Monday Madness: When Your Computer Gets a Virus and You Can't Access Your Online Genealogy

It's just one of those days.

Earlier this year I tried to get Family Tree Maker, but for some reason I could never get my computer to accept the activation code and thus couldn't download the program.  I had been excited to use the database to group all people who were born or died in a particular place so that I could look for vital records and wills/probates in one area all at once, or all of the people who were born within a certain year range (for instance to find all men who were within the age-range to be in the Civil War), among other advanced functions that I can't do with the online version of Ancestry.  Alas, it was not to be, and Ancestry has discontinued the CD-ROM version.  So I'm waiting for the next incarnation to try it again.  Bummer.

Today my browsers keep going to a fake AT&T phishing page, so I will be spending my precious genealogy time on getting rid of this computer pestilence.

This is a very good reason to have an offline version of your tree!  Consider this a cautionary tale.








© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Madness: "Excessive study is alleged to have caused mental derangement."

Occasionally I find an ancestor who obviously struggled with mental illness.  Viola Frazee (1866-1929), a 1st cousin 3x's removed from me on my Hartley side, is an example.  This mention of her distress in 1890 ends with a curious diagnosis:

Morning Star
Rockford, Illinois
24 Aug 1890
page 6
Desperate From Excessive Study.
SAVANNAH, Mo., Aug. 23.--Viola Frazee, a school teacher, made several desperate attempts to kill herself Thursday night.  she cut her throat with a razor, but although the weapon severed the windpipe no large arteries were cut. She fainted from loss of blood, and when she regained consciousness swallowed a bottle of bluing and attempted to jump in the well.  The noise at the well aroused the family and she was rescued just as she was jumping in.  Excessive study is alleged to have caused mental derangement.

Fortunately she survived the suicide attempt, but unfortunately she spent the rest of her life (up to 39 long years) in the Missouri State Hospital for the Insane No 2 in St Joseph, Missouri (also known as the St Joseph State Hospital).  It seems likely she had depression, anxiety, possibly bipolar or schizophrenic, and could probably have led a normal life today with the help of psychiatric medicine and counseling.





© 2014 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Madness: Mahlon Hibbs

The ancestry of Mahlon Hibbs (abt 1747 in Virginia-abt 1850 Indiana?), one of my 4th great grandfathers, is a major brick wall.  I deeply suspect that he is a descendant of the Hibbs family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, due to naming practices, migration patterns, and DNA cousin matches on AncestryDNA, but I have not yet been able to definitively connect him to that family with any one piece of evidence.  One of Mahlon's daughters, Nancy (Hibbs) Nosler (1800-1854), is my 3rd great grandmother.  Her son William Nosler is my 2nd great grandfather (my great grandmother Minnie Nosler's father), and another son of Nancy's is my 2nd great grand uncle James Milo Nosler.  James Nosler briefly mentioned his mother's ancestry in his diary, saying "my mother was purely English as far as I know."

Actually a lot of research work has been done on the Hibbs family, an especially nice one available at L.D. Pierce's page dedicated to his Hibbs Family Genealogy (""Prepared by my Uncle Harry Faus").  A discernable trend in that Quaker family included some branches that left Bucks County, Pennsylvania, for Loudoun County, Virginia.  Based on the above genealogy and Quaker records recently released on Ancestry.com I have been able to figure out that these Hibbs likely attended Quaker meetings in either Goose Creek MM or South Fork MH in Loudoun County, Virginia.  I don't find Mahlon in those records online, unfortunately.

Based on his known children's birthplaces it seems that Mahlon had children born in Tennessee as early as about 1785.  The earliest I find him in that area comes from an 1805 tax list from Anderson County, Tennessee:

[Not an easy image to read, unfortunately.  Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data: Early Tax Lists of Tennessee. Microfilm, 12 rolls. The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.]

According to the Anderson County, Tennessee, County Court Minutes, 1801-1809 and 1810-1814. Two Volumes in One by the Works Progress Administration (WPA),  Mahlon was mentioned as a juror, working as overseer for construction of a local road, and tendering (bail?) for a John Hibbs (I suspect John was his son), as well as being excused from paying taxes due to old age in his mid-50's, which is funny as he lived to at least the 1850 Census (at least 103 years old!).  Here are most of the excerpts I found, all from the above-named WPA publication:

