SURNAME SATURDAY ~ LUNSFORD–Basil Lunsford & Mahala Taylor’s children– Locating the correct person and adding another child–Here’s what I found

According to Legacy I have 179 people who carry the surname LUNSFORD.  This is a direct line for me.  Nancy Delilah Lunsford (1819-1895), is my maternal 3rd great grandmother.  She married William Allen BOGGS (1815-1899) and they had 5 children.

The Lunsfords were a prolific family and many of them had as many as 16 children.  No surprise that I have lots of them in my database.

Today I want to concentrate on Basil Lunsford & Mahala TAYLOR who married 14 Nov 1872 in Ironton, Lawrence, Ohio.  I have 11 children born to them.  Twins Ada & Ida born 1874, Lillie O. born abt 1878, Arabelle born 1880, Charles Azra born 1882, Dennison born 1884, Pauline born 1887, Baby boy born 1888, Lorena born 1889, Chas. Emmit born 1892 and Hazel born 1894.

(Click on any image to enlarge it)

Basil & Mahala Lunsford's family - Legacy screenshot

Of those 11 children who would be my 2nd cousins 3 times removed, I have not done much research.  Only a few of them have birth and death dates and spouses and children. 

What can I find today?  I will spend an hour online and reviewing the Lawrence County Ohio History book to see what I can learn. Note – This process took me more like 2 hours.

I began with the first children I have born to this couple, Ada, who was born 11 Feb 1874 and had a twin sister, Ida.  I know a lot about her twin, Ida, but nothing about Ada. Did she live to adulthood, marry or have children?

I looked at her hints on Ancestry and located an obituary.  This is for an ADDIE Weaver, maiden name Lunsford, child of Basil & Mahala Lunsford.  Addie could certainly be a nickname for Ada, right?  The parents are correct, as is the maiden name.

TIP – As most of you know beginning your research with an obituary, if it is a complete one, can really help your research efforts.  You can find all kinds of family names and connections. 

In this case, all I had for Ada Lunsford was her date of birth, which I’d located on an Ohio birth register – see this post TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY ~ BIRTH RECORDS (twins) and others on one register page

But…..wait!  This obituary gives a birthdate for Addie as 2 Sep 1876.  The parents names are correct and the place of birth fits with the family information.  But, the birthdate conflicts with the birth record I have for the twins, Ada & Ida, born 11 Feb 1874.  Could the date in the obituary be wrong?  Would there have been two daughters with names so similar?

NOTE – we do find wrong dates on all sorts of records from birth to death to headstones.  Certainly a misprint or wrong information in an obituary is nothing new.  However, with it being the wrong month, day and year I have to investigate.

What do I find, but an 1880 census for Basil & Mahala Lunsford with their children: Twin girls, Ida & Ada, age 6 and ADDIE age 3 along with Lillie age 2 and Arabelle age 7 months. 

This means there was a 12th child born to Basil & Mahala, that I had no record of.  The obituary I’ve located would appear to be for this child, NOT Ada.

This child, Addie, did marry a John Weaver on 31 Jan 1898.  There are many online records for this couple.

Back to square one with Ada.  Let's take a look in Legacy and see if I have any previous research notes.

Yes, I do.  I review my research notes for Ada, dated 27 Oct 2017.  I appears that I had located a marriage record to a Michael G. Keller.  I had noted “is this the correct marriage for her?”  Apparently, I hadn’t followed up on that question.  Let’s investigate.

First – here is the index for the marriage record of Ada Lunsford & Michael Keller on 17 Apr 1897

Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993
Name:    Ada Lunsford
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 17 Apr 1897
Marriage Place: Lawrence, Ohio, USA
Spouse: Michael G. Keller
Film Number:    000317722

Now let’s try to find them in the 1900 census.  Found it!  Here’s Ada with her husband Mike Keller and two children.

Name:    Mike Keller
Age:    26
Birth Date:    1874
Birthplace:    Ohio, USA
Home in 1900:    Aid, Lawrence, Ohio
Sheet Number:    5
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation:    50
Family Number:    80
Race:    White
Gender:    Male
Relation to Head of House:    Head
Marital status:    Married
Spouse's Name:    Ada Keller
Marriage Year:    1897
Years Married:    3
Father's Birthplace:    Ohio, USA
Mother's Birthplace:    Ohio, USA
Occupation:    Farmer
Can Read:    Yes
Can Write:    Yes
Can Speak English:    Yes
House Owned or Rented:    Rent
Farm or House:    F
Neighbors:    View others on page
Household Members:   
Name    Age
Mike Keller     26
Ada Keller     27
Beatrice Keller       2
Bessie Keller    7/12

Now I’ll follow this family forward and make certain this is our Ada Lunsford. 

