Genealogy Report: Ancestors of Helen Edith Hefner
Ancestors of Helen Edith Hefner
8.John Hefner7, born 1804 in Pendleton Co., W. VA.7; died Abt. 1879 in Delaware Co., IA7.He was the son of 16. Henry Hefner and 17. Sarah Harper.He married 9. Elizabeth Graham October 02, 1824 in Monroe Co., W. VA.7.
9.Elizabeth Graham8,9, born Abt. 1806 in Monroe Co., W. VA.9; died Aft. 1870 in Delaware Co., IA.9.She was the daughter of 18. James Graham, Jr. and 19. Leah Jarrett.
Children of John Hefner and Elizabeth Graham are:
| i. | Jary Hefner, born Abt. 1829; married Jane; born 1828. | |||
| 4 | ii. | William Monroe Hefner, born April 17, 1831 in Fairfield Township, Tippecanoe Co., IN; died July 15, 1887 in Milo Township, Delaware Co., IA; married Sarah Ann Ball May 07, 1851 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., IN. | ||
| iii. | Francis M. Hefner, born 1835; died May 22, 1863 in Battle of Vicksburg, MS; married Charlotte D.. |
| More About Francis M. Hefner: Military service: Bet. 1861 - 1863, Co. K, 21st Iowa Vol. Infantry |
| iv. | Virginia Hefner, born 1837. | |||
| v. | Harrison Hefner, born 1840; died January 11, 1863 in Battle of Hartsville, MO. |
| More About Harrison Hefner: Military service: Bet. 1861 - 1863, Co. K, 21st Iowa Vol. Infantry |
11.Betsy Ferguson9, born August 03, 180710,11; died Bef. 1850 in Indiana11.She was the daughter of 22. William Ferguson and 23. Sarah Ann Mynatt.
Children of Thomas Ball and Betsy Ferguson are:
| i. | William Ball, born September 11, 1829 in Wayne Co., IN; died November 17, 1912 in Delaware Co., IA; married Harriet King April 17, 1864; born 1842 in Ma; died February 13, 1880. | |||
| ii. | James P. Ball, born June 1832; died Aft. 1912 in Prob. Delaware Co., IA; married (1) Eliza Jane Argabrite June 29, 1851; married (2) Ursula Davis Aft. 1851; born 1837 in NY. | |||
| 5 | iii. | Sarah Ann Ball, born August 15, 1834 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., IN; died December 10, 1906 in Delaware Co., IA; married William Monroe Hefner May 07, 1851 in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., IN. |
12.Thomas French11, born 1787 in VT12,13; died Bet. 1855 - 1856 in VT13.He was the son of 24. David French and 25. Hannah Butterfield.He married 13. Sarah A. Webster November 17, 183214,15.
13.Sarah A. Webster15, born May 27, 1813 in VT15; diedin prob. Franklin Co., IA15.She was the daughter of 26. Benjamin C. Webster and 27. Sarah.
Notes for Thomas French:
See note for David French, prior generation.
There is a sale of land by Aaron Leland of Chester, perhaps the Baptist preacher of that name, at Ludlow,on Dec. 2, 1817.The purchaser is Thomas French of Andover.He sold the same tract on Sept. 19, 1822, to Samuel Puffer of Andover, witnessed by Samuel Clark and his wife Phebe, whose surname is given by Ancestral File as Darling.This may be part of the reason that the surname of Polly has been stated as "Puffer."
The short lapse of time between the death of Polly and the marriage of Thomas French either to to Sarah H. Buswell or to Sarah Ann Webster has not been satisfactorily explained.Barely three months passed between the death of Mary/Polly( ) French, wife of Thomas French on August 27, 1832,and the marriage of Thomas French either to Sarah A. Webster on Nov, 17, 1832,according to the date given me by a great-aunt, or to Sarah H. Buswell of Cavendish on Nov. 29, 1832, at Ludlow, as shown by town records.Some sorting of names needs to be done to straighten this all out.
