I'm researching a couple, Lemuel Churchill (1808-1875) and Sarah Jane Burditt (1811-1880) who were married on September 08, 1833 most likely in Vermont. I'm presuming it was in Franklin County as the notes handed down to me from my aunt call it "Frankfort", but that may be because they ended up in Frankfort, Illinois by the 1870's. I noticed in the 1830 Census that there were a number of Churchills in Franklin County, but found no Burditts, so perhaps they are from a neighboring county.

Any info about these folks or about their families would be greatly appreciated. Also, I live close enough (suburbs of Boston) to do some physical research. Would the Vital Records from this era be found in the County or Township offices?

TIA,
Stan

Stan,
The county in Vermont was Rutland Co. and Addison Co. Vermont for Burditts and Churchills.....
It was Will Co. Illinois you will be able to find them also
for Burditt's and Churchill's.
Some of the Burditt/Churchill/Willcox family's are buried in Calhoun Co. and Sac Coo. Iowa.......
You might get in touch with Jean Klooster at
conradk@pioneer-net.com as she is a direct descendant of Lemuel Churchill and Sarah Jane Burditt

i am researching my family history. I was born 18 JUL 56 to Charles Lemuel Churchill whose birthday is 04 AUG 28.His father (my grandfather) is Robert b-day unknown. I believe Roberts fathers name was Lemuel. That is where the trail ends.

Do you know where the family was living in 1920? We can start by finding them in the census and then start working back. By then, the Churchills my aunt is descended from lived in Frankfort or Mokena, Illinois.

I've got a Samuel Churchill who shows up in the 1860 Census in Mokena. His wife is named Sally, with children named Orvis, Mary, Jane and Samuel (I believe the census taker mistook the name Samuel for Lemuel). This guy was born in Vermont in 1808 and died in Illinois in 1875. I don't have a Robert listed among his children, but I've got a Robert Henry Churchill (born 1906 and married to Ann Duncan) among his grandchildren (actually my records are not quite certain on this point, he may be a great-grandchild). It seems this branch of the family lived in Iowa for a while, then moved to Illinois, where they are found in the 1910 census in Frankfort, although Robert is mysteriously missing in that record.

If you can give me even a hint about where Robert was located, that may give us the clue we need to make the connection.

Robert Henry Churchill was my grandfather. They resided in Elwood Illinois until the Joliet arsenal was built. They rented a farm and had to move.They then relocated to Joliet on Fox street.There were two boys born of Robert and Anna, my father Charles Lemuel Churchill Sr. and Robert. Robert is still a resident of Joliet. Charles Sr. is now living in Springfield Mo.

There must be a son Lemuel, to the Lemuel that passed in 1875 to complete the link to Robert born in 1906.
I think were getting some where.

How's this seem to you:

Lemuel Churchill, son of Lemuel, born 2-Jul-1855, died 2-Mar-1930, married Alida McGrady in June 1884 in Sac City Iowa. They had the following children:

Alice Betsey Churchill, birthdate unknown
Albert Scott Churchill, born Mar-1886
Sarah Jane Churchill, born Jan 1890
Grace Churchill, born 1892
Mary Matilda Churchill, born 1894
Dora Ann Churchill, born 19-Jun-1896
Sisie Churchill, born 1898
Ernest Churchill, born 1904
Robert Henry Churchill, born 1906
George Churchill, born 1909
Irvin Churchill, born 1910

This info is mostly from notes handed down from my aunt, who is descended from Sarah Jane Churchill and from the 1910 census, although I'm puzzled that the latter does not mention Robert or George. I live near a NARA office, so next time I make a trip there, I'll see if I can find any of these folks in the 1900 or 1920 censuses to see if we can resolve the remaining mysteries. Sarah Jane married into the Beagley family of Orland Park, IL, as documented on my web site at http://users.erols.com/gpuccini/BeagleyFamily/Beagley.htm

Send a mail to the webmaster link there, if you want to take this offline.