1910 census – found

1920 census – found

1930 census – found

1940 census – found (she is widowed and living with her son, Rex)

In all of the above census records (click on them to view on Ancestry), Ada is the wife of Mike Keller and her children are Beatrice, born 1899, Bessie, born Oct 1899 and Rex, born 1908.

Ada Keller is listed as the mother of Rex Keller on his World War II Draft Registration card.

Here is a screenshot of Ada Keller in the Ohio death index.  It's difficult to read this.  But, it says: Keller, Ada, Ironton, County code is 441, Volume 10817, certificate number 62973, month, day and year 10 21 4 (which indicates 21 Oct 1944)

 

And last, I have located the FindAGrave records for both Ada & her husband Mike Keller.  They are both buried in Fairview Baptist Cemetery in Wilgus, Lawrence, Ohio.  Ada’s memorial #95465460 and Mike’s memorial #95465482.

Headstone photos courtesy of Carl Murdock

In conclusion, I believe I have found the records that give an outline of Ada’s life.  It’s nice to know that both she and her twin, Ida, lived well into adulthood, married and had children.

I would very much like to see pictures of twins, Ida & Ada and others from this family. 

If you are descended from or connected to anyone mentioned in this post, please contact me.  I’d love to exchange information.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

MILITARY MONDAY ~ Sgt. Presley Lunsford - Killed in Action during the Civil War – 1864

WEDDING WEDNESDAY ~ Marriage of my 6th great grandparents–William Lunsford & Rebeckah Basye in 1745

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

WEDDING WEDNESAY ~ Finding 2 marriage records when you were only looking for one–and some TIPS

In locating the image for the marriage of Hannah ARMSTRONG and David DALLAS/DALLA, I also found the marriage record for Martin WILSON and Mary “Polly” BOGGS.

TIP:  This is yet another reminder of why we MUST look at surrounding records, whether on a census sheet, a marriage record or a probate record.  I’ve definitely learned, over the years, that this method pays off.

Case in point.  I already had a marriage date for a couple I was looking at.  In fact, I had the index for that marriage, which took place 25 Jun 1815.  As we all know, just because an image wasn’t available when you last looked, doesn't mean it's not online now.

This was the case for Hannah Armstrong & David Dallas/Dalla.  I thought I’d check on Ancestry and Family Search to see if an image of the record was now available.

 

Here’s the index I had located a few years ago.

Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993
Name:    Anna Armstrong
Gender:    Female
Marriage Date:    25 Jun 1815
Marriage Place:    Gallia, Ohio, USA
Spouse:    David Dalla
Film Number:    000317652

And, here is the record I located when I checked again on Ancestry.

(YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

On the left hand page, indicated in red, you can see the Dalla/Armstrong marriage.  I could have just downloaded it, added it to Legacy and sourced it and moved on.  BUT, I read ALL the entries on those 2 pages.  Look at the right hand side, indicated in green.

Don’t you know…..there, on the opposite page, is an entry for a Polly BOGGS marrying Martin WILSON.  Mmmmm…Boggs happens to be one of my direct lines and they were located in Ohio, Virginia & West Virginia.

I looked in my Legacy tree, and there they were.  Same as the other couple, I had found the indexed record of the marriage, but not the image.

 

Ohio, Marriages, 1803-1900
Name:    Polly Boggs
Gender:    Female
Spouse: Martin Wilson
Spouse Gender:    Male
Marriage Date:    8 Jun 1815
County:    Gallia
State:    Ohio

Here are cropped images of both those marriage records.

David Dalla & Anna Armstrong married 25 Jun 1815

Martin Wilson & Polly Boggs married 8 Jun 1815

There are a couple of lessons here.  One I already mentioned, is reviewing all adjacent records.

