Presidential Cousins: Jefferson and Monroe

One of my favorite aspects of ancestry research is discovering relatives who were historically significant, even in small ways- such as being a pioneer, living on the frontier, employed as the first postman, judge or a successful Indian interpreter. 

Two fairly distant ancestors proved somewhat more historically significant than others, as they were our second and fifth U.S. Presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. Thomas Jefferson is my half third cousin eight times removed, while James Monroe is my second cousin eight times removed. Born in Kent, England, Katherine Banks was Thomas Jefferson’s second great-grandmother and my tenth great-grandmother. Katherine married three times and I descend from her first marriage to Joseph Royall, while Thomas Jefferson descends from her second marriage to Henry Isham. James Monroe’s great-grandparents, William Monroe and Mary Bowcock are also my ninth great-grandparents. Andrew Monroe, William Monroe’s father and our immigrant ancestor came from Scotland.        

Henry Isham m. Katherine Banks                Katherine Banks m. Joseph Royall

Mary Isham m. William Randolph                 Katherine Royall m. Richard Perrine

Isham Randolph m. Jane Rogers                   Sarah Perrine m. William Cocke

Jane Randolph m. Peter Jefferson                 Temperance Cocke m. Abraham Bailey

2^nd U.S. President Thomas Jefferson         Roger Cocke Bailey m. Mary Renard

                                                                            Mary Bailey m. Stephen Winfree

                                                                               

                                                                            Mary Frances Winfree m. John Bennett Willis

                                                                                              

                                                                            Catherine Willis m. William Maddox

                                                                            Francis “Frank” Maddox m. Mary Jane Devenny

                                                                            Charles Henry Maddox Sr. m. Lydia Janke

                                                                            Charles Henry Maddox Jr. m. Grandma Rhoads

                                                                             Mom Maddox

                                                                  

                                                                             Me

                      

Andrew Monroe m. Elizabeth Alexander

                        James Monroe’s 2^nd and my 10^th great-grandparents

                        William Monroe m. Mary Bowcock

                        James Monroe’s great-grandparents and my 9^th great-grandparents

Andrew Monroe m. Christine Tyler                  William Monroe m. Rachel Piper

Andrew Spence Monroe m. Elizabeth Jones  Alexander Monroe m. Margaret Lang

5^th U.S. President James Monroe                    Judith Monroe m. William Jackman

                                               

                                                                                Elizabeth Jackman m. Alexander Connor

                                                                                Thomas G. Connor m. Martha Whitworth

                                                                                Margaret Connor m. Hugh Portwood

                                                                                Arma Laura Portwood m. William David Erwin

                                                                                Arma Mae Erwin m. Joseph Rhoads

                                                                                Grandma Rhoads m. Charles Henry Maddox Jr.

                                                                               

                                                                                Mom Maddox

                                                                                Me

Cemetery Records

Death records were not federally mandated until 1907. That means there is perhaps 300 years of trying to learn about your ancestors’ deaths with no record. But, don’t despair, there are other records- particularly wills, newspapers and cemetery records that can help you learn about the death of your ancestors. Today we discuss cemetery records and two very useful, easy-to-use, and FREE websites where volunteers post information and/or pictures from cemeteries. Cemetery records tend to be the better option when seeking death information because the records are more accessible, sometimes there is no will, and newspapers are not often indexed so you could spend a great deal of time looking for information that isn’t even there.

Visit Find A Grave and Internment to see if someone has included your ancestors. You can even contribute pictures or information that you have gathered from cemeteries. These are not the only cemetery records online, but they have so many records that if no one has contributed information about your ancestor on one site, odds are good that they can be found on the other site.   

Click to check out Internment.net

Click to check out Find A Grave

Moses Eversoll: Pioneer, Judge, Sportsman

Born October 24, 1827 in Delaware County, Ohio, my fifth great-grandfather, Moses Eversoll (Eversole) settled among the earliest settlers in Cass, Boone County, Iowa ca. 1850 with his wife Letitia (Pike) and his parents, Abraham and Nancy (Butts). As the first Justice of the Peace in the county, he served nearly two decades and in that time it is claimed that only one verdict rendered by Moses Eversoll was ever overturned by the district court.