Thanks to Compiled Vital Records of Vermont, on microfilm, and despite their incompleteness, my Thomas French can be rather easily distinguished now fromThomas French of Peru, VT, in 1830, who is identifiable in his movements.Thomas French of Peru was born about 1786-1787 based upon data from the 1850 and 1860 census.Since he appears to be the person who married Betsey Howard at Windham, he is probably the Thomas French, Jr., of that town in the 1820 census, when he was first listed as a head of household, next to Thomas French, Sr.At that time there was only one child in Thomas Jr.'s household, a female.In the 1840 (New Benn.) census he had five boys and one girlbut no spouse, so he was apparently a widower by then.This fits with the death date given above for Betsey French (1839). In 1850 he was married to a woman named "Sally," who was close to the right age (44) to be Sarah H. Buswell (b. June 21, 1804), but it is highly unlikely that he is her spouse because the marriage occurred seven years prior to Betsey's death, and he would not have been a widower early enough to have married Sarah H. Buswell in 1832.The 1860 census shows that Thomas French of Peru had moved to Weston, VT, andhad a wife named "Harriet," which would tend to suggest that his "Sally" had died, or more remotely, that they had divorced, unless "Sally" was listed by her first name in 1850 and her middle name in 1860.The names of the known children of Thomas French and Betsey Howard are Alonzo, b. 12-30-1820;Joseph, b. 5-7-1823; and John, b. 5-19-1825 (d. 9-20-1825), all at Windham, based on Vermont birth records.Others shown in the censuses starting in 1850are: Amaziah, Eldridge (these two, at least, old enough to be the children of Betsey), Katy, Francis, Lorenzo, and Melissa.By coincidence, "Alonzo,"John," and "Lorenzo" occur in both families: one of Shepherd's brothers wasJohn Lorenzo French.Amaziah is probably named for Amasiah Howard, whose name appears in Windham Co. in the 1820 census.He may be Betsy's father.
The movements of my Thomas French can also be traced.Picking him out in 1850 is no problem.He was living at that time in Reading.Simon French, age 26, said to be a son by his first marriage, is also in Reading.Leaving aside the spouse identification problems for the moment, we can at least trace this Thomas French of Reading back through previous censuses.In 1840 he was at Plymouth [50200001-00111], age 50-60, which is just the right age for someone born in 1787.His wife is 20-30, which is just the right age for Sarah A. Webster, b. May 27, 1813, according to the date of birth given me by a great-aunt.In 1830 he was at Ludlow [1321001-000001], age 40-50, wife (Polly), age 30-40.Placing him in 1820 is more difficult.If Thomas of Peru in 1830 is Thomas, Jr., of Windham in 1820, then my Thomas in 1820 is probably Thomas of Andover in that year, with a much larger family [410110-00210].Some of these children may be younger siblings of Thomasor children taken in by the family.Otherwise my Thomas would have more children than he is known to have fathered before 1820.Another Thomas French, the one at Chester in 1820,is in the same age group as my Thomas French (26-45) but he has a family that is too small.He should have at least two boys (Leonard and Thomas) if he is my Thomas French, but he has only one.I am curious to know who he is, but I have no information about that.He seems to disappear from Vermont during the following decades.My Thomas French [age 16-26]is still at Andover with John, Howard, David, and David French, Jr.in 1810.The index which says they were at Chester is wrong,The census microfilm itself shows only one head of household at Chester in 1810 named French.He was Solomon French.The Thomas French who was at Andover in 1800 was an older person than my Thomas.I believe he was the individual listed at Windham in 1820 as Thomas French, Sr.See discussion for prior generation for more details.
I have found a Thomas French who served as a Lieutenant from Vermont in the French and Indian War but I think he is probably a different individual, a lawyer.
