__
_Robert Hamilton BIGGS _|
| |__
|
|--Martha Maria BIGGS
|
| __
|_Martha Ann YOUNG ______|
|__
!MOVED TO ILLINOIS:
Martha Maria Biggs moved with her parents, to Shelbyville, Illinois in March
1865, when she was 12 years old. She was a member of the United Brethren Church
, and She and Charles were married September 14, 1874. At least three children
were born to them in Illinois before they moved to Kansas. They were Ella May,
( Mrs. John Delos Reed), born September 14, 1875 in Shelby Co, Il and died the
16th of September 1958; Anna (Mrs. Harvey Allen), born in 1876 and died in 1901
; and Minnie, born March 18, 1878 and died April 9, 1878. Minnie was buried in
Clark Cemetery, Herrick, Shelby Co. Illinois.
!DAUGHTER ANNA:
Anna, married Harvey Allen of Woodston, and at the time of her death, in 1901
had a son, named Glen about 4 years of age, and he was taken in and raised by
Charles & Maria. He became like a brother to Elsie.
!OCCUPATION:
Maria, was a School Teacher for a time, at New Hope country school in Rooks
County Kansas.
!FINAL ILLNESS:
MARIA, was cared for before her death by daughter Elsie, who after Maroa died
continued to care for her father Charles, until his death.
!DAUGHTER'S DEATH:
Elsie, died in a Nursing Home.
!SOURCE:
This information, from the personal knowledge and research of Phyllis (Snyder)
Barber.
_Edward Raymond CHAMBERLAIN _
_Raymond Benjamin CHAMBERLAIN _|
| |_Clara Mae LAMBERT __________
|
|--Rick Edward CHAMBERLAIN
|
| _Martin Oscar HAGEN _________
|_Harriet Mae HAGEN ____________|
|_Petra Sophia HAMRE _________
_Boseal COLWELL __
_Jacob COLWELL _____|
| |_Mary ELLIOTT ____
|
|--Guy COLWELL
|
| _John KARNES _____
|_Mary Ellen KARNES _|
|_Eliza Ann LEWIS _
_William J. KNOX _
_Herbert William KNOX _|
| |_Celia M. DAVIS __
|
|--Malcolm Loring KNOX
|
| __________________
|_Alice PELTON _________|
|__________________
_John MCCONNELL _
_John W. MCCONNELL _|
| |_Unknown ________
|
|--Jacob "Jake" MCCONNELL
|
| _________________
|_Unknown ___________|
|_________________
All the census records available (the 1880 and 1900 census) show Jacob's
father was born in Pennsylvania. But the 1880 census shows his mother was
from Pennsylvania and the 1900 census shows she was from Ohio. The 1880
census is probably more reliable. Both Jacob's census record for 1880 and
that of his brother, John McConnell, show both parents born in Pennsylvania.
Jacob may have had some German ancestors. Jacob's own name and several of
the names of his children were common German names in that time-- Jacob,
Christina, Mariah, and George.
Jacob's wife, Elizabeth Colwell, was previously married to Samuel Spurgeon
in Defiance County on December 20, 1849. In the 1850 census, taken about
June 1850, Elizabeth Colwell was still living with her family. Other than
his marriage to Elizabeth Colwell, no records could be found that Samuel
Spurgeon lived or died in Defiance County, Ohio, and what happened to him
is a mystery.
On April 15, 1852 Jacob married Elizabeth Spurgeon in Defiance, Defiance
County, Ohio. Elizabeth's maiden name was Colwell, and her father, Boseal
Colwell, was born in French Canada around 1785. Boseal was one of the first
settlers in Defiance County, settling in a log cabin in Highland Township
near an upper branch of the Maumee River in 1833. He was French Canadian,
and the French Canadians were the first settlers in the area. On Jacob's
marriage license, McConnell is spelled "McKonnel."
On September 26, 1855 John W. McConnell purchased 80 acres of federal public
domain land for $200. On April 10, 1857 Jacob McConnell and John W.
McConnell were arrested for playing cards for money (gaming). They were
bailed out by John McConnell, Moses Spurgeon (who lived near Jacob McConnell
per the 1860 census) and Wesley King (who lived next to John McConnell in the
1860 census). Eventually they paid $100 fines.
