Category Archives: Lawhead

Elijah Griffith Laughead

This is the first in a series of family lineages. These reports are the culmination of over twenty years of family history research. As traditional genealogy intersects with genetic genealogy, it is important to know all of the branches in a family tree, including the female descendants, daughters as well as the sons. In the past, surname books often overlooked females once they “left” the family. In the case of Elijah’s family, the bulk of his descendants are through his three daughter’s lines: Mary, Belle, and Fanny. Researchers attempting to find DNA relatives may overlook the Laughead surname.

I chose to publish Elijah’s family first, even though he was not one of my direct ancestors. He and his children repeatedly crisscross my direct line. Elijah is a double cousin to me. His mother was my 4X great grandmother, Ruth Wilcoxon (Higgins) Harding Lawhead while his grandfather, James Laughead, was my 5X great grandfather. At least two of his children married back into my line of descent. Elijah’s daughter Belle married the older half brother of my great grandmother, Emma H. (Lawhead) Foster, while Elijah’s son George married the granddaughter of my 3x great grandfather, Joseph Lawhead. Several of these descendants would theoretically share higher amounts of DNA than predicted because of the various intermarriages.

This is a work in progress. Please contact me with any corrections or if you would like to see further documentation. This report was not completely footnoted at the time of its original publication. The purpose of this report was to document the descendants, not necessarily tell individual stories. Future revisions will address these in greater detail. The surname Laughead is spelled phoetically as Lawhead. Some branches of the family chose one version of the name over the other in the 20th century as spelling became formalized. The surname was never Ladd or Lloyd. This confusion is a result of the American soundex system which catalogs Ladd and Lawhead together.

Elijah G. Lawhead’s 1911 Obituary

Elijah Griffith³ Laughead (John², James¹), born 1 October 1840 at Marietta, Washington County, Ohio;[1] died 28 July 1911, Hutsonville, Crawford county, Illinois.[2] He married (1) on 13 October 1860, at Lawrence County, Indiana, Mariah McNabb, daughter of Manley and Mary Margaret (Fawbush) McNabb.[3] Mariah was born 6 November 1841, Lawrence County, Indiana; died 21 March 1907, Hutsonville, Illinois.[4] Elijah married (2) on 2 October 1909, at Crawford County, Illinois, Ella M. (Jeffers) Alberty, daughter of Abraham Jeffers and Nancy (Hamilton) Jeffers Dicks, and widow of William H. Alberty. Born 9 October 1849 in York, Clark County, Illinois, Ella died 4 November 1938, Detroit, Michigan.

Elijah and Maria were buried at Hutsonville Cemetery, Hutsonville, Illinois. Ella was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan.

Children of Elijah Griffith³ Laughead and Maria McNabb were as follows:

+ 2 i. MARY JANE⁴ LAWHEAD, born 17 July 1862, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana; married Alexander Stephens; died 16 January 1929, Springfield, Sangamon County,
Illinois.

3 ii. JOHN M. LAWHEAD, born 22 March 1863, Indiana; married Martha J. [-?-] Watson Pinkstaff and Winnie M. Vance; died 4 September 1940, Melrose, Clark County, Illinois.

+ 4 iii. BELLE RUTH LAWHEAD, born 2 February 1865, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; married James Francis Lawhead; died 7 January 1947, Flat Rock, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 5 iv. GEORGE W. LAUGHEAD, born 24 August 1866, Indiana; married Louisa Delana Jennie Lawhead; died 10 May 1934, Uniontown, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

+ 6 v. ALBERT SANFORD LAWHEAD, born May 1871, Greencastle, Indiana; married Anna Belle Ayers; died 14 May 1948, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 7 vi. FRANCIS E. “FANNY” LAWHEAD, born 17 September 1872, Greencastle, Indiana; married William Watson; died 31 January 1940, Terre Haute, Indiana.

8 vii. CHARLES LAWHEAD, born 1874, Indiana. He was married and divorced between 1900 and 1910. He died after his father in 1911. No further information.

+ 9 viii. ALDOLPHUS NEWTON LAWHEAD, born 16 September 1877, Mitchell, Indiana; married Lana L. Myers and Mary Elizabeth Plew; died 17 February 1958, Hutsonville, Illinois.

The stepchildren of Elijah Griffith³ Laughead (children born to his second wife, Ella M. Jeffers, and her first husband, William H.¹ Alberty) were:

10 WILLIAM² THATCHER ALBERTY, born 5 February 1873, Hutsonville, Illinois; married Clara Belle Wilkey; died 1 June 1926, Hutsonville, Illinois.

11 NORA ETHEL ALBERTY, born 13 December 1883, Illinois; married Irey S. Brodbent; died December 1966, Detroit, Michigan.

Generation Four

Mary Jane⁴ Lawhead (Elijah³, John², James¹), born 17 July 1862, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana; died 16 January 1929, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois. She married on 20 April 1878, Lawrence County, Indiana, Alexander Stevens, son of Jeremiah and Susan (Painter) Stevens. He was born 15 June 1857, Indiana; died 16 March 1934, Indianapolis, Indiana. Alexander was likely first married on 11 December 1873, Lawrence County, Indiana, to Elizabeth Barnett.

Mary and Alexander were buried at Mitchell City Cemetery, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana.

Children of Mary Jane⁴ Lawhead and Alexander Stevens were as follows:

12 i. ALONZO⁵ STEVENS, born about 1879, and died June 1880, Marion Township, Lawrence County, Indiana, at one year of age. Cause of death was a “summer complaint.”[5]

+ 13 ii. NORA BLANCH STEVENS, born May 1882, Lawrence County, Indiana; married Fred Fordyce; died September 1962.

+ 14 iii. OSCAR ROBERT STEVENS, born 11 March 1884, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; married Helen Louise Gleason; died 30 May 1956, Lima, Ohio.

+ 15 iv. LAWRENCE STEVENS, born 27 September 1885, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; married Selma Hamby; died 8 March 1967, Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.

16 v. IDA STEVENS, born 9 April 1887, Indiana; married Martin Joseph Conroy; died June 1967.

+ 17 vi. PEARL STEVENS, born 25 November 1888, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; married Charles Edward Kelly; died 2 January 1952, Rural Union, Lawrence County,
Pennsylvania.

18 vii. BERTHA S. STEVENS, born 15 June 1891, Indiana; married Edmund John Burgess and Elmer Frank Foster; died November 1970.

+ 19 viii. CARRIE E. STEVENS, born 1 April 1893, Indiana; married Lawrence William Schweiss; died 22 September 1991.

+ 20 ix. JOSEPHINE ETHEL STEVENS, born 16 February 1894, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; married Hascus L. Gallahon and Henry Long; died after 1961.

21 x. FRANK DELBERT STEVENS, born 2 October 1897, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; married Edith F. Hagen; died 19 January 1961, Decatur, Macon County, Illinois.

