John VINEYARD, approx 1773-1852, Virginia through Tennessee to Illinois

John VINEYARD is the furthest back ancestor of my ex-husband's mother's mother, i.e., his 3rd great-grandfather, our children's 4th great-grandfather. His surname is spelled with or without an E, which may give indications on how it was pronounced, or of course, could be simply a spelling variant.

Wanting to find out his family and other details, I searched first in the 1850 Census which was the first one which enumerated and detailed every person in the household. Here he and his wife Leanah are living with his youngest son, the direct ancestor, Thomas M. VINEYARD, his wife and 8 children.  They were living in "District 13, White County, Illinois, Oct. 22nd 1850":

Both John [77 yrs] and Leanah [82] show they were born in Virginia; their ages show Leanah was about 6 years older than John. Interestingly, she out-lived him. Although they were born in Virginia, I could not find a marriage record for them. They clearly married and moved out west, settling in Tennessee for a time. All John and Leanah's children were born in Tennessee, the earliest in 1797, so a marriage record could be approximately 1795, and might be found in either Virginia or Tennessee.

Children [known] of John & Leanah, all seven apparently born in Tennessee:

1.  Joshua, b. abt 1797, d. before 4 Feb 1880, IL; m. 17 Feb 1832 Hamilton
        County, IL to Elizabeth Harris
2.  John, b. 1799
3.  William, b. 1801
4.  Emily Ann, b. 1804
5.  Jeremiah, b. 1806
6.  Margaret, b. 1808
7.  Thomas Milligan, [ancestor] b. 12 Apr 1811, d. 16 Jun 1872, Hoodville IL; m. 16 Aug 1830 to [1st] Priscilla POOLE 1815-1857, 10 children; [2nd] Samantha J. Garrett 1828-1867, 4 children; [3rd] Martha J. 1826-?, no children.

I would assume the family moved for specific reasons, but I have not adequately searched Illinois neighbours or other relatives who also might have made this same trip. The trip of about 750 miles is quite a long trek from Virginia, through Tennessee to Illinois. Of course, it might have been a fairly direct line they took, and I'm assuming they moved for land purposes. Tennessee became a state in 1796, and the Illinois Territory was formed officially in 1809.

As far as I have been able to research, the couple stayed in Tennessee about 15 years until at least 1811, as per Thomas' birth. I have also found a mention that John came to Illinois in 1815 from Kentucky [personal history note from online tree unsourced]. No sources given, no details of the rest of the family, only a mention of Thomas M. Vineyard and his father John. More research needed to clarify this. John's eldest son, Joshua, is listed clearly in the 1870 Census [IL] with his birthplace as Tennessee, as was his wife, Elizabeth.

His first land purchase in Illinois I have found, is dated 15 Oct 1818, in White County, IL, for 160 acres at $2/acre.  The land was "NE Section 28, Township 906S Range 08E, Meridian 3,"  as per the Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database, Vol. 987, p.525, held at Illinois State Archives. This land was eventually sold to his youngest son, Thomas.

Another later land purchase by John was for 40 acres at $1.25/acre, on January 6, 1836. A portion of those details on the website Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales, is shown on the right.

And in the 1820 Census [above] of Mantua, White, Co., IL, we see John Vineyard with several of his family - the elder boys are likely married, or working on another's farm. Here he is with one boy under 10, himself, 2 girls between 10-15, and his wife, all living on the farm. I have not researched any of the people living nearby, nor yet searched for marriages of his sons other than his eldest Joshua.

A very mangled and torn 1830 Census of White Co., [above] shows John Vineyard living next to William POOL. Thomas Milligan Vineyard married Wm Pool's daughter Priscilla later in 1830.

Again, the 1850 Census [above] in District 13, White Co., where  John & Leanah are living with their youngest son, Thomas, his wife Priscilla and their 8 children to date.  They state they were both born in Virginia - I have yet to find which county. The squiggles on the right hand side are "attended school" for the children, and also indicates that John could not read and write.

John died approximately 1852 in Indian Creek Township, White, IL, although I haven't found documentation of his death to date, nor a will/probate. His wife, Leanah, survived until after the 1860 Census, where she is found once again living with their youngest son, Thomas. At that point, she was 93 years of age. Both are possibly buried in the Mount Oval Cemetery [Cumberland Presbyterian Church], where many of their children and grandchildren also seem to be buried. This cemetery is in Norris City, White, IL.

