Tag Archives: West Virginia

John Douglass: So Far Away (52 Ancestors #6)

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John Douglass seems so distant. He was born and married far from me. He and his young family traveled far from their home. And he died far from where his wife and children ended up.

John Douglass, my 4th-great-grandfather, married Susannah Howey on 4 June 1790 in Kirknewton parish, Northumberland Co, England.1)Parish registers for Kirknewton, 1784-1960, Register of Marriages 1790-1806, FamilySearch microfilm 252590. In 1818, John, Susannah, and six of their children came to the United States.2)Minnie Kendall Lowther, History of Ritchie County, (Wheeling, WV: Wheeling Litho, 1911), p. 175. According to History of Ritchie County, John caught a fever and died in Philadelphia a week after arriving.3)Lowther, History of Ritchie County, p. 176.

Susannah and the children eventually ended up in Ritchie County, (West) Virginia.4)Ibid.

From England to Pennsylvania, but couldn’t follow the family to the wilds of western Virginia. John Douglass was so far away.

There is a lot yet to discover about this family. I just found this record yesterday at the Family History Library before the start of the FGS 2015 and RootsTech conferences. (I even had to go far away to get this record!)

John Douglass and Susannah Howey marriage record, Kirknewton parish records, Northumberland, England.

John Douglass and Susannah Howey marriage record, Kirknewton parish records, Northumberland, England.

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ Parish registers for Kirknewton, 1784-1960, Register of Marriages 1790-1806, FamilySearch microfilm 252590.
2. ↑ Minnie Kendall Lowther, History of Ritchie County, (Wheeling, WV: Wheeling Litho, 1911), p. 175.
3. ↑ Lowther, History of Ritchie County, p. 176.
4. ↑ Ibid.

Stephen Amos Hibbs: Bridge Burner, Literally (52 Ancestors #1)

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Stephen Amos Hibbs was the brother of my 3rd-great-grandmother Martha (Hibbs) Mason. He was born in 1826 in present-day West Virginia, the son of John and Jane (Amos) Hibbs.

West Virginia was formed in 1863 when the western counties of Virginia decided that they didn’t really want to secede from the Union. But just because they opted to become a Union state doesn’t mean that they were 100% behind the Union cause. Far from it. The state was pocketed with Confederate sympathizers. Among them: Stephen A. Hibbs.

On 1 May 1863, he was captured by Union forces for being a “bridge burner.” His record in the Union Provost Marshals’ Files notes that he was a “rebel.” Page 1 of the record names him as “Stephen A. Hibbs / Cit.” (short for “citizen.”) This last term isn’t indicating his citizenship (as in voting rights, etc.) It’s an indication that he was a civilian, rather than a member of the Confederate army.

Stephen A. Hibbs, Union Provost Marshals' File Of Paper Relating To Individual Civilians, National Archives microfilm M345, page 2. Downloaded from Fold3.com.

Stephen A. Hibbs, Union Provost Marshals’ File Of Paper Relating To Individual Civilians, National Archives microfilm M345, page 2. Downloaded from Fold3.com.

How do I know this is 1863 when there is no year on the record? It’s stated that he was captured in “Marion Co., Va.” — not West Virginia. West Virginia didn’t become a state until 20 June 1863, making that the latest that this record could have been (accurately) created. (Yes, there’s the possibility that they wrote “Va.” out of habit, kind of like how it’s usually February before you start writing the correct year on your checks.) It also states that he was 37 years old. Census records consistently place his birth year in 1826. 1826 + 37 = 1863.

After the war, Stephen left Marion County, West Virginia and settled briefly in Warren County, Illinois. He then moved to Wayne County, Iowa, where he was a practicing physician and cattle farmer.1)Biographical and Historical Record of Wayne and Appanoose Counties, Iowa (Chicago: Inter-State Publishing, 1886), p. 395. Available on Google Books.

Did his Southern sympathies cause him strife after the war? (His sister Martha was married to a Union soldier. That could have made for an awkward Christmas dinner… ) Is that what precipitated his move west? Or was he simply looking for more opportunity for himself and his family than what was available in Marion County? Either way, it looks like he made a fresh start.

