Note 10/3/2011: This post refers to a man named who was born by 1760. Willis is his first name, and he lived in North Carolina. Some of you are looking for a man who lived in Texas one hundred years later. This is not him.
June 3, 2011
I spent a few hours tonight looking for data on W. Anderson on the Patriot Rolls and the Bounty Land Warrants of North Carolina. Willis has a land warrant number 4566. On the North Carolina list of Bounty Land the largest number of a land warrant was 3975. I cannot find a Willis Anderson listed on the muster rolls or Patriot Lists of either North or South Carolina.
That doesn't mean he is not there. I seem to find several patriots named William Anderson in both states. It's possible Willis was recorded as William when he enlisted, so I check each of those records as they come up. Right now I think that Willis may have enlisted in North Carolina, but received his land warrant through South Carolina because he is not on the list of land grants issued through N.C.
One fact I did glean is that for Willis to have earned 640 acres of Bounty Land, he must have served 84 months or seven years as a private. Therefore, I investigated a William Anderson who was a N.C. troop who served 84 months under Col. John Armstrong. Unfortunately, that William had land grant #522 and he received it years before Willis was awarded his.
It looks like I may have to pay the National Archives to have a copy made of Willis' Bounty Land grant file. I have gotten the picture that Willis was probably a young, single man to keep re-enlisting for 7 years. When he was listed in 1790 with one son, that may have been his first child, not the last child of a large family.
May 31, 2011I just found out from Ancestry.com that Willis is in AGBI listed with a birth date of 1750, but then every Anderson I looked at was listed as being born in 1750, if they were the head of the household in the 1790 census. ERROR: In the 1790 census he is the only male in his household over 16, with a boy under 16, and 1 woman. Willis' location in 1790 is listed as Ninety-Sixth district, Edgefield, SC. CORRECTION: There was more than one Willis Anderson. The one in Edgefield County was not the one from whom John McDowell got the warrant. I am still looking for the location of the Willis who served 7 years in the Revolution and died before 1796.
May 23, 2011
I have been stumped trying to figure out anything more about where John McDowell came from before he arrived in White County, TN, in 1810.
Last night I decided to try Ancestry again to locate anything about W. Anderson, who was the Revolutionary vet that John got his land through. John was Willis' assignee of the 30 acres on Fallingwater River.
1. I already knew that W. Anderson had Warrant 4566 granted on Feb. 9, 1796.
2. Last night I found out that Willis was listed in Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants. It says Anderson was a N.C. Private. 9 Feb 1796. 640 acres to heirs.
So Willis was from North Carolina when he enlisted. By 1796 Willis had passed away. He or his family must have filed the appropriate paperwork to receive a bounty when that legislation was passed by the Federal government. I think that happened in 1792.
This new information begs some questions:
Was John McDowell an heir of Willis Anderson? No, it appears there was not relation.
Did John McDowell live near an heir of Willis and purchase the warrant from the heir? Still don't know the answer to that in July 2012.
Can warrants be purchased? ANSWER: Yes, they can. 10/03/2011
Why did John get 30 acres out of 640? Usually heirs would get 1/4 or 1/8 or 1/10 of the estate. One tenth or 10% would be 64 acres, and John got 30 acres, less than 5%. Maybe John's mother was an heir and she divided up her portion between her children.
Was Willis Anderson granted a larger portion of land in Tennessee, and John just took part of it? Could other people who lived near John McDowell in White County be sharing part of Willis Anderson's land?
Monday, May 23, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
JOHN McDOWELL, the father of Andrew McDowell
I'm taking a break from Andrew McDowell for a while. Let's talk about his Dad. John McDowell very likely was in Tennessee by 1810. Unfortunately, the 1810 Census from Tennessee and other states no longer exists. It was lost or destroyed some time long ago, so I cannot search through White County or any other county to find John. I would really like to see if he was living with his wife and had other children in addition to Elizabeth and Andrew. However, we are not going to be able to do that until we know where he lived in South or North Carolina.
John McDowell was in Sparta, White County, Tennessee on October 15, 1810. He was at the Entry Office to enter his request to buy 30 acres on the shore of Falling Water River. John was the assignee of Willis Anderson for a part of Warrant 4566 dated February 9, 1797. The land was not surveyed until October 6, 1814 and was granted to John on June 16, 1817. Grant number 10172. I read somewhere that John could have squatted on the land until it was surveyed. Waiting 4 years for a survey was a long time. John's land was right on the water; making me wonder what kind of business he was in. Was access to the water necessary for his work? Or did he want a view of the water? I have been on the land of his neighbor, Col. Burgess. Burgess' land is now a state nature area, and the location of the falls at the top of this blog. I was there in June on a day that was more humid that the ones before it. It was a lovely place to live. I was sympathetic to the women who had to wear long dresses in that humidity. I'm sure their blouses were absolutely soaked in perspiration many days of the year. I wondered what they were allowed to do to cool off. Hitch their skirts up above their ankles? Wear a sleeveless top? That information is not in the history of costume books that I have seen.