There is much more research to do: further land purchases by John or any of his sons, details of marriages of the other children and their progeny, Wills and Probates of either John and/or Leanah, death registrations and possibly gravestones, tax lists, and other possible records, histories, newspapers, and more. I've only scratched the surface, or as it is often suggested, "picked the low-hanging fruit" with Censuses and land records!

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If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

Blogger - or my computer - is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented!  You truly make my day.

Phillip Wesley VINEYARD 1834-1874 White County, Illinois

Phillip Wesley VINEYARD was the eldest son, second child, of Thomas Milligan VINEYARD and Priscilla POOLE.

Phillip is the great-grandfather of brothers Jack and Bill LEWIS (LEWIS-RICE lines). 2nd great-grandfather to the next generation (i.e., Jack & Bill's children). Phillip was born approximately 1834 and registered in Norris, the nearest town to his parents' Indian Creek land; birth year estimated from censuses.

Thomas M. VINEYARD's father, John, purchased 160 acres in Section 28 of Indian Creek, White County, Illinois. The growth of Illinois was very rapid between the time it achieved statehood in 1818, when the population was under 55,000, to 1840 when it had swelled to 476,000 people.  Where the red dot is on the green map, is Norris; Indian Creek region is just outside Norris on left side.  This southern region of Illinois had excellent land for farming.

As mentioned, the VINEYARD family were farmers, and Phillip continued as a farmer, as shown on the 1850 Census, District 13 in White County, Illinois. Here I found 3 generations living together: Phillip's parents, his grandparents John and Leanah, and all Phillip's siblings but the eldest daughter Rebecca. She had married the previous fall to John F. Hill.

Five years after the 1850 Census, on December 13, 1855, Phillip married Margaret C. WALTERS, daughter of Anderson WALTERS and Elizabeth JOYNER.  Margaret's parents had come from Virginia and Tennessee to Illinois shortly before 1840.  The two families farmed relatively near each other, in District 13, White County, Illinois.

Phillip & Margaret's children, all born in White county, IL [not all researched]:
   1.  Florence, b. Nov 1856; m. 1 Jul 1882 to Samuel M. Orr; 4 children
   2.  Priscilla, b. 1858
   3.  William Anderson, b. 20 Nov 1860, d. 31 May 1940 Los Angeles CA;
             m. 13 Dec 1883, McLeansboro, Hamilton, IL to Arabel Hill; 6 children
   4.  Martha Jane, [LEWIS line] b. 2 Aug 1864, d. 19 Mar 1954, Los
              Angeles CA; m. in 1887 Henry Luther RICE; 8 children 
              [Reba RICE was 5th child of Henry & Martha]
   5.  Lucy, b. 1866  NB: may be nickname for #7 child, Leanah
   6.  Leanah, b. 1867 [named for namesake, Phillip's grandmother, Leanah
            SNEED Vineyard]
   7.  Thomas Milligan, b. Jun 1869 [named for namesake, Phillip's grandfather,
            John VINEYARD]; m. 22 Nov 1891 Rhoda B. Pettigrew, 2 children
   8.  Rebecca E., b. 1871

On the 1860 Census, Phillip  married 5 years to Margaret, resided and farmed next to his father, Thomas. Thomas lived with his 2nd wife Samantha, and their family, plus Thomas' mother, Leannah [SNEED] Vineyard, aged 93.  Phillip's mother Priscilla, had died in 1857, several months after her 10th child was born. Second wife, Samantha Garrett, had 4 children with Thomas; those would be Phillip's half-siblings, and he would have known them fairly well. After Samantha died in 1867, Thomas married the following year for a third time, aged 68 yrs, to Martha Thompson, aged 42. They had no children, but Martha would have been stepmother to Thomas' youngest children from his previous wife, plus Phillip's youngest full sibling, Jesse, 11 years old.

Although Phillip would have been old enough to fight in the Civil War, 1861-65, there is no record of him actively fighting. However, we have the record that he did register in the 13th Congressional District of Illinois, on August 31, 1863:

"Indian Creek | [No.] 18. Vineyard, Philip W | 34 | " [white] | Farmer | Married | "[b. Ill.]

