Compiled by Teresa
Martin Klaiber 2020
Bernice
Graham, author of Graham Descendants of William and Dinah Wilson Graham,
1967 was the glue that kept Graham family members, far and wide, together. The Graham descendants in Portsmouth, Ohio diligently filled out or wrote her yearly with
updates of family births, marriages and deaths. Her book was published when I was a senior in
high school. On a hot summer day in
the late 1980’s I paid her a visit in Marietta, Ohio. Surrounded by stacks of newspapers, that she
said she still must clip and file, we chatted about our family. Close to 90 years of age, Bernice’s mind was
bright and sharp.
I
asked who had supplied my birth information. She promptly said my
grandmother. She said my grandmother, Katherine Halderman Feyler, would write her notes but my great aunt Eva Clayton Scott was more
informative. She also stated she had letters from my great
grandmother Dessie Clayton Feyler. Graham then directed me to go to the basement between isles, count two stacks then
down three boxes and bring the box upstairs.
That box was just like Christmas morning. Crammed full of letters from the descendants
of George Graham son of William Graham. There were several letters from my great
grandmother Dessie Clayton Feyler from the 1920’s and 30’s.[i]
Without hesitation she reached in and located the letter announcing my birth
from my grandmother. After getting permission
to photostat some of the letters, I was prompted to take the box back to the
basement and place it exactly as I had found it.
By
the time of that visit, I had already worn the pages of my copy of her
publication, the culmination of all those letters and questions, on the eleven
children and descendants of William and Dinah Anne Wilson Graham. As we walked to the library, that day, to
make copies, I asked her if there was more to the story of the disappearance of
William Graham. She shook her head no
and said that her 2nd great grandmother, Dinah Wilson Graham, was said
to have mourned and hoped he would return all the rest of her life.
The
first part of her book reads more like a thought process, explaining why Bernice believed William was the son of Jared Graham.
She cites bible records and stories from various branches of the family
as well as trips she and her brother, an avid McGrew researcher, made
to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
Sometimes she gave a proper deed citation and other times just
descriptions.
Over
the years Graham researchers are still hoping, new technology and ease
of retrieving original records, we will unravel the mystery of William Graham’s
disappearance.
William
Graham’s birth is given as 25 August 1793.
Bernice stated: "I have an old bible published in
1816 which William Graham wrote ...data for most of his family. His signature is also written beside the 19th chapter of Proverbs...given me a few years ago by Reba West Wilson a granddaughter of Rebecca Ross Graham."
In today’s analytical genealogy world we immediately would question if
the birth date was primary (written by him from knowledge) or secondary
evidence since the bible was not published until after his birth.
Bernice goes on to say that William
was a farmer, storekeeper, teacher and hat maker making beaver hats especially. In referencing William Graham as a teacher: “ .. arithmetic book in
possession of my grandfather Dickson Graham...copyright 1811...used by Wm
Graham while teaching school at Youngstown, Pennsylvania...inscribed his
signature...Youngstown...date Feb 19, 1814...possession of Thomas Dickson
Graham of Clearwater Florida, my brother...”
William would be twenty years of age thus considered an adult able to teach.
Youngstown was developing and the first town lot was not recorded until
November 1815. Prior to that time it was
often referenced as Martinsburg. Youngstown
is one of the oldest borough’s in Unity Township.
Graham mentions a deed in her book
concerning Arthur O’hara, who married Sarah Jackson Graham, William’s widowed
mother. With FHL microfilm at our
fingertips I located an article of
agreement 24 September 1792 between
O’hara, now deceased, and Henry Furry both of Unity Township. One of the witness’ is John Chambers. The document was not filed until 25 May 1814,
the year Bernice says the book shows William Graham as a teacher. William Graham by oath, in 1814, says that he
was well acquainted with John Chambers…resided near this deponent in the
character of a schoolmaster for several years that the said John Chambers
removed from this country about 12 years ago and now resides…Kentucky.[ii] This document does not clearly state that
William Graham is now, himself, a school teacher. It does tell us that William Graham was likely schooled by John Chambers circa 1802, at about nine years of age, and resided in Unity Township.
