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Surnames: McCaskill, Stewart
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Di.2ADE/2118
Message Board Post:
Cynthia (McCaskill) Stewart - the little we know
As far as I know the first record of Cynthia McCaskill takes place on 25 June 1837, in
Washington County, Indiana, when she was married to Laban Stewart (1801-1864) as his
second wife. I found this information in the “Hoosier Journal of Ancestry, Washington
County Special #1,” page 33, record #1175, “Labon Stuart” married to “Cynthis M. Caskell”
25 June 1837 by Samuel Applegate, Ordained Baptist Preacher.
The next known record is found in the 1840 Federal Census of Franklin Township, Washington
County, Indiana, where Cynthia is listed anonymously as the wife as “Labin Stuart.” She is
shown as a white female, aged between 20 and 30 years of age, making her born between 1810
and 1820. Also listed is their son, Silas and Laban’s 4 children from his first marriage,
Whitson H., Elisha R., Margaret J., and Eli Franklin Stewart.
Then in 1850 we find Cynthia listed by name in the Federal Census of Franklin Township,
Washington County, Indiana. She is shown as “Cynthia Stuart” age 38, a white female, who
was born in North Carolina.. She is also shown as not being able to read and write. She is
shown with her husband, his four children, and their six children.
Next is the 1860 Federal Census for Franklin Township, Washington County, Indiana.
“Cynthia Stewart” is shown as 46 years old, a white female, born in North Carolina, and
she cannot read or write. There are marks in the “married within the year” column for
Laban and Cynthia Stewart, as there are for each married couple on the page. This was a
mistake by the enumerator, as he was supposed to only list couples married to each other
in the past 12 months. Laban’s 4 children have moved out, but all 10 of Laban and
Cynthia’s children are still at home, plus they are caring for Laban’s elderly father,
Silas and his wife, Sarah.
The 1870 Federal Census of Franklin Township, Washington County, Indiana shows “Cynthia
Stuart” as a widow, aged 55, a white female, Keeping House, born in North Carolina, cannot
read or write, with assets of $600.00 in real estate and $110.00 in personal property.
Only her two youngest sons , Cornelius and Enoch Stewart are still living with her,
although her step-daughter, Margaret J. (Stewart) Smith lives next door.
As far as I know, the above records are the only ones known to have been made about
Cynthia (McCaskill) Stewart when she was alive.
Phyllis (Miggenburg) Phillips has her great-grandmother, Catharine “Katie” (Stewart)
Allen’s “Family Scroll” on which is recorded, “Sintha Stewart” with the death date of
“Feb. __ 1873.” This is thought to have been written by Cynthia’s daughter, Catharine, but
does not show a birth date. David Kent Coy has a record supplied by Mildred (Boardman)
Waggoner, a daughter of Catharine’s daughter Viola Armenta (Allen) Boardman, showing the
name as “Sintha Stewart” with the birth date of “10 Sept. 1808” and death date of “Feb. __
1873.”
Of the obituaries of her children, Jehu S. Stewart’s lists his mother as “Cinthy Stewart”
and Enoch Asbary Stewart’s lists his mother as “Cynthia Stewart.” The obituary of
Catharine “Katie” (Stewart) Allen fails to even mention her parents and there are no known
obituaries of her other children, although several of them probably exist.
It may be significant to mention that in the 1880 census records of her various children,
each one lists North Carolina as the birthplace of their Mother, without fail.
What else do we know about Cynthia (McCaskill) Stewart?