FAMILIES D-H: HENRY ~ John Henry
BACKGROUND: Information about the Henry family of Darrtown first arose when Judy Bethel (a California resident) sent the following message, on March 8, 2008:
JOHN HENRY
"HI, I have ancestors buried in Darrtown but living in the surrounding towns, like Oxford, Milford, College Corners; and the time frame is 1850s to 1920s. Is this the kind of material you want to post? Thanks very much,
Judy Bethel"
Following her first message (above), on March 10, 2008, Judy sent a follow-up explanation that appears below.
"HI, I am a family genealogist researching roots in Butler county. Much of the family remained there, I think. But that has been a couple of generations back. My grandma, born 1879 in Butler county, went to Kansas City in 1900 to work for Helping Hand, a predecessor of Goodwill. She married a man named Brigham there and stayed. KC is my home of origin but marriage and the US Navy brought me eventually to San Diego. ...The first name I could give in in Darrtown is Margaret Henry who is in the obit of 1898....that is a lot of generations ago. - Judy"
Webmaster Note:
Judy Bethel of California provided the following Henry family info
in June 2008 & updated it in June 2009
John Henry Family
"Between 1825 and 1829, John Henry and his wife, Margaret (Simpson) Henry, with their young son, William, moved from Pennsylvania to the frontier that was Darrtown. They built their log cabin and settled down to farm and to raise ten children. They apparently remained in that location the rest of their lives. The 1850 census shows them living near the James Broadberrys north and east of Darrtown. Records also suggest that at some point their daughter Mary Elizabeth (Henry) Phillips and family took over the Henry place and cared for Margaret until her death. When Margaret, affectionately know as Grandma Henry, died on 5 Jun 1898 she was laid to rest in Darrtown Cemetery. Family researchers think that John died in the decade between 1850 and 1860, but his circumstances and final burial place are not recorded.
Both were Pennsylvanians by birth. John Henry was born in 1796 and Margaret Simpson on 26 Sept. 1804 to Mathew and Sarah Simpson. The Henry children came along at regular intervals with William being the only one born in Pennsylvania in 1825. In Ohio, Isabella was born in 1829, Margaret Jane on 31 Dec. 1831, Mathias on 25 Dec 1834, Nathan in 1836, John in 1838, Samuel in 1839. The federal census shows Simeon, born in 1840, and Mary Elizabeth born in 1844. However, both Simeon and Mary Elizabeth were children of Simeon Broadberry. The Henry farm was on one of Simeon Broadberry's eight lots in Milford Twp. In a will dated Oct 1, 1846 Simeon left his two children with Margaret to raise. In exchange he willed her all of his Milford land for the rest of her life. Simeon died Oct 11, 1846.. As stated in the will, when Margaret died in 1898, the land reverted to Simeon Jr. and Mary Elizabeth and their heirs. Mary E. was the youngest of the clan and cared for Margaret in her old age on the farm where she was raised. What became of Simeon Jr. is not yet known."
Isabella (Henry) Carpenter Vanness, Born 1829, Ohio
"About 1844, Isabella Henry married Alfred Carpenter, a cooper by trade, who was born 1819 in New York. They made their home in Milford Township and had seven children before Alfred mustered for the Civil War on September 5, 1861. Alfred took with him their oldest son, Jotham Mathew, born in 1846. The two enlisted in the 69th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and were sent to Nashville. Alfred Carpenter was killed in action and died in a hospital there on Aug 27, 1862. He is buried in Nashville National Cemetery. Jotham was killed in action and died just before him on May 17, 1862.
Isabella and Alfred's children also include Andrew J. Carpenter born 1848; Isabel Carpenter born on May 30, 1851; John Henry Carpenter born on Oct 11, 1854; William W. Carpenter born Jan 6, 1856; Charles Albert Carpenter born Jan 1, 1859, and Selina Jane Carpenter born 1861.
Isabel Carpenter, the daughter, married a sexton named Edward Westfall, and raised Selina's daughter, Maud. The family lived in College Corner, Ind. But when Isabel Carpenter died on Mar 29, 1926, she was buried in Darrtown Cemetery.
John Henry Carpenter was a carpenter by trade and by name. He built houses and married Flora (?) from Michigan. Together they raised their large family in Oxford. Both John Henry Carpenter and his wife, Flora, are buried in the Darrtown Cemetery.
On Feb 24, 1876, Isabella (Henry) Carpenter married Joseph Vanness, born in ReilyTwp on Aug 16, 1825, to Elijah Vanness and Rebecca Wheldon. Joseph Vanness was first married in 1846, to Mary E. Findley. Joseph and Mary raised seven children in Reily. During his marriage to Isabella he served as constable in West College Corner, Union Co. Indiana. Joseph died there on Jan 16, 1908 and was laid to rest in Reily Twp. Isabella then went to live with her son, John Henry Carpenter, and his family in Oxford. Isabella (Henry) Carpenter Vanness died Feb 5, 1912 and is buried in the Darrtown Cemetery."
