Family of James and Nancy Marr Dewhirst

[1] Family oral history claims James was a gentleman farmer who" raised flocks of sheep which were herded for pasturage along the coast of Lincolnshire." Nancy Marr was b. 1742 aand was called "Nannie" in James' Will.

[2] *George and Alice began married life in Epworth, Lincolnshire where their first five children were born. George was Secretary to the Admiral in the Napoleonic Wars where he was shipwrecked and captured by the French. He went to the west Indies where he loaded a ship with spices hoping to make a huge profit in England, but his ship sunk. The family immigrated to New York in 1823, taking a stagecoach to Ohio, where the famioy lived in a log house. lthough crops were good, home was too far from market, so the famioy moved north of Detroit, finally settling in Maidstone, Ontario, Canada by or before 1834. Six more children were born to them in the new world. Alice was b. 1792 in Lincolnshire, England and d. Maidstone, Essex County, Ontario, Canada. Children of this couple are: George, John, Charles, Mary Ann, Alice, Jonathan (b. 1823, in Ohio then settled in St. Clair, Minnesota), Elizabeth (b. March 1824), Alfred (m. Francis Jane Bailey, b. 1837, Ruthven, Essex Co, Ontario, Canada; one known child: Alfred Carlton Dewhirst, b. 1878), Maria, Amy, and Selina (b. 1834). *Information based on excerpts from a family history written by Floyd Dewhirst abt. 1988, with some further information supplied bt Lois Croft in 1991.

Family of James and Elizabeth Chessman Dewhirst

[1] *James became a Miller in Spaulding, southern Lincolnshire, where he probably accumulated the funds that were used to take the family to America. He left Lincolnshire for Haxby, Yorkshire for a short time then took the family "across the pond" when circumstances of the Napoleonic Wars made staying in Englnad impossible for many in the middle class. Meanwhile, in the USA, the War of 1812 had just ended and returning soldiers told of plentiful, cheap land and unlimited room for westward expansion. James and Elizabeth crossed the Atlantic with their 7 children landing in New York in 1817. Elizabeth Chessman Dewhirst was born bet. 1772-1778 in Lincolnshire, England, and died 1818 in Cincinnati, Ohio. *Excerpts from a family history written by Floyd Dewhirst.

[2] Despire rumors that David had "drowned while tending sheep along the coast of Lincolnshire," it was later proved David had instead eloped to Canada with a girl of whom the family did not approve.

[3] Solomon Dewhirst moved near Dubuque, Iowa to a town he helped found, named Epworth, after the place in Lincolnshire his family had attended church. He appears in the 1856 Iowa State Census as 50 years old with wife Mary (b. abt. 1812, Kentucky) and the following children all born in Illinois: John, b. abt. 1831, R.C., b. abt. 1841, Susan, b. abt. 1843, and Jane, B. abt. 1845. By the 1860 census children born in Iowa were: Ann abt. 1849 and George W. abt. 1853.

[4] Rachel Dewhirst married three times; the first and third husband were the same man. Jacob Gibson, son of Nicholas and Lydia Sinks Gibson was born 01 Oct 1796 in Braxton County Courthouse, West Virginia, and died in Clay County, Illinois. Rachel was Jacob Gibson's fourth wife and had no children with him. Children of Rachel and ?? Nichols included 5 boys and 2 girls

Family of James and Sarah Michaels Dewhirst

[1] James Dewhirst lived in Township 4 Range 8, Clay, Illinois in 1850 & 1860.

[2] Sarah Michaels was the daughter of James Michaels and Sarah Getchell; born 02 Sep 1807 in Kennebec River, Kennegec Massachusetts, USA and died 22 Nov 1880 in Clay, Illinois, USA.

[3] Thursey ? was b. abt. 1840 in Illinois. Children of this couple are: Levy b. abt. 1855 and Fanny b. abt. Feb 1860.

[4] Nancy C (Burres? An Elizabeth Burres, widow is in the household in 1870, perhaos the mother of Nancy?) was b. abt 1841 in Virginia. Children of this couple are James ADewhirst b. abt 1859 and Elizabeth b. abt. 1861; both b. Illinois

[5] click on Thomas' name to follow his line

[6] click on Solomon's name to follow his line

Family of David and Elizabeth Byrne Dewhirst

[1] David died in a typhoid epidemic which also killed his father and 2 or 3 of his brothers. Elizabeth Byrne was the daughter of Samuel Byrne and Elizabeth Lough; born 01 Aug 1834 in Virginia, and died 1880. She was known as "Little Grandma" and is said to have d. abt 1917 in Clay County, Illinois.