Besides his work as a judge and involvement in town affairs, serving as one of the oldest members of the school board, as assessor a number of times, and an enrolling officer during the Civil War, Moses also maintained a farm of 380 acres where he mostly grew corn and raised livestock. Moses and Letitia had five kids together (Sarah, Moses Jr., William, Martin and Drusella.) when Letitia died February 15, 1860. Moses remarried in 1866, to Melissa (Needham Pike) who was his sister-in-law, widowed by Letitia’s brother Andrew Pike in October 1861. Moses and Melissa had two kids (Minnie and Samuel).    

Evidently Moses also proved quite the sportsman. On one occasion, he apparently thought he had killed a deer when he merely wounded it. A fight to the death ensued and Moses cut the deer’s’ throat. He claimed that he would have run away if he thought he could escape the deer with his life. In 1855, a bison strayed from the herd and tore through the small town of Cass, Iowa. Moses was among five men on horses, with six dogs who pursued the bison to the outskirts of town and killed the animal. The meat was divided among the town.      

Further Reading

Union Historical Company, The History of Boone County Iowa, A History of the County, its Cities, Towns & C. Birdsall, Williams and Co, 1880.  Click here to read on Google Books

*This source incorrectly states that Hiram Rhoads (Rhodes, Roads) was born in Arkansas when he was actually born in Ohio, as were his parents.

Nathan Edward Goldthwait, History of Boone County, Iowa, Vol. 1.  Chicago Pioneer Publishing Company, 1914. Click here to read on Google Books.

Frazier Eaton: Temporary Mormon

Frazier Eaton, my fifth great-grandfather, was born in New Hampshire on January 23, 1780. He relocated to a farm in Rushford, New York after marrying Lucinda Blakeslee. There they had six kids and Frazier worked as a land surveyor. Among the earliest believers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in the early 1830s, he sold his farm in New York to his sons and followed Joseph Smith to Ohio. In 1833, Frazier was baptized in the LDS church.

Joseph Smith received a vision and directed the construction of a temple in Ohio, and with labor and donations from LDS members, the Kirtland Temple was completed in 1836. Frazier donated $700 towards the construction of the Kirtland Temple; a significant amount of money, perhaps around $14,000 today. So many people attended the dedication of the new Kirtland Temple that when Frazier Eaton arrived, he could not get inside, let alone find a seat. Evidently disaffected, Frazier left the Mormon Church, moved to Illinois for a time, then returned to New York where he repurchased his farm from his sons.

This story of Frazier Eaton is actually used by the LDS and taught in BYU courses. He is put in a category with a man who apostatized (left the church) because his name was spelled incorrectly by Joseph Smith, and another man involved in a dispute over cream. They are supposed to be examples of petty men who got offended for trivial reasons and left the church, possibly the work of Satan. The only source for these stories is George A. Smith, an early leader of the LDS and cousin of Joseph Smith. Not only are his accounts written quite some time after the events, but he seems to have written many such negative stories about those who apostatized.        

George A. Smith's account of Frazier Eaton

In my opinion, the BYU/LDS version of events surrounding Frazier Eaton proves incredibly narrow-minded. We can’t know for sure what happened the day of the temple dedication, but it is known that many people were apostatizing from the LDS Church at this time. Many lost their savings following Joseph Smith’s financial instructions, many were not keen on the practice of polygamy, which was just beginning, and probably some just decided this new religion wasn’t for them. Frazier Eaton contributed a generous sum of money and perhaps he thought that earned him a seat in the temple. Maybe he had expectations of his new-found religion and the lack of consideration and gratitude were the last straws for him. Conceivably, something may have even occurred outside the temple that proved impossible to tolerate.

I have to say that I don’t appreciate the LDS/BYU use of their tiny, negative, partial version of events to teach followers not to apostatize for silly reasons, like my ancestor. I challenge you LDS/BYU instructors/followers to uncover a more accurate, complete version of events with better sources than George A. Smith. Rarely is there one, single reason for anything and I doubt that was the case for Frazier Eaton, who was invested enough in the LDS church that he moved from New York to Ohio and donated $700 for the Kirtland Temple.

