The James Stafford Family

Author and webmaster: Sharlene K. Miller, CGSM

Direct Line: Pedigree chart William Robert Andrew Daniel Clayton

Siblings:  [ John Stafford ] [ Jonas Stafford ] [ James Stafford ] [ Robert Stafford ] [ Mary Stafford ] [ Rachel Stafford ]

Children:  [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Levisa Stafford ] [ Grant Stafford ] [ Rebecca Stafford ]

 

Research is not completed for this line of Staffords, who descend from William through his son James Stafford.  It is a lateral line to Robert Stafford, a brother to James Stafford.  It is presented here for those of you who are researching other lines descending from William Stafford.

 

~~~~~Second Generation~~~~~

 

James Stafford and Mary Brown 

4.  James2 Stafford (William1) Born on 30 Dec 17791 probably in North Carolina; died on 22 February 18291 probably in Morgan County, Indiana; married Mary Brown 12 November 1800.1  James was described as a native of North Carolina in a biographical note by Daniel Scott.2  His father, William Stafford, and he along with his 3 brothers Jonas, Robert and John, left North Carolina to settle in Ross County, Ohio in about 1804.2 There is some evidence that suggests James and Robert were related since James signed Robert's marriage bond filed when he promised to marry Sarah Bullock.  This bond was filed in Guilford County, North Carolina.3  

 

According to information in a biographical sketch about their son, Grant Stafford, the family moved from Ohio to Morgan County, Indiana in about 1826 and went to Morgan County, Indiana.1  Apparently, Grant Stafford first went to Morgan County in 1821 to teach the first school established in the county.  He was impressed with the area and advised his father to move there too.  James, his wife, Mary, and their two daughters settled in Morgan County.1

 

James was quite careful in choosing a farm.  After looking for quite some time he decided to purchase a farm south of the White River on the Martinsville - Indianapolis road and 0.75 miles above Clear Creek.1 Research is needed in the probate and deed records to verify whether the information above is correct.  The probate records might also provide information about when James Stafford died.  According to the biographical sketch in the newspaper he died on 22 February 18291 and Mary died 07 May 1838.1  It is likely that probate research would help to determine if James had other children besides Grant and the two girls, Levisa and Rebecca.  

 

The newspaper sketch stated that the two girls married men who were at least related to one another.  One married Hiram Matthews and the other Stafford girl married James Matthews.1  According to McBride's Marriage Records of Highland County, Ohio 1805 - 18804 Levisa Stafford married Hiram Matthews in Highland County on 18 November 1819.  Rebecca and James Mathews were married in Morgan County, Indiana on 30 April 1829 by Hiram Mathews, who was probably a relative to James.5

 

David N McBride, compiler, Marriage Records of Highland County, Ohio 1805 - 1880 (Hillsboro, Ohio 45133: Southern Ohio Genealogical Society, 1981)

Suggestions for additional research:

  • Probate research for James and Mary Stafford.

  • Deed records in Morgan County, Indiana.

  • Court records in Morgan County, Indiana.

  • Research in Highland County, Ohio may indicate where they lived prior to living in Ohio.

  • Additional research is needed for their children.

  • Once an exhaustive search has been completed in Indiana, then Highland County, Ohio is the most likely place that additional records may be found.  Continuing to work in reverse chronological order, the third location for research is in and around Guilford and Stokes Counties, North Carolina.

 

 

James Stafford and Mary Brown were the parents of the following children [ there may have been other children, who did not move to Indiana with James and Mary Stafford]:

11

i.

Levisa3 Stafford 

b. about 1801 in North Carolina or Ohio[?];6  d. 14 June 1837;7 m. Hiram Matthews on 18 November 1819 in Highland County, Ohio.4 

+ 12

ii.

Grant3 Stafford 

b. 18 February 1804 in Highland County, Ohio;1 m. (1) Mary "Polly" Maffit / Moffett on 03 Sep 1827 in Morgan County, Indiana;1 (2) Francis "Fannie" Gregory on 24 May 1838 in Morgan County, Indiana.1

13

iii.

Rebecca3 Stafford 

b. 12 March 1809 in Ohio;6  d. 02 March 1841;6 m. James Matthews on 30 April 1829 in Morgan County, Indiana.1,7

   

Documentation for events in James Stafford's life:

James Stafford

Biographical Information

  • "Grant Stafford - A Short History of the Life of Grant Stafford of Olden Times, and His Family," Martinsville Republican, 10 March 1901; received from Morgan County, Indiana Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana.

Census

  • Did not find James Stafford listed by name in any of the census records.

Marriage Record 

 

Land Patents 

  • None found for James Stafford in Indiana.

  • Research needed in Ohio land records

Death and burial

  • Needed

Will

  • Needed

 

 

Citations for James Stafford

 

1

Gregory, M. W., “Grant Stafford – A Short History of the Life of Grant Stafford of Olden Times, and His Family,” Martinsville Republican, 10 March 1901; received from Morgan County, Indiana Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana.  

2

Daniel Scott, A History of the Early Settlement of Highland County, Ohio (Hillsborough, Ohio: The Hillsborough Gazette, 1890; reprinted in 1974 by Waw-wil-a-way Chapter D.A.R. and again in 1983 by the Southern Ohio Genealogical Society), page 494.

3

Stafford – Bullock marriage bond (15 July 1802), Guilford County Marriage Bonds; photocopy received from North Carolina State Archives.

4

David N. McBride, compiler, Marriage Records of Highland County, Ohio (1805-1880) (Hillsboro, Ohio: Southern Ohio Genealogical Society, 1981), page 376.

5

Matthews - Stafford (30 April 1829), Morgan County Marriage Record Book A:51, Clerk’s Office, Martinsville, Indiana; received from Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana.

6

Hiram Matthews household, 1830 U.S. Census, Morgan County, Indiana, Township not specified, page 257, line 15; National Archives microfilm publication M19, roll 30.

7

Morgan County, Indiana Cemeteries Database, Morgan County History and Genealogy Association; http://www.rootsweb.com/~inmchaga/morcem_s.htm

 

 

 

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Contact Information

If you have information about these families and would like to correspond please feel 

free to email me at smiller@stjoelive.com or by writing to me at the following address:

Sharlene Miller

20788 Orchard Lane

St. Joseph, Missouri 64505

816-233-7241

 

Others researching these families:

If you would like to be listed here please let me know and I will add your contact information

 

 

 

 

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Page last updated 06/14/2007

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All Rights Reserved.