The big breakthrough I have had is discovering Willis Anderson's story . Willis is the man who was originally given the land grant (for military service) that was later used by John McDowell. Willis had survived the Revolution, but died after he came home to NC. He had married and had a son, and the land grant for 640 acres was given to his estate. note 9/24/2013. Other researchers have let me know that the purchaser of the land grant could have bought it without knowing the soldier's family.
When we are able to trace John McDowell back to his family group in South Carolina, we will probably be able to connect him to his immigrant family. In Edgefield there were descendants of Ephraim McDowell at the time John was born. It's possibly just a matter of figuring out which grandson of Ephraim was John's father. I say "just" with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek; by time these immigrants had grandsons, they usually had 8 grandsons with the same name!
John McDowell was in Sparta, White County, Tennessee on October 15, 1810. He was at the Entry Office to enter his request to buy 30 acres on the shore of Falling Water River. John was the assignee of Willis Anderson for a part of Warrant 4566 dated February 9, 1797. The land was not surveyed until October 6, 1814 and was granted to John on June 16, 1817. Grant number 10172. I read somewhere that John could have squatted on the land until it was surveyed. Waiting 4 years for a survey was a long time. John's land was right on the water; making me wonder what kind of business he was in. Was access to the water necessary for his work? Or did he want a view of the water? I have been on the land of his neighbor, Col. Burgess. Burgess' land is now a state nature area, and the location of the falls at the top of this blog. I was there in June on a day that was more humid that the ones before it. It was a lovely place to live. I was sympathetic to the women who had to wear long dresses in that humidity. I'm sure their blouses were absolutely soaked in perspiration many days of the year. I wondered what they were allowed to do to cool off. Hitch their skirts up above their ankles? Wear a sleeveless top? That information is not in the history of costume books that I have seen.
The big breakthrough I have had is discovering Willis Anderson's story . Willis is the man who was originally given the land grant (for military service) that was later used by John McDowell. Willis had survived the Revolution, but died after he came home to NC. He had married and had a son, and the land grant for 640 acres was given to his estate. note 9/24/2013. Other researchers have let me know that the purchaser of the land grant could have bought it without knowing the soldier's family.
When we are able to trace John McDowell back to his family group in South Carolina, we will probably be able to connect him to his immigrant family. In Edgefield there were descendants of Ephraim McDowell at the time John was born. It's possibly just a matter of figuring out which grandson of Ephraim was John's father. I say "just" with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek; by time these immigrants had grandsons, they usually had 8 grandsons with the same name!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Who was Married to ANDREW McDole/Mcdowell ?
I have found one woman who may be Andrew's widow. I have not yet found her attached to a spouse.
In 1850 with a McMinnville Post Office, District 4, Warren County, Tennessee. Family 493.
William Roberts .....25 .....Ten
Centitha Roberts....24.....Ten
Stacy M. Roberts.....4.....Ten
William A. Roberts...3.....Ten
Adrian Roberts....3/12.....Ten
Sarah McDowel.......50.....N. C.
James McDowel......18.....Ten
From the census, it seems Cynthia could have been Andrew's oldest daughter. James McDowell would fit the birth date of the youngest son. Sarah is the right age and from a reasonable location to be Andrew's wife. McMinnville isn't far from DeKalb County; it's one of the larger cities on the road SW of Sparta.
There is another Sarah McDowell, a widow, living in Missouri in 1870 who was married to Samuel McDowell of Coffee County, Tennessee. They are living together in 1850. For about an hour I thought she might have been Andrew's widow as I chased down her various children, but then I found Sarah with her husband. I have saved the data in my computer in case Samuel turns out to be a relative. He's a good candidate to be Andrew's older brother.
Another woman considered to be a daughter of Andrew and his wife, Mississippi [Sippy] McDowell, is married to William Steele . William Steele and Sippy McDowell married in October 1848 in DeKalb County, Tennessee. From the 1850 and 1860 census she seems to have been born in 1829 or 1830. This is too old to be the youngest daughter in the family; the youngest girl seems to have been born after 1835, if the information in the 1840 census is correct. Again, I don't have many answers, but I'll share with you what I have found.
In 1850 with a McMinnville Post Office, District 4, Warren County, Tennessee. Family 493.
William Roberts .....25 .....Ten
Centitha Roberts....24.....Ten
Stacy M. Roberts.....4.....Ten
William A. Roberts...3.....Ten
Adrian Roberts....3/12.....Ten
Sarah McDowel.......50.....N. C.
