I had to add my picture with my favorite team for the game. Actually I am playing around on this new blogsite and trying to learn how to add photos and other links. I plan to beging adding info starting with the 2009 Gathering of Dutch Cousins reunion in Harrodsburg, KY soon.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Shaker records say she left the society in 1829, but does not give a month and day in the records. I believe she left with one of her brothers. Samuel left March 23, 1829 and Francis left August 25, 1829. Patsey Thomas [Martha], the daughter of Elisha Thomas, left the society October 8, 1829 and would marry Francis Voris, Hortincy’s brother.
I checked the census for Illinois and Indiana for 1830 and they are not there….though I believe they may have made a stop somewhere in Indiana as they moved towards Illinois.
There is a Francis Voris in Kentucky [Mercer County] in 1830 with
two males between the ages of 20-30,
one male between 30-40,
one female under the age of five,
two between five and ten,
one female between 20-30
one female between 30-40
There is also a much older Francis Voris in 1830 both in Mercer County. I don’t know if the younger Francis is the one who left the Shakers…he would have been about 39 in1829 when he left the Shakers, if his 1790 birthdate is correct. Samuel would have been 23 when he left the Shakers in 1829 and Hortincy about 19 when she departed in the same year. According to Larry Voreis, Francis Voris married Patsey Thomas on January 30, 1830 in Shelby County, KY, so the female listed as between 30-40 must be Patsey, but who is the female under 5? It may be well that it is the daughter of Francis and Patsey who did not live into adulthood.
Both Francis and Samuel show up in the 1840 census of Peoria, Illinois. Francis has a son under the age of five and possibly a daughter, but by 1850, only the son is living with him and Patsey. The son is Henry B, age 14 at the time of the census. He is not found after this date however, so must presume he has died. In Larry Vories book on the Low Dutch [OUR LOW DUTCH HERITAGE], Francis and Patsey adopted Henry. Francis provided for his wife, Patsey, in his will and that she provide for Henry. A large portion of his estate went to his nephews, sons of his brother, Peter.
I think it is likely that Hortincy left the Shakers with her brother Francis in August of 1829 and then moved with him to Indiana and from there to Illinois where she married John Devonport Hogan on September 15, 1835. On her license she is listed as Hortensia Goodrich Voris.
John D. Hogan was a physician, and with her, would move to Bastrop County, TX. They were there by the 1850 census which lists four children. Frustratingly it only gives initials…save the youngest. F.V. , age 11, a son born in Missouri; then S.A. who was born in MO and was 9 at time of the census of 1850. The boys are followed by their only sister, C. who was four at the time of the census and born in Texas…followed by John born in Texas and only 4 mos old at the time. Later census would show that the oldest boy was Frank…probably Francis Voris and the next son was Shields Alexander. The girls name has not been found and nothing else is known about her at this time.
The 1850,1860, and 1870 census does not show the Hogans but since they are found in Bastrop County, TX in 1880, it is assumed they were there all that time but missed the census taker unintentionally or on purpose. It does show in Texas Civil War records online that John as well as both his sons, served in the Civil War…in the Confederate Army. The boys were part of the 17th TX Infantry, Company F.
Shields Alexander Hogan married Mary E. Lytle by January 1, 1865, when their first son was born. He was named Montfort E. Hogan…though some census give the middle initial as S. His death certificate and marker at the cemetery where he was buried, give his name as Montfort E. Hogan.
Shields and Mary would have a daughter, Mary Zepha in 1866 and another son in 1877 named Hardway. He apparently died young as he is not listed after this 1880 census anywhere in Texas records or anywhere else. Mary did not marry and died January 15, 1884.
In 1880 Shields and his family are living in Waco, TX [McLennan County] where he is listed as a herdsman born in MO. By 1900, he is living in the same town and county but his occupation is now lawyer…and gives his birthdate as October 1843. Mary was born November 1847 in Texas. Shields was living in a boarding house in 1910, listed as age 57 and a lawyer, it also states he had three children and only one living. He was lodging with J. Green and there was a young girl with him or it appears she is with him…named Elizabeth Hogan age 15.
Also living in McLennan County, Waco, TX is their son, Montfort Hogan.
Montfort Hogan is listed as having been born Jan of 1865 in TX . His wife, Lucy, was born in Arkansas in February 1881. They are in the 1900 census of McLennan, TX.. They have one son, Luther, born in Texas in June of 1894. Lucy was a Robinson before her marriage to Montfort Hogan and was born according to TX death records and a cemetery record, in 1871. She died March 25, 1905. He is not found in 1910 census but in 1920 he is listed as living in McLennan County, TX at Waco with a second wife, Eddleta age 35 and her two sons from a prior marriage, Carl W. Stewart [18] and Frank Stewart [15].
