Ancestors of Gary and Ardis Dahlstrom Morrison

William McKinley immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  The latter is proven by his will written December 23, 1828 which was made known to me by a McKinley researcher.  The will was witnessed by James McKinney and Samuel Vankirk. James and Samuel personally appeared February 13, 1829 in Allegheny County court to testify to the validity of the will and to the sound mind and memory of William.  On that date Letters Testamentary were granted to James Scott and William McKinley, Jr. as named executors, and were instructed to produce within one month an inventory "of the personal estate of said deceased".

It is so often the bequeaths we are most interested in and this will provides us the needed clue to make the association of this William McKinley as father of Elizabeth McKinley Forsyth with this statement ".. I Will and Bequeath My Dauter Elizebeth Mckinley Now Elizebeth for Sythe the Sum of five Dollers to Be paid By William Mckindley My Son to heir if She Comes to america ..."

His first heir listed was his beloved wife "Margret".  In addition to Elizabeth, he also named son William, youngest daughter "Jain", daughter "Eloner" and grandson William.  This matches the 1820 census, page 171, which shows William McCinley enumerated August 7 with 1 male 26 thru 44 years, 1 male 45 and over, 1 female 16 thru 25, 1 female 26 thru 44 and 1 female 45 and over.  James Scott, co-Executor, and Samuel Vankirk, witness, will appear later in the narratives of William Jr. and Thomas Forsythe, Jr.

With William Sr. established as the father of Elizabeth McKinley Forsyth, the following can be attached to him.  The John and Elizabeth McKinley Forsyth descendants held an annual reunion beginning in 1904 and for several years thereafter.  In 1905 the reunion was held in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa at the home of Archibald, the last surviving child of John and Elizabeth.  A newspaper article was printed which included some elements of family history.  A transcription of the article is found in the "Forsyths of Wapello Co., IA - A New Line" section of this website under the navigation selection "Addendum: Forsythe Reunion".  Included was the following, "In the revolution of 1798, William McKinley ... had taken a part, and was a political refugee in America."  This was the Irish Rebellion of 1798, an uprising against British rule in Ireland.  It was focused in northern Ireland and led by Presbyterians angry at being shut out of power by the Anglican establishment, and increasingly joined by Catholics who were the majority of the population.  It started May 24 and ended with a defeat at Vinegar Hill on October 12.  After defeat of the rebels the British executed large scale massacres of rebels and sympathizers.  Captured and wounded rebels were hung, piked to death, and burned alive.  In one instance Protestant men, women, and children were imprisoned in a barn which was then set on fire.  Little is known of what, if any, atrocities occurred in County Down where William was from.

The aforementioned McKinley researcher notified me of information she had found at the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society in Pittsburgh where she found William and William Jr. listed as immigrating in 1807 with the arrival location of Maryland; their sponsor was John McCullough (McCullough and McCollough are used interchangeably in documents, even in his will); they stayed there a year or two before migrating to Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  I do not have a copy of this documentation.

The McKinleys, McCulloughs and Forsyths appear to have had a close relationship in Ireland, which continued when they immigrated to America and to Iowa.  Regarding the Rebellion of 1798, it is indeed very possible William participated in some form.  But with him not immigrating until 1807, it may be questionable whether he immigrated as a political refugee.  Americans encouraged relatively free and open immigration during the 18th and early 19th centuries.  He could have immigrated at any time following the Rebellion, so he may have finally gotten tired of the "second class citizen" role of the non-Anglican population and decided to immigrate after hearing of American "riches" from friends and family who had immigrated before.  Also the McKinley researcher stated the document identified the sponsor, John McCullough, as a revolutionary war soldier.  I have not been able yet to prove that.  However, there was a John McCullough buried in Round Hill Cemetery in Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County who was included in the Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, Series 1, 1929-1990 as a Revolutionary War veteran.  This is not the same John McCullough we are interested in.  This veteran died in 1830.  John the sponsor died in 1836.  I do not know if there might have been confusion as to which John McCullough was which, or if both were War veterans.

John McCullough, the sponsor, and family migrated to Pennsylvania about the same time as the William McKinley, Sr. family and settled in neighboring Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County.  John died circa June 1836 in Rostraver Township.  He wrote his will February 17, 1830, but it did not enter probate until it was proved June 7, 1836 and thus recorded and letters Testamentary issued to son David McCullough and he was sworn as Executor.  John's 1830 census entry shows him in his 60's.  Sarah died between 1840 and 1850, likely in Rostraver Township.  John's will names the children of John and wife Sarah as Sally, Hanna, Betsy, Peggy and David.  The McCullough children will come up in the William McKinley, Jr. narrative and in the Forsyth narratives.

William Sr.'s first heir listed in his will was his beloved wife Margaret.  As was stated in the "Forsyths of Wapello Co., IA - A New Line" section of this website, Frances Forsyth Hayden, daughter of John and Elizabeth McKinley Forsyth, had a written history of her Forsyth family unit.  In it she gave her mother's parents as William McKinley and Jane Thompson.  Was the mother's name Margaret Jane or did Frances have an incorrect name just like she had the given name wrong for the spouse of sister Eliza(beth) Forsyth?  It does not seem likely that William would give an incorrect first name for his own wife.  Of course, another plausible explanation could be that Margaret is his second wife.  I tend to think the correct answer is that her name was Margaret Jane, because the first daughter born to son William Jr. and wife Martha Margaret McCullough was named Margaret Jane.  That certainly offers no proof of her name, but is rather a possible explanation for the naming of the granddaughter.

William McKinley, Jr. appears in the 1830 Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County census, page 196 (as William McKinly), with 3 sons under 5 years of age, one male 30 to 40 years, 2 females 30 to 40 years, and one female 70 to 80 years (He is 6 households away from Thomas Forsythe - another family line of mine who also happened to marry into the Forsyth family and had a military relationship with William Jr.).  The 3 sons are William III, John, and Archibald.  One female in the 30-40 age bracket is obviously William Jr.'s wife Martha, born ca 1794.  The other female in that category is most likely William Jr.'s sister Jain (Jane).  William Sr. refers to her in his 1830 will as his youngest daughter.  He follows that with "... and to my Dauter Jain I Bequeth one Cow and one Bed With Bedding one Beurow one Sett of Cheirs and one table With a Comfortable Support of My farm While She Remains Single..."

William McKinley, Jr. appears in the 1840 Elizabeth Township census, page 3 (as Wm McKindley), all children he and his wife were to have were present in the household.  Also, there were 2 females in the 30 to 40 age group present and 1 female in the 50 to 60 age group.  The older female numbers are suspiciously like those of the 1830 census.  William Jr.'s wife is surely one of the 30-40 bracket, and she should be in the 40-50 bracket.  It is possible the other 2 older women are Jane and Williams Jr.'s mother Margaret/Jane and also enumerated in the wrong age columns.

The William McKinley, Jr. family was found in the 1850 census with a little detective work.  They are in Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County, page 170B and recorded as the William King family.  It is the McKinley family because all children are present except for John and ages and birth locations check out.  Son John is found (as John McKinly) in Elizabeth Borough of Elizabeth Township, page 146, in the household of C. F. Diehl with occupation as clerk.  Mr. Diehl has occupation of merchant.  Also in the William Jr. household a Jane Todd, age 54 and born in Ireland is enumerated.  From the given name, age and birth location it appears this is sister Jane.  No marriage records have been found to know who she married, or what happened to her spouse.  But no mother Margaret/Jane was found.  It appears from this information that mother Margaret/Jane likely died between 1840 and 1850, in her 80's, which in turn set the stage for William Jr.'s family to be free to migrate to Iowa.

The following is from the book "The Pioneer Forsythes of Fayette County, Pennsylvania and Their Descendants" (Forsythe Book) by Glenn Luther Forsythe, "According to a letter written by Mary Ann Forsythe, a granddaughter of Thomas and Nancy (Parker) Forsythe, to Mary Ann's daughter, L. W. Reynolds, 'Thomas Forsythe came to America from Ireland and settled in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.  He met a Dutch lady, Miss Nancy Parker, (and) they were married and had a family of ten children.'

