by Dave Skinner
NEW MEMBER - Sharon R. Dodge
Sharon was referred to us by Marcia Bramlett. Her husband descends from Daniel Landon, b. 1695 Southold, NY.
NEW MEMBER - Richard J. Stubblefield
Richard is a descendant of Horace Landon of Jersey County, IL. His line is: James Landon and Mary Vail, David Landon and Mary Osborn, Thomas Landon and Experience Johnson, Horace Landon and Drucilla Hamm, William D. Landon and Alvira Cory, Alice Landon and Benjamin Workman, Minnie Alvira Workman - Richard's great grandmother.
Richard says he got most of his information from an old letter that was in some papers left by his grandparents. The letter was dated October 15, 1934, and signed by Theodore S. Chapman.
"To all those of the Landon Family:
Perry O. Landon has been kind enough to compile a genealogy or history of our grandparents and their antecedents down to the time of their settlement in Jersey County. It seems fitting that we review our history, and so learn to know our antecedents, and each other, better; and it was thought by this history to make us all feel akin, as in fact we are. Perry's history is as follows:"
"For most of the facts contained in this sketch of the forefathers of one William D. Landon, whose eightieth birthday we are soon to celebrate by a meeting of the Landon clan, I am indebted to a book, 'Landon Genealogy' compiled by the late James O. Landon, of South Hero, Vermont, and Everett, Massachusetts. Most of the Landons in America can trace their ancestry to the first James Landon, born about 1680, and his wife Mary Vaile. Many descendants of this same James live in New England, and many are located in various states of the United States and all around the world. There is a 'Chateau Landon' in France where families of this name lived, and no doubt were landed gentry, or in other words, farmers. The name itself means 'land covered with heath.' No matter what any member of this family may train himself for a life vocation, the call of the soil is so strong that sooner or later most of them find themselves doing a better or worse job of farming. On account of religious wars it became necessary for one of these Landons of Chateau Landon, France, to leave the country and he fled with his family to Wales. From this branch of the family, French, but no doubt by this time well mixed with Welsh blood, came a Mr. Landon to America, and he settled for a time at Northampton, Massachusetts, about 1680. His first name does not seem to be established (although I'll bet it was Billy) nor the name of his wife, who no doubt came from Wales with him. Later he moved to Boston, where he had a son born about this same time, who was named James. This same James moved to Southold, Long Island, where he met and married Mary Vaile. From this union five sons were born, and so the branches of the family tree begin to spread."
"His son David, born August 5, 1718, married Mary Osborn of East Hampton, Long Island, and later moved to Litchfield, Connecticut. David and Mary Osborn Landon had five children: one daughter, Mary and four sons, David, Benjamin, Thomas, and Nathan. Thomas, who was born January 14, 1746, is our direct grandsire."
"Thomas, with two of his brothers, and many other residents of Litchfield, Connecticut, moved to Cornwall, Vermont. He was married on April 4, 1774, to Experience Johnson. The early history of Addison County, Vermont, is filled with the activities of these Landon brothers and their families. While their principal occupation was farming, they were elected to positions of trust, and some of their descendants are still respected and successful citizens of the community. Thomas and Experience had six sons and one daughter. The fifth son, born November 17, 1783, was named Horace, and the youngest child was Hulda, who came to Jersey County and later married Wash Perrine. Horace married in Vermont and with his family and many other relatives and friends from Addison County, Vermont, migrated by wagon train to what was then Greene County, Illinois. This county contained all of what is now Jersey County."
"Horace and his wife had six children: Alonzo, Norman, William, Emaline, Caroline, and Malissa. William, the third son, was born in 1813 in Vermont, and was about seventeen years of age when the family migrated to Illinois. About 1836 he married Alvira Cowan, nee cory, widow of William Cowan deceased, who had lost her husband and two small children soon after coming to Illinois from Vermont. Alvira Cory was born May 30, 1814, the daughter of Zophor Cory and wife. There are many descendants of the brothers and sisters of Alvira Cory Landon living in Greene, Macoupin, and Sangamon Counties, Illinois."
