Hiram Church – Our Casbon Journey

Obituaries: Charles and Mary Casbon

October 9, 2018April 15, 2020 admin2 Comments

obituary (n.)

“register of deaths,” from Medieval Latin obituarius “a record of the death of a person,” literally “pertaining to death,” from Latin obitus “departure, a going to meet, encounter” (a euphemism for “death”), from stem of obire “go toward, go to meet” (as in mortem obire “meet death”), from ob “toward” (see ob-) + ire “to go”^[1]

I like obituaries. They are one of the most valuable resources for genealogical information. Besides giving a date of death, they often contain other important dates, such as birth and marriage. In addition, they often give names of family members. They sometimes provide insight into the life of a person, such as their occupation and their standing in the community.

Since I wrote about the family Bible of Charles and Mary (Marrell) Casbon last week, I thought I would be fitting to follow up with their obituaries this week. Charles was the first to go: he died on October 15, 1915.^[2]

Obituary of Charles Thomas Casbon.
Clipping from unknown newspaper.^[3]
(Click on image to enlarge)

This obituary was included in the pile of photocopies my father received from Ilaine Church in the early 1990s. It was another valuable find in that collection, since the local newspapers from Valparaiso and Porter County, Indiana are not available online for this time period. Whoever originally copied the obituary probably found it on microfilm at the Valparaiso library.

Charles Thomas was the second surviving son of my third great-grandfather, Thomas Casbon, who emigrated from England in 1846.

The obituary gives us a very nice character description of Charles, especially of his life after retiring from his farm in the country to his home on Monroe Street. I love the description of him “driving his little bay horse and open buggy, or walking along greeting his friends.”

Charles and Mary (left) in front of their home on 203 E. Monroe St, Valparaiso, Indiana. The woman on the
right is unidentified – possibly their daughter Sina. As far as I can tell, this house is no longer standing.
From History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People
and its Principal Interests (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912).

Unfortunately, obituaries sometimes get facts wrong. This can happen because family members make mistakes in their recollections, or newspaper writers and editors record facts incorrectly. The glaring error in Charles’ obituary is the opening statement that he came to Indiana from Ohio when he was eight years old. In fact, Charles first came to Indiana as a young adult. The History of Porter County gives this account: “In company with a friend, George Bittner, in March, 1862, he arrived at Valparaiso, a small place at that time, where he paused in his journey and in this vicinity has remained ever since, to his own profit and to the benefit of the community.”^[4]

The obituary tells us that Charles’ health began to fail about two years before his death, and that he died from “complications of diseases.” His death certificate tells us that he died from “valvular insufficiency of both valves of heart,” of two years’ duration.^[5] Oddly, the obituary doesn’t tell us when Charles was born, or his age at death. He was born in November 6, 1840, which would have made him just shy of 75 years old when he died.

His widow, Mary, survived him by more than twelve years, passing away on February 26, 1928.^[6]

Obituary of Mary (Marrell) Casbon. From The (Valparaiso, Indiana)
Vidette-Messenger, 27 Feb 1928, p. 1, col. 7. (Click on image to enlarge)

Mary’s obituary tells us how her body was discovered by her brother, John, who was evidently living with her. Then it goes on to give more typical information, including her birth, marriage, social activities, and surviving relations. Unlike Charles’ earlier obituary, we really don’t learn much about Mary’s personality.

The only error I see in her obituary is the statement that Charles and Mary came to Porter County “shortly after their marriage” in 1868. This contradicts the date given for Charles arrival, above. The History of Porter County tells us that “he returned to his Ohio home [from Indiana] and there married Miss Mary E. Marrell.”^[7] The family Bible also tells us that Charles was residing in Valparaiso at the time of his marriage.^[8]

It’s impressive that Mary’s death made the front page of the newspaper. The Vidette Messenger didn’t have a separate obituary section at the time. Most notices of deaths and funeral ceremonies were reported on pages three or four, but some made it to the front page. Whether this was due to the prominence of the person in the community, the circumstances of their death, or some other reason is unknown to me.

Every indication is that the 48-year marriage of Charles and Mary was a strong one. They are now survived by members of the Church family—descendants of Lodema Casbon and her husband Hiram Church. Lodema was the only one of Charles’ and Mary’s children to have children of her own.

Charles’ and Mary’s grave markers, Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana.^[9]

^[1] “obituary (n.),” Online Etymology Dictionary (https://www.etymonline.com/word/obituary : accessed 8 October 2018).
^[2] Indiana, State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, no. 215, Porter County, Valparaiso, Charles T Casbon, 26 Oct 1915; imaged as “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60716 : accessed 10 August 2016), Certificate >1910-1919 >17 >image 264 of 4078; citing Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis.
^[3] Photocopy of clipping from unknown newspaper, handwritten date “Wed 27 Oct 1915,” “Succumbs to Death After Long Illness”; privately held by Jon Casbon.
^[4] History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), vol. 2, pp. 459-61.
^[5] Indiana, State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, Charles T Casbon, previously cited.
^[6] Indiana, State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, no. 6509, Porter County, Valparaiso, Mary E Casbon; imaged as “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Ancestry (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60716 : accessed 24 August 2016), Certificate >1928 >03 >image 1516 of 2757; citing Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis.
^[7] History of Porter County, Indiana, previously cited.
^[8] Photocopy of title page, holy matrimony, births, marriages and deaths pages from The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments, etc. (Philadelphia: A J Holman & Co., 1882), said to be the Charles Casbon family Bible (original in possession of Bud Church); privately held by Jon Casbon.
^[9] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 08 October 2018), memorial page for Charles T Casbon (1840–1915), memorial no. 92655517, maintained by George & Linda Novotny; citing Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 08 October 2018), memorial page for Mary E Casbon (1844–1928), memorial no. 9265539, maintained by George & Linda Novotny; citing Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.

