Boydston-Bodine Cemetery Restoration. Bodine researchers will be happy to
know that the people in Wayne County, Ohio are on the ball. An abandoned
cemetery there is now the subject of the efforts of the Wayne County Cemetery
Preservation Society. One of the most researched Bodines is buried in that
graveyard, John Bodine, husband of Ann Dils. He was a veteran of the
Revolutionary War. His stone is missing, but it may be buried there under the
ground somewhere. It was there in March of 1905 when the following article
came out in the Orrville (Ohio) Courier Crescent:
There is a little cemetery in East Union Twp., about 3/4 mile north of
Milbourn School. Here was erected about 1822 or 1823, probably the first
church in this section a Methodist Church as all these settlers the
Boydstones, Bodines, Thomases being Methodist, of hewed logs. In this little
graveyard are some old stones.
Bodine Sr., d. Dec. 24, 1836 95 yrs (he would have been born in 1741)
Samuel Bodine. d. Apr. 30, 1872 84 yrs 9 mo 23 da
George Boydstone. d. Nov. 18, 1825 88 yrs (he would have been born in 1737)
-End of article.
We give a special word of thanks to co-directors Jean Westover and Bonnie Knox
of the Cemetery Preservation Society (as well as the rest of those involved)
in this noble effort.
The picture above was taken at the site of the cemetery. The whole area in
front of the tree is where the stones used to be. Many may still be buried in
the ground. I hope to have more on this project later on.
Here is some census info from Joan Best concerning Wayne County, Ohio. The
comments marked "Notes" are by me.
In Greene County, Pennsylvania:
1800 Census:
John Bodine and wife, over 45 in 1800 (born before abt. 1755), with 2 m and 1
f under 10, 1 m 10-16, 1 m & 2 f 16-26.
Note: Based on this census, we might assume that John and his wife had at
least seven children. Some older ones might have moved off by the time of the
1800 Census, but I doubt any children were born after 1800 since John's wife
was already over 45 years old. Here are the approximate birth years of their
children:
Two males born about 1790-1800
One female born about 1790-1800
One male born about 1784-1790 (This is probably Samuel, b. 1787)
One male born about 1774-1784 (This is probably John Jr. He was born
1780-1790.)
Two females born about 1774-1784
1820 Census:
John Bodine: 1 f under 10, 1 m 10-16, 1 m, 1 f 16-26, 1 f 26-45, 1 m, 1 f 45+
(born before abt. 1775).
Note: I'm not sure this would be our John Bodine. This John seems to have too
many young children; although, they could be grandchildren. This John Bodine
was on the same census page in Whiteley Township as Joseph Fox, William Fox,
Mary Fox, and Levi Bodine - all heads of households. Levi could probably be
John's son. And Joseph Fox would be Levi's father-in-law. Levi married Rebecca
Fox, Joseph's daughter.
Levi Bodine: 3 m, 2 f under 10, 1 f 16-26 (born abt. 1794-1804), 1 m 26-45
(born abt. 1775-1794).
Note: According to the Fox genealogy book, Levi died in 1825. And Rebecca was
born in 1794.
In Wayne County, Ohio:
1820
Samuel Bodine: 1m, 4 f under 10; 1 m 10-16; 1 m, 1f 26-45 (born abt.
1775-1794)
At the same time there was another Samuel in the 26-45 age group in Fayette
Co. Cousins?
1830
Samuel Bodine - Wayne Co. East Union Twp
1m under 5; 1m 1f 5-10; 1m 2f 10-15; 1 f 15-20; 3 f 20-30; 1m 1f 40-50 (born
abt. 1780-1790)
John Bodine - Wayne Co. Canaan Twp.
1m 1f under 5; 1m 3f 5-10; 2m 10-15; 1m 1f 15-20; 1f 30-40; 1m 40-50 (born
abt. 1780-1790)
Martha Bodine - Wayne Co., Baughman Twp.
1m 1f 5-10 and 1 f 70-80 (born abt. 1750-1760).
Note: I'm not sure who this Martha could be. She is old enough to be John's
widow, but John supposedly did not die until 1836. Maybe she is the widow of
John's brother or maybe she is a spinster sister.
Joan also found this from Augusta Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. This is
northwest of Greene County, Pennsylvania:
1830
Thomas Bodin: 1m, 1f under 5; 1m, 1f 5-10; 1m, 1f 10-15; 1 m 15-20; 1 m, 1 f
40-50 (born abt. 1780-1790).
