Hedgman
Simpson and Mildred Holmes
While
a number of sources can be drawn upon to provide insight into Hedgman's
military life, his personal life is harder to penetrate. Young Hedgman likely
arrived back in Wood Co. in late April 1813, just in time for his annual
Personal Property Tax assessment in May.[25]
It is speculation, but his return from service may have been when he began a
family.[26]
Of his bride, only her first name, Henrietta, is known, as explained below. Wood
Co. would be the family home for the next decade.
In
1815, Hedgman bought 50 acres on the Little Kanawha River from Robert Simpson
(possibly his father).[27]
The couple’s first-known child, Hedgman S. Simpson, was born in Wood Co. probably
no later than 1816.[28]
As noted earlier, Hedgman Sr. first appeared in the county tax rolls in 1809.[29]
His last appearance on the tax roll was in 1824. This latter date roughly
corresponds to two land sales recorded in Wood Co. records. In 1821, Hedgman
sold a 50-acre tract of land on the east side of the Little Kanawha River to
Joseph H. Samuels.[30]
Then, in 1823, Hedgman and Hetty Simpson sold another 50-acre piece of land to
John White. It was also located on the Little Kanawha.[31]
It could be that these transactions (and the disappearance from the tax roll) marked
the family’s departure from Wood Co. In any case, ten years later, Hedgman and
his family appear in records in Spencer Co. and Jefferson Co. KY.[32]
Where they lived in that interim period is unknown.
[25]
Wood Co. WV Personal Property Tax Lists. 1813, microfilm image 189, assessment
dated May 22. $0 tax due.
[26]
The population of Wood Co. in 1800 was just 1,271. By 1810 it had grown to
3,036 and 5,860 by 1820. Hedgman did not appear in the Wood Co. 1830 census.
The population by that time had risen to 6,429.
[27]
Wood Co., WV Deeds, Vol. 4, p. 518.
[28]
The proposed date for Hedgman S. Simpson’s birth is based on a probable age of
20 at the time of his enlistment in 1836. Further information on Hedgman S. can
be found in the end notes.
[29]
Wood Co., WV, Personal Property Tax Lists. His appearances from 1809-1813 have
already been given. He also appeared as follows: 1816, microfilm image 245,
assessment dated April 1. $0 tax due. 1817, microfilm image 268, assessment
dated May 17. $0 tax due. 1818, microfilm image 297, assessment dated March 3.
$0.18 tax due. 1819, microfilm image 325, assessment dated April 21. $0.18 tax
due. 1823, microfilm image 440, assessment dated March 31. $0.24 tax due. 1824,
microfilm image 467, assessment dated April 3. $0.24 tax due. Neither Hedgman
or Robert appears after 1824. Hedgman’s absences in 1814, 1815, 1820, 1821, and
1822 cannot be explained. The individual records for Hedgman are very limited.
Typically, they list just the number of white males over 16. In some years,
that is the only data. Later, he will report also having a lone horse. It is
this addition that triggered his tax increase from zero to $0.18 and later to
$0.24.
[30]
Wood Co., WV Deeds, Vol. 6, p. 252. This transaction was described as a trust.
[31]
Any land transaction is valuable as it is a sure mark of an individual’s
presence in an area. In this case, it also provides the first reference to
‘Hetty’ known to me. It is the first clue to the identity of Hedgman’s first
wife. Hetty is short for Henrietta. Wood
Co., WV Deeds, Vol. 6, p. 398. For unknown reasons, the transaction is
described as an ‘agreement’. Access to the original deed may shed light on
things.
[32]
The population of Jefferson Co., KY was 23, 979 at the time of the 1830 census
and rose to 36, 346 by the 1840 census. Spencer Co. had a population of just 6,812
in 1830. It had dropped to 6,581 by 1840.
