Thomas Glenn b. 1766

Thomas Glenn, my 4th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Thomas Glenn was born on March 4, 1766 in Pennsylvania. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth, newly discovered ancestors, maybe from Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ireland, not a lot of facts and records yet. His dad most likely came to America with others from Ireland at the beginning of the Irish Potato Famine.

Thomas Glenn married Jane Bromfield on May 12, 1789 in Cumberland, Pennsylvania at the Presbyterian church. Thomas and Nancy probably had 10-12 children and farmed in Island Creek, Jefferson County, Ohio. Thomas fought in the War of 1812, a major in Andrews Regiment, Ohio Militia.

There was a cholera epidemic in Ohio that began in 1830. Both Thomas and his daughter Elizabeth died of cholera. Thomas was 82, Elizabeth was 55. Thomas is buried at Island Creek Cemetery in Toronto, Jefferson County, Ohio, in the “Pioneer Section”.

The 1850 US census mortality schedule database proving Thomas and Elizabeth’s deaths is little morbid but packed with family history information and at the bottom, a note of about the crops, land soil and cholera in the area. “The above township is well adapted to raising wheat crop, oats and indeed almost kind of product common to this country. The land is rolling but little broken rich and fertile soil mostly limestone. Wheat and apple crop … in 1849 of the farmers … our third crops better … the cholera carried off many of the citizens in 1849” Some of the note is unreadable.

Glenn, Thomas and Elizabeth 1850 mortality schedule
Thomas Glenn and daughter Elizabeth Speedy 1850 mortality schedule


Sources

  • Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch
  • United States War of 1812 Index to Service Records at FamilySearch
  • United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850 at FamilySearch

Alexander Glenn b. 1803

Alexander Glenn 4th great uncle on RootsMagic

Alexander was born in Ohio in 1803, a younger brother of Elizabeth Glenn, mom of Manford Speedy, they were 2 of 12 children in the Glenn family. In 1833 on March 31, Alexander married Sarah Parrish in Ohio. It’s very likely that Manford Speedy with his uncle Alexander and family left Ohio for Iowa, all are in Shell Rock, Iowa by 1856. Alexander is on the 1860 agricultural census. His farm has 100 acres of  improved land, 100 acres unimproved land, cash value of $3500, value of farm machinery $150. The farm has 4 horses, 6 milk cows,  6 other cattle, 30 swine, value of livestock $725. The farm produced 225 bushel of wheat,  600 bushel of Indian corn,  200 bushel of oats, 100 lbs of butter, 15 lbs of cheese and 20 bushel Irish potatoes. Alexander was a widow in 1877 and living in Hampton, Iowa with his son Edward and family.

Alexander died in 1894 and is buried in the Old Town Cemetery in Clarksville, Iowa. The source Iowa Cemetery Records, 1662-1999 confirms he was buried in this cemetery: ‘Alex Glenn b. 1803, d. 1894 age 91 buried in Old-town Cemetery, Clarksville, Butler County. Source Gravestone Records of Butler County, Iowa page 37’. The Glenn headstone has a readable inscription for Sarah. On the other side of the headstone is some engraving, most likely Alexander’s information, completely unreadable because it was made 125 years ago, weather and age have worn the words away. The headstone has an open book at the top, inscription also worn away.

Glenn, Alexander and Sarah headstone has a book on top.

 

Sources

  • Iowa, Cemetery Records, 1662-1999
  • Ohio county marriages 1789-2013 database
  • Iowa non-population census schedules 1850-1880 images

Elizabeth Glenn b. 1794

Elizabeth Glenn, my 3rd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Elizabeth Glenn was born in 1794 in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Her dad was Thomas, her mom Elizabeth- last name unknown. By 1803 the Glenn family lived in Ohio. On April 13, 1818 at age 24, Elizabeth married William Speedy in Jefferson County, Ohio.  Elizabeth and William settled in Island Creek Township near the Ohio River on the eastern edge of Ohio. They had 6 children and farmed.

William Speedy and Betsy Glenn of Jefferson County, Ohio marry on the 13th of April 1818.


In Ohio and the USA, from 1829 to 1851 there was a ‘Second Cholera Pandemic’. President Polk died in 1849 and at least 150,000 other Americans died of cholera. The first Ohio State Fair and the Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1850-1851 were postponed because of the pandemic.

Elizabeth and her dad Thomas Glenn both died of cholera in 1850. Elizabeth was 55, her dad was 82. Elizabeth’s son Manford was 12 at her death. Manford left for Shell Rock, Iowa in 1856 where Elizabeth’s brother Alexander Glenn lived.

Elizabeth Glenn Speedy is buried in Island Creek Cemetery, Jefferson County, Ohio.

Sources

  • Ohio county marriages 1789-2013 at FamilySerch.org.
  • United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850-1880 at FamilySerch.org