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VOLUME 3 NUMBER 1 MARCH 2004

3rd National Chenoweth Reunion

This year's Chenoweth Family Reunion is to be held at Beaverton, OR. Beaverton is located on the out skirts of Portland. Registration forms can be found on the web at www.ChenowethInc.org/C/forms.htm. The site also contains information about accommodations, transportation and a tentative schedule of events. It is hoped that all can attend what has become a truly wonderful event for this family.

[DIRECTORS]

New Columns

In our attempt to provide an informative newsletter, your newsletter staff is providing two new columns in this issue:

DNA Project

Progress is being made on our Chenoweth DNA Project. Two individuals within the Thomas2 line have agreed to participate. It is our hope to have individuals from the lines of Richard2, Arthur2, William2 and John2 join the project. This would give us a good base line of John1 to work with as we try to place unidentified personnel.



[COAT-OF-ARMS] INSIDE THIS ISSUE
COMMENTS FROM THE CLAN

(The following e-mails have been received from members of the family with regards to the newsletter. Comments, articles, questions and other items for this newsletter are always appreciated.-editor)

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Hi Pete, I emailed you several months ago when your mail box was full due to your move. Jon indicated that we would have to wait for your life to catch up, and maybe it has finally done just that. I swear, though, you and Jon surely have 48 hours in the same day in which I am allotted 24! The two of you have done remarkable work. I was most disappointed to learn that you would not be attending the reunion in Elkins. You were missed.

My earlier email was regarding the newsletter. My sister in Corpus Christi, TX does not chose to have a computer and as she is a 75 year old widow, we best not hold our breaths waiting for her to obtain one. Do you snail mail the newsletter to any members? She would be happy to pay a fee to cover the cost of the printout and mailing. I am including her address in case this is a possibility. You could then just email me the amount of the fee.

15 Dec 2003
Ruth Trim

We are always happy to assist in spreading the Chenoweth family news. Your sister's name has been added to our list of snail mail recipients. There is no charge for this service but a donation is always appreciated. � editor.

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I notice that you done quite a bit with the SSA index. Would you consider receiving contributions towards getting copies of "unknown" applications? Being female, I can't contribute to the gene project, but would like to contribute in some other way. Everyone is doing a wonderful job with the Chenoweth family tree!!

11 Dec 2003
Norma Dils

Contributions are always welcome to help with obtain source materials. The cost for a copy of the Social Security application is $27. Much information can be obtained from this, as it is filled out be the applicant (i.e. parents names, date and place of birth, place of residence and occupation) as long as the applicant knew the information.. � editor.

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Dear Pete, I am a 10th generation descendant of John & Mary (SUSANNAH7, WILLIAM6, SAMUEL5, JONATHAN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1). I have just discovered the website and now have read all the issues of the newsletter. WOW! Because not much of Susannah's line was known, we have added to your information (through Jon Egge) and a whole line of ancestors has opened up to me. I would appreciate receiving notices of the newsletter via e-mail.
14 Jan 2004
Delores Ranshaw

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I was real happy to receive the update on our wonderful Family !! I look forward to it each time & always make a copy for my files, for fear it will get deleted accidentally. I was most surprised & pleased to see my little thank you note, among other things of great interest. I am very proud to be an American and also very Proud to be a Chenoweth----The older I get the more I appreciate it. Hope you and yours have Happy Holidays ,and a very Good Healthy year ahead in 2004, May God Bless You.

11 Dec 2003
Mary McNeese

It was our pleasure to print your note, just as we are doing with this one. We would like to hear from more of our newsletter recipients. - editor.

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Thank you for the newsletter. I have just finished reading every word. It is always amazing to me how many C henoweths there are when Pearl and I thought there were only a few of us and preparing the geneology would be a snap. Just goes to show you. There are Chenoweths in both Alaska and Hawaii, I wonder why we haven't heard from them. Rich tried and they didn't answer years ago Maybe by this time they will have changed their minds.I was interested to see you are finally going to get around to the correct Coats of Arms. You will recall I sent them to you several years ago. The artwork is Adele's and accurate as you can see. Adele Chenoweth Graham (my father insisted her middle name be Chenoweth as he wanted people to know who she was). is also a writer and artist. She illustrated for me when I wrote and now she has had her third book of illustrations published last week. The first two books were Missouri Ghost Stories. This last book is a very ambitous book The Missouri Horse and was two years in the making.

I'm, in the process of writing my memoirs. Now that I have a pace maker it seems more feasible than it did for awhile. My father, Dr. S.J. Chenoweth, was a prominent doctor in MO. (like so many Chenoweths) and the doctors here have been hounding me for years to publish what life in the 1920s and '30s was like for a doctor and his family. So, I finally agreed to tackle what is going to be an emotional trip back in time but I'm enjoying it. Again, thank you for the newsletter. I do enjoy it. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to you, your family, and all the other Chenoweths wherever they may be. God Bless and Stay Safe

12 Dec 2003
Shannon Chenoweth Graham

I am happy to say that in the mid 90's I had written contact with Charles Everette Chenoweth, Jr (21 Jul 1917-1 Mar 2001) who at the time was living in Alaska. We shared many enjoyable letters. Also my cousin, James Harvey Chenoweth, Jr (his father, James Harvey & my grandfather, Frank Larkin Chenoweth were brothers) also lived in Alaska for many years. He currently resides in New Hampshire. Many versions of the Coat of Arms have been sent to us over the years. We do not dispute the authenticity of any of them but are looking forward to the results of Bill Chinworth's efforts to get a documented copy from England. It is hoped this will resolve the discussion. � editor.

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I just had to reply to this comment from the newsletter - My CHENOWETH line came directly from Cornwall to Nth Queensland, Australia, not certain where we connect with your family. My 2nd g-grandfather migrated with his family in 1890 and I have no idea about his family background. He had 1 son and 4 daughters. His only son had 7 daughters - the name has totally disappeared from his line. Pity we couldn't get DNA from him back in 1900!!