Family of William Peyton and Sarah Jane Gibson Dewhirst

[1] William Peyton Dewhirst entered the military in 1917, according to a World War I Registration Card, Hancock, Illinois

[2] Sarah Jane Gibson Dewhirst was the daughter of Jacob Gibson and Rachel Sherwood, born 03 Sep 1850 in Clay County, Illinois, died 22 Mar 1925 in Xenia, Illinois. Sarah wrote the story of her grandfather Nicholas' capture by the Indians, occurring when she was about 8 years old, and written in or near the year 1892, using the pen name Maude Estell. Helen Webb sheds doubt on Sarah's memories or glorification considering she was about 42 writing this, or the fact her grandfather told it when he was 98. Helen also wrote that there were several stories of Indian attacks that were confused in other publications. Nicholas Gibson was the grandfather captured by Indians at age 10 in our story. A copy of the letter to the editor recorded it in a book in the state library (See Nicholas Gibson's notes) gives the date of the massacre as 1795. In that year, Nicholas would have been a grown man, and Helen Webb noted that the article was mixed up and probably confused two different stories of attacks.

[3] Zed C. Tarrant was the son of Monroe and Mary ? Tarrant; born 04 Nov 1864 in Effingham, Illinois, and died 24 Oct 1946 - buried Oak Hill Cemetery. Their children were: Melvin Tarrant (m. Amanda Bode); Zeddie Tarrant; Orville Tarrant; Mary Tarrant (m. ? McClughan); Belle Tarrant (m. ? Olive); Irene Tarrant (m. ? Grieve); Vivian Tarrant (m. ? Hunsley); Cella Tarrant (m. ? Stanfield); Olive Blanche Tarrant (m. Samuel James Wills, 01 Jul 1928, Decatur, Macon County, Illinois).

[4] Andrew Jackson Boston was the son of Benjamin and Margaret Bouseman Boston; born 1879, and died 1967. Child of Gertrude and Andrew was Ray D. Boston, b. 17 Oct 1903; d. 22 Jun 2002.

[5] Albert William Bauseman was born 01 Jan 1881 in Hancock County, Illinois, and died 15 Apr 1945 in Fountain Green Twp, Hancock County, Illinois. He was a Physician. In 1920, they lived in Fountain Green, Hancock, Illinois. Their children were: Iris Bauseman, 1906, Illinois; Glen Bauseman, b. 1908, Illinois;
and Alberta Bauseman, b. 1911, Illinois.

[6] Burley Andrew Boston, the son of David Looney Boston and Nancy Ellen Bell was born 31 Jul 1880 in Pawnee Illinois, and died 03 Sep 1956 in Glenarm, Sangamon, Illinois Horse Creek Cemetery. Other children of David and Nancy were: George E. Boston b. 4 Novembert 1866, Girard, Macoupin, Illinois, d. 2 Septermber 1867; Clara Mae Boston b. 10 April 1872, Girard, Macoupin, Illinois, d. 15 October 1918, Evergreen Cemetery, El Paso, Texas; Nona B. Boston b. 25 February 1873, Girard, Macoupin County, Illinois, d. 13 February 1953, Morrisonville, Illinois; and Purley Grandison Boston, b. 30 January 1876, Old Boston Farm, Pawnee, Ill, d.6 September 1960, Edinburg, Illinois. NOTE: submitter, Larry Boston is a Dewhirst descendant through this line.

[7] Glen Clint Filson, b. 01 Feb 1889 in Springfield, Illinois, and died 16 Aug 1948 in Springfield, IL., was the son of Charles and Rachel Mayes Filson. A newspaper article presumable the Springfield Journal Star in August 1988 when Mary Etta turned 100 years old: "Mrs. Mary E Dewhirst Filson of Springfield will be honored with a reception held from 2:30 to 3:30 P.M. Monday at the Illinois Presbyterian Home, in observance of her 100th birthday. Family and friends are invited. Mrs. Filson was born Aug. 10, 1887 in Bible Grove, the daughter of William Peyton and Sarah Jane Gibson Dewhirst. She married Glen C. Filson in 1914. The couple then moved to Taylorville, and later moved to Springfield. Mr. Filson died in 1948. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church and the Kings daughters, and a lifelong member of the YWCA. Mrs. Filson is the mother of three children, Charles William (b. 02 May 1917, Taylorville, IL; d. 08 Jun 2000, Venice, FL) of Springfield, Mrs. (Mary Genevieve Filson, b. 09 May 1919, Taylorville, Illinois; d. 05 Aug 1987, California) Keith Clark of Santa Ana, CA and Calvin D (b. 08 May 1921) of Boulder City, NE. She has 13 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren."

[8] Maude L. Dewhirst was born Abt. 1895. The children of Orville and Maude Dewhirst were: Charles Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1916; Fred Arlington Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1918; Pauline Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1920 (m. ? Traughber); Ray Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1921; Eugene Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1922; Blasie Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1923; Evelyn Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1924; (m. ? Revtyak); Samuel Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1926; Mary Dewhirst, b. Abt. 1928 (m. ? McCoy).