THE JOHN WARNOCK FAMILY OF BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

By John E. & Mary R. Warnock

During l804, John Warnock, with his wife, Isabella Gilkison, and four children, moved from the Peter's Run/Wheeling Creek area located in Ohio County just NE of Wheeling, Virginia, (now West Virginia) onto the south one-half of Section II of Township 6, Range 4 of Belmont County, Ohio; a land patent (Deed Book 124, p. 326.) for that property was received on January 20, l812. The activities and achievements of John Warnock and his family members are well documented in a number of fine publications, including "History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio," by J. A. Caldwell, l880 (especially pages

394-398.); "1903 Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens," edited by A. T. McDewey, l903 (especially pages 287-288.); and "Tombstone Inscriptions & Family Records of Belmont County, Ohio," by Esther Weygandt Powell, l969 (especially pages l50, l53, l62, & l65.) Therefore, this article will focus briefly upon the parents, siblings, and descendants of John and Isabella Gilkison Warnock.

According to Pennsylvania tax and land records, Ohio census records, his tombstone inscription in Warnock Cemetery (near Warnock, Belmont County, Ohio,), and his will (Belmont County, Ohio, Will Book G. pp. l26-127, probated in early l840), John Warnock was born just outside of the small village of Dry Run, Fannett Township, Cumberland County (now Franklin County.), Pennsylvania, in l766 and he died in Smith Township, Belmont County, Ohio, in late l839. John's original tombstone listed his life span as l766-l839, but that stone became unreadable and it was replaced by a granite marker about l980.

John Warnock's parents were William and Rebeckah Warnock (maiden name of Rebeckah unknown.). They are first known from William's listing in the l763 tax list for Fannett Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. William applied for an Order of Survey # l6.l662 (Westside Application), dated the 24th of October, l766, for land in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The land described in this survey, the same location where they had been living prior to the survey request, was sold by William and Rebeckah Warnock (both mentioned in the deed.) to Nathaniel Paul in l787 (Franklin County, Pennsylvania Deed Book 3, page 471, l3 March, l787.) During late l786 or early 1787, William and Rebeckah moved to the Peter's Run/Wheeling Creek area located just a short distance NE of Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) where they eventually purchased land from John Mitchell on 6 September, l790, Ohio County, Virginia ( W. Va.) Deed Book 2, page 84.

William Warnock died in the Wheeling area during l796 and Rebeckah died there during late l8l0 or early l811. It is known from an l803 Bill of Complaint of John McDonald and Wife versus William and John Warnock in Court of Chancery, Ohio County, Virginia (now W. Va.); from Rebeckah Warnock's will (Ohio County Will Book 2, page l8, dated 3 December, l8l0, probated May, l811.), and from family records and traditions that John Warnock had four brothers and three sisters and that he probably was the fourth born in the family.

Jacob, the oldest child of William and Rebeckah Warnock, probably was born in the mid l750s. He moved to Kentucky while the rest of the family still was living in Pennsylvania. He first married Ruth Peak and second married Sarah Windsor. Jacob had at least two children (Rebecca and Asa) and maybe as many as five (Elizabeth, Letty, and Presley.) A number of Jacob's descendants have worked upon and actively are working on the history and genealogy of his family branch.

John's sister, Jane Warnock, was born in l756 or l757. She married Joseph Ferrel and they had nine children (Moses, William, Joseph, James, Rebecca, Mary, Jane, John, and Cornelius.) Jane and Joseph Ferrel probably died in the Wheeling area. Descendants of Jane have researched and are actively researching this family branch.

John's brother, William, was the third born of the family. He married Mary Ann Jolly and they moved to Highland County, Ohio, in l805 where William died during that same year. They had four children (David, Elizabeth, Rebecka, and Mary Ann.) That family also is being researched by at least one of William's descendants.

John's sister, Martha, married William Stewart and his sister, Mary, married John McDonald. The Stewarts supposedly lived in the Wheeling area, while the McDonalds supposedly spent most of their married life in the New Concord, Ohio, area. No known descendants are known for the McDonalds and Stewarts, and contact from any interested living descendants of those two families would be most welcome.

John's brother, Robert, married Elizabeth Bratton and they lived in Guernsey County, Ohio, until Robert was killed by Indians in the War of l812. They had an undetermined number of children. Elizabeth second married Joseph Little.

Brother, James, married a Janet/Jane and they also lived in Guernsey County, Ohio. After Janet's death around l832, James supposedly moved to Indiana where he died; no evidence has been found for his presence in Indiana and the number and names of his children are not known. As with Martha Warnock Stewart and Mary Warnock McDonald, it would be nice to receive information from living descendants of Robert and James.

John Warnock married Isabella Gilkison in Ohio County, Virginia, (now West Virginia.) in l796 or l797. Isabella was born in l774, probably somewhere in Virginia; she died in Belmont County, Ohio, in l849. As for her husband, her original tombstone in Warnock Cemetery located near Warnock, Ohio, became unreadable and was replaced by a new marker about l980. Isabella was the daughter of Mary Mills (daughter of Thomas and probably Elizabeth Mills.) and Robert Gilkison. Robert died in York Township, Belmont County, Ohio, during l832 (Belmont County Will Book E, page 443.) and Mary died there sometime after that. Robert Gilkison was about l07 years old at the time of his death as line 1, page 299 of the l830 Belmont County, Ohio, Census lists him as being l05 years old; Mary's age is listed as 70-80 years of age in the same census. John and Isabella Gilkison Warnock had eleven children listed as follows with their known spouses and known children:

Jane Warnock married William Robb.

William Warnock married first Jane Poak (John, William Sarah, Lucy, Frances, Isabella, and four other children) and second Nancy Ferguson Dunn (no children.)

Rebecca Warnock married William Bigger.

Mary Warnock died in childhood.

John Warnock married Margaret McMillan (James, Sarah, Joseph, Margaret, Clara, John.

P. A.----a female, Rebecca, and Alice.)

Elizabeth Warnock died in childhood.

Martha Warnock died in childhood; may also have gone by name of Ruth.

Sarah Warnock first married Alexander Porterfield (Mary Isabelle) and second married a Patton.

Isabella Warnock married Robert McMillen.

James Warnock---twin to Robert---married four times (George, Josephine, and Jennie).

Robert Warnock---twin to James---married Nancy McNiece (Mary Isabell, James, John McNiece, Sarah Eleanor, William Thomas, Samuel Boyd, Edith Jemima, Elizabeth, and Robert Lee.)

John E. Warnock, co-author of this article, is a great great grandson of John and Isabella Gilkison Warnock. We have compiled a litst of known descendants of William and Rebeckah Warncok, which we periodically update and which is available to interested persons. A copy of the current update of June, l998, also is on file at the Cumberland Trail Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 576, St. Clairsville, Ohio, 43950. We are interested in receiving questions and comments about our Warnock family information, and especially corrections of it and additions to it.