12 Dec 2003
Monica Rankin, Australia

Please provide us with more exact information on your ancestors (names, dates, locations, etc.) I am sure that with the resources we have now been able to establish that we will be able to assist you in your quest. - editor.

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Thanks for keeping me up to date with the family news letter. I just retired from 35 years of teaching for the Neptune Twp. school system. I hope to have a little more time to do family research. Keep up the good work.

13 Dec 2003
Ron C.Gorsky

Good to hear from one of my cousins. Ronald's great-grandfather, John Benjamin Chenoweth (17 Apr 1850) and my great-grandfather, William Clawson Chenoweth (17 Apr 1868) were brothers. More about our family history starts in this edition. - editor.

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Hi, Peter, I'd like to submit this article for the next Chenoweth newsletter.
17 Dec 2003
Stephen Curley (curleys@tamug.ed)

DOWN UNDER-AND IN AMERICA, TOO

We want to thank Stephen for taking the time to relate to everyone his family's story. We also hope that someone out there can provide him with more information about his ancestors. � editor.



IN MEMORIAM HONOR ROLL

Age 94 - VIRGINIA BIRD9 CHENOWETH (HOLTIE ARCHIBALD8, JACOB7, JOHN KITTLE6, WILLIAM PUGH5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born March 22, 1909 in Elkins, Randolph Co., WV and died February 5, 2004 in Elkins, Randolph Co., WV. She married HARRY SHERWOOD JOHNSON May 19, 1945, son of EMORY JOHNSON and VERDA WOLFE. He was born June 1, 1907 in Kirt, Barbour Co., WV and died September 23, 1973 in Elkins, Randolph Co., WV. (Virginia furnished much information about the Randolph Co. families to Richard and Shirley Harris (that makes up the first 80 pages of their book) and was the star of the Chenoweth Family Reunion in 2002.

Age 84 - AVIS MARIE9 CHENOWETH (CHARLES FLAVIUS8, CHARLES WILBUR7, LEMUEL6, JOHN I.5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born May 1, 1919 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, MN and died December 6, 2003. She married ROLLAND PAUL GUSTAFSON July 2, 1942 in Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN. He was born October 7, 1919 in Minneapolis, Hennepin Co., MN an died October 30, 2003.

Age 81 - CHARLES FENTON8 CHENOWETH (JOSEPH WOOD7, ROBERT JAMES6, ROBERT T.5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born December 13, 1921 in Oka, Calhoun Co., WV and died November 9, 2003 in Roane Co., WV. He married MACEL STRACHER November 25, 1959. She was born September 23, 1930 in West Virginia and died April 21, 1984 in Spencer, Roane Co., WV.

Age 83 - CLARENCE FREDERICK "Jim"8 CHENOWETH (CHARLES RICHARD7, WILLIAM JAMES6, RICHARD5, RICHARD B.4, JOHN3, ARTHUR2, JOHN1) was born in 1920 in Henry Co., TN and died November 30, 2003 in Memphis, Shelby Co., TN. He married MARGARET ROSE KESTERSON, daughter of MILLARD KESTERSON and WILLIE McDANIEL.

Age 64 - DALE EUGENE9 CHENOWETH (EVERETT SIMPSON8, JOHN PORTER7, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN6, WILLIAM THOMAS5, WILLIAM4, ARTHUR3, ARTHUR2, JOHN1) was born September 13, 1939 in Lynn, Randolph Co., IN and died January 28, 2004 in Indiana. He married BARBARA SUE EVAN.

Age 72 - GEORGE HENRY9 CHENOWETH (CLARENCE WILLIAM8, ORIEN STEELE7, GEORGE WILLIAM6, GEORGE HENRY5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born November 21, 1931 in Springfield, Greene Co., MO and died December 17, 2003 in Livingston, Overton Co., TN. He married EMMA DEAN JENKINS, daughter of HAROLD JENKINS and PANSY ?. She was born January 24, 1934 in Lone Camp, Palo Pinto Co., TX and died April 22, 2002 near Mineral Wells, Palo Pinto Co., TX.

Age 86 - LEAH VIRGINIA8 CHENOWETH (CAPTAIN KNOTTS7, ROBERT JAMES6, ROBERT T.5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born March 14, 1917 in Walnut, Calhoun Co., WV and died January 3, 2004 in Warner Robins, Houston Co., GA. She married (1) JAMES JOSEPH McSWEGAN February 1942. He was born abt 1915. She married (2) BILLY B. DUESING 1955.

Age 81 - LUCILLE MARIE "Lucy"9 CHENOWETH (JOSEPH FRANCES HENRY8, MILROY MILTON7, JOSEPH HAMILTON DAVIESS6, THOMAS JEFFERSON5, THOMAS4, RICHARD3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born June 27, 1922 in St. Paul, Ramsay Co., MN and died November 19, 2003 in Downey, Los Angeles Co., CA. She married MANUAL COUTE. He was born October 30, 1919 and died bef 2003.

Age 94 - LUELLA MAE BARKER daughter of ELMER BARKER and MAUDE WRIGHT. She was born August 13, 1909 in Fulton Co., IL and died December 7, 2003 in Macomb, McDonough Co., IL. On February 8, 1930 she married HARRY FRANKLIN8 CHENOWETH (WILLIAM HARRISON "Swelley"7, ELIAS BIRDINE6, WILLIAM5, JOHN4, JOHN3, JOHN2, JOHN1). He was born August 23, 1908 in Fulton Co., IL.

Age 92 - NELLIE COLLETT was born abt 1912 and died February 5, 2004. In 1928 she married ELMER V.9 STALNAKER (JAMES GARFIELD8 STALNAKER, ALBA M.7 STALNAKER, RACHEL6 STALNAKER, MARY M.5 CHENOWETH, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1). He was born August 29, 1908.

Age 81 - VERNON LESLIE DRAKE was born Mary 13, 1922 in Billings, Yellowstone Co., MT and died January 16, 2004. On December 24, 1942 in Billings, Yellowstone Co., MT he married BETTIE ANN10 ROSS (CLARA ELVIRA9 WOLFE, IRA LEWIS8 WOLFE, HENRIETTA B.7 MILLER, JOHN6 MILLER, PRISCILLA5 CARTER, HENRY BOWEN4 CARTER, JAMES3 CARTER, HANNAH2 CHENOWETH, JOHN1). She was born February 23, 1923 in Hastings, Adams Co., NE.

