Individuals from Chrisman Pedigree, page 2

Notes:

Places he Resided:

1. Boone Co., Indiana

2. Marion Co., Oregon : Settled DLC #2403, 1854
Came to Oregon in 1853. Settled near Brooks, OR.

First born child died as an infant (no known name).

!Marriage: Indiana state marriage index: Avas Chencutt & William Chrisman, Union Co., IN 7-14-1831. (www.statelib.lib.in.us)

!Census 1850: Boone Co., IN, District No. 7, roll 137, p. 126.
William Chrisman, 41, M, Farmer, $1000, Va, married within year [sic]
Ava, 41, F, NC, married within year [sic], can't read & write
Elizabethana, 16, F, Ind
Abner C., 14, M, Ind
Daniel T, 12, M, Ind
Samuel C, 10, M, Ind
William J, 9, M, Ind
Mary J, 6, F, Ind
James M, 7/12, M, Ind
Dimmean Coobs, 8, M, Ind

!Census 1860: Fairfield, Marion Co., Oregon, enum 25 Jun 1860, p. 394, household 2940, family 2579:
Wm Chrisman, 50 b. KY, $1800/$820, farmer
A. "", female, 50, N. Carolina
L.L. [sic, S.L.], male, 20, $45, b. Iowa [sic -- looks like Iowa, I assume it is Indiana], farmer
Wm, male, 18, $50, b. ", farmer, att sch
M.J., female, 15, b. ", att sch
J. M., male, 10, b. ", att sch.


Ross said he went to Jacksonville after Ava's death. Family members never heard of him after he left, and there is no sign that he ever arrived. No one knows what became of him -- did he meet his demise on his way to Southern Oregon? Indians or bandits perhaps?

William Chrisman came by wagon train to Oregon, arriving Oct 1853.

Records from: Oregon Land Donation Claim, No. 2403, William Chrisman, Marion Co.; b. 1810 Mason Co., Virginia; Arr OR Oct 1853; sc 31 Mar 1854; m. Ava 14 Jul 1830, Union Co., Ind; Ava d. 1859. Aff: F.E.Eldridge, Geo Rondo, S.W.K. Jones (MA), Thomas O. Davis, L.H.Ponjade, J.H.Lasater.

Note: His claim was adjacent to claim #1928 of Christian Stehman, Marion Co.

1860 Census Marion Co.: Lived in Fairfield Pct.

T7 Roll 233, page 294: Farmer with $1800 in land and $825 personal property.

Family Lore:

There is a family legend that William had a major disagreement with his father over the issue of slavery when he was a young man, William being opposed to it, his father being for it. The disagreement caused a rift between him and his father, resulting in William moving away from home. There were also claims in family lore that his father may have owned several slaves, and that that may have been at the heart of the disagreement. The story has been repeated in a number of places. It was told to me by my grandfather, Lyle D. Chrisman. It appears in the autobiography of Velma Limbeck. And I saw it repeated in a copy of an old letter (circa 1960s) where it stated that Ross had also given this account. From following through, I've traced the story back to Abner Chrisman (William's son), who apparently told it to a number of his grandchildren.

Extant records would seem to indicate that such a strong disagreement between William and his father John over this issue would be unlikely. In records that exist (Fauquier Co. tax records 1803-6, censuses 1810-1830), John is shown without any slaves. Furthermore, John (William's father) lived in areas where slavery was not popular, including Mason County, W.V., and then moving to Union County, Indiana. Furthermore, there are some hints, but no solid records, that William's father John might have even spent some time in Boone Co., Indiana in his later years. The rumors that John Chrisman ever owned slaves seems highly unlikely, and the claims that the issue divided William and his father may be dubious. What would be much more consistent with known facts is the possibility that William's father John had this falling out with his father, John Chrisman Sr., but that the characters became off by a generation as the story was passed down the line. William's father, John, did move far away from his father, from the South (Tennessee) up to anti-slave territory (Mason Co.). When he (John) hit financial bad-luck with the sinking of a cargo, of cotton, he (John) was "too proud" to go to his father for assistance, despite the fact that his father would have had no problem rescuing him. It is my current opinion that the family legend likely does have substance to it, but that it was William's father, and not William, who had the falling out with his father over the issue of slavery. Nevertheless, the story as told to me was that it was William and his father.

