10. Children of Joseph Darrah

Children of Joseph and Elizabeth Darrah:

1.         Eldest daughter Rosina Darrah, possibly pronounced Ro Sina’ and nicknamed Sina in the family, married William S. Hughes in Muskingum County on October 13, 1836.

Muskingum County has a William Hughes on the 1830 Census with a wife the right age range as Rosina, but there are three children too old to be Rosina’s. This William may be the father of Rosina’s husband. This William also appears on the 1840 Census with additional children.

A second William is on the 1840 Census in Dresden with a wife the right age, so this is more likely our Rosina. There is a second unidentified male in the same 20-30 year age category, maybe a brother of William. Rosina is in the right census group at age 37, but it looks like William is a group too low. Enumerator error?

On the 1850 Census William and “Dinah” are in Franklin County with ages 49 and 47 listed correctly. In neither case are any children listed, so the couple may have been childless.

A national search of both the 1860 and 1870 Censuses failed to turn up either member of the couple, so they may have both died fairly early.

2.         Second daughter Mary Darrah, born in 1804 in Muskingum County, married Joseph Chapman on February 10, 1825, at the age of 21. Joseph’s entry on the 1830 Census of Springfield Township shows himself at 20-30, a female, age 20-30, evidently Mary at 26; one male under five, later identified as Wells M., born March 3, 1827; one female, aged 15-20, unidentified (sister, maid?); and two females, also under five. These last two girls are probably Hannah, born September 28, 1825, and Mary, born May 24, 1830, just before the census.

The 1840 Census of Lima Township of Licking County, just to the west of Muskingum, has Joseph at 30-40; a female at 20-30, probably Mary at 36 and mis-marked by the enumerator; one female 10-15, probably Hannah at 14; one female 5-10, probably Mary at 10; and a third female under five, probably Rebecca, born in 1835.

Chapman researcher Leon Chapman reports that Mary Darrah Chapman died in Muskingum County on September 23, 1840. If so, Mary would have had two other children, Levi, born in 1837, and James born in 1839. This is based on the 1850 Census of Fairfield County, just south west of Licking County, where Joseph is listed with these children and a different wife. Leon Chapman lists a William Chapman born on September 22, 1840, which would have meant Mary died as a result of childbirth. William is not listed in 1850, so he may have died soon after Mary’s death.

Joseph, after Mary’s death a widower with at least six children, needed a wife in a hurry. Within three years he married again, to Elizabeth [Unknown], and proceeded to have four more daughters, Sarah, Frances (Fanny), Emeline, and Louisa.

Prolific father Joseph Chapman also liked to travel, for he was living in Woodford County, Illinois, by the 1860 Census, at the age of 51.

Of Mary Darrah’s children, Hannah married J. Williams about 1845, possibly in Fairfield County; Wells M. married Elizabeth Moyer and moved to Mahaska County, Iowa; Mary married J. Craiglow. At this time, we do not know the fate of the rest of the children.

3.         Francis B. Darrah, the only son, was born in Muskingum County ca1808 and lived with his parents until his marriage to Adeline Dozier on November 1, 1835. He was 27. Francis and Adeline had two sons by the 1840 Census: Joseph, born in 1838, and an unidentified son who seems to have died before 1850.

On the 1850 Census two more sons have been added to the family, John, born in 1844, and Henry, born in 1847. Francis evidently named his sons after his father and uncles. I would not be surprised to learn the dead son was named Robert!

Joseph, age 83, and Elizabeth, age 78, were living on the same farm as Francis in 1850 and were probably retired and enjoying their grandchildren.

After 1850 this family seems to have dropped off the earth. A national search of the 1860, 1870, and 1880 Census indexes turned up nothing on any of them, and a search of the IGI revealed nothing either. Francis and his family in later life is now officially a mystery.

4.         Hannah Darrah, third daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth, was born in Muskingum County on July 22, 1808. She lived with her family until September 25, 1836, when she

married Charles Green. Hannah was 28 years old, and evidently her husband was four years younger than she.

Charles and Hannah had a son Joseph Henry (there are those names again!) in 1837; a second son, John E. in 1841; and a third son, Charles A. in 1845. They seem to have had no daughters.

The Green family continued to live and farm in Muskingum throughout their lives, as they appeared on the census there through the 1880’s. Hannah died on January 20, 1888, and she is buried in McKendree Chapel Cemetery there, along with her husband, whose burial date is uncertain.

On the 1860 Census the Greens have a Thomas Dorah, age 9, living with them. Who this is I do not know. [A younger son of Francis?]

On the 1870 Census their son Charles A. Green, his wife Frances Sharpe Green, their son Howard, and Frances’ sister Ella Sharpe, were living with them, and the 24-year-old Charles was working on his parent’s farm. On the 1880 Census, grandsons Howard, Elmore, Ernest, and Oliver were listed with them, but the boys’ parents are missing.

5.         Youngest daughter Rebecca Darrah was born in Muskingum County in 1812 and lived with her family until November 12, 1837, when she married Frederick A. Seborn. Frederick was a lawyer and farmer and was well to do financially. The couple seems to have had servants most of the time.

Rebecca and Frederick had no children and lived in Muskingum County for the rest of their lives. At present I do not know when they died or where they are buried.