The Jenkins’ Journey to America (Part I)

My 4x great grandfather, John Jenkins (1830-1905), was the son of Scottish coal miner John Jenkins and Helen Hardie. He married Ann Hillions McCallum on January 11, 1851 in Slamannan, Stirling, Scotland. Together, Ann and John had the following known children: Henry Jenkins born 1855 in Slamannan, Douglas Jenkins born 1857 in Slamannan, Christina McCallum Jenkins born 1859 in Falkirk, twins Margaret McCunnochie Jenkins and James Hardie Jenkins born 1866 in Cumbernauld, and William Jenkins born 1869 in Cumbernauld.

John Jenkins Sr & son Henry on the State of Indiana passenger list which arrived at New York from Glasgow, Scotland and Larne, Ireland on May 4, 1879. Unable to confirm if the younger John is J. Douglas Jenkins due to age discrepancy.

The State of Indiana

John and his oldest sons, John Jr. & Henry Jenkins arrived in New York aboard the State of Indiana on May 4, 1879. They had departed from Glasgow, Scotland.

The three miners found work and a place to live before sending money for Ann to come to the United States along with younger siblings James Hardie Jenkins, Margaret “Maggie” Jenkins, and William Jenkins. On September 22, 1879 they arrived in New York aboard the Devonia. Also accompanying them aboard the Devonia were John Jenkins Jr.’s wife Catherine and two young sons.

Ann Jenkins and younger children aboard the SS Devonia

The SS Devonia

Older sister Christina McCallum Anderson, her husband Gabriel, and their five month old daughter Ann, came to the States the following year, arriving aboard the Ethiopia in New York on May 12, 1880.

Less than a month later, the 1880 US Census was taken and we find the Jenkins family had settled in Lafayette, McKean, Pennsylvania near many immigrants from Ireland and Scotland. John, Gabriel, and James H. all worked in the mines, William attended school, Ann & Christina cared for the home and four month old Ann.

John, Maggie, Henry, and Douglas are not listed in the household. But Maggie Jenkins is listed nearby as working for a servant in the home of J.E. and Catherine Butts. J.E. is a coal operator, and his 26 year old son J.E.P. Butts is a superintendent of coal and lumber.

Hog Deals, Horse Thievery, and Murder: Champ VS. the Zachary and Evans Clans

Champ with his guards

In 1857, Stokley Evans (my 4x great grandfather), and his two older twin brothers Alex and Floyd made their way from Fentress County, Tennessee to Clinton County, Kentucky to purchase a number of hogs from the three Ferguson brothers; Ben, Jim, and Champ. At this time, the now infamous Champ Ferguson was a farmer with a wife and daughter who was known to have violent tendencies.

Floyd Evans left a note for payment with the Fergusons, they had arranged a meeting in Albany to complete the transaction. When the Fergusons went to collect the money, Alex told the men that Floyd had skipped town with the money. Champ and another man filed a lawsuit against Floyd.

As time went on and Floyd still had not been seen or heard from, Champ got it in his head that the Evans’ were pulling an elaborate hoax to get out of debt. The Ferguson’s decided that whenever Stokley or Alex were around that they would take their horse as payment. They caught Alex in Clinton County and stole his horse.

Floyd returned in late June or early July 1858, secured his debt, and the lawsuit Champ had filed was dropped by the Clinton County Court on July 5, 1858. Around the same time, Alex filed charges against Champ for his horse thievery.

The Evans brothers were furious with Champ for stealing their horses and trying to claim it was a repossession by a creditor when Floyd was the one who owed the money. Alex and Stokley began speaking out publicly, which  the paranoid Champ Ferguson took as threats on his life.

Champ and the Evans brothers attended a camp meeting in Fentress County on Lick Creek on August 12, 1858. Ferguson decided to leave, mounted his horse, and realized the Evans brothers along with other men were hurling rocks at him. As he rode away, he realized the men had also mounted their horses and were chasing him down. Champ, realizing that his young mare could not outrun the other horses, dismounted and took off on foot. Floyd Evans came up, still throwing rocks and Ferguson returned them in his direction. Then, Sheriff Jim Reed approached Champ intending on arresting him for his horse thievery. A scuffle between the two occurred, Champ stabbed him until the sheriff fell and died. He then attempted to stab Floyd, but changed his mind.

Fentress County Justice of Peace James Zachary, Sr. (my 5x gg-father) charged Champ for killing Jim Reed. During his time in jail, a deal was made with Champ, he would be released if he agreed to help the confederacy. This agreement altered the course of the war for my ancestors and others in Fentress, TN and Clinton, KY.

On April 1, 1862 Champ encountered 16 year old Fount Zachary near Champ’s mother in law’s home. Fount had been put in charge of keeping an eye on the main road leading into Tennessee for the Union Home Guards, he was armed, but surrendered his weapon willingly. When asked his name, he gave it, and Champ immediately shot Fount down from his horse. He then walked over and stabbed the boy through the heart. Fount was the nephew of James Zachary, Sr., the man who had charged Champ for killing the constable Jim Reed. The Zachary’s were also some of the most outspoken and influential unionists in Fentress County.

