On the right hand side of this page under "Labels" if you click on "Simmons" you will find other posts I've written on this branch of my family tree. In several of those posts, I mention I had not been able to find death records for some of my direct Simmons ancestors. I plan to prove my line to the Revolutionary War Patriot, Libbeus Simmons, and submit a DAR supplemental application. Last year I focused on this line, and was able to find some information on the deaths of three of these Simmons ancestors. Maybe not exact dates, but good enough for my satisfaction. We'll have to see about DAR.
1. Ruth Webb, daughter of Jonathan Smith and Rachel Simmons; married first to Lebius Simmons; and second to Cyrus Webb. Ruth's mother and her husband were first cousins, so she married her first cousin once removed.
I was sure that Ruth died in Fulton County, Illinois sometime between 1862 and 1866 when she was the wife of Cyrus Webb. You always read about the importance of military records, but if a man mustered into camp, got sick and died within a month I questioned whether there would be much of any information in his file. The military records site Fold 3 offered a free weekend, so I tried to get the "Minor's Pension" listed for Cyrus but I could not get access. About that time another company offered a sale on obtaining military records, so I took advantage of their offer and got the Minor's Pension. An affidavit from the midwife present at the births of the children of Cyrus and Ruth gave me her death date. In the affidavit, the midwife swears "that she was acquainted with Cyrus Webb and wife for ten years before she died...and that they lived together as husband and wife til Mrs Webb died which was on or about the 25th day of October, 1863." No full name given, but for me this was well worth the money spent.
2. I had the kind of experience that would make a great commercial for Genealogybank, the newspaper subscription site. My SECOND search there lead me to a very short sentence. "In Canton Esther, wife of Lebbeus Simmons, 48". Esther and Lebbeus Simmons were the parents of the Lebius Simmons above. They are my 4th Great Grandparents.
That sentence was included in a long list of deaths from all around the country printed in the Commercial Advertisor, a New York newspaper in 1839. I NEVER would have looked for anything on them in a New York newspaper, they never lived in New York. I'm sure that that newspaper picked up that little bit of news from some Illinois newspaper, likely somewhere close to Canton. Someday I hope to find that Illinois paper and read much more than one sentence. The Genealogybank subscription fee was much less than a trip to Illinois searching through all local papers for her obituary.
3. Genealogy groups on Facebook have become a great resource. I posted a message on The Fulton County Historical & Genealogical Society's page and got a results! Years ago I had been given the death date for Lebbeus of December 24, 1879, but never knew the source. I tried to get a death record from the Fulton County Clerk with that date, but they didn't have anything. For the reasonable search fee of $5.00 I received this clipping which came from the Fulton County Ledger. There it is! December 24, 1879 in paragraph three:
"At the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Hester Ford, in Canton, Wednesday evening, Dec. 24, 1879, of old age, Mr. Libbeus Simmons.
Mr. Simmons' age is not positively known, but he was supposed to have been from 93 to 102 years old, according to the best information we can gather from old residents.
He was born in the state of New York. Came to Canton in 1834. He built the brick home just north of the railroad, near Mr. McBroom's. He was twice married. Six or seven years ago a son came here from New York and took the old man home with him; but last summer he was sent here to his daugher's, Mrs. Ford's, where he died, as above stated."
Lebbeus was actually married three times, and he was born in Maine, not New York, but newspapers do make mistakes. Notice it says "At the residence of his daughter "Mrs Hester Ford". Before I had this obit, and back when Fold 3 had that free weekend, there was another pension I was able to get. The Widow's pension for William H. Mills was accessible (maybe only Widow's pensions, not Minor's pensions were included in "free"?). In his file was another affidavit from a woman who was present at the births of William's children. William's wife was Rosilla Douglas Simmons, who was the daughter of Lebbeus & Esther, and a sister to Lebius Simmons. The "midwife" was Esther Ford, a name at that time I had never before seen associated with Simmons. Looking into who Esther Ford was, I found the marriage record of John Ford and Esther Simmons. She was born in Maine and her birth year was just a few years later than Lebius, so she could easily be his sister. At that point, I assumed she was named after her mother and helped deliver her sister Rosilla's children. After getting this clipping I knew for sure she was another child of Lebbeus and Esther Simmons.
Having the information on these deaths will help with my DAR Supplemental application. I still need one death and two marriage records. This line has been something I've worked on for twenty years. I really hope it will pass the scrutiny of the DAR, but as for me, I have faith in what I've found.
Well done! I love a good affidavit. Fold3 and Facebook groups have been very helpful to me too and to women that I’ve assisted with DAR applications. I have yet to work on a supplemental for myself though.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to find anything in a pension file for a man who really never fought in the war! Thanks Wendy, and don't put your supplementals off for too long!
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