The Ramsden's of Bolton le Moors

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Many Americans have a high percentage of ancestors that came to the US sometime between 1820-1920. Our family is a bit unique in that almost all of our maternal ancestors have been in America since at least the mid-1700s, and a few as far back as the early 1600s. An exception to this trend is our Ramsden family from Lancashire, England (Note 1). They are our most recent immigrants to America, finally arriving here in 1854.

England, Lancashire County shown in red

Parishes of Historic Lancashire County, UK

In 1780, a man named James Ramsden (b.1754) married Ann Lomax in St. Peter's Church of Bolton le Moors, Great Bolton, Lancashire, England. This was during the time of the Revolutionary War with America, and at the time of their marriage, his occupation was listed as Soldier. They settled in nearby Harwood and had 12 children.

St. Peters, Bolton le Moors, Lancashire, England

Originally established as a small mill town, Bolton grew larger in the 14th century when Flemish weavers settled in the area and began producing the cotton and wool textiles the region became known for. The large original parish of Bolton le Moors was split into smaller townships in 1662, one of which became Harwood. The name "le Moors" comes from the area being part of the West Pennine Moorlands - boggy, hill land that has been occupied since Neolithic times.

West Pennine Moorland, UK

The City of Harwood is now part of both the Ceremonial County of Greater Manchester, and the Historic County of Lancashire, so it is at times referred to either way. The Ramsden family does not seem to be from this area originally. James Ramsden may be from a town about 35 miles away called Wheatley, Yorkshire, England, but this link has yet to be confirmed (see Note 1). On the other hand, the Lomax family of Ann had been living in the Bolton area for several generations. Their family seems to have been involved in washing the hides of slaughtered animals in order to prepare them for the leather making process (see Note 2).

Harwood, Lancashire, England

The 8th child of James and Ann Ramsden was a son named Samuel, born in Harwood, Lancashire, England in 1798. He was baptized at St. Peter's in Bolton le Moors. In 1820, he married Alice Brunton in Colne (about 30 miles NE of Harwood), and they settled in nearby Laneshawbridge, Lancashire, England. Although Alice's family was also originally from the Bolton area, her family had moved to Laneshawbridge when she was about 8 years old, and her father worked there as a Miller.

Laneshawbridge, Lancashire, England

Old Tannery Pond, Laneshawbridge, Lancashire, England

In Laneshawbridge, Samuel (b.1798) initially worked as a Grocer, but by 1827 was dabbling in the developing cotton manufacturing industry as well. The invention of the "spinning mule" had allowed for the opening of the first cotton mill in Bolton in 1780 and the area began to grow rapidly after that time. An abundance of coal and newly dug canals to supply steam power then gave the region its final push into the industrial textile age (Ref 4). Perhaps it was this that drew the growing family to relocate to Great Bolton, Lancashire by 1835. 

Spinning Mule, invented by Samuel Crompton of Bolton, Lancashire in 1779

Chapel Alley in West Great Bolton, originally called Dukes Alley

In Great Bolton, Samuel and Alice lived on a street called Chapel Alley, within walking distance of cotton mills, tanneries, and iron foundries. Samuel Sr. worked as a butcher and a laborer, and had a large family of 13 children (2 of whom died young, and two who fraternal were twins). Our direct ancestor, Samuel Jr., was the 7th child, born in 1830. Their children attended school until age 10, at which point they took on work in the city factories. In 1841, their oldest, John, worked as a skinner, while Margaret and Robert worked as piecers (often spelled peicers) in the cotton mill, and James and Samuel worked at manual labor. 

Child Labor in a early 19th century Lancashire Cotton Mill

At some point, the family seems to have gone down on their luck, and started to involve themselves in some shady dealings. In 1840, Samuel Sr. was charged with writing a forged check on the Bank of England (Ref 1). Luckily, he was acquitted without serving any time. Four years later in 1844, his two oldest sons, John and James, were also charged with fraud, but were found not guilty (Ref 2). Then, in 1847, his son Samuel Jr., and in 1848, his son Robert, both served 6 months for Larceny (Ref 3). Things only got worse from there, for in 1850, Samuel Sr. died, leaving Alice with 6 minor children still at home.

The 1851 census shows Alice's remaining children continuing in the cotton mill industry. Robert had now graduated to Spinner, while Samuel Jr., Elizabeth, and Andrew were working as piecers. William was a pattern maker at the iron foundry, and little Henry, at only 9 years of age, was still able to attend school for one more year. John and James had already married. Margaret and Alice do not seem to have ever married, but had none the less left home.

Piecers and Scavengers of the 19th century English textile industry

Perhaps it was not a very happy household, for within the next few years, all of the children split, leaving their widowed mother to fend for herself (though many later grandchildren were named for her). Robert and Elizabeth married in 1851 and 1852 and moved to nearby cities. James and Samuel Jr. left for America in 1852 (Ref 5), followed by Andrew in 1855. George married in 1855 and William in 1859, and both moved to Little Bolton. Henry, who was still a minor in 1861, seems to have moved in with his brother William and his wife Nancy none the less. Alice, meanwhile, was living on her own as a lodger on Crook St, about a half mile south of Chapel Alley, where she works as a provisions shopkeeper. She was still living alone and working in this area 10 years later in 1871, until dying at the age of 69 in 1873.

King Street in Great Bolton (two blocks west of Chapel Alley), early 1800s 

Samuel Jr. and his older brother left England for New York in 1852. James seems to have initially stayed in New York, where he fought in the civil war, before immigrating to IL many years later. Samuel is said to have taken a ship to New Orleans and then further up the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers to settle in Van Buren, Crawford Co., Ark. It is unknown why he chose this region, however, in the 1850s Arkansas was on the frontier of the expanding west. The area was experiencing an economic boom due to the transformation of subsistence farming into slave based cotton plantation agriculture (Ref 6). Steam boats were in use and new railroads were being built, allowing farmers better access national markets for their crops and goods. Perhaps, Samuel Jr. wanted to take advantage of the cheap land and try his hand at growing, rather than manufacturing, cotton for once.

Van Buren, Crawford Co, Ark.

