I am seeking the parents and siblings of Ephraim NEAVILL (1806-1984) also known as Neaville, Nevel, Nevil, Nevill and Neville: On 5 July 1806, EPHRAIM NEAVILL was born in Virginia, but he swore in an affidavit that he did not know in what place or county. [application for survivor's pension, Indian Wars, filed in 1893] The names of his parents and all but one of his siblings are unknown. On 29 April 1832, EPHRAIM, a lead miner, m., 1st, RACHEL COX at Council Hill, Jo Daviess County, Illinois [The Galenian]. Rachel, b. KY, was the fifth and youngest child of ROBERT COX, an Irish immigrant to KY right after the Revolution, and JANE/JEAN ROBINSON, reputedly the daughter of a wealthy VA planter. Allegedly the Coxes "forted with Daniel Boone" after their marriage. [Thomas E. Nichols and Simon Bolivar Cox] On June 11, 1832, EPHRAIM enlisted at Galena, Illinois in the Illinois Volunteers, 27th Regt., Captain Dowling's Company during the Blackhawk War [NARA War Records]. ENOCH NEAVILL (dates of birth and death unknown), called Ephraim's brother in a history of Jackson Co., IA, also fought in the Blackhawk War, suffering crippling and painful injuries in the Battle of Wisconsin Heights. [NARA Invalid's Pension file. By 1837, EPHRAIM and his growing family had moved to the nw corner of Maquoketa twp (Fairfield Township), territory of Iowa; EPHRAIM was first Justice of the Peace and ENOCH the first constable under the territorial government of Iowa in this twp. [Port. & Biog. Album. of Jackson Co. 1889] Soon afterwards, the Coxes, Neavills and Col. James Collins removed to White Oak Springs, LaFayette County, WI, where they worked in the lead mines until about 1840. By 24 May 1845, when RACHEL (COX) NEAVILL died "in confinement," there had been at least six children born to the marriage: ( After the first child, the next five were all given names beginning with the letter "E." Surname NEAVILL: Mary Jane, b. 25 Mar 1833 at Scales Mound, IL who m. Edwin SAWTELL 10 Oct 1852 in WI. Thirteen children. Ellen Collins, b. 5 Feb 1835 in IL (or WI) who m., 1st, _____RED in CA. One child: Ella C. Red; m. 2nd, John McGRAW-2 known children Emily A., b. 1838, m. 4 March 1853, prob. as his 2nd wife, William H. NEW. Three stepchildren; two children (Elinora and Evaline NEW). Edward J., b. 1840 in WI. Last record: 1860 Census in Union twp., Washington Co., MO, as a 21-yr.-old miner, living w/ his father & stepmother. Evaline, b. 1841 in IA., m. 1 April 1858, Obadiah TAYLOR of Guilford twp., Jo Daviess Co., IL. She d. 23 June 1867. One child, Sophronia. Elizabeth Harriet (later known as Harriet E.), b. c. Apr 1844 in IA or (WI); m. at age of 14, 18 Mar 1858 [Nevada Journal] at Cherokee, Nevada Co., CA, Alvy Anderson BLOSS, age 29, b. 14 August 1829 in French Creek, Chautauqua Co., NY, a teamster. Seven children; among them: (surname BLOSS) Ephraim Parley (1860-1885) and twins Ethel Neville (1885-1942) and Edna Collins (1885-1965). The twins and their eldest sister Ida (1861-1929) changed the spelling of the NEAVILL name to NEVILLE, probably because they believed there was a connection to the noble house of Neville (Richard Neville of Warwick -- the Kingmaker) in Great Britain.[family notes and letters]. Ethel Neville (Bloss) Wood named her only child, a daughter, Neville Wood. On 1 Oct 1850 the widower EPHRAIM NEAVILL m. the widow CATHARINE (VAN HOOK) HEATON, b. NJ on 30 Sept 1813, the daughter of James Lawrence Van Hook and Elizabeth Reeves in La Fayette County, WI.[Marriage Record]. At the time of the 1850 Census, October 10, 1850, Ephraim, Catharine and a baby, Oscar [called Neavill on the census roll], are living in Shullsburg, La Fayette County, WI with Catharine's children: Harriett, Franklin and Anne Heaton, and Ephraim's daughter Ellen; The rest of Ephraim's children: Mary Jane, Edward, Evaline, and Elisabeth H. (Harriet Elizabeth) Neavill were with Ephraim's sister-in-law Eleanor [called Ellen] (Cox) (Bates) (Young) Collins, sister of Rachel Cox Neavill. Circa 1852, another "E"-named daughter, Eunice Neavill was born in WI to Catharine (Van Hook) (Heaton) and Ephraim Neavill [Census 1860 WI, MO]; On 26 Sept 1853, Julia E. Neavill was born in WI. [death certificate] A third daughter, Adelia, was b. in 1856 in WI. [Census 1860 WI, MO-- part of the family was enumerated twice] In the 1860 MO Census, Ephram NEVIL, age 54, miller [sic], Catharine NEVIL, age 46, Franklin HEATON, age 22, miner, Edward NEVIL, age 21, miner, Unus NEVIL, age 8, Julia NEVIL, age 6 and Adelia NEVIL, age 4 were living in Union twp., Washington Co., MO. In 1869, (buried on 8 Sept in Walnut Hill Cemetery), "Della" NEVILLE died in Belleville, St. Clair Co., IL., age 13 years [cemetery card copied by Christine J. Heaton] In 1870, there was Ephraim NEVILL, age 64, Catharina ditto, age 54, Julia ditto, age 17 [Census 1870 St. Clair Co., IL]. Eunice NEAVILL not found, but had probably already married John PERKS by this time. In 1880, there was Ephram NEVEL, age 73, Katharine NEVEL, age 65, Julia SAULSBY, widow, age 26, Henry SAULSBY, age 9 and Ephraim SAULSBY, age 5. [Census 1880 St. Clair Co., IL.] In 1881, Julia SAULSBY "(NEAVILL)" m. 2nd, George BOUL in French Village, St. Clair Co., WI. [Marriage certificate] Also about this time, Ephraim NEAVILL moved to California to live with his married daughters: Harriet E. (Neavill) BLOSS in San Gabriel Canyon, Los Angeles Co. and Ellen C. (Neavill) (Red) McGraw in Whittier. Ephraim's second wife, Catharine (Van Hook) (Heaton) NEAVILL remained with her son Franklin D. Heaton in Halifax, St. Francois County, Missouri. On the 22nd of May 1893, Ephraim applied for a military pension for his service in the Blackhawk War of 1832 which was approved in August. [NARA pension file] On the 24th of March 1894, Ephraim NEAVILL died at the home of his daughter in Whittier, CA, of "Inanition due to senile changes." In Halifax, MO, his widow Catharine immediately applied for a widow's pension, which was granted just about the time that she passed away in Valles Mines, Jefferson Co., MO, on 9 November 1894. [NARA pension file] Correspondence on these NEAVILLs welcome. I will be happy to share pictures and information and to exchange what documentation I have with other researchers. Diane Wilson Flynn [email protected]