My husband is tracking his Cox ancestors, and in doing so, has come upon
a mystery (one of many actually).
Sarah E. Cox, daughter of John Cox and Lurany Osburn, was born February
20, 1835 in Jennings Co., IN. She's found in 1850 with her parents in
Montgomery Twp., Jennings Co. In 1860, her parents are gone (we haven't
found them anywhere) and she's single and living with Thomas Hill and
his wife, Susan Buster, in Montgomery Twp., Jennings Co. In 1870 she's
married to Moses Bridges (also spelled Briges), and they were living in
Marion Twp., Jennings Co. All of Moses' children by his previous
marriage to Melissa Stewart (the name for Melissa looked more like
Juliana in the census) were living with him and Sarah, plus there were
several McCaslin children living with them (the oldest child, Alice, was
15). In 1880, Moses and Sarah were still living in Marion Twp (Cana
P.O.), but this census shows the McCaslin children were Moses'
stepchildren, and it also shows an Albert (Bert?) and Jacob Bridges as
sons of Moses who were born after Moses married Sarah E. Cox.
Now, according to the Jennings County, Indiana (1816-1899) History Book,
Sarah and Moses had no children. The 1900 census for Moses and Sarah
also show Sarah as having no children, and had no living children. So,
is the 1900 census and Jennings County History Book incorrect regarding
Sarah not having children, or were Jacob and Albert sons of other
Bridges?
According to the 1900 census for Moses Bridges and Sarah, they married
either in 1868 or 1869 (the census shows they were married for 31
years), and probably in Jennings County. Also, Sarah was not married
before she married Moses. She would have had to have been married in
1855+ in order for those McCaslin children to be hers, but she was
still single in 1860. So, who were the McCaslin children living with
Moses and Sarah in the 1870s and 1880s, and what was their relationship
to Moses and Sarah? (Moses' first wife, Melissa Stewart, was 17 when
she married Moses, so those McCaslin children couldn't have been hers
either.)
If Albert and Jacob were the children of Moses and Sarah, they would be
related to my husband, so we'd like to find their descendants also.
Judy Harvey
harveyj(a)zoomnet.net