Clarence Goldsberry's 4 Generation Pedigree

 

 

     To help understand how Clarence Goldsberry is related to the families the previous posts have featured, here is a four-generation pedigree chart that shows the Ashworths, Pennybakers, Lovetts that have been mentioned so far on Goldsberry Pickin's:

 

 

 

 

No Blarney--Our Irish Roots!

 

County Wicklow, Ireland

 

   I introduced Mary Ashworth (1863-1928) as my great-grandmother in the previous post.  My father never really told me anything more about her, and she would have died when Daddy was only 10 years old.  She must, however, have maintained a relationship with Clarence, even though he didn't live with her for much of his childhood, because she is buried in the Burson Cemetery, right behind Clarence's grave with a grave marker that says "Mother." 

 

    It turns out that Mary Ashworth's family is a fascinating one to research!  Her great-grandfather, James Ashworth came to America in 1812, with his wife, Mary, and five children.  James and Mary were both 50 years old.  The children accompanying them were: Jonn, age 24; Cath, age 21; Thomas, age 20; Anne, age 18; and James, no age given.  James, Jonn and Thomas are listed as having the occupation of "weaver."  They departed on the American ship, the Vermont,  from  Dublin, Ireland about June 18, 1812 and listed their hometown as Wicklow Town, County Wicklow, Ireland.  County Wicklow is on the central eastern shore of  Ireland and is known as the "Garden of Ireland."

 

 

Passenger Manifest

 



     I'm sure the Ashworth Family was not prepared for the adventure that followed their departure! Although even the captain was unaware when they set sail, the U.S. Congress had declared war on Great Britain the day they departed.  Now the Ashworths not only had the dangers of a long sea voyage, but the dangers of war to contend with!  The British could have commandeered the ship and forced the Irish passengers to aid the British Navy.  It's probably a blessing that communication was so slow, and the passengers knew very little of what was going on until they were almost to their destination.  

 

     As the Vermont approached the American shore on July 17, 1812, one can only imagine the excitement of the passengers who saw their destination just ahead after a month-long voyage!  Commander Frederick Lee, on the cutter  Eagle, spied the Vermont off the coast of Connecticut  and demanded to board and search the ship.  Captain Samuel Nicoll of the Vermont provided all the necessary paperwork, including the passenger and cargo list.  That paperwork was preserved in the State of Connecticut records and provides an important part of our family history!

 

     I have found an enlistment record for the War of 1812 that shows a Thomas Ashworth, native of Ireland and the correct age for "our" Thomas (son of James) enlisting in the war effort in November 21, 1814 in Albany (I assume New York, not Ohio).  I believe he was only on the military roll for less than a month.  More research is needed! 

 

 

     James and his son Thomas are both listed in the 1820 census for Sutton Township, Meigs County.  It is interesting to note that they are listed as "unnaturalized foreigners."  James also appears in the 1830 and 1840 census records, but in Chester Township of Meigs County.  James died in 1844, so does not appear in any later census records.  James was buried in the Chester Cemetery, which I hope to visit soon!  Thomas is listed in the 1850 Census.  He died in 1857 and is also buried in the Chester Cemetery.

 

 

   



    

 

      Thomas married Nancy Blain on July 1, 1824 in Meigs County.  Nancy's father, James Blain, was also a native of Ireland, but I have found very little information on them so far.  Thomas and Nancy had a son named John Ashworth in 1828, who is our direct line ancestor.   Thomas died November 26, 1857 and is buried in the Chester Cemetery.

 

 

 Thomas Ashworth Tombstone

Chester Cemetery, Meigs County, Ohio

 

 

     John Ashworth was born December 8, 1828 in Meigs County.  He married Caroline Rebecca Pennybacker (just wait until you hear about her family!!!)  John and Caroline had at least 11 children, including "our" Mary Ashworth, Clarence Goldsberry's mother.  The death certificate for Mary below shows John and Caroline as her parents. It states that the cause of her death was tuberculosis.