Margaret Jane (Henry) Handley born 1831 in Darrtown, Ohio
"Margaret Jane Henry was the third child of the Henrys. As a young adult she was married to Evan J. Handley by William O. Hayes, Esq.on Jul 4, 1848, in Butler County. Their first three children were born in Darrtown, William Henry Handley on Jan 16, 1851; George W. Handley born Dec 24 1849; and Mathias S. Handley born in 1853. At the time of their marriage, Evan Handley ran the old Lane's Mill at the intersection of Lanes Mill Road and Wallace Rd. The mill was new in 1848 and remains a beautiful old structure even now.
More children came along and more moves occurred. John S. Handley was born on Jun 19, 1857, in College Corner; Mary Jane Handley on Dec 18 1859 in Decatur Ind; Sarah B. Handley in 1862 in Ind; Albert E. Handley on May 23, 1863 in Butler County; Margaret E. Handley was born in 1864; Charles E. Handley on Nov 10, 1867; Lawrence Alonzo Handley born Dec 1, 1868 in Ind; and Nora Mae Handley born in 1871 also in Ind.
Margaret Jane Handley died Feb 28, 1931, a few months shy of her 100th birthday. She was living at the home of her son, Lawrence Handley, who had served as Mayor of Richmond, Ind. Due to her son's position and her own remarkable age, Margaret was interviewed several times by the Richmond Palladium newspaper. She leaves a rich account of life on the Ohio frontier. Her obituary includes a review of her early experiences in Darrtown." See excerpted news articles below.
Mathias Henry Born Dec 25, 1834, Ohio
"Of all those Henry boys, three went off to fight in the Civil War and only one, Mathias, came home. On August 20, 1861, Mathias Henry enlisted in the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and spent four years in service. He was captured on Dec 16, 1861, at Somerset, Kentucky and sent to prison camp in Salisbury, North Carolina for eight months. After his release from prison, he mustered out of the 35th OVI in 1864 and transitioned to 2nd Regt, Heavy Artillery. He was wounded in action at Chickamauga, Georgia on Sep 19, 1863. On Aug 26, 1864, he mustered out and returned to Darrtown.
When he returned from war, Mathias married Catharine Ellen Fetters, born Oct 13, 1841, in Troy, Miami County, Ohio. The couple farmed and raised four children in Darrtown: John M. Henry was born about 1864; Edward E. Henry, born about 1873; Maggie B. Henry born 1875; and Leroy Henry born 1879. Mathias and Catharine Henry lived all their adult lives in Darrtown and are buried in the Darrtown Cemetery; Mathias died on April 12,1914, and Catharine on Dec 16, 1911. Their son, Leroy Henry, married Lena Ethel Tribbey on Aug 5, 1903, in Hamilton."
Mary Elizabeth (Henry) Phillips Born 1844 in Darrtown Ohio
"Mary E. was born in Darrtown in 1844, the youngest child of Simeon Broadberry. (See second paragraph under "John Henry" family above). She married William Henry Phillips, born in Illinois in 1842. The couple settled on the Darrtown farm on which she was raised. Their kids, in birth order, were Emma E., born in 1862 ; Eva May born 1866; Edmund B. born 1869 and buried in 1912 in the Darrtown Cemetery; Margaret Simpson Phillips born 1872 and buried in the Darrtown Cemetery; Mary Leone born 1875 and later married to a Gadd. She was buried at Darrtown Cemetery in 1959. Jessica, born in 1879 and married to a Wilson was also buried in the Darrtown Cemetery in 1977."
William, Nathan, Samuel, Simon and John Henry
"Of these remaining sons, we are told by Margaret Henry Handley in one of her interviews that three served in the Civil War and two did not return. We know Mathias returned after four years of service, but the names of the two who gave their lives is not known. It is also uncertain whether Samuel and Simon were one person or were brothers."
Webmaster Note: The life of Margaret Jane (Henry) Handley, third child of John and Margaret (Simpson) Henry, is portrayed below, in an excerpted reprint of a December 31, 1922 Richmond (Indiana) Palladium newspaper article.
"Margaret J. (Henry) Handley - Ninety-One Years Old Today
"Today is the ninety-first birthday of Mr. Margaret J. Handley, mother of Mayor Lawrence A. Handley."
"She is celebrating quietly at the home of her son, John Handley, and wife, 1306 Ridge Street, with whom she has made her home for 15 years.
Mrs. Handley, who was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Henry of Darrtown, Ohio is the last of a family of ten children. Her mother lived to be 94 years old. Mrs. Handley was reared on a farm, her parents moving from Pennsylvania to Butler County, Ohio. She has lived in Richmond over 40 years and recalls many changes that have taken place in that time.
Mrs. Handley is a remarkably preserved woman, has good vision and hearing and moves about with alacrity. When she went from one room to another, to get a picture of her herself and her husband, Evan J. Handley, a Civil War veteran, who died 21 years ago last August, she almost ran.
Mrs. Handley saw the first pike built in Butler County, Ohio, the pike which went through Fairhaven, Darrtown, and on to Hamilton. She said it was a revelation, for roads had made travel almost a hardship at times.
