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[Barreldriver]

A clone of the ABF thread: http://www.forumbiodiversity.com/showthread.php?t=11288

One about my direct lineage, I had thought maybe that we left Virginia because we were Loyalists that were forced to leave however it seems that rather my ancestor Robert Reader from Yorkshire might have been an indenture his sons leaving because they did not inherit a plantation:

from a cousin

"On the Internet
in 1997-99 I made contact with other REEDER/READER researchers, many being
cousins, and with some info and leads from them I made contact with some people
in Yorkshire. One of which was a descendant of one of Robert's relatives, and so
had collect Parish Records on the family. This info matched up with what we
knew, especially that Robert and Grace had a son named Robert, who was baptized
in Yorkshire, being born before they left. Another information source was a
"diary", a memoir really, of Nancy Riley Clarke, who married Houton Clarke, son
of Eleanor READER and Stephen CLARKE. She had written down anecdotal accounts
of her READER in-laws, including how our Robert had taken 500 pounds from his
father's account after being refused an early inheritance to leave for America.
This must have come from Eleanor or one of the family writing to Eleanor, as
they left Yorkshire about the same time. In fact, I found on the net a public
newspaper notice from 1770 I think, that Stephan Clarke, a tailor, was a
runaway, having become indentured, presumably for their passage to America, as
many did, and was likely to be found with his brother-in-law, Robert READER, on
the plantation of Sir Peyton! Evidently, they still maintained at least a
partial feudal system before the revolution. Although farmers purchased their
land, it was probably considered as buying a lease, and some annual payment was
still made to the plantation owner."

This is the plantation spoken of: http://www.scalamandre.com/tour/prest/prest.htm

The Prestwould Plantation of Sir Peyton Skipworth.

Also my lineage during the Civil War was indeed Confederate despite that my direct ancestor James Reeder did not serve as he was too young, his brother however did serve and was Confederate and his cousins who moved midwest were arrested for being Confederate sympathizers after protesting Union recruitment attempts.

[Piparskeggr]

I am given to understand that my earliest ancestor to walk the land we know as America was Matthias Farnsworth the First.

He was an apprentice weaver who was born in Lancashire in 1612 and entered his period of servitude/training in 1622 or 1623 in Plymouth Colony...

[Barreldriver]

This is some info about my family while they were in Yorkshire, given the info on it seems Robert III was only an indenture with Stephen Clarke for 4 years since he was recorded as purchasing his own land in 1774 in Mecklenburg Co., VA.

Our earliest known ancestor Robert Reader I:

Robert(I) was a yeoman, meaning a farmer who owned his own land, rather than just a tenant, or a farm laborer. This was one step below the gentry (who owned farm land but did no farm work themselves) His name appears many times in the
manor court rolls of Hatfield between 1660 and 1708. He was a member of a jury on numerous occasions which settled property line disputes.

He was also appointed for at least one term to be the Grave of Stainforth, a position under the lord of the manor equivalent to an overseer or caretaker responsible for the lord's land and property which was rented out to tenant farmers. Robert and Sarah had the following children as mentioned in references to his will in the
manor court rolls: Robert(II), Thomas, William, Susanne, Mary, Grace, Elizabeth, and Sarah.

He passed away in 1708 or before, as there are references to his will and the disposal of property by his heirs, Robert(II) and William, who were to pay a fixed amount to their younger siblings who either married or reached the age of 21.

His son/our ancestor Robert Reader II:

Robert(II)'s wife was probably a Mary HOOTON, as there is an entry in the Whitgift register that she married a READER man there in 1724, nine months before the baptism of Robert(II)'s first child Mary. Also a Robert READER(II?) buried his wife Mary READER in Blacktoft in 1759. Finally, Robert(II)'s daughter Eleanor(married a Stephen CLARK/CLARKE) named one of her sons Houton CLARKE,
presumably after her mother's family. This was quite common. In fact one of Houton's sons was named Reader Wright CLARKE, after the maiden names of his and
his wife's mothers.

The 1880 bio of R.W. CLARKE claims that Stephen CLARKE's mother was "MarybREADER", daughter of "Robert READER" although it also gives Eleanor's maiden name incorrectly as "HOUTON". Was this done to hide the fact that Stephen and Eleanor were first cousins? This is very possible, as R.W. was a Congressman and
politician and that could be seen as political negative.

