Allison Royce Drake marries Jane Myers in June 1882 in Hillsdale. On His marriage license he lists himself as a farmer.
***NOTE*** What's the difference between a "farmer" and a "farm laborer"? To me, "farmer" implies you own a farm. "Farm Laborer" implies you do farm work on a farm that you don't own.
Allison was living in Camden, Hillsdale, Michigan when he applied for a marriage license.
Jane and Allison's first child was Lucia -- named after Allison's mom -- born 24 Nov 1883. The date proves that no shotgun was involved in their marriage. Lucia was born in Amboy, Michigan.
John Stout Drake died 29 June 1884 in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. His second wife Mary Pease was still in the house as was Allison's little sister, Lucy . I can't find any records that show Lucy Drake living anywhere else. So Mary Pease was left taking care of her step daughter. Well, Lucy was 19 years old when her dad died, so how much taking care of did she need? With that being said, Lucy died of consumption in 1886. Maybe she was already sick by then?
Allison and Jane's second daughter -- Hattie Gavena was born 01 Mar 1886 in Amboy. Very sadly, Lucy died a few months later, 06 May, 1886 in Amboy.
I have muddled through the probate records and in my humble conclusion, John Stout Drake died intestate -- without a will. I was a little surprised at that as John Stout was kind of a big deal farmer with quite a bit of property AND a second wife. Surely he would want to make sure she was taken care of.
Whatever the lapse of foresight, Mary Pease Drake, the second wife was appointed executrix.
I won't take the time here to list all of John Stout's asssets and debts but there was one page in the probate records that caught my eye. This was written on 16 Feb 1887 -- approximately 2 years and 8 months after John Stout Drake died:
"... that all of said heirs and said widow have sold and assigned and quit claimed all their right, title and interests in and to said estate both real and personal to Allison R. Drake one of said heirs it is therefore ordere, adjudged and decreed that all of the extate of said deceased both real and personal be and the same is hereby assigned to said Allison R Drake and upon exhibiting in this court proper receipts the said Administratrix with her bond will be discharged from her trust."
Somebody please let me know if I'm misinterpreting this, but it sounds like Allsion Royce's brothers and sisters turned over their shares of the farm to Allison. Was this a generous move by the family towards the littlest brother, or were things such a mess that none of them wanted to deal with the estate and the step mom?
Showing posts with label John Stout Drake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Stout Drake. Show all posts
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Allison Royce Drake -- the Adult Years
So 1871 proved to be a rough year at the Drake Farm.
Bird is 14 years old, Allison is 12 and Jane is 10. John Stout Drake manages to wait a whole 13 months before he remarried. To me, this implies that John Stout was back in the courting game within a few months after Lucia's death.
The kids were busy with school, church, chores and farm work. Allison and Bird were the only male youngsters left to pull the load and they also probably spent time helping out at their grandfather's (Amos Stout Drake) place as he was still farming.
Second oldest sister, Mary Serenus, married Ira Charles Hill in 1875 and moved away.
In 1879, 22 year old Bird married Eugenia Priestly and the 1880 United States Census shows Bird in residence at the Priestly Farm. Why the Priestly Farm where there were two grown farmer sons living there as well? That left only Allison at the Drake Farm. Was John Stout becoming a tyrant as he got older? Or was the new and younger wife, lazy or bitchy or a bossy boots?
The 1880 United States Census enumerates both Allison and his sister Jane aka Jen with a farmer named John Sprowle or Sprowls. John had a wife Elizabeth and an 11 year old daughter, Mary. Allison is listed as a farm laborer and Jen as a domestic servant.
I wonder how this came to be because John Stout Drake is still listed in the 1880 Federal Census as being a farmer with his wife, Mary and his two daughters: Ann who is 30 and Lucy who is in school. there are no farm laborers recorded with the Drakes.
The Sprowls and the Drakes live and farm in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Did Papa John throw Allison out? Allison was, after all, 21 years old. Did Allison get tired of working for free? Did new wife Mary finally convince John that Allison caused too many problems. Jen went with Allison to the Sprowls. Maybe she thought Allison was getting a raw deal on the family farm. Maybe she was having problems herself with her dad and/or her step mom.
Jen married George Priestly (Bird's brother-in-law) on 25 December 1881. Her sister Lucy was a witness. Allison Drake married Jane Myers in June of 1882 in Camden, Hillsdale, Michigan.
Bird is 14 years old, Allison is 12 and Jane is 10. John Stout Drake manages to wait a whole 13 months before he remarried. To me, this implies that John Stout was back in the courting game within a few months after Lucia's death.
The kids were busy with school, church, chores and farm work. Allison and Bird were the only male youngsters left to pull the load and they also probably spent time helping out at their grandfather's (Amos Stout Drake) place as he was still farming.
Second oldest sister, Mary Serenus, married Ira Charles Hill in 1875 and moved away.
In 1879, 22 year old Bird married Eugenia Priestly and the 1880 United States Census shows Bird in residence at the Priestly Farm. Why the Priestly Farm where there were two grown farmer sons living there as well? That left only Allison at the Drake Farm. Was John Stout becoming a tyrant as he got older? Or was the new and younger wife, lazy or bitchy or a bossy boots?
The 1880 United States Census enumerates both Allison and his sister Jane aka Jen with a farmer named John Sprowle or Sprowls. John had a wife Elizabeth and an 11 year old daughter, Mary. Allison is listed as a farm laborer and Jen as a domestic servant.
I wonder how this came to be because John Stout Drake is still listed in the 1880 Federal Census as being a farmer with his wife, Mary and his two daughters: Ann who is 30 and Lucy who is in school. there are no farm laborers recorded with the Drakes.
The Sprowls and the Drakes live and farm in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Did Papa John throw Allison out? Allison was, after all, 21 years old. Did Allison get tired of working for free? Did new wife Mary finally convince John that Allison caused too many problems. Jen went with Allison to the Sprowls. Maybe she thought Allison was getting a raw deal on the family farm. Maybe she was having problems herself with her dad and/or her step mom.
Jen married George Priestly (Bird's brother-in-law) on 25 December 1881. Her sister Lucy was a witness. Allison Drake married Jane Myers in June of 1882 in Camden, Hillsdale, Michigan.
Monday, June 12, 2017
Allison Royce Drake -- His Father's Son
Our Allison was 12 years old the summer his baby brother, Johnny, died on 31 August 1871. How involved is a young man with a new baby so much younger in the house. He probably wasn't expect do look after young Johnny as there were four sisters to do it. Actually, Allison probably had very little contact with his little brother other than someone occasionally dumping the baby in his arms and saying, "Hold your brother," while they raced off to get a fresh diaper.
In 1870, all the younger children were still in school:
In 1870, all the younger children were still in school:
- Bird, 13
- Allison 11
- Jane, 9
- Lucy, 6
Ann was 20 and Mary 16 were still in the house and the 1870 Federal Census stated that they were "at home." You have to presume they here helping out. There is no way a farmer's daughter is going to lay around and do nothing. The Drakes were well read and I can't imagine "an indulgent" father not getting his children the most education available. If Allison Royce missed more school than the typical farm boy, it was probably because he was playing hooky. And if that was the case, Allison and/or Bird would probably been whipped, and if they continued to run off, their father would have just kept them on the farm and put them to work.
Maybe Allison wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Maybe he was dyslexic. Maybe he was AD or ADHD. Maybe he was just a little slow. But he was a handsome man and if any of his progeny are proof -- charming and funny as well.
School attendance was usually voluntary and a child's attendance was determined by age, sex, financial situation, time of year, weather and growing season. It seems that in the 1870s there were two school terms. there was the May until August (after the spring planting to before the harvesting) and then from September to May.
School house were usually from 8 am to 4 pm. And I thought the traditional 8 - 3 of the 1960s was way too long. Most farm kids had to walk to school, unless you were lucky enough to have a horse. I found and article "The Late Nineteenth Century One Room School" at Oak Hill School Teachers Resources and Curriculum Guide that state children had to walk any where from a short distance up to 3 miles.
I imagine that like most farmers' sons in the 1870s, Allison -- along with his brother Bird -- had plenty of chores and responsibilities on the farm, especially now that Bird and Allison were the only boys, the other brothers growing up, getting married and moving on. And those chores were a man chore's -- not the chores that a young boy would help his mother with. There were plenty of girls to work the garden, and get the eggs, to bring in firewood.
Allison had to feed and water the livestock, muck the stalls, milk the cows, harvest, plant, winnow, cut firewood, cut ice and get water.
