Wordless Wednesday (Almost)

Brothers and Sisters
The Moore Family of Madison County, Indiana
Seated, l-r: Lethia Moore Warner, Julia Moore Wright,
Jane Moore DeHority, Mat Moore.
Standing, l-r: Joseph Moore, Will Moore, Tom Moore

Not Royal, But Pretty Special

With all the attention being paid to the royal wedding today, I'm guessing the topic of weddings will be very popular in the blogosphere. It has me thinking of a very special newspaper announcement of my grandparent's wedding that I found on a research trip to Indiana. You know I was thrilled! Today, I would only have to go to NewspaperArchive.com. Here is a transcription of the announcement. Cue Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera!

The Daily Republican, October 13, 1915:

Miss Mary Louise Mauzy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Mauzy and George Hupp DeHority, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.C. DeHority of Elwood were married Tuesday evening at seven-thirty o'clock at the Mauzy home at 611 North Harrison Street. Many guests were present.

The ceremony was performed by the Rev. C.M. Yocum, pastor of the Main Street Christian church, before an immense bank of pink roses, and ferns studded with green cathedral candles, in the living room. The Episcopal ring service was used.

Colors of pink and green predominated in the very elaborate decorations. Pink roses and greenery were used in profusion and green potted plants were also a part of the decorative scheme. The bride's table was especially beautiful with feather fern suspended from the chandalier to the four corners of the table, forming a canopy when entwined with pink maline.

Leading the bridal Party were Wendell Wilkie of Elwod and Benjamin Hitz of Indianapolis, ribbon bearers, and following in order were the pastor; the bridegroom, Mr. DeHority, and his best man, Louis Mauzy, brother of the bride; Miss Erema Wilk and Miss Mary Louise Craig of this city, bridesmaids; Judith Mauzy, little daughter of Mr and Mrs. Hugh Mauzy, ring bearer; Miss Edith Wilk of this city, maid of honor; Mary Belle O'Brien of Elwood flower girl, and the bride and her father, who gave her away. Mrs. Florence Frazee Woodward san "All For You" and "At Dawning" just preceding the ceremony; Mrs. Hugh Mauzy playing the accompaniment. Maroni, an Indianapolis harpist, played the wedding march and a program of wedding music during the ceremony, as well as throughout the evening.

The bride's wedding gown was of white tulle over white charmuse, embroidered in pearls. She wore a veil and carried a bridal boquet of orchids and lilies of the valley.

The maid of honor was gowned in pale green taffeta. The bridesmaids were in dresses of pink silk net over pink silk. All three carried shower bouquets of sweetheart roses. The ring bearer and flower girl were dressed in white dresses.

Following the ceremony, light refreshments were served the guests.

Mr. and Mrs. DeHority left last night for their honeymoon trip to Chicago in an automobile, stopping over night in Elwood and will be at home in Elwood after December 1.

Mr. and Mrs. DeHority were both graduated at Indiana University and were students together there. Mrs. DeHority is a member of the Kappa Alphha Theta and the Psi Iota Xi sororities and Mr. DeHority is a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

The guests from out of the city included Miss Lois Stewart of Sullivan, Miss Laura Lindley, Miss Irma Wyebacher, Mr ad Mrs. Carl Eveleigh and Benj. Hitz of Indianapolis, Mrs. Florence Frazee-Woodward of Covington, Ky. Miss Helene Whitesides and Ferd Strickler of Franklin, Miss Hallie Pilger of Anderson, Fred Durham of Muncie, Jolin Morris of Newcastle, Mr. and Mrs. Frank DeHority, Mrs. Arthur O'Brien and daughter Mary Belle, Wendell Wilkie and Mr and Mrs. C.C. DeHority, parents of the bridegroom, all of Elwood, Mrs Rose Kranier of Indianapolis, Mrs. George Becker of Richmond, Mr. and Mrs Ed DeHority and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph DeHority of Elwood, Mr. and Mrs S.B. Harding of Indianapolis, Mr. and Mrs. W.A. DeHority of Indiannapolis, Mrs. Anna Mauzy-Moore of Findley, Ohio, Mr. and Mrs. William Harding of Elwood, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Parry of Indianapolis, Miss Gladys Henley of Chicago, Ward Hackleman of Idianapolis, Mrs. Harold Mauzy of Gary and Mrs. St. Clair Parry of Indianapolis.

