Darnell & Willig Family History:Information about Aaron Douglass Darnell
Aaron Douglass Darnell (d. 10 Jul 1875)
Notes for Aaron Douglass Darnell:Aaron was born in Bourbon county Kentucky, September 13, 1809. He was the sixth of Thomas and Rachel Darnall sixteen children.
When the family moved to Illinois in 1822 they traveled by wagons from Kentucky crossing the Ohio River at Louisville then to Vincennes Indiana and on to Palestine Illinois where there was a land office. There they found out about unclaimed land and unsettled parts of the state.
Aarons father claimed land on Big Creek in what is now Edgar county, two of Aarons brothers, Zenas and John ( then 19 and 20) staked out claims in Sims township where they cleared a small farm and made some improvements. When John and Zenas died of "Orleans Fever" in 1824 Aaron and his brother Moses took over this claim. The brothers were only fourteen and fifteen at the time but they lived there four years then sold out, Aaron going to Embarrass precinct and Moses to Wisconsin. Aaron remained in Embarrass about ten years then moved to Edgar Township where he resided until his death in 1875.
Aaron and Moses were both Baptist ministers. According to James Barns in his book The Vineyard of Liberty, "Baptists recruited local persons as clergy to reach frontier people, in the form of farmer-preachers who had "received the call" and been raise up by their churches with a license to preach. The Council of Brethren would then examine a preacher and ordain Him by prayer. The preachers were unpaid, self-supporting and mobile, able to move with their congregation to new areas or back into unchurched older areas, without financial support or direction except from the Baptist Regional Association". Aaron always refused to accept any pay whatever for his ministry believing it wrong to do so.
There seems to be some confusion about Aarons wives and children. The various books and records have him married to 1. Mary "Polly" Turpin, 2. Sarah Doty, 3. Sarah Mary Doke 4. Angeline Paully Chaney and 5 Mary Jane Jones. I wonder if Sarah Doty and Sarah Doke were not the same person. When Sarah (Doke) Darnall died in 1841 she left three children, seven year old Andrew, two year old Daniel and new born Thomas who soon also died.
Aaron died July 10, 1875 at the age of sixty six. he is buried in a church yard cemetery near Bloomfield, Edgar county Illinois.
Aaron son Aaron in 1875, commenced reading law with R.N. Bishop of Paris IL. After attending Ann Arbor law school for one year he was admitted to the bar in 187. Another son, Andrew became a dealer in general merchandise and opened a store at Ridge Farm and later one at Indianola IL. He was elected president of the board of trustees of the first school at Ridge Farm which was incorporated in 1874.
More About Aaron Douglass Darnell:
Fact 1: Predestinarian Baptist minister.
More About Aaron Douglass Darnell and Sarah Doty:
Marriage: 1818
More About Aaron Douglass Darnell and Polly C. Turpin:
Marriage: 1826
More About Aaron Douglass Darnell and Paully C. Angeline Chaney:
Marriage: 11 Apr 1841, Vermillion, Co. IL.
Children of Aaron Douglass Darnell and Sarah Doty are:
- Andrew J. Darnell, b. 08 Nov 1833, Edgar Co., IL, d. date unknown.
- Daniel P. Darnell, b. 1839, d. date unknown.
- William D. Darnell, b. 1841, d. date unknown.
- Eliza J. Darnell, b. 1845, d. date unknown.
- +Aaron D. Darnell, b. 1847, d. 10 Jul 1874.
- Sarah E. Darnell, b. 1848, d. date unknown.
- Rachel Darnell, b. 1850, d. date unknown.
- +Douglass Darnell, b. 1862, Edgar Co., IL6, d. 1940, Edgar Co., IL.
- David C. Darnell, b. 1865, d. 15 Jan 1888.
- Mary A. Darnell, b. 1868, d. 15 Jan 1888.