Alma Nichols Odekirk: 1906 – 1979 

While searching the Internet a few years back, I stumbled across the WWII Memorial website, (wwiimemorial.com) dedicated to the registry and recognition of all WWII veterans.  I checked the searchable database for the names of a few relatives and found very few listed. I did find a reference for my great-uncle Nick, Alma Nichols Odekirk.  The site merely indicated that he served in the Army. A reference at the bottom mentioned that his name was submitted by Almon R. Bates, “a friend”. 

I had never heard of Almon Bates, so I looked him up in the white pages on the Internet. I found a single reference; he was living in Colorado. I took a chance and called the number and asked for Almon.  

The woman who answered indicated that she was Almon’s wife, Agnes, and wondered if she could help me. When I explained the purpose for my call, she sadly let me know that Almon, her husband of nearly 50 years, had passed away that past January. He was 84 years old.  I offered my condolences and asked her if she knew my Uncle Nick. Gleefully, she acknowledged that she did; she knew him as “Odee”. 

Odie and Al (Almon) were stationed together at Ft Bliss in El Paso, Texas, probably in 1940 or 1941, before the war.  They were both with the 1st Cavalry. Ft Bliss housed 10,000 head of horses that were used by the Army at that time.  Odie and Al were both assigned to the Stable Police. Al shoed the horses and Odie was a manure spreader.  They lived in the old brick stable shack.  There were 5 or 6 others who worked with them.  The rest of the troops, those who “rode” the horses that Nick and Al cared for, lived in the barracks up the road. 

When Odie and Al went overseas, they no longer worked directly with the horses or mules.  Al was a driver for senior commanders, and Odie was assigned to the Communications area, tasked with the job of keeping communication lines open at the front connected to the commanders at the back.   

It was in this job that Odie was injured and for which he received the Purple Heart. Odie had been hit in the face, either by a bullet, or by shrapnel, and was seriously injured.  Regardless, he hunkered down and continued to fulfill his assigned tasks. Agnes said he was a true hero!  She thinks he likely had many other similar experiences of heroism. His injury required war-time surgery to repair the damage done, particularly to his nose. Al later joked that “his nose looked better after the injury than before”. 

Agnes told me that Al fought in 35 battles, through 3 campaigns in the Pacific. She thought that Odie fought in more. Agnes knew that Al had received a Bronze Star and was sure that Odie had received something even “higher.”* Agnes noted that they had so many stories to share of the war and their experiences. They said these two found time to “horsed around” a lot, though they were serious and dedicated when duty called. They had to exhibit a sense of humor to get through what they were facing day to day. 

Al and Odie shared many experiences, forging a camaraderie and friendship that lasted all their lives.  Each would visit the other after the war; Odie traveling to Texas or Colorado, and Al and Agnes traveling to Salt Lake City.  Odie and Al would even travel together on occasion for work or other reasons.  Al loved Odie (who was Al’s senior by 12 years). Agnes, of course, had the chance to know and love Odie as well over the years. She had nothing but kind things to say about him. She said he was very well liked by many people; that he had a good head on his shoulders. She also remembered that he was quite a baker and cook.   

She recalled a story Odie had once related from his youth. A poor, elderly neighbor man was quite ill. Odie’s father, Isaac W. “Ike” Odekirk, offered to take the gentleman in and allowed him to stay in a small cabin that the family owned.  Each of the boys took turns caring for this man; feeding him, gathering firewood, and other duties associated with caring for him.  Nick, at 16, willingly obliged.  Agnes was very impressed with Nick’s sense of duty, even at that young age.  

Agnes asked me if I had ever seen Odie’s World War II scrapbook.  She said that it was one of the finest she had ever seen. It included photographs, menus, clippings, enemy propaganda, and all sorts of other items.  It was remarkable.  Nick had shown it to them on one of his visits to their home, and had actually asked Al to keep it, stating that they had a good home and a place to keep these memories.  Al was not comfortable accepting such a fine gift and refused. Agnes heard that on Nick’s return trip to Salt Lake the book was lost.  She had hoped after all these years that that was not true and hoped that I knew of the scrapbook. I did not.  She wished that Al had agreed to keep it all those years ago. 

When Nick passed away in 1979, she thinks it was one of Odie’s nieces that called and told them. She and Al were both saddened at his passing. It seemed a joy for Agnes to reminisce about those old friendships. She said she had actually just thought of Odie a few days before my call. “What a great man”, she said. I’m heartened that Odie was so alive in Agnes’ memories. I hope that he remains that way for all who knew him. I’m appreciative that Al thought enough of my Uncle Nick to ensure his name was listed on the WWII memorial site. Agnes told me she planned to be at the dedication of the WWII Memorial in Washington DC. I hope she made it. Odie and Al were clearly part of the “greatest” generation.  

* I do not find record of Nick’s Bronze Star, but I do have his other ribbons and medals, including his Purple Heart, his Army Good Conduct Medal, his Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 5 clusters, and his Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two clusters.  

On this Memorial Day 2021, as we honor those who have died in the service of our country, I am remembering a second cousin on my father’s side, 1Lt James Norwood Amos. James fought with the 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division in WWII. He was among the many that stormed the beaches of Normandy in June of 1944. While he survived the beach landing, he was killed 30 days later, on July 6, 1944, as the 357th “attempted to take Beaucoudray, a small town whose capture was to develop into one of the toughest engagements to the entire war. This six day battle saw the type of slugfest which is so costly to both sides”*.  He is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer,. Basse-Normandie, France. He made the ultimate sacrifice. I salute him for his valor. And I honor all of those who served and died so courageously.

The grave marker is in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. The two portrait pictures are James’ Junior and Senior High School portraits. The picture in uniform is noted, online, as being James. I do wonder about the uniform, however. His military record clearly shows he was with the U.S. Army. This appears to me to be a Navy uniform. Am I mistaken? Could this photo be attributed incorrectly?

*Regimental History of the 357th Infantry; Compiled by SSgt. George von Roeder; First Edition
printed by the Ferdinand Nicki Buchdruckerei Weiden, Oberfalz, Bavaria

According to her death certificate, Annie Margaret was born March 30, 1863 in what other family records indicate was New Baltimore, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. On December 17, 1912, at 44 years of age, Annie died in Buffington, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Her death was caused principally by typhoid fever, with complications of pneumonia.

Annie married Samuel Mears Deal, January 1, 1880, in Wittenburg, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Samuel and Annie Deal went on to have twelve children. Much of Annie’s recorded life notes a maiden name of Null.

Despite finding numerous references in several vital records noting Annie’s maiden name as Null, when she died in 1912, her husband, Samuel, was the informant and noted her parents as Ellen Logue and Samuel Cooster, both of Pennsylvania. So how does this Samuel Cooster fit into the picture and where did the name Null come from? A search has led to some interesting information.

