William Charles Trent: NC into Iowa

Profile manager: Roger Shepherd [send private message]

The goal of this project is to track the physical movement of a specific Trent family from the generation before William Charles Trent (and his only wife, Wealthea Jane Beaman) to the next generation, many of whom established themselves in central Iowa.

Right now this project just has one member, me. I am Roger Shepherd, directly descended as Charles William Trent -> Mahala Trent -> Flora Belle Ellis -> Odell E. Shepherd -> Lloyd C. Shepherd (my father).

Here are some of the obstacles to providing simple, straightforward answers. I'll be working on them, and could use your help.

• Before 1850 the Federal Census information makes it difficult to track family relations for people sharing a common surname like Trent. Other forms of record and detective work are necessary to make sure we follow all the descendants and only the descendants.

• Many researchers have chased these Trents and close relatives, not always drawing the same conclusions from reported documentation.

• These Trents fall into patterns of handing out family names that make it easy to mistakenly assign a record to the wrong, say, Alexander Trent. (My main Legacy database contains 15 individuals named Alexander Trent.)

• The family is prominent. They figure in various DAR lineages, with both good and bad effects on the accuracies of references and inferences.

• Plus, of course, court-house fires at just the wrong times and places.

Will you join me? Please post a comment here on this page, in G2G using the project tag, or send me a private message. Thanks!

I am focusing initially on William Charles Trent b. 3 Nov 1787 d. 11 Nov 1877 and his only wife Wealthea Jane Beaman b. 18 Mar 1803 d. 15 May 1895 who were married in Montgomery County, North Carolina some time in 1819.

The Beamans are another prominent family, but crucial records are missing between Montgomery County NC and the next family residence in Owen County, Indiana. "Due to a courthouse fire, there are no extant Montgomery County records during the time of the Beaman residence there. All of the Beamans who moved to Owen County came from Montgomery County circa 1823-1824" Glorianne E. Fahs, 1307 S. 8th St. Leesburg, FL 34748 Ltr 2 May 1997 John Knox states fire was in 1938.

In the years from 1850 to 1900, central Iowa was the most popular residence for offspring of William Charles and Wealthea Jane Trent. Genealogical societies and publications have documented the early settlers and prominent residents related to these Trents.