Some "Other" Ackley Lines

The posts up to this point have concentrated on Nicholas Ackley and his family. While many of us can trace our ancestry back to Nicholas, there are other Ackley lines that either do not have a connection to Nicholas at all or just have not been able to establish a connection yet. In many cases people researching these lines have run into the proverbial "brick wall" -- the paper trail has ended before they could trace the line back to either Nicholas Ackley or some other Ackley immigrant who came to America from somewhere else. Today's post will discuss two such lines that were brought to my attention by readers. To keep things simple, we'll only cover the earliest known ancestor from each line and their children. The idea is to introduce them and hope that other readers have either researched the lines or might have some clues.

Lewis Ackley line

Thanks to Donovan Ackley for bringing this line to my attention.


The progenitor of this line, Lewis Ackley, was born in Otsego County, New York on 4 July 1809 [1], and died in Noble County, Ohio on 22 Apr 1892 [1]. Lewis married Maria Grace around 1828. Maria was born 28 Oct 1807 in Pennsylvania [1], and died 19 Sep 1887 in Noble County, Ohio [1]. Lewis and Maria were both buried in Olive Cemetery in Caldwell, Ohio [1]. Since he was only 11 years old for the 1820 census, which only listed the heads of household, he would not be found by name in the 1820 or 1810 censuses. Lewis is listed as the head of his household and living in Ohio in every U.S. census from 1830 to 1880. Note about counties: Morgan County was formed in 1817 from parts of Guernsey, Muskingum, and Washington Counties; Lewis is listed as living in Morgan County in the 1830, 1840, and 1850 U.S. Federal Censuses. Noble County was formed in 1851 from parts of Guernsey, Morgan, Monroe, and Washingtion Counties; Lewis is listed as living in Noble County in the 1860, 1870, and 1880 U.S. Federal Censuses. His occupation is given as carpenter in the 1850 census, and farmer in every census after that. One interesting fact from the 1870 census -- there is a column for parentage of each person listed, and the column labelled "Father of foreign birth" is checked for Lewis. The column for his mother is not checked. However, in the 1880 census the birthplace for both of Lewis' parents is listed as New York. The censuses before 1870 did not collect information on parents' birthplaces.

Lewis purchased 40 acres of land in Morgan County, Ohio in 1837 [2]. 

In the 1860 U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, Lewis is shown owning a farm in Noble County, Ohio with 126 acres worth $3,000. His farm implements and machinery were valued at $100. He also owned various livestock, including 4 horses, 6 milk cows, 4 working oxen, 4 other cattle, 19 sheep, and 2 swine, total value of $560. His farm also produced wheat, corn, oats, wool, peas, beans, butter, and cheese [3].

In the 1880 U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, Lewis is again shown as a farm owner in Noble County, Ohio. By this time the farm is 70 acres, and his son Columbus is listed on the line just below Lewis as a farm owner with a 30 acre farm [3].

Lewis and Maria had nine children:

   1. Jane Ackley was born 5 Jan 1830 in Ohio [1], and died 2 Jan 1916 in Noble County, Ohio [1]. Jane married Greenberry Joseph Davis on 12 Apr 1848 in Morgan County, Ohio [4]. Jane and Greenberry had 12 children.
   2. Samuel Ackley was born 23 Sep 1831 in Licking County, Ohio [1] and died 23 Sep 1897 in Noble County, Ohio [1]. Samuel was married twice. His first wife was Melinda Ogle, whom he married in Noble County, Ohio on 12 Dec 1861 [4], and his second wife was Sarah McGarry. Samuel and Sarah were married in Noble County on 25 Mar 1885 [4]. Samuel and Melinda had 6 children; Samuel and Sarah had 5 children.
   3. Eli (Elijah) Ackley was born in 1834 in Ohio [1] and died 24 Sep 1876 in Noble County, Ohio [7]. He married Susannah Hanawalt. Eli is listed as blind in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 U.S. Federal Censuses. Elijah and Susannah had 5 children.
   4. Mary Ackley was born 30 Sep 1837 in Noble County, Ohio [5] and died 22 Feb 1932 in Columbus, Ohio [5]. She married Thomas Bond in Noble County, Ohio on 12 May 1866 [4]. Mary and Thomas had no known children.
   5. Maranda Ackley was born 3 Mar 1804 in Noble County, Ohio [1], and died 8 Nov 1920 in Richland County, Wisconsin [1]. She married Samuel Noble on 13 Mar 1861 in Noble County, Ohio [4]. Maranda and Samuel had 3 children.
   6. William Ackley was born about 1842 in Ohio [6].
   7. Washington Ackley was born about 1844 in Ohio [6].
   8. Emeline Ackley was born about 1846 in Ohio [1] and died about 1883 [1] in Ohio. She married James Hurst on 1 Feb 1865 in Noble County, Ohio [4]. Emeline and James had 7 children.
   9. Columbus Ackley was born 12 Mar 1849 in Ohio [1], and died 17 Aug 1927 in Noble County, Ohio [5]. He married Margaret Hurst on 17 Feb 1871 in Noble County, Ohio [4]. Columbus and Margaret had 9 children.

NOTE: Many researchers try to tie Lewis to Daniel Russell Ackley and Jerusha Ascenith Weekley, but while they DID have a son Lewis, he was a distinctly different individual:  born 1818; died 1882—married Rachael Alice Mathaney….spent most of his life in Vinton & Ross Counties, Ohio.

Daniel Ackley line

Thanks to Mark Ackley for bringing this line to my attention and sending me the documents his father put together detailing his research on Daniel Ackley and his descendants. You'll see that most of the information below comes from those documents.