Firstly, Cooster is an unusual surname, and is found very infrequently in early Federal census records. There were less than 35 individuals in the 1860 census with this surname; none named Samuel, and none from Pennsylvania. Generally, this name would appear to be the phonetic spelling of the western Pennsylvania pronunciation of the surname CUSTER, like rooster.  Cooster is found in a few local Somerset county records, such as early baptism records, but here too it appears to be a misspelling of the name Custer. Also found are the similar surnames Kuster, Castor and Cusner, but all three seem to refer generally to the same family name, Custer. This fact has led me to the conclusion that Annie’s father was perhaps a Pennsylvanian named Samuel Custer.  While there were several Samuel Custers in the Somerset County area at the time of Annie’s birth, no records have yet been found to show a marriage between a Samuel Custer and Ellen Logue.

Annie’s mother, Ellen Jane Logue, was the daughter of Isaac Logue, and is found in several Somerset and Bedford county records. Ellen was born in 1842 in Bedford County. She can be found in early census records living in the home of her father. Ellen was the fifth of eight siblings. 

As previously noted, no marriage records have been found for Ellen Logue and Samuel Custer. However, a marriage record has been found for Ellen Logue and David Null, married January 1, 1870 in Somerset County. That same year, a census record shows David Null, aged 19, and Ellen Null, aged 26, with a daughter Annie, aged 6, living in Southampton Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Annie’s surname is not listed, but is referenced by a ditto mark (“) in the census. This Annie’s age coincides with the birth year noted in Annie Margaret’s death certificate, indicating a likely match. This record indicates, if common sense prevails, that Annie is not the daughter of David Null, as David would have been too young to be Annie’s father. It would seem more likely that David is her stepfather. Is it possible that this Ellen Logue, and daughter Annie, while coincidental, are not the Ellen and Annie in question? While it could be suggested that this Ellen Logue Null is not the same Ellen Logue as listed on Annie’s death certificate, two other Deal records would suggest otherwise.

In an unrelated military record of Annie’s son Samuel Grant Deal, it notes that his mother’s maiden name was Null, not Cooster as listed on her death certificate. A separate record for son Charles Milton Deal indicates the same name, Null. This clearly creates a link between Ellen Logue in both records, connected to Null and Custer. This information would suggest that the Ellen Logue who was married to David Null was the same Ellen Logue listed as Annie Margaret’s mother on Annie’s death certificate.

What then of the Samuel Custer listed on her death certificate? Was he married to Ellen Logue some time prior to her marriage to David Null? Then divorced? Or widowed? Or did they perhaps have a child out-of-wedlock? No records have been found that would clarify these questions. Records have shown that at the time of Annie’s birth there were six different Samuel Custer’s in and around the Somerset area. This document attempts to pinpoint, which, if any, of these Samuel Custers is most likely to have been the father of Annie Margaret Deal.

In 1850, according to the Federal Census, there were four Samuel Custers living in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.  Samuel Custer (1) was born about 1814 and was living in Conemaugh Township. Samuel Custer (2) was born about 1824 and was living in Paint Township.  Samuel (3) was born about 1828 and was living in Stoystown. Samuel (4) was born about 1838 and was living in Stoneycreek Township. There were no Samuel Custers in Bedford County to the east and none were found in Westmoreland County to the west. There was a Samuel Custer (5), born about 1833, living in Richland, Cambria County to the north.  In 1850, Ellen Logue was living in Harrison Township, Bedford County, some 12 miles away from New Baltimore, Allegheny Township. Somerset, where daughter Annie would eventually be born.

Samuel (1)           about 36 years old           28 years senior to Ellen                  40 miles from New Baltimore

                                married with children

Samuel (2)           about 26 years old           18 years senior to Ellen                  25 miles from New Baltimore

                                married with children

Samuel (3)           about 22 years old           14 years senior to Ellen                  17 miles from New Baltimore

                                not married

Samuel (4)           about 12 years old             4 years senior to Ellen                  5 miles from New Baltimore       

Samuel (5)           about 27 years old           17 years senior to Ellen       27 miles from New Baltimore

By 1860, Ellen and her family had moved to Allegheny Township in Somerset county. Ellen was approximately 17 by this time. Just three years prior to the time Annie was born. Whether they were living in or around New Baltimore is not certain. The 1860 Federal Census indicates the status of the various Samuels by 1860:

Samuel (1)           appears to have died by 1860. His wife and daughter are now living in Paint Township.                                   Samuel is not found in the census.

Samuel (2)           was still living with his wife and children in Paint Township.

Samuel (3)           was still living in Stoystown, Conemaugh Township, now with a 20-year-old bride. This Samuel also became a well-known innkeeper in Somerset County.

Samuel (4)           nor his parents are found at all in the 1860 census. Samuel (4)’s first cousin, Fredrick, however, was living just 4 houses down from Ellen and her father in 1860. It is curious as to where they may have gone. It seems that the 1860 Somerset census did miss counting a number of families.

Samuel (5)           was now living in Paint Township, Somerset County, and was now married with children.

Also found in the 1860 census was one other Samuel Custer. Samuel (6) was born about 1805 and was living in Jenner Township. He can be summarized as follows:

Samuel (6)           abt 55 years old , 38 years senior to Ellen and living about 27 miles from New Baltimore. He appeared to be widowed with children.

By 1870, Annie Margaret would have been six years old herself, being born in 1863. Her mother, Ellen, had just married David Null at the beginning of the year. The census for that year shows Ellen living with her new husband and daughter, Annie, in Southampton Township, Somerset county.

Samuel (1) had died more than a decade before. This reasonably eliminates him from being Annie’s father. 

Samuel (2) was still living in Paint Township with his wife of over 20 years. He still had children living at home according to the census.

 Samuel (3), the Innkeeper, continued to live in Stoystown with his wife of more than 20 years as well. He also had children living at home in 1870.

Samuel (4) was now living in Allegheny Township, the same location where Annie was born. This census indicates that by this time he was married with four children. Coincidentally, his wife, Mary Stull, was the same age as Ellen Logue, and the census shows that Samuel’s eldest child was approximately the same age as Annie Margaret.

Samuel (5) appears to have left Somerset county, and by 1870 was living with his wife and children in Richland, Cambria County, some 40 miles north of New Baltimore.

Samuel (6), who would have been about 65 in 1870, is not found in the 1870 census. It is presumed that he was dead by 1870.

So will the real Samuel Custer please stand up!

Perhaps none of the Samuels listed are actually the father of Annie Margaret. Further research may eventually provide some additional clues. Perhaps an early marriage reference; perhaps a legal proceeding related to an unwed birth. These types of records may provide more definitive answers. Short of that, surmising the father might be the only course for now.

Samuel (1) appears to have died prior to the time of Annie’s birth. This would eliminate him as the father.

 Samuel (2) was 18 years Ellen’s senior, was married, and lived a fair distance from New Baltimore. There does not appear to be any connection to Ellen or her family. This could rule him out.

Samuel (3) was about 14 years Ellen’s senior, was also married, with children, and was a prominent business man. He remained in Stoystown, a fair distance from New Baltimore, and remained there until his death. A biography of this Samuel is noted in the Histories of Somerset and Bedford counties. No reference is made of Ellen Logue or Annie Margaret. It seems unlikely that this Samuel is Annie’s father. 