The death of Montfort Hogan occurred August 30, 1931.
Texas deaths online and at USGENWEB for McLennan County, TX, give the following on this Hogan family:
S.A. Hogan died of an accidental gunshot wound to the head….one source specifically says it was accidental. He was 75 years of age and the death happened on November 13, 1917 in McLennan County, TX. He was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, TX.
His wife, Mrs S.A. Hogan had died on January 28, 1910 at the age of 63 and was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery.
Shields Alexander Hogan died at the age of about 75 years in McLennan, TX with his occupation listed as lawyer on his death certificate. It gives his father as John D. Hogan, but mothers name unknown by the informant, M.E. Hogan of Waco. The date given is November 13, 1917. [*note, the M.E. is Montfort E. Hogan].
Montfort E. Hogan died on August 30, 1931 in Lake Waco, TX [McLennan County] and it gives his date of birth on the death certificate as January 1, 1865 and his mother as Mary Lytle. The informant is Harvey L. Hogan. I am going to assume this Harvey L. Hogan is the son of Montfort though I find no record of him in census records online. It is possible he is the same as Luther on the 1900 census and perhaps a misinterpretation of information given to the census taker or they called the son by the nickname Luther. I strongly suspect Luther in the 1900 census and later references to Harvey L, are one and the same. [see below]
1920 Galveston TX, finds Harvey L. Hogan age 25 and a butcher living with his wife, Hardee also 25. No children listed, but the Social Security deaths online lists a Harvey L. Hogan JR dying in Bowie County, TX on October 20, 1997.
Harvey Lytle Hogan died August 21, 1963 at the age of 60 in Wharton, TX, his residence at the time was Brazona, TX and he was buried in Houston. His death certificate gives his date of birth as June 4, 1894 in Texas…which lines up perfectly with the census taken in 1900 that gives the child,Luther, a birthdate of June 1894.
The following was found online at McLennan County, TX genweb site and was compiled by the Central Texas Genealogy Society…..
Oakwood Cemetery, McLennan County, Waco, Texas.
Dr John D. Hogan CSA 1810-August 7, 1890
Hortensia VORIS Hogan, wife of Dr J.D. 1811-February 6, 1902
Mary E. Lytle Hogan, 1847-January 28, 1910
S. A. Hogan 1843-November 14, 1917 [should read Nov 13 according to the sources]
Lucy Robinson Hogan wife of M. E. 1871-March 25, 1931
Montfort E. Hogan January 1, 1865-August 30, 1931
Mary Zepha Hogan daughter of S.A. and M. E. 1866-January 15, 1884
Harvey Lytle Hogan, son of S.A. and M.E. 1866-November 10, 1884
From the records of the Fall and Puckett Funeral home in Waco, TX compiled by the Central Texas Genealogy Society and online at McLennan County, TX genweb [USGENWEB] I found the following on the Hogan family:
Hortensia Hogan died February 6, 1902 at the age of 91, informant S.A. Hogan
Montfort E. Hogan age 66, died of acute dilation of the heart on January 1, 1865, charge of 358.25 goes to the estate for settlement. He died in Precinct 4 of Lake Waco and was living on Corsicana Road. He was a farmer and divorced.
S. A. Hogan died at age 75, charges of 57.00 no casket. His residence was Corsicana Road.
Mrs. S. A. Hogan died of apoplexy January 28, 1910
In addition I found online at McLennan County, Waco, TX from records of the WACO DAILY EXAMINER and compiled by the Central Texas Genealogy Society …..
.
Wed. January 16, 1884 Miss Zephie Hogan, daughter of Shels Hogan, died yesterday, age 17. The father is in Tyler. The funeral will be Thursday from the residence at 8th and Austin, with Mr J.D. Shaw officiating.
Wed, March 26, 1905 Mrs Hogan, wife of J.W. Hogan, died at Llano yesterday, ship remains to Waco. J.W. is the son of Judge S.A. Hogan, funeral Monday. [*there is a question mark after the name of Judge Hogan]
Wed March 27, 1905. Funeral of Mrs. Mont Hogan is from the residence 8th and Austin with burial in Oakwood Cemetery.
