Ancestor Archaeology: Brick Wall Ancestor

Showing posts with label Brick Wall Ancestor. Show all posts

Monday, March 5, 2018

Brick Wall Ancestor | #9 Martha McBride {Genealogy}

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Read part one and part two for the details of this genealogy

Monday, February 5, 2018

Brick Wall Ancestor | #9 Martha McBride {part 2}

We all have them! Those stubborn ancestors that refuse to come out of hiding. No matter how much coaxing we do! Well, I think it's time to bring them out of the shadows - put their redacted story out there - another piece of the puzzle could be lurking just around the (cyber) corner, in someone's basement, or closet, or sitting in a box on a bookshelf ...... You never, ever know where that loose chink will manifest, the one that allows you to push out one brick, then the next. Food for thought. So without further ado....

Brick Wall Ancestor | #9 Martha McBride part 2

In Part 1 I gave you some background on Martha and proposed Wild Theory #1, the Theory of James, that she is the daughter of James McBride Jr and Martha Hill.

Here I will offer Wild Theory #2 and propose she is the daughter of Archibald McBride Jr and (maybe) Jane Newkirk. Thus the Theory of Archibald. Even less evidence exists to support this theory! And, I'm taking the long way around. Bear with me.

Let's look at Archibald. We know there was one Archibald living in Mamakating, Ulster Co, New York in 1790 (3 males under 16, 2 males 16 and over, 4 females any age). Digging deeper unearthed the discovery of a will of one Jane McBride of the town of Montgomery, dated June 26th 1795. The will lists four children. Sons James (wild theory #1! - put a pin in that!) of Wallkill and Archibald of Mamakating, a daughter (deceased) Mary, wife of Francis Burns and another daughter Mrs William Douglas (hey, thanks for that!) The will names grandsons Archibald and William (sons of James) and John Douglas (son of unnamed daughter) and "the grandchildren of my son Archibald" (again, thanks for that!) and the "five grandchildren of my daughter Mary Burns, deceased", also granddaughter Elizabeth Burns.

Lots of grandchildren. (FAN research anyone?)

What struck me as curious was that the boys, for the most part were listed by name but the "grandchildren" of son Archibald could possibly mean his children were very young at the time of the writing of the will and that there were perhaps sons and daughters. Still, not much help.

The will also made mention of a note that Jane had in her possession that was outstanding against Archibald dated July 19th 1786. Curious.

Digging into land records uncovered a land sale between Jane McBride of Montgomery and her son Archibald, of Mamakating, dated July 20th 1786. Huh. Must be what the note was for! Further land record digging unearthed this land purchase made "the 30th day of June in the first year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the Third by the grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King defender of the faith and the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred sixty one" Between Samuel White and Jane McBride, relict and widow of Archibald McBride .... two thousand two hundred and nine acres of land ..... seven hundred and thirty six acres of land .... one thousand and fifty five acres of land! A total of four thousand acres of land in Ulster County, Province of New York.

The widow Jane purchased a great deal of land in 1761!

What I found interesting, the land was adjacent to land owned by Jane and Alice Colden and by Thomas Noxon and by George Murry. All players in another story, one that might intertwine with this one yet.(*)

Connecting the dots from these documents it appears that Jane McBride and Archibald McBride were the parents of Archibald, James, Mary and Mrs Wm Douglas. Disproving the common assumption that James was the son of a James. Maybe there never was a James Sr? Maybe James was Archibald's middle name? If there is proof, I have yet to find it.

So how does Martha fit into all of this?

Not sure. Yet. (I think we need a diagram for this!)

There are a great number of 'coincidences' because of a very limited population at this time in history.

Let's go back to that 4000 acre land purchase.

Martha married James Faulkner. James Faulkner's father was Samuel Faulkner. (*)Samuel Faulkner owned land adjacent to Jane and Alice Colden, Thomas Noxon and George Murry. It is suspected that George Murry was James Faulkner's grandfather. The land straddled the border of modern day Orange and Sullivan Counties, sitting in both Mamakating and Wallkill. In fact Samuel and his wife are buried in unincorporated Mamakating. IF Martha was the daughter of Archibald McBride she would have grown up on the farm next to Samuel Faulkner and his son (her future husband) James.

A stretch, I agree. A good example of those coincidences. (You might want to take notes)

And there is NO census evidence for Martha anywhere in 1800.

Then there's the DNA.

DNA points to Archibald McBride as the prime candidate based on the research tree of our DNA match. However the newfound information that Archibald and Jane McBride are the parents of BOTH Archibald Jr and James is a greater cause of confusion! (That would suggest our MRCA is Archibald Sr, still not proving which son is Martha's father.) The author of the Bull book, who posed the 'James Sr', theory did not back his statement up with evidence or any type of citation. In fact, the book that was referenced as the source does not contain any sources or citations either, kinda like a Public Ancestry Tree!

Perplexed? Me too! (Where is that diagram?! The one that explains everything?)

