Conley B Blankenship Sr. (abt. 1785 - aft. 1870)

Born about 1785 in Chesterfield, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 1870 after about age 85 in Tazewell, Virginia

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Biography

Conley was born about 1785 ^[1]. His parents were William Blankenship (abt.1761-1862) and Molly (Trent) Blankenship (1763-1804) ^[2]. He married Martha Patsy (Lester) Blankenship (abt.1787-aft.1870) prior to the 1810 census ^[3]. Their children ^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [1]} :

1. William R. Blankenship (1811-1880)
2. Elijah Blankenship (abt.1812-abt.1914)
3. Raleigh Blankenship (abt.1814-abt.1914)
4. Patsy Ruth Blankenship (abt.1816-1848)
5. Hezekiah Blankenship (abt.1816-)
6. Rebecca Blankenship (abt.1820-)
7. Daniel David Blankenship (abt.1823-abt.1910)
8. Obedian Blankenship (abt.1823-)
9. Conley Blankenship Jr. (1828-abt.1910)
10. Willis Blankenship (abt.1827-abt.1850)
11. Mary (Blankenship) Workman (abt.1827-aft.1870)
12. Obadiah Blankenship (abt.1834-aft.1900))
13. Presley Blankenship (abt.1837-)

Census records show that Conley and his family resided in several places during their marriage -

• Floyd County, Kentucky in 1810 ^[3]
• Cabell County, West Virginia in 1820 ^[4]
• Russell County, Virginia in 1830 ^[5]
• Tazewell County, Virginia in 1840 ^[6] and 1850 ^[7]
• Buchanan County in 1860 ^[1] and 1870 ^[8]

In 1870, Conley and Martha were 84 years old and living with their son Presley and his wife Mary ^[8]. He passed away in 1847 ^[2].

Research Notes

• In addition to the children listed in the Biography section above, Mary Polly Blankenship (abt.1823-abt.1910) is linked to Martha's and Conley's profiles as a daughter. It seems unlikely that Martha and Conley would have 3 children (Daniel, Obedian, and Mary Polly) all born in 1823. It also seems unlikely that there would be two daughters with the first name Mary (Mary Jane and Mary Polly). The profile for Mary Polly is unsourced and the census records cited below don't seem to support the relationship,
• 1810 Census ^[3] for Floyd, Kentucky shows "Condy" Blankenship as head of household with 1 male age 16-25 years (presumably Conley), 1 female 10-15 years (his wife Martha), and what appears to be a scratch-out in the male 0-9 years column.
• 1820 Census ^[4] for Barboursville, Cabell County, "Virginia" lists Conley Blankenship as head of household with 3 males age <10 years (likely Raleigh, Elijah, and Hezekiah), 1 male 10-15 years (William Raymond), 1 male 26-44 (Conley), 1 female age <10 years (Patsy Ruth), 1 female 26-44 years (Martha). Note that Barboursville, Cabell County is in West Virginia, not Virginia. West Virginia was made a state several years before the 1820 census, so this appears to be an error in the census indexing. The heading on page 1 of the actual census document correctly shows West Virginia.
• 1830 Census ^[5] for Russell, Virginia lists "Conally" Blankenship as head of household with 1 male age <5 years (likely Willis), 1 male age 5-9 years (uncertain), 2 males 10-14 years (Raleigh and Hezekiah), 1 male 15-19 years (Elijah), 1 male 40-49 years (Conley), 2 females age <5 years (Mary Jane and unknown), 1 female 5-9 (Obedian), 2 females 10-14 (Rebecca and Ruth Patsy), 1 female 15-19 (unknown), and 1 female 40-49 years. Since Conley and Martha were both about 35 years old at the time of the 1830 census, the census taker place the tally marks in the wrong column for their ages.
• 1840 Census ^[6] for Tazewell, Virginia lists Conley Blankenship, born in 1795, as head of household with 1 male 5-9 years (likely Obediah or Presley), 2 males 10-14 (Willis and Conley), 2 males 15-19 (Raleigh and Hezekiah), 1 male 40-49 (Conley), 1 female 15-19 (Mary Jane), and 1 female 40-49 (Martha). Since Obediah (born 1834) and Presley (born 1837) were both under 5 years old in 1840, one of them seems to be missing from this census.
• 1850 Census listed Presley (age 16), Martha (65) and Conley (65). It also includes a 13 year old named William Suster, occupation farm laborer. The 1850 non-population census also lists a Wm. Suster (no age given) in Tazewell County engaged in agriculture and owning 1 horse, 1 milk cow, 3 sheep, and 4 swine with a total value of $70 ^[9]. While it is unlikely that a 13 year-old would own that much livestock while living and working as a farm laborer in another household, the two William Susters may be related. A second possibility is that WIlliam's last name is Lester rather than Suster, and that he is a relative of Martha's. The census transcription on Family Search shows the name as William "Austin" rather than Suster, and gives him the surname Blankenship. If correct, the 13-year old William Austin Blankenship could be a grandchild or nephew of Martha and Conley.
• 1860 Census for Buchanan, Virginia includes a Servant Girl named Mary Allen (age 30) and her two children Henry Allen (age 6) and William Allen (age 0). The census lists another child named Rebecca Jackson (age 2) noted as a "Dumb Pauper" residing in the household. This is likely the same Rebecca listed as living in Grundy, Buchanan County, Virginia in the 1880 Federal Census Schedule of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes ^[10]. It is unclear whether there is a familial relationship between Rebecca and the Blankenship family.