Early advertisement for encouraging settlement in Arkansas

Or, perhaps not. A tax assessment in 1867 list his occupation as retail liquor dealer, while the 1870 census states he was an engineer (likely for the railroad). Efforts towards curbing alcohol consumption ramped up during the civil war period and moonshining became a lucrative side-business in dry counties like Crawford (Ref 7). Regardless, by 1856 he had met a woman named Catherine Emelie Winkler and they married.

Catherine Winkler, born 1835

Samuel Ramsden, Jr., born 1830

Catherine's father George Winkler was a farmer by occupation, and although originally from Germany, he had been living in the US since the early 1800s. His wife, Marie Oberteuffer, also an immigrant, was from Switzerland. His daughter Catherine was born in Ohio in 1835, but the family moved to Van Buren, AR about the same time as Samuel. Samuel and Catherine had 4 children - 3 girls, 1 boy, though their youngest daughter died as a toddler. Their third child, Henry Samuel Ramsden, born 1867, was our direct ancestor.

Van Buren, AR, 1888

The civil war of the 1860s brought hard times to Arkansas, wiping out much of the slave-based economic wealth the state had enjoyed in the 1850s (Ref 8). For this reason, it was on the side of the Confederates, and in 1861, it seceded from the Union. By May 1862, Union troops were marching across the state, destroying plantations and freeing slaves as they went. The capitol at Little Rock was captured, and for a time the government of Arkansas basically ceased to function, greatly increasing lawlessness throughout the state. Although the war ended in 1865, it was not until about 1870 that order began to re-established itself.

Battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas, 1862

Samuel Jr. died only a few years later in 1876, at the young age of 46 (Note 3). Thankfully, Catherine's family was nearby to help her with her three children. Catherine's sister Carolyn was married to a man named John F. Bushmaier, who seems to have been relatively well off. In 1880, Carolyn died, and a year and a half later, Catherine and John were married. 

Headstones for Samuel and Catherine at the Bushmaier Cemetery in Kibler, Crawford, AR (Note 3)

Our great, great grandfather Henry Samuel Ramsden (b. 1867) went on to marry Sadie Jane in 1898. She was of the Quesenbury line that I have written on previously. Sadie was from a town called Mulberry, AR, about 20 miles downriver from Van Buren, and that is where they settled. They had two children, and Henry was a respected member of the town, serving for a short time as its Mayor, as well as a newspaper editor and furniture packer dealer. Like many in his fathers line though, Henry also died young, at the age of only 40.

Newspaper notices for Henry Samuel Ramsden and Sadie Jane Quesenbury

Notes

1) It is likely the Ramsden's were from Yorkshire before that, as this is where the surname originates. Possibly from a town called Ilkley, though I am not yet able to prove this.

2) The baptism records for many sons of the Lomax family lists the occupation of the fathers as what seems to be Whitear, which is the name for a hide cleaner in old English.

3) Samuel's gravestone lists his birthdate as 1834 rather than 1830 and the 1870 census lists his estimated birth year as 1835. To add the the confusion, there is another Samuel Ramsden from Great Bolton, England who was born in 1833-1834 and seems to have immigrated to the US around 1854. This Samuel Ramsden seems to have settled in Cherokee Co., IA. How do we know we are following the right Samuel??

The answer comes mainly from a missing persons notice placed by Samuel's brother Andrew in 1857. In this notice (Ref 9), Andrew, (having arrived in the US himself about 2 years prior and settled in Mass.), states that the family has not heard from his brother Samuel in about 3 years, but that he is from Lancashire, England and was last known to have settled in Van Buren, Crawford, AR. This seems to point clearly to our Samuel.

It is not known why Samuel chose to stop writing his family, nor why he seem to have started going by a younger age after arriving in Arkansas. Perhaps, a part of him was just wanting to leave the past behind and start over with a clean slate. Likely the brothers reconnected at some point. Family lore is that the mother Alice wrote to Samuel often in later years, updating him on all the family's doings, but that these letters were thrown out when he died.

References

1) England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892, Class: HO 27; Piece: 61; Page: 89

2) England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892, Class: HO 27; Piece: 73; Page: 86

3) England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892, Class: HO 27; Piece: 82; Page: 175

4) https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/textile-mills-lancashire-legacy/textile-mills-lancashire-legacy/

5) "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:275S-PZ7 : 11 August 2022), Samuel Ramsden, 1852.

6) "A Nation Divided: Arkansas and the Civil War". http://bc-digital.org/civilwararkansas/history.html#:~:text=Cotton%20was%20the%20driving%20force,continue%20throughout%20the%20next%20decade.

7) "The Long Road to Prohibition in Arkansas". https://onlyinark.com/featured/the-long-road-to-prohibition-in-arkansas/

8) Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861-1874. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/civil-war-through-reconstruction-1861-through-1874-388/

9) Searching for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in “The Boston Pilot," 1831-1920. Published 21 Mar 1857.

The Bettis/Alston Trek West (NC to AR)

Author's Note: While writing this post, I came across a recently published book by Carla Barringer Rabinowtiz, "Borderers: Becoming Americans on the Southern Frontier." It was a wonderful read and was basically the article I had hoped to write, but in book form. I have referenced heavily from her materials for parts of this post and am indebted to her work.  

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There are at least 5 main branches of Bettis' in America, but due to all the destruction of records during the Revolutionary and Civil wars, concretely tracing them backwards is almost impossible. The closest firm ground that can be found is that of John Bettes (b. about 1680) (Ref 1, p.49), who was living in old Albemarle Co, NC (then in the northeastern portion of the state) around 1700. His family probably migrated there about 1650, most likely having originally hailed from Henricho Co., VA, where they were called Tuckahoes, due to the potato-like vegetable the Indians taught them to gather wild, and with it make bread. Like other Tuckahoes of the region, they were probably of English origin.

John Bettes had 6 sons (Francis Sr., John Jr., James, Thomas, Doser, and William)(Ref 1, p. 52). Francis Bettis, Sr. (born about 1700) received a land grant to settle in Edgecombe Co, NC along the Tar River in 1732 (Ref 5), near where Old Sparta is today. He married Mary Evans and had 7 children (Elijah Sr., Elisha, Francis Jr., Irvin, John, Mary, and Janet)(Ref 4, Ref 1, p.52). 