22 xi. FRED STEVENS, born December 1899, Lawrence County, Indiana;[6] died 20 October 1900, Lawrence County, Indiana. The primary cause of death was gastroenteritis with exhaustion as a secondary factor.[7]

23 xii. EMMA FRANCES STEVENS, born 17 July 1900, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; married James Willis Lindsey, Lawrence Ellis and Milburn Nolan; died 1963, Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois.

John M.⁴ Lawhead (Elijah³, John², James¹), born 22 March 1863, Indiana; died 4 September 1940, Melrose, Clark County, Illinois. He married (1) on 27 November 1912, Knox County, Indiana, Martha Jane (Williams) Watson Pinkstaff, daughter of Alfred and Sarah (Mauzey) Williams, as her third husband. She was born 28 September 1846, Fleming County, Kentucky; died 20 November 1921, Terre Haute, Indiana. She was married (1) on 18 October 1866, Fleming County, Kentucky, Samuel Watson, son of Henry and Lavina (Harman) Watson. He was born 18 August 1842, Fleming County, Kentucky; died 1 April 1890, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois. Martha married (2) on 11 November 1891, Crawford County, Illinois, Francis Marion Pinkstaff, son of John and Susanna (Foley) Pinkstaff, as his second wife. John married (2) about 1924, Winnie May Vance, daughter of John C. and Celestia N. (Schultz) Vance. She was born 16 August 1882, Illinois; died 30 December 1972, Marshall, Clark County, Illinois. Winnie was buried at Marshall Cemetery, Marshall, Illinois.

The stepchildren of John M.⁴ Lawhead (children born to his first wife Martha Jane (Williams) Watson Pinkstaff and her first husband Samuel¹ Watson) were as follows:

24 WILLIAM A.² WATSON, born 20 March 1868, Kentucky; married Francis E. Lawhead (see #7 for more on this line); died 24 March 1935, Terre Haute, Indiana.

25 LAWSON WATSON, born September 1871, Missouri; died 26 April 1942, Anna, Union County, Illinois. Lawson spent many years at the Anna State Hospital for the Insane. He did not marry.

26 EMMA JANE WATSON, born 28 September 1878, Stanford, Vigo County, Indiana; married Henry Kelly Steffey; died 8 October 1940, Bond, Lawrence County, Indiana.

Belle Ruth⁴ Lawhead (Elijah³, John², James¹), born 2 February 1865, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; died 7 January 1947, Flat Rock, Crawford County, Illinois. She married on 4 July 1884, Clark County, Illinois, James Francis⁵ Lawhead (James⁴, Joseph³, James², James¹), son of James H.⁴ and Margaret A. (Rea) Lawhead. James was born 9 June 1862, Greene County, Indiana; died 26 February 1912, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois.

Belle and James were buried at Hutsonville Cemetery, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois.

Children of Belle Ruth⁴ Lawhead and James Francis⁵ Lawhead were as follows:

+ 27 i. HOMER L.⁵ LAWHEAD, born 22 April 1885, West York, Crawford County, Illinois; married Lulu M. Parr; died 14 May 1959, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 28 ii. MARTHA LAWHEAD, born 29 October 1886, Crawford County, Illinois; married Everett Bradford McGovern; died 29 January 1969, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 29 iii. GRACE L. LAWHEAD, born 19 March 1888, Crawford County, Illinois; married James Calvin Raley; died 7 March 1953.

30 iv. ERNEST LAWHEAD, born 12 March 1890, Crawford County, Illinois; married Eldora “Dora” Melzenia Kirk; died 15 December 1918, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 31 v. MATHIAS “MACK” REED LAWHEAD, born 7 July 1892, West York, Crawford County, Illinois; married Vera Opal Wilkin and Ruth Bell Kimball; died 28 August 1975, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 32 vi. HENRY J. LAWHEAD, born 15 September 1895, West York, Crawford County, Illinois; married Beatrice Alberta Henderson; died 12 February 1964, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 33 vii. HARRY LAWHEAD, born 23 December 1897, Crawford County, Illinois; married Gladys Opal Brittenham; died 31 January 1966, St. Louis, Missouri.

+ 34 viii. EDWARD OTEY LAWHEAD, born 25 April 1900, Crawford County, Illinois; married Bessie Ducommon; died 18 August 1974, Bedford, Lawrence County, Indiana.

+ 35 ix. DENNIS LAWHEAD, born 3 October 1902, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois; married Leola Skaggs; died 3 January 1986, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois.

+ 36 x. FRANK LAWHEAD, born 24 August 1904, Crawford County, Illinois: married Reba F. Kibler; died 17 October 1888, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois.

37 xi. INFANT LAWHEAD, born and died before 1900, Crawford County, Illinois.[8] No further information.

George W.⁴ Laughead (Elijah³, John², James¹), born 24 August 1866, Indiana; died 10 May 1934, Uniontown, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He married on 19 November 1894, Knox County, Indiana, Louisa Delana Jennie⁵Lawhead (John⁴, Joseph³, James², James¹), daughter of John W. and Elizabeth A. (Abrams) Lawhead. She was born 15 February 1873, Edwardsport, Knox County, Indiana; died 12 April 1959, East Huntington, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

George and Jennie were buried at the Old Frame Cemetery, also known as the Oak Hill Baptist Cemetery, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

Children of George W.⁴ Laughead and Louisa Delana Jennie⁵ Lawhead were as follows:

+ 38 i. RALPH LEO⁵ LAUGHEAD, born 26 February 1896, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; married Helen L. Brueggen; died 3 January 1957, Monongalia County, West
Virginia.

+ 39 ii. PAUL RAYMOND LAUGHEAD, born 13 February 1898, Indiana; married Anne Myrtle Roberts and Alice Townsend; died 30 July 1934, Barberton, Summit County, Ohio.

+ 40 iii. GEORGIA LUCILLE LAUGHEAD, born 13 July 1904, Brazil, Clay County, Indiana; married Louis R. Quartz; died 21 September 1968, Alverton, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

+ 41 iv. ROBERT GRIFF LAUGHEAD, born 16 October 1905, Brazil, Clay County, Indiana; married to Pauline Kozel; died 16 July 1962, Uniontown, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

+ 42 v. JOHN WESLEY LAUGHEAD, born 25 November 1908, Brazil, Clay County, Indiana; married Jane P. Hittie; died 13 December 1983, Chicago, Illinois.

43 vi. CLINT IRVIN LAUGHEAD, born 12 March 1913, Brazil, Clay County, Indiana; married Carrie Edith Berkshire; died 1 October 1954, O’Hara, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Albert Sanford⁴ Lawhead (Elijah³, John², James¹), born May 1871, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana; died 14 May 1948, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois. He married on 24 November 1894, Crawford County, Illinois, Anna Belle Ayers, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (Robinson) Ayers. She was born October 1874, Illinois; died 20 July 1956, Hutsonville, Crawford, Illinois.

