Ira Lapham

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1861 in Kenakee Illinois United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jennifer Lapham [send private message]

Biography

Ira Lapham who died c 1861 was the son of Alexander H. and Margaret Bethany Lapham. He married Margaret Thornley 29 Apr 1844. She was born 2 Mar 1823. The had seven children :

I Mary Jane Lapham born 4May 1845; died 31 July 1932.

Il David Wyrnan Lapham born 4 Jan 1849.

lll Thornley Pazzi Lapham born 30 June 1851.

IV Ira C. Lapham born 22 Dec 1854, twin.

V Angeline Lapham born 22 Dec 1854, twin.

VI Samuel Lapham born 24 Apr 1857, twin.

VII Charles Chinakee(sic) born 24 Apr 1857, twin; m. Millie Schlagel. Their children were:

1. Myrtle Lapham

2. Annie Lapham

" 'Margaret and Ira Lapham died when the twins were three and four years old. It must have been 1860 or 1861. Some of the Thornleys drove to Kenkakee, Illinois in a big wagon and brought the seven orphans home to Boone Co. Aunt Polly raised my father and his twin Charles. I do not know who took care of the other five. Whether Aunt Mary was old enough to look after them, I don't know. She would have been fourteen or so, so I imagine she did.' so writes Miss Margaret Lapham of Tacoma, Washington. Previous to this, Aunt Polly had lost her two children in the scarlet fever epidemic."^[1]

From the 1860 census:

Ira Lapham; 40y; born Kentucky

Margaret Lapham; 39y; born Kentucky

Mary J Lapham; 16y; born Indiana

Doctor W Lapham;13y; born Indiana [David W]

Thornly P Lapham; 11y; born Illinois

Comodore Lapham; 7y; born Illinois [Ira C?]

Angeline Lapham; 4y; born Illinois [Ira's twin, should be 7]

Chinequey Lapham; 4y; born Illinois [Charles Chinakee]

Hawley Lapham; 4y; born Illinois [Charles twin Samuel?]

Royal Lapham; no age given, possibly a relative?^[2]

Research Notes

It is unclear if AH married a Margaret Bethany, I have found no evidence beyond "Laphams"; and

If Ira was born in 1820 in Kentucky he was not Alexander Hamilton Lapham's son with Mary Sweet because 'Hamilton', as he was called, deserted 'Polly', as she was called, in Ohio before the end of 1818.

There is an Ancestry listing that states that Royal was born in St Anne, Kankakee, Illinois, United States in Jan 1860 and died there c 1865. If he were newborn it might explain why no age was listed on the 1860 census. If the children were taken to live with relatives after their parents died in 1861, Royal would not have been in Kankakee in 1865. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ "Laphams in America" compiled and written by Bertha Bortle Beal Aldridge Victor NY 1932-1953
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXCC-YS9 : 13 December 2017), Ira Lapham, 1860.
3. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/royal-lapham-24-g3m95z