Anna Barbara Schwend (1786 - 1856)

Born 15 Apr 1786 in Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 4 Oct 1856 at age 70 in St. Louis, Missouri

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lorraine Keith [send private message]

Biography

Anna Barbara Schwend was christened on 15 April 1786 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church near Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland, the daughter of Christian Schwend and his wife, Elisabeth.^[1] She died on 4 October 1856 in St. Louis, Missouri.^[2]

Her father Christian Schwend mentioned his daughter, Barbara, in his will but failed to give her married name. It was claimed that Barbara Reeder signed a release in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, apparently concerning the sale of land previously owned by her father. This document has not been located although Harry E. Foreman, in his book, History of the Little Cove published in 1967, mentioned this document:

A Casper Swend place was the present Etta Zimmerman dairy farm well down the Cove. When Barbara Reader Swend signed a release to this farm in 1838 it states that Michael Smiers was the original Patentee of this 143 acre tract in 1784. Martin Seavolt was married to Martha Swend, daughter of Casper Swend and the Seavolt place was taken off the Swend tract.

Casper Swend was Barbara's brother and the Swend tract probably was previously owned by their father. A careful study of deeds could clarify this situation.

The record of Barbara's marriage to James Whitlock has not been discovered. James Whitlock was located in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1810 and the composition of his household suggests that he may have been Barbara's husband. However her father was listed on the 1790 and 1800 census of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and by 1810 he was in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. These counties are not close to Chester County.

When Barbara's son, Ervin Whitlock, applied for a Civil War military pension, he claimed that he was born in "Lickin" County, Ohio, on December 28, 1820. According to his biographical sketch, he reported that his parents were James and Barbara (Swank) Whitlock, natives of Pennsylvania. His father died in Ohio.^[3]

Barbara, or Nancy as she was later known, and James Whitlock probably were married in Pennsylvania but their marriage record has not been located.

Barbary Whitelock was head of a household in Washington Township, Licking County, Ohio, consisting of one male under the age of 5, two males between 5 and 10 years old, one male between 15 and 20 years old, one female between 20 and 30 years old and one female between 40 and 50 years old. Christian Schwend's daughter, Anna Barbara, would have been 44 years old. Her son, Ervin, apparently was one of the males.

Further research suggests that Anna Barbara married a man named Reeder sometime before 1840 probably in Licking County. Unfortunately the Licking County court house was destroyed in a fire in 1875.^[4] One small book of the earliest marriage records was saved but it did not include a Reeder-Whitlock marriage. Courthouse officials, in an attempt to reconstruct the marriage records, requested that couples, clergymen and justices bring their records to the courthouse to be re-recorded. Obviously many individuals moved away or died before the reconstruction was attempted; their marriage records were never re-recorded.

According to Ervin Whitlock's biographical sketch, his mother took the family to Illinois when he was seventeen years old (1837). Nancy "Reader" lived in Hancock County, Illinois when the 1840 census was taken. John Eagle, listed six names ahead of Nancy Reader, married Susannah Whitelock thirteen years earlier in Licking County, Ohio. Susannah very likely was Barbara's daughter (not proven). Susannah's mother, unnamed, was present at her marriage.

Nancy Reader's household in 1840 consisted of a male 5 to 10 years old (a Reeder son or stepson?), a male 10 to 15 (Henry Reeder?), a male 15 to 20 (Ervin Whitlock?), and one female age 50 to 60, consistent with the age of Christian Schwend's daughter, Anna Barbara, who would have been 54 years old.

Her second husband may have moved to Illinois with the family but he apparently died before 1840, possibly in Hancock County, Illinois. Ervin did not mention a step-father in his biographical sketch.

The 1850 census of Macoupin County, Illinois, provided the first link between Nancy Reeder and Ervin Whitlock. Nancy A. Reeder was 67 years old, born in Pennsylvania. Others in her household were Oliver P. Whitlock, age 37, farmer, born in Ohio; Henry Reeder, age 20, born in Ohio; and Elizabeth Reeder, age 18, born in Illinois. Henry and Elizabeth may have been her children by her second marriage or they may have been her step-children. However, it is likely that Henry and Elizabeth were husband and wife rather than brother and sister. Whether Henry Reeder was one of the males in her household in 1840 cannot be determined with any certainty.