Tarboro Twp. in Edgecombe Co., 9 miles north of Old Sparta.

Although of humble beginnings, Francis Bettis was a restless, ambitious type who was constantly moving onward to the next new frontier, a trait that would become typical of his line in many generations to follow (Ref 7, p.112). In part this was due to the primary industry of this area at the time - extracting the tar, turpentine, and pitch, that were so essential to shipbuilding in that era, from the longleaf pines (Ref 7, p.114). Due to the seemingly endless abundance of the forests around them, white settlers made no efforts to preserve this resource, and instead girdled and tapped the trees for their use until they died. As with any difficult task in this time and place, they often made use of slave labor. When the resources in an area eventually became depleted, it would be necessary to move on.

The Bettis' had the habit of purchasing lands at the head of navigable rivers, near developing commercial towns that specialized in collecting these pine products from the interior lands, and then shipping then downstream for use (Ref 7, p.117). Most likely the Bettis' acquired their later wealth by participating in this transfer of resources in some way. As early as 1753, Francis migrated further southwest along the fall line into then Bladen/Cumberland Co., NC, where he was granted numerous lands along Rockfish Creek, (south of Fayetteville), and on Drowning Creek (near Five Points), in what is now Hoke Co. (then Cumberland Co.) His wife, Mary, died in 1774, but he lived on to at least 1794 (Ref 1). In later years he lived with his son Francis Jr. in SC. His eldest son Elijah, Sr., was our direct ancestor.

Hoke Co. and surrounding areas in south central North Carolina

Near Five Points, NC in Hoke Co.

Rockfish Creek, a branch of the Cape Fear River in Cumberland Co., NC

Elijah Sr.'s wife's name is unknown, but the couple had 5 sons (Elijah Jr. (see Note 1), Elisha, Richard, Thomas, and Ensient/Insign (see Note 2)(Ref. 1, p.52, Ref. 7), and no doubt daughters as well. By 1767, all of Elijah Sr.'s siblings had moved to SC, except for Elisha, who was living on the land in Cumberland Co. that his father had previously owned. Elijah Sr. was trying out new land in Anson Co. However, later that year, Elisha died tragically by fire (though he was able to make a will first, which he accidentally left his brother John out of (Ref. 1, p.68), so he must have at least initially survived.)(Ref. 1, p.52, p.189). After which, Elijah Sr. was bequeathed the land. 

Throughout the mid-1700s, the Bettis family steadily grew their wealth through land acquisitions in newly opened areas, which greatly appreciated in value over time (Ref 7, p.179). In July of 1769, Elijah Sr. and Elijah Jr. purchased land in the northeast part of Cumberland Co., soon to become Moore Co. in 1784. The deeds were purchased from John Overton, Elijah Jr.'s father-in-law. Both were along McLendon's Creek, near Carthage, with Elijah Sr. purchasing land adjacent to John's land, while Elijah Jr. and his wife lived about 10 miles south down the river (Ref 5, Ref 7, p.117-118).

In 1773, Elijah purchased land "On both sides of the Lick Branch (Note 4) of The Clenden's Crick". In 1789, he was one of several men tasked with building a road "from John Overton's road...continuing along an old road commonly called Neil Tyson's road to Deep River at the mouth of Governor's Creek..."

McLendon's original log cabin, built circa 1760 on McLendon's creek

Elijah Bettis Jr. lived in Moore. Co, NC through the American Revolution and on into the early 1800's. Around 1760 he married Amey Overton, and they raised a family of 7 children: Elijah III, John Overton, Ranson Southerland, Jean (married George Jackson), Eleanor (married Ezekiel Rubottom), Lovely (married Edward Matthews) and Sally (married Drew/William Alston (see note 5)). Sally (born abt. 1775) is our direct ancestor.

The Revolutionary war was a difficult time in North Carolina. Due to how evenly split its inhabitant's persuasions were towards the British Loyalists vs the American Patriots, tensions between neighbors were high (Ref. 7, Chap. 13, Ref 14). Many of the original inhabitants of the state were Loyalists due to long ties with the Crown. However, the mid-1700's saw huge influxes of Highland Scots into Cumberland and Moore Co., some of whom brought with the patriotic ideals of the Scottish Enlightenment that helped to shape our future country (Ref. 7, p.155, Ref. 15).

There are no definitive records of Elijah Sr. being on either side of the hostilities (Ref. 7, p.171). His wife's side of the family seems to have had Loyalist leanings while his daughter Sally's possible father-in-law, Col. Phillip Alston, was a ruthless Patriot (Ref 7., p.186-187, Ref. 13). He may have been one of the many inhabitants of the area that had no strong loyalties to either side and just wanted to be left alone (Ref. 7, p.164). However, even the accusation of supporting the British could be enough place a person's life and property at risk during this time of war. Sadly, that is what appears to have happed to Elijah Sr. in 1776, when he was accused at a Provincial assembly of being a Tory (British supporter) (Ref, 7, pp.171-174). 

Many men in similar circumstances were forced to abandon their families to hide out in the swamps during the years of the war. It was not until the Act of Pardon and Oblivion was passed in 1783, allowing amnesty for "all manner of treasons, misprision of treason, felony or misdemeanor, committed or done since the fourth day of July 1776 by any person or persons whatsoever", that prior accused Loyalists began to quietly return to their homes. And although the birthdates of Elijah Sr.'s children are not known for certain (see Note 7), there is a glaring age gap between Sally, born about 1775, and Lovely, born about 1784, that is likely summed up by this explanation (Ref. 7, p.171). Who knows how Amey Overton Bettis held it together during this time. They must have been some very difficult years.

After the war, the state and country began the long, difficult process of healing the many community and commercial ties that had been broken during the fighting (Ref 7, Chap 14). This would prove a difficult task. Many a person's property had been plundered and confiscated. Further hardening hearts was a law passed in 1784, forbidding anyone who had helped a Loyalist in any way from ever holding public office. Indeed, no Bettis ever held public office in Moore Co., despite Elijah III joining the Pansophia Lodge by 1797, a fraternity of the county's elite and influential (Ref 7, p.191). Eventually, it must have become clear that despite their growing wealth, further advancement of the family in society would require a new location as well (Ref. 7, p.193). 

