Notes From My Grandmother | Twining Lineage and Genealogy, Part Eight

Somehow, much of my grandmother's hand written and (badly) typed notes and research wound up in my possession. Traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago again. It sat, in the dark of my mother's closet, until my dad passed and my mom decided to begin her great purge. Knowing I had picked up the torch, the next generation to pursue the Greatest Hobby on Earth, the papers came to live with me. Unsure for many years on just what to do with them, I have decided to bring them out and share them with you - transcribed, of course - no one can read my grandmother's handwriting! But in her own words; mistakes, rambling sentences, and all. I think she will be pleased her work and her writing are once again out in the light!

The Twining Papers

The Twinings held a special fascination for my Grandmother. Her middle name was Twining. Her mother was a Twining. She drank Twining's tea, as did the rest of our family. I'm unclear as to the link between our family and the Twining's Tea Company, however. Our Twining ancestor came to the 'New World' c.1640 and has been recorded in the small book Genealogy of the Twining family : descendants of William Twining, Sr, who came from Wales or England.

Of all the research I inherited, the Twining collection is by far the most expansive. My grandmother wrote 'stories' and typed up other little sketches on them. I will present them to you here, as written by her.


Twining Story, cont.

Edward Wolcott Twining, son of Lewis and Jennett, b. 1814 Tolland, MA, d. 1897 Corning, IA. Edward's second wife, Priscilla B Ashby was the mother of  Jessie Lewis. The family was living in Washington, IA (1850). Edward took a literary course at Ohio University and a theological course at Lane Seminary. The later during Lyman Beecher's time. Edward's sister Mrs. Rose raised him after the death of his parents. He entered [the] Methodist ministry in 1840 in Iowa where [he] continued for forty years. He came west in a covered wagon; by boat up the Ohio river. 

More about EDWARD WOLCOTT TWINING:

He was an itinerant Methodist minister. His people came from Cape Cod, MA. They came to the state of Ohio. His sister Almira and husband Rev. Rose raised him after his parents' deaths. Edward married Adeline Weed and while he was in Tipton (now Iowa City) IA she died. A year and a half [later] he married again (Priscilla B Ashby) he and second wife moved to Des Moines, IA before it was the county seat. Fort Des Moines was (is) at the fork of the rivers, Des Moines and Mississippi. There were soldiers stationed there to protect the people from the Indians. The town was along the river. In later years Bess and Nett [granddaughters] used to visit their grandparents from their home in Corning, IA. They used to see covered wagons coming across the prairie while they were at play. The single seated buggies in those days had seats underneath for children.

Edward Wolcott, at the 'express' age of 84 died in his home in Corning, IA. He was born in Tolland, MA October 5, 1814 and in 1815 came to Granville, OH, where he lived until he was 12 years old. After boyhood education he attended Ohio University and theological courses at Lane Seminary during Lyman Beecher's connection with that institution. In spring of 1847 he came to Muscatine, IA where he engaged in teaching. He commenced his career as Methodist itinerant (Richmond Circuit) January 3, 1848; ordination as Deacon at hands of Bishop Morris at the Iowa conference. Edward was married in 1849 was sent to Washington, IA. He was ordained 1850 elder by Bishop Hamiline (August). His lists of appointments included - 1850-53 Marion and Cedar Rapids - 1853-54 Iowa City - 1854-56 Des Moines - 1856-57, supernumerary; 1857-61 presiding elder of Muscatine district - 1861-63 Lexington circuit, 1863-65 Muscatine circuit. He then retired [and] moved to Corning, IA where he lived the rest of his life. He was associated with the location and founding of Corning College at Mt Vernon and personally secured the 'first noble teacher'. He was a great and inspirational leader and a friend of all. His interest in the missions never lagged. 

[As] a wedding fee Rev. E. W. Twining was given a portrait - written in longhand the 'Emancipation Proclamation' forming the head and shoulders of Abraham Lincoln. This was executed by an instructor of penmanship.