The Family Bible of Charles and Mary Casbon

October 2, 2018 admin2 Comments

My pursuit of family history began in the mid-1990s as a collaborative effort with my father. He had received an offer in the mail to purchase The World Book of Casbons, published by Halbert’s Family Heritage. We didn’t know it at the time, but this company was named as a purveyor of “scam” genealogy books, and had several cease-and-desist orders placed against it by the U.S. Postal Service.^[1]

Regardless, he ordered the book, and I think was quite pleased with what he received. It contained several chapters containing generic information: “The Great Migrations of Man: Early Origins, Settlement and Development,” “The Origin and Meaning of Names,” “How Early Coats of Arms Were Granted,” and “How to Discover Your Ancestors.” One chapter was titled “Early Casbon Immigrants to North America.” This indicated (correctly) that Thomas Casbon had arrived in America in 1846 and (incorrectly) that he had arrived in Ohio in 1854. This was the only family-specific genealogical information found in the book.

The final chapter was titled “The Casbon International Registry.” This chapter explained that, “using a highly sophisticated network of computer sources in Europe, North America, and Australasia, over 220 million names and address records have been searched to locate Casbon family members.” The registry identified 65 households in the United States, 41 in Great Britain, and 1 in Germany (that was me – I was stationed there at the time!), and included names and mailing addresses. You may recall, that in those relatively early days of home computers, you could purchase CDs containing millions of phone and address listings for various countries. I suspect that was the “sophisticated network” used by the publisher to come up with the list.

The cover and title page of The World Book of Casbons. (Click on image to enlarge)

Scam or no, I have to say that my father got his money’s worth out of that book. He took those mailing addresses to heart and started writing dozens of letters to other Casbons. Many sent replies and shared information about their families. I suspect that at least of few readers of Our Casbon Journey were recipients of those letters (feel free to leave a comment if you did!). He was able to meet a number of these people, including quite a few in England. He somehow learned about the Casbens of Australia and contacted them as well.

In the course of all of this, he learned that others had been researching the Casbon family origins and were willing to share their research.

My role in all of this was pretty minor at the time. I bought some genealogy software and started to input names and connections. I would print out reports and my dad would send them out with his letters. He would get replies with corrections and additions. Eventually I started doing more of the research on my own and later took over the enterprise.

I thought my father had given me all of his old genealogy papers several years ago, but a couple of months ago he sorted through some boxes and presented me with another box containing various reports, notes, photocopies and photographs. These included much of his original correspondence along with The World Book of Casbons pictured above.

There was a thick pile of photocopies that looked like they had all come from the same person. After some investigation I discovered that the source was Ilaine Church, who had done quite a bit of local research in Valparaiso, Indiana. Ilaine, with whom I occasionally correspond, is married to a descendant of Hiram and Lodema (Casbon) Church. She went with my dad to the local copy center in Valparaiso, where he copied a great quantity of her genealogy research findings.

Which finally brings me to the topic of today’s post. Among the materials from Ilaine were several photocopied pages from a family Bible.

Title and first family history pages from the family Bible of Charles and Mary Casbon.
(Click on images to enlarge)

This was the family Bible of Charles Thomas (1840–1915) and Mary Elizabeth (Marrell, 1844–1928) Casbon. Charles was the second son of Thomas (1803–1888) and Emma (Scruby, 1811–1870) Casbon, and is my third great uncle.

The title page tells us that this Bible was published in Philadelphia by the A.J. Holman company in 1882. A.J. Holman was a well-known Bible publisher. His firm was established in 1872.^[2] Holman Bibles were quite popular in the 1880s and 90s, and usually sold door-to-door.^[3]

The exhibit of the A. J. Holman publishing company at the 1876 United States
Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.^[4]

Family Bibles are wonderful heirlooms, and can be a treasure trove of family history information. “Prior to easily retrievable birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates, and digitized record keeping in general, the family Bible held the ultimate narrative of ancestral history.”^[5] Official records of births and deaths were not required in Indiana until 1900 or later, so the records in this Bible are a valuable substitute for vital records.

The family history section of the Bible begins with the marriage of Charles and Mary:

This Certifies
That the Rite of
Holy Matrimony
Was Celebrated Between
Charles T. Casbon of Valparaiso Indiana
and Mary E Marrell of Lakevill Ohio
on December 30^th 1868 at L. Marrell’s
by Rev. Winbigler of Ashland Ohio
Witness: J. Crotz/E. Joyce

Subsequent pages are for births, marriages, and deaths.

Pages from the family Bible for Births, Marriages, and Deaths. (Click on images to enlarge)

Births

Charles Thomas Casbon
Was born at
Meldreth Near Royston
Cambridgeshire
England on the 6^th
day of November 1840.