| Notes for Sarah A. Webster: A letter from Betty Buker states that the mother of Shepherd A. French is Sarah A. Webster, born May 27, 1813, which comports with 1850 census data, and that they were married November 17, 1832 (without stating the place).The Ludlow marriage record of November 29, 1832,indicates that Thomas French married Sarah F. Buswell of Cavendish, Vt.There are two other Thomas Frenches in Vermont with a wife named Sarah in 1850.One is Thomas French, Jr.,age 35, living in Ludlow (whereas our Thomas had moved to Reading], but he would have been too young to have married Sarah F. Buswell in 1832.His wife is possibly Sarah McCollum, but I have not verified that.The other is Thomas French of Peru, Vermont, whose wife in 1850 is "Sally" age 44, close to the age of Sarah F. Buswell, born June 21, 1804.But I have eliminated Thomas of Peru as Sarah Buswell's spouse because he did not become a widower until 1839 when his wife Betsy died.The Thomas French of Peru is not known to have ever lived in Ludlow where the marriage was recorded. Sarah H. Buswell, the daughter of John and Sarah Buswell, had siblings named Rebeckah, Asaph Norton, Syras, and Martha Moorstin.The names John, Sarah, and Martha are pretty common but they each occur among the children of my Thomas French and his wife Sarah.At least some of the Websters in Ludlow appear to be black or mulatto, but my Sarah is not known to have African ancestry, and I will assume for the moment that she was not "passing."But if my Thomas married Sarah H. Buswell, why did she say her name was Sarah A. Webster, and why would she have reported her age, her middle name, and her surname differently?Since the marriage record of Ludlow said that Sarah H. Buswell of Cavendish married Thomas French of Ludlow, it does not make sense that she married a third Thomas French who was just passing through town and thus did not appear on the censuses for 1830 and 1840.But that is what we are left to conclude unless Sarah A. Webster and Sarah H. Buswell are the same person.Maybe she married the "mysterious" Thomas who lived in Chester in 1820 and shortly thereafter left the area.The twelve day spread between marriage dates of two Thomas Frenches and their Sarahs in sparsely populated Vermont is amazing.But it is almost as amazing that all three Thomas Frenches known to be in the vicinity are married to a Sally or Sarah at about the same time.If Sarah H. Buswell did not marry my Thomas French that would make four! The Iowa death certificate of Shepherd's brother, John L. French, names John's mother as Sarah A. Webster.The appearance of Sarah Buswell's marriage recordnext to the marriage of Shepherd Adams in the vital records appears to be a coincidence.Perhaps the recorder knew that a Thomas French lived in Ludlow and assumed it was he that married Sarah F. Buswell. The place of marriage of Thomas French and Sarah A. Webster has not been determined. |
Children of Thomas French and Sarah Webster are:
| i. | Shepherd French, born November 27, 1833 in Ludlow, Windsor Co., VT.; died September 11, 1835 in Ludlow, Windsor Co., VT. | |||
| 6 | ii. | Shepherd Adams French, born April 24, 1836 in Ludlow, Windsor Co., VT; died March 13, 1910 in Siloam Springs, AR; married Julia Boutin January 08, 1878 in Ackley, IA. | ||
| iii. | Reubin French16, born June 15, 1838; died April 17, 1860 in Clarendon, VT. |
| More About Reubin French: Burial: Ludlow Cemetery Cause of Death: typhoid fever |
| iv. | James French17, born July 24, 1840; died June 26, 1858 in Ludlow, Windsor Co., VT. |
| More About James French: Cause of Death: drowning |
| v. | Marinda French18, born July 19, 1842; died 1869 in Ludlow, Windsor Co., VT; married Charles Burton?. | |||
| vi. | John Lorenzo French, born October 16, 1845 in Reading, Windsor Co., VT.; died August 26, 1916 in Faulkner, Franklin Co., IA.19; married Mary J. Riddle 187620; born October 1858 in Brooklier, IA.; died 1949. |
| More About John Lorenzo French: Cause of Death: cerebral abcess Military service: Bet. 1864 - 1866, Co. F, 142nd Illinois Vol. Inf. Military service-2: Bet. 1862 - 1863, Co. D, 9th Vermont Inf. |
| vii. | Sarah Anne French, born May 28, 1847 in Windsor Co., VT; married Franklin J. Tucker 1868 in Faulkner, Franklin Co., IA. | |||
| viii. | Martha Jane French, born January 16, 1850; died Bef. 1856. | |||
| ix. | Julina Augusta French, born July 29, 1852 in Reading, Windsor Co., VT.; died April 09, 1886 in Hampton, Faulkner Co., IA.20; married Maj. Charles William Boutin; born November 07, 1839 in VT.21; died January 12, 1912 in Des Moines, Polk Co., IA.21. |
| More About Maj. Charles William Boutin: Burial: Hampton, Franklin Co., IA.21 |
| x. | Hattie May French, born March 20, 1855 in Windsor Co., VT.; died in IA. | |||
| xi. | Martha French, born December 20, 185622 |
| Notes for Martha French: Because of this record I believe that the Martha shown on the 1850 census (age 8/12) had died and that this Martha bore her necronym. |
15.Martha P. Warner27, born August 06, 1815 in MA28; died April 24, 1883 in Hampton, Franklin Co., IA29,30.She was the daughter of 30. Azriel Warner and 31. Martha Pepper.
Notes for Joaquim Boutin:
I do not have any information about Joaquim's origins except for a death certificate for Julia Boutin French which says he was born in Quebec.I am interested in researching the possibility that he is related to a Boutin family that settled in Grafton Co.,NH.Some of the children's names, such as Joseph and Samuel, appear also in that family.The presence in 1860 of Sylvia Rugg, b. in NH, as a member of the family, suggests there might be an early NH connection, but that is only speculation at this point.
