Reconstruction of family of EBER KENNEDY, Portage Co., Ohio
I am a descendant of Mary Katherine Kennedy who was born 21 September 1809 in Portage Co., Ohio and died 18 October 1899 in Isabella Co., Michigan; she was the widow of Sylvester TINKER.In an effort to identify her parents, I checked an index to Michigan deaths, found on the LDS website.I have not seen the actual death certificate so cannot check the handwriting, but the interpretation of it in the index was that Mary Katherine's father was "Eben Kennedy" and her mother's maiden name was "Polly Strok."Needless to say there is no such surname as Strok.
While rummaging around on the Internet, I noticed that there was an EBER Kennedy who was married to Polly PRIOR or PRYOR and lived in the right place at the right time.I decided to pursue this and see where it went.Using death records from Ohio, plus the above mentioned index to Michigan deaths, both found on the LDS website, I began to identify some of the children of Eber Kennedy and Polly Pryor, and then began to verify the findings in various other records found on the Internet.This is all circumstantial evidence, as they say, since I have not done the kind of research in probate records, land records, church records, etc. that a professional genealogist would do in order to verify this information.It would be nice if someone would.
In a "History of Portage County, Ohio," by Robert C. Brown et al (1885) I found this:"Also in 1804 came from Massachusetts...David Kennedy, Jr., Eber Kennedy and Justin Kennedy, sons of David Kennedy, Sr. ...Eber Kennedy was noted for his remarkable strength."
In a history of Aurora (township), Portage Co., I found:"Betsy Hathaway, a bright and interesting young lady, taught school at the Center in 1820...She was married the year following to Justin Kennedy, a family who came from Blandford, Mass., in 1804, and whose descendants are still numerous here...""Attaline Collins, who was brought by her parents from Granville, Mass., when six months old...married Henry, another of the Kennedy boys.Much of her married life has been spent in Bainbridge, but she now lives here...Sarah Grow, of Granville, O., became the first wife of Perry Kennedy, who was a minister of the Baptist faith, and served that church as pastor in Aurora for some years.Catherine Kennedy Tinker was the mother of a large family, but afterwards moved to Michigan and is still living at an advanced age."[Catherine = Mary Katherine?]
Note:Justin Kennedy turned out to be the uncle of the Henry Kennedy who married Attaline Collins.Eber Kennedy had a brother named Henry, but also a son named James Henry who often went by Henry.
The "Bainbridge" mentioned above was NOT the town which is in Ross Co., Ohio, southwest of Chillicothe; it was Bainbridge TOWNSHIP which is in Geauga Co., north of Portage Co.In the "Pioneer and General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of Some Pioneers and Prominent Men..." (1880) by the Historical Society of Geauga County, is this:"In 1824 or '25 Eber Kennedy and family came from Aurora, and purchased where his son, Henry, now lives.He died a few years after his coming here.There were several sons, one of whom is a minister of the Baptist Church.Mrs. Kennedy, [i.e. Polly Pryor] after her husband's death, married Warren Little, of Aurora, where she now resides."[Polly Pryor died in February 1880 but probably the Historical Society of Geauga County did not know that when they went to press.]
It seems that both Aurora Twp. in Portage County and Bainbridge Twp. in Geauga County were settled by a large number of families that originated in Blandford, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, which is today a very small town.Members of the families in Ohio apparently did a lot of back-and-forthing between Portage and Geauga.
In the 1820 U.S. federal census taken August 7, 1820, Eber Kennedy was enumerated in Aurora Twp., Portage Co., Ohio with the following household:
1 male 26-44[Eber]
1 female 26-44 [Polly]
1 female 10-15 [I think this is Mary Katherine Kennedy]
3 males under 10[I think two of them were James Henry and Perry]
2 females under 10[probably Electa and Amanda]
Herewith is my attempt to reconstruct the family of Eber Kennedy and Polly Pryor as best I could, using only Internet resources.Please note that "Polly" was once a common nickname for "Mary."
