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Descendants of Thomas BOYLSTON, Jr.

265. SARAH ANN⁸ BOYDSTON (JACOB⁷, NATHANIEL⁶, WILLIAM⁵, DAVID⁴, WILLIAM³ BOYLSTON, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born Abt. 1829 in Cocke Co, TN, and died Abt. 1854 in (prob Platte Co, MO). She married JARED FLEMING 08 Aug 1845 in Platte Co, MO. He was born Abt. 1821 in Tennessee, and died Unknown.

Notes for SARAH ANN BOYDSTON:
Notes from Ruth Walton:

I am basing presumption that this Sarah Boydston is the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Boydston on the following evidence:

1. The 1830 census for Jacob Boydston, Cocke Co, TN, lists him and his wife with one child, a daughter, in the age range of 0-5

2. The 1840 census for Jacob Boydston, Platte Co, MO, lists Jacob and his wife with a daughter in the age range of 10-15.

3. The 1850 census lists no daughter, but living on the next farm to Jacob and Elizabeth in Pettis Township is the household of Jared Fleming, age 29, born in Tennessee, his wife sarah, age 21, born in Tennessee, their baby, Mary E., age 9/12 born in Missouri, and Martha J. Potter, age 16, born in Alabama.

Notes for JARED FLEMING:
1860 U. S. Census, Pettis Township, Platte County, Missouri:
Family #1001
Fleming, Jared age 29, b. NC
Indiana age 26 b. IA
Amos age 11 b. MO
Mary age 5 b. MO
Lucy age 5 b. MO
Isaac age 1 b. MO

Children of SARAH BOYDSTON and JARED FLEMING are:

	i.		AMOS⁹ FLEMING, b. Abt. 1849; d. Unknown.
	ii.		MARY E. FLEMING, b. Abt. 1854; d. Unknown; m. JAMES LESSLEY, 25 Sep 1873, Parkville, Platte Co, MO; b. Abt. 1850; d. Unknown.

266. NATHANIEL⁸ BOYDSTON (JACOB⁷, NATHANIEL⁶, WILLIAM⁵, DAVID⁴, WILLIAM³ BOYLSTON, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born 1830 in Cocke Co, TN, and died Oct 1860 in shot by a claim jumper, Linn Co, KS. He married REBECCA JANE BROWN 13 Dec 1853 in Platte Co, MO, daughter of JAMES BROWN and JANE CAMPBELL. She was born 15 Oct 1833 in Pettis Twp, Platte Co, MO, and died 24 Sep 1920 in Eureka, Greenwood Co, KS.

Notes for NATHANIEL BOYDSTON:
Notes from Ruth Walton:

Nathaniel is living at home in 1850, age 20, born Tennessee.

1860 US Census, Platte County, MO
Lee Township, Farley P. O., p. 829, Dwelling #1036, Family #1023
      Nathan Boydston age 28, farmer, real estate $1000,
            pers prop $100 b. TN
      Rebecca age 25 b. MO
      Elizabeth J. age 5 b. MO
      Ana stacia age 4 b. MO
      Jas. M. age 1 b. MO

Even though the 1860 census says that all three children were born in Missouri, Anastacia was born in Birdville, Tarrant County, Texas. Her father, N. Boydston, appears on the Tarrant County tax rolls in 1856, owning no land or taxable property. Birdville is the present day location of Halton City, an incorporated suburb of Fort Worth.

Nathaniel and wife moved from Missouri to Tarrant County, Texas for about a year, with at least the wife and children returning to Missouri. On 12 Oct 1857, Rebecca filed for a petition of divorce from nathaniel. In a Circuit Court record of 24 Nov 1857, her attorney reported that Nathaniel was not a resident of Missouri and the process papers could not be served. Rebecca filed for divorce based on grounds of "such crual and barberous treatment toward her as to render her condition intolerable." Notices were published in the Platte City Atlas four consecutive weeks in liew of service on Nathaniel. On 23 Feb 1858, both Rebecca and Nathaniel were in court, having returned to Platte City and hired an attorney to answer Rebecca's charges. On 6 Sep 1858, the attorneys returned to court to have the divorce petition dismissed.

Ruth Walton speculates whether the problem stemmed from two families -- one slave holders, the other not, and whether tension building toward the Civil War and dissention on this particular issue may have filtered down to the couple. A point might be made that a lady accustomed to living in a relatively well-settled area such as Platte County, may well have considered the wilds of Texas "crual and barberous."

Nevertheless, Rebecca and Nathaniel reunited and their third child, James Marion, was born in Platte County, Missouri on 31 Jul 1859.

A few months later, in December 1859, her father's estate having been settled, Rebecca and Nathaniel took her portion and bought a 73 acre farm in southern Lee Township, just east of the present day town of Waldon, and right on the Missouri River.

