Reposting this with the hope that someone will be researching Smith Bonham's family to hopefully shed some light on my Hughes line. I'm trying to find info on my ancester, Absalom Hughes. According to what I've been told Absalom was my ggg grandfather, father of Mary Emily Hughes who married Joseph Henry Gould. In a bio of Joseph in the History of Coshocton Co. OH, it states he married Mary Emily Hughes, daughter of Absalom and Susan [Hawk] Hughes. I can only find Absalom in one census... 1850 Coshocton Co., OH with his daughter Mary E. b. 1846, but his wife is listed as Mary. In "Marriages, Coshocton County, OH 1811-1930, Vol. 1" I find the record of Absalom Hughs married Mary Bowham on 10 Dec 1848. Another record shows same date, only Mary's last name is spelled Bouham. I can find neither of these surnames on the censuses. In the 1860 census for Coshocton Co., I find Mary Hughes living with Smith Bonham age 78, along with Joseph Hughes 10, Lewis Hughes 9, Smith Hughes 6, and what could be either Absalom or Abraham Hughes 6, and Anna Bonham 29.

My theory is this: Mary E. was born in 1846 and her brother Joseph in 1849, according to the 1850 census which listed Absalom's wife as Mary. So I'm speculating that when Mary E. was born or shortly thereafter, Susan died. Then in 1848, Absalom married Mary Bonham/Bowham/Bouham and had Joseph in 1849, then Lewis, then twins Smith (named for his grandfather Smith Bonham?) and Absalom/Abraham.

I'm hoping someone on this Bonham board will have some info on this family. Then perhaps I can find another clue as to Susan's family, life and death and what happened to Absalom.