Josette, I am pleased to share this report with you and the other members of the Maxwell group. Helping each other with our own family projects is really the important part of genealogy. Don MAXWELL RESEARCH A Summary of Research for the Parentage of Richard Maxwell of Gallatin County, Illinois Presented by the David A. Butler Genealogical Trust Compiled by Family History Services Brigham Young University Provo, Utah January 1976 William Bailey Maxwell was born 14 March 1821, in Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois, so of Richard and Ruth (Hodge) Maxwell, who were married in Shawneetown, Gallatin County, 20 April 1820. Richard Maxwell was born about 1796, place of birth unknown. He died when his son was about six months old. Ruth (Hodge) Maxwell remarried to William Barnett and evidently moved from Gallatin County. The family has not been located in other records. William Bailey Maxwell and his family were found in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in the 1850 census, and later in Utah records. According to family information, William Maxwell and Elizabeth Kirkpatrick were the parents of Richard Maxwell, however, searches in various sources suggest this may be an error. In Vol. 5 of the New Jersey Quarterly, it states that Elizabeth Kirkpatrick was the wife of Captain John Maxwell, brother of Colonel William Maxwell, and that William never married. This does not mean that Richard Maxwell"'s father was not William Maxwell, but it would eliminate this William Maxwell as his father, and also Elizabeth Kirkpatrick as his mother. It would be well to check for a William married to a Bailey, as the possible parents of Richard Maxwell. Extensive searches have been made in the records of Illinois and Kentucky in an attempt to find the parents of Richard Maxwell. Richard was found in 1820 Illinois State Census, where he was listed as one free white male 21 and upwards, with one other white person in his family, probably his wife, Ruth (Hodge) Maxwell. There were six Maxwell families listed in the Illinois Federal Census in 1820, four families, including a William, in Jefferson County, and two families in Randolph County. All of the heads of families were 2644 or 1625 years of age, except William, who was 45 and over. William was old enough to be the father of Richard and other Maxwells listed with William in Jefferson County. W. Maxwell was found in Big Bay, in the Illinois Territorial Census of 1810. Big Bay, which is now in Massac County, was then in Randolph County, Illinois. This W. Maxwell was 2645, with four sons under 10 and two sons age 1016. His wife was also 2645. This was the only Maxwell family listed in Illinois in 1810. The William Maxwell, age 45 and over in 1820, had six males in his household, who were under 18 and there were two females, one under 10, and one 2644. According to the 1820 Illinois State Census, William Maxwell was 21 and upwards with nine other white family members. If this the same person as was found in the 1810 census, the four older sons are not listed with their father. Robert, Martin, and Hugh are listed in Jefferson County, Illinois; Richard was in Gallatin County, and a David W. Maxwell was listed in the 1818 Illinois State Census in Gallatin County. (He may have been missed in the 1820 Federal Census.) These five Maxwells may have been sons of William. David W. and William Maxwell were on a delinquent tax list of Gallatin County, Illinois for 18171818. D. W. Maxwell was Sheriff of Franklin County, Illinois, 18181822. D. W. Maxwell was buried in Westwood Cemetery, New Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois, in 1836. William Maxwell was Justice of the Peace in Jefferson County, Illinois, in 1819. Records of Shawneetown Land Office, Gallatin County, Illinois, were searched for William Maxwell. They show that he paid $80.00 each on two pieces of land, the first 11 October 1814, and the other 24 March 1815. Land plats were checked, and the land was found to be in Franklin County, Illinois. William never entered the land, however. The land entry books of Franklin County, Illinois, give the names of the two other men who entered the land a few months after William Maxwell purchased it. Since William Maxwell appeared in the 1820 census in Jefferson County, Illinois, land records of Jefferson County were search for him. He entered 80 acres of land there in 1818, and Robert, Martin, and Archy Maxwell also entered land there in 1818 and 1819. In 1823, William bought a lot in the city of Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County, and in 1828, he and Ann, his wife, sold both pieces of property, the lot to Archie Maxwell and the 80 acres to Henry Blalock. Two years later acre sold the lot to Henry Blalock. In 1828, William Maxwell was "of Fulton County, Illinois." Perhaps the maiden name of Anne Maxwell was Bailey? Fulton County land records yielded a deed from Seth Hilton to William Maxwell of Jefferson County, Illinois, dated 1824. William and Ann Maxwell gave the north half of this property to Alexander Maxwell in 1828. This was the last entry for William Maxwell in Fulton County. Hugh, Absalon, Thomas, Alexander, and Abner Maxwell are listed in other deed transactions for several years. Alexander, Abner, Hugh, Harrison, and Anne Maxwell were married in Fulton County, Illinois. We found no further mention of William. He was not found in Illinois in the 1830 census, nor was his wife. It is possible that they died in Fulton