OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 53 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 01 : Issue 53 Today's Topics: #1 downing [Sharpai_Lover@webtv.net (Lee~Ann)] #2 Letter written 20 April 1846 -155 ["gencon" ] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from OH-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to OH-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 20:34:54 -0700 (MST) From: Sharpai_Lover@webtv.net (Lee~Ann) To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <1877-3AC6A1DE-1697@storefull-172.iap.bryant.webtv.net> Subject: downing Content-Disposition: Inline Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit hi i am the great great grand daughter of phillip downing . his fathers name is thomas ?? my grand parents died in 1996 so i dont have very much info on them .if any one could help me it would be appricated . he lived in brilliant ohio and died in 1976 . thank you.here is what i have so far any one that can add to it will be good .Philip Downing SSN: 273-03-6160 Born: July 28, 1896 Died: April 1977 Residence: 43913 Brilliant, Jefferson, OH Issued: OH (before 1951) Source: 1901 Census of Canada Thomas Downing Age: 26 Year of Record: 1901 Comments: Immigrated in 1898 ( Think that this is not him, as he would be too young if Philip was a teenager when they arrived, but this is the only immigration record I can find). There are no Philip or Thomas Downing on passengers lists into Canada or into the US. Perhaps they used an alternate name. I also checked various spellings and nothing was found. There is no Thomas Downing in the SSDI, so he must have passed away prior to 1951. There are several Downings in the Census for 1850-1890 in Cuyahoga, Hancock, Huron and Pickaway Co.'s. Perhaps there were already relatives here when they arrived. There is a Downing family in Jefferson Co., OH in 1850 (from the 1850 Census) Fenton Age 26, Occupation: Coal Digger, Birthplace: VA Mary Age 23, Birthplace: PA Louis Age 1, Birthplace: PA Mary could read and write, but Fenton could not The marriage records for Lawrence Co., OH also show a Clem Downing marrying a Mahala Ferbuson on June 10, 1875 What is strange is there is no mention of them in the 1910 Census Miracode for OH. This is a source that lists every person in the state and who is in their family, birth, etc. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 11:19:19 -0700 From: "gencon" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: Subject: Letter written 20 April 1846 -155 years ago this mo. Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This is a letter we have in our family written from Manchester, Washtenaw, Michigan - dated 20 April 1846 from Hannah 4) DAVIS to her father Joshua 4) DAVIS [her mother Hannah 6) [ADAMS] DAVIS had died in 1836. Hannah was born in 1820 at Aurelius, Cayuga, New York - Hannah never married - she was teaching school at Franklin [now called Tecumseh] Lenawee county, Michigan. At the time Hannah wrote this letter - she was visiting some people in Manchester, Washtenaw, Michigan - She was writing to her widowed father Joshua DAVIS [her mother had died 18/19 Sep 1836] Her father, Joshua DAVIS was living in Bristolville, Trumbull county Ohio. There are some place's I can't read - her hand writing is kinda hard to read in places. When they wrote these letters, they used every part of the paper - writing up side down on one page - then it is folded so that the back is used for the envelope - The letter is folded to about 4 1/2 inches x 3" - this was the place to put your address - on the left is a large stamped circle , within the circle it says - "Manchester 22 Apr Mich" Then there is a stamp that say's PAID that is stamped where we would put a stamp in our time period. Manchester PAID Apr 22 Mich Mr. Joshua Davis Bristolville, Trumbull Co Ohio The way the letter is folded there is sealing wax to hold it together- where you see these kind of brackets [ ] that is me explaining who she is talking about - "My Dear Father It is a long time since I have written to you and now I will resume that duty which I neglected not because I did not want to write I thought you had become so infirm that it would be a task for you to answer my letters. But now I fear I am keeping you in suspense by not writing for I presume you are looking for me to write you by this time as I wrote to Elizabeth that I would return to Ohio this spring, but I have concluded that it was best to alter my plans a little. I wrote to Francis [her brother-in-law Judge Francis HAYNES of Trumbull county, Ohio] requesting him to (find a) school for me and to write of it and tell me if he could ( ) but as he has not written the probability is that he has not engaged one and although in a letter last winter he gave me a cordial invitation to return and make his house my home and I presume I should be welcome to spend the summer these two considerations prevent my doing so, first honest pride forbids my taking advantage of their offer for so long a time, whist I can maintain myself, secondly, you know that my time is my only dependence for a