Mary Elizabeth (Marrell) Casbon
Was born in Wayne
County Ohio on the
10^th day of December 1844

Lillie May Casbon
was born in Porter
County Indiana on the
17^th of June 1870

Lodema Evaline Casbon
was born in Porter
County Indiana
on the 24^th day of
October 1871

Sina Jane Casbon
was born in Porter
County Indiana
on the 27^th day of
March 1873

Lawrence John Casbon
was born in Porter
County Indiana
on the 26^th day of
August 1875

Marriages

Mr Hiram Church
And
Miss Lodema E. Casbon
Were united in holy
Matrimony. Elder Utz
did the ministrial tying
on February 26^th 1890

Lawrence J. Casbon
And
Lyda May Pouter
was married. January
23^rd 1899 at Adrian
Michigan by Rev.
C. L. Adams

Mr Alfred Urbahns
And
Miss Sina J. Casbon
was married Oct 15th 1915
at Muskegan Michigan
by Elick Scott

Deaths

Daughter
Lillie May Casbon
Departed this life
September 10^th 1871
one year 2 months old

Father
Charles T. Casbon
Departed this life
on the 26^th of October
1915 at 9 o.clock in the
Morning. Aged
74 year and 11 days

Son
Lawrence J. Casbon
Died peacefully in his
home 309 W 42 street in
Los Angeles California
on Tuesday morning
October 9^th 1923. Age 48
years one month and
12 days

Mother
Mary Elizabeth (Merrell)
Casbon departed this
life Febuary [sic] 26, 1928
83 years 2 months &
6 days

Alfred Urbahns Departed
this life January 3 1930.
age 56 years. Brother in Law

To my eye, it appears that all of the family events that occurred prior to the purchase of the Bible were written by the same hand, probably in one sitting. These include the marriage of Charles and Mary, all the births, and the death of infant daughter Lillie May Casbon in 1871. The handwriting is elegant and neat, reflecting the importance of the events that were recorded. All the marriages, as well as the deaths of Charles and Lawrence are written in a nearly identical hand as the earlier entries.

I’m almost certain that all of these entries were made by Mary. What feelings did she have as she entered the deaths of her infant daughter, husband, and son into the Bible. Was she in the depths of despair, or did the Bible bring her comfort and solace? Or both?

The handwriting changes with the last two entries – the deaths of Mary and Alfred Urbahns. These must have been written by Mary’s daughter, Lodema – note the reference to Alfred Urbahns as brother in law. She must have ended up with the Bible after her parents’ deaths. Also note that Lodema’s death in 1938 was not recorded. You can see on the title page that it was in the possession of Bud (Merritt) Church, one of Lodema’s grandsons, as of 1994.

It’s too bad no one continued the tradition of recording important dates after Lodema was gone. Sadly, family Bibles have fallen out of favor as a means of transmitting and preserving significant family events.

I can’t say that I gleaned new information about the people listed in these pages, but this Bible is still a valuable genealogical source, and it validates the information I have gathered from other sources. I’m glad it has stayed in the family. Thanks to Ilaine, who allowed my dad to copy these pages so many years ago!

^[1] “Beware of this scam!,” Goldstraw & Goostrey Geneaology (http://goldstraw.org.uk/scam.html : accessed 1 October 2018).
^[2] “A.J. Holman Dead,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 Oct 1891, p. 5, col. 3; online image, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries: 1 October 2018).
^[3] “Salesman Bible Samplers – How the Antique Family Bibles were sold ‘door-to-door’,” AntiqueBible.com (http://www.antiquebible.com/salesman-sampler-Bibles.html : accessed 1 October 2018).
^[4] Centennial Photographic Co., A.J. Holman & Co.’s exhibit–Main Building [Albumen print]; online image, Free Library of Philadelphia (https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/1620 : accessed 2 October 2018).
^[5] Dave Tabler, “The Family Bible,” Appalachian History: Stories, quotes and anecdotes (http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2016/02/family-Bible.html : accessed 2 October 2018).

“Public Sale!”

November 14, 2017 admin2 Comments

Thanks to Ilaine Church for sending me a copy of this flyer.

Scanned image courtesy of Ilaine Church. (Click on image to enlarge)

Ilaine is the wife of my third cousin, once removed, and shares my love of family history. The Church and Casbon families are related through the marriage of Thomas Hiram Church, Jr. (1866–1951) to Lodema Evaline Casbon (1871–1938) in 1890.^[1] Lodema was the daughter of Charles Casbon (1840–1915), the man named at the bottom of the sale flyer. Charles was the brother of Sylvester Casbon, my second great-grandfather.

The tie between the Church and Casbon families is illustrated in this photograph of the 1901 Casbon family reunion. The photo was taken in front of the home of Hiram and Lodema Church at what was then no. 5 Elm Street, Valparaiso, Indiana. Charles (left), Lodema (center), and Hiram (right) are circled.
(Click on image to enlarge)

The sale flyer provides us with some interesting information, and raises questions as well. It tells us the location of Charles’ residence and names it the Russel Johnson farm. It tells us that Charles had quite a few valuable livestock, farm equipment, and personal possessions to sell. Some of my questions are: “Who was Russel Johnson?”, “Why was Charles holding the sale?”, and “What were all those items listed for sale?”

