Horace Bell And Family

"...I think Horace Bell is most courageous man I ever knew."  [Source]

Horace Bell's Photograph

Published in the Los Angeles Herald

 16 November 1901

Source

Horace's parents were David Williamson Bell and Elizabeth Wright.  See more about David Bell here and his FindAGrave memorial here.

Horace Bell's daughter, Georgia, married Marmaduke Stanley Richmond.

Another daughter , Mrs. (Captain) A. B. Anderson, visited her parents before returning to her Costa Rica coffee plantation, in 1894.

Daisy (Bell) Overton's lineage as submitted to the DAR (she was the 2nd wife of Charles P. Overton):

DAR

Daisy Bell Overton is in a photo with her sister, Lillian (Mrs. John Grey).

A memorial to Horace Bell's wife, Georgia:

Source

Reminiscences of a Ranger: Or, Early Times in Southern California is a book written by Horace Bell.

Benjamin Sharp Featured On WDYTYA

Although I enjoy watching all of the episodes of Who Do You Think You Are?, I felt a special connection to the life of Bill Paxton's ancestor, Benjamin Sharp.  Let's just say when he read about Black's Fort on a document, it was a memorable moment for both of us.

Part of his (Paxton's) research included a trip to the DAR, where Sharp's Revolutionary War pension application was reviewed.  One aspect of Benjamin Sharp's war service found him under Captain Andrew Colville's command at Black's Fort.  The pension papers also mentioned Sharp's service under Captain James Dysart and *Lieutenant Samuel Newell.

Source (Fold3) Of Benjamin Sharp's Revolutionary War Pension Application

Here is an excerpt from my August 2014 post about Black's Fort:

At the farm of Captain Joseph Black, where Abingdon now stands, between four and five hundred people collected together to build a fort. The erection of Black's Fort was begun on the 20th day of July 1776, the same day that the battle of Long Island Flats was fought and the news of the victory of the settlers in that battle was received the next day.

Source: Black's Fort Messenger, The Official Newsletter Of Abingdon, VA

(See "Source" link above for the whole map and newsletter)

Captain Joseph Black, of Black's Fort was the brother of my ancestress, Christian (Black) Acklin, wife of Christopher Acklin.  Joseph and Christian's parents were John Black and Elizabeth Colville.  Elizabeth (Colville) Black married 2nd, Samuel Newell*.

Benjamin Sharp also volunteered under Captain James Fulkerson.  Was he Sharp's father-in-law?  Probably.

Get Out Of Dodge -- Israel Dodge

Of the family of John and Lydia Rogers Dodge, their son Israel, third of the name in his line, true to the adventurous spirit of his ancestors, left home when only fifteen years old and made several voyages to the African coast. At eighteen he enlisted in the Revolutionary army and at the Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777, was wounded by a bayonet charge of the British line. [Source]


One of Israel Dodge's decendant's DAR lineage based upon Israel's service in the American Revolution.

Source

Gilmers, Acklins, And Meriwethers

I believe that the John Gilmer in the document above was John Blair Gilmer, son of George Gilmer whose will was online at Digital Collections.

This DAR entry below indicated that John Blair Gilmer was an officer under LaFayette at Yorktown and that he married Mildred Meriwether.  Another descendant was Elizabeth Thornton "Betsy" Gilmer McGehee; whose daughter, Mildred, married William Acklin.

Search

More from the digital collections online at Virginia Memory at the Library of Virginia:

The Gilmers in America (page 175) by John Gilmer Speed, explained more about the Gilmer genealogy:

"...Dr. George Gilmer took to wife Miss Harrison Blair, a sister of the Hon. John Blair, President of the Virginia Council. This wife bore two sons John and William and November 2, 1755. 

Jonathan Barron Estate In Michigan

The estate of JONATHAN BARRON, Deceased, was listed in a record book housed at the Archives of Michigan, St. Clair County, Record of Proceedings 1835-1838:

(Page 142) Records of the estate of Jonathan Barron, deceased

Township of Clay

12 July 1838

Application by Edmund Carlton....

