ANN ELIZA CLINGMAN was born near Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio Feb 13, 1811. She married William McDowell, Jr. at Portsmouth, Ohio Jan 5, 1830. They had 10 children, six boys and 4 girls - 4 boys and 2 girls died young) and she died at Rockford, Winnebago Co., ILL. Feb. 27, 1892 Her early life was passed in poverty and privation incident to a sparsely settled country and pioneer life intensified by the intemperance of her father; later he reformed and she obtained a fair common school education, and being self reliant, firm & industrious she had accumulated more than an average amount of articles for clothing and housekeeping at date of her marriage for one in her station of life. In needlework, spinning, weaving, coloring, etc., she had few equals, being remarkable not only for the fineness and accuracy but also for the speed of her work. As examples of her patient industry she spun, colored, and wove two hemp bed ticks, also several woolen figured counterpanes and many yards of linsey for dresses before her marriage. In the winter of 1833 & 4 she moulded over 1600 lbs. of candles besides dipping many hundred lbs. etc., and doing her housework. Later she would spin 16 cuts of woolen yarn per day and attend to milking & housework. (A cut of yarn consists of 120 threads 3 yds. long, or 1080 feet per cut -17280 feet per day) In knitting or darning she was expert and neat. A sample of her darning at the advanced age of 80 years., could hardly be excelled by younger persons. She read a good deal but wrote little. Being of a serious and religious cast of mind she united with the M. E. Church before her marriage. A division in the church caused her husband to withdraw from the M. E. C. and unite with the Protestant Methodists and she also went with him. Later reading Swedenborgs books they embraced his views and withdrew from the protestants. The opposition by their acquaintances and others was such that it was in reality a religious persecution that continued until they moved to Wisc. in 1842. While she bore this with fortitude and unswerving faith in the new doctrines, she felt their criticisms keenly. Not long, perhaps a year or so, after her marriage being in poor health the first symptoms of insanity appeared in the form of mental religious excitement, but it soon passed away, mild symptoms would be manifest at intervals until about the year 1843 or 4 she became worse than usual and at each recurring paroxysm she grew worse and the intervals shorter until her mind became so unsettled that in her most lucid moments her words were interspersed with insane vagaries. Time modified these conditions to some extent so that the later years of her life were much more quiet than those of the earlier years of her insanity. Her habits of industry and care for her family continued nearly to the date of her death. PARENTS & FAMILY OF ANN ELIZA CLINGMAN, WIFE OF WILLIAM MCDOWELL (1805-1895) GEORGE W. CLINGMAN born Oct. 8, 1779 died April 21st 1856 at Cedarville, Stephenson Co., Ill married Mary Bright on Dec. 2, 1800 MARY BRIGHT born Oct. 21st 1778 died Sept. 19, 1861 at Cedarville, Stephenson Co., Ill. THEIR CHILDREN JOHN BRIGHT CLINGMAN born May 12th 1803 at Portsmouth, Ohio died - married SARAH TURNER JOSIAH CLINGMAN born June 30th 1808 at Portsmouth, Ohio died - married MARIA KINNEY ANN ELIZA CLINGMAN born Feb. 13th, 1811 at Portsmouth, Ohio died Feb. 27th 1891 at Rockford, Winnebago Co., Ill. married WILLIAM MCDOWELL on Jan 5th 1830 at Portsmouth, Scioto Co., Ohio