It took a bit of digging, but I learned that Russel Johnson bought the property (located in Morgan township) in a series of transactions in the 1850s. He owned it until 1876 when he sold it to a man named Davison. Davison sold it to Stephen Martin in 1884, and Stephen Martin sold it to Charles Casbon in 1888.^[2] So even though Russel Johnson had not owned the property since 1876, his name was still associated with the farm in 1893, probably because he developed and farmed it for twenty years.^[3]

Copy of deed record showing Charles Casbon’s purchase from Stephen Martin, September 24, 1888. The land is described as “the South three fourths (S ¾) of the North East quarter and the North west quarter of the South East quarter, All in Section one (1) in Township thirty four (34) North Range six (6) west containing one hundred fifty six (156⁵⁶) acres more or less.”^[4] (Click on image to enlarge)

This 1895 plat map shows Charles’ farm, as described in the legal description of
the deed.^[5]

Detail of 1895 plat map, Morgan Township, Porter County, Indiana.
(Click on image to enlarge)

This brings me back to the question, “Why was Charles holding the sale?” I wish I knew the answer to this. The extent of the sale would make me think that Charles was liquidating his holdings and selling the farm, but this is not supported by other records. Porter County land records show that Charles didn’t sell the property until 1903.^[6] That is the same year he bought property in Valparaiso,^[7] and according to The History of Porter County, was “now living retired in a comfortable home on Monroe street in Valparaiso.”^[8] Charles’ biography glosses over his life as a farmer and provides no information relevant to the farm sale of 1893. Charles owned several different properties in the county, so maybe he was just “downsizing” and getting rid of excess inventory. Or was he in debt? The best source of information would probably be a contemporary newspaper article, but I don’t have access to the newspapers from that timeframe (they are on microfilm at the Valparaiso Public Library, about 1,000 miles away from me!).

What are all those things he’s selling? Here are some definitions of things that were unfamiliar to me:

“fresh” cows: “cows recently calved and still in their first flush of lactation, that is within 2 weeks, possibly 4 weeks since calving.”^[9]

shoat: “a piglet that has recently been weaned”^[10]

road cart: “a light 2-wheeled vehicle often with a back”^[11]

A road cart. Image available from The Florida Center for Instructional Technology at https://etc.usf.edu/clipart/76200/76249/76249_road-cart.htm

hog rack: I’m not sure, but I found this in the California Hog Book (1915): “on every hog farm there should be one or more solid substantial wagon racks that can be used for hauling hogs safely without fear of the animals breaking out and getting away.”^[12]

2-horse rake: Used to rake hay after mowing. I couldn’t find a picture of one with two horses, but this should give you the idea

Image downloaded from “Rake Development Spurred by Mower Technology,”
Farm Collector (https://www.farmcollector.com/implements/rake-development-
spurred-by-mower-technology : accessed 11 November 2017) (Click on image to enlarge)

spring tooth drag: I think this is also called a spring tooth drag harrow, a tool that smooths and loosens the ground after plowing, described as “a largely outdated piece of farm equipment.”^[13]

Modern version of a spring-tooth drag harrow. Image adapted from Working Horse Tack
(https://workinghorsetack.com/The-Pioneer-Spring-Tooth-Harrow-p/4303.htm).

Fairbanks scales: Fairbanks was and still is a major manufacturer of scales.^[14] How would a 600 lb. capacity scale be used on a farm? To weigh grain?

This simple farm sale flyer doesn’t provide much in the way of genealogical information, but it is still a valuable part of Our Casbon Journey since it connects us to Charles Casbon and gives us a glimpse into the life and times of an American farmer in the late 19^th century.

^[1] Porter County, Indiana, Marriage Records, vol. 9:149, Hiram Church–Lodema Casbon, 26 Feb 1890; image, “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GTML-57?i=111&cc=1410397 : accessed 22 August 2016); citing “Porter County; FHL microfilm 1,686,210.”
^[2] Porter County, Indiana, Deed Record 42: Jun 1887-Feb 1889, p. 449, Stephen C Martin to Charles Casbon, 24 Sep 1888; imaged as “Deed records, 1836-1901,” browsable images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNW-T9J8-6?i=462&cat=609009 : accessed 26 September 2017), image 463; citing FHL microfilm 1,703,902, item 2.
^[3] Weston A. Goodspeed and Charles Blanchard, Counties of Porter and Lake Indiana. Historical and Biographical (Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., 1882), p. 344 (“S.R. Johnson”); online image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/countiesofporter00good : accessed 12 November 2017).
^[4] Porter County, Indiana, Deed Record 42, Stephen C Martin to Charles Casbon.
^[5] Plat map, Morgan Township, 1895; online image, Porter County, Indiana (http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Maps/1895Plats/Morgan-1895.jpg : accessed 11 November 2017).
^[6] Porter County, Indiana, Deed Index Grantee 9 (mislabeled as Grantor on ID film), Apr 1900 Apr 1906, 7th page of letter C, line 27, Carson John From Casbon Charles, 7 Mar 1903; imaged as “Deed records, 1836-1901,” browsable images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/film/007665027?cat=609009 : accessed 27 September 2017), image 270; citing FHL microfilm 1,703,941, item 2.
^[7] Porter County, Indiana, Deed Index Grantee 9 (mislabeled as Grantor on ID film), 7th page of letter C, line 28, Casbon Charles from Carson John, 7 Mar 1903.
^[8] History of Porter County Indiana, A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests (Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), vol. 2, p. 461; image copy, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=Nk00AQAAMAAJ : accessed 11 November 2017).
^[9] “fresh cows,” The Free Dictionary (Medical Dictionary tab) (https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fresh+cows : accessed 11 November 2017).
^[10] “shoat,” The Free Dictionary (https://www.thefreedictionary.com/shoat : accessed 11 November 2017).
^[11] “road cart,” Merriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/road%20cart : accessed 11 November 2017).
^[12] W.S. Guilford, California Hog Book: A Compilation of Information about Hogs Applied to California Conditions (San Francisco: Pacific Rural Press, 1915); image copy, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=fDQwAAAAYAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s : accessed 11 November 2017).
^[13] “Spring-tooth harrow,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring-tooth_harrow : accessed 11 November 2017), rev. 20:18, 3 Jan 2016.
^[14] “Fairbanks History,” Fairbanks Scales (http://www.fairbanks.com/company/history.cfm : accessed 12 November 2017).

