Transcriber's Log #002 - THE CHILDS SIBLINGS of Winchester, Virginia
Welcome to... My Darling Emma 1857
If you are NEW HERE be sure to read the beginning of the journey I am on transcribing my family's 19th century letter collection!
I think I'm going to start this with a little bit of what I know about the recipient of most of the letters in the collection, the namesake of this blog, my 2nd great grandma, Miss Emma Elizabeth Childs.
Emma came into this world early summer of 1857 near Winchester, VA. She was the 9th born of Griffin Childs (age 62) and only child of Susan Garretson Pidgeon (age 42). When Emma was born, her eldest 1/2 sibling Rebecca was 35 years old! Rebecca Ann Childs (m. Joseph Keeler) already had 3 young children of her own when sister Emma was born. Her kids will be like siblings to Emma, even though she is their Aunt. One of the 3, a daughter Nellie, would grow to be Emma's best friend according to their correspondences. Nellie Keeler’s story is for another time as I haven't transcribed her letters fully just yet..BUT WOAH NELLIE! It's a story to be told!
It seems Emma was very close with all eight of her 1/2 siblings as some wrote to her often. It was common in these times for the ladies to do the corresponding in a household. Evidently enough Emma would eventually gain the title of “historian of the family.” Which sparks my bond with her even more as I have gained that title myself all these years later!
When Emma was born, four of her six brothers had already pioneered away from Virginia, leaving the Childs family homestead and everything they've ever known. These brothers all established themselves elsewhere and most became quite prominent citizens of their towns. One thing is for sure after reading all their letters, they missed their home-folk back in the Shenandoah Valley.
Let me give you a short rundown of EMMA’S EIGHT (1/2) SIBLINGS in order as they were born.
OH! BUT FIRST I should add their parents - were (obviously Emma’s father) Griffin Childs and their mother was his first wife Mary Ann Cole (1807-1845.) Mary passed away just two years after having the couple's youngest child. Father Griffin then married Ona Stipe (1810-1853) just one year later, but Ona passed away 8 years after becoming a step mom to the 2 youngest Childs siblings. Father Griffin then married 3rd wife Susan Garretson Pidgeon two years later and she gave birth to the last Childs sibling, Emma.
I’ll try and share more details down the road about Emma’s siblings. They ALL have fascinating stories just waiting to be told! Somebody call Taylor Sheridan because he's gonna wanna hear what my ancestors have to say!!
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A screenshot of the 1860 U.S. census in the National Archives shows who was living in the Griffin Childs household that year. States he was a farmer (age 65) with a real estate value of $2000 and a personal estate value of $585. Below him is 3rd wife Susan Pidgeon (age 44), his son Thomas (age 21), his daughter Sarah (age 17) and their daughter Emma (age 3). Although that looks like "Ella" was written, WE know it is suppose to say Emma. If you've done any sort of family research and have read documents like these, you know that mistakes like this are fairly common. |
1. Rebecca Ann Childs married one Joseph Keeler and they had 3 children. Charles, Benjamin and daughter Nellie. “Beckie” as she preferred, stayed living in Virginia right near her Childs kin. Thats how Emma and Nellie were able to “grow up together like sisters” as said in many letters. Unfortunately sisters Beckie and Emma will have a very large disagreement and for many years don’t speak. I actually don't know if they ever do speak again because the letters don't say, but more to come on that later on!
2. Isaac Benjamin Childs moved to West Liberty, Iowa in 1853 when he was 28 years old. Shortly after, he was joined by his brother William R. and along with Caleb Elliott they owned & operated a sawmill north of West Liberty, Iowa. Isaac married Emma Louise Junkin and to them one daughter was born.
3. Griffin Chiles Jr moved to Texas (and changed his name) sometime before the Civil War, when about 1860 he married Pauline Julia Bohne - she was 22 years old and he 29. The couple resided in Huntsville, Texas when on March 20, 1862 Griffin enlisted in company A, 21st Texas Calvary, Parsons Brigade. He left Pauline and their six month old son, sadly never to return home from the war. He was 35.
4. William Ridgely Childs was a blacksmith who moved to Iowa in 1854 at the age of 23. He became an active businessman, owning a sawmill with his brother (Issac) and brother in law. He was also a member of the firm of Gram, Childs and Co. William married Elizabeth Elliott and to them several children were born.
5. James Wilkinson Childs left the family farm at the age of 20 to seek employment and landed in York, PA in a commercial college. After completing his course he was made professor of bookkeeping. By the time he was 23, James ended up in De Pere, Wisconsin where he was in the Mercantile business, among other things. These Childs people did NOT sit still!
James married Almira E. Williams and to them several children. *Almira has a fascinating childhood story of her family going west during the gold rush, not once, not twice, but THREE times! I really enjoyed reading up on the Williams family and will try and discuss them in the future.
6. John Alexander Childs is Emma’s brother whose roots didn’t spread as far as the other siblings did. Actually he was the only brother that stayed residing in Winchester, Virginia. John married Mary Catherine Blue in 1860, they were farmers and had 5 children.
7. Thomas Warren Childs or “Uncle Tom” as Nellie called him was a merchant, selling his goods & wares on his adventurous trip out West around Salt Lake City- where the profits were higher he says! Uncle Tom then found himself out there and in the middle of The Mormon Merchant conflict (more on that later!!)
Tom eventually settled to become quite the prominent businessman in Butler, Missouri. Thomas, like most of his brothers was a Masonic Lodge member and were very well known and liked in their communities. Uncle Tom did VERY well for himself owning 2 hardware stores, but he was also at one time the vice president of a bank in town & an investor in Butler's first cemetery. Tom married Sarah Elizabeth Coates and to them several children.
I actually found a newspaper clipping of uncle Tom's obituary in a letter and the circumstances around his untimely (“accidental" according to another clipping) death made his life story even more intriguing!
8. Sarah Susan Childs was one of Emma’s two sisters. She was the sibling closest in age to Emma, yet still a 15 year age gap! At the age of 29, “Sue” as she signed her letters, married Charles E. Clevenger. They had 5 children and resided in Virginia.
Then comes #9 youngest sibling Emma Elizabeth Childs! More to come about my 2nd great grandma (and her family and friends) another time though. I leave you with a photo of Emma.
Sincerely,
CT
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