Ancestor Birthday - September 7 - Elias Marsh 1788 - 1871

My 3rd gt-grandfather, Elias Marsh, was born 7 Sep 1788 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, the son of Elias and Martha (FitzRandolph) Marsh. From the post I made on 21 Jun 2017 about the children of his parents, I concluded that Elias was the 2nd child of 7.

Their family moved to Ohio in 1806 as indicated in the Quaker records of Salem Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County. It was in 1810 that Elias married his 1st wife, Edith Townsend, who was the mother of all his known children. Since there are not census records for 1790 or 1800 for most of New Jersey nor for 1810 for most of Ohio, the first census record for Elias is in 1820. I believe he is listed in Columbiana County in Hanover Township as Elias Marsh, age 26-45, with 1 female age 26-45, 2 females under 10 and 3 males under 10. These children correspond well with his known children: Robert b.1811, Martha b.1812, William b.1817, Lydia b.1818 and Jesse b.1820.

Apparently Elias was considered a member of the New Garden Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County, when it was formed in 1808. Then in 1822 Elias, Edith and their 5 children transferred to Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, still in Columbiana County. While there 3 more children were born: Sabina b.1823 (my 2nd gt-grandmother), Fanny b.1827, and Joseph b.1830.

In 1834 the family moved to Indiana. Elias received 80 acres from cash entry in Brandywine Township in Hancock County Indiana in 1835. Apparently he moved to Blue River Township in the same county in 1837 as the U.S. records show he purchased 280 acres there. A local history for that township stated that Elias erected a tile factory on his land.

Elias became a widower when his wife Edith died 5 Aug 1837, as recorded in the minutes of the Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting. It also recorded Elias' 2nd marriage 24 Apr 1839 to widow Elizabeth (Hawkins) Boyd. She died about 1844 or 45 and Elias married for a 3rd time to another widow, Margaret (Reynard) Osborn. His son, Jesse, married Margaret's daughter Catherine, and the 1850 census shows Elias, now age 63, and Margaret living in the household of Jesse and Catherine and their children. Elias again became a widower in 1866 when Margaret died. He and Margaret were living alone on the 1860 census and he was by himself on the 1870 census.

Elias died 9 Feb 1871 and was buried at Westland Friends Church Cemetery, in Hancock County, Indiana.

Back to School - Who Was In Gt-grandmother Rosa's Class?

I enjoyed looking at this picture from my father's collection. Gt-grandmother Rosa (Shipman) Smalley was the teacher and I recognized my grandmother, Lucie Smalley, as one of the students. However, someone, I don't remember who, provided names for all those in this photo.

back row: Jay Shipman, Ralph Smalley, Edd Wilson, Rosa Smalley, Ellery Wilson, May Wilson, Cecile Sigman

middle row: Bill Kipps, Arthur Sigman, Frank Sigman, Lucie Smalley, Mart Shipman, Bessie Kipps

front row: Celia Smalley, Clayton Shipman, Gertie Kipps, Lillie Wilson, Lake Smalley

I don't know the date this photo was taken, but can give a guess by knowing when each of the Smalley children was born: Ralph - 1884, Lucie - 1886, Lake - 1890, Celia - 1892. From yesterday's post we know Rosa had a certificate to teach at least from 1894 to 1899. If Celia started school at 6, it would be 1898. But since her mother was the teacher, maybe they let her start at age 5 which would date the photo as 1897. So I think probably 1897 or 1898 is the correct date.

Back to School - Gt-grandmother Rosa Was a School Teacher

My cousin Bob Smalley shared these documents with me over 20 years ago. It's fun to see the "grades" my gt-grandmother Rosa (Shipman) Smalley received when she took the teacher examinations to get her certificate in Sherman County Kansas. There is one issued in 1894, one in 1895 and another in 1897. The third grade certificate lasted 1 year, the second grade ones lasted 2 years.

Ancestor Birthday - Mary Magdalene Hockett - 1855 - 1901

My gt-grandmother, Mary Magdalene Hockett was born 4 Sep 1855 in Lee County, Iowa, the daughter of Francis and Rebecca (Hartley) Hockett. Mary was the 10th child out of 11. It was a Quaker family and her parents were married in Indiana and came with a number of other Quakers, including many family members, to Henry County Iowa in the late 1830's. They moved to neighboring Lee County a few years before she was born. It was 1863 when they moved farther north to Hardin County Iowa and it was there she met Nathan Elias Albertson who was also from a Quaker family.

It was just a little over a month after her 15th birthday, 8 Oct 1870, when she and Nathan were married. I think she looked very young in their wedding photo. I have always wondered why they chose to be married by a justice of the peace rather than the traditional Quaker way. Maybe her parents didn't approve. It was her older brother Thomas who gave testimony about her age.

They apparently made amends with their Quaker congregation because they are listed there with some of their children in 1891 and granted a certificate to the meeting in Sherman County, Kansas.

It was about 1875 when this photo was taken with Mary, Nathan, and their 2 oldest children, Lenah and Calvin. Two more children were born, Arthur and Oran (my grandfather) before they moved to Kansas when Nathan applied for a homestead in Sherman County and moved onto 160 acres in March 1887. It must have been interesting for Mary to live the life of a homesteader.

I expect she missed her daughter when she was married in 1891, a few days after her 20th birthday. Maybe Mary missed her even more when her youngest child, Ernest, was born in 1893.

It has always made me a little sad to realize that Mary died when she was just 45 years old, 10 Jul 1901.

Treasured Memories From the Past - Joanne Had a Cat

Since Joanne Albertson lived on a farm, there always seemed to be lots of cats around. It looks like she didn't want to let this one get away.

Do you have any photos of the family with their pets that you could share?

Ancestor Birthday - September - Margaret Jane England 1833 - 1897

Margaret Jane England was my 2nd gt-grandmother. The family Bible of her brother John gives just  the month of her birth, so I have chosen to post her page today.

I have posted a rather complete summary of her life on my website: http://www.joanneskelton.com/p13.htm#i318

Therefore I won't write anymore, but post some photos of their family which include her.

First is her wedding photo to Commodore Perry O'Neal from 1858

Second is a photo with their daughter Mary Ann, who was born in 1858.

 

Third is a photo with the whole family, including sons John, Edward and George.

Some More Falk Family Pictures of Children

A couple of weeks ago I posted some Falk Family Pictures of Children from the Salem relatives. These are some from the Halsey - Harrisburg group, Linn County, Oregon. 

This photo on the right has my mother, Wilma Falk the daughter of Julius Falk, in the back. In the front is her sister Lois Falk and Delma Falk, one of the granddaughters of Charles Falk, an older brother to Julius. Delma was a 1st cousin once removed to Wilma and Lois, although they were very close in age. This photo was from around 1920.

This photo below was also from around 1920. This is Elsie and May Powell. These were great-granddaughters of Charles, so they were 1st cousins twice removed to Wilma and Lois. Again they were close in age.