Children of Thomas Casbon (1803–1888): Charles Thomas

June 6, 2017April 15, 2020 admin2 Comments

Charles Thomas Casbon was the third surviving child and second surviving son of Thomas and and Emma (Scruby) Casbon. He is the first Casbon family member in my records to bear the name Charles. Like his brother Sylvester, his life is relatively well documented, thanks both to his long life and his biography, published in History of Porter County, Indiana (1912).[1]

Here is an image of Charles’ baptismal record of December 20, 1840.[2]

Detail from Meldreth (Cambridgeshire) parish register, baptisms 1840. (Click on image to enlarge)

The biography says this about Charles’ earliest days:

Mr. Casbon was born November 6, 1840, in Cambridgeshire, England, twenty-two miles from London, the son of an English farmer, Thomas Casbon and wife, Emma (Scruby) Casbon. When the son was five years old his father determined to bring his family to America, which was then a land of opportunities and almost undeveloped resources.[3]

To my modern eyes the description of Charles’ father Thomas as “an English farmer” overstates Thomas’ social standing in England, and diminishes the social and economic conditions that must have influenced his decision to leave England. In fact, Thomas was described in the census as an Agricultural Labourer.[4] As such, he would have been a wage earner and low in the social order; he did not own land and did not have the right to vote.[5],[6]

Being only 5 years old when he left England, Charles probably had only dim memories of his life there. He came of age while the family was living in Ohio. The History of Porter County, with a mix of fact and fabrication, tells us,

Throughout the years of his boyhood Charles Casbon was familiar with that old and trusted periodical journal, the New York Tribune, which regularly found its way to the home and was read more or less by all members of the household. Its great editor of the time, Horace Greeley, the author of the exhortation, “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country,” frequently wrote and edited the news with that sentence as his text.

It was partly with the inspiration derived from the Tribune, and also from the spirit of pioneering which had possessed his father before him, that caused Charles Casbon on arriving at his majority to start for the west. In company with a friend, George Bittner, in March, 1862, he arrived at Valparaiso, a small place at that time, where he paused in his journey and in this vicinity has remained ever since, to his own profit and to the benefit of the community.[7]

In this rosy description, the facts that are most likely accurate are the name of his travel companion and the approximate date of his travel to Indiana (see “Why Indiana?”). The author/editor of the biography likely embellished the story to make it more interesting for readers.

We are told that “on December 31, 1868, he returned to his Ohio home and there married Miss Mary E. [Mc]Marrell, who has been his companion on the road of life for nearly forty-five years.”[8]

Marriage record of Charles and Mary McMarrell, Holmes County, Ohio, 30 December, 1868.[9]
(Click on image to enlarge)

Mary was 4 years Charles’ junior. They grew up on nearby farms, both being listed in Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio, in the 1860 census.[10],[11] Were they sweethearts before he left for Indiana in 1862, Charles age 21 and Mary 17, or did they become close on subsequent family visits to Ohio? Before his marriage, Charles “worked among the farmers, then rented a farm and cultivated it on shares.”[12] After returning to Indiana with his bride,

Mr. Casbon bought a little farm of forty acres, paying a hundred and fifty dollars in cash and going in debt for the remainder. A little log cabin and a pole stable constituted the chief improvements, and in this humble home the young people, with willing industry and the hope and enthusiasm characteristic of youth, began their career in Porter county.[13]

This land purchase was probably the one recorded January 13, 1871, in which Charles bought the SW ¼ of the SW ¼ of Section 13, Township 34, range 6 from his father Thomas for $1,000.[14] Charles’ small farm can be seen in this 1876 plat map of Porter township.[15]

Detail from 1876 plat map of Porter township, Porter county, Indiana,
showing property belonging to Thomas, Charles, and Jesse Casbon.
(Click on image to enlarge)

“Four children were born to them: Lillie, who died at the age of one year, Lodema, Sina and Lawrence.”[16] We have met Lawrence and Sina previously in this blog (see “Lawrence J Goes Transcontinental” and “Cousins”). Lillie May was born in 1870 and died September 9, 1871. [17] Lodema Evaline was born October 24, 1871; Sina Jane, March 27, 1873; and Lawrence John August 26, 1875.[18],[19],[20]

