IN SEARCH OF HISTORY… with Tazewell Co. Genealogical and Historical Society
IN SEARCH OF HISTORY… with Tazewell Co. Genealogical and Historical Society [3 Images]
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The next meeting of the Tazewell County Genealogical and Historical Society will be another Roadshow on Tuesday, August 11th at 7 PM. The meeting will be held in Groveland.
The Scottish Mr. Cheyne and the – Cheyne Indenture
The 1870 agreement between John Cheyne, a minor of the age of 14 years on the 27th August 1870 of his own free will and by/with the consent of his father, William Cheyne of the county of Peoria on the first part and Jesse O’Brien of the county of Tazewell agree that John Cheyne hath bound himself to said Jesse O’ Brien to live with him and serve him until John Cheyne shall arrive at the age of 21 in 1877. Jesse agrees to send John to school until he’s 18 and to give him a span of colts three years old when he arrives at age 21 In witness whereof John and William Cheyne and Jesse O’Brien have to this indenture set their hands and seal. It was signed by John Cheyne, William Cheyne and Jesse Obrien. [This is an abbreviated version.]
The Pennsylvania Mr. Chain – William P Chain
Our June 19th event at Woodrow Cemetery and the July Roadshow in Green Valley were well attended and we appreciate the interest in Tazewell history.
All history is local until it is woven together with other stories to become part of the National fabric and there is no aspect of National history that doesn’t touch Tazewell County, including indentures.
A research request came in asking TCGHS to locate information on a William Chain/Cheyne. We found two of the same age but with very different stories:
The Scottish Mr. Cheyne and the – Cheyne Indenture
William Cheyne was born in Scotland in 1827 where he married Christeen Duncan 28 August 1852 in Aberdeen. The couple immigrated shortly after their marriage and were first found in Illinois in the 1855 state census of Peoria.
The couple was enumerated in the 1860 census of Morton township, Tazewell county with sons William, John, and Matthew. Sadly, Christeen died shortly after the census and William then married Hester McFarland on 24 December 1863 in Peoria.
William and Hester were living in Peoria in the 1870 census but by 1876 were living in Weeping Water, Nebraska without any children in the household.
Young William Cheyne (1853-1926) was listed in the 1870 census of Groveland township at age 17 living in the Austin Harding household and working as a farm laborer. He eventually married and moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
John S. (1855-1924) was listed in the 1870 census of Groveland at age 14 living in the Jesse O’Brien household and working as a farm laborer. He eventually moved to Miami, OK.
Mathew C. (1860-1932) was living with the Richard Norman family in Forrest, Livingston county in 1880 working as a laborer. He might have still been with his father in 1870 as he’s not found living separately. However, his father was in Weeping Water, Nebraska without him in 1876 so it’s likely Matt was already working a farm at a young age as his brothers did. Matthew moved to Melrose, KS and married there in 1894.
TCGHS has in its collection the formal Apprenticeship agreement between John S. Cheyne and Jesse O’Brien that states that John will work for Jesse for seven years. It is suspected that the other sons were in a similar arrangement with their employers.
The senior William Cheyne died 28 December 1915 in Council Bluffs and was buried in Avoca, NE. His son William died 19 April 1926 and was buried in Oakland, IA. John died 25 March 1924 in Miami, OK where he was buried in the GAR cemetery. He left his estate to Matt’s children. Matt died December 1932 and was buried in the GAR cemetery in Miami, Oklahoma too.
The 1870 agreement between John Cheyne, a minor of the age of 14 years on the 27th August 1870 of his own free will and by/with the consent of his father, William Cheyne of the county of Peoria on the first part and Jesse O’Brien of the county of Tazewell agree that John Cheyne hath bound himself to said Jesse O’ Brien to live with him and serve him until John Cheyne shall arrive at the age of 21 in 1877. Jesse agrees to send John to school until he’s 18 and to give him a span of colts three years old when he arrives at age 21 In witness whereof John and William Cheyne and Jesse O’Brien have to this indenture set their hands and seal. It was signed by John Cheyne, William Cheyne and Jesse Obrien. [This is an abbreviated version.]
The Pennsylvania Mr. Chain – William P Chain
William P. Chain was born 16 January 1827 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to Matthew and Catherine Wagonseller Chain. The family moved from Pennsylvania to Franklin county, Ohio about 1832 where Matthew died just a few years later in 1835.
The family stayed on that farm for almost a decade before moving to Pekin about 1844 where young William took a position in his Uncle Joshua Wagenseller’s store. Over time William came to be the proprietor of his own store and moved the operation to the Empire Block on Court street.
William is listed in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census records here as a wealthy man. After his mother’s death in 1872, he moved to Butler Co., Kansas.
Chain had married Louisa McDaniels 29 March 1853 in Pekin. The couple had five children, four of whom grew to adulthood: William D. (1854-1936), Charles O. (1856-1906), John Matthew (1858-1936) and Ida Louise Robison (1868-1950).
William’s opportunity seems to have been available due to the death of another Uncle, Benjamin Wagenseller.
Benjamin had been married 21 July 1841 to Elisa Doyle in Tazewell County and they had just one son, Theodore before Ben’s tragic death on or about 15 March 1844. His probate record reveals the date of death but not the cause. He did not have a will suggesting the death was sudden and unexpected.
Searching for the Wagenseller ads led to an unfamiliar early Pekin story that ran in November 1841 in the Peoria Register that described a situation that grew out of rival claims to the ferry at Pekin. The story relates that Mr. McGrew struck Mr. J. B. Wagenseller in the head with a rail, fracturing his skull. Then Mr. Tharp grabbed a weapon of some sort and broke Mr. McGrew’s shoulder. This turned into a melee in which Mr. Allen struck a German in the head with a tomahawk but the German threw him in the river and piled some boards on him until he cooled off. Mr. Wagenseller, was hardly expected to recover. It is unclear which Mr. W. was being referred to in the story.
The Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society is an award-winning 501c3, all volunteer organization that has been in continuous service to our members and the public for 47 years. TCGHS operates an archive, library and research facility at 719 N. 11th St., Pekin. Visit our website at www.tcghs.org to learn more about us. If you have any point of interest that you would like to know more about, stop in at TCGHS or drop us a line.