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Category: Downing

FindMyPast

FindMyPast

When I first saw FindMyPast I was particularly struck by the maps which show you the person’s location on that census. I could see many uses for that. And the census maps in FindMyPast would be useful — IF they were dependably accurate. But they aren’t. And there are too many I know aren’t to trust those I don’t know. Robert Downing arrived in Illinois and settled along Salt Creek in the center of the state in 1821. I know…

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Mapping My Ancestors

Mapping My Ancestors

Mapping your family’s historical residences comes up from time to time. Recently blogger Randy Seaver wrote about it in his Genea-Musings. Genealogist Lisa Louise Cooke did an excellent webinar on the subject for RootsMagic. I have her  CD set “Google Earth for Genealogy.” It covers more than just mapping. There is a genealogy program “Map My Family Tree” which works with many genealogy database programs. Randy started in 1900. My rule of thumb is start with grandparents to protect privacy. Another…

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FEMALE ANCESTORS

FEMALE ANCESTORS

How many generations in your direct female line do you know? This question is for females. The way records were kept men can generally go further back with data on male lines than females with their female lines. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited solely from the mother and thus enables the trace of your maternal line back in time. Unfortunately it can’t put a name to the members of the line. Obviously you are #1 and your mother is #2. My…

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Google Images

Google Images

Randy Seaver, a prolific genealogy blogger, wrote about finding cemetery images on Google Images recently. Naturally I had to try it. I am not sure how it works but searching for “Robert Downing cemetery” brought up his stone, his relatives’ stones, my non Downing relatives’ stones, photos from my blogs of unrelated people, even pictures of me. I guess he is linked to me in their logic. A search for “Samuel Downing cemetery” did not produce a photo of Samuel’s…

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Expand the View 2

Expand the View 2

This is my maternal grandfather’s mother’s line.Eliza S. “Lida” Harding [1869-1942] m. William H. Downing [1863-1903] m. John Rupp [1878-1935]doBenjamin Harding [1836-1915] m. Mary Ellen Clark [1847-1914]so Daniel Harding [1798-1869] m. Elizabeth Wilson [1801-1884]soJohn Bennett Hardin [?-1849] probable but not sufficiently proven – his ancestors are known should proof surfaceMy maternal grandfather’s maternal grandmother’s line.Mary Ellen Clark [1847-1914] m. Benjamin Harding [1836-1915]doRev. Richard Winans Clark [1808-1854] m. Margaret Ann Clark [1808-1867]soRev. David Clark [1776-1847] m. Rachel Rutter [? – c 1803]…

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Expand the View

Expand the View

I recently had a lengthy email correspondence with another transplanted Logan County native. We have different backgrounds and no ancestors in common but when we started talking our ancestors, collaterals and their families brushed at so many spots that I learned new things.This indicates to me it would be worthwhile to expand our somewhat limited view and see what turns up.If you have any connection to these lines or think you might – or know anything that might be interesting…

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William Henry Downing Probate

William Henry Downing Probate

William Henry Downing’s probate file came from the Logan County Circuit Clerk. Parts of it could be found at IRAD and the whole probate would be in the FamilySearch files. On December 2, 1903, in the typhoid epidemic, William Henry Downing died. He was the only child of William Nelson Downing, who died in the Civil War, ironically of “typhoid pneumonia,” and Delilah Downing Downing. He was 40 years old, not expecting to die and had no will. His heirs…

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Delilah Downing Downing Shellhammer Will

Delilah Downing Downing Shellhammer Will

Delilah Downing Downing Shellhammer was the youngest child of Robert Downing whose probate was previously discussed. I had never considered that she had a will or probate but I found it in the probate records posted online at FamilySearch. These probate files are more work to collect, not being word searchable, but they are also free. Help with the records.  Delilah died June 22, 1909. She first married William Nelson Downing who died in the Civil War. She then married David…

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Robert Downing Probate

Robert Downing Probate

This is the first of several planned posts on probate. This probate file was obtained in the standard way from the Logan County Circuit Court Clerk. On June 14, 1887, Robert Downing died. The War of 1812 veteran and one of the earliest settlers in Logan County, Illinois, was 93 1/2 years old. He died without a will. Letters of Administration were not issued to his eldest surviving son, Robert Harden Downing, until January 3, 1888. As he died with…

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13

13

Samuel Downing, my ggg grandfather, was second of 16 children. His immediate younger brother Thomas followed him to Illinois and purchased neighboring land. Thomas had three wives. He apparently had a thing for the number 13 too. [Remember that.] He married Elizabeth Kellison in Pike County, OH, on May 13, 1819. They had five daughters before she died. He married Rebecca Huff in Pike County, OH, on September 13, 1832. They had three children, a daughter and two sons, before…

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