David Abney (abt. 1825 - aft. 1880)

Born about 1825 in Illinois

Ancestors

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Biography

David, born about 1825, probably was the son of Charles Abney and Elizabeth Willis. He died after 1880.^[1]

Circumstantial evidence leads to the conclusion that Charles Abney and Elizabeth Willis were his parents.

In 1850, Elizabeth Abeny was enumerated as head of household in the North Ward of Quincy. Other household members were Charles Abeny, 17, laborer; Sarah A. Abeny, 15; John Kirk, 8; David Abeny, 21, steam boat engineer. James Abeny, 24, also a steam boat engineer, lived next door with his family. Doc Abney (or Abner), a steam boat engineer, was listed a few names before. Due to the faded ink on this census page, the microfilm was nearly illegible.^[2]

The Abeny/Abner males enumerated with Elizabeth may be her sons. Sarah Abeny definitely is her daughter, proved by other records obtained by another researcher and shared with this researcher.

According to the 1859-60 Quincy city directory^[3] Abner/Abney's in Quincy were:

Abner J, pilot, boards Broadway Hotel

Abney Chas. engineer, n e c Spring and Oliver

Abney David, engineer, boards 48 6th

Abney Willis, engineer, n w c Oliver and Spring

(J. Abner, pilot, who boards Broadway Hotel, is a mystery.)

The Abner/Abney's in the 1861 Quincy directory were:

Abner David, teamster, h.n.w.c. Spring and Olive.

Abner John, n.w.c. Olive and Spring.

Abner Thomas, n.w.c. Olive and Spring.

Abney David, eng. h. 52 Third

Abney Charles, eng. h. 52 Third

Although the surname was Abner, the first three in the 1861 directory probably were David's uncle and cousins. Charles probably was his brother.

David married Amanda Cline but their marriage record has not been located. Her first name was found on the 1870 census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, and her last name was found on the California death index entry for Josephine Grabaugh, her daughter.

Their daughter, Josephine, was born 20 June 1861 in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, according to her California death certificate. (David Abney may have been in Quincy in 1860 but was missed by the census taker. )

Amanda Abney's name appeared on a list of letters remaining uncalled for at the Post Office in Quincy, Ill., Jan. 9, 1864 (Quincy Whig)

The 1865 Illinois State census shows David Abony in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, with household members consisting of a female, under 10; a female, 11-20; a female, 21-30; and a male 41-50. This family may be David and Amanda's family. The female under ten, could have been their daughter, Josephine. The female 21-30 could be Amanda. The other female is not identified.

Two Quincy, Illinois, newspaper articles mentioned Dave Abney but the first article probably refers to David Abney's uncle. The elder David Abney was enumerated on the 1860 census of Quincy, Illinois. West Quincy was across the Mississippi River in Marion County, Missouri.

Much has been said of West Quincy, and there is much more that can be and in all probability is to be said. We visited the flourishing little town day before yesterday, and found the inhabitants 'up and going.' Our old friend Dave Abney, is building a large frame house, which will be finished by the 1st of September, at which time he intends filling it with Dry goods, Groceries, and a general assortment of Goods. We like the plan of Dave's house muchly, especially the basement. Besides other conveniences there is a good fishery near at hand. We wish David success in his new enterprise." (The Quincy Daily Herald, August 9, 1865, p. 3.)

The following probably refers to the younger Dave Abney.

Mr. Dave Abner, formerly a resident of this city, well known to a majority of our citizens, arrived yesterday, on a visit to his friends here. Mr. Abner is at present engineer of the transfer steamer 'Munson' at Omaha." (The Quincy Daily Herald, June 15, 1870, p. 4.)

He and his family were enumerated on the 1870 census of Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. They were family 436, Abne, David 46, (born) IL, civil engineer; Abney, Amanda, 35, (born) Penn; Abney, Josephine, 10, (born) IL.

His name appears in the 1873 directory for Omaha, Nebraska

Abney, David, engineer, res n s Jackson bet tenth and eleventh. Charles Abney, engineer was listed at the same address.

David buried his wife, Amanda, in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Omaha, on December 24, 1873.

By 1880 David had returned to Quincy, where he boarded with the Jacob Schneider family on North Front Street bet Hampshire & Vermont. He was enumerated on the 1880 census as David Abney, 53, engineer boat, widower, born in IL, parents born in KY. He may have returned to Quincy between 1873 when his wife died and 1877 when his daughter was married in Adams County.

He may have died in Illinois, but it is also possible that he returned to Omaha to live with his daughter. If he was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery next to his wife, his burial was not recorded. His name is listed on Find A Grave but the person who posted the memorial does not know when he died or where he was buried.

According to an article in the Quincy Daily Journal, a city ordinance required that undertakers present death certificates to the secretary of the board of health to obtain burial permits.

So much for the law - but it has not been lived up to in this city for many a day. Scores and scores of residents have died and been buried and no record remains - not even a list of their names. A city mortuary record has been kept in a way since 1869 but it is very incomplete and therefore comparatively worthless. It is doubtful if two-thirds of the deaths that have occurred are recorded on its pages. We understand that the county record is not nearly as complete as this one. (The Quincy Daily Journal, 18 Oct 1891)

Sources

1. ↑ 1880 U.S. census, Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, David Abney, 53, widower, born in Illinois.
2. ↑ 1850 U.S. Census, Population Schedule, Adams County, Illinois, National Archives Micropublication M432, Roll 97, Quincy, North Ward, p. 207 B, dwelling 140, family 141, Elizabeth Abeny.
3. ↑ Williams' Quincy Directory for 1859-60, O. S. Williams, transcribed by Kim Torp. http://genealogytrails.com/ill/adams/dir/index.htm