Source

Today's DAR

See Today's DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) on YouTube.

House Of Vice-President Adlai E. Stevenson & His Wife, Letitia, DAR Founder

The Adlai E. Stevenson house in Metamora, Woodford County, Illinois:




Adlai Ewing Stevenson, born in 1835/6, was living in Christian Co., Kentucky, in 1850 where he was born, with his parents, John & Eliza Ann, both born in North Carolina. A comprehensive biography with emphasis on the political history of Vice-President Stevenson can be found here. He died in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, on 14 June 1914.

He married Letitia Green who was one of the founders of the DAR. The DAR published a lengthy biography of Mrs. Stevenson with some of her ancestors included. She died 26 December 1913; her obituary was in the New York Times.

From "The Women of Illinois":


Their grandson, Adlai E. Stevenson, was the Democratic Presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956 who lost both races to Dwight D. Eisenhower. He sought the nomination in 1960 but was defeated by John F. Kennedy, who appointed Stevenson as Ambassador to the United Nations. Stevenson died of a heart attack on 14 July 1965, in London, England.

Early Newsreels of the Motor City

My Alma Mater, Wayne State University, has Detroit News newsreels online in their WSU Virtual Motor City Collection, including:

Captain Walpole Rowland, age 102, a veteran of 7 wars, is voting (in the mid 1920's). I could find absolutely nothing else on this gentleman!

Also can be seen is the Second Annual Detroit Police Field Day at the State Fair Grounds in 1928.

How about a "Proving Ground" for Ford in 1928?

Dedication of a monument (DAR) can be seen here; descendants of Abagail Parmenter Bennett at Washington, Macomb County, Michigan.

There's also clips of Lou Gehrig & Babe Ruth, University of Michigan games, John Phillip Sousa at Cass Tech High School, the 26th Auto Show (1920's), and many more. There's 31 pages with approximately 15 newsreels per page.

Thanks DearMYRTLE

A thanks to Dear Myrtle's Genealogy Blog for the tip about DAR databases online:

DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Blog: DAR: Online databases now available

A Search found ancestors William Roark (Rourke) #A098901*, John Backus, #A004355, Benjamin Baker, Sr., # A004870 and Edward Richmond, #A096057.

* Roark posts (many, but not all, posts about William Roark)

DAR Analytical cards - the first "Richmond" (surname)

Holden Family From Canada To Detroit, MI

While researching the family of Maria Howard's husband, Hiram Holden, it was discovered that Hiram's niece's son, William Henry Holden, was mentioned in the book, The Detroiters, and had moved from Canada to Detroit, Michigan. Maria (Howard) Holden was the sister of my great-great-great grandmother, Ann (Howard) Kennedy, so it was her connection to the Holden family that piqued my interest.

Hiram Holden's sister, Esther Holden(b. 3 Aug 1812), married Merrick Sawyer [See Hiram Holden blog entry for marriage information as well as additional Holden family information]. Merrick Sawyer was born 2 Feb 1808 at Heath, Massachusetts, and died 21 May 1900 at Belleville, Ontario, Canada (a profile of their house can be found here). Merrick was the son of Oliver & Polly (Wilder) Sawyer. Their (Esther Holden/Merrick Sawyer's) daughter, Mary Esther Sawyer, married John H. Holden probably the son of Charles & Tamar (Weldon) Holden. Their son, William H. Holden, was profiled below in "The Detroiters" excerpt:

