OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 44 *********************************************************************** 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 44 -------------------------------- From: "Ralph W. Cokonougher" Subject: Hester Genealogy by M. Hester, 1752-1905, pp. 37-46. Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 22:56:47 -0000 Pages (37) through (46). "HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF THE DESCENDENTS OF JOHN LAWRENCE HESTER AND GODFREY STOUGH. 1752 - 1905." Compiled by Martin M. Hester in 1905 at Norwalk, Ohio. **************** 111. REV. FRANCIS ASBURY, b. April 4, 1822; m. Elizabeth Miner, September 24, 1846. She d. March 4, 1848. Second m. to Rebecca Oram Slack, September 18, 1849. She was b. June 28, 1824; d. July 5, 1903. 112. REV. MATTHIAS ADDISON was the third son of Rev. George Knight and Beene Hester and was born September 20, 1824, in Charlestown, Ind. He was educated and graduated at Indiana Asbury University. He entered the Indiana Conference of the M. E. Church in 1848 and was transferred to the Missouri Conference in 1849. He was appointed pastor of a mission church in St. Louis, Mo., where he died of cholera, July 28, 1850. He had taught school several terms before entering the ministry; was a fine scholar, a ready correspondent of periodicals and gave great promise of being a very successful Methodist preacher. 113. THOMAS BRIGGS, b. September 3, 1826; d. May 13, 1827. 114. REV. WM. MCKENDREE, b. February 25, 1828; m. Eliza L. Beharrel. She was b. in Ramsay Huntingshire, England, November 27, 1831; d. in New Albany, Ind., June 2, 1900. 115. REV. ANDREW BRIGGS, b. April 21, 1830; m. Mary F. Barrick, October 1, 1862. He d. April 21, 1870, a. 40. 116. MELVILLE C., b. January 20, 1834; m. Maria S. Hilliard, December 27, 1855. She d. September 24, 1882. Second m. to Melissa C. Dailey, February 24, 1884. Page (37). **************************** No. 27. (Photograph of Craven P. Hester, LL.D.) Page (38). **************************** (Photograph of Martha [Thompson] Hester.) Page (39). Extracts from the biography of the Hon. Craven P. Hester, LL. D., as given in the history of San Jose, Cal.: "Craven P. Hester was the second son of the late Matthias Hester, whose miraculous preservation and escape from the hands of the savage Indians is recorded elsewhere. "He was born at Charlestown, Ind., May 17, 1796. "He studied law at Charlestown, Ind., under Judge Scott, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of Indiana, and after being admitted to the bar commenced to practice in the same town. On August 25, 1819, he was married to Miss Martha T. Leonard. In 1821 he removed to Bloomington, Ind., where he continued the practice of his profession until 1849, when he emigrated across the plains with his family to California. They started May 11, 1849. In those days such a trip was indeed long and fatiguing, more particularly so to persons of advanced age. "Mrs. Hester's health was feeble and her many friends scarcely expected to hear of her safe arrival in California. But she was greatly benefited, physically, by the trip. In fact she walked nearly half the distance. They reached the mouth of Feather River, in good health, on the sixth of the following October, where they remained in an inundated country till the next May, when they took up their abode in San Jose, where they resided till the time of their death. "Judge Hester brought to California a fine reputation as a lawyer and as a man of high moral character. He was elected District Attorney for the Third Judicial District on the 7th day of October, 1850, receiving his commission one month thereafter. On the 6th of May, 1851, he resigned that office and was forthwith appointed by the Governor, Judge of the District to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Judge Watson. On the third of the following September, he was elected to the same office, until the next general election in 1852, when he was re-elected for the full term of six years, during which term he served, giving eminent satisfaction. "On August 25, 1869, Judge Hester and his wife celebrated the 50th anniversary of their marriage by a golden wedding, at which assembled a host of warm friends to congratulate the venerable pair that had been so blessed with life and health. The many smiling faces were evidence of the happiness of that Page (40). *************************** union. In the month of June, 1870, Judge Hester and wife visited their old home in Bloomington, Ind., where is situated the University of the State. Long before the arrival of the aged couple, the people had heard with surprise, mingled with delight, of the contemplated visit. On their arrival they witnessed a sincere and glowing devotion from old and tried friends. It almost seemed to that town as though the dead had arisen. Twenty years before when the advanced pair had departed therefrom, they left doubts and misgivings in the