Hamilton Cemetery,
Summit Twp., Monroe Co., Ohio
(The Families of Denbow, Dillon,
Hamilton, Morris and the Hamilton (Burkhart) Cemetery)
Cemetery Readings by Andy Morris
and Henry
Dillon
general views
photographed October 2000
Perhaps the best approach to a discussion of the
interconnections between these families should start with the Hamilton Cemetery
(also referred to as the Burkhart
Cemetery), where we have
known information about the very earliest settlers to this region, which was to
become Summit Twp. Traveling west from Lewisville for two miles,
the first through road to the north (right side) is Devoe Ridge Road (below), a currently
unmarked township road labeled T-71 on county maps.
Behind the second house on the left (a white farm house) is
a moderately steep, cultivated hill with a tall fir shaped tree just beyond the
top of the first slope (visible from the road).
This tree is in the Hamilton
Cemetery. We have approximated this location to be in
the southwestern quadrant of R6, T6, S31. This cemetery is important because members of
all four connected families listed above are buried in this cemetery. This region appears to have been a focal
point for these families during the roughly middle half of the 19th century,
more or less. There is a continuation of
these families into the adjacent cemeteries, i. e., Wise, Bracken Ridge, etc.,
but we simply have not studied these cemeteries to the same detail.
The Hamilton
Cemetery information
below (with some supplementary remarks) has been prepared and arranged by Andy
Morris, himself a descendant of many of these folks.
A)
Inscriptions in the Hamilton
Cemetery
“The following is an alphabetical listing of the gravestones
we read in the Hamilton
Cemetery on October 26,
2000. If what we found was different
from Catherine Fedorchak's references of Hamilton Cemetery,
I put her information in red parentheses ( ) after the
inscription that we copied” (from Andy Morris).
It should be here noted Catherine Fedorchak was and is a historical
legend to anyone involved in Monroe Co. family research. Her many volumes of family information could
be the core for any researcher’s reference source on Monroe County
genealogy. These marvelous historical
volumes are housed in the genealogy room of the Monroe Co. Public Library in
Woodsfield.
The Hamilton (Burkhart) Cemetery gravestones read as
follows:
Elizabeth Ayers, wife of John
H. Died May 29, 185_? (May 29, 1856?)
John H. Ayers, died Jan. 12, 1861, aged 42 years
John H. Ayers, son of J. H. and E. Ayers, d. Dec. 24, 1856, aged 2 1/2 yrs
Martin
W. Ayers, son of J. H. and E. Ayers, d. May 18, 185_?, aged 1 year (May 18, 1859?)
Silus B. Ayers, son of J. H. and
E. Died May 21, 1859, aged 18 years
Juliann
Barnhouse, wife of Michael, died Feb. 17, 1854, aged 30 years (daughter of Michael)
Charles F. Billman, 1829-1883
Hannah J. Billman, 1839-1918
Hamilton Dillon, died Jan. 5,
1849 in his 26th year of his age (aged 60 years)
Hamilton was the brother of Mary
Morris and Peter Dillon, and brother-in-law of Jane Dillon and James R. Morris.
Jane
Dillon, wife of Peter, died May 25, 1855, Aged 41 yrs, 10 mo, and 1 day (May 25, 1854)
Jane
was the first wife of Peter Dillon. He
later remarried and lived in Clarington, then later Wheeling, West Virginia. He is buried in Peninsula
Cemetery in East
Wheeling.
Sarah Jane Dillon, dau. of
P & J, d. July 14, 1854, aged 12 years, 10 mo and 10 days
She was the daughter of
Peter and Jane Dillon.
Michael Gilmore, died Jan. 19, 1852, aged 35 years
John Hamilton, died July 24, 1854, aged 60 years
Elizabeth Hamilton, died Oct. 14, 1840, aged 76
years
Elizabeth may have been
the first person buried in this cemetery.
Sherm Dillon reported that Rachel Hamilton, wife of John Dillon, may also have died c1840. Her family would have been living nearby, but
no record or evidence of Rachel’s grave was located.
Margaret Hamilton, b. April 6, 1797, d. Dec 26,
1870, aged 73 years
William Hamilton, died Aug. 16,
1883, aged 9 years (unsure of year and age)
Grover Cleveland Kuhlman, son of C. and E., b. July
1, 1884, d. 2-20-1886, Aged 1 yr.