Albert and Anna were buried at the Hutsonville Cemetery, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois.

Children of Albert S.⁴ Lawhead and Anna B. Ayers were as follows:

+ 44 i. HENRY LESTER⁵ LAWHEAD, born 11 August 1891, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; married June Mary Hamilton and Blanche Olive Wicker; died 7 May 1965, Terre Haute, Indiana.

45 ii. ALMA C. LAWHEAD, born 13 March 1894, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; died 15 August 1895, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois. Alma was buried at Hutsonville Cemetery.[9]

+ 46 iii. OSCAR CHARLES LAWHEAD, born 29 January 1897, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; married Lola Lott, Elizabeth [?], and Myrtle (Thomas) Robbins Hersey; died 13 January 1975, Miami, Florida.

47 iv. EDITH G. LAWHEAD, born 24 December 1898, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; died 20 February 1902, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois. Cause of death was peritonitis and gastritis, at age 3 years, 1 month, 27 days. Edith was buried at Hutsonville Cemetery.[10]

Francis E. “Fannie”⁴ Lawhead (Elijah³, John², James¹) born 17 September 1872, Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana; died 31 January 1940, Terre Haute, Indiana. She married on 22 October 1890, Crawford County, Illinois, William A.² Watson, son of Samuel¹ and Martha J. (Williams) Watson. He was born 20 March 1868, Kentucky; died 24 March 1935, Terre Haute, Indiana.

Fannie and William were buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Indiana.

Children of Francis E.⁴ Lawhead and William A.² Watson were as follows:

+ 48 i. ELMER⁵ WATSON, born 29 June 1891, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; married Lula Elizabeth Walker; died 24 January 1963, Terre Haute, Indiana.

+ 49 ii. NOBLE A. WATSON, born 27 April 1893, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; married Nancy Ann Cooper and Frona Elizabeth Shouse; died 5 April 1965, Terre Haute, Indiana.

+ 50 iii. VERNON ALFRED WATSON, born 15 August 1895, Graysville, Sullivan County, Indiana; married Nora Lena Callahan; died 4 August 1982, Terre Haute, Indiana.

+ 51 iv. ROY CARL WATSON, born 15 June 1897, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; married Marie Kaelin and Goldie Ann (Booth) Hudson; died 14 May 1965, Terre Haute, Indiana.

+ 52 v. REECE LORIS WATSON, born 5 December 1899, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Indiana; married Lulu Shouse; died 10 August 1964, Winchester, Randolph County, Indiana.

+ 53 vi. HAROLD GRIFFITH WATSON, born 14 April 1902; married Catherine Gerwick and Nellie K. (Hess) Johnson; died 20 June 1970, Terre Haute, Indiana.

54 vii. WILLIAM PAUL WATSON, born 18 May 1904, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; married Marie Newell; died 1 December 1929, Terre Haute, Indiana.

+ 55 viii. EUGENE S. WATSON, born 13 May 1906, Illinois; married Mary Kathleen Brooks; died 22 May 1977, Winchester, Randolph County, Indiana.

+ 56 ix. FREDRICK L. WATSON, born 20 February 1908, Illinois; married Eleanor Handford; died 19 April 1984, Winchester, Randolph County, Indiana.

+ 57 x. BYRON SANFORD WATSON, born 29 March 1911, Illinois; married Alice Gregory; died 15 March 1969, Terre Haute, Indiana.

58 xi. JOY LOUISE WATSON, born 22 October 1914, West Terre Haute, Indiana;[11] died 18 February 1915, West Terre Haute, Indiana. Cause of death was acute bronchial pneumonia, aged 3 months 27 days. Joy was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Indiana.[12]

Adolphus “Doll” Newton⁴ Lawhead (Elijah³, John², James¹), born 16 September 1877, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana; died 17 February 1958, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois. He married (1) on 9 April 1901, Crawford County, Illinois, Lana L. Myers, daughter of Francis E. and Sarah J. (Fowler) Myers. She was born circa November 1881, Annapolis, Crawford County, Illinois. Adolphus and Lana divorced before 1907. She married (2) about 1908, Clayborn M. Watt. Adolphus married (2) on 18 April 1907, Crawford County, Illinois, Mary Elizabeth Plew, daughter of James F. and Ellen (Salesbury) Plew. She was born 1876, Illinois; died 1949.

Adolphus and Mary were buried at Hutsonville Cemetery, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois.

Child of Adolphus Newton⁴ Lawhead and Lana L. Myers was:

59 i. SYLVA JO⁵ LAWHEAD, born 8 Janaury 1901, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois; married Vernal E. Harrold; died 31 August 1987, Los Angles, California.

Child of Adolphus Newton⁴ Lawhead and Mary Elizabeth Plew was:

60 ii. MARGUERITE LAWHEAD, born circa 1910, Illinois; died 19 November 1973, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois.

[1] “Elijah Griffith Lawhead,” undated clipping, ca. 1911, from unidentified newspaper; Sweeney Family Papers, privately held by Deborah Sweeney, Elk Grove, California, 2016.

[2] Crawford County, Illinois, Record of Death, vol. 3 (1910-1914): 110, entry for Elijah G. Lawhead, 28 July 1911.

[3] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 25 June 2016), citing Lawrence County marriages, vol. D (1860-1867): 61, Elisha G. Lawhead and Maria McNabb, 13 October 1860.

[4] Crawford County, Illinois, Record of Death, vol. 2 (1906-1910): 73, entry for Maria McNabb Lawhead, 21 March 1907; Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 June 2016), memorial page for Mariah McNabb Laughead (1841-1907), Find A Grave Memorial no. 52,800,310, citing Hutsonville Cemetery, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; the accompanying photograph by Cheryl (#47,285,528) is a clear image of the stone.

[5] 1880 U.S. census, Lawrence County, Indiana, population schedule, Marion Township, enumeration district (ED) 5, p. 423 (stamped), p. 35 (penned), dwelling 62, family 62, Alexander Stephens; NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 292; entry for Alzono Stephens crossed out with the notation “dead” written on line. Also, 1880 U.S. census, Lawrence County, Indiana, Marion Township, mortality schedule, enumeration district (ED) 5, p. 1, Alonzo Stephens; FHL microfilm 2,259,486.

[6] 1900 U.S. census, Lawrence County, Indiana, population schedule, Marion Township, enumeration district (ED) 68, p. 12, dwelling 233, family 241, Alexander Stevens; NARA microfilm publication T623.

[7] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 June 2016), entry for Fredie Stephins, 20 October 1900.

