Cousin Bait: Opening Dialogue

Fellow GeneaBlogger Jennifer Wilhelmi of The Erudite Genealogist began following my blog a while back and wrote me regarding the LEMASTER surname to see if we have a connection.  She was looking for more information regarding Phebe LEMASTER and Johann JUDY (TSCHUDI) and was hoping I could help.

Above are pages 227-228 from the Lemasters U.S.A. 1639-1965 genealogy compiled by Howard Marshall Lemaster and Margaret Herberger, published at Carlinville, Illinois, 1965.  The work does not connect Phoebe to other Lemaster lines, though later works by Ralph Smith place her in the family of Richard Lemaster, son of Isaac and Catherine (Ward) Lemaster.


Though I don't yet have a connection with Jennifer, it is nice to know that the "cousin bait" you create when blogging about your family history can lead to further discussion.  Perhaps our dialogue will ultimately end up with a definitive connection.

Surname Saturday: LEMASTER

The LEMASTER surname is my paternal line.  The origins of the surname are French, with variations of the surname being either spelled "Le" or "La", with or without a capital "m" and with or without an ending "s".


Stories and History:


Ahnentafel # 8: Luman Cooper LeMASTERS (1867-1933). Luman was born May 27, 1867 in Jay County, Indiana. He married November 11, 1886 in Jay County, Indiana to Barbara Isabel WEHRLY (1869-1930). Barbara was born March 14, 1869 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana. After their marriage they moved to Valley County, Nebraska for a few years before returning to Jay County before 1890 where they remained the rest of their lives. Luman was a farmer and a rural mail carrier in Salamonia, Indiana.  They had 13 children, 12 of whom survived. Barbara died February 6, 1930 in Union City, Randolph County, Indiana. Luman died February 10, 1933 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. They are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.


Anhnentafel # 16: Luman Walker Lemasters Jr. (1842-1931). Luman was born October 19, 1842 in Shelby County, Ohio.  He married October 2, 1864 in Versailles, Darke County, Ohio to Mary Keziah CHEW (1847-1927). Mary was born February 13, 1847 in Mt. Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey. They lived in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana where Luman was a farmer.  Luman served in Company C, 39th Indiana Infantry during the Civil War.  This regiment was later converted to the 8th Indiana Cavalry.  He was severely wounded at Deckards Ford, Tennessee on July 3, 1863 and discharged.  They had 11 children.  Mary died February 22, 1927 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.  Luman died November 18, 1931 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana. Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 32: Luman Walker Lemasters Sr. (1808-1888). Luman was born March 11, 1808 in Mason County, Virginia (now West Virginia).  He married January 19, 1832 in Shelby County, Ohio to Nancy YOUNG (1812-1904). Nancy was born June 2, 1812 in Pickaway County, Ohio.  Luman was a Methodist Episcopal minister and farmer. They moved from Shelby County, Ohio to Jay County, Indiana in 1854, settling in Madison Township.  They raised 11 children.  Nancy died August 26, 1904 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.  Luman died April 15, 1888 in Jay County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.


Ahnentafel # 64: Jacob Lemasters (1770-1852).  Jacob was born March 21, 1770 in Pennsylvania, according to census and tombstone records.  He married circa 1794 to Hannah ________ (1778-1849).  Hannah was born September 30, 1778 in either Pennsylvania or Maryland.  They had 8 children.  They moved to Champaign County, Ohio circa 1815 and then to Shelby County, Ohio by 1818.  Jacob was a farmer.  Hannah died June 16, 1849 in Shelby County, Ohio.  Jacob died September 21, 1852 in Shelby County, Ohio.  Both are buried in the Roberts Cemetery, Shelby County, Ohio.


The remaining lines of this ahnentafel are speculative, and remain to be proven.  The hypothesis put forth by Ralph D. Smith of Port Orange, FL in his books on the Lemasters family is that Jacob (1770-1852) is the son of another Jacob.  This has not been definitively proven, as our Jacob seems to have dropped in Mason County, Virginia in 1804 with no prior history. In the past, I have considered these additional lines valid, but I am re-thinking my position due to lack of evidence.