Rachel Lindemood, wife of Ryan,
died 185_?
Infant Lindemood, Infant
Lindemood, son and dau. of R & R, died July 19, 185_?
Double stone.
Mary Morris, wife of James, died July 7, 1847,
aged 37 years
Mary is my great-great grandmother (Andy
Morris). She was the sister of Hamilton
Dillon and Peter Dillon.
Anna Maria Robinson, dau. of H & E, died Jan. 13, 1868, 2 yrs, 10 mos, 12 d.
Cumming
Robinson, son of H & E, died May 18, 1851, aged 1 mo & 17 days (Sept 17, 1850)
John
Robinson, son of H & E, died July 24, 1847, aged 2 yrs, 2 mo, 12 days (aged 6 years)
Margaret Rachel Robinson, dau. of Hugh and Elizabeth, died Nov. 20, 1859, 2 yrs.
Peter H. Robinson, son of H
& E, died July 24, 1847, aged 8 mos, 13 days (aged 8 years)
Margaret Rucker, wife of Ephraim, died Apr. 17,
1856, aged 56 years
Jacob Albert Wagonfield, son of Fred and Margaret,
died Sept. 22, 1864, aged 1 year
B) “The
following are listed in Catherine Fedorchak's reference as buried in the Hamilton Cemetery, but we did not find them. Many of the stones in this cemetery have been
broken or worn and weathered and could not be read.” (from
Andy Morris)
Infant of C & H Billman
John Clegg
We did find a footstone with
the initials "JC"
Peter Dillon (son of P & J, died July 7, 1851, aged 8
months), son of Peter and Jane Dillon.
John William Hamilton (son of J
& S, died Aug. 31, 18_2 ?)
Oliver Hamilton (son of J and M
J, b. June 22, 1858, died Sept. 19, 1864)
Harry Kuhlman (son of C & E,
b. Feb. 5, 1872, d. Feb. 28, 1873)
Flemin Rucker (died July 6,
1847, aged 19 years, 6 mos.)
Lemuel Rucker (died May 19, 1831
or 1851, aged 26 years)
C) We found
the following gravestones, not included or listed in Catherine Fedorchak's
references. They may have fallen face down and could not have been read or may have
been lost in the heavy vegetation and growth at the time they were originally
read. We found the most successful way
of dealing with the heavy brush and vegetation, was to cut it back to ground
level and remove it altogether from the cemetery, thus, exposing all
stones. There may have been additional
buried markers, which remained undetected and unread.
Bender
Only the top of the stone
with the name on it.
Sgt. C.
F. Billman, Co. K 78th Ohio Inf. Died Dec 25, 1883, Aged 54 yrs, 10 mo, 21
days
This Civil War marker is located behind the stone of
Charles and Hannah Billman.
Jackson Denbow, 1834-1852
Son of John and Martha
Martha Denbow, In Memory of, 1798-1855
John Denbow, In Memory of, 1797-1864
According Carl J. Denbow,
John Denbow is probably buried in Cairo,
Illinois in a national cemetery
after dying during the Civil War. He was
in Co. K 78th
OVI.
Anne Hamilton, wife of Hugh Hamilton, died Sept.
12, 1842, aged 27 yrs
Peter Hamilton, died April 17, 1846, aged 20 yrs,
2 mo, 3 days
Ephraim Rucker, 1796-1884
Documented
to have been one of the earliest settlers to Summit Twp.
D) Interconnections of the Hamilton Cemetery Families
Further, with additional help from Andy Morris, we
constructed some generalizations and drew some conclusions regarding the
relationships of many of the folks buried in this Cemetery. But first we needed some unverified assumptions
as follows:
Assumption 1.
Elizabeth Hamilton (c1764-1840), buried in the Hamilton Cemetery,
is the wife of Hugh Hamilton. Elizabeth
Hamilton has the oldest inscribed stone in the cemetery [refer to Jeff Billman
(Billman Family History) website] which lists this Elizabeth married to a Hugh Hamilton
(unverified).
The 1810 Census for Greene Co., Franklin Twp., lists a Hugh
Hamilton, over 45, with a wife, 25-45.