[8] “Obituary, Mrs. Belle Lawhead,” dated clipping, 9 January 1947 (penned), from unidentified newspaper; Sweeney Family Papers privately held by Deborah Sweeney, Elk Grove, California, 2016. The obituary states that Belle was the mother of eleven children; two were deceased at the time of her death. Also, U.S. census, Crawford County, Illinois, population schedule, Robinson City, enumeration district (ED) 47, sheet 19-B, dwelling 279, family 283, James F. Lawhead; NARA microfilm T623, roll 295. Under the “number of children” column, Belle was the mother of eight children, seven living.

[9] Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : 28 June 2016), memorial page for Alma Lawhead (1894-1895), Find A Grave memorial no. 52,800,250, citing Hutsonville Cemetery, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; the accompanying photograph by Cheryl (#47,285,528) is a clear image of the stone.

[10] Crawford County, Illinois, Record of Death, vol. 1 (1877-1905): 225, entry for Edith G. Lawhead, 20 February 1902. Also, Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : 28 June 2016), memorial page for Edith G. Lawhead (1898-1902), Find A Grave memorial no. 52,800,257, citing Hutsonville Cemetery, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois; the accompanying photograph by Cheryl (#47,285,528) is a clear image of the stone.

[11] “Indiana, Birth Certificates, 1907-1940,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 June 2016), entry for Joy Louise Watson, 22 October 1914.

[12] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 June 2016), entry for Joy Louise Watson, 18 February 1915. Also, Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 June 2016), memorial page for Joy Louise Watson (1914-1915), Find A Grave memorial no. 33,554,403, citing Woodlawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana.

A Mystery Solved? (Part 6)

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Digging even further back in time and place reveals some interesting findings. So far, the family of Joseph Laughead has been pieced together by circumstantial evidence. The discovery of two documents from early Pennsylvania court records adds more weight to the evidence.

Conclusions from the Circumstantial Evidence

Joseph’s parents were likely James and Bathsheba Laughead.
Joseph had several siblings, of which Susannah (Lawhead) Glover and Ruth (Laughead) Coen, are likely candidates.
James Laughead likely had siblings as well, namely William and Elisha, who lived in physical proximity to James in Ohio.
James Laughead moved his family from Pennsylvania to Ohio between the years 1817-1820.

Jumping back to the 1810 census of Pennsylvania reveals thirteen Laughead households:

Laughead Families in Pennsylvania – 1810
Adam Laughead	Salem, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania
B Laughead	Warriors Mark, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
James Laughead	Menallen, Fayette, Pennsylvania
James Laughead	Menallen, Fayette, Pennsylvania
John Laughead	Cumberland, Adams, Pennsylvania
John Laughead	Union, Fayette, Pennsylvania
John Laugheed	Union, Fayette, Pennsylvania
Nathan Lawhead	Salisbury, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Thomas Laughead	West Salem, Mercer, Pennsylvania
Thos Laughead	New London, Chester, Pennsylvania
William Laughead	Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania
William Lawhead	Hopewell, Washington, Pennsylvania
William Laugheed	Union, Fayette, Pennsylvania

These thirteen Laughead families are spread out over nine Pennsylvania counties. The 67 Pennsylvania counties have now been narrowed down to 9. The adjoining counties of Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette and Washington are in the southwestern section of the state. They are located south of Pittsburgh and are physically very close to West Virginia.

Original map courtesy of the United States Census Bureau

Looking at the census table, two James Laugheads were located in Menallen, Fayette, Pennsylvania. James and Bathsheba were likely married around 1810, but it is possible that James had not established his own household when the census was taken. He might have been enumerated in his father’s household. Pennsylvania does not have easily accessible vital records from the early part of the 19^th century. Unlike its neighbor Ohio, there are no online county marriage records currently available for Pennsylvania. Finding a marriage record for James and Bathsheba has thus far been unsuccessful. However, focusing on the two James from Menallen Township, is a good place to start.

The elder of the two James had a household of six individuals: one male over 45, one male aged 16-25, one male under ten, one female over 45, one female aged 16-25, and one female aged 10-15.

1810 Census Menallen Township Fayette County Pennsylvania (Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

The younger of the two James had a household of two individuals: one male aged 16-25 and one other free person (no age or sex is indicated). Coincidentally, this James matches the age range for James of Ohio. A 16-25 year old male in 1810 would have been born between 1785 and 1794.

1810 Census Menallen Township Fayette County Pennsylvania (Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Family Search has recently begun the push for digitizing county records across the country, focusing on wills and probates. The “Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994” database has some records available from Fayette County. The majority of the records are Orphans’ Court documents from 1783-1950. The elder of the two James Laugheads died intestate in 1814. His youngest son was not of legal age at the time of his father’s death and was assigned a legal guardian. An older daughter also chose her own guardian at the same time.

Laughead, Elisha & Mary - Guardians appointed, November 1814

Image courtesy of Family Search

“At the Orphan’s Court held in Union Town in and for the county of Fayette, the third Monday of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourteen before the Honourable Samuel Roberts and his associate Justices of the same court –

Elizabeth Martin…[omitted in transcription]

Ellis Baily being chosen guardian of the person and estate of Mary Laughead minor daughter of James Laughead deceased, above the age of fourteen years, is appointed accordingly by the court.

Ellis Baily is appointed, by the court, guardian of the person and estate of Elisha Laughed, a minor son of James Laughead, Decᵈ, until he arrives at the age of fourteen years.”

Prior to the appointment of Elisha and Mary’s guardian, their brother James petitioned the court in regards to the partitioning of James Sr.’s estate:

Image courtesy of Family Search

“On the petition of James Laughead, representing, that his father James Laughead lately died intestate seized at the time of his death in his demesne [?] of fee of and in eighty eight acres of land situate in Menallen Township aforesaid, leaving his widow Mary and nine children, surviving him, to wit, Hannah, married to James McHarry, John Laughead, William Laughead, James the petitioner, Martha married to William Wells, Benjamin Laughead, Richard Laughead, Mary Laughead and Elisha Laughead – That he is of full age and is desirous that the said estate should be divided to and amongst the heirs and representatives of the said Intestate if such partition can be made without injuring and spoiling the whole, but if not that a just and conscionable appraisement thereof be made and to this end prays the court to award an Inquest, agreeably to the acts of Assembly in such case made and provided – The court thereupon award an Inquest agreeably to the prayer of the said petitioner – writ ifs & not paid [?]”

Conclusion:

James Laughead of Belmont County, Ohio, was formerly of Menallen Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He was the third son of James Laughead, Sr. and his wife Mary. James Jr.’s older brothers, John and William, may have already migrated west to Ohio, leaving James Jr. to handle the affairs of their father’s estate. The children of James and Mary Laughead were: Hannah (wife of James McHarry), John, William, James, Martha (wife of William Wells), Benjamin, Richard, Mary and Elisha.

Sources:

1810 U. S. census, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Menallen Township, p. 1004 (penned), line 1, James Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 54.

1810 U. S. census, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Menallen Township, p. 1000 (penned), line 9, James Logshead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 54.

“Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994,” digital image, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 24 April 2014), November 1814 Orphans’ Court, guardianship appointments of Mary and Elisha Laughead; citing Fayette County, Orphans’ Court Records 1783-1844, v. 1: 152.

“Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994,” digital image, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 24 April 2014), August 1814 Orphans’ Court, petition of James Laughead, Jr.; citing Fayette County, Orphans’ Court Records 1783-1844, v. 1: 149.

A Mystery Solved? (Part 5)

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Now that it has been established that James Laughead was likely the father of Joseph Laughead, the next step is another trip back in time (census-wise) to the 1820 census.

Since Joseph was born in Pennsylvania, circa 1817, and his sisters, Susannah and Ruth, were born in Ohio in 1821 and 1825, searching both states is necessary to establish when the family moved. Five James Laugheads appeared on the 1820 censuses of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

James Laughead Families in Pennsylvania & Ohio 1820
James Laughead	Union, Fayette, Pennsylvania
James Laughead	Bath, Greene, Ohio
James Laughead	Washington, Licking, Ohio
James Laughhead	Warren, Belmont, Ohio
James B. Laughead	Union, Erie, Pennsylvania

It appears that James Laughead arrived in Belmont County as early as 1820. This is consistent with the births of Joseph (1817) and Susannah (1821). The household consisted of six individuals: one male aged 26-44, two males under the age of 10, one female aged 26-44, and two females under the age of ten.

Other clues this census provides:

James was born between the years 1776 and 1794.
Bathsheba (or James’ wife) was born between the years 1776 and 1794. This fits with what we know of Bathsheba, born circa 1790.
Since all the children were under the age of ten, James and Bathsheba (or James’ wife) were married circa 1810. Bathsheba would have been around 20 years old.

Image courtesy of Ancestry.com

The only other Laughead who lived in Belmont County during this census year was William Laughead. William was enumerated directly above James on the census page. This page was not arranged alphabetically, indicating a physical closeness between those enumerated. William’s household consisted of 12 individuals: one male aged 26-44, one male aged 16-25, one male under 10, one female aged 26-44, two females under 10, and 6 “other free persons.”

It is possible that James and William were brothers, and the 16-25 year old male who lived with William was another brother, Elisha. Both men lived in Warren Township, Belmont County for many years. In 1830, Elisha Laughead first appeared as a head of household in neighboring Guernsey County. Likely this same Elisha was the man who married Nancy Cowen in Guernsey County, Ohio on 10 May 1821.

Elisha was a name that was used often in the family of Joseph Lawhead. He named his first born son Elisha, and the name was used into the next generation. When the search for Joseph’s parents was begun, an assumption was made that perhaps Joseph’s first born son was named after his grandfather “Elisha” Lawhead. However, that does not appear to be the case as James Laughead is now the most likely candidate. Joseph did name his second son James.

Conclusion:

James Laughead moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania between the years 1817 and 1820. By 1820, he was the father of at least four children, all under the age of 10, including Joseph (1817). James had at least two brothers, William and Elisha.

Sources:

1820 U. S. census, Belmont County, Ohio, Warren Township, population schedule, p. 272 (penned), line 5, James Laughhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 86.

1820 U. S. census, Belmont County, Ohio, Warren Township, population schedule, p. 272 (penned), line 4, William Laughhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 86.

1830 U. S. census, Guernsey County, Ohio, Richland Township, p. 436 (penned), line 7, Elisha Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 131.

“Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1944,” database & images, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 April 2014), Elisha Lawhead and Nancy Cowen, 10 May 1821: citing Guernsey Marriage records 1810-1840, v. A: 48.

A Mystery Solved? (Part 4)

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Once a time frame was established for the Laughead family settling in Ohio, the next step was to examine some early Ohio records, starting with the census.

To recap the research thus far…

Three likely Laughead/Lawhead siblings are:

Joseph, born Pennsylvania circa 1817
Susannah, born Ohio circa 1821
Ruth, born Ohio circa 1825

Since all three (Joseph, Susannah, and Ruth) were married in the Belmont and Guernsey County area in the late 1830s – early 1840s, further research should focus on these and surrounding counties. Likely mother Bathsheba Laughead lived in Guernsey County in 1840. Jumping back ten years to the 1830 census, there were 13 Laughead/Lawhead families living in Ohio.

1830 Census of Ohio – Lawhead & Laughead
Name	Location
Edward Laughead	White Eyes, Coshocton, Ohio
Elisha Lawhead	Richland, Guernsey, Ohio
James Laughead	Miami, Green, Ohio
James Lawhead	Warren, Belmont, Ohio
James Lawhead	Camp Creek, Pike, Ohio
John Laughead	Union, Clinton, Ohio
Joseph Lawhead	Greenfield, Highland, Ohio
Thomas Lawhead	Buckskin, Ross, Ohio
William Lawhead	McArthur, Logan, Ohio
William Lawhead	Warren, Belmont, Ohio
William Lawhead	Sugar Creek, Wayne, Ohio
William Lawhead	Wayne, Muskingum, Ohio
William Laughead	Hopewell, Muskingum, Ohio

Only three of these families lived in the Belmont or Guernsey County area.

The Three Families:

The household of Elisha Lawhead of Guernsey County consisted of seven individual members: one male aged 30-39, two males under 5, two females aged 20-29, and two females aged 5-9. Even though Ruth and Susannah would fit into this family, neither Joseph nor Bathsheba would. Joseph was 13 in 1830 and Bathsheba was 40.

The household of James Lawhead of Belmont County consisted of ten individual members: one male aged 40-49, one male aged 15-20, one male aged 10-14, one male aged 5-9, one female aged 40-49, one female aged 20-29, one female aged 10-14, one female aged 5-9, and two females under 5. Bathsheba (40-49), Joseph (10-14), Susannah (5-9) and Ruth (under 5) would all fit in this family.

Image courtesy of Ancestry.com

The household of William Lawhead of Belmont County consisted of four individual members: one male aged 40-49, one male aged 15-19, one female aged 40-49, and one female aged 10-14. Bathsheba would fit as the older female, but none of the children match.

In 1840, there were four Laughead/Lawhead families still living in the area:

Bathsheba Laughead (a widow)
Joseph Laughead (now married and head of his own household)
Elisha Laughead (likely the same man from 1830, now ten years older with five children)
James Laughead (not the same man from 1830, a twenty something male, with a wife and two young children)

Conclusion:

The most likely candidate for the father of Joseph, Susannah and Ruth Lawhead was James Lawhead. The family of James and Bathsheba Lawhead had seven or eight children in 1830 so there are more children that need to be identified.

Sources:

1830 U. S. census, Guernsey County, Ohio, Richland Township, p. 436 (penned), line 7, Elisha Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 131.

1830 U. S. census, Belmont County, Ohio, Warren Township, p. 212 (penned), line 4, James Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 127.