Martha could be in the Archibald McBride household in 1790 - the census reports 4 females (of any age) and we know three of them (from church records): Jane, his wife; Jane, his daughter; and Agnes, his daughter. That leaves one daughter unaccounted for. (And no, it would not be the mother Jane, she was residing in Montgomery not Mamakating, per all of her legal documents)

So my second (wild) theory, the Theory of Archibald posits Martha belongs in the Archibald McBride household. The DNA evidences leads to this conclusion, but remains fuzzy if James and Archibald are brothers. Martha could fit into the 1790 census of Archibald's household. Again, the question is where is the family in 1800? Did both Archibald and Jane die? Are the children living in a relative's home, or with an older sibling?

More fuzzy information. More possibility of errors. No real conclusions, just two theories, similar and frustrating. Time to back-burner this project and let it simmer, perhaps more evidence will turn up?

Oh, Martha; Martha, Martha, Martha .....

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Then this happened .....

Well, hold your horses! Look what the gods of land records presented me with today!

A glorious land division document dated 1799, the year after James McBride died, dividing his land among his four minor children ...... Archibald I McBride, William McBride (both of the Jane McBride Will from the top of this post!) Jane McBride and John McBride (born after the will was written). No Martha! NO MARTHA!!! Martha would have been about 10 in 1799, a minor child. Martha was not the daughter of James. Wild Theory #1 is incorrect.

That leaves Archibald.

********

up next ..... charts and graphs!!! (Or at least a genealogy, stay tuned)

©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Monday, January 8, 2018

Brick Wall Ancestor | #9 Martha McBride {part 1}

We all have them! Those stubborn ancestors that refuse to come out of hiding. No matter how much coaxing we do! Well, I think it's time to bring them out of the shadows - put their redacted story out there - another piece of the puzzle could be lurking just around the (cyber) corner, in someone's basement, or closet, or sitting in a box on a bookshelf ...... You never, ever know where that loose chink will manifest, the one that allows you to push out one brick, then the next. Food for thought. So without further ado....

Brick Wall Ancestor | #9 Martha McBride part 1

Martha is my 3rd great grandmother. I've written about her before. I presented a sketch of her life, as I could suss out, for my 52 Ancestors project. You can read it here. I called it "Invisible Wife" and she still is! I have not learned more about Martha since that time. But I have a (wild) theory or two ......

The portion of New York state that Martha and family resided in began as Ulster County, was annexed to Orange County in 1798 and further added to the new Sullivan County in 1809. The land and the town names remained the same, only the county changed. Because, fun!

Martha was born about 1789/90, deduced from the recording of her death as "taking place about Christmas time, 1845, when she was probably fifty six years old" (from FindAGrave and other histories) Martha married her husband James Faulkner near Wallkill, Orange Co (previously Ulster Co), New York most likely, as James and family are documented in Wallkill, Ulster/Orange/Sullivan Co, New York as land owners and residents; James being a prominent citizen within the community. The Faulkners were long-standing Presbyterians and many held positions within the church. Other Faulkner men and women married other McBride men and women around the same time as James Faulkner married Martha McBride.

In 1790 there were only three male heads of household in all of Ulster Co, New York, where Martha was presumed to have been born. Archibald McBride (resides: Mamakating: 3 males under 16, 2 males 16 and over, 4 females any age), James McBride (resides: Montgomery: 3 males under 16, 1 male 16 and over, 3 females any age, 3 slaves) and John McBride (resides: Montgomery: 1 male under 16, 1 male 16 and over, 2 females any age) The 1790 census is really disappointing as it lists only the total number of females in the household, these records reflect the possibility of Martha being in the household of any of these men. So lots of speculation there!

The author of the Bull Family genealogy book theorized that these three men were brothers, their father being James McBride Sr, who came to the area from Ireland about 1728; so which James is on the census? Both James Sr and James Jr were alive in 1790 and residing in Ulster Co. according to this author. I have not found any further documentation to prove/disprove this and surmise there was some confusion interpreting the death records (fodder for a future post)

More digging revealed that James McBride Jr had been married twice. First, to Martha Hill in 1778, who died in 1790 one month prior to the census being taken. The couple could have had at least 5 children together. James remarried in 1792 to Sarah Eager and had at least 3 children with her before he died in 1798. He is buried in Goodwill Cemetery in Montgomery, Orange Co, New York. He will not appear on any future census.

The 1800 census is a little better, but just as speculative. This census again lists three McBride heads of household but this time Sarah (resides: Montgomery: 1 male under 10, 1 female under 10, 1 females 26 thru 44), James (resides: Montgomery: 2 males under 10, 1 male 16 thru 25, 1 female 16 thru 25, 1 female 26 thru 44) and Archibald (resides: Wallkill: 1 male under 10, 1 male 26 thru 44, 1 female 26 thru 44) appear. Well we know James Jr died in 1798 and the age of the household members does not line up for James Sr, so there might be a son we don't know of yet. Same for Sarah. Sarah McBride was James Jr's second wife and was certainly alive in 1800, but her household only lists two young children, one male and one female. Sarah and James had one daughter and two sons who grew to adulthood, so either one son was not counted or this is not the correct Sarah. That leaves John. The John McBride household could have contained the two children, based on the tally from the 1790 census. Could John have married a Sarah? Could John have died prior to 1800? As for Archibald, the only female listed in 1800 was 26 to 44 years old. Is this the correct Archibald or could this be a son? In that case, where is Archibald from 1790? (put a pin in that)

Other tidbits.

