Giles Aylesworth – Our Casbon Journey

Digging into the Aylesworth Story

April 13, 2020April 15, 2020 adminLeave a comment

My last post introduced the Aylesworth family and described the two marriages that tied the Casbon and Aylesworth names together: Sylvester Casbon and Mary Adaline Aylesworth, married in 1860, and Amos Casbon and Carrie Belle Aylesworth, married in 1900. Today I delve more deeply into the history of the Aylesworth family and how their story converged with that of the Casbon family.

I refer once again to the diagram I introduced in the last post, showing how the Aylesworths of Porter County, Indiana, descended from Arthur¹ Aylworth, the original immigrant from England. The superscript numbers in the chart (“Arthur¹”) represent the respective generations of each person. In order to minimize confusion, I am using generation numbers corresponding to those in the diagram throughout the post.

Descendancy chart of the Aylesworth family, beginning with the original immigrant, Arthur¹ Aylworth and ending with Carrie Belle⁹ and Mary Adaline⁷ Aylesworth in their respective branches (Click on image to enlarge)

First, let me say a few words about spelling. In the diagram, I’ve followed the spelling conventions used in the Aylesworth Family genealogy, using the Aylworth spelling for the first five generations and Aylesworth for later generations.^[1] In fact, as was typical of the times, many different spellings are found in records, each spelling being determined arbitrarily by whomever made the entry in a given record. Thus, we see Aleworth, Aylsworth, Aulsworth, and Elsworth, among many others. Today’s Aylesworth spelling became fixed sometime in the 19^th century. That said, the editors of History of Porter County spelled the name as Ellsworth when the book was published in 1912.^[2]

It is unknown when Arthur¹ Aylworth, the original immigrant from England, arrived in the New World. However, it must have been sometime before 29 July 1679, because on that date his name appears on a list of signatures in a petition from the inhabitants of Narragansett country [Rhode Island] to King Charles II of England.

Arthur¹ Aylesworth’s name, seen in this detail from “Copy of a Petition of the Inhabitants of Narragansett Country, King’s Province, to King Charles II,” 29 Jul 1679; Yale University Library, Digital Collections (http://findit.library.yale.edu/catalog/digcoll:1018481) (Click on image to enlarge)

Arthur¹ settled in an area known as Quidnessett, now part of North Kingston Township in Washington County, Rhode Island.^[3] His son Arthur² lived in what is now West Greenwich Township.^[4] Philip³, grandson of the first Arthur, moved to Coventry Township in about 1745.^[5] His son, Philip⁴ Jr., left Coventry and lived in Pownal, Vermont, for several years before migrating to Milford, Otsego County, New York.^[6] John⁵ Aylworth, the common ancestor of Mary Adaline⁷ and Carrie Belle⁹ Aylesworth, was born in Rhode Island. Like his father, he ended up in Milford, New York, where he died in about 1810.^[7]

Elizabeth (Humphrey) Aylesworth, the widow of John⁵, and two of her adult sons, Ira⁶ and Philip⁶, moved from New York to Ohio, beginning in about 1815. We are told that Elizabeth, with her children, moved to “Ashland or Wayne Co., Ohio, or perhaps near the line dividing these two counties, where she died.”^[8] Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any trace of Elizabeth in Ohio records. She does not appear in census, marriage, or death records. However, both Ira⁶ and Philip⁶can be found in the 1820 Ohio census of Wayne County, living in Pike and Mohican Townships, respectively. Giles⁶, the younger brother of Ira and Philip, does not appear in the census until 1840, when he was living in Prairie Township, Holmes County (immediately south of Wayne County).^[9]

Giles⁶ was the first member of the family to move to Indiana. We are told that in the autumn of 1842 he “moved here [Porter County, Indiana] with his wife and 5 children. He brought 2 wagons, household goods, various tools, grub hoe, axe and musket. Sealed in a false bottom of a dinner bucket was $2,000 in gold with which he bought the farm.”^[10] His daughter Mary Adaline⁷, having been born in April 1842, must have been only a few months old when the family made the move. Giles’s⁶ brother Philip⁶ bought a 160-acre tract of land in Porter County in 1842, but he never moved to Indiana. Instead, he sold the land to his son Ira B.⁷ Aylesworth, who came to Porter County in 1845.^[11]

Detail from a map of the northeastern United States, showing the locations associated with the Aylesworth
family, beginning with Arthur¹and ending with Giles’s⁶ and Ira B.⁷; approximate locations: 1. Quidnessett,
Rhode Island; 2. Pownal, Vermont; 3. Milford, New York; 4. Wayne County, Ohio; 5. Porter County, Indiana;
adapted from A.K. Johnston, “Map of part of North America to illustrate the naval and military
events of 1812-13-14,” (London: William Blackwood & Son, 1852); David Rumsey Map Collection (https://www.davidrumsey.com/)

Thomas Casbon arrived in Wayne County, Ohio, from England in 1846, and later moved to Holmes County. Presumably, Thomas and his family met members of the Aylesworth family who were still living in Ohio. After Thomas’s son Sylvester completed his education, he “taught one term at Mt. Ollie [sic. Olive], Ohio. Then acting under the persuasion of a friend Mr. Ellsworth [my emphasis], who had settled in Porter County, Indiana, and also from his own wish to locate further west, Mr. Casbon came to this [Porter] county in 1859 and began teaching in what was known as the Ellsworth school, which he conducted successfully for three terms.”