Best wishes to all the happy couples this weekend!

Melodrama on a Sunday Morning

Still sorting through those pesky Delaware Dehortys, I came upon a newspaper article from the front page of The Logansport (IN) Journal, dated August 20, 1898, with a story about my cousin (3X removed) Tillie DeHority. It is a long post, but fun, so I'll excerpt the article below. The writing is such fun, dramatically telling the story of two young lovers. It was a lesson for me on the importance of looking for newspaper articles of the period to give life to our ancestors' stories.

THEIR SECRET OUT
*****
CAME TO LOGANSPORT
***
Here an Obliging Justice Said the Words that Made Them One

Society circles in the little cities of Elwood and Kokomo are just at present all excitement over the episodes of a couple of lovers who ran away to this city and, sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning are supposed to have been united in marriage by some obliging official possessing the authority to tie knots that are said to bind. The principals in the elopement are prominent in the social circles of both the cities both being residents of Elwood.

The bride is the daughter of the president of the leading bank of Madison county's second city and the groom is a handsome young widower, in the drugs and soda water line. The dramatis personae also includes a wronged wife seeking her lost marriage lines: a young attorney, mutual friend of the principal characters, and a friend of the heroine who was inoocently made to aid in the development of the plot, while the "villian" in the play is supposed to be represented by the irate papa of the blushing bride.


The first part of the story is told by the Kokomo Dispatch as follows:'Tuesday morning Miss Tillie DeHority, a daughter of J.H. DeHority, president of the Elwood National bank and perhaps the foremost man in the commercial life of that place, came to Kokomo for a brief visit with Mrs. Cordis Ovens of West Walnut street.....Miss DeHority had visited Mrs. Ovens here on several occasions. Naturally she suspected nothing when she received a letter from her Elwood friend a few days ago announcing her purpose to 'come over' for a brief time. Invitations were secured for her to a number of social gatherings, functions at which she was to be the houseguest were organized among the younger set, and no effort was spared to make her visit a pleasant one...

Miss DeHority came to Logansport on Tuesday night and here [she was] met by Curt Howe, an Elwood druggist, and attorney Bert Call of Elwood. No record of any marriage license having been issued to Mr. Howe and Miss DeHority appears on the books in the office of the county clerk here, but from an acquaintance of the parties here the statement comes that the marriage license was brought from Madison County by Mr. Howe. The marriage ceremony howeve is said to have been performed here, but even surrounding that there seems to have been thrown a circle of secrecy for, while it is whispered that one of Logansport's very popular and ever-obliging justices in matters of this kind knows more than he is willing to tell, no definite statement has been given out. However, certain it is that when the Elwood young lady left here Wednesday, returning to the home of her friend in Kokomo, she went not as Miss DeHority but as Mrs. Howe.

She, however, failed to apprise her friends at Kokomo of her marriage and she attended an afternoon and an evening social gathering and another on Thursday, as Miss Tillie DeHority, 'heart whole and fancy free.' On Thursday afternoon, however, as the Dispatch tells the story, when on her way to the Ovens home in company with Mrs. Ovens, Mrs. Howe was met by a messenger boy with a telegram. It was from her husband and announced that he would be in Kokomo that night. With many tears and much pleading that her secret be kept she told Mrs. Ovens the whole story. Mrs. Ovens was dumbfounded and greatly distressed at the fact that she had been innocently made to aid in what was evidently an elopement and a match that she was sure would not be approved by the young woman's parents.

Mr. Ovens at once communicated with Mr. DeHority by telephone, laying the story before him. Mr. DeHority asked Mr. Ovens to keep his daughter at his home under any and all circumstances until her brother who he would send on the first train could reach Kokomo. The first train was that reaching there at 10:12 o'clock Thursday night. On it Mr. Howe came, but not the brother of his bride. Whether a truce had been patched up between Papa DeHority and his son-in-law is not known. Mr. Howe went to the Ovens home. His stay was significantly brief, but when he came away his wife was with him. They remained at the Clinton hotel until the 1:45 train, which they took to Elwood.

