Brown Family Research - Paternal Ancestors - Segment 9

 

Dennis Reynolds and Elizabeth Oliver

Page -1-

Reynolds was born in Hart Co., KY in about 1826. Nothing is known of his parents. Dennis seems not to have attended school, for throughout his adult life he reported to census takers that he could neither read nor write. Dennis seems to have lived in nearby Grayson Co., KY in the 1850s before settling in Butler Co. While in Grayson Co., he seems to have worked as a laborer. After his move to Butler Co., Dennis sought employment as a shoemaker.

Elizabeth, one of seven known children of Benjamin and Susannah Oliver, was born in Meade Co., KY in about 1840. Elizabeth's dad, a cooper, had been born in IN in about 1805. Her mom, an MD native, was born in about 1808. In 1850, Dennis was living with Caleb Stinson and working as a laborer on a farm. Unlike Dennis, young Elizabeth attended school. Susannah Oliver seems to have passed away sometime between 1850 and 1854, as Ben had remarried in late 1854.[1] Elizabeth and Nancy Jane appeared on the same page of the census, in different households, in 1860, and Dennis was on the preceding page and listed as a shoemaker. By 1860, neither Elizabeth nor her sister, Nancy Jane, lived with Ben, perhaps indicating that the girls had been orphaned or that he and his new bride had moved away. Elizabeth boarded with or perhaps had been raised by Thomas Robinson and his seamstress wife, Matilda, at least from the time that she was 16. The connection with the Robinsons may have existed for years, since there had been a Felix Robinson living with Elizabeth's family in the 1850s and her younger sister, Mary, would eventually marry a James Robinson.

1860s

The 35-year-old Dennis took his 21-year-old bride on October 24, 1861, at Thomas Robinson's home in Butler Co., KY.[2] The service was performed by James Howard. Though Robinson served as Dennis' bondsman, he was likely closer to Elizabeth, given their earlier relationship. It was the first marriage for both bride and groom. Their first known child, Sylvester, was born in 1863. He was quickly followed by Betsy in 1864.[3] A second daughter, VA, was born September 25, 1867.[4] Mary T. was born in 1869.[5]

1870s

A fourth daughter, Louisa, was born in 1873. The last daughter, America, was born in 1878. Sometime in the 1870s, they moved north from Butler Co. to Ohio Co., resettling in the Stewartville precinct.

---

[1] Butler Co. Marriages, Vol C, page 88, Benjamin Oliver and Malinda Anderson (widow), August 9, 1854. John Watson was the bondsman.

[2] Butler Co., KY, Marriages, Book 3, page 109, October 24, 1861, Dennis Reynolds to Elizabeth Oliver. The document shows that Dennis is unable to sign his name and lists his county of birth as Hart and Elizabeth's as Meade, both in KY.

[3] Elizabeth (also called Betsy in the census) Jane, born in 1864 in KY. Married Timothy V. Ferguson on June 6, 1880.

[4] Virginia Brownlowe was born September 25, 1867, in Butler Co., KY. She married James A. Ferguson, December 30, 1884. She died February 20, 1934.

[5] Mary T., born in KY in about 1869, married James Robinson.

Page -2-

1880s

The family farm was polled during the 1880 agricultural census. They appeared in District 183. Dennis had just six acres under cultivation and owned another 10 acres of woodland. The land and its buildings were valued at $100. Dennis had $30 worth of tools and farm implements and had spent $65 over the last year on building repairs and improvements. He had one milk cow and one other cow. Over the last year, he had produced 166 lbs of butter and 40 dozen eggs.                                                     

The couple’s last known child, Will T., was born October 27, 1881.[6]

Dennis seems to have passed away sometime between 1892 and 1900 of unknown causes. By 1900, the 60-year-old Elizabeth was still living in Ohio Co., taking in laundry, and renting her home. Her youngest child and only son, Will, remained at home and worked as a farm laborer. She is believed to have died in approximately 1911.

Notes and References

1. 1840 Meade Co., KY, census, page 107, Benjamin Oliver family. Two are in agriculture; one is in manufacturing and trades (presumably this is Benjamin, who was a cooper).
   
   

Males	Females
1 under 5 yrs 1 between 5 and 10 yrs 2 between 10 and 15 yrs 1 between 30 and 40 yrs	1 under 5 yrs 1 between 30 and 40 yrs.

2. 1850 Grayson Co., KY, census, page 52. Dennis Reynolds, age 26, a laborer, born KY, cannot read or write, living with the Caleb Stinson family.
3. 1860 Butler Co., KY, census, page 9 (microfilm frame 836), Welches P.O. district. Dennis Reynolds, age 34, unmarried, a shoemaker, who cannot read or write, boarding with the Matilda (?) Myers family, a 33-year-old seamstress. His place of birth is KY.
4. 1870 Butler Co., KY, census, page 295b, Brooklyn P.O. district.
   
   

Name	Age	Remarks
Dennis Reynolds	45	farmer, cannot read or write, bn KY
Elizabeth	27	keeping house
Sylvester	7
Betsy	6
Virginia	3
Mary	1

---

[6] Will T., born October 27, 1881. He married Musa P. and died May 13, 1958.

Page -3-

5. 1880 Ohio Co, KY census, page 578, Stewartville precinct. Tim Ferguson lives next door. He is 33, a laborer. He has been unemployed for 2 months during the last year. He cannot write.

Name	Age	Remarks
Dennis Reynolds	55	farmer, cannot read or write, born KY, parents born KY
Elizabeth	38	born KY, parents born KY
Sylvester	17	laborer, in school
Elizabeth	16	in school
Jane	13	in school
Mary T.	9	in school
Louisa	7	in school
America	2

6. 1850 Butler Co., KY, census, page 274b, the Benjamin Oliver Family.

Name	Age	Occupation	State of Birth	Remarks
Benjamin Oliver	45	cooper	Ind
Susannah	42		MD
Mary A.	14		KY	in school
Elizabeth	8		KY	in school
Nancy	3		KY
Felix Robinson	17		KY	in school

7. Children of Dennis and Elizabeth Reynolds:

8. Pension file, Timothy V. Ferguson, 11th Regiment of the KY Voluntary Infantry, Company C.

9. 1860 Ohio Co., KY, census, page 9 (microfilm frame 837), Elizabeth Oliver, age 16, seamstress, living with Thomas and Matilda Robinson. Thomas was 31 and a farmer; Matilda was 25 and was a seamstress. On the same page, there is a Nancy Jane Oliver, age 13, living with the George Gardner family. Both families are in the Welches community.

10. 1900 Ohio Co., KY census, page 99b, Cromwell community

• Elizabeth Reynolds, born Oct 1839, age 60, widowed, born in KY, both parents born in KY, takes in washing, has had seven children, all are alive, cannot read or write, she rents her place, it was a house, not a farm
• William T. Reynolds, born September 1880, age 19, born in KY, both parents born in KY, does farm work, cannot read or write

Work Items

1. Look for tax data.
2. Look for wills.
3. Look for real estate data.
4. Get details on the 1860 and 1850 census and fill in missing details from other years.
5. Look for Benjamin Oliver or Malinda Oliver starting in 1860.
6. Check Meade Co. marriages for Benjamin Oliver to Susannah.
7. Check Hart Co. for Reynolds families.
8. The Hartford Herald, December 6, 1893, page 3, records that a Dennis Reynolds, wife and two children were admitted to the poor house.