Beautiful Home and Interesting Housekeeping: 52 Ancestors 2023 Prompt “This Ancestor Stayed Home”

 

James Weir’s Waveland: A Truly Artistic Home

James Weir: 1821-1906 (First Cousin 4x Removed)

 

While researching James Weir for another blog post, I discovered some fascinating information about his lovely home in Owensboro, Waveland. I also found an entertaining newspaper piece that implied he sowed a few wild oats when he was young and first living on his own. I decided these items deserved more research and a post of their own.

As I wrote in my previous post, James Weir was the son of James Weir and the nephew of my husband’s third great-grandfather Samuel Miller Weir. James Weir attended college—quite rare in the 1840s—and earned his law degree. He practiced law and then branched out into banking. He was also renowned as a novelist, writing three novels in the 1850s. James married Susan C. Green in 1842, and they had ten children, eight of whom survived to adulthood.

The rather amusing and suggestive news item about James Weir’s younger days was found in the Owensboro Examiner’s September 10, 1875 edition, in a column entitled “Scraps of Local History”. The writer was recalling prominent city residents of thirty years earlier, so in the early to mid-1840’s. One paragraph caught my eye. It reads as follows:

“About the same time of which we are now speaking, James Weir, Jr., began house-keeping, first in and then outside the town. Of this, family delicacy forbids us to say anything, as all are still living, except to say that the mother of Mrs. Weir was among the best women of her day, or any day, and that her father was among the grandest men upon whom Christianity ever put her shining crown…”

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding this paragraph, but it seems to imply that James Weir was sowing some wild oats once he had moved out on his own, and that he had perhaps compromised his future wife. Otherwise, why would his wife Susan Green’s parents need to exercise their Christian charity and be among the “best” people of their day? It sounds as if the young man was causing concern among his sweetheart’s family. Since James and Susan were, by 1875, important, influential people in the community, I wonder how they reacted to this news item and the suggestion that their long ago conduct (or at least James’) was too risqué to discuss openly.

The information on the home James built in 1858 was also fascinating. Prior to 1858, James and Susan and their children lived in a house at Third and Daviess Street, just blocks from the Ohio River. Now this section of Owensboro is the central business district; the Chamber of Commerce Office is nearby.

Area of James and Susan Weir's first home in Owensboro

As their family grew, they needed a larger home. James bought a 400 acre parcel from John Howard, described in “Some Historic Landmarks of Owensboro” (see citation below) as stretching from “McFarland Street south to the old McHenry farm about one mile out Frederic Street. It extended west about one-half mile.”

Waveland location marked in blue--note that neighboring property is listed as Weir Park

James sold off much of the acreage to other well-heeled Owensboro residents. The article noted that “many of the principal residences of Owensboro are standing on” the original Weir property. Weir kept about twenty acres around the homesite. The map above shows the area in 1878 when Weir owned 35 acres and had donated parkland next door. The parcel was located north of Griffith Street and between Walnut and Frederica, an area that now has businesses like CPAs and attorneys housed in the remaining large old homes.

According to the Historic Landmarks article, Waveland was:

“an unpretentious square brick house, which originally cost less than $20,000. The brick work was done by a contractor named James Wilhite, and the carpenter work by Bonnie Trible…All the lumber used was yellow poplar, then plentiful, but now so rare and valuable.”

“The house was out of the ordinary for architecture...” according to the article, which quoted a representative from the Carnegie Libraries, who toured Waveland while searching for a site for a new library, that no other house he’d ever toured “had come up to this one for completeness in every way.”

Waveland had 12 rooms, plus servants’ quarters. Outbuildings of brick and log housed Weir’s slaves before the Civil War. The 1860 census’ Slave Schedules show that James Weir owned 21 human beings, the youngest only a few months old. The Historic Landmarks articles claims that “after the emancipation, many of them (slaves) remained with him on account of his kindness towards them.”

I would like to believe that his kindness was the reason. The 1870 census does show that four black employees lived in the household: Elya Davis, 50; Mary Davis, 12; David Lewis, 29; and William Hunter, 15. The census indicates none of these workers could read, so apparently Weir’s kindness did not extend to educating his slaves. The family also had two live-in white employees, probably a nanny and a cook or housekeeper.

Waveland’s most striking feature was its art. The Historic Landmarks article states:

“The frescoing of this house, which was considered the finest in this part of the country, was done in 1870 by Captain Buler, a Prussian army officer who had fought through the Civil War as a Confederate officer. The cost of frescoing was $12,000, and the designs were magnificent, such as are now rarely seen.”

I have found no images of the frescos or any record of a Confederate officer with the surname Buler. If he completed any other artworks, I find no record of them.

A description from Collins’ Historical Sketches (see citation below) said that Waveland, set “on a gentle knoll south of the city, is one of the most magnificently frescoed buildings on the American continent.” The writer noted that the fresco painter “is at once artist and scholar; the elegant historic paintings on the ceiling of the library, in their groupings and combinations, are a constant source of study and pleasure”

Another article provides some descriptions of the frescos: “The broad halls and large airy rooms were beautifully frescoed and the library with the picture of ‘Washington Crossing the Delaware’ on the ceiling, [contained] well-filled bookshelves, for Mr. Weir was a great reader…”

James Weir continued to live in the home for the rest of his life. He died at Waveland on January 31, 1906 at the age of 84. 