Nancy's age varied on this census by three years. Christian Schwend's daughter, Anna Barbara, would have been 64 years old as of April 15, 1850. However her son, Ervin Whitlock's age was incorrectly reported and chances are that her age was also mistaken.

Ervin Whitlock lived nearby. He was 23 years old, a farmer, born in Ohio. (He should have been 29 years old in 1850.) Living in his household were his wife, Mary Whitlock, 21, born in Illinois, and his daughter, Clara A. Whitlock, 1, born in Illinois. They were the second family living on a farm with the Davis family: Alfred B. Davis, 31, farmer, born in NY. Mary Davis, 27, born in NY. Florence Davis, 3, born in Illinois. Correnth, age 2, male, born in Illinois. Alfred Davis had real estate valued at $1,100. It is possible that Mary Davis, before her marriage, was either a Whitlock, especially if her birthplace was incorrectly reported, or a Reeder.

Nancy Reeder moved to Madison County, Illinois, about 1853. Her son Perry probably lived with her. By March 1856, Henry Reeder lived nearby in St. Louis, Missouri. Ervin Whitlock probably also lived in the area with his family.

Further research by another of her descendants, James I. Johnston, proved that Barbary Whitelock of Licking County, Ohio, and Nancy A. Reeder of Macoupin County, Illinois, were the same person. She was christened Anna Barbara Schwend but later she was known as Nancy, a common nickname for Anna.

Her probate file contains the evidence.^[5]

Perry Whitlock applied for letters of administration for the estate of Nancy A. Reeder on October 10, 1856 in Madison County, Illinois. (Madison County, Illinois, probate file for Nancy Ann Reeder, 1856.) He was appointed administrator on the same day. George W. F. Smith was his bondsman. Perry Whitlock signed the bond with his mark. [Many boys of the day were named for the War of 1812 Naval hero, Oliver Hazard Perry. Oliver P. Whitlock, as he was recorded on the 1850 census, apparently dropped his first name and was then known as Perry.

An undated note in the probate file, "Mr. Perry Whitlock desires to take out Letters of Administration upon his mother's estate. Her name was Nancy Ann Reed, she died he says on Wednesday last the 2nd inst. Mr. Perry Whitlock has had charge, I am informed, of his mother for many years indeed ever since he was large enough to do any work and has labored to support her during her life. Give him such aid as he may require at (your) hands and office." [signed by] A. H. Gambrill.

A. H. Gambrill apparently was the attorney who aided Perry Whitlock in the settlement of Nancy Reeder's estate. He charged $20.00 for his professional services.

Affidavits in her file gave her name as Nancy Ann or Nancy A. Reeder. The affidavit of decease gave the date of her death, October 2, 1856. Another affidavit gave the value of her property as not more than three hundred dollars. Another accounting proves that her estate consisted mostly of notes for amounts owed to her estate by Mrs. Glover, $8.40, James Brown, $90, Mrs. Langison, $10, Robert Stanley, $38.10, Wells and Thune, $125. Perry Whitlock and Lansing Wells also owed Nancy Reeder unspecified amounts but they were insolvent. No money was recovered from the two men.

The existence of the notes raises the possibility that Nancy Reeder had a trade or business and earned her own living. Perry probably exaggerated when he claimed that he provided his mother's support. During her last years, when she may have been ill and obviously in need, she borrowed money from Ervin Whitlock and mortgaged her belongings to Henry Reeder. When she died, Henry Reeder paid her funeral expenses.

Henry L. Reeder submitted to the administrator the bill he paid for the funeral services for Mrs. Nancy A. Reeder. The funeral bill from Wickersham included $6.00 for two carriages, $5.00 for one Hirst [hearse], and $6.00 for a coffin and plank. He paid $12.00 for the cemetery lot, opening the grave and sodding the lot at Bellfountaine Cemetery. Signing his name as Henry L. Reader, he was of Adair County, Missouri, when he submitted the bill on August 23, 1858.

The probate file included a promissory note for eighteen dollars to Ervin Whitlock dated October 1, 1853. William B. Green signed the note along with Nancy A. Reeder who signed with her mark. She may have been a co-signor.

Dr. H. K. Lathy submitted his bill for $10.50 for medicine and attendance from July 7, 1853 to July 23, 1853, unpaid at the time of her death.