As an adult, William Withers Chrisman lived with his family in Boone County, Indiana, until 1853. William was involved in some sort of long standing feud with a neighbor by the name of Jackson (the origin and nature of the feud is not known). In 1853, William's eldest daughter, Elizabeth, fell in love with the Jackson's boy, and the two approached William for his permission to get married. William refused. In response, Elizabeth became pregnant, expecting her father to insist they do the honorable thing and get married. However, William's response was much different. He decided instead to move away, all the way to Oregon, and he threatened the boy, telling him that if he ever showed up in Oregon, he would meet his maker. Apparently William convinced several of his siblings to move to Oregon as well, for in 1853, William, his family, and several of his siblings and their families joined a train and headed for the Willamette Valley.

I have in the past heard my grandpa and some of his sisters talk about William's land claims when he arrived to Oregon, but I don't remember all the details and don't currently have all the records. What I do remember, roughly, is that he arrived, obtained a grant for some mediocre land up on some ridge, which he sold or traded almost immediately, and instead ended up with the old Chrisman homestead, located about midway between Stayton and Scio, where Abner Chenault Chrisman and later George Nelson Chrisman lived as well. At one time there was a large house there, built by William or Abner, with a large spiral staircase. Today no house stands, there is simply a large field there under cultivation. Syvesta Limbeck, who grew up there, lives adjacent to where the old property was.

Sometime in the mid 1860s, William Withers headed for southern Oregon with the intentions of settling there, but was never heard from again. Little is known about his disappearance, whether he ever made it there (although no records have been found to indicate he ever did), or what became of him. His immediate family (children, siblings, etc) who were residing up in the Scio area, probably did not realize he was missing for many years, and as far as I know, no one ever followed through at the time with any sort of investigation to attempt to find him. Descendants believe it is most likely that he never made it to southern Oregon. In those days, travel was plagued with many dangers, including bandits, indians, animals, bad weather, or he may have simply had an accident with no one around to find him. Needless to say, his date of death is unknown and unlikely to be discovered.

Ava Chenault

m: William Withers Chrisman (9 SEP 1810-)

Children:

Notes:

George Erwin Howell has in his records that she was born in 1810 and married on 14 jul 1830 . Other family records indicated that she was born on 12 Oct 1809 and married 14 Jul 1831.

Information from Marion Co. probate: Chrisman, Ava, file #208. Intestate. Died 27 Mar 1861. Wm Chrisman, husband, Adm Apr 1861. Heirs Elizabeth Ann Davis 27, wife of Thomas O Davis, Linn Co. A.C. Chrisman 25, D T Chrisman 22, S L Chrisman 21, Wm S Chrisman 18, Mary Jane Chrisman 17, James M Chrisman 11 (all of Marion Co., OR). She was about 57 when she died.

From the Dec 1976 issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly: a list of the wagons and people that came over the Oregon Trail, via the "Elliot Cut-Off, about 275 wagons are reported to have tried the route. On Sept 21, 1853 was listed, among many others, Chrisman, W., w, 6s, 2d. This must be Wm. Withers who had with him a wife, 6 sons, and 2 daughters (actually, one of the sons, a baby, was in fact a grandson born to Elizabeth).

Abner Chenault

m: Mary Margaret Ferguson (6 APR 1776-12 JUL 1849)

Children:

Notes:

!Birth-Death: Essay of W. W. and Clare Chenault in the 1978 edition of the Chenault Genalogy , also in [Roger's update p. 491]. They state that the info came from tombstones which are barely legible.

1799: Abner got a land grant adjoining his father's.

!Census (1800), North Carolina. Neighbors = Francis Fore and James Walker.

1804 and 1808: Abner Chenault purchased land from William Walker [Rockingham Co., NC land records, W.W. & Clare Chenault 1978]

1812: Abner moved to Indiana [Altas of Union County, Indiana, 1884]. He sent a series of powers of attorneys to Rockingham County, North Carolina (one to Abner Walker) to manage his affairs there and to buy his sister's (Susanna Fore's) interest in their father's estate, 1815.

1819 & 1820: He sold the Indiana land to William and James Ferguson respectively.

[Note: Haven't found in 1850 census]

Mary Margaret Ferguson

m: Abner Chenault (3 JAN 1773-23 MAY 1851)

Children:

Notes:

She is named as "Mary Chimault" in ["Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revoluti on buried in Indiana", compiled by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne, 1938, pg. 139-140], child of John Ferguson. That info probably came from the Pension file of John Ferguson, claim W 10777. (Note, it is possible that it came from his will as well).

Chenault genealogy states that her barely legible tombstone says "4/1/1776 - 7/18/1849". These dates differ by a few days from other sources.

