Since the grandfather in question was on my grandma's side, I chose to start there. My grandma was number 5 of 7 kids born to Harold McCloud (1906) and Dorothy Esterine Minnich (1912). There isn't much known about the McCloud side. If you want a legitimate reason to pull your hair out, by all means, I'll give what little information I have and you can have at it! (I kid) Seriously though, even with the McCloud wives, there is very little known. John Nelson McCloud (1814) married Mary Barker (1817). I was able to trace her family to North Carolina and beyond. I was even able to connect her family to the same family of Arizona Donnie Clark's husband George Barker (1858), and their boys. She later came to be known as Ma Barker (1873). Their children are my 10th cousins once removed.
The Minnich Girls: left to right: Ida Caroline, Edith Emeline, Dorothy Esterine and May Isabell
Rudolphus (R G) was the son of John Chasteen Batman and Margaret Ann O'Ferrell. He married Ella M Harper and they had 7 children, among them is my 2nd great grandmother Lola Ann.
John Chasteen was the son of Thomas Batman and Sarah Cornell. Thomas and Sarah had 12 children but, the definitive backwards line ends with Thomas.
Sarah Cornell's story is by far, one of the most interesting that I've come across so far. She is the daughter of William Cornell (1762) and Mary Cornell. Before I explain William and Mary's story to you, let me go back a few generations and start with Daniel Cornell(1702) and Mary Vail(1716). Among several other children, Daniel and Mary had, Elijah (1732) and William (1730). Elijah is the father of William (1762). William (1730) is the father of Solomon (1745) who is the father of Mary (1765). So, Mary married her fathers 1st cousin.
Now that the confusing part is out of the way, let's continue on with Daniel, shall we? Daniel is the son of Jacob Cornell (1669) and Hester Paine (1680) (her name always makes me think of Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter). Jacob is the son of Richard Cornell (1624) and Elizabeth Jessup (1635). Richard is the son of Thomas Cornell Sr (1594) and Rebecca Briggs (1600). Included in Thomas Sr and Rebecca Briggs Cornell's other children is Thomas Cornell Jr. While he is just an uncle, he has a pretty incredible story. Thomas Jr was arrested in 1673 for the murder of his mother. Yes, you read that right, the MURDER of his MOTHER. What likely happened was, she was sitting by the fire in her bedroom smoking a pipe when either a hot ash from her pipe or a coal from the fireplace, jumped on her setting her on fire. Thomas Jr was arrested and CONVICTED of the so called murder, based on "witness" testimony that Rebecca Briggs Cornell visited them in their dreams and told them her son murdered her. At the time of his execution, Thomas Cornell's second wife Sarah Earle (1640), was pregnant with their last child, a girl she named Innocent. That was her last declaration of her faith in her late husband. Sarah Earle married David Lake (1649), his mother Alice was hung for witchcraft.
Of Thomas Cornell Jrs many descendants, 2 of them went on to make history.
Person one, via his son Stephen. Stephen Cornell (1656) is the father of is Stephen Cornell. Stephen (1696) is the father of Elijah (1730). Elijah Cornell is the father of Elijah (1771). Elijah is the father of Ezra Cornell. Ezra (1807) is the FOUNDER of Cornell University. A college that, 200 years later, is considered an Ivy League School.
Person two, via his daughter Innocent. Innocent Cornell (1673) married Richard Borden (1671) and, among their children is Thomas. Thomas Borden (1697) is the father of Richard. Richard Borden (1722) is the father of Richard. Richard Borden (1772) is the father of Abraham Bowen Borden (1798). Abraham is the father of Andrew Jackson Borden (1822). Andrew is the father of Elizabeth Andrew "Lizzie" Borden (1860). Over 150 years after her death, people still speculate as to whether or not she killed her father and step mother.
Switching branches, to Ella M Harpers side. Ella (1870) is the daughter of Francis J Harper (1835) and Susan Anne Jaques (1838). Francis died before his daughter's 10th birthday and, aside from a marriage certificate, there is little else available for him. He is the son of Joseph Harper (1799) and Susan Unk (1791). That's all I've been able to find out about him so far.
For Susan, she is the daughter of Richard Lewis Jaques (1811) and Mary Gruver/Gruber (1813).
Mary Gruver/Gruber Richard Lewis Jaques
In the history of sticking with the fathers when and where possible, Richard Lewis Jaques is the son of Samuel Jaques and Elizabeth Ross. This is where my story will once again split into two branches almost simultaneously. We'll back track in a bit.
Branch one: Samuel Jaques (1772) is the son of Samuel. Samuel Jaques (1739) is the son of Samuel Jaques (1703) and Sarah Cutter (1707). The Jaques trace all the way back to England with nothing real noteworthy to put down about them.