The Nashville Daily Union made mention of the incident, but changed the details to make Champ sound more monstrous:

“A promising little boy, 12 years old, by the name of Zachary was taken from his sickbed and cut open by Champ Ferguson,” – Daily Nashville Union

On June 2nd 1862, Champ payed a visit to the farm of James Zachary, Sr. He chased Zachary through the orchards while his daughter Esther stood on the porch. She heard the shots that ended her father’s life and Champ’s accomplices telling him, “not to shoot a dead man.” Ferguson came inside the home and took a pair of the magistrate’s spurs with him. Esther Zachary Jackson later stated that her father’s head looked like “jelly”. Stokley Evans was apparently accompanying Ferguson as a prisoner for this murder. She said during the trail that Lafayette Allen was the first to fire at her father.

“On the morning on which old Mr. Tabor was killed, while we were taking breakfast, Ferguson sat down by me and asked me what old man Zachery’s sons said about their father being killed. I told him they said they intended to kill the fellow who did it. He wanted to know who they thought did it, and I told him, ‘Fayette Allen’. He said they need not blame Allen with it, that he was the man that killed him and was responsible for it.” – the testimony of William Thrasher

Stokley Evans was killed in front of his young children by troops of some sort on August 3, 1862. His wife Louisa Poor Evans had died a year prior during childbirth. Their orphaned children were sent to live with Stokley’s sister, Amanda Evans Beaty, in Clintion County, KY. As no one ever confessed to killing Stokley, it is unlikely that his murderer will be identified.

My 4x great grandfather, John “Jackie” Zachary hid in Hale’s Mill in Pickett County, TN and killed a C.S.A. soldier named Lafayette Allen on September 15 1862.

New Year’s Day 1863, Champ killed another 4x great grandfather of mine, Peter Allen Zachary along with his brother James Allen Zachary in Russel County, Kentucky in what Champ called the “most desperate struggle of his life“. He never asked them to surrender.

My Zachary and Evans lines were united by the marriage of William Osker Zachary (grandson of Peter Allen Zachary & great grandson of James Zachary) and Oda Cansada Evans (granddaughter of Stokley Evans) who were married January 31, 1901 in the same area of Tennessee.

The children of Wm. O. Zachary and Oda Evans, about 1916/7 in Tennessee.

The Life and Death of Hiram Deval Anderson

December 27, 1910 – Henry D. Anderson, of Belleville, switchman, was killed in the St. Louis and O’Fallon Coal Company’s No. 1 mine, French Village, St. Clair county. Deceased was struck by empty cars being pushed in by a motor at the mouth of the 12th east entry on the north side of the shaft. He supposed the trip was going north and he stood in the twelfth east and thought he was out of the way.

Hiram “Henry” Deval Anderson is my 4x great grandfather on my father’s paternal line. He was born January 12, 1846 to William N. Anderson and Eleanor “Ellen” Claisen Bronaugh. In the early days of his parent’s marriage, they lived on the plantation of Taliaferro Bronaugh, Eleanor’s father, in Christian County, Kentucky until moving to Missouri around 1840-3, were Henry was born. While living in Kentucky, William and Eleanor had one slave in 1840.

Perhaps due to their family’s roots as slave owners in Kentucky, at least three of the Anderson sons (James Garland Anderson, William Toliver Anderson, and Hiram Anderson) joined the Confederacy in the Civil War. Of those three, only Hiram would survive. William and Hiram both served in the 10th Missouri Infantry. William Tolliver was wounded in the battle at Helena Arkansas on July 4, 1863 he died a few days later. Hiram was captured during the battle and sent to the Alton Prison for almost two years, deaths at the prison were more common than at other Union prisons, and prisoners faced harsh conditions and regular outbreaks of diseases such as smallpox and rubella. 1,534 Confederate soldiers are known to have died at the prison. After being released (or escaping, accounts vary) he went to O’Fallon, St. Clair, Illinois. He began working in the mines there.

Mary Ann Kinsey Anderson and Hiram D. Anderson, probably around 1900-1910.

On May 23, 1869 in St. Clair County, he married Mary Ann Porter Kinsey, who was born in Staffordshire, England. The couple had the following children: John Franklin Anderson, Mary Ann Anderson, Katie Marion Anderson, Emily Anderson Pfiffner, Henry Lewis Anderson, Charles Lewis Anderson, James Arthur Anderson, George Cleveland Anderson, and Joseph Troutt Anderson.

On December 27, 1910 the mines Hiram worked in for so many year claimed his life. He was struck by a motor and killed instantly.

Lewis D. Vanness’ 1914 Probate Inventory

Lewis D. Vanness of Shabbona Grove, Dekalb, Illinois is my 4x great grandfather on my mother’s paternal side. He died in 1914 and left a will which asked for the following items to be sold and the funds (which totaled to almost $13,000 in today’s money) to be left to his wife of 49 years, Laura Ellen Spicer Vanness, who died in 1920. The couple had the following children: Anna Vanness, Lewis Aaron Vanness, Bartholomew Vanness, Nettie E. Vanness, and Willard Vanness.

