Sarah Johnston Ash-McPherson
Sarah Johnston Ash-McPherson
First week of summer vacation is always my favorite week of the year! However, my list of things that need to be done and what I want to spend my time on always exceeds the amount of summer break I have. This week the weather has been cool and a bit rainy so I have spent most of the time working on the flower and vegetable gardens before it gets too hot. Today was too rainy to work outside so I began to go through all of my genealogy binders, twelve in all. Each of these binders represents a different surname I am researching. I have to confess that sometimes these notebooks do not stay as organized as they should. Today was the day to make amends and dust off some notes I had not looked at for awhile.
While cleaning out the Ash volumes I came across some information loaned to me last summer while visiting family in Colorado. I had never properly read through the information. One piece of information stuck out at me like a red flag, the marriage record for Sarah “Sally” Johnston Ash and Jesse McPherson. I had entered the information in the data base last year but did not think how useful it could be. The problem with the Ash family is there is no documentation linking Elijah Ash to his suspected father Amos Ash. Amos Ash died in 1814 when Elijah was a boy. Sarah, his mother remarried Jesse McPherson and the family moved from Kentucky to Illinois. Although most Ash researchers agree Amos is the father of Elijah there has been no definitive proof.
The epiphany I had while looking at Jesse and Sarah’s marriage date was to send for Sarah’s probate file. We know Sarah died in Scott County, IL in 1864 and is buried in Kinkade Cemetery in Scott County. Elijah died in 1858 prior to his mother but if his siblings were still alive in 1864 and listed as heirs in the probate file then we have a go for the Amos and Elijah connection.
I don’t know why I never thought of this before, perhaps spending the winter looking at probate files of other surnames or just taking a break from a family for awhile gives me a new perspective, most likely both. I know when I first started genealogy there were many resources I did not know about or think to check. Some of my early research could now benefit from going back and checking some of my newest avenues for information. Sometimes I get frustrated when it seems all the families I am researching end in brickwalls, I think a few of these lines may benefit from a fresh look and a bit more experience on my part.
I really wanted to get back out to Illinois as soon as school was out but with this cooler weather I am postponing my trip until the heat sets in, it is always better researching in air-conditioned archive than pulling weeds in the heat!
Update: No will for Sarah Ash-McPherson was found at the Scott County, IL courthouse.
Sarah Johnston Ash-McPherson
First week of summer vacation is always my favorite week of the year! However, my list of things that need to be done and what I want to spend my time on always exceeds the amount of summer break I have. This week the weather has been cool and a bit rainy so I have spent most of the time working on the flower and vegetable gardens before it gets too hot. Today was too rainy to work outside so I began to go through all of my genealogy binders, twelve in all. Each of these binders represents a different surname I am researching. I have to confess that sometimes these notebooks do not stay as organized as they should. Today was the day to make amends and dust off some notes I had not looked at for awhile.
While cleaning out the Ash volumes I came across some information loaned to me last summer while visiting family in Colorado. I had never properly read through the information. One piece of information stuck out at me like a red flag, the marriage record for Sarah “Sally” Johnston Ash and Jesse McPherson. I had entered the information in the data base last year but did not think how useful it could be. The problem with the Ash family is there is no documentation linking Elijah Ash to his suspected father Amos Ash. Amos Ash died in 1814 when Elijah was a boy. Sarah, his mother remarried Jesse McPherson and the family moved from Kentucky to Illinois. Although most Ash researchers agree Amos is the father of Elijah there has been no definitive proof.
The epiphany I had while looking at Jesse and Sarah’s marriage date was to send for Sarah’s probate file. We know Sarah died in Scott County, IL in 1864 and is buried in Kinkade Cemetery in Scott County. Elijah died in 1858 prior to his mother but if his siblings were still alive in 1864 and listed as heirs in the probate file then we have a go for the Amos and Elijah connection.
I don’t know why I never thought of this before, perhaps spending the winter looking at probate files of other surnames or just taking a break from a family for awhile gives me a new perspective, most likely both. I know when I first started genealogy there were many resources I did not know about or think to check. Some of my early research could now benefit from going back and checking some of my newest avenues for information. Sometimes I get frustrated when it seems all the families I am researching end in brickwalls, I think a few of these lines may benefit from a fresh look and a bit more experience on my part.
I really wanted to get back out to Illinois as soon as school was out but with this cooler weather I am postponing my trip until the heat sets in, it is always better researching in air-conditioned archive than pulling weeds in the heat!
Update: No will for Sarah Ash-McPherson was found at the Scott County, IL courthouse.
