I think, I do not know for certain, that Thomas McGraw and Caty Withrow may have been living with William Withrow and wife, Susannah Skaggs in Nicholas County in 1820. It appears that I’ve enumerated the dwellers in Withrow’s household in 1820 with the exception of three unknown females under the age of 10:
Name William Witherowe
Enumeration Date 7 Aug 1820
Home in 1820 (City, County, State) Nicholas, Virginia, USA
Free White Persons – Males – Under 10 1 = Abel Withrow (2)
Free White Persons – Males – 10 thru 15 3 = James Withrow (11), William Withrow Jr (13), Thomas Withrow (15)
Free White Persons – Males – 16 thru 25 3 = Thomas McGraw (21), Isaac Withrow (22), Samuel Withrow (18)
Free White Persons – Males – 45 and over 1 = William Withrow Sr
Free White Persons – Females – Under 10 5 = Nancy D Withrow (8), Martha A McGraw (1), three unknown females
Free White Persons – Females – 16 thru 25 1 = Caty Withrow McGraw (20)
Free White Persons – Females – 26 thru 44 1 = Susannah Skaggs
1820 = Withrow Children’s Approximate Ages:
Sarah 1793 = 27
Mary 1797 = 23
Isaac 1798 = 22
Catherine 1800 = 20
Samuel 1802 = 18
Thomas 1805 = 15
William A 1807 = 13
James 1809 = 11
Nancy D 1812 = 8
Abel 1818 = 2
I believe this because Thomas McGraw is listed in the Nicholas County Personal Property Tax Lists 1819 – 1821; 1820 (Marriage to Caty Withrow occurred on 31 Jul 1820 Nicholas County BUT daughter Martha A McGraw was born about 1819). Thomas is NOT listed separately in the 1820 Census; 1821 (birth of Samuel H McGraw); and 1823 (birth of Susannah/Lucinda J McGraw – father Thomas’ location suspected in Nicholas Co). By 1825, Thomas McGraw’s residence, per the PP Tax List, is Greenbrier County where he is in both the Tax Lists up to and beyond the 1830 Census of Greenbrier County.
1830 Greenbrier County Census
Name Thomas McGraw
Home in 1830 (City, County, State) Greenbrier, Virginia
Free White Persons – Males – Under 5 2 = John O McGrew (5); unknown male
Free White Persons – Males – 5 thru 9 1 = Samuel H McGraw (9)
Free White Persons – Males – 30 thru 39 1 = Thomas McGraw (31)
Free White Persons – Females – Under 5 2 = Mary L McGraw (1); unknown female
Free White Persons – Females – 5 thru 9 1 = Susannah/Lucinda J McGraw (7);
Free White Persons – Females – 10 thru 14 1 = Martha A McGraw
Free White Persons – Females – 30 thru 39 1 = Caty Withrow McGraw
In 1831, Thomas McGraw is listed in the Fayette County (formerly Nicholas) Tax List again on 13 June 1831. He was in Fayette County until 1835 meaning daughter Delilah Margaret F (b 1833) and son James R (b 1835) were born in Fayette County, WV. Thomas McGraw is in the Tax Lists of Fayette County only until 1835.
On 7 Mar 1840, Thomas McGraw is in the Kanawha County Tax Lists probably at the same location (18 Mile Creek) in each tax list until 1 Apr 1847. As you know, that section of Kanawha County became Putnam County in 1848. Thomas McGraw is in the Tax Lists of Putnam County until 1850 when he appears in the Federal Census, aged 51, along with wife Catherine (50) and two children, Margaret (16) and Joseph (14). Tax Lists ceased about/before 1850.
