George William Shawver

George William Shawver & Elizabeth Matilda Legg

George William Shawver was born on 15 Nov 1824 at Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., WV (VA) as the second son of Robert S. Shawver and Mary Jane Callison.  His father’s family had emigrated from Germany probably in the mid 1700’s. (See Sebastian Shawver – Immigrant Ancestor) and from the 1790’s on – the Shawver family had lived in Virginia or West Virginia as it was after 1860.  His mother’s grandfather was James Callison who was born in Ballyhagen, Armagh Co., Ireland around 1739.

It is interesting to note that George William Shawver probably had some interesting ancestors with perhaps some interesting stories.  I have James Callison listed in my database as “Sir James Callison” which implies some sort of Irish nobility.  I also have an interesting note that Mary Jane Callison’s grandfather also had a noble line.  Although, it is suspected that it isn’t of the legitimate variety.  His mother possibly arrived in America on a convict ship.  If is mother was “well-born” and arriving in the colonies with her children on a convict ship – one has to wonder what happened in Ireland or England.    In any case, I suspect there is a good story there and I am not sure that we will ever know the “whole” of it!

George William Shawver married Elizabeth Matilda Legg on 2 Nov 1848 in Fayette Co., VA (WV).  She was the daughter of Thomas Henderson Legg and Elizabeth Nutter.  Elizabeth was born on 16 May 1830 in Leander, Fayette Co., VA (WV).  Her parents had settled in and around Nicholas and Fayette Co., VA around 1820 and she was the youngest daughter in a family of 10 children.

It is hard to know much about a family that lived over a hundred and fifty years ago.  There are really only a few details that one can gather from the census records that counted the passage of time.  In 1850, George and his wife Elizabeth are living with his father in Greenbrier Co., VA with their first son, Robert Thomas Shawver.  By 1860, they are living in Nicholas Co., VA with their growing family including Robert, Melcena, Paul Harvey, John Morrison, Henry, and Daniel.  George is listed as a farmer at this point with land valued at $600 and a personal estate of $100…not terribly prosperous.  By 1870, he is still listed as a farmer with a value of $3,000 land value and $900 personal estate.  He is listed with wife Matilda, children Harvey, John, Henry, Ruth, George C. (my 2^nd great grandfather) and Felix.  In 1880, George is no longer listed as a farmer but rather a Stone Mason, land and personal estate values are no longer listed but rather parental birthplaces.  This is the last census that George and Elizabeth Matilda are counted as they both passed away in 1900.  Elizabeth died on 12 Feb 1900 and George died on 9 Mar 1900 both in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  They were both buried at Prosperity Cemetery in Raleigh Co., WV.

 

 

I know from notes that I have that George William Shawver was also a Blacksmith and Methodist minister.  He was referred to as “Shoutin George Shawver” and referred to many as “brother”.  My 2^nd Great Grandfather left West Virginia sometime before 1890 and only returned to West Virginia once in 1931 not too long before he died. My Great Grandmother had pictures filled with photos taken during that trip including pictures of the old home place and photos of his siblings and parent’s graves.  So…that is really all I have of my 3^rd Great Grandparents…a few pictures and a few details of their life.  I suppose that is more than most!

 

 

 

Descendants of George William SHAWVER

Generation No. 1

1.  GEORGE WILLIAM⁴ SHAWVER  (ROBERT S.³, GEORGE², SEBASTIAN¹) was born 15 Nov 1824 in Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., VA (WV), and died 09 Mar 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  He married ELIZABETH MATILDA LEGG 02 Nov 1848 in Fayette Co.,  VA (WV), daughter of THOMAS LEGG and ELIZABETH NUTTER.  She was born 16 May 1830 in Leander, Fayette Co., VA (WV), and died 12 Feb 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.