Phillip died February 6, 1874 in White County, likely in Norris, aged only 40 years. Possibly there might be information in the local newspapers of the times, in 1874, with a notice of his death, or of an epidemic in the region, or an accident. I'm curious because 40 is very young to die.  At his death, he left 8 children, the youngest only 1 year old, Rebecca.  This name, Rebecca, is one of many repetitions of names in the Vineyard families.

His widow, Margaret, married for a second time in 1878 to Francis Marion Berry, and they subsequently had two boys: Louis and Garfield Berry.  Margaret died in 1918 in Mcleansboro, Hamilton County, Illinois, where she is buried with her second husband, Francis Berry, and their second son, Garfield.

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If you know anything more about any of the above VINEYARD individuals or other surnames mentioned, I would be so pleased for more details. And if you wish more information on them, I'm also happy to share. Contact me at my address at the bottom of the page calewis at telus dot net or, in the Comments section.

My Blogger account seems not to allow me to "reply" to your comments. Do know that I value your comments immensely.  You make my day! Thanks for stopping by to read my personal genealogy posts.

52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, No. 51: Leanah SNEED, Virginia to Illinois

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog based on Themes, although it seems not always relevant for me to use! We're so close to finishing another year of one ancestor/week, all year long. This week, I head into the LEWIS-RICE lines for another early ancestor, Leanah SNEED/SNEAD.

Once more, we have a wife about whom I know very very little.  Leanah SNEED is mentioned as the wife of John VINEYARD/VINYARD, they had at least 7 children, and on down several more generations to Martha Jane VINEYARD mother of Reba RICE, in the LEWIS-RICE lines of my ex-husband. So, Leanah is my children's 4th great-grandmother. Much of my information comes from details posted on myFamily for the VINYARD group; myFamily was "retired" in 2014, when Ancestry cancelled support. 

Leanah is described as being from Virginia, as was John VINEYARD, and her birthdate estimated to be about 1767, with her age listed on 1850 & 1860 censuses.  We know nothing about her parents. There are Sneed/Snead individuals living in Virginia in the mid-late 1700s, but I have yet to find the clue to identifying her family, e.g., naming patterns, church records, probates, etc.

I can estimate a likely marriage for John and Leanah of about 1795ish, as the children show birth years within 2 years later, b. in Tennessee. Note, Tennessee became a state entity in 1796.  All their children appear to have been born in Tennessee, according to the research I've been able to do to date. And then the family ends up in the Indian Creek area of White County, in the southeast corner of Illinois.

Looking at maps, it seems to be a relatively straight westward-heading line from Virginia --> Tennessee --> Illinois (southeast), from one new territory to another. Perhaps this quick west-ward travel was as a result of new land becoming available, possibly even from military land grants of their parents.

Leanah SNEED & John VINEYARD had the following children, all born in Tennessee. It is possible they had children before Joshua, marrying earlier than I postulate, but I have no records to show this. I have not researched the younger children and their families as yet.

1. Joshua, b. abt 1797
2. John Jr., b. abt 1799
3. William, b. abt 1801
4. Emily Ann, b. abt 1804
5. Jeremiah, b. abt 1806
6. Margaret, b. abt 1808
7. Thomas Milligan [ancestor], b. 12 Apr 1811; m.1 on 16 Aug 1830 IL to Priscilla POOLE, 10 children; m.2 on 30 Jan 1858 to Samantha Garrett, 4 children; m.3 on 19 Jan 1868 to widow Martha J. Thompson; no children. 

Leanah is shown living with her husband and their youngest son, Thomas M. Vineyard, his wife and family on the 1850 Census, White County, IL, as seen below.

After her husband died after the 1850 Census in Norris, White, Illinois, Leanah is seen on the 1860 census, widowed, still living with youngest son, Thomas, his 2nd wife, and the children still at home.  They are living right next door to Thomas' eldest son, Phillip Wesley Vineyard, 26 yrs old.  

A detailed biography has been added to the FindAGrave memorial page for son Thomas M. Vineyard, buried in Union Cemetery, Norris City, White, Illinois.  Nothing is said on this memorial page about Thomas' mother, Leanah, however.  In fact, I could not find a FindAGrave listing for either Leanah or her husband John. Where could they be?  As far as I know they were living in White county IL before 1830, until their deaths, and there were children and grandchildren there.

If you know anything more about any of the above individuals, I would be so pleased for more details. And if you wish more information on them, I'm also happy to share. Contact me at my address at the bottom of the page or, in the Comments section.