Samuel (5) was originally from Cambria County, but in the 1860 census was living with his wife and children in Paint Township, Somerset County. Ellen Logue did not live in Paint Township, and appears to have had no relation to that area of the county. By 1870 this Samuel as back in Cambria County. There would appear to be no reasonable connection between this Samuel and Ellen.

Samuel (6) was nearly 40 years Ellen’s senior, and though widowed, appeared with his children only in the 1860 census. They were living in Jenner Township, in the northern part of Somerset County. Ellen did not live in or around Jenner Township. As with Samuel (5), there appears to be no connection between this significantly older Samuel and Ellen.

Samuel (4) is probably the most likely to be the Samuel Cooster listed on Annie Margaret’s death certificate. His age most closely matched Ellen’s. He lived only five short miles from New Baltimore in 1850. While neither he nor his parents are found in the 1860 census, he did have a cousin that lived just houses away from Ellen in New Baltimore, Allegheny Township in 1860. By the 1870 census, he is living in Allegheny Township, where he resided until the time of his death in 1890. With this information, it is surmised that this Samuel Custer, son of Henry Custer and Margaret Hart is most likely to be Annie Margaret Custer Deal’s father.

Ancestry research on each of these Samuel Custers is interesting. All six are related, some rather close, some a little more distant. But they all tie to an early Pennsylvania Custer.

DNA testing on my line shows a clear and close connection to many of the descendants of these same Samuel Custers. There is no doubt that the Cooster/Custer noted on Annie’s death certificate is accurate. The proof is in the DNA. However, DNA has yet to prove exactly which Samuel was her father. My closest DNA connections to the Custer line are more frequently the descendants of Samuel (4), so I do believe that I have surmised correctly. However, I will continue to seek further information that may prove this guess to be accurate. So the search continues!

John Nunn was my second-great Grandfather. He was born about 1836 in Suffolk County, England. His daughter, Mary Ann Nunn, was born July 11, 1870. My mother (Mary Ann Higbee, b 1927-d. 2008), also born on July 11, was named after Mary Ann, her grandmother. In the following document, I will attempt to detail what can be gleaned from family and vital records to suggest who may be the parents of John Nunn.  I begin with a chronological list of information we have on hand:

1870: Great Grandmother, Mary Ann Nunn, was born in Brompton, Kent, England on 11 July 1870, to John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore [see the copy of her birth certificate]. 

At the time of her birth, John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn were on Manor Street in Brompton. John Nunn was listed as a Sapper with the Royal Engineers. This is an important bit of information.

1871: In the 1871 England Census [see copy of 1871 census], John Nunn, wife Mary and daughter Mary can be found in the Chatham, Brompton, Kent census. John is noted at 37 years old, and Mary as 25. Daughter Mary Ann is 9 months. John’s occupation is listed as Royal Engineer Smith. John’s birthplace is listed as Easton Market, Suffolk, England. Research into English place names shows that there is no known location in Suffolk called Easton Market; however, there is a location called Needham Market. This is worth noting as other records for John Nunn note Needham Market, Suffolk.

Mary Ann Moore Nunn’s birthplace is listed as Nunsbridge (or something similar), Devonshire. Nunsbridge does not exist; neither in Devon, nor in any location in England. It would seem that this is an incorrect recording and transcription. Devonshire, however, also does not match our general assumption (based on other family information) that Mary Ann Moore was born in Kent. Of course, the census could be wrong.

Nine-month-old Mary Ann Nunn’s birthplace is listed as Brompton, Kent which ties to her birth certificate information, as noted previously above.

1872: Two years later, on 26 February 1872, as sister was born, Emma Jane Nunn, to John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn. John was still noted as a Sapper Royal Engineers. They were living at 24 Manor Street in Brompton [see the copy below of Emma Jane’s birth certificate].

Family lore tells us something interesting about the upbringing of Mary Ann Nunn.  Marjorie Jane Higbee Brady (my aunt), in her written history of her father, Clifford Higbee, mentions that John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn divorced at some point, and that their daughter, Mary Ann Nunn (born 1870), was raised by her Uncle Charles Nunn and his wife Emma [below is an excerpt of this reference in the history of Clifford Higbee by Marjorie Higbee Brady].

That John Nunn had a brother Charles, and that Charles and his wife raised Mary Ann, is important information that coincides with what Doris Odekirk Higbee (my grandmother) shared with me as well, as we discussed genealogy in year’s past. This relationship is partially corroborated in the following two records:

1. 1881: In the 1881 England Census [see the copy below of 1881 census], Charles Nunn, wife Emma and a young girl, Mary Ann, aged 10 are listed. She is listed as Mary Ann Nunn, but relationship is not visible. In fact, the copy of this census online is nearly unreadable, though it had been transcribed by researchers in the past, indicating the names I’ve noted above. If you adjust the contrast on the digital copy, you can just barely make out the names. Charles is noted as 36 years old, Emma 34 and Mary Ann, 10. Charles’ birthplace notes Suffolk only. Emma’s birthplace is listed as Hoxton. And young Mary Ann’s is Brompton.  This would support the information that Charles and Emma Nunn were raising Mary Ann Nunn.

This second, contrast-adjusted copy helps to see what is actually there:

Or this copy where I have overwritten what is barely visible for contrast:

2. When Charles Nunn died in 1916 in Salt Lake City, his obituary noted that he was originally from Suffolk, England, and that his only living relative here in the U.S. was his niece, Mary Ann Nunn Higbee [note the copy of the Obituary below].

These two points connect Charles Nunn to our John Nunn, and to the Nunn family of Suffolk. With this very important connection made, Charles’ death certificate is also very important as it provides further clues to Charles’ and John’s parents.

Charles’ Utah Death Certificate in 1916 notes that his father was Samuel Nunn and his mother was ——Simpson. The informant providing this information on his death certificate was Mrs. Robert Higbee (Mary Ann Nunn, Charles’ niece). She is a great informant, as she would have been providing what information she had related to her own grandparents.  

If Mary Ann was living with her Uncle Charles in 1881, where were her parents?  Divorced, as noted by Marjorie Brady? Or elsewhere? A search for John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn in 1881 England census does not provide any real results for their whereabouts. Were they both deceased by that time? And where is Emma Jane Nunn, the younger sister? No definite answers are found for John, Mary Ann or Emma Jane.

So what about John and Charles’ parents?

With this information, we generally assume that John and Charles Nunn’s parents are Samuel Nunn and a Miss Simpson (since her first name is not noted in Charles’ death certificate). According to both Doris Odekirk Higbee (my grandmother) and Mary Jane Purdue Salmon (a cousin), Miss Simpson was Martha Simpson. Both Doris and Mary Jane had noted Samuel Nunn married to a Martha Simpson in their genealogical records. This marriage is supported by a marriage record (found on FamilySearch) that highlights a Barham, Suffolk, England marriage of Samuel Nunn to Martha Simpson, with a marriage date of 8 April, 1828. This certainly supports the original information we have that John Nunn’s parents are Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson. Worth noting is that Barnham, Suffolk and Needham Market, Suffolk fall within the same parish and are 5 miles from each other.