"William and Alvira Cory lived for most of their married life on the old homestead about four miles northwest of Jerseyville. They raised a family of ten children to maturity: Edwin, Austin and Oscar (twins), Horace, Alice, Mary, Emma, Truman, William D., and Sarah. All became farmers or married men who farmed the rich soil of Illinois. All have living descendants except Truman, who was never married. William Landon was a successful farmer and respected citizen of Jersey County until his death in 1872. His wife, Alvira Cory Landon lived on the old farm homestead for many years and then moved to Jerseyville about 1886. It has been given to few women to enjoy the love and respect of the community in which she lived as did Grandmother Alvira. Her home was open at all times to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Her advice and help were sought by many people, and no one was ever turned away without just the help he needed. It can truly be said of her, 'her children rise up and call her blessed.'
"With this sketch I go no further. You who attend this reunion know most of the current history of our family. Wherever a descendant of William and Alvira Landon is serving his community with honor and industry he is but carrying on a tradition expected of this family, and established through many generations."
(Back to Theodore Chapman's letter)
This is probably a good place to set forth what was now and then related to me, sometimes by Grandma, sometimes by the uncles and aunts, and sometimes by old neighbors. As Perry relates, Grandma was born in 1814. She married her first husband, Mr. Cowan, when she was about seventeen, that is about 1831, and came west with him in 1832, first to Sangamon County and then down in and about Jerseyville. There were two children of the first marriage, both of whom, and her husband, died in one winter. At some time it was related to me that at the time of these deaths Grandma was living on the road leading west from the state road north of Jerseyville past the present fair grounds, that is the road Aunt Mary Cowan lives on. She lived in a log cabin that was on a knoll about three quarters of a mile west of the state road. Before living in that cabin, she lived in one on the little knoll in the southwest part of Jerseyville, where Wilson Cross lived when I was a boy. I remember that Grandma herself told me of her residence in that cabin, saying that the chimney was so big that when it rained it put out the fire. The chimney was made of clapboards and had been lined with mud when the cabin was built, but the mud dried out and dropped off, so that in the summer there was great danger of fire, and all things considered she really preferred to cook outdoors, that is at an open fire. I remember distinctly her saying to me at one time that she never baked as good bread after she got a stove as she did before."
"Some old settle told me at one time that after Mr. Cowan's death Grandmother was locally regarded as a buxom and wealthy widow. I believe she had a quarter section of land. However that may be, she and Grandfather were married in 1836, and I believe they immediately moved out to the old homestead northwest of Jerseyville. There at first there was a log cabin, in fact almost all the residences at that time were log cabins. Later on there was a frame addition built to that cabin. The cabin stood a bit north of where the present house stands. In due time the cabin was abandoned and a frame house was built on the present site. Then after Grandpa died a large addition was built so as to constitute in effect two houses. Uncle Oscar and his family live in one house, and Grandma and I think Gustie lived in the other house."
"In the very early eighties my father and mother and our family spent at least a few weeks out there with Grandma. I remember the house and the pump, and that in the barn lot there stood about old header boxes. The header had been abandoned and the boxes likewise; I never saw one in operation. There was a windmill and a big water tank built of planks, and we kids used to go "swimming" in that tank. I don't remember what Uncle Oscar had to say about that, but I imagine a-plenty. I remember also being out there one winter night, and that Roy and Perry stripped off their shoes and stockings and ran barefoot from the house down to the road and back in the snow, which was about a foot deep."
"As I search my memory I remember also that Grandma told me herself of living in a log house at this place, and that wandering Indians sometimes came by, and that ordinarily the squaws would have rabbits carried over their backs. They seemed to live on them. She said the Indians were quite harmless. Another old settler once told me that when he came into the country in the thirties, on the prairies the prairie grass was up to the backs of the horses, and that as one drove across the prairie the whir of the prairie chickens rising was constant. I remember also my father's relating that in his early residence in Jersey County wild turkeys were quite abundant."
"Doubtless many of us, by searching our minds, will recall other things told us by our parents and grandparents. Such bits of memory as one has really ought to be related.