Age 85 - MAX CLIFFORD8 FARRAR (ERNEST CLIFFORD7 FARRAR, WILLIAM HENRY6 FARRAR, MALINDA HORATIO5 CHENOWETH, JOHN FOSTER4, ELIJAH3, THOMAS2, JOHN1) was born November 19, 1917 in Kansas and died November 18, 2003. He married AUTUMN FELTON FIELDS on June 25, 1943 in McPherson, McPherson Co., KS. She was the daughter of JAMES FIELDS and EDITH ?.

Age 24 - SARAH R. GRIFFIN was born October 20, 1979 in Martinsville, Morgan Co., IN and died January 9, 2004 in Indianapolis, Marion Co., IN. She married BRYAN10 BUNTON (Terry WAYNE9 BUNTON, GERALDINE8 CHENOWETH, ROY LEE7, JOHN H.6, EPHRAIM B.5, ABSOLUM4, ABSOLUM3, JOHN2, JOHN1). .

Age 80 - WAVERLY GRETTER9 KING, JR (CHRISTINE ELIZABETH8 CHENOWETH, HENRY SHERIDAN7, CYRUS PEPPER6, JEHU5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born February 14, 1923 in Richmond, VA and died January 11, 2004. He married PATRICIA BIRKBECK.

Age 86 - NAOMI BELLE10 MARTIN (ELEANOR MAEBELLE9 WOLFE, SARAH BIRDIE8 CROAN, MARJORIE ELIZABETH7 CASEBIER, ABSALOM BURDINE6 CASEBIER, ELIZABETH5 CHENOWETH, JONATHAN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born September 8, 1917 in Imperial, KS and died January 8, 2004. She married (1) WARREN EDGAR BURRELL and (2) ? WEBSTER.

Age 78 - JAMES DAVIS8 MAYHEW, JR (VELYMA REBECCA7 CHENOWETH, LINCOLN MORGAN6, LEWIS FOSTER5, JOHN FOSTER4, ELIJAH3, THOMAS2, JOHN1) was born September 23, 1925 in Enid, Garfield Co., OK and died February 13, 2004 in Fort Bragg, Mendocino Co., CA. He married NORETTA VEE McCRARY.

Age 77 - ROBERT NEIL10 PHARES (HAZEL M.9 DANIELS, JACOB LEE8 DANIELS, JOHN I.7 DANIELS, JERUSHA6 CHENOWETH, JOHN I.5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born December 24, 1926 in Randolph Co., WV and died February 20, 2004 in Parkersburg, Wood Co., WV. He married (1) LUCILLE ? in Parkersburg, Wood Co., WV and (2) MARY ? August 8, 1968 in Parkersburg, Wood Co., WV.

Age 68 - JAMES CHENOWETH10 POTTER (MARY ELIZABETH9 CHENOWETH, CURTIS WORTH8, WILLIAM WORTH7, ROBERT JAMES6, ROBERT T.5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born May 13, 1935 in Ontario, Malheur Co., OR and died November 12, 2003 in Glen Allen, Henrico Co., VA. He married MAMIE ELIZABETH BARKER.

Age 94 - EDITH CATHERINE PRIEST, daughter of GROVER PRIEST and MARY CHAMBERLIN, was born abt 1909 and died January 3, 2004 in Monroe, Butler Co., OH. She married MILES AUSTIN7 CHENOWETH (PEARL FLOYD6, JOHN WILLIAM5, WILLIAM4, WILLIAM3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1). He was born May 6, 1908 in Franklin, Butler Co., OH and died February 15, 1979 in OH.

Age 94 - MARIE STORER was born December 15, 1909 and died December 2003 in Ohio. On May 6, 1940 in Ohio she married EARL C.7 CHENOWETH (JOHN E.6, JAMES M.5, JOHN4, WILLIAM3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1). He was born December 5, 1898 in Warren Co., OH and died November 15, 1974 in Greene Co., OH..

Age 97 - MABLE L.8 THOMSON (SARAH ALICE7 CHENOWETH, EDWARD WOODWARD6, WILLIAM5, JOHN4, JOHN3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born February 25, 1906 in Illinois and died December 1, 2003 in Woodburn, Marion Co., OH. She married HANS OLSON in 1925. He was born March 20, 1896 in Norway and died September 1964.

Age 89 - BURNICE C. ? was born January 26, 1914 and died November 2, 2003 in Wichita, Sedgwick Co., KS. She married JOHN7 CHENOWETH (EMORY WALTER6, JOHN M.5, JOSEPH4, THOMAS3, THOMAS2, JOHN1). He was born July 27, 1910 in Kansas and died May 19, 1990.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that if you are a 10th generation Chenoweth you have 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, 16 great-great-grandparents, 32 great-great-great-grandparents, 64 great-great-great-great-grandparents, 132 great-great-great-great-great-grandparents, 264 great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents, and 512 great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents. Do you know who they are? Do we?

Don't Forget the Chenoweth Family Reunion
AUGUST 2004, PORTLAND, OR

DOWN UNDER
(The Chenoweth's in Australia)
by Darryl Lloyd Chenoweth

The following is a precis of a letter that was written by William Chenoweth, from Australia, to his brother in England, Edwin John Chenoweth, in 1853. This letter was mentioned in this article within the last issue. It has been extracted from "The West Briton". As the letter was written 3 years before Edwin left Cornwall, it must be assumed that William's good reports of life in Australia had considerable influence upon Edwin's decision to bring his family to Australia.

A Cornishman, William Chenoweth, writes to his brother in the neighbour-hood of Camelford from the gold diggings.