If we now look back a few years, we find a few more interesting records associated with Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson Nunn:

1841: The 1841 Census for Needham, Suffolk has a record for Samuel Nunn and wife Martha. Charles Nunn would not have been born yet, but a John Nunn is listed as 5 years old (indicating a birth year of 1836). Individual birth places are not listed. The other children listed match those also found ten years later in an 1851 census, except the older sons who are listed here but not in 1851 (when they likely would have been gone from home). [see below the copy of 1841 census]. Samuel’s occupation is listed as Agriculture Laborer.

1851: The 1851 Census for Barking, Hamlet of Needham, in Suffolk also has a record of Samuel Nunn, wife Martha, and numerous children, born in Needham (this ties to our earlier reference to John Nunn’s possible birth in Needham Market). Of these children, there is a John (age 13) and Charles (age 6). This John Nunn would have been born in 1838 and Charles would have been born in 1845. [see below the copy of the 1851 Barking, Needham census]. Samuel’s occupation is listed as Agriculture Laborer.

1861: By the 1861 Census for Needham Market, Suffolk, Samuel and wife Martha are still in the home, with three of the younger children, including a 16-year-old Charles, with a birth location of Needham. John Nunn would likely have been out of the house by this time. Samuel is listed as a Laborer. [see below the copy of the 1861 census].

1869: In 1869, we have a marriage record for John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore, being married April 2, 1869 in Stoke Damerel, Devonshire. John Nunn is noted here as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery.  [Below is a copy of the Marriage Record]

John is listed as 29 ½ years of age, placing his birth year around 1839.  Is this correct? Mary Ann Moore is listed as 24 years old, making her birth year around 1845. Neither has a birth location noted in this marriage record. John’s father is listed as William – not Samuel, who was noted as deceased by this time. Father William’s occupation was listed as a Laborer at a Hay Store. With this record noting William as John’s father, and with Charles’ Death Certificate noting Samuel, there is an obvious challenge to sort through. Some have combined the two to assume Samuel William or William Samuel may be one in the same. So far, no records actually combine the two names. Both William and Samuel in various records are listed as Agriculture Laborers, so it is not an impossibility that they are the same person.

1868: Martha Simpson Nunn dies in Bosmere, near Needham Market, Suffolk. [see Copy of Death Index Record].

1871: So far, a thorough search of the 1871 census records have failed to show us information on Samuel and Charles. Were the missed or just indexed incorrectly? We will need to continue to search for this. If William and Samuel are by chance the same person, then according to the Marriage record of John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore, John’s father was already deceased by this time. So where is Charles and his younger siblings?

1872: From the death record found by Marian Brady, John Nunn, was noted as a Private in the Royal Engineers, of Rochester, Kent, and that he died on 7 Jun 1872 at Fort Pitt, Rochester, Kent. This career in the Royal Engineers matches what we have previously noted for John Nunn. He was listed as 34-years-old at death, making his birth year about 1838. This, too, closely matches several other records we’ve noted above. This would also explain why no 1881 census was found for John. This clearly seems to be our John Nunn [see below the copy of John Nunn’s Death Certificate].  

1872: That same year, in the Military Pension Record found by Marian, there is a summary of John Nunn’s military service, and a note about his death, as well as notes that indicate John Nunn was born in Needham, Suffolk. This important bit of information ties John’s birthplace to the records we have already noted for John and ties him to Samuel and Martha Simpson Nunn of Needham. He served for 13 years and 7 months, with foreign service in China. How cool is that!!! The first column indicates that he was in the Royal Engineers (see the ditto marks on the record).  To the right of his name is an annotation that may indicate he was also previously in the Royal Artillery. This Is referenced next to his age of 32. This also lists his total time in the services at 13 years 7 months (perhaps 10 years and 8 months in the Royal Artillery, and 3 years 11 months in the Royal Engineers?).  These two references tie to the several records we have that show he was with the Royal Engineers, but at the time of his marriage to Mary Ann Moore, had been in the Royal Artillery.  [see page 1 of the copy of John’s Military Pension Record and Notation of Death].

Page two of this same record is shown below. John’s reference is the last one on the page. There are a couple of important bits of information here. One, John’s birthplace is listed and Needham. That is an important connection to Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson as John’s parent. Second, he was listed as a Shoeing Smith, with ties to an earlier census record that listed our John as a Smith.  The references on the first page, and these on page two, particularly his birth location of Needham Market, clearly show this record belongs to our John Nunn. I think the connection is unmistakable. [see page two below}

Page two also indicates his discharge reason was for Pulmonary Consumption from climate, service and predisposition. He was noted as 5’8” with brown hair and a fresh complexion.

OF IMPORTANT NOTE:

Some have connected several other Military Records to our John Nunn on Family Search (the records were found on Fold3). I believe that a closer look at these other Military Papers associated with a Gunner John Nunn do not actually belong to our John Nunn. Firstly, these records indicate that this John Nunn’s full career was in the Royal Artillery; while our John Nunn spent most of his career in the Royal Engineers as a Sapper and Blacksmith. This John Nunn is noted with his Royal Artillery title, Gunner in all of these records. That is a significant difference and a key reason I believe these records are not associated with our John Nunn.

Secondly, this record lists John Nunn’s military discharge date in what appears to be 1873, which is after our John Nunn’s supposed death in 1872 (see Death Record above – 1872).

Thirdly, the total years of service for this John Nunn do not match those of the other John Nunn’s summary in his Pension records. This John’s birthplace was noted as Mildenhall, Suffolk. This contradicts all of the other information we already have seen about our John Nunn being born in Needham. These three concerns lead me to believe that this particular John Nunn is a different person from our John Nunn and that trying to connect our John Nunn to the parents of John Nunn of Mildenhall is not a correct assumption.  

Cumulatively, I believe there is substantial evidence here to demonstrate that the parentage that Doris Odekirk Higbee and Mary Jane Salmon have previously noted for John Nunn and his brother Charles, is most likely correct. We still do not have an answer as to why the name Samuel is noted in some cases, and William on a marriage certificate, but I believe the ties to Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson Nunn in the Needham Market, Suffolk areas seems mostly substantiated.  While there is clearly another William Nunn, with a son John, in the Mildenhall, Suffolk area, I do not see enough other evidence to suggest that that family is the one belonging to our John Nunn. There are also other Nunns in the Bury St Edmonds area of Suffolk that one could easily confuse with our John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore. The John and Mary Ann Nunn of Bury St Edmonds even had a daughter Mary Ann, but this is not the same family as our John and Mary Ann. That John was not in the Military and lived well after our own John had died. The Bury St Edmonds Nunns are not directly tied this our Nunn family.

The Tragic Life of Horatio Higbee, London Artist

Horatio Higbee was born 12 April, 1837¹ in Radcliff, London, England, to George Robert Higbee and Jane Kirby. Though no longer in existence, Radcliff was once a hamlet lying near the north bank of the River Thames between the districts of Shadwell and Limehouse. Today, this area is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is located just to the south of Stepney.