Family portrait, probably taken mid- to late 1890s. Front, L to R: Charles & Mary;
Back, L to R: Lodema, Lawrence, and Sina. Photo courtesy of Ron Casbon.
(Click on image to enlarge)

Charles continued to expand his landholdings, apparently doing well enough at farming that he was able to retire and move into town (Valparaiso) in 1903.[21]

The History of Porter County includes this lovely detail about Mary’s travels:

From August to October [year not given] Mrs. Casbon visited the beautiful scenery of Yellowstone Park, also San Francisco, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Catalina Island, then Camp Meeker, Seattle, Washington, Spokane Falls, Salt Lake City (where she visited the great Mormon Temple) and finally Denver, Colorado.[22]

One wonders why Charles did not accompany her. Perhaps his health did not allow it at this point in his life. Charles biography also gives us this photograph of Charles and Mary (and probably Sina) in front of their Valparaiso home at 203 Monroe Street.[23]

L to R: Mary, Charles, and (probably) Sina, about 1912. The original home is no longer standing.
(Click on image to enlarge)

The final words about Charles in the Porter County history are these:

Though always a busy man during his residence in the country, he had the welfare of the community at heart, and for a number of years filled the office of supervisor of his township. In politics he is a Democrat, and takes a broad-minded view of the social and political problems both at home and at the nation at large. He and his wife are members and liberal supporters of the Christian church of Valparaiso.[24]

Charles passed away in Valparaiso October 26, 1915 at the age of 74.[25] Mary survived him by another 12 years, passing away February 26, 1928 at the age of 83.[26] Both are buried at Maplewood Cemetery, in Valparaiso. Their only living descendants are through their daughter Lodema, who married Hiram Church in 1890.[27]

[1] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1912), 2: pp. 459–61; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919191;view=1up;seq=115 : accessed 6 June 2017).
[2] “Parish registers for Meldreth (Cambridgeshire), 1681-1877,” Baptisms 1813-67, p. 54, Thomas Charles Casbon, 20 Dec 1840; digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/210742?availability=Family%20History%20Library : accessed 28 April 2017); citing Family HIstory Library (FHL) microfilm 1,040,542, item 5. (image viewable when using the site at a family history center)
[3] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 459.
[4] “England and Wales Census, 1841,” database with images, findmypast (http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=gbc%2f1841%2f0063%2f0285&parentid=gbc%2f1841%2f0000942060&highlights=%22%22 : accessed 13 May 2016), entry for Thomas Casbon (age 35), Meldreth, Cambridgeshire; citing The National Archives, HO 107, piece 63, book 18, folio 4, p. 3, lines 21-5.
[5] “Agriculture and the Labourer,” Cambridgeshire History (http://www.cambridgeshirehistory.com/People/agriculturallabourers.html : accessed 5 January 2017).
[6] “Elections in the United Kingdom,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_the_United_Kingdom#History : accessed 6 June 2017), rev. 20 May 17, 23:15.
[7] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 460.
[8] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 460.
[9] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BJ95-ZK?i=34&cc=1614804 : accessed 21 July 2016), Charles Casbon & Mary E. McMarrell, 30 Dec 1868; citing Holmes County Courthouse, “Marriage Record No. 5, p. 5.
[10] 1860 U.S. census, Holmes County, Ohio, population schedule, Washington township, p. 223, dwelling 1524, family 1526, Thomas Casbon; image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BSH-967D?cc=1473181&wc=7QGH-1SP%3A1589432777%2C1589423732%2C1589422406 : accessed 23 October 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
[11] 1860 U.S. census, Holmes County, Ohio, population schedule, Washington township, pp. 225–6, dwelling 1569, family 1571, Laurence McMurrell; image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BSH-9DR5?cc=1473181&wc=7QGH-1SP%3A1589432777%2C1589423732%2C1589422406 : accessed 22 August 2016).
[12] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 460.
[13] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 460.
[14] Porter, Indiana “Deed Index 5 Grantor, Jul 1868–Feb 1876” Casbon Thos to Casbon Chas., 13 Jan 1871; FHL microfilm 1,703,896; citing Recorder’s Office, Porter, Indiana.
[15] “Porter,” Illustrated historical atlas of Porter County, Indiana (Valparaiso, Ind. : A.G. Hardesty, 1876), p. 39; online image, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4093pm.gla00036/?sp=28 : accessed 19 August 2016).
[16] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 460.
[17] “Find A Grave Index,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVV-2HRN : accessed 22 August 2016), Lillie May Casbon, 1871; Burial, , Porter, Indiana, United States of America, Merriman Cemetery; citing record ID 19252732, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
[18] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Valparaiso, Porter, reg. 24673, Lodema E Church (b. 24 Oct 1871); database with images, Ancestry Library Edition (accessed through participating libraries : accessed 24 August 2016); citing Indiana State Board of Health, Death Certificates, 1900–2011, microfilm, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.
[19] “To Hold Rites for Mrs. Sina Smith Saturday Afternoon,” The (Valparaiso, Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, 10 Apr 1952, p. 6, col. 4; database and images, Newspaper Archive (accessed through participating libraries : accessed 12 April 2016).
[20] “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards,” Lawrence John Casbon, 1917-1918; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ2T-BTH : accessed 22 August 2016),; citing St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,653,193.
[21] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 461.
[22] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 461.
[23] “Residence of Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Casbon,” History of Porter County, Indiana, 2: p. 458; online image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067919191;view=1up;seq=114 : accessed 6 June 2017).
[24] “Charles Thomas Casbon,” 2: p. 461.
[25] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Valparaiso, Porter, reg. 215, Charles T. Casbon (b. 6 Nov 1840); database with images, Ancestry Library Edition (accessed 24 August 2016).
[26] “Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011,” Valparaiso, Porter, reg. 6509, Mary E. Casbon (b. 10 Dec 1844 database with images, Ancestry Library Edition (accessed 24 August 2016).
[27] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GTML-57?i=111&cc=1410397 : accesed 22 August 2016), Hiram Church & Lodema Casbon, 26 Feb 1890; citing Porter County Circuit Court Clerk, “Marriage Record 9, May 1889–Oct 1892,” p. 149.