William Chenault

m: Susanna Walker

Children:

Notes:

!Marriage: History of Fayette County, Indiana, 1887. [Repeated in Chenault genealogy]

That William Chenault of Rockingham Co., North Carolina, and William Chenault Jr. of Bedford Co., Virginia are the same person, is advanced in an essay by W. W. and Clara Chenault in the 1978 edition of the Chenault Genealogy [Rogers p.490]. It is based on a number of close relations between William Chenault and James Walker in both places. James Walker and his daughter Maggie (Walker) Webster are traced from Bedford Co. Va to Rockingham Co., NC where they live adjacent to William Chenault. That essay suggests James Walker may be a first cousin to William's wife Susanna.

William Chenault (it is uncertain whether this was Jr. or Sr.) had land surveyed in Bedford Co., Virginia in 1761 and 1767. In 1783, James Walker moved to North Carolina and received a land grant. In 1787 William Jr. followed and received a grand next to James consisting of 360 acres for which he paid 50 shillings for every hundred acres. [W. W. & Clara Chenault, 1978]

The names of William Jr.'s children are obtained from a will of Margaret Chenault (daughter) filed in Rockingham Co., N.C. There is only one male line from William Chenault all the way to the end of the 20th century.

Susanna Walker

m: William Chenault (1740-1812)

Children:

Notes:

During the years that William Chenault Jr. was in Bedford County, the Walker family (specific ally James Walker, son of John Walker), along with the Chenaults, are prominent in the court records, serving on road gangs, juries, acting as witnesses, etc., with each other. James Walker's daughter, Maggie, m. John Webster in 1763, Bedford Co., and she is mentioned in his will drawn in Rockingham Co., NC, 1813. Both family named their first born sons Abner, and other names in the two families correspond. Their land adjoined in North Carolina and other documents show the families to be close. The exact relationship of Susanna and James Walker has not been established. W. W. and Clara Chenault, Chenault Genealogy 1978 edition, believe them to be first cousins. To me, it seems like James could even be Susanna's father, and I'm not sure why this wasn't considered or refuted in the mentioned essay.

William Chenault

Children:

Notes:

Might have also had sons John and Benjamin. Records are severely lacking.

R. Stanley Harsh has argued that he might actually have been a son of Stephen Chenault Jr. (i.e., a grandson of Estienne), and born about 1720.

Since records in Rockingham Co., N.C. that refer to William Chenault never use "Sr." or "Jr.", it is assumed that only William Jr. moved, and that William Sr. died in Bedford Co., Virginia.

Etienne Stephen Chenault

m: Mary Howlett (1680-)

Children:

Notes:

A Huguenot who fled the province of Languenoe (or Lauguedoc), France, to avoid religious pers ecution upon the revocation of the Edict of Nautes. He escaped to England, and then came to Virginia in the on the ship Nassau, which sailed from Blackwell, London, on December 8, 1700. The passenger list for that ship records "Estienne Cheneau et sa femme".

Through an error in navigation, possibly deliberate, the "Le Nasseau" failed to find the Rappahannock River which led to Monikintown, and instead docked at Yorktown at the mouth of the York River March 5, 1701. Only 23 of the 191 passengers seem to have gone to Monikintown, and Estienne was not among them.

The spiritual leader during the voyage, Mons'r Latane, took charge of the Farnham Parish in Essex County, Virginia, on April 5, 1701. Estienne apparently followed him to Essex Co. and he and his wife raised their family there and died there.

Excellent source: "Etienne Du Cheneau" written by Charlton B. Rogers Jr., compiled from data supplied by W.W. and Clara Chenault and Leroy Johnson, 1978 edition.

He is a confirmed Huguenot immigrant.
Source: "Register of Qualified Huguenot Ancestors", The National Huguenot Society, 3rd edition. Compiled by Vera Reeve, Wash. DC, 1983.

Other sources of information:
Hynes, Lee Powers, "Our Heritage: A record of info about the Hynes, Wait, Powers, Chenault, Maxey, Brewster, Starr, and McIntosh families" Haddonfield, NJ. 1957

"American Ancestry: Giving the Name & Descent, in the Male Line, of Americans whos ancesters settled in the United States previous to the Declaration of Independence". Also called Munsell's American Ancestry. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1968.

5 Apr 1714: "Stephen Chenault" witnessed the will of John Boulware in Essex County. He signed with his mark, indicating he was not literate in English.
On February 23, 1715, NS, "Stephen Cheynault" witnessed the will of John Williams of St. Ann's Parish in Essex County". [research by R. Stanley Harsh of Winchester, Va., included in Roger's book's update.]

In 1747, "Stephen Chenault Jr." witnessed a land sale for John Garnett. This is the last known reference to a "Stephen Jr.", so by one theory Estienne Stephen Sr.) was probably still alive, but probably not for long after this date.