The identity of “Mr. Ellsworth” is unknown to me. It seems unlikely that he would have been either Giles⁶or Ira B.⁷ Aylesworth, since they had already been living in Indiana for many years. It seems more likely that he would have been a contemporary who grew up with Sylvester in Ohio and then later moved to Porter County. Two likely candidates are the brothers Elias⁸ and Sylvenus⁸ Aylesworth, who were nephews of Ira B.⁷ Aylesworth. They were born in 1834 and 1836, respectively,^[12] and moved to Porter County from Wayne County, Ohio, sometime between the 1850 and 1860 censuses.

The exact identity and location of the “Ellsworth school” is also unknown to me, but my best guess is that it was located near the north line of Section 9 in Boone Township, near what is now the intersection of S 225 W and W 700 S. An 1875 plat map of the township (the oldest available to me) shows a school at that location on land owned by Ira B.⁷ Aylesworth.

Detail from a plat map of Boone Township, Porter County, Indiana, 1875, showing location of the district 1 school (circled) and outline of lands owned by Giles and Ira B. Aylesworth at the time; from “Boone Township Maps,” Porter County Indiana (GenWeb), http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Maps/BooneTownshipMaps.html (Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester Casbon would have been teaching at this school when he met his bride-to-be, Mary Adaline⁷Aylesworth. It is even possible that he was living in one of the Aylesworth households at the time.

Amos Casbon was only two years old when arrived in Porter County directly from England (via New York City) in early 1871. I don’t know how or when Amos and Carrie Belle⁹ Aylesworth met and began their courtship. Amos had a hard life in his early years, especially after his father, James, died in 1884. He probably worked on several farms during this time and might have met Carrie Belle in the course of his work.

How does all of this pertain to Our Casbon Journey? Well, I guess the point is that family history doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Even though the emphasis of this blog is on the history of the Casbon family, that history is affected at every point by the histories of other families. Perhaps, in knowing how we are connected through our ancestors, we can achieve a greater sense of connection with our living, but more distant, relatives. The fact that descendants of both Sylvester and Amos Casbon—now third, fourth, and fifth cousins, once removed—share a connection through the Aylesworth family gives us one more thing in common and hopefully binds us more closely together.

[1] Howard Aylesworth, Aylesworth Family, 2d ed., updated and reprinted by Joyce Knauff, et al. (Privately printed, 1984).
[2] History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912).
[3] Homer Elhanan Aylsworth, Arthur Aylsworth and His Descendents in America (Providence, R.I.: Narragansett Historical Publishing Co., 1887), p. 36; online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/arthuraylsworthh00ayls : accessed 1 January 2019).
[4] Arthur Aylsworth and His Descendants, p. 42.
[5] Arthur Aylsworth and His Descendants, p. 50.
[6] Arthur Aylsworth and His Descendants, p. 71.
[7] Arthur Aylsworth and His Descendants, p. 112.
[8] Arthur Aylsworth and His Descendants, p. 112.
[9] 1840 U.S. census. Holmes County, Ohio, Prairie Township, p. 228, line 10 (FamilySearch)
[10] “Transcribed Biography of Aylesworth,” Porter County, Indiana (GenWeb) (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Biographies/Aylesworth45.html : accessed 1 January 2018); citing Mrs. John C Aylesworth, “Aylesworth Family of Porter County,” in American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County, A Biographical History of Porter County, Indiana (Valparaiso, Indiana: American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Porter County, Inc., 1976), p. 76.
[11] “Transcribed Biography of Aylesworth.”
[12] Arthur Aylsworth and His Descendants, p. 431.

Mary Adaline (Aylesworth) Casbon (1842–1868)

April 2, 2018April 15, 2020 admin4 Comments

I’ve spent a lot of time describing different branches of families with the Casbon surname. For the most part, I’ve tried to work my way forward from the earliest ancestors in a given branch. Today I’m picking up where I’ve left off in my own branch.

Mary Adaline, or just “Adaline,” (Aylesworth) Casbon, my second great grandmother, has been mentioned in other posts, but today she gets the starring role. She was the first wife of Sylvester Casbon (1837–1927), Thomas Casbon’s (~1803–1888) oldest son. Very little information about Adaline’s life has been documented, and sources are limited, so her life story must be filled in from the stories of those around her.

Adaline’s birth date is recorded as May 22, 1842 in the Aylesworth Family genealogy.^[1] She was the sixth of seven children born to Giles and Mary (Jones) Aylesworth.^[2] Of Giles, we are told that he was “born in Milford, Otswego County, New York, May 28, 1807; moved to Ohio in 1815 with his mother and acquired some education there.”^[3] Specifically, Giles and his mother, moved to Wayne County, Ohio, along with two of his brothers, Ira and Phillip.^[4] The location is important, because Thomas Casbon arrived in the same county in 1846, and it is here that the Casbon and Aylesworth families first became acquainted.^[5]

Giles and Mary Jones were married in 1831.^[6] They moved to Porter County, Indiana in late 1842.^[7] Adaline would have been only a few months old when they left for Indiana. We are told that:

years of hard labor against great odds appears to have been the chief factor in this decision to move westward. Ohio had been entirely solvent before she contracted for a system of canals which became out-moded before they were finished by the new railroads. “Pet Banks” of Andrew Jackson’s time encouraged speculation and all greenbacks became worthless. Then came the panic of 1837. Giles migrated west with two wagons, household goods, tools, grubbing how, axe and musket, five children and Mary, his wife. With $2,000.00 in gold which had been sealed in a false bottom of a dinner bucket he bought the farm which is the present family home.^[8]

Giles settled in Boone Township, in the southern part of Porter County. An early county history says that he “taught school (in Boone Township) in the winters of 1842 and 1843.”^[9] This is an interesting detail that I will come back to later. Over the course of years, he, and other family members who followed him from Ohio, acquired large tracts of land in Boone Township. At one point, there was even a village, or at least a railroad stop, known as Aylesworth, about four miles east of Hebron.^[10]

Adaline appears in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, living with her parents.^[11]

Details from 1850 and 1860 censuses, Boone Township, Porter County, Indiana. (Click on images to enlarge)

We can see that Adaline was enrolled in school in 1850 (but not in 1860). This tells us that she could probably read and write. We can also see that her father’s real estate increased in value from $1,200 to $10,000 between the two censuses. This places him among the wealthiest farmers in the township.

