The Family Business

This week's prompt for #52Ancestors is Family Business. This is an interesting topic for some people. However, it is somewhat boring for my family, as they were mostly either farmers or coal miners. 

Here's my paternal line:

• Father: George Robert Martin. He was the first generation to leave the mines and worked in a factory for his entire life.
• Grandfather: George Michael Martin (1900-1973). COAL MINER. He was crippled in a mine accident and I don't remember him ever working as I grew up. 
• Great-grandfather: Michael Philip Martin (1876-1923) COAL MINER. Killed in a mining accident.
• Great-grandfather: Robert Halliday (1867-1933), COAL MINER. He was in the mines in County Durham, England at an early age and was involved in union activities in Iowa. 
• Great-great-grandfather: Frank Martin (1824-1905). COAL MINER and plasterer.
• Great-great-grandfather: Wenzil Kausilik (1854-1933), COAL MINER. 
• Great-great-grandfather: John Halliday (1838-after 1910). COAL MINER.
• Great-great-grandfather: Alexander Clark (1834-1912), COAL MINER.
• 3rd great-grandfather: John Halliday (1816-1843) COAL MINER. Died in Coal mining accident. "Fell out of the loop while about to descend the staple."
• 3rd great-grandfather: John Hutchinson (1829-1874) COAL MINER. Found dead at bottom of shaft. Accused of throwing himself down the shaft. 
• 4th great-grandfather: John Halliday (1781-1854) COAL MINER but died of "natural decay."

Here's my maternal line:

• Grandfather: Anthony Martinek/Butzek (1907-1943) COAL MINER. Killed in mining accident.
• Great-grandfather: Anton Martinek (1875-?) COAL MINER.
• Great-grandfather: George Elmus Edwards (1880-1923) FARMER.
• Great-Great-grandfather: Hugh Richard Edwards (1856-1928) FARMER.
• Great-great-grandfather: Josiah Pogue (1848-1900) FARMER.
• 3rd Great-grandfather: Hugh H. Edwards (1821-1907) FARMER.
• 3rd Great-grandfather: John Rains (1832-1917). FARMER.
• 3rd Great-grandfather: Benagie McClerran (1831-1899) FARMER.
• 4th Great-grandfather: Hugh H. Edwards (1795-1834) FARMER. 
• 4th Great-grandfather: John Rains (1800-1854) FARMER.
• 4th Great-grandfather: Moses Armes (1787-1862) FARMER. 
• 4th Great-grandfather: Richard Hilton (1776-1865). FARMER.

Writing out the above ancestors and their occupations brought home the fact that the coal miners were mainly on my Paternal side and that ALL the coal miners were immigrants from Eastern Europe, England, and Scotland. The farmers on my mother's side were all from families that have been in the United States since the 1700s (or before). 

Handed Down Names

Many of us have "handed down" names in our family, passed down from father to son, grandmother to granddaughter. It's sometimes how we end up with families using the same names over and over again. It's common in most nationalities. 

But what about the other names that often puzzle us as genealogists that aren't family names at all. Where did they get handed down from?

Many of us have relatives named Lorenzo Dow. The first time, I was puzzled - who in the family was he named after? But after I'd seen it several times,  I found out where it came from. 

Lorenzo Dow was a traveling preacher who was really popular in the early 1800s. Born in Connecticut, Lorenzo Dow traveled to Ireland and England, he traveled around New England and New York -- and traveled as far away as the Mississippi Territory. He preached to large crowds and seemed to have been everywhere before he died in 1834. People all around the country knew about him, heard him preach, read his book, and named their children after him.

I recently encountered another name that puzzled me -- Elmer Ellsworth McClaran. I could find no other Elmer's in the family. There were no connections to an Ellsworth. So where did that name come from? 

