52 Ancestors (2020) – Week 6: Same Name – Sorting the two Ellis Lancasters of Kentucky

This is my third year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.


There were two Ellis Lancaster men who married in 1831 in Kentucky, one in Shelby County and the other in Fayette County. Both were born about 1808. Which one was my 4x-great-grandfather?

Here is what I know about my Ellis Lancaster. Ellis died about Sept 1866.[1] He stated he was born in Virginia, according to the 1850 census.[2] The family later moved to Kaufman County, Texas, where they were in 1860.[3]

His household was made up of these people  in 1860 in Kaufman County, Texas: [4]
Lancaster, E.W., 50, born in VA, a farmer, land worth $3000, personal property $830. 
      Elizabeth S., 58, female, white, b. KY
      Wm T, 22, male, white, farming, personal value 500, b. MO
      Geo W, 21, male, white, farming, personal value 500, b. MO
      Linace, 18, female, b. MO
      Catharine, 14, female, b. MO
      Martha J, 12, female, b. MO
      Hannah, 10, female, b. MO
Olds, Ben, 19 male, Mas Carpenter, personal value 750, b. MO
Boystone, R, 25, male, Mas Carpenter, b. KY
Neil, Wm, 17, male, farm laborer, personal value 4000, b. TN

In 1850, he lived in Lewis County, Missouri.[5] His family make up was:
Lancaster, Ellis W., 42 yrs, male, born in Virginia, land worth $2560.
    Elizabeth, 39, female, b. KY
    Sarah A, 17, female, b. MO
    James R, 15, male, b. MO
    Wm T, 13, male, b. MO
    George, 11, male, b. MO
    Lewis A, 7, female, b. MO
    Catharine, 3, female, b. MO
    Martha J. , 8/12, female, b. MO
He lived near Josiah R. Lancaster.

In 1840, he lived in Lewis County also. His household was made up of:[6]
3 males under 5 (James, William & George)
1 male under 40 (Ellis)
1 female under 10 (Sarah)
1 female under 30 (Elizabeth S).

Ellis’ wife was Elizabeth S. In searching marriages for Ellis W. Lancaster in Kentucky, thinking they married where she was from, two Ellis Lancasters were found in marriage indexes. I then searched the respective marriage records for each of the counties.

Ellis W. Lancaster to Elizabeth S. Neel, daughter of James, 10 Jun 1831, Shelby Co, Kentucky.[7]
Ellis Lancaster to Miss Susannah Perkins, 4 May 1831, Fayette Co., KY.[8]

Ellis didn’t seem like a common name, yet there were two men, about the same age, both marrying in 1831. Though Elizabeth and Susannah were not the same name, Elizabeth had a middle initial of S, which could be Susannah. The dates being so close to each other in 1831but in different counties, they have to be separate men. More information was needed.

In searching for Ellis Lancaster of Fayette Co, he was found in Jessamine County in 1840:[9]
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5:     1 (William)
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9:     1 (Henry)
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:  1 (Ellis)
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:  1 (Elizabeth)
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:  1 (Susan)

Moving forward in time to 1850, he was found in Owen County, Kentucky, with Susan. Ellis and family were all born in Kentucky.[10]
Ellis Lancaster              40
Susan Lancaster          38
Henry Lancaster          16
Elizabeth Lancaster    14
William Lancaster       12
Walter Lancaster         10
Mallory Lancaster       8
Ellis Lancaster              6
John Lancaster            4

They were still in Owen County, Kentucky in 1860.[11] In 1870, his apparent wife was named Elizabeth.[12] Had Susan died? 

Conclusion
Two men of the same name, Ellis Lancaster, married in the same year, 1831, but one Ellis stayed in Kentucky with wife Susan, and the other moved to Missouri and then on to Texas. The Texas Lancaster was born in Virginia and his wife was Elizabeth S. This Ellis was my 4x-great-grandfather.

Ellis Lancaster (1808?-1866) & Elizabeth S. Neel
----George W. Lancaster (1839-1919) & Martha J Polly
---------William Carl Lancaster (1873-1946) & Martha J Coor
-------------George Warren Lancaster (1893-1964) & Lela Ann Loveless
----------------Pansy Louise Lancaster & Tom J Johnston Jr.

Pansy was my grandmother.

[1] Issuance of Bond to E.S. Lancaster, Kaufman Co, Texas Probate Records, 1858-1870, p. 341, Bond and Affidavit, estate of E.W. Lancaster, 1866.
[2] 1850 U.S. census, Lewis Co, Missouri, pop. sched, p. 707 (355 stamped), dwelling 355, family 415, Ellis W. Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 20 Jan 2011), citing NARA M432, roll 404.
[3] 1860 U.S. census, Kaufman Co, Texas, pop. sched., p. 41, dwelling 338, family 340, E. W. Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 20 Jan 2011), citing NARA M653, roll 1299.
[4] 1860 U.S. census, Kaufman Co, Texas, E. W. Lancaster.
[5] 1850 U.S. census, Lewis Co, Missouri, Ellis W. Lancaster.
[6] 1840 U.S. census, Lewis Co, Missouri, pop. sched., p. 186, Ellis Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 Jan 2011), citing NARA M704, roll 225.
[7] Shelby County, Kentucky, "Marriage Bonds 1831-1835," image 230 & 231, Ellis W. Lancaster to Elizabeth S Neel, “Marriage Records, 1797-1954,” database & digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org); citing FHL film 259286.
[8] Fayette County, Kentucky, “Bonds 1830-1836,” image 245 & 246, Ellis Lancaster to Susan Ann Perkins, “Marriage Records, 1797-1954,” database & digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org); citing FHL film 9003.
[9] 1840 U.S. census, Jessamine Co, Kentucky, p. 235, Ellis Lancaster, digital image Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Feb 2020), citing NARA M704, roll 116.
[10] 1850 U.S. census, Owen Co, Kentucky, District No. 2, p. 221 (stamped), family 795, Ellis Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Feb 2020), citing NARA M432, roll 216.
[11] 1860 U.S. census, Owen Co, Kentucky, District 1, p. 50, family 322, Ellis Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Feb 2020), citing NARA M653, roll 391.
[12] 1870 U.S. census, Owen Co, Kentucky, Owenton, p. 287b, family 25, Ellis Lancaster, digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Feb 2020), citing NARA M593, roll 493.

Copyright © 2020 by Lisa S. Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family, All rights reserved.

Comments

  1. virginiaallainFebruary 7, 2020 at 5:49 PM

    Quite tricky but documenting them like this will help future generations.

    ReplyDelete

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