The other, is to look closely and read what the record says.  You’ll notice that the date that jumps out at you on both of these records is August 1815, at the end of each entry.  BUT, that’s not the marriage date, it’s the date the record was given a seal or recorded.  How easy it would be to record the wrong date.

I’m very happy to have located these images.  I always seek to view, with my own eyes, any record.  I don’t want to rely on indexing or some other transcription if I don’t have to.  Sometimes, though, it is all we have.

I hope this information has been helpful.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

HELPFUL TIPS FOR USING LEGACY

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY ~ Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark,Ohio–I've surpisingly located members of my family and my husband’s buried here

Sometimes I randomly pick what I’m going to write about and today was one of those days.  I decided to write about a cemetery, but had no idea which one.  I went to my locations list in Legacy and selected Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark, Licking, Ohio.

According to the list in Legacy, there are 5 people in my tree buried there.

What I was surprised to learn, when I looked at each of those 5 individuals, is that 3 are from my family and 2 are from my husband’s.  Those paths have not crossed before, in this manner.  What fun.

Cedar Hill Cemetery is located in Newark, Licking County, Ohio.  It’s located at 275 N. Cedar St.  Newark is located northeast of Columbus, Ohio in just about the center of the state.

Here are names from my family – all are on the maternal side.

Martin Gillen Alexander (1863-1924) and his wife Mary E. McCarty (about 1861 – 1934)  Martin is my 2nd cousin 3 times removed.

 Headstone photos courtesy of Nancy Ann Mull Buchanan,  FindAGrave volunteer

Lawrence C. Diebel, Jr. (1928-2012) – he is my maternal 2nd cousin once removed.

  Headstone photo courtesy of baack40, FindAGrave volunteer

And from my husband, Ron’s family, on his paternal side.

James Dwight Williams (about 1869-1955) and his wife Anna Rosette (1874-1945).  Anna is my husband’s 2nd cousin 3 times removed.

I have asked but not yet received permission to use their headstone photos, so here are links to their memorials.
James – #51784895 and Anna #51784635

Here’s my question for all you readers/researchers.  Have you run across your family and your spouses family buried in the same cemetery?  I suppose if everyone was from a close knit community and didn’t stray from the area, it’s quite likely.  However, in the case of my husband’s ancestors and mine, they are not normally found in the same locations.

If you are connected to anyone mentioned in this post, I’d love to hear from you.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST


A HEADSTONE LOST FOR 256 YEARS – Now Found ~ The story of 9 year old Betty Clark (1752-1761)

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY–Triplet daughters of Elijah & Rebecca Frampton - died 1827

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

THOSE DISTANT COUSINS ~ Colonel Samuel Camp Johnson, Jr. & Rachel Z. Frampton–of Lawrence County, Ohio 1800’s

Sometimes I enjoy researching and learning about my distant cousins.  In this case I was researching another line of my Frampton family, my 4th great granduncle Martin Frampton and his wife, Sarah Mann.  This couple had 12 known children from 1819 to 1841.  Sarah Jane, Barbara Ann, Mary Ann, Elizabeth Isabel, Rachel Zanetta, Martin Mann, William G., Jane, James Robert, Caroline Gertrude, Isaac Gillen and Lucinda Alice.

Today I’ll be talking about Rachel Zanetta Frampton who married Colonel Samuel Camp Johnson, Jr. on 20 Feb 1848 in Chesapeake, Lawrence, Ohio.¹

Rachel is my 1st cousin, 5 times removed.
 
According to the obituary published in the Ironton Register, 15 Oct 1885 for Col. Johnson, he was born in Durham, Connecticut on 2 Feb 1820.  He came to Lawrence County when he was a young man.  He is said to have served as County Commissioner, Representative in the Legislature and Member of the State Board of Equalization.

Ironton Register
JOHNSON, SAMUEL C. COLONEL I.R. OCT. 15, 1885
Col. Samuel C. Johnson died at the house of a farmer, 18 miles from Columbia, Tenn., where he happened to be while engaged in looking up ore lands for a Birmingham furnace company. . . . His son Fred, who had seen him 10 days before . . . Col. Johnson was born in Durham, Conn., Feb'y 2, 1820; moved to Western Reserve when a mere child, and came to this county when a young man; living in this region - - at the Rock, at Burlington, at Ironton, on Symmes Creek, in Huntington. He at times held the position of County Commissioner, Representative in the Legislature, and Member of the State Board of Equalization. He had ten brothers and sisters, nine of whom are living; one brother (Sherman) is dead. Eight were at the funeral: T. N. and F. L. Johnson of Portsmouth; Orin Johnson, of Ashland; Seliman Johnson, of St. Louis; Mrs. G. A. Knight, of Cincinnati; Mrs. Amelia Johnson, of South Point; Mrs. Turner Kemp, of Whitwell; Mrs. Eba, of Catlettsburg. But one living, Mrs. Wright, of Kingville, O., was absent from the funeral. The deceased leaves a wife and six children to suffer the grief.

