Person:Mary VanHorn (1)

I have not been able to determine the father of Mary VanHorn, however I think I can narrow down the family she comes from. Benjamin VanHorn was born c. 1768. In 1830 the only VanHorn's in the 1830 Habersham Co., GA census were John VanHorn and Benj. VanHorn. John was aged 20-30. He had 2 daughters under the age of 5. This makes it possible that he could be the father of Mary. In Benj. household he is aged 50 to 60. In his household there are the following males: 1 male age 5-10, 1 male age 10-15, 1 male age 15-20. I believe one of these males is Phillip VanHorn. The females in the household are: 1 female age 5-10, 1 female age 15-20 and 1 female age 20-30. It could be possible that Phillip is living with his father with his wife and young daughter who could possibly be Mary. Or perhaps Benjamin is her father and she was born to him late in life.

In the 1840 Habersham Co., Ga census there is a John A. VanHorn age 30-40 and I believe Benj. is living with him at the age 60-70. John has a daughter age 10-15 who could be Mary (since she wasn't married until Sept. of this year). Phillip is in his own household age 20-30 with a daughter age 10-15 who could be Mary.

In 1850 John is age 47 and enumerated in the Habersham Co., GA census. He has a daughter living with him age 24 first initial M. This can't be Mary because she is living with her husband Franklin in Lumpkin Co., GA. Benjamin is age 82 living alone in Hall Co., GA. Phillip's is age 38 living in Lumpkin Co., GA with his 35 year old wife. If Mary were born c. 1825 Phillip's wife would have only been about 10 years old and Phillip would have been only about 13. Highly unlikely. Perhaps Mary and Phillip were brother and sister? I found a reference to John and his wife Sarah Burns. A list of his children were named in a probate packet for Phillips Burns and Mary was not one of his heirs. I've also seen a list of children by other researchers and none listed a daughter Mary, except one and she reported her birth year as 1855. That really only leaves Benjamin to be her father who would have been about 57 years old at the time of her birth, possible.

All this information still would not prove one way or another who the father of Mary is so I leave her listed without any parents named. There is a possibility that perhaps Mary was a daughter of another son of Benjamin whose name remains unknown to me. I still believe that she belongs somewhere in this family. This family of VanHorn came to GA from NC and I've found research showing that this family were from the VanHorn's of PA and NJ originating in Holland.