R. Stanley Harsh argues, however, that Estienne died not long after 1715 when he witnessed the will above. Records dated 1721, 1727, 1740, and 1747 may have been misinterpreted, being off by an entire generation. The 1721 and 1727 records occur at a time when the son Stephen should be in adulthood, yet those records do not use Jr. or Sr. designators.

Mary Howlett

m: Etienne Stephen Chenault (1675-1747/1750)

Children:

Notes:

Information about Estienne Chenault's wife is scarse. They were probably newlyweds at the ti me of their immigration to America since Estienne Cheneau was listed with a wife on the ship's passenger list, but without children.
This would indicate that they were probably married in England, probably about 1699.

Some family legend claims her name to have been Mary, which seems quite consistent with the naming of their eldest daughter. The maidenname has been assumed by descendants based only on the naming of the eldest son, whereby it was not uncommon to give a son the mother's maiden name.

R. Stanley Harsh points out that Mary Howlett was likely a wife of Estienne, given the naming of the first born. But, the assumption that she was his first wife and the one who came over with him in the Nassau might be wrong. That wife might have died soon after arrival, possibly even after a child or two, with Estienne then marrying Mary Howlett. This conjecture is based on a Howlett family being located in Essex County at that time.

A letter from Lucy Adele Chenault Robinsn stated [Rogers p.4]: "Estienne Chenault must have been enterprising. While he was in London waiting for the ship to be outfitted, he met and married Mary Elizabeth Howlett, who already had relatives in the colonies."

In 1711, William Howlett owned land in Essex County next to "ffrancis and Martha Gouldman in St. Ann Parish."

Joseph (Josef) Walter

m: Tracie [---]

m: Marie Anna (Mary) Cutychovâa (26 FEB 1881-28 DEC 1977)

Children:

Notes:

Was a miner. Worked at the Mother Lode Mine in British Columbia around 1902 (Deadwood Townsi te). This was primarily a copper mine, the largest such in Canada. A small amount of Gold mining and refinement was also done there.

He also worked at Camp 14, Hammond Lbs Co., Mill City, Oregon.

A Joe Wright dropped a slab on his leg at 'new sawmill' on Rodgers Mt.
His leg was cut, which started the blood poisoning which killed him.

He was 5 feet 10 inches tall with blue eyes and fair complexition. He got his Naturalization papers on 13 Apr 1922. At that time, his wife, Mary, was 43 years of age, dau.Mary 21, Millie 17, Mae was omitted, Vlasta 13, Jerry-Yaromir 12, Stanley, Vleslav 7, Blanche 4, and Vera 2. (This came from Blanche from his papers.)

Joseph and Marie moved from Bohemia to Canada in 1904. In 1906 the family moved to Rodgers Mountain east of Scio where the children grew up.

!Naturalization: Cert.No.1481194, Petition Vol.3, Number 174. Dated 13 April 1922. Description: "Age 52 years, height 5 feet 10 inches, color white, complexion Fair, color of eyes Blue, color of Hair Brown, visible distinguishing marks None." Wife: Mary Walter, 43 years, residence in Scio, Linn County, Oregon. Children: Mary Walter, 19 years; Millie Walter, 17; Wlasta Walter, 13 years; Yaromir Walter, 12 years; Witerslav Walter, 7 years; Blanche Walter, 4 years; Vera Walter, 2 years. All reside at Scio, Linn County, Oregon. Signature: Joseph Walter, State of Oregon, County of Linn.
"Be it remembered that Joseph Walter then residing at number [blank] Street, City of Scio, Linn County, State of Oregon, who previous to his naturalization was a subject of Czecho-Slovak Republic, having applied to be admitted a citizen of the United States of America persuant to law, and, at a Regular term of the Circuit Court of Oregon for Linn County held at Albany, Oregon, on the 13th day of April, in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and Twenty-two, the court having found that the petitioner had resided continuously within the United States for at least five years and in this State for at least one year immediately preceding the date of the filing of his petition, and that said petitioner intends to reside permanently in the United States, had in all respects, complied with the law in relation, therefore, and that he was entitled to be so admitted, it was thereupon ordered by the said court that he be admitted as a citizen of the United States of America...
In testimony whereof, the seal of said court is hereunto affixed on the 13th day of April in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and Twenty-two, and of our Independence the one hundred and Forty Sixth. R.M. Russell, Clerk"

On a list of dates provided to Ken Walter by Gayleen (Javorsky)(John) Fulgham, she had Josef's birthdate as 12 Jun 1870. Sheets from Vera have had his birthdate as 12 June 1869. The naturalization papers would be consistent with the 1869 birthdate. Other dates from Gayleen's list:
1896: "Mary [sic - married] To Teplice, 15 yrs old"
20 Apr 1902: Marries Marie Anna Cutych, Mary 21 yrs old, Joseph 32 yrs old
July 1903: Moves to British Columbia.
30 June 1904: Mary & Marie left Czech.
Sept 1906: Wife and daughters to Scio Oregon.
?? : Josef to Scio
Sept 1907: Josef leaves again for work in Canada
Nov 1907: Josef returns to Scio (for good)
1919: Moved into their new house.

