Hannah Lemasters household, 1850 U.S. census, Shelby County, Ohio

1850 U.S. census, Shelby County, Ohio, population schedule, Salem Township, page 316, dwelling 161, family 161; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Nov 2014)

Realized I didn't have the 1850 census sourced in my database for widow Hannah Lemasters (b. 1810 PA), widow of Lemuel Quin Lemasters.  Hannah was living in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio.

The value of Hannah's real estate was listed as $600.  She was listed as age 40, born in Pennsylvania.  Others in the household include Hannah W, age 16, Marthy, age 13, Eliza, age 11, and Jacob, age 10, all born in Ohio.  Also in the household is 4 year old Sarah E. Reed, born in Ohio.

The names line up with the children of Lemuel and Hannah, though Eliza I have in my data as Elgiva.  The 4 year old Sarah Reed is the daughter of Jesse Reed and Phebe Ann Lemasters (1818-1849).  Why she is not living with her father, I do not yet know.  He is living in the next household, along with a 7 year old Lewis Reed (a brother?) in the John and Elizabeth Lorton household.  Will need to do some more digging in the court records there.

Petition of Rueben Claton, Shelby County, Ohio, 1853

While searching at the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne on Sunday, I started digging into some of the published books on the stacks relating to Shelby County, Ohio.  I was looking for some more evidence to confirm my theories about what happened to the widow Hannah Lemasters, widow of Lemuel Quin Lemasters.

In the book, "Complete Record of Land Sales : Probate Court - Shelby County, Ohio, 1852-1862" compiled by Gladys Dearduff and published in 1997 by the Shelby County Genealogical Society, I located the following :

1853 Nov 5 LIMUEL Q. LEMASTER estate.  Petition by Rueben CLATON, grdn of minor heirs: Martha, Eljwah & Jacob LEMASTER. Dower rights to Hannah CLATON.  Apprs: Abraham STOUT, Jesse LOW & Peter SHEPLEY.  Land : part of S 1/2 SE 1/4 Sec 33 T2 R73 (ca 40 acres) ; sold 16 Feb 1854 to Wm. HOBBY.

Though I need to dig into the actual probate records (which are online at FamilySearch), this snippet tells my that the Hannah Lemasters whose marriage I located in Shelby County to Ruben Claton on June 1, 1851 was the widow of Lemuel Quin Lemasters.  This land sale record was protecting her dower rights (rights she brought into the marriage) and names the minor children of Hannah & Lemuel, even if they did mangle the spellings.  The children were Martha, Elgiva and Jacob.

I'm so used to alternative spellings for Lemaster/Lemasters and now I'm pretty sure that Claton is an alternative spelling for Clayton.

The book was located in the stacks with a call letter of Gc 977.101 Sh4sL

Marriage Record: Hannah Lemasters to Ruben Claton, Shelby County, Ohio, 1851

"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZZQ-85C : accessed 17 Nov 2014), Ruben Claton and Hannah Lemasters, 01 Jun 1851; citing Shelby, Ohio, United States, reference vo13 p261 No3; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 562858.

The State of Ohio, Shelby County, S.S.

I certify that I have this day solemnized the marriage of Ruben Claton with Hannah Lemasters.

Witness my hand this 1 day of June A.D. 1851.

V. Guerin, Minister.

----

Located this marriage record of Hannah Lemasters and Ruben Claton (Clayton?) on June 1, 1851 in Shelby County, Ohio.  This was one of the various Lemaster marriage records found in the county on FamilySearch.

I believe that this Hannah is the widow of Lemuel Quin Lemasters, who died in June 1843 in Shelby County.  Lemuel was the son of Jacob and Hannah (---) Lemasters.  I believe Ruben's surname is Clayton.  

I've been doing some digging in probate records in Shelby County, and am pretty sure that this is Lemuel's widow based on the records I've found.  More to come.