John Russell and his descendents

jcvalade@gmail.com

Joseph² Russell (John¹) was born about 1791 in Washington County, Virginia. He died 28 Dec 1859 in Cole County, Missouri. He married 24 Nov 1810 in Washington County, Virginia, Mary Chiles who was born about 1785 in Virginia and died in 1852 in Cole County, Missouri. She was the daughter of Henry Chiles and Francis (Nevils) Chiles.

Early Years

Joseph Russell was born about 1791 in Washington County, Virginia. Probate records for his father, John, include a list of John's children in birth order. The estimates of birth years for Joseph and his siblings were based on the order of birth, a few census records, and property and land tax records showing the years in which John's older sons appear on the tax lists.¹ Joseph's parents were:

• John Russell, b. about 1756; d. 1821 in Missouri.²
• Barsheba.

Evidence shows that Joseph is the son of John--John's probate record shows that he has a son named Joseph,³ Joseph and John live close to each other in the 1810 census,⁴ John transfered land to Joseph in 1816 when he moved to Missouri,⁵ and Joseph later moved to the same area of Missouri where John lived.⁶ Joseph's mother's name is found in John Russell's probate documents, but her maiden name is not known. Joseph is the middle child of eight.⁷

Marriage and Children

Joseph married Mary "Polly" Chiles on 24 Nov 1810 in Washington County, Virginia.⁸ Mary's father, Henry Chiles, and her brother, Paul Chiles, were neighbors of Joseph's father. They appear on the same page as John in the 1810 census.⁹ Henry Chiles also appears on the Virginia Land Tax Lists in the same area as John beginning in 1795.¹⁰ (A DNA match was found for a descendant of Joseph and Polly and a descendent of Polly's bother William. The match was found using an Ancestry autosomal DNA test.)

Joseph and Polly were married by James Foley. James was probably the uncle of Abraham Nordyke Foley, the husband of Barsheba, Joseph's sister. Abraham's father, Elijah, and many other of Abraham's family, including James, were baptist ministers.¹¹

Joseph's estate documents include this executor's statement that lists the names of his children.¹²

State of Missouri County of Cole I Henry C. Russell Executor of the last will of Joseph Russell deceased do swear that Charity Russell is the widow of said deceased and that Elizabeth Johnson, Matilda Ballinger, Bersheba Fulkerson, Nancy Russell, Sarah Sullens, Mary Musick, Martha Jesse Lowe, William B. Russell, Henry C. Russell, widow are children of said deceased and that they all reside in Cole County aforesaid and Isabella Russell, Elizabeth Jane Russell and Lucy Ann Russell aforesaid children of said deceased and also reside in said County of Cole and that William Russell also aforesaid child of said deceased resides in Pulaski County in said State, and the children and heirs of Abraham Russell deceased residents of Miller County in said State and also aforesaid children of said Joseph Russell deceased. That I will make a perfect inventory of and faithfully administer said Estate account for and pay the debts of said deceased aforesaid as far as the assets will allow and as the law directs of my Court having jurisdiction thereof to the best of my ability so help me God…..Henry C. Russell --Filed July 6, 1860

The executor's statement and other information about the children result in the following list of Joseph and Polly's eleven children:

1. Elizabeth, born about 1812.¹³
   1. married William Johnston.¹⁴
2. John J, born about 1814.¹⁵
   1. married Mary "Polly" Henley on 31 Oct 1838 in Cole County, Missouri.
3. Abraham Franklin "Frank", born about 1815.¹⁶
   1. married Jane Ann Marie Boice 9 Nov 1834 in Cole County, Missouri.
4. Matilda C., born about 1816.¹⁷
   1. married James McMullen Ballenger, 3 Mar 1859 in Cole Co, Missouri.¹⁸
5. Barsheba, born about 1818.¹⁹
   1. married John L Fulkerson, 10 May 1840 Cole Co, Missouri.²⁰
6. Nancy Meeks, born about 1819. [blind, never married]²¹
7. Henry Clay, born 12 Jan 1821 in Washington Co, Virginia.²²
   1. married Louisa W Green 22 Dec 1842 in Cole County, Missouri.²³
8. Sarah Virginia, born 18 Apr 1823.²⁴
   1. married John Jefferson Sullens 12 Sep 1843 in Cole County, Missouri.²⁵
9. William Burch, born about 1826.²⁶
   1. married Hester Malinda Hoskins in 4 Apr 1847 in Cole County, Missouri.²⁷
10. Mary M, born 28 Dec 1828.²⁸
    1. married James Allen Musick in 7 Oct 1849 in Cole County, Missouri.²⁹
11. Martha Jessie Jane, born about 1835.³⁰
    1. married Cornelius Lowe in 3 Apr 1853 in Cole County, Missouri.³¹