His son, Dr. James Weir, died the same year in August. Following the son’s death, the home was put up for sale, and the buyer chose to tear it down just two years later so the property could be subdivided into numerous home lots. It is a pity that such a richly decorated home did not survive. As a result, the frescos have been lost, and their artist left unnamed and forgotten.

Sources:

“Some Historic Landmarks of Owensboro”. https://wckyhistory-genealogy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Historic-Landmarks-of-Owensboro.pdf

Map of Owensboro, Ky. by McDonough, Leo & Co.; Chamberlain, E.J., 1878.

Description of Weir House. Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Volume 2, By Lewis Collins. Collins & Co., Covington KY. https://books.google.com/books?id=FjE_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA153&lpg=PA153&dq=james+weir+house,+owensboro&source=bl&ots=Pk2An5-zW5&sig=ACfU3U2RajZmLR0_JuAs6wt87OodjbCfXw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj84_TIlrCBAxWNk2oFHaTiCpg4FBDoAXoECAgQAw#v=onepage&q=james%20weir%20house%2C%20owensboro&f=false

Articles about Weir’s life and Waveland. https://wckyhistory-genealogy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Jerry20Long20-20Weir2C20James20281821-190629.pdf

Owensboro Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky., Sunday, 2 August 1908, p.1:.OLD WEIR HOME THING Of PAST

 

The Novels of James Weir Jr.: 52 Ancestors 2023 Prompt “Newest Discovery”

The Author/Businessman: Nineteenth Century Kentucky Novelist

James Weir: 1821-1906 (Maternal First Cousin 4x Removed)
 

While researching James Weir’s father, also named James Weir, I ran across a reference to his son writing and publishing three novels in the 1800s. I was fascinated—I had to research these novels. Was he a good writer? What did he write about? I couldn’t wait to investigate this newest discovery.

James Weir was born June 16, 1821 in Greenville, Kentucky to parents James Weir and Anna Cowman Rumsey Weir. He was the third of their five children, and the second son. Unlike many young men of the era, James and his brother Edward were fortunate enough to attend college, both matriculating at the twenty-year-old campus of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. They went on to study law at Transylvania University.

Law degree in hand, James moved from Greenville to Owensboro, Kentucky. He married Susan Charlotte Green in 1842. She was the daughter of a judge who was one of James’ legal mentors.

In addition to his legal practice, James became involved in banking and railroads. He helped to found and later became the president of the Deposit Bank of Owensboro, and was the president of the Owensboro and Nashville Railroad, even financing the purchase of the railroad’s rolling stock. He also invested in the Ohio River Telegraph Company and helped found the Owensboro Wheel Company. He became a well-respected and wealthy member of the Owensboro community, and was known for his charitable works. He and Susan had ten children, seven of whom reached adulthood. 

While you might assume James’ business and family endeavors would have kept him busy, he somehow found time to write and publish three novels. He apparently was writing during the early years of his marriage and the birth of his first three children. I wonder if he ever had time to sleep? Of course, he was a slaveowner, so perhaps his duties at home were taken care of by servants.

His first book, Lonz Powers or The Regulators, was published in 1850. With its publication, Weir became “Kentucky’s first historical novelist.” See Taylor citation below.

The book is based on the real-life exploits of Kentucky outlaw Alonzo Pennington, who led a band of criminals from 1830-1845. Local people eventually formed a vigilante group to combat the outlaws, and Pennington was captured and tried in 1846. Weir’s character Lonz Powers, like Pennington, is the leader of a group of outlaws. However, Powers attempts to hide his identity by joining the vigilante group pursuing him, known as the Regulators. Despite his dual identity, Powers is eventually caught and brought to justice. 

Lonz Powers was serialized in newspapers, including the Owensboro newspaper—it was a long book, so was published in an astonishing 81 segments!

For his next two books, James Weir turned to another place and time he was familiar with: the North Carolina of his father’s youth, and the migration of North Carolinians to Kentucky. In the first of the two novels, Simon Kenton or The Scout’s Revenge, he follows the adventures of Indian fighter and Revolutionary War scout Simon Kenton, and his conflict with the evil Tory Simon Girty. In the novel, Kenton becomes involved with two North Carolina families, the Duffs and the Heads, who migrate to Kentucky. In the sequel, The Winter Lodge or The Vow Fulfilled, the Duffs and Heads are followed to Kentucky by renegades and natives out for revenge against them. Simon Kenton helps them fight off the villains.

Once again, Weir based his characters on real people. Simon Kenton and Simon Girty were both actual scouts and explorers, friends of Daniel Boone. However, the real Kenton and Girty were friends, not enemies. Also, the real Kenton ended up settling in Ohio rather than Kentucky.

Simon Kenton was published by Lippincott, Grambo and Co. in 1852, and The Winter Lodge was published by Lippincott in 1854. I found the novels are held by several university libraries, including the University of Chicago, and are also available online. Hathi Trust has the full text of all three on their website. Weir’s writing is very evocative. Here is a description of an abandoned house:

“That lonely cottage, with its dreary, moss-covered roof, its crumbling chimney, its glassless windows, its half-gone porch, its broken-down fences, and its weedy, briery yard, was a striking picture of gloomy desolation and decay and death; and no wonder the simple rustics believed it the home of ghosts and spirits, and never entered within its haunted precincts.” (pg. 68)

One of the characters in Simon Kenton was a black man named Titus. James’ father had a slave (referred to as a “body servant” in some accounts) named Titus who accompanied him on his travels as a merchant, so the novel’s character was probably based on that Titus. Other characters in his books were based on his friends and acquaintances. One of his schoolteachers appears as a character, for example.