County, Illinois, but no evidence to prove this was found. The 1850 census of Jefferson ,County was searched for all Maxwells, and we found Archibald Maxwell, age 63, born in Kentucky. In Fulton County, we found Adner Maxwell, age 43, born in Illinois; Alexander Maxwell, age 45, born in Tennessee (?); Absalom, age 48, born in Kentucky; Harrison, age 34, born in Illinois. These are the supposed sons of William the older of who were born in Kentucky, and the younger ones in Illinois. This puts the family in Illinois by 1807. Alexander Maxwell, age 75, born in Tennessee, was listed in Fulton County, Illinois in the 1880 census. Both of his parents were born in Kentucky. Absalom Maxwell was age 77, born in Kentucky, and bother of his parents were also born in Kentucky. These were two of the sons of William and Ann Maxwell. We found no reference to William or Ann after 1828. We were unable to find probate recorded or death records for them. Reference was found in DAR Records of Illinois to a William Maxwell who received a grant of land in Bloomington Township, McLean County, Illinois. This county adjoins Fulton County, where William Maxwell had been found prior to 1830. It also stated that Wm. Maxwell died in McLean County, in 1839. McLean County was formed from Tazewell County in 1830, so the 1830 census of Tazewell County was searched for William Maxwell. He was found, age 3040, much too young to be the father of Richard Maxwell. This William was supposed to be the second man to move in Old Town in McLean County, Illinois. He came from North Carolina about 18291831, and died in McLean County 26 February 1839. He had 3 sons who moved to Iowa and one daughter, Disa. There does not appear to be a tie between Richard and this William Maxwell. The 1790 census of Kentucky was searched for all William Maxwell entries because Alexander and Absalom Maxwell said their parents were born in Kentucky. Three were found: William Jr. and Sr. in Bourbon County, and William in Mason County, Kentucky. The deeds and tax lists of these counties were then checked for William Maxwell. In 1797, William Mackwell and Mildred, his wife, sold land in Mason County. In 1800, William Maxwell and Jane, his wife, sold land in Mason County. Neither of these men had a wife named Anne or Elizabeth. In Bourbon County, William Maxwell appeared in the 1791 tax list. Thomas, Alexander, and two Williams were found in 1792; William is listed in 1793. Thomas and Wm. Jr. and Sr. were found in 1795. Both Williams had land on Clear Creek. Thos., Richard, and Wm. Jr. and Sr. were listed in 1796 and 1797. Richard and Wm. Jr. are listed with Wm. Sr. and appear to be his sons. Wm. Jr. and Sr. and Samuel Maxwell were found in 1800 and again in 1802, and Wm. Jr. and Sr. and Richard were listed in 1803 and 1805. William was found in 1806. This was the last Maxwell entry in the tax lists of Bourbon County. The deeds were then searched, and we found where William Maxwell and Richard his son sold land in Bourbon County to Thomas Patton in 1805. This Richard Maxwell could not be the ancestor who was in Gallatin County, Illinois in 1820, but he could be the brother of William Maxwell, the father of Richard. Probate records of Bourbon County were searched for Maxwells, and two entries were found, one for Samuel and one for John in 1802 and 1803. William Maxwell Jr. and Sr. bought items at the sale of John's estate. Richard Maxwell and Wm. Jr. and Sr. bought items from the estate of Samuel Maxwell. This suggests a definite relationship between the Maxwells of Bourbon County; possibly John, Samuel, Richard, and Wm. Jr. were all sons of William Sr. We know that Richard was his son from the deed. In the 1810 census of Bourbon County, Kentucky, Elizabeth Maxwell, widow of Samuel, was the only Maxwell listed in Bourbon County. We have a William Maxwell and his family Illinois in 1810, and his son Abner was born in Illinois in 1807. This seems to indicate a moved from Bourbon County, Kentucky, between 1805 when the land was sold and 1807, if this is the same family. We have no proof that the Bourbon County, Kentucky Maxwells are the ancestors of Richard Maxwell of Gallatin County, Illinois, but if his father was William Maxwell, the William found in the records of Gallatin, Jefferson, and Fulton County, would seem to be the ancestor as there was no other William Maxwell found in Illinois until after 1830. We know that many of the names of the supposed sons of William Maxwell in Illinois were used in the families of these sons, which strengthens the possibility of a relationship between them, but most of these connections are based on circumstantial evidence. The family group sheet for William Maxwell, which is enclosed, was compiled from information found in census, land marriage, probate, and cemetery records in Illinois Territory, Gallatin, Franklin, Jefferson, and Fulton Counties. We do not know what happened to Wm. Maxwell Sr. and Richard Maxwell of Bourbon County, Kentucky. We found no will or estate settlement for them in Bourbon County, nor have we found them in Illinois. Marriage records of Bourbon County, Kentucky were checked for the marriage of a William Maxwell to Ann (Bailey), without success. We have found no records in Bourbon County which mention the wives of any of the Maxwells, except the estate settlements of Samuel and John. There were three Maxwells who received grants of land in Kentucky between 17801786. These were Thomas, David, and Bazeleel. Several Maxwell