Ancestor Birthday - July 9th - Elizabeth Milligan 1813-1885

This is supposed to be a photo of Elizabeth Hawkins Milligan, my 3rd great-grandmother. It was shared with me by my cousin, Lauren "Bob" Smalley in 1994 at a family reunion.

Elizabeth was born 9 Jul 1813. Some sources give her birthplace as Virginia and other show Adams County Ohio. She was the daughter of William Milligan and Nancy Patton. The Rockbridge County Virginia marriage records show they were married 2 Oct 1812. Apparently they moved to Adams County Ohio within a few years after their marriage. Elizabeth was their oldest child and had 7 younger brothers and sisters. Two of her sisters married Gordon brothers and so family information is included in a Gordon family history.

Elizabeth married John Hemphill about 1836 in Adams County. He was married previously, so she had at step children. They had 6 children together before John died in 1847. She remained a widow until 14 Jan 1851 when she married William Hamilton. He also had been married before, so again she became a step-mother of at least 5. In fact in 1855 her oldest daughter, Nancy Hemphill, married one of William's sons, John C. Hamilton. Elizabeth and William had 3 children, so now Elizabeth had 9 children, plus Hemphill and Hamilton step-children.

William died in 1877, so Elizabeth was again a widow. On the 1880 census she was living with her 24 year old son Thomas. Elizabeth died at age 72 on 28 Nov 1885 and was buried at Tranquility Cemetery, Adams County Ohio.