While it is not known for certain when the decision to relocate was made, sometime after 1790, Elijah Sr. passed away and Elijah Jr. began the process of converting his land assets into more portable slave assets (Ref. 7, p.194). Census records show that between 1790 and 1800, the number of slaves in his household increased from 3 to 30. Three slaves would have been typical of a modestly wealthy family at that time, 30 was unusual (Ref. 7, p. 178, Ref. 16). Additionally, his son Elijah III, who lived nearby and was single at the time, owned 9 slaves of his own.

The Louisiana purchase of 1803 opened up areas west of the Mississippi River for settlement to Americans for the first time. Soon after, most the Bettis family (all except Jean and her husband George Jackson) chose to leave Moore Co. and set off for new lands in Missouri. (Actually, Sally may have been living with her husband in Drew/William Alston in GA at the time (See Note 6)). Elijah Jr. created a Will in 1805 just before leaving for the journey (Ref. 17). 

Although he was lucky enough to not need the Will enacted for another 10 years, he must have considered with caution the long journey before him in those later years of his life. Getting through mountainous western NC and into TN at that time would have been no easy feat. They would likely have taken a portion of the Wilderness Road to Daniel Boone's Cumberland Gap trail (formed in 1775). Accidents, violent weather, drownings at river crossings, disease, lack of food and/or water, and Indian attacks were among the many dangers along the way (Ref. 18).

They stopped for at least a time in TN. Then in 1806, they pushed off again for Missouri. The Bettis' were a well-off family and their wagon train was quite large, carrying 20 wagons, many slaves, and a variety of supplies. The family seems to have settled on Otter Creek in SE Missouri, a large stream flowing into the St. Francis River (Ref 3, p.175). It was in a part of Cape Girardeau County, which later became Wayne Co. near Greenville.

Unlike the rivers they had lived on in NC, the St. Francis River was not navigable for shipping goods. The Bettis family made use of their vast slave holdings (in 1820, they owned more than 1/3 of the county's slaves (Ref.7, p.257)) to set up a ferry near where Greenville is today (originally known as Bettis Ferry) (Ref.7, pp.255-256). Ranson Bettis owned the ferry, with a license issued by his brother Overton who was then the Sherriff. Elijah Bettis III ran the adjoining grist mill while practicing a little medicine on the side (Ref 7., p.256). By the time Wayne Co. was founded in 1818, Bettis Ferry had 10-15 log cabin houses with about 60-75 white inhabitants, plus their slaves.

Old site of the Bettis Ferry

All was not peaceful on the front, however. While the facts are somewhat disputed (Ref 7, pp.275-277), it is claimed that at some point within the first few years of the family's new settlement in MO, the relationship between Lovely's husband Edward Matthews, and Sally's husband Drew/William Alston, soured. Matthews was said to have killed Alston with a hand-spike, but was acquitted on grounds of self-defense (Ref. 2, p.283). Whether fact or legend, both of these men were no strangers to violence. William/Drew's possible father Phillip Alston was a convicted murderer with a violent temper (see Note 6). And Matthew's was indicted for assault and battery, brawling, and obstructing no less than 5 times in just a 3-year period. Family relations must have been strained, to say the least.

Perhaps this is why, when the family began to move westward again into Arkansas in 1827 (Ref. 7, pp.287-290), Matthews, and his Bettis wife Lovely, were one of only two of the six siblings to stay behind in MO. The other was Ezekiel Rubottom, and his new wife Parmelia Parish. His Bettis wife Eleanor had died in 1809, and Ezekiel himself had become a prominent political figure and Baptist preacher in the state. Elijah III had been a State Senator for a number of years as well, but eventually chose to retire to Pocahontas, AR with his sons in 1832, before his passing in 1836 (Ref. 8)(See Note 8).

Pocahontas, AR in Randolph Co.

In Arkansas, Ranson Southerland Bettis set up a trading post overlooking the Black River in the northeast portion on the state (Ref.7, pp.287-288). His brothers Overton, and then Elijah III, soon followed. The area was originally known as Bettis Bluff, but was renamed to Pocahontas in 1835 when Randolph Co. was formed from Lawrence Co. Although there were likely a variety of reasons for the family move to AR (Ref. 7, pp.288-289), the most likely pertained to the family ferry business. Newly developed steamboat travel had increased the profitability of moving goods along a river route, making a non-navigable river like the St. Francis less attractive. Better economic opportunities awaited further West.

Steamboats at Pocahontas Port

In the mid-1830's, Sally Alston's family seems to have moved even further west, to settle an Arkansas River town that was then called Spadra (now part of Clarksville), AR. Her son, Elijah Bettis Alston, opened a store like his uncle Elijah Bettis III further east. Later, when coal was discovered on his 1400 acres of land in 1844, he built a new home across the river as well as a cotton gin (Ref. 9, Ref. 10). In her elder age, Sally was living with this son. His brothers, including our direct ancestor Ranson Drew Alston (b.1810), lived in Spadra initially as well. But around 1839, when Ranson married Sarah Williamson, he moved on to Ozark in Franklin Co., AR and his brother Overton Alston later joined him.

Strawberry Bluff in in Clarksville, AR

Ozark, Franklin Co, AR

Like many towns in the Arkansas frontier at the time, Ozark was an area that saw frequent trading with Cherokee and Osage Native Americans and French fur trappers. As in so many times before though, the more White settlers that came, the more old ways of life broke down and the Native Americans were pushed out. From 1830-1850, many Indians camped in Ozark as part of the Trail of Tears, before continuing on to Oklahoma on foot. Steamboats often stopped here as well during times of low river tide.

Ozark, AR, 1910

Ranson and his brother Overton owned a goods store in downtown Ozark (Ref 11). He and Sarah Williamson (from TN) had a large family of 10 children, and before the civil war in the 1860s, owned 6-7 slaves as well. His oldest son John fought in the civil war with the confederate army. Their 5th child, Charnelcie "Nelcie" Jean Alston was our direct ancestor. Despite the many successes of the prior generations, this branch of the family seems to have been under an unlucky sign. For whatever reason, only 3 of the 10 Alston children went on to have families of their own, and many died young in their 20-30s.