Name Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

Connally Blankenship Male 75 [Blank]

Patsey Blankenship Female 74 [Blank]

Preston Blankenship Male 26 [Blank]

Mary Allen Female 30 [Blank]

Henry Allen Male 6 [Blank]

William Allen Male 3 [Blank]

Rebecca Jackson Female 2 [Blank]

• 1870 Census for Buchanan, Virginia ^[8] shows Conley and Martha residing with their son Presley, his wife Mary, and presumably Presley's son William R. Since Conley is listed first and with the occupation Farmer rather than Farm Laborer, it seems likely that Presley and his family are residing on his parents' farm rather than the elderly parents living on their son's farm.

Name Household Role Sex Age Birthplace Occupation

Cowdy Blankinship Male 84 Virginia Farmer

Martha Blankinship Female 84 Virginia House Keeper

Presley Blankinship Male 33 Virginia Farm Laborer

Mary Blankinship Female 35 Virginia Weaving

Wm R Blankinship Male 15 Virginia Farm Laborer

• Other notations from original profile setup:

• connected profile Spencer Isham is too close in age to be brothers. either the birth dates are wrong, or the connected families are wrong
• William Blankenship and Isham Blankenship are brothers. Conley appears to be the son of William.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M41S-FR2 : 13 December 2017), Connally Blankenship, 1860.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Geneanet Community Trees Index. Paris, France: Geneanet. [1]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Year: 1810; Census Place: Floyd, Floyd, Kentucky; Roll: 6; Page: 100; Image: Kym252_6-0107; FHL Roll: 0181351. [2]
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Barboursville, Cabell, Virginia; Page: 81; NARA Roll: M33_130; Image: 160. [3]
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Year: 1830; Census Place: Russell, Virginia; Series: M19; Roll: 199; Page: 139; Family History Library Film: 0029678. [4]
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR1-H2G : 13 September 2017), Conley Blankenship, Tazewell, Virginia, United States; citing p. 63, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 579; FHL microfilm 29,693.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Year: 1850; Census Place: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia; Roll: 979; Page: 287a. [5]
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFLV-JS8 : 12 April 2016), Cowdy Blankinship, Virginia, United States; citing p. 9, family 60, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,136.
9. ↑ Census Year: 1850; Census Place: Western District, Tazewell, Virginia; Archive Collection Number: T1132; Roll: 3; Page: 560; Line: 12; Schedule Type: Agriculture. [6]
10. ↑ National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; U.S. Federal Census - 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes; Year: 1880; Publication Number: T1132. [7]