Origin and History of the Surname Jones

On the maternal side of our family tree, my generation's uncle DeRand Jones traced our ancestral family back as far as Lewis Jones, a farmer who came from Virgina to Kirkwood Township, Belmont County, Ohio, in 1816.

In 1817 Lewis married Rebecca McPherson, daughter of Rev. John Wesley McPherson and Ann Smallwood Acton Mcpherson, and it's from them that we descend. Their stories are (or will be) included elsewhere on this blog.

When researching the Jones family crest I found many versions. Because the name spread widely throughout the British Isles, variations of the crest can found in English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish versions. The ones presented here are examples of what I found.

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The motto in the crest is in Welsh, and is a shortened version of, "Heb Dduw, heb ddim. Duw yn ddigon.", which in English means, "Without God, [we are] without anything. God is enough."

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Following is information on the origin and history of the surname Jones.

"This famous surname, widespread throughout the British Isles, and the most popular surname in Wales, one in ten Welsh people being so-called, is nethertheless of English medieval origins. It derives either from the male given name John, or its female equivalent Joan, both Norman French introductions after the 1066 Invasion [of England].

Both names are written as Jon(e) in medieval documents, and a clear distinction between them on the grounds of gender was not made until the 15th Century. However, because western society has almost invariably had a male as family head throughout history, bearers of the surname Jones are more likely to derive it from a patronymic form of John, than a matronymic form of Joan. The personal name John, ultimately from the Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'Jehovah has favoured (me with a son)', has always enjoyed enormous popularity in Europe, and particularly so after the famous Crusades of the 12th century.

The name, which is found in some four hundred spellings, is in honour of St. John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ. The surname as 'Jones', first appears on record in England in the latter part of the 13th Century, and also features as one of the most numerous settler names in Ireland, having been introduced in the wake of the Anglo - Norman Invasion of 1170.

It is now found in every Irish county, especially in the larger towns, and has also been Gaelicized as 'MacSeoin'. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Matilda Jones, which was dated 1273, in the 'Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire', during the reign of King Edward 1st, known as 'The Hammer of the Scots', reigned 1272 - 1307."

Source 
Last revised 8/28/2010

Our Jones Family Connection - Part 1

◄ In my generation's uncle DeRand Jones' archive is this photo. A note on the reverse side says, “Rosa Whitsett, Carleton’s [Jones] aunt”

I didn’t recognize the Whitsett name and hadn’t given the photo much thought until I came across a link to the publication cited below. It contains brief biographies of some of the early citizens of Belmont County, Ohio, in conjunction with the county’s centennial in 1903. Included was the info below, and suddenly I had an interesting story to go with her photo.

Rosa was born in 1863 (in the middle of the Civil War), married in 1884, and I suspect this portrait was taken around the time of her marriage. Her full name was Rosa Leona Jones Whitsett (1863-1892) and her husband’s full name was Dr. Charles Crawford Whitsett (1858 –1936). “My Family Tree” software tells us she’s the “great grand aunt” of my generation.

Married at age 21, and as discussed below, only one of her and Dr. Whitsett's four children, Bessie, survived for very long. Rosa died at age 28. This family endured a major amount of sadness in a short period.

◄ This photo of Bessie is circa 1893

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Here's the biographical sketch from the centennial book.

Dr. C. C. Whitsett, a prominent physician and surgeon of Hendrysburg, Belmont County, was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, February 19, 1860, and is a son of Dr. J. E. and Clara B. (Martin) Whitsett, both natives of Pennsylvania.Dr. J. E. Whitsett was born in May, 1826, prepared for the medical profession at the Ohio University, and began practice in 1852. He became a partner of Dr. John Keys at Bellsville, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Dr. Keys served as surgeon in the army, leaving the practice at home in charge of Dr. Whitsett. The latter practiced from 1852 until 1880, since which time he has lived in retirement at Bethany, West Virginia. He practiced there some years and was examiner for numerous insurance companies.

He recruited a company for service during the Civil War in Ballsville [Virginia], and has been a trustee of Bethany College for a number of years. He is a member and trustee in the Christian Church.

He was always a member of the Republican party after its organization. He married Clara B. Martin, who was born June 1, 1836, and is a daughter of John and Jane (Vail) Martin. She is also a devout member and a very active worker of the Christian Church.

Seven children blessed this union: Emma J., who died in December, 1894, aged 42 years, was the wife of M. M. Cochran, of Pennsylvania; C. C., subject of this sketch; Anna, who died at the age of three years; Ollie, who died at the age of three years; Kitty, who died at the age of 10 years; Ralph, who died at the age of two years; and John W., who resides in Bethany, West Virginia, a member of the class of 1903 in the Pittsburg Medical College.