Charnelcie Jean Alston

Charnelcie married Albert Franklin Quesenbury (also a former slave holding family) in 1872. They lived in Mulberry, AR, a town about 14 miles from Ozark where her parents lived. She died at the young age of only 29, but had two children before she passed. The oldest, Sadie Jane Quesenbury, married Henry Samuel Ramsden, who was our great, great grandmother.

Research Notes

(1) There really are a lot of Elijah's in this family. Pretty much every branch of the tree gave one child that name, though only the first 2 are in our direct line. Trying to distinguish them all in records has been a challenge. I refer to the first Elijah, the child of Francis Sr. born in about 1720, as Elijah Sr. His son Elijah, born about 1740, is referred to as Jr., and they are often referred to that way in NC land records. However, it gets complicated by the fact that he had his own son named Elijah (III) in 1762 (later a grandson as well), and after this he was referred to as Elijah Sr. and his son as Elijah Jr. in MO (not in our direct line). But I will continue to refer to then as Elijah Jr. and Elijah (III) here. To top that off, both Elijah Jr. and Elijah (III) were doctors, though I believe only Elijah Jr. was more formally trained (Ref 7, p.186), and only Elijah (III) was also a Senator.

(2) The word 'enceinte' means 'great with child' and some researchers have taken the name Ensient, used many times in this record (Ref. 1), to have this meaning rather than a real name. I am not sure what the author intended. In some cases, she seems to use it this way, as in "Elijah m. (Ensient)." (Ref. 1, p.52). In other cases she seems to use it as an actual name, such as when listing the offspring of Elijah Sr., though whether by accident or intention I am not certain. It does seem suspicious that this offspring seems to go the same places Elijah Jr. goes, but without any offspring of his own (Ref. 1, p.53).

(3) Ref 1. has a lot of issues (including a clairvoyant horse used as a source in one section(!)), and one of them is that on p.53 she seems to suddenly create another generation of Elijah in paragraph 5 and then starts referring to Elisha, who really should be Elijah Jr./Sr. The multiple name mix-ups are all very confusing (probably why she was never able to officially publish) and have to be sorted out with other records. Use as a general outline only.

(4) In land records, McLendon's creek is as various time referred to as Clenden's, McLendon's, or McClendon's. In 1790, Elijah Bettis St. deeded land to John Dunlap, who lived just southwest of John Overton. His land was adjacent to this area.

(5) As shown on the Moore Co. map, Phillip Alston lived right across the Deep River from the area the Bettis' lived. Ref 1. mentions an Alston as the husband of one of the Bettis daughters who made the wagon train journey to MO but does not give a first name, though it seems likely to be a son of Phillip's. However, Ref. 3, p.175, gives a description of Otter Creek which describes its first settlers as Elijah Matthews, William Alston, and Ezekiel Ruebottom. I would feel more confident about this link if it weren't for the fact that Elijah Matthews name was really Edward Matthews, so who knows what else they got wrong. Additionally, there is good reason to assume (based both on the location of Elijah III's birth in GA and their children's/grandchildren's names) that Sally married Drew Alston, a known son of Philip Alston (Ref 7, pp.277-278).

(6) Sally and Drew/William Alston's first son (another Elijah) lists his state of birth as GA in the 1850 census, though he changes it to NC on the 1860 census. Drew/William Alston was likely the son of Phillip Alston, whose family was forced to flee from Moore Co. to GA in 1787 after he was accused of murdering his political opponent George Glascock (Ref. 7, p.187, Ref 13, p.115). He was later murdered in GA in 1797. It is difficult to understand the ties between these two families because Phillip was certainly a Patriot and yet it seems more likely that Elijah Jr. was a Loyalist. None the less, they are the most likely candidate for the family of Sally's husband, and the Drew name of Phillip's wife's family seems to have carried down for many generations in their line. Also, Phillip is known to have had a son named Drew but there is no record of a son named William. Some say that this Drew was killed in the GA militia in 1813, though no records to this fact have been found. This Drew was supposed to have still been living in GA in 1812, however (Ref 19), and so perhaps this is not the correct Alston family for Drew after all.

(7) The birth year for Elijah III is particularly confusing. An 1836 obituary lists his birth year as 1762 but the 1800 census lists him as between 16-26, living independently, which would suggest 1774-1784 instead. Given the ages of the other children, and the difficulty of an infant surviving during the war, it seems most likely he was born between 1767-1777.

(8) Although not in our direct line, I feel it necessary to point out that there were many men in the Bettis clan who participated in the disturbing but common practice at that time of fathering children by enslaved women (Ref 7, pp.258-259). Elijah III was one of these men. Although Elijah III did not formally marry Elizabeth Robinson until the age of 53, he is known to have had 7 enslaved daughters by 7 different women in the years prior. Reportedly, they all considered themselves sisters and remained very close. Sometimes these women and children were released from slavery upon their owner's death, sometimes not. Thankfully, Elijah did emancipate his daughters upon his death (Ref 7, p.317). 

One of the lessons I have taken away from this genealogical exploration is the fact that regardless of my skin color, I may be more closely related to some African Americans of this country than to some Whites. 

References

(1) Kerrigan, Astele Cobb. "The Bettes: England to America". Houston, TX : Unpublished, 1957. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/357792-redirection : 2022.

(2) Goodspeed Publishers. "Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri", p.283. Washington DC, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1888. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/250193-redirection : 2022.

(3) Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names of Six Counties in Southeast Missouri", p.175. Columbia, MO : University of Missouri, 1945. https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/handle/10355/66002 : 2022.

(4) North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998". Wills and Estate Papers (Cumberland County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: Cumberland, North Carolina. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/927390:9061?ssrc=pt&tid=9623519&pid=332426530673 : (accessed 17 October 2022). Elisha Bettis probate in 1767. Note that John is not mentioned.