NOTE:  The Ironton Register contains hundreds if not thousands of articles about the families in southern Ohio.  It is not available on any of the newspaper websites.  However, you can find some of the articles on The Lawrence Register website and also obtain assistance on the Facebook page for Lawrence Register, which is very active.

Colonel Johnson registered during the Civil War draft registration in 1863.  I don’t, however, find a record of any service. How did he come to have the title of Colonel?  Is that one of those titles that sometimes was assigned or attached to a particular person as a nickname?



In the 1860 census, Colonel Johnson was working as a Farmer.  I have not located the family, yet, in the 1870 census.  By 1880 he was a Hotel Keeper.

I do notice that in the 1860 census, there are 3 of Rachel’s family members living with her family.  Her mother, Sarah Mann Frampton, age 61, who was widowed in 1856 when her husband, Martin Frampton committed suicide by hanging.  It is said that Martin had gone blind and that may have been the cause of his despair, he was only 68 yrs. old.
 
Also living with Colonel Johnson & Rachel and five of their children were Rachel’s sister, Alice, age 20 (she later married Joseph Sylvester Stewart) and Rachel’s brother, James Robert, age 26.  James Robert is enumerated as “blind” in this 1860 census.  His occupation – broom maker.  James Robert did eventually marry and have 8 children.  I wondered if other census records would indicate he was blind?  I found that the 1900 census also indicates this condition.  He obviously didn’t let it slow him down from living his life.  Was he born blind or did he have a condition or accident that caused it?  That is subject for another blog post.

Of Rachel and Colonel Johnson’s 7 children his obituary states that 6 of them lived to adulthood.  Their first child, Lucius Martin Johnson died at age 4 yrs 9 mos. when he was run over by a 4 horse wagon, near his grandfather, Martin Frampton’s place.  This must have been very sad for his family.  His two other siblings, Frank and Jessie would have been about 3 and 1 at the time of the accident.
  
Here’s the excerpt from the Ironton Register

JOHNSON, LUCIUS MARTIN I.R. OCT. 06, 1853
Sad Accident - A little son of S. C. Johnson, of Hecla Furnace., aged about 5 years, was instantly killed last Friday, being run over by a 4 horse wagon, near the residence of his grandfather, Martin Frampton, at the Mouth of Symmes Creek . . . son of S. C. and R. Z. Johnson; aged 4y 9m 21d.

Colonel Samuel Johnson died at age 65 on 6 Oct 1885 in Columbia, Maury, Tennessee.  He was apparently on a trip to look for ore lands for a Birmingham Furnace Company.  He died at the house of a farmer. Was he taken suddenly ill?  Did he have a stroke or heart attack?  I have not been able to locate his death certificate, so I don’t know his cause of death.

You may visit the FindAGrave memorial for Colonel Samuel C. Johnson here #111492790.

According to her FindAGrave headstone, Rachel died in 1897.  She and Samuel are both buried at Woodland Cemetery, Ironton, Lawrence, Ohio.  Again, I have not death certificate or record for her.  You may visit her memorial here #111492893

Sources: 1 - Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, film number 000317716 and U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900

I will continue to research this family as the Frampton’s are a direct line for me.  If you are related to any of them, in particular this couple, I’d love to hear from you.  Leave me a comment or send me an email.  You can see my contact information at the top of my blog under the “contact me” tab, or click here.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY ~ BIRTH RECORDS (twins) and others on one register page

What is one thing we always tell others and remind ourselves?  Be sure to look at other entries on any record you find.  Whether it’s a birth, death or marriage register or census records.  You never know what else you will find.

Today I was working on my Lunsford line.  It’s an extensive line on my maternal side with LOTS of children born to many of the couples.

