Vaughn Family

Last updated: February 28, 2008

Census tables

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Identifying the parents of John Vaughn who married Betsy Burr

John Vaughn:

The Vaughn family bible states that John was born 29 Mar 1785.  The 1820-1860 censuses of Fowler Twp, Trumbull Co, Ohio are consistent with this, and the 1850-1860 censuses list his birthplace as Connecticut. 

John's marriage to Betsy Burr is recorded in Trinity Church, Southport, Fairfield Co, Connecticut.  A transcription is at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jdevlin/ct/trinity_church_3.htm (the actual scanned pages are online at books.google.com where one can download the full PDF of the original book).

Father:

Mother:

In "History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties with illustrations and biographical sketches", Cleveland: H.Z. Williams & Bro., 1882 (copy online at Ancestry.com), we find on pp.412-413 in the history of Fowler Twp.: "In 1806 seven families arrived from Connecticut, having left that State in the fall of the same year.  A month or six weeks later they arrived in New Connecticut.  These emigrants were Elijah Tyrrell and wife, nee Clarissa Meeker, with her brothers, Justice, Daniel, Lyman, and WIlliam Meeker; John Vaughn and Wakeman Silliman.  They all settled in the southeast of the township in the vicinity of Tyrrell Hill or Tyrrell corners."

Then on page 419 we find a biographical sketch of Asahel Tyrrell: "Asahel Tyrell was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, September 23, 1802; oldest son of Elijah and Clarissa (Meeker) Tyrrell, of Connecticut.  His father was born March 8, 1775, and his mother May 21, 1774.  They were married July 23, 1796 and came to Ohio in October, 1806, and located at Tyrrell's corners in Fowler township, Trumbull county. ... [Elijah] died April 11, 1848.  He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his father, Asahel Tyrrell, was in the Revolutionary war and was killed at the surrender of Burgoyne, in October, 1777.  Asahel Tyrrell, the subject of this sketch, was a scholar in the first school taught in Fowler township, taught by Miss Esther Jennings, one of the original party consisting of seven families that came to the county with the Tyrrells.  The heads of those families were all uncles of the subject of this sketch."

At Genealogy.com, a search in "Marriage Index: Selected Counties of Ohio, 1789-1850" shows Aug 18, 1808, Alma Barnes married Wakeman Silliman in Trumbull Co, Ohio, referencing film numbers 904260,904261,905549.
According to later census records she would only be 20 and he would be 37 then.  Perhaps he first married a Vaughn or a Meeker who died in 1807?

Donald Lines Jacobus, "Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. II", p.221 lists under the Cable family:
"Olive, bapt. 6 Mar. 1743; m. _______ Vaughn." and

"Est. of Wheeler C. Vaughn of Fairfield was ordered distributed, Aug. 1807, to bro. and sisters: John Vaughn, Polly wife of Israel Blackman, and Catherine.  These were prob. the children of Olive."

In the 1790 census of Fairfield, Olive "Vaune" is found as head of household with one male under 16 (our John would be age 5), one male over 16 (possibly Wheeler), and 3 other females (probably Polly, Catherine, and one other).

Olive Meeker:

From "Families of Old Fairfield, Vol. II", p.630:

William-Jackson Meeker m. Olive _____________.  Died at Stratfield, distribution 6 Apr 1780; widow Olive Meeker; children Lyman, Justis (2d son), William (3d son), ad Clara Meeker.  A distribution 1807 named the three sons and Clary wife of Elijah Tyrrell.

Lyman, m. at Trinity church, 1 Jan. 1787, Rebecca Taylor.
Justus

William

Clara, m. 16 July 1796, Elijah Terrell

Note above does not say whose distribution was in 1807.  Could this be referring to the distribution of Wheeler C. Vaughn noted above?  And why wasn't Daniel Meeker mentioned?

If Olive Cable Vaughn and Olive Meeker are the same person, then the extra female in the 1790 census would presumably be Clara.  Lyman and Justus are indeed adjacent to Olive Vaune in the 1790 census:

1790 census, Fairfield, Fairfield Co, CT, in adjacent lines:

Limon Meeker    1 1 2

Justus Meeker    1 0 1

Olive Vaune    1 1 4

No William Meeker appears in the 1790 census in CT, so the older male with Olive could perhaps be William Meeker.
Indeed, if Olive was Olive Meeker, then any male age 16 would have been born before William-Jackson Meeker died and would have to be a Meeker not a Vaughn.

1800 census, Fairfield, Fairfield Co, CT, in adjacent lines:
Lyman Meeker    11010 00011

    (above possibly includes mother Olive as the female age 45+)

Justus Meeker    11001 10010

John Meeker        00010 41110

Jesse Burr        01101 00201

    (above is John Vaughn's future wife Betsy Burr's family)

No Vaughns are found in Fairfield Co. in this census.  The fact that Betsy Burr's family is there suggests that John Vaughn (now age 15) should be there as well.  Since Polly Vaughn married Israel Blackman there in 1802, she should be around as well.  Furthermore Polly must have been of marriage age by 1802 and in the 1830 and 1840 censuses (unless Polly died and Israel remarried) is listed as age 50-60 and 60-70 respectively.  This would make her born by 1780.  However,

If Olive Cable, Olive Meeker, and Olive Vaughn are all the same person, then we get the following timeline:

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