He says "I am happy to inform you that I have been successful at the gold diggings. I left here (Willunga) with David Oliver, F. Martin, Robert Sleep and Richard Polkinghorne (from the west of Cornwall). We are wanting from here about nineteen weeks. We were ten weeks and four days at the diggings. We worked very hard for the first seven weeks and made about 1 � oz of gold each, the other three weeks and four days we made about 4500 pounds, making it 900 pounds each. We are truly thankful for our success for although we have done this we are on party out of a thousand to do so well. We landed at Adelaide this day week and I deposited 853 pounds; in about two months I intend going again."

The writer then states that if his brother should come out he would do what he could for him and speaks of great demand there is for labourers and the wages they receive.

He says "If you do come on no account forget to provide yourself with flour, get American flour or have some wheat kiln-dried and ground on purpose; also a few hams, streaked bacon, pepper with many other little things, you will be sure to do well with whatever you bring, for there will be many that will give you a long price for it. Whatever you bring on board you will be sure to sell. I intend to lay my money out in land as there will then be a maintenance for my family whatever may happen to me and land here will always be increasing in value. Shoe makers are making fortunes here; men's high shoes are from 20s per pair; womens boots 17s per pair and children's shoes they do not care to make, my boy's shoes cost me 7s."

11 February 1853

Edwin John Chenoweth, his wife Jane, and their children Elizabeth, Fanney, Mary Ann, Edwin George, John, Frederick, Samuel and James arrived in S.A. 23 May 1856 aboard "Aurora". The two youngest children were born at Willunga, where the family settled. Edwin is listed in the S.A. Directory of 1864 as a Quarryman. Jane Chenoweth is buried at Willunga Uniting Church Cemetery. Edwin and his second wife, Agnes, are buried together at the West Terrace Cemetery.


MURPHY's LAW FOR GENEALOGISTS

(Copied from the San Angelo, TX, Genealogical & Historical Society Newsletter, January 1985 issue, via Ancestors Unlimited, McCookm NE)

  1. You finally wangle a day off from work to go to the courthouse for much needed research. But when you arrive there, they're closed for emergency plumbing repairs.
  2. At last�you manage to locate the obituary of your long-sought direct ancestor in an old newspaper at the library, but all it says is "�died last week."
  3. You spend an eternity looking for your great-grandmother's maiden name and, when you find it, your mother tells you she knew it all the time and why didn't you ever ask her for it?
  4. You devote half of your life searching for the other side of your family tree, only to discover that they lived right across the street. They'd changed their surname after a family feud years ago.
  5. You write down the address of a long-lost relative on the back of a handy telephone bill and, when you go to find it a day later, learn that your spouse has been super helpful by mailing it off to the telephone company with her check just this morning.

THOUGHTS FROM THE TOP

Coat of Arms Research Update:

(18 Dec 2003)

Hi, everyone. Bill Chinworth here. I have an e-mail message from Henry Bedingfeld, the York Herald and my contact with the College of Arms which must be located somewhere in the complex known as Victoria Station in London.

He has traced several sources about the coat of arms. The griffins, mentioned in the one description, seems to be spurious. The image, if such actually pertains to our line, is of birds of some type.

Unfortunately, Henry's computer is putting in hieroglyphics for apostrophes on my machine. Some of the quotes are in Latin. He is sending the same material in the regular post.

He mentions getting info as in a complete pedigree and a black and white drawing or a painting.

I'm inclined to get all three so we here in the new country won't have to mess with this again. When I get his prices for these services I may quickly change my mind.

I would suppose that some of this paper is so old that it can't be photocopied or photographed. Therefore, the expense of repainting the material.

(2 Mar 2004)

I've sent $1500 dollars to London (for a vellum color copy of the Chenoweth crest of 1620. That is the more viable one to date and it lists the wives of the eight boys of the last Chenoweth to exercise ownership of the crest. That would be about three generations before the John Chenoweth of St. Martins in Menage note. We could use that crest and have the correct thing for the future. It is a quartered crest. I think that shows a father and son and a wife along with the original thingy with the three bird heads.

Bill Chinworth
Board of Directors, President
Tucson, AZ.


The Elusive Ancestor

(By Merrill Kenworthy)

I went searching for an ancestor, I cannot find him still.
He moved around from place to place and did not leave a will.
He married where a courthouse burned. He mended all his fences.
He avoided any man who came to take the U.S. Census.
He always kept his luggage packed, this man who had no fame.
And every 20 years or so, this rascal changed his name.
His parents came from Europe. They should be upon some list
Of passengers to the U.S.A., but somehow they got missed.
And no one else in this world is searching for this man.
So, I play geneasolitaire to find him if I can.
I'm told he's buried in a plot, with tombstone he was blessed;
But the weather took engraving, and some vandals took the rest.
He died before the county clerks decided to keep records.
No Family Bible has emerged, in spite of all my efforts.
To top it off this ancestor, who caused me many groans,
Just to give me one more pain, betrothed a girl named JONES.


Another Line
By Peter Clinton Chenoweth

(The following is a narrative from Caroline Mitchell (Chenoweth) Egbert, my great grandfathers sister. It should be noted that the first part of this history has not been confirmed, especially with regards to a William Chenoweth being in America at the same time as John1, but provides some interesting food for thought with regards to the 1715 Edward's relationship to John1).

The Chenoweths trace their origin back to the ancient Brit-Saxons. There with their followers they kept up a successful resistance to the invader and at one time were among the most powerful of the Welsh nobility. The changes and changes of time, however, caused the lessening of lands and prestige, and with the ancient castle a ruin, three brothers of the family � John, William and Edward Chenoweth � determined to leave the home property to the last named of the three. While William came over to the new world and settled in Jamestown, VA, and his brother John joined Lord Baltimore's colony and settled in Maryland. The descendants of these are scattered all over the United States today. Edward remained in the old country and became our ancestor. The line running as follows:

Edward (1610), John (1635), William (1682), Edward (1715), John (1741) died July 28, 1779 and whose children were: Alice (24 Dec 1765 � 21 Dec 1808); Edward (referred to in next paragraph); John (20 Aug 1768 � 2 Sep 1769); Martha and Mary (13 Jul 1769); William (23 Apr 1771 � lost at sea about 1825); Elizabeth (1 Aug 1773 � 25 Dec 1792); John (3 Feb 1776 � 1852); and Patience (30 Jul 1779 � 17 Mar 1829).