The 1860 census also shows an entry for Deretta Ailsworth, age 4. I wrote a separate post about Deretta in February 2017, explaining why I believe she is Adaline’s illegitimate daughter.^[12]

1860 is also the year that Adaline married Sylvester Casbon.^[13] To tell that story, we need to backtrack just a little bit. The 1912 History of Porter County tells us that Sylvester, after completing his education, taught school for one term at Mt. Ollie, Ohio.

“Then acting under the persuasion of a friend Mr. Ellsworth, who had settled in Porter county, Indiana, and also from his own wish to locate further west, Mr. Casbon came to this county in 1859 and began teaching in what was then known as the Ellsworth school (my emphasis).”^[14]

I should explain that in the above reference, Ellsworth is a variant spelling of Aylesworth. So, we can assume that Sylvester’s friend, “Mr. Ellsworth,” was a member of the Ohio Aylesworth clan. Most likely, he was either Elias (b. 1834) or Sylvenus (b. 1836) Aylesworth, both sons of Giles’ nephew, John (b. 1813).^[15] The two brothers grew up in Clinton Township, Wayne County, Ohio, the same township where Sylvester Casbon lived after arriving from England. Sylvester and the Aylesworth boys are recorded within ten pages of each other in the 1850 census.^[16] They probably weren’t next-door neighbors, but it’s likely they were school chums—particularly Sylvenus, who was just one year older than Sylvester. Both Elias and Sylvenus moved to Porter County, Indiana sometime before 1860, when they appear in the same household (Elias now married, with two small children) on that year’s census.^[17]

Sylvester taught in the Ellsworth school (also known as the Ellsworth District).^[18] The name of the school suggests that it was on Aylesworth property. An 1876 map shows two schools located on Aylesworth (not Giles’) land, but there is not enough detail in historical accounts to know whether either of these was the school referred to in Sylvester’s biography. Although an interesting coincidence, it seems unlikely to me that Sylvester taught in the same school house as his father-in-law, Giles, because many of those early schools had burned down or relocated by the time Sylvester arrived.^[19]

However, it is very likely that Sylvester taught one or more Aylesworth children. Giles’ son, Irvin, was attending school in 1860, according to the census.^[20] Giles’ nephew, Ira, who occupied an adjacent farm, had five children in school in 1860.^[21] Also, I think it’s quite possible that Sylvester lived in one of the Aylesworth households during this time. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to locate Sylvester in the 1860 census.

Whatever the circumstances, Adaline and Sylvester’s paths soon crossed, as described in this rosy account.

In 1860, Mr. Casbon established his own home by his marriage to Miss Mary A. Ellsworth, a daughter of Giles Ellsworth, of Boone township. Their wedded life was begun on a farm of eighty acres in Boone township, which he had purchased. There was a small house, but few other improvements, and on this place their youthful enthusiasm and industry soon were rewarded with substantial prosperity.^[22]

Here’s a photo of their marriage registration in the Porter County archives.

Detail from Porter County marriage records.^[23]

It’s a minor detail, but ten days passed from the date the license was granted (October 20, 1860) to the day they were married (October 30). It would have been an all-day affair to get the license, with a roughly thirteen-mile buggy or wagon ride to and from the county courthouse in Valparaiso. The officiating minister, “J.N. Buckharmer,” must be James N. Buchanan, who was the pastor of the United Presbyterian Church at Hebron, about four miles west of the Aylesworth farm.^[24]

Adaline and Sylvester’s first child, a daughter named Bertha, died June 22, 1861, aged six months and six days.^[25] This works out to an approximate birth date of December 16, 1860, only six weeks after the couple was married. Even if Bertha wasn’t born at term, Adaline’s pregnancy must have been quite advanced at the time of the wedding.

Adaline and Sylvester had two more children: Cora Ann, born in 1861, and Lawrence Leslie (my great grandfather), born in 1865.^[26] Then, tragically, on March 5, 1868, Adaline died, a month shy of her twenty-sixth birthday. We don’t know how or why she died. Early death was all too common then, especially for women of child-bearing age. All we have today is a broken and worn grave marker.

Adaline’s grave marker, Cornell Cemetery, Porter County, Indiana.^[27]

There are so many questions left unanswered. Was she happy in her life and marriage?

Her surviving children (except maybe Deretta—“Deete”) would only have had the dimmest memories, if any, of her. And yet, she leaves a legacy through her descendants. I know of 50 living descendants just through her son Lawrence. The number must be considerably greater when you consider her daughters, Deretta and Cora.

I would not be here without her—and for that I’m grateful!