1830 U. S. census, Belmont County, Ohio, Warren Township, p. 216 (penned), line2 4, William Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 127.

1840 U. S. census, Belmont County, Ohio, Somerset Township, p. 10 (penned), line 14, Joseph Laughead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 378.

1840 U. S. census, Guernsey County, Ohio, Seneca Township, p. 3 (penned), line 15, Bathsheba Laughead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 397.

1840 U. S. census, Guernsey County, Ohio, Seneca Township, p. 4 (penned), line 7, Elisha Laughead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 397.

1840 U. S. census, Guernsey County, Ohio, Seneca Township, p. 4 (penned), line 10, James Laughead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 397.

A Mystery Solved? (Part 3)

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Collateral lines, Locations of Interest, Naming Patterns and DNA (Oh My!)

I have previously discussed Bathsheba Laughead and Ruth (Laughead) Coen and their status as persons of interest in my quest to determine the parents of Joseph Laughead. During the last year, another person of interest came to my attention through the use of DNA. One of my matches (at 23andme) is a gentleman named Mr. Glover. The surname Glover sounded familiar to me because I have traced the collateral (or descendant) lines of many branches of the Laughead family. With a few emails back and forth, I knew how we were connected.

Graphic courtesy of 23andme

Mr. Glover is a descendant of Susannah (Lawhead) Glover of Greene County, Indiana. On 2 March 1840, Susannah married John D. Glover in Guernsey County, Ohio. Later that year, John Glover lived in Union Township [now defunct], Monroe County, Ohio. His household consisted of: a twenty something male (John), a twenty something female (Susannah), and a female child under the age of 5 (Martha). That same year, Joseph Laughead and his family lived in Somerset Township, Belmont County, Ohio. Somerset Township borders Guernsey County on its western side. By 1850, both families had moved around the tri-county region and had settled in Seneca Township, Guernsey County. Coincidentally, the two families migrated west to Greene County, Indiana by the 1860 census.

Lawhead, Susannah & John Glover - Marriage extraction, 1840

Image courtesy of Family Search

Clearly, the families of Joseph Laughead and Susannah (Lawhead) Glover were connected. The families lived in the same region of Ohio. They migrated further west around the same time, and settled in the same geographic area of Indiana. Another clue that links the families is naming patterns. Different historical time periods, religious groups, ethnic groups, etc. have practiced the tradition of naming children after family members, sometimes in a set pattern. In some cases, a strict pattern was followed. For example, the first born male was named after the child’s paternal grandfather, the second male child was named after the child’s maternal grandfather, and so on. In the case of the family of John and Susannah (Lawhead) Glover, they named their third daughter Bathsheba.

Extracted Information:

The families of Joseph Laughead and John D. Glover lived in the same areas of Ohio and Indiana, AT THE SAME TIME
John D. Glover named one of his daughters Bathsheba
A descendant of John D. Glover and Susannah (Lawhead) Glover shares DNA segments with several descendants of Joseph Laughead. The relationship is computed to be that of fourth cousins.
The ages of Joseph (c1817) and Susannah (1821) are close enough to fall within the same generation.

Conclusion:

Joseph Laughead and Susannah (Lawhead) Grover were siblings. Susannah named one of her daughters Bathsheba after her mother. Most records consistently state that Susannah was born in Ohio. Since Joseph was born in Pennsylvania, it is likely that the family migrated to Ohio between the births of Joseph and Susannah, c1817-1821.

	Mr. Laughead & Bathsheba
Susannah Lawhead (1821-1906)m. John D. Glover		Joseph Laughead (c1817-1883)m. Cassandra Harding
Charles H. Glover	First Cousins	James H. Lawhead (1840-1920)
John Glover	Second Cousins	Emma Lawhead (1872-1943)
John Glover	Third Cousins	Gladys Foster (1905-1998)m. Roscoe Yegerlehner
Mr. Glover	Fourth Cousins	David Yegerlehner

Sources:

1840 U. S. census, Monroe County, Ohio, Union Township, p. 83 (penned), line 19, John Glover; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 416.

1850 U. S. census, Guernsey County, Ohio, population schedule, Seneca Township, p. 474 (penned), dwelling 3045, family 3067, Joseph Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 684.

1850 U. S. census, Guernsey County, Ohio, population schedule, Seneca Township, p. 373 (stamped), dwelling 3133, family 3155, John Glover; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 684.

1860 U. S. census, Greene County, Indiana, population schedule, Centre Township, p. 75-76 (penned), dwelling 530, family 530, Joseph Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 262.

1860 U. S. census, Greene County, Indiana, population schedule, Beech Creek Township, p. 36 (penned), dwelling 252, family 252, John D. Glover; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 262.

“Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994,” database and images, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 9 April 2014) John Glover and Susannah Lawhead, 2 March 1840; citing Guernsey County, Marriage records 1832-1848, v. C: 306.

A Mystery Solved? (Part 2)

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Focus in on a person or location of interest:

After constructing a timeline of Joseph’s life, the next step is to focus in on either a geographical area where the person lived or a “person of interest.”

Joseph lived in several locations, beginning in Pennsylvania, then Ohio, and finally Indiana. He lived in at least 6 known areas of interest: Pennsylvania, Belmont County (Ohio), Guernsey County (Ohio), Greene County (Indiana), Daviess County (Indiana) and Knox County (Indiana). Two locations that might provide information regarding his parentage would be – his birth place (Pennsylvania) and his death place (Knox County, Indiana). At this point, his birth place is too broad a location to search. In addition, birth records were not recorded at the county or state level in Pennsylvania during the early part of the 19^th century. Information regarding Joseph’s death location is rather sketchy. He is buried in Edwardsport, but evidence that he died or even lived there has not been discovered yet. Bodies are not always buried where they died, and are sometimes disinterred and moved to another location to be closer to living family members. Delving deeper into Knox County’s records is currently on the future “to do” list. In addition, the chance of finding Joseph’s parents listed on a death certificate or other death related record is rather slim based upon the time and place where he died. For one, the state of Indiana did not require official death records until after 1900. The WPA death index of Knox County’s extracted county records does not list Joseph Lawhead. For now, focusing on a location of interest will have to wait until more information is available.

There are a handful of individuals that belong to the “person of interest” category. The first one is Bathsheba Lawhead. Thus far only four records have been found that mention Bathsheba:

In 1840, Bathsheba Laughead was living in Seneca Township, Guernsey County, Ohio. She was the head of a household of four persons: one female aged 40-49, one male aged 20-29, and two boys under the age of 5.
In 1850, ‘Basheba’ Lawhead was living with the family of Joseph in Guernsey County, Ohio. She was a 60 year old female, born in Pennsylvania. The young family of William and Ruth Coen lived next door.
In 1860, ‘Barshaby Lockee’ was living in Seneca, Noble County, Ohio. She was the second family living at dwelling #1268. The first family was that of William and Ruth ‘Cower’.
In 1870, Bashaly Laughead was living in the household of William and Ruth Coen in Uhrichsville, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. ‘Bashaly’ was an 80 year old female, born in Ohio.