"There is some doubt as to whether Nancy Parker was Dutch.  Parker is not a Dutch name and there were no substantial Dutch settlements in the vicinity at the time.  One of the daughters did marry a Mr. Vandine (VanDyne?), though, so it is possible that Nancy did have some Dutch ancestry.

"The earliest record located so far shows that Thomas Forsithe acquired a warrant to purchase a tract of land in Tyrone Township (now Perry Township), Fayette County, Pennsylvania on January 21, 1785.  In December of the same year he obtained a patent for that land and purchased it.  In the first records concerning him the Forsythe name was spelled Forsithe.  It is spelled Forsythe in the 1790 Federal population census and in current usage."

Further from the Forsythe Book, "Little information about the origin of Thomas Forsythe other than what has been passed on by family traditions and the federal censuses exists.  Mrs. George Marsh of West Newton, Pennsylvania, stated that Thomas tomahawked a tract of land, probably the same tract which he later acquired by warrant when Fayette County was first opened to settlers.  But he had to leave because of Indian hostilities.  In 1774 (?) he returned when Governor Dunsmore of Virginia reopened the area.  Thomas probably married at that time as his first child (Elizabeth?) was born about 1779."

Now the Indian problems occurred in the mid-1760's after the white encroachment reached an intolerable level, and several incidents of whites killing Indians raised the Indian rage to a fever pitch.  At that point Governor Dunsmore of Virginia, who was the primary official who turned his back as the whites encroached, finally called for all whites to vacate the area.  By 1768 a treaty had been executed with the Indians and their lands comprising current day south-western Pennsylvania was purchased for white settlement.  The territory was officially opened in 1769 for settlement.  If Thomas was present at the time of the Indian hostilities, then he was likely born 10 to 15 years earlier than his estimated birth date stated above.  That part of Pennsylvania was part of Bedford County, Pennsylvania in 1772.  According to the 1772 Bedford County tax list as published in "The Monongahela of Old or Historical Sketches of South-western Pennsylvania to the Year 1800" by James Veech, 1910, no Thomas Forsythe was listed - either among the heads of household, borders with no household, or freemen.  It is possible he came to the area sometime after 1772 or it is possible he was there and not counted or counted among Virginia tax rolls.  This same area of southwestern Pennsylvania was also claimed by Virginia.  From the early part of the 18th century France had put forth maps of the North American continent that showed a Louisiana territory which included among other large tracts that part of present day Pennsylvania that was west of the Susquehanna.  As early as 1731 Pennsylvania was being warned that France was tyring to gain a foothold on huge tracts of land that lay within that colony's charter boundaries.  Bogged down in many years of controversy with Lord Baltimore over boundaries with the colony of Maryland, the Pennsylvania Assembly ignored the French intrusions.  It was when Virginia, in 1748-49, took the initiative and established the Ohio Company in the vicinity of present day Pittsburgh that Pennsylvania finally took notice (this is the reason Virginia Governor Dunsmore was taking the lead during the Indian troubles above, and not the Pennsylvania authorities).  This Virginia incursion, which helped precipitate the French and Indian War, also led to 3 1/2 decades of conflict between Pennylvania over territory that would become Washington, Greene, Fayette, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties and Virginia with territory they named West Augusta later divided in Yohogania, Ohio and Monongalia counties.  This conflict between Pennsylvania and Virginia became quite heated, at times coming to blows and near bloodshet.  Both Colonies were selling land in the area under contention, with Virginia selling at a greatly reduced price.  (Virginia sold land for as low as 10 shillings per 100 acres and Pennsylvania sold for about 5 pounds sterling, according to Veech.  There was much contention between the two factions with anyone holding office under the laws of Pennsylvania and attempting any official act was likely to be arrested and jailed by persons claiming to hold office under the government of Virginia, and vice versa for the Virginia officials.  The issue was not settled, in Pennsylvania's favor, until the Mason-Dixon Line was officially run in 1785 - the year Thomas purchased his land.)  It is in these short lived Virginia Counties that a few records occur that might pertain to this family:

In February 26, 1773 Westmoreland County was spun off from Bedford County by the Pennsylvania Assembly even while there was a conflict of ownership with Virginia.  This county was all of southwestern Pennsylvania, which included the area that is now Fayette County.  Glen Swartz in the RootsWeb World Connect database "glen_swartz" quotes research done by the late W. Don Shoaf from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Deed Book A-1, page 160, "1778 Jun 01, Deed.  Charles Martin to Thomas Forsythe, 150 acres (with all improvements) on the south side of Youghiogheny River, adjoining John Vanmeter, a run, the top of Rich Hill, Mr Powers, and Moses Thompson; it being the upper part of a 300 acre tract, the lower 150 acres of which was sold to Thomas Reed.  Price: 100 PA currency.  Witnesses: Moses Thompson and Edward Cook."  This timeframe fits the estimated time of the start of his family, and this area fits the general area of the subsequent warrant and purchase mentioned in the Forsythe book above and in the material that follows.  That warrant was in Fayette County, and Fayette County was formed from Westmoreland County on September 26, 1783.

As found in "History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania: with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men"; edited by Franklin Ellis; L. H. Everts & Co., Philadelphia, 1882, page 715 in the Perry township history section, "Gen. J. B. Sweitzer owns 240 acres of land adjoining the Beeler tract, east on Jacob's Creek.  This was part of the Turnbull lands.  Thomas Forsyth took out a patent for 171 acres of land in this part of the township.  He had sons, - Ezekiel, David, and Thomas.  Ezekiel settled on the homestead.  His son Thomas now lives on the farm adjoining.  Henry and John, sons of Ezekiel, both live near.  David, son of Thomas, lived in Westmoreland County."  This warrant description is supported by the following information.

Fayette County attained its final, and current, boundaries in 1784 and the county government set about mapping out the land claims of its inhabitants.  According to the Fayette County Warrant Register, page 84, Thomas Forsithe obtained Fayette Co, survey warrant No.4 for Patentee surnames starting with F for these 150 acres he purchased in 1778.  The date of the survey warrant was January 21, 1785 with the return date being December 17, 1785 and the acres in the return determined as 171 acres by survey rather than 150.  The survey register identifies the Thomas Forsithe patent to be registered in Vol. P, No. 4, Page 268 and the survey to be found copied in Book A61, Page 197 in Tyrone Township.  The survey states "Situated in Poverty Neck on the East Side of Youghiogeni River in Tyrone Township Fayette County and surveyed the 21st Day of May 1785.  In Pursuance of a Warrant Dated the 21 Day of January 1785 by Alexander M Clean Deputy."  The accompanying map identifies Thomas' property, which he named "Greenland", as adjoining those of Joseph Whitesides, Peter Studibaker and an area to the south and west identified as Vacant Inaccesable River Hills.

A William Forsythe (likely from the Carnegie Annals above) registered two tracts in Washington Township of Fayette County, whereas Thomas' tract above is found in Tyrone Township.  William's first tract, "Wolf's Harbour", consisting of 122 acres had a survey warrant date of September 29, 1784 with a return date of December 2, 1785.  This entry is registered in Vol. P, No. 4, Page 174 and the survey can be found copied in Book A61, Page 196 where the description is given "Situate on the East Side of Monongahela River below the mouth of Redstone Creek & Nearby adjoining the same in Washington Township Fayette County & surveyed the 5th day of Novenmber 1784 In Pursuance of a Warrant Dated the 29th day of September 1784."  William's second tract, "Forsyth's Purchase", consisting of 296 acres had a survey warrant date of Janury 4, 1787 with a return date of January 8, 1787.  This entry is registered in Vol. P, No. 8, Page 191 and the survey can be found copied in Book C48, Page 162 where the description is given "Situated on the East Side of Monongahela River in Washington Township Fayette County about one and half Miles below the Mouth of Great Redstone Creek & Surveyed the 25th Day of August 1784 By Order of Survey in the Name of William Colvin No 3476 Dated the 14th Day of June 1769."  No evidence has been found at this time of the James Forsythe above taking out any land patents in Fayette County.