As a modern reader, the dialect and treatment of the Titus character are jarring and repulsive. Here is an exchange between Titus and Simon Kenton:

            “O massa!” ejaculated the negro….”dis old boy can’t do dat; him be fraid of the ghosts, for dat house be haunted dis long time.”

            “Haunted, you old white-liver!” exclaimed Sharp-Eye. “Just do as I tell you, or cuss me if I don’t lift that wolly scalp of yours, and then we’ll have the ghost of a nigger to keep company with old Girty and his crew…And the ghosts, you know, don’t travel by daylight, for they’ve got eyes like owls, all them I’ve seen, and can’t see ‘cept at night…”

Obviously these books have not aged well. The writing is too florid for modern taste, and the treatment of Native Americans and black people would horrify most modern readers. However, they are a glimpse into the world of the 1850s and reflect the sensibilities of the time period. They were popular when published and sold out. In addition, they were translated into German and published in Germany, where stories of the American frontier were popular.

Print copies of the novels are now very hard to find. Since the original publication runs were fairly small, and most of the books were sold in the region of Kentucky and the surrounding states, few copies have survived.

Weir’s publisher wanted to reprint Lonz Powers, but Weir dragged his feet, claiming he wanted to make extensive edits before the book was reissued. He never completed the edits. He also had plans to write a third book in the Simon Kenton series, which would cover the period of the War of 1812. However, he never completed the project. Did his other responsibilities get in the way? Did he lose interest in writing?  

James Weir died in Owensboro January 31, 1906 at the age of 84. Some of James Weir’s children also authored stories and books, and kept well-stocked libraries, so his literary interests were passed to the next generation.  

 

photo by CAWatkins, from Findagrave

 

Sources:

Simon Kenton or The Scout’s Revenge. An Historical Novel by James Weir. Lippincott, Grambo and Co. Philadelphia. 1852.  https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433081749974&seq=19

The Winter Lodge: or Vow Fulfilled. An Historical Novel. The Sequel to Simon Kenton. James Weir. Lippincott, Grambo, and Co., Philadelphia. 1854.  https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008617470

Lonz Powers: Or the Regulators. A Romance of Kentucky. James Weir. Lippincott, Grambo & Company, 1850. https://books.google.com/books?id=q6EcAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Taylor, R. Stephen. “JAMES WEIR, FIRST CITIZEN OF OWENSBORO.” The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, vol. 72, no. 1, 1974, pp. 10–19. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23378279. Accessed 13 Sept. 2023.

“The Story of Lonz Powers.” Article on the Cousin Harriet website. https://cousinharriet.com/history/xiii.html

Description of Weir House. Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Volume 2, By Lewis Collins. Collins & Co., Covington KY. https://books.google.com/books?id=FjE_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA153&lpg=PA153&dq=james+weir+house,+owensboro&source=bl&ots=Pk2An5-zW5&sig=ACfU3U2RajZmLR0_JuAs6wt87OodjbCfXw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj84_TIlrCBAxWNk2oFHaTiCpg4FBDoAXoECAgQAw#v=onepage&q=james%20weir%20house%2C%20owensboro&f=false

https://wiki.historyofowensboro.com/index.php/James_Weir

Some Historic Landmarks of Owensboro. Jerry Long. Owensboro Messenger.11 Oct 1888. https://wckyhistory-genealogy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Historic-Landmarks-of-Owensboro.pdf

Revolutionary Soldier’s Strange Pay: 52 Ancestors 2023 Prompt “You Wouldn’t Believe It”

 

Strange Story About Shameful Combat Pay

William Weir: 1751-1787 (4^th Great-grandfather)

Family stories about Revolutionary War service abound in genealogy. But verified, proven stories are quite rare. If a researcher is fortunate, they find a few breadcrumbs that prove someone with the ancestor’s name from the right region served in the Revolution. When I reach this point in research, I usually accept their service as an unverified “fact”—I add it to the tree but note it isn’t verified. But the details from the family lore that make some stories so fascinating and evocative are nearly impossible to prove. That’s the case with this tale about David and William Weir’s service in the Revolutionary War.

According to numerous family histories, William Weir was of Scottish descent, and emigrated with his father David from Ireland. They appear to have been Covenanters, a Presbyterian sect that was persecuted in Scotland. Many Covenanters moved to the New World, and a large group settled in South Carolina near the community of Fishing Creek. That’s where William Weir started his family and acquired land.

Chester County region of South Carolina where Fishing Creek is located--1800s

According to some descendants, father David and son William served in the Revolutionary War together under General Sumter, fighting the British in South Carolina. Other descendants say that William and his oldest son David, a stripling lad of about 14, served together in the war, and young David died of wounds he received in battle.