Religious tolerance is incredibly important. This account is about ancestry and historical accuracy, not religion bashing.

President Obama, My Cousin

One of the particularly neat things about ancestry research is recognizing when you are related to someone significant, such as the president. President Barack Hussein Obama II is my 10^th cousin once removed on my father’s side. Our common ancestor and an immigrant from England, Richard Singletary may have been married to a ‘Goodwife Singletary’ who died ca. 1638 and then to Susanna Cooke. These are President Obama’s 9^th great-grandparents and my 10^th. While President Obama descends from Richard’s oldest son Jonathan, I descend from daughter Eunice, likely the second of seven kids.

                

Richard Singletary and Susanna Cooke

Eunice Singletary m. Thomas Eaton              Jonathan Singletary Dunham m. Mary Bloomfield  

Jonathan Eaton m. Sarah Saunders               Benjamin Singletary Dunham m. Mary Rolph

James Eaton m. Rachel Kimball                      Jonathan Dunham m. Mary Smith

Enoch Eaton m. Ester Williams                       Samuel Dunham m. Hannah

Frazier Eaton m. Lucinda Blakeslee                Jacob Dunham m. Catherine Goodnight

Jesse Eaton m. Elizabeth Locke                      Jacob Mackey Dunham m. Louise Eliza Stroup

Mortimer Eaton m. Sophia Weld                    Jacob William Dunham m. Mary Ann Kearney

Mable Eaton m. George Mutch                       Ralph W.E. Dunham Sr. m. Ruth Lucille Armour

Clarence Mutch m. (G-Grandma) Bliesner     Stanley Armour Dunham m. Madelyn Lee Payne

*(Grandma) Mutch m. (Grandpa) Chapin     Ann Stanley Dunham m. Barack Hussein Obama

*(Dad) Chapin m. (Mom) Maddox                 Barack Hussein Obama II m. Michelle Robinson

*Me

You may be wondering why Jonathan Singletary Dunham has the last name Dunham when his father’s name was Richard Singletary. I will share with you the various possibilities for that and you will probably still wonder. One claim is that Jonathan’s mother was ‘Goodwife Singletary,’ that her last name was Dunham and he took the name in tribute to her. However, there is no evidence of his mother being a Dunham. His mother might even be Susanna Cooke. Another legend is that Richard Singletary was an heir of the Dunham’s in England, and a nursemaid who had been instructed to kill him as a child had instead brought him to New York where she left him with a ship captain and called him Single-tarry because he was all alone in the New World. The nurse apparently confessed on her death bed. Still one more version of events is that Jonathan had angered puritan leaders in Massachusetts and ticked off some Quakers and when he moved with his wife’s family to Woodbridge, New Jersey, he took Dunham as an alias. Based on numerous records it does appear that he generally went by Jonathan Dunham in New Jersey and Jonathan Singletary in Massachusetts. Perhaps the most interesting document is one in which Jonathan Singletary Dunham’s children granted him power of attorney over land from Richard and Susanna, and nearly the entire family signed their names, Dunham alias Singletary. Subsequent generations of Jonathan Singletary Dunham’s descendants went by Dunham.  

*As a precaution, I choose not to give full names of family who are living except the President and First Lady, because you already know who they are. Plus they have Secret Service.

Family Search

Almost certainly I’ll tell you too often that some source or another is “one of my favorite sources.” But it’s true. I have lots of favorite sources for history research and for ancestry research. Today, one of my favorite sources is Family Search. Managed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it’s free to utilize their online resources, or if you are feeling really ambitious, you can visit one of their local FamilySearch Centers. (Make sure to find out their hours and rules before you visit.) 

Go here to use Family Search to do some ancestry research.

Go here to find information about a FamilySearch Center near you.

Family Search is great for numerous reasons. Census records, even mid-decade (1885, 1895) state census records are often available. Marriage records, death records and family trees that people contribute may also be referenced. But, I am excited about a new feature- My Source Box, which enables you to save the records you find in two clicks. You must have an account with Family Search, but that is free and easy to do. Once you are signed in and locate records relevant to your family, you simply place the mouse arrow over ‘My Source Box,’ click ‘Add to my source box’ and click okay. Now you don’t have to look up the same records repeatedly and it’s easy to reference if necessary.