Thus, Elizabeth, marginally qualifies as Hugh’s wife. Hugh does not appear in the 1820 Greene Co.
Census. Nor does Hugh Hamilton appear in
the 1820 Monroe Co. Census. But a Hugh
Hamilton is listed in the 1820 Belmont Co., OH Census Index for Warren
Twp. It does not seem likely that Hugh
and Elizabeth resettled to Monroe Co. during the decade 1810-1820.
However, a Hugh Hamilton acquired land November 2, 1835 in
R7, T6, S12.
This is the same section in which Vincent
Dillon, Sr. filed for land, October 11, 1833 and again in
December 26, 1835, less than two months after Hugh. It therefore seems probable that Hugh Hamilton
and Vincent Dillon were acquainted with each other. Further, from Assumption 2,
Hugh Hamilton may well have been Vincent’s father-in-law.
Judging by the information regarding Hugh Hamilton’s age in
1810, he would have been age 70+ in 1835.
It’s therefore entirely possible he may have died prior to the 1840
Monroe Co. Census, as he is not found in the 1840 nor
in later Monroe Co. Censuses. If so, he
may also have been buried in the Hamilton
Cemetery. There is also record
of the following land purchase in Range 17:
[see fig.7 - Hugh Hamilton's land 1822 (may not be our family)], though
we have no evidence this is our Hamilton
family.
Assumption 2.
Rachel Hamilton (c1785- c1840), wife of John Dillon (c1785-c1848), was the
daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Hamilton.
She is listed on a Monroe Co. deed as ‘John and Rachel Dillon’, though
we know John Dillon purchased land as early as 1833. Her youngest son, John, listed Rachel’s
maiden name as ‘Hamilton’
in his Civil War pension documents.
Sherm Dillon has written that Rachel Hamilton Dillon died
about 1840. John Dillon (Sr.) (her
husband) owned property (R7, T7, S13) slightly more than a mile distant from
the Hamilton Cemetery in 1840. We
further know she lived with her family in Greene Co., PA prior to resettling in
Monroe Co. Her age (b.1780-1790)
suggests the possibility of being the daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth
Hamilton. Further, she named a son,
Hugh, an uncommon name, presumably after her assumed father, Hugh Hamilton.
Assumption
3. The John Hamilton (c1794-1854) and Margaret Hamilton
buried to the right of Elizabeth Hamilton, were husband and wife, Margaret Wise
(1797-1870). Jacob and Mary Wise had a
daughter, Margaret (1797-1870). Further,
John and Margaret Hamilton are known to have had a son, John, b. c1834, who
married Melissa Dillon, daughter of Peter Dillon and Jane Moore Dillon. This John Hamilton served initially with the
77th OVI as did Peter Dillon, his father-in-law.
Assumption
4. The John (c1794-1854) and Margaret Hamilton buried to the
right of Elizabeth Hamilton were her son and daughter-in-law, Margaret Wise
(1797-1870). This would make John Hamilton and Rachel Hamilton Dillon
(c1785-c1840), brother and sister.
Assumption
5. The children of John and Margaret Hamilton that Jeff
Billman has listed are correct, pending verification of his sources. He shows the following listing for their
children; Elizabeth, Joseph, Jacob H., Hugh, Rachel, John, Mary Ann and Hannah
Jane (per the 1820-1850 Monroe Co. Censuses for Hamilton) (per the 1820 Census
Monroe Co., Seneca Twp for Morris, Wells, Wise, Hambleton). We found reference to many of these same
individuals in Fedorchak’s publications.
Again from Andy Morris “By doing this, I can tie together
almost everyone buried in the Hamilton Cemetery ---- “, as follows:
a. Charles F.
Billman, husband of Hannah Jane Billman, son-in-law of John and Margaret
Hamilton;
b. Hannah Jane Billman, wife of Charles F.
