Person:Abner Conkling (1)

Abner Conkling, son of Isaac and Joanna (Williams) Conkling was probably born in New Jersey, although some records give New York as his birth place. He was probably born around 1775-80. The 1825 Cincinnati city directory gives his occupation as carpenter and birthplace as New York. Abner's wife was named Mary. He is probably the Abner Conklin who married Polly Marsh on 10 December 1799 at the First Presbyterian Church in Westfield, New Jersey. Abner, and his son, Aaron are mentioned in the will of Abner’s father. Abner purchased land in Cincinnati (Hamilton County), Ohio on 21 December 1814 (range 1, township 4, section 28). On 27 December 1813 Abner and his cousin, David Conklin, son of Joseph and Rebecca (Ross) Conkling purchased land in Cincinnati. Three years later, on 23 December 1816, Abner sold his interest in the land to David. Abner’s wife, Mary signed this deed with her mark. On May 15, 1823 Abner purchased land at the corner of London and Cherry Streets in Cincinnati from Nicholas Longworth. (Original deeds located at Hamilton County Courthouse; Cincinnati, Ohio) Abner is listed in the 1817 census of Cincinnati, Ohio. This census shows his household as containing three males age 21 and over, 1 female age 21 and over, 2 females, ages 12-21, 2 females under age 12, and one male under age 12. The 1830 census shows Abner living in ward 2 of Cincinnati with a boy and a girl under 20 years of age, and 3 male and 3 female adults, the oldest male and female being 50-60 years of age. He probably died prior to 1840 as he is not mentioned in the 1840 or 1850 census. A Mary Conklin, probably his widow, is named in the 1840 census and the Cincinnati city directory of 1842 shows that Aaron Conkling, a tinner boards with Mary Conkling. According to cemetery records, Abner died in Clermont County, Ohio and was reinterred at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1862 by Charles Ross. The cemetery record does not give his dates of birth or death. Some cemetery records reported by Abner and Mary’s son-in-law, Charles Ross in 1858 suggest that some of their children of may have been born in New York. These records are probably incorrect and are inconsistent with some other records. The listing of New York as a birth place, is probably reflective of the family tradition which pops up in various places that the family had moved to New Jersey from Long Island, New York.

1.   Iamele, Sharon Schertz. Conklin cousins : the many children of Joseph & Mary (Cory) Conkling. (Worthington, Ohio: S.S. Iamele, c1999).