In Thomas Forsythe's will, dated November 9, 1807, he does as we all wish with wills of our ancestors and names all of his children.  He provides for wife, Nancy, with the house and two cows and the provision that she be "supported with bread and meat" while she remained a widow.  He then provides for sons John, Thomas, David and Ezekiel and for daughters Elizabeth Vandine, Peggy (Margaret) Jones, Nancy Jones, Hannah McKenna, and Polly and Sally (both of whom he mentions have not yet come of age).  The lands, goods and chattels were to be split equally by David and Ezekiel and to be paid at Nancy's death.  The will went to probate on January 16, 1808 with son-in-law Richard Jones "My hole and Sole Executer of this My Last Will and Testement" and son David "Forsithe Executer of this My Last Will and Testement".  I am not clear as to Whole and Sole Executor versus Executor.

Not a great deal is known about Nancy, other than what was mentioned in the notes for Thomas.  The name has evidently been passed from generation to generation as there has been no documentation found other than the letter mentioned above.  It is possible she was born in Pennsylvania, but that also is unknown.  If Fredrick Parker from above is indeed her father, then we know she was in the area by 1772.  She might not have been in the immediate vicinity too much before that because settlement in this area was not "officially" allowed until 1769, after a peace settlement had been reached with the Indians, although many settlers took it upon themselves to encroach on Indian land long before 1769.  Her birth date is estimated from the 1800 census which has her at age 45 or greater.

Nancy is shown as head of household, age greater than 45, in 1810 Tyrone Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, page 235.  Also in the household were 1 male age 16 to 26, 1 female age 10 to 16, and 1 female age 16 to 26.  Nancy is shown on line 27.  Nearby are other members of the family - line 26 David Forsythe, line 23 Thomas Forsythe, line 22 Richard Jones, and line 21 Aaron Jones.  Aaron is not proven to be a son-in-law, but there is that possibility and will be mentioned below.  Nancy is not found by name in the 1820 census, but there is a possibility she is the female of age 45 and up living in the Ezekiel Forsyth family in Tyrone Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, page 144 (and on the line immmediately below David Forsythe).  Now Thomas Jr. was in Tyrone Township in 1817, 1818 and 1819 tax lists, then was found in the 1820 Brown County, Ohio census (see Thomas Jr. narrative in previous generation).  It is very possible he was in Tyrone because his mother's health was declining during that time and that he left for Brown County, Ohio after her death to be with brother John and his family.  Since the 1820 census day was officially August 7, 1820, with the following 13 months alloted for collecting the enumeration data, it is likely Nancy died between that date and September 7, 1821 and Thomas Jr. and family still had time to get to Brown County, Ohio for that enumeration.  Even if Nancy had died before the census taker got to Ezekiel's home, the enumerator was instructed to include her if she had been alive on August 7, 1820.  In the 1821 tax list Ezekiel and David had divided the land of Thomas Forsythe, each taxed on 80 acres.  Presumably this supports the above possibility and means then that Nancy had died, for Thomas wrote in his will the lands, goods and chattels were to be split equally by David and Ezekiel and to be paid at Nancy's death.

Thomas and Nancy are believed to be buried at Jacobs Creek Cemetery in Westmoreland County, just across the Fayette County line.  This is located about a mile and a half from the original family homestead.  It is located on the flood plain of the Youghiogheny River and many stones have been destroyed.  Whatever the reason, their stones have not survived.

William's story begins with his parent's decision to move from Chester County, Pennsylvania back to North Carolina.  The first communication on the subject occurred in the July 29, 1769 Nottingham minutes of Chester County whereby, "West Nottingham Informs this Meeting that Richard Sidwell Removed himself and family to Carolina last fall, without Settleing with his Crediters, Joseph Brown and Henry Reynolds Jur. are Appointed to Inspect into the case more fully & Report to Next Meeting."  The underlining is my doing.  Subsequent communications listed their children as Hannah, Ruth, Elizabeth, John & William, in that order.  A P.S. was added to the message stating, "as the three Eldest were Born in Carolina,..." thus leaving John and William as born in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  That is confirmed when comparing to the minutes of the East Nottingham, Chester County meeting of October 3, 1761 where the incoming children of Richard and Frances are listed as Hannah, Ruth, Susannah, & Elizabeth.  Since the family exited Chester County in the fall of 1768, that suggests William was born no later than early to mid-1768.

Sometime around 1789-90, or earlier based on when Richard and Frances moved, William left Guilford County, North Carolina for western North Carolina territory that would become the state of Tennessee on June 1, 1796.  On March 7, 1791 William married Mary Key in Greene County.

From Greene County they are found in Knox County, western North Carolina Territory when it was formed in 1792.  This may not have required a move on their part depending on where in Greene county they lived and whether that was the part that formed part of the new Knox County.  He is found in Knox County serving as a private in the local frontier militia of the Territory South of the Ohio under the command of Capt. John Menefee for protection from Indian attacks.  He served September 11-15 1792 for $.50 pay and May 31-June 14, 1794 for $11.25 pay.  In 1790 North Carolina ceded her western territorial land to the young Federal Government, at which time it became known as the Territory South of the River Ohio.  To protect themselves from the dangers of the frontier, a territorial militia was instituted and when Knox became a county in 1792 it was known as the Knox County Regiment, Hamilton District Militia, Territory South of the Ohio.  The expectation was that any able bodied male 18 and older would serve to protect the frontier communities and this is what William volunteered for.

This area was a frontier, and church formation always lagged people entering new territory.  It was not until May 20, 1797 that the Lost Creek Monthly Meeting of the Quaker church was established near the present day town of New Market, Tennessee.  That is right on the border with Knox County, near where William and Mary had settled.  When his parents moved the family from Pennsylvania back to North Carolina and were disowned because of financial mismanagement, the recommendation from the Pennsylvania meeting was to disown the parents but allow the children to be part of the Society in North Carolina.  William must have benefited from that as the minutes of the June 1797 Cane Creek meeting in North Carolina reports "Also Complains of William Sidwell for accomplishing marriage Out of Unity, Jacob Marchill is therefore Appointed to produce a testimony Against him to next meeting."  The July 1 meeting reports "The friend Appointed to prepare A testimony Against William Sidwell hath produced one which was approved of & Signed, Hugh Maxwell is appointed to Send a Copy thereof to the montly meeting of lost Creek."  The September 23, 1797 meeting of Lost Creek records they received the testimony from Cane Creek and instructed he be informed of the decision to disown him.  These actions were likely initiated by William wishing to transfer his membership from Cane Creek to Lost Creek.

While I have no proof at this time they are siblings, it appears 4 siblings may have joined William in Knox County in this time frame.  The following Sidwell marriages occurred in Knox County: Rachel Sidwell (John Bryan security) married Joseph Williams March 20, 1797, Isaac Sidwell (Joseph Sidwell security) married Elizabeth Conn Jamuary 27, 1798, Fanny Sidwell (Joseph Sidwell security) married William Brown February 26, 1798, and Joseph Sidwell (William Davison security) married Margaret Hutchinson September 15, 1798.  This assumption seems entirely feasible in light of father Richard appearing in Hawkins County at least by 1793 and two other siblings making the same move.  While children who might have been born after Richard and Frances were disowned by the Quaker Society and were not members of the Society of Friends, the following children were born prior to that action and were recorded as members of the Society.  Sister Hannah married James Davison, Jr. December 29, 1777 in Guilford County, North Carolina, then March 07, 1795 the family received a certificate to transfer from Cane Creek Meeting to Westfield Monthly Meeting followed by a transfer to Lost Creek Meeting in January 1812.  Settlement by Friends in Greene County, Tennessee began as early as 1784 while Westfield Monthly Meeting was not established until 1786 it was thought to be most convenient for Tennessee Friends to have their membership.  Sister Ruth married William Davison (brother to James Davison, Jr. and security for Joseph Sidwell marriage bond) November 30, 1778 in Guilford County, North Carolina, then the family got a certificate November 07, 1795 to move from Cane Creek Meeting to Newhope Meeting in Greene County, Tennessee followed by a transfer to Lost Creek Meeting in October 1798.  It is likely the two Davison families migrated to the same area of Greene County in the same time frame and at a much earlier time than what 1795 and 1798 dates indicate.  That is suggested by William's marriage date, Richard's settlement dates, and the fact that the later dates were more a result of when the Monthly Meetings were created than when the families moved to the area.