[*I believe the question mark for the entry in the newspaper on March 26, is a misprint , and the name J. W. should be M. E. This is the date of his wife’s death according to the Oakwood Cemetery records. Her name was Lucy Robinson Hogan and the entry for the paper on March 27, confirms that.]
barbara whiteside 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Rachel was the eldest of nine children born to Francis Sr and Charity Banta Montfort. Born in York County, PA on Aug 14, 1769 at Conewago, she moved with her parents and siblings to Kentucky about 1785 or 1786. She was married to John Voris on Feb 4, 1786 with the license being recorded in Jefferson County, Kentucky. John was the son of Peter Voorhees and Sophia Vanderbogert Voorhees.. His brother, Francis, would marry Catherine Montfort, sister of Rachel.
A good history of the Voorhees family was written by Larry Voreis OUR LOW DUTCH HERITAGE, which will give you a good background on the Voorhees family and all its spelling variations.
Rachel and John would have twelve children by the time they joined the Shakers religious society in 1810.
Peter who was born Dec 9, 1786 and died in Peoria, Ill June of 1838….he was murdered. No marriage or children have been found.
John born Jan 9, 1789 and died at Shakertown Sept 18, 1836.
Francis born Sept 20, 1790 and died May 15, 1852 married to Patsey Thomas, daughter of Elisha on Jan 4, 1830…both had left the Shakers. They apparently had one son, Henry B. born about 1836. He appears in the 1850 census with his parents in Peoria, Illinois but not found anywhere after that. Francis was a merchant and in 1850 his value is set at 100,000 dollars. On his death he would leave all to his brother, Samuel, providing they cared for his widow, Patsey till her death.
Polly born May 4, 1794 and died at Shakertown March 11, 1876
Sophia born March 24, 1794 and died at Shakertown Nov 7, 1872
James born Feb 17, 1796 and died at Shakertown June 3, 1823
Jacob born Nov 8, 1797 and died at Shakertown May 4, 1870
Charity born July 5, 1799 and died at Shakertown May 8, 1821
Peggy born Feb 14, 1801 and died at Shakertown Jan 11, 1882
Abraham born Nov 12, 1803 and left the Shakers in Oct 1827, no more known of him.
Samuel born May 20, 1806, married SarahCongleton, died in Peoria, Ill…descendants.
Hortincy born Nov 22, 1810 and married to JOHN D. HOGAN probably in KY. There are descendants.
I recently set out to see if there were any descendants from Peter, Samuel, Hortincy and Abraham and to date have found family lines from Hortincy and Samuel. This blog will deal with the information found on both Samuel and Hortincy’s descendants. I hope to add something to the line on descendants of Peter in the future. I will start on what I found on Samuel then go onto his sister Hortinsey in another posting.
Samuel and his wife, Sarah,were married in Peoria on Nov 30, 1835. Her maiden name was Congleton. [Illinois Marriage records online at US GENWEB/Illinois] They had three known children found on census records for Peoria, Illinois in 1860. They were Richard, Robert and Isabelle.
Samuel is listed as a “Gentleman Farmer” in the 1860 census with real estate worth 180,000 dollars and property worth 100,000 dollars. I suspect this may be from the inheritance he received from his uncle Francis Voris and why the widow of Francis, Patsey Thomas Voris was residing with Samuel’s family in the 1860 census. Also listed are the three children of Samuel and Sarah, Richard born about 1838, Robert C. born about 1840, and Isabela born about 1839.
In 1870 they are still in Peoria, where Samuel is 64 and a mechanic born in KY and worth 50,000 dollars in real estate and 25,000 dollars in property. His wife Sarah age 65 is living still and with them are son Robert age 30, his wife, Jennie age 26 and their daughter, Maggie one year old. Patsey Thomas Voris is no longer listed with them and presumably has passed away.
Neither Samuel or Sarah are found after the 1870 census so presumably they passed away in the ten years between census taking and are buried in Peoria.
1. Samuel’s son, Richard was born about 1838 in Illinois, would marry Belle Parmely [Isabella]on Dec 3, 1863 in Peoria [Illinois Marriage Records online] their first child, Mary was born about 1864. Their other children, Samuel born about 1866, Frank V. born about 1867 and Edward born in 1870, all in Peoria, Illinois. They were followed by Sophia born about 1877 and Callie born about 1879. Richard owned an iron foundry in 1870. Isabelle/Belle Voris is still living in the 1910 census for Peoria and with her are two daughters, Sofia T age 28 and Clarabel age 27 [Callie??]