I wonder if the farming life was starting to get harder and harder for John Stout Drake. He still had a houseful that depended on him, but he was getting older. He no longer had 3 strapping sons to help out, just two skinny teenagers. Maybe too much responsibility was being pushed on the boys.
Monday, April 3, 2017
Allison Royce Drake: Part 4
I'm still trying to figure out who the Elinor is listed with the John Stout Drake family in the 1870 US Census. She is listed right under John Stout -- where the wife is usually listed. She has a line before her name which usually indicates that her last name is the same as the head of household. Just like the children are listed. The 1870 Census does not include a box to explain relationship of said person to the head of house.
So I've tried to get creative with different scenarios.
So I've tried to get creative with different scenarios.
- The Drake Family was enumerated on 23 August 1870. Someone showed up @ the house to record the information. It looks like a man's handwriting. I believe that Lucia could have been at the very beginning of her last pregnancy. Had that realization of yet another child pushed Lucia over the edge? Was she a little crazy? Or maybe she didn't know yet. Maybe she hadn't even missed her cycle yet. There were no EPT kits in those days. But after at least 9 pregnancies, maybe she just knew. Maybe she was already experiencing morning sickness.
- James was no longer living in the household. Eugene - who was now 22 years old was no longer at home. Sydney -- 19 years old -- was gone as well. Were they really done or was the person answering the Enumerator's questions unaware that the boys were out in the fields, working the farm?
- There is an Amos J Drake married to a Mary living in Hillsdale. My James Amos is married to a Mary. It seems like James -- the first son -- was named after John Stout Drake's father (Amos Stout Drake). And just a note to myself here -- Lucia's dad was James Cahoon and I believe that Lucia moved to Hillsdale with her brother James.
- There is and EE Drake living at the residence of E Delavan in Moscow, Hillsdale, Michigan. I'm pretty sure there were not a lot of EE Drakes in the same county. This is probably my Emery Eugene. EE was 24 years old in 1870 and my Eugene was 22, but if Eugene was working as a farm laborer, his employer would only know what Eugene told him.
- I have not yet been able to locate Sidney -- son number 3 -- in the 1870 US Census -- yet. But I also don't know what his whole name is. Apparently, this Drake family was big on name children after relatives and then calling them by the middle name. From what I understand, this was pretty common practice and not just a Drake thing.
Could the Enumerator walked up to front porch and discovered house swarming with children and babies making a racket? Or could they be in the middle of illness?
- Could "Elinor" actually have been Lucia? I have no record of her middle name although I have seen an "M" and/or an "A" as a middle initial. And considering some naming patterns, it was not uncommon for a husband to call his wife by her middle name.
- The Drakes were enumerated on 23 August 1870. Elinor was listed as 43 years old -- which would have been Lucia's age as well. Elinor was listed as having been born in Michigan -- just like Lucia. Unfortunately, the 1870 US Census does not make note of where each individual's parents were born.
I searched Hillsdale County, Michigan for women born in 1827 with the name of Elinor. There were:
- Elenor Vanelstine. Born 1831 in Michigan. She lived in Somerset, Hillsdale County. She was enumerated with her husband 18 July 1870, almost a month before the John Stout Drakes. And as we all know -- so many things can happen in a month.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Amos Stout Drake of Hillsdale, Michigan
At the end of last year, I hired a researcher at the Mitchell Research Center in Hillsdale, Michigan to investigate some of the records they have available and that I wouldn't be able to get at for another year. The thought of not being able to move on my two gals (Lucia Cahoon Drake and her mother-in-law Catherine Whaley Drake) was making me crazy.
What I was looking for:
An obituary for Lucia. She was the first school teacher in Hillsdale and is mentioned in the Hillsdale consortium published by the county. she had some pretty well respected and prominent children. Surely someone would say something about her somewhere.
I also wanted the obits for John Stout Drake, Amos Stout Drake, Catherine Whaley Drake and Allison Royce Drake.
To back track: Lucia died in 1871. She is buried next to John Stout Drake and has one side of his 4 sided tombstone. She is identified as the wife of John Stout Drake. Buried with her is their son, Johnie C Drake, who died a few months earlier. There is the official death record that states she died in Hillsdale County and that she was married.
But Lucia is no where to be found in the 1870 United States Federal Census. John Stout Drake is listed and a woman named Elenor who is listed under John Stout Drake, along with the children. On that 4 sided tombstone previously mention, Elenor is on one side of it.
Anyways, there was no obituary for Lucia Cahoon Drake.
What I was looking for:
An obituary for Lucia. She was the first school teacher in Hillsdale and is mentioned in the Hillsdale consortium published by the county. she had some pretty well respected and prominent children. Surely someone would say something about her somewhere.
I also wanted the obits for John Stout Drake, Amos Stout Drake, Catherine Whaley Drake and Allison Royce Drake.
To back track: Lucia died in 1871. She is buried next to John Stout Drake and has one side of his 4 sided tombstone. She is identified as the wife of John Stout Drake. Buried with her is their son, Johnie C Drake, who died a few months earlier. There is the official death record that states she died in Hillsdale County and that she was married.
But Lucia is no where to be found in the 1870 United States Federal Census. John Stout Drake is listed and a woman named Elenor who is listed under John Stout Drake, along with the children. On that 4 sided tombstone previously mention, Elenor is on one side of it.
Anyways, there was no obituary for Lucia Cahoon Drake.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley Drake
I hate dead ends. Some folks who study genealogy call them "Brick Walls." But that seems a little too optimistic. The phrase implies that one can smash through the brick wall or get a ladder a scale the wall or find a stile or something. Maybe "dead end" isn't the exact perfect word to describe where I've come with Catherine Whaley. More like a cul-de-sac. I keep going round and round and round. Never gleaning any new information. I keep slogging over everything I know, hoping that I'll come across something that I missed that can send me off in a new direction. Then checking and double checking anything I can think of hoping that maybe possibly someone has put up some new data that might help me. I can't be the only person in the universe who is stumped with Catherine Whaley Drake, wife of Amos Stout Drake.
One of the things that makes me crazy is that many people don't attempt to validate or invalidate information that they find in other peoples family trees. Sometimes it makes me doubt my own research and I feel I have to go over my own facts again and confirm what I'm pretty sure is the "truth." I followed some of the "shaking leaf" hints on Ancestry and found about 10 other trees that have my Catherine's death date wrong. Sometimes errors occur when the people who reported the death are not "family" -- maybe a neighbor, who doesn't really know much about the deceased.
So here I state for my own tree: Catherine Whaley Drake died on 27 Feb 1880. That's probably why she didn't show up in the 1880 United States Census. At FamilySearch.org, I found found the death record for Catherine Drake. You can find it too by looking in "Michigan, Deaths, 1867-1897." GS Film Number: 2363668, Digital Folder Number: 004207951, Image Number: 00541.
Here is the info I gleaned: Catharine Drake died 27 Feb 1880 in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. She was a female, 81 years old. Widowed and she did housework. At the time of her death, she was 81 years, 5 months and 6 days old. That should give me her actual birthdate. Whoever did the reporting, did not know the name of her parents. Whoever did the reporting, stated that she was from New Jersey. Sigh.
In 1850, John Stout Drake was 25 years old and a farmer. His wife, Lucia -- another gal who is making me crazy -- was 23. They lived next door to John Stout's parents, Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Drake. On the day the 1850 United States Census was taken Anna R Drake is enumerated at Amos and Catherine's house. She is 4 months old.
Could the census taker have made a mistake and drawn the line in the wrong place?
At John and Lucia's house are the other children: James A Drake who is three years old, and Emery E Drake who is 2 years old. So the info gleaned from that very simple census, James A was born in 1847 and Emery was born in 1848. I think this changes in the next census... Maybe Anna was really staying next door at the Grandparents. Maybe Lucia was being overwhelmed or she was sick or???
Regardless, In 1850 Amos and Catherine have a full house. Besides Anna, there are: William Drake (age 22), Cyrena (age 12), Catherine (age 7) and a whole bunch of Bakers: Charles (44), Juliette (41), James (18), Ester (16), John (13) Cynthia (7), George (4), Charles (3). I still don't know how we connect with the Bakers. We share a cemetery with them, and those Bakers above are living not only in the same place, but on the same land and house. I also have a very old bible that has Mary Baker on the front page and down in the corner is written "for Duane." That is what they used to call my dad. And there has been no other Duanes in the family.
In that 1850 United States Census, Amos is listed as a farmer and that he was born in New Jersey. Catherine was born in New York. William and Cyrena were also born in New York, while the littlest Catherine was born in Michigan.
