Tuesday, February 5, 2019

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge - Week 6 -  Surprise.

For this week's challenge I picked my 3x great grandfather Thomas Shaylor.  I was got quite a surprised a few weeks ago while watching a repeat episode of Louis Gate's "Finding Your Roots" featuring the ancestry of the author Stephen King. 

Dr. Gates was discussing Stephen's ancestors who were Quakers that migrated to Jay County, Indiana in the early 1800s.  He opened a book to show Stephen King a sketch of his Bowdin ancestor in a Jay County history book.  On the facing page, I see the large type heading that read "Thomas Shaylor". 
I was paused the program to confirm that I saw that name as I have a ancestor with that name that was in Jay County at the time.  I had not done much research on him to that point besides citing an 1850 U.S. Census record.

 I was intrigued to find this book and what it had to say about my 3x great grandfather Thomas Shaylor.  I found the book, I was surprised even more when I read about him. 
He was described as shiftless and a drunk.  He was arrested for assault and battery and the book included an anecdote about him moving my 3x great grandmother, Jane Simmons (a Quaker) and their young children 15 miles from any settler to a shanty without floors, chinking or a fireplace in the winter.  He left them there to go to a mill but went on a nine day bender instead.  Poor Jane was preparing to pull her 4 children by sled to the nearest neighbor when he showed up again. Wow!  He was also described as a Frontiersman who went with Fremont and Carson on their western expeditions.  I have not been able to further corroborate that fact but if true, it meant he left the family on their own again.

I think his father Maj. Joseph Shaylor would have been surprised too. Joseph was a decorated office in the American Revolution and in his last will and testament he expressed his desire for Thomas to be educated if possible at West Point and at a minimum at the Lancastrian Seminary in Cincinnati. I guess Thomas thought differently.

Biography

Birth

Thomas was born about 1802 in Union Township, Clermont, Ohio, to Joseph Shaylor and his second wife Mary whose last name at birth is unknown and who was the widow of a man named Fowler before she married Joseph Shaylor.[1][2]
Union Township, Clermont County, Ohio.
After he resigned from the Army Joseph settled on a "plantation" about sixteen miles from Fort Washington on the east fork of the Little Miami river.[3] This is where Thomas and his brother and sister were born.

Death of Parents

Thomas's mother Mary died before his father Joseph. His younger brother Samuel was born in 1807 and in Joseph's will he stated that his daughter Sophia had nursed him, "... And it is my will and desire that my Daughter Sophia be handsomely rewarded by my Executors for her nursing me..."[1] Mary likely died between 1807 and 1815.
His father Joseph made his will on March 1, 1816 and his will was probated the same year in Clermont County, Ohio.[1] Thomas was just fourteen when his father died and was left an orphan along with his nine year old brother Samuel. [1]

Early Years

It is uncertain where Thomas lived after the death of his father in 1816.
His half-sister Lucy Shaylor and her husband Jarius Mix were living in Clermont County, Ohio in 1820 and they had males that match the ages of Thomas and Samuel in the 1820 census.[4] Another possibility is that Joseph and his brother Samuel are living with their sister Sophia and her husband Elias Porter in Miami, Clermont County, Ohio in 1820. Elias has three males aged 10 through 15 living in his household for the U.S. Census. [5]
Joseph's will explicitly provided for Thomas and Samuel to both receive an education.[1]
"...rents arising from the Lands to be applied to their support and education in the Lancastrian Seminary in Cincinnati or same other academical institution, and if possible (my heart glows with the prospect, I have served my Country more than 38 years with applause and have 3 times received the thanks of the immortal Washington at the head of the Regiment and I die almost a beggar) I say if possible in the Military academy at West Point. ..."
It doesn't appear that Thomas followed his father's desires but became a blacksmith and "Frontiersman" of the American West.[6] He is described in the Biographical Memoirs of Jay County, Indiana as "...blacksmith, noted hunter and Indian fighter..He was in the west with Fremont, in the Rocky mountains and on the plains." [7]

Marriage

Thomas Shaylor married Jane Simmons on June 22, 1826 in Randolph, Indiana.[8]