A Note About the Other Stephen A. Hibbs

Many people have combined this Stephen with the Stephen A. Hibbs who served with the 7th Iowa Infantry. That is a different Stephen A. Hibbs. According to his pension file, he was born in 1845, much too late to be the same one.2)Stephen A. Hibbs, Civil War pension file, application 1196430. Available online at GenealogyCenter.info.

Stephen Amos Hibbs in Review

Stephen Amos Hibbs first married Malinda Yost. After her death, he married Eliza (Blue) Glover, the widow of Stephen Glover. In 1865, he and his family moved to Warren County, Illinois and to Wayne County, Iowa in 1868.3)Biographical and Historical Record of Wayne and Appanoose Counties, Iowa (Chicago: Inter-State Publishing, 1886), p. 395. Available on Google Books. He died 11 March 1902 and is buried in Southlawn Cemetery, in Seymour, Wayne County, Iowa.4)Dr. Stephen Amos Hibbs memorial, FindAGrave.com.

References   [ + ]

1, 3. ↑ Biographical and Historical Record of Wayne and Appanoose Counties, Iowa (Chicago: Inter-State Publishing, 1886), p. 395. Available on Google Books.
2. ↑ Stephen A. Hibbs, Civil War pension file, application 1196430. Available online at GenealogyCenter.info.
4. ↑ Dr. Stephen Amos Hibbs memorial, FindAGrave.com.

Martha Hibbs: The First Wife (52 Ancestors #33)

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My last post featured Philip Mason, my third-great-grandfather who married his second wife just days after her divorce was granted. Seems only fair to feature his first wife this week.

Martha Hibbs, my third-great-grandmother, was born 31 August 1837 in (West) Virginia, the daughter of John and Jane (Amos) Hibbs. She and Philip married in 1858 in Marion County, (West) Virginia.

In 1860, Martha, Philip, and their 1-year-old son Eber were living in Doddridge County, (West) Virginia. They had no real property and just $75 in personal property.

P. [Philip] Mason household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Doddridge County, Virginia, page 549, household 690, family 691.

P. [Philip] Mason household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Doddridge County, Virginia, page 549, household 690, family 691.

By 1870, the family had grown; daughter Mary Delpha (or Marydelphia) was born in 1861, Eunice in 1866, and Elizabeth in 1869. They were living in Monongalia County, West Virginia.

By 1880, the family had moved again, this time to Ritchie County, West Virginia. The family continued to grow, with daughters Mahala, Lumi Viola, and Emma.

According to Philip’s Civil War pension file, Martha died 28 March 1893; I have found no death record for her.

Questions that I have about Martha: What must she have experienced when Philip went into the Civil War, leaving her with Eber and Mary? Is Philip’s pension file accurate regarding the information about her death?

Philip Mason: Civil War Vet… and Ladies Man? (52 Ancestors #32)

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For Veterans Day, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight Philip Mason, my third-great-grandfather and veteran of the 14th West Virginia Infantry. Philip was born 20 November 1834 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia, the son of John and Elizabeth (Everts) Mason.

Philip married Martha Hibbs in 1858 in Marion County, (West) Virginia. (Of course, theirs would be among the three marriage records on the page that don’t have the exact date filled in. Thanks, Marion County clerk.) Martha died in 1893.

Not too surprisingly, Philip remarried after Martha’s death. On 3 July 1894, he married Amanda D. Lowers in Ritchie County, West Virginia.

Philip Mason and Amanda Lowers

Philip Mason and Amanda Lowers

As was typical for widows of Civil War veterans, Amanda applied for a widow’s pension after Philip died in 1909. It was in her declaration for a widow’s pension that I got a bit of a surprise:

philip-mason-pensionPhilip and Amanda were married on 3 July 1894. (Yes, I knew that.) Amanda D. Mason was divorced from Weeden N. Lowers on 21 June 1894.

What? Not only was Amanda married before, but she divorced her husband a mere 12 days before marrying Philip.

I haven’t tracked down the divorce file for Amanda and Weeden, but the dates makes me wonder how it played out that Philip married Amanda just 12 days after the divorce was finalized. Was Philip a bit of a ladies man?

Philip died 10 January 1909 in Washington County, Ohio and is buried in the veterans section of Oak Grove Cemetery in Marietta.