Until 1880, census records did not record relationships between individuals in a household. Before 1850, only the head of the household was enumerated. The rest of the household was recorded as tally marks in columns designating a person’s age and sex. Using these early census records as a road map, relationships can be established but they cannot be used alone as proof.

Women were very rarely head of households in the 19^th century. Two possible reasons why Bathsheba would have been the head of household in 1840 were: she was a widow or a woman of property. Proceeding with the assumption that Bathsheba was a widow, the other members of the family were likely to be her children or grandchildren. The young man in his twenties may have been her son, or a hired hand. The two young boys may have been her grandchildren. Based upon her age in the later census years, Bathsheba was at the far end of the 40-49 age category and close to 50 years old. The boys aged under 5 years were more likely to be her grandchildren, possibly sons of the twenty something male. Perhaps he was a widower, living with his mother, and they were helping each other out as families often do. Of course, the above is all conjecture until any further evidence comes along. The truth remains unknown.

Skip ahead ten years to 1850, Bathsheba now lived with Joseph Lawhead and his family. A likely scenario is that Bathsheba was Joseph’s mother. At 60, she may not have wanted (or been able) to run her own farm or live by herself. Children often took care of their parents then as they do now. Another interesting clue from this census year is that Joseph lived next door to William and Ruth Coen. On 24 March 1844, Ruth Laughead married William Coen in Guernsey County, Ohio. Siblings and in-laws sometimes lived together on adjoining property. Perhaps a bit of land was deeded to a child as a wedding gift or a second house was built on the family property. There are many possible reasons for this proximity. At the very least, an assumption can be made that the families were related due to the shared surname. The 1840 census calls into question why Bathsheba did not have a 15 year old female living in her household. Was Ruth Bathsheba’s daughter or perhaps a niece? Did she live with another relative or work out of the home at that time? There were two Cohen families living nearby Bathsheba and one had a female in the correct age category. Did Ruth live and work on another neighboring farm?

Through the years 1860 and 1870, Bathsheba lived with the Coens. Bathsheba was 80 years old in 1870. She has not been found on the 1880 census, likely dying before then. Between the years 1850-1870, Ruth and her family moved from Guernsey County, to Noble County, and then Tuscarawas County. These three counties are clustered together (and border one another) in the eastern part of Ohio. The Coens lived in Uhrichsville during the time that Bathsheba may have died.

Ruth (Laughead) Coen, Joseph Laughead and Bathsheba Laughead were clearly connected. Bathsheba was born in Pennsylvania, c1790. Joseph was born in Pennsylvania, c1817. Ruth was born in Ohio, c1825. If Joseph and Ruth were two of Bathsheba’s children, their birth dates and locations have helped to narrow down when the family might have moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio. Ruth has become another person of interest because of her geographic proximity to Joseph and their shared connection to Bathsheba.

Sources:

1860 U. S. census, Noble County, Ohio, population schedule, Seneca Township, p. 483 (stamped), dwelling 1268, family 1220, Barshaby Lockee; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 1020.

1870 U. S. census, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, population schedule, Uhrichsville, Uhrichsville Post Office, p. 20 (penned), dwelling 150, family 150, William Coen; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 1273.

“Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920,” index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 April 2014).

“Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994,” database and images, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 6 April 2014) William Coen and Ruth Laughead, 24 March 1844; citing Guernsey County, Marriage records 1844-1864, v. D: 25.

A Mystery Solved? (Part 1)

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“It is the brain, the little gray cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within – – not without.” ~ Poirot – Agatha Christie

Genealogy research is hard, time-consuming work. For some, the work is enjoyable, but nonetheless, it can be very hard, and occasionally mind-numbing. Doing genealogy research is part records collection, intuition and plain old detective work. Analysis of collected records is an integral part of the process. Having the largest archive in the world means nothing, records must be organized in some way and then analyzed; otherwise, they are just ink on paper. At some point, every researcher must stop and analyze what they have collected. Documents exist in an historical context. They answer questions and generate more.

One of my biggest genealogy challenges over the years has been tracing the family of my grandmother Gladys. She was an excellent archivist of the papers relating to the Yegerlehner family, but she left much of her own family’s history in the shadows. She did not have a positive relationship with her father so it was not particularly surprising that few artifacts survived. I inherited a two page, written family chart and some photographs from the Foster side of the family. On her mother’s side, even less was left behind. Gladys had a close relationship with her mother so the lack of information was distressing at first. A handful of photographs and some old quilts are all that remain. When I started my genealogy journey in 1994, I asked Gladys for information about her family. She sent me a copy of her birth certificate that included her parents’ names: Emma Laughead and J. E. Foster. Over a year ago, I wrote a post about what I knew about the Laughead family. Since then, I have earned my Genealogical Research Certificate from Boston University, completed over 1/3 of the ProGen program, and begun working as a professional genealogist. In addition, I began DNA testing all of my immediate family members (and beyond).

Gladys’ birth certificate

With my newly developed skills, and hundreds of DNA cousins, my quest to find the parents of Joseph Laughead intensified. The last few months have provided me with many new possibilities.

Start with what you know:

Using and creating graphic organizers is a great way to visually present information extracted from documents. Joseph’s life has been hard to trace because of the lack of readily available 19^th century records. The family moved around quite frequently. His surname has been spelled both Laughead and Lawhead over the years in various documents. Lots of misinformation has been published as well. For example, just because the SOUNDEX code puts Lawhead, Laughead, and Lloyd in the same grouping, does not mean that the family ever spelled their name Lloyd. Starting with the documents I have already collected over the years, I created a timeline of the known events in Joseph’s life:

