Robert McClanahan and Lucy Davis

The following contribution is from a book prepared by Elsie Jean Davis Potts and her husband Paul Potts. Elsie is the 2nd great granddaughter of Robert McClanahan and Lucy Davis:

ROBERT McCLANAHAN AND WIFE, LUCY DAVIS

Robert (8) and Lucy Davis (9) McClanahan were my great-great grandparents. From what we know of Robert's early years, we feel certain that he was born in 1789, in the Salisbury district of Rowan County, North Carolina.

There is some documentary evidence that disagrees with this birthplace. We were able to locate death certificates for two of Robert and Lucy’s sons -George and Harvey—and these documents show "Kentucky" as the place of birth of their father. However, Robert’s older brother, Samuel, who migrated to Tennessee in 1806 or later, reported to the Census taker in 1850 that he was born in North Carolina. We also know that the residence of Andrew and Sarah McClanahan (Robert’s parents) was in North Carolina until the mid-1790’s.

The childhood, adolescent and early adult years of Robert were spent in Madison County, Kentucky. It was here, along the banks of Silver Creek and Paint Lick, a few miles southwest of Richmond, Kentucky, where the McClanahan’s, Davises, Noakes’ children, Toddls, Reesels, etc. were first neighbors, then friends, and subsequently, related through marriage.

By the year 1810, as mentioned previously, Andrew McClanahan, Robert’s father, had departed Kentucky for parts still undetermined at this time. This left Sarah, as nominal head of the family, with two sons at home—Robert (8), then twenty years of age, and his younger brother, Thomas, sixteen.

By 1812, the United States was once again at war with England. We normally think of Kentucky as being removed from the fighting generated by the War of 1812, but we found that Kentucky was well represented in the ranks of participants. On the rolls of "Captain David Elliott’s Company, Kentucky Mounted Volunteer Militia—Commanded by Colonel Samuel South" is the name of Private Robert McClanahan, enlisted September 18, 1812, to serve until October 30, 1812 (page D-30).

During both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, short enlistments of two or three months for enlisted ranks were more the rule than the exception. Money to pay their wages had something to do with it as well as actual need at the time of enlistment. It was not at all unusual for a private to serve two, three, or four enlistments consecutively. To date we haven’t found evidence of either earlier or later enlistments of Robert—but, then, we haven’t researched the matter very thoroughly, either.

What we did find, though, was a record of the enlistments of James and John Cochran, in the same Company, on the same day and for the same term of service. This discovery caused us to delve a little deeper. The 1810 census of Madison County, Kentucky, shows five Cochran’s in the area as heads of household, with four of them bearing given names of Andrew McClanahan’s brothers-in-law from North Carolina. William and John and their wives are shown as over 45 and, probably, are Andrew’s brothers-in-law. Both have children in the 16-25 bracket, which is the right age for them to have been cousins of Robert (8). Samuel, Robert and James Cochran are heads of household and are also 16-25 years of age.

In that day it was not unusual for entire family groups to move on to new territory together. That appears to have been the case in this instance -Andrew and Sarah McClanahan being joined by others of Sarah’s family when they came to Kentucky. Bearing this out is the fact that, ten years later, in 1820, John and James Cochran, who enlisted in the Mounted Militia with Robert, are in Jefferson County, Indiana, along with Robert and Lucy McClanahan, et al.

Francis Davis and family had already made their move north from Kentucky, across the Ohio River to Indiana. Lucy Davis (9) was the oldest daughter in the household at the time this move was made. Her older sister, Mary, had married Abraham Noakes, a close friend of Robert’s in 1810, a year or two before the family left for Indiana.

The next information we have of Robert and Lucy is their marriage on 5 September 1815, in Jefferson County, Indiana. Actually, we found three different dates for this marriage. In the library in Madison, Indiana, we found a book containing dates and other information pertaining to weddings which occurred in Jefferson County between 1811 and 1873. This showed that the marriage vows of Robert and Lucy were recited before Reverend Jesse Vawter on 18 May 1814.