The children of Thomas McGraw and Catherine Withrow, as I have been able to ascertain to date, are as follows:
1. Martha A McGraw (1819 Nicholas – d. 1890 Putnam) m. John Hedrick (s/o Philip Hedrick & Catherine Debo) probably 1843;
2. Samuel H McGraw (1821 Nicholas – d. 1885 Putnam) m1. Mary Ann Hedrick (probable d/o Philip Hedrick & Catherine Debo) about 1845-46;
m2. Priscilla Coulter Harrison 9 Jan 1868 Putnam; *Alonzo McGrew, found in the HH of John and Martha A McGraw Hedrick in both the 1870 & 1880 Censuses, may be the son of Samuel McGraw & Mary Ann Hedrick. His age in the censuses place his birth about 1862-1863 and I’ve pondered two scenarios: 1) he is a twin of John Albert McGrew (name is actually listed Albert John on the birth record), the last child(ren) born to Samuel and Mary Ann, or (2) Alonzo was born “too soon” after John Albert which caused Mary Ann Hedrick’s death.*
3. Susannah/Lucinda McGraw (b. 1823 Nicholas – d. 1902 Putnam) m. Moses Higginbotham 27 Mar 1842 Kanawha Co;
4. John O. McGrew (b 1825 Greenbrier – d 1906 Putnam) m. Zipporah Fielder pre-1850 probably Putnam Co;
5. Mary L McGraw (b 1829 Greenbrier – d. 1885 Putnam) m1. William H Hayes 1846 Kanawha Co; m2. George Fayette Washington 1859 Putnam Co;
6. Delila Margaret F McGrew (b. 1833 Fayette – d. 1901 Vinton Co, OH) m. Henderson Jones 1851 Putnam Co;
7. James R McGrew (b 1835 Fayette – d 1890 Putnam Co) m. Eliza Jane Lewis 1856 Putnam Co;
The info regarding Elizabeth McGraw led me to conclude that Martha A McGraw was the daughter of Thomas & Caty, not the daughter of Martin and first wife Nancy. My aunt may have had that correct initially and I plugged the info into my tree erroneously. The fact was that Martha A and her cousin Elizabeth, whom I am now convinced was the daughter of Martin and Nancy, BOTH did not fit into Martin’s household over the course of several censuses prior to 1850 (when individuals were named).
Of course the 1850 Putnam Census didn’t help me much, especially since the two females – Minerva and Martha listed last in Martin’s household, were not designated as “granddaughters” which would have helped immensely. Once it was pointed out to me, and I wrapped my hard head around the data, it was easy to see.
Elizabeth McGraw, as I pointed out earlier, was enumerated in the household of John Martin in 1850 Putnam Census. Perhaps Elizabeth was pregnant when Martin and Sarah came to Kanawha/Putnam County pre-1843. The elder daughter was Minerva born about 1843 in Kanawha County I’ve no doubt. That is because Martin McGraw is last listed in the Fayette County Tax List in 1842 (no other date given) then listed in the Kanawha Co Tax List on 17 May 1843. That means they were “on the move” from Fayette to Kanawha (Putnam). The next daughter Elizabeth birthed was Martha Pauline McGraw “Boalt” likely born 1846 in Kanawha County as well. That leads me to believe that whoever her father, he was likely a resident of the area around Red House where Martin and Sarah were living.
Detailed info regarding the daughters of Elizabeth McGraw, (never married to my knowledge), were:
- Minerva A McGraw (1843-~1914) m. James H Taylor on 14 Dec 1869 Fayette Co. “Mother in law” Elizabeth McGraw is listed in the Taylor household in the 1880 Fayette Census;
- Martha P McGraw (1846- unk) m. Harvey G Bolt/Boalt on 6 Aug 1870 in Fayette County. Her mother Elizabeth McGraw is listed in the Bolt household, aged 50, in the 1870 Fayette Census. Her father’s name is listed as “Alex’n McGraw” on her marriage record but he may have simply been her next-of-kin or gave approval for her to be married.
William Alexander McGraw was the son of Samuel McGraw (Martin and Thomas’ brother) and his first wife Elizabeth Wood, born 1818 Monroe County and lived near Kanawha Falls with his wife and family. I doubt that Elizabeth McGraw stayed behind in Fayette County when Martin moved his family to Kanawha County in 1842-43; birthed both her daughters in Fayette THEN moved to Putnam in time to show up in the 1850 Census. The distance from Kanawha Falls to Red House is approximately 60 miles. I can’t imagine her walking that far pregnant nor walking that distance with one or two small daughters: 60 miles is a 3 day journey on foot, nearly 2 and half days on horseback.
Hopefully, this helps iron out any wrinkles I created in my previous posts. Worst case, I created even more.
