My Ancestors in 1850

During the Olympic openings, I fiddled around with the incredible census data that is available now. It gets a little spotty once you get back before 1850, but here's what my ancestors were doing in the US in 1850.

Ohio
1. William Schenck, my father's, father's, father's, father's father (great-great-great grandfather) was living in Butler County, Ohio. He was 46 years old at the time, born in New Jersey. His wife's name was Jane. He was likely of Dutch ancestry.

His son Henry (my great-great grandfather) was 17 and living with him in Ohio at the time. Ten years later, in 1860, Henry would be living in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana and farming. Henry's second wife, my ancestor, Ella (or Ellen), was probably living in Pennsylvania in 1850.

Indiana
2. Eli Shepherd, my mother's, father's, father's father (great-great grandfather) was about 42, living in Clay County, Indiana with his wife Lucinda. His son (my great grandfather), Elijah Washington Shepherd, was still at home and 11 years old. EW would fight in the Civil War a little over a decade later.

3. Champeon Shelburn, my mother's mother's, mother's, mother's father (great-great-great grandfather) was living in Sullivan County, Indiana. He was 57 years old at the time, born in Kentucky in the 1790s. His wife, my ancestor, seems to have already died by that time.

His daughter Melisse (my great-great grandmother), perhaps 12 (Malissey), was still at home and had also been born in Kentucky.

4. Jackson Rich, my mother's, mother's, father's, father's, father (great-great-great grandfather) was about 25 years old and farming in Lawrence County, Indiana

5. Mary Walls (they apparently would drop the "s" later), my mother's, mother's, mother's, father's, mother (great-great-great grandmother) was apparently a widow living in Franklin Township, Hendricks County, Indiana in 1850. She was 53 years old at the time, born in North Carolina.

Her son, William Wall (my great-great grandfather) was 11 and living with his mother. About 5 years later, he would marry Melisse above (#3).

6. David Y. Miller, my father's, mother's, father's, father's, father (great-great-great grandfather) was a Dunker 40 year old "preacher of the gospel" living in Elkhart, Indiana with his wife Eve.

7. Finally, Leonard Wise, my father's, mother's, mother's, father's, father (great-great-great grandfather) was about 40 years old and farming in Carroll county, he and his wife Catharine having been born in Ohio. His son Eli (my great-great grandfather Elias) wasn't even a year old.