Only James McBride Jr is known to be the son of James Sr. Interestingly, James Jr named his first born son Archibald. Archibald I, James' son (and possibly Martha's brother) married Susan Faulkner, a first cousin of Martha's husband James Faulkner.

It is known that James McBride Jr was a member of the First Presbyterian Church at Goshen. His marriage records can be found on Ancestry dot com. Martha McBride and her husband James Faulkner were Presbyterians.

Oddly, a descendant of Archibald McBride (possible brother of James and John) is a 5th to 8th cousin DNA match with myself and one of my siblings. That would work out to James McBride Sr being our MRCA. (put a pin in that)

Are you taking notes? It gets mighty confusing! Perhaps a flow-chart might help?

A Venn diagram?

A giant detective board with pushpins and string?

So here's my first (wild) theory. I call it the Theory of James. Looking at the paltry information available, and this in NO WAY concludes anything, this theory postulates that Martha belongs in the James McBride Jr household. Her mother would then have been Martha Hill. Martha Hill died in 1790. Martha McBride was born in 1789 or 1790. Could Martha Hill have died in childbirth? Could James McBride have named his newborn daughter after her deceased mother?

This theory asks the additional questions: where is 10 year old Martha in 1800? Could she be living with other relatives? Grandparents? Aunt or Uncle? In this theory her father died in 1798, leaving her with a step-mother who had three small children of her own to deal with.

So much fuzzy information. Just enough to get one in trouble should one choose to take a hunch and run with it. (don't) Kind of like playing a 230 year old game of 'telephone', the whispers of hazy evidence floating up to confound and confuse.

So, just who WAS Martha McBride's father? And where was she born? And when?

Stay tuned for wild theory #2 ......

©2018 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Monday, December 4, 2017

Brick Wall Ancestor | #8 Jesse Thomas Sr

In March 1820 Jesse and Rebecah request removal from their Fallowfield Monthly Meeting in Chester Co, PA to join the Stillwater Monthly Meeting in Washington Co, OH. Did they actually live in Ohio at the time of the request?

I did find a Jesse Thomas on the 1840 US Census in Washington Co, OH, the household includes one male aged 50 thru 59, two males 10 thru 14, one female 50 thru 59, two females 20 thru 29 and two females 15 thru 19.

According to Quaker records Jesse died February 20th 1842 at Plymouth, Washington Co, OH. Aged 55.

End of story.

That's one HUGE brick wall!

GENEALOGY

Jesse Thomas b. say 1786 d. 20 Feb 1842 m. say 1808 Rebecah Hampton, daughter of Jonathan Hampton and Elizabeth Phillips, b. 12 May 1790 d. 20 Dec 1850

children:

Elizabeth Thomas b. 1 Jan 1810 PA d. UNK
Sarah Thomas b. 17 Apr 1811 PA d. UNK
Mary Ann Thomas b. 7 Mar 1813 PA d. UNK m. Walter Stanley
Joseph Thomas b. 5 Dec 1814 PA d. UNK m. Mary G Parker
Debora Thomas b. 27 Mar 1817 PA d. UNK m. Josiah Walton
Philena Thomas b. 9 Oct 1819 PA d. 22 Jan 1894 m. Seth Williams
Joanna Thomas b. 23 Jan 1822 OH d. UNK
Jonathan H Thomas b. 25 Mar 1824 OH d. UNK m. Hannah E Henry
Eli Thomas b. 19 May 1826 OH d. 18 Nov 1855 m. Adeline McConnell
Jesse Thomas Jr b. 28 Jul 1828 OH d. 19 Sep 1907 m. Joanna Bell Stanley
David Thomas b. 26 Jun 1831 OH d. 11 Apr 1832

There were 30 'Thomas' heads of household in Chester County PA on the 1800 census, nine with a male child between the age of 10 and 15. Family tradition says the Thomas family was of Welsh origin. Was Jesse born in PA or did he immigrate as a child or young adult? Was Jesse's family Quaker? Or did Jesse join the faith upon his marriage to Rebecah?

As is typical, more questions than answers.

And the answers are out there ...... somewhere.

Monday, November 27, 2017

Brick Wall Ancestor | #7 David M Whitford

Courtesy FamilySearch

The couple's first four children were born in Medina Co, Ohio, where David was a prominent lawyer.

In 1837 David bought 80 acres of government land in Hillsdale Co, Michigan and removed with his family to settle new territory. He brought with him a substantial sum of money to help until he could get himself established in the new state.

Courtesy BLM/GLO

Their next seven children were all born in Michigan.

In 1849 the family, or some of it, was residing in Niles, Berrien Co, MI. David (incorrectly noted as E.M) and Elizabeth (Betsey) are witnesses to their daughter Jane's wedding.

Courtesy FamilySearch

Things took a very bad turn for the family around 1850 when Betsey and two of the daughters were living in a poor house in Ottawa, LaSalle Co, Illinois while David and two sons were living with the family of Nathan Lease (Betsey's brother) in Richland Co, Illinois, over 200 miles away.

