Saturday, April 27, 2024

Located: Eleanor Steele, Daughter of Alexander Adams (ca. 1719–1805)

 

Located: Eleanor Steele, Daughter of Alexander Adams (ca. 1719–1805)

Jean M. Hoffman, CG

In his will Alexander Adams named a daughter, Eleanor Steele. While I found deeds of his other heirs selling their shares in his property, I did not find hers. Steele is a common name in Fayette County, Kentucky, where Alexander lived, and I didn’t know the first name of Eleanor’s husband. Now with the Full Text Search at FamilySearch Labs, the deed was easily found by searching on Eleanor’s name.[1]

William and Eleanor Steele of Butler County, Ohio, sold their interest in the estate of her late father Alexander Adams to John W. Hunt in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, on 01 Dec 1815 for $500. The deed specified that Alexander Adams was a citizen of the town of Lexington when he wrote his will on 23 December 1799. In the will he left his house, furniture, two cows, two out lots, the Meadow and one adjoining it, and 5 pounds yearly to his widow, Ann Adams, until her marriage or death. He later died and the widow was noted to be still living. After her death or marriage, the estate was to go to his several children among whom was “Eleanor Steele, late Eleanor Adams,” who had married her current husband, William Steele, before her father's death. Both William and Eleanor signed and sealed the deed.[2]

Deed of 1815, Steele to Hunt (the beginning)

Only one William Steele appears in Butler County records at this time. He purchased a quarter section in Milford Township from the General Land Office in Cincinnati, his patent dated 3 May 1815. The land was the southwest quarter of Section 26, Township 5 North, Range 2 East.[3] Prior to the patent, a William Steele was in the Butler County tax rolls in 1807.[4] In 1820 William Steel was head of household in Milford Township. The household members were a man over 45 years old, a man 26 but under 45, a woman 15 but under 26, and a girl under age 10. Two were engaged in agriculture. There was no older woman, so Eleanor might have died between 1815 and 1820.[5]

William sold 53 acres in the northern part of his land to a Joseph Steele on 19 April 1820. No wife is party to the deed, further evidence that Eleanor had died by 1820.[6] William died about 1824 when his executor, Richard Scott, sold the remainder of the land on 27 August 1824.[7] Most likely the executor was the Richard Scott who married Ann Steele 28 December 1814 in Butler County.[8] Another probable child of William and Eleanor was Alexander Steele who married Maria Reed on 5 September 1811.[9] Eleanor’s father was Alexander and his wife (possibly Eleanor’s mother) was named Ann making those likely names for her children.



[1] See previous articles on Eason Heirs and Alexander Adams.

 [2] Fayette County (Kentucky) Deeds, 1794-1954, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTF-M9Y9-8 : viewed 23 April 2024), digital film 008336988, image 531 of 832, Fayette County Deed Book M: 402-3, William & Eleanor Steele to John W. Hunt (estate of Alexander Adams), 1815.

 [3] Bureau of Land Management, “Land Patent Search,” digital images, General Land Office Records (https://glorecords.blm.gov/ : viewed 24 April 2024), William Steel, 1815, Ohio, patent no. CV-0024-386 under authority: June 28, 1934: Exchange-Private-Taylor Act (48 Stat. 1269).

 [4] "Ohio, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890," William Steel, Butler County tax list, 1807; database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/24003048:3567 : viewed 27 April 2024).

 [5] 1820 U.S. census, Athens County, Ohio, population schedule, Milford Township, p. 142, line 26, Wm Steel; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1500946:7734 : viewed 26 April 2024); from NARA M33, roll 87. Note that this page is unindexed at FamilySearch so he cannot be found with a search.

 [6] Butler County (Ohio) Deed records, 1803-1876, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4V-V3H1 : viewed 26 April 2024), digital film 007897632, image 296 of 508, Butler County Deed Book H: 197-98, William Steele to Joseph Steele, 1820.

 [7] Butler County (Ohio) Deed records, 1803-1876, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4T-Q77M : viewed 26 April 2024), digital film 007900770, image 504 of 564, Butler County Deed Book K: 502-3, Richard Scott, Executor of the estate of William Steele, to Clement Lippincott, 1824.

 [8] "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BJ93-KJ?i=39 : viewed 27 April 2024) digital folder 004260299, image 40 of 727, Butler County Marriage Record 1: 65, Richard Scott and Ann Steele, 1814.

 [9] "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BJ9Q-9M?i=25 : viewed 27 April 2024) digital folder 004260299, image 26 of 727, Butler County Marriage Record 1: 37, Alexander Steel and Maria Reed, 1811.

No comments:

Post a Comment