Person talk:Rebecca Lawley (1)


Research about Rebecca [28 October 2011]

Following is information I have collected about Rebecca so far on Ancestry. I will add proper sources when I get better at it.

Born abt 1814 (btw 1810 and 1817) in Ohio or Alabama based on varying information in census records and Ancestry public personal trees.

1840 census Coosa Co, AL, for Benj Essman: 1 male age 30-39, 1 fem 20-29, 1 girl child age 5-9. In some of the trees on Ancestry, this child is assumed to be Rebecca's daughter. However, I have not yet found any information about a previous marriage or prior husband or a different maiden name or anything about Rebecca's parents, so it is also POSSIBLE that the child was her sister.

1850 census Washington, Buchanan Co, Missouri: Benjamin 42 b-TN. Rebecca 36 b-O(?). Thomas 8 b-AL. Robert 5 b-MS. William 3 b-MO. Nancy 1 b-MO. Plus Lawleys: Rebecca's children? Or sibs?? Mary E 17 b-AL. Lewis 20 b-AL. [Mary E is likely the girl child who appeared in the 1840 census. But Lewis who would have been abt 10 did not appear in the 1840, which is part of what makes me wonder if Lewis and Mary were siblings of Rebecca's and not necessarily her children. No relationships shown on this census.]

1870 census Washington, Buchanan, MO: Rebecca A Essman 53 b AL[?], keeping house. Son William 22 b MO, fisherman. NO BENJAMIN -- DID HE DIE? WHEN?

1880 census Marion, Buchanan, MO: Rebecca age 66 b abt 1814 in Ohio both parents born Ohio. Living with her son R.B. Essman [Robert] age 36 born MS father born KY [???] mother born Ohio. His wife Lovina (sp?) age 30. Their daughters Leora 6 & Lilly M 2 both b MO.

1885 Kansas state census. Rebecca Essman, 71, widow, [b 1814??] living with the family of John & Mada Menence (sp??). Rebecca born Ohio (??) came to Kansas from Missouri. Possibly Mada (sp?), 56, was her sister or dau?; Mada born Ala. John born Ohio. The person listed on the census as Mada could be the Mary E from the 1850 census and thus could be either Rebecca's daughter or her sister. No relationships shown on this census.

Note: I did all this research on Rebecca trying to learn more about her husband Benjamin, who is my 3rd great grandfather through his FIRST wife Dicey Naish. But I still haven't learned exactly when Benjamin died!


LulaBelle 06:09, 28 October 2011 (EDT)