And then there’s a truly fascinating, repulsive detail from one account: that William’s only compensation for his war service was bounty confiscated from a Loyalist’s estate. The bounty? A young black slave girl. This tale was printed in a reference book entitled Biographical Cyclopedia of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The source is unclear.

So what parts of these stories can we prove?

First I searched Revolutionary War records on a variety of sites. The National Park Service records confirm that a David Weir served in the Continental Army in South Carolina.

A Genealogy.com thread on James Weir’s family compiled by Dorann O’Neal Lam provided some records related to David’s service, which seemed to indicate he was William’s son, not his father. She writes the following:

“David Weir, b 1770, Fishing Creek, Chester Co., SC d from wounds received in the battle at Eutaw Springs (8 Sep 1781).The story was told by Miller Weir that when David's father took a temporary leave from the war to return home to make shoes for his children, young David took his place and was wounded at Eutaw Springs and/or imprisoned at Charlotte. Although his mother Susannah obtained his release and brought him home, he died from his wounds. (See Chester Co. Gen. Bul. June 1981.) Salley's Stub Entries, "Paid to David Weir (Indexed Wier) 10 pounds sterling, for 100 days' militia duty, as per account audited.--Issued 2nd November 1784, No. 470.* Bk L, by A. S. Salley, Jr., Secy of the Historical Commission of SC.(Source:Charlene Gillespie Deutsch)” See full Lam citation below.

I have not been able to access the Chester County Genealogy Society’s 1981 Bulletin article that she cited to get further details. I would have to go to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City to read a copy. However, I did find the “Stub Entry” she refers to. The stub records the distribution of ten pounds sterling for David’s 100 days of service. The full citation is below.

In addition, a website that details South Carolina’s contributions to the American Revolution had listings for both David and William Weir as members of the Turkey Creek Regiment. The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) has also accepted William’s Revolutionary War service, although at least one of the applications lists David as William’s father and relies on David’s Revolutionary War service.  

I have not been able to verify veteran David Weir’s identity. I have found no birth records for a David who would have been old enough to serve in the war. And I have found no death records for William’s father David that would at least confirm that he was still alive during the Revolution. It is likely that war veteran David Weir is related to William Weir, but I can’t determine whether this David is William’s father or son. Miller Weir’s tale about David’s injury, release from service, and death are persuasive, but they can’t be proven.

The final part of this story, the claim that William Weir received no compensation for his Revolutionary War service except for a female slave child, is the most shocking and hard to prove part. I was raised to see the Revolution as a noble undertaking, untainted by the stain of slavery. This was something I found hard to believe. But I searched for evidence nonetheless.

I could find no “Stub Entry” for William, so he doesn’t seem to have received any cash remuneration for his service. I found it hard to believe soldiers would receive slaves in lieu of pay. But when I did a Google search on the topic, I was stunned to find there might actually be some truth to the story. An online reference book called the South Carolina Encyclopedia had an entry on African Americans in the Revolutionary War which included the following passage:

“However, South Carolina slaves were used as bounty to raise white recruits. In 1781 General Thomas Sumter offered one slave to each white citizen who joined as a private soldier for ten months and as many as three grown and one small slave to those who joined as colonels. Sumter did not have these slaves at the time he made this promise. He was banking on slaves he hoped would be seized from Loyalists during future campaigns. General Andrew Pickens also adopted this recruiting incentive, which became known as “Sumter’s law,” but Francis Marion rejected it, stating that it was ‘inhuman.’”

Sumter was named in the family story as William Weir’s commanding officer and William’s service record shows he served in 1781, so this horrible transaction may have actually taken place!

General Sumter

My experiences trying to verify these old family stories illustrate the continuing need for historical research and dissemination of historical facts. Americans should all know just how entwined slavery was in the Revolutionary War, and how pervasive the use of slaves really was during the period. We must push back against recent right-wing suppression of history with facts and records.

 

Sources:

Service records for William Weir and father David Weir in the Turkey Creek Regiment. South Carolina. The American Revolution in South. Website written and researched by J D Lewis, Little River, SC.  Carolina https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/patriot_military_sc_privates_w.htm

DAR application for descendant of David and William Weir. https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/14571291/person/230139490984/media/aad489d9-dbee-4776-9193-42b04f90bc58?_phsrc=Jng25074&_phstart=successSource

South Carolina Encyclopedia. “African Americans in the Revolutionary War, 1771782.” https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/african-americans-in-the-revolutionary-war/

Genealogy.com Surnames Forum: James Weir: Chester Co SC to Muhlenberg Co Ky. By Dorann O’Neal Lam. 6 Dec 2008. https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/weir/2501/

Stub entries to indents issued in payment of claims against South Carolina growing out of the revolution. Books B-I, K-Z / Edited by A. S. Salley, Jr. secretary of the Historical commission of South Carolina. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112037943567&seq=77

James Weir (1821-1906), by Jerry Long, Owensboro, KY 1994. Excerpt from BIOGRAPHICAL CYCLOPEDIA OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY, John M.Gresham Company, Chicago, Philadelphia, c1896, pp230-232[BA1] :

https://wckyhistory-genealogy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Jerry20Long20-20Weir2C20James20281821-190629.pdf

 

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 [BA1]

Tradesman Extraordinaire: 52 Ancestors 2023 Prompt “Tradesman”

James Weir Builds a Mercantile Empire

James Weir: 1777-1845 (Third Great-Granduncle)

 

Hard work is certainly a requirement for success in business, but I believe some people have that extra something that enables them to succeed at a higher level than the average businessman. James Weir had a big helping of that something extra. He left South Carolina in the 1790s as a typical pioneer, moving to Kentucky with nothing but grit and ambition. He became one of the original pioneers of Greenville where he built a veritable mercantile empire that crossed state borders.

