Ahart FARMER & Mary __?__ & Sarah PHELPS? & Elizabeth BROWN

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Diana, Goddess of the Hunt — for Ancestors!

Every-Name Index

Ahart FARMER
Mary __?__
Sarah PHELPS
Elizabeth BROWN

Husband: Ahart FARMER
Birth: 29 Mar 1817, Grayson Co., VA
Death apparently: 1900-1910, presumably in Grayson Co., VA
Occupation: farm laborer; keeper of a brothel (see below)
Father: David FARMER
Mother: Catharine EDWARDS

Some secondary sources give our subject first name, Thomas, but I've yet to find a primary record using that name. Note that, in her military pension application, his mother lists her children's names and birthdates from her family bible, and he listed as "Ahart Farmer born March 29, 1917."

Marriage-1:

Wife-1: Mary "Pollie" __?__
Birth: 1810-20
Death: 1840-50

Marriage-2: ca. 1850

Wife-2: Sarah PHELPS
Birth said to be: 1806, Saddle Creek, Grayson Co., VA
Death said to be: 1881
Other Children: see this page for her earlier children
Father: Samuel PHELPS
Mother: Rhoda COLLINS

Secondary sources give her maiden name, DULLON, but I can find no primary record giving her that name. It appears to me the name may have been fabricated to make it appear that PHELPS was her married name.

Marriage-3: 31 Dec 1883, Grayson Co., VA

Wife-3: Elizabeth BROWN
Birth: 1823, Grayson Co., VA
Death: bef. 1900 census
Other Spouse: m1. Mr. JONES
Father: James N. BROWN
Mother: Nancy __?__

Stepchildren — born in Grayson Co., VA:

While these children were surnamed FARMER in the 1850 census, they all resorted to surname PHELPS in the 1860 census, indicating 1) they are Sarah's children, not Ahart's, and 2) Sarah did not marry Ahart before 1848.

. Rhoda Ann PHELPS - FARMER, b. 1827/8
. Nancy PHELPS - FARMER, b. ca. 1831
. Charlotte PHELPS - FARMER, b. 1836/7
. John Calvin PHELPS - FARMER, b. 1838/9
. Freeling PHELPS - FARMER, b. 1847/8

Children with Mary "Pollie" — born in Grayson Co., VA:

1. (Son A) FARMER, b. 1830-35
2. (Son B) FARMER, b. 1835-40
3. Mary "Polly" Ann FARMER, b. 1838/40

Child with Sarah — born in Grayson Co., VA:

4. Rosamond "Rosa / Rosie / Rosey" FARMER, b. 9 Jan 1852

Children with Elizabeth BROWN:

none

Keywords for search engines: genealogy; USA, US, United States, Virginia

Sources (n.b., Mercer Co., WV, is just three counties away from Grayson Co., VA; Alleghany Co., NC, is adjacent to Grayson Co., VA):

1a. Jordan R. Dodd, ed. 1993. Virginia Marriages: Early to 1850. Liahona Research, Orem, UT (Broderbund CD-229): not found, and the CD includes Grayson County marriages.

1b. Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 (online at familysearch.org):

Groom's Name: Ahart Farmer

Groom's Birth | Age | Race: 1813 | 70 | White

Groom's Birthplace: Grayson

Groom's Marital Status: Widowed

Bride's Name: Elizabeth Jones

Bride's Birth | Age | Race: 1823 | 60 | White

Bride's Birthplace: Grayson

Bride's Marital Status: Widowed

Marriage Date: 31 Dec 1883

Marriage Place: Grayson County, Virginia

Groom's Father: D. Farmer

Groom's Mother: K. Farmer

Bride's Father: J. Brown

Bride's Mother: N. Brown

Source Film: 31758

1c. North Carolina Marriages, 1759-1979 (online at familysearch.org):

Groom's Name: Haywood Bennett

Bride's Name: Rossa/Ressa Farmer

Marriage Date: 24 Sep 1870

Marriage Place: Alleghany County, North Carolina

Groom's Father: Joseph Bennett

Groom's Mother: Polly Bennett

Bride's Father: Ahart Farmer

Bride's Mother: Sarah Farmer

Source Films: 847894 | 847899

2. West Virginia Deaths, 1853-1970 (online at familysearch.org):

Name: Pollie Ann Hawks

Death Date: 03 Oct 1881 | 1882

Death Place: Mercer, West Virginia

Gender: Female

Age at Death: 43 years

Est. Birth Year: 1838

Birth Place: Grason, Virginia

Marital Status: Married

Spouse's Name: William Hawks

Father's Name: A. Farmer

Mother's Name: Pollie

Digital Folder Number: 4227408

Source: County Records

3. 1840 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #83 of 110 — indexed "Fanner"; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1840 VA Grayson Co. Roll 555 pp. 313B-314A Ln. 14 Ahart Farmer 110 010 - 100 110 no slaves 0100000

These data indicate:

No. & Sex Age Class Therefore Born Individuals Inferred

1 male 4 or under 1835-1840 = Son B?