Theodore S. Chapman
Be sure to come to the party!"
Thus ends the letter from Theodore Chapman. Richard also sent in an invitation to a family gathering to celebrate the ninetieth birthday of Aunt Emma (Landon) Everts. This was found in an envelope addressed to Richard's grandparents postmarked June 5, 1939. The return address was simply "Homeridge Farm, Jerseyville, Illinois." It includes pictures of Aunt Emma at age 18, and at age 90; and a picture of Uncle Billy with the caption "There are surviving of the ten children of Grandfather and Grandmother, Aunt Emma Everts and Uncle Billy Landon."
The invitation states, "Aunt Emma Everts was born May 20, 1849. Her ninetieth birthday party will be deferred to June 24, 1939, in order that more may attend. Moreover, on June 22, 23, 24, and 25, Jersey County will celebrate its one-hundredth birth year by a homecoming of many old residents and by an appropriate pageant, and other celebrations, services, and activities. It is thought that possibly some of the Landon clan might wish to participate in each Aunt Emma's party and the County's."
"All descendants of Aunt Emma's father and mother, William D. and Alvira Landon, and the husbands and wives of all such descendants now living or departed, are invited to attend her ninetieth birthday party to be held at the Homeridge Farm one and one-half miles north of Jerseyville on Route 67 on Saturday, June 24, 1939, beginning at ten o'clock in the morning and continuing so long as any shall desire to remain. Refreshments will be supplied. The children of Grandmother Landon were accustomed to gather at her house in Jerseyville upon her birthday, until her death in her eighty-ninth year in 1904. These annual gatherings served to give life and joy to our affection for one another. It is therefore hoped that all who possibly can will attend and so continue these family gatherings."
Eileen Campbell sent in some materials from her trip to Litchfield County, Connecticut, and I included some in the last issue. I'm not sure I understand it all, but I'll do my best to recap some more of these materials:
1. a copy of an old photograph (Ca 1862) of Captain Charles Berry Landon, brother of Judson Stuart Landon and son of William and Phebe Landon. Capt Landon was b 21 Aug 1837, served in Co. E of the 28th Connecticut Vols.
2. a copy of what appears to be an old account book of the Town of Salisbury for payments to Ashbel Landon "for building the fens around the bearring ground".
3. a 1987 newspaper article about the sale of Fairfield Farms to the State Department of Agriculture and a 1943 article on the sale of Tory Hill Farms by Mrs. Albert B. Landon to Clarence Seymour.
4. various notes from the Malcolm Day Rudd Collection, on the Ezekiel Landon family of Litchfield Co.
5. copy from an account book, payments for cloth? to Rufus Landon.
6. an article apparently written for the Lakeville Journal in 1933, about Albert Barton Landon, born 6 Sept 1863, son of James H. and Mary E. (Barton) Landon, grandson of James Landon, great grandson of Ashbel Landon.
Jean Deal wrote that she was interested in the account of the rescue at Fort Freeland (she says Freeland is correct, not Freeling) because another ancestor of hers died there. "The Northumberland County Historical Society says that about sunrise on July 28, James Watt, an old man (he was 45 years old - ouch!) left the fort, an Indian sprang upon him and felled him with his tomahawk. Two of James' sons were also at the Fort, were captured by the Indians but escaped the next day."
Jean sent us her best effort at transcribing Laban Landon's service record from his Revolutionary War Pension file. As she says, parts are difficult to read. If anyone has this on computer disk, please send it in and I will include it in a future issue.
Somehow I missed this in the last issue. John Farmer wrote us about the famous poet Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L.E.L. was her signature line). From an old letter to William Jerdan (1782-1869), a journalist and editor of the Literary Gazette: "My cottage overlooked the mansion and grounds of Mr. Landon, the father of L.E.L. at Old Brompton; a narrow lane only dividing our residences. My first recollection of the future poetess is that of a plump girl, grown enough to be almost mistaken for a woman, bowling a hoop round the walks, with a hoop-stick in one hand and a book in the other, reading as she ran, and as well as she could manage both exercise and instruction at the same time. The exercise was prescribed and insisted upon; the book was her own irrepressible choice."