In this same year, Charles Dickens wrote of London; “Eleven o’clock, and a new set of people fill the streets.  The goods in the shop-windows are invitingly arranged; the shopmen in their white neckerchiefs and spruce coats, look as it they couldn’t clean a window if their lives depended on it; the carts have disappeared from Covent-garden; the waggoners have returned, and the costermongers repaired to their ordinary ‘beats’ in the suburbs; clerks are at their offices, and gigs, cabs, omnibuses, and saddle-horses, are conveying their masters to the same destination.  The streets are thronged with a vast concourse of people, gay and shabby, rich and poor, idle and industrious; and we come to the heat, bustle, and activity of NOON.”.

This was Horatio’s London, a bustling metropolis with masses of humanity of every thinkable variety. Young and old, healthy and infirm, industrious and lazy, wealthy and poor. Above all, poor, and growing by leaps and bounds. London’s rapid growth during the 19^th Century was unprecedented. In 1800, London’s population was about 1,000,000, and reached nearly 4,500,000 by the 1880’s. Much of that growth can be attributed to the advent of the railroad coming to London. Starting in the late 1830s, competing railway companies pushed into London as far as they could, displacing the masses of poor, and then building their great train terminals. This created a ring of railway stations that are familiar names today: London Bridge Station (1836), Euston Station (1837), and Paddington Station (1838).

19th century London was also a city of great poverty, where millions lived in overcrowded and unsanitary slums. The life of London’s poor was graphically immortalized in the novels of Charles Dickens. Sketches by Boz, Bleak House, and Oliver Twist. We all have a sense of what life was likely like for little Horatio and his family.

Horatio was the fifth child born to George and Jane. At the time of his birth, Horatio’s father, George, was a Mariner¹. A Mariner at the time could have been a sailor, a merchant mariner, a fisherman or any number of other sea-and-ship-related professions. Horatio’s siblings included Mary Ann (born in 1829), possibly George Porter (born in 1830), Jane (born in 1831), and Emma (born in 1835). Horatio was christened 1 October 1837² in the Anglican Church at St. Dunstan, in the district of Stepney (Middlesex, England). St Dunstan’s has a history dating back to the 10^th Century, though the building that Horatio would have known in 1837 was much newer, having been built in the 16^th Century.

With a few upgrades since, that building still stands today. St Dunstan’s is surrounded by nearly seven acres of grounds and cemetery. The church itself has a long history and tradition of association with the sea. Many mariners and sailors are buried there. It was once known as the “Church of the Sea”. Perhaps that is the association it held for George Higbee and his family. This rendering is circa 1804.

The exact place of residence at the time of his birth is not known, but by the time Horatio was 4, the 1841 census notes that he and his mother were living on Diamond Row in Stepney³. Diamond Row no longer exists, but is known today as Redmans Road in Stepney⁴.

Horatio’s father George was not listed as residing at home in 1841. Perhaps as a Mariner, he was off to sea; however, it is possible he had already died by this time. His mother Jane’s occupation was listed in the census as being a Dress Maker.

By the time Horatio is 14 in 1851, he and his mother Jane, and his 16-year-old sister, Emma, are living as lodgers in the home of Mary Lethbridge⁵. Mary has a grown son, Richard, and a grown daughter, Frances, living in the home. Mary, Richard, Frances and Jane are noted as being widows and widower. Also living in the home is an older couple, John and Sarah Gall. The Lethbridge home is at number 24 Redmans Road, Stepney. The Redlands Primary School now stands on this spot where the Higbee family once lived.

By 1856, young Horatio is working as a Tobacconist at 2 Wentworth Place, in the Mile End Old Town district⁶. He is listed in the City Directory of that year. While smoking in England had a long history, dating back to the sixteenth century, tobacco had been primarily smoked in pipes.  Added to this over the years was both snuff and cigars. By the mid-nineteenth century, hand-rolled cigarettes, which had long been popular in continental Europe and the Middle East, were introduced to British soldiers during the Crimean War (1853-1856). It is likely that Horatio found himself making and selling a combination of the lot. With Horatio’s name being the only name mentioned in the City Directory at this tobacco shop location on Wentworth, it begs the question: is he employee, manager or owner?

On the 24^th of April, 1858, at 21 years old, Horatio married Eliza James in the parish church, St. John of Jerusalem, in South Hackney. The church was fairly new in Horatio’s and Eliza’s time, having only been consecrated in 1848.

The original stone spire was damaged during the WWII and replaced by the current copper clad wooden structure.   Its nave is 60 feet in height and the spire 187 feet. At the time of their marriage, the record indicates that both Horatio and Eliza were residing in South Hackney. Horatio’s father is again noted as a Mariner, while Eliza’s father, John, is noted as an Iron Foundry worker. No mention is made in the record as to whether George Higbee is deceased or living (though presumed dead from Jane’s “widow” reference earlier), but John James, Eliza’s father, is a witness to the marriage.   While Horatio’s occupation in 1856 was as a Tobacconist, his marriage record in 1858 lists rank or profession as “Artist”. I find that very intriguing and wonder what type of artist he was.

1858 was a notable year for London, it was called the year of the “Big Stink”. For years, with the growing population of London fast outpacing the limited infrastructure to handle an ever-increasing volume of human waste, the River Thames had become the unfortunate but logical repository of that waste. Though London did have the beginnings of a sewer system, it was significantly underdeveloped.  Many cellars had cesspools underneath their floorboards. With these cesspools overrunning, the London government decided to dump the waste into the river. The banks and depths of the river were becoming polluted beyond imagination, and the smells that hung over the city were stifling. This was a problem that impacted even the least sensitive noses of the wealthy, the middle class and the poor alike. It was also becoming much more clear, scientifically, that this waste problem was partly responsible for the many outbreaks of cholera that London had seen in the prior few years. By the summer of 1858, with summer temperatures at an unseasonable high, the problem became simply unbearable. Fortunately for the poor, the impact on the wealthy was so significant that they finally decided they needed to do something about the problem.  An editorial in The Times of London on June 18th, 1858, reads:

What a pity it is that the thermometer fell ten degrees yesterday. Parliament was all but compelled to legislate upon the great London nuisance by the force of sheer stench. The intense heat had driven our legislators from those portions of their buildings which overlook the river. A few members, bent upon investigating the matter to its very depth, ventured into the library, but they were instantaneously driven to retreat, each man with a handkerchief to his nose. We are heartily glad of it. (GSOL, p. 71)

The public outcry finally prompted action from local and national administrators who had been considering possible solutions for the problem, including a series of sewers that would move the refuse far beyond the metropolitan area where it could be better handled. This historical event likely impacted the lives of Horatio and Eliza as well.