Nathaniel planted 10 acres of corn on their new farm that spring, and they soon accumulated four head of cattle, fourteen pigs and two horses. By late summer, however, they were on the move again. They set out for Linn County, Kansas. One of their grandchildren (Laura Boydston Briggs, who was Ruth Walton's aunt) remembered hearing that they sent the slaves back home because they were teasing the children and "causing too much trouble." Barely had they arrived in Linn County when real trouble arrived. Family stories say that Nathaniel was shot by claim jumpers or border ruffians soon after they arrived in Kansas. Aunt Laura's version of the story was that some men rode into the yard one evening and "called Boydston to the door." As he stood in the doorway with the lamplight behind him, one of the men, named Stewart shot him and then they rode away. According to this story, his brother heard the shooter brag that he would drive the widow out and take ovr the claim, so the brother went to the cabin and helped Rebecca care for Nathaniel. Aunt Laura thought they took Nathaniel to Fort Scott and that he lived a number of days before dying.

Another relative, Marvin French, heard a somewhat different version of the event. In his story, some men rode up the very evening Nathaniel and Rebecca arrived at their claim and asked what they were doing. When he replied that they were getting ready to strike camp, one of the men shot him and then they rode away. According to Marvin's version, Nathaniel lived three days before he died.

Rebecca filed the first of the probate records for Nathaniel's estate in Platte County 1 Nov 1860. This would seem to indicate that he died sometime in mid to late October.

Deeds - Platte County, MO
Book Z, p. 160, 6 Jul 1874

7 Dec 1859 Nathaniel & Rebecca sell to Rebecca's brother, Washington H. Brown, the undivided interest of 160 acres left her by her father's will, the undivided interest of Section 16, Twp. 51, Range 34, containing 40 acres more or less.

Book P, p. 110-111
Book R, p. 800 19 Jul 1865
Nathaniel and Rebecca buy 73 acres in Platte County, Missouri, on 7 Dec 1859 for $800, from William and Rebecca Zabriskey. West 1/2 or SW fractional 1/4 of Section 15, Twp. 51, Range 35. (This land is now occupied by the Kansas City International Airport, the river having changed channels several times since 1859.) Deed recorded 7 Dec 1859. Sold this land 20 Apr 1865 to William Boydston for $600. Filed 19 Jul 1865.

Book R, p. 705-706
22 Apr 1865. Rebecca purchases a farm from Thomas and Matilda McClaine near her Brown relatives. 57 acres off the East the of the Southwest quarter of Section 18, Twp. 51, Range 34. Cost $450.



Notes for REBECCA JANE BROWN:
After Nathaniel's death, Rebecca lived in Platte County, Missouri, on a farm she purchased in 1865 near her Brown relatives. In 1866, she married Abraham Groom.

This couple lived on Rebecca's farm northwest of Parkville until about 1873, when they moved to Linn County, Kansas, near Farlinville.

In 1892, Rebecca was once again a widow, and continued to live in Linn County, helping rais her daughter Elizabeth's children after Elizabeth died. She lived with her daughter Annie for a while as she grew older, then later in the home of James M. and Penelope Jane Tomlinson Boydston. She died on 24 Sep 1920 at their home south of Eureka in Greenwood County, Kansas at age 87.

Children of NATHANIEL BOYDSTON and REBECCA BROWN are:

ELIZABETH JANE⁹ BOYDSTON, b. 1855, Platte Co, MO; d. 24 Oct 1889, Linn Co, KS; m. (1) SEYMOUR S. BIRCH, 1879, 1st marriage for Elizabeth; b. 02 Mar 1856; d. 05 May 1884; m. (2) ANSON E. WITHERBEE, 21 Jun 1885, Prescott, Linn Co, KS; 2nd marriage for Elizabeth; b. Bet. 1850 - 1860; d. Unknown.

Notes for ELIZABETH JANE BOYDSTON:
Elizabeth is enumerated with her parents in 1860 in Platte County, Missouri, and in 1870, Platte County, Missouri with her mother and step father, Abraham Grooms.

Notes for SEYMOUR S. BIRCH:
1880 Census, Bourbon County, KS, Freedom Twp, E. D. 28, Sheet 24
Dwelling 195, Family 202
S. S. Birch age 24 farmer b. IN, parents b. OH
Lizzie age 25 b. MO, parents b. MO
Chas. H. Chasteen age 8, no relation, b. IL, parents b. IL

Information on this family comes through Ruth Walton from Courtney Burnett and Sylvia Brownback who completed family group sheets in 1984.

ii.