^[1] Aylesworth Family, 2d ed. (Porter County, Indiana: Privately printed, 1984), p. 13.
^[2] Aylesworth Family, pp. 8-9.
^[3] Ibid.
^[4] Ibid, p. 7.
^[5] Jon Casbon, “From England to Indiana, Part 3,” 21 Oct 2016, Our Casbon Journey (https://casbonjourney.wordpress.com/2016/10/21/from-england-to-indiana-part-3/ : accessed 31 March 2018).
^[6] Ibid. p. 8.
^[7] Mrs. John C. Aylesworth, “Aylesworth, Biography: Porter County biographical sketches …,” Porter County, Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Biographies/Aylesworth45.html : accessed 31 March 2018).
^[8] Aylesworth Family, p. 9.
^[9] Weston A. Goodspeed, Charles Blanchard, Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana: Historical and Biographical; Illustrated (Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., 1882), p. 314; online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/countiesofporter00good#page/314/mode/2up/search/aylsworth : accessed 31 March 2018).
^[10] History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests, vol. 1 (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1912), p. 136; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919183;view=1up;seq=170 : accessed 31 March 2018).
^[11] 1850 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Boone Township, p. 142 (stamped), dwelling 573, family 573, Giles Aylesworth; imaged as “ United States Census, 1850,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1K9-NW6?cc=1401638 : accessed 31 March 2018) >Indiana >Porter >Boone, image 11 of 14; citing NARA microfilm publication M432, Roll 165. 1860 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Boone Township, p. 150 (written), dwelling 1129, family 1096, Giles Ailsworth; imaged as “United States Census, 1860,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GB9J-SZPK?i=3&cc=1473181 : accessed 31 March 2018) >Indiana >Porter >Boone Township, image 4 of 24; citing NARA microfilm publication M653, Roll 289.
^[12] Jon Casbon, “Deete Casbon—a mystery,” 27 Feb 17, Our Casbon Journey (https://casbonjourney.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/deette-casbon-a-mystery/ : accessed 31 March 2018).
^[13] Indiana, Porter County, “Marriage Record Book 2, Dec 1850–June 1863,” p. 458, 2d entry, Sylvester Casbon & Adeline Ellsworth, 30 Oct 1860; Valparaiso Public Library, Larry J. Clark Genealogy Center.
^[14] History of Porter County, Indiana, vol 2, p. 483.
^[15] Aylesworth Family, pp. 10, 15.
^[16] 1850 U.S. census, Wayne County, Ohio, population schedule, Clinton Township, folio. 1 (verso), dwelling 8, family 8, Sylvester in household of Thomas Casbon; imaged as “United States Census, 1850,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XHRS-K7M?i=1&cc=1401638 : accessed 31 March 2018) >Ohio >Wayne >Clinton image 2 of 28; citing NARA microfiom publication M432, Roll 739. 1850 U.S. census, Wayne County, Clinton Township, folio 6 (recto & verso), dwelling 88, family 88, Elias & Sylvenus in household of John Aylesworth; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XHRS-VDS?i=11&cc=1401638 : accessed 31 March 2018) >Ohio >Wayne >Clinton image 12 of 28.; ibid.
^[17] 1860 U.S. census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Boone Township, p. 149 (written), dwelling 1118, family 1086, Elias Ailsworth; imaged as “United States Census, 1860,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GB9J-SZ6V?i=2&cc=1473181 : accessed 31 March 2018) >Indiana >Porter >Boone Township, image 3 of 24; previously cited.
^[18] Goodspeed & Blanchard, Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana, p. 707.
^[19] Ibid, pp. 169-70.
^[20] 1860 U.S. census, entry for Giles Ailsworth; previously cited.
^[21] 1860 U.S. census, Porter County, Indiana, Boone Township, entry for Ira Ailsworth; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9B9J-SH1R?cc=1473181 : accessed 31 March 2018), image 2 of 24; previously cited.
^[22] History of Porter County, Indiana, vol 2, p. 483.
^[23] Indiana, Porter County, “Marriage Record Book 2, Dec 1850–June 1863,” p. 458; previously cited.
^[24] “James N. Buchanan, Biography: Porter County Biographical Sketches,” Porter County, Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Biographies/Buchanan198.html : accessed 31 March 2018).
^[25] Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society, Boone Township Cemeteries, Porter County Indiana, leaflet (Valparaiso, Indiana, 1997), p. 6. (photocopy obtained in email from Steve Shook [e-address for private use], 2 Mar 2018).
^[26] “South County Woman Dies,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 16 Mar 1940, p. 1, col. 5; online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries: 11 July 2016). “85-Year-Old Resident of County Dies,” The Vidette-Messenger, 16 Jun 1950, p. 1, col. 5; Newspaper Archive (29 October 2015).
^[27] “Mary Adaline Casbon,” Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183537552/mary-adaline-casbon : accessed 31 March 2018), d. 5 Mar 1868, memorial # 183537552, created by “Jim”; citing Cornell Cemetery, Hebron, Indiana.

On the Wing

March 12, 2018April 15, 2020 admin3 Comments

Let’s have some fun today! This is a quiz for all my relatives with Porter County, Indiana roots. When you’re finished, leave a comment at the end and let me know how you did. I hope others will enjoy as well.

In 1956, the book This is Porter County, by John Drury, was published by the Inland Photo Company, of Chicago, Illinois.^[1] The book contained historical information and maps, but its unique feature was the use of aerial photographs of the cities, towns, villages, and farmsteads in the county. The photographs were black and white, and low-resolution by today’s standards. They were printed using the half-tone (dots) technique. Like the earlier county histories that contained biographical sketches of many citizens, I can imagine that this book had a popular following with local residents, who could find photographs of their homes, along with those of their friends and neighbors, in its pages. The photographs from the book have been reproduced on the Porter County GenWeb website, Porter County, Indiana.^[2]

Now, onto the quiz! Match the following names with the lettered photographs of their farms. Remember – these were their farms in 1956. Don’t go to the answers until you’ve made your selections.