James McDowel......18.....Ten
From the census, it seems Cynthia could have been Andrew's oldest daughter. James McDowell would fit the birth date of the youngest son. Sarah is the right age and from a reasonable location to be Andrew's wife. McMinnville isn't far from DeKalb County; it's one of the larger cities on the road SW of Sparta.
There is another Sarah McDowell, a widow, living in Missouri in 1870 who was married to Samuel McDowell of Coffee County, Tennessee. They are living together in 1850. For about an hour I thought she might have been Andrew's widow as I chased down her various children, but then I found Sarah with her husband. I have saved the data in my computer in case Samuel turns out to be a relative. He's a good candidate to be Andrew's older brother.
Another woman considered to be a daughter of Andrew and his wife, Mississippi [Sippy] McDowell, is married to William Steele . William Steele and Sippy McDowell married in October 1848 in DeKalb County, Tennessee. From the 1850 and 1860 census she seems to have been born in 1829 or 1830. This is too old to be the youngest daughter in the family; the youngest girl seems to have been born after 1835, if the information in the 1840 census is correct. Again, I don't have many answers, but I'll share with you what I have found.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
ANDREW McDOLE Deed 1829 Transcribed
Andrew McDole Land Record 1 July 1829
To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting. Know ye that for and in consideration of the sum of one cent per acre paid into the office of the Entry taken of White County and entered on the 22nd day of February 1827 pursuant to the provisions of an act of the General Assembly of the said state passed on the third day of December one thousand and eight hundred and twenty five by No. 1311 there is granted by the said state of Tennessee and unto Andrew McDole and Wesley Greene a certain Tract or parcel of land containing one hundred and fifty acres by survey bearing date the 26th day of Augt 1828 lying in said County on the Waters of the Falling Water on Cane Creek and bounded as follows. Beginning at a white oak on Barnett Kemp’s south boundary line on the north side of the creek thence west two hundred and eighteen poles to a chestnut South West corner of another fifty acre ___inary of said Kemp’s---then South one hundred and ten poles and a sixth to a stake. thence East two hundred and eighteen poles to a stake then North one hundred and ten and one sixth poles to the Beginning. with the ____ ____ _______ and appurtenances to have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with its appurtenances to the said Andrew McDole & Wesley Green and their heirs forever. In witness thereof William Hall Governor of the State of Tennessee has hereunto set his hand and caused the Great Seal of the State to be affixed at Nashville on the first day of July 1829 and 53 year of our Independence. By the Governor. Daniel Graham Secretary. W. Hall
This is how I interpret the dates in this document. Please let me know if you know more about it.
1. Dec. 3, 1825: The General Assembly of the State of Tennessee passed legislation that allowed Andrew and Wesley to buy this land for one cent per acre.
2. February 22, 1827 Andrew and Wesley entered that they wanted this land in White County, Tennessee. It sounds like the $1.50 was paid unto the office of Entry in White County on this date.
3. August 26, 1828 The date the land was surveyed.
4. July 1, 1829 The Deed was signed by William Hall the Governor of Tennessee and recorded.
To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting. Know ye that for and in consideration of the sum of one cent per acre paid into the office of the Entry taken of White County and entered on the 22nd day of February 1827 pursuant to the provisions of an act of the General Assembly of the said state passed on the third day of December one thousand and eight hundred and twenty five by No. 1311 there is granted by the said state of Tennessee and unto Andrew McDole and Wesley Greene a certain Tract or parcel of land containing one hundred and fifty acres by survey bearing date the 26th day of Augt 1828 lying in said County on the Waters of the Falling Water on Cane Creek and bounded as follows. Beginning at a white oak on Barnett Kemp’s south boundary line on the north side of the creek thence west two hundred and eighteen poles to a chestnut South West corner of another fifty acre ___inary of said Kemp’s---then South one hundred and ten poles and a sixth to a stake. thence East two hundred and eighteen poles to a stake then North one hundred and ten and one sixth poles to the Beginning. with the ____ ____ _______ and appurtenances to have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with its appurtenances to the said Andrew McDole & Wesley Green and their heirs forever. In witness thereof William Hall Governor of the State of Tennessee has hereunto set his hand and caused the Great Seal of the State to be affixed at Nashville on the first day of July 1829 and 53 year of our Independence. By the Governor. Daniel Graham Secretary. W. Hall
This is how I interpret the dates in this document. Please let me know if you know more about it.
1. Dec. 3, 1825: The General Assembly of the State of Tennessee passed legislation that allowed Andrew and Wesley to buy this land for one cent per acre.
2. February 22, 1827 Andrew and Wesley entered that they wanted this land in White County, Tennessee. It sounds like the $1.50 was paid unto the office of Entry in White County on this date.
