Thursday, April 5, 2018

Rachel Obelier Tucker & Isaac Stimson

Not long ago, we met our cousin Ms. Rachel B. who provided us with some interesting copies of family documents including the family Bible pages. Thanks to that, I can tell you something interesting about our great-great-grandparents Mr. Isaac Stimson and his wife Rachel Obelier Tucker, who were early Collin County Texas pioneers.

Isaac's family was of English heritage. His great-great-great-grandfather John Stimson was born in 1605 in Newcastle, Northumberland, England.


John emigrated to America where he married Miss Susannah Phillips. The marriage took place about 1632 in Watertown, Suffolk, Massachusetts. Susannah was born in the same location in 1608. Our ancestor John Stimson died in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts on 10 June 1643.

From John, the family line goes to his son Dr. James Stimson who married Miss Mary Leffingwell. Mary's father and grandfather were born in White Colne, Essex, England. The place seems like another interesting village/location which would be worth visiting.

Picture created with MyHeritage Family Tree software

Coming back to Isaac, he was born in Pittsylvania, Virginia on 30 Jan 1799.

13 Nov. 1818 in Virginia Isaac married Miss Rachel Obelier Tucker (born on 7 June 1799 in Halifax, Virginia), a daughter of David Tucker and Miss Fanny Old.

Virginia marriages 1785-1940
Name: Isaac Stimson
Spouse's Name: Rachel Tucker
Event Date: 13 Nov 1817
Event Place: Halifax, Virginia
Father's Name: Erasmus Stimson 


Record source:
"Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X5YT-Q51 : 11 February 2018), Isaac Stimson and Rachel Tucker, 13 Nov 1817; citing Halifax, Virginia, reference pg95; FHL microfilm 31,918.

In 1822 Isaac bought from his father a piece of land between the waters of Upper Double Creek in Virginia. In the records from that time, the surname was misspelled and the letter 'p' was added. Census from the year 1830 confirms that Isaac and his family lived in Virginia then.

Name: Isaac Stimpson
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1830
Event Place: Pittsylvania, Virginia, United States
Page 404
Record Source:
"United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5J-VWC : 19 August 2017), Isaac Stimpson, Pittsylvania, Virginia, United States; citing 404, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 201; FHL microfilm 29,680.

Isaac worked as a farmer. According to the family Bible records, Isaac and Rachel had twelve children. Their sons were Edward Cannon, Daniel Marion, Isaac Wesley, Socrates Hannibal, and Josiah Long. The daughters' names were Martha Jane, Amanda F, Abigail Obelier, Maryan E P, Lucy F, Rachel Belle Zorie, and Clementine V.

Three years after the 1830 Census, Isaac sold the land in Virginia and the family moved to Trigg County in Kentucky.

United States Census, 1850
Name: Isaac Stimson
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1850
Event Place: Trigg county, Trigg, Kentucky, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 51
Race: White
Birth Year: (Estimated) 1799
Birthplace: Virginia
House Number: 148


Isaac Stimson, age 51, birthplace Virginia,
Rachel O Stimson, age 50, b. Virginia,
Daniel M Stimson, age 23, b. Virginia
Abigail O Stimson, age 24, b. Virginia
Elizabeth E Stimson, age 20, b. Virginia
Isaac W Stimson, age 19,b. Virginia
Lucy F, age 17, b. Virginia
Rachel D, age 16, b. Virginia
Socrates H, age 14, b. Virginia
Clementine V Stimson, age 13, b. Virginia
Josiah L Stimson, age 10, b. Kentucky


Record Source:
"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M65L-17X : 12 April 2016), Isaac Stimson, Trigg county, Trigg, Kentucky, United States; citing family 149, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Isaac and Rachel's daughter Clementine V died on 20 March 1852. Not long after that, the family packed their belongings, stuck them on wagons, and they went to Texas. The journey was not that easy as it may seem these days. Most of the time, on good days regarding the weather they moved from ten to fifteen miles. That was the average speed of traveling in a wagon trail at that time. On rainy days, very likely they could cover a mile only. Isaac and his family did 671 miles from Trigg County to Texas, so their journey probably lasted a few months.