Amos James Casbon
Floyd Sylvester Casbon
Harry James Casbon
Herbert Aylesworth Casbon
Loring Peter Casbon
Lynnet Marquart Casbon

Photos from This is Porter County, courtesy of Porter County, Indiana website (http://www.inportercounty.org/photos.html). The scanned images are copyright © property,
and cannot be used for commercial purposes. (Click on images to enlarge)

Before revealing the answers, I’ll say a little more about the author of This is Porter County. John Drury (1898–1972) was a journalist and author from Chicago. After starting his career in Los Angeles, he moved to back to Chicago, where he wrote for the Chicago Daily News. He specialized in historical writing, and wrote many articles about historic houses. He moved to Chesterton, Indiana, in the 1940s.^[3] There he became a founding member, and honorary president, of the Chesterton-Duneland Historical Society.^[4]

Click on Page 2 for the answers. (Click on back arrow if you need to go back.)

Pages: 1 2

Children of Thomas Casbon (1803–1888): Sylvester V

May 15, 2017April 15, 2020 adminLeave a comment

After the birth of Mary Ann Casbon in 1833, Thomas and Emma (Scruby) Casbon named their second child, a son, “Sell.” He was born about August, 1835, baptized July 1^st, 1836, and buried July 24, 1836 at the age of 11 months. [1],[2] Their third child was also a son, and as was common at the time, Thomas and Emma also named him Sell – a nickname for Sylvester, which is how he came to be known as an adult. He is my second great grandfather.

Sylvester V Casbon was born in Meldreth (Cambridgeshire) June 6, 1837 and baptized August 6^th of the same year.[3] His life has been well-documented, thanks to two books describing the early history of Porter (and Lake) counties, along with biographies of many of its citizens. The first of these books is titled Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated, published in 1882.[4] The second is History of Porter County, Indiana: a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, published in 1912.[5] Sylvester’s biography from the latter reference has been transcribed and posted on the Porter County, Indiana INGenWeb site and can be found here. I am quoting many excerpts from the 1912 biography in this post. Sylvester was also the subject of two previous posts: “From England to Indiana, Part 5,” and “Sylvester on a Cart.”

Regarding the family’s voyage from England to America in 1846, we are told the following:

At that date one of the few passenger railroads in England was the line from London to Southampton, and many other remarkable changes have occurred in England since then. The streets of London which they passed over were paved with cobblestones, and the modern pavements and subways were undreamed of…. Sylvester was then eight years old and retains many vivid recollections of the eventful journey. At Niagara the family made the transfer in the horse cars then in use, and all had time to enjoy the spectacle of the mighty falls. From Buffalo they took another boat to Cleveland, where they arrived in the month of May.[6]

Like his sister Mary Ann, the long voyage must have made a profound impression on young Sylvester. He was the oldest son, but probably too young to engage in the hardest work while his father established a household and started farming in the new land. Of his childhood and early adulthood, the following is written:

The Casbon children obtained their education in an old stone schoolhouse near Nashville, Ohio, and by diligent study Sylvester fitted himself for teaching, and taught one term at Mt. Ollie, Ohio. Then acting under the persuasion of a friend Mr. Ellsworth, who had settled in Porter county, Indiana, and also from his own wish to locate further west, Mr. Casbon came to this county in 1859 and began teaching in what was then known as the Ellsworth school, which he conducted successfully for three terms. He also taught one term in Boone Grove and one term in the House school, as it was called then, but later known as Boone Grove school.[7]

“Ellsworth” is a misspelling of the name “Aylesworth,” a family strongly associated with the Casbon family both in Ohio and Porter County, Indiana. The identity of “Mr. Ellsworth,” mentioned above, is unknown. Presumably he was close in age to Sylvester. He might have been one of the sons of Ira or Philip Aylesworth, who lived in Wayne County, Ohio. Or perhaps he was a son of Sylvester’s future father in law, Giles Aylesworth, who moved to Porter County in 1842. If the latter, Sylvester might have met “Mr Ellsworth” when he came back to Ohio to visit relatives.

Although not university-educated, Sylvester was apparently schooled well enough to teach others, and was probably better educated than many of his contemporaries.

I’ve tried to identify the locations of the schools mentioned in the biography. Unfortunately, there is insufficient detail to know exactly where they were located. The one exception might be the so-called Ellsworth school. An 1876 plat map of Boone township, Porter County, shows a school located on one corner of a large tract of land owned by Ira Aylesworth in section 9, township 33 north, range 7 west.[8] Since this was located on Aylesworth land, it might well have been called the Aylesworth (or “Ellsworth”) school.

In 1860 Mr. Casbon established his own home by his marriage to Miss Mary A. Ellsworth, a daughter of Giles Ellsworth, of Boone township. Their wedded life was begun on a farm of eighty acres in Boone township, which he had purchased. There was a small house, but few other improvements, and on this place their youthful enthusiasm and industry soon were rewarded with substantial prosperity. The three children born of their marriage were Cora A., Bertha (deceased) and Lawrence A. In 1868 Mr. Casbon lost his wife by death, she being only twenty-six years of age at the time.[9]

Sylvester’s bride’s full name was Mary “Adaline” Aylesworth (1842–1868), daughter of Giles and Mary (Jones) Aylesworth.[10] I’ve speculated in an earlier post that Mary Adaline might have had a daughter out of wedlock at a very young age. If so, the marriage to Sylvester would have helped her and her parents out of an awkward situation.