The thirteenth and final child of the couple was born in Alton, Illinois in 1852.

This was where the trail ended for quite some time. I wasn't even sure I had the right family, as broken as it was, in 1850.

Then one day, for some unknown reason, by some unknown hand, I was guided to a sketch in a history book. My mind was literally blown. (This is where collateral research pays off BIG TIME) The sketch was on Dr H K Whitford, David and Betsey's first born child. What blew me away ....... the book was on Kane Co, Illinois history. I live in Kane Co. Not only that, Dr Whitford was a very prominent man in a certain city named Elgin, in Kane Co, IL. Guess where I live? Yes, yes indeed. All this time and quite literally just down the street, lay some of the answers I was seeking.

Courtesy Internet Archive

The sketch explained the documents I was finding and helped put some of the puzzle together. Visiting the local library, my local library, just down the street from where I have lived for the last 32 years, I dove into the microfilm and did a newspaper search. From the obituary of the youngest son I learned that David and Betsey had come to Elgin shortly after 1852!

And that's where the trail stops cold. Again.

David and Betsey are not seen on any census after 1850.

The questions remain: who are David M Whitford's parents, when did David Whitford die, and where is he buried?

GENEALOGY

David M Whitford b. about 1803 Vermont d. UNK
m. 28 Feb 1828 Medina Co, OH, Elizabeth "Betsey" Lease

children:

Dr Henry K Whitford b. 9 Feb 1829 OH d. 15 Feb 1912 IL m. (1) Mary Stevens (2) Susan K Daggett
Mary Whitford b. 1831 OH d. UNK
James H Whitford b. 27 Jan 1831 OH d. 29 Apr 1895 MN m. Maria C Luddy
Jane M Whitford b. abt 1835 OH d. 29 Feb 1888 MN m. (1) Daniel Nichols (2) Harrison Faulkner
Leonard C Whitford b. 7 Nov 1837 MI d. 26 May 1909 WA m. (1) Mary Jane Williams (2) Florence A Ledger
Jerome B Whitford b. abt 1839 MI d. Feb 1894 IL m. (1) Lucinda Phoenix (2) Ella Camon (3) Jane Ann Reynolds
Child 1 Whitford b. abt 1841 MI d. UNK
Sarah Whitford b. 14 Dec 1843 MI d. 12 Apr 1910 WA m. Richard Truax
Child 2 Whitford b. abt 1845 MI d. UNK
Rhoda L Whitford b. 7 Nov 1846 MI d. 9 Nov 1909 MN m. Josiah Brooks
Child 3 Whitford b. abt 1848 MI d. UNK
Child 4 Whitford b. abt 1850 IL d. UNK
Daniel H Whitford b. 1 Apr 1852 IL d. 17 May 1911 IL m. Ellen Catherine Gregory

The entire family disappears in 1860, some reemerge in 1870 on the federal census. There are a number of bad trees (what? no!) on Ancestrydotcom that supply a middle name and parents for David; the sources, of course, are other Family Trees.

So, there you have it. David M Whitford born about 1803 in Vermont, of Irish descent, a lawyer in Ohio, a land owner in Michigan, fell on hard times during the Panic of 1837, last reported to be living in Elgin, IL about 1855.

Too bad we can't put him on a milk carton!

©2017 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Monday, August 7, 2017

Brick Wall Ancestor | #6 John M Faulkner

Female 1 Faulkner b. about 1804
Male 1 Faulkner born about 1806
Female 2 Faulkner born about 1808
Amanda Faulkner born 1811 died 1882
Female 3 Faulkner born about 1813
Male 2 Faulkner born about 1815
Betsey Faulkner born 1816 died 1878
Male 3 Faulkner born about 1818
Female 4 Faulkner born about 1819
Ruth Faulkner born 1821 died 1899 married Ichabod Ford

I suspect Wife 1 died sometime between 1821 and 1824.

John married Catherine LNU about 1825 and had the following children, all born in Tioga Co, NY:

Samuel Faulkner born 1826 died 1859
Isabella Faulkner born 1830 married Jobe Vandemark
Adam Faulkner born 1832
Andrew Jackson Faulkner born 1836 died 1871 married Elizabeth LNU
Nelson Faulkner born about 1839 died 1909 married Martha Shaw

John M Faulkner died November 18, 1861 in Tioga Co, NY and is buried in Hope Cemetery. John is buried near Amanda & Betsey Faulkner and Ruth Faulkner Ford.

Catherine Faulkner is last seen on the 1875 New York State census living with son Nelson and daughter-in-law Martha. In 1880 Nelson and Martha are in Pennsylvania, and Catherine is no longer in their household.

End of story? I hope not - but that's all I know to date. Here's to discovering more!

©2017 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Brick Wall Ancestor | #5 Stephen Colfer

Brick Wall Ancestor | #5 Stephen Colfer

Maybe not so much a Brick Wall as a Missing Person, this one will be short and sweet. Stephen seemed to appear briefly as a grown man and then disappear. His name doesn't help - at least it's not John Smith - but an Irishman named Stephen Colfer? A dime a dozen!

What I know:

Stephen Colfer was born about 1840 in Wexford County, Ireland. His parents were John Colfer* and Margaret Walsh.