Note: I'm not sure who this is, but he could be another of John's sons.
End of info from Joan Best.
Information at a Dils web site lists this John as having been born about April
1717 and having died in 1741. No sources were given. I find this doubtful, but
I will check with Douglas Weaver (genealogy at mediaone.net) about this. The
web site is his. He wrote me back later saying his source was Hank Z. Jones'
book, More Palatine Families: Who Arrived In Colonial New York In 1710,
pp. 75 and 76. I would need to check that out, but I still doubt it says that
this John Bodine was born in 1717.
I did have this John Bodine's father listed as John Bodine, the son of Jacob
Bodine and Elizabeth Sebring. However, I have no evidence for that and I'm not
sure where that idea came from. Therefore, I have unlinked them in my data. (I
also have John listed as the brother of Jacob Bodine, but I am not sure where
that info came from either. I will leave it for now, though.) I found a letter
of administration for an Abraham Bodine in the Greene County, Pennsylvania
Courthouse (Will Book 1, p. 40). It was dated July 5, 1803. It was granted to
John Mills and bound as securities were Joseph Archer and William Roberts.
Abraham was already deceased by that time. If Abraham were older when he died
in 1803, maybe eighty years old, then he would have been born around 1723.
That would put him at an age where he could be this John's father (this John
being born about 1741). If Abraham were younger when he died, then he could
very well be this John's brother. That should be considered as a very good
possibility.
Joan Best found some info from the book History of Hardin County, Ohio,
page 991, about one of Samuel's grandchildren, Rev. A. C. Barnes. It says that
Samuel was born in Rockingham County, Virginia. This is quite a little ways
south of Greene County, Pennsylvania. It seems to be pretty good information.
This would mean that this John was there in 1787 when Samuel was born. If this
is true, what was John doing there?
Note: The main problem I see with some of the information below is that there
is nothing to tie it all together. How is it known that all of this applies to
one John Bodine or even that any of it applies to this John Bodine? The links
and proof are very weak. In fact, the data from the 1800 Census mentioned
below would seem to fit more a man born about 1753, not 1741.
The following information about John Bodine comes from notes written down by
Theodore A. Bodine. On November 2, 1769, John was named the executor of his
father-in-law's (Peter Diltz) will. In mid February 1778, he was at Valley
Forge, enlisted in the Continental Army. He was discharged in January of 1781
at Morristown, New Jersey. On January 1, 1785, he was a witness on the will of
William Gano in Alexandria Township. On May 9, 1787, he is mentioned in the
final settlement of Peter Diltz's will in Amwell Township. John received 117.
03. 08. lbs., as a legacy in right of his wife, and a commission of 32. 12.
03. lbs. It is not clear if his wife was still alive at that time.
The 1790 Census of New Jersey was destroyed during the War of 1812 when the
Capitol was burned by the British. Fortunately, the Militia List of 1792
contains the names of every free male residing in Hunterdon County between the
ages of 18 and 45. John Bodine is listed in the 1792 Militia list of
Alexandria Township. This was compiled by Hiram Deats, secretary of the
Hunterdon County Historical Society, Flemington, New Jersey, 1936. John also
has children listed in the Baptismal Records of the German Reformed Church of
Alexandria, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, 1753 to 1802. These were contributed
by Henry Race M.D. to the Jerseyman, Flemington, New Jersey, v. 3, no. 4, June
1897. This lists 506 baptismal records between the above mentioned dates.
There is a John Bodine listed in the Rockingham Co., VA Minute Book for
1778-1792 (Part III, 1789-1792). I saw an abstract of this. He is involved in
various legal proceedings.
- Judgements and Orders: On Dec. 28, 1789, John did not appear in court as a
defendant against John Laning whom he may have owed some money.
- Judgements and Orders 1786-1791: On Oct. 25, 1790, John Bodine did not show
up in court as a plaintiff against Joseph Davis whom he may have owed some
money.
- Judgements and Orders(?) for Dec. 27, 1790: This one may be a mistake. I
only saw a John Breedin, not a John Bodine listed.
- p. 70 (Nov. 23, 1789). This date not listed in Judgements and Orders Book.
- p. 84 (Aug. 23, 1790). This date not listed in Judgements and Orders Book.