The next move for William and family was circa 1799-1800 and just across the state line to assume a 190 acre land grant surveyed September 15, 1800 and located on Illwill Creek in Cumberland County, Kentucky.  This land grant was among the Grants South of Green River as described in Adam Guthrie's narrative in generation 6.  Illwill Creek was in eastern Cumberland County at the time, and fell in Clinton County when it was formed in part from Cumberland County in 1836.  According to tradition, Illwill Creek was so named when pioneers at the site retreated reluctantly (with an "ill will") to hostile Indians as told in "From Red Hot to Monkey's Eyebrow: Unusual Kentucky Place Names" by Robert M. Rennick, University Press of Kentucky, 2013, pp 9-10.  Presumed brother Joseph Sr. followed later when he assumed a 100 acre land grant on Illwill Creek surveyed on June 26, 1805.  1805 was also the year that father Adam and sons James, Thomas and George Guthrie/GuthreyGuthry/Gurhtery settled on Illwill Creek.  George Guthrie's daughter Mary and William Sidwell's son David Sr. would marry to continue my ancestral line.  It is possible Joseph Sr. delayed his move until after his parents died.  William and Polly (Mary) are listed on the membership of the Sinking Springs Baptist Church in 1805 and again in 1806 when he was also appointed clerk of the church.  Evidently being disowned by the Quakers led him to membership in the Baptist church, which continued with his sons David and Isaac into Iowa.  In 1806 he is listed as owning an additional 100 acres surveyed on Sulpher Lick of Obey Creek and in 1813 he sold some of his land to a Warren Sams.  They continued farming on the remainder of their land until approximately 1828, when William and Mary and a couple of their children, David Sr. being one, moved to Fayette County, Illinois.

The 1830 Fayette County, Illinois census, page 245, line 14 shows the Wm Sidwell household, with one male age 60 through 70 (born 1761-1770) and one female age 50 through 59 (born 1771-1880).  Also in the household is a female age 20 through 29 (born 1801-1810) which would have been the youngest child of William Sr. and Mary, Rebecca Jane who would get married in another 3 years.  One line above, on line 13, is the household of son Isaac Denton.  Son David also migrated to Illinois, settling in Shelby County on the north Fayette County line.  He and family are on page 140, line 14 and on the next line is his brother-in-law Adam Guthery (Guthrie).  As was common on the frontier, they "squatted" on the land for quite some time before purchasing a tract.  Often times they needed this time to build up enough cash for the purchase.  Son David purchased 40 acres at $1.25 per acre on January 21, 1837 with certificate #5970 issued August 10, 1838.  Son Isaac Denton purchased 40 acres at $1.25 per acre on October 06, 1832 with certificate #1422 issued October 8, 1834 and another 40 acres at $1.25 per acre on March 01, 1837 with certificate #6646 issued on November 01, 1839.  Also, William purchased 40 acres at $1.25 per acres on March 22, 1838 with certificate #8283 issued November 01, 1839.

According to information from The Primitive Baptist Library as provided by Elder Robert Webb, William Sidwell was a member of Clear Spring Baptist Church of Fayette County.  As found on The Primitive Baptist Library of Carthage, Illinois website, "Clear Spring Church, in Fayette County, was organized in 1829 or earlier, as it united with the Illinois Association in September 1829, James Beck and Guy Beck being the messengers, who reported 9 members.  William Sidwell and James Beck were messengers to the Illinois Association in 1830.  In 1830, this church was dismissed to go into the constitution of the Kaskaskia Association.  The Kaskaskia Association met here in 1834.  Elder Isaac Sidwell was also a member here for a few years before moving to northeast Missouri."

The State of Illinois conducted a census in 1835 and William Sr. and Mary appear in the July 3 Fayette County census as heads of household with what appears to be the family of Isaac Denton living with them.  I say that because Isaac, David and William appear in the 1830 Federal Illinois census while the 1835 Illinois State census only contains William and David with a family that would match Isaac's enumerated in William Sr.'s household.  In this census William Sr. is enumerated as age 61-70 (born 1765-1774) and Mary as age 61-70 (born 1765-1774).  Combining these date ranges with those from the 1830 census above, William Sr. was born about 1765-1770 and Mary was born about 1771-1774.  Sometime between the 1835 census and the taking of the 1840 census Mary died and between the purchase of 40 acres on March 22, 1838 and the 1840 census William Sr. died.  Mrs. Lila M. Mulford wrote in the Vol. 13, No. 3 (1984) issue of the "Fayette (Illinois) Facts" newsletter, "There was a land transaction in which William Sidwell deeded land to Isaac D. Sidwell, 1 Dec., 1838 in Fayette Co., Bk C, p. 250."  That suggests he knew his health was failing and decided to dispose of his land, thus providing another point to help fix his death date.  Children David Sr. and Isaac Denton continued farming in Fayette County for roughly another decade before deciding to pick up stakes and move to Missouri/Iowa.

One last note.  Many trees and the Find A Grave memorial show this person as William Thomas Sidwell.  I have found no documents that show William with a middle name.  If he did have a middle name I would not think it Thomas unless that was a family name in his mother's family. It was not common in William's family.  The William Thomas is also shown as son of Hugh Sidwell and Annie Haines.  Hugh and Annie may very well have had a son William Thomas, but he is not the William of Cumberland County, Kentucky.

From the narrative for Adam and Mary Anderson Guthrie we know that Adam resided in Cumberland County, Kentucky when he wrote his will (May 1, 1825) and when his will was proved (August 20, 1827).  That narrative also identified the land purchases made by Guthries in Cumberland County:

The 1810 Cumberland County census shows 3 Guthrie family units:

George Guthrie family, page 180, line 32

James Guthrie family, page 180, line 35

Hannah Guthrie family, page 177, line 1

The page numbering on the 1810 census is confusing.  In the left margin for the page that George Sr. is enumerated is handwritten page number 742, while on the right side is handwritten page number 719.  Then in the bottom right corner is the typeset number 180 for pages 741/742 (or 177 for pages 718/719) combined.  I have used the typeset page number 180 and 177.

George Sr. is a son of Adam and Mary Anderson Guthrie by virtue of him being named in Adam's will, where he was bequeathed one cow.  Comparing the age group for the heads of household seem to show them to be siblings, and James was indeed named in Adam's will.  In the 1820 Cumberland County census they are joined by another seeming sibling, Thomas Guthrie, age 26-44 and also listed in Adam's will, and family, and by father Adam Guthrie, age 45 and over, and family.  All of these Guthrie families are found in close proximity on page 157 of the 1820 census.

George is first encountered in the land records of Cumberland County, Kentucky where he received a land grant, survey dated August 29, 1805, for 200 acres near Illwill Creek.  According to the narrative for Adam, the individual had to be at least 21 and settle the land for a year before taking actual possession.  That places George Sr.'s birth no later than 1783.  George Sr. is found in the 1810 and 1820 Cumberland County census records and is recorded as being of age 26 and under age 45.  Combining these entries with the previously estimated 1783 places his birth date between 1776 and 1783.