[33]
Sanford was born in Jefferson Co., KY (sometime between 1834 and 1837)
according to his marriage records and pension file. Given the long interval
between Hedgman S. and Sanford, it is likely that other children, not yet
discovered, existed. Sanford served as a Private in the Civil War in the KY
17th Infantry, Company H (Union), the same Regiment as his brother, Robert. Sanford
married three times: to Nancy Ellen Ezell on June 24, 1857 (Ohio Co. Marriage Records,
Volume D, page 179), to Mary E. Cotton on October 3, 1870 (Volume Q, page 374),
and to Mary Bratcher on June 24, 1899 (Volume 12, page 170). Sanford died on
January 20, 1904. Sanford appears in documents as ‘Santford’, ‘Sandford’ and
‘Sanfrod’. I have tried to maintain ‘Sanford’ throughout.
died, perhaps in childbirth. As
was common, Hedgman quickly remarried, securing both companionship and help in
raising his young son. The bride was PA born Mildred Holmes.[34]
The wedding took place July 20, 1838, most likely in Jefferson Co.
Around
the time of Sanford’s birth, his brother, Hedgman S., now about 20, served
briefly in the KY Mounted Gunmen, enlisting in 1836 when war fever was high,
and hostilities with Mexico seemed imminent.[35]
By 1840, Hedgman (Sr) and Mildred had their first known child, Martha.[36]
The next year, Hedgman S. also took a bride, Parmelia Homan, and resettled
just to the east in Spencer Co., KY while his father, the elder Hedgman and his family seem
to have remained in Jefferson Co.[37]
That same year, Hedgman Sr.’s next child, Robert, was born in Jefferson Co. on
June 21st.[38]
Sometime between Robert's birth and 1845, Mildred died. Oral tradition says
that the PA native was killed when the team of horses pulling her wagon bolted, and she was thrown to the ground.
Still
in Jefferson Co. but now
with two children under five, the fifty-seven-year-old Hedgman Sr.
married forty-nine-year-old, PA native Rachel White on October 8, 1845.[39]
Together they had only one child who appears in the record, a girl named
Elizabeth, born in 1846.[40]
[34]
Mildred’s place of birth is based on a statement by Robert to census takers in
the early twentieth century. His answers to the question were inconsistent;
sometimes he stated that she was born in KY and sometimes PA.
[35]
Military records, Hedgman S. Simpson, Private in Captain Marshall's Co., KY
Mounted Gunmen from August 17, 1836, to February 17, 1837, two sheets. No
pension file is available. The unit was called out for the protection of the
Sabine Frontier (the Sabine River border between Louisiana and the Republic of
Texas).
[36]
The 1860 census was the first to include the person believed to be Martha (then
20). Identified only as ‘M’ and listed as a male, this is believed to have been
Martha Simpson, the unwed mother of Gilbert, age 1. Gilbert appeared
immediately below ‘M’ in the census. Martha later married Madison Cotton. Ohio
Co., KY Marriage Records, Volume O, page 98, Madison Cotton to Martha Simpson,
February 3, 1868.
[37]
Hedgman S. Simpson to Parmelia Homan, August 31, 1841, Spencer Co., KY.
[38]
Pension file, Robert Simpson for service in the Civil War with the 17th KY.
Vol. Infantry (Union). File No. C2620662.
[39]
Jefferson Co., KY, Marriage Records, Book IV, May 1842
to July 1949, page 93, Hedgeman Simpson married Rachel White on October 8,
1845. Pleasant Paris performed the ceremony. Daniel Knapp was the bondsman. It
is odd to note that the license was issued in Bullitt Co. (just south of
Jefferson Co.) on October 6th. That record was ultimately filed with
the Jefferson Co. records.
[40]
Elizabeth was born in 1846, most likely in Jefferson Co.
Page -14-
Hedgman
S. died sometime between 1844 (his last appearance in the tax list) and 1847 of
unknown circumstances.[41]
His widow remarried in late 1847.[42]
In 1848, Hedgman Sr. and his family relocated 120 miles to the west in Ohio
Co., perhaps to be near other children.[43]
In
Wood Co., tax and deed records proved useful in following Hedgman and
understanding his life. In KY, the task is more difficult as Hedgeman S. was an
adult by that point. Fortunately, he seems to have commonly used his middle
initial. We cannot be sure that tax assessors and county clerks were as
consistent. So, it is difficult to know which records to attribute to father
and which to son. The Spencer Co., KY tax records record the presence of a
‘Hedgeman’ in 1835, 1835, and 1837.[44]
The 1837 entry indicates that Hedgeman held 40 acres of land on Goose Creek. No
other tax or deed data has been found from Spencer Co. Tax data in Jefferson
Co. is also helpful but still inconclusive. Hedgeman S. first appeared on the
Jefferson Co. tax roll in 1843 and then again in 1844.[45]
Hedgman (Sr) also appeared on the tax list for 1844 on the same page (the only
time known to me where they appear together). Then, in 1845-1847, only a single
‘Hedgman’ appears.[46]
I believe that this further refines the date of death of Hedgeman S. to 1845.