Billman, daughter of John and Margaret Hamilton, sister of Rachel Lindamood and
Elizabeth Robinson, granddaughter of Elizabeth Hamilton, first cousin of
Hamilton Dillon and Mary Dillon Morris, aunt of Anna Maria Robinson, Cumming
Robinson, John Robinson, Margaret Rachel Robinson, Peter H. Robinson, and
infant twins, Lindamood;
c. Hamilton Dillon,
grandson of Elizabeth Hamilton, brother of Mary Morris, nephew of John
Hamilton, first cousin of Hannah J. Billman, Rachel Lindamood, brother-in-law
to Jane Dillon, uncle to Sarah Jane Dillon and Peter Dillon;
d. Jane Dillon,
mother of Peter and Sarah Jane Dillon, and the sister-in-law of Hamilton Dillon
and Mary Dillon Morris;
e. Anne Hamilton,
first wife of Hugh Hamilton, daughter-in-law of John and Margaret Hamilton,
daughter of Ephraim and Margaret Rucker;
f. Elizabeth
Hamilton, mother of John Hamilton, mother-in-law to Margaret Hamilton,
grandmother of Mary Dillon Morris, Hamilton Dillon, Hannah J. Billman, Rachel
Lindamood, and Elizabeth Robinson;
g. John Hamilton,
son of Elizabeth Hamilton, husband of Margaret Hamilton, father of Hannah J.
Billman, Rachel Lindamood, and Elizabeth Robinson, uncle of Mary Dillon Morris,
Hamilton Dillon;
h. Margaret
Hamilton, wife of John Hamilton, mother of Hannah Jane Billman, Rachel
Lindamood, and Elizabeth Robinson, daughter-in-law of Elizabeth Hamilton;
i. Rachel
Lindemood, mother of infant twins, Lindemood, daughter of John and Margaret
Hamilton, granddaughter of Elizabeth Hamilton, sister of Hannah Jane Billman,
first cousin of Hamilton Dillon and Mary Dillon Morris, and aunt of Anna Maria
Robinson, Cumming Robinson, John Robinson, Margaret Rachel Robinson, Peter H.
Robinson, and infant, Billman;
j. Infant twins,
Lindemood, son and daughter of Rachel Lindemood, grandchildren of John and
Margaret Hamilton, great, grandchildren of Elizabeth Hamilton;
k. Mary Dillon
Morris, sister of Hamilton Dillon, granddaughter of Elizabeth Hamilton, first
cousin of Hannah Jane Billman and Rachel Lindemood, sister-in-law of Jane
Dillon, aunt of Sarah Jane and Peter Dillon;
l. Anna Maria
Robinson, Cumming Robinson, John Robinson, Margaret Rachel Robinson, and Peter
H. Robinson, all children of Hugh and Elizabeth Robinson. Elizabeth was the daughter of John and
Margaret Hamilton, granddaughter of Elizabeth Hamilton, sister of Hannah J.
Billman and Rachel Lindamood, and first cousin of Hamilton Dillon and Mary
Dillon Morris;
m. Ephraim and
Margaret Rucker, parents of Anne Hamilton and father-in-law and mother-in-law
of Hugh Hamilton (son of John and Margaret Hamilton);
n. Jacob Albert
Wagonfield, great grandson of John and Margaret Hamilton, great-great grandson
of Elizabeth Hamilton. Jacob Albert was
the son of Fred and Margaret Wagonfield (Waggenfelt). Margaret Wagonfield was the daughter of Jacob
Hamilton, who was the son of John and Margaret Hamilton.
E) Additional Relationships, Connections and Associations
Also buried in the Hamilton Cemetery is a Michael Gilmore,
who was living with Hugh and Elizabeth Robinson on the 1850 Monroe Co.
Census. The census shows that he was
born in Ireland, as was Hugh Robinson.
Ryan and Rachel Lindamood were living in Bethel Township on
the 1850 census at 673/674. Rachel's
first cousin, John Dillon, and his wife, Malinda, were also living very close
by them at 668/669 (refer to the 1850 Monroe Co., OH Census for Bethel Twp –
John Dillon Jr.).
Ephraim and Margaret Rucker had
another daughter, Sarah Jane, who was married to George Washington Denbow, son
of John and Martha Denbow. George's twin
brother, Jackson Denbow, along with parents John and Martha are in the Hamilton
Cemetery. William “Billy” Denbow, son of
John and Martha, married Anna Dillon, daughter of Thomas Dillon and Sarah Ann
Morris Dillon. Thomas Dillon was the sibling
of Mary Dillon Morris, Hamilton and Peter Dillon referenced above, while Sarah
Ann Morris was the sibling of James R. Morris, married to Mary Dillon Morris,
also referenced above.