Another thing to remember is that there appears to be a tendency in the early generations of the family of Shepherd French and Julia Boutin for some children with brown complexions, dark brown hair, and brown eyes.Mabelle French was of this coloring, as was her daughter Hazel and my sister, Barbie (who might also get this coloring from my Mom's side, e.g., Aunt Phyllis and the Dutton line].This suggests to me a real possibility of an American Indian connection in the Boutin family.The counties of Missisquoi, Nicolet, and Yamaska (St. Francis) included many Abenaki and other refugees from New England that mixed with them.There are Boutins present also in these areas although it appears they may have come down from other counties closer to Quebec city, i.e., Bellechasse.Of course, this dark coloring does not appear in every individual.Both of my grandmothers had fair skin and grey eyes, although Grandma Helen had very dark hair.She and my Dad, who looks like her, obviously tend more to the Hefner-Ball side than to the French-Boutin side of the family.
More About Joaquim Boutin:
King: 1860, Sylvia Rugg, 81, b. N.H., was member of household.She appears to be daughter of John and granddaughter of Jonathan Rugg, Jr.30
| Notes for Martha P. Warner: The identification of this person points out the importance of being able to see the original records when possible, and that sometimes one needs a "break" to resolve a question about which the evidence is conflicting.I was aware that the handwritten forms forms of "Warner" and "Warren" are difficult to distinguish sometimes.A printed town record of her marriage indicated that her name was "Martha H. (or N.) Warren."The surname "Warner" did not appear in Spencer records at the time she was married there. Through conjecture I determined that her name might be Martha How Warren, a person who did live in Spencer and was close to the right age, but that conjecture remained doubtful.Not only did the census of 1860 for Windham County, Vermont, appear to give her mother's married surname as "Warner," "Warner"is also the spelling of the maiden surname that appears on the death certificates of her daughter, Julia Boutin French, and her son, Charles W. Boutin.The death certificate for Charles says that Martha and Joaquim were each born in France, but that contradicted census data and I was sure it was incorrect.The death certificate of Julia Boutin French is typewritten, but it may have been prepared from handwritten notes.The informant for the death certificate of Charles W. Boutin was his second wife, Mrs. C. W. Boutin(first wife Julina having died in 1886), and she obviously was not very familiar with her husband's ancestry.I surmised the existence but was unable to find a suitable Warner family nearby, but not in, Spencer, Mass.I thought that perhaps the "P" could stand for Patty, a nickname for Martha.Nicknames are sometimes written or abbreviated as middle names.Another possibility was that it stood for "Prouty," the surname of the stepfather of Meribah Warner's children.This family lived in Spencer.No marriage (other than to Joaquim Boutin) was found,however,for Martha H. Warren, although marriages for her siblings, Harriet and Horatio, were found.So for a long time I assumed that must be she.I thought it was possible that the town recorder listed this "Warner" family accidentally as a "Warren" family, but that would have obviated the links found for Eli "Warren,"father of Martha How Warren.So this question remained a mystery.Even though they wrote the surname as "Warner," on the death certificate I was still unsure.Regarding Martha's middle initial of "N" or "H" on the marriage of Martha and Joaquim: I thought that if she is a Warner, she could have been named either Martha Nash Warren, for a great-grandmother, or Martha Hillyard Warner, a grandmother.All of this speculation turned out to be wrong.Her surname really was Warner, as the information written above for Azreal Warner and Martha Pepper shows. |
Children of Joaquim Boutin and Martha Warner are:
| i. | Charlotte W. Boutin31, born 1838. | |||
| ii. | Maj. Charles William Boutin, born November 07, 1839 in VT.32; died January 12, 1912 in Des Moines, Polk Co., IA.32; married Julina Augusta French; born July 29, 1852 in Reading, Windsor Co., VT.; died April 09, 1886 in Hampton, Faulkner Co., IA.33. |
| More About Maj. Charles William Boutin: Burial: Hampton, Franklin Co., IA.34 |
| iii. | Martha J. Boutin, born 184235 | |||
| iv. | Mary A. Boutin, born 184535 | |||
| v. | Joseph H. Boutin35, born 1848. | |||
| vi. | Julietta Boutin, born 1850. | |||
| vii. | Samuel Boutin36, born 1853. | |||
| 7 | viii. | Julia Boutin, born May 31, 1857 in Windham, Windham Co., VT; died January 02, 1936 in Benton, AR; married Shepherd Adams French January 08, 1878 in Ackley, IA. |