Issac bought his first land in Collin County on 3 Jan. 1853. It was a tract of 320 acres, the seller was Mr. Robert C. Porter. Two years later, on 12 Jan. our ancestors obtained the same amount of land - the seller was Mr. Andrew J. Tucker. Later, Isaac also purchased two small pieces of land from Mr. Fitzhugh and Mr. Martin. In 1866, he bought another small tract. This time it was sold by Mr. George and Margaret Phillips. In 1872 Isaac purchased a small piece of land again (from Mr. Joseph Bledsoe).

The Stimson family lived about eight and a half miles south of McKinney. Their house was built on the tract bought from Mr. Fitzhugh.

United States Census, 1870
Name: Isaac Stimson
Event: Type Census
Event Year: 1870
Event Place: Texas, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 71
Race: White
Race (Original) W
Birth Year: (Estimated) 1798-1799
Birthplace: Virginia
Page Number: 62

Isaac Stimson, 71, b. Virginia
Rachel Stimson, 71, b. Virginia
Josiah Stimson, 30, b.  Kentucky
Thomas Stimson, 8, b. Kentucky
Lily Stimson, 4, b. Kentucky


Record Source:
"United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXGP-HPT : 12 April 2016), Isaac Stimson, Texas, United States; citing p. 62, family 418, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,078.


Thomas and Lily mentioned in the record were Josiah's children. His wife Mariah died four years before the Census.

Isaac and Rachel Stimson

Rachel Stimson died at the age of 75 on 24 August 1874 in Plano, Collin County, Texas. Isaac lived about three years longer. He departed on 26 Jan. 1877. The couple was buried at the Stimson cemetery which was situated on the Stimson land near McKinney.

In his will (written before Rachel's death), Isaac left the homestead to his wife. Three tracts of land were to be divided equally between his children except for Amanda PF and Socrates Hannibal who had been given “land and other property” earlier. One acre of land which included the Stimson graveyard was not to be given away. The Stimson cemetery was not to be touched and always be a burial ground. Isaac designated his son Daniel Marion as the executor of the will and the guardian of Isaac Wesley and Lucy Stimson's children.

Sadly, despite the fact that the Stimson cemetery was the final resting place of several family members, it no longer exists. The land was sold sometime later and the burial ground was destroyed. The headstones of Rachel and Isaac were moved to Abston Cemetery in Mallard Park, Lavon, Texas. Here is the information copied from the Stimson cemetery tombstones by our relations Ms. Lula Belle Moore and Mr. Leffel Gant when the Stimson graveyard still existed.

Isaac Stimpson 
Born January 30, 1799
Died January 26, 1877
He was 77 years old

 
Rachel Obelier Stimpson 
Born June 7, 1799
Died August 24, 1874


Lucy F Stimson Atkinson
wife of John Atkinson
Born Aug. 29, 1832
Died Feb. 19, 1872

Minney 
daughter of J. L. and M. E. Stimson
Born Jan. 1, 1872
Died July 4, 1874

Jarrett Howard
son of William James and Rachel Belzora Howard
Born March 6, 1860
Died Sept. 13, 1862

Oliver Hedgecoxe
Born June 19, 1823
Died Oct. 8, 1872

Abigail Stimpson Hedgecoxe
Born April 6, 1825
Died May 6, 1892

Joseph B
son of J L and M E Stimson
Born Oct. 14, 1875
Died March 1883
"Weep not Papa and Mama for me, I am waiting in Heaven for thee"



Credits:

  • map - Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • Photo of Isaac and Rachel Stimson  - courtesy of Ms. Rachel B.
  • Photos of gravestones - courtesy of Mr. Stephen H.

UPDATE

Oliver Hedgcoxe was John Oliver Hedgcoxe, Abigail Stimson Hedgcoxe's husband.


2 comments :

  1. Oooh! The family Bible! What a wonderful and treasured heirloom!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, it is! Thank you for visiting my page.

    ReplyDelete