On the same page as Amos and Catherine and John and Lucia, and the Bakers are the farming families Clark and King.
10 years later, in the 1860 United States Census, the Amos and Catherine household has declined. The only other person in the house is Catherine, grown up, and at 18 she is a school teacher. Amos is 59 and still farming. He says his farm is worth $2000, with a personal estate worth $793. What's interesting is that Catherine as a personal estate of $32 -- and she's the only woman on the page that has any personal property.
Farms owned by others in the area, enumerated on the same page as Amos and Catherine are valued as follows: $500 (James Garrison), $600 (George Salmon), $1000 (Horace Wright), $1000 (Alden Nash), $1600 (James Smith), $700 (Thomas Sawyer).
I need to find out what a "personal estate" actually is.
James Smith, the man who's farm is valued almost as much as Amos'? Black family. It's hard to fathom that the there were free blacks farming in Hillsdale County, Michigan in 1860.
That 1860 Census states that Amos was born in New Jersey, Catherine (the mom) was born in New York and daughter Catherine was born in Michigan.
In the 1870 United States Census, the Kings and the Clarks show up again as neighbors of Amos and Cate Drake. Where were they in 1860? Did Amos and Cate move to another part of Hillsdale County, then return? How can I find out where they all were physically located in 1860?
In 1870. John Stout Drake has a new woman in the house -- an Elinor Drake. Also in the house are Bird A and Alfred B -- and I've pondered over this before. Even tho the enumerator lists them as Bird 13 years old and Alfred as 11, I propose that they are the same child. Other children are Ann, Mary Serenus, Jane and Lucy.
Living next door are Amos J Drake. and his wife, Mary. Their children are Hiram A (2) and Carrie E (6/12). Amos J happens to be James Amos, first born of John Stout and Lucia. This custom of naming children after grandparents, then calling them by the middle name until said grandparent dies.
Skip a farm down and there we find Amos Stout Drake, now 69 and his wife, Cate, 70. Amos' farm is valued at $3500 with a personal estate of $2000. Here, Amos' birth state is listed as New York -- which has always been New Jersey up to this point and Catherine's birth state is still New York. Living with Amos and Cate is Catherine who has married a man named Woods. He isn't enumerated, but son Frederick Woods is there and he's three years old, making him born in 1867.
One of the things that makes me crazy is that many people don't attempt to validate or invalidate information that they find in other peoples family trees. Sometimes it makes me doubt my own research and I feel I have to go over my own facts again and confirm what I'm pretty sure is the "truth." I followed some of the "shaking leaf" hints on Ancestry and found about 10 other trees that have my Catherine's death date wrong. Sometimes errors occur when the people who reported the death are not "family" -- maybe a neighbor, who doesn't really know much about the deceased.
So here I state for my own tree: Catherine Whaley Drake died on 27 Feb 1880. That's probably why she didn't show up in the 1880 United States Census. At FamilySearch.org, I found found the death record for Catherine Drake. You can find it too by looking in "Michigan, Deaths, 1867-1897." GS Film Number: 2363668, Digital Folder Number: 004207951, Image Number: 00541.
Here is the info I gleaned: Catharine Drake died 27 Feb 1880 in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. She was a female, 81 years old. Widowed and she did housework. At the time of her death, she was 81 years, 5 months and 6 days old. That should give me her actual birthdate. Whoever did the reporting, did not know the name of her parents. Whoever did the reporting, stated that she was from New Jersey. Sigh.
In 1850, John Stout Drake was 25 years old and a farmer. His wife, Lucia -- another gal who is making me crazy -- was 23. They lived next door to John Stout's parents, Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Drake. On the day the 1850 United States Census was taken Anna R Drake is enumerated at Amos and Catherine's house. She is 4 months old.
Could the census taker have made a mistake and drawn the line in the wrong place?
At John and Lucia's house are the other children: James A Drake who is three years old, and Emery E Drake who is 2 years old. So the info gleaned from that very simple census, James A was born in 1847 and Emery was born in 1848. I think this changes in the next census... Maybe Anna was really staying next door at the Grandparents. Maybe Lucia was being overwhelmed or she was sick or???
Regardless, In 1850 Amos and Catherine have a full house. Besides Anna, there are: William Drake (age 22), Cyrena (age 12), Catherine (age 7) and a whole bunch of Bakers: Charles (44), Juliette (41), James (18), Ester (16), John (13) Cynthia (7), George (4), Charles (3). I still don't know how we connect with the Bakers. We share a cemetery with them, and those Bakers above are living not only in the same place, but on the same land and house. I also have a very old bible that has Mary Baker on the front page and down in the corner is written "for Duane." That is what they used to call my dad. And there has been no other Duanes in the family.
In that 1850 United States Census, Amos is listed as a farmer and that he was born in New Jersey. Catherine was born in New York. William and Cyrena were also born in New York, while the littlest Catherine was born in Michigan.
On the same page as Amos and Catherine and John and Lucia, and the Bakers are the farming families Clark and King.
10 years later, in the 1860 United States Census, the Amos and Catherine household has declined. The only other person in the house is Catherine, grown up, and at 18 she is a school teacher. Amos is 59 and still farming. He says his farm is worth $2000, with a personal estate worth $793. What's interesting is that Catherine as a personal estate of $32 -- and she's the only woman on the page that has any personal property.
Farms owned by others in the area, enumerated on the same page as Amos and Catherine are valued as follows: $500 (James Garrison), $600 (George Salmon), $1000 (Horace Wright), $1000 (Alden Nash), $1600 (James Smith), $700 (Thomas Sawyer).
I need to find out what a "personal estate" actually is.
James Smith, the man who's farm is valued almost as much as Amos'? Black family. It's hard to fathom that the there were free blacks farming in Hillsdale County, Michigan in 1860.
That 1860 Census states that Amos was born in New Jersey, Catherine (the mom) was born in New York and daughter Catherine was born in Michigan.
In the 1870 United States Census, the Kings and the Clarks show up again as neighbors of Amos and Cate Drake. Where were they in 1860? Did Amos and Cate move to another part of Hillsdale County, then return? How can I find out where they all were physically located in 1860?
In 1870. John Stout Drake has a new woman in the house -- an Elinor Drake. Also in the house are Bird A and Alfred B -- and I've pondered over this before. Even tho the enumerator lists them as Bird 13 years old and Alfred as 11, I propose that they are the same child. Other children are Ann, Mary Serenus, Jane and Lucy.
Living next door are Amos J Drake. and his wife, Mary. Their children are Hiram A (2) and Carrie E (6/12). Amos J happens to be James Amos, first born of John Stout and Lucia. This custom of naming children after grandparents, then calling them by the middle name until said grandparent dies.
Skip a farm down and there we find Amos Stout Drake, now 69 and his wife, Cate, 70. Amos' farm is valued at $3500 with a personal estate of $2000. Here, Amos' birth state is listed as New York -- which has always been New Jersey up to this point and Catherine's birth state is still New York. Living with Amos and Cate is Catherine who has married a man named Woods. He isn't enumerated, but son Frederick Woods is there and he's three years old, making him born in 1867.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
The Hunt for Lucia Cahoon Drake Continued
With John C Drake's death date in hand, I went back to the FamilySearch website - again. Lo and behold, I found his death record. Name was right. Date was right. I clicked in and read a typed transcription record from the handwritten record. John C Drake. Father: John Stout Drake. Mother: Tuira Drake. Tuira? WTH? So I dug deeper, going into view the handwritten record.
If you know what you're looking for, Tuira Drake is oh, so obviously Lucia Drake. It was all about being able to read old timey chicken scratches. Tuira Drake IS Lucia Drake. This is what it looks like:
Lucia is the one in the middle.
Now as I was looking at this document, I noticed the name under Lucia. And then it hit me! Lucia died 9 October 1871. I flipped back a page. Lucia Drake was the next recorded death in 1871. But, the record -- too -- was written by the same person, so it looks like Tuira -- again. Finally found Lucia's death record. I went back to that page where I first found her. James H Cohoon is listed as her father. Finally a definitive freaking clue. Forget the spelling of her dad's last name. We'll get to that later. And -- drum roll please -- her mother's name is Mary A Cohoon.
So listen up all you cousins, searching for our Lucia Cahoon Drake. Search for her under Tuira Drake. I haven't tried a search in all the family trees at Ancestry. Yet.