Ohio County Years
Hedgman, Sr.'s financial condition does not appear to have been particularly good for someone aged 60. For his first two years in Ohio Co., Hedgman’s only taxable goods are one
[41]
As far back as 1 can remember, I've known that a Hedgman Simpson died by
drowning in the Salt River. It seems that my father learned that he could get
the attention of a couple of small kids by prompting them to ask their mother,
"What happened to your great-grandfather?" We did this every time
that we crossed the Salt River (something I practiced until my mother's death
in 1992, by which time I was 42). After much harassment, my Mom would repeat all that
she knew of a story passed down to her. "Hedgman was crossing the Salt
in a rowboat, perhaps near to where it empties into the Ohio River, when a
storm came up which caused the boat to capsize, and he drowned". Despite
the oral tradition regarding location, it is interesting to observe that the
Salt River does flow through Spencer Co. As Hedgeman S.’s widow followed the
family to Ohio Co. after her second husband also died, it seems possible that
the tale refers to the younger man.
[42]
Jefferson Co., KY, Marriage Records, Book IV, May 1842 to July 1849, page 164,
James White married Milly Simpson, described as the "widow of Hedgeman
Simpson". The wedding took place on November 23, 1847. Given that the War
of 1812 veteran was not dead, this must be Hedgman S. This record would place Hedgeman S. Simpson's
death between 1844 (his last appearance in the tax lists) and November 1847
wedding. In 1850, VA-born James and Pamelia White (44 and 43) were living in
Ohio Co. (very near the Holland Morris and Leonard Leach families) with
Morrison DeHart, 16, and Andrew White, age 2, born in IN. They were not far
from Hedgman Sr. Ten years later, in the 1860 census, Milly White and her sons,
Andrew J. and Thomas J. lived next to Hedgman. In 1870 (after Hedgman's death)
the two widows still lived close to one another. Oral tradition in the family
says that one of the two males was known as "Uncle Jack". Some
genealogies have incorrectly confused Uncle Jack with Hedgman. Thomas J. White was
born December 5, 1850, and died in Daviess Co., KY, April 29, 1928. Thus, James
White died between 1851 and 1860.
[43]
Son, Robert, recounts in his pension file that he
moved to Ohio Co. when he was about 6 years old, i.e. 1848.
[44]
Spencer Co., KY Tax Lists, 1834, microfilm image 437, total valuation $100, 2
horses; 1835, microfilm image 477, total valuation $45; 1837, microfilm image
531, 40 acres on Goose Creek, the land was valued at $6 per acre for a total
valuation of $240, also 1 horse valued at $40.
[45]
Jefferson Co., KY, Tax Lists, 1843, microfilm image 482, 1 horse valued at $30,
total valuation $30; 1844, microfilm image 796, Hedgman (no assets listed),
Hedgeman S. 2 horses, together worth $50, total valuation $50, 1 child between
5 and 15,
[46]
Jefferson Co., KY, Tax Lists, 1845, microfilm image 1117, 1 horse valued at
$30, total valuation $30; 1846, microfilm image 276, 1 horse valued at $30, 1
cow, total valuation $50. 1847, microfilm image 618, 1 horse valued at $40,
total valuation $40, 2 children 5-16 years of age (presumably, these two
children are Sanford, age 12 or 13, and Robert, age 5 or 6.
Page -15-
horse and one cow.
