Need Archibald Somerville and Rebecca Armstrong daughter Margaret Info

Question

Looking for Johnsburg NY Somervilles and Armstrongs. Margaret, daughter of Archibald Somerville and Rebecca Armstrong was born  ca 1818.

 I am looking for  documentation of her birth, baptism, marriage, or death. One source has husband Richard Van Ripper but this name is not known to me.

I have other information that may or may not connect to her. Does the Johnsburg church have these records? Also looking for Elizur Edwards records, also for Johnsburg 1845.

Thanks for any help!

Phyllis Harrison

Answer 1

This may help you narrow the search to an extent. According to the Will of her father, Margaret was not married at the time of his death (or at least when the will was written which I believe is 1848) as he refers to her as Margaret Somerville. The other two daughters are identified as Mary Bennett and Jana Keyo indicating they are married. Listed in the will are Wesley, Thomas, Margaret Somerville, John, Mary Bennett and Jana Keyo.

It looks like son Thomas had a daughter named Margaret b 1847 which causes some confusing returns on some searches.

I would do some additional searching in Census records to see if she can be located 1860 whether married or living with a sibling.

Comments

I am a descendant of Archibald Somerville through his son Wesley.  I visited the Johnsburg area about three years ago.  I recall that the Methodist church next to the cemetery, where many family members are buried, burned at some point in time and any records were lost.  The Town of Johnsburg has a historian, and she maintains folders with family surnames at the town hall in North Creek.  I understand that someone wrote a book on the church about 30 years ago, but I have never seen a copy.

Findagrave shows a Margaret Van Riper (FAG Memorial 7064163) that connects her to her parents.  Margaret is unmarried and living with her brother Wesley in the 1855 NY Census.  It shows her as being 30 years old at that time.  Of course ages in the census records are not necessarily accurate.

Regarding Jana Keyo in the initial answer.  That is her sister Jane Kies.  She married Archibald Kies and died in Bethany, MO in 1913.  A number of Archibald's children settled in North Central MO.

I have taken several DNA tests if that will help any.