Ahnentafel # 128: Jacob Lemaster (bef 1734-aft 1775). Jacob was born before 1734 in Charles County, Maryland.  He resided in Frederick County, Maryland in 1766.  He served at Fort Pitt as a member of the Virginia militia just prior to the Revolution.  He had 3 children.  Jacob died sometime after 1775, probably Frederick County, Maryland.


Ahnentafel # 256: Isaac Lemaster (c1695-aft 1771). Isaac was born circa 1695 in St. Mary's County, Maryland.  He married before May 1730 in Charles County, Maryland to Catherine Ward.  They had 7 children.  Isaac died after 1771 in Prince George's County, Maryland.


Ahnentafel # 512: Richard Lemaster (bet. 1668/70-aft. 1735). Richard was born between 1668 and 1670 in St. Mary's County, Maryland.  He married Martha ________ (c1668-bet. 1713/23).  Martha was born circa 1668.  They had 6 children.  Richard was a carpenter. Martha died between 1713 and 1723 in Charles County, Maryland.  Richard died after 1735 in Charles County, Maryland.


Ahnentafel # 1024: Abraham Lemaster (bet. 1636/39-1722).  Abraham was born between 1636 and 1639 in Ste. Marie's Parish, Isle of Jersey.  He immigrated to St. Mary's County, Maryland circa 1661.  The name of his wife is unknown.  He had 6 children.  Abraham died December 6, 1722 in Charles County, Maryland.


The surname is found in records spelled in a variety of ways.  In my immediate lines, the 'm' was capitalized in Luman Cooper LeMasters generation, but many of his children dropped the final 's'.  


Our line is found in Chapter 13 of the Lemasters, U.S.A. 1639-1965 book by Howard M. Lemaster and Margaret Herberger.

Family Milestones: March 11th

My paternal 3rd-great grandfather, Luman Walker LEMASTERS Sr., was born on this date in 1808 in Mason County, Virginia.  Luman was the son of Jacob and Hannah (________) LEMASTERS.  Luman married January 19, 1832 in Shelby County, Ohio to Nancy YOUNG.  Nancy was born June 2, 1812 in Pickaway County, Ohio, daughter of Phillip and Nancy Ann (McLANE) YOUNG.  They moved from Shelby County, Ohio to Jay County, Indiana circa 1854 and raised 11 children.  Luman was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church.  Nancy died August 26, 1904 in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.  Luman died April 15, 1888 in Jay County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

My paternal 3rd-great granduncle, Adam YOUNG, was married on this date in 1841 to Mary NOLAND.  Adam was born April 20, 1820, the son of Phillip and Nancy Ann (McLANE) YOUNG, and the younger brother of my Nancy YOUNG.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Mary.  They had at least 1 son.  Adam died December 10, 1893.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My paternal 4th-great granduncle, Nathan CHEW, was married on this date in 1819 to Sarah WARD.  Nathan was born November 24, 1789 in Gloucester County, New Jersey, the son of Nathaniel and Sarah (SPRINGER) CHEW.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Sarah.  Nathan died July 28, 1890.  Nothing further is known at this time.


My maternal 5th-great grandparents, Thomas HEATON and Susan TAYLOR, were married on this date in 1789 in Faquier County, Virginia.  Thomas was born in 1761 in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, the son of John and Abigail (PAXTON) HEATON.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Susan.  They had 6 children and lived in Brown County, Ohio.  Thomas died September 17, 1858 in Brown County, Ohio.

Family Milestones: November 24th

My paternal granduncle, Gerald Walker LEMASTERS, married on this date in 1929 to Pearl Lovina SMITH. Gerald was born January 15, 1896 in Jay County, Indiana, and was the older brother to my Ord Wehrly LeMASTER. Pearl was born April 23, 1894 in Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of Samuel E. and Mary E. (BIBLER) SMITH. They lived in Penn Township, Jay County, Indiana. Gerald died May 1987 and Pearl in 1984. Both are buried at the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Charity MILLS, married on this date in 1810 to John GWIN. The Mills family were Quakers, and this date has not been verified as being in the correct format in my database. Charity birth is recorded as occurring in 1789-11mo-14d, the daughter of Aaron and Charity (MENDENHALL) MILLS. I have no information on John GWIN's parentage. The Mills family were members of the Deep River Monthly Meeting in North Carolina, and further research is needed.