Of the children of Richard and Sarah Voris, I have yet to find further information on Mary Voris , though she may have married, I have not found anything showing a date for any marriage or any descendants through her line.
Son Frank died at age 64 in Peoria, Illinois on January 22, 1935, nothing further is known of him. He may be the F.B. Voris in the 1920 census of Peoria, Ill with wife, Mollie but it isn’t certain without further study. He is listed in that census as 50 years of age and wife, Mollie is 52.
Samuel Jr, died May 16, 1928, in Peoria. He is known to have married Maggie ___ by 1897 when a son, Richard is born and later a daughter, Mary born in July 1899, then Ruth born about 1902, Robert born about 1906 and Thomas born about 1909. The family is found in the census of 1910 for Peoria and again in the 1920 census with only the three younger children still living at home.
Edward is found in the 1910 census of Peoria, Illinois [age 40] with a wife, Lena [age 44] and three children, Edna born about 1901, Leonard born about 1904, Edward Newland Voris died April 1, 1924 in Peoria, Illinois.
2, Samuel’s son Robert C. was born about 1840 in Illinois. On Feb 23, 1865 Robert C Voris married Virginia V. Baldwin [Illinois Marriage records online at USGENWEB/IL] He is living with his brother, Richard in the 1880 census of Peoria, at age 40 and it says he was divorced. So far, no children have been found and nothing further on him or his former wife.
bkw2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Then there are the surprises you find when you start digging……a relationship to a famous pioneer or a group you’ve heard of and wondered about.
Being a family historian is a game or puzzle…..and sometimes just a bit of stubborness is necessary to figure out what happened to someone who is there one year and gone the next. Its tying up loose ends for one family and giving them a history. Its also sharing with someone who perhaps was adopted and feels lost till he understands his place in the scheme of things.
My own quest started as a ten year old. We had read our Weekly Reader in fifth grade one day…all about the reasons people left Europe to come to America. I was familiar with my mothers family as I had been around them all my life at that point…heard them telling stories about this ancestor or that one, visited cemeteries on Decoration Day and Easter Sunday with my Grandpa Wright and spent time with various relatives of my mothers parents as I grew up.
My dad’s family had always been something of a mystery as we didn’t visit often, for one reason or another. He told me what he knew of his grandpas family on his dads side…his grandpa was James Perry Adams from South Carolina. James married Emily McClellan in Fl and came to KY when she was pregnant with my Grandpa, Ancil Adams. He was the first born in Kentucky. On his mothers family he said they were kin to President Zachary Taylor. Thats one story I’ve never been able to prove though I’ve had others in the family repeat the same story.
About his mother’s family, he said he knew three things….they were French Huguenots, came to Kentucky very early and their last name was Montfort with both t’s pronounced and the last syllable emphasized. Something about that word huguenot. I had always loved big words…pronouncing them, learning the meanings, spelling them…..and huguenot was perfect in my book. From that point I determined to learn to speak French, the language of my ancestors.
One day we went to my Grandma Adams show to celebrate her birthday…all her kids and grandkids were to be there..at least the ones that lived closeby. I have a picture of my Grandma and me looking at a photo of my Grandpa Adams..the first time I had ever seen what he looked like. She later gave me a copy of the same photo to take home with me. We sat and talked about her family. I was thirteen or nearly so and started paying attention to the stories she told me that day.
Her father died when she was four and her mother died when she was ten…leaving her to live with this aunt or another, then finally keeping house for her older brothers till her marriage. I suppose the stories she knew came from her mothers sister, Jennie Montfort Satterwhite Jensen. She knew the names of her aunts and uncles on her mothers side but knew little of her dad’s family….except someone in Missouri had passed away and the estate was looking for next of kin. Grandma had moved to Indiana at this point and in the early 1900’s it wasn’t as easy to locate as it is now. Not long ago and with some surprise I learned the story was true.
There are some things I’ve learned that did not come from Grandma….and boy what surprises they have been. The family connection to the Boone family, the Shaker religious society of Kentucky, the Traveling Church that migrated in 1780 from Virginia to Kentucky, the Low Dutch Colony in Kentucky in 1780, quite a long list of Rev War veterans including FOUR women, and descending from a family that were among the first group of settlers that came from Holland to what is now Nieuw Amsterdam in 1624.