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Dr. C. C. Whitsett received his literary education at Bethany College and then entered the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati in 1879, graduating therefrom with the class of 1882. He began practice at once and was in partnership with his father for two years. He practiced at Bethany until 1884, then removed to Hendrysburg, Ohio, where he has since continued with the exception of two years spent in New Philadelphia. He is a general practitioner and examiner for numerous insurance companies.

He is a man of sterling qualities, a close student and is abreast of the times in every branch of medical science. He has the esteem of the community, and has been a medical examiner for the U. S. pension board.

In 1884, Dr. Whitsett was united in marriage with Rosa L. Jones, a native of Hendrysburg, and a daughter of Dr. William and [Elizabeth] Betsy Ann (Goodman) Jones. Her mother still resides in Bethesda, Ohio. Four children were born to them: William E., who was born January 16, 1885, and died August 6, 1885 ; Percy B., born August 8, 1886, and died Oct-ober 12, 1886; Emma E., born October 27, 1889, and died October 3, 1890; and Bessie L., born May 2, 1892, who is attending school at Bethesda.

The mother of these children [Rosa], born November 27, 1863, died June 10, 1892. Dr. Whitsett formed a second union on April 18, 1899, with Lena L. McLaughlin, a native of Belmont County, and a daughter of John McLaughlin. The latter was born August 27, 1832, and died September 27, 1892; Mrs. McLaughlin now resides in Hendrysburg, and has been mother of the following children: William, who died at the age of three years; John, who died at the age of one year; Louisa, wife of Stanton White, lives in Hendrysburg; James A. resides in Wheeling; Clement L. resides in Oklahoma Territory; Albert G., who resides in Bridgeport, Ohio; Everett, who lives in Hendrysburg; and Lena L., wife of our subject.

Dr. Whitsett is a member of Kirkwood Lodge, No. 446, F. &  A. M. [Free and Accepted Masons]

Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens
Edited and compiled by Hon. A. T. Mckelvey 1801 - 1901

The Whitsett name is of Scottish origin. Detailed information about the name can be found here.

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Background of Our Branch of the Jones Family
Belmont County was one of the first counties settled in Ohio, was established in 1801 - two years before Ohio became a state - and was the site of many desperate Indian battles.

One of the townships in Belmont County is Kirkwood, and a publication called "History of Kirkwood Township" records the fact that Rev. John McPherson and Lewis Jones each settled in the township in 1816. Reading that history is interesting; it provides insight into the circumstances - and some events - that our ancestors would have experienced during those pioneer days.

Another publication called “History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties” reports that Lewis Jones married John Wesley McPherson's daughter, Rebecca McPherson, in 1817. This has been confirmed as having occurred on 8 October 1817.

According to DeRand's archive, Lewis’ history is a mystery, for he apparently never discussed it, and the family suspected that Jones may not have been his real name. In a report he wrote, DeRand said, “…He never spoke of the past nor explained himself. All that is known is that neighbors saw him swim ashore on the Ohio River across from Virginia (later called West Virginia) near Wheeling. Speculation was that he either swam across the river, or his boat sank, or maybe he fell off or was thrown off a boat. No one was sure that Jones was his real name.

His [Lewis’] great granddaughter Mary Jones Anderson said that in family conversations when she was a child the family seemed sure he came from Pittsburg and was one of two Zane brothers who left the Fort [Fort Pitt] when it was attacked by Indians.”

Regarding Lewis’ origins, “History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties”, reports that Lewis was born in Loudon, County, Virgina. The reality is that we may never know for sure about his background.

DeRand continued,”Lewis Jones became a farmer in Belmont County in southern Ohio and married Rebekah MacPherson (sic) Jones about 1830.” However, several sources report the marriage as taking place in 1817. Also, the correct spelling of her name is Rebecca McPherson rather than the spelling used above by DeRand.

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Following is a simplified descendancy chart from Lewis to my generation:

Lewis Jones (1791-1871)
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Dr. William M Jones (1831-1892) - Rosa's father
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Fleetwood Churchill Jones (1857-1937) - Rosa's brother 
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Rev. Carleton D Jones (1895-1967)
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Fleeta Claire, Paul Wesley, DeRand and Virginia Lee (Ginger) Jones
(Claire, Paul and Ginger were/are the parents of my generation.)

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Please refer to the disclaimer on the index page of this blog for a statement regarding the accuracy of - and documentation for - the information presented in this blog.

Last revised 8/27/2010

Origin and History of the Surname Perkins

Mollie (Mary Elizabeth) Anderson Cash, wife of W.G. Cash, was my generation's GG grandmother. Her sister, Nannie Anderson Perkins, was the aunt of Leona Cash, our great grandmother.