I have run across many references to the works of L.E.L. (Letitia Elizabeth Landon) in my library research at Florida State University, but had never followed up on it. Does anyone have more information on her?
NOTE: Look for L.E.L. in LaDean Lee's genealogy of the family of Roger Landon in this issue. Is it the same one?
Jim Gordon sent us his information on the family of Captain Nathaniel Landon. "Have received the April newsletter, and it gets right into the branch of the family I am seeking. Captain Nathaniel Landon had a daughter Nancy Landon, born Ca 1780 who married Rev. Gilbert Carpenter. Gilbert Carpenter and his first wife, Sarah (unknown) Carpenter are my maternal third great grandparents. Sarah Carpenter, died 22 Feb. 1817, aged 71 years and is buried in Galena Cemetery, Delaware County, Ohio. "My reason for seeking information about Nancy (Landon) Carpenter is as follows: I believe if we can find the grave of Nancy we'll then find Gilbert who quite possibly is buried beside her. There is a marker for Rev. Gilbert beside that of his first wife, Sarah, but I believe it was placed there "In memory of" by his son Moses Carpenter, and that Gilbert is not actually buried there. The stone reads "In Honor of Rev. Gilbert Carpenter by M. C." There is nothing else inscribed on the stone."
"At some point in time after the death of Sarah, Rev. Gilbert married Nancy Landon and on 26 Feb. 1818 Gilbert deeded over 53 1/4 acres of land to the children of Samuel Landon (Nancy's brother). The deed was signed by Gilbert Carpenter and by Nancy Carpenter, at the request of Nathaniel Landon and the sum of $10.00 was paid by Nathaniel Landon. According to Betty Brassington, Nancy Landon, until her marriage to Gilbert, - was a spinster who was taking care of her invalid father, Nathaniel Landon.
"My feelings are there was a 'big family flap' over deeding that land as there has been nothing found about Gilbert after this date, 26 Feb. 1818. I have come into possession of a letter written by Ann Martha (Carpenter) McCroskey, a great granddaughter to Rev. Gilbert. The date is very unclear, but it appears to be about 1912. Ann Martha died in San Francisco in 1930. She stated in the letter that Rev. Gilbert Carpenter had died in 1834. She didn't give the source of the information but at this point, I have to go along with that date. This means to me there was no communication between Gilbert and his family after 1818 and 1834. I have seen other correspondence between members of the family and it appears to me that he was left out. Other places state, including your newsletter, that Gilbert, Nancy, and Nathaniel are buried in Delaware County, Ohio. Enclosed are all of the Landon burials I could find in Delaware County - including Gilbert Carpenter - and none of the above are listed.
"one theory of mine is as follows. Is it possible that Gilbert and Nancy continued to take care of her father Nathaniel, and that he had expressed the desire to be buried with his wife, Mehitable in Luzerned County, PA - she having been killed there in the massacre that followed the Battle of Wyoming Valley which occurred on 3 July, 1778? Is it then possible that Gilbert and Nancy escorted him back there and they themselves are also buried there?
"Could you use the 'power of your newsletter' to either disprove or confirm that - as I have had very little success finding things in that area?
"One other thought regarding Delaware County, Ohio. Nathaniel Landon, Nancy (Landon) Carpenter, Rev. Gilbert Carpenter, his son William Carpenter and wife Betsie (Anway) Carpenter are all said to be buried in Delaware County, Ohio. While I have found many of the family buried there, I have not found any of the above there, with the possible exception of the marker in honor of Rev. Gilbert.
Jim sent us a typed copy of the deed recorded in Vol 4, page 416, Delaware Co. deeds. It is dated 26 Feb 1818 from Gilbert Carpenter and wife Nancy "of Sunbury in the County of Delaware" to the "children of Samuel Landon (viz): Henry, George, Elizabeth, Mehitable adn Elisha". The land was 53 1/4 acres in "Lots No. 3 and 4 in the eastern tier of lots in the 1st section of the 4th twp. in the 17th range of the United States Military land". Witnesses were John Kerr and Mary Carpenter. It is unusual that the deed to these "children of Samual Landon" was entitled "Gilbert Carpenter deed to Nathaniel Landon", even though Nathaniel Landon was not one of the individuals to whom the property was actually deeded!
