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Author: LyndaLehmann
Surnames: CAGE & WINCHESTER CONNECTION
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cage/88.1.2.1.3/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
I suspect that James Cage (son of William Cage & Elizabeth Douglass), have likely had
ONE more undocumented illigitimate son in his younger years, being my 3rd great
grandfather who was apparently born TROPHONIUS JAMES CAGE WINCHESTER on 08 Jun 1814 in
Sumner County, TN to UNKNOWN CAGE father and Rebecca Elizabeth (Eliza) Winchester
(mother). His birth record I cannot find in the TN archives, but many birth & other
records are missing for year 1814 anyway.
His mother, Rebecca Eliza Winchester, was born 26 Nov 1792 in Baltimore, MD to Col Stephen
Winchester & Sarah "Sallie" Howard. She had Trophoninus James Cage
Winchester in 1814 (unmarried as far as I can tell via records and via name given to him
at birth); she married an Abraham Oscar Beck on 18 May 1815 in Stokes County, North
Carolina; and then on 05 Nov 1819 she went through the Sumner County Courts to change her
illigitimate son's name from Trophonius James Cage Winchester to BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
CAGE. I find her and her BECK husband in the 1820 Census with only two sons born to them
at that time and living with her (so I know she and Abraham did not have Benjamin in their
household or the male children count would have been 3 versus 2).
Therefore, I am assuming that my Benjamin Franklin Cage was left to be raised by one of
William Cage's children and that sometime between his birth in 1814 and November 1819
Rebecca must have relinquished her parental rights and left this son to be raised by the
Cage family. By 1836 Benjamin had migrated to Texas and fought for the Republic of Texas;
Vasquez Campaign, Civil War, Florida (Seminole Indian) War, etc. He was mistakenly
reported killed by Indians and buried in a mass grave and a memorial for over 200 men is
in present Milam Square in San Antonio, Texas (when in fact he was really badly wounded
and went back to Wharton County to recoup and after a year or two returned to the battle
field).
He did not die until 19 Nov 1887 and is buried in Blanco Cemetery next to his 2nd wife
(Nancy Bethia Grier-Cage who died on 10 Jan 1903 a Florida War pensioner due to
Benjamin's service in these wars) in Blanco, Blanco Co., Texas. He lived his later
days next to the Grier's in Crab Apple Creek area of Blanco, Texas.
Our family records indicate he was related to John "Jack" Coffee Hays (which
indicates he must is descended from Maj. William Cage and Elizabeth Douglass), but which
of the CAGE sons was Benjamin's biological father? Since there were at least 3 of the
sons who have documented illigitimate children, I am lead to believe that one likely
biological father may be JAMES CAGE who was born 12 May 1776 in Chatham County, NC since
Eliza named her son Trophonius JAMES CAGE WINCEHSTER intitially that the biological
father's name may have been James Cage.
I found a letter in the WINCHESTER PAPERS in the TN archives where David Winchester wrote
to his brother James Winchester stating that he was about their brother Stephen
Winchester's death in 1815 and his Stephen's daughter's marriage in 1815
(being Rebecca Eliza Winchester) and wishing Eliz'a "Deceiver" due
punishment (obviously referring to Benjamin's biological father).
If James was born in 1776 and does not have a recorded child born until 1834 (where he has
documented 3 sons and one daughter with Susan Randolph) and then at least one daughter
later (Delia Ann Cage born ca 1851 with mother Kitty Thomas) then he certainly may have
fathered children before 1834. This is why I suspect he MIGHT be a potential candidate to
have fathered Trophonius James Cage Winchester in 1814. And the fact JAMES CAGE was in
his birh name until the name change in 1819 via Sumner County court records.
I have Texas land records where Rebecca Eliza Winchester-Beck and her Beck sons attested
to her being the mother of Benjamin Franklin Cage, so I have no doubts about who his
biological mother is, but there are several CAGE sons (either unmarried or already married
to someone else) that could be his biological father.
If anyone in researching these daughters and sons with documented illigitimate children
have found any info to indicate whom the bio father might be of my Benjamin Franklin Cage,
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!
Many Thanks,
Lynda Lehmann-French
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