Glenn

Thomas Glenn b. 1766

/ Kirstin Miller

Thomas Glenn 4th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Thomas Glenn was born on March 4, 1766 in Pennsylvania. His parents were probably Thomas and Elizabeth, newly discovered ancestors, maybe from Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ireland, not a lot of facts and records yet.

Thomas Glenn married Jane Bromfield on May 12, 1789 in Cumberland, PA at the Presbyterian church. Presbyterians trace their origin to Britain, mostly Scotland. Thomas and Nancy probably had 10-12 children and farmed in Island Creek, Jefferson County, Ohio, eastern Ohio, near the Ohio River. Thomas fought in the War of 1812, a major in Andrews Regiment, Ohio Militia. He paid taxes in Island Creek, real and personal estate, with tax records from 1816 to 1838. 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.
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

Thomas is buried at Island Creek Cemetery in Toronto, Jefferson County, Ohio, in the “Pioneer Section”. Wife Nancy and daughter Elizabeth Glenn Speedy are in the same cemetery. Elizabeth Glenn married William Speedy and their son Manford with his uncle Alexander Glenn was in Iowa by 1856. William Speedy joined them in Iowa by 1870.
Sources

Alexander Glenn b. 1803

/ Kirstin Miller

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

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth Glenn 3rd great grandmother.

Elizabeth Glenn was born 1794 in Adams County Pennsylvania. By 1803 her family was living in Ohio. April 13, 1818 at age 24, Elizabeth married William Speedy.  The Speedys had a family and farmed in the Island Creek township near the Ohio River on the eastern edge of Ohio.
Speedy William and Elizabeth Glenn 1818 marriage

Elizabeth and her dad Thomas Glenn both died of cholera in 1850. From 1829 to 1851 the ‘Second Cholera Pandemic’ was happening. President Polk d. 1849 and at least 150,000 other Americans. The cholera outbreak caused the first Ohio State Fair and the Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1850-1851 to be postponed.

Elizabeth’s son Manford was 12 at her death. He and his dad William stayed in Ohio together until 1856 when Manford arrived in Shell Rock, Iowa. Elizabeth’s brother Alexander Glenn was also in the Shell Rock area. Elizabeth Glenn Speedy is buried in Island Creek Cemetery, Jefferson Ohio. FindAGrave is completely unverified but still a good way to match families and ancestors.
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Cholera_Epidemics
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146506539/elizabeth-speedy

Marriage record at FamilySerch.org. William Speedy and Betsy Glenn, 13 Apr 1818; citing Jefferson, Ohio, United States, reference p 129 cn 1316; county courthouses, Ohio, Jefferson, Marriage records 1813-1824 vol 2. Ohio county marriages 1789-2013 database with images.