Houton's wife Nancy wrote a so-called "diary" about 1850 from which we learn a lot about her CLARKE and READER in-laws. Mainly, she mentions that Robert(II) was a farmer and a "church man". In fact a Robert READER is recorded in the Blacktoft parish register of 1765 as one of the two Church Wardens for that year, a lay church officer responsible for the upkeep of the church building and
lands, not unlike his father's position of responsibility to the lord of
Hatfield Manor. Robert(II) signed his name with an X. So much for the theory that our early READER family could read and write!

His son/our ancestor Robert Reader III:


Nancy's diary also speaks of the son Robert(III), Eleanor's brother, who we usually refer to as Robert, Sr. It was he who married Grace BRIGHAM in Blacktoft in 1767 and baptised a son Robert(IV) or Jr. there in 1768 according to the Blacktoft PR. Robert(III) was a clerk for his now elderly father, and therefore managed his financial affairs. Robert(III) wanted to go to America and asked his father for his share of the inheritance, as it was unlikely that he would see his father alive again once they left England. However Robert(II) refused, not wanting his son to leave. There was also possibly some religious differences as well since Robert(II) was such a strong Church of England supporter and we know that the children of Robert(III) were raised Baptist in VA. Possibly Robert(III) had married into a "Nonconformist" family and this caused strife. Anyway, according to Nancy, Robert(III) went to the bank,
withdrew 500 pounds from his father's account and left for America with his family. Robert(II) is said to have commented on this action, "Ah! Bob is a cunning dog."

We know that Robert READER, Sr. paid 40 pounds for his land in Mecklenburg Co., Va in 1774, which was a fairly large sum of money. This comes from a copy of the 1774 deed which my grandfather obtained. He was also named as a neighbor on a 1773 deed, so from the above they must have emmigrated to America between 1768 and 1773.

Civil War:

This is the service record for Andrew Jackson Reeder and Thomas Reeder, brothers of my ancestor James Buchanon Reeder who was too young to fight:

Andrew enlisted in Co. H, 25th Tennessee Infantry on Aug. 5, 1861 at Livingston, Overton Co., TN. He was detailed to wait upon J. P. A. Nelson on Sept. 30, 1862 at the hospital in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Andrew was captured and paroled by the Union Forces, Private Reeder returned to his unit on March 20, 1863. A. J. deserted for good on Dec. 2, 1863 near Knoxville, Private Reeder took the Oath of Allegiance in Morgan County, Tennessee.

Thomas Reeder enlisted in Company H, 25th Tennessee Infantry at age 21on Aug. 5, 1861 at Livingston, Tennessee. He was detailed as a recruiting officer in Jan. and Feb. 1863. Second Corporal Reeder rejoined his unit on March 20, 1863. He deserted on Dec. 2, 1863 and took the Oath of Allegiance on his way through Morgan County, Tennessee.

25th Tennessee Infantry: Organized on August 10, 1861; entered Confederate service October 1, 1861; reorganized May 10, 1862; formed field consolidation with 44th Tennessee Infantry Regiment during November, 1863; the remnant surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse April 9, 1865.

[Barreldriver]

A Confederate ancestor of mine who served 25th Tennessee Infantry Reg't Co. H same as the older brothers of my patrilineal ancestor James B. Reeder, the 25th Tn infantry Reg't looks to be a family service lol:

Starling Neal who fought for the Confederacy Starling Neal's Civil War Cards (No.'s 49982552, 499892633 and 499893068) state that he was a Private in Co. H., 25 Reg't Tennessee Infantry. He enrolled on August 5, 1861 at Livingston, TN. He is listed on the Company Muster Roll dated April 7, 1864. "Family History of Neal's", by David S. and Claude B. Langford states that Starling entered the Civil War at age 50 with several underage children still at home.

[Osweo]

Heh, just found my First Cousin Five Times Removed on the net, a renowned Injun fighter... He rejoiced in the name Oliver Cromwell Whitney!

