Mothershead Family Ties
Pierce
Mothershead Family Ties
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Clifton Mothershead & Martha "Patsy" Mothershead
The daguerreotype at left has this written across the bottom "Grandma Martha "Patsy" Murrell". On the back, the same hand wrote "Anna Mothershead's grandmother on her father's side - Johnny Wiley's grandmother on his mother's side".
After Clifton's death in 1838, Patsy married John Murrell in 1840. Elizabeth Ann Murrell, daughter of Patsy and John Murrell married Thomas J. Wiley. I believe they would be the parents of "Johnny Wiley" referred to on the back of Patsy's picture.
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Of course we are still looking for more information on Clifton and Martha Mothershead. Family history says that Clifton and Martha were cousins. The only thing known for sure is that one of them was the child of William and Lucy [Long] Mothershead. At this time, we believe Clifton is possibly the son of Charles and Elizabeth [Neale] Mothershead, so that would mean Martha's parents would be William and Lucy [Long] Mothershead, but this has not yet been proven.
There were also several other MOTHERSHEAD families in throughout Missouri in the early 1800s, but exactly how they related to each other is not yet clear.
The first mention I've found so far of Clifton Mothershead in Missouri is in Cape Girardeau County. In the book "A History of Missouri, From the Earliest Explorations and Settlements Until the Admission of the State into the Union" by L. Houck [1908, Donnelley, Chicago IL] is this reference: "After (the town of) Jackson was laid out in 1815, we find that Mr.Eckhart of Virginia opened the first store there. Within a year he sold out to Clifton and Charles
Mothershead; this firm subsequently sold out to Samuel Cupples, a son-in-law of Judge R.S. Thomas.
Charles and Clifton Mothershead are listed as paying taxes in Cape Girardeau County, 1821-1823. There is a notation by Charles' name, however, indicating that he paid a poll tax only. A poll tax was usually paid by someone young and single, though a very old man might also pay only a poll tax. Unfortunately, there's no way to determine which was the case for Charles. However, since Clifton was only 16 years of age at the time they purchased the store in Cape Girardeau, I think it's unlikely that Charles was younger than Clifton.
On a seperate page I have abstracted the deed records of Cape Girardeau county which mention Clifton and Charles Mothershead. Also mentioned are Polly (Mothershead) Sublett who was Charles' daughter (known from a court case in which their relationship is stated) and, tantalizingly, one mention of William Mothershead "of Kentucky". However, whether or not this is the same William Mothershead who died in Jefferson County MO in 1828 is not yet known.
Sometime after circa 1823, Clifton moves to Jefferson County and teaches school there, at least briefly. This is known thanks to J.T. McMullin who in 1885 wrote a series of articles for the Jefferson Democrat recalling what life was like in the area's early schools. J.T. McMullin started school in 1822, when he was ten; the school had at least three other teachers before Clifton, of whom McMullin had fond memories.
By 1830, Clifton has been married for just over five years and has started a family. They are found on the 1830 census in Big River Township.
From 1831-1834, according to Goodspeed's History of Jefferson County, Clifton Mothershead along with John Gamble served as County Court Justice. Also, in 1832 and 1834, Clifton also served in the Missouri House of Representatives (party not given).
In 1832, Minor Mothershead, along with several others, was appointed commissioner to consider the possibility of moving the county seat of Jefferson County from Herculaneum to a more central location. In 1834, the county seat was changed to Hillsboro and Charles Mothershead was appointed commissioner of the new county seat. In 1835, Clifton Mothershead was appointed to "lay off and sell the lots at the new county seat, vice Charles Mothershead, resigned."
According to Goodspeed's History of Jefferson County (p. 378), William Mothershead first purchased land in 1821 in Township 39, Range 3. We know from the Bureau of Land Management, Government Land Office records that William Mothershead also purchased land in 1824 in Jefferson and Washington Counties. In 1835, Clifton bought 41 acres in Jefferson and Washington counties.
In 1830, Clifton and Minor Mothershead served as Administrator's of William's estate who died Intestate circa 1828 (source: Probate records for Jefferson County). The probate record indicates the heirs who signed receipts for their portion of William's estate were: Clifton Mothershead, Minor Mothershead, John Williamson, Orson Baker, Milton Baker, Samuel B.Thurmond and Hazelet Sarver (William's 11-year old grandson; Minor was Hazelet's guardian for a brief time after William's death and signed the receipt on Hazelet's behalf). There was no Will and my personal belief is that these are William's only heirs still alive at the time of his death.
In 1838, Whitaker Mothershead served as an Administrator to Clifton's estate, along with Clifton's widow, Patsy. According to his obituary, published 27 September 1838 in the Missouri Argus newspaper, Clifton died 23 September 1838, "in his 38th year". Though he also died Intestate, Clifton's heirs are clearly named in the probate record. Whitaker's relationship to Clifton and Patsy is not yet known to us, but I believe he's possibly Clifton's brother.
Minor Mothershead would take his family and move back to Kentucky prior to 1840, living briefly in Breckenridge County before moving to Bullitt County from where he never moved again. Whitaker would pass away in 1850 during a trip to the California goldfields leaving behind his wife, Evaline/Emaline/Ellen (Long), and four young chldren. According to the Jefferson County Federal Census Record for 1850 (he left short after the Census was taken), Whitaker was only 37 when he died. On the 1840 Jefferson County census, Whitaker and Clifton's widow, Martha were living just 10 families apart with their respective families.
We are descended from Clifton and Martha Mothershead.
