Hi Bonnie,

The 1840 Census for Fredericksville Parish, Albemarle Co., VA, has these Mahanes:

1. Saml Mehanes 0000100100000,0026201000000;
2. Meredith Mehanes 0000110000000,2000100000000;
3. Wm C Mehanes 1000010000000,1100100000000;
4. Wm Mehanes Sr 2200010000000,1100100000000;

1. Samuel Mahanes born 1776 is my step-ggggrandfather. He was married three times:

From John Vogt & T. William Kethley, Jr., Orange Co Marriages, 1747-1850, (1984 Iberian Pub Co, Athens, Ga):
"1802 25 Nov Elizabeth Brockman d/o William Samuel Mahanes"

From John Vogt and T. W. Kethley, Albemarle County, Virginia Marriages 1780-1853, (Iberian Publishing, Athens, GA 1991), pg 201:
"Mahanes, Samuel & Nancy Humphreys 5 June 1816; [Marr. Reg., 1806-1868, fol.19] b-John Brockman, who also affirms Nancy over 21 wit-William Wertenbaker Nancy gives her own consent wit-John Brockmnan & Daniel Shackelford [Marr. Bonds, 1806-1817]"

From John Vogt and T. W. Kethley, Albemarle County, Virginia Marriages 1780-1853, (Iberian Publishing, Athens, GA 1991), p.497:
"Harris, Elizabeth & Samuel Mahanes 7 Dec 1818; min-John Goss, 22Dec1818 [Marr. Reg., 1806-1868, fol.23] b-Dabney Spicer wit-William Wertenbaker d-Overton Harrison Elizabeth gives her own written consent wit-Dabney Spicer & Robert Brockman [B/C Papers, 1818-24]"
[Note Elizabeth is not the daughter of "Overton Harrison", but the widow of Overton Harris. Samuel Mahanes' first wife was her cousin. Dabney Spicer and Robert Brockman are her brothers-in-law.]

Samuel Mahanes had a son Tandy by his first wife; Tandy Mahanes was raised by her parents Wm and Elizabeth Brockman of Orange Co., VA, and Boone Co., KY. Samuel had five more sons, possibly by his second wife. He had four daughters by his third wife. He died about 1850, probably at the Louisa Co., VA, home of his daughter and son-in-law Mildred Amanda and Charles R. Shepherd.

2. Meredith Mahanes and William C. Mahanes, born about 1807, are almost certainly the twin sons of Samuel Mahanes. Meredith married Sarah Bell Payne 27 Apr 1837 in Louisa Co., VA (source is FTM CD229). He had at least four daughters and four sons and died about 1884 in Albemarle Co., VA.

3. William C. Mahanes married his step-sister Mary 'Polly' Bell Harris:
From John Vogt and T. W. Kethley, Albemarle County, Virginia Marriages 1780-1853, (Iberian Publishing, Athens, GA 1991), p.499:
"Harris, Polly B. & William Mahanes 28 Dec 1832; min-John Goss, 30Dec1832 [Marr.Reg., 1806-1868, fol.53] b-Augustin Mahanes wit-Alexander H. Arthur d-Elizabeth Mahanes, who gives her consent wit-Augustin Mahanes & William Luncford [B/C Papers, 1829-34]"

By 1840 William C. Mahanes had two daughters, A. Elizabeth b.1834 and Mary b.1836 (m.1854 Henry Meeks/Weeks), and one son, Tavener/Laurence O. Mahanes b.31 Dec 1838. He had five more daughters and two more sons and was living in Albemarle Co., VA, in 1860.

4. William 'Sr' Mahanes is almost certainly your gggrandfather. Later census records imply he was born about 1803. Since Samuel Mahanes had another son named William it seems unlikely that this William is also his son. I think instead that William Sr is the son of Sam's older brother Charles Mahanes, who was tithed in Lancaster Co., VA, in 1800 and who died there about 1808. Charles' wife Mary Mahanes is listed with two sons and four daughters in the 1810 census for Lancaster Co. (The oldest of those daughters, Judith H., is likely the Judith Mahanes who married first John Milloway in 1816 and then Isaac Milloway in 1825, living in Franklin Co., OH, next to William Mahanes and William Harris in 1850.) Note that William Sr named his first son Charles. Research in Lancaster Co. records may provide more evidence for William Sr's parentage.

William 'Sr' Mahanes appears to have married three times:

From John Vogt and T. W. Kethley, Albemarle County, Virginia Marriages 1780-1853, (Iberian Publishing, Athens, GA 1991), p.202:
"Mahanes, William & Martha Milliway 14 Aug 1826; [Marr. Reg., 1806-1868, fol. 36] b-Thomas T. McCullough wit-A.H. Jameson [B/C Papers, 1822-29] d-Isaac C. Milliway, who gives his consent wit-Thomas T. McCullough & James McCullough [B/C Papers, 1822-29].

From LDS IGI, M513352 1840 - 1852 0285143 V. 4-5 Film,
"WILLIAM MAHANN Spouse: SIDNA HARRIS
Marriage: 23 DEC 1845 , Franklin, Ohio
Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record."
Note Frances Sidney Harris (nee Marshall) was the widow of John M. Harris, of Albemarle Co., VA. (John M. Harris may be a younger brother of my Overton Harris; I would like to find out more about him.) She brought son Benjamin Harris, daughter Sarah Elizabeth Harris and probably a daughter Mary Harris to her second marriage.

From 1870 Census, Piatt Co., Illinois, Series: M593 Roll: 268 Page: 351, Goose Creek Twp., Monticello P.O., 21st July 1870
" 183 183 Mahane William 67 M W Farmer 1200 500 Virginia
Rhoda 52 F W Keeping House Kentucky cannot read and write
Andrew 20 M W Farm Labor Indiana
Daniel 17 M W Farm Labor Indiana"
William appears to have married Rhoda sometime 1860-70, and Andrew and Daniel may be step-sons? Rhoda is also listed with William in the 1880 census.

By 1840 William 'Sr' Mahanes had four sons and two daughters by his first wife Martha: Charles b.1827, George Wilford b.1831, William Clements b.1837, James b.1838, Susan b.1829 and Julia/Jennie b.1836. That matches well with the 1840 census record. They had one more son about 1841, Garrett Lucas. From later census records it looks to me like he had three more daughters by his second wife and two step-sons he raised with his third wife.

I have put together all this from census and other published records. How does it match up with stories passed down in your family?

Your step-cousin,
Christine Schomaker
(I live in Washington state also!)