3. August 26, 1828 The date the land was surveyed.
4. July 1, 1829 The Deed was signed by William Hall the Governor of Tennessee and recorded.
Friday, January 7, 2011
ANDREW McDOLE 1799-184? WHITE and DeKALB County
Andrew McDole or McDowell was born by July 3, 1799.** This can be learned from the Minute Books of White County. After Andrew's father, John, died about 1819, James Elrod was appointed the administrator of John McDowell's estate. James Elrod was married to Elizabeth McDowell, John's daughter. At first James was the only administrator because Andrew was under 21. Then on July 3, 1820, both James Elrod and Andrew McDowell appear in court pursuing the collection of debts against John's estate, so Andrew must have turned 21. For this information I am indebted to Daniel G. Webber. I don't know that I would ever have found this out except from the postings Dan put on GenForum. He let me know all the information in this paragraph and more. It was good to find out that Andrew was part of a family.
** Sept 20, 2013. It looks like Andrew was not born until after the 1800 census. Now that I have found his family in the 1800 census of Fairfield Co., SC, it seems Andrew was not born until later than June 1, 1800. John McDowell and his wife only had 2 little girls in the 1800 census. Perhaps Andrew was born soon after. When Andrew wanted to participate in settling his father's estate, he may have been unsure of his birth date or maybe he just felt he was "old enough."**
Andrew was probably born in South Carolina because his sister was born in South Carolina in 1795. Elizabeth McDowell Elrod lived long enough to be in the 1860 census, so we know where she was born. I have not found any evidence that her father was in Tennessee any earlier than 1810, so I expect that Andrew was born in S.C., also. In another post I will list the children of James Elrod and Elizabeth McDowell that I have courtesy of Geraldine Elrod Pollard of Tennessee. Geraldine and Daniel Webber are descendants of Elizabeth and James.
Andrew McDole or McDowell first shows up in a census in 1820 in White County. He is a young man with a wife (both are 20-29 years old) and two boys under 5 years old. His father has died, so we don't get to see Andrew living next door to John.
A few doors away from Andrew, we see the family of Wesley Green who purchased 150 acres of land with Andrew in February 1827. What is the relationship between Wesley and Andrew? We don't know, but they are both young men in their twenties. I wonder if they could be cousins? Something to explore.
I have the deed for the land the two men purchased. It's 150 acres on Cane Creek, which is basically NW of Fallingwater River where Andrew's father lived. What is interesting is the land was only a penny an acre. I need to research which piece of Tennessee legislation allowed land to sell for only one cent. It was land that no one had owned before.
When I went to Sparta, TN, I looked at microfilmed tax records from 1810-1830. Andrew is listed in 1823 on a list titled "Taxable property and polls in Capt. Rhea's company for 1823, returned by Wm. J. Smith Esqr." Andrew owes $0.90 for his poll tax. There is no acreage listed. In 1822 Andrew paid tax on 100 acres and poll tax for himself for a total of $2.50. The land is situated on Cane Creek. Since Andrew was already living on Cane Creek, possibly he was just buying more land when he and Wesley bought the 150 acres. Or Andrew may have been renting his 100 acres; usually, though, the landlord would have paid the tax on the land.
On October 17, 1825 Andrew attended an estate sale in his neighborhood. Moses Davis was deceased, and Andrew purchased six geese from Moses' estate for $2.50. So Andrew was an intelligent man: he got an alarm system, eggs, and poultry all-in-one. A couple other names from the local area are purchasers at the estate sale, Brittain Medlin/Medley and William J. Smith. It is good to study neighboring families in case that they will turn out to be relatives. Interestingly, Moses Davis had a horse and a STUD HORSE listed in his inventory. The horse sold for $7 and the STUD HORSE sold for $87. Like the stud horse mentioned at the top of this blog, he was worth lots of money. I guess these Tennesseans really valued good horseflesh.
ANDREW in the CENSUS
Since the last census Andrew appears in is the 1840 census, we don't know the names of his wife and children. From comparing the data in three censuses, I can infer the ages of his children, even though I don't have many names. This is what I have found from the 1820, 1830, and 1840 censuses:
1820 Tennessee, White County
McDole, Andrew
2 males under 10 Born between 1810 and 1819
1 male 16-24 ......Born between 1794 and 1804
1 female 16-24....Born between 1794 and 1804
1830 Tennessee, White County
page 34. McDowel, Andrew
1 male under 5....Born between 1826 and 1830
2 males 5 -9........ Born between 1821 and 1825
2 males 10-14.....Born between 1816 and 1820
1 male 20-29.......Born between 1801 and 1810
1 female 5-9........Born between 1821 and 1825
1 female 20-29....Born between 1801 and 1810
1840 Tennessee, DeKalb County. A new county formed in 1838.
Andrew McDole
2 males 5-9..........Born between 1831 and 1835
2 males 10-14......Born between 1826 and 1830
Andrew is not listed
1 female under 5...Born between 1836 and 1840
1 female 10-14......Born between 1826 and 1830
1 female 30-39. ....Born between 1801 and 1810
In the post from December 28, 2010, I listed the neighbors of John and Andrew McDole in the 1840 census. Andrew was not in his home on census day. In two other households near Andrew's, the father was named as the head of household, but he was not present at the time. If the father had been dead, his wife would have been listed as the head of the household. So, where were the men? What kind of professions did they have that would take them away from home? I recently read that the men near Falling Water River would sometimes take their wares to New Orleans to sell them. If you can help answer any of these questions, please leave a comment.