       

Children of GEORGE SHAWVER and ELIZABETH LEGG are:

                   i.    ROBERT THOMAS⁵ SHAWVER, b. 06 Nov 1849, Kentucky District, Nicholas Co., VA (WV) or Fayette Co., VA; d. 22 May 1907, Spruce Grove, Nicholas Co., WV; m. ANNETTA T. MORRISON, 17 Feb 1866, Nicholas Co., WV; b. Dec 1847, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 1932, Spruce Grove, Nicholas Co., WV.

                  ii.    MELCENA E. SHAWVER, b. 01 Apr 1851, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 22 Dec 1903, Nicholas Co., WV; m. WILLIAM H. O'DELL, JR., 13 Jun 1867, Nicholas Co., WV ?; b. 1850, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. Dec 1893.

                 iii.    PAUL HARVEY SHAWVER, b. 14 Mar 1853, Greenbrier Co., VA (WV); d. 02 Mar 1917, Danville, Vermilion Co., IL; m. (1) MARY COPELAND KING, 21 Mar 1878, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 1860, WV; d. Bef. 1885; m. (2) MARY FRANCIS FULCHER, 15 Jul 1885, Montgomery Co., IN; b. 27 Sep 1860, Owensboro, Daviess Co., KY; d. 31 Jan 1925, Danville, Vermilion Co., IL.

                 iv.    JOHN MORRISON SHAWVER, b. 14 Mar 1855, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 25 Nov 1938, Grassy Meadows, Greenbrier Co., WV; m. ELIZABETH MEDORA BOLEY, 07 Jan 1875, Nicholas Co., WV; b. Feb 1856, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 06 Feb 1940, Grassy Meadows, Greenbrier Co., WV.

                  v.    HENRY W. D. SHAWVER, b. 06 Dec 1857, New Kentucky, Nicholas Co., VA (WV); d. 1964, Nicholas Co., WV; m. MARGARET ELLEN STOWERS, 03 Feb 1874; b. 04 Jul 1853, WV; d. 15 Jul 1915, Nicholas Co., WV.

                 vi.    DANIEL L. SHAWVER, b. 06 Mar 1859, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 20 Oct 1861, Nicholas Co., WV.

                vii.    MELVINA J. O. L. SHAWVER, b. 25 Feb 1861, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 20 Nov 1865, Nicholas Co., WV.

               viii.    RUTH ELIZABETH SHAWVER, b. 05 Aug 1864, Nicholas Co., WV; m. MAHLEN ALBERT MILLS, 26 Apr 1877, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 02 Aug 1854, Greenbrier Co., VA (WV).

                 ix.    GEORGE CHRISTIAN SHAWVER, b. 06 Aug 1867, Fowler's Knob, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 13 Apr 1931, Lyons, Burt Co., NE; m. (1) SARAH EMALINE PITSENBARGER, 26 Aug 1883, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 19 Aug 1861, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 17 Aug 1947, Linden, Montgomery Co., IN; m. (2) REBECCA JANE PITZENBERGER, Abt. 1891, IA; b. 28 Jan 1870, Kanawha River near Shawverville, WV; d. 10 May 1904, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE; m. (3) TAMSEY OMISCA PERRY, 20 Jan 1906; b. 02 Apr 1882, Adams Co., IA; d. 16 Apr 1958, Lyons, Burt Co., NE.

                  x.    FELIX L. A. SHAWVER, b. 10 May 1869, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 19 Oct 1889, Darlington, Montgomery Co., IN.

                 xi.    CHRISTINA SIGNORA JANET LILLY SHAWVER, b. 10 Aug 1871, Nicholas Co., WV; d. 11 Jul 1945, Lindsay, Tulare Co., CA; m. WILLIAM MARTIN ROGERS, 13 Jan 1887, Nicholas Co., WV; b. 27 Nov 1862, WV; d. 21 Jan 1926, Lindsay, Tulare Co., CA.

 

 

Palatine Family Roots

I have had my battles with common surnames.  I have Johnson, Smith, Jones and a few Allens.  Needless to say, research on these families can be a bit daunting.  There is an Allen line on my Mom’s side of the family that stretches back to New England…however, the Allen line on my father’s side of the family is a window into the German side of my great grandfather’s family.

