Military Monday - Widow's Pension of Mary Ellen Havens

Alexander Havens, son of Daniel Havens, was born sometime between 1829 and 1832 in Monmouth, New Jersey. He enlisted into Company F, of the Eleventh Illinois Cavalry on 3 October 1861. His wife, Mary Ellen Jarvis Havens, filed a widow's pension on his behalf. This is a brief description of the file from the National Archives and Alexander's service in the Civil War.

The pension file states that Alexander was five foot 8 inches, with light complexion, blue eyes and sandy hair. He received a certificate of discharge on 1 October 1862. The discharge papers state that he had "valvular disease of the heart" produced on duty in April 1862. He was admitted to a military hospital on 10 July 1862. He later died on 30 January 1865.

Alexander Havens and Mary Ellen Jarvis were married in Tazewell County, Illinois on 28 March 1854. A marriage certificate was included in Mary Ellen's pension file.

Mary Ellen Havens filed her widow's pension on 14 July 1890, from her home in Petersburg, Illinois. Unlike other pension files that I have viewed, her claim was straightforward and she received the pension without much paperwork. Mary Ellen died about 24 September 1905.

The file was useful as it confirmed Alexander was born in Monmouth, New Jersey. I did not find Daniel & Margaret Havens' marriage record until after finding this fact in the pension file.

In the 1860 US Census, Alexander and Mary Ellen Havens appear in Deer Creek Township, Tazewell County, Illinois. In the census, Alexander and Mary Ellen have the following children:
1. James E. Havens, age 5
2. Martha Havens, age 3
3. Eliza Havens, age 2
4. Elizabeth Havens, age 2 months

I have not yet found a Civil War service record for Alexander's brother, my wife's third-great-grandfather, James Daniel Havens. More to come on this story.

The Probate File of Daniel Havens

The probate file from Tazewell County Will Book D on FamilySearch has been a great find, providing a date of death for Daniel Havens and information on his children. As noted in yesterday's post the earlier posts in this series, Daniel was born about 1800 in Monmouth, New Jersey. He moved with his family Tazewell County, Illinois, at some point prior to 1844.

Daniel's will was witnessed on 29 December 1864, this fact comes from the probate file. When he passed on 28 August 1881, his son James Havens and Thomas Crane (currently unknown relation) were executors of the will.

The will reads:
"I Daniel Havens of Tazewell County in the State of Illinois do hereby make and declare this my last will and testament, in manner and form following to wit:

First. It is my will that my funeral expenses and all of my just debts be fully paid. Second. After the payment of such funeral expenses and debts, I give, and devise, and bequeath unto my son James Havens, the farm on which he now lives, situated in said county and known and describes as the East half of the North West quarter in section nine in from twenty five North of Range two third principal meridian containing eighty acres more or less and to his heirs and assigns forever.

Third. I also give devise and bequeath unto my son James Havens the West half of the North West quarter of the north east quarter of section thirty five (35) twenty five (25) range two west of the third principal meridian situated in the county of Tazewell in the State of Illinois.

Fourth. I also give and devise unto my son James Havens one fourth of the lot of the west end of lot no. 1 in block number nine (9) as recorded on plat of said town in the recorders office at Pekin, Tazewell County, Illinois situated in the town of Danforth.

Fifth. I give, devise and bequeath unto my son Alexander B. Havens two hundred dollars to be paid by James Havens within one year after my decease and lastly I hereby constitute and appoint my son James Havens and Thomas A. Crane executors of this my last will and testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me made and ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament.

In witness whereof, I the said Daniel Havens have hereunto set my hand and seal on this twenty-ninth (29) day of December in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.

Daniel Havens [X]"

A Codicil

In February 1871, Daniel Havens signed a codicil to his will, providing for James Havens to give one dollar to Lumen Havens (commonly known as Lumen Ketcham). This person is currently a mystery.

Daniel Havens in the US Census

I am continuing with the look into the Havens family in Deer Creek Township, Tazewell County, Illinois. So far I have not been able to find the family in the 1850 US Census, but in 1860, Daniel Havens (60 years old) is in the household of his son James Havens and wife Hannah. Living next door is Daniel's other son Alexander Havens and his wife Mary.

From this record, I can see Daniel was born approximately 1800, in New Jersey. On Monday's post, I included a copy of Daniel's marriage record to Margaret Ketcham. She died on 4 October 1844.

By 1870, Daniel Havens was still living in his son's household in Deer Creek Township.

 

In 1880, Daniel continues to live in James' household.

James had remarried in 1872 in Ellenora Roark. I will have more on James in a subsequent post, he was my wife's 3rd-great-grandfather, and Ellenora was her 3rd-great-grandmother.

Daniel Havens passed away on 28 July 1881 in Deer Creek Township, Tazewell County, Illinois. His death date was located in his probate record, found on FamilySearch.

Wordless Wednesday - Barbados Sunrise

Photo by Patrick Jones, Barbados, 6 Dec 2011

Travel Tuesday - Beginning the Journey to the Midwest

I have not been able to pinpoint when or why the Havens family left Monmouth, New Jersey for Tazewell County, Illinois. I do know that they had arrived by 1845, as Daniel Havens is listed in the 1845 Illinois Census in Tazewell County.

While I do not currently know the path that Daniel and Margaret took from New Jersey, it is likely that they following a path through Pennsylvania, Ohio, across Indiana to Illinois, like the map below:

Daniel Havens appears in the 1873 Land Ownership map in Deer Creek Township, Tazewell County.

I will have more in a subsequent post, featuring the Havens family in the US Census, and interestingly, Daniel's will from the Tazewell County Probate Files on FamilySearch.