Back in time--1820

So, when last heard from, I was trying to organize all the data I’ve collected on the Dehorty family in Delaware to try to identify the father of my brick wall, 3g-grandfather James M. Dehority (1819-1891).

I am most of the way through that, having sorted through census records, probate records, orphan’s court records, tax records, marriage listings in the Delaware Public Archives’ card files, land records, and various mentions in books and journals on the period. I’ll chronicle my thoughts here in hopes that if someone reads this and notices things I have overlooked or errors of any sort, they will be so kind as to leave me a note.

I’ve decided to focus on the time around the 1820 census, as James was born in 1819 (or, by one count, 1816). Either way, he would be under age 5 in 1820. If I count the number of Dehorty men on the census who are of an age to father a child in 1820, I have 15 candidates. If I use information from James’ obituary, that he was orphaned by age 8, then I am looking for someone who has died by the 1830 census, both husband and wife (and the wife could have died prior to 1820). This is a little harder, but I can definitely eliminate 5, so I am down to 10.

Of the 10, there are 2 definite candidates. One Benjamin Doroty of Little Creek Hundred, Kent County, is enumerated in 1820 with 9 people in his household, of which 2 are males under the age of 9 and 2 males of “fathering” age (16-25). Benjamin dies intestate in 1823. The problem with Benjamin is that his wife is listed a s Louvania, and the will to Thomas Dehorty previously mentioned references a James, son of Sarah Silivan (Paternity Search in Delaware).

Research that I just received also finds a John Dehorty in the tax lists of Kent County who is a head of household in 1820, but dies insolvent by 1823 (must be a bad year for Dehortys). Here is where I run headlong into what I don’t know about the 1820 census.
I think that everyone counted in the household was a member of the family, excepting the slave listings. But, could they be related as siblings of the head and his wife, grandchildren, cousins, or in other ways related? This is where my count of 10 could be high. There seem to be a lot of “blended” households on my list. There is a John Dorothy in Duck Creek Hundred, Kent, listed in 1820. Could this be the one from the tax list? Or, might he be listed as a tick mark under a different household? How do I resolve the unnamed gentlemen from the census?

This is going to require some thought.

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?

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.

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...

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.