Elmer's father, John T. McClaran, was a Union Civil War veteran, and that was my first hint. Elmer Ellsworth was the first Union officer to die in the Civil War. Because he was a close friend to Abraham Lincoln, his death was highly publicized and "Remember Ellsworth" was a call to serve in the Union Army. While I don't know for sure who Elmer Ellsworth McClaran was named after, it's a good bet his name was "handed down" from this Union hero.

Other "handed down" names can provide clues to the political leanings of ancestors. Most of us have encountered family members named after various presidents, particularly George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Jackson. But if you encounter someone named after Robert E Lee, the family was likely to have been Southern sympathizers. Someone named after DeWitt Clinton likely had New York roots. 

When looking at your family's names, consider the outside sources that prompted naming - and what it might tell you about your family. These are all hints that help us flesh out our family! 

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This week's topic for #52 Ancestors was "Handed Down." Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow for putting together 52 prompts!!

The Challenging Family

 This week's #52 Ancestors blog prompt is Challenging. While I have many challenging families that I'm working on, the one that came first to mind was my POGUE family.

Olive Isabelle "Belle" Pogue, born 9 September 1892 in Franklin County, Illinois, was married at least three times. (1) She had four children with her first husband, George Elmus Edwards, including my grandmother (and another son with her second husband Joseph Kehder). I don't remember her, but I do remember that when she died in 1959, my grandmother went to southern Illinois for the funeral.(2) (Not sure why that memory sticks in my mind - I was pretty young at the time.)

Olive's father was Josiah Pogue. Josiah was born in March 1848, likely in Franklin or Williamson County (or possibly Saline or Gallatin). He is listed throughout his life as Josiah, Si, Cy, Cyrus, Silas, Josirus, and Joe. Josiah was married to Mahala Jane McClerren in 1886, and they had four children. He was only 52 when he died in 1900 in Franklin County Illinois. 

Here's where things start to get really murky. Josiah's father is James Pogue, born about 1807, somewhere in Kentucky. He appears to have been married three times - to Nancy Taylor, Lydia Medlin and Nancy Plaster - I've only found records for his marriage in 1831 to Lydia and in 1839 to Nancy Plaster. But Josiah's 1886 marriage record lists his mother as Nancy Taylor. So I'm not sure who his mother really was because it seems it should be either Lydia Medlin or Nancy Plaster. No death record has been found for Josiah - there are a couple of missing years on the Franklin County death register, including most of 1900 and all of 1901. It's like the registrar stopped entering records for a couple of years and no one knows why.

James Pogue served in the Black Hawk War briefly (as did many others from the area). He was in Captain Archilaus Coffey's Company of the 1st Regiment, 1st Brigade of Illinois Volunteers. A large group from Gallatin County Illinois enlisted in June of 1832.

In 1850, James "Pouge" and his wife Nancy lived in Franklin County, along with 10-year-old Wm. R, 7 year old Geo. W, L.E., aged 3 (a female), and Josiah, aged 2. The page is faint and hard to read. But they lived next door to John Foster and his family. 

In 1851, James bought land in Franklin County using the Bounty land scrip he received from his Black Hawk War service. He sold the land one year later. Things really get confusing after that.

In a book of abstracts of Early Franklin County Court records, in December of 1851, there is a record that I believe belongs to this family. (3) I have not been able to locate the original record. The abstract says 

"William Foster represents that James Page, father of George W., 9, Lyenin, 7 and Josiah Page 4, has for six months past wilfully neglected to provide for his minor children. A jury was called and found James Page guilty. It is ordered by the court that Joseph Swafford be appointed guardian of George Washington Page, aged 9 years on 9 April 1851, Lyain Page, aged 7 years and Josiah, aged 4 years, minor children of James Page."

 Is this James Pogue? I believe it is and was either mis-abstracted or written incorrectly in the original. I suspect the name may have been written as POGE. The last name is often misspelled for some reason. The ages closely match. The names match. It's always been unclear what L.E.'s name was - my assumption was it may have been Lydia since Josiah named a daughter Lydia. But maybe not. I'm also unclear about Joseph Swafford - there doesn't appear to be a Joseph Swafford in Franklin County, but there are many others, so perhaps it's one of those. There is no mention of William R. Pogue, who would have been around 11 or 12 - was he already living with someone else? 

