Dear PRA: I have made a contact with a descendent of James Todd Pennington of Macoupin Co. IL, a descendent of Jonathan Penington of Somerset Co. NJ. I previously posted information about James Pennington in may last posting on New Jersey Penningtons. The following is information on the family if James. Mandy Colgan from Sarah Glover [email protected] James T. Pennington was born May 26, 1818 in Liberty Corner, Somerset County, New Jersey and died 1894 in Bunker Hill, Macoupin Co, Illinois. He was the son of Elijah and Martha Todd Pennington (as you already know). He married Cynthia Bullman on September 18, 1841 in Macoupin Co, Ill. She was born 1824 in New Jersey, and died in Bunker Hill, Macoupin Co, Ill. They had six children: 1. Elias Pennington was born in 1843 in Macoupin Co, Ill. In 1906, Elias was living in Lakewood, New Mexico. 2. Ellen Idell Pennington was born January 9, 1844, Bunker Hill, Macoupin Co, Ill, and died July 3, 1923 LaRue, Henderson Co, Texas. She married Anthony Gholson Ament, December 25, 1864, Macoupin Co, Ill. He was born January 26, 1836 in Columbia, Maury Co, Tennessee and died January 1, 1919 Lufkin, Angelina Co, Texas. He is the son of Thomas Wilkerson and Malinda N. Gholson Ament. They are both buried in Morrison Chapel Cemetery(Old LaRue Cemetery), LaRue, Texas. They had nine children: 1)Wyllis Cecil Ament (1866-1913), 2)Florence Sabina Ament (Bonner)(1868-1965) (this is my great grandmother), 3)Cyrus Harold Ament (1869-1890), 4)Lilliburn Guy Ament (1872-1957), 5)Bertha May Ament (Howard) (1874-1959), 6)James Roe Ament (1879-1965), 7)Malchom Karus Ament (1881-1973), 8)Ellen Idell Ament (1884-1884), 9)Joseph Fowler Ament (1886-1942) Ellen went by her middle name Idell. She and Anthony moved to Texas in 1877 and settled in Eagle Springs, Coryell Co, Texas. 3. Content Pennington was born in 1846 and died before 1860. 4. Joseph Pennington was born August 12, 1851 in Bunker Hill, Macoupin Co, Ill and died (unknown) in Bunker Hill, Ill. He married Mary E. Ament on February 4, 1879 in Macoupin Co. She was born in Missouri, the daughter of James E. and Emily Ament, natives of Tennessee and died March 6, 1930 Bunker Hill. They had one son Chester Pennington. 5. James Weston Pennington was born 1854 in Bunker Hill and died September 13, 1931 Bunker Hill, Macoupin Co, Ill. He married Annie M. Ament on September 9,1879. She was born 1856 in Missouri. They had at least one child, Mildred Pennington who married Oliver Grover Cromwell on July 6, 1906 Potosi, Missouri 6. Lawrence C. Pennington was born January 3, 1862 Macoupin Co, Ill and died March 8, 1889 Macoupin Co, Ill at 27 years old. He is buried in the Woodburn Cemetery. (From old newspaper clipping in Ellen Idell's scrapbook: "Lawrence C. Pennington, youngest child of James T. and Cynthia Pennington, was born January 3, 1862, and died March 8, 1889. For the past three years he had resided near Springfield, Ill., but finding his health failing very fast, he came home. His disease baffled the skill of our best physicians, and he went to St. Louis where he placed himself under the care of a specialist. He remained there some weeks, but finding himself no better he returned home and died just two weeks after his return. The deceased was a member of the Congregational Church at Woodburn, and while he possessed a strong desire to live, he said, "I am not afraid to die." The Rev. Charles Slater delivered the funeral discourse from Eph. 5:16, after which the remains were interred in Woodburn Cemetery, services being conducted in the Congregational Church Sunday morning. The floral offerings were beautiful, among them being a hand-made anchor of calla lilies, tube roses, pinks, and Lilly-of-the-valley. Also two beautiful wreaths of orange blossoms and evergreens. 1850 CENSUS MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS Pennington, J.T. 32 NJ farmer Cyntha 26 NJ Elias 7 ILL Ellen I. 5 ILL Content 4 ILL 1860 CENSUS MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS Pennington, James 47 NJ Cyntha 39 NJ Elias 18 ILL Ellen 16 ILL Joseph 9 ILL James 6 ILL Clipping on James T. Pennington's second marriage. "On the 31st ult. at Alton, by Rev. L. A. Abbott, Mr. James T. Pennington and Mrs. Amelia McPeek, both of this place. The bridegroom played a rich practical joke on several of his intimate friends and their wives. He concealed the fact that the wedding had already taken place, and invited them to his home last Sunday to witness the ceremony. The guests sat a couple of hours in anxious expectancy, when Mr. Pennington introduced his bride, and handed the marriage certificate around for inspection. It is said that the solitude of the Wood River wilderness was unbroken by a single ripple of laughter as the company gloomily wended its way homeward." Newspaper clipping from old scrapbook kept by Idell Pennington Ament in places words had crumbled away, but the meaning is clear: "Distressing and Fatal Accident" "James T. Pennington came to his death about 8 o'clock on Monday morning under peculiar circumstances. He left home with a wagon load of hogs, on his way to Shipman, and when near the Sanner place, people on the road saw him fall from his wagon; his team released from his control was speeding northward. Mr. Sanner and others hastened to the spot and found Mr. Pennington lying in the road dead; his neck had been dislocated and his nose broken by the fall, and the wagon wheels had passed over his chest. The body was at first taken to Mr. Sanner's house nearby, and later to the farm residence of the deceased near Woodburn. The horses and wagon were found at the Harris place. From the condition of the wagon it was surmised that the seat had been displaced; and that Mr. Pennington endeavored to right it while his horses were in motion, and that he lost his balance and fell over the dashboard. "Justice Newcomb of Shipman impaneled a jury which returned a verdict in accordance with the facts. There seems to be some question as to the propriety of his action, if not of its legality; it being held that the coroner should have been informed. "Deceased was 76 years of age, and was born in New Jersey of Scotch descent; his grandfather, John, was lieutenant during the Revolutionary War. He came to Illinois in 1839 working as a carpenter for a time in Brighton _________lton, and Jerseyville, and at this place. In 1841 he settled the farm which was his home at the time of his death, and in the same year was married to Cynthia Bullman, who bore ___even children of whom four survive. She died some years ago, and he was subsequently married to Mrs. Amelia McPeak, who survivies him. He was a life-long Democrat and was always prominent in the councils of his party. He served a term in the legislature ____ing the war days; while a resident of _____city, and engaged in merch___ng; he served as president of the ___n council, in 1871 he was elected supervisor, being the first chosen _______ this township on the adoption of ____ship organization. He was elected sheriff of Macoupin County in 1872, _____n 1874. He held no church rela______, but was one of the oldest members of Bunker Hill Lodge of Masons. _____mily and social relations he was ___m-hearted and genial and his ____th will be deplored by an unusually large circle of friends here and throughout the county. "The funeral will take place from the Congregational Church in Woodburn tomorrow (Thursday) at 2 o'clock. The remains will be interred in the ____ery in that place with Masonic _____."