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Monday, January 23, 2006

SAPPINGTON and PIPKIN

As often happens in genealogical research, one line gets all the attention while others are left to wither. One such case was presented to me this past week in the form of a pedigree traced back to/through Col. Phillip PIPKIN, born 1770 in Pitt County, North Carolina. Much is known about the Colonel, his children, and their marriages, but the line of descent--while thorough and complete on the line that eventually leads to the researcher--neglects the descendants on other lines.

Three of the Colonel's daughters married SAPPINGTONs in the St. Louis, Missouri area. In the database I was given, these lines were not the line of descent for the researcher and were not expanded at all. I did some poking around on the first line and would like to add some details to the story of the eldest daughter, Martha PIPKIN, born about 1813 in Davidson County, Tennessee, and her husband Jonah SAPPINGTON.

Their marriage is mentioned on the history web page of the town of Sunset Hills, Missouri, in western St. Louis County. According to Ancestry.com's database of Missouri marriages, it took place in St. Louis county on 26 April 1832. It was suspicious that Jonah didn't appear in the 1840 census index, so I looked further.

On her private site at AOL (http://members.aol.com/danakiehl/private/sapping.txt), Dana Kiehl says, "Jonah Sappington, born 11 Dec 1805; died 18 Jun 1835." He is the son of Zephaniah Sappington and Margaret Parke. This information is supported by several other researchers. Most important to us, between the marriage and 1832 and Jonah's death in 1835, the couple produced little Jonah Phillip Zephaniah Sappington. There was apparently also another child; it died shortly after birth. Was there another that survived?

The St. Louis marriage index also shows the marriage of Martha Ann SAPPINGTON to Richard WELLS on 18 Oct 1843. The 1850 census shows our Jonah P. SAPPINGTON, born about 1835, as a student in a religious school in the South Half of Bonhomme Township, St. Louis County, Missouri (page 712). Wonderfully (in its mystery), there is a 15-year old Thomas SAPPINGTON there with him. It also shows Daniel and Martha WELLS and a 15-year old Jemima WELLS in the house. She could be Daniel's by a previous marriage, or a relative, or (?) the daughter of Jonah SAPPINGTON.

In the 1850 census, Jonah is in Canton, Lewis County, Missouri (page 68). He's a prospering farmer, married to Ellen, age 21, of Missouri, and they have little Martha H., 2, and Ellen, 1/2. Also in the house is 15-year old Isabelle LYONS of Missouri.

Several researchers have contributed data to Ancestry's pedigree database showing Jonah and Ellen. She was Ellen C. BROWN, and Martha and Ellen were just the start of their 12 children.

That's enough for now. We'll follow up on those 12 children, and on Jonah and Ellen, at another time.

2 Comments:

  • I too wondered about the 15 year old Thomas Sappington that was in the same census as 15 year old Jonah in the Wells' household. Who was that Thomas? Did you ever find out?

    Kelly

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:51 PM  

  • In June 1855 Ulysses S. Grant helped assess the estate of Martha's second husband Richard Wells, who died the month before. Grant was partioning for her to keep her one slave, her dower.

    I am trying to find out more about Richard Wells: his profession, cause of death...

    Thank you for your blog on Sappington and Pipkin!

    By Blogger Rena, at 3:19 PM  

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