Nannie married Samuel W. Perkins. His grandfather, Samuel Perkins [1788-1861], married Elizabeth Hart Perkins (they are my generation's maternal GGGGG grandparents), which is our connection to this family.

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Here's some info about the origin and history of the Perkins name.

"Recorded in the spellings of Parkins, Perkins, and the rare Purkins, this ancient surname is medieval English, but of Old French and ultimately Greek origins. It is a patronymic from the personal name 'Piers or Pierre' through the later Peter or Peterkin.

Introduced into Britain at the Norman Invasion of 1066, and also by the Crusaders of the 12th century on their return from the Holy Land, it consists of the basic 'Per or Par' with the two additive diminutives, 'kin', indicating close relationship, such as son, or nephew, and the plural 's', a shortened form of 'son'.

In its full length it is often recorded as 'Parkinson' and less so as 'Perkinson'. There is an occasional secondary origin from the French 'parc'. As such this was an occupational surname for a keeper of royal hunting grounds, known as 'The Parks'.

Early examples of the recordings include Robert Parkyn of Stafford in the County Rolls of 1327, and John Perkyn of Somerset, in the Hundred Rolls of 1380. Later recordings included John Perkins who married Penelope Vaughan at the famous church of St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, London, England, on March 24th 1599, and Sir William Perkins (also spelt Parkyns) who was executed on Tower Hill in 1696, for planning to assassinate King William III of Orange and England. The first of the name into America was James Perkyns, aged 42, who sailed from London to the colony of Virginea on January 2nd 1634 in the ship 'Bonaventure'.

Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling."

Source
Last updated 8/20/2010

Our Perkins/Anderson/Cash Connection

Say hello to the Perkins family, whose photos are part of my generation's uncle DeRand's family history archive.

Who are the Perkins
- and why should we care? Their story is below, but first I'll talk about some photos.
(Click photos to enlarge 'em.)

▲ The note on the back of this first picture is labeled, simply, "Perkins family". Based upon the photo below, which is labeled, "Aunt Nannie Perkins", the woman in front appears to be Nannie Anderson Perkins. If that's correct, the bearded gentleman next to her is her husband, Samuel W. Perkins. Their children's names were Emsley O., Isa Edith, Jonathan F. and Margaret R. Perkins. More about them is included in the story below.

Since Samuel was born in 1849 and appears to be 55-60 years old here, this family photo appears to be circa 1899-1904. 

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In the photo below, Nannie looks younger than she does above, so it appears to be circa 1885.

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◄ This photo is labeled "Samuel and Nancy (as opposed to Nannie) Perkins birthday party". I've inserted an arrow to point out where Samuel is standing. Nannie appears to be standing to his right - and slightly behind him. (Click to enlarge it.)

He looks to be about the same age here as he does in the family photo above. If that's correct, this birthday photo would also be circa 1899-1904.

Here's a simplified descendancy chart showing how the Perkins family fits into our family tree.

Samuel Perkins married Elizabeth Hart;
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Their daughter, Margaret Perkins, married Rev. James Anderson. Her brother Jonathan is discussed below;
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Their son, Dennis Parrot Anderson, married Margaret Skinner Bonar;
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Their daughter, Mary Elizabeth "Mollie" Anderson, married W.G. Cash;
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Their daughter, Leona Cash, married Fleetwood Churchill Jones;
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Their son, Carleton Duane Jones, married Nelle Virginia Field;
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Fleeta Claire, Paul Wesley and Virginia Lee Jones were the parents of my generation. Their brother DeRand Jones had no children.

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Following is some detail that explains our connection to the stories below.Mollie (Mary Elizabeth) Anderson Cash, wife of W.G. Cash, was my generation's GG grandmother. Her sister, Nannie Anderson Perkins, was the aunt of Leona Cash, our great grandmother.

Nannie married Samuel W. Perkins. Here's a bit of his heritage.Samuel Perkins [1788-1861], married Elizabeth Hart Perkins. Click here to see a transcription of an 1843 document where Samuel purchased acreage in Kirkwood Township in Belmont County, Ohio.
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One of their sons, Rev. Jonathan Perkins [1820-1887] married Rebecca Majors (1825-1902)
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One of their sons, Samuel W. Perkins [1849-1912], married Nannie A. Anderson.
“My Family Tree” software tells me Samuel W. is my generation’s 1st cousin 5 times removed. His father, Jonathan, was our GGGG grand uncle; Samuel W.'s grandfather, Samuel, is our GGGGG grandfather. In a publication created as part of Belmont County, Ohio’s, centennial celebration in 1903 are biographical sketches of some of the county’s early citizens. There I found the following info about the Perkins branch of our maternal ancestral family.