Another year of labor added only $10 to his taxable worth.[47]
The 1850 non-population census provided additional insight into the family
finances and the productivity of their farm. That document showed that Hedgman
had 12 acres, cleared and under cultivation. Unlike many surrounding farms, he
had no additional wooded acreage. The cash value of the farm was estimated at
$150 and Hedgman had one horse, one milk cow, two other cows, and nine hogs. The
animals were valued at $85. In the past year, the farm produced seven bushels
of wheat, nine bushels of rye, 450 bushels of corn, 100 bushels of oats, 3
bushels of peas and beans, 12 bushels of Irish potatoes and 6 bushels of sweet
potatoes, 50 pounds of butter, a ton of hay, 12 pounds of flax. Items that were
home manufactured during the year were valued at $5, while the value of animals
slaughtered was $30. Compared to nearby farms, Hedgman’s operation was small,
with few livestock and no possibility of expansion.[48]
Actions
taken by the U.S. Congress in 1850 helped Hedgman and other veterans. Congress
revised a series of laws which were originally enacted at the time of the War,
providing inducements for men to join the armed forces and stay throughout the
War or for a long period, for the relief of the disabled, and for the relief of
the families of those killed in service. The laws provided that every
non-commissioned officer, soldier or surviving heir of a soldier killed in the
War could receive land in Illinois, Missouri or Arkansas provided that the
soldier had been honorably discharged. The land was referred to as 'bounty
land'. The amount of land granted appears to have been dependent upon one's
rank. An 1850 act permitting qualified veterans to receive bounty land in any
state or territory in which public land was available. Like thousands of
veterans, Hedgman submitted an application for bounty land under that Act. The
application was successful and resulted in a grant of 80 acres in April of
1852.[49]
Like many veterans, who had reached their sixties, Hedgman likely had no desire
to move to the frontier and leave his children. Thus, he sold his warrant for
an unspecified amount to John E. Owsley. Owsley filed the warrant in the Land
Office in the town of Danville in Morgan Co., Illinois, where it was redeemed
for 78.37 acres.
There
are no tax records available for Ohio Co. for the years 1853-1855 to provide
insight on the family’s financial condition.[50]
In 1855, the U.S. Congress made additional land available to War of 1812 veterans. Hedgman submitted an application under the 1855 Act and was again successful. This secured for him another grant of 80 acres.[51] As before, he sold his warrant.[52] The warrant was purchased
[47]
1848 Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 31, This was Hedgman's first appearance in the
Ohio Co. tax rolls which corresponds to statements in his son's (Robert)
pension file. He owned one horse or mare valued at $40 and one head of cattle
with no assessed value, but worth less than $50. His total tax worth was
therefore $40. 1849 Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 35. No change from 1848. 1850
Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 39. By 1850 he had one horse or mare valued at $50,
two head of cattle valued under $50. His total tax worth was under $50. The
record also showed that he had one child between 6 and 16 years of age (no
children at home were recorded in the 1850 census). Robert would have been 11
at this time, Elizabeth would either be 5 or 6, depending on her exact date of
birth. She did not appear in the 1850 census. The reason for the discrepancy is
unknown.
[48]
U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, 1850 data.
[49]
Bounty land warrant, Hedgman Simpson, file No. 33, 902-80-50. The text of
Hedgman’s affidavit is given in the end notes.
[50]
The Ohio Co., KY population was 9,749 in 1850, 12,209 by the 1860 census,
15,561 by 1870 and 19,669 by 1880.
[51]
Bounty land warrant, Hedgman Simpson, file No. 37, 894-80-55. The text of
Hedgman’s affidavit is given in the end notes.
[52]
The amount involved in the transaction was not specified.
Page -16-
by John,
James and W. T. Gilbert, and Thomas Neely. The four filed the warrant in the
Land Office in Eau Claire in Chippewa Co., WI, where it was redeemed for 80
acres.[53]
Within a few years, these land warrant sales appear to have had a substantial impact on the Simpson family as Hedgman’s
taxable worth increased by a factor of 10 and land in Ohio Co. was bought and
sold. Along with a variety of livestock, the family had 50 acres on Caney
Creek. During this period, as many as five children between six and eighteen
years of age lived with Hedgman and Rachel, though given the couple’s advanced
ages, it is likely most were grandchildren.