With his marriage, Sylvester gave up teaching and took up farming. Perhaps his earnings as a teacher helped him to make his first land purchase. This was recorded in 1861, when he bought portions of land in sections 9 and 16, township 33 north, range 6 west (Boone Township) from his father in law, Giles.[11]

Sylvester and Adaline’s marriage was marred first by the loss of their child, Bertha, who lived only 6 months, and then by the tragic death of Adaline herself.[12] The cause of Adaline’s death is not recorded, but it does not appear to be related to childbirth, unless the birth of the child is also unrecorded. Their third child and first son, Lawrence, was my great-grandfather.

Sylvester married Emmeline “Harriet” Perry in October 1869, one and one-half years after Adaline’s death.[13] A fellow blogger has described Harriet’s earlier divorce from Henry Chester, something unusual for the times.[14] The 1870 census shows Sylvester living in Ross township, Lake County, Indiana with his new wife Harriet, his two surviving children, and Harriet’s daughter Henrietta Chester.[15]

Detail from 1870 United States Census, Ross township, Lake County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester’s biography tells us that he had traded farms with his brother in law, Porter Aylesworth, which explains why he was now living in Lake County.[16] After this move,

“by his thrifty industry he became the owner of a fine estate of two hundred and sixty acres. On this he erected a brick house which at the time was considered one of the finest country homes in this region.”[17]

Sadly, his marriage to Harriet was also shortened by her death.

There were three sons by this marriage, Thomas S., Charles P. and George W., who were still in childhood and infancy when deprived of the care of their mother, whose lamented death occurred in 1874. After this loss Mr. Casbon kept his home and children and was both father and mother to them for several years.[18]

What the biography does not tell us is that Harriet’s death occurred less than 3 months after the birth of their son George. This was another terrible tragedy for the family. The cause of her death is also unrecorded.

An important consequence of her death is also not mentioned in the biography. Faced with the responsibility for six motherless children ranging in age from 3 months to 14 years, Sylvester gave up his youngest son George to be raised by his sister Emma and her husband Robert Noel Rigg. Emma and Robert had been married in 1869 and were childless.[19] During the 1870s, they moved from Porter County, Indiana to Tama County, Iowa, where George was raised. George either retained, or took back the Casbon surname. His story will be the subject of a future post, but for now suffice it to say that the Casbon name was established in Iowa by George and his descendants.

Sylvester married Mary M Mereness, 14 years his junior, in December 1877.[20] According to Sylvester’s biography, “Mrs. Casbon became a loyal mother to her husband’s children, and to her they owe much of the training which helped them attain worthy positions in life.”[21] Despite her young age, Mary never had children of her own.

Detail of 1880 United States Census, Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana. Only sons Lawrence, Thomas and Charles were still at home. Cora married John Sams that year, and George was living in Iowa with his adoptive parents. The family entry immediately below Sylvester’s is that of John Mereness, Mary’s father. Apparently Sylvester did not have to look far for his bride!
(Click on image to enlarge)

In 1892, Sylvester and Mary sold their fine brick house in Lake County, and moved to Valparaiso.[22] He was only 55 years old. Had he prospered so much that he was able to retire at this early age? The record does not say. However, his biography does say this:

Mr. Casbon is one of the fortunate men upon whom age sits lightly, and he lives with the interests and activities of a man much younger. Daily his genial figure is seen on the streets, and from nothing does he derive more pleasure than his associations with old friends. He has been known and esteemed in this county for more than half a century, and he has a large circle of firm friends.[23]

This photo, taken at a family gathering about 1905, shows Sylvester and Mary with their children (except George, in Iowa) and grandchildren.[24]

(Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester lived a long, and it would seem, fulfilled life, finally passing on at the age of 90 in 1927.[25] Mary died at the age of 81 in 1932.[26]

Sylvester and Mary Casbon’s obituaries in
The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger.[27],[28]
(Click on individual images to enlarge)

Sylvester’s obituary mentions his recollections of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debate in Chicago. His lifetime encompassed momentous changes in history, technology, and transportation. I wonder how much he recalled of his early years in England. What a contrast that must have been!

By the way, I have no idea of what the “V” of his middle name stands for.

