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Family of William Jr VESEY and Adaline HARPER
William Jr VESEY b. 1801 May 42230 at Braintree, VT2230. d. 1872 Oct 12060 at Goshen, IN2060. bd. Oakridge Cemetery, Goshen, IN2054.
Adaline HARPER b. 1816~2042 at Ohio2042. d. 1857 Jul 19800.
Married2042 1841~2042 at prob Ohio2042.
In the 1850 census2042 for Jefferson, Indiana, William Veasey's family consists of Adaline, age 56, b Ohio; Mariah Hudson, age 26, b Vt; Eli Hudson, age 20, b Vt; Horace Vesey, age 15, b Vt; John Vesey, age 14, b Ohio; William Thompson, age 13, b Ohio; George Thompson, age 12, b Ohio; Henry Veasey, age 3, b Ind. From this it is assumed that Adaline is William's second wife and he Adaline was previously married to --- Thompson; that William and George are from Adaline's previous marriage; and Henry is their child.
A pension application4950 filed by Isabelle Vesey ("Widow"), Dec 26, 1891, in Indiana, lists William service as "M. 2. Ind. Cav."
His obituary4943 in the Goshen (IN) Democrat states Mr William Vesey died at his residence one mile north-east of Goshen on Oct 1, aged about 72 years. Another obituary in The Goshen (IN) Times, Thurs, Oct 3, 1872 reads: "Mr William Vesey, an old and respected citizen of this county, died on Tuesday morning last [Oct 1], and was buried yesterday.." Yet another obituary2060 also states: "In this township, on Tuesday, the first inst., William Vesey aged 72 years."
The histories of Braintree (Vermont)831, Lagrange County2054 Indiana, and Elkhart County2068 Indiana provide much information on William's family. Born in Braintree, Vermont, William married Adaline Copeland there. He and his family (wife and five children), following his uncle Benjamin, went to Cayuga or Lake County, Ohio, in 1834 (Elkhart Hist has 1833 but Horace was born Vermont in 1834.) William's son John was born there in Ohio. In 1838, the family moved west to Indiana and settled in Middlebury Township, Elkhart county. The family soon moved to Goshen, where William bought land, established a brickyard, and maintained a farm. His children married and established their own lives, both in the area and elsewhere, but William ran the brickyard and farm until a short time before his death in 1872.
William was elected sheriff of Elkhart county in 1862. The election, however, was apparently not without some controversy. The (Goshen, Ind.) Times, Oct 9, 1862 (newspaperarchive.com), printed a short piece deriding the Goshen Democrat (Oct 8th issue) for supporting William Vesey. Vesey is described as "the only returned soldier in Indiana who takes sides with and becomes the candidate of the secession sympathizing Democratic party which is opposed to the confiscation of rebel property by our armies!" That article warned the voters of Elkhart county to "not be deceived by the miserable twaddle of 8th of January Democracy(sic)." Nonetheless, he went on to win that election, and served in that position as late as November, 1864.
He was a Mason and was buried with Masonic honors in Oakridge Cemetery in Goshen. Isabelle Vesey was appointed administratrix for his (insolvent) estate (Goshen (IN) Democrat, Nov 13, 1872.)
The marriage record1523 of son Henry C to Fanny Reist lists Henry's mother as "Harper." She married (unkn) Thompson, perhaps !834~, as Wiliam and George Thompson, both born Ohio, are listed in the household of William and Adaline in 1850, apparently her children by a previous marriage.
Hillman lists two additional children of Adeline and William: Orrin and Harper, the latter probably given as his Christian name his mother's maiden name.
Children of William Jr VESEY and Adaline HARPER:
| 1. | Henry C VESEY2042 b. 1848 Jun 224633 at Goshen, IN1523. d. 1929 May 184633 at 802 Main St., Goshen, IN4633. bd. Oak Ridge Cem., Goshen, IN4633. | ||||
| md. 1) Mary A BLOOD | |||||
| md. 2) Fanny REIST |