This document still doesn't solve the spelling issues. It still doesn't solve the fact that I can't find Lucia Drake in the 1870 United States Federal Census. It doesn't solve the problem that in 1970 there was another lady -- Elenore -- listed as the wife to John Stout Drake. It doesn't solve the mystery of Elenore being buried with John Stout Drake, Lucia and Johnnie and Mary Pease. But it is tangible proof. John and Lucia were married a long time. He would've known her family parentage better than some random person. So in my own personal record, I'm making it official. Lucia's dad was John H and her mother, Mary A.
If you know what you're looking for, Tuira Drake is oh, so obviously Lucia Drake. It was all about being able to read old timey chicken scratches. Tuira Drake IS Lucia Drake. This is what it looks like:
Now as I was looking at this document, I noticed the name under Lucia. And then it hit me! Lucia died 9 October 1871. I flipped back a page. Lucia Drake was the next recorded death in 1871. But, the record -- too -- was written by the same person, so it looks like Tuira -- again. Finally found Lucia's death record. I went back to that page where I first found her. James H Cohoon is listed as her father. Finally a definitive freaking clue. Forget the spelling of her dad's last name. We'll get to that later. And -- drum roll please -- her mother's name is Mary A Cohoon.
So listen up all you cousins, searching for our Lucia Cahoon Drake. Search for her under Tuira Drake. I haven't tried a search in all the family trees at Ancestry. Yet.
This document still doesn't solve the spelling issues. It still doesn't solve the fact that I can't find Lucia Drake in the 1870 United States Federal Census. It doesn't solve the problem that in 1970 there was another lady -- Elenore -- listed as the wife to John Stout Drake. It doesn't solve the mystery of Elenore being buried with John Stout Drake, Lucia and Johnnie and Mary Pease. But it is tangible proof. John and Lucia were married a long time. He would've known her family parentage better than some random person. So in my own personal record, I'm making it official. Lucia's dad was John H and her mother, Mary A.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
James Cahoon of Wayne, Michigan
I hate it when I start obsessing. Going over and over and round and round. I can't seem to let go of Lucia Cahoon Drake, wife of John Stout Drake. I'm researching her brothers and sisters and parents. Sometimes you get a little random information that you can use, but most of the time I am banging my head against the wall. Then I write it all out to see what I'm missing...which is everything. Shoot, the people that are researching Lucia can't even agree on the spelling of the last name. Is it Cahoon? Cohoon? Cahoone? Calhoun?
The 1840 United States Census shows James Cahoon living in Wayne, Michigan. In 1840 Lucia would have been about 15. There is 1 female recorded between 10-15. In the 1850 United States Census all the households names are listed. Comparing 1850 with 1840 -- in 1840 there is a female between the ages of 15 and 20. 1850 reveals that her name was Mary J. Lucia names one of her daughters Mary. There is another girl, under the age of 5. Her name is Mellisee. There are also two boys in the house: one that was born between 1820-1825 and another born between 1825-1830. I am guessing that the oldest -- the once closest to the age of Lucia is James A. There is a James A Cahoon business man in Hillsdale at the same time Lucia is there. I believe the youngest boy is Albert.
James Cahoon, the dad, has two wives. The first is the mother to Mary J., Lucia, Mellisee, Albert and the other boy I think is James A. James marries Jane Ann Sloan in 1838. They have Alice, Florence, Flora, Robert and Cora. There is a 7 year gap between Albert and Alice. I'm guessing mom died, one year of mourning, a couple of years to find another wife, 2 years for the next baby.
There seems to be two distinct Cahoon families. There are the Cahoons from New York. Most of these boys settle in Michigan and then there are the North Carolina Cahoons.
James Cahoon's parents were Joseph Cahoon and Nancy Parr. And I will spell "Cahoon" as I've found it in other family trees -- just make note that these are NOT errors. Their children are:
The 1840 United States Census shows James Cahoon living in Wayne, Michigan. In 1840 Lucia would have been about 15. There is 1 female recorded between 10-15. In the 1850 United States Census all the households names are listed. Comparing 1850 with 1840 -- in 1840 there is a female between the ages of 15 and 20. 1850 reveals that her name was Mary J. Lucia names one of her daughters Mary. There is another girl, under the age of 5. Her name is Mellisee. There are also two boys in the house: one that was born between 1820-1825 and another born between 1825-1830. I am guessing that the oldest -- the once closest to the age of Lucia is James A. There is a James A Cahoon business man in Hillsdale at the same time Lucia is there. I believe the youngest boy is Albert.
James Cahoon, the dad, has two wives. The first is the mother to Mary J., Lucia, Mellisee, Albert and the other boy I think is James A. James marries Jane Ann Sloan in 1838. They have Alice, Florence, Flora, Robert and Cora. There is a 7 year gap between Albert and Alice. I'm guessing mom died, one year of mourning, a couple of years to find another wife, 2 years for the next baby.
There seems to be two distinct Cahoon families. There are the Cahoons from New York. Most of these boys settle in Michigan and then there are the North Carolina Cahoons.
James Cahoon's parents were Joseph Cahoon and Nancy Parr. And I will spell "Cahoon" as I've found it in other family trees -- just make note that these are NOT errors. Their children are:
- David Cohoon 1783-1858
- Thomas Cahoon 1786-1858
- Heman Cahoon 1788-
- Stephen Cohoon 1789-1858
- Henry Cahoon 1790 or 1796
- William Cohoon 1791
- John Cohoon 1791-
- Charles R Cohoon 1795-1876
- Samuel Cohoon 1797-
- James Cahoon 1800-1872
- Lidick Cohoon -1802-1888
- There might be a girl added to this mix.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Fly Like an Eagle -- Sophia Eagle
I was listening to a lecture not too long ago from one of the gals over at Ancestry.com. She was talking about getting stuck and some of the ways to get around your lack of information. One of her techniques is to run family group sheets. She made me start thinking about that in relation to my own family, and even if it doesn't provide me with one single clue for my own stuff, it makes me see my family in a totally different light. Many of us are so focused, that if you look at our family trees you would think that we were all only children, that we were the only child of two people who were only children. It's a wonder if any of us survived at all.
Now I know that all families are special and unique, but we did something really well in my family. Apparently we had lots of sex and that resulted in lots of babies -- heavy on the boy children. Oh, sure, big farm families was kind of the norm, but we not only had lots of children, but we managed to raise them up. The married and then they had lots of children. And up until the John Stout Drake group, we all seemed to be pretty healthy. I haven't found anybody that lived to be over 100, but we had plenty of 80 year olds that were still farming.
Anyway, I've been trying to work my family group sheets, partly because I'm kind of stuck right now, but also I'm hoping to unearth some little tidbit of information along the way. I have also recently spent a week with my children in Alabama and just looking at them and their off spring, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that we are one of the whitest families in the United States. I find it difficult to believe that we continue to marry folks of English, French, German, Irish and Dutch extraction. I wonder if that might have been what weakened the family. We don't even have any Italians in the family. So I went on a search to find someone in the family that wasn't English, French, German, Irish, Scots, Dutch and so on.
My John Stout Drake was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley. And John Stout Drake was not an only child. One of his brother was William who married Miss Lucy Alfred. Now, William and Lucy had several children, but the one I've been chasing after is a boy named Jehile Drake. Or Jihle Drake. Or Gehile Drake. And in the 1870 United States Census he was listed as James. James married a gal named Sophia Eagle. Could there be Indian blood there? I haven't really pursued that yet, because I've been busy just gathering the basic information. So here is what I have found so far, although I'm not 100% sure of the info.
I started with the family tree chart that I painstakingly copied down in the summer of 1979. The writing is so tiny, I need a magnifying glass to read it. I've kept this chart and look back on it periodically because I always seem to find new information or it refreshes my memory.
Jehiel A Drake was born 22 Sep 1856. He married Sophia Eagle. They had a daughter, Lucy L Drake. According to her marriage license information, she was born in 1883, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. On 28 Feb 1903 she married a boy named Carlton A Moore. Carlton was born in Ohio, in 1880. Lucy and Carlton went on to have six children of their own: Helen who married George Annis, Cecil who married Jane Lowry, Hazel, Ronald, Marion and Marietta. I know, I know. I have to see if I can flesh out those kids who are just names. Hard to believe that this family would have 4 kids who never married, right? I mean a house full of grown up unmarried children was kind of common in the 1930s, coming off the depression and all, but not so much at the turn of the century.
Now Jehiel A Drake and his wife, Sophia Eagle had a son named William. Pretty sure he's named after Jehiel Drake's dad, William Drake. We'll go there tomorrow.