Edward was born 4 Sep 1767 and died in New York City. In 1784 he married Phoebe Romage of Chatham County, Kent, England and they had eleven children: Alice (5 Apr 1790 �19 Dec 1872); Benjamin (12 May 1792 � 22 Apr 1797); Phoebe (17 Nov 1794 � 1858); John (1 Feb 1797 � 7 May 1802); Benjamin (29 Jan 1799 � 16 Mar 1799); Mary Ann (8 Feb 1800 � 17 Oct 1802); John (22 Sep 1802 � 1802); John (referred to in next paragraph); Eliza (18 Sep 1806 � 6 May 1882); Laurentia (18 Aug 1809 � 11 Jul 1877) and Edward (28 Jan 1812 � 29 Apr 1850 in Australia).

John was born 19 Nov 1803 and died 19 Sep 1861. On 2 May 1824 he was married in the parish church at Chalk County, Kent, England to Caroline Mitchell, by the Rev R.S. Jaynes. Caroline bore him thirteen children. Three of those whose names have not been preserved died in infancy. The other ten are: Caroline (Sep 1825 � 5 Mar 1902) and married James A. Weston on 8 Aug 1850 in New York City; Edward (1827 � 1836); John (21 Apr 1829) married (1) Mary Hall on 18 Sep 1850 in New York City and (2) Mary Janes on 30 Nov 1864 in New York City; William (23 Feb 1831 � 5 Apr 1895) married Sarah Ann Carr in 1849 in New York City; Elizabeth (22 Oct 1833 � 4 Sep 1857) married Thomas W. Stott on 4 Jul 1852 in New York City; Phoebe Ann (1837 � 1887) married Benjamin Russell in New York City; Alice (1838); Edward (21 May 1841) married Judith H. Robertson on 18 Oct 1860 in New York City; Ephraim (7 May 1844) married 3 times in Newark, NJ; Laurentia (1 Jan 1848) married (1) John Quinn and (2) H. F. Huss on 26 Nov 1890 in Ottawa, KS.

I have spent many hours trying to trace our connection with John1 but have failed to do so with any accuracy. The information we have of our branch is not sufficient. If John were born about 1682, he would be a contemporary of our distant ancestor William, but whether a brother or cousin or a more distant relative we do not know. I have given our genealogy back to Edward born about 1610, which came to me from records which my father and our Aunt Caroline had, but I have no proof of its accuracy. Beginning with John, born 1741, the record gives the name of all of his children with dates of their births and deaths, and this we have reason to believe is accurate. Which ancestor left the ancestral home in Wales and settled inChatham on the east coast of England we do not know, but since it is the custom in England for the oldest son to inherit the entire estate of his father, it is probable that a younger son left the home to seek his fortune in another part of England.

It must have been some years, perhaps generations, before the time of our great grandfather Edward, as the family was then well established in property and profession. This is shown by the fact that John, a brother of our grandfather Edward, possessed considerable property which later formed a legacy in which my father and his brothers and sisters participated. The story of this legacy may as well be told here � it has some interesting features:

John died in 1852, leaving a will in which he left his estate to his family which consisted of one son and six daughters; but with the provision that should these children die without heirs, the property would go to the heirs of his brothers and sisters. The son died without children and none of the daughters married. The last one died in 1896. Her housekeeper, who had lived with the family many years, tried to claim the property, but the will was found and Mrs Ramage and Edward Moxom were appointed executors and an effort started to locate the heirs. One of John's brothers by the name of William had sailed from England about 1825, bound for Australia. He was never heard from so it was supposed that he was lost at sea. To comply with the English law, the executors were obliged to advertise in papers in different parts of the world for the possible descendants of William. None were found so the heirs consisted of fourteen grandchildren of Edward, five living in England, five in the United States and four in Australia. The property consisted of a house in London, some stocks and bonds and other property. After several years of investigation and conducting the case through the English courts, the property was sold, all costs paid and $2200 sent to each of the heirs. This was a great surprise to my father as he supposed the lawyers would get most of the property. He gave to each of his children ten dollars with instructions to buy something to remember their great uncle by. During the time the case was pending, Uncle Ed, our father's brother who was then living in Ottawa, KS, decided that some one should go to England to represent the American heirs and see that their interests were fully protected and as none of his brothers thought this necessary, he went on his own responsibility. He had a pleasant trip, an interview with Mrs Ramage, a visit with Edward Moxom, a cousin who to a remarkable extent resembled himself, and a visit to the church where his father and mother were married. Being a great admirer of Dickens, he spent considerable time visiting the villages described in Dicken's books, and on his return gave lectures in the schools of Ottawa and vicinity on "Dickens and his Country." He spent most of his time in England at the home of Lizzie Dallison, a cousin on his mother's side. Cousin Lizzie, who never married, spent thirty years a s a teacher in the London schools and during her last years was a reader to the blind in a home for veteran's of the World War (WWI). A number of the cousins in America corresponded with her as I did. She was very fond of her relatives and eager to write to any of us. She begged us to come to London to visit her. When my husband and I made the trip in 1931, I knew that she had been dead for several years, but we went to her home at 42 Ridge Road, Stroud Green, to see if we could locate a niece, Mrs Pilgrim, and spent a pleasant evening visiting with her and her husband and daughter. Since her grandmother was a sister of Caroline Mitchell, Mrs. Pilgrim and I were second cousins.

The first accurate information we have of our ancestors is concerning our great grandfather, Edward. He lived at Chatham, a ship building town on the east coast of England. He was a master calker of ships and a skilled worker in wood. He married Phoebe Ramage and to them were born eleven children, five of whom died in infancy. Our grandfather was John, the eighth child and the third to given the name of John. It seemed that every generation must have its John, so if the child by that name died, the next son was given the name. As was the custom of the times, John worked with his father as an apprentice learning the trade of cabinet maker. His father, having the ambition for him to become a clergyman, sent him to Oxford to study for this profession. John, however, decided he preferred the trade of cabinet maker, and returned to Chatham to work with his father. He was married to Caroline Mitchell and a record of this marriage, is found at the Marriage Register of Chalk County of Kent. John Chenoweth and Caroline Mitchell were married on the second day of May in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty four by R. S. Jaynes. It was witnessed by Ann Mitchell and Stephen Redsell.