- p. 64, John Burdine, (Aug. 24, 1789). This date not listed in Judgements and
Orders Book.
I did not see any Bodine listed in the other books for earlier and later time
periods in Rockingham County. My guess is that John Bodine was only in
Rockingham County around the years 1788 until 1791 or so.
Info on John Bodine in the 1800 Census of Whiteley Township in Greene County,
Pennsylvania supposedly lists 3 males under 10 (Nicholas could be one of
these), 1 male 10-16 (Samuel?), 1 male 16-26 (Abraham?), 1 male 45+ (John
himself), 1 female under 10 (Ruth?), and 1 female 10-16 (Amy?), and 1 female
45+ (Ann Dilts, John's wife). This would give them seven children. Note: I
later looked at a transcription of this list at the Greene County GenWeb site
and it listed two girls under 10 and none ages 10-16. Otherwise, the
transcription did match the info above.
It is quite probable one of his children was Samuel, but the other names are
not so certain. He may have also had a son named Nicholas, but that is
probably not accurate. The names Samuel, Abraham, Levi, and Jans Baptist come
from the Lineage record of Mrs. Rose Ann (Bodine) Gilbert at the DAR in
Washington, D.C. Her address was 2105 Lishe Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15214.
Sifting through all the information in this file, I began to think that this
John may have been first married to Ann Dilts. I had the feeling Ann could
have died in the 1780's and that John then married someone else and started a
late family. This was just a guess, though. Later I visited the Heritage
Center in Dayton, Rockingham Co., VA and read some correspondence between Miss
Elizabeth D. Madill of Monogahela, PA and a researcher, Mrs. Marguerite B.
Priode, from the Heritage Center. Miss Madill said that Samuel was born in
"Rockingham Co., east of the mountains." In her correspondence in the Bodine
file at the Heritage Center, Miss Madill said that John is buried in the
Bodine-Boydston Cemetery on Samuel's first farm in Wayne Co., OH. Samuel was
buried there, too. Miss Madill said that John, Sr. was born in New Jersey. He
fought as a private in the American Revoution with the Eastern Pennsylvania
forces. She says that according to a family sketch that recently came to her,
John had six children by his first wife, who then died as well as all of those
six children. He then married Nancy Fedrow (nee Wood). Nancy was a widow who
had six children of her own and then had six more children by John. She says
John lived only a short time in Virginia and then moved to West Virginia
[note: WV didn't exist yet]. From there, in about 1800, he settled in Greene
Co., Whitely Twp., PA where he bought a farm. In 1824, his son Samuel took him
to Wayne Co., OH. He died there in 1836.
When I looked at the marrriage abstracts in Rockingham Co., VA, one says John
married a Nancy Lirow in --, --, 1789. She was a widow. Bond was put up by
Henry Ewin. It also says John married a Nancy Fulerton in --, --, 1789. She
was the widow of Reuben Fulerton (source: VA Historic Marriage Register,
Rockingham Co. Marriages 1778-1850). Another book of abstracts called
Marriages in Rockingham Co., VA, 1778-1816, says John Bodine married Nancy
"Lirow? wd. (See Fulerton)." Bond was Henry Ewin. From the looks of it,
Nancy's last name must have been hard to read in these records. The
researcher, Mrs. Priode, must have found a clearer record where it gave
Nancy's last name as Fedrow and her maiden name as Wood.
I don't know if this is related, but in the Baptism Records of St. James
Lutheran ("Straw") Church in Greenwich, Warren County, New Jersey, there is a
Jacob Bodine and wife Anna who baptized a son on October 1, 1786. The son's
name was "Lea" and he was born on August 21, 1786. The sponsor was the mother
of the child. The name "Lea" sounds strange to me. I wonder if it wasn't Levi
and it was misread. And maybe "Jacob" could be this John. It's only a wild
guess, but something to check out.
In a letter from Mary (and Theodore?) Bodine (41 Marshall Avenue, Akron, OH
44303) from May 21, 1979 found the following. It came from the third or fourth
floor of the annex across from somewhere in Waynesburg.
