4. Azel, born 18 April 1780, married three times and fathered 15 children. His wives were: 1) Elizabeth Beckerdite (2) Mary White (3) Sally Young. He died in Indiana 30 June 1859 and is buried in Little Ridge Friends Graveyard, west of Fairmount, Grant County, Indiana. He moved to Little Ridge Indiana in 1849.
Azel Rush owned a plantation of 800 acres in Randolph County, N. C., also 108 slaves. The slaves were valued at one hundred thousand dollars. He became a Quaker and with their principles, he liberated his slaves in 1833.
His son, Henry Rush, made the following statement in an old record: "I have frequently heard my Father say we are of the same family as Dr. Benjamin Rush. Dr. Rush was either the first or second cousin of my Grandfather. Benjamin is a family name. I have a steel engraving of the Doctor. It is a singular resemblance to my Uncle Zebedee Rush and also looks much like my own Father."
Statement of Azel's son, Edward Rush:
"My Father was smarter than any of his boys. He was a great storyteller. He often spoke of the grit of his mother, (Dorcas Vickery Rush). He could not take a joke. He was tall and thin, light hair, blue eyes, autocratic with a strong voice. He was an old-fashioned religious Quaker. He came from Carolina in a wagon, bought a place for $600.00 an acre. He then went back and brought his three youngest children, my brothers, Henry, Noah and myself and our mother, Sally Young Rush). We boys drove a big 4 horse wagon while our parents drove a carriage."
Statement of Bernard McDonald 1897 ... "
"Azel Rush spoke of Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia as his cousin. He was also perhaps kin to William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor. He spoke of Wm. Henry Harrison as being a medical Student of his cousin Dr. Benjamin Rush."
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/RUSH/1999-02/0918483880