I used to say my ancestors were mainly from England, Ireland and Scotland, but now have more from Holland and France than all the others combined. Oh and learning to speak French, the language of my ancestors????? After two years of struggling and the teacher rolling her eyes at my attempts to pronounce words…..I later learned they were more likely speaking a language known as Walloon…a mix of Dutch and French and even more likely spoke Dutch after their arrival in America.
All of this came from the three things my dad told me when I was ten.
Barbara Whiteside
November 1, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
My goal for the past year has been to trace down each of the nine children of Francis and Charity as far as possible and locating descendants who may be starting to search their own family history. I am glad to share via email or through this blog and a website as well as on rootsweb, what I’ve found in over 55 years of asking questions and searching courthouses and libraries.
The nine children are :
Rachel and Catherine who married the Voris brothers, John and Francis
Marya who married Stephen Terhune
Charity who married Cornelius Luyster/Lyster
Henry who married his first cousin Catherine Montfort and moved to Ohio
John Calvin who married Nancy Agnes Mitchell and then Ruth Gess
Francis Jr who was married to his cousin Polly Banta [and my line of interest]
Jacob who married his cousin Margaret/Peggy Banta then Nancy Lineback
Sarah or Sallie who never married.
John Calvins line pretty much stayed in Kentucky and were fairly easy to trace. Several of his descendants have also been actively working on this line and shared their work with me. Catherine’s line was simplified in recent communications with some of her descendants both in Indiana and in Kentucky. Though a slow bit of work at first, I’ve been able to locate descendants of Marya Montfort Terhune as they moved into Indiana and then westward. Henry was a bit more of a challenge as he married and moved to Ohio with his cousin/bride and till I located online Ohio information, that line had come to a standstill till recently.
Those that went to the Shakers in the early 1800’s were complicated at first but access to the original Shaker journals at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky helped with the lines of Rachel Voris and her children, Jacob and his interesting association with the Shakers, Francis Jr and the youngest daughter Sarah. Once the children of these four left the Shakers, I then had to resort to the usual means of investigation; courthouses, libraries and census records but while some of them were a challenge, I’ve not only found most all of their descendants but found several descendants interested in their family history.
My own line through Francis Jr was easy once I got beyond his joining the Shakers. His brother Jacob led an interesting life with the Shakers and his expulsion in 1836 led me to Indiana and finally at least one descendant who is interested in the familyhistory.
That left Charity who married Cornelius Luyster and moved to Indiana…till this week. I now have her living till sometime in the 1840’s as she is no longer living in the 1850 census. She had moved to Jackson County, Indiana and I believe soon I’ll be able to figure out who the children are as they are only listed by age in that particular census. At least I know now she did have children and there are descendants still to locate.
This week after I found the information I had been seeking on Charity Montfort Lyster, I received emails from a Montfort descendant in California on a line I’ve been bringing down to the current generation. From my beginnings in the 1950’s when it seemed NO one was looking into this family, suddenly the interest has become a groundswell and I’m happy to share what I have with any and all.
All of that came on the heels of locating the three daughters of my grandmothers Uncle James Montfort, who had gone to Texas. My grandmother started all this by telling me the names of her aunts and uncles and what little details she had of each but this particular uncle was never mentioned. I was able to locate him through a census showing him to be the eldest son in the family and shortly after that he married and moved south, then west to Texas where he disappeared for a time. My grandmother was very young when she lost both her parents and was shuttled back and forth between kith and kin till old enough to live and care for her older brothers till she married. I find it amazing to know the stories and names she was able to tell me have all been proven, even the one where she missed out on a large inheritance because she had moved to Indiana and couldn’t be located.
A recent addition to research came across in a message posted on the Dutch-Colonies discussion group about 6 weeks ago….and I finally had an opportunity to try it out this past week. WOW, what a boost to genealogy. I was able through this search program locate those three daughters of James Francis Montfort who went to Texas…found his death certificate as well as that of his second wife, one of the daughters and several grandchildren. It also will pull up fairly easy to read census records and is constantly adding more information to the search engine.
The site I am praising is at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=0
I think there might be an easier way to find it but that is how its listed on my favorites.
That is all for this post, I may come back and edit or add more later as my mind recalls something specific I want to note here.
Barbara Whiteside
Oct 31, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
He probably moved to Kentucky about 1785-86, in the spring, and seems to have first settled in Mercer County, Kentucky where his youngest two children, Jacob [1787] and Sarah [1789] were born. Several sources give the last two childrens birthplace as being in Mercer County, KY, including the original journals of the Shaker Society at Pleasant Hill, KY [Filson Historical Society, Louisville, KY], as both Jacob and Sarah were members of the religious society.
