Found Great Grandma Mary Ann’s Siblings

The mention of the Shelly surname in Augusta Co., VA Chancery Cause 1878-070 ‘George Wagner & wife & others vs. Daniel Shelley & others’ piqued my curiosity. When I spotted Mary Ann (Shelly) White-Huffman and her 2^nd husband George Huffman among the plaintiffs, I knew I was reading about 3^rd Great Grandmother Mary Ann’s family.

The plaintiffs included George Wagner and wife Elizabeth; George Huffman and Mary Ann his wife; Sarah Ann Clarke; John H. M. Shelly; Martha E. Shelly; Mary S. Shelly; Jacob B. Cale and wife Margaret F.; Ann E. Shelly; John W. Whitsell and Sarah F. his wife. Daniel Shelley; Francis Lowman, wife of Jacob Lowman; and Simon Shelly were defendants; both plaintiffs and defendants were the sole heirs of Christian Shelley.  Christian died March or April 1870 in Long Marsh, Clarke County, Virginia. The complainants presented their case in Augusta County Circuit Court September 1870.

Christian owned a small piece of land in Augusta County, Virginia consisting of one undivided eighth of 69 acres (8 5/8 acres). Receipts in the chancery papers show taxes were paid for 9 acres in Augusta County from 1857 to 1866 and identified it as part of the John Shelly estate. (Great Grandmother’s father is John Shelly.)

Image 22 Augusta County, VA

Chancery Cause 1878-070

Gideon R. Smith was also named a defendant because he acquired seven-eighths of the 69 acres formerly part of John Shelly’s estate.

The plaintiffs agreed that Christian Shelly’s land was too small to be divided among them and asked the Court to permit a sale with the proceeds distributed among the heirs. All the complainants happened to be Augusta County, Virginia residents along with Defendant Gideon R. Smith. The other defendants resided outside the State of Virginia. Daniel Shelly was living in Fulton County, Illinois; Frances (Shelly) and Jacob Lowman in West Virginia; and Simon Shelly’s whereabouts unknown.  The plaintiffs wanted the defendants to answer the bill of complaint to proceed with the sale of the land.

Image 59 Augusta County, Virginia

Chancery Cause 1878-070

Published in the Valley Virginian

I don’t know whether the out of state people answered the Court but Adam Stover acted as an agent for the plaintiffs. He arranged to sell Christian Shelly’s small tract of land near Stribling Springs in Augusta County to Gideon R. Smith.

The relationship between Christian Shelly’s heirs wasn’t spelled out in the Chancery papers, but land deeds would put that right.

I mentioned earlier that Gideon R. Smith owned seven-eighths of the 69 acres previously owned by John Shelly. He didn’t buy the land from John Shelly or the seven heirs. It was Daniel Shelly Jr. alone that sold the tract to Mr. Smith Sept. 6, 1856, along with another 3-acre lot:

   “Daniel Shelly and his wife, Catherine, sell to Gideon R. Smith for $1 all their interest in parcels of land in Augusta Co. The first containing 3 acres that Daniel Shelly bought from his father, John Shelly, as shown by a deed dated Sept. 1, 1834. The second parcel is all interest of Daniel Shelly in 69 acres, belonging to the heirs of John Shelly dec’d. Said interest being seven-eighths of the whole tract; Daniel Shelly having bought all the heirs of his father John Shelly’s estate save one. Examined and delivered to Grantee, Gideon R. Smith, July 19, 1861.”     

Augusta Co., VA Deed Book 77, pages 136-137.

The deed states Daniel is John Shelly’s son—likewise my Great Grandmother’s brother. Daniel relocated his family to Fulton County, Illinois about 1856. Please note he did not own the entire parcel; one undivided eighth belonged to another.

Earlier land records locate another Shelly brother:

     “Jan. 18, 1838 Jacob Shelly and his wife Dorcas paid $75 by Daniel Shelly Jr. their undivided interest in the land left to Jacob Shelly by his father, John Shelly, dec’d, containing 69 acres with Jacob and Dorcas conveying one-eighth of said tract to Daniel Shelly Jr. Examined and delivered to Grantee Sept. 8, 1856.”

Augusta County, VA Deed Book 59, pages 208-209.

Jacob died in 1869 leaving his children, John H. M. Shelly; Martha E. Shelly; Mary S. Shelly; Margaret F. Cale; Ann E. Shelly; Sarah F. Whitsell with his share of the 69-acre parcel.

Daniel acquired more of his father’s land from a Shelly sister:

     “Feb. 7, 1838, Jacob Lowman and Frances, his wife, sell (for $80) to Daniel Shelly their undivided interest in the land left to Frances by her father, John Shelly, dec’d, containing 69 acres. The said Frances and Jacob Lowman only entitled to one-eighth of said land. Examined and delivered to Grantee, Daniel Shelly, Sept. 8, 1856.”

Augusta County, VA Deed Book 59, pages 215-216.