Children

Thomas and Jane had the following children:[2]
  1. Rebeca Shaylor b. 1829
  2. Isabella Shaylor b. 1832
  3. John Shaylor b. 1836
  4. Lucinda Shaylor b. 1838
  5. Ellen Shaylor b. 1845
  6. Samuel Vance Shaylor b. 1848

Early Settler of Indiana

Thomas was named in the court records of Randolph County, Indiana in 1828 where he was indited for assault and battery. He pleaded guilty and was fined $1 and costs and was to stand committed until paid.[9] Thomas and Jane were living in Randolph County when their first child Rebecca was born about 1829.[2]
Randolph County, Indiana.
"It was during this year (1831) that Thomas Shaylor moved into the county, occupying the vacated "shanties" of Mr Hawkins until he could build a cabin."[10] The cabin the Thomas and Jane first resided was described as "without floor or chinking, the ground had been swept so much that there was quite a whole in the middle of the floor".[10]
In 1882, Joseph C. Hawkins related a story about Thomas from the early 1830s when he went with him to the mill near Antioch, Jay County, Indiana. He and Thomas were to be gone a day or two but had been away from home from nine days and according to Hawkins, "his wife and family were starving". He described Thomas as " a drunken shiftless fellow boasting of being half-Indian" while Jane was described, "His wife was an excellent woman with four children; all girls. She was there in the woods, ten miles from any settler. Their cabin had no fireplace, floor, nor chimney, no daubing nor chinking and the snow was eight inches deep; everything was frozen up, and they had nothing to eat." Jane was preparing to take her children by sled fifteen miles to the nearest cabin of Mrs. Hawkins. Thomas returned the same night that Jane was preparing to leave the cabin.[11]
The author of the History of Randolph County added a note that reads:
[ Note - This Tom Shaler was the same the James Porter found "squatted" on the land that Porter entered and afterward, northwest part of Jackson township, Randolph County. Shaler moved from there near to Liber, and soon after that to near Camden. This incident took place about 1833. Joseph Hawkins' father moved to Jay County in 1829. He died in 1833, and they were "roughing" it up there in the Jay County woods, a poor widow with a large family. ] "
The "fourth family to settle in Jay County was Thomas J. Shaylor, a blacksmith, and a noted Indian fighter. In later days he went West, and was with Kit Carson and General Fremont on the piains, but finally returned. His remains now lie near Pennvllle.[12]
By November the family moved to a cabin that Thomas built upon a branch of the Salimonie near Madison township. Their daughter Isabella was born in Jay county in 1832.[2] In 1833 the family moved again to become one of the first settlers of Green township.[10]
William Simmons - Lost and Found
The History of Jay County, Indiana includes a story about William Simmons, Jane's older brother who came from Henry County, Indiana to visit Thomas and Jane in 1832. He became lost for three days and deep snow covered the ground. Thomas was said to have been drinking for several days with "some boon companions from Mississinewa". He and other neighbors went out to find William. He was found on the knoll where Liber College now stands. When he was found he was in terrible condition. He lost a leg and toes and the heal of this remaining leg and was left an invalid.[10]
The history of Jay County states that a man named William Coffin was living with Thomas and Jane in 1832. He had a son named Greenbury Coffin that was mentioned in the same book.[10] He is most likely William Greenbury Coffin who was born in 1771 in New Garden, North Carolina.[13]
This birth date would match the 1830 census record which included two males aged 30 to 39 living in Thomas Shaylor's household. [14] The 1830 census includes two males aged 30 to 39 and Thomas was 28 at the time of this census so one of these individuals could be Coffin.[14]
A further connection to New Garden is through Jane's mother Abigail Starbuck Simmons who was born in New Garden, Guilford, North Carolina. The Starbuck and the Coffin families were Quakers who migrated to North Carolina from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. William Greenbury Coffin was the first cousin of Jane Simmon's maternal grandfather William Starbuck.
Joseph Williamson was named as a young man living with Thomas in 1832, According to the History of Jay County, Thomas and Joseph dug the grave for the first settler, John Hawkins, who died in Jay county. Thomas is named among those who attended the burial on March 16, 1832.[10]
In 1835 Thomas put an advertisement in the local paper regarding two horses that were found stray in Randolph County. [15] Thomas and Jane had a son named John born about 1836 and a daughter named Lucinda born in 1838 while still in Indiana.[2]
In March 1838, Thomas was the first settler and William Coffin was the second of Green township.[10]