From England to Indiana, Part 5

November 4, 2016 admin4 Comments

This the fifth in a series of posts examining a handwritten family history of Isaac Casbon and his descendants. The date and authorship of the manuscript is unknown. So far we’ve looked at Isaac Casbon’s family in Meldreth, England; his son Thomas’ marriage, family, and emigration first to Ohio and later to Porter County, Indiana; and Thomas’ death in Indiana. We continue with…

Silvester Casbon Lives at the present time at Deep River Lake Co Ind has married 3 times having lost the two first wives He had two children by the first wife Adeline Aylsworth a daughter and son by the last Harriett Perry three sons no heirs by the last
Charles Lives near Valparaiso had born to him four children first born died in infancy two more daughters wer born to them Lodema and Sina Jo Casbon then one son Lawrence
Lodema married Highram Church
Jesse Married Emily M. Price of Koutts to them wer born four daudhters and one son who died in infancy

This section provides a more detailed look at the third generation of Casbons in the manuscript, with Isaac being the first and Thomas the second generation. The events mentioned in this section provide valuable clues about when the manuscript was written.

Let’s look first at Sylvester, Thomas Casbon’s oldest son. Sylvester married Adaline Aylesworth on October 30^th, 1860, in Porter County. [1] Sylvester and Adaline actually had three children, not two. The first was a daughter named Bertha, who was born in December 1860 but died when she was six months old. [2] The other two children were Cora Ann, born June 1861, [3] and Lawrence Leslie (my great grandfather), born March 1865. [4] There are anecdotal reports of a fourth child, Deete, but for various reasons, I’m certain she was not their child. She’ll be the topic of a later post. Sylvester’s wife Adaline died March 1868 in Deep River, Lake County, Indiana. [5]

Sylvester married Emmeline Harriet Perry in October 1869. [6] They had three children: Thomas Sylvester, born July 1870; [7] Charles Parkfield, born October 1872; [8] and George Washington, born August 1874. [9] Harriet died just a few months after George’s birth, in November 1874. [10]

Sylvester’s third wife was Mary M Mereness. They were married in December 1877 and had no children. [11]

Sylvester and Mary (Mereness) Casbon, about
1905. Photo from author’s collection (Click on
image to enlarge)

Shortly after his first marriage, Sylvester bought a small farm in Boone Township, Porter County, [12] but later moved to Deep River in adjacent Lake County, Indiana. [13] In 1892, Sylvester and his third wife left the farm and moved to Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. [14] When this family history was written, Sylvester was still living in Deep River. Therefore, the latest date it could have been written would be in 1892, before he moved to Valparaiso.

After telling of Sylvester’s marriages and children, the manuscript turns to his brother Charles. Charles returned to Holmes County, Ohio to marry Mary Evelyn Marrell in December 1868. [15] It’s interesting that the author fails to mention the name of Charles’ wife or that of Sylvester’s third wife. I suspect this was just an oversight, or it didn’t seem important to the author of the document.

Charles and Mary had four children. The first daughter, Lillie May, was buried in September 1871, when less than a year old. [16] Lodema Evaline was born October 1871. [17] Their third child was also a daughter, Sina Jane, born March 1874. [18] Lawrence John, their only son, was born August 1875. [19]

Charles Thomas Casbon in front of his home at 203 Monroe St., Valparaiso, Indiana, about 1912. The two women are probably his wife Mary and daughter Sina. Photo from History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Lewis Publishing Company (1912) p. 458 (Click on image to enlarge)

The statement “Lodema married Highram Church” is the other piece of the puzzle for dating the manuscript. Lodema Casbon married Hiram Church in February 1890 in Porter County. [20] This gives the earliest date that the family tree could have been written. Combined with the fact that Sylvester was still living in Deep River, the manuscript must have been written sometime between 1890 and 1892.

The last of Thomas Casbon’s children to be summarized in this document is his youngest son Jesse. Jesse married Emma Price in April 1872, in Valparaiso. [21] Jesse and Emma had four daughters, Maude, born March 1873; [22] Anna Mae, born December 1876; [23] Lillian E, born in February 1880; [24] and Edna, born December 1885. [25] A son, Ivan, died in infancy. [26] I haven’t been able to locate any records pertaining to him.

