A Web Between Families

In order to research the family of my 4th-great-grandmother Selina Hampton Vail, I have to start two-generations earlier with the family of her grandfather, my 6th-great-grandfather, Jacob Booher. According to Elizabeth Booher Parragin, "Jacob lived in Tennessee until 1833 when he moved to Indiana and located near Darlington. His children were: William M., Mike, Elizabeth, Gurdianus (Curtis), Samuel, John M., Ambrose, Jonathan M., Jacob Jr., Mahala, Benjamin, Lucinda, Catherine, and Leander." This description is helpful, until one factors in that these fourteen children were born by two different, but related, spouses. Untangling this family is important to understand the relationship between the Hampton and Booher families.

I have noticed some errors in the Betty McCay book. This is my best current understanding of the genealogy for the family of Jacob Booher. He had a huge family with many descendants, so I am hoping this information will be useful to others related to this family.

Jacob Booher first married Catherine Barnett about 1798 in Tennessee. They had six children:
1. William Martin Booher (8 April 1799 to 28 June 1883 in Johnson County, Indiana)
2. Michael "Mike" Booher (suspected birth approximately 1800)
3. Mary Mahala Booher (1801 to 20 September 1831 in Sullivan County, Tennessee)
4. Elizabeth Booher (About 1803 to 18 January 1838 in Montgomery County, Indiana)
5. Guardianas Curtis Booher (10 May 1805 to 7 August 1877 in Montgomery County, Indiana)
6. John M. Booher (5 February 1808 to 27 October 1866 in Montgomery County, Indiana)

Catherine died about 1809 in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Jacob married his second wife, Elizabeth Barnett around 1809. I am not quite clear on the relationship of Catherine and Elizabeth, this will be explored in the future. Jacob and Elizabeth had the following children:
1. Catherine Booher (born in May 1810, died 27 August 1890 in Montgomery County, Indiana)
2. Samuel M. Booher (born 16 October 1811, died 3 December 1877 in Montgomery County, Indiana)
3. Jonathan M. Booher (born 12 July 1812, died 7 December 1876)
4. Jacob Booher Jr. (born 6 March 1814, died 1 February 1872 in Story County, Iowa)
5. Ambrose Booher (born in 1816, died in 1885 in Indiana)
6. Lucinda R. Booher (born 13 December 1818 in Sullivan County, Tennessee, died 2 November 1889 in Sumner County, Kansas)
7. Benjamin F. Booher (born 5 September 1821 in Sullivan County, Tennessee, died 28 December 1910 in Lebanon, Boone County, Indiana)
8. Leander Booher (born 22 December 1823, died 29 January 1895 in Monona County, Iowa)

Several of Jacob's children married children of Samuel Hampton, my 6th-great-grandfather, a landowner on nearby Beaver Creek. William Martin Booher married Rhoda Hampton on 5 February 1824 in Sullivan County. A year later, Guardianas married Rhoda's sister, Mary Mahala Hampton on 26 June 1825 in Sullivan County. 

My 5th-great-grandfather, Michael Hampton (older brother of Rhoda and Mary Mahala Hampton), first married Mary Mahala Booher (daughter of Jacob Booher and Catherine Barnett) around 1820 in Sullivan County. They had the following children:
1. Sarah Ann Hampton (born 3 January 1822, died 4 November 1836 in Montgomery County, Indiana)
2. Selina Hampton (born 1 August 1824, died 9 October 1886 in Thorntown, Boone County, Indiana). Selina was my 4th-great-grandmother.
3. Margaret Jane Hampton (born 20 December 1825, died 8 November 1916). She married Jacob Booher, son of John Booher Jr and Margaret Zimmerlie.
4. Samuel Hampton (born 20 February 1828, died 12 April 1907 in Montgomery County, Indiana).
5. William Hampton (born 1838, died 1833 in Montgomery County, Indiana).

Mary Mahala Booher Hampton died on 20 September 1831 in Sullivan County, Tennessee. With five young children to care for, Michael Hampton found support from Mary Mahala's step-sister, Catherine Booher (oldest daughter of Jacob Booher and Elizabeth Barnett). I am not sure when Michael and Catherine were married, but I suspect it was in 1832 or 1833. They had at least the following children:
1. James Hampton (born 27 November 1833 in Sullivan County, Tennessee, died 13 April 1875 in Berrien County, Michigan)
2. Martin Hampton (born 17 February 1836 in Montgomery County, Indiana, died 23 December 1904 in Montgomery County, Indiana).
3. Elizabeth Hampton (born 20 February 1838, died 25 January 1905 in Montgomery County, Indiana)
4. John Hampton (born 15 June 1842)
5. Morgan Hampton (born 10 November 1844, died 29 May 1917 in Montgomery County, Indiana).
6. Martha E. Hampton (born 29 January 1850, died 13 March 1923 in Montgomery County, Indiana).

The Booher and Hampton families remained close in Indiana. The photo below is from a reunion in Montgomery County (source Ancestry.com).

Source: Ancestry.com, Booher-Hampton family reunion

Back row: Sylvanus Booher, son of John Booher Jr & Margaret Zimmerlie Booher; John M. Booher, son of Guardianus Booher & Mahala Hampton; Samuel Hampton, son of Michael Hampton and Mary Mahala Booher; Benjamin, son of Jacob Booher and Elizabeth Barnett; Jonathan, John Jacob & Elkanah Booher, sons of John Booher Jr & Margaret Zimmerlie. Front row: Margaret J. Hampton Booher; twins Mary & Catherine Booher, daughters of Guardianas Booher and Mahala Hampton; sisters Elzira Booher Hiatt and Elizabeth "Aunt Bet" Booher, daughters of William M. Booher.