1 male 5-9 1830-1835 = Son A?

1 male 20-29 1810-1820 = Ahart (b. 1817)

1 female 4 or under 1835-1840 = Mary Ann (b. 1838/40)

1 female 15-19 1820-1825 = Sister? Sister-in-law?

1 female 20-29 1810-1820 = Pollie?

1 person employed in agriculture

4. 1850 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #123 of 148): District No. 19, Grayson Co., VA, Roll M432_947, p. 220A, 841/841, enumerated 2 Oct 1850, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1850 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Ahart Farmer 43 M Labourer Va

Sarah Farmer 44 F Do

Rhoda Farmer 22 F Do

Nancy Farmer 19 F Do

Charlotte Farmer 13 F Do

Calvin Farmer 11 M Do

Polly Farmer 10 F Do

Freeling Farmer 2 M Do

Ahart should be age 33. Assuming Sarah was the informant, it appears she has inflated his age to reduce the age difference between them

5a. 1860 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #94 of 196): Independence P.O., Grayson Co., VA, Roll M653_1348, p. 94, PN 94, 720/675, enumerated 16 Aug 1860, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1860 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Ahart Farmer 49 M Laboror 15 Va

Sarah " 52 F Va

Rosamond 8 F Va

Freeling Phelps 12 M Va

Rhoda " 105 F 25 Va

Ahart should be age 43. It appears Sarah has again inflated Ahart's age to reduce the age difference between them. Is Rhoda PHELPS Sarah's mother? Grandmother? Her age appears inflated, too, because she's in her 70's in the 1840 census.

5b. 1860 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #181 of 196): Bridle Creek P.O., Grayson Co., VA, Roll M653_1348, p. 181, PN 181, 1380/1357, enumerated 29 Sep 1860, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1860 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Nancy Phelps 28 F House Keeper Va

Calvin " 22 M 50 Va

Charlotte " 20 F Va

5c. 1860 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com): Mary FARMER (æ 18, b. VA; seamstress) is living in Grayson Co., VA (p. 90), with the HALSEY family. It's significant that she retains surname, FARMER, further supporting that she is the biological child of Ahart & Pollie (i.e., not one of Sarah's PHELPS children).

5. 1870 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #67 of 104): Independence P.O., Elk Creek Twp., Grayson Co., VA, Roll M593_1649, p. 166A, PN 67, 445/445, enumerated 19 Jul 1870, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1870 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Farmer Ehart 54 M W Farm laborer 105 Va

Sarah 62 F W Keeping house Va

Rosy 17 F W Va

Ahart's age is finally more inline with the 1817 birthyear. Listed two households from stepson, John C. PHIPPS [John Calvin PHELPS].

6. 1880 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #56 of 64): Elk Creek Dist., Grayson Co., VA, Roll 1368, p. 375D, PN 56, SD 5, ED 36, enumerated 28 Jun 1880, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1880 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1880: for an explanation of the column headings, please see
What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 13 23 24 25 26

502 573 Farmer Aheart W M 66 / Farm Laborer / VA (VA) NC

______ Sarah W F 70 Wife / Keeping House / VA VA VA

Listed next to stepson, [John] Calvin PHELPS.

7. 1890 Census: the 1890 Census Population Schedules were destroyed.

8. 1900 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #17 of 45): Elk Creek Dist., Grayson Co., VA, Roll 1710, p. 28A, SN 9, SD 5, ED 39, enumerated 11 Jun 1900, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1900 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1900: for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28

125 147 Phelps John C Head W M Jan 1838 62 M 33 VA VA VA Farmer 0 N N Y R F 130

______ Martha C Wife W F Jan 1849 51 M 33 5 5 VA VA VA Keeping House Y N Y

______ John A Son W M Jun 1877 22 S VA VA VA Share 0 N N Y

______ Robert A Son W M Jan 1886 14 S VA VA VA at School 2 Y Y Y

______ Jennie A GDau W F May 1890 10 S VA VA VA at School 4 Y Y Y

Farmer Ahart SFather W M Mar 1813 87 Wd VA VA VA Y N Y

Ahart's age appears to be inflated, again.

9. 1910 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com): Ahart not found.

10. Public Member Trees (online at Ancestry.com): There is an item attached to a file here stating there was an indictment dated 29 Apr 1863 in Grayson Co., VA, issued against Aheart FARMER for keeping a house of "ill fame." There's said to be a gap in court records from 1863 thru 1867, so no other information is available on the issue.

11. WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).

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