I've left out the tale of Tillie's friend, who seemed to have misplaced her own marriage license. It was altogether a bad day for poor Mrs. Ovens! The story goes on the give particulars on the families, ending with the note that Curtis Howe's first marriage was also "a runaway match".

I wonder what 18-year-old Tillie had gotten herself into?

Saturday Night Fun-the Great-Greats

I've been in a real genealogy "funk" lately. DNA test results on a distant cousin that were due July 6th won't be posted for a couple of weeks. I'm waiting with fingers crossed on a report from a genealogist in Delaware doing research on one of my brick walls. Those kinds of things never come quickly enough, do they? And, I just can't translate one more old land record.

To the rescue is Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Challenge: Name and place your 16 great-great grandparents. One thing I love about blogs, and Randy's in particular, is that they focus my attention on what I know, and what I don't. It turns out, there's a lot I don't know about these folks.

Let's get started:

1. John Wesley DeHority, b. 16 Oct 1840, Madison Co., IN, d. 28 Aug 1881, Madison Co., IN. Ethnicity: IRISH.
   
2. Jane W. Moore, b. 14 May 1840, Madison Co., IN, d. 25 Aug 1925, Elwood, IN. Ethnicity: UNK.
   
3. George Washington Hupp, b. 3 Dec 1834, Shenandoah Co., VA, d. 18 Jan 1923, Elwood, IN. Ethnicity: GERMAN.
   
4. Isabelle Stokes, b. 7 May 1843, Butler Co., OH, d. 7 June 1918, Elwood, IN. Ethnicity: ENGLISH.
   
5. Abram Gooding Mauzy, b. Feb 1825, Bourbon Co., KY, d. Aug 1905, Rushville, IN. Ethnicity: FRENCH.
   
6. Emily R. Jamison, b. 29 May 1828, Bourbon Co., KY, d. 12 July 1873, Rushville, IN. Ethnicity: UNK.
   
7. Houston Carr, b. 6 Feb 1821, KY, d.10 Sept 1856, Rushville, IN. Ethnicity: UNK.
   
8. Mary A. Dunnohew, 8 Sept 1834, OH, d. UNK. Ethnicity: UNK.
   

Now, for the other half. These are the folks that I don't know. I do know that in all probability, they are all LITHUANIAN. I just haven't braced myself to tackle "jumping the pond". Since the oldest complete generation that I have are the greats, I'll list them here:

1. John Douglas (Dobrovolskas), Dates UNK, but born and died in Lithuania.
   
2. Anna Urnikas, b. UNK, d. before 1916, Lithuania
   
3. Jacob Wychulis (Vaiculis), b. 3 May 1865, Lithuania, d. 3 Apr 1942, Old Forge, PA. Ethnicity: LITHUANIAN.
   
4. Anna Burke (Bartkeiwicz), b. 1874, Lithuania, d. 10 May 1951, Old Forge, PA. Ethnicity: LITHUANIAN.

So there you have it! I don't know whether to be pleased about what I know, or blue about what I don't know.

It must be something about August......

It's a brick!

I guess family historians collect strange things. I know that if I find out something belonged to an ancestor, it becomes a treasure and off limits to any downsizing we might undertake. Consider my latest acquisition.



It's a brick. A lovely orange-red, with "Kokomo" on its face, brick. It came from a building, formerly in Elwood, Indiana, called the "DeHority Building". A member of the Elwood Pipe Creek Genealogy Society was kind enough to let me know that the building was being torn down to be replaced by a CVS pharmacy and its parking lot, and also kind enough to go down and get a brick for me, package it carefully with copies of the newspaper accounts of the demolition, and put it in the mail (Thank you, Linda!). How sad! But the building was pretty sad, too. It had pretty much fallen into disrepair in recent years, as you can see from a picture I took a few years ago.





