Jonathan Bly (1802 - 1858)

Born 1802 in Shenandoah, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 3 Aug 1858 at about age 56 in Shelby, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Jonathan Bly was the oldest child of John by his second wife, Barbara Boehm, born in 1802 on Mulberry Run in northern Shenandoah County, Virginia. He lived until about age 16 on Cedar Creek in Frederick County and then returned with his parents to the Mulberry Run area by 1818. John listed his son, Jonathan, as age 18 in his pension application, January 1821, and noted that Jonathan was learning the carpenter's trade with him.^[1] He apparently turned 18 in 1820 and this is confirmed by the fact that he does not appear in the personal property tax records of Shenandoah County until March, 1824 (all males over 21 were subject to the tithe).^[2] He married about 1827 but there is no marriage record for him in Frederick or Shenandoah County. He is listed in the 1830 census of Shenandoah County as between 20 and 30 years of age, there is a female, 30 to 40 years of age and a son and daughter under five years of age in his family. Even though the 1830 census is partially alphabetized other names near Jonathan are Boehm, Bond and Bowman, indicating that he lived in the Mulberry Run neighborhood, where his father last lived.^[3] Jonathan last appears in the personal property tax records of Shenandoah County in 1836, a year after he probated the will of his uncle, Philip Bly Jr.^[4] By 1840 Jonathan was living in Concord Township, Delaware County, Ohio. His family consisted of himself, between 30 and 39 years, his wife, between 40 and 50 years, a son, under 5, a daughter under 5, a daughter 5-9 and a daughter between 10 and 15.^[5] Jonathan's oldest daughter married in Ohio in 1846, but by 1850 he and his family were living in Shelby County, Illinois, and in the 1850 census he is listed as age 51, his wife, Elizabeth is listed as age 54 and the family consisted of daughters, Barbara and Sarah and son Samuel.^[6]

Jonathan may have provided cord wood and ties for the Terre Haute and St. Louis Railroad, which passed through Shelby County. The inventory of his property made after his death in 1858 shows that the railroad company owed him over 400 dollars. There are numerous saws, axes and augers along with 21 cords of wood listed in the inventory of his personal property.^[7]

Sources

• John Bly's pension Application, File #S37780,
• Census Records.
• Probate Records.

Footnotes

1. ↑ John Bly's Revolutionary War pension application #S37780, National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives, Washington, DC.
2. ↑ Shenandoah County Personal Property Lists, 1819-1830, microfilm roll #3, Shenandoah County Library, Edinburg, Virginia.
3. ↑ United States census, 1830, Virginia, Shenandoah County, Eastern District, p. 51, Digital image at FamilySearch.org: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB3-H62?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXH5N-BH5&action=view
4. ↑ Shenandoah County Will Book "T" p. 48. Philip left Jonathan his worldly goods because of "the tender care he gave me in my sickness."
5. ↑ United States census, 1840, Ohio, Concord Township, Delaware County, p. 119, Digital image at FamilySearch.org: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBW-987G?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXHYV-7JJ&action=view
6. ↑ United States Census, 1850, Illinois, Locust Grove District , Shelby County, family #1112, p. 170, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DBLQ-2VS?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM85S-T9X&action=view
7. ↑ Shelby County Probate Book 5, pp. 606, 634-6, Shelby County Court House, Shelbyville, Illinois.