At the time of their marriage, Eliza was apparently already pregnant, as less than six weeks later, on June 8^th, 1858, a son, Algernon Horatio Skingle Higbee, was born to Horatio and Eliza. A month after he was born, Algernon was christened on July 4^th in the same church as his father, St. Dunstan’s in Stepney. Algernon’s christening record notes that their home address was number 65 King Street. King Street is no longer in existence, but was once where Christian Street now sits in Stepney⁷.   This rendering is of King Street in 1886, slightly later than when Horatio and Eliza would have lived there.

It is just after Algernon’s birth that tragedy strikes the life of Horatio. The death index of 1858 indicates that Eliza James Higbee died in June. We do not have her death record so we do not have the details of her untimely death. However, we may surmise that perhaps she died in childbirth. Historical accounts also indicate that London experienced a significant Cholera outbreak in the summer of 1858, so was Eliza perhaps a victim of Cholera? One can only imagine how that tragic death might have impacted Horatio and the newborn Algernon. What would become of Algernon? What would Horatio do? For six months Horatio apparently struggled deeply with the loss of his wife. Several records seem to hint that Algernon may have been sent to live with other family members⁸. Horatio moved in with his widowed mother, Jane, likely near where he worked. The depth of Horatio’s despair was highlighted in a tragic news story from the London Morning News, dated December 24, 1858:

Extraordinary suicide. Yesterday afternoon Mr. W. Baker, the coroner, held an inquest at the Fountain Tavern Stracey-Street, Stepney, on view of the body of Horatio Higbee, age 22 years, who committed self-destruction by swallowing a quantity of prussic acid, under the following circumstances: Jane Higbee, of No. 69 King Street, near the Thames police court, said the deceased was her son, and lately he had been lodging with her. He was formerly in business at Mile-end, but through the death of his wife and other afflictions his mind had been unsettled. Deceased would frequently sit for hours in a low in melancholy mood, and was evidently disturbed in his mind. On Saturday last deceased came home from his occupation, and seemed rather dull, but made no complaint to witness. He partook of supper, and about 11 o’clock he retired to his sleeping apartment, and witness saw no more of him until the following morning about 9 o’clock, when she went to his room to call him to breakfast, but she could not gain admission, nor obtain any answer. Witness called assistance, when the deceased was found lying on the bed with his head hanging down towards the floor, and he seemed to be quite insensible. There was a little vomit upon the carpet, as if the deceased had been sick, and witness found a teacup containing a portion of liquid. Medical aid was sent for, and Dr. Corner soon arrived, and pronounced life extinct. There was no writing or anything found in the room to account for the act. Dr. Corner, of Ireland Road, near Mile-end Road, Stepney, said that when he reached the house and examined the body he had been dead several hours – most probably from the previous night. There was an appearance of the deceased having died from poison, and upon making an analysis of the liquid found in the cup, witness ascertained by tests that it contained cyanide of potassium or prussic acid, a deadly poison, used in photography. Other evidence having been taken, the coroner remarked on the case, after which the jury returned a verdict the temporary insanity.

This was the deeply tragic and heartbreaking ending of the life of a newlywed and a young father. Perhaps the challenges of life were just too much for the sensitive heart of this aspiring artist. Temporary insanity? Who can say. But certainly he died of a broken heart.

 

Horatio’s own signature on his marriage record

 

Footnotes:

¹London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 , Tower Hamlets St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney 1837

² England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

³ file:HIGBEE Jane Kirby 1841 Stepney Middlesex England census no George Robert in the home son Horatio.jpg

⁴ http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/744bf61a-564a-48c4-87ba-a16a17495386

⁵ 1851 census

⁶U.K., City and County Directories, 1600s-1900s

⁷ http://www.maps.thehunthouse.com/Streets/New_to_Old_Abolished_London_Street_Names.htm

⁸Census for 1861: HIGBEE Algernon Horatio Skingle 1861 Spitalfields Whitechapel London England census 2 years old living with half aunt & uncle Robinson HIGBEE HIGBY

 

 

 

Susannah Gimer was my 4th Great Grandmother. She was born 14 January 1812 (as calculated from her tombstone) and died 29 March 1880 in Northampton Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania due to “Dropsy” (edema in modern vernacular), according to the 1880 Federal Mortality Schedule for Northampton, Somerset, PA. She married my 4th Great Grandfather, Joseph Lybarger Sr., 27 Nov 1827, in Berlin, Somerset, PA. While significant information is known about the ancestry of the Lybarger family, nearly nothing is noted in family history records about the GIMER family and  and the origin of the name. In the various marriage and death records of Susannah’s children, her maiden name is listed as GIMER and GEIMER.

The following information has been gathered in relation to the GIMER family line from Bedford and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.Which, if any, is directly tied to my Gimer line is still a question. If this information strikes a chord with anyone, I hope they’ll let me know:

1. Johann Adam Geimer, was a pioneer to Pennsylvania from Rotterdam on the ship “Two Brothers, from the Electorate Palatine & Triers, Hapsburg”, arriving in Philadelphia, 1749 (In what part of Pennsylvania did he settle?)
2. Adam Geimer is found in the Philadelphia, PA census of 1752
3. John Geimer Land Warrant, Brothers Valley Township, Bedford PA 1773 (what is John’s relation to Adam? Or are John and Adam the same person? Johann Adam.)
   Note: BROTHERS VALLEY was organized as a township of Bedford county, in 1771, and was the first township formed west of the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania. It then included all of the present county of Somerset which is situated west of the Allegheny Mountain. The county of Somerset was created April 17, 1795 from the western part of Bedford County lying between the Allegheny Mountain range to the Laurel Hill range.
4. Philip Geimer is born in 1773 in Maryland, per a genealogy on Ancestry for the Matthews family. See Figure 2 below. The census records seem to indicate birth before 1755.
5. Widow Guimer Bedford PA Tax List 1781 (Is she widow to Adam? Or John? Or someone else?)
6. Widow Guimer Bedford PA Tax List 1782
7. Philip Geimer marries Maria Elizabeth Mathews Somerset PA (according to a Mathews family genealogy online – no sources noted)
8. Philip and Maria Mathews Geimer have the following children according to the Mathews genealogy online: Magdalena Geimer, born 09 Apr 1795, Somerset, PA; George Geimer, born January 1798, Somerset, PA; and Elizabeth Geimer, born 16 Jan 1800, Somerset, PA. Another genealogy on Ancestry.com suggests a daughter Catherine Geimer, born 1805 in Somerset, PA. Are there other children?
9. Philip Gimer Pennsylvania Septennial Census Brothers Valley Somerset PA 1800
10. Philip Gimer Pennsylvania Septennial Census Brothers Valley Somerset PA 1800 (this is a second version of the same record)
11. Philip Kymer Federal Census Brothers Valley Somerset PA 1800
12. Philip Geimer Bail Bond Brothers Valley Somerset PA 1802
13. Philip Keimer Federal Census Southampton Somerset PA 1810
14. Susannah Gimer (my 4th Great Grandmother) is born PA 1812; the date according to her tombstone and the place per the Federal Mortality Record in 1880. Who is her father? Is Philip possibly her father?
15. Sara Guimmer baptism Milford Somerset PA 1822 with parents noted as David & Elizabeth Guimmer (also baptized at this location is John Domer, sibling to Susannah Domer, daughter-in-law to Joseph Lybarger and Susannah Gimer)
16. George Gimer Tax Lists Allegheny Somerset PA 1827 (The Mathews genealogy indicates George was a son of Philip – is this that George?)
17. Joseph Lybarger and Susannah Gimer are noted in the 1840 Federal Census Southampton Somerset PA
18. George Gaimer is found in the Brook County, Virginia federal census 1850 born PA about 1797
19. George Geimer is also found in the Federal Census for Pickaway Ohio 1850 born PA about 1773 (according to the Mathews genealogy, this is George, son of Philip though the birth year is off. Is this instead a possible sibling to Philip?)
20. Lastly, there is a GEIMER burial record noted and referenced in the transcribed record of burials in the WH Bowman Farm Cemetery in Northampton Somerset PA cemetery. It states “Geimer Family, no names, no markers” and notes “froze to death” (per transcribed WPA records on the Somerset County website) Who are these Geimers? What happened to them? What a tragic historical note. I would hope to find out the story of these Geimers at some point. 