OBITUARY
From Cody Wyoming Enterprise--1928
VETERAN OF CIVIL WAR ANSWERS LAST REVEILLE
"Doc" Whitney Dies of Pneumonia--Fought in Civil War and Indian Wars--Early Settler of Sunlight

Oliver "Doc" Whitney answered the last summons on Tuesday evening, and following a two-weeks' attack of pneumonia, passed on over the Great Divide. Cody and the Buffalo Bill country loses one of its oldest and most interesting characters. Tall and straight as a sycamore tree, carrying his eighty odd years, Doc Whitney was indeed a character. Few if any of the oldest of the old timers of this section can recall when he first came here. At this time it is impossible for The Enterprise to give any great amount of authentic information regarding his early life, but it is hoped that his war records will give his exact age and birthplace, as well as his war record.

According to the meagre information received from some of his close friends, deceased was born in 1847. He is said to have fought four years in the civil war, and in many of the skirmishes which the government had with the Indians of the west in the early seventies. According to a statement made last summer he made his first trip to Yellowstone park with General Miles, but just what year it was the Enterprise at this time has no record.

According to information given to some of his friends, Mr. Whitney lived many years in Montana, being a sheriff in that state at one time and a member of the police force of the city of Billings in its early day. For more than twenty years he had lived in Sunlight, coming to Cody at infrequent intervals. Twelve years ago he sold his Sunlight ranch to Cy Evans, and then made his home on Hart mountain, spending one year on the John Chapman ranch.

"Doc." as he was familiarly known to most Cody people, took life pretty easy. He was not one to go into life very seriously, had never married, and in his later years, when his wants were few, his pension kept him in very good circumstances, and with little effort on his part.

Remarkable, at his advanced age, was his spryness. He would come onto the streets and jump around like a kid, joshing with his friends and acquaintences. Yet for all of his friendliness, he was not much to speak for himself, and very little information is at hand of his early life. He would speak occasionally of soldiering in the Civil war, of some of his Indian experiences, and it is told that he was a member of a small band of men that made history of what was called the "Wagon Box Fight," when a handful of rangers stood off several thousand Indians with their repeating rifles.

"Doc" Whitney is to be accorded a military funeral which will be held under the auspices of Fred Coe Post, American Legion, on Friday morning, from Vogel's funeral chapel, and burial will be made in the American Legion plot at Riverside cemetery.(Cody, Wyoming)
_________________

The following was handwritten on the article and sheet to which it was attached by Frances Whitney, his daughter:
"My Father Oliver Cromwell, Hope also William Whitney was born in Newark, New Jersey August 31, 1848, Past away April 24, 1928. 1st marriage to Elisebeth Ellen Polen 2nd marriage to Marion Cameron. Was married twice father of 9 children, 6 first marriage, 3 2nd. Could jump 20 ft straight out at the age of 80."
__________________

His Declaration for Pension as a Civil War Veteran indicates that he enlisted in Company C, 1st Regiment, Nebraska Cavalry at Omaha, Nebraska on April 2, 1864 and was discharged in October 1866. He had some problems getting his pension, because he had lied about his birthdate in order to enlist at 16 years of age. His official service record, issued to confirm his right to a military funeral, shows that he enlisted on June 13, 1864 and received an honorable discharge on October 1, 1865.

He stated on his Declaration for Pension that his places of residence since leaving the service were: Grand Island, Nebraska to 1874; Little Sioux, Iowa to 1878; Black Hills, South Dakota to 1885; Billings, Montana to 1899; Cody, Wyoming thereafter.
____________________

The 1880 United States Census of Little Sioux, Harrison Co., Iowa - Family History Library Film 1254343, NA Film T9-0343, Page 12 A - Household Record shows:
Oliver WHITNEY Self M Male W 32 NJ Labourer England England
Elizabeth E.
WHITNEY Wife M Female W 25 OH Keeping House OH PA
Oliver WHITNEY Son S Male W 1 IA At Home NJ OH
Ruth KENNEY Dau S Female W 6 IA At Home NY OH
______________________

The 1920 Federal Census for Election Dist. # 26, Park Co., Wyoming shows him as a boarder in the unnumbered residence of Jefferson W. Chapman and family. Whoever provided the information to the census taker gave his age as 70, birth place as New York, parents birth place as United States.