Henry County, IAGenWeb 

Family Notes

John Posey Grantham and Narcissa LaRue Jenkins

Submitted by James Bishop

 
John Posey Grantham (25 October 1812-15 May 1877), and Narcissa LaRue
JENKINS , b. abt. 1815 Henry county, IA; Narcissa LaRue Jenkins was a
daughter of Jehu, also know as John Jenkins and Hanna Buzan. Jehu or John
Jenkins relocated his family to Mt. Pleasant about 1837 from Montgomery
county, IL.  I think that in 1837 Mt. Pleasant and Henry county were in
Wisconsin Territory.  Jehu is buried in row 26 in the 1st plot at the north
end of the Old City Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

MARRIAGE: Illinois Marriages to 1850; Ancestry website; Illinois; Montgomery County - Grantham, John Posey married Jenkins, Narcissa on 07 Aug 1834 in Montgomery County, Illinois; other family group sheet for John Grantham, father, has date of marriage for John Posey Grantham - 28 Aug 1834, Irving, Montgomery, IL.

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CENSUS: 1840 U S Census Index; IA, Henry county, Has John P. GRANTHAM listed.

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CENSUS: 1850; IA; Henry County, Mt Pleasant - New London Twp, div 2; M432_184, Page: 176, image 36 (Ancestry "on-line" census images); enumerated 6 August 1850 by Porter; lines 16-25, dwelling 238, family 238;

Grantham, John P, age 38, M, clerk, $300 (value of real estate owned), born in KY; Narcissa J, age 36, born in KY; children: Melissa A, f, age 12; Semantha J, f, age 10; Emma C, f, age 8; Julene E, f, age 6; Alva C, m, age 4, and Narcissa L, f, age 1 (all children listed born in IA); Jenkins, Jehu, age 60, m, born in PA; Phebe J Jenkins, f, age 22, b in IL.

16 238 238 Grantham John P 38 M Clerk 300 Kentucky

17 238 238 Grantham Narcissa J 36 F Kentucky

18 238 238 Grantham Melissa A 12 F Iowa school

19 238 238 Grantham Semanthe J 10 F Iowa school

20 238 238 Grantham Emma C 8 F Iowa school

21 238 238 Grantham Juline E 6 F Iowa school

22 238 238 Grantham Alva C 4 M Iowa

23 238 238 Grantham Narcissa L 1 F Iowa

24 238 238 Jenkins John 60 M Pennsylvania

25 238 238 Jenkins Phebe J 22 F Illinois

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1854 Census Index for Henry County, Iowa; found at 1854henry.htm (the Henry county, IA, page on the U. S. Genweb: Name - Grantham, John P.; State - IA; county - Henry; township - Mt. Pleasant, Center Township; year - 1854.

Detail from Census - IA, Henry county, Mt. Pleasant, Center township, enumerator H. Riggs, microfilm HQ #221-5, page 16, line 4, last name Grantham, first name John P, Household - 7 males, 9 females, no colored males, no colored females, 3 voters, 4 militia, no aliens, 16 total in household.

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HENRY CO, IOWA DIRECTORY 1859-60; Watson Bowron, Publisher, Burlington, Iowa; Transcribed by Pat Ryan White: The USGenWEB Project - officers.htm.

"HENRY COUNTY, IOWA."

"COUNTY OFFICERS.

"County Judge, E. KILLPATRICK.

Clerk of the District Court, JOHN P. GRANTHAM.

Recorder and Treasurer, WM. S. VINEY.

Sheriff, CHAS. F. DEVOL.

Coroner, WM. D. LEEDHAM.

Co. Sup't of Common Schools, SAMUEL L. HOWE.

Surveyor, FRANKLIN A. BURR."

"County Courts 1st Monday in every month except April and August, and Tuesday following 1st Monday in those months.

County Court, however, is always open except for business requiring a notice.

District Courts--2d Monday in March, June and November."

From same source: "Grantham John P., clerk district court, h cor Adams and Washington (pp. 47-8)."

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CENSUS: 1860 U S Population; IA, Henry co, Mt Pleasant; Roll M653_324, p 51 (Ancestry com image 51); enumerated 11 June 1860, dwelling 398, family 352 (also, D 120, F 125 -don't know which is correct, both are there), lines 3-13;

John P Grantham; age 48, M, County Clerk, real estate value $1600, personal property $150, b in KY;

Narcissa (JENKINS - added; not in census record) Grantham, 44, F, place of birth not given; (Added to census is number of children which follow:

(1) Emma Grantham, 17, F, b in IA (all children below with Grantham surname were);

(2) Juline Grantham, 15, F;

(3) Alva, 14, M;

(4) Narcif(s-added)sa (Narcissa - added), 11, F;

(5) Joanna, 9, F;

(6) John C F, 8, M;

(7) Fanny, 5, F (Note - have carte de visite photograph of her; written on the back is the name Carolyn Fannie. The photograph was taken in Mt Pleasant, IA, at "LEISENRING BROS., Photographers, Opposite the Brazelton House, Mt Pleasant, Iowa;"

Kinny or Kenny, Mary, 18, F, domestic, b in Ireland;

Jenkins, Jehu (comment added to census record - father of Narcissa [Jenkins] Grantham), 72, M, born in Pa.

