McDonough County Genealogical Society
Women of the 1840s records Part 2
Last week’s Pioneers of the Past introduced nine notable women found in the early records of McDonough County. Each was listed either as the head of household in the 1840 U.S. Federal Census or as a taxpayer in the county’s 1840 tax records. This week, we introduce you to several more women whose stories appear in those records.
Jane Corbin was born sometime between 1790 and 1800, according to the 1840 census. Her household included three boys and three girls. Like many women of the era, Jane seems to disappear from the records after the census, leaving us with only a brief glimpse of her life.
Elizabeth Grimes DeGarmo/DeGarmore (1787– 1874) was born in Virginia to Mark Grimes/Graham, who was from Ireland, and Nancy Cunningham of Virginia. She married Samuel DeGarmo/ DeGarmore in late January 1803. The couple had 15 children. By 1840, five young men—most likely her sons— were living with Elizabeth.
That year, she paid 40 cents in taxes on horses and cattle, a relatively small amount.
Elizabeth is buried in Scotts Cemetery.
Elizabeth McBride Duncan (1800–1874) was the wife of Russell Duncan. When Russell died in March 1840, Elizabeth was left with three small children and was about three months pregnant. She had already lost a son in 1838. A daughter was born in September 1840, but tragedy continued to follow the family. Three years later, Elizabeth lost another son, James H.
Duncan, who was only six years old. By 1850, Elizabeth had moved to Henderson County, Illinois, where she lived with a daughter and son-in-law.
Flora McCormick Wilcox Gates (1803–1880) is buried in Pennington Point Cemetery.
She married Benjamin Wilcox in Kentucky in 1820. He died in 1836, leaving Flora with seven children. After his death, Flora and her children moved to McDonough County, settling about two miles northeast of present-day Fandon.
In 1845, she married Capt.
Nathan Gates Sr., but she was widowed again the following year when he died.
Sarah “Sally” Clark Head (1775–1846) was the daughter of James Clark. She married John Head in Kentucky in the spring of 1807. By 1821, Sarah was a widow and the mother of at least six children. In 1832, she accompanied her brotherin- law, James Head, and his family to McDonough County. The 1840 census found Sarah living with two males between the ages of 20 and 30 and a female of the same age—most likely three of her children.
Rebecca Hills does not appear in the 1840 census, but she does appear in the county’s 1840 tax records.
She owned 160 acres in the northeast quarter of Section 12 in Lamoine Township, along with horses and cattle. She also apparently owned a fairly nice clock, for which she paid 10 cents in taxes. Rebecca is listed next to Charles Hills and John Hills, although the records do not indicate whether or how the three were related.
Elizabeth Hoover (1800–1857) appeared in the 1840 census with seven other members of her household.
Her husband, Sebastian Hoover, had served in the Virginia Regiment during the War of 1812 and died in 1839.
Elizabeth had at least three children. Her daughters, Mary and Margaret Hoover, married brothers William and George Calvin. A son, James Hoover, is also mentioned in contemporary newspaper articles. In the 1840 tax records, Elizabeth owned $80 worth of horses and $30 worth of cattle, for which she paid 77 cents in taxes. She owned no land.
This Pioneers of the Past is furnished by Julie Terstriep of the McDonough County Genealogical Society, facebook. com/mcdcgs. For more Pioneers of the Past, go to https://www. mcdcgs.com/pioneers-of-thepast/