The land purchased is in Cold Springs Township by the junction of Stoney
Creek and Beck's Creek. This land was taken over by Jacob McConnell and
later by his son Thomas McConnell. The land description was in the probate
records for his son (my great grandfather) Thomas McConnell with the same
legal description as when it was purchased by John W. McConnell in 1855.
An additional 40 acres was added to this land by Boseal McConnell on
November 26, 1879 in a sale of railroad land.
There is a family story that Elizabeth Colwell and Jacob McConnell eloped
and escaped down the river (or canal) together. This story isn't true.
In 1855 Jacob was in Highland Township, Defiance County Ohio for an
enumeration census three years after his marriage. Two children were born
in Ohio. In 1857 Jacob and Elizabeth moved to Cold Springs Township, Shelby
County, IL, accompanied by Taylor Colwell, Elizabeth's brother, and Taylor's
wife Susan (Beard) Colwell. They lived next to each other when the 1860
census was taken.
A number of Spurgeons, all related to a Samuel Spurgeon, (at that point
deceased) lived near them. Spurgeon relatives, who have detailed bible
records of Samuel Spurgeons' children and grandchildren, insist there was
no son of Samuel Spurgeon who could have married Elizabeth Colwell and that
the closeness of many Spurgeons to the McConnell family is just a coincidence.
It is interesting that Moses Spurgeon was one of the people who bailed
Jacob McConnell out when he was arrested for gaming.
A favorite family story says that Jacob avoided the Civil War by having all
his teeth pulled out. This story could not been confirmed-- no record could
be found of Jacob McConnell in Civil War archives. A researcher in the area
told me she had heard this story many times from people in the area, but that
the story usually wasn't true. Jacob would have been age 33, married with
four young children at the beginning of the Civil War. He probably would not
have been drafted into the war.
In the 1860 census, Cold Springs Twp, Shelby Co., IL, Jacob is shown as 28
years old, a farm laborer, with a personal estate of $190. The birthdate
would be off by five years. Someone may have simply guessed since a
non-literate person may not know the year of their birth. Jacob was living
next door to Taylor Colwell, Elizabeth Colwell McConnell's brother. Taylor
Colwell was renting and he lived with his wife and two young children.
The record for the 1870 census could not be found.
In the 1880 census, Cold Springs Twp, Shelby Co., IL, p. 51, Jacob is shown
as born in September 1827, a farmer, born in Ohio, with both parents from
Pennsylvania. Elizabeth was age 45, her father born in French Canada and her
mother from Ohio. Jacob owned his own farm, free of any mortgage.
Taylor Colwell had moved back to Defiance County, Ohio and lived with his
wife and children in the 1880 census.
Jacob McConnell raised ten children, all of whom married and had children.
They all lived to reasonably old ages. The health of the family was
unusually good for those times. Almost every family in the 1800s typically
lost several family members in infancy or childhood and even young adulthood. Jacob
I could find no record of any children lost. Jacob McConnell lived to be 82.
His wife, Elizabeth Colwell McConnell, died just short of 90 years old.
_Nicholas SNOW _____
_Nicholas SNOW _____|
| |_Elizabeth ROWLLES _
|
|--Stephen SNOW
|
| _Stephen HOPKINS ___
|_Constance HOPKINS _|
|_Mary _____ ________
__
_John STOUFFER ____________|
| |__
|
|--Esther STAUFFER
|
| __
|_Susanna Maria REITENAUER _|
|__
_David STEELE _
_Thomas G. STEELE _|
| |_Unknown ______
|
|--Harry STEELE
|
| _______________
|_Elizabeth _____ __|
|_______________
_______________
_James WRIGHT ______|
| |_______________
|
|--Mamie Thomas WRIGHT
|
| _James BOGGS __
|_Martha Mary BOGGS _|
|_Nancy PORTER _
__
__|
| |__
|
|--Angela _____
|
| __
|__|
|__
!SOURCE:
Helen MAY (REED) Murphy
1942 NE 6th
Bend, OR 97701 Phone (503) 382-2387