The last DeHority that I knew of to use the building was Robert DeHority, who had an insurance business there, along with other small shops. I don't know what it was before that. The family started a bank, had a general store of sorts, and other enterprises, and maybe some of them were in that building, too. Someday, when I get time, I intend to research the building. That will be after I break down a few more "brick" walls.

For now, my momento will take its place in the garden with my other "Elwood bricks". These I got years ago from an Elwood antique shop. The proprietor told me they once were used as pavers in the streets of Elwood. Aren't they fine?!

Memorial Day, 2009

Major Charles M. DeHority U.S.M.C.
May 1, 1943
5th Artillery. 2d Battalion
Somewhere in the Southern Pacific
(back of photo)

To all those in uniform and their families, thank you for your service!

An Irish Name

The 13th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture features a roll call of Irish names, to which I proudly add the name DeHority.

When I first started doing research, I thought, since we spelled the name DeHority, that it was probably French. My dad, though, had always said we were "shanty Irish", suggesting humble beginnings and strength of character, and surely he was right.

The oldest research that I have on the family has our ancestor landing somewhere, somehow, in Maryland in the early 1700's. This was a George Dahorty, although his name was spelled many ways in records of the period, from Daugherty to Dagity. One of his descendants, Andrew Doherty(1774-1856), described his family's beginnings in Methodism in Pickerington, Ohio, 1812-1905 (H. E. Brill,Gayman Pub. Co., Canal Winchester, OH, 1905):

"About the year 1738, four young fellows were kidnapped on the coast of Ireland, brought to America and sold as indentured servants to pay their passage. One of these young men, George Doherty, was sold to a man who lived on the Delaware coast. He finally died there. What became of the other two is not known. George was the father of Andrew Doherty."

Well, there is no telling how much of this is true. It was probably their oral tradition at the time (and, I did notice that one of the four young fellows disappeared from the story completely). But, after researching probate and land records at the time, I believe Andrew's father was at least the third generation here when he was born about 1744.

Various branches of the family have surnames which include DeHority, Dehorty, Doherty, and Daugherty. In trying to be certain of my Irish claim, I have had my brother's DNA tested, and another DeHority from another branch has joined. Hopefully, more will follow. Our matches with others from the Doherty project at Family Tree DNA convince me I'm in the right place.

Count us as sons and daughters of the Clann ÓDochartaigh!

Deja Vu All Over Again

I have a LOT of land records to transcribe before going to a workshop on Maryland land records in a couple of weeks....but I really don't feel like it. SO, I decided to check out a site that was recommended, GenealogyBank.com . It is a subscription site that features historical newpapers, books and documents, and the always available Social Security Death Index.

The good thing about a name like DeHority is that most of the time, when you get a hit on a search, it is somebody connected to the family. In browsing the hits on this site, I read an article that referenced William DeHority (who would be a great uncle), the first mayor of Elwood, Indiana. The report seemed to be right out of today's headlines, but the reference is a newspaper called the Inter Ocean, dated 20 July 1893:

Dull Times in Elwood

...A deplorable condition of affairs exists among the poorer class of Elwood. Over two thousand workmen are out of employment and many are in suffering circumstances with starvation staring them in the face. The stagnation in business circles prevents them from obtaining any work, and, with no prospect of immediate relief in this direction, they are in a very pitiable condition. With rent to pay and food to procure they are helpless, and in order to furnish them relief Mayor Dehority called a meeting of citizens this evening to devise means for their support.
On Tuesday, Nov. 7, 1892, there were no unemployed men in Elwood. The mills and factories were running on full time and the wages paid were high. But on that day, though a Republican majority was cast in Elwood, many working men in the country at large were led to believe that the Homestead strike was a result of Republican rule, though really it was an event uninfluenced by political causes; and, acting on this belief, they aided in the election of a Congress and a President pledged to repeal that protection to American industries which alone had given birth and maintenance to the Elwood enterprises. The Sherman law, so-called, was then in force, but its operation did not prevent the prosperity of Elwood. It does not now prevent it. The cause of depression there is uncertainty as to the intentions of Congress and the President toward the tariff. If assurance be given that protection will be continued to the glass and tin-plate industries the business of Elwood will revive. If such assurance be withheld it is probable that yet darker days are in store for this lately prosperous little city."