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"Samuel W. Perkins, a farmer and stock raiser residing in section 17, Kirkwood township, Belmont County, was born in this township July 14, 1849. He is a son of Rev. Jonathan and Rebecca (Majors) Perkins, and a grandson of Samuel Perkins, after whom he was named. The last named was soldier in the War of 1812, and his widow received a pension for nearly 15 years.

[Samuel W.'s father] Rev. Jonathan Perkins was born June 15, 1820, where the house of our subject now stands, and was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. He traveled the Moorefield circuit and was senior minister of the circuit. He later had a local charge and was a man of great popularity, enjoying the distinction of having united in marriage and buried more people than any other minister in the county.
 
He [Jonathan Perkins] served as justice of the peace some 12 or 15 years, and his efforts were successful in amicably settling the differences of his neighbors without the intervention of the courts. During the Civil War he was captain of a military company which he took out to oppose the Morgan raid. He was a strong abolitionist and believed in a vigorous prosecution of the war. [Morgan's Raid was a highly publicized incursion by Confederate cavalry into Indiana and Ohio during the Civil War.]

At one time he owned nearly a section of land and was a very successful farmer. In 1872 he had a large quantity of wool destroyed in the great Boston fire, but his loss was comparatively slight, owning to the property being insured. [See the bottom of this page for info about "section of land".]

His death, which occurred Aug. 28, 1887, was widely deplored, as he had lived a very useful life and came from one of the early families of the county. He joined the church at the age of 17 years and ever after was a consistent Christian. He served as a class leader in the church at Salem, and during a period of 15 years never missed a class meeting.

He was united in marriage Feb. 8, 1846, to Rebecca Majors, who was born in section 18, Kirkwood township, Sept. 9, 1825, and died Aug. 25, 1902. She was a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for many years was quite active in church work. She was a great home woman until the death of her husband, when home lost its charms, and she thereafter spent her declining years at the homes of her children, whose chief joy was ministering to her wants.

Eight children blessed the union of Rev. and Mrs. Perkins, five of whom survive, namely: Sarah E., wife of George E. Smith; Samuel W.; Margaret R., wife of J. W. Anderson, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church of Wichita, Kansas; Josephine O., wife of Albert S. Reynolds, a justice of the peace of Kirkwood township, and N. S. G., who resides where his father lived.

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Samuel W. Perkins was educated in the common schools and later at Hopedale, after which he took to agricultural pursuits. He has 210 acres of well improved land, and all is underlaid with coal. He raises some stock that he sells, and winters about 35 head. He is one of the substantial men of his township, of which he is now serving his second term as trustee.

March 29, 1876, Mr. [Samuel W.] Perkins was united in marriage with Nannie A. Anderson, a native of this county, and a daughter of D. P. [Dennis Parrot] and Margaret Anderson, the former of whom died in 1890, and the latter April 18, 1902, at the age of 86 years.

Mr. [Dennis Parrot] Anderson and wife had the following children: Rev. J. W.; Mary, wife of Rev. W. G. Cash, superintendent of schools at Morristown for a time; Nannie A., and Ella M., wife of G. W. Warrick, who resides on the old Anderson homestead in this county.

Our subject [Samuel W.] and his wife have four children, as follows: Emsley O., a member of the class of 1904 at Athens College; Isa Edith, who married F. J. Hamilton, a manufacturer of cigars at Hendrysburg, O., and has daughter, Carrie L.; Jonathan F., who lives at home on the farm, and Margaret R., who is attending school.

Our subject and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been trustee and steward. He has frequently served as superintendent of Sunday-schools and has been a leader for about 10 years. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is a Republican."

Source, with gratitude to Sharon Wick for her efforts in transcribing the biographies found in the book!

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The sentence in the centennial article above about Jonathan Perkins forming a military company in response to Morgan's Raid intrigued me, for I knew nothing about the raid. In researching it I learned that Morgan's Raid in the summer of 1863 spread terror among the populace of Ohio.

Confederate general John Hunt Morgan started out with almost 2500 men and went north from Tennessee through Kentucky, then eastward through southern Indiana into Ohio. The red line in the map below shows the route they followed. As you can see, they went eastward across southern Ohio before heading northward when they reached the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio.

Source

The map below shows where Belmont County is is relation to the rest of Ohio. As you can see, it's in southeastern Ohio, bordering the Ohio River, and was in the general direction in which Morgan was headed as he crossed southern Ohio. Because Morgan's marauders were getting their food, fresh horses and other provisions by raiding civilians as they proceded, they represented more than a theoretical threat to the populace.