Oh, and one more thing before I forget, on the marriage license information, Jehiel A Drake and Sophia Eagle Drake, were married on 21 Jan 1882, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. They were married by Jehiel Drake's uncle, John Stout Drake who was a justice of the peace. Witnesses to the union were George and Jennie C Priestly. Jennie C Priestly was John Stout Drake's daughter (and Jehiel Drake's first cousin). It's nice to think they were keeping it in the family.
Now I know that all families are special and unique, but we did something really well in my family. Apparently we had lots of sex and that resulted in lots of babies -- heavy on the boy children. Oh, sure, big farm families was kind of the norm, but we not only had lots of children, but we managed to raise them up. The married and then they had lots of children. And up until the John Stout Drake group, we all seemed to be pretty healthy. I haven't found anybody that lived to be over 100, but we had plenty of 80 year olds that were still farming.
Anyway, I've been trying to work my family group sheets, partly because I'm kind of stuck right now, but also I'm hoping to unearth some little tidbit of information along the way. I have also recently spent a week with my children in Alabama and just looking at them and their off spring, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that we are one of the whitest families in the United States. I find it difficult to believe that we continue to marry folks of English, French, German, Irish and Dutch extraction. I wonder if that might have been what weakened the family. We don't even have any Italians in the family. So I went on a search to find someone in the family that wasn't English, French, German, Irish, Scots, Dutch and so on.
My John Stout Drake was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley. And John Stout Drake was not an only child. One of his brother was William who married Miss Lucy Alfred. Now, William and Lucy had several children, but the one I've been chasing after is a boy named Jehile Drake. Or Jihle Drake. Or Gehile Drake. And in the 1870 United States Census he was listed as James. James married a gal named Sophia Eagle. Could there be Indian blood there? I haven't really pursued that yet, because I've been busy just gathering the basic information. So here is what I have found so far, although I'm not 100% sure of the info.
I started with the family tree chart that I painstakingly copied down in the summer of 1979. The writing is so tiny, I need a magnifying glass to read it. I've kept this chart and look back on it periodically because I always seem to find new information or it refreshes my memory.
Jehiel A Drake was born 22 Sep 1856. He married Sophia Eagle. They had a daughter, Lucy L Drake. According to her marriage license information, she was born in 1883, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. On 28 Feb 1903 she married a boy named Carlton A Moore. Carlton was born in Ohio, in 1880. Lucy and Carlton went on to have six children of their own: Helen who married George Annis, Cecil who married Jane Lowry, Hazel, Ronald, Marion and Marietta. I know, I know. I have to see if I can flesh out those kids who are just names. Hard to believe that this family would have 4 kids who never married, right? I mean a house full of grown up unmarried children was kind of common in the 1930s, coming off the depression and all, but not so much at the turn of the century.
Now Jehiel A Drake and his wife, Sophia Eagle had a son named William. Pretty sure he's named after Jehiel Drake's dad, William Drake. We'll go there tomorrow.
Oh, and one more thing before I forget, on the marriage license information, Jehiel A Drake and Sophia Eagle Drake, were married on 21 Jan 1882, in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. They were married by Jehiel Drake's uncle, John Stout Drake who was a justice of the peace. Witnesses to the union were George and Jennie C Priestly. Jennie C Priestly was John Stout Drake's daughter (and Jehiel Drake's first cousin). It's nice to think they were keeping it in the family.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Alfred Bird Drake or Bird Alfred Drake?
You've got to have patience when you are gleaning information from a census. One little piece of wrong information can send you so far down the wrong path that you think you've lost your mind.
It started with the 1860 United States Census. There I have John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, married and living under one roof in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. John is 35 and Lucia is 34 and they have 7 children:
James A. 13 years old
Eugene E 12
Anna R 10
Sidney S 8
Mary C 6
Alfred B 4
Allison C 1
Sweet little Alfred B. If he was 4 years old in 1860, then he would've been born around 1856...give or take. But, you see, I'm a skeptic. I see this perfectly fine record, but Allison's middle name was Royce. At least that is what I've always been told. Allison Royce Drake would eventually have a son named Royce Allison. But I"m getting side tracked.
The mystery arises from the 1870 United States Census. In the 10 years that's passed, Lucia has died, John Stout Drake has remarried a gal named Elinor. James A and Eugene have left home, which was probably about right because they would have been 23 and 22 respectfully. But Allison is gone as well, and he would have only been 11. That whole mystery with Allison is for another day. Today we are dealing with Alfred. The 1870 United States Census has six kids still living at home:
Bird A 13 years old
Alfred 11
Ann 20
Mary S 16
Jane 9
Lucy 6
Bird? Who the heck is Bird? And where was he in the 1860 Census? Then I thought that maybe he was Elinor's boy and by 1870 John Stout Drake had decided to adopt him.
Back in 1979, at a Drake/Converse Reunion, I copied a family tree chart that was taped to the wall, the whole wall. I was 8 months pregnant, it was hot and I was miserable. I had a notation that a Jennie Drake married a George Priestly. And I had a note that Bird Drake married a Eugenia Priestly. I thought it was kinda sweet, and not uncommon among farm families.
The 1880 US Census finds Alfred Drake living in the home of George and Jane Priestly.
Alfred Drake is listed as the Son-in-law. But where is Eugenia? I pulled her birth date off of her death certificate -- 09 May 1855. In 1880 she would have been around 25 years old. There is a Mattie Drake, daughter of George who was 24. Could Mattie be Eugenia? I haven't been able to find anything with the initial M as a middle name.
In the 1900 Federal Census, Bird Drake shows up again. Born in June of 1857. Bird was born in Michigan and it says that both his parents were born in New York. His daddy, John Stout Drake was born in New York, but his mama, Lucia Cahoon Drake was born in Michigan. Again, I don't know who was the one answering the census taker's question. Lucia would have been for almost 20 years by this time. Also, in the "Number of Years Married Column" it says 1. According to my records they were married in 1879. So they would have been married 21 years. Also, poor Eugenia had born a child, but it had not lived.
1905: In the Hillsdale phone book, A. Bird is married to Eugenia. He is working in a saloon at 47 N. Broad, in Hillsdale, Michigan. He is living at 86 E. Sharp.
I have a copy of Eugenia Priestly Drake's Death Certificate. Born 09 May 1855. Married 02 Nov 1879. Died 09 Apr 1908. I know it's the right one because there are a few more clues. Father was George Priestly, born in England. Mother is Jane Hardy, born in England. Eugenia died of La Grippa terminating in heart failure. Spouse: A.B. Drake. She is buried in North Adams, Cemetery.
In 1909 Alfred B Drake marries Ella Conway Ryan. She is a nurse and both of them have been married one time before.
I found a copy of Alfred's death certificate. Albert B. Drake died 13 Feb 1912. Whoever provided the information said he was born 13 Jan 1861 -- which is several years off. The also spell his mother's name -- Lucia Calhoon -- which sounds like it but is wrong. But that I will prove another day.
It started with the 1860 United States Census. There I have John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, married and living under one roof in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan. John is 35 and Lucia is 34 and they have 7 children:
James A. 13 years old
Eugene E 12
Anna R 10
Sidney S 8
Mary C 6
Alfred B 4
Allison C 1
Sweet little Alfred B. If he was 4 years old in 1860, then he would've been born around 1856...give or take. But, you see, I'm a skeptic. I see this perfectly fine record, but Allison's middle name was Royce. At least that is what I've always been told. Allison Royce Drake would eventually have a son named Royce Allison. But I"m getting side tracked.
The mystery arises from the 1870 United States Census. In the 10 years that's passed, Lucia has died, John Stout Drake has remarried a gal named Elinor. James A and Eugene have left home, which was probably about right because they would have been 23 and 22 respectfully. But Allison is gone as well, and he would have only been 11. That whole mystery with Allison is for another day. Today we are dealing with Alfred. The 1870 United States Census has six kids still living at home:
Bird A 13 years old
Alfred 11
Ann 20
Mary S 16
Jane 9
Lucy 6
Bird? Who the heck is Bird? And where was he in the 1860 Census? Then I thought that maybe he was Elinor's boy and by 1870 John Stout Drake had decided to adopt him.
Back in 1979, at a Drake/Converse Reunion, I copied a family tree chart that was taped to the wall, the whole wall. I was 8 months pregnant, it was hot and I was miserable. I had a notation that a Jennie Drake married a George Priestly. And I had a note that Bird Drake married a Eugenia Priestly. I thought it was kinda sweet, and not uncommon among farm families.
The 1880 US Census finds Alfred Drake living in the home of George and Jane Priestly.