From the censuses it appears that Andrew and his wife were close in age, both being born about 1800. If I overlap the years of birth that I get from all 3 censuses, they were born between 1801 and 1804. As I have said earlier, Andrew was most likely born in 1799.
The two oldest sons were born between 1816 and 1819, probably John and Smith. By 1830, three more sons were born. One boy was born recently, between 1826 and 1830. (I bet one was born in 1829 or in 1830 because of the way he is counted in 1830 and 1840. In 1840 the family thought he was still under 10. Unless, of course, the first child had died, and there was another boy born soon after.) The two middle boys were born between 1821 and 1825, as was a daughter. A youngest brother was born after 1830, but before 1835. The youngest child was a daughter born after 1835. The total is two daughters and six sons.
So in 1850, after Andrew seems to be gone, he had 2 grown sons over 30 years old, probably John and Smith, married before 1840. Two more grown sons 25-29 years old, and possibly married between 1841 and 1845. A grown daughter 25-29 years old, who probably married about 1840-1846. The 5th son would be between 20 and 24, and may have gotten married about 1846-1850. The youngest son could be 15-19, and possibly be single. The youngest girl could be 10-14 and still single. Of course, there could have been more children born after 1840. Mrs. McDowell would be just about 50 in 1850. I have found one woman who might be Andrew's widow, if they stayed in Tennessee. If the McDowell family moved to another state, the possibilities are wide open.
** Sept 20, 2013. It looks like Andrew was not born until after the 1800 census. Now that I have found his family in the 1800 census of Fairfield Co., SC, it seems Andrew was not born until later than June 1, 1800. John McDowell and his wife only had 2 little girls in the 1800 census. Perhaps Andrew was born soon after. When Andrew wanted to participate in settling his father's estate, he may have been unsure of his birth date or maybe he just felt he was "old enough."**
Andrew was probably born in South Carolina because his sister was born in South Carolina in 1795. Elizabeth McDowell Elrod lived long enough to be in the 1860 census, so we know where she was born. I have not found any evidence that her father was in Tennessee any earlier than 1810, so I expect that Andrew was born in S.C., also. In another post I will list the children of James Elrod and Elizabeth McDowell that I have courtesy of Geraldine Elrod Pollard of Tennessee. Geraldine and Daniel Webber are descendants of Elizabeth and James.
Andrew McDole or McDowell first shows up in a census in 1820 in White County. He is a young man with a wife (both are 20-29 years old) and two boys under 5 years old. His father has died, so we don't get to see Andrew living next door to John.
A few doors away from Andrew, we see the family of Wesley Green who purchased 150 acres of land with Andrew in February 1827. What is the relationship between Wesley and Andrew? We don't know, but they are both young men in their twenties. I wonder if they could be cousins? Something to explore.
I have the deed for the land the two men purchased. It's 150 acres on Cane Creek, which is basically NW of Fallingwater River where Andrew's father lived. What is interesting is the land was only a penny an acre. I need to research which piece of Tennessee legislation allowed land to sell for only one cent. It was land that no one had owned before.
When I went to Sparta, TN, I looked at microfilmed tax records from 1810-1830. Andrew is listed in 1823 on a list titled "Taxable property and polls in Capt. Rhea's company for 1823, returned by Wm. J. Smith Esqr." Andrew owes $0.90 for his poll tax. There is no acreage listed. In 1822 Andrew paid tax on 100 acres and poll tax for himself for a total of $2.50. The land is situated on Cane Creek. Since Andrew was already living on Cane Creek, possibly he was just buying more land when he and Wesley bought the 150 acres. Or Andrew may have been renting his 100 acres; usually, though, the landlord would have paid the tax on the land.
On October 17, 1825 Andrew attended an estate sale in his neighborhood. Moses Davis was deceased, and Andrew purchased six geese from Moses' estate for $2.50. So Andrew was an intelligent man: he got an alarm system, eggs, and poultry all-in-one. A couple other names from the local area are purchasers at the estate sale, Brittain Medlin/Medley and William J. Smith. It is good to study neighboring families in case that they will turn out to be relatives. Interestingly, Moses Davis had a horse and a STUD HORSE listed in his inventory. The horse sold for $7 and the STUD HORSE sold for $87. Like the stud horse mentioned at the top of this blog, he was worth lots of money. I guess these Tennesseans really valued good horseflesh.