Following his father in law to Henry/Shelby County, Kentucky, he was part of the Low Dutch Company that formed there by 1790 and received his 200 acre allotment as part of the company. This land sits next to the site of the current location of the Six Mile Meeting House just outside the town of Pleasureville in Henry County, KY. His name and signature appear in the “MINUTE BOOK 1790-1831 and ACCOUNT BOOK 1784-1813 OF THE LOW DUTCH COLONY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY” found in the Jayne Beers Collection of the Filson Historical Society archives MSS A B415.
He would eventually sell this 200 acres and purchase a smaller lot where he lived with his son John Calvin till Francis’ death in the spring of 1825. In lieu of caring for his father, John Calvin would eventually inherit this piece of property.
In February while still on the original farm, Francis and Charity walked over to the farm of his wife’s half brother, John Banta, to listen to the Shaker missionaries from Ohio talk about their society and encourage those attending to join with them. This ended up being the first organized Shaker meeting in the state of Kentucky with 300 in attendance in the afternoon gathering and another 200 attending the evening meeting in the Banta barn. Francis was not impressed. Perhaps he questioned turning over his property to the Shakers, perhaps it was the part about being celibate, who’s to know? But he did not join and was very upset when his wife did.
Francis and Charity had been married about thirty eight [38] years when she left him to become a member of the Shakers. Along with her she took their youngest child, Sarah, who also joined the society at the age of 16. Besides Sarah, they had eight [8] other children, Rachel married by this time to John Voris and having numerous children; Catherine who had married Francis Voris; Marya the wife of Stephen Terhune; Charity wife of Cornelius Luyster; Henry who had married his cousin Catherine Montfort and moved to Ohio; John Calvin married to his first wife, Nancy Agnes Mitchell; Francis who had married his half first cousin, Polly Banta, daughter of John Banta; Jacob who had just recently married his half first cousin, Margaret/Peggy Banta, daughter of Cornelius.
Of the nine children he fathered, four would follow their mother in to the Shaker society, Sarah in 1805, Francis Jr in 1806, Jacob in 1809 and Rachel in 1810. All but Sarah brought into the society, their wives, husband and children.
When writing his will, Francis seems to have made a point of leaving out of it his wife Charity, though he did mention all nine of the children, including those who followed her into the Shakers. I think there are two reasons for his leaving her out, though she outlived him by three years. One is anger. He was still angry that she left his side to become a Shaker. The other is about any property left to Charity. It would automatically have been taken into the communal property of the Shakers. This seems bolstered by the fact that property left to the four children who followed her into the society, were left property held by their father in Indiana. I am not up on law, let alone laws governing this time frame, but it would seem more difficult for the Shakers to acquire property from their members that was left to them in another state.
Francis died at the home of his son John Calvin, or so it appears and was probably buried on the family farm a bit to the north of Pleasureville. He died the 22nd of April, 1825 in Henry County, KY.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Jacob Montfort 1787-1864/1870
I am not sure where the information is coming from that lists his date of death as 1824, but I can track him to 1864 and his date of death between that year and the 1870 census of Indiana where he is no longer listed.
Jacob was born in Mercer County, Kentucky on February 8, 1787 after his parents and older siblings had moved there from York County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Francis Sr and Geertje/Charity Banta Montfort and his maternal grandfather was the man called Father Hendrick, Hendrick Banta 3rd, leader of the Low Dutch Colony. There were seven siblings older than him, Rachel, Catherine, Marya, Charity, Henry, John Calvin and Francis Jr. All were born in York County, PA. A younger sister, Sarah, would be born in Mercer County, Kentucky in 1789, completing the family of nine children.
On the fourth of February 1805, a license for marriage was filed in Henry County, Kentucky for Jacob Montfort to Margaret/Peggy Banta, daughter of Cornelius Banta and Mary Magdalene Durie Schuck Banta. Many online sites give his wife as Polly Banta but this is incorrect. His elder brother, Francis Jr was married to Polly Banta with their license filed in Shelby County, Kentucky in May of 1802. Polly was the daughter of John and Polly Riker Banta. Francis Jr is also listed as father of John, Henry and Leah Montfort, known children of Jacob and Margaret/Peggy Banta Montfort, from records of the Shakers of Pleasant Hill, KY.