HOLDEN, William H., pharmacist; born, Merrickville, Ont. Can., July 26, 1859; son of J.H. and Mary Esther Sawyer, both natives of Massachusetts; educated in public and high schools of Belleville, Ont.; Ontario College of Pharmacy, Toronto, degree of Ph. G., Feb. 1879. Married at Belleville, June 9, 1887, Ella Bancroft Jones. Began active career as apprentice in retail drug business, with L.W. Yeomans and Company, Belleville, 1875; was with R. Templeton, Belleville, retail drugs, 1877-78; prescription clerk with Kenneth Campbell & Co., H.R. Gray, and foreman for H. Sugden Evens & Co., all of Montreal, P.Q. 1879-87; has been identified with Parke, Davis & Co., manufacturing chemists, since March 21, 1881; first as foreman, later as general superintendent. Has devoted his attention largely for many years to the systematizing of complex business affairs and the organization of employees for social and industrial welfare. Also president Currie Cement Construction Co., Currie Coal Co., Meso Island Co., Co. Congregationalist. Clubs: Detroit, Detroit Boat, Detroit Boat Club Yachtsman. Recreations: Yachting, boating and outing diversions at Hickory Island and summer home. Office: Parke, Davis & Co. Residence: 366 Cadillac Blvd.

The book, History of Michigan, by Charles Moore, adds some details to the Holden family, including the fact that William H. Holden was the ninth generation from Richard Holden, who founded the Holden family in America. It also stated that Merrick Sawyer adopted W. H. Holden and that Merrick Sawyer founded the Coburg school that evolved into Victoria College.

William H. Holden's wife, Ella Bancroft Jones Holden, was the daughter of Nathan Jones (& probably Jane Clement). Other ancestors would include Nathan Jones & Sarah Bancroft and Nathan Jones & Esther Butterfield. More of her ancestry can be found in the book by Myrtle Bowen Clark, Jones genealogy : being a record of the descendants of Hugh Jones of Salem, Mass., emigrant from Wincanton, England, 1635-1931, pub. 1931. She and her daughter, Alma Clement Holden Curtiss, were members of the DAR under their JONES ancestors, but were probably eligible under Bancroft ancestors as well.

Who was Benjamin Kercheval?

Kercheval is a street in the Detroit/Grosse Pointe area. So when Kercheval appeared in Lapeer County deeds it jumped out at me. Particularly because Benjamin Kercheval engaged in Lapeer land transactions with distant relatives Sumner A. RICHMOND and Edmund HOLLENBECK (who married Sumner Richmond’s sister, Julia).

So who was Benjamin Kercheval?

Benjamin Berry Kercheval was born on April 9th, 1793, in Winchester, Virginia. He came to Detroit where he held many important offices in the Territory and State and died in Detroit on March 23, 1855.

Revolutionary War pension papers of John Kercheval mention sons Ben B. Kercheval, of Detroit in 1834, and Thomas Kercheval. John Kercheval was born September 12, 1762 in Spottsylvania Co., VA. His second enlistment in the Revolutionary War was August 1, 1777, when he served 1 year and 4 months in Captain Thomas Berry’s company, Colonels Bowman and Clark’s Virginia regiment. Soldier married Jane (maiden name not stated in pension papers) Berry, possibly January 23, 1785, in Frederick Co., VA. John Kercheval allowed pension February 25, 1834, while a resident of Fleming Co., KY; he died there October 1839. His widow, Jane, 80 yrs old in 1843, when she applied for a pension while living in Mays Lick, Mason Co., KY. [Extracted from HeritageQuest – Revolutionary War files online, contained in letter to Mrs. John Prewitt, Mt. Sterling, KY in 1934]

Apparently, John Kercheval enlisted with his father-in-law’s company. The DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Lineage book shows the lineage of Miss Bettina Welch, born in May’s Lick, KY, as follows:

Descendant of Captain Thomas Berry of Virginia, as follows:
Daughter of Lemuel Welch and Annie Parry;
Granddaughter of Benjamin Parry and Jane Ann Groves;
Great-granddaughter of Elijah Groves and Lucinda Kercheval;
Great-gr-granddaughter of John Kercheval and Jennie (Jane) Berry;
Great-gr-gr-granddaughter of Thomas Berry and Frances Ann Kendall (1738-1818).

Thomas Berry (1735-1818) commanded a line in the Eighth Virginia Regiment, Continental Line, 1776. He was born in King George County; died in Frederick Co.
[DAR, HeritageQuest online]