As news of the Confederate Cavalry's advance across the Ohio River reached the Statehouse, Ohio's governor issued a proclamation calling out the Ohio militia to protect the southern counties from Morgan's Raiders.

The raiders passed within a stone's throw of Belmont County - and therefore our ancestral family - which probably explains why Jonathan did what he did in gathering a company of volunteers to defend themselves.
Source

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Moses Perkins is another of Samuel's sons (and Jonathan Perkins' brother). Moses also had a biographical sketch in the centennial book. “My Family Tree” software says Moses is my generation’s GGGG grand uncle and his father, Samuel, is our GGGGG grandfather.

Here’s what the author said about Moses and his family in 1903.

"Moses Perkins, a prominent farmer, stock raiser and dealer, residing in section 11*, Kirkwood township, Belmont County, was born on the farm now owned by his nephew, Samuel W. Perkins, December 6, 1829. [Moses] is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Hart) Perkins.

His parents were both natives of Maryland. His father, Samuel, came to Kirkwood township as early as 1802, when the forest had scarcely been touched by the hand of man. He built a shed in which to live until the completion of his house, and the 160 acres which comprised his home farm have since been in possession of the Perkins family. He held no offices and was a good farmer, giving that work his entire attention.

He [Samuel] served as a private during the War of 1812, and made an honorable record as a soldier. He died at the age of 73 years, and was survived six years by his wife, who died at the age of 80 years.

He and his wife were both faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. To their union were born the following children: Nelson, who farmed in this county until his death at the age of 60 years; Rebecca, the wife of Reuben Mitcalf, died at the age of 75 years; Maria, who died at the age of 20 years; Cassander, [or probably Cassandra] who died at the age of 25 years ; Jonathan, a record of whose life appears in the biography of Samuel W. Perkins; William, a farmer of this county, who died at the age of 60 years; Delilah, who died at the age of 27, was the wife of Fielder Perkins; Letha, who died at the age of 16 years; and Moses, the only surviving member of the family. Four of the girls died of scarlet fever within four months.

Moses Perkins was educated in the common schools of his community, and as a boy assisted in the work upon the farm. He has disposed of 60 acres of the original tract held by him, but retains some l00 acres, which are planted to wheat and corn for the most part. The land is well improved and is underlaid with coal which has never been leased or sold. He is one of the reliable citizens of his township, and wherever known is held in the highest esteem.

Mr. Perkins was joined in marriage November 11, 1853, with Rebecca J. Murphy, a native of this county and a daughter of L. D. and Elizabeth Murphy, the father a native of Ohio and the mother, of Maryland. She is one of nine children, the others being: Delilah, who resides in Wisconsin, is widow of George Weeden, who was killed as a soldier in the Union Army; Brice M., a farmer, living in Wisconsin; Sarah J., wife of David Majors, of Kirkwood township ; A. C., deceased ; Asbury, a farmer of Kirkwood township ; Hamilton, a farmer of Kirkwood township; James A., deceased; and L. D., deceased, who was a farmer in Belmont County and later in Wisconsin.

Mr. and Mrs. Perkins have three children : Elizabeth, wife of Wilson McWilliams, a farmer of the county, has four children living, - Weldie, Campsie, Frederick, and Eva B.; Mary F., wife of O. B. Groves, a contract plasterer of Barnesville, has six children, - Forest and Belle, deceased, Gertrude, Everett, Moses and Willard; and Rosa I., who married Colbert Sheppard, and both are deceased, leaving one child, Mary Ethel, who married Oliver M. Smith, September 6, 1902.

Mrs. Perkins is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Source: Centennial History of Belmont County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens
Edited and compiled by Hon. A. T. Mckelvey 1801 – 1901
Published by Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1903

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*In U.S. land surveying, a "section" is an area nominally one mile square, containing 640 acres. Nominally, 36 sections make up a survey township on a rectangular grid. As the townships are based on meridians (of longitude) which converge towards the north pole, some sections which vary slightly in size are necessary to compensate. These unusually sized sections generally occur at the northern or western-most edges of townships.

The legal description of a tract of land in the parts of the United States that use this system includes the name of the state, name of the county, township number, range number, section number, and portion of a section. Sections are customarily surveyed in halves and quarters, and further subdivision in halves and quarters is common. A quarter quarter section is 40 acres, and is the smallest unit of agricultural land commonly surveyed. The phrases "front 40" and "back 40," referring to fields of crops on a farm, refer to quarter quarter sections.

Source

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Please refer to the disclaimer on the index page of this blog for a statement regarding the accuracy of - and documentation for - the information presented in this blog.