The earliest known ancestor for this line is Daniel. He is believed to have been born around 1760 in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey [8]. He died about 1816 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania [8]. Daniel served in the Revolutionary War in Capt. John Phillips' Company in the Third New Jersey Regiment [8],[10]. He married Sarah Jane (Price) Parker, the widow of John Parker, in 1790 [8]. Daniel is found in tax records in Gloucester County, New Jersey in the years 1792-1797 as well as 1802 [9]. In 1810 he is found in the census for Pittstown, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania [12]. Daniel and Sarah had seven children:

   1. Samuel Ackley was born on 14 Jun 1792, probably in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey [11], and died 14 Aug 1825 in Plymouth, Pennsylvania [11]. He married Keturah Lamoreux on 18 Jun 1815 in Plymouth, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania [11]. Samuel and Keturah had 2 children.
   2. Mary Ackley was born 5 Sep 1793 in Gloucester County, New Jersey [11], and died 22 Jul 1825 in Pittstown, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania [11]. Mary married Jacob Fell on 8 Oct 1814 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania [11]. Mary and Jacob had 5 children.
   3. Elizabeth Ackley was born on 16 Jun 1796, probably in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey [1], [11], and died 7 Dec 1834 in Greene County, Pennsylvania [1], [11]. She never married [11].
   4. Jehu Ackley was born on 11 Nov 1798, probably in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey [11], and died on 15 May 1848 in Athens County, Ohio [11]. He married Elizabeth Ator/Eator/Eaton in 1823 [11]. She died in Greene County, Pennsylvania on 18 Mar 1836 [11]. Jehu next married Susannah Day on 21 Aug 1836 in Pratt's Fork, Athens County, Ohio [4], [11]. Jehu and Elizabeth had 6 children as did Jehu and Susannah.
   5. Naomi Ackley was born 31 Dec 1801 in New Jersey [11], and died 2 Jan 1885 in Greene County, Pennsylvania [11]. She never married [11].
   6. Joshua Ackley was born 2 Jul 1804 in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey [11], and died on 30 Sep 1881 in Greene County, Pennsylvania [11], [13]. He was married three times. He married his first wife, Martha Ann Sargent, on 4 Mar 1823 in Greene County, Pennsylvania [11]. She died 10 Jun 1851 [11]. He next married Jemima Rush on 25 Sep 1852 [11]. She died 25 Apr 1856 [11]. Rhoda (Sturgis) Litman was his third wife; they married on 25 Nov 1858 in Greene County, Pennsylvania [11]. Joshua and Martha had 11 children. Joshua and Jemima had 2 children. Joshua and Rhoda had 1 child.
   7. Daniel Ackley, Jr. was born in Pittston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania in 1808 [11], and died on 3 Jul 1887 in West Finley, Washington County, Pennsylvania [11]. Daniel married Rosannah Rockey [11]. Daniel and Rosannah had 1 child.

Of special interest is that Joshua and Daniel are associated with the Ackley Covered Bridge that now sits in Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Henry Ford created Greenfield Village to showcase American history, and chose the Ackley covered bridge to be part of the village. Other structures in the village include the Wright brothers bicycle shop, the Logan County, Illinois courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law, and Henry Ford's birthplace. The bridge was originally built in 1832 to span Enlow's Fork (also know as Ackley Creek) of Wheeling Creek on the border of Washington and Greene Counties in Pennsylvania. The white oak timber that was used for the bridge was cut from property owned by Joshua and Daniel, and both men participated in the construction of the bridge. The bridge spanned Enlow's Fork until 1937, when it was disassembled and moved to Greenfield Village [11]. Here are some pictures from Greenfield Village (found online at www.waymarking.com):

  

Although there is no evidence that they are related, New Jersey tax records show a John Ackley, James Ackley, Silas Ackley, Uriah Ackley, and William Ackley who all lived in Great Egg Harbor Township in New Jersey at the same time as Daniel [9]. Hezekiah, John, James, and Silas were also in the same unit as Daniel in the Revolutionary War [10].

Discussion Questions

• Has anyone done any Ackley research in Otsego County, New York? Any clues on a connection for Lewis Ackley's family there?
• Does anyone have any evidence of an Ackley family moving from Otsego, New York to Noble County, Ohio between 1809 (Lewis' birth date in New York) and 1830 (his first appearance as the head of household in Ohio)?
• Has anyone researched any of the Ackleys that were living in Gloucester County, New Jersey at the same time as Daniel Ackley (John, James, Silas, Uriah, William, and Hezekiah)? Does anyone know of any connection to Daniel?
• Do you have an Ackley line not connected to Nicholas Ackley you'd like to share?

Link of the Day

To see more on the Daniel Ackley line, use the link below. This is Mark Ackley's website; he says it needs updating but there is some interesting information and pictures there:

http://ackleyhomestead.com/index.htm

Quote of the Day

"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing."


--Theodore Roosevelt

Sources

1. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
2. Ancestry.com. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.
3. Ancestry.com. Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
4. FamilySearch.org. Ohio County Marriages, 1789-2013 [database on-line]. Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
5. FamilySearch.org. Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953 [database on-line]. Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
6. Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.
7. FamilySearch.org. Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 [database on-line]. Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
8. Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
9. Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.
10. Stryker, William S., Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War (Trenton, N.J.: Wm. T. Nicholson & Co., Printers, 1872), p. 485.
11. Ackley, Adolphus Wilson, Jr., Personal Papers on the Daniel Ackley Line (unpublished, 1996)
12. Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
13. Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

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James Ackley (1678-1746) and His Family