Jun 1807 "Ordered by the court Walter Taylor be overseer of the road from James Taylors to Burrville in place of John Taylor & that he have the same bound & hands."
Mar 1809 "Ordered by the court that Malon Hibbs be overseer in place of Walter Taylor and that he have the same hands and bounds."
page 394 [page 158]
Mar 1809  "Ordered by the court that the following hands work under Melon[sp] Hibbs overseer (to wit) Walter Taylor, Isaac Robbins, Benjamin Potter, Saml. Tipton, Samuel Hibbs, William Sevoirs, John Stewart & Henry George."
page 400 [page 159]

13 Oct 1812
James Newberry
vs
John Hibbs
This day came William Severs and surrendered into Court the body of John Hibbs the Deft. in discharge of himself as Bail.  Whereupon said Defendant tendered Malon Hibbs and Thomas Landrum as counter security who rec'd. &c and entered into bond &c--
from page 148 [page 63] of Vol 2 of:
Anderson County, Tennessee, County Court Minutes, 1801-1809 and 1810-1814. Two Volumes in One

I think that Mahlon was married to Nancy Ann LNU (possibly Nichols?) and that they had the following children, all born in Tennessee as far I can tell:
William Hibbs Sr (b 1785)
John Hibbs (b 1786)
Jeremiah Hibbs (b 1790)
Samuel Hibbs (1791-1849)
Rachel Hibbs (1794-1883)
Amos Hibbs (1796-1866)
Mahlon Nicholas Hibbs (son, nephew, or cousin?) (1800-1850)
Nancy Hibbs (1800-1854)
Elizabeth Hibbs (1802-1890)
James G Hibbs (1806-1852)

An intriguing wrinkle is that Mahlon Hibbs lived in the same area (in later Putnam County, Indiana) as a Mahlon Nicholas Hibbs (born about 1800 in Tennessee).  I have seen a few trees name this younger Mahlon's father as Amos Hibbs (b 1762 in Bucks County, PA to William Hibbs IV and Ruth Blaker, married to Mary Pool in Goose Creek MM, Loudoun, Virginia ), with no further explanation or evidence.  I had originally assumed that Mahlon Nicholas Hibbs was a son of Mahlon Sr., but of course maybe he was indeed a nephew or cousin of Mahlon Sr.  In any case, what then was the relationship between Amos Hibbs (b 1762 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania) and Mahlon Hibbs (b 1747 in Virginia)?  My Mahlon Hibbs (b 1747) does not appear to be a son or brother or even known cousin of William Hibbs IV from the published genealogy of the Hibbs family.

Sometime after 1820 some of the Hibbs family moved from Anderson County, Tennessee, to Putnam County, Indiana, with Samuel Hibbs first purchasing land from the federal government November 10, 1824.  Mahlon Hibbs' sons Amos, Samuel, and Mahlon Nicholas bought land between 1824 and at least 1837, with John and James Hibbs purchasing land in neighboring Hendricks County, Indiana.  Mahlon's oldest son, William Hibbs, apparently stayed behind in Anderson County, Tennessee, for the rest of his life.

I find "Malan Hibbs" in the 1830 Federal Census in Putnam County, Indiana, two lines away from "Mullana N. Hibbs" (I'm assuming this is Mahlon Nicholas Hibbs):

[1830 US Census; Census Place: Putnam, Indiana; Page: 203; NARA Series: M19; Roll Number: 30; Family History Film: 0007719]

I have not yet completely analyzed the other neighbors yet.  There are no other Hibbs names on this page.

On September 3, 1834, a Mahlon Hibbs (not sure if the elder Mahlon or Mahlon Nicholas) was issued a land patent certificate in Putnam County:

[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.]

Mahlon is next on the 1840 Federal Census in Greencastle, Putnam, Indiana:

[Year: 1840; Census Place: Greencastle, Putnam, Indiana; Roll: 91; Page: 378; Image: 771; Family History Library Film: 0007728]

 Nearby neighbors include son Amos Hibbs and a William Hibbs (a man in his 20's).  I am not sure who William is, although maybe a son of Mahlon's son John Hibbs (who is a shadowy figure who I haven't quite been able to figure out).

Mahlon's wife Nancy Ann died on May 30, 1846, and was buried in Deer Creek Cemetery in Putnam County, Indiana.  It is unclear to me if she was his only wife, or maybe his second one?  I have no idea.

Widowed Mahlon is living with son Amos Hibbs and his family in the 1850 Federal Census in Jefferson Township, Putnam, Indiana:

[Year: 1850; Census Place: Jefferson, Putnam, Indiana; Roll: M432_167; Page: 467A; Image: 224]

Mahlon certainly died after the Census was taken, but I don't know where and when.  He is likely buried by his wife Nancy in Deer Creek Cemetery, but judging by her headstone it is likely his headstone is withered away or gone, and his burial place may never be ascertained.