(5) Ancestry.com. "Bettis NC Land Deeds/Grants". https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/199369?token=aIuLjxWKG0G271XpDN4Nq8xD5wfjnvwHmCzsG7AxcL4%3D : 2022.

(6) 1784 Petition, Cumberland County, NC - Creation of Moore County. https://moorecountywallaces.com/showmedia.php?mediaID=5229&medialinkID=15607 : 2022.

(7) Rabinowitz, Carla Barringer. Borderers: Becoming Americans on the Southern Frontier. Athol, MA: Haley's, 2018. 

(8) Obituary of Dr. Elijah Bettis III. https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/271887?token=d80299e72eb79d43749c181fcbc29dc8243e63948a13f88a5aab4748cbddb7d6 : 2022.

(9) Spadra (Johnson County). https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/spadra-johnson-county-3510/ : 2022.

(10) Langford, Ella Molly. Johnson County, Arkansas : The First 100 Years. Sallis, Threadgill & Sallis, Printers : Clarksville, Arkansas, 1921. https://archive.org/stream/johnsoncountyark00lang/johnsoncountyark00lang_djvu.txt : 2022.

(11) "After 134 Years on Use, Building Still in Good Shape". 25 Jan, 1974. https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/142076472?cid=mem_copy : 2022.

(12) Clara B. Eno. "History of Crawford County, Arkansas", pp.378-379. The Press-Argus : Van Buren, Arkansas. https://www.seekingmyroots.com/members/files/H000114.pdf : 2022.

(13) Robinson, Blackwell P. "A History of Moore County North Carolina, 1747-1847". Moore County Historical Assoc : Southern Pines, NC, 1956. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x000883011&view=1up&seq=11 : 2022.

(14) Troxler, Carole W. "Which Side to Take: Revolutionary or Loyalist?" https://www.ncpedia.org/anchor/which-side-take : 2022.

(15) NCPedia. "The Highland Scots". https://www.ncpedia.org/highland-scots : 2022.

(16) The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. "Statistics: Slaves and Slaveholdings." https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/teaching-resource/statistics-slaves-and-slaveholdings : 2022.

(17) Will of Elijah Bettis Sr., https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/143975?token=e386905d5b26e82ab089faeafe65c5a2745f3992277555b161800de009766ad5 : 2022.

(18) Legends of America. "Danger and Hardship on the Oregon Trail". https://www.legendsofamerica.com/oregon-trail-danger-hardship/ : 2022.

(19) Wilcox, G. W., "A History of the House in the Horseshoe: Her People and her Deep River Neighbors", p.284. Wilmington, NC : Historical Research Services, 1999.

Our Seaman Family Line

Family Line Links: (WikiTree.com)(Ancestry.com)(FamilySearch.org)

The exact origin of our particular branch of Seamans is difficult to trace due to the many progenitors of the name. The surname has likely been in use since the 8th century AD, when Danish Norseman (i.e. Vikings) sailed the North Sea. They raided the eastern and southern coasts of England many times over the ensuing centuries, and were often called by the uninspired name of "Sea Men". The result being that the surname is now spread far and wide across eastern and southern England (See Ref. 1, p.6).

Once settled in England, the various Seamans spread prolifically, and the surname is now found with a number of spelling variations. Of note, the Old English word Symond meant what Seaman means today, but was pronounced Simmon (Ref.1, p.8). In some areas of England it has been further corrupted to Simmonds, but all of these spellings are of the same origin. 

The earliest known American ancestor of our line that can be confidently traced is that of Thomas Seamans of Swansea, MA. There seem to have been 2-4 main lines of Seamans that came to America from England. We do not know for certain which of these lines our Thomas came from, and different researchers have claimed each of these sources as the origin of our line (Ref 1, p.9; Ref. 2, p.xii), though some can be easily refuted (See Note 1). An intriguing possibility is that of a Thomas Seaman who had been banished from the early colonies to Barbados for an unknown political or religious crime (a somewhat common punishment at that time). In 1679, he was released with a group of prisoners and allowed to return to New England (Ref 1, p.9; Ref 2, p.x). Some accounts claim that our Thomas' grandson Revered Job Seaman (son of his son Charles) left written papers stating that his grandfather Thomas had jumped this ship in Maryland and then made his way to Massachusetts where he settled (see Note 4).

One final possibility, with no proof whatsoever, I share only because it has some small resemblance to family lore I have heard passed down our own family line. Supposedly, a member of the royal Stuart line in England at the time of King James I (1603-1625), renounced his catholic faith and was banished to Virginia. He prospered in the new world, and had property, a wife, and three sons (always the 3 sons in these stories), however, he died at a relatively young age. His widow remarried, began a new family, and was anxious to fully remove her ties to the banished Stuart line. She convinced the boys' stepfather to bribe a Captain to take then to Plymouth Rock under the surname of Seamans, and to find them a home there in which they could be provided for. Only the eldest brother was old enough to understand why they had been sent away, but he explained it to the youngest two and told them he was going to try to go back to claim his birthright. Instead, he drowned at sea. Two years later the second brother tried the same with similar results. The third brother then decided to stay put and retain the name of Seamans. Far-fetched, but who knows, our Seamans could be Stuarts in disguise (Ref 2, p.xii)!



The exact birthdate/place of our Thomas Seamans is unknown, but was likely southeastern England around 1660. The Swansea, MA area he settled in has the notoriety of being the origination site of the first Indian War (also known as King Phillip's war). The area was once called Mattapoisett ("place of resting") by the Wampanoag Native Americans, and portions of the land were sacred to their people and central to their native government at the time (Ref 5). A fragile peace had been brokered between the Pokanoket Wampanoag and the Plymouth colony settlers since their arrival in 1620. But tensions flared as the settlers slowly pushed further westwards into native territory. The town's official formation in 1667 was carried out by a group of Baptists led by Revered John Myles, who had been forced out of nearby Rehoboth due to their religious beliefs (Ref 6, Ref 9). By Jun 20, 1675, the date of King Phillip's (the Wampanoag leader) attack, there were at least 5 main areas of new English settlement in the area containing about 40 houses (Ref 7, p.2).