Now I'm confused. On your Thomas Beagley web page you show that Sarah Jane Churchill married John Beagley in 1881. In the listing on children to Lemuel Sarah Jane Churchill was not born until 1890. Was perhaps there also a Sarah Jane born to Lemuel Sr. ?

By the way have you gone back any further on the Churchill family prior to Lemuel Sr.?

Thanks for your efforts this is very rewarding.....

Yep, that's right. Lemuel sr. had a daughter Sarah Jane born January 29, 1849. His son, a daughter by the same name born Januart 1890. Sorry, I've been quite distracted with other matters lately, so I haven't given this my full attention. And no, I haven't got anything on Lemuel, Sr.'s parents, as that was the reason I posted here in the first place.

Had a chance to check the census record today and here's what I've got:

1850 Census, Frankfort Twshp, Will County, p. 253
17, Lemuel Churchill, 41, Farmer, 200, VT
Sarah, 39, VT
Orson, 19, Farmer, VT
Lucy, 13, VT
Mary, 9, VT
John, 4, VT
Sarah J., 1, IL

1860 Census, Mokena, Frankfort Twsp, Will County
Saml Churchill, 52, Farmer, 2000, 700, Vermont
Sally, 49, Vermont
Orvis, 25, Laborer, Vermont
Mary, 19, VT
Jane, 11, IL
Samuel, 5, IL

1870 Census, Frankfort, Will County, Pg. 2, 5-Jul-1870
Churchill, Lemuel, 62, Farmer, 4500, 982, VT
Sally, 59, Keeping house, VT
Jane S., 21, At Home, IL
Lemuel, 14, At Home, IL

After this, the head of household is Lemuel, Jr.:

1900 Soundex, Will County, Frankfort Twshp, 158, 105, 3, 33
Churchill, Lemuel, July 1855, IL
Alida, Jun 1866, NY
Albert, s, Mar 1886, Iowa
Alice, d, feb 1888, Iowa
Sarah, d, Jan 1890, Iowa
Grace, d, Oct 1891, Iowa
Mary, d, Dec 1893, IL
Susie, d, Jan 1898, IL


1910 Census Frankfort, next door to Charles and Jane Fern
Churchill, Lemuel, 55, IL, VT, VT, Farmer
Alida, 47, Iowa, NY, unk.
Albert, 20, Iowa, IL, Iowa
Grace, 18, IL, IL, Iowa
Mary, 16
Susie, 11,IL
Ernie, 9, IL
Margaret,3,IL


1920 Soundex, Will County, IL 208, 154, 7, 70
Churchill, Lemuel, 64, IL
Elida E., 53, NY
Albert J., 33, Iowa
Earnest E., 19, IL
Robert H., 13, IL
Irvin L., 9, IL


It appears from this that Lemuel, Sr. moved from Vermont to Illinois around 1845/46 and that Lemuel, Jr. (at least) moved to Iowa sometime in the 1870s or early 1880s before returning to Illinois in 1892/93. I found no Lemuel Churchills in the 1880 Illinois Soundex and ran out of time before I could check the Iowa one.

Oddly, there seems to be another Lemuel Churchill floating about, as there is a marriage record in Cook County for a Lemuel Churchill marrying a Sophie Hewitt on 2/25/1881.
See:
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/cgi-bin/archives/marriage....

Also saw a few other Churchill marriages in Illinois involving Lemuel Sr.'s other children. For instance, Orson Churchill married in 1861, died in Nashville during the Civil War, then you see his widow Esther remarrying in 1866.

The next step would be to pull some of the vital records. I've dealt with the folks in Joliet and they have been quite helpful with the Will County records, however, when it comes to Cook County, I prefer to deal with them by mail, as there tend to be long lines and parking is a hassle in downtown Chicago. I live in the Northeast, so if you could help out with some of that legwork, I can probably spare a day or two to check things out in Vermont.

I've got some more census data, but as this thread properly belongs in the Rutland county section, I'll continue it over there.