ANDREW in the CENSUS
Since the last census Andrew appears in is the 1840 census, we don't know the names of his wife and children. From comparing the data in three censuses, I can infer the ages of his children, even though I don't have many names. This is what I have found from the 1820, 1830, and 1840 censuses:
1820 Tennessee, White County
McDole, Andrew
2 males under 10 Born between 1810 and 1819
1 male 16-24 ......Born between 1794 and 1804
1 female 16-24....Born between 1794 and 1804
1830 Tennessee, White County
page 34. McDowel, Andrew
1 male under 5....Born between 1826 and 1830
2 males 5 -9........ Born between 1821 and 1825
2 males 10-14.....Born between 1816 and 1820
1 male 20-29.......Born between 1801 and 1810
1 female 5-9........Born between 1821 and 1825
1 female 20-29....Born between 1801 and 1810
1840 Tennessee, DeKalb County. A new county formed in 1838.
Andrew McDole
2 males 5-9..........Born between 1831 and 1835
2 males 10-14......Born between 1826 and 1830
Andrew is not listed
1 female under 5...Born between 1836 and 1840
1 female 10-14......Born between 1826 and 1830
1 female 30-39. ....Born between 1801 and 1810
In the post from December 28, 2010, I listed the neighbors of John and Andrew McDole in the 1840 census. Andrew was not in his home on census day. In two other households near Andrew's, the father was named as the head of household, but he was not present at the time. If the father had been dead, his wife would have been listed as the head of the household. So, where were the men? What kind of professions did they have that would take them away from home? I recently read that the men near Falling Water River would sometimes take their wares to New Orleans to sell them. If you can help answer any of these questions, please leave a comment.
From the censuses it appears that Andrew and his wife were close in age, both being born about 1800. If I overlap the years of birth that I get from all 3 censuses, they were born between 1801 and 1804. As I have said earlier, Andrew was most likely born in 1799.
The two oldest sons were born between 1816 and 1819, probably John and Smith. By 1830, three more sons were born. One boy was born recently, between 1826 and 1830. (I bet one was born in 1829 or in 1830 because of the way he is counted in 1830 and 1840. In 1840 the family thought he was still under 10. Unless, of course, the first child had died, and there was another boy born soon after.) The two middle boys were born between 1821 and 1825, as was a daughter. A youngest brother was born after 1830, but before 1835. The youngest child was a daughter born after 1835. The total is two daughters and six sons.
So in 1850, after Andrew seems to be gone, he had 2 grown sons over 30 years old, probably John and Smith, married before 1840. Two more grown sons 25-29 years old, and possibly married between 1841 and 1845. A grown daughter 25-29 years old, who probably married about 1840-1846. The 5th son would be between 20 and 24, and may have gotten married about 1846-1850. The youngest son could be 15-19, and possibly be single. The youngest girl could be 10-14 and still single. Of course, there could have been more children born after 1840. Mrs. McDowell would be just about 50 in 1850. I have found one woman who might be Andrew's widow, if they stayed in Tennessee. If the McDowell family moved to another state, the possibilities are wide open.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
What Happened to HESTER's Husband, JOHN McDOWELL?
John McDowell was born ten years too soon. In 1840 he was married (evidently) and living with his wife and two daughters in District 8 of DeKalb County, Tennessee. DeKalb County had just formed from White County and other counties in the previous year. I noticed that John's brother Smith McDowell and Nancy Dildine were married in 1838 in White County, Tennessee and their marriage record survives. John and Hester were possibly married a few years earlier based on the age of their oldest child in 1840, but there is no record of their marriage. I'll contact the Archivist in White County; the records were probably lost.
District 8 was the section of DeKalb County that had Fallingwater River on the SE and Caney Fork River to the west. Eventually, the eastern part of District 8 was taken by Putnam County when it was formed in 1854. So the McDowell family seemed to live in the wedge of land that was in three different counties in the 1800s. The land was in White County first, then DeKalb County, and finally Putnam County in 1854. That is what it looks like until I find another land document that shows a purchase of land somewhere else in DeKalb County.
John was "born too soon" in the genealogical sense. In the 1850 census every person began to be listed by their name, age, and place of birth. If John and Hester were a young couple in 1850, we would have the names of everyone in the house and know when and where they were born. Since John was living next to Andrew McDowell, we could find out if Andrew was born in South Carolina or in Tennessee, and, of course, have an easier time tracking down Andrew's widow and children after his death.
John McDowell seems to be Andrew's oldest son. First, he was named after his grandfather. Second, John is the only "McDole" next to Andrew; there are no other brothers nearby living on their own land. Also, John's probable brother, Smith McDole, lived past 1850, and in the 1850 census Smith states that he is 30 years old. So John is likely the oldest of the two boys born between 1815 and 1820, and tallied in the 1820 census.