As the attack began, residents fled to the Miles (Myles) and Bourne garrison properties for protection (Ref. 7, p.4). That first day, nineteen residents were killed and all of the homes between Swansea Corners and the Borne Garrison (now known as Gardner's neck) were destroyed. Over the next year, while war waged across the colonies, many families relocated back to Rehoboth and into RI for a time. Eventually the English gained the upper hand, and by Aug 20, 1676, King Phillip was captured, hung, beheaded, drawn, and quartered. And then for good measure, his head was placed on a spike and displayed at Plymouth colony for two decades. (Bitter much?) Residents returned and the new Baptist English town prospered. And in 1687, perhaps a few years after jumping a ship, this is where Thomas chose to marry Susannah Sailisbury and settle down. (Many of their children later settled in northwestern RI as well, where it is said that the Seaman family owned most of the land in that area at the time (Ref 2, p.1).)

Susannah Sailisbury, originally from nearby Dorchester, MA (now part of Boston), moved to Swansea in her youth. Sadly, her father and eldest brother were among the casualties of that first day of King Phillip's war. Thomas and Susannah were well documented citizens of Swansea, MA in the late 1600's, where they had a family of 11 children (Ref 2, p.1, Ref 16). He was a teacher, a shoemaker, and a carpenter. Interestingly, our Kent family ancestors lived in this same town during the same time period. Given the size of the town during this period, it seems likely that Thomas Seamans and Joseph Kent (b.1665) knew one another at least in passing.

Thomas and Susannah's eldest son (b.1693) was given the namesake of Thomas as well. In 1716, this son married a woman named Mary Pierce, with whom he had a daughter, also named Mary (b.1717). Unfortunately, his wife seems to have died in childbirth, or soon after. A year and a half later, he married again to Martha Wood, and they had 10 more children in Swansea (Ref 2, pp.2-3, Ref 17). Their eldest son was again given the name of Thomas (b.1722), from whom we are descended. In later life, Thomas and Martha may have joined his siblings in RI for a time, but he is said to have died in Northampton, MA (See Note 3).

Elder Thomas Seamans (b.1722) became a pastor of the Hornbine Baptist Church in SE Rehoboth, MA, then called the Church of Christ (Ref 6, pp.108-111). This church was originally formed in Swansea a few years after the death of Pastor Myles. Ironically, due to religious disagreements over tithes, in 1753 they chose to remove themselves to Rehoboth, from which that had been ousted just under a century prior for other religious disagreements. Elder Thomas married Sarah Miller in Rehoboth, MA in 1745, and had 6 children there (Ref 2, p.7, Ref 17). He was also a farmer who lived to the age of 104 years, was said to have great "physical vigor", and preached at the Sunday pulpit through his 100th year. He lived the final years of his life on the farm of his son Comfort Seamans, where he is buried, about a mile north of the church where he used to preach (Ref 9, pp.203-204)(See Note 3).

Elder Thomas' third son Josiah (b.1752) was our ancestor. He married Penelope Baker in Rehoboth in 1772 and then moved to western MA where he settled in Lanesborough. They raised a family of 7 children as the Revolutionary war was beginning, in a town strongly supportive of the move towards British Independence (Ref 10, pp.24-25). In what few town records remain after the Town Hall fire of 1828, the family is listed by the surname of Simmons (Ref. 18). Our ancestor Gardner Simmons (b.1787) was their 6th child and youngest son. At some point after 1790 the family seems to have relocated to Vermont (Ref 11, p.96) (See Note 2).

Perhaps it was because of his position as the youngest son in a large family that Gardner chose to set off for new lands at the age of only 20. Post-war expansion of the colonies opened up lands in northern Pennsylvania for settlement. However, it was a notoriously difficult area to draw settlers to due to the combination of dense forests, hostile natives, and poor roads (Ref 13). In 1806-7, an East-West Road began construction across the new north central counties, helping to attract settlers at last. Gardner arrived in Sullivan Twp., Tioga County, PA in 1807, becoming only the 8th family of settlers to the area (Ref 12). Gardner was one of the original teachers of the town, as well as a farmer (Ref 14).

Gardner and his wife Mercy Howes (of VT) had 7 children (Ref 19). Their second born son, Henry Gilbert, died at the relatively young age of 31, and although his wife was still living, Gardner and Mercy took in 2 of their 3 children for a number of years. Their youngest child, Orrin, was born to them unexpectedly late in life, and it was with him and his family that they lived during their elder years in nearby Richmond Twp. Gardner and Mercy's first born son, Samuel (b. 1810), was our direct ancestor.

Unlike many of his siblings, Samuel chose to leave north central PA and settle into the south western town of Wilmore, Cambria, PA instead. He married Anne Amsbaugh from nearby Wheatfield, Indiana, PA in 1839 and was a cabinet maker by trade. He was also ordained as a Free Will Baptist reverend in 1844 (Ref. 15, p.590). He and his wife Anne had 8 children, including a set of fraternal boy/girl twins born in 1850. Unfortunately, Rev. Samuel passed away at the age of only 43, just 3 weeks before his youngest child Daniel Gardner was born. Their oldest child, Thomas, was but 14 years at the time.

It's unclear how Anne managed to hold the family together through this time, yet all but one of her children went on to settle in the nearby area and raise families of their own. The twins, John and Mary, ended up marrying siblings from the same family, Louisa and William Knepper, about 4 years apart. Samuel and Anne's second oldest son, Albert Franklin (b. 1841), was our direct ancestor. 

Albert remained in Wilmore, PA, initially working as a farm laborer. At the age of 20 he enlisted into the Union side of the civil war where he served for a year and a half as a blacksmith in a Calvary unit in Virginia. A year later, in 1866, he married Virginia Chestnutwood/(Kestenholtz). Virginia was from a line of Swiss-German's that were prevalent in PA at this time, brought in back at the turn of the century to help build the roads and other infrastructure of the expanding state (Ref 13). Albert continued his work as a farmer and blacksmith and they had a family of 9 children.