Frontiersman of the American West

Thomas was one of the men that accompanied John Frémont on his explorations of the west as stated in the Biographical Memoirs of Jay County, Indiana[7]
"He was in the west with Fremont, in the Rocky mountains and on the plains.
Map of expedition 1842 and 1843-44 .
Beginning in 1842, John Frémont led five western expeditions. A series of seven maps produced from his findings, published by the Senate in 1846, served as a guide for thousands of American emigrants, depicting the entire length of the Oregon Trail.[16]
Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana. contains the following passage about Thomas:[17]
"He was a blacksmith by occupation, but was a noted Indian fighter. In later years, he went West, and was with Fremont and Kit Carson among the mountains and on the plains, but he finally returned to this county and died near Camden where he is buried."
Sutter's Fort.
In 1842 Frémont and twenty-five men journeyed for five months exploring the land between Missouri and the Rocky Mountains. The second expedition in 1843 again included Kit Carson as well as Charles Preuss, who continued to produce excellent topographic maps of all terrain they passed through. Their route took them along the Snake River to the Columbia River into Oregon—a route that became the Oregon Trail.[18]
They reached the Cascade Mountains, turned south into California, and became the first to see and describe Lake Tahoe, then turned west to the site of Sacramento. The published report and map from this expedition became a guide for thousands of immigrants who came to Oregon and California.[18] In August 1844, Frémont and his party finally arrived back in St. Louis, enthusiastically received by the people, ending the journey that lasted over one year.[19]

Migration to Missouri

After his return from the west in about 1845 Thomas and the family migrated west to Cedar District, Cedar, Missouri. Thomas is recorded in a land record in Cedar on August 10, 1850 where he purchased 160 acres.[20]