Another source showed a marriage date of 5 April 1815, and a close examination of the dry and yellowed copy of the license, itself, indicated the date could have been either 5 April or 5 September. From the sequence in which the licenses were issued, dates which preceded the McClanahan-Davis license and others which followed, we concluded the correct date must have been 5 September 1815.

Some sixteen months later their first child was born. Ultimately, there would be nine more children in the household. A total of ten—seven boys and three girls. Shown below are vital statistics for each, as we know them:

FRANCIS b. 6 Jan 1817, d. 1 Jun 1886, married Armilda Moore, b. 17 Oct 1814, d. 26 Feb 1905. Both buried in Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Scott County, IN
MARY (POLLY) b. 6 Jun 1818, d. 6 Apr 1892. Married Milton Noakes, b. 27 Oct 1814, d. 26 Feb 1905. Both buried in Lexington Cemetery.
SAMUEL b. 27 May 1820, d. 14 Oct 1862. Married Elizabeth (maiden name and vital statistics unknown). He is buried in Kent Cemetery, Republican Township, Jefferson County, IN
WILLIAM b. - 1821, d. 1888. Married Amanda M. Phillips in 1847. Amanda b. 1827, d. 1908. Both are buried in Lick Branch Cemetery, Graham Township, Jefferson County, IN
GEORGE b. 17 Nov 1823, d. 1907. Married Melissa A. Wells in 1849. Melissa b. 1829, d. 1915. Both buried in Lick Branch Cemetery, Graham Township, Jefferson County, IN
HARVEY b. 1825, d. 1903. Married Martha A. Hutton in 1849. Martha b. 1831, d. 1897. Both buried in Lick Branch Cemetery, Graham Township, Jefferson, County, IN
SARAH b. 1828. Married Joseph McClelland in 1845. Both were alive in 1870 and living in Jackson County, IN
JAMES b. circa 1830. Married Laura J. Hall in 1851. Both were alive in 1870 and living in Bates County, MO
ROBERT (This is No. 4 on the Ancestor Chart, my great grandfather) b. 1832, d. 4 May 1863. Married Nancy Walton (5) in 1853. Nancy b. 18329 d. 1898. Nancy buried in Nelson Cemetery, Lancaster Township, Jefferson County, IN
ELIZA b. 1834. Married Wesley T. Phillips. Both were alive in 1870 and living in Bates County, MO

As near as we can tell, after their marriage, Robert and Lucy settled on land in Graham Township, which adjoined land of the Abraham Walton’s. In fact the 1820 census shows the Walton’s and the McClanahan’s to be. next door neighbors. So far, we haven’t found a record of Robert and Lucy purchasing land in this immediate area prior to this time. They did purchase two separate tracts, of eighty acres each, which adjoined the Walton’s, in 1829 and 1831. These tracts were also adjacent to lands patented by Thomas Roseberry in 1811 and 1812.

A couple of years ago, while we were in Madison, Indiana and environs, we decided to take a day off from the microfilm readers, etc. at the public library and the old, musty, heavy public records in the court house. So, armed with a detailed Jefferson County map and the legal descriptions of the land that was first patented by the McClanahan’s, Walton’s, Roseberry’s, et al, we set out to find the exact lands these people had settled. We snapped a few pictures here and there, including the one shown below and others which will appear later in the text.

The picture, above (not shown here), shows a portion of the Robert McClanahan land that is in a heavily wooded area alongside of Walton Creek. It’s almost impossible to obtain quality reproductions of snapshots, using the Xerox equipment available to us, but, perhaps, with a little imagination, you can visualize the beauty of the area.

Robert’s death occurred in April, 1836. We haven’t been able to determine the cause of death, whether by accident, Contagious disease such as Small Pox, or some form of long term illness such as tuberculosis, known as consumption in that day.

It appears, though that he must have been under a physician’s care. The probate record of a Dr. Thomas Selman, whose death also occurred in 1836, included the name of Robert McClanahan on the five page list of accounts, submitted to the court as part of the Personal Property Inventory.