c1817 – Born in Pennsylvania.
1838 – January 19^th married Cassandra Harding in Belmont County, Ohio.
c1839 – October 22^nd first son Elisha born in Ohio.
1840 – Household of Joseph Laughead of Somerset Township, Belmont County, Ohio consisted of three individuals: one male under 5 years (Elisha), one male 20-29 (Joseph), and one female 20-29 (Cassandra). A John Laughead was enumerated several lines above Joseph.
c1840 – January 5^th son James Henry born Marietta, Washington County, Ohio.
1842 – November 16^th son John William born in Ohio.
1845 – Between 1845-1848 daughter Mary Ellen born in Ohio.
1848 – April 1^st A land grant was purchased at the Marietta Land Office; 39.98 acres of land in Monroe County, Ohio, which borders Belmont county to the south. The land is located in the south east corner of the county near the Ohio River.
1850 – February 26^th daughter Louisa Jane born in Ohio, likely Guernsey County.
1850 – November 8^th Household of Joseph Lawhead of Seneca, Guernsey County consisted of the following individuals: Joseph, Casander, Elisha, James, John, Mary E., Louisa J, and Bathsheba Lawhead. Next door resided the family of William and Ruth Coen and their 2 year old son John.
c1852 – son William born in Ohio.
1860 – June 25^th Household of Joseph Lawhead of Center Township, Greene County, Indiana consisted of the following individuals: Joseph, Casander, Elisha, James, John, Mary, Louisa and William. Next door lived the family of John Lawhead (aged 84, born in Pennsylvania) with Susan, Elisha G. and three Talbots (Ruth, Elizabeth, and William).
1861 – November 3^rd son James Henry married Martha Lafoon in Greene County, Indiana.
1863 – November 26^th son Elisha married Sarah Reynolds in Greene County, Indiana.
1866 – September 2^nd son John William married Elizabeth Abbie Abrahms.
1867 – March 18^th daughter Mary Ellen married James Hash, in Greene County, Indiana.
1867 – March 19^th daughter Louisa Jane married Ahart Hash, in Greene County, Indiana.
1868 – December 5^th – son James Henry married for the second time, Margaret A. Rea, in Greene County, Indiana.
1870 – August 11^th Household of Joseph Lawhead of Steel Township, Daviess County, Indiana consisted of the following individuals: Joseph, Cassandria, Mary E. and William A. Two young boys Joseph and George Sherman were also part of the household. Son John William and his family lived next door.
1873 – February 27^th son William married Charlotte D. Abrahms in Daviess County, Indiana.
c1874 – son William dies, leaving a widow Charlotte and a daughter Ora.
1880 – Have been unable to locate Joseph or Cassandra on the census record
1883 – July 12^th Joseph’s death
1883 – Burial IOOF Cemetery, Edwardsport, Knox County, Indiana

There are many gaps in the timeline and lots of questions to be answered. My original question still remains to be answered – Who were Joseph’s parents?

Sources:

1870 U. S. census, Daviess County, Indiana, population schedule, Steel Township, Washington Post Office, p. 12 (penned), dwelling 90, family 90, Joseph Lawhead; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 306.

Bureau of Land Management, “Land Patent Search,” digital images, General Land Office Records (http://www.glorecords.blm.gov : accessed 4 April 2014), entry for Joseph Lawhead, Monroe County, Ohio, no. 14230.

Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 4 April 2014), memorial page for Joseph Lawhead (1817-1883), Find A Grave Memorial no. 52,810,778, citing IOOF Cemetery, Edwardsport, Knox County, Indiana.

Greene County, Indiana, Marriage Records, June 1858-October 1866, v. G: 325, Elisha Lawhead and Sarah Reynolds, 26 November 1863; citing FHL microfilm publication 1317805.

Greene County, Indiana, Marriage Records, June 1858-October 1866, v. G: 325, James Lawhead and Martha Lafoon, 3 November 1861; citing FHL microfilm publication 1317805.

Greene County, Indiana, Marriage Records, October 1866-December 1870, v. H: 264, James H. Lawhead and Margarett A. Rea, 5 December 1868; citing FHL microfilm publication 1317805.

Greene County, Indiana, Marriage Records, October 1866-December 1870, v. H: 77, James Hash and Mary E. Lawhead, 18 March 1867; citing FHL microfilm publication 1317805.

Greene County, Indiana, Marriage Records, June 1858-October 1866, v. H: 80, Ahart Hash and Louisa Lawhead, 19 March 1867; citing FHL microfilm publication 1317805.

Illinois Department of Public Health, death certificate no. 24333 (1920), James H. Lawhead; Department of Public Health, Springfield.

“Indiana, Marriage Collection, 1800-1941,” index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2014), William A. Lawhead and Charlotte D. Abraham.

“Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994,” database and images, Family Search (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 4 April 2014) Joseph Laughead and Cassandria Harden, 19 January 1838; citing Belmont County, Marriage records 1833-1838, v. 4: 30.

“U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900,” index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 April 2014), John William Lawhead and Elizabeth Abbie Abrams, 1866.

Finding a Jewel

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George Rea, a well known and highly respected Irish citizen, took up his abode in the country with the intention of remaining with us. He had not been here long until he found a Jewel more dear to his heart than anything he had left in Old Ireland, or anything else he had found in America. But alas! in later years he lost his Jewel, and for many years he has “trodden the wine press alone.”

Jack Baber, Early History of Greene, Indiana: as taken from the official records, and compiled from authentic recollection, by pioneer settlers… (Worthington, Indiana: N.B. Milleson, 1875), 32; digital image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org : accessed 4 Decmeber 2013).

Friday’s Faces of the Past – Family Funeral?

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: Gladys, c1920s

: Emma with Jim, Gladys and unknown woman

: Unknown Foster or Lawhead relation

The three above pictures appear to have been taken on the same day. The two single portraits were clearly taken at the same location. The group photo shows Gladys and the older woman wearing the same clothing as their individual pictures. Everyone appears to be wearing black or dark colors. Hence my assumption that the photograph was taken around the time of a family funeral. I date the picture circa1925. Gladys was born in 1905 so she would have been 15 in 1920 and 20 in 1925. Gladys’ haircut is straighter and less wavy than it was later in the decade. Her skirt length is short which moves the date further from 1920. The older woman is wearing a dress styled from the late teens. It was quite common for older people at that time to wear clothes that were more “old fashioned.” Even today the trend continues.

McCammon, Lydia & Jesse with Minerva Metcalf

Minerva (seated) likely 1916

Many years ago I sent a copy of the picture of the older woman to my father’s cousin. She identified the woman as Minerva, Emma’s twin sister. Since the cousin knew Minerva, I generally take her word for it. However, I still say “the older woman,” because I am not 100% sure that she was Minerva (Lawhead) Metcalf. I have only seen two pictures of Minerva and they are of a somewhat younger woman. The earlier photograph was taken about 1908 and Minerva was plumper and would have been about 36 when the picture was taken. The second photograph was taken about 7-10 years later between 1915-1919. Again the picture shows Minerva with a fuller figure. Minerva would have been in her early to mid 40s at this point.

Which brings us back to the pictures at the beginning of the post. Do you think that the older woman is Minerva? She seems to have aged too much to be in her 50s. But times were different then. For someone who did hard manual farm labor, they could have aged more harshly. I know she is related to the Foster/Lawhead family. She bears a striking resemblance to Jim Foster (Gladys’ brother). When my grandmother was near her end and Alzheimer’s had robbed her memory, she thought the picture was of her brother Jim. So what do you think?

Happy Birthday Gladys!

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Today is the 108th anniversary of Gladys’ birth. She was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, the youngest child of James E. Foster and Emma H. (Laughead) Foster. She was an amazing women who lived through extraordinary times. Happy birthday Gladys!

Photograph from the private collection of Deborah Sweeney