To the mailing lists for Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington Counties: A few days I posted a Query regarding the Thomas MOTHERSHEAD family. Thomas was born about 1869, and appears to be a brother of my ggrandfather George Mothershead, born in 1866 (both in Jefferson County). However, there were very different stories about the origins of Thomas's (and therefore George's) father John Mothershead--was John Mothershead descended from Clifton MOTHERSHEAD or was he an Indian who adopted the MOTHERSHEAD name? Since John MOTHERSHEAD is my gggrandfather, I have a strong interest in figuring this out! (Was there one John MH or two? Indian or not? Which is mine?) The main people furnishing information are as follows: First, Sue Cooley of Franklin County (to which the Thomas MOTHERSHEAD family moved). I will indicate her inputs. Second, there is JoAnne's website about Clifton MOTHERSHEAD's descendants (Jefferson County). This can be found at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com~jcat2/clifdesc.htm, and if I say "the Website," that's what I mean. This website is very well documented, although I have not checked most of the original source materials myself. Lastly, Lloyd Carter of the Jefferson County mailing list furnished ALL the census information, unless I indicate otherwise. I am including the Washington County mailing list because that is where Thomas MOTHERSHEAD's daughter Pearl L. MOTHERSHEAD was residing at the time of her marriage to John W. BURNETT in 1920, and other members of the family may either be there or have been there. Here is the information furnished by Sue Cooley: John Mothershead's birth name was Blackhorse Pakaki according to my records. Much as newly-freed slaves were required to take a last name, Blackhorse, in order to buy land, also had to choose a white surname and the name he chose was Mothershead. Perhaps he had a friend or someone he admired by that name (perhaps one of your ancestors). It is said that he led a wagon train to CA and walked back alone, that he scouted for General Sterling Price in his Civil War march across MO (Confederate), and that he helped delay Union General Nathaniel Lyon by burning a few strategic bridges. Also, I have his wife as Ann, nee Murrell. The children of John and Ann were Charles, George, Thomas and Louis L. Mothershead. There were also two daughters. One, by the name of Patty, married a Walls, but my source could not recall the other girl's name. I hope this helps. Sue Cooley Franklin County Coordinator Missouri USGenWeb Project ***** Notes from me (Susan) The Clifton Mothershead website has the SAME wife (Ann Murrell) and nearly identical children (Lewis instead of Louis and two girls named Lucy J. and Martha (maybe Martha was "Patty or Patsy?"). The difference is that the website shows John MOTHERSHEAD as the son of Clifton and Martha (Patsy) Mothershead. My ggrandfather George MOTHERSHEAD'S death certificate shows "Ann Merle" as his mother. Censuses (thank you, Lloyd) 1850, Jefferson Co., page 410A Murrell, John, age 36 Blacksmith (Note: This is Martha's second husband. Clifton Mothershead died in 1838 and she remarried in 1841.), b. TN ,R/E $300 Murrell, Martha, age 41, b. KY (the mother) Murrell, Elizabeth, age 8 Murrell, Samuel, age 5 Murrell, William, age 9/12 Mothershead (children from marriage with Clifton) Thomas, age 21, laborer John, age 18, Sadler Willis, age 16, Laborer Charles, age 14, Laborer According to the website, "Clifton's heirs are clearly named." I haven't seen the papers (although I think they can be found on the web), but that should include my (probable)gggrandfather John. 1850, in a second location, Household #1031, Jefferson Co, page 476A Mothershead, Thomas, age 21, Farming Mothershead, John, age 18, farming Mothershead, Willis, age 15, farming Note the high resemblance to Thomas, John, and Willis as shown in the John MURRELL household. What are we to make of this? My personal opinion is that they were in the process of setting up a second household and were counted in both places (but are the same people). 1860, Big River twsp, Jefferson Co. (1) P.O. Richwoods Murrell, John, age 46 Blacksmith R/E $2000/ P/E $3135, b. TN Martha, age 51, b. KY (the mother) Samuel, age 15, farm-hand William, age 10 McColloch, James A. age 22, blacksmith R/E $1200 Patterson, Alvin, age 17 Maines, Millie, age 14 Maines, Lucy, age 13 (2) Big River Twsp, Jefferson Co, P.O. Richwoods, household #1040 (sorry, Lloyd--not clear to me whether the same household as John and Martha Murrell above) Mothershead, Charles, age 23, farmer (here's one of the Mothershead brothers) Nancy, age 23 (3) Big River Twsp, Jefferson Co, P.O. Richwoods, household #1021 Mothershead, Thomas, age 32, farmer, b. KY (here is a second MH brother) Wiley Jane age 28 b. KY (Lloyd--did it actually say "Wiley?" Martha, age 7 Clifton S. age 5 John C., age 3 Hannah E. age 1 Thurman, Thomas, age 12 (no relationship given) (4) Big River Twsp, Jefferson Co, Household #1022 Mothershead, John, age 28, farmer, b. KY (the "brother" I care about!!) Ann, age 23 (nee Ann Murrell) Charles, age 2 Lucy J., age 8/12 couldn't read or write (both) Note: Since it's an 1860 Census, these children are before the births of Lewis/Louis (1862), Martha (1865), "my" Ggrandfather George (b. 1866) and Thomas (b. 1869). Thomas (but possibly not this one???) and his father John are the ones about whom Sue Cooley is talking. Conclusions Although I believe there has to be some basis to the story of an Indian adopting the name John Mothershead (etc.), all the facts above say to me that the John Mothershead that parented Charles and Lucy (and my ggrandfather George, since his death certificate lists John Mothershead and Ann "Merle" as his parents), and probably Martha MH and at least "a" Thomas MH as well, is the son of Clifton and Martha MOTHERSHEAD. There may be others, but right now the scenarios I see for the Indian story are basically: (1) There was a Thomas Mothershead with a father who adopted the name John Mothershead, but John did not marry Ann Murrell nor father the children listed as brothers to the Thomas Mothershead of Franklin Co. The names Ann Murrell and the siblings of Thomas Mothershead, son of John Mothershead (son of Clifton) and Ann Murrell Mothershead, came to be associated with Thomas Mothershead's father through confusion with the John Mothershead who WAS a son of Clifton and/or (2) Thomas or John may have told tall tales. Or one or both may have died and their survivors tried (inaccurately) to piece things together without having facts and/or (3) I am missing some important fact(s). Questions: (1) Does anyone have a copy of the 1870 Census? I would like to see the John and Ann MOTHERSHEAD family in the 1870 census--it would be nice to see John, Ann, Charles, Lucy, Lewis/Louis, Martha, George, and Thomas all on it at once to verify an intact family with that composition. (2) Does anyone have a copy of a census with the Franklin Co Thomas MOTHERSHEAD family in it, e.g., 1900, 1910, 1920--could be in Franklin or Washington Co, rather than in Jefferson Co. Note that this is a Thomas Mothershead born in the 1860's, not Thomas born in 1829 (brother to John). Lloyd Carter and Kay sent some other information which does not bear directly on this question, but may be helpful to others. I will try to post that separately, and combine it all into one message. Susan in Rochester