So the mystery -- is the above a court record for my family? I don't know, but James disappears after this. There's no sign of his wife Nancy. In 1860, Josiah Pogue, aged 13, lived with John M. Foster and his family. John and his wife had been next-door neighbors to the then-intact Pogue family.

So my hypothesis, which still needs proving, is that James Pogue lost his wife right after that 1850 census. She likely died, but it's possible she ran off or they got a divorce. He could not, or would not care for his family and was taken to court because of his actions. He gave up the guardianship of his family to others, sold his land, and then just seemed to disappear. 

It's also unclear as to who the parents of James were - possibly James and Maran Pogue - but maybe not.  James may also have had two earlier children, David and James - but maybe not. He may have been married before he married Lydia Medlin -- but maybe not. There are still so many mysteries to be investigated. The work is impacted by the lack of records and the various spellings of the Pogue name.

So what about the rest of the family? They led challenging and sometimes troubled lives and they deserve their own posts which will follow in the future.

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(1) Olive's death certificate lists her birth date as 9 September 1893. The 1900 census gives her birth date as September 1892, and her Social Security Claims Index lists her birth date as 9 September 1892. Marriage records have been found for her first and second marriages but not for her third. 

(2) Death Certificate and obituary. It does list her name as Belle Hedges, that of her last husband.

(3)Pulliam, Carla, comp. Early Court Records, Franklin County, Illinois (Self-published, 1995) V. 1 1836-1876, V 2, 1877-1900. FHL library has vols 1-2 into 1 volume.

What was his name?? Josiah, Cyrus, Silas, Si, Cy, Joseph???

I wrote this post last year in response to the Nickname theme for #52Ancestors in #52Weeks. The variety of names Josiah Pogue used still puzzles me. I've updated the post for this year's theme. 

My great-great-grandfather, Josiah Pogue, was a man with many names. To this day, I don't know what his "real" name was but I suspect it was Josiah. 

Born before births were registered in Franklin County, Josiah first shows up as a three-year-old in the 1850 Franklin County, Illinois census. He is clearly listed as Josiah. The last name is spelled Pouge [This happens often. The name is also misspelled as Page].[1] 

Enumerated as a thirteen-year-old, he is still listed as Josiah, living with the John M. Foster family in Franklin County in 1860.[2] Both parents (or at least his mother) died sometime between 1850 and 1860, and the Fosters were a family intertwined with the Pogue family in some way. Relatives, perhaps, or at least close friends? The actual relationship is still unclear.

He cannot be found in the 1870 census. [I believe a whole neighborhood was missed in the enumeration process.] In 1880, twenty-three-year-old Josirus Pogue was listed as a cousin in the William Foster household. William Foster is related to John M. Foster, who lived next door in 1880.[3]

Thirty-eight-year-old Josiah Pogue married Mahala McClearin Striplin in 1886 in Franklin County. It is unclear how Josiah had aged fifteen years in six years, but it is likely an error and should say twenty-eight. [This whole marriage record has a lot of problems, and the recorder appears to have been careless in several ways.] John M Foster, a Baptist minister, performed the marriage.[4]

In 1900, fifty-two-year-old Cyrus Pogue was enumerated in the Franklin County census with his wife Mahala and four children, including my great-grandmother Isabel Pogue.[5] Josiah died later in the year, and his tombstone lists his name as Josiah Pogue.[6]  

In 1910, when daughter Olive Isabel "Belle" Pogue married, her license listed her father as Joseph Pogue.[7] He is also called Joseph S. Pogue on her Social Security Application.[8] On her 1959 death certificate, her father is listed as Silas Pogue.[9] In 1964, when Josiah's daughter Lydia Pogue Ewing died, her obituary listed her father as Joe Pogue.[10]

Other mentions have been found calling him Si, Silas, and Cy. He was likely indeed named Josiah but was called Joe or Cy by various people. Both nicknames can easily be found within the name Josiah, and multiple people likely mistook them for nicknames such as Joseph, Cyrus, or Silas. 