Under Green Township 1797-1810 (Whitely Township was still in Green in 1797):
1797, 98, 99
Anthony Asher.....100 acres..........George Boydston.....200 acres
Steven Gapen.....4000 acres..........John Bowldin........144 acres
Peter Fox.........180 acres..........Samuel Bowldin......200 acres
John Taylor.......1 cabin
The following information comes from a Greene County Courthouse deed of March
9, 1805:
Purchased from Stephen Gapen, 63 acres in Stephen Green - "...beginning at a
post corner to John Daniels and by land of John Bodine." The deed also says,
"Received of John Bodine and Anthony Asher one hundred dollars." This is
peculiar since no deed of a previous purchase of an land can be found. And
what was John Bodine's association to Anthony Asher?
There is no record of a John Bodine in the Tax Assessment Roll until 1812;
although, his son Samuel is in the 1808 Assessment. In the following info, I
believe John Bordyne was sometimes reported to be John Jr. The name was
spelled Bordoyne, Bodyne, and Bodine.
1812: John Bordyne, land by - 33.00, 1 cabin - 3.00.
1813: 67 acres - 33.00, 1 cabin - 3.00, 1 horse - 15.00, 1 cow - 6.00.
1814-1816: Same.
1817: 164 acres of land - 164.00, 1 cabin - 3.00, 2 horses - 20.00, a cow -
10.00 (197.00).
1818: Same (195.00).
1820: Same (252.00).
1821: Same (241.00).
1822: Same plus 1 more cow (237.00).
1823: Removed.
No more deeds could be found for the purchase of additional land. Although, on
December 9, 1823, John Bodine sold to Isaac Lemley the same 63 acres he
purchased from Stephen Gapen in 1805. This is recorded on January 8, 1824. The
1824 Tax Assessment Roll states, "Rem. transferred 146 acres to Isaac Lemley
and 1 cabin." There is no deed for this transaction that can be found.
Jan Alpert found that a John Bodine had an original grant in 1825 of 80 acres
in Canaan Township (Wayne Co., OH). She also found several deeds for Samuel
Bodine (this John's probable son).
Jan Alpert pointed out that in 1812 this John's last name was listed as
"Bordyne." This could prove to be a link to other Bodines/Bordines who had
that "r" in their name.
The following comes from the Orville Courier Crescent, Orville, Ohio, March,
1905:
There is a little cemetery in East Union Twp., about 3/4 mile north of
Milbourn School. Here was erected about 1822 or 1823, probably the first
church in this section a Methodist Church as all these settlers the
Boydstones, Bodines, Thomases being Methodist, of hewed logs. In this little
graveyard are some old stones.
Bodine Sr., d. Dec. 24, 1836 95 yrs (he would have been born in 1741)
Samuel Bodine. d. Apr. 30, 1872 84 yrs 9 mo 23 da
George Boydstone. d. Nov. 18, 1825 88 yrs (he would have been born in 1737)
***It is interesting that a George Boydstone is also listed on the 1800 Census
of Whiteley Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania. This is the same census
John Bodine is listed on.
Jim Berdine forwarded some info having to do with this John. I'm not sure what
it means or how it fits though. He wrote, "I have been going through
documents, etc. and found a letter I copied from the Gen. library in
Waynesburg. It is to a Mrs. Hennen for a Mrs T. Bodine, 41 Marshall Ave.,
Akron, OH 44303, dated May 21, 1979. Quote." We are trying to prove that this
John was the John married to Dils daughter, same locality in Hunterdon Co. NJ.
This was the only Bodine family there. He was administrator of Peter Dils
Will, and collected in 1787 for wife. We do not know her name or if she was
dead at this time. From census in Greene Co., 1800, he seems to have started a
late family. If he is our Jacob's father, Jacob named a son Samuel also."
There is a John Bodine who was offering his farm for sale in February of 1787.
It was marked as lot #88 in Alexandria, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. I
believe this appeared in the February 9 or 19, 1787 issue of the "Independent
Gazetteer" in Philadelphia. See also the "New Jersey Journal" (Elizabethtown)
of February 28, 1787. I wonder if this isn't land belonging to this John
Bodine, husband of Ann Diltz. Maybe he later sold his land and moved away.
These articles were abstracted in "Notes from NJ Newspapers, 1781-1790."
Regarding the name of his wife, the DAR Patriot Index gives the following:
Bodine, John: b 1741 d 12-24-1836 m Ann Pvt PA (Second Supplement, page 7).
In Juanita Rogers Brown's DAR application, there are three children listed for
John: John Baptist (m. Jane Mariah), Samuel (m. Mary Fox), and Levi (m.