March Madness

I always knew my dad to be a super tennis player. He won many trophies playing for the U.S. Marine Corps in the late 1950's and early 1960's. But, I didn't know about his earlier career on the basketball court. This photo was probably taken around 1928 or so, and from the front of the jerseys, I'd guess this team played for Elwood (Indiana) Junior High. Written on the back is the following:

"My brother, Bill DeHority, wrote the names on the back of the picture.

Left to right top row: Carl Renner, Ass. Coach, Don Dellinger, Bud Hefflin, Bill DeHority, Mr Bridges coach, Denver Foist, Ralph Warner, Pete Vanness.

Bottom row: Tom Lindley, Jim Frazier, Carl Sigler(?), Paul Alexander, Alvey Havens.

Very Bottom Charles DeHority"

Surname meme

Craig on GeneaBlogie has a great suggestion for a blog. Of course, I just posted yesterday, but it is such a good idea, I really want to get this out there. The task is to list the surnames I'm researching, their localities and your "Most Wanted Ancestors". Here goes, through 2xgreat-grandparents:

• DeHority/Dehorty and variants: Indiana, Delaware, Ohio, Maryland, Idaho and (someday) Ireland;
• Mauzy: Indiana, Virginia, France;
• Hupp: Indiana, Virginia, Germany;
• Moore: Indiana, Virginia;
• Bobbitt: Indiana, Virginia;
• Huffman: Indiana, Tennessee;
• Carr: Indiana, Virginia;
• Douglas/Dobrovalskas: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Lithuania;
• Wychulis/Vaiculis: Pennsylvania, Illinois, Lithuania;
• Urnikas: Pennsylvania, Illinois, Lithuania;
• Bartkiewicz: Pennsylvania, Illinois, Lithuania;
• Beaulieu: Massachusetts, Quebec, France;
• Landry: Massachusetts, Quebec, France;
• Ducharme: Massachusetts, Quebec, France;
• Filion: Massachusetts, Quebec, France;

Most Wanted: No surprise here, the parents of James Madison DeHority, born 1819 in Delaware, probably Kent County, and died in 1891 in Elwood, Indiana. Second, the parents of Susanna Huffman, said to be born in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1817, died in 1899 in Elwood, Indiana.

Paternity search in Delaware

So, nothing seems to be shaking loose in Indiana. Maybe I should shift my focus to Delaware.

Here's what I know. A James M. Dehorty is mentioned in the will of Thomas Dehorty of Murderkill Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, dated December, 1846. Thomas calls this James the son of Sarah Silivan, but does not identify his relationship to Thomas. I know from records in the Delaware Archives that Thomas married Margaret Reed, daughter of John Reed, in about 1792. John Reed's will confirms that he had grandchildren Mary(Dehorty) Cahall, William B. Dehorty, Elizabeth (Dehorty) Cubbage and a great grandchild Margaret Clark, who would be the daughter of Amy (Dehorty) Clark. So, there is a William B. Dehorty, son of Thomas. James M. named his first son William B. Dehorty. Could this be James' father? I have yet to find a record in Delaware or Maryland of William B. marrying anyone. William dies in or before 1831, when my James would be about 11-12 years old. Unfortunately, there is a problem. There does exist an Orphan's Court record in the Delaware Archives dated about 1884 that appears to be an effort to settle land that William left. And, it begins

"William Dehorty late of then Murderkill Hundred in the County and State aforesaid deceased departed this life intestate and without issue on or about the year AD 1831...."

Rats! This is a great bit of evidence, detailing the descendants of William's siblings, their marriages and even a divorce, but, there it is, he died intestate and without issue. Another dead end!

Why did Thomas leave James $100 in his will? How are they related?

Tombstone Tuesday-James M. DeHority

Here is the final resting place of James M. DeHority and his wife Susannah Huffman DeHority in the Elwood City Cemetery, Elwood, Indiana.