James Weir was the third son of William Weir and Susannah Miller Weir (fourth great-grandparents) of Fishing Creek, South Carolina. He was born in 1777, and was about ten or eleven when his father died. William’s will provided that James, along with his sisters, receive equal parts of his plantation, livestock and household furniture. James’ two older brothers, William and Samuel, were named executors of the estate.

James left South Carolina as a young man, heading west into Tennessee and eventually into Kentucky. He kept a journal during the eight months of his journey. His observations about the people, land and towns he passed through are interesting. I was surprised by how straightlaced he was, complaining and aghast at the swearing and immorality he found in Knoxville, for example. He supported himself along the way as a schoolmaster.

Weir originally arrived in Kentucky in 1798 as a surveyor, and eventually decided to settle in Greenville. When he first passed through the Greenville area, he noted in his journal that “Green River is navigable all seasons of the year for large boats, which may pass to and from Illinois and from thence to the Atlantic Ocean. It is thought that it will be a place of great trade in time to come.” He helped his prediction come to fruition.

Jarrels Creek area in modern times

Weir started a mercantile in Greenville in 1799, and received a land grant of 352 acres along the Jarrels Creek in 1802, which he probably used for farming. Slaves contributed to Weir’s wealth. The 1810 census shows he had seven slaves, and by 1820 he had eleven enslaved people in his household. However, by 1830 he had only two female slaves and a free “colored” male in his household—probably the man mentioned in a history of the county as his “body servant Titus”. Selling off his slaves probably reflected the shift in his business focus from farming to his mercantile and trading business, which required little slave labor.  

Rothert county history, cited below, examined a ledger owned by James’ great-grandson Harry Weir that recorded the transactions at Weir’s Greenville store over the period from 1813-1815. From this ledger, Weir’s business practices become clear. Rothert wrote: “Much of the merchandise brought from the East by old James Weir was exchanged for wild pork, rawhides, produce and tobacco. These he shipped to New Orleans on flatboats, where he sold them for cash, with which he bought more goods in Philadelphia.” This triangular trade practice built Weir’s wealth: raw goods and produce shipped from Kentucky and Illinois to New Orleans for sale, and then the proceeds used to buy manufactured goods in Philadelphia that Weir’s customers needed or craved.

Once he purchased goods in Philadelphia, he would ship them by wagon to Pittsburgh, and then send them by boat down the Ohio River. From there the Muhlenberg County goods were put on a boat up the Green River to Lewisburg, and then sent on by wagon. James Weir must have been quite the logistician to make this multi-step shipping system work.

The trips could be hazardous. Weir’s journal entries from his 1803 trading trip down the river to the New Orleans area were reprinted in an appendix to Rothert’s History. The journal recounts how Weir was arrested at the Spanish garrison in Baton Rouge for selling hams without the proper permission from the garrison commander. He was fortunate to be released after a few days and allowed to continue south. After selling his remaining goods in New Orleans, he travelled by sea to Philiadelphia. His ship ran into a severe storm, nearly forcing everyone to abandon ship.

Weir’s original Greenville store was a log cabin located on the west side of Main Street. He next built a brick store on the east side of Main a little further north. This building became known as Weir Corner. A photo of the brick building is below.

In 1816 he built a brick home for his family south of the store. He was also involved in local banking and insurance businesses.

Weir house in background of this photo from 1800s

Over time, he expanded his mercantile business to several other towns, with stores in Lewisburg, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Morganfield, Madisonville and Russellville, Kentucky, with one additional store in Shawneetown, Illinois.

James Weir had three wives. His first wife was Anna Cowman Rumsey, whose family was a powerful one in that era. He had five children with Anna, sons Edward Rumsey Weir and James Weir, and daughters Emily, Anna and Susan Mary Weir. 

Wife Anna died in 1838, and he remarried the following year to Jane Short. Sadly, Jane also died, and James took his third wife, Ruth Beach of St. Louis, on September 29, 1844.

Eleven months later on August 9, 1845, James died at the age of 68. He left his survivors, including an unborn daughter Ruth, handsomely provided for.

James Weir was a true “tradesman”—he learned to barter goods in various far-flung parts of the United States, and he learned to make deals with all sorts of people from all walks of life. He was a true original and a consummate businessman.

 

Sources:

A History of Muhlenberg County by Otto A Rothert. “The Weirs.” Pg. 56-62. Pg. 116-121. Publisher, J.P. Morton, 1913. https://books.google.com/books/about/A_History_of_Muhlenberg_County.html?id=e1UnTbWjk2kC

Kentucky, U.S., Land Grants, 1782-1924. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/18690:2073?tid=81812584&pid=262518455113&hid=1037937987049

Muhlenberg County KyArchives History - Books .....VI The Weirs 1913.

