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Author: sabromavage
Surnames:
Classification: queries
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http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
For the benefit of anyone else following this thread, I'll post this continued
correspondence here:
schwel provided this census info to me:
1880 United States Federal Census > Illinois > Douglas > Arcola > District 82
Name: Mary J. Ritchy
Home in 1880: Arcola, Douglas, Illinois
Name Age Occupation POB Parent POB
Robert C Ritchy 52 laborer, born IN
Mary J Ritchy 44 Keeps House born IN, parents born GA
James H Ritchy 23
John W. Ritchy 10
[source =
http://content.ancestry.com/Browse/list.aspx?dbid=6742&path=Illinois....]
That does look like a good match for Mary Jane Lett---but it points out something I had
been wondering about:
If that is the Mary Jane Lett that was supposed to be the daughter of Isham and Elizabeth,
there is an odd gap between her birth and that of her siblings.
Could she be a late in life child born to her parents, and unfortunately, perhaps the
reason for her mother's demise?
Coffee Creek Baptist church records:
Eliza Lett   joined by baptism   Dec 1832   deceased  Jan 14t
I'm estimating Elizabeth (WELLS) LETT birthdate as about 1793, based on the fact that
she did not need permission to marry in 1811, just a bond. That would make her 43 in 1836.
Not impossibly old to have born a daughter, but ...well, less likely given the 10 year gap
between the birth of James Harvey Lett and that of Mary Jane Lett.
Children of ISHAM LETT and ELIZABETH WELLS are
1) Whitfield LETT born c1814-1816 KY; died 12 Feb 1890 Jennings county, IN
2) Demarcus Lett born 18 Aug 1813-1819 KY; died 21 Aug 1862 Coles co, IL;
3) John H Lett born 15 Jan 1819 IN; died 22 July 1880 in Seymour,
Jackson county, IN
4) Sarah Lett born c 1822; married 20 Feb 1842 to Charles Curtis, Jennings co
IN. On 1850 census Jennings co IN.
5) James Harvey Lett born 15 May 1826; died: Abt Jul 1910; Buried: Mt. Hope
Cemetery, Belleville,St. Clair Co.,IL.
6) Mary Jane Lett (born 1836?) ; married 19 May 1856 in Coles co IL to Robert L
Ritchey/Ritchie.
I, too, am "guilty" of using the undocumented information of the early
researchers to group families--although I do try to be sure that people know when I do
this (Sorry, I failed miserably this time!) and to seek out the documentation. I'm not
at all sure of Mary Jane Lett as a child of this family, and I am even suspicious of James
Harvey--although he *fits* with the family census info much better and he has been
eliminated as a child of any other Lett man in Jennings county at that time.
However, James Harvey Lett's death certificate, filled out by his widow, Nancy, gives
his father's name as "John Lett"--She could have been mistaken, after all
the years apart from the Indiana family--or it could be true. If so, there is another John
Lett out there to discover!
James H. LETT married Nancy A. HUSTON on 13 April 1848 in Rush county, IN
James Harvey Lett is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. I have his Obituary:
James H. Lett died at p.m. at the home of his daughter, Mrs Edward Bausch, 108 North
Eleventh street. Death was due to old age. Five children, twelve grand-children and twelve
great-grandchildren survive him. The children are Mrs Dora Bausch, Mrs Fannie Kirk, Mrs
Rachel Duncan of Rockville, Mo., Geo. Lett and John Lett. The Funeral will be held under
the auspices of the G. A. R. from the home of Mrs. Edward Bausch, 108 N. Eleventh street,
Monday afternoon, July 4, at 2 o'clock. [East Saint Loius Journal, July 3, 1910 page
3, column 6].
[Source = George SWEET] James Harvey Lett was born May 15,1826 Indiana . It has on the
Death certificate John Lett as the father mother unknown . His wife was Nancy Ann Huston,
and children are Francis E. Lett, Rachel Lett, John W. Lett, George Perry Lett, and Dora
Lett. He has a military stone on his grave, most of his family are also buried there. I
have his death certificate and pictures of the cemetery stones and information on his
family. By the way the Cemetery is in Belleville, Illinois.
1870 Audrain County MO Federal Census
P.O. Mexico Salt River Twp 13 Jun 1870 Page 548-B
316/286
LETT, James Harvey 46 M W Carpenter 500 IN (b.1824)
LETT, Nancy Huston 39 F W Keeping House IN (b.1831)
LETT, John William 19 M W Works on Farm IL (b.1851)
LETT, Rachel 13 F W At School IL- (b.1857)
LETT, Fannie 09 F W At School IL- (b.1861)
LETT, George Perry,jr 04 M W MO
(b.1866)
1880 census Cuivre, Audrain, Missouri
James H Lett  Self  M  Male  W  56  IN Â
Farmer  GANancy A. Lett
Wife  M  Female  W  49  KY  Keeping House  KYÂGeorge
P. Lett  Son  S  Male  W  13  MO  At Home Â
IN  Dora V. Lett  Dau  S  Female  W  9  MO Â
At School  IN  John Cubish  Other  S  Male Â
W  45  BOHEMIA  Coal Miner  BOMary D.
Huston  Niece  S  Female  W  16  IL  At Home Â
INÂ Â
Source Information:
 Census Place Cuivre, Audrain, Missouri
 Family History Library Film  1254672 NA Film Number  T9-0672 Page
Number  20
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