minds of many friends whether they would ever reach California in safety. But now, at the age of nearly four score years, they appear on the old ground, firmly walking, in good health. Judge Hester was agreeably surprised in ascertaining that he had been so kindly remembered at his old home and so highly honored by the University there, in having the degree of 'Doctor of Laws' conferred upon him, unsought and unexpected. "After a visit of a few months they returned to their California home, where they spent the rest of their lives in peace and happiness. He died some years after in his own home. A few years after his death, his dear wife dropped dead at the dining table." The following tribute of worth is from the pen of Judge McDonald, and was furnished to Hon. Craven P. Hester on his departure for California: "Bloomington, Ind., March 17, 1849. Craven P. Hester, Esq., for many years a citizen of this place, being about to quit his residence here for California, I deem it a duty as well as a high gratification, to place in his hands a statement of the estimate in which I hold him. This I do, unsolicited by him or any other person. I have been acquainted with Mr. Hester about twenty years. All that time I have been intimately connected with him at the bar, and on the bench. During a great part of that time he has been the most distinguished lawyer of our circuit. "He is universally regarded as an attorney of unquestionable honesty, integrity and diligence. "Mr. Hester has not only been highly esteemed among us as a lawyer, but he has maintained the character of a good and most valuable citizen. I never knew a more perfectly Page (41). *************************** moral and honest man. In all my acquaintance with him I have never known him in a single instance to be guilty of the slightest departure from unbending probity and pure morality. His influence has always been on the side of virtue, good order, and religion. There lives not a man whom I would more confidently trust in matters touching money, property, or character. I know that the foregoing remarks may seem to strangers as exaggeration. Surely they would be if applied to almost any other man of my acquaintance. But as applied to Mr. Hester I believe them to be strictly true, and scarcely doing justice to his worth. "I cannot adequately express my ardent wishes for his future happiness and prosperity." "Signed, DAVID MCDONALD, Presiding Judge 10th Judicial Circuit of Indiana, and Professor of Laws in the Indiana University." Judge McDonald was afterwards appointed by President Lincoln as one of the United States District Judges. It is a great satisfaction to know that we have had a relative and namesake (Hester) who was worthy of such a tribute from such a source. Children of Craven P. and Martha T. Hester, being the fourth generation, were: 117. EFFIE KNIGHT, b. September 7, 1820; d. July 26, 1822. 118. HELEN KNIGHT, b. November 24, 1822; d. June 28, 1824. 119. JAMES SCOTT, b. October 20, 1824; d. July 19, 1879; m. Hester Ann Combs, May, 1846. 120. JULIA THOMPSON, b. April 20, 1826; d. June 26, 1827. 121. MARTHA JANE, b. June 4, 1828; d. August 16, 1831. 122. GEO. KNIGHT, b. August 25, 1830; d. August 16, 1831. 123. WILLIAM FINDLAY, b. June 16, 1832; m. Flora Minerva Johnson, February 21, 1870. She was b. at St. Joseph, Mo., August 24, 1843. 124. SARAH PLIANA, b. October 27, 1834; m. --- Maddock. Page (42). *********************** 125. JOHN CRAVEN, b. November 25, 1836; m. Alice J. Van Buskirk, at Nashville, Ind. Second m. to Nellie Davis, of Omaha Neb. 126. LAURA ANN, b. January 26, 1839; m. Thompson. Second m., Phelps. [Laura Ann died September 15, 1935.] No. 29 The following sketch of the Muir family was furnished by Hon. Jasper W. Muir, of Bardstown, Kentucky: Wm. L. Muir, the husband of Mary Hester, was born January 12, 1792, and died March 5, 1864. His father was a son of Dr. William Muir, who was born in 1752, migrated to America in 1769, died in Nelson county, Ky., November 13, 1838. He left to his children a writing of himself and family as follows: "As I consider it may be acceptable, perhaps useful, on a future day, to my children which I am now about to leave after me, to know the origin of my side of the house, I have thought it not amiss to write down the following short account of myself: "I am descended from the Muirs of Brentwood and Hollows, an ancient and respectable family in the Shire of Ayr in the west of Scotland. My great grandfather was William Muir of Brentwood and Hollows. He had two sons, William and Mungo. To William he gave the estate of Brentwood, and to Mungo, Hollows and several lots and houses in the town of Kilmarnock. Mungo married twice. By his first wife he had one daughter, who married Mr. Smith of Loughmark. By his second he had one son and three daughters. One of the daughters married a Mr. Mitchell, a merchant of Kilmarnock. One married a Mr. Clark, of the house of Clark and Edwards, merchants of