Stephen married Catherine (aka Mary, aka Jane) O'Brien on August 10th 1859 in Ontario County, Ontario, Canada.

See below for expanded view

Groom - Residence - Birth Place - Father - Mother - Bride - Bride Residence

Birth Place - Father - Mother - Residence - Marriage Date

The couple had four children born in Canada, then about 1868 the family immigrated to Evanston, IL where their last two children were born.

Stephen shows up on only ONE census - 1870. Evanston City Directories did not begin until 1880 - so no help there!

In 1876 Stephen's wife left him and the children and moved to Chicago. They never divorced. Catherine (aka Mary, aka Jane) married again, a man named William Walking. When Catherine returned to Evanston in 1878 to try to get her children, Stephen discovered what had happened and filed charges against his estranged wife.

I have not discovered the outcome of the Criminal Court case yet. That might hold some clues.

Stephen was in Evanston as late as 1878 when he filed the warrants, but he is not on the 1880 census.

Most of the children were on the 1880 census, the girls working as domestic servants, the boys were boarders working labor jobs. So, not living with either their father or their mother. They were mostly all under the age of 15.

Catherine (aka Mary, aka Jane) went on to have three more children with her 'husband' William Walking. I have not found a divorce record for her and Stephen.

Stephen Colfer, it seems, disappeared into the night, never to be seen again.

So many questions! Did he go back to Canada? Ireland? Get remarried and have a second family? Die? When did he even immigrate to Canada? As a child? Adult? With family? Alone?

There is a Stephen Colfer who is registered to vote in Chicago in 1890. The record states that this Stephen had only been in Illinois 10 years, 'our' Stephen would have been in Illinois 20 years by this time. Still, something to look into further, perhaps.

Genealogy:

Stephen Colfer b. abt 1840 Wexford County, Ireland d. UNK

m. 10 Aug 1859 Catherine (aka Mary, aka Jane) O'Brien Ontario, Canada

children:

Genevieve "Jennie" Colfer b. 9 Nov 1862 Canada d. 21 Jul 1948 Chicago IL m. James Bixler
John Colfer b. abt 1863 Canada d. aft 1910
Ellen "Nellie" Colfer b. Jan 1865 Canada d. 15 Sep 1940 Chicago IL m. John McCabe
Thomas Colfer b. Jan 1868 Canada d. 24 Oct 1943 Chicago IL m. Mary Ann Nally
James Colfer b. 1869 Evanston IL d. 24 Mar 1934 Chicago IL
Mary Colfer b. abt 1872 Evanston IL d. aft 1930 m. William Raftree

*John Colfer, Stephen's father, is found on several Irish records available on Ancestry and Findmypast. I believe I found him on Griffith's Valuation and in some Parish records for Wexford County. Irish research is new to me, I may learn more as I dig deeper.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Brick Wall Ancestor | #3 Ruhama (Price) or (Leonard) Bass

Nathan Bass marries Roema Leonard

Rewhamy Price marries James Reeves

Ancestry warns: "Finding the Original Marriage Record Unfortunately, Liahona Research did not indicate which sources were used in this process, nor did they provide citations for the origin of each entry. However, careful researchers who wish to examine the original source will find sufficient information to lead them to that source. Most early American marriages were recorded by the county (except in the northeastern states) and this collection provides the county for virtually every marriage. Original microfilms can be obtained from the Family History Library."

ARGH!!

I can not find the corresponding records on FamilySearch, I've combed over the wiki, I must be missing something. I posted my query to the RAOGK facebook page, meanwhile busying myself with some wheel-spinning .....

Breaking a cardinal rule of mine I checked other people's online trees.

Well, there's a laugh. Or a cry.

Some say her name is Ruhama Leonard Price (or Ruhama Price Leonard), other's have Nathan marrying Rowena Leonard AND Ruhama (or Ruhanna) Price. The people in the Price camp declare Stephen Price and Hannah Chandler her parents. I have no idea where that came from .... (Sources? What sources!? Oh, right, OPPT**!! Of course! That and 'Family Data' collections - those are my favorite ....) **other people's public trees

No help. I knew it wouldn't be, but I looked anyway .....

OK. Next step. Check the census records.

Let's look at Green Co, KY. First census available in 1810.

Nathan(ial) Bass is listed in Barren Co (shares a border with Green) with 7 children under 10 years old, 3 boys and 4 girls.* And next door? William Leonard. Huh.

For grins I checked James Reeves. He's in Green Co. His neighbors? John Price and Horatio Chandler. Hmm.