Daniel continued buying his father’s property in August of 1838. A deed records a land sale from Samuel Shelly to Daniel Jr., both sons of John Shelly. I noticed there was no margin notation that the deed was delivered to Daniel Shelly. I believe ‘Samuel’ was Christian Shelly. Perhaps his name was Christian Samuel or Samuel Christian:

     “August 21, 1838, Samuel Shelly sold to Daniel Shelly Jr. ($70) his interest in land conveying his undivided eighth of a 69 acres tract seized of John Shelly, the father of Samuel. No notation this was examined and delivered to Grantee, Daniel Shelly.”

Augusta County, VA Deed Book 59, pages 430-431.

Sister Sarah Shelly sells her interests to Daniel. Sarah would marry Hatch Clarke soon afterward:

      “August 3, 1839, Sarah Shelly sold to her brother Daniel Shelly one-eighth of undivided of about 70 acres, being the land of their father, John Shelly. Examined and delivered to Grantee, Daniel Shelly Sept. 18, 1856.”

Augusta County, VA Deed Book 60, page 391.

A few years later Daniel acquired another sister’s share:

     “May 28, 1841, Elizabeth Shelly sold to Daniel Shelly Jr. for $75, one undivided eighth part of sixty-nine acres left by John Shelly (Elizabeth and Daniel’s father) Examined and delivered to Grantee, Daniel Shelly. Sept. 8, 1856.”

Augusta County, VA Deed Book 62, pages 151-152.

Elizabeth became the wife of George Wagner, and they raised a family in Augusta County.

After my 3^rd Great Grandmother had married Grandfather William White, she conveyed her property rights to Daniel Jr. too.

     “March 21, 1846, William White and Mary Ann, his wife, nee Shelly, sell to Daniel Shelly Jr. for $100 all interest in the land of her father, John Shelly, which is an undivided interest containing 69 acres. Examined and delivered to Grantee, Daniel Shelly Jr. Sept. 8, 1856.”

Augusta County, VA Deed Book 66, pages 151-152.

Two years later Simon Shelly sold his undivided eighth of John Shelly’s 69 acres:

     “April 27, 1848, Simon Shelly sells for $100 to Daniel Shelly Jr. undivided eighth part of 69 acres inherited by the heirs of John Shelly.”

Augusta County, VA Deed Book 68, page 415.

Twenty-six years later, Oct. 27, 1874, Adam Stover sold Christian Shelly’s one-eighth share of his father’s estate to Gideon R. Smith.

Thanks to the Library of Virginia digitized Chancery records and telling land deeds; I’m adding 3^rd Great Granduncles Daniel, Jacob, Christian, and Simon and Aunties Frances, Sarah, and Elizabeth to my family tree.

You can view the Chancery File 1878-070 here. 

Marriages in the Newburgh Telegraph Oct. 3, 1831

You never know what you’ll find in the newspapers. I knew my 3rd Great Grandparents William Parkinson Clark, and Charity Kimber married Sept. 17, 1831, in Orange County from an announcement in the Sept. 24, 1831Orange County Patriot, Goshen, New York:

   On the 17^th inst by Rev. Mr. Ball   Mr. Parkinson Clark to Miss Charity Kimball, all

   of Minisink

      Source Gertrude A Barber; Orange County Patriot: a newspaper published at Goshen, N.Y., marriages and deaths from May 1828 to Dec. 1831.

You can see Great Grandmother’s surname incorrectly printed as Kimball and Great Grandfather’s middle name, Parkinson, was used rather than his first name.

I recently heard about a free New York newspaper digital collection called HRVH Historical Newspapers. The collection is part of the Hudson River Valley Heritage website at http://news.hrvh.org/  

I searched for the Kimber surname and guess what I found published in the Newburgh Telegraph, Newburgh, NY Oct. 6, 1831, issue.

Excerpt from the Newburgh Telegraph, Newburgh, NY

Thursday, October 6, 1831

Yes, the Great Grandparents’ marriage. They were young when they wed; William 18 and Charity 17 years old. On a September Saturday, the Rev. Mr. Henry Ball married them.

Learning the Reverend’s full name, Mr. Henry Ball, helped me identify his church affiliation. Rev. Ball ministered to the Old School Baptist Church at Brookfield in Orange County. (Brookfield would later be known as Slate Hill.)

Now who belonged to the Old School Baptist Church—William P., Charity or both? The Orange County Genealogical Society has some Old School Church logs, minutes, and membership rolls and I can tell you the great grandparents weren’t included.

I can’t say whether Grandfather’s family had connections to the Church as I know little about his origins except for the fact he had a brother, Benjamin B. Clark.

However, Charity’s maternal grandmother, Phebe (Lain) Bennett and her Aunt Sally (Bennett) Kimber were Old School Baptist members in 1815 and 1816. Her paternal Step-Grandmother, Charity (Loree) Aber Kimber, was also a subscriber. I imagine my Great Grandmother Charity belonged to the Church too. Later in life, she would join both the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches.