In a typical case of family’s intermarrying within the Low Dutch Colony, John and Cornelius Banta were half brothers of Charity Banta Montfort. Charity was the youngest of six children born to Hendrick Banta 3rd and his first wife, Rachel Brower. John and Cornelius were from the second marriage of Hendrick Banta 3rd and Antie Demarest Banta. Antie and Rachel were cousins through the Demarest lineage.
Jacob and his wife, Margaret, would have three children, sons John born December 13, 1805 and Henry born November 24, 1807, both in Henry County, Kentucky. John was named for his paternal grandfather, Jan Monfoort and Henry was named after his maternal grandfather, Hendrick Banta 3rd. A third child would be born November 25, 1809 at Shakertown at Pleasant Hill in Mercer County, Kentucky. She would be named Leah after her great grandmother, Leah Demarest Demarest, who had been killed at the Long Run Massacre in September 1781. And yes, her maiden name was Demarest.
Jacob and Margaret had joined the Shaker religious society in June of 1809 with the two sons and the expected baby that would be called Love by the Shakers. In joining they would be one of many of the Low Dutch Colony that would “go to the Shakers” in the early 1800’s and most of those who joined were related to them in those early years. Charity Banta Montfort and her youngest daughter, Sarah, had joined in August of 1805. Francis Montfort Jr and his wife, Polly Banta Montfort joined with two children, John [1803] and Charity [1805] and a third born after they joined in March of 1806. This last child would be called David W. Montfort. An older sister, Rachel who had married John Voris, had joined with her large family in 1810.
Serving as elder at several of the family houses at Shakertown, Jacob was a trusted member of the society. His expulsion in October of 1836 thus came as a surprise when found written in a Shaker journal. Along with him, a young lady, Nancy Lineback/Lyneback was also sent out of the village at the same time. She was born November 8, 1805 and was the age of his two sons by Margaret. Her pregnancy could no longer be concealed and the father of the expected baby was revealed. Of all the rules one can break as a Shaker this was the worst. The Shakers as a rule were very forgiving of transgressions but this was against the backbone of the society’s beliefs……celibacy.
The date of the child’s birth is not known but must have been sometime after the first of the year of 1837. It was a girl and her name is not known, but she is no longer listed after the 1840 census.
Jacob had filed for divorce from his first wife, Margaret/Peggy Banta Montfort and it was granted in February of 1837. Kentucky law at that time granted divorces if one party of the marriage was a Shaker and would not leave the society. The divorce can be found in records of the Kentucky General Assembly for the year 1837, as that body had the authority to grant divorces. Within the same month he was married to Nancy. They would have a son about 1841, named Jacob and no other children.
Margaret/Peggy Banta Montfort remained a Shaker till her death August 23, 1874 and is buried in the cemetery at Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. Their daughter, Leah/Love died November 25, 1882, her 73rd birthday and is also buried at the Shaker cemetery at Pleasant Hill.
Their sons, John and Henry, both left the society in 1827 and 1828. John disappears and nothing more is known of him. Henry left the society in 1828 and made his way north to Indiana where he marries Mrs. Susan Lewis Samples in Madison on October 25, 1828. They would have four children, Susannah [Davis], Louisa [Spink], Cornelius B. and Robert H. There are descendants of at least two of these children.
Jacob, his new wife, Nancy and family moved north to Indiana and lived near his son, Henry, for a time. They are listed in the 1840 census of Jefferson County, Indiana with a male between 50-60., a female between 30-40, and a female child under the age of five. By August of 1850, the family had moved west to Harrison County, Indiana where they are found living in Blue River Township. Jacob is a farmer, age 63, born in KY. Nancy is 44, born in North Carolina and no daughter is listed. A son, Jacob, age 9 is listed as having been born in Indiana. They are still living in this same area in the 1860 census.
March of 1864 is the last known date Jacob Sr is still living. He signs a paper for the girl his son is going to marry stating she is “of lawful age to marry, being acquainted with her since her birth.,” Jacob Montfort Jr marries Martha Edmonson in Washington County, IN March 14th , 1864. The entire letter he wrote to present to the court allowing his son to marry is as follows: “Jacob is 23 and could marry anyone he pleased, and he wishes to marry Martha Edmison, a girl with no mother or father living. I hereby certify Martha is of lawful age to marry, being acquainted with her since birth. She is 21 years of age and her relations are willing.” The letter was dated March 11, 1864 and signed by Jacob Montfort.. By 1870, Jacob Sr is no longer found listed in census records for Harrison County, IN and indications are he had deceased by this time. The marriage is found in Book G, page 349, Washington County, IN Marriages 1844-1877 found in the archives of the Indiana History Room of the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, New Albany, Indiana.