 



 

 

 

 

     The pictures above are of Mary Ashworth's grave at Burson Cemetery.  In the bottom picture of Clarence and Ada's grave, you can see Mary's grave is right behind Clarence's grave (you can see the pink flowers in front of her stone).  Thanks to my sister, Suellen, and my mother for making the trip each year to Athens County before Memorial Day to make sure there are flowers on her husband's family graves.

 

     To read the entire article about the Vermont's voyage, do a Google search on "Irish Immigrants on the Vermont 1812."

 

     I hope you will celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year by remembering our brave Ashworth ancestors!

 

                                                                                                    Teresa

 

 

 



 

 



Proving Clarence Goldsberry's Parentage

 

 

 

                                     Clarence Goldsberry and Ada Hartley's Wedding Picture

     My Grandpa Goldsberry was Clarence Frank Goldsberry, born January 4, 1888 in Meigs County, Ohio.  My father had told me the story of Clarence's birth many years ago, but I didn't have any proof of the story until this past year.

     My father told me that Clarence's mother was Mary Ashworth, who got pregnant by Francis (or Frank) Ellsworth "F.E." Goldsberry.  When Mary told F. E. that she was pregnant, he ran off out west.  F.E. returned a couple of years later and asked Mary to marry him, after she had been raising a son all by herself.  She told F.E. it was too late, to get lost, and that is exactly what he did.  I don't believe F.E. ever acknowledged his son, legally or personally.  F.E. and Mary went on to marry other people.  F.E. went on to become a successful businessman in Athens, Ohio.  Mary, on the other hand, married a Civil War veteran, Lewis Jeffers, who was 25 years older than herself.  She was his third wife, and Lewis  had many children from his previous marriages.  Mary and Lewis had seven children together.

     Clarence had a hard life as a young child.  Lewis Jeffers had a 145 acre farm, but many mouths to feed.  Clarence's job was to bring the cows in for milking each morning and evening.  He told my father that he used to jump from "cowpie" to "cowpie" in order to keep his feet warm on the cold days because he had no shoes.  Clarence's paternal grandmother, Phoebe Lovett Goldsberry, was concerned about his welfare.  She talked Mary into letting Clarence live with her.  I don't know exactly when that took place.  Phoebe's husband, John Van Buren Goldsberry, died in 1888, four years after Clarence was born.  There are no census records available for 1890, when Clarence would have been just two years old.  By the 1900 census, Clarence is 12 years old and living with his grandmother.  My father told me that when Phoebe went to pick up Clarence, she asked for his things, and Mary handed her a red bandana handkerchief, tied up on all four corners, which contained everything she had for Clarence.

     The census records were my first proof that the story passed down was accurate.  Phoebe is listed as "head of household" in 1900 and Clarence is listed as her grandson.  Next I started looking for proof that Mary Ashworth was Clarence's mother and F.E. Goldsberry was his father.  I found a birth record by searching by mother's name in Meigs County, Ohio.  It lists a male child, born to Mary Ashworth and father's name is listed as "Illegitimate."  So, how could I prove that F.E. Goldsberry was the father?

     F. E. Goldsberry's obituary does not list Clarence as a survivor.  Articles about his business in Athens never mentions Clarence.  However,  does substantiate the part of the story that he went out west for two years.  Then I found an article about his retirement that says that F.E. worked as a "news butcher" on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.

 

          I was excited to find the original marriage license for Clarence and Ada Hartley, knowing that those sometimes contain parents' names.  Disappointment again.  Clarence's parents are listed as Mary Jeffers (her married name) even though it specifically asks for mother's maiden name.  Father's name is left blank.

 

 

 

 

     Finally, on a trip to Athens County with my sister, we obtained a copy of Clarence's death certificate.  Voila!  Finally, a legal document that lists his parents as Mary Ashworth and Frank E. Goldsberry. 

 

 

     As many genealogists have told me, family tradition handed down from generation to generation usually turns out to be mostly accurate.  I look forward to tracking down documentation for some more of the family stories I have been told!

 

     What family stories have you been told?

 

                                                                                                       Teresa