I noted that I had found a birth record for a set of twins born to Basil Lunsford and Mahala Taylor Lunsford.  In fact, these twin girls appear to be the first of 11 children born to this couple.  In 2011 I have recorded the index record of the birth, but no image.  I wondered if that image had since been put online. I returned to familysearch.org to look for it.

Sure enough, it had.  And not only are the twins on this page, but another Lunsford cousin is listed as well.

I’ve marked Ada & Ida in red and circled the word “twins.”  And, marked Charles in green.



For any of my fellow genealogist in Lawrence County, Ohio, there are quite a few Massie & Vermillion births on this register as well.  None of those particular Massie or Vermillion’s link to my family, but they may link to yours.

Here is the family of Basil & Mahala Lunsford as they appear in my Legacy database.

(You can click on the image to enlarge it)



This is what I like to see when I look at a family view in my database.  A robust family with lots of names and dates and other critical information like causes of death.

I know that Ida Lunsford went on to marry Dr. Charles E. Stewart and have four known children; Hobart (murdered in 1936-see link below), Charles, Mark & Thelma. She died on 15 Nov 1958.  I am not able to ascertain yet, if Ada married and to whom.  The names Ada & Ida are mixed up and cross referenced on many of the records.  I’m still working on Ada.

Do you know of any twins in you family?  If so, did they live to adulthood?  I’d love to hear about them.

If you think you have additional information about the ancestors mentioned in this post, please contact me.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

THRILLER THURSDAY - Hobart Stewart Murdered in 1936

FOLLOW UP ON HOBART B. STEWART - Murder Victim

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2017 Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HIRAM FRAMPTON ~ abt 1834-1864–Did he die in prison, in battle, or some other way?

Hiram Frampton is the son of my 4th great granduncle Isaac Frampton and his wife Jane Mann.

In trying to learn more about Hiram, I now have more questions.  Here’s what I know.

Hiram was born about 1834-1836 in Ohio (based on the 1850 and 1860 census records).  In the referenced 1860 census I find Hiram living in Ceredo, Wayne, Virginia.  He is 24 years old and the other person in the household is Clarissa Frampton, age 20 (his wife).  He is a farmer with real estate worth $21,000 and personal estate worth $970.  Those are large figures for back then.  In today’s money is equates to $572,807 for the real estate and $26,458 for the personal property.

Enumerated in the property next to Hiram and Clarissa are George W. Beams, his wife Marinda and children.  They are Clarissa’s parents & siblings.

(PLEASE CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)



I located the following information about Hiram inheriting real estate from his father, Isaac Frampton, who died in 1859.  Could this be that property?

https://wcghs.com/Old%20Newspapers/Newspapers%201923.htm
"The brick mansion, which is a land mark in Wayne county was erected in 1847 by the late Isaac Frampton, who was one of the earliest settlers in this section. Some stones composing the foundation are seventy feet long and the rock for the foundation was quarried on Gimlet Creek, named for its course, winding toward the Ohio just south of the estate.
The estate passed to Hiram Frampton, a son of Isaac, whose family was reared there, after the death of his father. Many years later, the estate was sold to a land company, which passed it to the late owner, Col. Vinson."

So, as a very young man, Hiram inherits this land and home from his father. According to some sources I have, Hiram’s brother, David Frampton, also inherited the land.
 
NOTE:  I need to get my hands/eyes on the probate record for Isaac Frampton (father of Hiram) and see who got what.

Hiram married Marinda Clarissa Beams prior to 1860.  They had two children, George, born in 1860 and Ora, born in 1864.
 
I located a headstone for Hiram Frampton at Burlington Greenlawn Cemetery, in Fayette, Lawrence, Ohio, when I was there in 2012.

The date of death on the headstone is Jul 1864 and his age is 31.  Buried close by, with a matching headstone is his brother, David Frampton.

Here are their headstones.

HIRAM FRAMPTON HEADSTONE

DAVID FRAMPTON HEADSTONE

Close ups of the headstones.  I wish I’d known about LED flashlights to read headstones back when I was there.  Now, I’ll never travel to a cemetery without one.

CLOSE UP - HIRAM FRAMPTON HEADSTONE

CLOSE UP - DAVID FRAMPTON HEADSTONE

Here is where the questions begin to arise. 