Two weddings were documented in a account book:

 Married 1869:

Anthony A Geoss to Martha I Talbot
March 28, 1869

Calvin Folier to Lucinda DeLeonce
March 24, 1869


GENEALOGY

Edward Wolcott Twining b. 10/5/1814
                                         d. 5/24/1897
                                         m. 2/3/1840 to Adeline Weed (1st)
                                                                  b. UNK d. 1/3/1848
                                         m. 8/28/1849 to Priscilla B Ashby (2nd)
                                                       daughter of Jesse Ashby and Elizabeth Hays Wilson
                                                                  b. 7/18/1817
                                                                  d. 9/2/1911


children:

(with Adeline)

Jennett died in infancy
Almira died in infancy
Fenimore died in infancy
Edward T (M.D.) b. 8/5/1844 d. 1/17/1929 m. to Florence Conger (1) S L (2) Drucilla Merrill (3)
Lauriston b. 6/7/1845 d. 5/31/1895 m. to Laura Botkin


(with Priscilla)

Jesse Lewis b. 8/5/1850 d. 4/7/1933 m. 10/25/1876 to Flora Dell Rowley

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

***editor's note: this is a transcript of research completed in 1982 based on information available at that time. I have not yet researched this family further, but suspect there is more information/clarification available to us today. I will follow up at a future date with fresh data. ***

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

©1980-82 Elizabeth Twining Potwin Thomas - private collection

Priscilla B Ashby Twining: Frontier Preacher's Wife and Nonagenarian (52 Ancestors #17)

Priscilla B Ashby Twining,  "Prissy", my third great grandmother, was born July 18, 1817. It is said that her father, Jesse Ashby, owned a plantation in the Cheat River area of what is now Preston County, West Virginia. Priscilla was the third of six children.

When Priscilla was 17 her family removed to Perry County, Ohio where her father rented a farm for several years. Dissatisfied with the country, in 1839 the family again packed up all their belongings and headed West to the newly incorporated Iowa Territory.

Conestoga or Pennsylvania Wagon 

It is told that in October of 1839 the family was loaded into an old Pennsylvania wagon with a four horse team along with ten milch cows for a 40 day journey through the wilderness. Priscilla was 22 at the time, her youngest brother was merely 4. Upon arrival in what is now Washington County the family overwintered in an old log cabin. There were but a few settlers squatting on the prairies of the new Territory when the Ashby's arrived.

Memories written by Priscilla's granddaughter include tales of the family fording the Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa.  Priscilla and her father traveling to Baltimore, Ohio to stock up on provisions such as flour, salt, etc. And Priscilla's recollection of looking out over the prairie as they crossed the Mississippi, seeing the tall grass meadow swaying in the breeze with orange colored flowers and wild roses, exclaiming "this must be the promised land".

The following spring Priscilla's father Jesse purchased 320 acres of newly acquired Government Land and proceeded to build a "fine farm".

Life in their new home was extremely difficult. Not only did they have to build virtually everything they needed themselves, they had to figure out food sources, fuel sources, medicinal sources. They were pioneers, others had not gone before them. The Native Americans were hostile, having just lost the Black Hawk War and neighbors were few and far between. [A really good Iowa History article can be found here.] 

In the 1840's the Methodist church began sending out circuit riders to travel through the settled portion of the state. It was one of those itinerant ministers, the Rev. E. W. Twining, that rode into town and won Priscilla's heart. Rev. Twining was a new widower with 6 very young children to care for. Priscilla had lots of experience caring for her younger siblings. It was a good fit.

On August 28, 1849, at the age of 32, Priscilla married Edward Wolcott Twining and began her life as a preacher's wife, and mother of 6!! I imagine her family was quite pleased that their spinster daughter finally found a husband!

In Iowa in the 1840's and 50's there was quite a lot of danger and disease. Scarlet Fever and Malaria were common killers, as were the frequent prairie fires that swept across the plains. Rev. Twining's first wife died, presumably of a fatal illness but it could also have been from childbirth, another frequent killer.

First Log Cabin at Fort Des Moines

The new family moved to Des Moines, Iowa soon after their marriage. Rev. Twining was assigned to minister to the people living around  Fort Des Moines, situated at the fork of the Mississippi and the Des Moines Rivers.  Priscilla recalled to her granddaughter the sight of soldiers stationed around the fort to protect the inhabitants from Indian attacks. It was here that Priscilla witnessed a great War Dance participated in by about 500 Indians on the "commons" where the Polk County Courthouse now stands. Could this have been a precursor to the Dakota Uprising?