The Bass Children include:

Elizabeth R. b. 10/17/1797 (KY) d. 2/16/1862 (KY) m. Wm. Hind 3/20/1817 (KY)
Sally W. b. 8/8/1799 (KY) d. 2/27/1819 (KY) m. John Hind 12/19/1817 (KY)
William Leonard b. 1/8/1802 (KY) d. 3/16/1885 (IA) m. Margaret Roberts 7/3/1824 (KY)
Josiah L. b. 11/10/1803 (KY) d. 3/28/1884 (IN) m. Elizabeth Robinson 3/13/1829 (KY)
Susan W. b. 11/16/1805 (KY) d. 5/22/1843 (IN) m. Nathaniel Owens 5/31/1827 (IN)
Charity C. b. 12/2/1807 (KY) d. 1/5/1836 (IN) m. Obidiah Simms 10/14/1828 (IN)
David G. b. 11/20/1809 (KY) d. 1/25/1877 (MI) m. Sally Jones 9/29/1831 (IN)
Jonathan I. b. 2/29/1812 (KY) d. 4/14/1874 (IN) m. (1) Emily Hall 11/23/1837 (IN) (2) Louisa Dritt (widow)
N. Woodford b. 6/18/1814 (KY) d. 10/18/1888 (KS) m. Mary Ann Sears 8/21/1842 (IL)
A. Jackson b. 2/1/1817 (KY) d. 10/18/1891 (KY) m. Nancy LNU 3/12/1843 (KY)
Thomas W. b. 7/29/1819 (KY) d. 2/18/1895 (IN) m. Mary Jane Crane 2/16/1845 (IN)

*this lists matches the 1810 census

Timeline for Ruhama Bass is as follows:

1777 - Birth. September 7th. New Jersey, somewhere. Maybe.
1796 - Marriage in Green Co, Kentucky. Well, Kentucky.
1800 - Residence in Green Co, KY as documented on tax lists and census substitutes
1810 - Residence in Barren Co, KY as documented on US Federal census
1820 - Residence in Barren Co, KY as documented on US Federal census
1830 - Residence in Bartholomew Co, IN as documented on US Federal census
1840 - Residence in Bartholomew Co, IN as documented on US Federal census
1849 - Husband Nathan Bass died. September 7th. Buried in Boone Co, KY at the Salem
Predestinarian Baptist Church cemetery. Daughter Elizabeth is buried there
as well.
1850 - Residence in Pleasant Co, IN (in household of son David) as documented on US
Federal census. New Jersey birth confirmed.
1853 - Death. October 21st. Buried in Bartholomew Co, IN at the Flatrock Baptist
cemetery. Two daughters (Susan and Charity) are buried there as well.

photo by Cris West - Find A Grave

Thanks to 21st century technology (internet!) I was able to find Ruhama's grave - pay no attention to the Find A Grave notation ... it's conjecture at this point. But the grave stone is real and the death date lines up with my grandmother's research. (note: I contacted the man who maintains the memorial and requested info on where he obtained her maiden name and the other 'bio' notes - he has not responded)

As I was finishing typing this up I got a reply to my facebook post.

Whoo boy! Guess I just didn't know where to look.

Wm and Sarrah Leonard give Roema permission to marry Nathaniel Bass

Marriage license issued to Nathan Bass and Roema Leonard 12/22/1796

Marriage intent between James Reeves and Rewhamy Prise

Marriage license issued to James Reeves and Rewhamy Prise 12/16/1796

Okey dokey. All righty then.

Now what?

Where exactly did that Price name come from? And how did Ruhama's name go from Roema to Ruhama? Did Roema Leonard Bass die and Nathan married Ruhama Price, perhaps a widow?

Oh the questions, the questions .....

One document does not a proof make, but it is a start ........

+++Just to throw more 'wood on the fire' - there is also a marriage bond for a Nancy Bass signed by her father Josiah on December 27th 1796........

.......... to be continued ..........

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Brick Wall Ancestor | #2 Margaret "Peggy" Roberts Bass

Margaret and William had at least ten children. There may have been more. If they were the couple that married in 1823 I would suspect there was a child or two born before their oldest known child was born in 1827.

The children:

Robert b. 1827 Kentucky or Indiana
Nathan J b. 1829 Kentucky or Indiana
Elizabeth J b. 1831 Indiana
Wm Marion b. 1833 Indiana
Eliza Ann b. 1836 Indiana
Thomas b. 1838 Indiana
Male UNK b. 1838/9 Indiana *counted on the 1840 census, not seen again
Ruhama F b. 1840 Indiana
Andrew Jackson b. 1842 Indiana
Woodford M b. 1844 Iowa

William's obituary speaks of eight children. Not named. Perhaps two died in infancy? "Obituary published in The Gospel Messenger, April 14, 1885, page 239 BASS.—In Middle Creek church, Iowa, Mar. 18, of old age, Bro. Wm. L. Bass, aged 83 years, 2 months and 10 days. Bro. Bass was born in Barren Co., Kentucky, moved to Iowa in 1843, lived in Mahaska county ever since. He was a consistent member of the Brethren church for many years. He leaves eight children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren to mourn his departure. His companion preceded him about sixteen months. He had been very feeble for years and longed to die, being tired of life. Services by Bro. S. P. Miller assisted by J. Gable, from Heb. 4:9. Jestina Pfoutz."

Margaret Roberts Bass and her husband William L Bass are buried in the Wymore Cemetery in Mahaska county, Iowa. There are several children and grandchildren buried there as well.

.......... to be continued ..........