Nancy is listed for the last time in the 1880 census for Harrison County, IN, living alone in Blue River Township.
Jacob Jr and his wife, Martha would have at least known 6 children, Elizabeth [1867]. Ulysses Grant [1870], Eliza [1872], Martin [1874], and John [1876] , and Nancy [1879-80] before they disappear from records. It is possible one or more of the girls married although no records appear in records at Harrison County, IN. Like their parents, they could have married in Washington County, IN as it was nearer to their farm but no records have yet been found.
Sources include the original Shaker journals found at the Filson Historical Society in Louisvlle, KY as well as the three rolls of microfilm by the Harrodsburg Historical Society of Harrodsburg, KY from originals they have in their archives. The University of Kentucky at Lexington, Kentucky has some journals from Pleasant Hill Shaker Society on microfilm in their archives, as does the Western Kentucky University Library archives that deal with the South Union Shaker Village near Bowling Green , Kentucky. Their journals at WKU include many references to the early days of the society at Pleasant Hill. Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland, Ohio and the archives at Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky have also been used for sources.
The courthouses of Shelby, Henry, Mercer, Anderson, Jefferson Counties in Kentucky as well as those in Jefferson, Harrison and Switzerland Counties in Indiana for birth and marriage as well as divorce records.
Libraries utilized include the National SAR Library in Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville, Kentucky; Lawrenceburg, KY Library; Shelby County, KY Library at Shelbyville, KY; New Albany-Floyd County Public Library in New Albany, IN; Jefferson County/Madison Public Library at Madison, IN; Filson Historical Society library in Louisville, KY; Harrodsburg Historical Society library at Harrodsburg,KY; my own personal collection of Shaker material in my library. Also the Henry County Historical Society in New Castle, Kentucky.
Barbara Whiteside
8/30/2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I just received this picture of the Hendrick Banta 3rd cabin near Conewago, York County, Pennsylvania from my cousin Paul Gibbs. He lives near the site and found the cabin in relatively good condition this summer and gave permission to share on my blog. It sure seems large enough to house the 13 children Hendrick Banta 3rd had by Antie Demarest and 8 grandchildren they raised following the deaths of their parents and some of the children from Hendricks first marriage to Rachel Brower. I suspect the addition in the back of the house is not original to the home. I am looking forward to the Gathering of Dutch Cousins in the Conewago area in 2011 so I can visit the old homestead personally.
There is a new face in our family, a new baby born to a descendant of Francis and Polly Banta Montfort through their son, John. William Russell Montfort was born in Louisville, KY in late July this year and am so pleased to see both the family name and the next generation carried on.
I am currently updating my website at rootsweb with new information, data, sources and stories as I know them. Soon I am going to add to my MONTFORT FAMILY website at tripod as well. Its time to get it going again. One thing at a time though….add to this blog today, then try to complete the rootsweb site and then start adding chapters to the big site at tripod. It can happen.
Also preparing for the gathering of Dutch Cousins next year at Harrodsburg, KY with collecting things for two silent auction baskets….one is a Dutch theme, the other will have a Shaker theme to it. With my cousin, Diana, we need to start planning something for the day at Shakertown. Many of our Dutch cousins have visited there but till recently knew little of the Low Dutch connection to the Shakers. Since we have direct connections to both, we want to share, teach and show off the most tranquil spot in the state of Kentucky.
Summer is half gone and about now with all this heat and humidity in the lower Ohio River Valley…we start thinking cold…….then about February we are hoping to see the middle of summer again…..cannot please us in this part of southern Indiana at all.
My main goal for todays entry is to share the new photo of the Banta cabin in Pennsylvania. I will probably add it to my tripod site later on too.
My youngest granddaughter will be seven in Sept and loves ghost stories. She has hinted strongly that she wants to spend the night at Shakertown in the room that was her 5th gt grandfathers when he was a resident and member of the Shakers. I think she hopes Grandpa Francis will knock on the door as happened last year when my cousin and I stayed there. I only know we were the only people staying in the three story East House and knew the sounds made by the creaking floor when folks walked through…knew the sounds the front doors made as they opened and closed and there was NO one near our door when we opened after hearing three distinct taps on it. We had a creaky floor right in front of our room…..not a sound was heard but the three taps. Gwynn is sure Grandpa Francis will come see her when she stays there.
Thats all today from hazy, hot, humid southern Indiana…..
Barbara Whiteside
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