We are proud to be associated with the American
History and Genealogy Project.We are proud to be associated with the American
History and Genealogy Project.
(JUDGE) JOHN WHITEAKER
According to descendant Weldon Whiteaker, this particular family line spells the name Whiteaker. Please remember, however, that you will find the name spelled several different ways in the various source documents and with some researchers.
PERSONAL STATISTICS
Born March 21, 1795 in Washington County, Virginia.
According to a letter from Weldon Whiteaker dated February 1, 2002, he does have the documentation that Giles Whiteaker and Mary Polly Rice were the parents of John Whiteaker. For further information, please contact him at WeldonW@aol.com .
The 1850, 1870 and 1880 census say Virginia, the 1860 census says Tennessee
The History of Des Moines County Iowa page 582 states he was born March 21, 1795 in
Washington County, Virginia.
His obituary states he was a native of Virginia
Some sources, including Gene's Pool at Ancestry.com have his middle name as Henry. However, Gene's Pool also lists the wife of John and mother of all the children as Sarah Darkist. We have no idea where that came from, but one would wonder if the Darkist is a) a maiden name of Sarah Holtzclaw, his second wife, or b) misconstrued name using Sarah, his second wife, and Dorcas, his first wife.
Died August 20, 1884 in Ft. Madison, Lee County, Iowa
Age in obituary is given as 89 years, 4 months, 27 days. Using an actual calendar, this takes it to March 24, 1795, three days off of birthdate above. Read full obituary here.
MARRIAGES OF JOHN WHITEAKER
Married DORCAS CAMPBELL JONES, widow of James Jones sometime between August 1815 and 1817 in Claiborne County, Tennessee, when we believe their first child was born.
Dorcas Jones is admitted as administrator of the will of the estate of James Jones in August 1815. Same month she returns to the court an inventory of said estate.
| August Term 1815 - Dorcas Jones is admitted
to administrator all and singular the goods and rights
and credits of James Jones deceased and gives bond in the
sum of two hundreds dollars with George Campbell for
security for her faithful administration of said estate.
---Claiborne County, Tennessee Court Records 1815-1817,
page 104. LDS Film Number 1730834 August Term 1815 - Dorcas Jones returns an inventory of the estate of James Jones deceased which is filed and ordered to be recorded. ---Claiborne County, Tennessee Court Records 1815- 1817, page 105. LDS Film Number 1730834
|
Dorcas Campbell was born around 1800, died 1847 according to John Whitaker's obituary. No one has ever found her exact date of death, where she died or where she is buried. Her parents were George Campbell and Elizabeth Dobkins. (We are working on the Campbell and Dobkins pages for our site.)
Married SARAH HOLTZCLAW, widow of Charles Holtzclaw,
88. John Whitaker married Sarah Holtzclaw, 24
August 1848. Whitaker resident of Jefferson County. J.
Bachelder, M.G. 5 September 1848. Source: Des Moines
County, Iowa Marriages 1847-1853. R929.3777 96 Des
Arlington Heights, Illinois Public Library.
|
Sarah had unknown number of Holtzclaw children. John Whiteaker was named guardian of said minors. The document uses the word heirs, in plural, so we must presume there were at least two Holtzclaw children.
Holtzclaw, Charles H., died 17 November 1847.
Charles H. Snelson, Nathaniel Bennet and M. W. Nealey,
Administrators. Sarah Holtzclaw, Widow, owned land in
Illinois. John Whitaker, guardian of minor heirs,
unnamed. Source: Box B - 116. --Will Book 1, Des Moines
County, Iowa, page 10. Arlington Heights, Illinois Public
Library.
|
We believe they were divorced in April 1853 in Lee County, Iowa. However, please note the name of the wife is Eliza, not Sarah.
April 6, 1853 - Eliza Whitaker divorced from
John Whitaker by R. T. Lowe, Judge of the First Judicial
District of the State of Iowa. ---District Court, Fort
Madison, Lee County, Iowa. Source: War of 1812 pension
records of John Whiteaker.
|
Married ZELICHA YOUNG YANCY on November 28, 1853 in Schuyler County, Missouri. She was the widow of Thomas Yancy who died in 1849.