• Hiram registers for the Civil War draft in 1863. (see image 1)
• I find an H. Frampton in U.S. Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865-Confederate. (see image 2)
• Is listed as a prisoner of war with the crime of “letting the next sentry climb fence.”  No date is given on this page. (see image 3)
• Signed an oath of allegiance to the United States in September 1863, including payment of a $1,000 bond. (see image) Question:  Why did he have to pay a bond of loyalty?  (see image 4) Was this after he was in prison as a Confederate?
• Where did Hiram die?
• Why can’t I find a probate record for him if he did indeed own or partially own all the land his father left him?
• Is there no Civil War pension record because Marinda remarried and never needed the money?

IMAGE #1 - Civil War Draft Registration - Hiram Frampton

IMAGE #2 - H. FRAMPTON LISTED ON AN UNDATED PRISONER OF WAR RECORD

IMAGE #3 - Hiram Frampton on another undated military record showing his crime

IMAGE #4 - This image and the next one are pages showing that Hiram signed an oath of allegiance and paid $1,000 bond

Those are some of the questions I’m asking right now.

I do know that his wife, Marinda Clarissa, married again on 13 Jun 1866 in Wayne Co., West Virginia, to Levi M. Handley.  More on Marinda at another time.

I would welcome any ideas you might have about this.  I will continue to research this family and hopefully come across something that will finish Hiram’s story.

Oh, and one more thing.  I have checked on Chronicling America, Newspapers.com and Genealogy Bank for any obituaries or death notices for Hiram.  Nothing found.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2017   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

CIVIL WAR PENSION RECORD FOR WILLIAM LUNSFORD ~ How I began my review and some of what I found

OK, so you’ve received the pension record for your ancestor.  It might be 25 pages or 225 pages.  Now what?

You can read my post here that tells you how I ordered this record.

Since I’d never done this before, the first thing I did was read through all 174 pages.  As I did, I wrote down a couple of notes of import. One was a deposition by a woman saying she was Nancy Massie Lunsford’s sister.

I have yet to prove who Nancy Massie Lunsford’s parents are, so finding a sister’s name would be a great clue.

I also noted, during that first read through, a deposition from a man who states that he married William Lunsford’s sister in about 1870.  Another great clue.

TIP:  If you’re anything like me, you are going to be so excited to have this record that you’re first read through will be done too quickly to catch all references to family and/or events.  Don’t worry about it, just enjoy it.  You have plenty of time to go back & “really” read those pages.

It’s day two now and time to begin going through this record, again, slowly.  The documents are NOT in chronological order.  One thing I generally don’t do is create any paper for my research.  In other words, I keep records digitally.  That was true here too.  I sit at my desk where I have two monitors and do my research from there.  The nice thing about reading any document on your monitor is the ability to enlarge it.
 
I sat here with my notepad and as I came to something important in the document I wrote down the page number and what the item referred to.

Here are a few examples of what I found.  There are many more.  Remember, you can click on any image to enlarge it.

Page 14 – Nancy’s declaration that she married William under the name Nancy Massie, and that they married on 17 Sept 1836. (I don’t have a marriage record for this couple, but found a reference to them being married Sep 1836, in Ohio, on someone’s tree on Ancestry.  I made a note of that in Legacy)  Also on this page was the name of the person who married them, Jesse Corn and the location Greasy Ridge. I know of the Corn family from Lawrence County, Ohio and also the location Greasy Ridge, from the same county.

Page 14

Page 45 – A declaration by Joseph Massie, who states that he is a cousin of Nancy Massie Lunsford.  Good to know, as it may lead me to her parents & family.

Page 45

Page 59 – Declaration by Isaac Darling who is not related to either William or Nancy Lunsford.  He claims that the children of the “old woman” all testified against their father and that Bazell (son Basil Lunsford) got judgement.  The “old man” anticipated the judgement and sold off property and stock.  Also on this page this person claims that the claimant (Nancy Lunsford) is living with her sister Rebecca Ferril, until a month ago when the sister died.  Now the claimant (Nancy) lives with her son, Basil Lunsford.

Page 59

Two more pages I’ll share with you today.  These give the details of William’s death on 20 May 1887 at the Central Branch, National Home for Disabled Soldiers in Dayton, Ohio.