Rebecca Fox). No proof is given, though. It also says John, the father, was
married to Ann. For references to this generation, Mrs. Brown may have
attached a supplement (443064 + 463) for proof. This wasn't attached, but it
would be interesting to see what it is.
Since it's possible that this family passed some time in Columbia County,
Pennsylvania, here are some results of research there.
Subject: Re: Bodines
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001
From: EDelva7334 at aol.com
Hi,
I saw your name as a lookup volunteer at the Columbia County, Pennsylvania
GenWeb site. I was wondering if you could see if you have any cemetery info on
Bodine / Berdine / Bordine / Burdine / Bodein in your books. I'm interested in
any and all data you might have.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Sorry, none of the variations of your surname appear in the Cemeteries of
Centralia, Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Good luck in your research.
Elizabeth
Here's an interesting message I got from Joan Best:
From: Joan Best
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2002
Subject: John S. Bodine, Rev. War vet from Northumberland
I have found an old note in my records that says:
John S. Bodine
In Bodine Cemetery in East Union Twp., Wayne Co., Ohio
Enlisted Northumberland, PA 1777
born 8/15/1748, died 12/24/1836 OH
married Ann
I can now find reference to some of this but not the enlistment part or the
wife part, on the internet. I did find a reference to a 1990 DAR Patriot
reference. This is probably connected to Samuel of the same location.
End of message.
About the message above, Jan Alpert wrote the following. She is looking into
the possibility that John's father was Abraham Bodine
From: JanAlpert at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2003
Cc: kennaw at email.msn.com
Subject: Re: Bodine
Thanks Dave. If John Bodine who lived in Ohio was born Aug. 15, 1748, he
would have been 20 years old 10 months and 29 days when his [possible] father
wrote his will. Not yet 21 but close. That would be a good fit. I will
write Somerset Co. for a copy of the entire probate record. It should also
show the payments to him at 21 and his sisters when they married.
End of message.
I haven't seen a birth date for John before or that he enlisted from
Northumberland County. This needs to be checked out. I have a feeling it may
have come from his pension file. If that can be located, it would be
invaluable.
It's possible that this John and Peter, the husband of Sabillah Ent, could be
related. That is only guess, though.
Here is some interesting info:
From: crownover [crownover at pennswoods.net]
Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Subject: website "ten most wanted"
I found your website through a Google search.
I am working on continuing my mother in law's research on
Covenhoven/Covenhover/Cownover/Crownover. I'm in Huntingdon county, PA where
one of the Berkeley county Covenhovens settled. I wrote to Stan Ball this
evening also because of a comment he had in the "notes" of your John Bodine,
#5 of the "ten most wanted" regarding the Covenhoven migration.
John Covenhoven b 1719 married Lydia Predmore in New Jersey 1752. They were
in Chester county PA in 1768, and John bought land in central Pennsylvania and
Berkeley county 1772. His eldest son John (possibly from a previous marriage)
lived on the Pennsylvania property and is my husband's line.
John died 1778. Will book 1, page 122, dated 24 February 1778, presented 17
March 1778
He names wife Lydia's share, gives sons Daniel and Joseph the plantation that
he now lives on containing one hundred fifty acres. They must pay daughters
Ann, Ruth, Betty and Polly fifty pounds Pennsylvania currency as they come of
age. Wife Lydia, sons Benjamin and William are executors, they divide the
rest of the estate. To son John "over and above what I formerly gave him the
sum of five shillings Sterling."
witnesses are Samuel Oldham, John
Walker, John Jasper, William Cunningham, Abram Morelat(Marlatt?)
John's son William died in Berkeley county in 1834, naming his (possibly
second) wife Sophia. His children moved to Ohio and Indiana.
Benjamin married Rachel Jasper and went to South Carolina, then Illinois. His
son John is among Austin's Original colony in Texas.
Joseph b 1759 married Sarah/Sally Prigmore. They moved to South Carolina,
then Tennessee.
Daniel b1763 married Martha "Patsy" ____. They lived in South Carolina, then
Arkansas.
Of the daughters, Ann is still unknown, Ruth married James Prather in 1784,
lived in Clear sring, Washington county, MD. Polly married Jonathan Nesbitt,
lived in Clear Spring also. Betty married Thomas Smith, may also be in Clear
Spring.