The
1856 tax records for the county are missing. Ironically, records are available
for 1857, but Hedgman does not appear. Tax records are again missing for 1858.[54]
By
1859 Hedgman owned 50 acres of land near Caney Creek, valued at $300, 2 horses
or mares at $150 five children between 6 and 18 years of age, six hogs over six
months old valued at $100, one ton of hay, 15 bushels of wheat and a total tax
value of $550.[55]
At
the time of the 1860 tax assessment, Hedgman owned 150 acres on Caney Creek and
two horses ($150).[56]
By the mid-1860 agricultural census (perhaps in response to Hedgman's failing
health) 100 acres were sold off. That census showed Hedgman had only 20
improved acres and 30 unimproved. The property was estimated to be worth $250,
while the livestock was valued at $245. His farm implements were valued at $6.
He had 2 horses, 2 milk cows, 2 working cows and 2 ‘other’ cows, 9 sheep and 12
hogs. He produced 300 bushels of Indian corn and 10 pounds of wool, 10 pounds
of Irish potatoes, 5 pounds of sweet potatoes, and 50 pounds of butter.
Household manufactures were valued at $5, while the value of slaughtered animals
was set at $40.[57]
In addition to their own children, the Simpsons also had three boarders, Millie
Simpson White, 57, and her sons: Andrew J. White, 13, and Thomas J. White, 11.
Having first been widowed by Hedgman S. Simpson, Millie had also been widowed
by James White.[58]
[53]
Hedgman never received a pension. Pensions were not available to War of 1812
veterans until 1871 (except for those who had received a disabling wound and
for the survivors of those killed in service). Of course, by 1871, most veterans,
including Hedgman, were dead.
[54]
The reason these records are missing is not clear, but it is noted that some
Ohio Co. records were destroyed by Confederate troops in December 1864.
[55]
1859 Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 47.
[56]
1860 Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 50.
[58]
For a while I entertained the notion that Robert was the son of Hedgman S. as
he would have been approximately 25 at the time of Robert’s birth, while Sr. would have been 54. Next, I wondered if the Mildred Holmes of Robert's family Bible
could be Parmelia 'Milly' Homan. While these postulates seem plausible, there
are opposing facts. First, Hedgman S’s marriage date to Milly, August 1841,
doesn't fit with Robert's claim to have been born in June of 1841. Next, there
is the oral legend of Hedgman’s death while crossing the Salt River in a
rowboat in a storm. Sr. appears to have been ill and infirm in Ohio Co.
shortly before his death in the mid-1860s. It is hard to envision the
76-year-old veteran in a boat in a storm. On the other hand, the 25-year-old Hedgman
S. lived in Spencer Co., and the Salt flows through the very heart of the county.
It is much easier to see him in such a boat. Finally, no matter how enticing the
speculation that Hedgman S. was Robert’s dad, there is the fact that Robert’s
Bible records the birth date of his father as August 12, 1788. It is hardly
likely that he confused his grandfather's birth date with his father's. In the
end, Hedgman S. was the son of Hedgman Sr. As sometimes happens, oral
transmission of family history has conflated certain details.
Page -17-
In
1861 it was noted that Hedgman again only owned 50 acres near Caney Creek,
valued at $200, one horse or mare valued at $60, five head of cattle (under
$50), two children between 6 and 18, two hogs over six months old, fifty
bushels of corn and a total tax worth of $260.[59]
There
is no tax book for 1862.
Decline and Death
In
the midst of the War, with sons Robert and Sanford, away from home supporting
the Union cause, Hedgman reached age 75. His health was clearly failing.[60]
As a result, the old veteran was excused from paying taxes in 1863.[61]
Though he appeared in the 1864 tax roll, he was excused once again.[62]
Hedgman disappeared from the tax rolls after 1864. It is assumed that he died
in late 1864 or 1865.[63]
By
1870, the 74-year-old widow, Rachel, was living with Madison and Martha Simpson
Cotton (the daughter of Hedgman and his prior wife, Mildred). Millie White and
her son Thomas J. lived just a couple of houses away with the Ezell family.