#52 Ancestors topic of the week - Nicknames!!  Revised 15 January 2025.

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[1] 1850 U.S. census, Franklin County, Illinois, pop. sched., p. 34b, dwell. 482, fam. 496, Jas Pouge household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 May 2024).

[2] 1860 U.S. census, Franklin County, Illinois, pop. sched., Township 75, range 4E, p.34b, dwell and fam 977, Josiah Pogue in John M. Foster household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 20 May 2024).

[3] 1880 U.S. census, Franklin County, Illinois, pop. sched. Cave Township, e.d. 16, p.7, dwell. and fam. 54, Josirus Pogue in William A. Foster household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5 April 2023). 

[4] "Marriage Records, 1878-1916," digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 10 October 2024); Franklin County, Vol. 1, p. 129, Lic. #1617, 1886, Pogue-Striplin marriage; FHL #4661221/1005307, image 141. 

[5] 1900 U.S. census, Franklin County, Illinois, pop. sched., Cave Township, e.d. 27, sheet 8a, dwell. 144, fam. 144, Cyrus Pogue household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 October 2022).

[6] Find a Grave; digital image (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 15 January 2025); Memorial #191234210, Josiah Pogue (1849-1900), Mount Zion Cemetery (Thompsonville, Franklin County, Illinois); photo by Brandon Rowe.

[7] Marriage license received from Williamson County Clerk. p. 333, marriage book M, 1910, Edwards-Pogue marriage.

[8] "Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007": index, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 15 January 2025).Belle Pogue Hedges, SSN 334-16-8882. Father: Joseph S. Pogue, Mother: Mahala J. McClerr (sp). 

[9] Illinois Death certificate. Copy received from cousin [name withheld for privacy], Williamson County, Illinois, Belle Hedges, 1959, Father: Silas Pogue, Mother: Mahalia McClerren. 

[10] "Mrs. Ewing Dies in West Frankfort," Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale), 2 February 1964, p.24, col.2. 

Brave and True - A Namesake

     One of the earliest lessons learned in genealogical research was paying close attention to people's names. Naming patterns, middle names - these can be good clues to understanding the person you are researching. 

    Middle names frequently point to a mother's maiden name or some other family name. But not always. I encountered a really odd middle name once. I was sure it must have been a family surname but found no proof that it was. And then I looked at a plat map for the neighborhood - and right next door lived a man with that last name. That told me something about the friendship between the two families.

    Often the same names keep cropping up like people named after the evangelist Lorenzo Dow. But recently, I came across Elmer Ellsworth McClaran. This name seemed to come out of the blue - there was no other Elmer in the family, no connection to an Elsworth family that I could find. And then I found the probable connection.

    Elmer Elsworth McClaran was born in 1877 in Henry County, Iowa. It turns out, he was likely named after Elmer Ellsworth, the first Union officer casualty of the Civil War. Elmer Ellsworth was a friend of Abraham Lincoln, studying law with him in Springfield, Illinois. His death on 24 May 1861 was publicized throughout the country with the slogan "Remember Ellsworth." He even had a song written for him -- Brave Men, Behold Your Fallen Chief by H.C. Ballard and J.P. Webster, written in 1862. The song starts out:

"Dead! Dead! Dead at the dawning of the strife! Dead! Dead! and late so loyal, brave and true; When high hopes center'd in his life, And fond eyes had his fame in view, Ellsworth, Ellsworth, Ellsworth, the noble, brave and true. Ellsworth, Ellsworth, Dear departed, brave and true."

     As genealogists, we never know where our search will take us. By following the names, we can often learn what was important to our families.

NOTE: A copy of the sheet music can be found at: 

http://alplm-cdi.com/chroniclingillinois/items/show/22839