Jim also sent us his research on Landon burials in Delaware Co., Ohio. From Burials in Sunbury Memorial Park, Sunbury, Delaware County, Ohio, by Dianna Miller Mayes and Guy E. Mayes, 1991:
Page 34, Sunbury Cemetery
Amy S. Landon b 1851, d 1928
Chloe Edith Landon b 1850, d 1917
Elizabeth Landon (Powell says dtr of G. & E) b 13 Sept 1830, d 29 Dec 1932
Emilia Patrick Landon, wife of Geo Landon, b 6 Apr 1812, d 29 Oct 1888
George Landon b 23 Aug 1806, d 26 Nov 1840 (Powell says 1850)
infant dtr (Powell says "infant daughter and son) of Allen and Nancy J. Landon b 19 Mar 1850, d 19 Mar 1850
Jaspar A. Landon, son of Allen and Nancy, d 9 Aug 1850, 1 year
John Patrick Landon b 1832, d 1919
Joseph Brevoort Landon b 1893, d 6 Apr 1979
Joseph P. Landon (Co. C, 96th Ohio Vol) b 2 May 1838, d 26 Oct 1899
Marie Thomas Landon b 1895, d 1 Feb 1890 (sic)
son of A. & G. N. (Powell says "A. & N.") Landon, d 31 Jan 1851 age 12 years
Thomas P. Landon b 25 Sept 1842, d 22 Dec 1926.
From Tombstone Inscriptions and other Records of Delaware County, Ohio, by Esther Weygandt Powell:
Page 4, Berkshire Cemetery
LANDON, Mary, wife of E. Landon, d 13 July 1845. Ebenezer, whose grave is said to be beside that of his wife was b Ca 1759 and was still living when the 1840 Census was taken. He gave his age as 79 at that time. There is a wide space without any markers on each side of Mary's grave.
Pages 21, 25, Galena Cemetery
Lydia Landen, wife of Charles, d 3 Nov 1874 aged 26 yr 7 mo
David Landon, d 15 July 1867 aged 95 years (very plain)
Charles Landon d 12 Aug 1838 aged 29 years
Alanson Landon, son of David and Lucinda, b 9 Aug 1819, d 16 Jan 1842
Silva Landon d 16 Aug 1864 aged 62 years
Sunbury Cemetery Pg 35
(Landons same as above with exceptions noted in italics)
Han Landon Carpenter, wife of Lyman, b 26 Jun 1836, d 25 Aug 1872
Pages 129, 130, Fancher Cemetery
Wellington Landon d 11 May 1892 aged 77yr 7mo 29dy
Hamlin Landon d 16 Sept 1865 aged 22yr 10mo 16dy
Esther Landon, wife of Jarvis, d 30 Sept 1850 aged 37yr 3mo 20dy
Mary C. Landon d 28 July 1880 aged 31yr 10mo 15dy
David Landon, son of David and Mary C., d 5 Aug 1878 aged 1mo 5dy
Pages 203, 204, Stark Cemetery
Samuel Landon d 12 Feb 1859 aged 89yr 7mo 11dy
Hannah Landon, wife of Samuel, d 17 Dec 1868 aged 89yr 2mo 21dy
Clark H. Dwinnell d 27 Feb 1838 aged 31yr 3mo 15dy
Mehetable (Landon) Dwinnell d 19 Feb 1839 aged 26yr 3mo 2dy
Samuel E. Landon, son of H. & P., d 2 Sept 1851 aged 11yr 27dy
Henry Landon, b 23 Nov 1803, d 25 Dec 1891
Phebe R. Landon, wife of Henry, b 28 Nov 1812, d 18 Sept 1873
Cloa A. Gammill, dau of James and Mary, d 9 Oct 1860 aged 4yr 2mo 15dy
Pages 265, 267, Shoup Cemetery
Cyre Landon d 7 Oct 1864 aged 77yr 1mo 5dy
Rachel Landon, wife of Cyre, b 27 Aug 1785?, d 10 Oct 1861 aged 76yr 1mo 13 dy
Mary Landon, dau of C. & E. A., d 29 Apr 1855 aged 8yr 11mo 2dy
infant son of Cyre and Eunice A, d 14 Nov 1852
infant dau of Cyre & Eunice, d 16 Jan 1847
Eunice Landon dau of Cyre & Eunice, d 25 Dec 1845 aged 1yr 3mo 7dy
Eunice Landon wife of Cyre, d 25 Apr 1854 aged 29yr 3mo 27dy
Samuel Landon aged 46 years (stone broken & partly buried)
James Landon d 13 Sept 1838 aged 88yr 3mo 18dy
Elizabeth Landon, wife of James, d 22 Nov 1854 (sunken stone)
Page 281, Trenton Township
A large quarry was opened up on the farm of Joseph and John Landon on the Big Walnut (Creek). Trenton Township Personals, J. Landon here 1832 form Ohio, J. P. Landon here 1838 from Ohio (I don't know what this means. Dave)