Oral tradition says that Rachel died of a heart attack. She was said to be on
the way to visit one of her sons and never made it. She was found in the field
with her head on a log as if asleep.
Notes and References
- 1810 Wood Co., VA
census
His census notes the presence of a Robert Simpson family (in some printed versions of this census, Robert's last name was given as
Simson). The more recent transcription (which gives the spelling as Simpson)
was taken from the WV GenWeb.
Robert Simpson is listed as being over 45 years of age, and there are, amongst his household, one male under 10, three males between the ages of 16 and 26, one male between 26 and 45, and one over 45 (most likely Robert). In 1810, Hedgman would have been 22 years old. The fact that one of Hedgman's sons is later named Robert is only interesting speculation at this point; the name "Robert" is far too common to draw firm conclusions. But it is strong speculation. There is one girl under 10, two between 10 and 16, one between 16 and 26, and one over 45.
[59]
1861 Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 54.
[60]
Ohio Co., KY. Court Orders, Vol. 9, 1858-1863, p. 506. The following appears in
the Orders for Monday January 5, 1863, "Ordered that the following old
and infirmed persons of this County be released from paying County levy: Jonas
Tichenor, Wm. Keown, S. J. Tichenor, John Pattis, David Park, John B. Haynes,
Nathan Keown, Wm. Ashby Sr., John B. ???, Henry Stevens Sr., Wm. Ralph,
Archibald Setcher, Major Pierson, Saml. Ambross, Holland Morris, Fred Shmader,
Hedgman Simpson and Wm. Cotton"
[61]
1863 Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 54. Though the 1863 records show Hedgman as
tax exempt, an inventory was still provided. He owned 50 acres near Caney
Creek, one horse or mare at $50, six head of cattle (under $50), 17 hogs over
six months, two hundred bushels of corn, one child between 6 and 18 and a total
assessed value of $250.
[62]
1864 Ohio Co., KY, Tax Rolls, p. 55. He was listed as exempt, owning 50 acres
of land near Caney Creek valued at $150, one horse or mare at $50, three head
of cattle eight hogs over six months of age and 100 bushels of corn.
[63]
According to oral tradition, Hedgman was crossing the Salt River in a rowboat
near to where it empties into the Ohio River when a storm came up which caused
the boat to capsize, and he drowned. I find it unlikely that a man of his age
and health would be out in a rowboat in a storm, and I suggest that it may apply
to Hedgman S. and explain his untimely demise.
Page -18-
Of further interest from the same page of the Wood Co. 1810
census is the existence of a Hedgman Triplett. Triplett had been a Lieutenant
with the VA Militia during the Revolutionary War. He seems to have subsequently
moved to Scott (from an 1800 Tax List) and then Franklin Co. KY (from the 1835
list of pensioners). There is no concrete link, and it can't be resolved, but
it is worth speculating that:
- the families were
related or,
- that Hedgman's
father may have served with Triplett or,
- or that the Simpsons simply liked the name of this well-known man
2. In 1820 there is a Robert Simpson on page 26 (the transcribed version on the WV GenWeb gives a Robert "Sampson"). There is one male at home between 10 and 16, another between 26 and 45, and one over 45 (almost certainly Robert). Hedgman would have been 32 years old at that time, so he could still have been at home, though that is far from certain. There is one girl at home between 16 and 26 and another female over 45. There are no Simpsons (or anything close) in 1830. There are no Simpsons listed in 1830. There are four families in 1840 (James, John, Robert, and WGM), none old enough to be Hedgman's probable father, Robert. Robert does not appear in the 1801 Tax List, though he would not have if he did not own land.
3. Hedgman
S. Simpson was born in VA (now WV) in about 1816, probably in Wood Co. in the
southwestern part of the state. Sometime in the 1820 or early 1830s, he likely
moved with his father to Jefferson Co., KY. In 1836 he served as a Private in
Captain (Humphrey) Marshall's Co., KY Mounted Gunmen. Humphrey, a West Point
graduate, was a Louisville city councilman who resigned in 1836 to command a
regiment of volunteers raised in response to a call from President Andrew
Jackson. Marshall’s grandfather was the brother of the first Supreme Court
Chief Justice, John Marshall. The President had called up men to march to the
Sabine River, which served as the border of Louisiana and the Republic of Texas.