Our father, John, born April 21, 1829 was the third child of this marriage. In 1832 Grandfather John was advised by his father to take his growing family to America where opportunities were greater. His wife, Caroline, who was very devoted to her mother and sisters was reluctant to leave but was persuaded it would be a wise move. They embarked in a small sailing vessel for New York City. Knowing no one in the new world, this was a great adventure. Father was too young to remember any of the details of this trip which lasted seventy-two days.

In New York City, Grandfather John obtained work making mahogany doors for fine houses. In 1835 he started in business for himself buying, repairing and selling furniture. Grandmother Caroline was never satisfied in her new home because she grieved continually for her relatives in England. In 1841 John said they would go back and would sail in two weeks. Caroline, however, now demurred and said they would not sail until the baby she was expecting was born, because if it were born at sea it might die without baptism. So the trip was postponed until the baby was born and baptised. This baby was Edward, known to us as Uncle Ed. The oldest son, also named Edward, had died in 1836. The family now consisting of father, mother, and six children returned to their old home in Brumpton, England.

After a few weeks the family moved to London and there experienced real hardships. Grandfather John obtained some work but the wages were very low. I have heard Father say that he carried a letter eight miles to get the penny the postage would be and his mother and sister, Caroline, made colored shirts by hand for a penny a piece and white shirts with the linen bosoms backstitched on for three pence. Father became very familiar with the London streets for he walked about looking for work. When we were children he often told us stories of these streets, the names of which sounded so attractive to us. Many years later when I walked on those very streets these stories came back to me with the familiar names.

The children begged to return to New York, which was more like home to them. Aunt Alice, Grandfather John's sister, who was in comfortable circumstances, furnished the money for the passage. And again, on December 27, 1843, the family embarked on the ship Switzerland, at St Catherine docks, London, on a voyage the remembrance of which was always a nightmare to father. For several weeks the vessel was so buffeted with storms that it was unable to clear the English Channel. An anchor was lost and the ship so damaged that the captain was obliged to go into the nearest harbor for necessary repairs. On their way again and out into the Atlantic Ocean, the captain was taken ill and the command of the ship was taken over by the first mate. He was not sufficiently experienced and the vessel got off the usual route and into the "Place of Calms" where they drifted for days and weeks. Food and water supplies ran low and all might have starved had not the cargo included some peas and beans destined for seed and some Belgian hares. These were used for food. The water became so scarce and stale that it is remarkable that an epidemic did not take all on board. My father was so seasick during the entire one hundred and five days the voyage lasted and never again wanted to board a sailing vessel.

(to be continued)

Mar 2004

A MOMENT WITH THE WEBMASTER

[Jon] By Jon Egge
Cottage Lake, Woodinville, WA
Descendant of Dr Henry S. Chenoweth of Chillicothe, OH

A Trip to "Chenowith" and a Chance Meeting

You never know, given the widespread nature of the Chenoweth family, where you are going to find a cousin. This September I met with Bill Chinworth of Tucson at the home of Albert Heller Chenoweth near Beaverton, OR. Bill, who has energetically put together the last two reunions, had come up to discuss the upcoming Portland reunion this summer. Albert is doing the local groundwork and had secured a great hotel to accommodate the event. The Reunion will actually be held at the Greenwood Inn in Beaverton. Both Bill and myself were pleased with the prospect of this facility. Thursday, we decided to check out the town of Chenowith where we had hoped to hold the reunion picnic. Chenowith is a few streets next to The Dalles, OR, site of one of the many dams along the Columbia and about 75 miles east of Portland along the scenic Columbia River Gorge. It was a beautiful day and the scenery on this drive never lets you down.

We stopped and looked at Multnomah Falls, Bill snapping pictures everywhere and often. At The Dalles we drove to the Wasco County Historical Museum. Nosing around, Bill discovered a Ruth Brittle, who worked there and said she was a Chenoweth. When I asked, Ruth said she was related to the Harts. This was Randolph Co., WV stuff and I went back to the car to get my laptop. Ruth, it turns out, is a great granddaughter of Susan Catherine Stalnaker, who married 1st John Greaver and 2nd Samuel Musgrove. The family had gone to Kansas and Ruth's grandmother, Alma Alice Musgrove, had been born there and married William H. Leonard. They in turn had a son Harry Clifford Leonard, Ruth's father. Ruth had been born in Dodge City, KS of Wyatt Earp fame.

Susan Catherine was a daughter of George Milton Stalnaker and a granddaughter of Susannah Chenoweth, Robert's first daughter by his 2nd wife, Edith Skidmore. Susannah had married John W. Stalnaker, and that is where the Harts come in, as John, was a son of Susannah Hart and George Washington Stalnaker. This certainly was an unexpected treat and a surprising place to find a Rudolph Co., WV Chenoweth. My file had ended with the marriage of Susan Catherine and Samuel Musgrove. For her part, Ruth was excited to hear about the reunion. Her husband, Ira Russell Brittle, is known as "Peanut".

Having added Ruth to the database and securing a promise that she would seek us out on-line, we drove a few miles up to the Chenowith school and then on to find the Park Department in the Dalles. "Chenowith" is named after Justin Chenoweth who had built his home there in 1852 and struggled to start a townsite there. Though not quite successful, his efforts did lay the groundwork for the nearby thriving town of the Dalles. In his honor, besides the town and school, there is a Chenoweth Creek, Chenoweth Butte, Chenoweth Flat and several roads, all named Chenoweth. For confusion, the town is spelled "Chenowith" and the creek is "Chenoweth". Justin had arrived in Oregon on November 15, 1849, just before his 24th birthday. He married on December 9, 1852 in Wasco Co., OR to Mary H. Vickers. They had three known children. Albert had met Bruce Robert Chenoweth, one of Justin's great grandchildren when he first came to Portland. Bruce was a doctor there, but died a few years later in 1972 at the age of 48. Bruce's brother, Arthur Clifford Chenoweth, still lives in Portland. Justin was a surveyor and moved on to Washington Territory and is found in the 1880 Census in the picturesque town of LaConner on the Skagit Slough. In 1880 this area was still part of Whatcom Co., WA but it is now found in Skagit Co. Eventually returning to Oregon, Justin died on March 16, 1898 in Portland.