Eber Kennedy was born 2 October 1779 in Blandford, Mass. and Polly is said to have been born 16 December 1789.They were married in Portage Co., Ohio on 4 July 1808.Children:
1) I think this is where Mary Katherine Kennedy Tinker fits in - their first child - born 21 September 1809.She married Sylvester Tinker on 18 October 1829 in Bainbridge Twp., Geauga Co. which fits into the time period that Eber and Polly were living there.
2) A son, possibly James Henry.In the 1860 census, he is enumerated in Bainbridge Twp., Geauga Co., age 49 [born about 1811] with his wife Adaline M., children Perry P. age 14; Avia C. age 10 [male; could it be Alva?], and Dexter P. age 4.In the 1880 census, still in Bainbridge, is listed "Henry" Kennedy, his wife Attline, and son Dexter P., age 24.Dexter's death certificate says he was born 2 November 1855 in Bainbridge and died 15 Feb. 1930 in Mantua Twp., Portage Co., and that his father's name was James H. Kennedy and his mother's was Adaline Collins.
3) A son, possibly born about 1813.
4) Electa M., whose tombstone says she was born 28 January 1815 and died 21 August 1906.'Geauga County, Ohio - Marriages, 1806-1919" says Electa M. Kennedy married Evert B. Gallea on 12 April 1835 in Bainbridge.They had about 7 children and remained in Ohio until some time after 1850.In the 1880 census, Evert (age 67) and Electa (age 66) were living in Cedar Creek, Allen Co., Indiana.Evert died November 6, 1880 at the age of 68 years, 2 months, 29 days and was buried in the White City Cemetery, Spencerville, DeKalb Co., Indiana.Electa M. Gallea died 21 Aug. 1906 in Cato Twp., Montcalm Co., Michigan and is buried in the Cato Cemetery, Lakeview, Montcalm Co., Michigan.Her entry in the index to Michigan deaths says her father was "Eber Kennedy" and her mother was "Polly Tryon."Again, I have not seen the handwriting.For a list of Electa's children, begin with her entry in the Cato Cemetery on www.findagrave.com.
5) Amanda C., born 19 April 1818, died around 13 November [per tombstone] or 19 December 1883 [index to Michigan deaths] in Watson, Allegan Co., Michigan.Her entry in the Michigan death index says her father was Eber Kennedy and her mother was Polly Kennedy.Amanda married Hiram Gallea on or about 22 May 1839 (date of license) in Bainbridge.Hiram was the brother of Electa's husband, Evert B. Gallea.Amanda is buried in the Hicks Cemetery, Martin, Allegan Co., Michigan.
6) Philo Perry Kennedy, born 1820, died 1888?A history of Twinsburg, Ohio says he was pastor of the Baptist Church in Twinsburg during 1858-1862; that he was a son of Eber and "Mary Alice" Kennedy; that he came from Aurora, where he died and was buried.He married (1) Sarah Grow in 1846; she was born in 1827 and died 1853; they had 4 children.He married (2) Mary Alice Havens on 15 October 1853 and they had 7 more children.(not verified)He usually went by Perry.One source says he was born 24 July 1820; if so, one wonders if he was the third male child under the age of 10 as enumerated in the 1820 census in the household of his father Eber.
7) Anna P., born 1822, d. 1912 in Mantua Twp., Portage Co.She was married to Alonzo N. Farr on 20 Nov. 1845.The "History of Portage County, Ohio" (1885) by Robert C. Brown et al includes a biographical sketch of Alonzo N. Farr, who was born 28 November 1822 in East Claridon, Geauga Co.:"...Our subject was married November 20, 1845, to Annah P., daughter of Eber Kennedy, and by her has four daughters...Mrs. Farr's grandfather, Simeon Pryor, came to Ohio in 1800, and was a soldier in the War of the Revolution.He settled in Portage Co., Ohio and died June 29, 1837.Mrs. Farr's father, Eber Kennedy, came to Ohio from Blanford [sic], Mass., in 1804; settled in Aurora, Portage Co., Ohio; married Polly Pryor July 4, 1808; died May 15, 1837, aged fifty-eight years.Polly, his widow died February 15, 1880, aged ninety-one years..."