Jane Moore Dillon and husband, Peter Dillon, were parents of
Melissa Dillon who married John Hamilton, possibly the son of John Hamilton and
Margaret Wise, nephew of Rachel Hamilton Dillon.
“Given the number of worn, uninscribed stones to the right
of John and Margaret Hamilton, one of them could very likely have been for
Rachel Hamilton Dillon, wife of John Dillon Sr.
There could have been a marker for Hugh Hamilton at one time on either
side of Elizabeth Hamilton. There is
space.”
Unquestionably, Andy’s analysis and reconstruction of these
Hamilton Cemetery folks has been enormously beneficial to this research of our
families.
F) Further Research
Further from the ‘Spirit of Democracy’, Issue of April 25,
1855 (from Catharine Fedorchak, Volume III, page 50), we have additional
information as evidence of these family connections. The location, Township 7, Range 7, is in very
close proximity to the Hamilton Cemetery (T6, R6, S31):
“Notice: Partition -
Hugh Hamilton, Benjamin Hamilton, Joseph Hamilton, John Hamilton, Elizabeth
Robinson, Hugh Robinson, her husband; Rachel Lindamood, and Rihu Lindamood, her
husband; Mary Ann Hamilton and Hannah Jane Hamilton petition filed against them
on the 19th day of Apr., 1855 by Jacob Hamilton. Margaret Hamilton, widow of John Hamilton,
deceased, has a life estate by the will of her deceased husband in S.1, T.7,
R.7, etc. being the home farm and first entry and by the same will John
Hamilton provided for as follows: - 2nd
- I give and devise to my son John Hamilton 80 acres being immediately east of
the home farm already described.”
Finally, the “1869 Landowners Map of Monroe Co., Ohio”,
compiled by Rita Bone Kopp, 1984 and reprinted in 1996 by the Monroe Co.
Chapter of the OGS, displays on p.32 the land ownership in the SW quadrant
of T6, R6, S31, location of the Hamilton
Cemetery, belonging to J. H. Hamilton, possibly Jacob H. Hamilton, son of John
Hamilton, grandson of Hugh and Elizabeth Hamilton, nephew of Rachel Hamilton
Dillon.
Continuing with connections regarding the Denbows, the
following is hardly more than a sample of a network of connecting links and
families. Much of this information has
been taken from Fedorchak’s research, various censuses, land records and deeds,
‘Spirit of Democracy’ obituaries and articles, and family research of other
researchers:
Cena Denbow, daughter of Thomas, granddaughter of Billy
Denbow and Anna Dillon, married Jack Dillon in Monroe Co., abt 1898. We have not researched this Dillon’s line.
Hamilton Dillon was the second husband of Elizabeth
Denbow. Elizabeth’s first husband had
been William N.Wise. The Wise Cemetery
is a short distance from the Hamilton Cemetery adjacent to State Rte 78 (refer
to the Wise Cemetery (refer to the Bracken Ridge Cemetery).
George Washington Denbow, buried in the Bracken Ridge
Cemetery, whose father and mother, John and Martha are buried in Hamilton
Cemetery, married Sarah Jane Rucker, whose family is buried in the Hamilton
Cemetery as well. Vincent E. Dillon, son
of Hamilton Dillon, married Harriet Denbow, daughter of John Denbow and Sarah
Paith. This line has not been researched
further.
We also located a James Morris Denbow (1860 Monroe Co.
Census), son of Levi Denbow, grandson of John and Martha, who married Rachel
Morris, daughter of James R. Morris and Mary Dillon Morris.
Henry Dillon, son of Hugh Dillon, married Rachel J.
Denbow. Charles Clarence Wise married
Sarah Bertha Denbow. Sarah was the
daughter of Levi Denbow and Rachel Morris, the granddaughter of John and Martha
Denbow and James R. Morris and Mary Dillon Morris. Both sets of their grandparents are referenced
several times above.
A final document appropriate and helpful to this section is
a list of Civil War veterans residing in Summit Twp in 1904 (see below).
