My Ten Most Wanted!
Wanted! Johnson "Johnsie" Allison!
- Allison, Johnson Robert Marion:
First of my mysteries, in both alphabetical and
chronological senses of the word. Johnson was born about
1803 in Kentucky (maybe), married Jane from Tennessee and
is found on the 1850 Franklin County, Alabama census with
wife and children. They ended up in Pocahontas, Randolph
County, Arkansas where Johnson married again, after
Jane's death, Elizabeth Bailey. Johnson's son Harvey
Cornelius married mystery number two, Charity Bailey.
Johnson sometimes went by Johnson, or Robert, or JRM, or
Johnsie or even James and to further confuse matters,
there were two with this name (uncle and nephew?) in the
same area of Alabama. Just who were Johnson's parents,
anyway?
- SOLVED! Bailey, Charity: Charity was
born in DeKalb Co., TN and her parents were John Bailey
and Elizabeth Land. Charity was indeed the daughter of
the same Elizabeth (Land) Bailey who married Johnson
Allison, above. Elizabeth was the daughter of Lewis Land,
Revolutionary War pensioner who was still alive at the
time of the 1850 census, over 90 years old! Elizabeth's
mother was Martha, Lewis' first wife. His second
wife was Obedience (Biddy) West. Now, to find John
Bailey...they were in Georgia for a while (children born
there) so perhaps this is a mystery like the McDonalds
and McG(h)ees.
- Crans, James: John Crans was born in
Ohio, father's name James and mother's name Elizabeth.
But is this the same James Crans who is descended from
Palatine immigrant Johannes Krans? The family Bible of
Petrus (Peter) Crans, who is a known descendant of
Johannes, mentions a son named James with birthdate close
to that found for James on the 1850 Ashland County, Ohio
census. But the spouse's names don't match; Petrus' son
James married Adeline Sutton. Were the two James' the
same person? What about the difference in spouse's names?
And where on earth did John James die? On consecutive
Michigan census records, John's wife Emeline Cooper Crans
was listed alone as married, then single, then widowed.
Where did he go?
Wanted! Zenas
Crawford (far right, seated)!
- Crawford, Zenas: He was born 31
January 1835 in Ohio, died 16 October 1917 in Barry
County, Michigan. According to this death certificate,
his father's name was Peter, born in New York and
mother's name was unknown at the time of Zenas' death.
There does not seem to be a Peter Crawford on the 1850
Ohio census who was old enough to be Zenas' father, while
on the 1860 census for Sangamon County, Illinois, there
is an Eli Crawford in the household of Zenas who is old
enough to be his father. Just where in Ohio was he born
and was this Eli his father? Ohio is a big enough state,
and Crawford is a common enough last name to make
searching difficult.
- SOLVED! McDonald, Unknown: My
Unknown McDonald was Lewis Duncan McDonald, married to
Laura Isabeth McWhorter. On the 1850 Murray County,
Georgia census there is a family headed by a widow,
Elizabeth McDonald (born about 1804 in South Carolina)
who is Laura Isabeth by another name. Her son Harrison is
my ancestor. He and his siblings (Francis M., John L.,
William D., Moses H., Marion Lewis and Stephen H.
McDonald) were all born in South Carolina, too, and Lewis
Duncan died in 1844 so this fits in quite well.
Harrison married mystery number six below, Cornelia
Angeline McGhee. Still - why were they in Murray County,
Georgia at that particular time (after the removal)?
- SOLVED! McGhee, Unknown: My
unknown McGhee was Zera, married to Mary Harris. On
the same 1850 Murray County, Georgia census where my
McDonald's are found is Zera's widow, Mary McGhee (born
about 1788 in Tennessee) with a daughter named Cornelia
and sons named John G., Samuel C., and Zera M. McGhee.
Why were they in Murray County, Georgia at that time?
- Martin, Elizabeth: Elizabeth's
birthdate is unknown; she had a son, Henry (Harry) Martin
on 23 January 1767 somewhere in Virginia, either as a
single parent, or widowed or divorced from another
Martin. Henry married Sarah Morgan, of the Hampshire
County, Virginia Morgans. Elizabeth later married Peter
Popenoe (who was killed by Indians) and the family ended
up in Sangamon County, Illinois. Who was Henry's father?
And who were Elizabeth's parents?
- Williams, Sallie Rose: Sallie was
born 19 March 1866 according to one source, in 1871
according to a second, and 1875 according to yet another
source. This means that at the time of her marriage to
William Francis Marion McDonald (son of Harrison and
Cornelia) on 26 July 1888 she would have been 22, 17 or
13 years old. There are also different birthplaces listed
for her; Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri. She died 16
October 1910 but Missouri has no death record for her.
Who were her parents? Just where was she born, and when?
- Worden, William Wesley: He was born
in Vermont or New York about 1793 and he was married
about 1815 to Mary "Polly" Hall. They went to
Canada and then to Sanilac and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan. The family may have been in Lockport, Niagara
County, New York during the 1820-30's, before moving to
Canada. Who were William's parents? Why did they go to
Canada?
- Worth, Cummings: Another New
York/Canadian mystery. Cummings was born in New York
about 1814 according to census records, but in Canada
according to his son Charles' death certificate. He
married Elizabeth Lossing in Norwich, Oxford County,
Ontario and they had two sons there, Addison and Martin.
Last son Charles was born in Branch County, Michigan.
Just where was Cummings born? And who were his parents?
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