A 1914 Magazine

Typical for a farmer at that time, Lewis kept bees, a cow, a horse, chickens, and grew corn.

Most interesting to me was that he had an automobile and a talking machine (phonograph) and records, for a farmer in a small town he must not have lived too shabbily.

I loved the fact that he had an organ. Organs were huge on my Great Grandma Grace Decker‘s side of the family, Grace would have been Lewis’ granddaughter. I was seven when Grace died, but I remember going to her home and seeing an organ on her enclosed porch. Her mother, Mary Smith Decker also had one which was given to her by her father Samuel Smith.

Parentage of Eliza J. King?

Eliza Jane King, wife of Thomas B. King used three different (maiden?) surnames almost interchangeably. Starkey, Davis, and Rodgers.

In November 1880, when she married Thomas B. King in Gallia County, Ohio she gave her name as Eliza J. Starkey. “Starkey” was also used on the marriage records of three of her children, Ann King in 1899, ArmittaKing in 1902, and Stella May King in 1903.

“Davis” was used on the following children’s marriage records: John Wm. King in 1907, and Mary Elizabeth King in 1918 (I am not certain who her mother was though, she was born before Eliza and Thomas were married and on her previous marriage record from 1911 she identified her mother as Mary C. Anderson).

“Jane Rodgers” is only used on the marriage records of Sarah E. King, her eldest daughter in 1913 and 1918.

**Disclaimer: I have no proof that the Trustin Rodgers and the Nancy Starkey of Monroe County, Ohio are Eliza’s parents. I also have no proof that Sarah Starkey and Eliza are the same person please do not use that information unless you find proof of it.**

**Edit 01/30/18: DNA has proven I am related to this Rodgers/Rogers line.**

Eliza’s death record gives her parents as Trustin Rodgers and Nancy Starkey and her birthdate as being March 25, 1850 in Ohio. I couldn’t locate a marriage record for a couple by those names, so I tried the 1850 census. Because “Trustin” wasn’t a common name then, I searched for a man by that name in Ohio. I found only one in the state; Trustin Rodgers of Centre, Monroe, Ohio, the son of widow Abigail Rodgers. I tried to find a Nancy Starkey in the county and located Nancy also of Centre, Monroe, Ohio. She was the 19 year old daughter of Gabriel Starkey, 61 and living with him along with his second wife, Mary Craig Starkey, 34 and an infant, Sarah Starkey, 5 months old in August (March would be her birth month).

I suppose now would be a good time to bring up the one child’s marriage record that gives the mother’s name as “Sarah J. King”. In 1904, when Ann King Zonner married for a second time she gave her mother’s first name as Sarah…

On the 1860 census, Trustin was now living in Iowa with his mother and Nancy was gone from her father’s home. Gabriel and Mary Starkey had two children living in their home in Summit, Monroe, Ohio; Sarah A Starkey, 10 & Margaret Starkey, 7.

In 1870, widowed Mary Starkey and Margaret, 17 are living in Malaga, Monroe, Ohio without Sarah, not sure where she went or if she passed away. In 1880, Mary is still in Malaga now living with a grandson, Claude Starkey, 7. I was unable to find either Sarah or Margaret in 1880, as well as find who the parents of Claude were.

The Jenkins Family in Scotland

My six times great grandfather, John Jenkins was born in Polmont, Stirlingshire, Scotland on October 3, 1799. He was the son of John Jenkins and Helen Rae. John later married Helen Hardie on April 8, 1822 in Falkirk, Stirling, Scotland. They had the following known children; James Hardie Jenkins, Henry Jenkins, John Jenkins (my 5x ggfather), William Jenkins, and Robert Hardie Jenkins.

John and Helen Hardie’s eldest son, James Hardie Jenkins eventually converted to the Mormon religion in 1847. In 1863, moved his large family from Scotland to Utah, losing an infant daughter Agnes on the journey across the plains (more on his fascinating life someday soon). James H. Jenkins wrote this short memoir from which the following excerpt describing James’ childhood and parents was taken:

“I, James Jenkins do give a history of my life as near as I recollect and also my birth on the testimony of my father and mother. I was born in Lauriestown in the Parish of Falkirk and Shire of Stirling in Scotland, in the year of 1822, 22 July. My father’s name was John Jenkins and my mother’s name was Helen Hardie. My father was a collier or underground worker. There were times he left it and labored above the ground, but mostly he wrought at the coal trade. I did not stop much with my father and mother, but was brought up by my grandfather and my aunt. They were my mother’s father and sister. My grandmother died when I was a young child and they took me and brought me up until I was able to work. The name of my grandfather was Henry Hardie and my aunt’s name was Susan Hardie.”

John Jenkins worked for many, many years in the Scottish mines. He died on November 13, 1865 in Stirlingshire. He died a pauper, he was formerly a shoemaker. He died of Colliers asthma – another name for black lung which many Appalachian coal miners contract from their time in the mines.