lively-hood and it seemed rather imprudent to let the summer pass without earning anything. Therefore I have engaged to teach there three months. I shall commence the first of May, and close the latter part of July and with the permission of providence will visit your the forepart of August and remain in Ohio until October. But if your health fails I wish someone would write to me and I will close school at once and go to you. I might have visited you this spring and come back to Michigan in time to commence a summer school, but, if I had done so you might be taken sick by the time I got back to Michigan and I should have been just as anxious to see you again as I am now. I have taken a school in Franklin [it is now Tecumseh - Michigan in Lenawee co] where I taught two years ago this summer. It is a lovely place, and most of the inhabitance are not very intelligent but they are very friendly indeed to those that chance to please them. When I went amongst them before, it was under very unfavorable circumstances. Some of the principal supporters of the school were universalists, and others did not trouble themselves enough about religious subjects to have any need. For that reason I supposed they would declare opposition to prayers in school, a duty which I thought I ought to perform, on the other hand they had formed an idea (as I afterwards heard they said) that I was a might bigot, and they would not like me at all. However we were all ......... They proved more obliging and I more agreeable than was anticipated. They pronounced me the best teacher they ever had and offered me their school last spring, and now rejected other teaches that would teach for a dollar a week and give me ten shillings. Now Father I did not write all this to brag but just to give you an idea of your daughter Hannah's situation but with what slight knowledge Hannah's situation but with what slight knowledge of human nature that I possess, I know that people are capricious beings and the good will of my old employers may change to dissatisfaction this summer. I am now at Mr DAVIS' in Manchester I have been here most of the spring. Mrs DAVIS and I have been intimate friends for five years. Her health is quite poor which makes her rather low spirited and my presences is necessary to drive away the blues. I was at .... of Stout? last Saturday, they were all well, I still consider their house my home and they are all very kind. Joshua [her brother and my 3rd gf] and his family are well and getting along pretty well. They have six children. We heard from brother John lately his daughter Mary is married to a man by the name of Norman WRIGHT. Sister Elizabeth wrote last winter that she thought she should go to ....... country this Spring but I am in hopes that she has given it up and that I shall find her in Trumbull county if I am fortunate enough to get there. I wrote to her some time ago but have not had any answers, but perhaps there is a letter in the office in Franklin now from her. Father if it is not to great a task I should like very much to have you answer this direct to Franklin Tipton Office. Please to tell Elizabeth when you see her to neglect writing no longer if she has not already written. Give my love to Mary [her sister Mary Adams DAVIS who married Francis 8) HAYNES the judge in Trumbull county, Ohio our 1st gr grandparents] and her family. I should like very much to see them all. I need not say dear father that I want to see you for you know it - Oh the anxiety that I felt last fall on hearing of your illness although the intelligence did not reach me until after you was much better and even now I sometimes fear that we will not meet again on the world but sill hope whispers that we shall, if we do not Oh may we spend a happy eternity age then. I feel satisfied father that you are ready to try the realities of that state, that your hope is fixed on Rock of Ages and that your trust is in one that will be with you and support you even through the dark valley of the shadow of death. [this is where the letter was addressed] But not so with me temptations often assail and conquer; doubt often arises and I sometimes feel that I might be numbered with those that forget God, oh that the world has no influence over me and my heart entirely satisfied to the will of God, yet still I remember the prodigals return. But I must stop - Farewell Dear Father - Hannah DAVIS If you see Francis and Mary will you give my love to them." Her father Joshua DAVIS - died 9 months later on 27 Jan 1847 at Vernon Twp., Trumbull county, Ohio - I don't know if Hannah ever got to see him again "in this world" as she wrote - Both Joshua and his wife Hannah 6) (ADAMS) DAVIS are buried at Center Cemetery, Bloomfield Two., Trumbull county, Ohio. I do know that Hannah did get to Trumbull county, Ohio - because that is where she died 14 years after she wrote this letter at age 40.. and is buried next to her father and mother in Center Cemetery. Wilma Fleming Haynes gencon@harborside.com -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V01 Issue #53 ******************************************