William married Dinah Anne Wilson 16
July 1816, we assume in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. While not listed by name in the 1820 census,
this compiler finds the “Widow Ohara” with the correct age for her along with the family of William and Dinah Wilson Graham.[iii] William already has three children. The
first daughter named Sarah, possibly after her grandmother, was born that year.
Arthur O'hara, who married Sarah Jackson
Graham[iv] about
1806 died before the deed in 1814 and probate records continue thru August
1825.[v] William Graham is cited in the partition
docket. William Graham, appears in his own household in Unity Township in
1830. By 1830 he and Dinah have nine
children.
Bernice states in her publication:
Some time in...& before the birth of ...youngest child, William...disappeared
and was never heard from again by anyone in the family or area..” Deborah was born 4 January 1832 and the last
child Richard Wright Graham was born November 1833.
Eleven children in the household and father, William Graham disappears. The last two
children are thought to have been born in Sewickly Township, where Dinah’s
father, William Wilson, resided. It is
assumed that Dinah is being helped by her father, William Wilson, until his death in June 1848. But it was six long years before Dinah Anne Wilson Graham received three annual payments of $300.00 from her father’s will. Eleven children being raised during the Panic of 1837 when unemployment was at it's lowest, money was devalued and banks were passing out bad loans. The recession lasted seven long years.
Logically, Dinah would try to locate
her husband. Scant newspaper scans have surfaced for The Gazette and Farmers & Mechanic’s
Register (1828-1833) or the Greensburg Gazette/Register. This compiler has found no newspaper article,
at this writing, concerning his disappearance.
Dinah Anne would need money to feed that many children. Usually guardianships are appointed at the
death of a father, even though the mother was living. A guardian appointment was put in place to manage finances and the best interest of the child. Orphans Court, for Westmoreland County, show no entry for any of the children. Often the
sheriff and courts would intervene to aid those in need. There are no land
holdings in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in William Graham’s name
either. This is a family without a
breadwinner, the eldest son Wilson Graham being about 16 years old. Bernice states that Wilson Graham felt a
responsibility to help the family and family stated he rode a horse along the
towpath of a canal in Pennsylvania to help make ends meet. The
Pennsylvania Canal System began in 1824 so fits nicely into the story of the
family.
Bernice gave assumptions that Sarah
Jackson Graham O’hara’s husband was a Jared Graham, father of William. The trail Bernice provided was later proven
by several researcher’s to be Jared Graham that married Jane Nyce and migrated
to Pickaway County, Ohio. This compiler
feels there is possibly several contemporary Jared Graham’s that still need
reviewed and unraveled. There are
several Scotch Irish Graham families in the vicinity. DNA shows that this compiler does have low
centimorgans to at least two issues of the Pickaway County Graham family.
Dinah Anne Wilson Graham migrated with her family to Wesley Township, Washington county, Ohio where she resided among her
grown children and grandchildren. She
died in the home of grandson Thomas Graham in Bern Township, Athens County 14
March 1879 on a visit from neighboring Washington County. Most documents call her “Ann Graham.” She was never referenced as a widow in any
documents reviewed by this writer. Bernice
Graham’s statement still holds true “William Graham disappeared.”
[i]
1929, Aug 2 Dessie Feyler to Bernice Graham…”…impossible for us to attend
reunion…returned home from Michigan yesterday and had a nice visit with Eva.. She
and I filled out the form you sent…”
[ii]
Pennsylvania, Westmoreland, Deeds, Volume 10, p 631, fhl microfilm 008036029,
image 72.
[iii]
1820 Federal census, M33-112 Unity, Westmoreland, PA page 174
[iv]
Sarah Jackson Graham O’Hara b. 1760 was contemporary to Richard Jackson b c.
1775 m. Jane Seaton resided in Westmoreland County. Jane Seaton Jackson’s
brother George was a well known hatter.
[v]
Pennsylvania, Westmoreland Registers and Orphan Ct Recod Index; O’Hara Arthur
acct 1 OC 182 1819 , partition 5C PN 242 1825