"United States Census, 1880," Alfred Drake in household of Geo. Priestly, Cambria, Hillsdale, Michigan
« Back to search results| Name: | Alfred Drake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence: | Cambria, Hillsdale, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthdate: | 1857 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | Michigan, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relationship to Head: | Son-in-law | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Birthplace: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Name: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | New York, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Name: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | New York, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race or Color (Expanded): | White | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethnicity (Standardized): | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Martial Status: | Married | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age (Expanded): | 23 years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NARA Film Number: | T9-0580 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page: | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page Character: | B | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entry Number: | 682 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Film number: | 1254580 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Household | Gender | Age | Birthplace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SELF | Geo. Priestly | M | 59 | England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WIFE | Jane Priestly | F | 56 | England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SON | Edwin Priestly | M | 30 | Michigan, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAU | Mattie Drake | F | 24 | Michigan, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAU | Katie Priestly | F | 18 | Michigan, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alfred Drake | M | 23 | Michigan, United States |
Alfred Drake is listed as the Son-in-law. But where is Eugenia? I pulled her birth date off of her death certificate -- 09 May 1855. In 1880 she would have been around 25 years old. There is a Mattie Drake, daughter of George who was 24. Could Mattie be Eugenia? I haven't been able to find anything with the initial M as a middle name.
In the 1900 Federal Census, Bird Drake shows up again. Born in June of 1857. Bird was born in Michigan and it says that both his parents were born in New York. His daddy, John Stout Drake was born in New York, but his mama, Lucia Cahoon Drake was born in Michigan. Again, I don't know who was the one answering the census taker's question. Lucia would have been for almost 20 years by this time. Also, in the "Number of Years Married Column" it says 1. According to my records they were married in 1879. So they would have been married 21 years. Also, poor Eugenia had born a child, but it had not lived.
1905: In the Hillsdale phone book, A. Bird is married to Eugenia. He is working in a saloon at 47 N. Broad, in Hillsdale, Michigan. He is living at 86 E. Sharp.
I have a copy of Eugenia Priestly Drake's Death Certificate. Born 09 May 1855. Married 02 Nov 1879. Died 09 Apr 1908. I know it's the right one because there are a few more clues. Father was George Priestly, born in England. Mother is Jane Hardy, born in England. Eugenia died of La Grippa terminating in heart failure. Spouse: A.B. Drake. She is buried in North Adams, Cemetery.
In 1909 Alfred B Drake marries Ella Conway Ryan. She is a nurse and both of them have been married one time before.
I found a copy of Alfred's death certificate. Albert B. Drake died 13 Feb 1912. Whoever provided the information said he was born 13 Jan 1861 -- which is several years off. The also spell his mother's name -- Lucia Calhoon -- which sounds like it but is wrong. But that I will prove another day.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Anna R Drake: No Home of Her Own
Anna R Drake was the first daughter born to John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake. A copy of her death certificate states that she was born on 31 Jan 1850. Her death was reported by her brother-in-law George Priestly, but I think that he would know as Anna lived with him and Jennie (Jane) for many years.
The 1850 United States Federal Census has her living with her grandparents Amos and Catherine Drake. At the time of the census she was about four months old. There were 14 people living with Amos and Catherine. I wonder what had happened for Lucia to let her daughter go to the grandparents? Lucia had been a teacher and maybe she was teaching. Or maybe she was overwhelmed with having three kids under 3. I don't know.
In the 1960 Federal Census, Anna R Drake is listed with her parents, John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, along with her two older brothers, James Amos and Eugene Emery. In the 10 years since the 1850 Census, there had been another 4 children born: Sidney, Mary, Alfred and Allison.
1870 is still a mystery to me. Elinor is now the wife of John Stout Drake. But we'll get into that later. This entry is about Anna. In 1870 she is twenty years old and she is "at home" in the John Stout Drake household. There were still plenty of kids running around.
By the 1880 United States Federal Census the John Stout Drake household had dwindled to just 4. Himself, his new wife Mary Pease Drake (who was only 13 years older than Anna) and Lucy M. who was sixteen. Mary was still in school, but it appears as if Anna had started to do housekeeping. Her job is "housekeeper" as opposed to "housekeeping" which usually next to the wife's name.
In 1884, John Stout Drake will die. Since there is no 1890 United States Federal Census, I have no idea where Anna R Drake was living. Did step mom Mary Pease Drake sell the house? Did Anna have to get out?
In the 1900 United States Federal Census, I found Anna R Drake living in Springport, Jackson, Michigan. She is a "servant" for a widow woman named Sarah A Oyer and her son Andy M Johnson.
By the 1910 United States Federal Census, Anna R Drake has gone to live with her little sister, Jennie (Jane) Priestly. George and Jennie are listed in the census along with two of their children: Katie and Henry. Anna is listed as "Drake Ann Priestly." They are living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan. George is a farmer, but Anna does not have any job listed.
At present I am not able to find Anna R Drake in the 1920 United States Federal Census or the 1930 Census for that matter, but I intend to work on that this weekend. Correction: I just enlarged her death certificate and realized the date was 1912, not 1932. No wonder I couldn't find her in the 1920 or 1930 Census. However, I do have a copy of her death certificate: She was living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan. She was a white female and single. And yet it says her job was "housewife." Her father was John S Drake and he was born in New York. Her mother was Lucia Cahone (EGAD -- yet another spelling of that name), and her mother was born in Michigan. Her date of death was 15 Jun 1912. She died from chronic nephritis. The place of burial is either Lodi or Sodi -- but I'm pretty sure it's Lodi. When I can figure out how to do it, I'll put a copy of her death certificate right here. And so I did.
The 1850 United States Federal Census has her living with her grandparents Amos and Catherine Drake. At the time of the census she was about four months old. There were 14 people living with Amos and Catherine. I wonder what had happened for Lucia to let her daughter go to the grandparents? Lucia had been a teacher and maybe she was teaching. Or maybe she was overwhelmed with having three kids under 3. I don't know.
In the 1960 Federal Census, Anna R Drake is listed with her parents, John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, along with her two older brothers, James Amos and Eugene Emery. In the 10 years since the 1850 Census, there had been another 4 children born: Sidney, Mary, Alfred and Allison.
1870 is still a mystery to me. Elinor is now the wife of John Stout Drake. But we'll get into that later. This entry is about Anna. In 1870 she is twenty years old and she is "at home" in the John Stout Drake household. There were still plenty of kids running around.
By the 1880 United States Federal Census the John Stout Drake household had dwindled to just 4. Himself, his new wife Mary Pease Drake (who was only 13 years older than Anna) and Lucy M. who was sixteen. Mary was still in school, but it appears as if Anna had started to do housekeeping. Her job is "housekeeper" as opposed to "housekeeping" which usually next to the wife's name.
In 1884, John Stout Drake will die. Since there is no 1890 United States Federal Census, I have no idea where Anna R Drake was living. Did step mom Mary Pease Drake sell the house? Did Anna have to get out?
In the 1900 United States Federal Census, I found Anna R Drake living in Springport, Jackson, Michigan. She is a "servant" for a widow woman named Sarah A Oyer and her son Andy M Johnson.
By the 1910 United States Federal Census, Anna R Drake has gone to live with her little sister, Jennie (Jane) Priestly. George and Jennie are listed in the census along with two of their children: Katie and Henry. Anna is listed as "Drake Ann Priestly." They are living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan. George is a farmer, but Anna does not have any job listed.
At present I am not able to find Anna R Drake in the 1920 United States Federal Census or the 1930 Census for that matter, but I intend to work on that this weekend. Correction: I just enlarged her death certificate and realized the date was 1912, not 1932. No wonder I couldn't find her in the 1920 or 1930 Census. However, I do have a copy of her death certificate: She was living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan. She was a white female and single. And yet it says her job was "housewife." Her father was John S Drake and he was born in New York. Her mother was Lucia Cahone (EGAD -- yet another spelling of that name), and her mother was born in Michigan. Her date of death was 15 Jun 1912. She died from chronic nephritis. The place of burial is either Lodi or Sodi -- but I'm pretty sure it's Lodi. When I can figure out how to do it, I'll put a copy of her death certificate right here. And so I did.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Are Alfred B Drake and Bird A Drake One and the Same?
While under the family group sheets that I've checked out of John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon, there are 11 children listed. There is an Alfred B Drake born 1859 and a Bird A Drake, born 1857. But lately I've found references to an Alfred Bird Drake and a Bird Alfred Drake. Another conundrum. I have found Alfred B Drake married to an Ella Conway Ryan. And I have a Bird A Drake married to Eugenia Priestly.