Lydia remarried Richard Prather in 1782 and lived in Clear Spring. He was the
father of James Prather
Book 1, page 139. John and Lydia bought 324 acres in Berkeley county 16 June,
1772 from John and Ann Borden.
could they be Bodine and connected to your "most wanted" #5?
I also have a sheet provided to my mother in law by Don Wood, historian of
Berkeley county in the early 1980's. It contains the history of the property.
The Bordens bought it in two parcels April 1762, recorded 4 August 1762 book
7, pages 301 and 305 (Frederick county) The original owner was John Lindsey,"
Gent", March 1752, 424 acres. In May 1756 he transferred 213 acres to James &
Ruth Lindsey, 212 acres to Sarah and Thomas Speake, "Gent". After the Bordens
bought both parcels, they sold 100 acres 4 June 1766 to John Shebley, "late of
F".
It's getting late, and my typing is getting sloppy.
I will share all that I can.
Rosemary Crownover
What this suggests to me is that if this John and Ann Borden is this John and
Ann Bodine, then we now have a connection to Berkeley Co., VA (WV now). This
would probably link them to the Jacob Bodine who married Jane Marlatt.
The following comes from Ronny Bodine. It may or may not refer to this John
Bodine as the one who committed the fornication mentioned below. It is only a
wild guess at this time and more likely refers to one of a couple of other
John Bodines from New Jersey.
The Docket of Jacob Van Noorstrand was published in the Genealogy Magazine of
New Jersey, vol. 42, p. 100 and included the following entry:
son, born 30 September 1765. On 3 February 1766, Hannah Van Sickeln appeared
before Jacob Van Noorstrand, of the Somerset County court and stated she was
delivered of a male child on 30th Sept last and John Bodyne of Hunterdon
County, cooper, is the father. A warrant was sworn for Bodyne. On 17
February 1766, John Bodine of Reading, Hunterdon County, was directed to
appear at the next quarter session in Somerset County to answer to charges of
fornication. Peter Bodine, of Hunterdon County, acted as surety.
From: acacat17 at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Hello Dave,
I happened upon this Dilts Family website that I thought I should refer to
your attention, just in case there is something of interest to you here. As
you already know in your own records, this site mentions a John Bodine who was
executor of the February 20, 1788 Will of Heinrich/Henry Dilts/Dils/Diltz -
possibly the same John Bodine who married Mary Dils (she was born about 1750).
However, of particular interest to me is that there were a few of these Dils
children who were born in Warren County, Ohio --- I just wonder if there may
have been some association with our John Bodine and Jane Marlatt who were also
living there???
Best Wishes, Jan Bodine
http://www.hullhome.com/Dilts.Gen.htm
Ronny Bodine sent me the following:
From: The Courier-Crescent (Orrville, Ohio) of Wednesday, 24 Nov 1971.
Since the celebration of the bicentennial of the United States has
already begun, I wish to commend the Courier-Crescent for space given to
further an appreciation of local and national history.
After Miss Mary Studer published my desire to correspond with descendants
of our ancestors, I have almost completed the family tree. Names of those to
whom we are indebted are too numerous to mention except Miss Alta Bartel,
granddaughter of James Bodine, who sent me the family sketch. This obviously
was the work of Miss Elizabeth Freeman of Ashland. That it is authentic has
been proved by the fact that I recently procured a copy of the marriage
license of John and Nancy Bodine, our third great grandparents, from
Harrisonburg, Va.
John Bodine Sr., after selling his farm in Greene County, Pa., moved to
Canaan Township, Wayne County, Ohio, in 1824. His daughter, Ann, (Mrs. Thomas
Eldridge) accompanied him. Does anyone know whether his daughter, Mary (Mrs.
Boltus Wiggins) accompanied him or whether his wife, Nancy, died
before the family's migration to Wayne County, Ohio?
John Bodine Sr. is buried in the Boydston-Bodine Cemetery in East Union
Township. Inscribed on the memorial still legible in the 1950's (See Dr. Anna
Yoder's Scrapbook in the Wayne County Library, page 4) 1741-1836. His son,
Levi, and family did not go with the father to Ohio, but through the years
their name has been corrupted to Berdine." Now I am trying to trace those
descendants, who live in Waynesburg, Pa.