Findagrave entry: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71435398/james-weir?_gl=1*1r5u67g*_gcl_au*OTYwOTExNTI1LjE2ODk4MDk1ODg.*_ga*MTQ5MDkwODUzMi4xNjI2MjI0NDE0*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ZDcyNjJkZWMtYTlmMC00MmIwLWI3ZWMtOGQwMDMzMzdhZjRmLjU3OS4xLjE2OTQ1NTczMjQuNjAuMC4w*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ZDcyNjJkZWMtYTlmMC00MmIwLWI3ZWMtOGQwMDMzMzdhZjRmLjE3LjEuMTY5NDU1NzMyNC4wLjAuMA..

Slow to Emigrate: 52 Ancestors 2023 Prompt “Slow”

 Arriving in America Late in Life: Last Sister in Scotland

Mary Ann Robertson: 1864-1947 (Great-grandaunt)

Mary Ann Robertson was the only sister of great-grandmother Jane Ann Robertson, the youngest of William Robertson and Helen Wood’s four children. Born March 21, 1864 in Dundee, Scotland, Mary Ann never married and seems to have lived with her parents in Dundee until their deaths.

However, she didn’t remain in Scotland.  According to Mary Ann’s death certificate, she died in the United States on July 13, 1947 at the age of 84 and 3 months. She apparently was living with her nephew Andrew Aird and sister Jane Robertson Aird at the family home at 2690 Wreford Avenue in Detroit till her death.

So when did she arrive in America? Her death certificate provided a surprising answer.  In response the question of “Length of Stay in this Community”, respondent Andrew Aird reported 26 years. This means Mary Ann emigrated from Scotland around 1921 when she was about 57. That seems a bit old to decide to cross an ocean and settle in Detroit. Why did she choose to emigrate so late in life?  

I searched for verification of her years in America. I found her on the 1940 census living with her sister Jane, along with Jane’s daughter Isabella and son Andrew. However she was not listed on the enumeration for Jane’s household at the time of the 1930 census. So where was she?

A census search found her living with another of Jane’s children, David Aird and his wife and child. Her occupation was listed as “Household helper” so presumably she helped David’s wife.

I searched immigration records and found Mary Ann’s arrival at Ellis Island June 26, 1920 aboard the ship Columbia. According to the arriving passenger list, Mary Ann, listed as Mary Robertson, was 54 years and 10 months of age, and was 5 feet two inches with fair skin, grey hair and grey eyes. She stated that her destination was Detroit, where her sister Jane Aird lived, and her length of stay was “permanent”. 

Curiously, she listed her occupation as “housewife” despite being a life-long spinster. I was surprised that the person she listed as the “nearest relative or friend” back in Scotland was not one of her brothers, but her cousin, Mrs. Jane Watson of 6 Taits Lane, Dundee. The other shock was that she was unable to read or write!

I was left with many questions. Since she claimed to be a “housewife”, I suspected she had cared for her parents as they aged in Dundee. Had she never attended school? Was this why she couldn’t read or write? Or did she just read and write at a very low level?

I decided to go back to Scotland records to see when Mary Ann’s parents died. Did their deaths prompt her decision to join her sister in Detroit? Sadly, neither Family Search nor Ancestry has death records or dates for either William Robertson or Helen/Ellen Wood Robertson. They both appear on the 1871 census. William is a 43 year old “fireman” and Helen is 41. They are living at 17 Ryehill Lane in St. Peter, Forfarshire. They also appear on the 1881 census; at that point William has been promoted to foundry foreman. However, they appear to have died before the 1891 census, which finds Mary Ann living with sister Jane, her husband James Aird, and their four children on Lawrence St. in Dundee. Mary Ann is employed as a factory worker.

Mary Ann is still living with sister Jane and brother-in-law James Aird at the time of the 1901 census. She is listed as working as a jute weaver. I found a second 1901 census record showing Mary Ann boarding with a family named Chalmers, still working as a jute weaver. I suspect both Marys are the same person—she must have moved out after the Aird household completed the census, and before the Chalmers household was interviewed.

I also looked at other family members. Jane and Mary Ann had two brothers, Thomas and James. At the time of the 1871 census, Thomas had already left home and was working as a baker and boarding with at 21 Millers Road with a family near his workplace. He went on to marry and raise a large family with two wives. His first wife, Jessie, died in 1881, so by the time of the 1881 census he was a widower with four children living with his parents, sister Jane and her new husband James Aird, and unmarried sister Mary Ann. Presumably the extended family was providing childcare while he continued to work as a baker. He then remarried to Margaret Smith and moved and moved to Liff and Benvie. I find no records to indicate Mary Ann ever boarded with him.

Her other brother, James Robertson, died suddenly in 1897 at age 38, so he hadn’t been able to assist her over the years. It seems like she had been on her own for many years.Jute weaving involved hard physical labor, and at its height around 1900, 40,000 to 50,000 people were employed in the jute industry in Dundee. Two thirds of those workers were women, as they commanded lower wages than men. Did Mary Ann need to stop working due to an injury or due to the long-term effects of the labor on an aging body? Or did she get laid off as the jute industry began to relocate to India? Did she need to emigrate because she could no longer provide for herself?

I wish I could ask Mary Ann what motivated her to move to America. What a terrifying prospect it must have been to leave behind everything and everyone you knew to travel across the ocean and then travel across several states to reach a sister she hadn’t seen in nearly twenty years. Perhaps fear explains her reluctance to emigrate for so long. While Mary Ann may have been slow to make her decision, she was brave to undertake it at nearly 55 years of age.  

