William Sportsman and descendants
Hi to all you SPORTSMAN cousins!!
I have been working with many different researchers on SPORTSMAN genealogy for several years.I collect any and all facts (proven or unproven) that I find on web sites, on Ancestry, etc.My goal is to try to connect everyone to the same SPORTSMAN ancestor.Any information I receive is documented so that I know who gave it to me.Then I attempt to find primary sources for each fact (census data, birth certificates, personal knowledge, etc).
I began with the following information on my Great Grandparents, Henson McCoy and Clarissa Rusher.It is from:An Illustrated History of Central Oregon embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake and Klamath Counties.State of Oregon. Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, WA. 1905.
“On January 29, 1853, in Linn County, Missouri, Mr. Henson McCoy married Miss Clarissa Rusher, who was born in Chariton County, Missouri, on November 5, 1832.Her father, William Rusher, was born in Kentucky from an old Virginia family, which came in early colonial days.He married Mary A. Sportsman, a native of Kentucky.Her mother was born in Virginia and her father in Ireland, whence he was brought to the United States when seven, being an orphan.Mrs. McCoy's father died when she was four and her mother died in Los Angeles, having crossed the plains with them [Henson and Clarissa].”
I found Ann, Melba, Warren, Ben, Ron and several others and combined all of the information into a “connected” line.We operated under the premise that William Sportsman was the progenitor of all of the SPORTSMANs in the U.S.The primary reason for this was because he was the only Sportsman in the Revolutionary War.One of the researchers, Diane, claimed to have proof of his ancestry, however I have neither received nor found any data that proved/disproved this.I have since found two other SPORTSMANs who served in the Revolutionary War.However, William still seems to be the logical one when one analyzes locations.
I found evidence of my Mary Ann Sportsman Rusher in the 1830 Census (William Rusher died in 1835) and fixed her date of birth as between 1800-1810.I later found the following item.If this is “our” William, then “my” Mary would have been born around 1808, which fits neatly into my theory.
SPORTSMAN, William, d. intestate. administrator, James Randol, 14 Dec 1812.(A: 58-9). From Cape Girardeau County Wills & Administrations, Register A (1807-1829) and Register B (1829-1836) in "Missouri Miscellany" State Wide Missouri Genealogical Records compiled by Mrs. Howard W. Woodruff, Volume VI, p. 66.
I will try to contact the genealogical society in Cape Girardeau County to see if there is an estate packet.In the absence of a will, we can only hope that there may be some other type of documentation.
I also have a Family TreeMaker file of “unconnected” SPORTSMANs where I put all of my other info.Periodically I analyze what I have and am, on occasions, able to transfer people into the “connected” file!I recently have been working on the Abraham Sportsman & Mary Ann Cupp family and I think that I have finally figured out which Abram/Abraham he is.I will post my findings and my rationale on the SPORTSMAN family Genealogy Forum.
I would really appreciate receiving any information you have on other SPORTSMANs.Please document them if possible, if not…just send me what you have.
Judith Bling
[email protected]
More Replies:
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Re: William Sportsman and descendants
8/09/12
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Re: William Sportsman and descendants
D. J. Boyd 5/13/03
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Re: William Sportsman and descendants
1/27/02