Descendants of Clifton MOTHERSHEAD
1. Clifton1 MOTHERSHEAD; born 1800 in Kentucky;1, 2 married Martha "Patsy" (--?--) circa 1824 (estimating from Thomas Mothershead's birth;3, 4 ); died 23 September 1838 in Jefferson Co., Missouri. Clifton's obituary, which appeared in the Missouri Argus Newspaper5 states "Clifton Mothershead, Esq. died 23 Sept. in Jefferson Co. in his 38th year". Children of Clifton1 MOTHERSHEAD and Martha "Patsy" (--?--) were as follows:
Generation Two A. Thomas2 MOTHERSHEAD (Clifton1);19,20,21,22,23,24 died prior to 1870; Jane and the children are found alone on the 1870 census;25 born circa 1829;26,27 married Jane Wiley, daughter of Stewart Sampson WILEY and Hannah BEST, 15 November 1851 in Jefferson Co., MO.28 Children of Thomas2 MOTHERSHEAD and Jane Wiley all born in Jefferson Co., MO, were as follows:
B. John2MOTHERSHEAD (Clifton1);53,54,55,56,57,58 born February 1832 in MO;59,60,61,62 married Ann Murrell 28 December 1856.63 Children of John2MOTHERSHEAD and Ann Murrell were as follows:
C. Willis F.2 MOTHERSHEAD (Clifton1);88,89,90,91 born circa 1834 in Jefferson Co., MO;92,93 married Malissa WILEY, daughter of Stewart Sampson WILEY and Hannah BEST, 8 March 1855 in Jefferson Co., MO;94,95,96 died 24 June 1905 in Jefferson Co., MO.97 Probably remarrined after Malissa's death. Children of Willis F.2 MOTHERSHEAD and Malissa WILEY were as follows:
Generation Three 1) Sterling Price3 MOTHERSHEAD (Thomas2, Clifton1);105,106,107 married Anna WHITESEL in Jefferson Co., MO;108 born January 1862 in Jefferson Co., MO.109,110 Children of Sterling Price3 MOTHERSHEAD and Anna WHITESEL were as follows:
2) Thomas3 MOTHERSHEAD (John2, Clifton1);155,156,157 born January 1869 in Jefferson Co., MO.159,160 ; married Mary (--?--) in MO;158 Children of Thomas3 MOTHERSHEAD and Mary (--?--) were as follows:
3) Willis "Buck"3 MOTHERSHEAD (Willis F.2, Clifton1);177 born circa 1860 in Hillsboro, Jefferson Co., MO;178,179 married Julia MORRIS circa 1888 in Jefferson Co., MO.180 He was also known as William S.181,182 Children of Willis "Buck"3 MOTHERSHEAD and Julia MORRIS were all born in Jefferson Co., MO, and were as follows:
4) Anna Belle3 MOTHERSHEAD (Willis F.2, Clifton1);195,196 born 27 September 1864 in Hillsboro, Jefferson Co., MO and died 15 February 1956 in Hillsboro, Jefferson, MO, at age 91;197,198. Married (1) Frank Dasting circa 1884 in Jefferson Co., MO;199,200 ; married (2) William Heenan PIERCE, son of George W. PIERCE and Eliza ROGERS, 25 January 1893 in Hillsboro, Jefferson Co., MO; Anna Belle was buried in Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery, Ware, MO;201,202 on 16 February 1956.203 Children of Anna Belle3 MOTHERSHEAD and Frank Dasting were: Children of Anna Belle3 MOTHERSHEAD and William Heenan PIERCE were as follows:
5) Francis Ida3 MOTHERSHEAD (Willis F.2, Clifton1);217,218,219,220,221,222 born circa 1871 in Jefferson Co., MO;223,224 married Louis JOHNSON circa 1893;225 died circa 1906.226 Children of Francis Ida3 MOTHERSHEAD and Louis JOHNSON were as follows:
A) Lula May4 PIERCE (Anna Belle3, Willis F.2, Clifton1); born 3 November 1893 in Hillsboro, Jefferson Co., MO; married 25 May 1916 to Andrew Paul DAVIS ; died 24 November 1987 in Festus, Jefferson Co., MO, at age 94. Children of Lula May4 PIERCE and A. Paul DAVIS were as follows:
B) Blanche Adele4 PIERCE (Anna Belle3, Willis F.2, Clifton1);239,240,241 ; born 9 April 1901 in Hillsboro, Jefferson, MO; 242 died circa 1990 in AZ.243 Married first J. B. McCULLOCH, second __ PHELAN Children of Blanche Adele4 PIERCE and J. B. McCULLOCH
C) Howard Freeman4 PIERCE (Anna Belle3, Willis F.2, Clifton1);244,245,246 born 19 October 1903 in Hillsboro, Jefferson, MO;247 died January 1967 in Hot Springs, AR, at age 63.248 Married Dorothy GENRICH 1936. Children of Howard Freeman4 PIERCE and Dorothy GENRICH were as follows:
D) Wayne Varney4 PIERCE (Anna Belle3, Willis F.2, Clifton1); born 12 December 1905 in Hillsboro, Jefferson, MO; married Neva Hortense VERNON 19 November 1941 in Plainview, TX; Neva and Wayne got married at the home of her grandfather, George Whitfield Vernon and his third wife, Mabel. Children of Wayne Varney4 PIERCE and Neva Hortense VERNON were as follows:
E) Maude4 JOHNSON (Francis Ida3MOTHERSHEAD, Willis F.2, Clifton1);250,251,252 born circa 1893;253 married Lee ASHWORTH circa 1917;254 died circa 1955.255 Children of Maude4 JOHNSON and Lee ASHWORTH were as follows:
Endnotes
1. 1860 Census Record, Jefferson Co.,
MO.
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