November 28, 1853 - John Whitecar married
Zilacha Young in Lancaster, Schuyler County, Missouri by
Isaac Foster, P. G. Sources: Schuyler County, Missouri
Marriage Records, Book 1, page 76. War of 1812 pension
records of John Whiteaker.
|
They were not living together in 1860 - see census page.
Zelicha apparently did not leave Missouri in 1861 when John Whiteaker went to Illinois, or she returned to Missouri before 1870. In 1870 she is living with a daughter and next door to a Yancy.
| 1870 US CENSUS, Newark PO, Fabius Twp, Knox
County, MO page 790 Enum 22 Jun 1870 RICH, William 31 M W Saddler KY Julia 27 F W keeping house KY James W 9 M W MO Worth 2 M W MO WHITAKER, Felica 63 F W without occupation KY
|
RESIDENCES OF JOHN WHITEAKER
His parents moved to Claiborne County, TN sometime before 1812. He returned to Claiborne County after the War of 1812 (see Military Records).
After his marriage to Dorcas Campbell Jones around 1815, John and Dorcas continued to live in Claiborne County, Tennessee until around 1827.
- About 1827, the family moved to Park County, Indiana and stayed about one year.
- In 1828, John moved to the Big Grove area of what is now Champaign County, Illinois near Urbana.
*This is mentioned in both the History of Des Moines County, Iowa and History of Lee County, Iowa biographies.
Please visit our new, partial only, History of Champaign County, Illinois.
John Whiteaker purchased several partials of land in what is now Champaign County, Illinois as found on the Illinois Public Land Records:
Illinois Public Land Purchase Records
WHITEAKER JOHN FD W2NE 27 20N 09E 3 8000 125 10000 April 11 1831 092 291 053 131764 0
WHITEAKER JOHN FD W2NE 33 20N 09E 3 8000 125 10000 April 11 1831 092 291 053 131765 0
WHITEAKER JOHN FD E2SE 28 20N 09E 3 8000 125 10000 August 24 1831 092 236 001 211509 0
WHITEAKER JOHN FD SENE 28 20N 09E 3 4000 125 5000 March 21 1833 092 236 015 211510 0
WHITEAKER JOHN FD E2SW 27 20N 09E 3 8000 125 10000 December 04 1832 092 236 011
- The family is living in Vermilion County, Illinois in 1830 (before Champaign County was formed) - see census
- By 1834 the family had moved to Des Moines County, Iowa which included Lee County at that time. John Whiteaker was elected Probate Judge in the first election of Des Moines County, Fall 1834. Read about it here from the History of Lee County.
- By 1840 the family had moved to Jefferson County, Iowa - see census.
- In 1847, Dorcas passed away according to John's obituary. No one as yet found where she is buried. We would think it logical that she died in either Jefferson County or Lee County, Iowa. However, it is also possible she died while visiting in Claiborne County, Tennessee.
- In 1850, John had remarried and the family was living in Ft. Madison, Lee County, Iowa - see census.
- In 1853, John and Sarah divorced in Ft. Madison, Lee County, Iowa.
- Between 1853 (his obituary says 1851) and March 1855, John moved his family to Knox County, Missouri. His daughter Isabel was married in March 1855 at the home of John Whiteaker of Knox County.
- In 1860, John and Eldridge Campbell, age 15, were living in Knox County, Missouri. Living next door was Isabel Douglas, his daughter. Living nearby were his sons James Madison Whiteaker, Prior Lee Whiteaker and John Campbell Whiteaker. His other living daughters, Elizabeth, Mary Polly and Frances Jane had remained in Iowa as did his son George Smith Whiteaker. See census and individual children's pages below.
- In 1861, John left Missouri after being held hostage by Confederate Rebels for eight days. See his obituary.
- Apparently, John returned to Illinois either directly upon leaving Missouri or soon thereafter. By 1870, he was living in Hancock County, Illinois with his daughter Mary Polly, who was a widow. His son John Campbell Whiteaker also went to Illinois with him. See 1870 census.
- In 1880, John had returned to Ft. Madison, Lee County, Iowa where he apparently remained until his death in 1884. His daughter Mary Polly was with him in 1880. The census indicates he was quite ill with rheumatism.