JUSTIN5 CHENOWETH (JOHN4, ARTHUR3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born November 17, 1825 in Clark Co., IL and died March 16, 1898 in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR. He married Mary H. Vickers December 9, 1852 in Butteville, Wasco Co., OR. She was born 1836 in Ohio and died bef. 1870.

Children of Justin Chenoweth and Mary Vickers are:

  1. EMILY6 CHENOWETH, b: December 1855, Washington; d: 1928; married JAMES LEVI McCOWN, abt 1885, Portland, Multnomah Co., OR.
  2. JOHN6 CHENOWETH, b: May 1857, The Dalles, Wasco Co., OR; d: August 11, 1939, Marysville, Yuba Co., CA; married SUSAN CARNAHAN, March 25, 1880, Clackamas Co., OR; b: January 21, 1862, Oregon City, Clackamas Co., OR; d: March 22, 1932, Multnomah Co., OR.
  3. JUSTIN6 CHENOWETH, JR, b: October 1859, Washington

Justin had come from Clark Co., IL where his father, John, and uncle, Absolum, had settled from Kentucky about 1817. They are the earliest Chenoweths I have found into Illinois, and Justin is the first Chenoweth I know to come to Oregon. Ruth had been curious how Justin was related to her so I traced the line back. John's father, Arthur, was the youngest brother of William Chenoweth, who was the father of the John Chenoweth who had settled in Randolph Co., WV about 1792. So those two 4th generation Johns were first cousins. That makes Justin a 2nd cousin to the Robert who married Edith Skidmore, the great great great grandparents of Ruth.

As it turned out that we could not secure the park and so we scratched it off the list and headed back to town via a jaunt into the mountains and up to Mt Hood. Albert and Bill hope to stage an event here at Timberline Lodge. It was my first trip to this renown facility and the view was breathtaking. "Chenowith" will have to remain a possible side trip for reunion attendees, but a gathering on the mountain will be a highlight. I would highly recommend, however, a trip down the Gorge for those that have the time. This is one of the most scenic Interstate drives in the nation and well worth the time. Portland has the makings of the best reunion yet.

A Chenoweth by Other Names

This last fall, Mac Allen Marshall, of Portland, contacted me. Mac got his first name from the initials of his birth name: Michael Allen Chenoweth. His parents had separated when he was a young child and his father died a few years later when he was ten years old. Mac found the Chenoweth Site on the internet. I immediately recognized "Michael" as several years before his uncle Charles Bryant "Buddy" Chenoweth of Oklahoma had related the story of his brother and his son and how the family had lost track of them. Buddy is actually my 2nd cousin. So I called Buddy and gave both Buddy and Mac information on how to contact one another. Mac was somewhat curious about his father's family that he had known too briefly.

This is not the first time website information has allowed individuals to reconnect with a side of their family that had been broken off in some manner. The internet with its vast connectivity and the website with its detailed database present a powerful tool to leap the gap of disconnects for descendants searching for their roots. Examples I can remember were Carol Martin Chenoweth, who was able to find her father and several half siblings and Leroy Edward Chenoweth of Santa Rosa who connected back into the family of Timothy Chenoweth of Idaho.

Leroy had a half sibling who goes by Robert Richard Anderson, but was born Robert Richard Chenoweth. This is the second half of the aspect that Mac's contact had entailed: Chenoweth males that have had their names changed for various reasons. I can think of a number of these. Don Calbot Steiner was a son of Hugh Maxwell Chenoweth. Don's son, Connor Hugh Chenoweth, has actually changed his name as well, reacquiring the Chenoweth surname. James Augustus Chenoweth, a son of Isaac Earl Chenoweth, now goes by James Augustus Simmons and is writing a book on this Arizona family. John R. Hill is the son of Robert Raymond Chenoweth who changed his name to Hill after his stepfather.

These are cases of Chenoweth male blood by different names and not easily found by researchers. They are all recent. One wonders of earlier cases, lost to us, that may exist and solve past puzzles of what happened that we don't know about.

The Spreadsheet

Pete and I have done a lot of our work on spreadsheets. This is how he began to organize his 25,000 name database into gedcom form. We have Census spreadsheets, marriage spreadsheets, phone list spreadsheets, SSA spreadsheets, and more. It had always been a vision of mine to have a master spreadsheet with Chenoweth males as sort of a bar graph of their life spans, denoting each Census we have found them in. Just after obtaining the 1880 Census CDs from the LDS church, which established a very broad baseline for the family tree we had, I began in earnest to develop this tool. The original version took some two months to put together. For over a year I converted Census data that Pete sent me into the matrix, so that we now have an array of every viable male in the family arranged in 10 year snapshots of their lives, denoting each Census we have found them in.

Just recently, after we had completed the 1930 census, I added in the names we have for 1930 and 1940 births. The Spreadsheet is now some 3308 names that can be easily filtered to group a search by name, age and location. It is quite an amazing tool. With 31 columns of information there are over 100,000 data entries on the main sheet. The data has allowed me to create some statistics on the family that help paint a picture of the family in numbers. Some of this is displayed at the site. Here are some other views:

This chart above shows a curious break of treads in the 7th generation, which is the last one completely formed. The Thomas line which had actual been in the lead through 6 generation (though not a real time sense) hit a sort of a wall and had little male growth while the massive lines of John took command of the actual generation numbers as well as on a real time basis. It should be noted that the 8th through 10th generations are still in formation especially in the younger lines.