Glasgow, and another a Mr. Fairleigh, of Kilmarnock. "At an early age William was put an apprentice to Dr. Jasper Toughe of Kilmarnock, a man of considerable eminence in his profession, and after taking his degrees was appointed surgeon to the Scotch Greys, and went out with them into Germany and Spain, and continued until the death of his father, when he was compelled to sell out and return to Kilmarnock. Here he for some years practiced physic and married Page (43). ***************************** Janet Toughe, youngest sister of Jasper, his former master, from which marriage I, your father, was their first born, on the twenty-first of July, old style, or second of August, new style, 1753. "My mother's people were of higher grade. My great grandfather was Jasper Le Count Toughe in France, who was obliged to fly his native land (upon Louis XIV revoking the edict of Nantes and sorely persecuting the Protestants). In 1684 his estates, which were valuable, were all confiscated, and he and his lady after many hardships got safely to the Shire of Ayr in Scotland, where he maintained himself and family by the practice of physic. He had only one son, Jasper, who succeeded his father in his profession, who left two sons, Jasper and Alexander, both educated to physics, and two daughters, Margaret, who married Rev. Robert Hall, minister of Kilmarnock, and Janet, my mother. Jasper lived and died in Kilmarnock and Alexander was apothecary to the Scotch Fusiliers commanded by Sir Andrew, and was in France, Germany and Spain until the peace in 1763, when in consideration of his long and faithful services he had pay during life, and died at my father's. I, your father, was educated to physic under my father and my uncles, and refusing a surgeonry on board an East India ship offended my father, and in a pet engaged myself to Messrs. George and Andrew Buchanan, merchants of Glasgow, as an assistant in their stores at Maryland, and was in their employ from 1769 to 1772; what has befallen me since is pretty well known to my family. "William Muir." I wish to say something about the family of Le Count Toughe, who fled from France on the revocation of the edict of Nantes. Under the influence of Catharine De Medicis and her son, Charles IX of France, the massacres of the Protestant population were time and again repeated until the great massacre of St. Bartholomew was enacted on the twenty-fourth of August, 1572. Admiral Coligny, King Henry of Nevarre, and other Protestants were summoned to Paris for the purpose of butchering them, and these butcheries were enacted in all the principle cities of France until there were at least thirty thousand Protestants slain. Page (44). ***************************** Henry of Nevarre was son-in-law of Catharine and brother-in-law of Charles IX. Henry saved his life by recantation and avowing the Catholic faith. This massacre somewhat satisfied the thirst for Protestant blood, but not till 1598 was this religious persecution ended by the edict of Nantes, or as my grandfather calls it "The Edict of Paganism," when those of a Protestant faith had some peace; but in 1685 that edict was revoked and "there was fleeing in all directions." The governors grew weary of watching the coast and frontier. * * * It were impossible to estimate precisely the number of emigrations; it was probably between three and four hundred thousand. (Guizot's History of France, 47th Chapter.) The family of Jasper Le Count Toughe escaped from France during this exodus. I refer to the said chapter for a history of the persecution which lasted even for sixty years after the revocation of the edict of Nantes. Religionists of that era were Zealots, both Catholics and Reformers, who also were guilty of many bloody excesses and intolerances towards those of an opposite creed. Jasper W. Muir, (Son of Mary E. Hester.) Children of Wm. L. and Mary (Hester) Muir, being the fourth generation, are: 127. SUSAN, b. August 17, 1817; m. A. M. Walker, March 4, 1855. He d. December 3, 1888. 128. DR. JAS. L., b. November 20, 1819; m. Mary Carpenter. She d. 1875. He d. February 3, 1901; have three children. 129. HARRIET, b. January 9, 1822; d. 1823. 130. HON. JASPER W., SR., B. December 11, 1823; m. Mary E. Wickliffe, December 14, 1852, by Rev. J. M. Cosly. She d. March 5, 1868. Second m. to Florida Sloan, April 10, 1879. 131. BRENTWOOD, b. July 8, 1826; d. 1878; was a physician. 132. JOHN M., b. July 11, 1829; still living at Bardstown, Ky. Page (45). *********************** 133. MARGARET, b. November 14, 1831; m. James Blue, of Union county, Ky. She is living in Morganfield, Ky. He d. 1896. 134. ELIZABETH, b. April 10, 1834; m. Wm. Waller, of Union county, Ky.; living in Morganfield, Ky.; has six living children. 135. DR. JOSEPH, b. April 30, 1838; d. December 17, 1892. (Photograph of John Wesley Lee.) Page (46). ************************ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V01 Issue #44 ******************************************