They were to protect the border from the Mexican army, which was then
overrunning Texas. Hedgman S. enlisted in Louisville, KY on August 17, 1836,
for a period of six months. When news from the battle of San Jacinto (from
April that year) made its way to the War Department, it rendered the movement
of the KY volunteers unnecessary. Consequently, the Company was disbanded on
September 18, 1836. Thus, Hedgman S. returned to private life without illness
or injury. He received a $20 reimbursement for the loss of the equipment he had
supplied.
Over the next few years a Hedgman Simpson
served as a bondsman in two weddings in nearby Jefferson Co. The first was the
June 24, 1840, wedding between James Coleman and Letty Deputy while the second
was the July 2, 1841, wedding between Samuel Coe and Polly Holsclaw.[64]
Shortly thereafter Spencer Co. records document the August 31, 1841, wedding of
Hedgman S. Simpson and Parmelia Homan with John M. White serving as the
bondsman. Nothing definitive is known of the couple’s marriage or of any
children. The 1860 Ohio Co., KY census data at least suggests that Hedgman S.
Simpson and Parmelia had one child, a boy, Andrew J. That census shows the
family of James and Parmelia White, both of VA. Living with them are two males.
The first is Morrison Dehart (16) and Andrew White (2). As practice was to list
immediate family first, then boarders and stepchildren, it may be that Andrew
is a stepson, perhaps the son of Hedgman S.
- 1840 Jefferson
Co., KY census records, page 148. Edgeman is far too young to be the
52-year-old War of 1812 veteran, though this may be Hedgman S. Simpson.
[64]
I have assumed that it was Hedgman S. who served in both weddings, as this is
common for young men as their peers get married. Jefferson Co., KY, Marriage
Records, Book III, June 1837, to May 10, 1842. Record #126 lists a Hedgman
Simpson as the bondsman in a wedding between James Coleman and Letty Deputy for
a June 24, 1840, wedding. Record #169 lists Hedgman Simpson as the bondsman
in a wedding between Samuel Coe and Polly Holsclaw for a July 2, 1841,
marriage.
Page -19-
|
Name |
Males |
Females |
|
Edgeman
Simpson |
1
male less than 5 years |
1
female 15-20 years |
|
Name |
Age |
Comments |
|
Hedgman |
63 |
Farmer, b. VA |
|
Rachel |
57 |
b. PA |
6.
1860
Ohio Co., KY, census, p. 126. The census lists Hedgman's wife as Rebecca, not
Rachel, perhaps indicating that another wedding (4th) had taken place since the
1850 records (not thought to be the case). The 1870 Ohio Co., KY. census will
again list a Rachel Simpson. Because of this I am prone to believe that Rachel
and Rebecca are one and the same and the difference in names is the result of a
careless census taker or the use of a nickname. Hedgman is said to own real
estate worth $250 and have personal belongings worth $240.
|
Name |
Age |
Sex |
Comments |
|
H. Simpson |
71 |
m |
born VA |
|
Rebecca |
64 |
f |
born PA, can't read or write |
|
M. |
20 |
m |
|
|
Gilbert |
1 |
m |
|
|
Robert |
18 |
m |
|
|
Elizabeth |
14 |
f |
attended school within the year |
|
Millie White |
57 |
f |
can't read or write |
|
Andrew J. |
13 |
m |
in school |
|
Thomas J. |
11 |
m |
in school |
7. 1870 Ohio Co. KY, census, p.343. Millie White (65) and her son, Thomas J. (19) live next door. Millie, born VA, is keeping house, Thomas, born KY, is a farm hand. Millie owns $400 worth of real estate.