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Brick Wall Ancestor | #1 Sarah Kniffin Vredenburgh

Sarah Kniffin Vredenburgh was a preacher's wife, and as such was called upon to travel. After her second child was born the young family uprooted and headed for the wilderness of the Indiana Territory where Hackaliah was assigned as an itinerant Methodist minister. From one memoir written of that time: "Most of Bro. Vredenburg’s itinerant life was spent in the Valley of the Wabash. From its mouth almost to its source he preached, organizing new societies and circuits, carrying the Gospel messages to the scattering settlements, and enduring all the exposures and privations of pioneer life. In one of his charges no house could be had to shelter his wife and children while he traveled his circuit of three or four hundred miles round. Rather than leave his work, he took possession of a deserted log stable, and fitting it up with his own hands made that the parsonage for the year. At other times he was compelled on his rest days to cultivate a small piece of ground to supply his family with food, the pittance received from the people being barely sufficient to furnish them with clothing." Wow.

In all Sarah would give birth to 3 daughters and 5 sons. In the wilderness. In a log stable. Dang.

The children were:

Mary b. 1812 New York
Caleb b. 1815 New York
Rhoda Ann b. 1818 Indiana
Samuel Hamilton b. 1829 Indiana
Lucy Jane b. 1823 Indiana
Jesse D b. 1832 Indiana
John C b. 1835 Indiana
Unnamed Male b. UNK

Between 1850 and 1860 Sarah and Hackaliah removed to Danville, Illinois. Hackaliah died in 1869, Sarah followed a year later. The couple's final resting place is the Spring Hill Cemetery in Danville.

Happily (maybe) I am a direct female descendant of Sarah. Which means my mtDNA is her mtDNA. I took the test in January. My haplogroup is U2e1d. Which means Sarah's haplogroup is U2e1d. Which means maybe, just maybe, we can start to chink away at this wall .....

...........to be continued...........

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Brick Wall Ancestor | #4 Jane "Jennie" M Whitford Nichols Faulkner

Brick Wall Ancestor | #4 Jane "Jennie" M Whitford Nichols Faulkner

Jennie hid her secret from me for quite a while. Maybe she hid it from everyone? Maybe she has more that I don't know about yet!

Jennie M Whitford is my 2nd great grandmother. She married my 2nd great grandfather Harrison "Harry" Faulkner and had 3 sons with him. The middle son is my great grandfather Dr. L A Faulkner.

But Jennie is quite the mystery woman! Here's what I know.....

Jennie (Whitford) married Harrison Faulkner in Grass Lake MI on May 1st, 1856. She was 21 and Harry was 27, according to the (very difficult to read) marriage book. Witnesses were Henry B Halbert and Mrs Mary Jane ---- (?) I found Henry - he was married to an Elizabeth not a Mary, so not husband and wife - perhaps friends of the couple.

Harry had lived in Grass Lake since 1834, I don't have any idea where Jennie came from!

By 1859 the couple was living in Faribault, MN. Their first son, Arthur, was born there in February of that year.

The 1860 census shows the young family - here's a screenshot of the record - the census was broken up onto two pages. Says Jennie was born in Ohio. Good to know. But who are James Nichols and Sarah Woodford?

Like you, my first thought was Woodford/Whitford - Sarah could be Jennie's sister! Viewing Sarah's entry, it states that she was born in Michigan - which could explain how Jennie ended up in Grass Lake. But who the heck was James Nichols? (Also born in Michigan?) A step brother? A nephew?

Looking at the 1870 census Jennie is listed as being born in Michigan (!) and neither Sarah nor James are in the household anymore. The other two sons, Lloyd and Louis are there, having been born in the decade between 1860 and 1870.

A quick search for a Sarah Woodford/Whitford brought no promising results - oh sure, there was a good rabbit hole or two, but in the end nothing conclusive. Putting a pin in Sarah, I briefly moved on to James with similar results.

So, relegating the two to the back burner for the time being, I moved ahead with Jennie. (Work with what you know first!)

The 1880 census brought a surprise! Jennie and Harry had gotten a divorce! And, Jennie was back to being born in Ohio. An additional promising clue, her father was born in Vermont, her mother in New York. FNU Whitford born Vermont c 1800 might bring a few hints ...... another pin to revisit later.

Moving forward was relatively simple. Jennie lived for a time in Chicago (Chicago City Directories 1884-1885) with her son while he attended medical school, then after his graduation in 1884, returned to St Paul MN where she remained until her death in 1888.

The Dalby Database lists a notation for her obituary: "FAULKNER - JENNIE M. MRS - FARIBAULT REPUBLICAN - 29/FEB/1888 - DIED, IN ST. PAUL, FEB. 29TH, AGED 53 YEARS. THE REMAINS WILL BE BROUGHT TO FARIBAULT THURSDAY MORNING FOR BURIAL" I have not been able to find where she is buried and strongly suspect cremation, ashes unknown.

OK. So Jennie Whitford appeared in Michigan in 1856 and died in Minnesota in 1888. Where was she before 1856? Ohio? How did she get to Michigan? Who were her parents? Where was she actually born?

Curious, one year she was listed as Jane, not Jennie. The 1886 St Paul MN directory listed her at 70 Douglas with her sons Lloyd and Louis (no, not a widow - polite way of treating divorced women in the 19th century) A new clue!

On FamilySearch I punched in "Jane Whitford" + Michigan and look what I found!