Page 301, Prospect Cemetery
Mary Ann Landon wife of P. P., d 17 Dec 1846 aged 31yr 5mo 4dy (now Marion County, Ohio)
Page 308, Some Marion County Pioneers
David Gast married C. Rowe & Abigail (Landon) (not understood)
Roger Landon wrote to thank us for organizing the LFRG. He contributed the following about Betty's article on page 30 of the April 1994 issue.
"Prospect, Ohio is located in Marion County at the southern boundary, near Delaware County. The Shoup, or Thompson Cemetery is in Delaware County. I was born near Prospect and still have many relatives in Marion County. The map printed on page 27 illustrates these positions. Printing the maps is very helpful, thank you.
"The Village of Prospect was originally named Middletown, but was changed when U. S. Postal Service was initiated, because another town had the same name.
I had a contact with Krista Ottino on Prodigy. She is interested in information on the Landons in the 1600's. She is a descendant of Elizabeth "Betty" Landon who married Robert "King" Carter of Virginia in 1702. (See Betty's article in this issue.) I referred her to Paul Rawson and Dale Landon, and sent her a sample copy of the LFRG newsletter, but I haven't received her subscription. If anyone is interested in writing to her, her address is 3295 Juliet Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125.
Sherrol Landon sent some information to help out on the Census project. "I am sending these sheets because I found the Richard listed in the Landon Newsletter on page 58, July 1993, listed as "unidentified". I had his parents from another source." Sherrol's family group sheet shows Richard Landon, Sr born about 1781, married Lillie Pray b about 1785, died at Waterville, Oneida Co., NY, 2 Oct. 1851. Her father was Richard Pray, mother Mary Wood. Their children were:
(1) Richard Junior, b 1 Feb 1801 at Richfield, Otsego Co., NY, d 24 July 1889, married Sarah Ann Meyers and (2) Mary, b about 1809, married a Mr. Bruce. (Sources are the will of Richard Pray, Otsego Co., NY and unpublished family info from Miss Thelda Baker, 4981 Aurora Dr., Ventura, CA 93003)
Sherrol also pointed out that the two Francis Landons shown on the same page in Onondaga County are probably a duplication by the Census takers.
Barbara Roach sent in an obituary of Harriet (Landon) McDowell published in the Conneaut Daily Post-Herald March 26, 1903. "Mrs. Harriet D. McDowell died at her home in this place on Friday, after an illness covering a period of 18 months, aged 74 years. Deceased was a daughter of Thomas Landon, one of the early settlers in Conneautville, and she was born and spent nearly her whole life on the place where she died. She was married to H. H. McDowell, September 29th, 1853, and had she lived they would have celebrated their golden wedding the coming September. When twelve years of age she was converted and joined the M. E. Church in whose work she was always actively engaged. She leaves besides her companion, four children, Mrs. Clara, wife of Frank T. Walton of Conneaut, Ohio; Miss Flora McDowell of the Deaconess Home in Cleveland; Miss Hattie a teacher in the government school at Pendleton, Oregon; and Harry R. of this place. Of her father's family, Mr. Charles Landon of this place is the only surviving member......." Barbara says. "I believe this Charles is Thomas Jr's Charles. Harriet is noted in the NJ Gen Soc article on page 103. Charles married Lucinda Cary."