entries were found in Old Kentucky Entries and Deeds, including a William Maxwell, who had 5,451 acres of land on Salt Rock Creek. Today, there is a Saltrock Creek in Lee County, Kentucky. In 1783, this area was in Fayette County, and in 1785, Bourbon County was formed from Fayette. Some of the land included in this grant may have been in Bourbon County at the time William and Richard Maxwell were there. William Maxwell did not appear on Fayette County tax lists after 1793, and he was found in the Bourbon County tax lists in 1791. Searches were made in various libraries in Kentucky for unpublished manuscripts which might give information regarding Maxwells from Kentucky who migrated to Illinois. Madison County, Kentucky records contained some information on a Maxwell family, one branch of which was connected with Bourbon County, Kentucky and Indiana. There were some marriages and deeds, and a chart listing some members of the family of Bazeleel Maxwell of Albemarle County, Virginia. A few members of this family, including a William, moved to Indiana by 1815. William was married to Rachel Shears, however, rather than Ann. The parents of William were Bazeleel and Margaret Anderson. Bazaleel's parents were John and Fannie Garner, and John's parents were Bazeleel and Rebecca Boyd, who bought land in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1752. William Maxwell, son of Bazeleel and Rebecca Boyd, married Ann (Bailey ?) before 1769. They also lived in Albemarle County, Virginia. (This information was found in Maxwell History and Genealogy by Houston. This appears to be another member of the above family, who was not listed on the chart. Since the William we had found in Illinois was married to an Ann, we checked sources in Albemarle County, Virginia for further information about the family. Bazaleel Maxwell was recorded in the Deed Index from 17511809, and he had a son, Bazaleel, to who he sold land. This may have been the Bazaleel we found in the early land records of Kentucky. We were unable to find the marriage of Wm. Maxwell and Ann in Albemarle County, Virginia marriage records, but these records are very incomplete. We have found no information to prove a relationship to Richard, or to prove that William and Ann ( ) Maxwell of Albemarle County, Virginia were in Illinois. If we could determine that they remained in Albemarle County, Virginia, we could eliminate them as possible parents of Richard Maxwell, but so far they present a possible put unproved connection. If Richard Maxwell's father was William Maxwell, then the William found in the early census and land records of Gallatin, Jefferson, and Fulton Counties, in Illinois would appear to be his father. He was the only Maxwell we found in Illinois in 1810, and the only William Maxwell in Illinois until 1840. William Maxwell was recorded in the records of the Shawneetown Land Office prior to the time of Richard's marriage in 1820, which puts him in the right place at the right time. We know from the census records that he had sons the right age in 1810 to include Richard, but due to the early flood in Gallatin County, which destroyed old Shawneetown, including the court house and its records, there is nothing in that county to prove or disprove a connection between William and Richard. The records in the present town and court house begin about 1830. Since William Maxwell was born in Kentucky, the William Jr., son of Wm. in Bourbon County, Kentucky might be the Wm. we later found in Illinois. He, his brother Richard, and father William Sr. were listed in Bourbon County deeds until 1807, when they disappear from the Deeds and Tax Lists. We have no proof, however, that his is the same William who was in Illinois Territory in 1810. If William and Ann ( ) Maxwell, found in Albemarle County, Virginia are the same ones who later appear in Illinois, there may be a discrepancy in their place of birth. They could have been born in Kentucky and then returned to Virginia for a time, but it is more likely that they were born in Virginia and then moved to Kentucky, possibly when they were young. We have found nothing to indicate where William and Anne of Albemarle county, Virginia were born, but William and Anne of Illinois were supposedly born in Kentucky. There may be records available in the various counties of Virginia, Kentucky, or Illinois, which will solve this problem or there may be family or bible records in the possession of some Maxwell family in the country, which holds the key to the solution. This summary was compiled to show the repositories which have been consulted in the search for Richard Maxwell's parents: 1. Brigham Young University Library, Provo, Utah, 2. The Genealogical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah, 3. Illinois State Archives, , Illinois, 4. Illinois Historical Library, , Illinois, 5. Louisville Public Library, Louisville, Kentucky, 6. University of Kentucky Library, Lexington, Kentucky, 7. Lexington Public Library, Lexington, Kentucky, 8. Kentucky Historical Society Archives, Frankfort, Kentucky, 9. Filson Club Library, Louisville, Kentucky, 10. Court Houses of Randolph, Gallatin, Franklin, Jefferson, and Fulton Counties, Illinois. A bibliography of positive and negative sources used in these searches is attached. Donald Power Maxwell, Jr., M.D. 18700 Wolf Creek Dr Edmond, Okla 73003 405-216-0219 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=donmaxwell _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com