Samuel Bodine, oldest son of John, moved, in 1815 with his family to
Wayne County, East Union Township, where he bought his farm from George
Boydston in 1824 (see II - 452). In 1828 (Vol. 22-353) he added another 120
acres to his farm. Again in 1847, he bought lots 186, 187 and 188 in Wooster
from George Brimble; also see Vol. 43, 609, concerning the transactions with
George Wilcox and wife in Wooster. Therefore it was in Wooster that Samuel's
wife, Mary Fox Bodine, and their daughter, Jane, died in September 1851. Both
are buried in the family plot (N.E. Quarter, Sec. 4, Range 12, Twp. 16, S. E.
corner of aforementioned farm). Methodists, please note that four churches in
Wayne County began at this corner or roughly in this area. Samuel became a
group leader and had quarterly meetings in his barn that lasted for two days.
(See Dr. Anna Yoder's Scrapbook).
After his wife's death, Samuel and his daughter, Lovina, moved to
Smithville (see "Pioneer Homes of Wayne County") where the father had
purchased a large red brick house of Federal design on what was originally Lot
1. He died April 30,1872 and was buried in the family plot. The stone is still
legible but is no longer upright.
His immediate family of 11 children were: Joseph (married Elizabeth
Thomas), Nancy (Mrs. John Freeman), Jane, Lovina, John (married Esther
Freeman), Elizabeth (Mrs. Jacob Arnsberger), Eliza (Mrs. Henry Stirk), James
(married Elizabeth Brenneman) and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Orrville;
Mary Ann (Mrs. George F. A. Tarn) predeceased her father; Samuel (married Mary
Taylor).
To compound the difficulties in tracing the Bodines, several Bodine
families immigrated directly from France to Wayne County, Ohio, about 1860.
This I discovered when I received Joseph's Civil War Record, because a Joseph
D. Bodine also served in the Union Army. These families should not be confused
because our line is descended from John Bodine who appears in the census of
Staten Island in 1694. A staunch Huguenot, he fled from France to England,
where he married his second wife, Esther Bridon daughter of Francois Bridon.
(Baird: Emigration of Huguenots, Vol. 1, and History of the Huguenots in
America, Vol. 1.)
Although the Lewis Freeman and his wife, Ann Noe, lines have been traced
by certified genealogists and are voluminous, I shall try to be brief. Lewis's
branch of the Freemans has been traced to 1639 in America. Ann Noe's goes back
to 1663 when Pierre Noue arrived in America with other Waldensians in 1663.
Among Lewis's ancestors is Judge Henry Freeman of Middlesex County, New
Jersey, and a sergeant in the Colonial Wars.
Lewis Freeman and his family moved from New Jersey to Greene County,
Pennsylvania. In 1834 the family moved to Wayne County, Ohio. There he bought
his property in Township 16, Range 12, Northwestern quarter containing 160
acres (Deed Vol. II, p. 640).
Their children were as follows: Anneliza (Mrs. John F. Simpkins),
Benjamin Noe, MD, (married Compton); John (married Nancy Bodine), Lewis
(married Christanna Garrel), Edgar (married Mary McFann), both he and his son
were merchants in Wooster; Harriet (Mrs. Ephraim Seargent), Esther
(marriecl John Bodine); Sarah (marriea John H. Ray), Fanny (married James
Clubine).
Nearly all of the family is buried in the Old Cemetery in Orrville. Nancy
rests in the Boydston-Bodine plot (we have a picture of her headstone), but
her husband, John Freeman, is interred somewhere in Michigan. Esther and her
husband, John Bodine, were buried in the Bodine plot in Pleasantville, Pa.
They are our great grandparents. As can be seen at Lewis Freeman's grave in
Orrville, he fought in the War of 1812.
Several months ago I sent to the Wayne Co. Wooster Library a pamphlet
entitled "Colonial Families of America" by Frances M. Smith and Frank Allaben,
published by the Genealogical Company, 3 W. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. on the
Freeman Family. This contains the coat-of-arms attributed to Henry Freeman of
Woodbridge, N.J. Because the company had only two copies, I shall try to
reorder. In this booklet are listed the descendants (of Wayne County) from
Judge Henry; but because I became ill, further work was halted.
The Bodines, Freemans, and Noes eventually settled in New Jersey until
they, like all pioneers, moved westward. The greatest heritage or sense of
American spirit that parents can give their children is the nowledge of the
accomplishments and perseverance of their forefathers. Let's begin to
celebrate the bicentennial at home.
Miss Eliubetb D. Madill
450 Carson Street
Monongahela, Pa. 15063