There is so much more in this 174 page file.  But, I think you have the general idea of the value of these pension files.  Do they all have this much information?  I expect it varies from file to file.  However, I’ve heard nothing but good things about the content of these pension files.

Have you received Civil War pension files for your ancestors?

If so, how did you record what you found in the file?  What was your step by step procedure?  Please leave your comments here on the blog or write your own blog post and leave the link to it in a comment.  I’d love to hear from you.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

AMANUENSIS MONDAY ~ The Last Will and Testament of John Lunsford 1794-1858

What does Amanuensis mean?
To put it simply, it means a “person employed to write what another dictates or copy what has been written by another.”

Today I am presenting a transcription of the Last Will and Testament of my 4th great grandfather, John Lunsford.  John was born on 5 May 1794 in Virginia and married Mary “Polly” Sackville Hudson probably prior to 1815, when their first child was born.  Together this couple had 16 known children.  I have good information on most of the 16, but some still need some work to determine death dates etc.

I wrote a previous post about these 16 children on Sibling Saturday ~ 16 Siblings – Children of John & Mary Lunsford.

My research indicates that John Lunsord lived in Lawrence County, Ohio for most of his adult life.  The earliest record I have for him, in Lawrence County is the 1820 census.  He and his family are enumerated in the various townships of Windsor, Mason and Rome.

John was engaged in agriculture, probably farming.  He was able to leave both land and money to his wife and children.

Here are the five pages from his last will & testament.

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

HERE IS MY TRANSCRIPTION OF JOHN’S PROBATE RECORD

The Last Will of John Lunsford dec

See Journal No. 2 Folio 155, where the following entry occurs.

Court of Probate of Lawrence County Ohio held at this Courthouse in Ironton on the 17th day of April A.D. 1858

                                     In the matter of the Estate

                                     of                                                                               Proof of Will

                                     John Lunsford deceased

                                                                                                     The last will and testament of John Lunsford late of said County deceased was this day presented in the Court, by the Executor in the will named and thereupon appeared also in open Court Sanders Russell and John Waugh the subscribing Witnesses to said will and on oath testify to the due execution of the same, which testimony was reduced to writing and filed with said will, and it appearing to said Court by said testimony that said Will was duly attested and executed and that the said Testater at the time of the executing the same was of full age and sound mind and memory, and not under any restraint.  It is therefore ordered that said last will and testament aforesaid together with this journal entry and the testimony aforesaid be recorded in the Records of Wills

                                                                                   S. M Cown Probate Judge

Will

In the name of the Benevolent Father of All. I John Lunsford of the Township of Mason in the County of Lawrence in the State of Ohio through the afflictions of disease enfeebled in health, yet by the goodness and mercy of God sound in mind, Do make and publish this my last will and testament.

Item 1st  I give and devise to my son Thomas that portion of my farm west of a line to be run from the mouth of the lane south, to the south line of my land and from the mouth of said lane as aforesaid northerly within said lane to a point in said lane near the house thence with the spring branch to the head of the orchard field, thence north to the north line of my land.  Upon the following conditions, Viz. 1st that my beloved wife, Mary Lunsford is to have the entire control and use of and the profits arising therefrom during her lifetime, Excepting 2ndly That my daughter Margaret is to have a lifetime lease of that portion upon which she resides lying south of the ditches at the foot of the hill and west of a line running from the mouth of the Hollow near where she resides couth so as to include twenty acres, and that he pays or causes to be paid his proportion of the sum necessary for the liquidation of the bequests herein after specified. 

Item 2nd  I give and devise unto my son Elijah that portion of my farm lying between said line running through the lane as aforesaid, and a line to be run as follows, Viz: Commencing at a point in a small gut or branch at the foot of the lick field midway between the fences and running from said point south to the south line of my land, and also from said point north to the north line of my land, To take possession at my death subject only to the condition that he is to pay or cause to be paid his proportion of the sum necessary to the payment of the bequests herein after specified.

Item 3: I give and devise to my daughter Susannah Cory that remaining portion of my farm lying east of said line along the branch at the lower end of the Lick field as heretofore described, subject to the like condition that she shall pay or cause to be paid her proportion of the sum necessary for the liquidation of the bequests herein after specified.

Item 4th  I give and bequeath to my daughter Margaret in addition to her lifetime lease of the land before described, one hundred dollars which I require my Executor to use as judiciously as he can in the purchase of a horse beast and a cow for her.

