Good Afternoon Vashenan Subscribers, With this post, I conclude my research on Benjamin John Fravel, his two wives Anna Shaver and Elizabeth Miley and his children. Any additions or corrections will be appreciated. A mistake can be corrected quickly if you notify me. We try to be thorough in our research, but no one is perfect. ------------ BENJAMIN JOHN FRAVEL son of George Fravel and Elizabeth Bushong Born: 9 April 1789 near Woodstock, Shenandoah County, Virginia. He was the twin brother of JOSEPH FRAVEL. He married twice in Shenandoah County, Virginia Died: 12 March 1853, Aged 63 years 11 months 3 days in Harrison County, Indiana. Burial: Jordan Cemetery, Harrison County, Indiana M/2: 26 July 1817, Shenandoah County, VA to ELIZABETH MILEY ELIZABETH MILEY Born: 18 November 1797, Shenandoah County, Virginia Died: 22 March 1867, Harrison County, Indiana Buried: Jordan Cemetery, Harrison County, Indiana He and second wife Elizabeth Miley moved to Harrison County, Indiana around 1838. TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTION Jordan Cemetery Harrison County, Indiana Benjamin F. Fravel Died: 12 March 1853 Aged 63 years 11 months 3 days Elizabeth Fravel Died: 22 March 1867 Aged 69 years 4 months 4 days Wife of Benjamin ---------------- 1830 Federal Census: Virginia Shenandoah County Benjamin Fravel 1 male 5 and under 10 years of age (Unidentified or could be Joseph M.) 1 male 10 and under 15 years of age {William} 1 male 40 and under 50 years of age (Head of Household Benjamin Fravel} 1 female 5 and under 10 years of age (Catharine) 1 female 10 and under 15 years of age (Elizabeth) 1 female 30 and under 40 years of age (Wife Elizabeth Miley) ------- 1840 Federal Census: Indiana Harrison Township, Harrison County Page 260 Benjamin Fravel 1 male 20 and under 30 years of age {Joseph M. Fravel} 1 male 50 and under 60 years of age {Benjamin John Fravel} 1 female 5 and under 10 years of age {Rebecca} 1 female 15 and under 20 years of age {Alice A. Fravel} 1 female 40 and under 50 years of age {Elizabeth Miley Fravel} ------- 1850 Federal Census: Indiana District 45, Harrison County Enumerated 30 September 1850 Page 440B Lines 10-16, HH 840/840 Jesse Watson 26/Male/White/Farmer/$1500/IN Alice Watson 26/Female/White/VA {Wife Alice Fravel} BENJAMIN FRAVEL 62/Male/White/Farmer/VA {FatherInLaw} ELIZABETH FRAVEL 53/Female/White/VA {MotherInLaw} Rebecca Fravel 16/Female/White/VA William Gooden 22/Male/White/Laborer/VA Rachael Watson 1/Female/White/IN ------ CHILDREN OF BENJAMIN JOHN FRAVEL AND SECOND WIFE ELIZABETH MILEY 1. Joseph M. Fravel Born: 28 December 1817, Shenandoah County, Virginia Died: 13 June 1879, Indiana Married: 31 March 1844, Harrison County, Indiana to Mary Ann Simler Burial: Emerson Cemetery, Gibson County, Indiana MARY ANN SIMLER, Probable daughter of John Similar and Susana Winter of PA Born: 14 September 1821, Harrison County, Indiana Died: 3 March 1907, Owensville, Gibson County, Indiana -------- PROBABLE BROTHER OF MARY ANN SIMLER/SIMILAR John Similar was born Nov. 22,1812, in Harrison Co., on the old Charlestown road, 6 miles northeast of Corydon. He is a son of John & Susana Winter Similar; the former a native of PA. who emigrated to Indiana in 1809, and settled in Franklin Township, where he died in 1846, the latter a daughter of Christopher Winter, also a native of PA., and an early settler in this county, who died in 1844. John Similar, the subject of this sketch, was one of a family of 8 children and was brought up on a farm, and receive the meager education to be obtained in that day in the country schools. He was married in 1836 to Miss Isabel Stephenson, a daughter of James & Elizabeth Stephenson, natives of VA. They have had born to them 12 children, 4 boys and 8 girls, all of whom are living. They are as follows: Elizabeth; Mary Ann; John J.; James S.; Elmira; Sarah; Emily; David A. (at home) Clara, Seth W., Atlanta, and Laura M. Mr. Similar served 1 term in the State legislature being the first native born citizen to represent Harrison Co. The Constitutional Convention was in session at the time, which brought him in contact with many prominent men throughout the State. He is a member of the Mauckport Masonic Lodge, and is at present a justice of the peace. He and his family are members of the Methodist Church. He received paralytic strokes some years ago, which has confined him to home. He has