Someday I hope to find William Parkinson Clark’s parents and learn what church they attended. If you can help, please contact me. By the way, who is Jane Kimber that married Alanson Decker the same day?

You might like my earlier William P. Clark posts:

      3rd Great Grandfather William P. Clark

      Today Marks 3rd Great-Grandpa's 203rd Birthday Anniversary

Phebe Lain and Jeremiah Bennet’s Story, Minisink, NY

Jeremiah Bennett was born Feb. 20, 1760, and said to be the son of Thomas and Mary (Dyckman) Bennet. Two of Jeremiah’s children told 1880 federal census enumerators their father was born in Connecticut; other researchers claim he was born in Minisink.

5^th Great Grandfather’s lifetime included the fight for American independence from England which I’m certain greatly influenced his next choice. When Jeremiah was nineteen, he signed up in Col. John Hathorn’s Orange County, New York Militia Regiment. In June, July, and November 1779, his name appeared on payrolls among the certificates returned by Col. John Hathorn.

Jeremiah collected four pounds, thirteen shillings and six pence owed from Col. Hathorn’s Regiment after the Revolutionary War ended August 2, 1785.

Excerpt from Ancestry.com

Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M246, 138 rolls); War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, Record Group 93; National Archives, Washington. D.C.

Regiment: Fisher´s Regiment of Militia, 1775-1781 (Folder 100) - Hopkins´ Reg of Militia, 1779 (Folder 116)

Beatrice Linskill Sheehan notes in her book, Descendants of William Lain and Keziah Mather with her Lineage from Reverend Richard Mather, that Jeremiah also enlisted in the New York Levies with Col. Lewis DuBois’ Regiment serving under Captain Daniel Gano during the American Revolution.

Five years before the War of Independence, Phebe Lain was born Feb. 15, 1770 in Minisink, New York to William Lain and Keziah Mather. The Lain family farm passed from generation to generation and is still a working farm in Orange County.

Jeremiah Bennett married Phebe Lain Dec. 12, 1789. They would become the parents of nine children:

1)    Sally, born Oct. 31, 1790; married Abraham Kimber; died Susquehanna Co., PA 1850

2)    Keziah, born Nov. 2, 1792; married Benjamin Kimber March 30, 1812, Westtown, Orange Co., NY; died Troy, Bradford Co., PA Jan. 23, 1858

3)    David, born May 13, 1796; married Phebe Lateer; died Orange Co., NY June 29, 1868

4)    Josiah, born June 11, 1799; married Hannah Kimber Dec. 6, 1818; died Chemung Co., NY May 21, 1881

5)    Bethia, born August 8, 1801; married James Spencer; died Susquehanna Co., PA March 24, 1879

6)    Phebe, born Sept. 4, 1803; married Ezra Bacorn; died Chemung Co., NY 1884

7)    Maria, born Jan. 21, 1806; never married

8)    Joanna, born April 25, 1808

9)    Eunice, born Jan. 31, 1811; married James Loree Jan. 4, 1834; died Schuyler Co., NY Dec. 21 1893

Oct. 1, 1798, the Town of Minisink tax man assessed homes and farms within the town; William Lain, Jeremiah’s father-in-law, owned the Bennet home. In 1799, 1800, and 1801 NYS Tax Assessment Rolls (Minisink), he needed to pay taxes for real estate. Oddly, no entries exist for Great Grandfather in the Orange County deed or mortgage indexes making me think Jeremiah and Phebe always lived on Lain land.

Jeremiah supported the First Presbyterian Church in Westtown by contributing $3.00 to the building fund July 10, 1805. His daughter, Keziah, would marry Benjamin Kimber in this church seven years later.

Phebe’s father, William Lain, passed January 1811. He bequeathed $25 to Phebe and gifted Jeremiah the land where the Bennet family lived. William Lain then instructed Jeremiah to pay Phebe’s sister, Sarah Brundage, $675.

The following summer on the 24^th of August 1811, Great Grandfather Jeremiah died at the age of 51 years. He’s buried in Loree Cemetery, Westtown, New York. Phebe Bennet passed Feb. 3, 1830, and rests beside him.

  

Loree Cemetery

Westtown, Orange Co., New York

Dear Coz, Seat yourself in that big easy chair and prick open your ears, Kimber Letter 21

Lucretia Bennett writes to Cousin Eliza Jane (Kimber) Seely in Troy, Pennsylvania from Unionville, New York Nov. 16, 1856. There’s talk of Aunt Ann, Cousin Hannah Loree, Josiah Bennett, Lucretia’s Dad David Bennett, and little sister Pamela. Three of the Kimber sons-in-law, John Decker, William Clark and Caleb Jones, are mentioned too. I know Eliza Jane Seely must have enjoyed hearing the local doings of the folks back home in Orange County.

You can read the letter transcript or listen to my narration by clicking below on the YouTube video.

Kimber Letter 21, page 1

Kimber Letter 21, page 2

Transcripts provided by the late Edna Raymond, Town of Minisink Historian.