Thus, from this census, if all the children with the Grantham surname were born to John P. and Narcissa (Jenkins), they had seven children living with them at the time of the 1860 census. However, at the time of the above 1850 census, they had living with them two other children, Melissa A, age 12 (would have been abt 21/22 during the 1860 census), and Semantha, age 10, along with other children repeated in 1860 census, so may have had eight children in total. Noteworthy is the fact that at the 1860 census, neither Melissa A nor Semantha were enumerated with them, and raises the possibility that they were either married, or otherwise out of the home. Below information from various contributors to the World Family Tree indicate that another son, James was born in 1862, after the 1860 census.

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CENSUS: 1870 U S census; IA, Henry County, Mount Pleasant; Roll M593_395; P 193, Image 388 (Ancestry com image 96; enumerated 13 July 1870, dwelling 768, family 735 (lines 28-32);

Grantham, Narcissa, 54, F, W, keeping house, real estate value $4000, personal property $500, b in KY;

Grantham, John P, 57, M, W, clerk in post at Washington city, b in KY;

Grantham, LaRue, 21, F, W, at home, b in IA (all children b in IA);

Grantham, Joan, 18, F, W, at home;

Grantham, Charlie, 16, M, W, attending school;

Grantham, Fanny, 13, F, W, attending school.

 

CENSUS: 1880; IA; Mt. Pleasant, Henry, Iowa; FHL Film 1254344, NA Film T9-0344, p 350A;

John P. GRANTHAM, head of household, married, M, W, 68, b in KY, Clerk in Govt. Employ, father b in GA, mother b in NC;

Narcissa GRANTHAM, wife, married, F, W, 64, b in KY, keeping house, father b in PA, mother born in VA;

Joanna M. GRANTHAM, dau, single, F, W, 28, b in IA, both parents b in KY;

Charles F. GRANTHAM, son, single, M, W, 26, b in IA, clerk in Employ of Gov't, both parents b in KY;

Fannie E. GRANTHAM, dau, single, F, W, 23, b in IA, both parents b in KY.

 

DEATH: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa," p. 473, states that he died at while he and his wife were living at the home of their son-in-law and daughter at Keokuk , Iowa.

 
WILL of John Posey GRANTHAM:

I, John P. Grantham, of Henry County, Iowa, being of sound mind & memory, but at the same time realizing the fact, that in the midst of life we are in death; and believing that the admonition, “set they house in order”, applies to temporal as well as spiritual interests – I would attend to both in the fear of God, as I shall answer to him at the great day –

 

   I cannot see the justice of the laws regulating the descent of property – take my own case – Myself and good wife started life together while young on equal footing – neither having patrimony – The small pittance we now possess, is the result of our joint labor toil and suffering.  She having contributed her full share.

 

   Should she die first the law makes me sole owner & controller of all – Should she survive me, the law makes her sold owner &  controller of nothing – I would have it otherwise – And to prevent such flagrant injustice I do make the following my last will & testament, that is to say –

 

1st  I give & bequeath to my beloved & faithful wife Narcissa Grantham , all the property of every kind, real personal and mixed, of which I may died possessed – with full power to her to have, hold, own, possess, control and dispose of the same as fully as I could lawfully do it living –

 

2nd    I hereby appoint my beloved wife Narcissa Grantham sold executrix of this my last will and testament, and do especially direct, that she shall not be required to give Bond for the performance of her duty as such Executrix.

 

Witness my name the 19 day of June A.D. 1866.    John P. Grantham

 

The foregoing will of John P. Grantham was acknowledged by him this day before us, who at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other do sign the same as Witnesses.

 

Dated 21st June 1866     ?. V. Arnold

                                       George C. Van Allen

 

 

 

STATE OF IOWA, HENRY COUNTY,--SS.

 

I, C. B. Rukgaber, Clerk of the District Court of said County, do hereby certify that the foregoing instrument purporting to be the last Will and Testament of John P. Grantham deceased, was duly proven before the district Court of Henry County, aforesaid, at its regular October Term, A.D., 1887 and by said Court this day allowed and admitted to record, and established and declared to be the last Will and Testament of John P. Grantham deceased, and ordered to be certified and recorded as such last Will and testament.

 

Witness my hand and Seal of said Court, affixed at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, this 1st day of November 1887.

 

C. B. Rukgaber, Clerk of District Court.

 

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