Sources:

Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records. Accessed with Ancestry.com.

The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 - 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957, Description Ship or Roll Number: Columbia. Accessed on Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7488/images/NYT715_2787-0047?pId=4036301205

“Beyond ‘Juteopolis’: Dundee’s changing economic landscape.” By Gillian Sharpe. BBC Scotland. 7 July 2013. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-23105283

Final Rest Disturbed: 52 Ancestors 2023 Prompt “At the Cemetery”

 

Exhumed and Reburied After Cemetery Desecration

George Calvert: 1832-1855 (Second Cousin 3x Removed)

George Calvert seems to have been born under an unlucky star. He suffered an unspeakable tragedy as a child, then died shockingly young, and a century and a half later suffered the indignity of having his grave desecrated.

George was born March 24, 1832 to parents Robert Patrick Calvert and Lydia Jane Smith Calvert. He was the third of their five children. In a previous blog post, I related how George’s father, Robert Calvert, beat his mother, Lydia Jane Smith Calvert, to death, and yet was somehow was exonerated at trial. George and his four siblings were taken in and raised by Robert Calvert’s father Patrick.

George died October 2, 1855, while still living with his grandfather. I have found no death records so have no idea what caused the death of a 23 year old man. George was buried in a family cemetery on his grandfather’s farm. The headstone was beautiful. At the top, framed by carved drapery and a Bible, is a Bible verse reading, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” The center panel includes George’s name and his birth and death dates, while a panel at the bottom includes a lovely line of poetry: “So fades the lovely blooming flower” attributed to C. Cross. It appears George was well-loved.

Photo from Findagrave. Ken Colbert, photographer,

But over the passage of time the tiny Calvert Farm Cemetery, along with Patrick Calvert’s farm, passed out of family ownership, and the story of the Calverts faded from memory. The Findagrave entry on the cemetery, written by Calvert descendant Ken Colbert, tells part of the little cemetery’s sad story:

 “The Calvert Farm Cemetery was located at the intersection of Hwy 65 and Nesbitt Station Road, on the Westside of the intersection. The gravesite included 15 bodies buried from Aug 10, 1827 to Feb 14, 1861. Two of the removals included the analysis of DNA samples taken. The graves were exhumed on April 2019 and relocated to Calvert Chapel Cemetery, approximately 2 miles North of the Calvert Farm Cemetery. Both Calvert cemeteries are located in Armstrong Township, Vanderburgh County, Indiana. The patriarch of the family, Patrick Calvert born, Feb 6, 1784 in Boutetort, VA was the last burial occuring on Feb 14, 1861, laid to rest beside his wife, Sarah Martin Calvert, born Dec 11, 1781 and died Aug 11, 1840. Subsequent family members have since been interrned at Calvert Chapel. A detailed 101 page report is available on my Ancestry.com account. The report identifies the process of exhumation, analysis, and reinternment of the Patrick Calvert family. The details of why the removal may be found in my ancestry account or by emailing: seekandfind@att.net I am the 5th Greath Grandson of Patrick and Sarah Calvert.”

Cemetery had been on left side of road near intersection. Photo from Findagrave.

An article in the local newspaper, the Princeton Daily Clarion on July 27, 2019, provides more details, as does a GoFundMe page Mr. Colbert set up to help fund the exhumation and reburial of his ancestors. The farm, including the cemetery, was put up for auction in 2006. In the years following the sale, the headstones were desecrated—they were knocked down, broken, and moved from the graves. The entire site was then plowed over and farmed. The callousness of this farmer is shocking, especially since he was aware of the cemetery when he purchased the land. He would have known exactly how many acres of farmable land he was buying and the price would have reflected that a parcel of the land was not farmable.

When the desecration became known, the county prosecutor’s office became involved. According to the news article by Daily Clarion editor Andrea Howe, the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor eventually brokered an agreement between the landowner and the Calvert descendants to “have the location and exhumation of the Calverts” funded. “An Indianapolis firm was commissioned to perform an archeological dig at the property. Colbert said cadaver search dogs were used to help identify the location of the bodies since there was no visible sign of any grave.”

Mr. Colbert’s photos of the archeologists’ work are both heartbreaking and fascinating. Mr. Colbert also prepared a diagram showing the location of the graves and where the broken headstones ended up. George was Burial No. 8. Mr. Colbert wrote: “The Calvert Family Farm Cemetery plotting map of the exhumed 15 bodies. The green circles represent the fence boundaries. The Blue represents the location of the unearthed desecrated tombstones. The Red represents the burial site of each person.”

The following photo shows some of the stones as they were reassembled from the shattered pieces.

Photo by Ken Colbert, from Findagrave. 

The archeologists were able to recover George’s body. Although this photo may seem a bit grisly, I think it is important to include it. George was a person who was loved by his family. His remains deserved more respect than they were given by a farmer eager for an extra acre. George’s profile on Findagrave also includes a page from the archeology report describing his gravesite, noting that nails, bricks, coffin screws and buttons were found along with his remains.  