My paternal 4th-great granduncle, Nathan CHEW, was born on this date in 1796 in Gloucester County, New Jersey. Nathan was the son of Nathaniel and Sarah (SPRINGER) CHEW. Nathan married Sarah WARD on March 11, 1819. He died July 28, 1890. Nothing further is known.

More Hagaman data

Did some more surfing around the net to see what else I might be able to find on the Hagaman family, hoping that it might shed some light on where my branch of the Moulton line was living and to add some more descendants. Here is what I found:

At the website, The Worcester Family, was an online version of Jonathan Worcester's The Worcester Family, or the Descendants of Rev. William Worcester. (W.W. Kellogg, Lynn, Mass., 1856) and Sarah Alice Worcester's The Descendants of Rev. William Worcester With a Brief Notice of the Connecticut Wooster Family. (E.F. Worcester, Publisher, Hudson Printing Company, 1914), which listed the children of Charles Sherman & Lydia (Moulton) Hagaman as :

1- Clara Eliza, b Jan. 14, 1869, d Mar. 29, 1904, St. Joseph, Mo.; m Jan. 14, 1892, Joe Postlewart. 2- Lydia Emeline, b Oct. 17, 1870; m Jan. 10, 1898, R.D. Ward.
3- Wallace Joel, b May 28, 1872; m Aug., 1901, Rose McCully.
4- Charles Albert, b Nov. 28, 1874; m Dec. 18, 1892, Gertrude Onslow.
5- Nettie Jane, b Mar. 31, 1877; m Feb. 5, 1899. Farmer.


I also found Charles Sherman Hagaman in the 1900 census of Rich Hill Township, Livingston County, Missouri, with wife Lydia, and son Charles. By 1910, Charles Sherman & wife Lydia were living in the same township next door to their son Charles, along with granddaughter Mattie Postalwait. By the 1920 census of Rich Hill Township, Livingston County, Missouri, Charles Sherman was living with his son Charles, listed as aged 75 and widowed.

A search of the Missouri State Archives Death Certificates did not turn up a match for Charles Sherman Hagaman. However, Lydia's death certificate from October 17, 1916 in Chillicothe shows that she was born January 15, 1849 in Bureau County, Illinois. Her father was given as Albert Moulton, birthplace unknown, and her mother as Emeline Philbrick, born in Ohio. The informant was her daughter, Nettie Farmer of Jackson, Miss. Lydia was buried in Edgewood Cemetery.

Looks like I should be able to find Lydia & her parents, Albert & Emeline (Philbrick) Moulton in the 1850 census of Bureau County, Illinois. The hunt goes on.

LeMaster Family Lineage

Here is the latest information I have on my LeMaster line, starting with my great-grandfather.

Luman Cooper LeMASTERS b. May 27, 1867 Jay Co., IN., d. February 10, 1933 Salamonia, Jay Co., IN., m. November 13, 1866 in Jay Co., IN., to Barbara Isabelle WEHRLY.

Luman Walker LEMASTERS b. October 19, 1842 Shelby Co., OH., d. November 18, 1931 Salamonia, Jay Co., IN., m. October 2, 1864 in Versailles, Darke Co., OH to Mary Keziah CHEW.

Luman Walker LEMASTERS b. March 11, 1808 Mason Co., VA., d. April 15, 1888 Jay Co., IN., m. January 19, 1832 in Shelby Co., OH to Nancy YOUNG.

Jacob LEMASTERS b. March 21, 1770 Pennsylvania, d. September 21, 1852 Shelby Co., OH., m. circa 1794 to Hannah [________]

Jacob LEMASTER b. before 1734 Charles Co., MD., d. after 1775 Frederick Co., MD., m. [________]

Isaac LEMASTER b. Charles Co., MD., d. after 1771 Prince George's Co., MD., m. before 1730 Charles Co., MD to Catherine WARD

Richard LEMASTER b. between 1668-1670 St. Mary's Co., MD., d. after 1735 Charles Co., MD, m. Martha [________]

Abraham LEMASTER b. between 1636-1639 Ste. Marie's Parish, Isle of Jersey, d. December 6, 1722 Charles Co., MD., m. [________]