WAR OF 1812 MILITARY RECORDS
John Whiteaker fought in the War of 1812. He enlisted in Capt. John Fagan's Company of the 39th U.S. Infantry (regular army versus a state volunteer unit). He stayed with the unit at least until after March 1814 when the unit participated in the Battle of Horse Shoe Bend. The unit was under the command of Col. John Williams and Lt. Col. Thomas H. Benton and under the general command of General Andrew Jackson. We do not know his discharge date, but the History of Desmoines County biography says he was discharged in Florida, which would possibly indicate that the unit went with General Jackson through the Florida campaign, but not on to New Orleans for the final battle of the war which was in January 1815. The war officially ended I believe on February 17, 1815.
This site is a great history site, located at Hillsdale College, Hillsdale Michigan. They have many other historical events on line as well.
In the Lee County Iowa History, 1879, there is a mention of his 1812 war service
| Lee County, Iowa History - 1879 At the age of eighteen years, he (John Whiteaker) enlisted in Capt. John Fagan's Company, Thirty-ninth United States Infantry, John Williams, Colonel, and Thomas H. Benton (afterward U.S. Senator for thirty years from Missouri), Lieutenant Colonel, and participated in the battle of Horse Shoe Bend, on the Tallapoosa (Alabama) River, in the War of 1812, which was fought under the direction of General Jackson....
|
Zelicha Young Yancy Whitaker applied for a widow's pension on March 5, 1885 based on John Whitaker's 1812 War Service.
March 5, 1885 - Zelicha Whiteaker aged 79
years a resident of Newark in the State of Missouri who
being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is
the widow of John Deceased, who was the identical John
Whitaker who served the command of Capt. John Fagan in
the War of 1812, the details of whose service are not
known to or remembered by her, but that the same are
shown fully by the papers of her said husband's claim No.
939, War of 1812, on file in the Pension Office. She
further states that she was married to the said John
Whitaker at the city of Lancaster in the county of
Schuyler and in the State of Missouri on the ...........
day Feby A.D. 1854 by one Isaac Foster who was a Minister
of the Gospel and that her name before her said marriage
was Zelicha Yancy and that she has not remarried since
the death of said soldier; and that her said husband John
Whitaker died at Fort Madison in the State of Iowa on the
17th day of August A.D. 1884. That both she and the said
soldier had been previously married; her husband Thomas
Yancy died Nov. 23, 1849, and his first wife having died,
and his second wife been divorced previous to their
marriage. (Signed - Zelicha Whiteaker) ---War of 1812,
Claim of Widow for Pension. Pension records of John
Whiteaker.
|
| Physician's Affidavit. State of Iowa, County
of Lee In the Pension Claim of Zelicha Whitaker, widow of John Whitaker, War of 1812. Personally came before me, a Notary Public in and for the County and State aforesaid, Doctor A. C. Roberts whose Residence and Post-Office address is Fort Madison, Lee Co. Iowa well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being duly sworn, declares in relation to aforesaid case as follows:-- That he is a Practicing Physician, and as such attended John Whitaker the above named soldier, during his last illness; That he died at Fort Madison, Iowa of the 17th day of August, 1884, and the immediate cause of death was anasarca of the legs with ulcerations and old age. ---War of 1812 pension records of John Whiteaker.
|
CHILDREN OF JOHN H. WHITEAKER AND DORCAS CAMPBELL JONES
Of the eleven children listed in John Whiteaker's obituary, nine of them have been identified by Whitaker/Whiteaker researchers as follows:
1. Elizabeth Whiteaker, born in Tennessee
1836 - over 21 (based on data sent by a Whitaker researcher. We have not seen this census, therefore have not verified it) - indicating around 1815
1840 - 15 to 20 age bracket - indicating between 1820 and 1825
1850 - 36 - indicating around 1824
1856 - 39 - indicating around 1817
1860 - 42 - indicating 1817-1818
1870 - 52 - indicating 1817-1818
1880 - 62 - indicating 1817-1818
We are going tentatively with the 1817-1818 birthdate, which would make her the oldest child. In all the census, she is always a year older than Mary Polly. This would indicate that probably as the oldest daughter she was named after the mother of Dorcas, Elizabeth Dobkins. See note at bottom of page on naming.
See separate page for her family information.
2. Mary Polly Whiteaker - born in Tennessee
1860 - 44, enumerated 18 June 1860 which would put her birth year between June 19, 1815 and June 18, 1816.