She remembers many interesting things in connection with her school days. She went to school at Darrtown. In those days, pupils were kept in their grades until they had learned their readers by heart. The boys sat on one side of the room and the girls on the other. If there was one thing above another that the teacher demanded it was discipline and order. No pupil was ever advanced to another grade until he had learned his reader.
Mrs. Handley attributes her good memory to the fact that memorizing was taught her in school.
Bridges were unknown when she first started to school. She had to jump from rock to rock to get across two creeks enroute to school. When the water was high and the horses could not swim the streams, she was forced to stay at home. Sometimes there was no school because of high water.
…she is a delightful conversationalist.
‘When I went to housekeeping, I cooked in an open fireplace. But, when my husband bought a stepside stove for me, I was the happiest woman in the neighborhood. Neighbors came for miles around to see the new addition to our household. On that stove, I baked good bread and did my cooking with far greater ease than I was able to do, when using the fireplace.'
'I always made candles for the family. I had a six-candle mold and never thought anything about doing that phase of my housework. I also used the spinning wheel, as did all mothers and women in those days.'
She is greatly interested in that affairs of Richmond (Indiana) and particularly the city government, as it is operated by her son, Mayor Lawrence, of whom she is very proud.
Five of her children are living. They are Lawrence A. Handley and John Handley of this city; George Handley, aged 73 of Lockland, Ohio; and William Handley, aged 71 of College Corner, Ohio; and a daughter, Mrs. Jane Bridgeford of St. Paul, Minnesota.
She has 33 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. Of this number, there are four pairs of twins."
Margaret J. (Henry) Handley - Happy Time Anticipated When Family Assembles
"Simple Rules for Longevity, Work Hard, Live Simply, Do Not Worry Are Advanced by Pioneer Whose Life Embraces Wonderful Experiences
Seated in her easy chair, Mrs. Margaret Handley, one of Wayne County's oldest citizens, animatedly discussed plans for the celebration of her 96th birthday, which is the last day of the year, December 31, then broadened her conversation to include topics of current interest or to recall events from the wonderful storehouse of her memory which spans mor than three quarters of a century.
Mrs. Handley wasted but little time on the subject of her health. It was, in fact, dismissed with the remark that she was 'feeling quite well, except for a touch of neuritis in one arm.' According to Mrs. Handley anyone can attain such an age as hers, if one follows these simple rules: 1. Work hard. 2. Live simply. 3. Do not worry.
'Many people shorten their lives by worrying over their troubles. I expect that I have had as much real trouble as anyone, but I have always made it a practice to brush my troubles aside. I knew it was a waste of time to worry,' said the county's oldest inhabitant.
Mrs. Handley intimated, quite tactfully, that the cardinal rule of longevity, 'hard work', was being generally ignored by the modern generation, not to mention the supplemental rule of 'simple living.'
'As a young woman, the mother of 11 children,life was hard at the best. We had none of the conveniences of today. Consequently, it was not difficult for me to observe the rules of hard work and simple living. I had to follow those rules to live,' Mrs. Handley remarked.
Several of the years of her life were spent in a log cabin when section of the country was largely virgin forest land. And the wilderness yielded grudgingly to the pioneers.
'There were times when I was so sick, I was not expected to live; but, with 11 children to care for and my husband a soldier in the Union Army, it was absolutely out of the question for me to die,' the aged woman said. 'At one time, both my son, Lawrence and myself were down with typhoid fever. There was nobody to nurse him, but me and I did, sitting day and night in a chair by his bedside.'
The world today is a better place to live in than when the nation was young, Mrs. Handley admits. But, she believes the hazards of today are greater than the perils of the frontier, which has disappeared. She puts the blame for this at the door of the automobile.
'But, Mother, no one likes to ride in an automobile more than you,' interrupted (her son) Mayor Handley. 'Yes, that is true. But, you are a careful driver and so many people are not,' she replied. Whenever, the weather permits, Mrs. Handley enjoys long Sunday afternoon motor trips with her son, Lawrence, one of the five surviving children. The others are, George Handley, Cincinnati; Will Handley, Richmond; Mrs. Jane Bridgeford, Richmond; and John Handley, Richmond.
Casting aside the subject of automobiles, Mrs. Handley branched off into a discussion of newspapers, flappers, fashions, and politics. Mrs. Handley is a Democrat and proud of it and she is happy that one of her children has been successful in politics.
About 1881, Mr. and Mrs. Handley and the children moved to Richmond; but, when her husband retired from business activities, they bought a home in Centerville, where he died about 20 years ago. The home was then sold and Mrs. Handley came to Richmond to reside with her son, John, and his wife.
Mrs. Handley is one of the few remaining 'original' widows of Civil War veterans in Wayne county and from the government, she receives $50 a month pension. 'It's more than I need,' she states."
Webmaster Note: The following are excerpted parts from the original article that appeared in a December 22, 1927 issue of the Richmond (Indiana) Palladium.