Sometimes my Blogger account seems not to allow me to "reply" to your comments. Do know that I value your comments immensely.  You make my day! Thanks for stopping by to read my personal genealogy posts.

Now, back to research in Virginia-Tennessee-Illinois areas for SNEED/SNEAD families, as well as the VINEYARD/VINYARD families...

52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, No.42: Priscilla POOL(E), 1815-1857

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog based on Themes. Last week's theme was "Colourful" - but I decided to do an early Canadian settler, Arthur Gifford CAMPION.  This week, the theme is "Proud", and again, I'm not certain there is a particular person that comes to mind.  Many of our ancestors struggled to succeed, and I admire them very much.  I will write about another early settler, Priscilla POOLE, in my ex-husband's family line, his 2nd great-grandmother.

Priscilla POOLE was born 30 Nov 1815 in Green county, Kentucky, daughter of William POOLE and Nancy BOWLS.  Apparently her parents married 29 Apr 1798 in Bardstown, Nelson county, Kentucky, as per marriage register.  Click on the video link for Bardstown under "History Tourism".

Clearly the family moved at some point, ending up in southern Illinois, in White county. Priscilla married Thomas Milligan VINEYARD on 16 Aug 1830 in White County.  My math is pretty good, and I calculate Priscilla was 14 years and 9 mos. old... and Thomas, who was born 12 Apr 1811 in Tennessee, was 19 years old, plus a few months.  Wow - so young!  Thomas by the way, was the youngest of 7 children, all born in Tennessee, although the records indicate his parents were born in Virginia. His family moved and settled in Illinois.  West: these families moved almost directly west.

Priscilla POOLE & Thomas M. VINEYARD had the following 10 children, b. in White county, Illinois, not all researched re spouses/families:
    1.  Rebecca Leannah, b. 1832, d. 1903; m. John Hill approx 1849; 10 children
    2.  Phillip Wesley [direct ancestor], b. abt 1834, d. 6 Feb 1874; m. 13 Dec 1855 to Margaret C. WALTERS; 10 children; in 1878, Margaret m. 2nd time to Francis Marion Berry, and had 3 more children.
    3.  Margaret Priscilla, b. 20 Jan 1836, d. 29 Jan 1910; m. abt 1856 to Lewis Jackson Oliver; 8 children
    4.  "Alex" William Alexander, b. 18 Jan 1838, d. 1912; m. 14 Nov 1861 to Patsy C. Garrison; 3 boys
    5.  Mary Jane, b. 10 Feb 1841, d. 5 Aug 1913
    6.  Sarah Ann, b. 19 Nov 1842, d. 14 Sep 1927 (Houston TX)
    7.  Martha Ellen, b. 10 Mar 1845, d. 3 Oct 1931 (Muskogee OK)
    8.  Amanda, b. abt 1847, d. bef 1860
    9.  John F., b. 3 Dec 1849, d. 5 Sep 1894
  10.  Jesse E., b. 23 Mar 1857, d. 26 Aug 1901 (Mayberry IL); m. abt 1879 to Florence Stafford; 6 children

Notice the large gap between #9 and #10 boys where at least one, perhaps two, children might have been born. I have a list of places to look, people to look for, on my research sheet on the Vineyard-Poole families.

Priscilla died 5 months after Jesse's birth, on 10 Sep 1857, aged 41 years.  She is buried by her husband, in Union Cemetery, Norris City, White County, Illinois.

Four months after Priscilla's death, on 30 Jan 1858, newly-widowed Thomas married Samantha J. Garrett, and had 4 more children with her. Samantha died 21 Oct 1867, 7 months after her 4th child. And three months after Samantha died, twice-widowed Thomas married for a third time, to widow, Martha J. Thompson, on 19 Jan 1868 in Gallatin County IL. Four years later, Thomas suddenly died 16 Jun 1872, aged 61 years, apparently while visiting his physician.

Priscilla. Married at 14. Had 10 children with her young farmer husband. Died aged 41.

If you know anything about Priscilla POOLE and her family, particularly her Poole family members, I would be so pleased for more details. Contact me at my address at the bottom of the page, or in the Comments section.

Sometimes my Blogger account seems not to allow me to "reply" to your comments. Do know that I value your comments immensely. You make my day! Thanks for stopping by to read my weekly post.