At the top is noted that the mausoleum was rebuilt in 1899, indicating that it had fallen into some disrepair at one time. When I first saw the mausoleum it was in sad shape, but on a more recent visit, I was pleased to see it had been cleaned up, repaired and locked up. A recent reading of the cemetery by the Elwood-Pipecreek Genealogy Society lists its occupants as:
Anna DeHority (1833-1880)
Bertha M. DeHority (1877-1877)
Frank E. DeHority (1875-1942)
Homer DeHority (1881-1881)
James H. DeHority (1844-1899)
James M. DeHority (1853-1907)
James M. DeHority (1819-1890)
Jane H. DeHority (1850-1937)
John W. DeHority (1840-1881)
Joseph A. DeHority (1850-1853)
Mary J. DeHority (1855-1856)
Myrtle DeHority (1874-1968)
Myrtle L. DeHority (1876-1954)
Susannah H. DeHority (1816-1899)
William B. DeHority (1838-1839)

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

I started this post three days ago, then the flu hit. Let me see, where was I?

Following George L. and Anna Warren DeHority hasn't gotten me any closer to my James M. DeHority's parents (yet), but I am more convinced that I'm on the right trail. In searching the 1860 census for Anna, I did notice some familiar names. Also living in Pipe Creek Township in 1860, so, not far from James M., is Andrew Griffith(age 31) and his wife Nancy(34), with children Mary(6) and Sara(3). This Andrew is a railroad agent and lists his birthplace as Delaware. Thomas Dehorty (the one with the will that mentions my James, I think) had a grandson Andrew Griffith by his daughter Elizabeth. Another hint that this might be him is that member of his household is a William Lord(21). Thomas has a great grandson William Lord by his daughter Elizabeth with her first husband William Cubbage and their daughter Mary. That would have made Andrew his uncle. Coincidence? I don't think so. It looks like maybe a group of folks from Delaware settled in the same area of Indiana. Going fishing at Ancestry, I find a source Hamilton County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Record 1850 - 1879 which shows that an Andrew J. Griffith married Nancy J. Huff on March 6, 1852. The date would support the ages of the children. Where was Andrew in 1850? I can't find him in Delaware or Indiana, but he seems to be in Franklin County, Ohio listed as an attendant in a "lunatic asylum". The age of this Andrew is consistent with my target, and supporting this hypothesis is the presence of a Cubbage Dill as another attendant. Both the Cubbage and Dill families lived near the Delaware Dehortys. If these conjectures are true, Andrew must have had an interesting trek from Delaware to Indiana.

I sure seem to be able to find out more about the people around my DeHoritys than I can find about my DeHoritys.

Little Boy Lost

Well, I finally got a few minutes to read the 1860 census for Madison County, IN. Only 42 pages, not too bad! That year, most of my DeHoritys were Doughertys. I saw my James Madison DeHority with wife Susannah and sons John and James. I was on the lookout for George L. DeHority's family, minus George as he appears to have passed around 1857.

It doesn't take very long to find Anna (Warren) Dougherty. There she is on page 105, age 37, born in Delaware. She is listed as a seamstress, so that must be how she is keeping the family going after George's death. She is listed with children James (9), David (7), George (4) and Thomas (3). George?! I have the other boys in my database, but not George. Who is this little guy? Maybe I should look for them in 1870.

By 1870, Anna's fortunes seem to have improved. She is still in Madison County, IN, but she is listed as the wife of William Etchison (56), farmer born in North Carolina. According to the Pioneer Cemeteries of Indiana web site, there are lots of Etchisons in the area at this time. Anna's sons James (17) and Thomas (13), are there, along with daughter Emma Etchison (5). Where are David and George? Well, David is listed as a farm laborer working on the Kidwell farm. But no George. I think I might know where he is.

In the Duck Creek Cemetery, Frazier Farm listing on the Pioneer Cemeteries site is an entry (#15558) for a little grave for George N. Dehority, 7 y. 9 m. 5 d., December 3, 1866 or 63. I've often wondered who this little guy might be, now, I think I know. If the date on the stone is 1863, the age would be right for the George on the 1860 census. Too sad!