Our girl Jennie had married Daniel Nichols in 1849. She was 16 and he was 23! Nichols! NICHOLS! Whoa, okay this might lead somewhere. E M Whitford and Elizabeth Whitford were witnesses - parents of Jennie, perhaps? Or siblings? Certainly relatives of some sort. They were from Niles, Berrien Co, MI which is about 130 miles southwest of Grass Lake. Time for more digging!

The 1850 census showed nothing for an E M Whitford (wildcard search) born in Vermont. Dropping the E and M also returned nothing. Likewise for Elizabeth (1850! Women are searchable!)

Argh!

But Jane and Daniel ARE on the census - living with a girl named Mary Woodford age 19. Sister? Seems very likely. Just the three of them, which would make sense if the 10 year old James Nichols living in Jennie's household in 1860 was her son by her first marriage! Jennie would have been very close to giving birth, perhaps Mary was there to help with the preparations.

That's the 'secret'. Jennie had been married previously. At the age of 16! And the other 'secret'? TWICE divorced. Oh, wait, you don't know that yet.......

While I did not find an actual divorce record for Jane and Daniel, I did find Daniel getting married on the 7th of November 1856 (same year as Jennie and Harry's marriage) in Branch, MI. He married Minerva Shook and went on to have six children with her. His family is easily traceable.

As for James Nichols, he bounced around, working as a farm hand here and there until he married Addie Blackburn in 1882; settling in Rice Co, MN, not far from his mother. He remained in farming and raised three children with his wife. Jennie's grandchildren unfortunately were all born after her death.

Results from more digging, that I'm not going into here (if you're really interested contact me ~ mostly checking family trees, doing sideways research and comparing DNA results .... oh, and a lot of rabbit holes!) I discovered who I suspect are more siblings of Jennie's - three sisters and four brothers. There is speculation (family trees - some with DNA confirmation) as to the parents, but nothing that I have been able to confirm with documentation. But you have DNA you say. Yup. And we are all certainly related in some way, but the folks who match with the DNA all have used Online Family Trees as their source to prove parentage - not actual documents. What does the Magic 8 Ball say? Probably "signs point to yes", but I'm not relying on the old 8 Ball to prove my genealogy.

I'm going to label this Brick Wall as soft, perhaps a crumbling Brick Wall?

And the most sweetly ironic part? The writing of this brought me to my very own front door in a 'seven degrees of separation' kind of way. It was from a random post that caught my eye just today on a DNA match, citing a sketch for a prominent Elgin, IL doctor. Possibly Jane "Jennie"'s brother. Possibly. And where do I live? Why, Elgin, of course! Most of the tree is sourced with other Public Trees, but I'm feeling kinda excited about the discovery - coincidence? Not sure I believe in such a thing. More like ancestors pointing the way ......

This search is not over!

Here is the genealogy as I have come to know it thus far:

Jane "Jennie" M Whitford b. say 1835 Ohio
d. 29 Feb 1888 Minnesota
m. (1) Daniel Nichols (2) Harrison Faulkner

children (all marriages):

James H Nichols b. Aug 1850 d. UNK m. Addie Blackburn (3 issue)
Arthur Edward Faulkner b. Feb 1859 d. 21 Aug 1823 m. Ellen Lumley (no issue)
Lloyd Anson Faulkner b. 30 Sep 1862 d. 18 Dec 1933 m. Anna O'Connell (5 issue)
Louis Nelson Faulkner b. say 1864 d. 31 Aug 1920 (never married)

siblings: (presumed, not proved)

Henry K Whitford MD b. 9 Feb 1829 Medina, Ohio d. 15 Feb 1912 Kane, Illinois
Mary Whitford b. say 1831 Ohio d. UNK (possible twin)
James H Whitford b. 27 Jan 1831 Ohio d. 29 Apr 1895 Minnesota (possible twin)
Leonard C Whitford b. 7 Nov 1837 Michigan d. 26 May 1909 Washington
Jerome B Whitford b. say 1839 Michigan d. UNK
Sarah Whitford b. 14 Dec 1843 Michigan d. 12 Apr 1910 Washington
Rhoda L Whitford b. 7 Nov 1846 Michigan d. 9 Nov 1909 Minnesota
Daniel H Whitford MD b. say 1852 Illinois d. UNK

Of interesting note: Dr Henry K Whitford was a professor at Bennett College of Medicine in Chicago at the very same time Jennie's son Lloyd was attending school there. Did Lloyd go to Bennett because his uncle was a professor there? Curious.

Suspected parents of the the Whitford clan are David M Whitford and Elizabeth Lease. IF these are the correct parents they are last found in LaSalle County, Illinois in 1850. Elizabeth is in a Poor House and David is working his brother-in-law's farm. According to this sketch the family had fallen on very hard times. The trail goes cold after 1850. Well, before that too. I can't prove that this all fits together. It's the most logical explanation I have come up with to date.

I am reminded of the notation on Jane's marriage to Daniel, however, witnesses were E M Whitford and Elizabeth Whitford. Could E M be a woman? Her sister Mary perhaps?

Always more questions than answers!

If any of this rings true to you please contact me and let's figure it out!

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