Albert's second born son, Emory Samuel (b. 1869), is our direct ancestor. Like his father and grandfather before him, Emory lived in Wilmore, Cambria, PA. In 1899, he married Martha Anna Dean from Huntingdon, PA and they had 3 children. He owned a grocery store on the main street of town. His wife passed at the age of 58 from pneumonia, though she was said to have been sick for about 3 years before that time (see obit). Their youngest child, Ruth, born late in their marriage, was 14 at the time. In 1930 Emory was living with his middle son Alfred and his daughter Ruth, but by 1940 Ruth was married and Alfred was serving time in a DC prison(?!). Thus, Emory had moved in with his oldest son Ellsworth Franklin's (b. 1901) family, in the DC area where he was stationed for military work. Later Emory moved back to PA and lived with his daughter Ruth. He is buried in the Wilmore United Brethren Cemetery along, with many other Seaman family members of this line.

Research Notes

(1) Perhaps the most easily disproven is that of Capt. John Seaman of Long Island, NY. His descendants are well documented in "The Seaman Family in America as descended from Captain John Seaman of Hempstead, Long Island" (Ref. 1) and our Thomas is not one of them (though he did have a son named Thomas as well). 

Another less likely source is that of Moses Simmons/Symonson, who settled in Plymouth, MA in 1621. His family was originally from England, but seems to have settled in Holland in about 1605 due to conflicts with the Crown, after which various branches set out at different times to America. His early descendants are less well documented than that of Capt. John Seaman, but what is available does not seem to match with our Thomas (Ref. 3).

Some researchers say he was one of 4 brothers from Chilton, England who were banished due to their participation in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 (Ref. 4), but this is too late to correspond to the prisoner release of 1679 on the ship "Thomas and Sarah".  Of note, the rebellion is said to have been planned from Holland, so perhaps the descendants of the Moses line were involved on that end?

(2) I have not been able to find any original source documentation of Gardner's time in VT. There is unsourced data of his father Josiah having died there. His wife is listed on census records as having been born there (VT) and in PA sources (Ref 11, p.96) he is described as being from there (except for one source which states NJ??). On census records he states his birthplace as MA, except for the last one in 1870 in which he states VT. All of his father Josiah's children were born in Lanesborough, MA and he was still living there during the 1790 census. But by 1807, Gardner was in PA. I have not been able to locate any census records for the family in 1800, so my best guess is that this was about the time that they relocated to VT.

(3) There are a few claims in "The Seamans family in America as descended from Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts 1687" that I am a bit skeptical of and one of them is whether or not Thomas moved to RI or Northampton, MA. Certainly some of his siblings did, and there are records to show that, but none for him in either place that I am aware of (please email me if you find some!). One thing that is definitely wrong in this source is the claim on p.7 that Elder Thomas died in 1818 and is buried in RI. As shown in Ref. 9, p.204, Elder Thomas died in Rehoboth in 1826, where he also raised his family and served as a pastor for many years. The Thomas of the 1818 RI grave was no doubt one of the offspring from the other branches of the family that moved to RI previously.

(4) Job definitely did leave journal papers after he passed, but I have not yet been able to find the one that verifies this claim. Other researchers claim the Thomas of the ship to be a different line, though without any explanatory reason (Ref 1, p.9).

References

(1) Seaman, Mary Thomas. The Seaman Family in America as descended from Captain John Seaman of Hempstead, Long Island. Long Island, NY : Tobias A. Wright, Inc., Printers & Publishers, 1928, pp.2-9. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/14230/images/dvm_GenMono000472-00002-1?pId=2 :2022.

(2) Lawton, John Julian. The Seamans family in America as descended from Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts 1687. Syracuse, NY: Privately Printed, 1933. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/13:14243?ssrc=pt&tid=9623519&pid=332336408087 : 2022.

(3) Simmons, Lorenzo Albert. History of the Simmons Family from Moses Simmons, 1st. (Moyses Symonson) Ship Fortune 1621, to and including the eleventh generation in some lines, and very nearly complete to the third and fourth generations from Moses 1st. Lincoln, NB: Lincoln Herald Print, 1931. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/574280/?offset=9#page=4&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q= :2022.

(4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monmouth_Rebellion :2022.

(5) https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/king-philips-war :2022.

(6) Wright, Otis Olney. History of Swansea Massachusetts. Swansea, MA : Publicly published by town, 1917. https://archive.org/stream/historyofswansea00wrig/historyofswansea00wrig_djvu.txt : 2022. 

(7) https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcpdf/townreports/SE-Mass/swn.pdf : 2022.

(8) http://www.swanseahistoricalsociety.org/townhistory/colonydistricthouses.html : 2022.

(9) Tilton, Rev. George H. "A History of Rehoboth Massachusetts : Its History for 275 Years 1643-1918". Boston, MA : Privately Published, 1918. https://books.google.com/books?id=hyjMIY-vxX8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false : 2022.

(10) Palmer, Charles J. "History of town of Lanesborough, Massachusetts 1741-1905". Publisher not identified. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/427504-history-of-town-of-lanesborough-massachusetts-1741-1905-part-1?offset= : 2022.

(11) Seaman, George. "History of the Seaman Family in Pennsylvania". Reading, Pa. : Bright Printing, 1911. v.1, p.96. https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/431920-history-of-the-seaman-family-in-pennsylvania-with-genealogical-tables?viewer=1&offset=0#page=1&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q= : 2022.

(12) "Sullivan Township Immigrants - Where our people came from and when" http://www.joycetice.com/towns/sullivan.htm : 2022.

(13) “Tioga County: A Last Frontier”. http://paheritage.wpengine.com/article/tioga-county-last-frontier/ : 2022.

(14) "Schools of the Tri-Counties". https://www.joycetice.com/schools/1889rep3.htm : 2022.

(15) Burgess, Gideon Albert and Ward, John T. "Free Baptist Cyclopaedia: Historical and Biographical". Free Baptist Cyclopaedia Company, 1889. https://books.google.com/books/about/Free_Baptist_Cyclopaedia.html?id=3GXiAAAAMAAJ : 2022.

(16) Book A, records of the town of Swansea, 1662 to 1705. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/19:10129?ssrc=pt&tid=9623519&pid=332336408087 : 2022.

(17) Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915.

(18) Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/30786917?h=82b3fd : 2022.

(19) US Federal Census Records of MA, PA, DC.