Abbott's Internet Genealogy Resource
Including manuscripts, biographies, photos, and other materials
relating to the Abbott, Townsend, Barrington, Miles, Jones, and Pearson families
of Knox and Miami Counties of Ohio, Cedar County, Iowa, and elsewhere
Introduction
In the nineteenth century a remarkable group of pioneers from Pennsylvania, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and north-eastern Georgia migrated first to Ohio, where
they settled in Knox County near Fredericktown and in Miami County near West Milton,
then moved on to Iowa, settling in what became West Branch in Cedar County and in
LeGrand in Marshall County. Members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), they were
strict abolitionists and many of them ran "stations" on the "underground railroad"
that conveyed fugitive slaves through Ohio and Iowa and on to freedom in Canada.
Some later moved on to Barclay Kansas and not a few of them finally retired in or
around Pasadena, California. In these tightly-knit communities, many of the
families intermarried. On these pages I have assembled some of the information I
have been able to unearth about those individuals and their families, from whom
I am descended. My intent is to make these records publically available to other
researchers for whom they might be of interest.
Table of Contents
Descendant Trees
Here you will find links to descendant trees of my family ancestors.
Family Biographies
Biographies and Obituaries
- Abijah Judson Abbott Biography I
From Pearson (1941), Benjamin and Esther (Furnas) Pearson: Their Ancestors
and Descendants
- Abijah Judson Abbott Biography II
From History of Finney Co., Kansas, Vol. II (1954)
- Abijah Judson Abbott Biography III
From a handwritten manuscript, source unknown.
- Abijah Judson Abbott Obituary
From the Santa Fe New Mexican, 5/24/1929.
- Abijah Judson Abbott Eulogy
Remarks made by the minister, Dr. Waller, at the funeral services for
Abijah Judson Abbott. From an unidentified Santa Fe newspaper, probably the New Mexican.
- Albert Justin Abbott Biography I
From the "Know Thy Neighbor" column of a Nogales, Arizona newspaper, 12/29/1950.
- Calvin W. Abbott Biography I
From Guinn (1902), A History of Southern California
- Calvin W. Abbott Biography II
From Pearson (1941), Benjamin and Esther (Furnas) Pearson: Their Ancestors
and Descendants
- George Oliver Abbott Biography I
From History of Finney Co., Kansas, Vol. II (1954)
- George Oliver Abbott Biography II
From a handwritten copy, source unknown, written before 1938.
- John Meader Abbott Biography
From Cutler (1883), History of the State of Kansas
- Raymond Barrington Abbott, Sr. Biography
Memorial resolution read before the Purdue University faculty, 1965
- Samuel and Rebekah Abbott Obituary
From The American Friend, 6/15/1899.
- Wilfred Keese Abbott Autobiography
A brief sketch focusing on his experience as a prisoner of war for
nearly seven years in North Vietnam.
- Edith M. Barrington Obituary
Thomas T. Barrington's older daughter. My thanks to Patti Maksoudian!
From the Pasadena Star,
11/13/1984.
- George Barrington Biography
From Cutler (1883), History of the State of Kansas
- George Barrington Obituary
From The American Friend, 6/13/1913.
- Ruth (Barrington) Lee Obituary
Thomas T. Barrington's younger daughter. My thanks to Patti Maksoudian
for this one!
From the Pasadena Star News,11/26/1991.
- Thomas Barrington Obituary
From the West Branch Times, June 25, 1891
- Henry Edwin McGrew Biography
From California Yearly Meeting Minutes 1950-1959 page 69
[original handwritten copy in possession of Jamie Niekamp, includes
passages bracketed]
- Henry Edwin McGrew Obituary
Source not given; evidently from a Whittier, CA newspaper
- Mary (Pearson) Miles Biography
From Pearson (1941), Benjamin and Esther (Furnas) Pearson: Their Ancestors
and Descendants
- Thomas Townsend Biography
From Hill, N. N., Jr. (1883), The History of Knox County, Ohio,
Chapter LVII, Middlebury Township
Marriages
Letters and Articles
-
On My Eightieth Birthday
A poem by Abijah Judson Abbott written on the occasion of his eightieth birthday.
- Letter from A. J. Abbott to His Son Raymond, 21 June 1920
Among the topics discussed are actions concerning the Coat/Coppock Philadelphia Land Lease case.
-
Letter from Thomas Townsend Barrington to the West Branch Times
Printed in the Times, this letter describes some of the early
history of West Branch, Iowa.
-
First Trip to the Canyon of the Rito de los Frijoles
Sketch by Ida (Patton) Abbott of a memorable first trip to the site of
her future home in what is now Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
in 1907.
- The Townsend Papers
Amazing collection of sketches on the children of Thomas Townsend, plus
an autobiographical manuscript by Thomas himself.
- A Walk in a Country Churchyard
A tour of the West Branch MM Cemetery, Miami Co., OH, 1880,
conducted by Luke Smith Mote.
- A Life Pilgrimage on the Quaker Highway
Recollections of Dr. Henry Edwin McGrew, past president of William Penn
College and former pastor of First Friends Church of Pasadena.
Manuscript supplied by his granddaughter, Jamie (Atherton) Niekamp.
- Sunday Hunting
George O. Abbott recounts an amusing story in which he and his father,
A. J. Abbott, go hunting "accidentally" on a Sunday. Submitted by
George's grandson, Hugh Abbott.
- Alice Abbott Drisdale's Reminiscences
A. J. Abbott's daughter Alice recalls her early days in Garden City, Kansas.
From the Raymond Stotts Collection, printed in The History of
Finney County, Kansas, Vol. I
Individuals
In this section I have information organized by individual persons. I will be adding to this list as I find the time.
Contact Information
If you have any information about members of these families, or
have any questions or comments about the information presented on these pages,
please contact me, Bruce Abbott at
abbott@ipfw.edu. I'd love to hear from you!