[1] Parish of Meldreth (Cambridgeshire, England), “Register of Baptisms in the Parish of Meldreth in the County of Cambridge [1813–67],” p. 46, no. 366, Sell Carsbon, 1 Jul 1836; accessed as “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” browsable images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007567609?cat=210742 : accessed 28 April 2017), image 220; citing Family History Library (FHL) microfilm 1,040,542, item 5.
[2] Church of England, Meldreth Parish (Cambridgeshire, England), “Parish registers for Meldreth, 1681-1877,” Burials, Sell Carsbon (age 11 months), 24 Jul 1836, FHL microfilm 1,040,542.
[3] Parish of Meldreth, “Register of Baptisms in the Parish of Meldreth in the County of Cambridge [1813–67],” p. 49, no. 388, Sell Casbon, 6 Aug 1837; FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007567609?cat=210742 : accessed 28 April 2017), image 221.
[4] Weston A. Goodspeed & Charles Blanchard. Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., 1882. Online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/countiesofporter00good : accessed 12 May 2017).
[5] History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912. 2 volumes. Online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679885 : accessed 12 May 2017).
[6] History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), 2: 483; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919191;view=1up;seq=139 : accessed 12 May 2017).
[7] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[8] Map, “Boone” [township] ; imaged as “1876 Plat map” on “Boone Township maps,” Porter County, Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Maps/1876Plats/Boone-1876.jpg : accessed 12 May 2017).
[9] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[10] “The Aylesworth Family of Porter County Indiana: Seventh Generation – Adaline Aylesworth Casbon,” Aylesworth.Net (http://www.aylesworth.net/Confidence_family_DWT_CSS/Porter/porter_7.html : accessed 12 May 2017).
[11] “Deed Index Grantee, Jan 1860¬Oct 1868, entry for “Casbon Sylv from Aylesworth Giles;” imaged as “Indiana, Porter, Deed records, 1836-1901,” FHL microfilm 1,703,895, Item 4.
[12] “Cornell Cemetery, Boone Township,” Porter County, Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Cemeteries/CornellCemetery.html : accessed 12 May 2017), entry for Casbon, Bertha (d. 22 Jun 1861; “aged 6m, 6d”).
[13] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” Porter, Indiana, Sylvester Casborn & Emeline H Perry, 11 Oct 1869; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-PGM : accessed 21 Jan 2016).
[14] “The Mystery of Harriet,” 12 Dec 2014, Ainsworth, Indiana (http://ainsworthindiana.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-mystery-of-harriet.html : accessed 12 May 2017).
[15] Unites States Census, 1870, Ross, Lake [mislabeled as “LaGrange”], Indiana; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-64PS-5W7?mode=g&i=10&cc=1438024 : accessed 4 Jul 2016), entry for Sylvester Casbon (age 31); citing p. 11, family 71, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); Family History Library microfilm 545,832.
[16] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[17] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[18] History of Porter County, 2: 483.
[19] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-Y6X : accessed 20 July 2016), R N Rigg and Emma E Casbon, 15 Apr 1869; citing Porter, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,686,156.
[20] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTD-TQS : accessed 4 July 2016), Sylvester Casbon and Mary Mereness, 13 Dec 1877; citing Lake, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,414,589.
[21] History of Porter County, 2: 483–4.
[22] History of Porter County, 2: 484.
[23] History of Porter County, 2: 484.
[24] Scanned image, personal collection of Jon Casbon.
[25] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011”, database and images, Ancestry Library Edition (accessed at participating libraries : accessed 10 August 2016), entry for Sylvester Casbon (age 90), 10 Dec 1927, Porter, Indiana; citing Indiana State Board of Health.
[26] “Death Claims Mary Casbon,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette Messenger, 29 Feb 1932, p. 3, col. 8; online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed at participating libraries : accessed 16 Jun 2016).
[27] “Death Calls S.V. Casbon; Reached 90,” The Vidette Messenger, 19 Dec 1927, p. 1, col. 1; Newspaper Archive: accessed 16 Jun 2016.
[28] “Death Claims Mary Casbon,” The Vidette Messenger.

Deette Casbon—a Mystery

February 27, 2017 admin5 Comments

When I first started gathering information about our family history in the 1990s, there wasn’t much information available online and I didn’t have access to many sources. One source I did have was a privately printed volume entitled Aylesworth Family, Porter County, Indiana. The first printing of this book was 250 copies in March, 1946. I have the second printing – a run of 400 copies in July, 1984. This remarkable book was written by members of the Aylesworth family, initially building upon published works and family records. The 1984 edition was updated with information provided at Aylesworth family reunions, which were a regular occurrence in Porter County, Indiana, for many years. The 1984 printing contains more than 150 pages, and includes information on 13 generations of Aylesworth descendants, beginning in the 1600s.

The cover of my copy of the Aylesworth Family book

Why am I talking about the Aylesworth family in Our Casbon Journey? Well, it turns out there are close connections between the Aylesworths and the Casbons in the United States. When Thomas Casbon arrived in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1846, several members of the Aylesworth family were already there. Some of these families then moved westward to Porter County, Indiana. Sylvester Casbon (1837—1937), son of Thomas (1803—1888), married Adaline (or Mary Adaline) Aylesworth (1842—1868). She was the daughter of Giles Aylesworth, the first Aylesworth to migrate to Porter County. Amos James Casbon (1869—1956), the son of James (1813—1884), married Carrie Belle Aylesworth (1873—1958). So, there are important Aylesworth connections in both branches of the Indiana Casbon families.

This rather lengthy introduction provides the back story for the real subject of today’s post. The entry in the Aylesworth book for Adaline Aylesworth Casbon, wife of Sylvester, lists their first child as “Deette.”[1]

Detail from the Aylesworth Family book, p. 13. (Click on image to enlarge)

I haven’t been able to locate birth records for Deette, but that’s not unusual, since birth registration wasn’t required at the time.

The subsequent Aylesworth Family entry on Deette says that she married Napoleon Lightfoot in 1872.

Detail from the Aylesworth Family book, p. 26. (Click on image to enlarge)

These innocuous looking entries are the basis of a mystery – who was Deette Casbon and who were her real parents? She couldn’t be the child of both Sylvester and Adaline. When Deette was born in 1856, Adaline Aylesworth and her family were living in Indiana.[2] Sylvester first came to Porter County in about 1859.[3] So, it’s highly unlikely that Sylvester even knew Adaline when Deette was born.

This doesn’t rule out Adaline as the mother. Although she was only 14 in 1856, it would be biologically possible for her to have a child.

In an effort to resolve the question, I took another look at the 1860 U.S. census to see if I could find any clues about Deette. I had seen these records before, but his time I noticed something interesting in the entry for Giles Aylesworth and his family.

