Moses Kelso was born in Fairforest, Spartanburg Co. S.C. in 1804, a son of
John and Margaret (Foster) Kelso. He was called Moses in honor of his
maternal grandfather. Since he is not listed in the 1820 or 1830 Indiana
Census, although his father was, it is reasonable to suppose that he lived
with his Uncle Thomas and Aunt Jane (Foster) Kelso, whose estate he
inhierited, until the time of his marriage. It is the will of Thomas Kelso
that establishes Moses as John Kelso's son.
He was not primarily a farmer, although he did buy his first land in
Harbison Twp. DuBois Co. in Dec. 1818.. In 1820 (Wilsons Hist. of DuBois Co.
Pg 181) a school house was built east of Hayesville, and Moses Kelso was in
charge as teacher.
He became a J.P. about this time, and I have records of many marriages he
performed in several counties. (Please don't ask about the legality of that
because I don't know.)
On 29 Mar. 1831 he married, in DuBois Co., Mary Nance of Harrison Co.
Ind. The Nance chronicals carry quite a story, and make a big mystery of the
romance, and according to them, Mary (Polly) was never heard of again. Mary
Nance, b. 1815 was the only daughter of John Wesley and Cloa (Mitchell)
Nance.
Wilson's History of DuBois Co. p84, Hogs and other stock ran in the open
woods and pioneers protected their property by cuts and marks. In a little
record of 17 pages that escaped the court house fire, it says that Moses
Kelso marks his stock with a split in each ear. 9 Mar 1832.
Hist of DuBois Co pg 564. The town of Haysville is said to have been laid
out in 1935 by Moses Kelso. It is one of the earliest settle portions of the
County. In 1840 he had a wool carding machine which he kept in operation for
nearly a decade.
The children of Moses & Mary (again called Polly) Kelso were:
John W. b. 19 Feb 1833, never married, d. 20 April 1863 while on sick
leave. It is from the pension to his mother that much of my data is derived.
Margaret b. 1835 Mar John McLin 21 Feb 1866 (Bk 2, pg 396, Daviess Co.
In.)
Greenfield Decatur b. 1847. Always called Decatur. He married Mary L.
Patterson, 27 Oct. 1870 in Daviess Co. (Bk 3 pg 207).
Winfield, born 1849, I have not discovered a marriage, and no wife is
listen in the 1870 census when he was living with his mother.
William Newton Kelso was born 1839. He and his cousin Elizabeth Virginia
Kelso were were married 24 Sept, 1859, He died at Bardstown Ky, on 18 Jan.
1862,
My question, (at long last) is what happened to Moses?
Moses and Polly apparently lived a good life on the farm. They seem to have
had a nice income from the carding machine, and Moses' income as J.P. as well
as the great amount of land trading that he did. Suddenly the bottom fell
out of their financial structure about 1850, perhaps he lost an election,
certainly the carding business came to an end, and they were destitute. They
lost their farm and moved to Martin Co. Where Moses died 15 Feb. 1855. He is
buried in the North-West corner of the Walter Seitz farm near Haysville.
There was a stone, but I have been told this it is barely possible to make
out his name. Any further information on the last years of his life would be
greatly appreciated.
Sue Kimbrel