Here are some of the other names in the 1840 census with Andrew and John:
[The age bracket of the oldest male is given. Ages were ticked off in a 10 year range, 20-29 for example.]
James McDonel ? 50
Richard Harris 30
Isum Cole 30
William Rice 40
James Roberson 15 and under 20
James Willis 15 and under 20
William Jones 20
Pleasant Farler 40
Hannah Elrod 20
Nathan Vincent 20
Jane Mcdole 20
Britton Medly(sic) 10 and under 15; oldest female 20
Riley Medley 30
Hiram Childress 40
Charity Childress 70
Nancy Anderson 30
Henry Waddle 50
John Roberson 50
William Lafferty 40
Andrew Mcdole 10 and under 15
John Mcdole 20 and under 30
John Lafferty 30
Asa Thompson 20
William Burton 30
Gibson Billings 20
In the home of John Mcdole, John and his wife are 20 and under 30; the children are girls with one girl under 5 and the other 5-9. As I said in the blog I wrote just previous to this one, the two children are probably Emmeline at 1 year of age and an older sister.
Evidently, John and Hester lived on in Tennessee for the next several years, based on the age and birth dates of their children. If the gestation period was 38 weeks (I'm a retired science teacher) before Nancy Ann McDowell was born, John was still alive at the end of April, 1849. What happened after that is a mystery.
I began searching for John McDowell about 1999. I have looked for men named John McDole or McDowell born in Tennessee between 1817 and 1820. (Legal documents appear to place Andrew as being born in 1799, and Andrew had two sons in 1820. Marriages seemed to have been common between teenagers. So, if Andrew got married at 17 or 18, John was probably born between 1817 and 1819.) I have searched in particular in Missouri and in Tennessee for signs of John, either dead or alive, but have not found him.
However, I have found a death record of an Unknown McDowell in DeKalb County in December 1849. Not all the information is recorded, possibly because he died of smallpox. I don't think the person recording the information wanted to stay around long enough to get all the facts. The Mortality Index says:
McDowll (sic), No Name Given... DeKalb Co. TN ...M...Dec...Small Pox
There was no age given and no place of birth. Of course, I cannot prove this was John, but it is a possibility of how and when he died.
Hester, John's widow, did not live until the 1880 census when she would have said if she was a widow. However, she died in 1879, so her death is in the Mortality Index for 1880. It indicates she was a widow. So we know John was dead by time he was 60, we just don't know for sure when and where he died.
District 8 was the section of DeKalb County that had Fallingwater River on the SE and Caney Fork River to the west. Eventually, the eastern part of District 8 was taken by Putnam County when it was formed in 1854. So the McDowell family seemed to live in the wedge of land that was in three different counties in the 1800s. The land was in White County first, then DeKalb County, and finally Putnam County in 1854. That is what it looks like until I find another land document that shows a purchase of land somewhere else in DeKalb County.
John was "born too soon" in the genealogical sense. In the 1850 census every person began to be listed by their name, age, and place of birth. If John and Hester were a young couple in 1850, we would have the names of everyone in the house and know when and where they were born. Since John was living next to Andrew McDowell, we could find out if Andrew was born in South Carolina or in Tennessee, and, of course, have an easier time tracking down Andrew's widow and children after his death.
John McDowell seems to be Andrew's oldest son. First, he was named after his grandfather. Second, John is the only "McDole" next to Andrew; there are no other brothers nearby living on their own land. Also, John's probable brother, Smith McDole, lived past 1850, and in the 1850 census Smith states that he is 30 years old. So John is likely the oldest of the two boys born between 1815 and 1820, and tallied in the 1820 census.
Here are some of the other names in the 1840 census with Andrew and John:
[The age bracket of the oldest male is given. Ages were ticked off in a 10 year range, 20-29 for example.]
James McDonel ? 50
Richard Harris 30
Isum Cole 30
William Rice 40
James Roberson 15 and under 20
James Willis 15 and under 20
William Jones 20
Pleasant Farler 40
Hannah Elrod 20
Nathan Vincent 20
Jane Mcdole 20
Britton Medly(sic) 10 and under 15; oldest female 20
Riley Medley 30
Hiram Childress 40
Charity Childress 70
Nancy Anderson 30
Henry Waddle 50
John Roberson 50
William Lafferty 40
Andrew Mcdole 10 and under 15
John Mcdole 20 and under 30
John Lafferty 30
Asa Thompson 20
William Burton 30
Gibson Billings 20
In the home of John Mcdole, John and his wife are 20 and under 30; the children are girls with one girl under 5 and the other 5-9. As I said in the blog I wrote just previous to this one, the two children are probably Emmeline at 1 year of age and an older sister.