Phoebe Allen Gage with grandchildren - around 1910.

Phoebe Ann Allen was born 7 Jan 1830 in Knox, Albany Co., NY.  She married Gilbert Gage in 1849, most likely in Knox, Albany Co., NY as well.  They were the parents of five children:  Orlando, Elizabeth, Juliette, Frank, and Gilbert Gage.  Phoebe was daughter of Elizabeth Zeh and John P. Allen.  It seems somehow unfortunate that I’ve never been able to taker Phoebe’s paternal line back any further than her father.  John P. Allen is much too common a name to differentiate him from other John Allen’s in the vicinity.  Perhaps someday when I have the chance to go to New York to research, I may find something interesting.  Here is what I know about John P. Allen.  He was born in NY on 24 Sep 1783 and died on 2 Apr 1868 in Knox, Albany Co., NY.  He was married to Anna Eva Weidman (daughter of William Weidman and Maria Chambers) sometime in 1807. (The Weidman family shows up often amongst these German families around Albany Co., NY).  She probably died in childbirth or shortly after childbirth in 1821 probably in Berne, Albany Co., NY (which was called Beaverdam at the time) They were the parents of seven children:  Asa, Hannah Maria, William, John P. Jr., James Ira, Sylvester, and Susanna Allen.  In about 1825, John P. Allen married Elizabeth Zeh.  She was born 24 Sep 1793 in Berne, Albany Co., NY and died on 14 Oct 1851 in Knox, Albany Co., NY.  They were the parents of Ann Eliza, Emma Elizabeth, Phoebe Ann (my 3^rd great grandmother), Peter Zeh, and Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Peter Jost Zeh and Annatje Truax. 

The Zeh family was a whole new kettle of fish for me.  I had had no idea that there had been such a strong German contingent in my great grandfather’s family.  When I initially learned of the line, I did what I normally did.  I posted queries on the appropriate news lists early and often.  Through email, I was educated on a bit of the history of the Zeh family in NY.  I may never make much progress on the Allen line – but there was a wealth of information on the Zeh family and they had been amongst some of the earliest settlers in the Schoharie river valley.    Johannes Zeh was born in Oppenheim, Germany in 1667.  He was married to Anna Magdalena in 1692 and they were the parents of Johann George, Johannes Gerhardt, Ignatius, and Johannes Petrus.  You can label the Zehs among many other families as Palatine Germans.  Germany at this point was essentially a bunch of small countries and one of these areas was Palatine.  It was a land that was battled over by the French, Dutch, Germans, and later the English.  There were numerous battles –but Queen Anne’s War which was between 1701 to 1713 was probably the biggest impetus for many to leaving the Palatine region along the Rhine.  In a short amount of time over 13,000 Germans left and headed to America.  Many arrived around 1710, but the Zeh family were first recorded in the Schoharie Valley in 1709.  Of the four children that traveled with Johannes and his wife in 1709 died within a few years after their arrival.  My ancestor, Johannes Zeh, Jr was born about 1710 near Germantown, NY.    Johannes married Maria Bellinger and Anna Catherine Bellinger – sisters who were the daughters of Marcus Bellinger and Anna Catherine Deckmann.  (Also German immigrants)  I’m not really sure which sister he married first, but it is Anna Catherine who he marries in 3 Mar 1738 and they have nine children.  Their third son, Jost Bellinger Zeh and Anna Barbara Wanner were the parents of Peter Jost Zeh and grandparents of Elizabeth Zeh…my 4^th great grandmother.