Another bit of historical miscellany concerning local politics of that time and place. The town of Paris, Indiana, at that time, lay close to the northwest corner and on the border of Jefferson County, about a mile from the McClanahan place and a little further from the Walton’s and the Roseberry’s.

It had gained quite a reputation as a boisterous Saturday night town. The story goes that the Jefferson County Sheriff was thoroughly annoyed at having to go out to Paris every Saturday night, some sixteen to eighteen miles away, . to settle an argument or two. His suggestion was that they (Jefferson County) just give the place to next door Jennings County and let their sheriff worry about it. After a little conferring between county officials, the quarter section in which Paris was located was transferred to Jennings County—the year was 1836.

At the time of his death, Robert was a relatively young man, in his prime. It must have been a terrible time for Lucy. All ten children were still at home and her mother, Mildred Dollins Davis (19), who had chosen to live with her and Robert after Francis Davis’ death in 1818, was still in the household.

Since Robert left no Will, when the necessary fifteen days had elapsed, she petitioned the Court for Letters of Administration, so that she might dispose of the estate. After posting bond for $2,000, with Abraham Noakes (her brother-in-law) serving as security for the bond, she was granted the necessary authority to serve as Administrator (page D-31). Later, she was to request that Abraham Noakes be made Administrator, and the Court granted the request.

Later that same year, I December 1836, Lucy’s oldest daughter, Mary (Polly), married Milton Noakes. These two were first cousins—the mother of Milton was Mary Davis, and Mary McClanahan’s mother was Lucy Davis. The following year, 1837, the oldest son, Francis, was married. It is also believed that Lucy’s mother, Mildred Dollins Davis (19) went to live with her son, Thomas and family, on the old Davis place, sometime during 1837.

At a given age, Indiana law stipulates that children, who father is dead, have the right to select their guardian, providing the person so selected agrees. During the 1838 May Term of the Court, sons Samuel, William and George, ages 18, 16, and 15, chose their mother, Lucy, as their guardian. At the same time the Court confirmed Lucy as guardian of the other children still .at home: Harvey, 13;-Sarah, 11; James, 8; Robert, my great grandfather, 6; and Eliza, 3 (page D-32).

Later that same year, in November, 1838, Samuel, William and George once again came before the Court and chose Brannock Phillips as their guardian. This was agreeable to Mr. Phillips, and it was so ordered (page D-33). Brannock Phillips was a neighbor and close friend of the McClanahan’s, Roseberry’s, Walton’s, et al. Two of the McClanahan children married Phillips’—William married Amanda Phillips in 1847 and Eliza, the baby of the family, married Wesley Phillips.

Abraham Noakes must have been a bit slow when it came to getting the estate settled. He finally made a report of partial settlement in February, 1839 (page D-35), but, in August of that same year the Court issued a citation against him for not meeting Court established reporting dates, and an additional citation was issued in November, 1841, for the same reason.

As the years passed, more of the children grew to adulthood, married and established households of their own. The census for 1850 shows Lucy, still head of the house, with only two sons, James, 19, and Robert, 17, and one daughter, Eliza, 15, still living at home. James and Robert are listed as farmers and are, obviously, farming the land where the family lives. Lucy’s age is given as 52, so there must have been a little vanity involved. Her actual age would have been 58.

The census also shows that Lucy’s house was in the midst of houses belonging to her children, nieces, nephews, and friends. Just down the road a piece were four houses next to one another belonging to Thomas, William, George and . Samuel Roseberry. Her next door neighbors were sons George and William and two doors away son, Harvey -and family lived. And, on down the road a short way was Daniel Walton’s farm.

By 1860, ten years later, the last three children, who were in the household in 1850, have married and are in households of their own. Until recently, the whereabouts of Lucy, after her children were gone, had been a mystery. It now appears that Lucy moved to Scott County, which adjoins Jefferson County to the west, and was making her home with her oldest son, Francis McClanahan, and his family.