With Jesse Casbon and his children, the family history concludes its discussion of Isaac and Thomas Casbon’s descendants. One noteworthy omission from this document is the marriage of Thomas and Emma Casbon’s youngest daughter, Emma. Emma’s birth was mentioned earlier in the document, and that was the last we heard of her. She married Robert Noel Rigg of Porter County in 1869. [27] In 1876 Robert and Emma moved to Tama County, Iowa. [28] I wonder why Emma was left out of this document?

Detail of a photo taken at a Casbon family reunion about 1901. This is the only photo I’m aware of showing all four of Thomas’ children. Photo from author’s personal collection (Click on image to enlarge)

It’s also interesting that the author mentions the marriage of Charles’ daughter Lodema, but not that of Sylvester’s daughter Cora Ann, who was married to John Sams in 1880. [29] Perhaps Lodema’s marriage was fresh in the author’s mind, or perhaps the author was closer to that side of the family.

[1] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007. FamilySearch. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-L4L [accessed 21 January 2016]
[2] Shook, S. “Cornell Cemetery, Boone Township”, database, Porter County, Indiana http://www.inportercounty.org/Data/Cemeteries/CornellCemetery.html [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[3] “Cora Ann Casbon Sams”, Find A Grave, http://findagrave.com), http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=143588545 accessed 22 Aug 2016
[4] “85-Year-Old Resident of County Dies.” Vidette-Messenger, 16 Jun 1950. Valparaiso, Indiana. Newspaper Archive Academic Library Edition http://ezproxy.ppld.org:2083/us/indiana/valparaiso/valparaiso-vidette-messenger/1950/06-16 [accessed 29 Oct 2015]
[5] Shook, S. “Cornell Cemetery, Boone Township” [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[6] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-PGM [accessed 21 January 2016]
[7] “Thomas S Casbon.” Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=116217116 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[8] “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ25-59G [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[9] “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ2K-WY9 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[10] Goodspeed, W.A. “Sylvester Casbon.” Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : Historical and Biographical Illustrated 1882. Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/countiesofporter00good [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[11] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTD-TQS [accessed 4 Jul 2016]
[12] “Sylvester V. Casbon” History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Lewis Publishing Company (1912), Pages 482-484. Hathi Trust Digital Library: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679885 [accessed 20 Aug 2016]
[13] “Sylvester V. Casbon” History of Porter County, Indiana…
[14] “Sylvester V. Casbon” History of Porter County, Indiana…
[15] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013.”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZN8-G9Z [accessed 8 December 2014]
[16] “Lillie May Casbon.” Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19252732 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[17] “Lodema E Church. Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=92361867 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[18] “California Death Index”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG51-BB5 [accessed 22 Aug 2017]
[19] “World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards”, FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ2T-BTH [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[20] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDHQ-WJ5 [accessed 22 Aug 2016]
[21] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-54P [accessed 20 Jul 2016]
[22] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9MG-LNV [accessed 4 November 2016]
[23] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMKK-WJX [accessed 4 November 2016]
[24] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9MG-LNV [accessed 4 November 2016]
[25] “United States Census, 1900.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9MG-LNV [accessed 4 November 2016]
[26] “Jesse Casbon, War Vet, Dies at Age of 90.” Vidette Messenger, 25 January 1934. http://ezproxy.ppld.org:2083/us/indiana/valparaiso/valparaiso-vidette-messenger/1934/01-25 [accessed 22 August 2016]
[27] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-Y6X [accessed 20 July 2016]
[28] “Robert N. Rigg.” History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history., (1883), Page 739. Internet Archive https://archive.org/stream/historyoftamacou00unio#page/738/mode/2up [accessed 13 Aug 2016]
[29] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.” FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDH3-B2X [accessed 11 July 2016]

obituary (n.)

Births

Marriages

Deaths

Scanned image courtesy of Ilaine Church. (Click on image to enlarge)

Detail of 1895 plat map, Morgan Township, Porter County, Indiana. (Click on image to enlarge)

A road cart. Image available from The Florida Center for Instructional Technology at https://etc.usf.edu/clipart/76200/76249/76249_road-cart.htm

Image downloaded from “Rake Development Spurred by Mower Technology,” Farm Collector (https://www.farmcollector.com/implements/rake-development- spurred-by-mower-technology : accessed 11 November 2017) (Click on image to enlarge)

Modern version of a spring-tooth drag harrow. Image adapted from Working Horse Tack (https://workinghorsetack.com/The-Pioneer-Spring-Tooth-Harrow-p/4303.htm).

Detail from Meldreth (Cambridgeshire) parish register, baptisms 1840. (Click on image to enlarge)

Marriage record of Charles and Mary McMarrell, Holmes County, Ohio, 30 December, 1868.[9] (Click on image to enlarge)

Detail from 1876 plat map of Porter township, Porter county, Indiana, showing property belonging to Thomas, Charles, and Jesse Casbon. (Click on image to enlarge)

Family portrait, probably taken mid- to late 1890s. Front, L to R: Charles & Mary; Back, L to R: Lodema, Lawrence, and Sina. Photo courtesy of Ron Casbon. (Click on image to enlarge)

L to R: Mary, Charles, and (probably) Sina, about 1912. The original home is no longer standing. (Click on image to enlarge)

Sylvester and Mary (Mereness) Casbon, about 1905. Photo from author’s collection (Click on image to enlarge)