I considered myself to be fairly well educated in United States history, however, I had never heard of the Palatine Immigration to America.  While living in their homeland along the Rhine River, these people had to live with repeated military invasions by French for numerous years.  They left their homes and headed towards England to escape the Palatine with the promise of land in the American colonies.  The British found out that very quickly couldn’t take care of this large group of people and started to find ways of sending these refugees to the American colonies and many of these families ended up in New York.   They were unlike the Huguenots of an earlier generation because they were not as well educated or skilled of laborers.  They were laborers who knew how to raise livestock, farm land or make cheese and wine.  Queen Anne’s government decided to provide a way for these German Protestants to make their way to the colonies.  They were booked passage on a ship and had to work in trade for passage. 
Many of these families were originally brought to New York but within the next five years they moved to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Carolinas but about 40 families went to the Schoharie area of New York and settled there.  I would estimate that just about all of Phoebe Ann Allen’s ancestry came from the Palatine families including names like: Zeh, Zeybel, Bellinger, Folmar, Wanner, and Deckman which are all direct ancestors of Phoebe’s and mine!  Here are some of the ancestors I've discovered along the way!

• Phoebe Ann Allen m. Gilbert Gage
• John P. Allen m. Elizabeth Zeh
• Peter Jost Zeh m. Annatje Truax (See line below)
• Jost Bellinger Zeh m. Anna Barbara Wanner (See line below)
• Johannes Zeh Jr. m. Anna Catherine Bellinger
• Johannes Zeh m. Anna Magdalena - Marcus Bellinger m. Anna Catherine Deckman
• Nicholas Bellinger m. Anna Maria Margaretha Kuhn - Johan Conrad Deckmann m. Juliana Stroh

• Willem Truax m. Anna Elizabeth Zeybel
• George Seibel m. Anna Maria Reyin
• Jacob Zeybel m. Anna Getha
    
• Michael Wanner m. Elizabeth Folmar (daughter of Christian Fulmar)
• Ludwig Wanner m. Anna Barbara Beisels
• Hans Wanner m. ?, Hans Andres Beisels m. ?

Tenuous Irish Ties

I have never been able to claim any other native country other than my own.  I don’t have any ancestors who arrived in the United States that I know of – any later than 1810.  My ancestors didn’t come over and land on Ellis Island and watch the Statue of Liberty out their window – most of them came on the Mayflower or within a hundred years of the Mayflower.  Most of my families are English, German, and Dutch with a bit of Scottish and Irish thrown in for good measure.  I just wish I knew more about my Irish roots…since I have always been fascinated with Ireland.

My 4^th great grandmother was Mary Jane Callison.  She was born in 1804 in Greenbrier VA (now WV) and died on 5 May 1854 on Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., WV.  Mary married Robert Shawver on 25 Apr 1820 and they were the parents of nine children, including my 3^rd great grandfather George William Shawver.  She was the daughter of Isaac Callison and Mary Cavendish who were both first generation descendants of Irish immigrants.  Sir James Callison, Sr was born about 1739 in Ballyhagen, Armagh Co., Ireland and was married to Elizabeth McCallister who was reputed to be born in North Ireland.  I have no idea as to what prompted them to come to American…It seems that most who came in those early days (first 150 years) came for opportunity or for religious freedom.  Can’t help if both might have been in play here…I know enough to say that if you were a Protestant and a Catholic and tried to marry in Ireland…there might have been problems.  That is just a guess of course…but it does make sense.  Mary Cavendish was also the daughter of William Hunter Cavendish.  Story goes that William Hunter Cavendish was the illegitimate son of Margaret and an aristocrat who was born in Ireland in 1740 and came over to America with his mother and sisters.  Strictly speaking, William Cavendish was born in Ireland, but more than likely was of English descent. 