What happens to Anna? Well, by 1880, Anna is again a widow, still in Madison Co., IN, and living with daughter Emma, now 17, and son Thomas (22). After that, I'm not sure what happens to her. I haven't yet stumbled on her gravesite. Maybe I will.

But she isn't near that little boy on the Frazier Farm.

Looking for George L.

When I'm looking online for ancestors, I usually stop first at Rootsweb, just to see if anyone else is looking too. There are often hints on how to proceed. Unfortunately, no one at Rootsweb is looking for George L. Dehority or Anna (Warren) Dehority, except me. No trees, no records, nothing (sigh!). Even looking for sons Thomas or David doesn't help.

Next stop, the Ancestry census files. My favorite census is 1850, since this is the one where they finally started listing all the members of the household. There he is, page 111, Murderkill Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, George Dorority, age 23 (or possibly 33—there is a markover), a farmer with 300 acres (Thomas' will left George half interest in his home and plantation estimated at 400 acres). Also listed with him are: Ann (29), David (1), Susan Herd (15) and Thomas Herd (19). All of this is consistent with George being the “son of Mary Hurd, wife of James Hurd” as in Thomas' will. Further up the page is James Herd (38) and wife Mary (44) with their children: Elizabeth (12), Samuel (11), Rebecca (8), James (6), Benjamin (2). Well, if this is George's mother Mary, then either George is definitely 23, not 33, or she had him at age 11. It is starting to look like Mary had an earlier husband.

Next: Other clues in 1850.

Where there's a will...

Taking a closer look at Thomas' will, there doesn't seem to be a mention of bequests left to children. He mentions grandchildren: George L. Dehorty, John Tilghman Cubbage, Andrew J. Griffith, George R Griffith, Martin V. Griffith, Alexane Griffith, Joshua M. Dehorty, Thomas D. Cubbage, Margaret Clark. He mentions also, without identifying a relationship: James R. Griffith (father of the above children surnamed Griffith) and Elizabeth Griffith (probably his daughter Elizabeth, but he doesn't name her as such). So, who were the children of Thomas? Why are they not mentioned? If James is to be related to Thomas, it would seem that I need to look into this further. Maybe by investigating these grandchildren, I will find a clue. And there is also the elusive Sarah Silivan....did she marry a son of Thomas? Did she marry Thomas? If she is my James' mother, this last does not seem likely if the obituary is correct in that James lost both his parents by age 8. I think I'll start with George L. Dehorty, since he's the one that ended up in Indiana.

Next: Looking for George L.

The Trail in Delaware

So, James Madison DeHority was born in Delaware in 1819. This seems like the next place to look. There are a number of Dehorty families in Delaware in this time period. In researching the probate records, the only one which offers a link is a will for Thomas Dehorty, probated in 1847. The first hint is as follows:

“I will and devise unto my grandson John Tilghman Cubbage and to my grandson
George L. Dehorty son of Mary Hurd, wife of James Hurd, as tenants in common all
my home and dwelling plantation.”

So, a George L. Dehorty is the son of Mary Hurd, wife of James Hurd. Is this my George L. Dehorty in Indiana? The marriage card file of the Delaware State Archives lists a marriage for James Hurd and Mary Longfellow. Does the “L” in George's name stand for Longfellow?
Further in the will:

“...subject to a legacy of one hundred dollars which I do hereby will and
devise that the said John Tilghman Cubbage and George L. Dehorty shall pay or
cause to be paid to James M. Dehorty, son of Sarah Silivan the same to be paid
within one year of my demise.”

Aha! So here's a reference to a James M. Dehorty. My James?! Efforts to find a reference to a Sarah Silivan have so far been unsuccessful. If James' obituary is correct, she must have died around 1828. And how is James related to Thomas? Thomas didn't refer to him as a grandson (drat!), so why is he leaving him $100?
Last, from the will:

“I further will and devise unto Ann Maria Warren one cow and one feather bed
with bedsted and furniture.”