S. B. Cath submitted his account with Nancy Reeder. He may have been a merchant. Debits and credits dated from April 26, 1853 until January 14, 1854. A balance of $8.42 was due at the time of her death. It was difficult to decipher the entries. A few charges appeared to be for "sundries." Perry charged to the account and a name that appeared to be "Ervon" made a payment on the account. Someone made one payment consisting of a bushel of potatoes and another payment consisting of "fruit."

On March 17, 1856, H. Reeder paid a judgement and costs of $16.95 of a suit in favor of L. S. Nalls[?] against Nancy Reeder "on my docket. Said case being brot before me by change of venue from the docket of J. A. Maxey, Esq., Upper Afton, October 10th, 1856, [signed] Jas. Chapman J.P." (Receipt included in probate file.)

On March 18, 1856, Nancy A. Reeder of Madison County, Illinois, mortgaged to Henry L. Reeder of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, for one hundred dollars, personal property consisting of one grey mare, 14 years old, one brown horse, 9 years old, one two horse wagon, one yearling colt, two cows, three yearling calves, one two year old steer, one set of two horse harness, eleven head of hogs, one large two horse plow, one brass clock. (The back of the document says that it was recorded in Madison County [Deed] Book 46, page 799.)

Wm. F. Flint submitted to Nancy Reeder's estate, his bill of $7.50 for plowing with his own horse and plow five days during June or July 1856.

On October 14, 1857, George F. W. Smith applied for letters of administration of Nancy Reeder's estate. They were granted with W. D. Davis as bondsman. Perry Whitlock obviously died before that date. On October 15, 1860, George Smith paid a bill for court expenses related to the settlement of the estate of Perry A. Whitlock, dec'd, Adm. of Nancy A. Reeder, deceased. [This was the only time Perry's name was recorded with a middle initial "A." It was probably an error.]

During 1860, George W. F. Smith paid many of the claims against Nancy Reeder's estate including $93.60 to Henry Reeder in full payment of his claim of $137.50, $7.15 of Dr. Lathy's $10.50 bill, $23.11 of Sam'l B. Catts' $33.98 bill, $5.10 to Wm. F. Flint, and $34.90 to Matthew and Daniel Gillespie's $51.25 claim, the balance of the $101.25 for Mrs. Nancy A. Reeder's rent of 45 acres for the year 1853. This invoice was dated June 23, 1858 at Edwardville. The estate owed $25.58 to Ervin Whitlock but Samuel B. Catts was Ervin's assignee. Apparently Ervin was indebted to Catts who received only $8.40 of the amount owed. After these payments, the estate was declared insolvent. Nancy Reeder's creditors received partial payment of their claims. Her heirs received nothing. Their names were not recorded.

From the foregoing, it can be presumed that Oliver Perry Whitlock and Ervin Whitlock were her sons. Susannah Whitelock married John Eagle in Licking County, Ohio. Her husband's name was found near Nancy Reader's name on the 1840 census of Hancock County, Illinois. She probably was Nancy's daughter.

If the members of Barbara's household in 1830 were her children, she may have had at least three additional children by James Whitlock: a daughter born between 1800 and 1810, a son born between 1820 and 1825, and a son born between 1825 and 1830. Their names are unknown and they were not living with her in 1840.

Henry Reeder may have been her son, but more likely, he was her step-son. If his age was reported correctly on the 1850 and 1860 census, he was born about 1829, before Anna Barbara's presumed marriage to his father.

Sources

1. ↑ "Maryland Births and Christenings, 1650-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2WG-DBF : 11 February 2018), Anna Barbara Schwend, ; citing EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN OR LUTHERAN CONGREGATION OF MIDDLETOWN, MIDDLETOWN, FREDERICK, MARYLAND; FHL microfilm 13,934.
2. ↑ St. Louis City Death Records, 1850-1902, St. Louis Genealogical Society, comp., Ancestry.com Operations Inc.
3. ↑ Compendium of History and Biography of Central and Northern Minnesota (Chicago 1904) 820. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2858767;view=1up;seq=820
4. ↑ Newark, OH Licking County Courthouse Fire, Apr 1875. http://www.gendisasters.com/ohio/17866/newark-oh-licking-county-courthouse-fire-apr-1875
5. ↑ Lorraine Keith checked the probate file and made copies of the documents.