A One-Name Study for the BARNUM/BARNHAM Surname
The Genealogical Record of the Barnum Family calls him Ezbon Barnum.
From the Saint Charles Review (Kane County, Illinois), July 13, 1878: From an article based on excerpts from a copy of the April 30, 1842 issue (the third issue) of The St. Charles Patriot, Kane County Herald and Fox River Advocate. Spinning Wheels. -- The subscriber will supply the public with Flax and Wool Spinning wheels on the shortest notice. Terms may be learned by application to the subscriber at his residence. Isbon Barnum, St. Charles, April 1st, 1842.
The writer goes on to note that "Our readers will observe, by the above, how we obtained our stockings. We couldn't buy them then at ten cents a pair, in that age of spinning wheels. The first music that smote our baby ears, came from the spinning wheels of our mothers. The air of to-day hears no more, forever, their melody and the mothers whose dextrous hands plied them have, one by one, been laid in the grave until very few remain. Many attics of to-day, if explored, would develop the remains of dear old spinning wheels and bring back to the middle-aged men and women the memories of childhood; while tottering grand-fathers and grand-mothers would be reminded of the days when they were the chief workers in our valley's prosperity."
In the 1850 US Census for Pokagon, Cass County, Michigan the family of Ezbon (Isbon) Barnum was enumerated as follows:
Dwelling #1103; Family #1115
Isbon Barnum, 44, M, Physician, Real property $300, b. Vermont
Minerva Barnum, 30, F, b. New York
Adelia Barnum, 7, F, b. Illinois
Asenath Barnum, 2, F, b. Michigan
In the 1860 US Census for Saint Charles, Kane County, Illinois the family of Ezbon (Isbon) Barnum was enumerated as follows:
Dwelling #469; Family #434
Isbon Barnum, 54, M, Painter, Real property $1,000, Personal property $200, b. New York
Minerva Barnum, 40, F, b. New York
Zenith Barnum, 11, F, b. Michigan
Hortentia Barnum, 9, F, b. Michigan
Loren Barnum, 5, M, b. Illinois
Nelson Barnum, 32, M, Goldsmith, Personal property $500, b. New York
Mary Barnum, 23, F, Wife, b. England
John Barnum, 8, M, b. Missouri
Sylvester Barnum, 11/12, M, b. Missouri
Isbon Barnum, one of the oldest of the seven children born to Simeon Barnum & Asenath née unknown Barnum Miller, was born in Shoreham, VT on 16 March 1806. His parents were married in Cherry Valley, Otsego Co., New York on June 10th, 1804 where they remained for only a year before Simeon took his bride back to Shoreham, VT where our Isbon was born. About 1808 or 1809 the Barnums removed to Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co., NY where Simeon later died on 17 June 1825.
His mother Asenath, who’d had seven children with her first husband Simeon Barnum, remarried to Frederick Miller in 1827, with whom she had two sons: Simeon B Miller (c. 1828 Potsdam, NY- ?, sometime between 1900-1910) & Edwin O Miller (c. 1830 Potsdam, NY- 22 Sept 1913 Chicago, IL).
While still in New York, Isbon was married for a first time between 1825-1828 to #1 an unknown spouse. Sadly, no details are known to me but Isbon likely had as many as three children from this union, of which one son, Nelson Barnum (see later), is known. No confirmed 1830 census record has been found for Isbon & it is not known if his first wife died in New York or on the journey west.
In 1837 Isbon ventured west to Kane County, Illinois, then in its infancy of settlement. Also making the journey was his mother, stepfather & half brothers, Asenath & Frederick Miller with their sons Simeon & Edwin, his sister Hortense & her husband Levi Goodrich & his brothers Menzo & Percival Barnum. He established himself in St. Charles & was noted as one of the city’s earliest manufacturers. Spinning wheels, garden rakes & other household implements were produced.
On May 26th, 1839, Kane Co., IL, Isbon married for a second time to #2 Delia Morse (parents unknown). The couple are listed on the 1840 Kane County census as a household of five which included one male born 1825-30 (Nelson William Barnum), one male born 1830-35 (possibly Albert but more likely an unknown, see later) & one female born 1830-35 (likely Emeline, see later). From this union one (known) child was born: Adelia (Charles) Chovin. Isbon’s second wife, Delia née Morse, born c. 1816, died on 16 June 1846 & is buried in the South Cemetery (St. Charles). She shares her marker with an Albert Barnum but, as the stone is cracked & damaged, no dates for him are currently found. Undoubtedly a son of Isbon, Albert’s mother is most probably Delia who probably died in childbirth.
After his second wife’s death, Isbon moved his family to Cass County, Michigan wherehe married wife #3 Minerva Sampson on January 19th, 1847. The couple are listed on the 1850 Dowagiac, Cass Co., MI census with two daughters: Adelia (1843 IL) from his second wife & Asenath (1848 MI) from his current wife. It should be noted that presumed daughter Emeline was also married in Cass Co., MI on July 1st, 1847 to Charles Sherwood & in 1850 they were living just 11 miles west of Dowagiac in Berrien Township with their firstborn Adine (or Addine).