The 1860 and 1870 Federal Census adds to the confusion. In the 1860 Federal Census, Alfred B Drake was listed as 4 years old. Bird A Drake isn't on that census at all. In the 1870 Federal Census Alfred is listed as 11 years old. If he was 4 in 1860, then he should be 14 in 1870. Also in the 1870 Federal Census Bird is also listed, and it says that he is 13 years old, which is closer to14 years that Alfred is supposed to be. However, 1970 is where "Elinor" shows up as the wife. Maybe she didn't know.
Another thought is "Was Bird a child of Elinor's who John Stout Drake adopted?"
The 1860 and 1870 Federal Census adds to the confusion. In the 1860 Federal Census, Alfred B Drake was listed as 4 years old. Bird A Drake isn't on that census at all. In the 1870 Federal Census Alfred is listed as 11 years old. If he was 4 in 1860, then he should be 14 in 1870. Also in the 1870 Federal Census Bird is also listed, and it says that he is 13 years old, which is closer to14 years that Alfred is supposed to be. However, 1970 is where "Elinor" shows up as the wife. Maybe she didn't know.
Another thought is "Was Bird a child of Elinor's who John Stout Drake adopted?"
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Children of John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon
As I continue to work the family group sheet for John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon, I find myself in a rush to get down every thing I'm working on as well as all the questions.
So I was researching Jane Drake. Not a lot of information out there. But I know, that her ancestors think that she was THE most important of all the John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon's children. Personally, I thought she died young. According to what I could find out about her -- and remember that this isn't documented yet so I can't officially insert it into my family tree -- she was born in Hillsdale, Michigan on 23 Apr 1861. I also found information that says her name was Jane Carel Drake and she went by Jennie. Well hot diggity dog.
One of the questions I've been carrying around was this: In the 1880 United States Federal Census, I have found Allison Royse Drake listed under John Sprawls in Hillsdale, Michigan. In regards to his relationship with the head of the house, John Sprawls, it is said "servant." Also listed in that household is Jennie C. Drake who is also listed as servant. Up until now, I had no idea what their relationship with each other was. And now I believe that they are brother and sister.
On some of the public family trees on Ancestry.com, it is said that she married George Priestly and had three (all unnamed) children. And I've found one tree that says there is a daughter named Kate. There is a good chance that this could be true, as Jen's brother, Bird A Drake, married Eugenia Priestly. Now I have to dig around and see if they were brother and sister as well.
There is also an individual on Ancestry involved with the Hoag family line that feels like a kindred spirit. It's a hunch, but I thing it is a cousin that comes down John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon, to Allison Royse Drake to Hattie Gavena Drake who was my grandfather Don Dee Drake's sister.
So I was researching Jane Drake. Not a lot of information out there. But I know, that her ancestors think that she was THE most important of all the John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon's children. Personally, I thought she died young. According to what I could find out about her -- and remember that this isn't documented yet so I can't officially insert it into my family tree -- she was born in Hillsdale, Michigan on 23 Apr 1861. I also found information that says her name was Jane Carel Drake and she went by Jennie. Well hot diggity dog.
One of the questions I've been carrying around was this: In the 1880 United States Federal Census, I have found Allison Royse Drake listed under John Sprawls in Hillsdale, Michigan. In regards to his relationship with the head of the house, John Sprawls, it is said "servant." Also listed in that household is Jennie C. Drake who is also listed as servant. Up until now, I had no idea what their relationship with each other was. And now I believe that they are brother and sister.
On some of the public family trees on Ancestry.com, it is said that she married George Priestly and had three (all unnamed) children. And I've found one tree that says there is a daughter named Kate. There is a good chance that this could be true, as Jen's brother, Bird A Drake, married Eugenia Priestly. Now I have to dig around and see if they were brother and sister as well.
There is also an individual on Ancestry involved with the Hoag family line that feels like a kindred spirit. It's a hunch, but I thing it is a cousin that comes down John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon, to Allison Royse Drake to Hattie Gavena Drake who was my grandfather Don Dee Drake's sister.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
When the Drakes Fell Apart
This is what I thought I knew about my line of the Drakes. We stick together. We don't move away from each other. We always married into the Stouts. We name our children after our favorite relatives. That's why there are so many Johns, Amoses and Williams. We don't leave our children. It is not uncommon to see whole pages of the Federal Census filled with Drakes -- side by side.
I've been trying to figure out what happened to the John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon kids. Allison Royse Drake turned out to be a mean drunk, but hopefully I'll be able to shine a little light on that later. I am pretty convinced that Sidney S Drake, moved to Arkansas where he met and married Sarrah Staggs. There is a Sidney S Drake living in Atkins, Pope, Arkansas who was born in Michigan. His father was born in New York. Unfortunately, 1910 Federal Census says that his mother was born in New York as well -- which isn't the case for my Sidney S Drake. His mother -- Lucia Cahoon was born in Plymouth, Wayne, New York. Of course, if it was his wife giving the info to the census taker, she might not have known and just assumed. If this Sidney S Drake, is my Sidney S Drake, he had one child -- a daughter named Lucredia.
Now there is Emery Eugene Drake -- or it could possible be Eugene Emery Drake -- I've seen it both ways. I have found him in Family Search marriage license. In 1884 he was living in Travis City. On October 28, 1884, he married Jennie O'Connell. He was 42 years old. His dad, John Stout Drake, died May of 1884. I wonder if Emery moved before or after.
I also wonder if these kids were all trying to escape John Stout Drake or had travel and communications just made it easier to get up and go? I sure wish I could find information regarding John Stout Drake's character.
I have signed up to take a class on genealogy through social networking. It is on August 4 at the main branch of the public library.
I've been trying to figure out what happened to the John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon kids. Allison Royse Drake turned out to be a mean drunk, but hopefully I'll be able to shine a little light on that later. I am pretty convinced that Sidney S Drake, moved to Arkansas where he met and married Sarrah Staggs. There is a Sidney S Drake living in Atkins, Pope, Arkansas who was born in Michigan. His father was born in New York. Unfortunately, 1910 Federal Census says that his mother was born in New York as well -- which isn't the case for my Sidney S Drake. His mother -- Lucia Cahoon was born in Plymouth, Wayne, New York. Of course, if it was his wife giving the info to the census taker, she might not have known and just assumed. If this Sidney S Drake, is my Sidney S Drake, he had one child -- a daughter named Lucredia.
Now there is Emery Eugene Drake -- or it could possible be Eugene Emery Drake -- I've seen it both ways. I have found him in Family Search marriage license. In 1884 he was living in Travis City. On October 28, 1884, he married Jennie O'Connell. He was 42 years old. His dad, John Stout Drake, died May of 1884. I wonder if Emery moved before or after.
I also wonder if these kids were all trying to escape John Stout Drake or had travel and communications just made it easier to get up and go? I sure wish I could find information regarding John Stout Drake's character.
I have signed up to take a class on genealogy through social networking. It is on August 4 at the main branch of the public library.
Friday, July 13, 2012
John Stout Drake -- Where do I Start?
Too many unanswered questions and not enough resources. I feel that all it would take would be a couple of days at the Hillsdale Library. Maybe this fall! It seems like every article I read about the Drake family, the writers say that there has been so much written about this pioneer family that they aren't going to go into it. Where is all this stuff that's been written about us?
I guess I need to get an actual death certificate for Lucia Cahoon. Then maybe some people on Ancestry have an Elinore Drake on their tree. Next I need to find a marriage license for John Stout Drake and this Elinore woman. Perhaps she was from Ohio? Seems like the Drakes went back in forth over the state line. Then I guess I should call JM Converse. I consider him the patriarch of the family and he might remember something. And then write Jeanne Converse his mother. Jeanne was married to John Converse. John Converse's mom was Lucia Drake, daughter of Allison Royse Drake and Jane Myers. Allison was a son of John Stout Drake. Jane Myers eventually lived with Lucia Drake Converse and Lucia Drake Converse ended up living with John and Jeanne Converse on the farm. Wouldn't it be great if there was something in the attic? I got to get on it. Jeanne has got to be in her mid-90s. When I talked to JM over Thanksgiving, he said that she was still sharp as a tack, but her eyes are going.
I will continue to develop the family group sheet starting with John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon. I never really much cared about doing family group sheets, but they give such a better picture into what was going on in any particular family.
I also intend to start a John Stout Drake page on Facebook. I have signed up for a class at the public library for August 4. It's how to use social networking in genealogy. I just know there are cousins out there that have the information I need.