My great grandmother always told my mother that she was of Scots-Irish descent.  Seeing that she was from the Appalachian area of the country…this is not a surprise.  Sophia Dollar Friddle was born in 1894 to John Dula Dollar and Buena Vista Bailey.  The Irish line is obviously the Baileys…but I sure wish there more bread crumbs to trace them to Ireland.  Jasper Bailey was Buena Vista’s father and from what I can tell, he was born in 1842 in Ohio and died near Abingdon, Washington Co., VA in 1928.  I know he was born in Ohio from census records – but I haven’t been able to locate him I the 1850 census with any faith in the accuracy nor have I been able to find him in the 1860 census.  He turns up in the 1870 census with three children and a wife named Margaret.  I have since found out that he was first married to a Martha Ellen Church.  However, I am very interested in Margaret – and this 1870 census is the only record that I have of her name.  Anyway, Margaret dies and he marries his ex-brother-in-law’s widow, Rachel McBride.  It is fairly obvious from Jasper’s last name that he was most likely from Irish descent and I am sure that my great grandmother heard that from him personally…I just wish I could figure out when and where his family came from with some sort of proof.

My last line with Irish roots is that of John Nathan Lyons.  I first found mention of him in my great great great grandfather’s death record.  John Nathan Lyons was born about 1790 in Ireland and probably arrived in the United States in 1810 or so…or at least before his marriage to Mary French in 1817.  He lived to be an old man of 90 years old and died in 1880 in Manchester, New Hampshire.  I have seen a record that lists his father as Timothy and his mother as Honora.  I have also seen a few other items that lead me to doubt this…

So here I am…searching in vain for the Irish ancestry that I always thought I had.  My claims are tenuous and unproven…and I wonder if I will ever find proof.  All I can do is what I have always done…keep searching.  Perhaps someday, I will find who Jasper Bailey’s parents were or why James Callison left Ireland and perhaps where John Nathan Lyons immigrated from in Ireland.  These are three separate branches on my family tree that as yet don’t have any connections beyond what I already have!  So, as I prepare the corn beef and cabbage and soda bread tomorrow on St. Patrick’s Day – I will celebrate those tenuous ties to my Irish heritage.

He is His Own Grandpa

My great grandmother knew who her ancestors were on both maternal and paternal sides of the family…so we never had a difficult time researching the direct lines. As we started taking the family back a few generations we heard from other distant family members.  One of these distant cousins was researching the Zopp family.  With such an unusual name it was fairly easy to add the information about the family from various census records.  We also found an unexpected connection!

My great grandmother was the granddaughter of George William Shawver – and he was the 2^nd oldest of 9 children born to Robert S. Shawver and Mary Jane Callison.  Robert Shawver was b. abt 1798 in Botetourt Co., VA and d. Oct 1871 on Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., WV.  He was the son of George Shawver and Mary Gillespie.  Mary Jane Callison was b. 1804 in Greenbrier Co., VA and d. 5 May 1854 Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., WV.  She was the daughter of Isaac Callison and Mary Cavendish and married Robert Shawver on 25 Apr 1820.  When she died in 1854, Robert married a much younger woman in 1856 named Cynthia Jones.   He was 58 years old and she was 21.  Robert fathered 4 more children with his younger wife and died in 1871. 

Robert Shawver’s daughter, Abigail Shawver, had married Benjamin R. Zopp in 1850 and quickly had their first son Joseph H. Zopp (they had 7 children).  As I was searching through the census records to find out what happened to these children – I found Joseph Zopp in 1880 with a wife named Cynthia and with 7 children in the household half of whom were Zopps and the other half were Shawvers.  It turns out that 2 years after Robert Shawver’s death, Cynthia remarried.  Just as she was a young wife to a much older man – she now married a much younger man.  At the time she married Joseph Zopp in 1873, he was 22 years old and she was 38 years old.  There was no blood relationship between Joseph Zopp and Cynthia Jones Shawver – but it didn't take me long to figure out the other relationship that they shared.  Cynthia was Joseph Zopp’s step grandmother – so when he married her, you could say that he was his own step grandfather.  Not only that, consider that the 4 children that he probably helped raise of hers were also his uncles and aunt…his children were siblings to Cynthia’s older children and also their nieces and nephews. 

I have come to the conclusion that some of these ancestor’s connections may not bear too close of scrutiny…and if you do – don’t be too shocked at what you might find!