In the 1810 census George Sr. is enumerated 5 lines above that of William Sidwell.  This close proximity created a bond between the families that would last more than 3 decades.  The 1830 Cumberland County census contains entries for James Guthrie (born in 1770's), Polly Guthrie (born in 1780s), Elizabeth Guthrie (born in 1770s), Thomas Guthrie (born in 1780s) and Anselm Guthrie (born in 1790s), but no George Guthrie.  James, Polly, Elizabeth and Thomas were discussed in the children's section of the Adam and Mary Anderson Guthrie narrative in generation 6.  As for Anselm, I do not know who he belongs to.  It could be that he was a nephew to George Sr.  The Hannah Guthrie household had two sons in her 1810 household who would fit that age category.   Such an unusual name as Anselm makes it easier to track him.  He is likely the one who served in Captain's John Kennedy and Wiley Huddleston Companies in the Tennessee Militia during the War of 1812, serving first from October 14, 1813 to December 28, 1813 and again from November 13, 1814 to May 13, 1815.  His pension application states he married Matilda (maiden name not given) June 14, 1822 in Limestone County, Alabama.  I know nothing more of this individual.  There is an Anselm, born about 1797, who resided in Union County, Illinois and with wife named Matilda.  But that Anselm married Matilda Brock in 1820 in Union County, Illinois.  That does not seem consistent with him being in Cumberland County in 1830.

Back to George Sr.  The George Guthrie, Sr. family is not found in 1830 Cumberland County because the family is located in Fayette County, Illinois.  George Sr.'s father, Adam, died prior to his will being proved August 20, 1827.  It is likely that George Sr.'s family joined the William Sidwell family in moving to Fayette County immediately after Adam's death.  In 1830 George Guthery and Thomas Guthery families are enumerated in Fayette County and Adam Gathery is enumerated across the county line in Shelby County:

Isaac & William Sidwell appear on page 245 in the 1830 Fayette County, Illinois census.  With George Sr. appearing as age 50-59, i.e. born 1771-1780, his previous birth year date range of 1776-1783 can be adjusted to 1776-1780.  Then the 1840 census shows George with age range again as 50-59.  That seems to suggest his birth year is approximately 1780, which would also place his birth place as Sullivan County, North Carolina (which would later be in the state of Tennessee).  This is the last census where George Sr. makes an appearance.

The 1835 Illinois State census for Fayette County shows the George Sr. family enumerated on page 3, line 23.  He is shown in the 51-60 age grouping as is a female presumed to be his wife.  The additional element added in the census is George Sr.'s middle initial of W.  Line 23 is enumerated as George W. Guthrie Senr. and line 24 is enumerated as George W. Guthrie Junr.  George Jr. was identified in a later document as George Washington Guthrey.  It is possible this is what the middle initial stands for with George Sr. as well. General  George Washington would have been on everyone's lips when George Sr. was born, so it is not out of the question he would have been named after the famous General.  Some researchers have Senior's name as George William as will be mentioned in Hannah's narrative.  Without a document that reveals what the W represents I will leave it as simply the initial.

George Sr. presumably died between 1840 and 1850 since he does not appear in any documents after the 1840 Federal census.

While this name has been used for decades as the spouse of George W. Guthrie, Sr., I do not know that this is the name of his wife.  There is a Hannah Guthrie in the 1810 Cumberland County, Kentucky census, page 177.  But it does not make sense that this name would be mistaken as George Sr.'s  wife since George is enumerated on page 180 with a female his age in the household who would presumably be his wife.

On February 1, 1800 a William Guthrie married Hannah Smiley in Greene County, Tennessee.  This county is definitely where the Adam Guthrie family was living in 1800.  This marriage has been used by many researchers to suggest this Hannah was the wife of George Sr. and that his middle initial of W. stood for William.  I have a problem with this because George Sr. never went by anything other than George anywhere else, so why would he use another name when marrying?  It is more likely that William was a son of Adam, and brother of George Sr., and the Hannah Guthrie found in the 1810 Federal census for Cumberland County, Kentucky was his widow.

While the latter is the most plausible explanation, there were other Guthries in East Tennessee in 1800 who William could have belonged to - i.e. Francis Guthery in neighboring Hawkins County, Robert Guthrie in neighboring Washington County, and James Guttery in neighboring Hawkins County.  At this point in time the name of George Sr.'s spouse is unknown until some document can be produced proving a name.

By comparing the 1810 through 1830 Federal census records, it appears George Sr. had 10 children, 6 sons and 4 daughters.  Nine can be accounted for as shown below.

With Stephen there is as much family oral/written history, if not more, than hard documented facts.  Much of the family tradition I will be writing about was recorded by Fred Robertson (1899-1985) and published in December 1956.  Those writings offer no sources, so it is assumed the information has come from family sources - stories handed down through the generations, family bibles, etc.  This narrative will test the premises presented by Fred's writings and attempt to quote documentation that confirms them.  When the British army burned buildings in Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, Tennessee census records were among those that were lost.  Later the East Tennessee counties census records for 1820 were lost.  These losses complicate the search for documentation and force us to use other material where available.  The early days of Stephen, prior to 1810, along with the explanation of James and Mary Fuqua Roberson as his parents are covered in the pages "The Stephen Robertson Family of Brown County, IN" on this site (available from the home page or from this link).

According to Fred, "In May 1802 they were living on Beaver Creek across the Clinch River east of Oak Ridge Tenn."  "Early East Tennessee Taxpayers", Pollyanna Creekmore; Southern Historical Press; Easly, SC; 1980 has Stephen Roberson included on an Anderson County list of taxable property and polls in Captain McCamey's Company for 1802 as 1 free poll with 150 acres on Beav[er] Creek.  The deed was difficult to read and it appears Ms. Creekmore misread the r as a v and completed the name on her own, changing the meaning from Bear to Beaver.  Bear Creek has more meaning in that the location on Beaver Creek would have placed Stephen in Knox County rather than Anderson County.  Included on this same tax list for 1802 was Lazarus Chitwood (security on Stephen's marriage bond) and brother Pleasant Chitwood, each listed as 1 free poll.  Also included on this tax list was William Roberson, 1 free poll, 1 black poll, and with 230 acres on East Fork, likely Stephen's brother.

Fred Robertson wrote "About 1815 they (Stephen, Winnie and family) moved a few miles north to that fractional part of Claiborne Co. which was detached to form part of Campbell Co."  Checking maps of that era and how the counties formed and reformed, it would appear they might have settled in an area near the Kentucky state line.  It was there in 1817 that the northwest corner of Claiborn County was removed and became the northeast corner of Campbell County.  Indeed, according to "Early East Tennessee Tax Lists", Mary Barnett Curtis; Arrow Printing Company; Fort Worth, TX; 1964, Stephen Robertson was on the 1823 Campbell County, Tennessee tax list.  Included on this same tax list was Lazarus Robertson, Stephen and Winnie's oldest child.  Also named on the same tax list were twelve Chitwoods, including Lazarus, Pleasant, Shadrach, and Daniel - all names used by Stephen and Winnie for some of their children.  It is worth noting that Stephen was not listed in the 1818 Campbell County tax list, although according to Fred's narrative he should have been.

Here again it is important to understand the boundary line changes that occurred in the area where the ancestors lived.  The current northern Tennessee state line was under dispute the first two decades of the 19th century.  The latitude of 36 degrees and 30 minutes north was established by royal charters as the boundary line between the colonies of Virginia and North Carolina.  By extension that latitude was to be the line dividing Kentucky (a Virginia possession) and Tennessee (a North Carolina possession).  In 1779 a survey team was charged with running this line to the west to physically mark the boundary between Kentucky and Tennessee.  The line that was extended to the Tennessee River was called the Walker Line after Dr. Thomas Walker, a survey team member from Virginia.  It was found after the fact that due to improper corrections the Walker Line was actually about 12 miles north of the true 36 degree, 30 minutes latitude.  Kentucky refused to release claim on this strip of land of 12 miles width, the very area in which Stephen and his family settled.  Thus it was not surprising to find Stephen and family and the Chitwoods in Pulaski County, Kentucky during this time frame and not in Tennessee until after a compromise made February 4, 1820 fixed the Tennessee and Kentucky boundary line as we know it today, giving that 12 mile strip to the jurisdiction of Tennessee with the right to issue grants given to Kentucky.