Noticeable in the next chart is the impact of the Civil War on the family. Not only did the death toll increase, but the birth rate fell with both the loss of life and the absence of the male spouses. Note the 1890 census was lost in a fire so the 1900 column is 20 years. There has been a noticeable decline in growth rate of the family since 1880 mirroring the trend to smaller families.

A Few Berrys

This past October, Sue Solomon sent me some information she had found on the web of a Mary Chenoweth who married a Thomas Berry, Jr. This was a Missouri family that lived in Taney Co. Sue had been interested because her ancestor, Benjamin Franklin Chenoweth, also lived in Taney Co. and had a daughter Mary. Sue is from a recently extended line of Rachel Chenoweth who married David T. Wood. In Hiatt's book, Rachel had married a Wood, nothing more was known. Research of Bob Derryberry (Bob is from Rachel's sister, Sarah) found this to be David Wood, and then Sue came in with fine extension of the Wood family and good solid evidence of the family linkage. It turned out that Benjamin Franklin's daughter Mary went to Texas, never married, and died on March 26, 1899.

So who was this Mary who married a Berry? Sue believes, and I agree, she is the daughter of Joseph Chenoweth, the brother of Benjamin Franklin. Harris has this daughter listed as "A.N." She is found in the 1850 census of Taney Co. with Joseph and his wife Rose Ann Mitchell as an 8-year old female. This census listing gives only initials. Groan, as if interpreting the Census isn't hard enough, this local practice of just using initials causes hives to break out on researchers. Sue interprets the Census as having two daughters 8 and 6 both listed as "M". I don't know where Harris got "A.N." from. Cora Hiatt never listed the children of this family. The younger daughter "M." is Mildred who is found in the later 1860 and 1870 Censuses and is said to have married a Smith, a current dead end.

But the first "M" is gone from the 1860 Census. Sue's discovery of a Berry union turns up a 1860 Census listing of a 17-year old Mary living with her husband, Thomas Berry, in Newton Township of Taney Co., the same local as the family of Joseph. Armed with the knowledge that this Mary was a Chenoweth, it becomes highly likely that she is indeed the missing "M" of the right age to be the daughter of Joseph Chenoweth and Rose Ann Mitchell. Mary died in the early 1870's and Thomas remarried, but they are said to have had 6 children by the web article Sue found:

From the White River Valley Quarterlies: "The first wife, Mary Chenoweth, was born, married and buried on the site where Skaggs Hospital now stands. Six children born to this union were: Ida, Agustus, Henry, Sally, and two sons who died as infants. Ida has told of her mother carrying hard biscuits in her pocket to feed the children during the Civil War. Berry's second wife was Missouri Elizabeth Jones. Their children�."

Indeed, the 1880 Census finds the Thomas Berry family, with the second wife still in Newton Township with 3 of the above listed children of Mary and 2 younger ones by the second wife. An 1870 census listing would further help define this family but so far here it is:

MARY9 CHENOWETH (JOSEPH4, THOMAS3, THOMAS2, JOHN1) was born 1842 in Taney Co., MO and died bef 1873. She married THOMAS BERRY, JR. He was born abt 1839 in Missouri.

Children of MARY CHENOWETH and THOMAS BERRY are:

  1. IDA R.6 BERRY b: abt 1861, Taney Co., MO
  2. HENRY C.6 BERRY b: abt 1868, Taney Co., MO
  3. SARAH V. "SALLY"6 BERRY b: abt 1865, Taney Co., MO
  4. AUGUSTUS6 BERRY b: aft 1860, Taney Co., MO

What we need now is to find a few of these berries! Thank you, Sue!

While we are on the subject of the family of Joseph and Rose Ann Mitchell, they also had a son Isaac N. who is listed as 9 months old in the 1850 Taney Co. Census. Harris has him listed as Isaac W. The 1850 Census has been interpreted as J.M., I.M. or I.W., by cross-eyed researchers who have examined the microfiche. Later Censuses have him as Isaac and Isaac N. and he is last seen with his family at age 21 in Polk Co., MO, Rose by that time being a widow.

In 1997, a Joanna Westmoreland Gregg of Oklahoma contacted me about her ancestor Isaac N(ewton) Chineworth who married Martha Jane Ellison on April 9, 1879 in Six-Mile Valley, Logan Co., AR. Isaac was born in Missouri just before the 1850 Census. Pete came up with several possibilities at the time, but as more and more information came to light, the one real possibility seems to be that he is Joseph's son. His age and place of birth are right. He named his first son Joseph. In the recent 1930 Census of Oklahoma, he states that his father was born in Ohio and his mother in Indiana. Indeed Joseph was born in Ohio and Rose, though born in Kentucky, grew up to marry in Indiana. Moreover, in 1850, Joseph is the only male Chenoweth born in Ohio in Missouri that has been married long enough to have a son.

Unfortunately I have never been able to discuss this more recent information with Joanna, who never gave me her husband's name or an address. Her Email address has long since gone bad. There are a couple of other known descendants of this line in Oregon and Italy, but neither knows much of the genealogy of the family. Maybe someday Joanna will reappear and we can reel this Isaac Newton back into the fold.

**********************

WARNING: Genealogy Pox

SYMPTOMS: Continual complaint as to need for names, dates and places. Patient has blank expression, is sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste for work of any kind, except feverishly looking through records at libraries and court houses. Has compulsions to write letters. Swears at mailman when he does not leave any mail. Frequents strange places such as cemeteries, ruins, remote desolate areas. Makes secret phone calls at night. Hides phone bills from spouse and mumbles to self. Has strange faraway look in eyes.

NO KNOWN CURE. . . .


DO YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE?

In the past several issues have listed 131 individual Birth Records. These are individuals that we have been unable to place. We list 111 more individuals in this issue and as always any help in identifying these individuals would be greatly appreciated.

name, birth date, state, comment


Peter Chenoweth, editor, Hephzibah, GA .... Comments and Contributions Email: p.chenoweth@comcast.net
Copyright c 2004 by Peter Chenoweth and Jon D. Egge. All Rights Reserved. Any republication of this page material for personal use requires inclusion of this copyright. Any other republication of this page material requires the express consent of the editor.