Last revised 8/23/2010

Origin and History of the Surname Anderson

Our Anderson Connection

Nancy Perkins Anderson, born about 1792, married the Rev. James Anderson, who was born about 1789, according to the genealogy info assembled by our uncle DeRand. Their son, Dennis Parrot (or Parrott) Anderson (1819-1890), married Margaret Skinner Bonar Anderson (1818-1902). Their daughter, "Mollie" (Mary Elizabeth) Anderson Cash (1852-1927), married William Galen Cash (1847-1916), who was my generation's GG grandfather.

Here's information about the history and origin of the surname Anderson.

"This interesting surname is of English and Scottish origin, and is a patronymic of the surname Andrew, which is derived from the personal name from the Greek 'Andreas', a derivative of 'andreios', manly, from 'aner', man, male. This was the name of the first of Jesus Christ's disciples, and it is also the name of the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia.

The personal name was first recorded as 'Andreas' in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the surname was first recorded in Scotland with one John Andree, who was present at the perambulation of the boundaries of Kyrknes and Louchor in 1395. The modern surname can be found as Andrew(e)s, Andress, Andriss, Anderson, Enderson, McAndrew and Kendrew.

One William Anderson was an early settler in America, setting sail from London on the 'Alexander' bound for the Barbadoes in May 1635. Among the recordings in London is the christening of Neal, son of Erasmus and Mary Anderson, on March 19th 1698, at St. Katherine by the Tower.

The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Rogerus Andreweson, which was dated 1272, in the 'Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire', during the reign of King Edward 111, known as 'The Father of the Navy', 1327 - 1377.

Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to 'develop' often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling." Source

Last revised 8/18/2010

Our Anderson/Bonar/Cash Family Connection

Dennis Parrot (or Parrott) Anderson and Margaret Skinner Bonar Anderson, seen here, were the parents of Mollie (Mary Elizabeth) Anderson Cash, who married William Galen Cash.

The photo is not dated, but if you guess they are about age 60, that would mean this photo would be circa 1878. If you guess them to be about age 70, the photo would be circa 1888.

Either way, it is - so far - the oldest family photo to which I've been able to attach names in the collection that my generation’s uncle DeRand Jones passed on to us. It appears to be in the range of 120 to 130 years old.
(Click photos to enlarge 'em.)

◄ In this portrait of Dennis he appears to be about the same age as the one above, so I'm guessing it's also circa 1878-1888.

The note on the back says, "Grandpa Anderson" and includes his name.

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Following are transcriptions of an obituary and memoriam for him; they'd have been published in January, 1890.

DENNIS P. ANDERSON

Dennis P. Anderson was born in Culpepper county, Va., July 16, 1819. He came with his parents to Ohio when about thirteen years of age. In his sixteenth year he was converted and joined the church at Sewellsville, and continued a devoted member of the same until his death, which occurred Jan. 6, 1890.

In April, 1849, he was married to Margaret Bonar, of Marshall County, W. Va. To them four children were born, the Rev. James W., of the Southwest Kansas Conference, Mary, Nannie and Ella, all of whom are worthy members of the church.

Bro. Anderson from early in his Christian life held some official position in the church, and at the time of his death was an efficient class-leader. In his death the church loses a faithful member and devoted official, and his family a kind husband and loving father. In his last moments his faith held strongly to the foundation on which he had builded in life, and his triumph over death was complete.

- S. P. LOYD

A Good Man Gone
Dennis P. Anderson, who died at his home near Sewellesville, January 6, 1890, was born in Culpepper county, Virginia, July 16, 1819. His parents, James and Nancy Anderson, emigrated to Ohio, about the year 1832, and was (sic) among the, pioneers of Methodism in eastern Ohio. They settled on Lickrun Valley in Kirkwood township, and followed the occupation of farming for a number of years.

Brother Dennis enjoyed the advantages of early religious training, and joined the M.E. Church in 1835, in the sixteenth year of his age and remained a consistent and devoted member of the church until the Master said, "it is enough, come up higher."

In April 1849 he was married to Margaret Boner (sic), of Marshall county, W. Va. To them, one son and three daughters were born - James W., Mary, Nannie and Ella, all of whom are grown up and are worthy members of the church. The son, James W., is an acceptable minister of the gospel and has been actively engaged in the itinerant work in eastern and southern Kansas for eleven years.

For many years past Brother Anderson's greatest ambition was to serve God acceptably and to persuade others to become religious. Of his religious life, however, and Christian experience, his pastor can speak more at length in his obituary notice, which will be published in due time.

In his death the church looses (sic) one of her best members, the community a good citizen, and the bereaved ones a kind husband and loving father. The funeral ceremonies took place at Sewellsville on the 9th, conducted by Rev. Smith, of Fairview, assisted by Revs. Cash and Reynolds.