Barbara also has some interesting information on the late actor Michael Landon. "Michael Landon's real name was Eugene Maurice Orowitz, however he married Cindy LANDON! He adopted her name for the stage. He was the son of Eli Maurice Orowitz and Peggy O'Neill." Barbara is going to write to try to find the lineage for Cindy Landon - or perhaps get her interested in finding her lineage!
Barbara is still working on the Nancy Hopkins line. "It looks more and more that her father was David Hopkins and that she had a sister Sarah. David may or may not be the son of Rev. Francis Hopkins of NJ or William Hopkins of Orient, Suffolk, Long Island." If you are interested in working with Barbara on this, you should write to her at her new address near Pensacola, Florida: 1329 Windsor Park Road, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561.
Barbara sent us a disk (in Family Tree Maker) of her Landon research, and promised an article on Tobias Langden for a future issue.
Vera Spencer wrote "I've decided that maybe John Bennett did not marry a Landon after all. A Bennett-Demorest descendant thinks he married Elizabeth Demorest since they named one child Samuel D. Bennett - "D." for Demorest. I am now thinking that John Bennett named 2 children after Daniel Landon and wife Nancy McCallum who lived in the same area as Bennett family and one of John's sisters was supposed to have married a McCallum, probably brother of Nancy. John Bennett's children were born before Daniel and Nancy McCollum Landon were married, but they were probably dating and talking of getting married. And since John Bennett's sister had a McCallum, he would be related by marriage to the McCallums.
"I think John Bennett either married in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. He was born in New Jersey in 1769 and the family were in PA. in 1789 when youngest child Able was born. John's first child was born in 1795 in PA so he probably married in PA. His second child was born in 1799 in Ohio.
"I had a letter from Sherrol Landon and he gave me the complete family of Littleton Landon and his three wives. I thought he had a wife before Nancy Grant because Hannah Landon was born 1832 and Littleton Landon and Nancy were married in 1836. He said Hannah married Jonathon Ellis and a sister Zora Jane married William Ellis.
"Juanita Kellam was writing to an Ellis a few years ago who said he was related to Landon Bennett and Alexander Grant families but didn't know just how they were related. Landon Bennett and wife are buried in Ellis Cemetery.
"I hope if you or anyone do find out that my John Bennett has married a Landon, you'll let me know. Until then I'll go along with the Landon name being for his friend Daniel Landon, who could be related through the McCallum marriages. John's sister Lydia married Nicholas Demorest and that marriage must have been in PA as Dortha wrote she had a researcher looking for Demorests in New Jersey and he could not find any there and he believed they had never been in New Jersey.
"Samuel Bennett was still in New Jersey 1778-1780 in Dover, Monmouth County according to tax ratable records. I think he was in Cumberland Co., PA in 1790 Census as the Samuel Bennett family there in 1790 Census fits the family of our Samuel Bennett.
Ken Thiede sent in family group sheets for the early Landons in England and his wife's Heman Landon line. He is still looking for some help on the DeLancette family of Minnesota. "The State of Minnesota is where the DeLancettes were living and died and were buried, but I am still looking for descendants of them and their stepchildren, William J. Landon and his wife Fannie, William's brother Thomas and William and Tom's step brother Jesse DeLancette." From what I can tell from his family group sheets, Ken's DeLancette connection comes from Harriet Ellen DeLancette b 1860, dau of Joseph DeLancette and Harriet Landon. She then married John Herman Landon, son of John S. Landon and Margaret E. Hughes - thus a double Landon connection.
On to the next section of Volume III, Issue 3
Go to the index of Volume III, Issue 3