Detail from 1860 U.S. Census, Boone Township, Porter County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

You can see the entry for Adaline, age 18. This was recorded about 1 month before she married Sylvester Casbon.[4] What I had previously overlooked was the entry for Deretta Ailsworth, age 4. Could Deette be a contraction of Deretta?

Notably, Deretta does not appear as one of Giles Aylesworth’s children in the Aylesworth Family book.[5] So what is she doing here in the 1860 census?

If she was part of Sylvester and Adaline’s family, you might expect her to appear under Sylvester’s name in the 1870 census. But when I look at Sylvester’s census entry, there is no listing for Deette or Deretta. Of note, Adaline died in 1868. By 1870, Sylvester had remarried and had a stepchild from his new wife in addition to his own children.

What about Giles Aylesworth in the 1870 census? Neither Deette nor Deretta appear. However, there is a curious entry for Cicelia Gray, age 13, Domestic Servant.

Detail from 1870 U.S. Census, Boone Township, Porter County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

At first glance this name doesn’t appear to mean anything special. But let’s fast forward a few years to Deette’s marriage to Napoleon Lightfoot in 1873 (not 1872 as stated in the Aylesworth book).

]
Marriage record, Porter County, Indiana.[6]

Contrary to what’s listed in the Aylesworth Family book, Napoleon Lightfoot did not marry Deette Casbon – he married Cicley (a misspelling of Cicelia) Gray – the same name that appears in the 1870 census! So why does the Aylesworth book say he married Deette?

The solution is that Deette/Deretta and Cicelia/Cicley are the same person. This is confirmed by the 1880 census, in which her name is recorded as Deitt Lightfoot.[7] Different versions of her given name and surname can be seen in two other references. Napoleon Lightfoot’s obituary states that “he was married to Deepie Gray who preceded him in death August 13, 1886.”[8] Their daughter Stella Lightfoot’s 1912 marriage record gives her mother’s maiden name as Deta Ellsworth (Ellsworth is a variant of Aylesworth).[9]

Before I noticed the Deretta Aylesworth entry in the 1860 census, I thought that maybe Deette/Cicelia had been orphaned from a family named Gray, and that Sylvester and Adaline had adopted her, either formally or informally. But now I think that she must have been Adaline’s daughter, born out of wedlock.

Many questions remain. Was Gray her father’s surname? If so, who/where was he? I’ve searched the 1850 and 1860 Porter county censuses and there was no one in the county named Gray. Unless there are documents or letters in an archive or someone’s attic, we may never know.

Was she ever really known as Deette Casbon, i.e., was she part of Sylvester and Adaline’s household? It’s possible that they took her into their family after they were married in 1860. The fact that she is listed as their child in the Aylesworth book suggests that there was some basis for considering her part of the family. If so, why did she return to the Aylesworth household after her mother died? Was she turned out by Sylvester, or did she choose to return to her grandparents? Was she really a household servant in 1870? I hope she wasn’t treated like a servant in her grandparents’ house. Maybe that’s what they told the census man (and nosey neighbors!) as a convenient way to explain her surname. She must have held some affection for her grandparents, since she named one of her sons Giles.

When did she become known as Cicelia Gray? The fact that she was using the surname Gray in 1870 indicates that she learned the truth about her birth at some point. The middle initial “D” in her marriage record makes me think that Cicelia was her first name, and Deretta her middle – or the other way around. Maybe she used Gray as her legal name, and Casbon or Aylesworth socially. It seems like her preferred nickname was Deette, since versions of that name appear on many records.

It must have been confusing and difficult for this young girl, living first in her grandparents’ home, then (possibly) with Sylester and Adaline, then losing her mother at an early age and returning to her grandparents. Deette married Napoleon at the age of 16, and died before she turned 33. I hope she was able to find some happiness along the way.

[1] Aylesworth Family, Porter County, Indiana, 2d ed. (privately printed., 1984), pp. 13–14, Adaline Aylesworth Casbon.
[2] 1850 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Boone Township, p. 242 (stamped), dwelling 573, family 573, Giles Ellsworth; image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1K9-NW6?mode=g&i=10&cc=1401638 : accessed 4 July 2016); citing National Archives & Records Administration microfilm publication M432, roll 165.
[3] Weston A Goodspeed & Charles Blanchard, eds., Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated (Chicago, F. A. Battey & Company,1882), p. 707; PDF image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006793322 : accessed 25 February 2017).
[4] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-L4L : accessed 4 July 2016), entry for Sylvester Casbon and Adeline Ellsworth, 30 Oct 1860; citing Porter, Indiana, county clerk office; FHL microfilm 1,686,155.
[5] Aylesworth Family (1984), pp.8–9, Giles Aylesworth.
[6] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-TBC : accessed 11 July 2016), entry for Napoleon Lightfoot and Cicley Gray, 16 March 1873; citing Porter, Indiana, county clerk office; FHL microfilm 1,686,156.
[7] 1880 U.S. Census, Porter County, Indiana, population schedule, Boone Township, enumeration district ED 145, p. 10B, dwelling 94, family 94, N B Lightoot; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYY-92WS?mode=g&i=9&cc=1417683 : accessed 11 July 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T9.
[8] “N.B. Lightfoot Funeral Held,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 3 Nov 1930, page 8; PDF image; Newspaper Archive (available through participating libraries : accessed 11 July 2016).
[9] “Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DC79-9WS : accessed 26 February 2016), Deta Ellsworth in entry for Archie Mcdonald, 23 Sep 1912; citing Intended Marriage, Silver Bow county courthouse, Montana; FHL microfilm 1,906,803.