I guess I need to get an actual death certificate for Lucia Cahoon. Then maybe some people on Ancestry have an Elinore Drake on their tree. Next I need to find a marriage license for John Stout Drake and this Elinore woman. Perhaps she was from Ohio? Seems like the Drakes went back in forth over the state line. Then I guess I should call JM Converse. I consider him the patriarch of the family and he might remember something. And then write Jeanne Converse his mother. Jeanne was married to John Converse. John Converse's mom was Lucia Drake, daughter of Allison Royse Drake and Jane Myers. Allison was a son of John Stout Drake. Jane Myers eventually lived with Lucia Drake Converse and Lucia Drake Converse ended up living with John and Jeanne Converse on the farm. Wouldn't it be great if there was something in the attic? I got to get on it. Jeanne has got to be in her mid-90s. When I talked to JM over Thanksgiving, he said that she was still sharp as a tack, but her eyes are going.
I will continue to develop the family group sheet starting with John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon. I never really much cared about doing family group sheets, but they give such a better picture into what was going on in any particular family.
I also intend to start a John Stout Drake page on Facebook. I have signed up for a class at the public library for August 4. It's how to use social networking in genealogy. I just know there are cousins out there that have the information I need.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake. What Happened?
John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake are buried in the Drake/Baker Cemetery in Hillsdale, Michigan. It is listed as an abandoned cemetery. About 5 years ago, on a whim and on our way from Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor, I convinced my husband to take the highway running parallel with I 94 in hope that we would just come across it. And we did!
I was expecting a run down, overgrown place, but I was wrong. It was small, but the stones were erect and in place and the grass was cut. Yes, there were some very old plastic flowers on the some of the graves.
5 years ago, I was still pretty new to genealogy and made some mistakes. I took pictures of the headstones instead of writing down the information. In other words, the pictures aren't very good.
John Stout Drake has a large 4 sided head stone. John Stout Drake is on one side. Lucia Cahoon Drake has another, as well as "Elinor Drake" and Mary M. Drake. I have found the marriage license for John Stout Drake and Mary M. Pease. So far I have found nothing on Elinor.
Lucia Cahoon Drake died on 9 Oct 1871. On her head stone, she is called "wife of J.S. Stout." Also buried with her is a child Johnie S Drake -- son of JS and LA Drake. Johnie S Drake died on 31 Aug 1871. Lucia was only 47 when she died, but that is also kind of old to be having a baby.
The 1870 United States Federal Census has John Stout Drake as head of household. Elinor Drake is listed as wife. But Lucia Cahoon Drake didn't die until 1971. So where was Lucia for the 1870 United States Federal Census. I can find no divorce record. Could she have been in an institution?
I thought that perhaps the census taker just assumed that Elinor was the wife and maybe she was the housekeeper, but she is buried with John Stout Drake.
One more thing, I have seen a birth record and a death record for Johnie Drake. In both cases, his middle initial was C, not S.
I guess maybe, however bought the stone and had it cut, could have been mistaken about Lucia's death date. I have yet to see the death certificate.
I was expecting a run down, overgrown place, but I was wrong. It was small, but the stones were erect and in place and the grass was cut. Yes, there were some very old plastic flowers on the some of the graves.
5 years ago, I was still pretty new to genealogy and made some mistakes. I took pictures of the headstones instead of writing down the information. In other words, the pictures aren't very good.
John Stout Drake has a large 4 sided head stone. John Stout Drake is on one side. Lucia Cahoon Drake has another, as well as "Elinor Drake" and Mary M. Drake. I have found the marriage license for John Stout Drake and Mary M. Pease. So far I have found nothing on Elinor.
Lucia Cahoon Drake died on 9 Oct 1871. On her head stone, she is called "wife of J.S. Stout." Also buried with her is a child Johnie S Drake -- son of JS and LA Drake. Johnie S Drake died on 31 Aug 1871. Lucia was only 47 when she died, but that is also kind of old to be having a baby.
The 1870 United States Federal Census has John Stout Drake as head of household. Elinor Drake is listed as wife. But Lucia Cahoon Drake didn't die until 1971. So where was Lucia for the 1870 United States Federal Census. I can find no divorce record. Could she have been in an institution?
I thought that perhaps the census taker just assumed that Elinor was the wife and maybe she was the housekeeper, but she is buried with John Stout Drake.
One more thing, I have seen a birth record and a death record for Johnie Drake. In both cases, his middle initial was C, not S.
I guess maybe, however bought the stone and had it cut, could have been mistaken about Lucia's death date. I have yet to see the death certificate.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
John Stout Drake -- He's Making Me Crazy
John Stout Drake:
Here is what I know:
John Stout Drake was born 24 Oct 1824, in Lyons, Wayne County, New York. He was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley. He married Lucia A Cahoon on 02 Nov 1845. The licensing information said that they were to be married in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan. He would have been around 21 years old. He was a farmer.
John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon had 11 children. The first born was James Amos Drake, born around 1847. The reason I mention him is because there are a few public family trees on Ancestry that have him marrying Mary Pease. I know he did marry a Mary, but Mary Pease was John Stout Drake's third wife.
The second child born was Emery Eugene Drake in 1848.
The third child born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was the first girl, Ann or Anna R. Drake. She was born in 1850.
Number 4 was Sidney S. Drake, born about 1852. Up until recently I didn't know if Sidney was a boy or girl, but recently I found out -- IT"S A BOY.
Mary Serenus Drake, the second girl, came along about 1854. I have sometimes found her middle name spelled Cyrenus.
Bird A Drake was born in 1857. Then Alfred B Drake in 1859. I've seen a lot of information being switched around. For a while, I considered that Bird A and Alfred B could either be twins or the same person ... that he was Alfred but went by Bird. I think that Bird is an unusual name and it will be explained in later entries -- hooking him to a James Cahoon.
In 1859, my great grandfather, Allison Royce Drake was born to John Stout Drake and I'm thinking that Lucia was exhausted by now. Allison was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.
Next Jane Drake was born around 1861. Followed by Lucy Drake on 14 Nov 1863. She, too was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.
The last child to be born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was John C Drake. He arrived on 27 Apr 1871 in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.
Here is what I know:
John Stout Drake was born 24 Oct 1824, in Lyons, Wayne County, New York. He was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley. He married Lucia A Cahoon on 02 Nov 1845. The licensing information said that they were to be married in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan. He would have been around 21 years old. He was a farmer.
John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon had 11 children. The first born was James Amos Drake, born around 1847. The reason I mention him is because there are a few public family trees on Ancestry that have him marrying Mary Pease. I know he did marry a Mary, but Mary Pease was John Stout Drake's third wife.
The second child born was Emery Eugene Drake in 1848.
The third child born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was the first girl, Ann or Anna R. Drake. She was born in 1850.
Number 4 was Sidney S. Drake, born about 1852. Up until recently I didn't know if Sidney was a boy or girl, but recently I found out -- IT"S A BOY.
Mary Serenus Drake, the second girl, came along about 1854. I have sometimes found her middle name spelled Cyrenus.
Bird A Drake was born in 1857. Then Alfred B Drake in 1859. I've seen a lot of information being switched around. For a while, I considered that Bird A and Alfred B could either be twins or the same person ... that he was Alfred but went by Bird. I think that Bird is an unusual name and it will be explained in later entries -- hooking him to a James Cahoon.
In 1859, my great grandfather, Allison Royce Drake was born to John Stout Drake and I'm thinking that Lucia was exhausted by now. Allison was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.
Next Jane Drake was born around 1861. Followed by Lucy Drake on 14 Nov 1863. She, too was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.
The last child to be born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was John C Drake. He arrived on 27 Apr 1871 in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
John Stout Drake: Farmer AND Preacher?
It's hard enough keeping track of relatives who behave like normal people. But when they start showing up in places they have no business being, it sends me off the rails. Recently I've been trying to solve a mystery involving regarding John Stout Drake and his three wives. It's a date issue.
So, I'm here: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11593-119369-51?cc=1452395 at the Family Search website, looking at John Stout Drake's marriage license to third wife Mary M. Pease. Just before I jumped out of the website, I happened to notice the top entry. Over in the category regarding who performed the marriage license, is John Stout Drake. What? As far as I know, John Stout Drake was a farmer. And, witnessing this marriage to Renaldo Everett is a Mary Drake -- who could very well be Mary Pease, and Anna Drake who was a daughter from his first marriage.
And if that craziness isn't enough, Renaldo Everett is marrying a Francis McLain, from Ohio. I have a Francis McLain cousin from Ohio on the other half of my tree.
I have no idea where to start trying to figure out how John Stout Drake was qualified to marry anybody.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)