Well, now. George L. DeHority had a son, Thomas (!) L. DeHority. A biography of Thomas indicates that his mother's name was Anna Maria Warren. I think this verifies that Thomas is referring to the DeHoritys in Indiana. George, Anna and their family are in Madison county in 1850, three years after the will was probated. I wonder if they delivered the $100 to James?

The trail seems hot in Delaware...

Leads in Indiana

James M. DeHority and his descendants are mentioned in several directories, databases, and histories of Madison County, IN. None of these include information about his parentage, except for the obituary previously mentioned. So, where to look next. One thought was to check for other DeHority families that show up in Indiana at the same time to see if there is a connection. There seem to be 2 that fit this description: George L. DeHority and Caleb DeHority. They aren't listed consecutively on any copies of the 1850 or 1860 census images that I have found online, but it seems they knew each other.

Caleb DeHority and his family arrive near "Anderson town" Indiana in September of 1838 according to a note left to descendants of his son William. 1838 is the year James M. married his wife Susanna in Fayette Co.,IN, and he comes to Pipe Creek Twp. by 1840, according to the Forkner Historical Sketches and Reminiscences of Madison County, published in 1897. A son born to Caleb in 1834 in DE is named James also. Did they know each other? Seems likely to me.

George L. DeHority and his family arrive from DE to settle "further west of Elwood" in 1850, according to a biography of his son Thomas. George names his son born in 1852 James M. DeHority. A clipping in the Anderson Public Library from 19 March 1858, notice in the Democrat Standard reads:
Administrator's Notice and Sale

I, the undersigned, have administered according to law on the estate of George
L. Dehority, deceased, late of Madison county, Indiana. The estate is probably
solvent. And on Saturday, the 10the day of April next, I will offer at public
sale at Perkinsville, all the personal effects of said deceased, consisting in
part of Horses, Wagon, Household and Kitchen Furniture, &c. A credit of nine
months on all sums of three dollars and upwards. Purchasers will be required to
give notes with approved security, waiving appraisement laws and barring
interest. James M. Dehority, March 13, 1858, Administrator.

So, it seems likely they were related, no? Unfortunately, probate records from George L. DeHority haven't been found (yet.....gotta love those courthouse fires).

Next: Clues in Delaware.

Brick wall: James Madison DeHority 1819-1891

Vital statistics: James was born in Delaware, reportedly near Dover, on 21 April 1819, parents unknown. He came to Indiana in 1836 and married Susanna Huffman 13 September 1838 in Fayette County, IN. Between 1839 and 1858, James and Susanna had 4 children: William B., John W., James H. and Joseph A. Only John W. and James H. lived to maturity. Obituaries and various county histories refer to him as a physician, minister (Methodist), banker and the owner of DeHority and Sons mercantile. James died in Elwood, Indiana, 18 July 1891. When he died, an obituary reports that 2000 people attended the funeral, notably a contingent from the Odd Fellows lodge.

So, my 3x-great grandfather seems to have been quite a Renaissance man. But who were his parents? Biographies of him, and his sons, are silent on this point. His obituary claims that he was orphaned in Delaware at the age of 8, and he lived with his grandparents until the age of 18 when he sets out for Indiana. Research in Delaware has revealed some clues, but no definitive suspects. So far, none of the articles found hints at the answer.


Next post: Clues in Delaware.

What's in a name?

So, I guess the first question is what family names am I following? Most important is my family's name, DeHority. Variants have appeared in documents dating to the 1700's: DeHority, Dehorty, Dougherty, Daugherty, Daggity, Dehortee, and even Dawoughtee. Other surnames include Mauzy, Hupp, Moore, Sillivan, Huffman, and Bobbitt. In researching these folks, I have picked up quite a bit of paper on collateral lines...my stacks are pretty big. Along the way I've corresponded with many other wonderful researchers, each stalking their own ancestors, lurked on a lot of lists hoping for tips, spent hours on Google hoping to sight new contacts, tramped through cemeteries....pretty much the same thing everyone bitten by the genealogy bug does. As hobbies go, it is fascinating, frustrating, enlightening and non-fattening.

But enough philosophizing...next, working on a brick wall.