Jabez Tucker

Jabez Tucker is a mysterious character from my family history, I am not certain if we are related or unrelated but he lived with or in close proximity to the Vanness family for a number of years.

Jabez was born about 1823 in New Jersey. Aaron and Euphemia Vanness were also from New Jersey, they married in Newark in 1830. In 1850, 27 year old Jabez is living in Newark in the home of Abby Pierson, 58 along with Jiles M. Tucker, 23 and William Tucker, 12. Abby also has a few other young men living in her home, leading me to believe that she took in boarders. Jabez, Jiles, and William are all listed as shoemakers. Aaron Vanness was also a shoemaker, so was Jabez an apprentice or business partner?

In 1860, Jabez is living in Afton, Dekalb, Illinois with Aaron Vanness, his wife Euphemia, and their sons Oscar and Lewis. In 1870, Jabez is living in the home of Aaron and Euphemia, along with their son Lewis and his wife Ella, and Lewis and Ella’s children. It is an interesting note that after the 1850 census Jabez’ occupation is no longer written as a shoemaker. In 1860, he was a farm laborer and had no occupation listed on the 1870 census.

In 1880, I cannot locate Jabez Tucker. But, his presumed brother, Giles Tucker and his family are living in Shabbona, Dekalb, Illinois.

Looking into the Newton Family

In searching for Desire Newton, wife of Luther Taylor and mother of his four daughters, I decided to try Google as my last resort for leads. And as usual, Google did not disappoint me.

I simply typed in “‘Luther Taylor’ Desire Newton” and hit go… and one of the first results was a individual’s profile on RootsWeb’s WorldConnect. The individual was William Newton, born about 1780 in Voluntown, New London, Connecticut, USA and who died 30 NOV 1856 in New Albion, Cattaraugus, New York, USA.

The profile for him included part of his will: PROBATE RECORD dated September 28, 1857. Mentions widow Lois; son Isaac Spencer Newton; daughters Anna Newton wife of Stephen Newton, Melinda Whitney wife of Aaron Whitney, Dolly Perry wife of Asa Perry, children of Elizabeth widow of Henry Lawton now deceased, children of Desire Taylor widow of Luther Taylor, children of Lucinda widow of Phineas Hotchkin.

Census records from 1830 and 1840, placed him in Fowler, St. Lawrence, NY where Luther and Desire lived along with three of their girls in 1840. But, I was confused because the excerpt from the will of Newton called Desire the widow of Luther, when it was she who made him a widower after she died circa 1846-1855.

A few months later, I decided to take another look at the family of William Newton and his wife Lois Butter. The first daughter I looked into was Elizabeth Newton Lawton, and what I found helped me decide that this was a viable clue to Desire after all… Elizabeth Newton Lawton died February 9, 1853 in Coopersville, Ottawa, Michigan (which is 30 miles away from where I live!) where she and Henry moved in about 1850. So, if Elizabeth died prior to her father’s death in 1856 and was still listed as the widow of Henry Lawton (he died in 1896), perhaps it was just an error in the language used to describe the family relations?

I will continue to look into this branch of Newtons, now that it does show some promise!