Online, the “Descendants of Johann Jacob Mathews” family genealogy notes 3 children for Philip Geimer and Elizabeth Mathews. An additional ancestry listed online at Ancestry.com (a submitted genealogy) notes 4 children. What do the Federal Census records indicate? They are summarized here:

The 1800 Brothers Valley, Somerset, PA census for Philip Kymer indicates that Philip’s household had more children than the two genealogies noted above recognize. To summarize, the household would have:
• a father (born before 1755)
• one son (born between 1790 and 1800)
• three daughters (born between 1790 and 1800)
• an older daughter or even sister perhaps (born between 1775 and 1784)
• and perhaps a wife (born between 1756 and 1774)

The 1810 Southampton, Somerset, PA census for Philip Keimer indicates that Philip’s household would have had:

• a father (born before 1765)
• one son (born between 1795 and 1800)
• three daughters (born between 1800 and 1810)
• two daughters (born between 1795 and 1800)
• a female (born between 1766 and 1784) – in this case is this the older daughter or sister and Philip’s wife, Elizabeth Matthews, has already passed away? Or is this Elizabeth? Based on ages it could be either.

There does not appear to be a Census record for Philip in 1820. Is it possible that Susannah Gimer, born around 1812, is also a child of his?

Is this the possible genealogy of the Gimer line in Somerset and Bedford County, Pennsylvania:

Adam Geimer arrives 1754 PA

Possible son of Adam Geimer:  son John,  land warrant 1773 Bedford
Possible wife of John:  Widow Geimer,  tax rolls 1781, 1782 Bedford

Possible son of John Geimer:  son George, born 1773 PA (later moved to Ohio?)
Possible son of John Geimer:  son Philip, born perhaps a range of 1755-1780 Somerset PA

Possible children of Philip Geimer (Keimer):
-daughter Magdalena
-son George born 1797 PA (later moved to Virginia?)
-daughter Elizabeth born 1795
-daughter Catherine born 1800
-son David born ?? (David Guimmer) Somerset PA
-daughter Susannah born 1812 Somerset PA

Who might have further insight into this Geimer, Gimer, Keimer genealogy? 

 

John Logue, referred to as John1 in this document, was my fourth great grandfather. In researching his life I find there were two John Logues in early Pennsylvania history, both of Ireland, living (and dying) about the same time and living in many of the same places. This second John Logue is referred within as John2. This overlapping of lives had created a bit of confusion and has generated some, seemingly inaccurate, information associated with the two. Some deeds associated with one belong to the other, and vice versa. I hope to highlight and eventually clarify some of this misinformation.

John2 seems to have much more documented history compared to John1. John2 was married to Mary Buchanan Sproul. To date, the wife of John1 is unknown. I do find a few references in some online genealogies, but those names almost appear to be guesses as no documented references are currently found.

There is a Will, transcribed online, for John2. In it are noted the names of his wife, Mary, and children. His children are noted as: Andrew, James, William, Robert, John, Kitty Twehiligar, Polly, Sally, Charles and Betsy.

No Will seems to exist for John1. There is a reference to John1 in the History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, written in 1884. This reference notes that John Logue was a revolutionary soldier settling on Little Will’s creek (Londonderry Township) about 1800, moving from Cumberland Valley Township. Logue purchased property from Godfrey Wolford, who was an early settler. This document notes that John1’s children were: John Jr. (who was born in Cumberland Valley Township in1797), James, Daniel, Andrew, Isaac, George, Elizabeth and Hannah. (source: The History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, 1884, Waterman, Watkins & Co., p. 370.)

There is an SAR and DAR documented war record for John Logue, serving under Captain Ramsey, entering from Chester County, Pennsylvania. This record is currently associated primarily with John2, though some online genealogies make reference to that record when speaking of John1. I do believe that it is correctly associated with John2. His history does indicate that prior to coming to the western counties of Pennsylvania, he was living in Chester and Cumberland counties in eastern Pennsylvania. This would more closely match a Revolutionary War enlistment in Chester County.

John2 spent most of his adult life in Armstrong and Clarion counties, in the upper west portion of the state. He is buried in Clarion County. A headstone marks his grave. John2 is found in the Armstrong County Census records for 1810, 1820 and 1830.

John1 spent his life in Londonderry Township, Bedford County, PA. John1 can be found in the Bedford County Census records of 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830. There is no known gravesite for John1. The website, “Mother Bedford” (a historical site related to the history of Bedford County), notes that Revolutionary War Patriot, John Logue, is buried in Bedford County. It is possible that John1 also had a service record from the Revolutionary War, but the one most often found on the internet relates, supposedly, to John2.

In the Pennsylvania Septennial census records for 1786, there is a John Logue noted in the Huntingdon, Bedford, Pennsylvania census. As there is also a John Logue in the 1786 Chester County, Pennsylvania census, it is likely that the Bedford/Huntingdon John is John1 and the Chester reference is to John2. (Source: Septennial Census Returns, 1779–1863. Box 1026, microfilm, 14 rolls. Records of the House of Representatives. Records of the General Assembly, Record Group 7. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA on Ancestry.com)

There are three John Logues in Huntingdon County, PA, north of Bedford in the 1790 census records. Is this both John1 and John2, plus another? The proximity to Bedford County certainly suggests that one could be John1. Many of John2’s children are said to have been born in Huntingdon County, so it is possible he was there also in 1790. However, some internet genealogy records note that John 2 married Mary Buchanan Sproul in 1792 in Chester County (in the far eastern part of the State). If that is the case, then it would seem unlikely that he would have been listed in the 1790 Census for Huntingdon County, so far west two years earlier. Of course, the marriage reference could be wrong. The 1800 Federal census for Huntingdon County shows one John Logue. Which is this? Is it possible that the two Johns had crossed paths in Huntingdon County in the 1790’s? This could certainly have added to the confusion that came about later on. Is it possible that the 1800 reference, then, relates to John2, as John1, by then, had moved to Londonderry Township in Bedford County?