After the birth of their daughter Hortense in Michigan, the family returned to St Charles sometime in the early 1850’s. The census for 1855 shows three Barnum families living in St Charles: “John” (our Isbon most likely) with a household of 7, “F, H.” (household of 5) & “Henry” (household of 3, though little other information can be found for these last two. Isbon in 1855 would’ve had a household including himself, third wife Minerva, Adelia, Asenath, Hortense, Frederick (presumably) & son Lorin. By 1860, still in St. Charles, the family was recorded on the census as Isbon, Minerva, Zenith (sic), Hortentia (sic) & Loren (sic)- oldest daughter Adelia having already married & son Frederick having died young.
After Isbon’s death, his wife Minerva remarried to Thomas Evison.
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Of his children with #1 an unknown first wife:
1). Nelson N. Barnum (18 June 1828 Potsdam, NY- 14 Aug 1892 LaPorte, IN. As a young man Nelson served in the Mexican War of 1846-48. He was a Private in Company C & Company F of the 1st Illinois Infantry (Newby’s). Though no 1850 census listing for Nelson has been found, by 1851 he was in Missouri. He married first on June 2nd, 1851, Paris, Monroe Co., MO to #1 Martia Balthorpe (1829 VA- 1853 MO), with whom he had one son: John. Nelson then married a second time on February 20th, 1858, St Louis, MO to Mary Keever Gordon Lyons (29 June 1839 Bolton, England- 23 Oct 1908 Pittsburgh, PA), with whom he had 12 known children: J Sylvester, Norman (died young), Nelson (died young), Margaret Minerva, Elvira, Oscar Humphrey, Helen D (died young), Harriet May (Arthur) Weaver, Edwin Simeon, Norman Nelson, Raymond Oliver & Frank Goodrich Barnum (died young). The 1900 census indicates second wife Mary was the biological mother of 13 (with 6 still living- It’s unclear who the 13th child was. Nelson & Mary are recorded on the 1860 St Charles, IL census, returned to Missouri for a spell & had relocated to LaPorte, IN prior to 1870. (FamilySearch has poorly transcribed their surname as Burnusn (sic) on the 1870 census). Note: a family source records his name as Nelson William or William Nelson but his grave marker shows Nelson N.
2). Unknown male (born 1830-35). As per the 1840 census but nothing else known or confirmed.
3). Emeline (Charles) Sherwood (c. 1831 NY- ?, last record found was the 1885 Sioux City, IA census) m. July 1st, 1847, Cass Co., MI. Charles Sherwood, born c. 1824, was the son of William Sherwood & Chloe Darling. Mother of two: daughter Adine Estelle née Sherwood Skerritt Slaugh Winkelhake (1859 MI- 11 Nov 1936 Davis, Broward Co., FL) m. #1 Lee Roy Skerritt (1849-1910) & #2 John Grant Slaugh (1865-1927) & #3 William Winkelhake (1865-1959) and son Frederick Haines Sherwood (1858-1932). Census records for Emeline: 1850 Berrien Township, Berrien Co., MI, 1870 Lockport Township, St Joseph Co., MI, 1880 Belle Prairie, Fillmore Co., NE, 1885 Sioux City, Woodbury Co., IA
Of his children with #2 Delia Morse:
4). Adelia (Charles) Chovin (1843 St Charles, IL- 1861 St Charles, IL, no grave marker found) m. January 8th, 1860, Kane Co., IL. No known children from their union. She was the first wife of Charles Chovin (1823-1898) who remarried about 1861 to Lizzie Pieffer (1836-1865), with whom he had 3 children, & for a third time on February 14th, 1868 to Mary Wilson, with whom he had one son. Mary, was born in October of 1842 in Ontario & after Charles’ death returned to Canada where she died in 1929 in Saskatchewan.
5). Albert died at 6 months & 7 days, no DOD on the grave marker which he shares with his mother Delia. Likely born 16 June 1846 & died on 7 Jan 1847.
Of his children with #3 Minerva Sampson:
6). Asenath “Cenith” (Lafayette) Youngs (2 Sept 1848 Dowagiac, MI- 1 June 1889 probably in LaPorte, IN) m. September 28th, 1865, Kane Co., IL. Mother of five daughters: Ella May (John Henry) Iffland, Minerva (Charles) Hempstead, Ida, Mary Frances ( Boardman & Carrie Youngs
7). Hortense (Willis O) Jeffrey (3 Sept 1850 Dowagiac, MI- 25 May 1936 LaPorte, IN, #60985502) m. 1871. The couple had one daughter, Minerva née Jeffrey Nelson DeVoe (11 Aug 1883 St Charles, IL- 17 Oct 1960 Los Angeles, CA, #60085498). Minerva was first married to Walter W Nelson, with whom she had 5 children & next to an unknown DeVoe, with whom she had 2 more children.
8). Frederick (1853- 14 Sept 1855) died young.
9). Lorin Barnum (6 Sept 1854 St Charles, IL- 12 Feb 1907 Chicago) m. April 1st, 1876, Kane Co., IL to Amanda Wheeler (12 May 1851 St Charles, IL- 4 Oct 1930 St Charles, IL), with whom he had one daughter Nina M Barnum (1877-1940)Inscription
Top of the marker says Father. Inscription on the face is barely legible.Gravesite Details
Buried next to his third wife Minerva née Sampson Barnum Evison in the Barnum/Evison/Youngs plot
A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/Barnham Family Worldwide
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