1870 - 51, enumerated 29 Jul 1870 which would put her birth year between 30 July 1818 and 29 July 1819.
1880- 61, enumerated 7 June 1880 which would put her birth year between 8 June 1818 and 7 June 1819.
However, based on the census, we believe she was born in either 1818 or 1819 but before October 1819. This would make her the second born daughter, and perhaps named after the mother of John Whitaker. See note at bottom of page on naming.
3. James Madison Whiteaker, born in Tennessee.
1850 - 30, enum 1 Oct 1850. If above date is accurate, he was actually 29 not 30.
1860 - 36, enum 11 August 1860, indicating he was born between 12 August 1823 and 11 August 1824.
1870 - 49, enum 18 August 1870, which would indicate that the 7 November 1820 date is correct.
1880 - 59, enum June 1880, which would indicate the the 7 November 1820 date is correct.
1900 Census - have not located him yet.
In reviewing a possible naming pattern, however, the oldest son would be named after John Whitaker's father which would make him a James Whitaker, not a Giles Whitaker. Again, all questions, not answers. See note at bottom of page on naming.
4. Melvina E. Whiteaker, born in Tennessee.
CENSUS:
1830 US CENSUS, Vermillion County, IL
We believe she is the female, age 5 to 10, with her parents.
1840 US CENSUS, Jefferson County, IA
We believe she is the female, age 15 to 20, with her parents.
5. George Smith Whiteaker, born in Tennessee.
1850 - 24, indicating he was born before October 1, 1826 and after October 2, 1825.
1860, 1870 and 1880 census all indicate that the October 1826 would be accurate.
Is George named after Dorcas' father? Usually in a family following the old naming patterns, the second born son is named after the mother's father. Her father was George Campbell. See note at bottom of page on naming.
6. Unknown Female - between 1827 and 1830. (see census analysis)
7. Prior Lee Whiteaker, born in Indiana.
1850 - 21, indicating before 19 August 1829.
1860 - 29, indicating before 11 August 1830 and after 11 August 1829.
1880 - 50, indicating before June 1830 and after June 1829.
8. Rhoda Whiteaker, born in Illinois
1850 - 19 would indicate she was born between July 20, 1830 and July 19, 1831.
1860 census age is not readable.
1870 - 39, indicating between 6 August 1830 and 5 August 1831.
9. Frances Jane Whiteaker, born in Illinois
1850 - 17 would indicate after 19 August 1832 and before 19 August 1833.
1860 - 27 would indicate after 18 June 1832 and before 18 June 1833.
1870 census has not been found.
1880 - 47 would indicate after June 1832 and before June 1833.
10. John Campbell Whiteaker, born in Iowa.
1850 - 15 indicates before 19 August 1834 and after 19 August 1835.
1860 - 24 indicates after 11 August 1835 and before 11 August 1836.
1870 - 35 indicates after 29 July 1834 and before 29 July 1835.
1880 - we have found him in the census yet.
11. Isabel Whiteaker, born in Iowa.
1850 - 14 indicates after 19 August 1835 and before August 1836.
1860 - 23, indicating after June 1836 and before June 1837.
1870 -census has not been found yet.
1880 - 43, again indicating after June 1836 and before June 1837.
See page 3, Census Analysis, for an explanation of how we arrived at the other two children we believe belong to John Whiteaker and Dorcas Campbell - Melvina Whiteaker and an Unknown Female Child.
We mention the possible naming pattern of children based on the fact that the wife of John Whiteaker was Dorcas Campbell. The Campbell family in general is a long standing Scot family. Many Scot families continued to follow the naming patterns here, especially involving the firstborn. As a word of clarification, the first and second generations of Scots in America were more prone to following a naming pattern than were later generations. This is probably true of almost any of the immigrant families. Many nationalities had naming patterns, such as the English and Germans. To understand the Scot pattern more, please visit our Traditional Naming Patterns in Scotland, as part of our Scotland and United Kingdom Homepage. It is always good to keep naming patterns in the back of one's mind when researching any family.
new RESEARCHERS OF JUDGE JOHN WHITEAKER new
Page 2 - Census Returns
Return to Saban Thompson Homepage
Page created by Mary and Don Saban on January 23, 2002.
Page Last Updated Thursday, August 28, 2003