Adam Linn (1818 - 1873)

Born 20 Apr 1818 in Guernsey Co. Ohio

Ancestors

Husband of Matilda Jane (Chenoweth) Linn — married 7 Oct 1840 in Muskingum, Ohio, United States

Died 26 Jan 1873 at age 54 in Swan Twp. VBInton,Co.OH

Biography

Adam Linn was the second son of Joseph and Martha (Montgomery) Linn. He has been reported to have married Matilda J. Chenoweth on 7 October 1840. However, both their marriage license dated 5 October 1840 and their certification of marriage dated 7 October 1840 list Matilda's last name as Emberson.^[1][2] Since Matilda was only 15 at the time and the license describes her as unmarried, it would stretch the imagination to think that Emberson was a previous married name.

Sometime after their marriage and before the next census, Adam and family moved to Swan Township in Vinton County, Ohio. They are found in 1850 as follows ...

1850 Census of Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, p. 324, 21 Sep

Adam Lynn, age 30, b. in OH, Farmer

Matilda Lynn, age 24, b. in OH, Wife

Martha Lynn, age 9, b. in OH, Dau

John Lynn, age 5, b. in OH, L. on Farm

Mariah Lynn, age 4, b. in OH

Joseph Lynn, age 2, b. in OH

Mariah Lynn, age 2/12, b. in OH^[3]

It is highly unusual for familial relationships to be listed in any census prior to 1880. The enumerator for 1850 apparently exercised some discretion, perhaps because Matilda and Martha both were 18 or older. The next census suggests that Martha's first name was Sarah and her middle name Martha. It also suggests that the 2-month-old daughter listed as Mariah should have been listed as Hannah.

1860 Census of Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, p. 59/298, 23 Jun

Adam Lynn, age 42, b. in OH, Farmer, $2,000 Real Prop $396 Pers Prop

Matilda J. Lynn, age 35, b. in OH, Wife

Sarah M. Lynn, age 18, b. in OH, Dau

John H. Lynn, age 16, b. in OH, L. on Farm

Mary E. Lynn, age 14, b. in OH

Joseph A. Lynn, age 12, b. in OH

Hannah A. Lynn, age 10, b. in OH

Matilda J. Lynn, age 8, b. in OH

Benoma Lynn, age 5, b. in OH

Amos H. Lynn, age 2, b. in OH [listed as James or James H. in the next two census]

The census states also that Adam held $2,000 in real property and $396 in personal property.^[4]

The 1860 census enumerator apparently missed an infant daughter. The 1870 census includes 11-year-old Luticia Linn not listed in 1860, in either Adam's household or anywhere else in Ohio.

1870 Census of Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, p. 23/170, 25 Aug

Adam Linn, age 52, b. in OH, Farmer

Matilda Linn, age 45, b. in OH, Keeping House

Sarah M. Linn, age 27, b. in OH, Helps Mother

Hannah Linn, age 19, b. in OH, Helps at Home

Matilda J. Linn, age 17, b. in OH, Helps at Home

Benona A. Linn, male, age 15, b. in OH, Works on Farm

James Linn, age 13, b. in OH, Works on Farm

Luticia Linn, age 11, b. in OH, Attends School

Ida F. Linn, age 8, b. in OH, Attends School

Mylrtle L. Linn, male, age 5, b. in OH

The census states also that Adam held $2,500 in real property and $607 in personal property.^[5]

Adam passed away on 26 January 1873 and was buried at Bethel Cemetery in Creola, Ohio. His Findagrave memorial includes a good image of his gravestone.^[6]

In 1880, widowed Matilda J. Linn appears still in Swan Township with four of the children, including son James H. Linn, who was working the farm ...

1880 Census of Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, ED 19, p. 149D, 10 Jun

Matilda J. Linn, age 53, b. in OH, both parents b. in PA, Keeping House

Jas. H. Linn, age 22, b. in OH, both parents b. in PA, Farmer

Letitia A. Linn, age 19, b. in OH, both parents b. in PA

Florence Linn, age 17, b. in OH, both parents b. in PA

Lidora Linn, age 14, b. in OH, both parents b. in PA, Attending School^[7] The census reveals that the 1870 listing of "Mylrtle L. Linn" as male was in error and that the child's full name was Myrtle Lidora Linn.

Matilda died on 26 December 1891 and was laid to rest beside her husband at Bethel Cemetery. Her Findagrave memorial includes an image of her original memorial card.^[8]

The known children of Adam and Matilda (Emberson) Linn are ...

Sarah Mariah Linn b. 15 Sep 42

John Henry Linn b. 9 Oct 1843

Mariah or Mary Elizabeth Linn b. 16 Mar 1846, m. ? Reed, d. 30 Jun 1916^[9]

Joseph Asberry Linn b. 29 Feb 1848, d. 10 Apr 1926^[10]1/

Hannah A. Linn b. 1850-1851

Matilda Jane Linn b. 19 Nov 1852, m. George Gordon, d. 8 Jun 1933^[11]

Benjamin "Benona" Albert Linn b. 22 Aug 1855, m. Margaret A. Kelly, d. 4 Sep 1947^[12]

James H. Linn b. 1856-57

Leticia Linn b. 1859-60

Ida F. Linn b. 1861-62

Myrtle Lidora "Dora" Linn b. 7 Jun 1865, m. William Simms, d. 22 Jun 1938^[13]

1/ Joseph's death certificate and those of sisters Matilda and Myrtle are the apparent source for their mother's maiden name being later reported as Chenoweth. Children, even adult children, sometimes associate things they've heard with the wrong generation of their forebears. Perhaps Chenoweth was the birth name of their maternal grandmother rather than their mother. Did either Joseph or one of his sisters misremember and repeat the mistake to siblings? In any case, their mother's groom would have known her maiden name when he applied for the marriage license, and their mother certainly would have known her own maiden name, far better than children would have remembered many years later. To complicate matters, however, the death certificate for their brother Benjamin lists their mother's maiden name as Hartman.

Sources

1. ↑ Probate Court Record of Marriage Licenses for Muskingum Co. for 1840
2. ↑ Probate Court Record of Marriages for Muskingum Co., vol. #, 1835-1848, p. 224
3. ↑ 1850 Census, Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, p. 324
4. ↑ 1860 Census, Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, p. 59/298
5. ↑ 1870 Census, Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, p. 23/170
6. ↑ Findagrave Mem #75703128
7. ↑ 1880 Census, Swan Tshp., Vinton Co., OH, ED 19, p. 149D
8. ↑ Findagrave Mem #67931462
9. ↑ Ohio Death Cert #40394
10. ↑ Ohio Death Cert #28574
11. ↑ Ohio Death Cert #34729
12. ↑ Death Cert [# unclear]
13. ↑ Ohio Death Cert #35492

Acknowledgement

• WikiTree profile Linn-155 created through the import of gedcom.ged on Dec 23, 2011 by Terry Straubel. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Terry and others.