have been fortunate enough to find what are to me priceless insights into the lives of our ancestors.
For instance, when I finally went to the Whitley County, Indiana Historical Society, I was thrilled. The research area is very small, but there was a good selection of books and materials, and the volunteer on duty that day was very helpful. She found a newspaper clipping about a small accident that William Withers, my husband's great grandfather, had in 1933, which told us much about the way he lived. I also was able to find and prove a generation back to what would be his third great grandfather and grand mother, on another line, Henry Cook and Catherine Whetstone. There are more treasures there to be found, I'm sure, and I plan to go back for more work one day.
The leads I found there were enough to send me to "The Vault", which was another wonderful experience. This is a Whitley County office, where wills and marriage licenses and court proceedings are kept. There were wonderful treasures there from my husband's family. We found wills and marriage licenses galore, but the real surprise was a divorce filing for my husband's great grandfather, Emmanuel Harshbarger. It was fascinating, and I'll be writing more about that another time. (As far as we know now, the divorce was never finalized, but there is more searching to do to get to the bottom of this story, which was never mentioned in the family.)
Another find was at the Indiana Archives, where we learned that my husband's ancestor, Jackson Wise, who was in the state penitentiary in 1850, was pardoned in 1854. According to the archivist, there are no records to show why the governor pardoned him, so we hope there are some answers at the county level, and will be looking for court records there to help explain the rest of the story.
I've had similar experiences in other facilities, particularly Harrodsburg, Kentucky, although I only knew about my ancestors (Allen, Dunn, Campbell) when we visited there. As it turns out, there were several lines on my husband's side to be explored there, too, so we may someday go back.
We hope to take a short road trip to another research site sometime in the early fall, and I can't wait to find out what we learn. Internet finds are great, and we can learn much sitting in our chairs at home, but sometimes we lose sight of where the real goodies are to be found.
For instance, when I finally went to the Whitley County, Indiana Historical Society, I was thrilled. The research area is very small, but there was a good selection of books and materials, and the volunteer on duty that day was very helpful. She found a newspaper clipping about a small accident that William Withers, my husband's great grandfather, had in 1933, which told us much about the way he lived. I also was able to find and prove a generation back to what would be his third great grandfather and grand mother, on another line, Henry Cook and Catherine Whetstone. There are more treasures there to be found, I'm sure, and I plan to go back for more work one day.
The leads I found there were enough to send me to "The Vault", which was another wonderful experience. This is a Whitley County office, where wills and marriage licenses and court proceedings are kept. There were wonderful treasures there from my husband's family. We found wills and marriage licenses galore, but the real surprise was a divorce filing for my husband's great grandfather, Emmanuel Harshbarger. It was fascinating, and I'll be writing more about that another time. (As far as we know now, the divorce was never finalized, but there is more searching to do to get to the bottom of this story, which was never mentioned in the family.)
Another find was at the Indiana Archives, where we learned that my husband's ancestor, Jackson Wise, who was in the state penitentiary in 1850, was pardoned in 1854. According to the archivist, there are no records to show why the governor pardoned him, so we hope there are some answers at the county level, and will be looking for court records there to help explain the rest of the story.
I've had similar experiences in other facilities, particularly Harrodsburg, Kentucky, although I only knew about my ancestors (Allen, Dunn, Campbell) when we visited there. As it turns out, there were several lines on my husband's side to be explored there, too, so we may someday go back.
We hope to take a short road trip to another research site sometime in the early fall, and I can't wait to find out what we learn. Internet finds are great, and we can learn much sitting in our chairs at home, but sometimes we lose sight of where the real goodies are to be found.
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