From "The Kentucky Land Grants Vol. I - II"; Willard Rouse Jillson; Filson Club Publications; Louisville, Kentucky, 1925:

Roaring Paunch Creek is located in southern Kentucky and into northern Tennessee near the state line and immediately north of Winfield (known as the village of Chitwood during the first 80 years of its existence) in modern day Scott County.  During the timeframe of our research this was in Pulaski County, Kentucky until the compromise of 1820 after which it fell in Campbell County, Tennessee.  Additionally, Pulaski County borders were different in this timeframe from its modern borders.  During this period the county extended all the way south to the Kentucky state line.  In addition to this area falling in the 12 mile wide "Walker tract", Stephen's grant was part of the Tellico Grants, (along with those Chitwood grants on the first 7 lines).  They apply to lands ceded to the U.S. by the Cherokee Indians under the treaty of 1805.  It is likely they worked the land for some time before the survey was done and receiving a grant.  This understanding also helps us locate Stephen in an early census (enumerated as Steven), the 1820 Pulaski County, Kentucky census (no township listed) on page 63:

This census gets close to putting some substance to another of Fred's statements, "They had thirteen children."  This statement likely resulted from son Joseph's biography as noted in his narrative below.  This 1820 census identifies 9 children, and there were 3 known sons born after this 1820 census (see comments on Stephen's will below).  In this census Stephen's family is listed on line 10 with the following Chitwoods listed on the same page - Jas. Sr. line 6, Shadk Sr. line 8, Lazarus line 9, Danl line 17, Shadk line 18, Pleasant line 21, and Jas. line 22.

Fred Robertson then wrote "Stephen left here (Campbell County, Tennessee) for Indiana in 1828.  The family stopped in Ky. (one year) and proceeded to Dubois Co. in Indiana and on to Brown Co. Ind.  The earliest record they were in Brown Co. is Dec. 29, 1835 when Stephen and Shadrach patented land in adjoining sections in Jackson Township.  Their land had a common boundary."  Some of this likely is part of family tradition as there are no records that have been found of their travels.  It is true there is a Stephen Robertson in Dubois County, Indiana in the 1830 census (Patoka Township, page 57):

Assuming one of the males in this household is Stephen, he is much too young to be our Stephen.  Additionally, according to the will to follow, there should be three young boys less than 10 in this household.  A possible explanation might also be that Stephen, Winnie and some of the family were an advance guard migration to Indiana and that at the time of the 1830 enumeration Winnie and some of her children were at home in Indiana while Stephen went back to Kentucky to fetch the smaller children who were left with the safety of relatives in Kentucky.  The older female would be Winnie, but the age grouping of 50 to 60 does not seem right, and is not consistent with the 1840 census (see Winnie's narrative).  No land records have been found for Stephen in Dubois County, so it is not known for certain if they settled there or not.  There is also a Stephen and family found in 1830 Manchester Township, Dearborn County, Indiana, page 226:

While this family seems to fit the family demographics of our Stephen as we know it from the 1820 census, it does not seem likely that is the case.  This family is enumerated as the Stephen Robison family in this township and county in the 1820 census, and we know our Stephen was in Pulaski County, Kentucky at that time.  It also seems possible that Stephen and family could have been in transition from Kentucky to Indiana and were not enumerated in the 1830 census.

According to "Federal Land Entries for Brown County, Indiana"; John W. Hamblen, Ph.D. and Sandy Seitz; Brown County Genealogical Society, Inc., 1994, Shadrach and Stephen Robertson each submitted entries for 40 acres of federal land in Township 10N and Range 2E on December 29, 1835 (Federal certificate issued March 20, 1837).  This land was immediately east of the then east border of Monroe County, in an area not yet formed into a county.  The modern boundaries of Monroe and Brown counties were formed when Brown County was formed April 1, 1836.  Shadrach's farm was along the western border of section 25 and Stephen's along the eastern border of section 26, and this was the border their farms shared.

Stephen Robertson's will, dated January 9, 1833, is recorded in Brown County, Indiana Court Docket A.  On page 686 of "Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana: Historical and Biographical" by Charles Blanchard;F. A. Battey & Co., Chicago; 1884, "At the November term, 1837, there being no business, court adjourned.  During vacation, letters of administration were issued to Banner and Esther Brummet, of the estate of James Brummet, deceased.  The will of Stephen Robertson was also filed for record.  At the February term, 1838, ... The will of Stephen Robertson was read and admitted to probate.  The court then adjourned."  In the will he leaves all his property, real and personal, to his beloved wife (not named).  Upon her death he named his sons Joseph, John and Daniel as heirs to "share and share alike the amount thus bequethed to my wife".  He named his wife and Lazarus Robertson (without naming a relationship) as executors.  The 1820 census above identified more than three children.  These three were the ones yet at home who had not reached their majority.  It is assumed the others had received their inheritance, or were not in need of further assistance as these three young ones would be.  Along with the fact that Lazarus was listed along with Stephen in the 1823 Campbell County, Tennessee tax list it would appear that Lazarus was selected as executor because he is the oldest, or at least the oldest child living in Brown County, Indiana.  According to Fred, "Stephen died here about 1837.  His will was probated January 9, 1838."

Fred's narrative may have been lacking supporting documentation, but over all he was not too far off base on Stephen's Tennessee and Indiana history.

Winnie Chitwood married Stephen Robertson on May 26, 1800 in Knox County, Tennessee.  The marriage bond between Stephen Roberson and Winney Chitwood identified Lazarus Chitwood as security.  No primary source document has been located that identifies her parentage, but Lazarus serving as the marriage bond security and the proximity of all the Chitwoods and the Stephen Robertson family mentioned in Stephen's narrative lend some credence to James and Martha White Chitwood being her parents.  An additional consideration is that Winnie is named after James Chitwood's mother - i.e. her maternal grandmother.  Son Joseph's narrative below references his biography which confirms the above relationship by stating his mother was a daughter of James Chitwood.  Joseph's biography also identified his mother as Winnie (Webb) Robertson.  This notation is typically used to identify maiden names, yet the biography goes ahead to identify her as the daughter of James Chitwood.  It can also be used to identify a previous married name, yet no previous marriage has been found yet for Winnie.  While some researchers have published her name as Winnie Webb Chitwood, I have chosen not to do so until I find an independent source that confirms or explains this.

Winnie is included in the 1820 Pulaski County, Kentucky census above.  She is head of household, and listed as Winna Roberson, in the 1840 Jackson Township, Brown County, Indiana census, page 189:

Using the 1820 and 1840 censuses containing Winnie allow us to identify her birth date as sometime between June 2, 1780 and June 1, 1790.  Given her marriage to Stephen in 1800 it is most probable she was born around 1780 to 1784.  After the 1840 census Winnie is not found in any subsequent censuses.  She likely died in Brown County sometime between 1840 and 1850.

Son Joseph's biography below states, "Stephen and Winnie (Webb) Robertson, were the parents of thirteen sons and daughters."  The census entries above help us to place most of these children, but leave a couple of questions (see the individual narratives below to see why the named individuals are thought to be their children).  According to the 1820 census there are 2 sons in the 16 to 26 age group, one of which is 16 to 18:

Lazarus born about 1801 (age 19);  one unknown male.

Martha born about 1805 (age 15);  Shadrach born about 1807 (age 13);  Elizabeth born about 1809 (age 11).

Pleasant born about 1814 (age 6);  Isaac born about 1817 (age 3);  one unknown male;  one unknown female.

Joseph born about 1822 (age 18);  John born about 1825 (age 15).

Daniel born about 1828 (age 12).