The bereaved widow, and all the relatives have the sympathy of the community, in their deep affliction.“Servant of God well done
Thy glorious warfare's past
The battle fought, the victory won
And thou art crowned at last."

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◄ This photo is labeled on the back, “Old Anderson homestead, under water T.V.A.”










There’s no info provided about the identities of the people, the location, or the date of this picture. However, based upon the other photos where people are identified, it appears that the bearded man in the middle and the woman on his left (our right as we look at the photo) are Dennis and Margaret.

If that’s correct, this photo has to be at least 120 years old, for he died in 1890. And, during this era our maternal ancestral family was centered in Belmont County, Ohio, so that's where this homestead would have been.

The use of the word "homestead' on the photo is interesting, for Ohio had only become a state in 1803, and the settlers actually "homesteaded" the land when it became available. Thus, this may have been a place where our ancestral Anderson family originally built a log cabin, cleared the land, dealt with Indian battles, hunted for their food, and so on. For more about pioneer life in Ohio, click on this site.

The reference to the T.V.A. on the back of this photo appears to be about the Tennessee Valley Authority, which was created in the 1930s. What I’ve learned about this "under water" comment is that in the 1940s, the government acquired acreage in the area for public works projects, and that appears to be the reason this area would have later become under water.


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How the Andersons Fit Into Our Family Tree:

Nancy Perkins Anderson, born about 1792, married the Rev. James Anderson, who was born about 1789, according to the genealogy info assembled by our uncle DeRand;
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Their son, Dennis Parrot Anderson (1819-1890), married Margaret Skinner Bonar Anderson (1818-1902);
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Their daughter, Mary Elizabeth “Mollie” Anderson Cash (1852-1927), married William Galen Cash (1847-1916);
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Their daughter, Leona Cash Jones (1873-1957), married Fleetwood Churchill Jones (1857-1937);
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Their son, Carleton Duane Jones, (1895-1967) married Nelle Virginia Field Jones (1899-1976);
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They were the parents of Fleeta Claire Jones Dunn (b. 1921), Paul Wesley Jones (1922-1990), DeRand Jones (1927-2002) and Virginia Lee “Ginger” Jones Rogers Shawver Field Hemsley Pecaro (1928-1988).
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Claire, Paul and Ginger were/are the parents of my generation. DeRand had no children.

Thus:

Carleton and Nelle were my generation's maternal grandparents;
Leona and Fleet were our great grandparents;
Mollie and William G. Cash were our GG grandparents;
Dennis and Margaret Anderson were our GGG grandparents, and;
Nancy and James Anderson were my generation's GGGG grandparents.


Photos and stories about those named above are in DeRand’s family history archive and are - or will be - covered elsewhere in this blog.


Last revised 8/18/2010

"Civil War" Jonathan Cash - and Cash Family Obituaries

A Word of Thanks...

After posting Cash family info from my generation's uncle DeRand Jones' Family Hiistory archive on this blog, unexpected and delightfully positive results occurred. Not the least of these is that I have been contacted by long-lost Cash cousins. They've provided an amazing array of information, photos, documents and articles that greatly expand our knowledge about this line of our ancestral family, including those you see on this page.

What a blessing that has been! Sincere thanks to those who have contributed!


▲ (Source: This undated photo of "Civil War" Jonathan Cash was provided by Cash cousin Cyndi. He appears to be about 60 years old here. If that's correct, since he was born in 1838 this photo is circa 1898.) 

▲ (Source: Cash cousin Kathy Shea's family tree on Ancestry.com.)

The photo above is the family of Jonathan Cash (1838-1908), wife Lydia and their four sons. Because he served in the Civil War, I'm calling him "Civil War" Jonathan to distinguish him from the several other Jonathans in our ancestral Cash family.

This is Jonathan's second family; the youngest boy in the photo, presumably Jesse - on Jonathan's lap - appears to be about three years old. If that's correct, because Jesse was born in 1844 this photo is circa 1847. See below for more about this family.

Before I get to the articles below, I'll take a step back and look at some descendancy - starting with "Civil War" Jonathan's father, who was my generation's maternal GGG grandfather.