always affiliated with the Democratic Party, and cast his Presidential vote for Van Buren in 1836. He owns 400 acres of excellent land, of which he has 14 acres in fine fruit. ---------- CHILDREN OF JOSEPH M. FRAVEL AND MARY ANN SIMLER (Similar) 1. Elisabeth Fravel 2. Susannah E. Fravel (Married F. M. Thompson) 3. Sarah Catharine Fravel 4. Alice A. Fravel 5. William Benjamin Fravel 6. Mary Ann Rebecca Fravel 7. Ellen Fravel Land Patents Harrison County, Indiana 10 April 1848 Joseph M. Fravel 40 Acres and 68 acres 1850 Federal Census: Indiana District 45, Harrison County Enumerated 12 October 1850 Page 450A Lines 36-40, HH 987/987 Joseph Fravel 30/Male/White/Farmer/$1000/VA Mary Fravel 24/Female/White/IN Elisabeth Fravel 4/Female/White/IN Susan Fravel 3/Female/White/IN Alice Fravel 1/Female/White/IN Between the 1850 census and 1860 census Joseph M. Fravel and family moved to Gibson County, Indiana NOTE: There are a few discrepancies with the 1850 census and 1860 census for Joseph Fravel and family. For one thing, where is Sarah Catharine Fravel in the 1850 census? Did the census taker just omit her? She didn't die as she is in the household in 1860. Also the ages of the two censuses are way off. ----- 1860 Federal Census: Indiana Montgomery Township, Gibson County Enumerated 5 January 1860 Page 2/762 Lines 24-31, HH 13/13 Joseph M. Fravel 44/Male/Farmer/$350-$250/VA Mary A. Fravel 38/Female/IN Susan E. Fravel 15/Female/AttendedSchool/IN Sarah C. Fravel 14/Female/AttendedSchool/IN William B. Fravel 9/Male/AttendedSchool/IN Mary A. R. Fravel 7/Female/AttendedSchool/IN Alice A. Fravel 4/Female/IN George Seals 20/Male/FarmHand/IN ----- 1870 Federal Census: Indiana Montgomery Township, PO Owensville, Gibson County Enumerated 6 July 1870 Page 282B Lines 32-37, HH 486/491 Joseph Fravel 52/Male/White/Farming/$3600-$800/VA Mary Fravel 48/Female/White/KeepingHouse/IN Benjamin Fravel 18/Male/White/IN Rebecca Fravel 17/Female/AttendedSchool/IN Alice Fravel 13/Female/White/AttendedSchool/IN Ellen Fravel 9/Female/White/AttendedSchool/IN ---- Joseph M. Fravel died 13 June 1879 ---- 1880 Federal Census: Indiana Montgomery Township, ED 111, Gibson County Enumerated 14 June 1880 Page 304A Lines 18-23, HH 165/165 Benjamin Fravel White/Male/28/Married/Farmer/IN/IN/IN Sarah Fravel White/Female/24/Wife/KeepsHouse/IN/IN/IN George W. Fravel White/Male/7mosBornNovember/IN/IN/IN MARY A. FRAVEL White/Female/58/Mother/Widowed/IN/IN/IN Jacob McCarty White/Male/12/IN/IN/IN Andrew McCarty White/Male/14/IN/IN/IN ---- 1880 Federal Census: Indiana Montgomery Township, ED 111, Gibson County Enumerated 11 June 1880 Page 303B Lines 9-19, HH 140/140 F. M. Thompson White/Male/38/Married/Farmer/KY/KY/KY Susana Thompson White/Female/36/Wife/KeepsHouse/IN/IN/IN William Thompson White/Male/12/Son/AttendedSchool/IN/KY/IN Amanda Thompson White/Female/10/Dau/AttendedSchool/IN/KY/IN Julia Thompson White/Female/9/Dau/AttendedSchool/IN/KY/IN Laura Thompson White/Female/7/Dau/AttendedSchool/IN/KY/IN Samuel Thompson White/Male/5/Son/IN/KY/IN Jessie Thompson White/Female/2/Dau/IN/KY/IN Francis Thompson White/Male/4mosBornJanuary/IN/KY/IN Ella Fravel White/Female/19/SisterInLaw/Single/IN/IN/IN Samuel Turner White/Male/20/Single/Laborer/IN/IN/IN ---- 1900 Federal Census: Indiana Montgomery Township, ED 7, Gibson County Enumerated 12 June 1900 Page 100B, Sheet 5 Lines 57-62, HH 97/99 F. M. Thompson Head/W/M/Aug1843/56/Md33yrs/Farmer/OwnsFree/IN/KY/TN S. E. Thompson Wife/W/F/april1845/55/9children9living/IN/TN/IN F. M. Thompson Jr. Son/W/M/Jan1880/20/Single/FarmLaborer/IN/IN/IN Ellis Thompson (Twin) Son/W/M/May1882/18/Single/AttendedSchool/IN/IN/IN Elmer Thompson (Twin) Son/W/M/May1882/18/Single/AttendedSchool/IN/IN/IN MARY A. FRAVEL MotherInLaw/W/F/Sept1821/78/Widowed/Md40yrs/8children4living/IN/IN/IN ----- The New Echo Owensville, Indiana 8th March 1907 Page 9 DEATH OF MRS. JOSEPH FRAVEL Mrs. Fravel, relict of the late Joseph Fravel, succumbed to the infirmities of age and passed peacefully away at the residence of her daughter Mrs. F. M. Thompson, Sunday. Mrs. Fravel was born in Harrison County eighty five years ago. She was interred in Emerson Cemetery. She was the mother of ten children, only four of whom are living, namely Mrs. Nettleton, Mrs. Jack Spore, Mrs. Rhesa Spore, and Mrs. F. M. Thompson. ----------------------------- TO BE CONTINUED Researched and Submitted by Gloria Bushong