© 2014 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Madness Monday: Thomas Lynchard

Thomas Lynchard (about 1780-before 1820), my 5th great grandfather, drives me mad.  Where was he born?  Who were his parents?  Why do I not find a single other person in the United States with the last name Lynchard before 1800?  Was his last name Lynchard, or Linchard, or Lencher?

The few things that I do know come from a very nice family history, "My Virginia kin : comprising the Hamlett, Witt, Giles, Wills, Eubank-Fortune, Mullenix, Lynchard, Talbot, and Kight families" by Blanche Hamlett Baldridge (available to Ancestry.com users here), a marriage bond for him and his wife Prudence Talbert/Talbot in West Virginia, and a Stoner Township, Bourbon, Kentucky 1810 Census entry.

I have searched US records for anyone with the last name Lynchard in 1800 and before.  The only result I came across is Revolutionary War soldier  Amasa Lynchard who served for Rhode Island.  Further investigation in Fold3.com revealed that this was most certainly an erroneous transcription of Amasa Linchorn/Lincoln.  I doubt that Lincher/Lencher/Lynchard is a corruption of Lincoln, but I am not totally sure.

[Ancestry.com. My Virginia kin : comprising the Hamlett, Witt, Giles, Wills, Eubank-Fortune, Mullenix, Lynchard, Talbot, and Kight families : [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
Original data: Baldridge, Blanche Hamlett,. My Virginia kin : comprising the Hamlett, Witt, Giles, Wills, Eubank-Fortune, Mullenix, Lynchard, Talbot, and Kight families : with a short treatise on the Loving family. Strawberry Point, Iowa: Press-Journal Pub. Co., 1958.]

There are some problems with above biography.  If Thomas and wife Prudence got to know each other in Bourbon County, Kentucky, then why they would go about 289 miles east to Harrison County, West Virginia (then part of Virginia) to get this marriage bond recorded?

["West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," index, FamilySearch ( https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FR6S-64M : accessed 08 Jul 2014), Thomas Leuchard and Prudence Talbert, Harrison, West Virginia; citing v 2 p 68; FHL microfilm 847274.]

Harrison County, West Virginia, was created from Monongalia County, West Virginia (Virginia) in 1784.  I suspect that Thomas Lynchard was possibly born in that area, but his surviving children gave Ireland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky as his place of birth in their 1880 Census.  What I glean from this is that they thought he was:

• of Irish ancestry
• possibly born in what was Virginia  (and in an area was that was very close to Pennsylvania along the Monongahela River), 
• possibly from Kentucky, as it was still a part of Virginia around the time he was born (Kentucky was formed from Virginia in 1776).

It has been assumed by the "My Virginia Kin" work that Prudence was the daughter of Bourbon County, Kentucky resident Henry Talbot and his first wife, Hannah King.  For a number of reasons that I will cover on another day, I believe that Prudence was more likely the daughter (or at least relation) of Cottrell Talbot and Elizabeth Reger, who lived in the same area as where the marriage bond was created, and were known to have had a daughter named Prudence.  I don't think Thomas Lynchard and Prudence came to Bourbon County, Kentucky until 1806, based on known children's birthplaces.

[Year: 1810; Census Place: Stoner, Bourbon, Kentucky; Roll: 5; Page: 248; Image: 00136; Family History Library Film: 0181350. Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Original data: Third Census of the United States, 1810. (NARA microfilm publication M252, 71 rolls). Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

The household of Thos Linchard indicates 1 boy under 10, 1 man 26-44, 2 girls under 10, 1 woman 26-44.  The census list is alphabetical, so it is unknown who his immediate neighbors were.  There are no other Linchards/Lynchards in the area.  There IS a Hamilton Lincher about 40 miles south in Estill County, Kentucky (formed from Madison and Clark counties in 1808).  I need to investigate who this is.

The story goes that Thomas Lynchard served in the War of 1812 and died sometime afterwards from the effects of exposure during his service.  I do not know his dates of service or date of death.  His wife Prudence appears in the 1820 Census as the head of household in Owen County, Kentucky.  She married 2 years later  to Jacob Bowman and moved to Cincinnati, where she died about 1834, so it is unlikely she ever filed a widow's claim for Thomas Lynchard's 1812 service.


© 2014 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.