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, #21: Thomas Milligan VINEYARD

Following the challenge of writing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, issued by Amy Johnson Crow, here is my 21st installment, Thomas Milligan VINEYARD, my ex-husband's 2nd great-grandfather on his mother's side (RICE).  Note the surname Vineyard may also be found as VINYARD.  

There is apparently a line of Vineyards in the USA originating from Germany (Weinert).  However another line of Vineyard immigrants were Anglo-Scots, and apparently arrived in possibly Virginia in the 1700s, with one branch moving through to Tennessee and then to Illinois - this particular branch. 

Thomas appears to have been the youngest of 7 known children of John VINEYARD and Leanah SNEED, all born in Tennessee.  I do not yet have the place they were born, nor the previous ancestors details... research is never done!! And with a middle name of Milligan, I suspect a maiden name in his ancestors to research.

Born 12 Apr 1811, Thomas and his parents and family moved to Illinois after he was born.  On 16 August 1830, at the age of 19, Thomas married Priscilla POOLE, only 14 years of age at the time of their marriage. Only 2 years later, Thomas volunteered and fought with the D.Powell Company Regiment 3, Brigade 2, Illinois Mounted Volunteers from White county, during the Black Hawk War. 

Thomas and his new family are listed on the 1840 Census for White County, Illinois, as well as 1850, and 1860 Censuses, before his death in 1872.  I have not found him in the 1870 Census as yet.  Click on the county name for more information on White County history.

Priscilla died in 6 Sep 1857, six months after the birth of their 10th child.  Thomas and Priscilla's children are as follows, all  apparently born in Norris City near Indian Creek area; note not all children's spouses listed:

1. Rebecca Leannah, b. 1832, d. 1903
2. *Phillip Wesley [ancestor], b. 1834, m. 13 Dec 1855 to Margaret C.WALTERS; d. 6 Feb 1874 IL
3. Margaret Priscilla, b. 20 Jan 1836, m. abt 1856 to Lewis Jackson Oliver; d. 29 Jan 1910 IL
4. William Alexander "Alex", b. 18 Jan 1838, m. 14 Nov 1861 to Patsy C. Garrison; d. 1912
5. Mary Jane, b. 10 Feb 1841, d. 5 Aug 1913, Gossett, IL
6. Sarah Ann, b. 19 Nov 1842, d. 14 Sep 1927, Houston, TX
7. Martha Ellen, b. 10 Mar 1845, d. 3 Oct 1931, Muskogee, OK
8. Amanda, b. 1847, d. bef 1860 IL
9. John F., b. 3 Dec 1849, d. 5 Sep 1894
10. Jesse E., b. 23 Mar 1857, m. abt 1879 to Florence Stafford; d. 26 Aug 1901 Mayberry IL

Within a few months of Priscilla's death, on 30 Jan 1858, Thomas took a 2nd wife, Samantha J. Garrett.  

On the 1860 Census, Thomas is shown with his wife Samantha, previous children still at home: Martha, John, and Jesse, plus he and Samantha's 1st child, Daniel.  As well, Thomas' widowed mother, Leanah, aged 93, was living with them.  

Thomas and his family continued to live in White County IL, on his farm, and had 4 more children:

1. Daniel E., b. 13 Dec 1859, m. 24 Oct 1882 to Dicia A. McKenzie
2. Nancy Sharon, b. 21 Nov 1861
3. Susan E, b. 4 Oct 1863, m. 5 Apr 1891 to Charles Armstrong; d. 19 Jul 1894
4. Lovina, b. 1 Apr 1865, d. 10 Aug 1867

Samantha, Thomas' 2nd wife, died 21 Oct 1867, scarcely 2 months after her 4th child.  

He married for the third time on 19 Jan 1868, to a widow, Martha J. Thompson; no further children are listed.  Thomas died only 4 years later, on 16 Jun 1872, while visiting a Dr. Berry in his office in Hoodville, Hamilton county, IL.  I clearly need to research what relationship the two had, as to why he was visiting Dr. Berry. 

I know very little about Thomas - aside from his military history, occupation as farmer, and his many children.  He seems to have been a relatively successful farmer in the area, and there may be more histories of White County IL which may have additional details. 

If you have any questions or further information you could share, please contact me via calewis at telus dot com, or in the Comments below.