Item 5th  I give and devise to my daughter Amanda and her heirs, Three hundred dollars to be applied to the purchase of a homestead for her and her family: and to her daughter Jane, three head of cattle now in their possession and six head of sheep.

Item 6th  I give and devise to my daughter Martha Three hundred dollars, and to her son Reuben when of age, a colt worth Fifty dollars.

Item 7th  I give and devise to my daughter Sally Vermillion and her husband the sum of Three hundred Dollars.

Item 9th  I also give and devise to my daughter Elizabeth Goff and her husband the like sum of three hundred dollars.

Item 8th  I also give and devise to my three sons Richard, Reuben and Jackson, each the sum of Four hundred dollars.

Item 10th  I give and devise of my personal property as follows, Viz: To Thomas J. Lunsford and to Elijah Lunsford my sons, each one the colt now claimed by him as his own: and to my beloved wife Mary Lunsford my Kit mare, three cows the sheep not already appropriated, the hogs, poultry and household furniture, and the farming utensils for the us of the farm.  The remaining portion of my personal property I leave to be appropriated to the payment of debts due by me and in payment of the bequests made to my several children that are not granted any portion of the farm.

Item 11th  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Nancy Boggs, and her husband the sum of Five dollars, and also I give and devise unto my son William Lunsford the like sum of Five dollars.

Item 12  I hereby give and appoint unto my three children to whom I bequeath my farm, five years in which to liquidate and pay the bequests made to my other children and further provide that if any one or more of them may have paid his full proportion to the other heirs while any other one or more may not have paid his full proportion, I desire that the estate of whichsoever one may have failed to make such payment shall first be subject to such claim of those who are unpaid.

Item 13th  I do hereby nominate and appoint Benjamin F. Cory Executor of this my last will and testament, hereby authorizing and empowering him to compromise, adjust, release and discharge in such manner as he may deem proper, the debts and claims due me. 

I also desire and appoint that no appraisement or sale of my personal property be made, but that my Executor see to the preservation and sale of such property as is not specifically provided for, and that the proceeds be applied to the payment of claims as heretofore specified in such manner as he may deem just and equitable.

I do hereby revoke all former wills by me made.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this nineteenth day of January, in the year One thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Eight.

Signed and acknowledged                                                      

by said John Lunsford in                                                   

our presence as his last will                                                     

and testament, and signed by us in his presence

in open Court before me S. M Coun judge of the Court of Probate for said County at the Court house in Ironton Sanders Russel and John Waugh of said County and both of lawful age, who by me being first duly sworn according to law, make oath and say respectively that they are witnesses to the last will and testament of John Lunsford late of said County deceased, that the paper here shown to the Judge of this Court and herewith annexed, and purporting to be the last will and testament of said John Lunsford was signed by said testator in presence of these deponents, and that the same paper was signed as witnesses by these deponents in presence of said testator and at his request and that said testator at the time of executing said last will and testament was of full age and of sound mind and memory and not under any restraint

Sworn to before me and                                                          Sanders Russell

subscribed in my presence                                                       John Waugh

the 17th day of April A.D. 1858

       S. M Cown Probate Judge

Examined

NOTE:  You’ll notice I have highlighted, in yellow, Item 11, in John’s will.  That’s because it mentions two of his 16 children.  Nancy and William.  I am directly descended from Nancy, who married William Boggs.  I find it odd that he mentions them and specifically only gives each of them five dollars.  When he gave some of his other children $300 and $400 dollars, you have to wonder if there was a riff in the family.  None of my research on Nancy and William Boggs gives me any reason to believe they were independantly wealthy, so I doubt that’s the reason.  Interesting to be sure.

Probate records can reveal a lot about a family. Here are a few items that can may be ascertained:

• Who were the favored children?
• How many worldly goods did your ancestor have?
• Did he or she have land?  Are there land records to be found?
• As in this case, who is obviously shorted in the will
• Who was left out of the will entirely?
• Are there later records in the courts regarding the transactions associated with the will?

I’d love to hear about the probate records you’ve found.  Were there any surprises?

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

SURNAME SATURDAY - Boggs & Lunsford (here's the couple that was only given $5 in John's will)

HOW TO FIND PROBATE RECORDS ONLINE

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

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