|
Name |
Age |
Occupation |
State of Birth |
Read/Write? |
|
Madison Cotton |
33 |
farmer |
KY |
|
|
Martha |
38 |
keeping house |
KY |
|
|
Gilbert |
12 |
at home |
KY |
can't write |
|
Alonzo |
1 |
at home |
KY |
|
|
Rachel Simpson |
74 |
at home |
PA |
|
8. Bounty land application, Hedgman Simpson, file No. 33, 902-80-50. Hedgman's affidavit reads as follows
Page -20-
STATE OF KY, COUNTY
OF OHIO
On this eighth day of April A.D. one
thousand eight hundred and fifty one personally appeared before me a justice of
the peace within and for the county and State aforesaid Hedgman Simpson aged
sixty three years a resident of Ohio County in the State of KY who being duly
sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical Hedgman Simpson who
was a third Sergeant in the company commanded by Captain William Prince in the
first Regiment first Brigade of Virginia Militia commanded by Col John Connell in
the war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of
June 18l2 that he volunteered in Wood County Virginia on or about the twenty
third day of September 18l2 for the term of six months and continued in actual
service in said war for the term of six months and was honorably discharged at
Fort Meigs on the twenty ninth day of March 1813 as will appear by his original
certificate of discharge herewith presented. He makes this declaration for the
purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which he may be entitled under the
"act granting bounty land to certain officers and soldiers who have been
engaged in the military service of the United States" passed September
28th 1850.
Hedgman Simpson
Sworn to and suscribed before me the day
and year above written. And I hereby certify that I believe the said Hedgman
Simpson to be the identical man who served as aforesaid and that he is of the
age above stated.
C. I. Lawton, J. P.
KY, OHIO COUNTY
I, Charles Henderson Clerk of the Court
in and for the County aforesaid, certify that C. I. Lawton whose genuine
signature appears to the above and foregoing certificate was at the time of
signing the same an acting Justice of the Peace within and for said county duly
commissioned and qualified and that as such full faith and credit are due to
all his official acts.
In testimony whereof witness my hand and
seal of office this 25th day of June 1851 and 60th year of the Commonwealth.
C. Henderson
9. Bounty Land application file based on War of 1812 service. Warrant number 37,894-80-55.
STATE OF KY, COUNTY
OF OHIO
On this eighth day of May A.D. one thousand eight hundred fifty five personally appeared before me the Presiding Judge of the Ohio County Court within and for the County and State aforesaid Hedgeman Simpson aged sixty eight years, a resident of Ohio County in the State of KY, who being duly sworn according to law declares that he is the identical Hedgeman Simpson who was Third Sergeant in the Company Commanded by Captain William Prince in the First Regiment of Virginia Militia Commanded by Colonel John Connell in the war with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of June 1812 for the term of six months and continued in actual service in said war for over fourteen days, that he has heretofore made application for bounty land under the Act of September 28, 1850 and received a land warrant No. (not recollected) for eighty acres which he has since legally disposed of and cannot now return. He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining
Page -21-
the additional bounty land to which he
may be entitled under the act approved the 3d day of March 1855. He also
declares that he has never applied for nor received under this or any other act
of Congress any bounty land warrant except the one above mentioned.
Hedgman Simpson
We John W. Crow and William Leach
residents of Ohio County in the State of KY upon our declare that the foregoing
declaration was signed and acknowledged in our presence, and that we believe
from the appearance and statements of the applicant that he is the identical
person he represents himself to be.
J.W. Crow
William Leach (X his mark)
The foregoing declaration and affidavit
were sworn to and suscribed before me on the day and year above written and I
certify that I know the affiants to be credible persons, that the claimant is
the person that he represents himself to be and that I have no interest in this
claim.
Alexander B. Baird Presiding Judge of the
Ohio County Court
STATE OF KY, OHIO
COUNTY
I, R. Seth Moseley Clerk of the Ohio
County Court certify that A.B. Baird, Esq before whom the foregoing declaration
and affidavit was made, is and was at the time, Presiding Judge of the Ohio
County Court and State of KY duly commissioned and sworn and ?? all whose
official acts as such due faith and credit are due and that his signature
thereto is genuine.
In Testimony whereof I have set my hand
and affix my seal of my said County This 8th day of May A.D. 1855.
Seth Moseley Clk OCC
This concludes Segment 3 of the Brown Family Maternal Ancestors Research, by Kent W. Brown.