Joseph probably married Charity Howard about 1853, after Polly died. The executor's statement in Joseph's probate file states that he was married to Charity when he died, but exactly when he married her is not clear because no record of the marriage has been found. Charity was married previously to James West and had a child with him in 1848.³² James West is not listed with Charity in the 1850 census, but Polly is still married to Joseph.³³ In the 1860 census, after Joseph's death, Charity is listed with two young children with the last name Russell.³⁴ However, this is complicated by the fact that the census taker also listed the older children living with her with the last name Russell when they should have been listed with the last name West. Asuming that the two younger children (born 1854 and 1857) are, indeed, Joseph Russell's children, Charity and Joseph must have married around 1853. It then follows that Polly must have died before 1853, perhaps 1852 or 1851, since it seems highly unlikely that she and Joseph divorced after so many years and children together. However, all this speculation is based on the assumption that the two younger children are Joseph's, raising the question of why these two children are not listed as Joseph's heirs. The two children in question are:

1. Rachel Josephine, born about 1854 in Missouri.
2. James Lilburn, born about 1857 in Missouri.

Joseph's children all lived their lives in Missouri, in the area where Joseph settled. Originally, it was Boone County, then Cole County, and finally Miller County. All his children lived and died there. John and Abraham died young, a little before Joseph. Nancy was blind and never married. After Joseph died, she lived with her brother, Henry, and then her sister, Matilda. Altogether, his children produced 53 grandchildren.

In Virginia

Joseph Russell is first documented in Washington County in the 1810 federal census.³⁵ Since he just married in November 1810, his household contains only himself and his wife, with no children and no slaves. They lived close to Joseph's father, John.

In 1816, John Russell, Joseph's father, sold all his land in Virginia to emigrate to Missouri. He sold 100 acres to Joseph, leaving Joseph on the land where he was raised.³⁶ The land is in the newly formed Scott County, created in 1815 out of part of Washington County. Joseph paid land tax on 100 acres from 1816 to 1821.³⁷ The land is on the North Fork of the Holsten River. The property is shown to be 13 miles southest of the courthouse in Gate City. John also sold part of his land to the heir of James Foley, the man who officiated at Joseph's wedding, who was a neighbor.³⁸

Joseph is also found on the Scott County Personal Property Tax Lists.³⁹ He paid taxes for 2, 3, or 4 horses each year from 1815 to 1820. He disppears from the tax list in 1821, which is the year he emigrated to Missouri, joining two brothers and a sister.

In 1820, Joseph is found in the US Census in Scott County, Virginia.⁴⁰ Scott county was created from part of Washington County in 1815, so Joseph did not move; the part of the county where he resided was renamed. At this point, his household consisted of:

• 1 male 26-44
• 1 female 26-44
• 1 female 10-15
• 3 females under 10
• 2 males under 10

On 13 Sep 1821, Joseph and his wife transfered their land to Henry Fleener.⁴¹ Joseph and his family emigrated to Missouri to join his family members who had migrated a few years earlier. His father, brothers Henry and Patterson, and his sister Barsheba had been in Missouri since 1817.⁴² By the time he arrived in Missouri, his father was dead, dying in Aug 1821.