The above listings account for 12 children.  Review of the 1810 to 1820 timespan shows three spans where a child would fit.  There is a good possibility there was a third unknown child in that age group that did not live to be enumerated in the 1820 census.  At this time I am uncertain who the 4 unknown children are.  Some people have identified the James D. Robertson who married Mary Hardesty in Monroe County, Indiana October 26, 1827 as a son, yet the marriage date would have placed him as age 17 or less at marriage.  Additionally, his census entries identify him as born about 1801, which does not fit the census entries for Stephen's family.  Some have identified sons Cornelius and Alexander, with no proof other than an article found in "History of Brown County Families" found at the Brown County Historical Society.  At this time I have not been able to locate a Cornelius or Alexander that would fit this family and its travels.  The book "Descendants of Matthias Chitwood" compiled by I. O. Chitwood, 1986 offers 2 sons Stephen and Thomas, again with no proof.  This book offers 3 unnamed daughters among the 6 unnamed childred, the only material I have seen to indicate 3 daughters, but also shows only 10 children.  To this point, I have not found a Stephen or Thomas who fit Stephen and Winnie's family profile.

See the link from my Home Page "The Sexton Family of Cabell County, WVa." for more details about William's family.

My Sexton ancestral line can be traced back to the late-1700's at this time.  William Saxton, Sr., my gggg grandfather, first appears in records in Greenbrier County, [West] Virginia in 1796.  This was an area in that part of western Virginia that would end up in West Virginia when that state was formed in 1863 (I will denote this area with brackets as [West] Virginia).

When William Sr. appears in Greenbrier County it is on Sinking Creek and his name is given as Saxton, not Sexton.  He is consistently identified that way.  I do not know where he came from or anything about his parents or siblings.  However, Saxton could suggest German heritage as well as English heritage.  One of our Sexton cousins in Indiana sent me some information in which a grandson of this William Sr. wrote a short history of his family for publication in a county history book of a type so popular in the late 1800s.  One statement made in that biography was, "The Sexton family originated in Germany, but for generations its members have lived in America, being early settlers of Virginia."  One other thing we know is that he was at least 16 years of age to appear on a Personal Property Tax (PPT) listing.  That would mean he was born in 1780 or before - most likely at least 1775 or before.

There was one other Saxton/Sexton in Greenbrier County at the time of William Sr., and that was John Saxton.  He appeared in the county in 1795, so it is possible William Sr. was his son and then went out on his own and appeared in the county for the first time in the 1796 tax rolls.  William Sr. appeared on Sinking Creek and John appeared in an area called the Meadows.  Unfortunately in the papers prior to 1850 only the senior male of the household was noted (or the senior female in the case of a widow supporting the household).  Thus it made it difficult to determine familial relationships in that timeframe.  John Saxton could be father or brother to William Sr., or not related at all.

William Sr. appears on the Greenbrier County Personal Property Tax records from 1796 through 1807.  I have not been able to find any land deeds for William Sr. in this county, so the thought is he was a farm laborer in the area.  From the time William Sr. showed up in Greenbrier County there was an Abraham Black, and then an Adam Black, who appeared close to William Sr. in all the Greenbrier Personal Property Tax rolls.  Then in 1801, William Sr. married Abraham's daughter, Elizabeth, and sister to Adam.  Adam served as surety on the marriage bond.  Neither William Sr. nor Adam Black could write.  They both signed the marriage bond with an "X".  However, her father Abraham wrote and signed his permission for her to marry, even using passable spelling for that time period.  Two things interesting about that are that Elizabeth must not have yet been 18 for Abraham to write a permission statement.  Secondly, Elizabeth in the 1850 census states she cannot read or write.  It seems the child generation suffered educationally from living on the frontier in the late 1700's.

William Sr. and Elizabeth made their home near her parents through 1807 at least.  The Virginia legislature did not enact a Personal Property Tax in 1808, so there is no listing to know where they were living that year, but in 1809 they appeared in the newly formed county of Cabell while the Black family remained in Greenbrier County.  The William and Elizabeth Black Saxton family settled on Mud River near the village of Hamlin.  The Mud River empties into the Ohio River which forms the northwest border of Cabell County.  This geographic location may have factored in migration in the next generation.

His 1809 Personal Property Tax entry in Cabell County recorded on May 21 said there was only 1 white male above 16 years of age (William Sr.) in the household and he had 3 horses.  The first land deed I found for William Sr. was executed March 4, 1813.  William Saxton, Sr. purchased from "James Jorden Senr. for an in consideration of fifty Dollars to him in hand paid, hath granted bargain and sold and by these presents doth grant bargain and sell unto the said William Saxton a certain tract or parcel of Land, ling and being in the County of Cabell and situate on Mud River and bounded as follows, towit, beginning on the Bank of Mud River on two Water Burches, thence a strait line to two white Oaks, thence a strait line to a white oak and Beach, thence a strait line to a Sugar tree on the Bank of Mud River, thence town the River with the several meander to the Beginning, Containing one hundred acres by survy, ..."  This was near Morris' ferry 12 miles east of the court house, which was in Barboursville in 1813.  I find the early deeds interesting to read.  Did they think those trees were going to be around forever and that his trees would be sufficiently unique from other's Oak, Birch, Beech and Sugar trees?

This 100 acres stayed in the name of William Saxton on the Cabell County Land Book from 1813 through 1826.  That entry for 1826 was made in May 1826.  Then the entry for 1827, made in February, showed the 100 acres in the Cabell County Land Book with the entry "William Saxton's estate."  The same entry appeared in 1828.  Interestingly, on March 15, 1826 William Sr. and Elizabeth entered into a property exchange with John and Jane Templeton where John and Jane got the Saxton property in Cabell County in exchange for the Templeton property in Lawrence County, Ohio, just across the Ohio River from Cabell County.  So it appeared that William Sr. and Elizabeth were planning on moving their family westward little by little.  But on August 29, 1826 William Sr. and Elizabeth sell the Lawrence County, Ohio property to Joseph Langdon for the amount of $120.  It appears William Sr. either had an accident or knew his health was deteriorating and would not be able to start over again in a new territory.  Then the entry in the Cabell Land Book the following February confirmed he was dead - dying sometime between the August 29, 1826 deed and the February 1827 Land Book entry showing the 100 acres in his estate.

When William Sr. died, Elizabeth was left with 4 children under the age of 10 and 9 children still at home.  Additionally, the land deal above traded away the 100 acres, so after the estate was settled, Elizabeth was without property.  Elizabeth never remarried, so she was totally dependent on her children for her support, her father having also died.  She remained in Cabell County, living with their second oldest son John and his family.  Elizabeth lived with them until her death sometime between 1860 and 1870.

See the link from my Home Page "The Black Family of Greenbrier County, WVa." for more details about Elizabeth's family.

George was a son of Thomas Caton/Kitten/Kitton by virtue of a couple of sources.  According to "Estate Records, 1781-96 and Deed Records, 1782-85 in Washington County, Pennsylvania" by Raymond Martin Bell; self-published; Washington, PA; 1977, "Thomas Caton, 1796, ch (George, Milce m Thomas Praul, Susannah, Daniel, Priscilla, Dorsey, Agnes)."  From "History of Washington County, Pennsylvania" by Boyd Crumrine; L. H. Everts & Co.; Philadelphia, 1882, page 660, "Thomas Kitten ... His three sons were George, Dorsey, and Daniel."  Several researchers have this son named George Thomas Caton.  I have not found any document or source that identifies his middle initial or middle name, so I have not included a middle name until such source(s) has been identified.