From Iowa To Idaho

One of the rewarding aspects of ancestry research is when you get the chance to stand back and take in the big picture of what you have learned about your family. Recently, I was fast and furiously entering information into my Family Tree Maker software when it occurred to me that more than a couple branches of my family happened through Iowa during the same time period.  It turned out that branches of my mom’s and dad’s families lived fairly close for more than a couple decades, and various members of each branch of the family are buried in cemeteries 18 miles apart.  

Mom’s maternal side living in Cass, Boone County, Iowa ca. 1849-1890s:

Sixth great-grandparents:        Abraham Eversoll and Nancy Butts

Fifth great-grandparents:        Moses Eversoll and Lettia Pike         

                                             Joseph H. Rhoads and Jane Noland

Fourth great-grandparents:     Hiram Rhoads and Sarah Eversoll

Third great-grandparents:       William Rhoads and Mary Potter

Dad’s paternal side moved to Linn County, Iowa ca. 1851-1853, to Pocahontas County before 1870, and finally to Dallas County by 1880, living there for four decades.

Fifth great-grandparents:        Stephen Lounsbury and Harriet Post

Fourth great-grandparents:     George Chapin and Oriana Lounsbury

Third great-grandparents:       James B. Chapin and Abigail Jane Breed

Second great-grandparents     George Chapin and Flora Allen

Map of Liberty Cemetery (Rhoads and Eversoll's) to Violet Hill Cemetery (Chapin's) in Iowa.

These families continued to migrate west similarly, as my third great-grandparents on my mom’s side and my second great-grandparents on my dad’s side were laid to rest in cemeteries about 50 miles apart in Montana. Finally, my great-grandparents of these lines are buried in Shoshone County, Idaho, either in the same cemetery or fewer than 10 miles apart.

Even though these families traveled similar paths for a century and a half, there is no indication that they met or knew each other until my parents met. Still, I like to imagine that George Chapin bought supplies from Joseph Rhoads’ shop or that Sarah Eversoll’s jam just barely beat Oriana Chapin’s in the county fair, or that the story of Moses Eversoll fighting with a dear for his life traveled throughout Iowa and amused the Chapin family.

Record Recap

I’m an historian, in my heart and my educational training, so it’s incredibly tempting to include footnotes for everything, however; I have tried that with previous blogs and it does not look good. Still, I do want you to know where I get my information and to be able to look at the sources for yourself. At the end of most articles there will be suggested or further reading which includes at least some, if not all of the sources I used in that particular post. Besides that, there will be an occasional Record Recap in which some of the better sources will be highlighted. 

Genealogy of the Denny family in England and America,

Descendants of John Denny of Combs, Suffolk, England, 1439.

C.C. Denny, compiled and published, Leicester, Massachusetts, 1886.

Click here to read this book

C.C. Denny was Christopher Columbus Denny, and my 5^th great-granduncle.  His brother Samuel Addison Denny, collected family documents and information for many years and fortunately when he passed, C.C. Denny took over and completed the arduous task of creating a book. This fantastic resource includes some pictures, wills, letters, and genealogy information. The letters written by Grace Cooke Denny living in Combs, Suffolk, England to her son Daniel Denny who immigrated to Leicester, Massachusetts are my favorite aspect of the book. Not only do the letters illustrate an impressive level of education and literacy for a woman of the time, but they shed considerable light on the family in England and America.  

My branch of the Denny family

Edmund Denny and Agnes Castard

Edmund Denny and Susan Sayer

Thomas Denny and Grace Cooke

Daniel Denny and Rebecca Jones

Samuel Denny and Elizabeth Henshaw

Joseph Denny and Phebe Henshaw

Lucinda Henshaw Denny and Lucius Botsford

Lucinda Henshaw Denny was my 5^th great-grandmother, and the sister of C.C. and Samuel Denny. Daniel Denny, our immigrant ancestor was my 8^th great-grandfather and the great-grandfather of Lucinda, C.C., Samuel and others.