According to the news article, the archeology team was able to extract DNA samples from some of the exhumed remains, with the hope that the DNA profiles will be uploaded to GEDMatch. Since George’s body was fairly intact, perhaps his DNA will eventually help other genealogists trace their family lineage.

While Calvert Farm Cemetery no longer exists, George Calvert, his grandparents, and the other twelve people long interred on the Calvert farm now have a new resting place in Calvert Chapel Cemetery, named for another Calvert ancestor. Ken Colbert and other Calvert descendants are owed thanks for their dedication and hard work that led to the recovery of the remains and the headstones. Thanks is also owed to the firm that handled the exhumation—they showed the remains of these Indiana pioneers the respect they deserved.

Sources:

Findagrave entries on the Calvert Farm Cemetery and on George Calvert, all written by Ken Colbert. Photos of archeologists’ exhumation by Ken Colbert. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2705359/calvert-farm-cemetery

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209620211/george-calvert

GoFundMe page on reburial effort, prepared by Ken Colbert. https://www.gofundme.com/f/calvert-chapel-cemetery

“New Resting Place: Pioneer family remains to be reburied after cemetery destroyed”, by Andrea Howe, Editor. Princeton Daily Clarion, 27 July 2019.

Something Alive in There: 52 Ancestors 2023 Prompt “Bearded”

The Beard that Housed A Squirrel?

William H. “Captain Billy” Smith: 1841-1925 (Second Cousin 3x Removed)

 

When I saw this month’s prompt was “Bearded”, I remembered reading this charming story about my husband’s 2^nd cousin 3x removed, “Captain Billy” Smith, that mentioned his amazing beard. The story was originally posted on Ancestr,y on 10 Apr 2010 by Barbara Westrich:

Westrich writes:

“William H. Smith was known in our family as Captain Billy. My mother, Mary Elizabeth O'Neal (Sakal) used to tell stories about how surley Captain Billy was. He walked with a stick/cane after his injury in the Civil War and my mother tells about how he used to hit the small children with his stick. She also tells the story of how he kept a pet squirrel in his very long, thick beard.”

After reading about the squirrel, I had to search for photos of Captain Billy and his amazing beard. Luckily, his descendants had posted some amazing photos of him, both pre- and post-beard.

William Henderson Smith was born in Ohio County, Kentucky on September 30, 1841 to parents Leonard Smith and his wife Mary Elizabeth. He was their only son. His father Leonard Smith was the son of Aaron Fairfax Smith, brother of my husband’s third great-grandfather Elias Guess Smith.

William was twenty years old when the Civil War started, and he quickly enlisted in the Union Army, serving in the 11^th Regiment of the Kentucky Infantry. He began his military career as a 2^nd Sergeant in G Company in October 1861. He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh on April 7, 1862, and was sent to Simmonds General Hospital in Mound City, Illinois to recover from his wound. This injury was probably the reason for his use of a walking stick as mentioned in the Westrich story. The photos below, taken in 1862, show just how young William was to be an officer. These are the only photos I have found that show him clean-shaven.

Following his recovery, William returned to his unit and was promoted to 1^st Sergeant June 19, 1863. In March of 1864, he was sent to back to his home county of Muhlenberg, Kentucky to recruit more soldiers in the Paradise area. He then returned to battle, and was promoted to 1^st Lieutenant on June 17, 1864 in Georgia. William was discharged from the Union Army in December 1864 at Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Despite never rising above the rank of Lieutenant, when he returned home to Muhlenberg County, he became known as “Captain Billy”. He married Marieta Isadora “Dora” Mason on February 12, 1865. 

William and Dora Smith

They settled on a farm near Paradise, Kentucky and had twelve children. Photos of the family can be seen below. William’s beard was already long, thick and very dark.

William's mother at far left, William and Dora near center, surrounded by ten of their twelve children

William and Dora with three of their daughters in front of their home

William took pride in his military service, and was active in Union Army veteran groups. He organized and hosted a reunion of 15 Civil War veterans on his farm on May 11, 1912. Some of his fellow veterans had even more impressive beards than William did, although their beards had now turned white.

William is the first person in the back row--1912 Civil War Veterans' Reunion at Smith farm

William and Dora had a huge extended family—not all that surprising since they had twelve children. They are posed in front of the family home, now showing its age.

Another interesting photo shows five generations of the Smith family—William’s mother, daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter.

Dora died in September of 1916. William lived until 1925, dying on July 6 at the age of 83. He was still living on his farm in Paradise with one of his sons, Carlos, and his youngest daughter Rosa Bell “Rosey” at the time of the 1925 census. William was buried in the Smith-Yonts-Nourse Cemetery in Paradise, where many of his family members are also buried.

While I have found no evidence to support the story of William keeping a pet squirrel, much less one that liked to hide in his beard, photos do verify that he had a long, thick beard for the latter half of his life. It is fun to imagine the face of a little squirrel peeking out.

 

Sources:

Story by Posted 10 Apr 2010 by Barbara Westrich. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/81812584/person/262470443623/hints

Photos posted on Ancestry.com courtesy of Barbara Westrich and Chocochip_the_third.

Details of William H Smith’s military service was taken from a biography posted on Findagrave by Dorann Lam. Service and rank at muster out confirmed by Fold3, the National Park Service (https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm ) and http://files.usgwarchives.net/ky/military/rosters/union/11rega-k.txt