I Don’t Really Know You: John Hibbs of West Virginia (52 Ancestors #16)

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question-markGenealogy is journey and an evolution. The further we go along the path of discovering our ancestors, the better our skills become. (Hopefully!) We learn about more types of sources and we evaluate better. Unfortunately, it seems that we apply our new-found skills to the ancestors we are currently working on. How often do we go back and look at the ancestors we researched in the “early days” of climbing the family tree?

That’s what I just did with my 4th-great-grandfather John Hibbs. Ouch. Turns out that most of the facts I “know” about him come from a county history biography of his son Elmus, a handful of handwritten census abstracts, and a photocopy of a marriage record. Not exactly the stuff of thorough research.

What I Think I Know About John Hibbs (Subject to Revision)

  • Born 17 Aug 1805
  • Married Jane Amos, daughter of Stephen Amos, deceased, 31 March 1825 in Monongalia County, Virginia
  • Married Mrs. Rebecca (Brumage) Ice
  • Married Margaret, daughter of Oliver Nay
  • Lived in Marion County, West Virginia in 1870 and 1880
  • Died 5 June 1886
  • Was the father of Martha, wife of Philip Mason

Sources

  • Photocopy of the marriage bond of John Hibbs and Jacob Hibbs, Jr. for John’s marriage to Jane Amos, 25 March 1825. Source unknown. (Judging from the way it was folded, I think I got this in the mail. Yeah, that’s a great source.)
  • Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Monongalia, Marion and Taylor Counties, West Virginia (Philadelphia: Rush, West, & Co., 1895), p. 204.
  • Handwritten abstract of 1870 census for John Hibbs household, Paw Paw District, Marion County, West Virginia, dwelling 212, family 213.
  • Printed abstract of 1880 census for E. H. Hibbs household, Pawpaw, Marion County, West Virginia. John Hibbs listed as “other” relation. [For you old-timers out there, this was a printout from the old FamilySearch 1880 CDs. Remember those?!]
  • Random family group sheets from Thomas Hess, dated 1993.

Conclusion

I really need to revisit John Hibbs.

An Enigma Wrapped With a Bow: Clara Mason Young (52 Ancestors #11)

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It’s amazing what you think you know until you go to write about it. Such is the case with Clara Mason Young, my great-grandmother. Perhaps it’s because I have several photographs of her. Perhaps it’s because she’s the only great-grandparent I ever met. But for someone who I thought I had a good handle on, it turns out I know fairly little.

Clara Mason, the daughter of  Eber and Lavada Jane (McKitrick) Mason, was born in West Virginia 10 October 1884, according to her death certificate. Though census records seem to be in agreement, I’ve yet to find a birth record for her.

By 1900, she had moved with her parents and siblings to Washington County, Ohio. It was there that she met and married Robert Andrew Young.

Clara (Mason) and Robert Andrew Young. We believe this photo was taken around the time of their wedding in 1903.

Clara (Mason) and Robert Andrew Young. We believe this photo was taken around the time of their wedding in 1903.

Clara and Robert had ten children; my grandmother Adah was their oldest. When I started into genealogy, I got a kick out of discovering that my dad is older than one of his aunts (Clara and Robert’s youngest daughter, Vida).

Clara (Mason) Young with her great-grandchildren, 1964.

Clara (Mason) Young with her great-grandchildren, 1964.

I’m fortunate to have several photos of her, including this one of her with her great-grandchildren in 1964. (This photo was scanned from a slide. Eat your heart out, Instagram.)

Great-grandma Clara (Mason) Young and me. Photo taken in my grandparents' (Stanley and Adah Young Johnson) back yard.

Great-grandma Clara (Mason) Young and me. Photo taken in my grandparents’ (Stanley and Adah Young Johnson) backyard.

Despite the photos, I don’t feel like I know her as well as I should. I need to go back through Grandma’s memoirs and see what I can glean. I also need to talk to Dad and my Aunt Clara (named for her grandmother) to get more stories.

Clara (Mason) Young died 25 August 1970 in Licking County, Ohio and is buried with Robert in Wilson Cemetery. Dad has promised to go with me to the cemetery if this winter would ever stop.