From Ancestry.com, a reference is made to John2:
From Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania 1898; in reference to story about Homer N Logue p 1542
Our subject’s paternal grandfather, John Logue, was a native of County Donegal, Ireland, and at the age of 13 was bound out to become a sailor. After a few trips to America, he became infatuated with this country, and in order to remain he deserted the crew. He located east of the mountains, and later on Bear Creek in Butler county, Penn., his farm being now known as the Sheppard farm, very rich in oil. He wedded Mary Sproul, who was also born on the Emerald Isle and came to the United States shortly after he located here. When crossing the mountains to make a new home in Clarion county they had three children, two of whom they placed in sacks with their heads out, and these sacks they hung across the back of a horse. Their family consisted of the following named: William, Catherine, Sarah, James, John, Robert, Andrew and Elizabeth. All but Elizabeth are now deceased.”

Family story of John Logue, Sr. (mainer104 added this on 28 May 2012)
John Logue, Sr., was born in Ireland around 1757. It was said he was schooled for a priest in Ireland, but he ran away from home and came to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1774. He fought with the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill, but not as an enlisted soldier. Shortly after that he went to eastern Pennsylvania and on June 18, 1774 (or 1777) he enlisted as a soldier in Captain John Ramsey’s company of Chester County, Pennsylvania, militia, commanded by Colonel Lloyd K. Sproul (Spraul, Sprogel). This company was mustered into U.S. service July 11, 1777. The military record of John Logue, Sr., may be found in the Book of Pennsylvania Men of the Revolution, Volume 2, Page 79. He married Mary Buchanan Sproul in 1793, who was born in 1770 and Died August 26, 1840. She had been married to Col. Sproul. He was killed, and John Logue was sent to bring her the news of his death. They came to western Pennsylvania and settled near the old spring on a tract of land given him for serving in the army. There he built a large house known in later years as the Logue Mansion. This farm lies between St. Petersburg and West Freedom via Grass Flats. He died June 6, 1833, and was buried in the old cemetery at Concord Church (Presbyterian) in Perry Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.

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Below is a summary of some Historical Records of JOHN LOGUE and his movement across Pennsylvania. Some seem clearly related to John1, while others are tied to John2. A few are not as clear, and are noted as John? Is this yet another John Logue? Or a son? Or John 1 or John2? The years are listed chronologically, with each county noted. You can see where the two Johns perhaps cross paths:

JOHN2 – 1777 John Logue Militia                        Chester County                      Private in Revolutionary War

source: LOGUE John Pennsylvania Archives Serives 2 Volume XIV Muster Rolls of Chester County PA Page 79 on Fold3 Probably the John2 and Sproul Under Capt John Ramsey

JOHN? – 1780 John Logue  Supply Rates          Cumberland County

source: LOGUE John Pennsylvania Archives Series 3 Volume XX Supply Rates Cumberland County 1780 Page 296 on Fold3

JOHN2 – 1780 John Logue  Tax Rates                Chester County                      Noted as LOGE

source: LOGUE John 1780 Tax Rates Chester County LOGE Fold3_Page_289_Pennsylvania_Archives

JOHN2 – 1781 John Logue  Tax Roll                    Chester County

source: LOGUE John 1781 Tax Chester County Fold3_Page_451_Pennsylvania_Archives and LOGUE John 1781 Tax Chester County Fold3_Page_635_Pennsylvania_Archives

 

JOHN? – 1781 John Logue  Muster Rolls          Cumberland County             Corporal

source: LOGUE John Pennsylvania Archives Series 5 Volume VI Muster Rolls Cumberland County 1781 Page 423 on Fold3

JOHN? – 1781 John Logue  Muster Rolls          Cumberland County             Noted as John Louge

source: LOGUE John Muster Rolls Cumberland County LOUGE Fold3_Page_636_Pennsylvania_Archives

source: LOGUE John Muster Rolls Cumberland County LOUGE Fold3_Page_637_Pennsylvania_Archives

JOHN? – 1782 John Logue  Taxables                  Cumberland County

source: LOGUE John Taxables 1782 Cumberland County Fold3_Page_570_Pennsylvania_Archives (1)

JOHN1 – 1785 John Logue  Tax List                     Huntingdon County

source: LOGUE John 1785 Bedford Tax and Exoneration Record

JOHN1 – 1786 John Logue  Census                     Huntingdon County

source: LOGUE John 1786 Huntington Bedford PA census likely our John as other John is in Chester PA in 1786 metadata

JOHN2 – 1786 John Logue  Census                     Chester County

source: LOGUE John 1786 Oxford Chester PA census likely the other John metadata (as he served with Capt Ramsey in the Revolutionary War from Chester)

JOHN1 – 1788 John Logue  150 Acres               Huntingdon County              Noted as LOUGE

source: LOGUE John Taxable Land Huntingdon PA Archives Services 3 Volume XXII 1788 from Fold3 John Louge

JOHN1 – 1788 John Logue  Militia                       Huntingdon Militia               Under Capt Little

source: LOGUE John Pennsylvania Archives Series 6 Volumn III Militia Rolls 1783-1790 Huntingdon County PA Page 449 AND LOGUE John Pennsylvania Archives Series 6 Volumn III Militia Rolls 1783-1790 Huntingdon County PA Page 448

JOHN2 – 1788 John Logue  Tax List                     Chester County

source: LOGUE John 1788 Ancestry.com Pennsylvania Tax and Exoneration 1768-1800

JOHN1 – 1789 John Logue  150 Acres               Huntingdon County

source: LOGUE John 1789 Huntingdon Tax and Exoneration Record

JOHN1 – 1790 John Logue  Federal Census     Huntingdon County

JOHN1 – 1791 John Logue  Muster Roll            Huntingdon County

source: LOGUE John 1791 Muster Roll Huntingdon County Fold3_Page_324_Pennsylvania_Archives

JOHN1 – 1793 John Logue  186 Acres               Huntingdon County

source: LOGUE John Warranties of Land Pennsylvania Archives Serices 3 Volume XXV Huntingdon County Page 732 on Fold3

JOHN? – 1794 John Logue  Land Warrant        Cumberland County             With a George Logue and Adam Logue. These two are supposed to be brothers to John Logue (husband of Mary Sproul – John1)

source: LOGUE John 1794 Land Warrant Cumberland County Probably NOT our John Fold3_Page_710_Pennsylvania_Archives

JOHN1 – 1798 John Logue  Tax List                     Huntingdon County

source: LOGUE John National Archives Pennsylvania US Direct Tax Lists 1798 on Ancestry com

JOHN1 – 1799 John Logue  Land Deed note   Bedford County

source: LOGUE John Land Deed 1799 research

JOHN1 – 1800 John Logue  Federal Census     Bedford County

By 1800, JOHN2 seems to be in Butler/Armstrong/Clarion County

JOHN1 – 1810 John Logue  Federal Census     Bedford County

JOHN1 – 1820 John Logue  Federal Census     Bedford County

JOHN1 – 1830 John Logue  Federal Census     Bedford County