This was the time of the Civil War, and it must have been a bad time for Lucy. Her four youngest sons—George, Harvey, James, and Robert (4) all supported the Union cause by service in the Indiana Volunteer Forces. Also, her combination nephew-son-in-law, Milton Noakes, husband of her daughter, Mary, saw service for some seven months before being honorably discharged for medical reasons.

The census for 1870 still listed Lucy as living in the household of her son, Francis. At that time she would have been 78, although she shaded it a bit by having the census taker record her age as 76.

In checking the notes we’ve made regarding McClanahan land transactions, it becomes apparent that the lands acquired by Robert (8) prior to his death in 1836, were held, virtually intact, for a good many years. It also becomes apparent that the subject has not been adequately researched by us. But, that will have to wait until we can revisit the Jefferson County Court House again.

Our notes do show that from 1847 to 1854, William McClanahan, son of Robert and Lucy, was buying his brothers’ and sisters’ shares in the 80 acres Robert purchased from the government in 1831. In 1847 he paid $25 each for the three 10 percent shares he purchased that year. In 1853 he was paying $50 each for the five shares purchased that year. And, in 1854, he paid Robert (4) $60 for the last remaining 10 percent share.

At the same time (1848), son George was buying the shares from his brothers and sisters in the 80 acres Robert purchased from the government in 1829. That same year, however, he sold the shares he had amassed, amounting to 48 acres, to Joseph McClelland, husband of daughter, Sarah.

In 1838 the heirs, collectively, bought land from Brannock Phillips. This was the same year that he, Brannock Phillips, agreed to act as guardian for Robert’s sons, Samuel, William and George. One 60 acre tract was in the same section of land as the town of Paris. Another 60 acres lay just southeast of the land purchased in 1831. This would surely require court approval to complete these transactions, but we haven’t found such a record as yet. So, we have no inkling as to the rationale of the transactions.

In 1870, when Lucy McClanahan (9) was seventy-eight years old, she purchased from "the heirs of Robert McClanahan, deceased" the second purchase of land from Brannock Phillips, mentioned in the preceding paragraph. For what reason, we do not know. A copy of this deed is included as page D-35A, and is interesting for the reason that all of the living heirs are shown and are signatories to this deed, with one glaring, inexplicable exception—Nancy Walton McClanahan (5) is not included. Again, we don’t know the reason.

The same year, 1870, Lucy purchased 60 acres from Francis, the son with whom she was making her home. And, in 1875, a few months before her death, she should an irregular tract of land, consisting of 33.4 acres to her son, William. It’s obvious that more research is necessary to answer at least some of our questions.

Lucy died 17 September 1875, at the age of 83 years, one month and 19 days, and is buried in Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Scott County 1 Indiana, in the Milton Noakes’ Cemetery plot. Her marker is small, but attractive. Across the top it reads, "Gone Home" and below, "Lucy, wife of Robert McClanahan, born July 29, 1792, died September 17, 1875.11 Also, in this plot can be found her sister, Amelia (Milley) and her daughter, Mary (Polly).

Also see:
Samuel Cochran
Francis Davis
Andrew McClanahan

Line from Robert McClanahan to Elsie Jean Davis Potts

1 Robert McClanahan Born: 1789 in Rowan County, North Carolina Died: 1836 in Granham Township, Jefferson County, Indiana
+Lucy Davis Born: July 29, 1792 in North Carolina or Virginia Married: September 15, 1815 in Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana Died: September 17, 1875 in Lexington, Scott County, Indiana
2 Robert McClanahan Born: 1832 in Jefferson County, Indiana Died: May 04, 1863 in Chancellorsville
+Nancy R. Walton Born: 1832 Married: November 13, 1853 Died: 1898
3 Charles H. McClanahan Born: 1859 in Jefferson Co, Ind
+Clarinda Stout Married: November 13, 1879 in Jefferson Co, Ind
4 Bessie Ida McClanahan Born: November 1895 in Paris Crossing, Ind
+Harold Frank Davis Married: April 27, 1913 in Scotts Bluff, Neb
5 Elsie Jean Davis Born: October 02, 1918 in Scotts Bluff, Neb


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