The 1880 census includes a listing for N. Alonzo Farr, age 57, and P. Anna Farr, age 51, which would give Anna a birth year of about 1829; but this seems unlikely due to their marriage in late 1845.
8) Elsworth S. Kennedy, born 9 December 1824, died 26 September 1916 in Burton, Geauga Co., Ohio.His death record says his father was Eber Kennedy, born in Mass., and his mother's maiden name was Polly "Pries" also born in Mass.Various records put his year of birth all over the place.An Elsworth S. Kennedy born about 1833 (per marriage record) married Sabrina Abbey on 24 Feb. 1854 in Auburn Twp., Portage Co., Ohio.An Elsworth S. Kennedy served in Company I, 7th Michigan Cavalry, and also Company I, Merrill Horse, during the Civil War.The first record gives his age as 40 and his place of enlistment as Kalamazoo; and the second record gives his place of enlistment as Eaton County, Michigan.These cavalry companies apparently served in Missouri.
In the 1870 census, an Ellsworth Kenedy, age 44 [born about 1826], born in Ohio, was enumerated in Kalamo, Eaton Co., Michigan along with Sabrina, age 33; Frank, 16; Ella, 14; William, 11; all born in Ohio; and "Berta," age 4, born in Michigan.I think this last one is probably Charles H. [Herbert?] Kennedy whose birth year and parents' names as given on his death record in the index to Michigan deaths match that child.Elsworth's age in the 1870 census contradicts the age given on his marriage record.
There is a marriage record for Elsworth Styles Kennedy to Rhoda Ann Perry in Barry Co., Michigan, supposedly having taken place on 1 January 1880, but I suspect the January date is a "supplied" date for an incomplete date in 1880 - because of an unusual number of marriages having taken place on 1 January on the same web page.An 1894 census of Barry Co., Mich. lists Elsworth Kennedy, age 70 [i.e. born 1824] and Rhoda, age 77.If she died first, that might account for Elsworth's return to Geauga Co., Ohio - to live with other relatives.I believe all the above references to an Elsworth S. Kennedy are for the same individual.He may have had a younger namesake found in other records.
9) Abby J., born 26 March 1827, died 21 Dec. 1916 in Hiram Twp., Portage Co.Her death record says her father was Eber Kennedy and mother's maiden name was Polly "Prijor."She married Royal Hutchinson in September 1854.From the "History of Portage County" on page 746, a biographical sketch of her husband reads:"Royal P. Hutchinson, farmer, P.O. Hiram, was born in Hiram Tp., this county, January 2, 1826...He was married September 17, 1854, to Miss Abby J. Kennedy, of Mantua Tp., this county, a native of Geauga County, Ohio, where her parents were early settlers, but who in later years moved to Aurora Tp., where they both died.To this union have been born four children, two now living:William R. and Mary A.Mrs. Hutchinson is a member of the Disciples Church... "
10)Alma C., born in 1831 in Bainbridge, Geauga Co., according to her death record; but as early as 1829 according to other citations.Her death record says she died 27 February 1873 in Mantua, Portage Co., and that her father was Eber Kennedy and her mother was "May" Kennedy - perhaps a misreading of "Mary"?Alma married William H. Farr on 5 March 1850 in Mantua.He seems to have been the brother of Alonzo N. Farr who married Alma's sister Anna.
There may have been other children besides the above, and the birth order might not be exactly right, but I did the best I could.One person on the Internet noted that family lore said their ancestor was John W. Kennedy, who married an unknown Holbrook, and died in 1860 leaving one daughter born that same year; they seem to know that John W. had a sister Anna who was married to Alonzo N. Farr and that the father of both was Eber Kennedy.Certainly more work could be done on this possibility.
I would love to find a "smoking gun" which would prove that my Mary Katherine Kennedy (Mrs. Sylvester Tinker) was the daughter of Eber Kennedy and Polly Pryor, and not the daughter of Eben Kennedy and Polly Strok.Meanwhile I hope all this information will be useful to somebody.