Death in Indiana

Sometime after 1850 Thomas moved back to Jay County, Indiana where he passed away.[17] A primary source is needed for his death.
His son Samuel Vance Shaylor was left an orphan at the age of 13 and was counted in the 1860 census in Pennville, Jay County, Indiana in the household of his first cousin Francis Porter, the son of his aunt Sophia Shaylor.[21]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Ohio Probate Records, 1789-1996," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MK-PX5L?cc=1992421&wc=S24W-K6N%3A266274501%2C266293301 : 1 July 2014), Clermont > Wills 1810-1821 vol A-B > image 233 of 551; county courthouses, Ohio. [link].
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZ7-T32 : 12 April 2016), Thomas J Shaylor, Cedar county, Cedar, Missouri, United States; citing family 369, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
    Name Thomas J Shaylor
    Event Type Census
    Event Year 1850
    Event Place Cedar county, Cedar, Missouri, United States
    Gender Male
    Age 48
    Race White
    Birth Year (Estimated) 1802
    Birthplace Ohio
    House Number 369
    Thomas J Shaylor M 48 Ohio
    Jane Shaylor F 35 Indiana
    Rebeca Shaylor F 22 Indiana
    Isebella Shaylor F 18 Indiana
    John Shaylor M 14 Indiana
    Lucinda Shaylor F 12 Indiana
    Ellen Shaylor F 5 Missouri
    Samul Shaylor M 2 Missouri
  3. ↑ Williams, Byron. History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio: From the Earliest Historical times down to the Present. Salem, MA: Higginson Book, 1997. pg. 244 Archive.org
  4. ↑ Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Batavia, Clermont, Ohio; Page: 82; NARA Roll: M33_89; Image: 56. Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7734/4093881_00056/299187
  5. ↑ 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Miami, Clermont, Ohio; Page: 108; NARA Roll: M33_89; Image: 69. Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/7734/4093881_00069
  6. ↑ "Frontiersman" is a term to describe men who explored and fought to claim the country's vast wilderness during its early, volatile years, from the American Revolution through the California Gold Rush. See: American Frontier and Frontier.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bowen, B.F. Biographical Memoirs of Jay County, Indiana: A Comprehensive Compendium of Biography ; Memoirs of Eminent Men and Women in Jay County, Whose Deeds of Valor or Works of Merit Have Made Their Names Imperishable. Portland, IN: Jay County Genealogy Society, 2008. pg. 253 https://books.google.com/books?id=Rk80AQAAMAAJ
  8. ↑ "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5PM-XKR : 10 December 2017), Thomas Shaylor and Jane Simmons, 22 Jun 1826; citing Randolph, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,654,838.
    Name Thomas Shaylor
    Event Type Marriage Registration
    Event Date 22 Jun 1826
    Event Place Randolph, Indiana, United States
    Gender Male
    Marriage License Date 20 Jun 1826
    Spouse's Name Jane Simmons
    Spouse's Gender Female
    Officiator's Name Wm Massey
    Page 55
    Number of Images 1
  9. ↑ Tucker, E., History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. https://archive.org/details/historyofrandolp00tuck/page/n95
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Jay, Milton T., and M. W. Montgomery. History of Jay County, Indiana: Originally Published as Vol. II of a 2-volume Set That Included the Montgomery History. Indianapolis: Historical Pub., 1978. Indiana. Chapter VIII. Settlers and incidents of 1831 and 1832 on page 91
  11. ↑ "History of Randolph County, Indiana with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers : To Which Are Appended Maps of Its Several Townships : Tucker, Ebenezer : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming." Full Text of "Passing". January 01, 1882. Accessed January 27, 2019. https://archive.org/details/historyofrandolp00tuck/page/n137.
  12. ↑ "EARLY LIFE IN JAY COUNTY." Daily Tribune 1 April 1917 - Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program. Accessed January 26, 2019. https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=INN18991018-01.1.9.
  13. ↑ Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Women's Minutes, 1843-1892; Collection: North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes. Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2189/40642_290976-00488
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Original data: Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. 1830; Census Place: Ward, Randolph, Indiana; Series: M19; Roll: 29; Page: 33; Family History Library Film: 0007718 https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8058/4410755_00073
  15. ↑ Taken Up: by Thomas J. Shaylor. Richmond Weekly Palladium. (Richmond, Indiana) 10 Jan 1835, Saturday. First Edition. Page 3 (newspapers,com) https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24291159/richmond_weekly_palladium/?xid=637
  16. ↑ Richards, Leonard L. (2007). The California Gold Rush and the Coming of the Civil War. New York, New York: Vintage Books Random House Inc. ISBN 978-0-307-27757-2. pp. 46–47.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana." Google Books. Accessed January 26, 2019. https://books.google.com/books?id=uquAlUBChG4C&pg=PA289&lpg=PA289&dq=Thomas J. Shaylor&source=bl&ots=WLCpHDYsRx&sig=ACfU3U0MYkDQyNsBnapytagQenO5d7Z2sQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjA5ZbcwozgAhXrTN8KHRiBD2YQ6AEwAXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Shaylor&f=false.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "John C. Frémont: Claiming the West." New World Exploration. Accessed January 26, 2019. https://www.newworldexploration.com/explorers-tales-blog/john-c-fremont-claiming-the-west.
  19. ↑ Nevins, Allan (1931). Allen Johnson; Dumas Malone, eds. Dictionary of American Biography Frémont, John Charles. 7. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 19–23.
  20. ↑ United States. Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records. Automated Records Project; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes. http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/. Springfield, Virginia: Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 2007. https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=1008-371&docClass=MW&sid=bry4c1kx.lff
  21. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4FP-ZT8 : 13 December 2017), Samuel Shaler in entry for Francis Porter, 1860.

Notes

1830 census
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1 Thomas b. 1802 (28)
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39: 2 (William Coffin and Joseph Williamson) ?
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 3 Rebecca b. 1828 and ? ?
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1 Jane b. 1807 (23)

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