G) Hamilton - Jackson Co., WV
From the ‘Spirit of Democracy’, we have the following
obituary:
5 May 1910
"HAMILTON - Hugh, of Ravenswood District in Jackson Co.
WV, d 16 Apr, 90y llm 8d,
b Green Co PA, s/o John, family to Monroe Co. OH before
1840, located on head waters of Wills creek in Summit twp,. mar'd 8 may 1843
Annie RUCKER d/o Ephraim,
children: Benjamin who d 2 Aug 1864 & John of
Jackson Co WV, wife d 1847 & buried in old Hamilton cemetery on the old
homestead in Ohio, mar'd 28 Dec 1848 Mary
DORRNON, 2 children: Annie & Addison, c50ys ago to
Jackson Co WV, 2 or 3 sisters survive in Monroe Co OH."
This obituary conforms with our reconstruction of the
interconnections of families found in the Hamilton cemetery. Hugh is listed as born in Greene Co., PA, the
son of John Hamilton. A John Hamilton
meeting the description of Hugh’s father, is listed in the 1820 Monroe Co.
Census for Seneca Twp. Hugh’s wife,
Annie Rucker, d.1847, is the daughter of Ephraim Rucker and wife, Margaret. Annie Rucker and her parents are buried in
the Hamilton Cemetery.
Sons, Benjamin and John Hamilton are listed in the 1850
Monroe Co. Census for Monroe Co., Franklin Twp., OH, living with their father,
Hugh and his new wife, Mary (refer to the 1820-1850 Monroe Co. Census for
Hamilton). Benjamin was eventually killed
in the Civil War. A John Hamilton, also
from PA and presumably the father of Hugh Hamilton, is listed in the 1850
Seneca Twp.
Son, John Hamilton, eventually moved with father, Hugh and
second wife, Mary, to Jackson Co., WV.
Children, Anna, b. 1854 and Addison, b.1855 are listed as children of
Hugh and Mary. Hugh and Mary Hamilton
are listed in the 1880 Jackson Co., WV Census.
Hugh and Mary are listed as born in OH, though the 1850 Monroe Co., OH
Census lists Hugh’s birthplace as PA.
Hamilton Dillon,
died Jan. 5, 1849,
Jane Dillon, wife of Peter, Rachel Lindemood, wife of Ryan,
died 185_?
in his 26th year of his age died May 25,
1855,
Aged 41 yrs, 10 mo, and 1 day
Infant Lindemood,
Infant Lindemood,
Michael Gilmore, Elizabeth
Hamilton, died Oct. 14, 1840,
son and dau. of R & R, died July 19,
185_?
died Jan. 19, 1852, aged 35 years aged 76 years
John Hamilton,
died July 24, 1854,
Margaret Hamilton, Charles F. Billman,
1829-1883
aged 60 years b. April 6, 1797, d. Dec 26, 1870, Hannah J.
Billman, 1839-1918
aged 73 years
Cumming Robinson,
son of H & E Mary Morris, wife of James Sarah Jane
Dillon, dau. of P & J
died
May 18, 1851
died July 7, 1847
d. July 14, 1854
aged 1
mo & 17 days aged
37 years
aged 12 years, 10, mo and10 days
William Hamilton, died Aug. 16, 1883, aged 9 years Jackson Denbow,
1834-1852
Martha
Denbow, In Memory of, 1798-1855
John
Denbow, In Memory of, 1797-1864
Sgt. C. F. Billman, Co. K 78th Ohio Inf. Died Dec 25, 1883 Anna Maria
Robinson
Aged 54 yrs, 10 mo, 21 days dau. of H & E
died Jan. 13, 1868, 2 yrs, 10
mos, 12 d.
Bender (Only the top of the stone with the name on
it).
Ephraim
Rucker, 1796-1884
Jackson
Denbow, 1834-1852
John Denbow, In Memory of, 1797-1864
Juliann
Barnhouse, wife of Michael Martha Denbow, In Memory of,
1798-1855
died
Feb. 17, 1854, aged 30 years
Grover Cleveland Kuhlman, son of C. and E.,
Peter Hamilton, died April 17, 1846
b. July 1, 1884, d. 2-20-1886,
Aged 1 yr. Aged 20 yrs, 2 mo,
3 days
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