Family:James Chatt and Susan Rich (1)

James R. Chatt, an immigrant former lead miner from Northumberland, England, met and married Susan L. Rich in central-west Indiana. They married in 1873, when James was 36 and Susan was 24. They spent the remainder of their lives on a farm in Fountain County, Indiana, where they had eight children (counting their first, who died in infancy).

Their first child, named Anna Mariah (probably after Susan's and James' mothers) came within 10 months of their marriage, but sadly only lived 7 months. Fortunately, James and Susan were not discouraged, and went on to have seven more children.

James and Susan are found in the 1880 census in Wabash, Indiana, with two young children Joseph (4) and Martha (3), as well as a niece Magie Chatt (25, born in Wisconsin) and nephew Tom Rolan (26, a shoemaker, born in England). (Their first child, Anna Mariah, lived only 7 months.)

In 1900, James (62) and Susan (50) are found farming in Cain Township, Fountain Co, Indiana, living with six children: Martha (22), Maggie (19), Thomas (18), John (15), Dora (13), and Emma (10). (Their eldest son, Joseph, 24, is living nearby in Troy, as a live-in farm laborer for Charles Stuart, who has two hired hands.)

1907 brought sad then happy news. In April, daughter Margaret died a few months short of her 27th birthday. In December, daughter Dora (21) married Martin Lowe, a farmer in nearby Richland, a few years her senior.

In the 1910 census, James (age 73) is still farming in Cain Township, with his wife Susan (60), and five adult unmarried children living with him: Joseph (34 farmer), Martha (32 bookkeeper), Thomas (28 laborer at odd jobs), John (25 farm laborer), Elizabeth (20 no employment)[a.k.a. Emma]. In August of that year, son Thomas (28) married Mabel Ramsey (18 years old and 5 months pregnant), and in December came Ronald, the first grandchild of James and Susan.

Joy and sorrow alternated in the next few years. In 1911, Emma Elizabeth (21) married nearby farmer Thomas Rennick (25). In 1912, John died just a month shy of his 28th birthday. In 1913, Martha (35) married Berry Harding (48), a local widower with two sons Henry (18) and James (10). That same year, Thomas and Mabel had their second son John. 1915 brought James and Susan their first granddaughters, Ruth (Martha and Berry) in September, and Thelma (Thomas and Mabel) in December.

In 1916, at age 79, James died in Hillsboro, Fountain Co, Indiana. Susan followed him a year later (at age 68). They were survived by two sons and three daughters, and lived to see four of them married, and four grandchildren (with many more to come after they passed away).

1880 census

1900 census

1.   Indiana Marriages, Parke County
   26 Nov 1873.

   James Chatt and Lorena S. Rich, performed by L.D.M.E.C.A. Surbaugh.

2.   US Census 1880, Indiana, Fountain Co, Wabash, Dist 83
   1 Jun 1880.

   "CHATT James, WM 42, farmer, b Eng/Eng/Eng; Susan, WF 30, wife, keepinghouse, b. Ind/NC/NC; Joseph A, WM 4, son, b. Ind/Eng/NC; Martha E, WF 3, dau, b. Ind/Eng/NC; Magie, WF 25, niece, at home, b.Wisconsin/Eng/Eng; ROLAN Tom, WM 26, nephew, shoemaker, b.Eng/Eng/Eng."

3.   US Census 1900, Indiana, Fountain Co, Cain Twp, Dist 62
   1 Jun 1900.

   "CHATT James, head, WM Apr 1838 62 M 28, b.Eng/Eng/Eng, immigrated 1865, naturalized, farmer, owns; Susan E, wife, WF Oct 1849 50 M 28, 8 children, 7 living, b.IN/SC/SC; Martha E, dau, WF Mar 1878 22 S b.IN; Maggie O, dau, WF Jul 1880 19 S b.IN; Thomas J, son, WM Apr 1882 18 S b.IN; John W, son, WM Sept 1884 15 S b.IN; Dora O, dau, WF Nov 1886 13 S b.IN; Emma J, dau, WF Aug 1889 10 S b.IN"

4.   US Census 1910, Indiana, Fountain Co, Cain Twp, Dist 71
   29-30 Apr 1910.

   "CHATT James, head, MW 73 M1 37, b.Eng, farmer, general farm, owns; Susan H, wife, FW 60 M1, b.IN/NC/NC; Joseph A, son, MW 39 S b.IN, farmer; Martha, dau, FW 32 S b.IN, bookkeeper in office; Thomas J, son, MW 28 S b.IN, laborer in odd jobs; John W, son, MW 25 S b.IN, farm laborer; Elizabeth J, dau, FW 20 S b.IN, none."