In Missouri

Joseph probably did not arrive Boone County, Missouri, where his family was, until 1822. His name does not appear on the 1821 Boone County Tax list,⁴³ although his brother, Patterson, is on the list. His father, John, does not appear on this list, either, so the list was probably compiled after John died in Aug 1821. It seems that Joseph did not arrive until after his father died.

Joseph made full payment for 80 acres of land in Boone County, Missouri on 1 Jun 1824.⁴⁴ Patterson Russell, Joseph's brother, has land very close,⁴⁵ purchased 15 Nov 1823, providing evidence that this Joseph is John's son. Joseph's land is Range 13, Township 48, Section 15 and Patterson's land is Range 13, Township 48, section 29.

Further evidence of Joseph in Boone County is provided by an 1828 court case with Joseph Russell and Patterson Russell as joint defendants.⁴⁶ The case links Joseph with his brother, establishing that he is the Joseph who is the son of John Russell. The entry in the court book shows:

361   Collier and Yates vs. Petterson Y Russell and Joseph Russell.. Debt

In 1830, the US census shows Joseph in Cole County, Missouri, with a household of:⁴⁷

• 1 male 30-39
• 1 female 40-49
• 1 female 60-69
• 1 female 20-29
• 1 male 15-19
• 1 female 15-19
• 1 male 10-14
• 1 male 5-9
• 1 male 0-4

On 1 May 1839 a Joseph Russell grants a land deed to Trustee, United Bapt. It's reasonable to believe this is the Joseph Russell that is the subject of this Web page because this family is Baptist. Several of Joseph's children were involved in the founding of Hickory Hill Baptist Church in Cole County. The following is an except from a website article on the history of Cole County Baptist Churches.⁴⁸

A copy of what is referred to as the "1860 Church Covenant" is still in possession of the church; it begins as follows: "We whose name are hereto affixed", and at the close it is signed by William Johnston, Elizabeth Johnston, Sally Bond, James M. Ballenger, Matilda C. Ballenger, Isabella Russell and William Barr. Apparently those were the charter members. At that time the church had quarter-time services, meeting on the third Sunday of each month, with preaching and business meeting on Saturday evening before. The treasurer's report of the financial standing of the church was given every three moths. They had no budget system, no cooperative program, but the laymen did serve on committees, even riding horse back to call on members and solicit for missions.

In this excerpt, Elizabeth Johnston and Matilda Balenger are Joseph's daughters and Isabella Russell is Joseph's granddaughter.

Joseph is found in the US Census in 1840 living in Clark, Cole County, Missouri.⁴⁹ At this time, his household consists of:

• 1 male 40-49
• 1 female 50-59
• 1 male 20-29
• 1 female 20-29
• 1 male 15-19
• 3 females 15-19
• 1 male 10-14
• 1 female 5-9
• 1 male slave 36-54

In 1841, Joseph purchased 60 acres in Cole County, Missouri.⁵⁰ Although the government land grant database shows the date on the record as 1841, a book of Cole County history states that he was on the land in 1832, with his brother settling next to him in 1837.⁵¹ The following is an excerpt from the book:

Township 42, Range 12, was entered west of the Osage River, on Section 35, by Joseph RUSSELL, in 1832; on Section 34, by Louis BOLTON and Abram F. RUSSELL, in 1837;

In 1850, Joseph is found in the census in Cole County, Missouri.⁵² At this time, his household consists of:

	Age	Born	Born in
Joseph	60	about 1790	Virginia
Polly	65	about 1785	Virginia
Matilda	34	about 1816	Virginia
Nancy	28	about 1822	Virginia
Jane	15	about 1835	Missouri

Death

Joseph died 28 Dec 1859 in Cole County, Missouri. A death certificate has not been found. His will is dated 9 Nov 1859. ⁵³It states that "my property and affects be equally divided amongst my several heirs". It appoints his sons Henry C and William B as his executors. Henry Clay Russell's death certificate shows that he was born in 1821 in Washington County, Virginia,⁵⁴ verifying that this family came from Washington County, Virginia and providing further evidence that this will was made by the Joseph Russell who is the son of John Russell.

Joseph's grave has not been found.