Evidently, John and Hester lived on in Tennessee for the next several years, based on the age and birth dates of their children. If the gestation period was 38 weeks (I'm a retired science teacher) before Nancy Ann McDowell was born, John was still alive at the end of April, 1849. What happened after that is a mystery.
I began searching for John McDowell about 1999. I have looked for men named John McDole or McDowell born in Tennessee between 1817 and 1820. (Legal documents appear to place Andrew as being born in 1799, and Andrew had two sons in 1820. Marriages seemed to have been common between teenagers. So, if Andrew got married at 17 or 18, John was probably born between 1817 and 1819.) I have searched in particular in Missouri and in Tennessee for signs of John, either dead or alive, but have not found him.
However, I have found a death record of an Unknown McDowell in DeKalb County in December 1849. Not all the information is recorded, possibly because he died of smallpox. I don't think the person recording the information wanted to stay around long enough to get all the facts. The Mortality Index says:
McDowll (sic), No Name Given... DeKalb Co. TN ...M...Dec...Small Pox
There was no age given and no place of birth. Of course, I cannot prove this was John, but it is a possibility of how and when he died.
Hester, John's widow, did not live until the 1880 census when she would have said if she was a widow. However, she died in 1879, so her death is in the Mortality Index for 1880. It indicates she was a widow. So we know John was dead by time he was 60, we just don't know for sure when and where he died.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
JOHN McDOWELL, HESTER's Husband?
You might wonder why the postings have been arranged in this order. In general, I have placed them chronologically in the order in which I found the information. First, I knew that Nancy Ann McDowell was born in Taney County, Missouri on January 19, 1850. I had that one family Bible fact. Once I found her as a baby with her mother in 1850, I could see the McDowell family was still there in 1860. I could surmise that Nancy Ann and family were in Mills County, Iowa by 1864 so that she could marry George Hamaker. So the bigger mystery was, where did Nancy Ann's mother and father come from, and what was her father's name?
I have no exact proof of Nancy Ann's father being John McDowell. I have various overlapping facts that point to John McDowell being the father, and John's father being Andrew McDole or McDowell. I know the family name is McDowell, it's just that at a certain time and in a certain place, Andrew seemed to favor McDole. More details later. There are documents that say Andrew is the son of another John McDowell because John died in White County, Tennessee and left various estate-settling papers behind. Andrew was one of the administrators of John McDowell's estate. More about Andrew later; this is about his son John.
John shows up under his own name in the 1840 census in Dekalb County, Tennessee. He lives next to Andrew McDole, which supports the idea that he is Andrew's son.
In John McDole's house
There is one male 20-29 years old. John
There is one female under 5 years old. Emmeline
There is one female 5-9 years old. Who is this?
There is one female 20-29 years old. Hester
In 1840 Hester was 21 years old, and John was in his twenties. The female 5-9 years old could possibly be their daughter, born when Hester was 15 or 16. The girl could also be another relative; for years I thought she might be Tersie Thompson and that Tersie was Hester's youngest sister.
It seems quite obvious that John and Hester could have had other children besides Emmeline, Owen, James, and Nancy Ann. If they had been married about 1837 when Hester turned 18, John and Hester could have had a child in 1838, 1840, 1842, 1844, 1846, 1848, and 1850. Of course, they could have had more children, but to have 4 children in 13 years of marriage is fewer children than usual. So I am inclined to believe this is another child of their marriage.
I have no exact proof of Nancy Ann's father being John McDowell. I have various overlapping facts that point to John McDowell being the father, and John's father being Andrew McDole or McDowell. I know the family name is McDowell, it's just that at a certain time and in a certain place, Andrew seemed to favor McDole. More details later. There are documents that say Andrew is the son of another John McDowell because John died in White County, Tennessee and left various estate-settling papers behind. Andrew was one of the administrators of John McDowell's estate. More about Andrew later; this is about his son John.
John shows up under his own name in the 1840 census in Dekalb County, Tennessee. He lives next to Andrew McDole, which supports the idea that he is Andrew's son.
In John McDole's house
There is one male 20-29 years old. John
There is one female under 5 years old. Emmeline
There is one female 5-9 years old. Who is this?
There is one female 20-29 years old. Hester
In 1840 Hester was 21 years old, and John was in his twenties. The female 5-9 years old could possibly be their daughter, born when Hester was 15 or 16. The girl could also be another relative; for years I thought she might be Tersie Thompson and that Tersie was Hester's youngest sister.
It seems quite obvious that John and Hester could have had other children besides Emmeline, Owen, James, and Nancy Ann. If they had been married about 1837 when Hester turned 18, John and Hester could have had a child in 1838, 1840, 1842, 1844, 1846, 1848, and 1850. Of course, they could have had more children, but to have 4 children in 13 years of marriage is fewer children than usual. So I am inclined to believe this is another child of their marriage.
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