The Cutters on the other hand.... well, that's a different story entirely.
Sarah Cutter is the daughter of Maj Richard Cutter (1682) and his wife Mary Pike (1687).
The Major was so influential, there is a free download-able book about him and his family called "The Cutter Family of New England". If you are reading this and have google play on your smart device, I highly recommend downloading it and reading it. Maj Richard Cutter is the son of William Cutter (1649) and Rebecca Rolfe (1662). The Cutter remain uneventful thereafter. Rebecca Rolfe is the daughter of John Rolfe (1634) and Mary Scullard (1642). John Rolfe is the son of Henry Rolfe (1585). Henry is the son of Eustace Rolfe (1539), and the brother of John Rolfe Sr (1562). John Sr is the father of John Rolfe Jr (1585). John Rolfe Jr married (1st) Sarah Hacker (1585) and had a daughter named Bermuda. Bermuda Rolfe (1610) was so named because she was born in the Bermuda Triangle during her parents journey here. Bermuda only lived for roughly 2 months. Not long after they arrived, Sarah got deathly ill and died herself. Then John Jr married wife number 2, Pocahontas (Christian name Rebecca) (1595) and they had one child, a boy, Thomas (1615). He moved back to England with his new family and Pocahontas got ill and passed away, less than 3 years after she was married. He married a 3rd time, to Jane Pierce (1600) and they had a girl, Elizabeth Rolfe (1620).
Mary Pike (1687), is the daughter of John Pike III (1650) and Sarah Elizabeth Stout (1656). The Pikes were serial soldiers, for the most part. It's not that their roles in history aren't appreciated, the story is just better on the other side.
Sarah Elizabeth Stout (1656) is the daughter of Richard Stout and Penelope Ann Van Princess Kent Stout. Let's start with Penelope. Penelope Ann Van Princess was born about 1622 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. When she was 18, she got married to a Mr. John Kent. Together, they decided to come settle in New Amsterdam (now, present day New York City). While on board the ship, Mr. Kent got very ill, so ill in fact that when their ship wrecked on Sandy Hook (in present day Monmouth, New Jersey), he was too ill to travel on foot to New Amsterdam with the rest of their party. Penelope was given the option to go with the rest of them but, she chose to stay with her husband. Some time after the rest of the ships passengers left, Penelope and her husband were attacked by Indians. He was killed in the attack, she survived. There are some discrepancies as to how long she lived after being attacked. What everyone can agree on though is, not only did she live, she was saved by another Indian. The savior, sewed her up, tended to her wounds and, when she was well enough, gave her the option to stay with him or go on to New Amsterdam. She chose to go. The Indian savior (who was older than the young Penelope), escorted her to New Amsterdam to make sure she got there safely.
Once in New Amsterdam, Penelope met and married Richard Stout. Richard and Penelope settled first in Gravesend, New York, before finally making their home in Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey. At the time of her death, Penelope had 502 descendants. All of her children were born AFTER the Indian attack.
Now for the backtracking part (although, really, we will do that a lot, think of it like being in a house with a LOT of corridors, in order to get to the next one, you have to back track). Elizabeth Ross (1784), is the mother of Richard Lewis Jaques (1811) but, she's also the daughter of Ezekiel Ross (1756) and Ruth Maxwell (1757). Ezekiel is the son of David Ross (1720) and Sarah Miller (1710).
It's Sarah's story I really wanted to back track for, well, not so much a story as a historical connection. I would like to point out before I start with that though, The Ross family connects to John Ross who married Elizabeth Phoebe Griscom or Betsy as she was known. Betsy Ross (pictured below) is famous for making the first flag of the United States. She and John never had any children.The Ross's had only been married for 2 years before the Revolutionary War broke out and her husband lost his life. She went on to marry twice more, both marriages produced children
Sarah Miller is the daughter of Richard Miller (1678) and Mary Hatfield (1674). Mary's parents are Matthias Hatfield (1635) and Mariken Melyn (1637). Matthias and Mariken, had 5 children. Of those 5 children, my grandmother Mary was number 4, her brother Abraham was number 3 of 5. Abraham Hatfield Sr (1670) is important because it's his line that was involved in the Hatfield/McCoy blood feud. Abraham Sr is the father of Abraham George "Abe" Hatfield (1695). Abe Hatfield is the father of Joseph Hatfield (1740). Joseph is the father of Ephraim Hatfield (1765). Ephraim is the father of Valentine Hatfield (1789). Valentine is the father of Ephraim "Big Eph" Hatfield (1812). Big Eph is the father of Ellison (1843). Ellison is the father of Ellison "Cotton Top Hatfield" Mounts (1864).