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Name: Jonathan Cash ("1801 Jonathan")

Birth: 02 October 1801 in Maryland

Death: 29 March 1874 in Belmont County, Ohio

Burial: Belmont Ridge Cemetery, Belmont County, Ohio

Occupation: Farmer

Residence: 1803 Ohio

Residence: 1840-1874 Flushing Township, Belmont County, Ohio

Marriage: Mary Stotlar (1801-1854)

Married: 10 September 1822

Children:

Hezekiah Cash (1822-1881)

Henry T. Cash  (1826-1907)

Isaiah Cash (1835-1835) - died as an infant

Jonathan Cash (1838-1908) - "Civil War" Jonathan above

Rezin Cash (1842-1844) - died as a child

William Galen Cash (1847-1916) - my generation's maternal GG grandfather

As you can see from the above, "1801 Jonathan" and wife, Mary, had four children who survived into adulthood. After Mary's death, this Jonathan married Elizabeth Haines (1811-1879) in 1855. No record of their having children has been found.
(Source: Cash cousin Kathy Shea's family tree on Ancestry.com)

The cousin calculator tells me that "Civil War" Jonathan is my generation's GG grand uncle, which makes sense, since he's the brother of our GG grandfather.

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Below are obituaries and a memoriam for three of the brothers above, plus Lenora "Lena" Cash Hawkins, Jonathan's daughter.

(Click, possibly twice, to make them readable.)

▲ This obituary for "Civil War" Jonathan was provided by Cash cousin Cyndi, the great granddaughter of Etta Cash Jester (see below). It's circa August 1908.
(Cyndi provided two copies, and I've included both here because there are some words that are
clearer in one version than the other.)

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The obituary refers to his service during the Civil War; here's some detail.

Name: Jonathan Cash
Enlistment date: 18 February 1865
Side served: Union
State served: Ohio
Service record: Enlisted as a Private on 18 February 1865 at the age of 26.
Mustered out: 26 September 1865 at Lexington, KY.
(Source: Ancesty.com record of his enlistment)


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Ohio 185th Infantry
Quote: "The regiment lost a total of 35 enlisted men during service, all due to disease."


Col., John E. Cummins; Lieut. Col., Dennis E. Williams; Maj., Horatio N. Benjamin.

This regiment was organized at Camp Chase, Feb. 25, 1865, to serve for one year. It left there on Feb. 27, under orders to report to Gen. Thomas at Nashville, but was detained at Louisville by Gen. Palmer, who applied to Gen. Thomas and obtained permission to retain the regiment in Kentucky. Regimental headquarters were established at Eminence and the companies were scattered through the state from Owensboro to Cumberland gap, the latter place being guarded for several months by four companies of the regiment. Mt. Sterling was guarded by two companies together with a detachment of the 53d Ky., all under the command of Maj. Benjamin. Shelbyville, Lagrange, Greensburg and several other towns were garrisoned at times by companies of the regiment. On Sept. 26 it was mustered out at Lexington, in accordance with orders from the war department.
(Source: Ancesty.com record of his regiment's history)


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Here's part of "Civil War" Jonathan's descendancy:

Name: Jonathan Cash
Born: 15 November 1838
Died: 24 August 1908


1st Marriage: Keziah A. Romans (1842-1877)
Married: 10 December 1860 in Belmont County, Ohio


Children:
Julia Ann Cash (1862-1865) - died as a child
Mary Addie Cash (About 1865-1897)
Etta Cash (1866-1944)
Lewis Ross Cash (1870-1896)
Elizabeth Cash (1872-1933)
Lenora K. Cash (1875-1919) - twin of Benson
Benson J. Cash (1875-1938) - twin of Lenora


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2nd Marriage: Lydia Mariah Van Fossen (1856 - 1931)
Married: 25 December 1877 in Belmont County, Ohio


Children:Wilford Thoburn Cash (1878-1941)
Albert Wherry Cash (1880-1961)
George Wesley Cash (1881-1960)
Jesse Victor Cash (1884-1958)
Pansy Rosanna Cash (1894-?)
(Source: Cash cousin Kathy Shea's family tree on Ancestry.com)


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▼ This memoriam and what appears to be a separate obituary were provided by Cash cousin Cyndi and are circa July, 1907.

Two items of interest in them are the reference to Samuel Perkins being one of Henry's pallbearers and the handwritten note about the 200 acre farm he reportedly inherited from his father's "grant land". Samuel Perkins is another member of our extended ancestral family, and his story will be covered later in this blog. The story of the "grant land" is interesting, and will also be covered later.

To get this double-page image  below to work without being cut off required me to use a smaller image than the other pages of Henry's items. Click on it to make it readable.

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▼ This obituary for W. G. Cash was provided by Cash cousin Cyndi and is circa September, 1916. Because his descendancy is covered in detail here in this blog, I will not duplicate it on this page. It is from this brother that I and my branch of this family descend.

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▼ Also provided by Cash cousin Cyndi, this obituary for Lena (Lenora) Cash Hawkins is circa December 1919.

                                              






































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Please refer to the disclaimer on the index page of this blog for a statement regarding the accuracy of - and documentation for - the information presented in this blog.

Last revised 8/12/2010