ANASTACIA BOYDSTON, b. 29 Feb 1856, Birdville, Tarrant Co, TX; d. 03 Mar 1942, Hutchinson, Reno Co, KS; m. DANIEL HALLER, 01 Apr 1880, Vernon Co, MO or Prescott, KS; b. Jul 1843, Frederick Co, MD; d. 03 Mar 1902, Linn Co, KS.

Notes for ANASTACIA BOYDSTON:
Anastacia Boydston is enumerated 1860 and 1870 with her family in Platte county, MO.

In 1900, she and her husband are in Linn Co, KS (see notes on Daniel Haller).

1910 Census - Linn Co, KS, Paris Twp., S. D. 2, E. D. 120, Sheet 9A, p. 6775
Dwelling 140, Family 142
Annie S. Haller, age 54, widow, md. 30 yrs, 2 children, 2 living
b. Texas, parents both b. MO*
Rebecca J. Groom, age 76, widow, married 46 yrs, 8 children,
7 living, b. MO, father b. KY, mother b. TN

* Ruth Walton notes, "Apparently, none of Nathaniel Boydston's three children remembered when they grew up that their father, who died when they were little children, was born in Tennessee, not Missouri, for all three of them told the census takers that their father and mother were both born in Missouri. Or perhaps they confused his birthplace with that of their stepfather, Abraham Groom, who was born in Missouri and whom they would have known better than they knew their own father."

Obituary of Annie S. Haller appeared in the Hutchinson (KS) Herald, Wednesday, 4 Mar 1942, page 3, column 7. Contained information that she lived most of her life on a farm near Mound City in Linn County, Kansas, moving to the Hutchinson area just a few years before her death at age 86. Mentioned her husband's death date. The obituary lists her survivors as a daughter, Mrs. Lottie Robertson, RFT4; a son, Abe Haller, Oakland, California; 19 grandchildren: Schuyler Robertson, Thomas Roberson, Mrs. Edna Tucker, Mrs. Wilma Rowland, Mrs. Violet Emery, Mrs. Minnie Evans, and Mrs. Irene Emery, all of Hutchinson; John Roberson of Oakland, California; Carl Roberson of Prescott, Arizona; Iran Roberson of Escondido, California; Two half-brothers, Sam Grooms of Wichita, Frank Grooms of Madison, Kansas; Two half-sisters, Mrs. Jennie Clearwater of Boicourt, Kansas, Mrs. Annie Groves of Glendale, California. 16 great-grandchildren.

Her death certificate (Kansas #78-4980) dated 5 Mar 1942 indicates that Annie died at Broadacres, where she lived for one year, of cardiac failure.
Note that in this area of notes, Ruth Walton states that Annie is buried at Bradley Cemetery in Linn County.

Notes for DANIEL HALLER:
1900 US Census - Linn Co, KS, Paris Twp., S. D. 2, E. D. 114, Sheet 10
Dwelling/Family #206
Daniel Haller b. Jul 1842, age 57, md. 20 yrs. b. MD,
parents b. Germany, farmer
Anna b. Jan 1856, age 44, md. 20 yrs, 2 children, 2 living
b. TX, parents born MO
Lottie J. b. Feb 1881, age 19, b. KS, father b. MD, mother b. TX
Abraham b. Dec 1883, age 16, b. KS, father b. MD, mother b. TX

iii.

JAMES MARION BOYDSTON, b. 31 Jul 1859, Platte Co, MO; d. 17 Dec 1938, Eureka, Greenwood Co, KS; m. PENELOPE JANE TOMLINSON, 23 Sep 1880, Wyandotte Co, KS; b. 09 Dec 1858, "Nellie" b. Ray Co, MO; d. 09 Apr 1928, Eureka, Greenwood Co, KS.

Notes for JAMES MARION BOYDSTON:
James M. and Nellie (Tomlinson) Boydston were members of the Methodist Church.

In 1860, and 1870, James is enumerated with his family in Platte County, MO. In 1880, he is with his mother and step-father in Linn County, KS.

1900 US Census - Linn Co, KS - Sheridana Twp., E. D. 132, Sheet 17, p. 133
Dwelling/Family 224
J. Boydston
Penople Boydston

1910 US Census, Greenwood Co, KS - Otter Creek Twp, S. D. 4, E. D. 31
Vol. 29, Sheet 6-B, p. 135. Dwelling/Family 137
family of James M. Boydston
Penelope Boydston

1920 US Census, Greenwood Co, KS - Otter Creek Twp., S. D. 104, E. D. 33
Sheet 1
family of James M. Boydston
Penelope J. Boydston

Land description for James and Nellie Boydston's farm in Farmington District in the 1903 Greenwood County, Kansas, plat book: 240 acres in Township 27, S-Section 4-Range 10E and 80 acres NW 1/4 of Section 9

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