George appears indirectly and directly in every census from 1790 through 1860.  The 1790 Washington County, Pennsylvania census (no township listed), page 192 shows the Thos Ritten family, with the Theophalus Ritten family immediately following.  In Thomas' family there are 7 family members and 2 slaves enumerated.  According to the number of children shown above, this would suggest at least 2 children yet unborn.  Since 3 sons are enumerated, that would mean 2 or more girls have not yet been born.  All three boys are identified as under the age of 16 - i.e. born after August 2, 1773 as the official 1790 census date was August 2, 1790.  In the 1800 through 1830 censuses he is at home in Amwell Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania and identified as head of household (with the 1830 census family identified as Ceaton on page 130 along with Gabriel and Henry Ceaton families on the same page).  Most of these censuses support a birth date of 1774 to early 1775 with the 1790 and 1800 censuses combining to suggest a late 1774 to early 1775 birth date.  The only exception is the 1810 census which has George born August 6, 1765 or before.

The 1840 census for White Eyes Township, Coshocton County, Ohio, page 387 shows George and his wife alone in the household and continues to support a birth date of late 1774.  This is presumed to be the same George Caton for three reasons.  First, the above mentioned "History of Washington County, Pennsylvania" goes ahead to say "George moved to Ohio, where he died at the advanced age of ninety-five".  Secondly, some of his sons purchased land in White Eyes Township, Coshocton County in the early 1830s (see the details in the narrative of daughter Catherine below).

Lastly, George appears in the 1850 and 1860 Coshocton censuses, with him appearing in son Gabriel's household in the latter census.  The 1850 census shows him of an age that would suggest a birth date of circa 1771, and this is the birth year that most researchers have used.  The 1860 census gives his age as 85, or born circa 1775.  Knowing that basing birth years on census reports where poor enumerator training often resulted in dramatic variations in data quality and accuracy is problematic, I have opted to use a late 1774 for his birth date.  This date seems to be the most consistent possibility across all censuses.  Both the 1850 and 1860 censuses show him as born in Pennsylvania.  Based on the information we know of his parents, it is fairly certain he was born in the same region where he was found in the 1790 through 1830 censuses, except that Washington County did not exist in 1774.  At that time it would have been Westmoreland County, with Washington County being formed from Westmoreland on March 28, 1781.

While in Washington County, George is found in at least a couple of documents in addition to the estate records for Thomas Caton.  George appears in the "Pennsylvania Archives", Series 6, Volume IV, Military Abstracts 1790-1817.  In the section starting on page 642, "A Return of Militia Officers in the First Washington Brigade Presented by the Brigade Inspector, Friday, June 1st, 1798" George Caton is identified at Ensign in the 1st Light Infantry under Captain Henry Vankirk.  Another entry in the "Pennsylvania Archives", Series 9, Volume II, page 1396 suggests the list was received by Governor Thomas Mifflin as part of an act to fill vacancies.  It is not clear which positions had been vacant and were filed by this action, nor how long George served in the county militia.  George is a witness for the will of Henry Vankirk Vol. 1, File 5, page 344, date of will March 20, 1798, and date of probate April 14, 1798.  George appears as attorney in fact (power of attorney) on the probate file for Gideon Vankirk, Washington County Probate Book V, Case File 11 for 1808.  And, while not the administrator, George appears a few times in the probate file for his mother Susanna, Washington County Probate Book C, Case File 33 for 1825.

George appears in the 1860 census, but does not appear in the 1870.  Given his age of 85 in that census, the assumption is that he died before the 1870 census.  I have not found a documented death date for George, so I went by the added piece of information given in the "History of Washington County, Pennsylvania" statement above - that he lived to the advanced age of ninety-five.  Assuming 1774 as his birth year, I have given 1869 as his death year.  These are open to reinterpretation as new facts are found.

Not much is known of Jemima.  Some researchers have her as Jemima Prall Vankirk, although there is no documentation provided.  There definitely seems to be a strong association between the Caton and Vankirk families as witnessed by George's interactions above and one of George's sisters and one of his daughters both marrying a Vankirk.  However, at this time it is not clear what additionally those associations might consist of.  Not knowing how that surname was determined by the other researchers, I have left her surname as unknown.

Jemima's age bracket in 1800 through 1840 is the same as for George, except in 1800.  In that census, where George is age 26 through 44, Jemima is age 16 through 25.  This would suggest that Jemima is just a little younger than George, except that is not what the 1850 census shows.  One explanation could be that George married someone else first and Jemima is his second wife.  Without proof of this, and knowing that George's 1850 age does not agree with the birth date I assigned him, I have opted to follow the same path as I did with George and suggest that Jemima was born circa 1775.  The 1800 census identifies three children, one boy and two girls, who are under age 10 - i.e. born after August 4, 1790.  The 1810 census tells us these three children are age 10 through 15, which places their birth dates as between August 6, 1794 and August 6, 1800.  This suggests the birth dates of George and Jemima as I give them can be supported as possible and plausible and that they likely married circa 1793.  Again, these dates are open to reinterpretation as new facts are found.

Another comparison of the census records also suggests there may have been a second marriage for George.  Between 1810 and 1820 4 new children appear in the household.  One of those is son Daniel born circa 1812.  The others can not be identified, and one seems to be in conflict with the 1810 census.  One girl is enumerated in the 10 through 15 age grouping, i.e. born 1805 to 1810 timeframe.  In the 1810 census there is a girl under age 10, but she is identified as Susanna who married Enoch Vankirk in 1814.  Thus, she should not be in the George Caton household in 1820, and if she were she would not be in the 10-15 age group.  In 1830 census the two girls that appeared in the 1820 census appear to carry forward into the correct age groupings, but the second boy who was in the under 10 age group in 1820 is missing.  In 1830 a new boy, under age 5, appears.  Without more information it is impossible to know whether these are children of a first marriage of a second wife of George, if they are grandchildren, or if they are relatives living with George and Jemima.  Perhaps some day this mystery will be solved.

Joseph's baptism names his parents as Rudolph Zimmermann and his wife Theresia.  Witnesses to Joseph's baptism were August Merckle and Cathar. Seifert.

The record of Joseph's death/burial states that his wife was Elisabetha Weber.  He was a farmer from Massenbachhausen.  His parents were Rudolph Zimmermann who was a citizen and farmer of Massenbachhausen and Theresia Gantner, both deceased.  His age at the time of death was 53 years and 7 months.  Cause of death is stated as a worsening swelling.  He died at 11:00 a.m. on April 18 and was buried on April 20, 1821.

The record of marriage states that Joseph was the son of the deceased Rudolph Zimmermann and Catharina ne Auerin.  Catharina was in fact Rudolph's first wife.  The witnesses were Franz Peter Merckle and Franz Merckle.

The record of Elizabetha's baptism names her parents as Dominicus Weber and Elisabetha.  The sponsors were Johannes George Miller and his wife, Magdalena.

On the record of Elizabetha's death/burial it states that she was the wife of Joseph Zimmermann and her parents were Dominikus Weber and Elisabeth Bihlin, both deceased.  Her cause of death is stated as asthma.  She died about 4:00 a.m. on March 10 and was buried at 8:00 a.m. on March 12, 1833.

Joseph's baptism names his parents as Heinrich Leisle and his wife Magdalena.  The sponsors at Joseph's baptism were Joseph Baumhauer and his sister Magdalena.

The record of Joseph's death/burial states that he was a married man, his wife was Maria Elisabeth nee Farni.  He was a shoemaker from Massenbachhausen.  His age at the time of death was 71 years and 3 months.  Cause of death is listed as weakness of old age.  He died at 1:00 p.m. on March 20 and was buried at 9:00 a.m. on March 22, 1842.

Maria's baptism lists her parents as Mathaus Farni and his wife Margaretha Elisabetha.  The sponsor at Maria's baptism was the sponster Dorothea Beyerin.

The record of Maria's death/burial identifies her as the widow of Joseph Leisle and her parents as Matthaus Farni, shoemaker and citizen of Massenbachhausen. and Elisabeth nee Fisher.  Her age at the time of death was 78 years.  Cause of death is given as deterioration of the constitution.  She died about 3:00 a.m. on February 3 and was buried at 8:00 a.m. on February 5, 1853.  In the family register, the only child recorded is Maria Barbara.