One son was born to the couple, Jesse Twining, from whom I am descended. Twenty two days after Jesse's birth Priscilla's mother lost her life. She had been ill since the family moved to Ohio, it was the hope that in moving farther West she would regain her health. It was not to be so.

For the next twenty years the family moved around Iowa, as was the life of an itinerant preacher, but returned several times to Des Moines for extended periods.

In 1876, when advanced age made it necessary for Rev. Twining to retire from active duties in the ministry, the Twining's moved to the "City", Corning, Iowa, where they made their home with their son Jesse.

The couple enjoyed twenty more years together in their "retirement" age, helping their son Jesse and daughter in law Flora rear their four children. They were active members of the community and well liked by all.

In 1897 Priscilla lost her husband, he was 82.

Corning Iowa c1900

Sometime after 1900 the household welcomed another resident. Flora Twining's father, the Rev. Father Rowley. Several newspaper articles were written at the time about the unusual coincidence of the the two old folks, they shared the same birthday. Priscilla was one year Father Rowley's senior and for several years the local paper did a birthday story on the two on the anniversary of their birth.

Priscilla left this world on September 2, 1911 at the age of 94. Her obituary called her "one of those delightful characters to know and to love, she made many friends in Corning during her long residence here".

Priscilla is buried next to her husband in the Walnut Grove Cemetery in Corning Iowa.



©2015 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved

Hackaliah Vredenburg: Brick Wall Ancestor

I've decided to finally undertake my grandmother's biggest Brick Wall, my 4th great grandfather the Reverend Hackaliah Vredenburg. Here is all I have found so far:

 Memoirs. Rev. Hackaliah Vredenburg. 

 "Rev. Hackaliah Vredenburgh was born in Westchester county, N. Y., May 10, 1790, and died at the residence of his son-in-law, Rev. Rowley, in Wisconsin, January 23, 1869.

 In 1817 he settled at Terre Haute, Ind. In 1830 he united with the Missouri Conference. His first appointment was Okaw Circuit. In 1821 the Illinois Conference was formed, Bro. Vredenburg being one of the original thirty-two members, of who two only are now left, the venerable Peter Cartwright, of Illinois, and Aaron Wood, of Indiana. He was returned the second year to Vermillion: in 1825 his appointment was Crawfordsville, and the next fall he was granted a location. In 1831 he was re-admitted into the Illinois Conference and appointed to Logansport mission. The next year the Indiana Conference was formed, and his field of labor being within its bounds, he became a member of it, and continued identified with the conferences of Indiana until his death. In 1832 he was appointed to Washington Circuit, 1833 to Lafayette, 1834 and 5, to Pine Creek, 1836 to Monticello Mission, 1837 to Dayton, 1838 and 9 to Greencastle. In 1840 he received a superannuated relation, which he retained until death with the exception of one year, 1851, when he traveled in Prairieville Circuit.

 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. But amid all these privations and dangers this faithful minister was always at his post, rarely missing an appointment and never deserting his trust.

 He was much attached to Vermillion county. One of the first, if not the very first to carry the Gospel there, for he preached at Butler’s Point as early as 1823, when failing health hoping there to spend the remainder of his days. But as age and increasing infirmities came upon him he was compelled to break up housekeeping and spend his time with his children. His sight had become dim and his body exceedingly feeble, yet his mind was clear and strong, and the memory of the incidents and labors of his itinerant life unimpaired. On the day before he died he was attacked with a severe pain in the chest which continued about thirty-six hours, when death released him from his sufferings. When told by his physician that he could live but a little while and that he had better prepare to die, he replied. “I have been doing so all my life.” His aged companion, who shared with him the privations and toils of the itinerancy for near fifty years, still survives."

 Source: Memoirs. Rev. Hackaliah Vredenburg. Methodist Episcopal Church. Minutes. North Western Indiana Conference. 1869. 18th. P. 32.

 This should be an interesting ride!


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