!Census (1910): Rodgers Mountain, Linn Co., Oregon, North Scio Precinct, E.D. 186, sheet 4B-5A.
Joe Walter, 41
Mary, wife, 29
Mary, wife, 7 Aust. Bohemia
Ruzmila, dau, 4 Canada
May, dau, 3 Oregon
Vlasta, dau, 1 Oregon
Frank Cutych, father-in-law, 55
Mary, mother-in-law, 51

Census 1920: Not located.

Sources:

[1] @S55@

Marie Anna (Mary) Cutychovâa

m: Joseph (Josef) Walter (12 JUN 1869-30 APR 1924)

Children:

Notes:

!Naturalization: Certificate 1481194, Petition Vol. 3, Num.174. Wife of Joseph Walter liste d as "Mary Walter: 43 years:Scio, Linn County, Oregon." Dated 13 April 1922.

!SSDI: Marie Walter, b. 26 Feb 1881, d. Dec 1977, res. Stayton OR 97383, SSN 542-60-7865 (issued OR 1965).

Her birthplace, Lecice or Ledice, is a town about 20 miles north northwest of Prague, about 5 miles south east of Roudnice, on the northern edge of the Czech state of Stredocesky, the same state that contains Prague.
The town of her baptism is about 14 miles east north east of Prague, a few miles east of Lise or Lysa, also in Stredocesky.

!Death Certificate: Oregon Local File 1574. Name: Marie Mary Walter; Date of Death: December 28, 1977; Race: White; Sex: Female; Age: 96; Date of Birth: February 26, 1881; County of Death: Marion; City of Death: Sublimity; Inside city limits: Yes; Hospital: Marian [sic] Nursing Home; State/Country of Birth: Czechoslovakia; Citizen of: U.S.A.; Marital Status: Widowed; SSN: 542-607865; Usual occupation: Homemaker; Residence: Oregon; County: Linn; City: Scio; Street and Number: Rt. 1 Box 185; Father: Frank Cutych; Mother: Marie Lipsova; Informant: Blanche Chrisman, daughter; Death was caused by (a) Coronary Thrombosis -- 8 hours, (b) Arterio Sclerotic heart disease - several years; Other significant conditions: Conjestive heart failure; Autopsy: No; Accident: No; Injury at work: No; Certification (physician attended deceased) from 1976 to Dec 28 1977; Last saw: Dec 28 1977; Death occurred: 7:10 A.M.; Physician signiture: William A. S. Klass M.D.; signed Dec 31, 1977; Mailing address -- physician: 1375 N. 10th St, Stayton Oregon 97383; Burial at Franklin Butte Cemetery, Scio Oregon, Dec 30, 1977; Funeral directory: Ralph Hatfield; Funeral home: Weddle Funeral Home Inc., 1777 Third Ave., Stayton Ore 9738[3]; Registrar: Grace Tomlin; Date Rec'd: Jan 6, 1978. Signed Registrar of Vital Statistics, by Grace Tomlin deputy.

!Funeral Program: [In files of Lonnie Chrisman]: In Memory of Marie Mary Walter. Born: February 26, 1881; Died: December 28, 1977. Services: December 30, 1977 Wddle Funeral Home Chapel, Stayton, Oregon. Rev. Norbert Fritz, Officiating. Mrs. Sandy Stockwell, Organist. Bearers (Grandsons): Kenneth Walter, Walter Newberry, Raymond Bell, Robert Peshall, Verl Thomas, Wayne Stavang. Concluding Services: Franklin Butte Cemetery, Scio, Oregon.
5 Sep 1887: Mary began school. [Date from Gayleen]
27 Feb 1895: Mary graduated from the 8th grade. [Date from Gayleen]
30 Jun 1904: Mary and Marie leave Czech.
Sep 1906: Mary and girls move to Scio, Oregon. She clears 80 acres for house.

Sources:

[1] @S55@

Last Updated: Tue Dec 4 12:47:08 2007 Lonnie Chrisman 4824 Kingbrook Dr., San Jose, CA 95124 1-408-358-1640

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