Joseph Stone Stafford

1790-about 1856

Hampshire County, Virginia

Joseph Stone Stafford was born 03 September 1790 in Hampshire County, Virginia, the sixth of ten children born to Richard and Catharine Brobeker Stafford.  He may have been married twice, but the name of his first wife is unknown.  He married secondly Elizabeth Myer 17 December 1818 in Allegany County, Maryland.  Elizabeth was born 31 January 1790 in Hampshire County, Virginia, the daughter of John Henry and Charity Ann Wire Myer.  Joseph may have owned land on both sides of the Potomac River, because he appears in the records of both Hampshire County, Virginia, and Allegany County, Maryland.  They both died in the 1850s, probably in Hampshire County, Virginia.

His full name and birthdate are recorded in the Family Bible of Richard and Catharine Stafford, transcriptions of which were provided by Rita Kay Stafford Fawcett, Lake Alfred, Florida.  A 1790 birthyear is also corroborated by the 1850 Census. Their marriage record is on file in Allegany County, Maryland.  Their death dates are not known for certain, and their graves have not been located.

Joseph was recorded in the 1810 census for Hampshire County, Virginia, with a wife.  Close by was his brother Richard.  He is also on the tax and tithe rolls for Hampshire County from 1811-1814, appearing after he turned 21.  On 23 July 1810, Joseph Stafford and his brother John witnessed the will of their mother Catharine Stafford.  Ten years later, Joseph filed a lawsuit against his siblings and Daniel Collins, executor of his mother’s estate, for his share in the estate of his brother Washington who died in childhood.

During the War of 1812, Joseph served as a sergeant in Captain William McLaughlin’s company from Allegany County, Maryland.  In 1812, a bill of sale with his name on it is recorded in Hampshire County.

If Joseph’s marriage information is correct, then his oldest daughter Elizabeth was probably born to his first union in 1818.  Perhaps his first wife died in child birth since he married Elizabeth Myer in December of that year.  In 1820, he is recorded with a wife and daughter in the Hampshire County census near his brother Westley Stafford.  In 1830 they are in Allegany County, Maryland.  That same year he was appointed a constable for District 6 with John Hayes, William Houx, and Theophilus Beall.  In 1840, he was recorded in the census for Hampshire County, and again in 1850.  By 1860, both he and Elizabeth are gone from the census.

Joseph had eight children, the first from his first marriage—Elizabeth Jane Stafford Wiley, born 1818; Washington, born 1820; John Wesley, born 1823; Sarah Stafford Long, born 1824; William Josephus Stafford, born 1827; Susan Catherine Stafford Brace, born 1829; James R. Stafford, born 1830; and Mary Elizabeth Stafford Ridgley, born 1834.  Washington Stafford’s biography in a history of Livingston County, Illinois, confirms these eight children of Joseph. 

 In the 1850 Census, a girl named Frances E. Stafford, born 1843 in Virginia, is recorded in their household.  There is also a Joseph Stafford, born 1831 in Maryland, recorded in the household of Joseph & Margaret White Logdson, Allegany County, Maryland.  They are likely a niece and nephew to Joseph Stone Stafford, but to whom they belonged is unknown at this time.

 Marriage records for Elizabeth, Washington, John, Susan and Mary are recorded in Allegany County, Maryland.  William married in Coshocton County, Ohio, having moved there with his brother Washington.  It may be presumed that Sarah married in Hampshire County, as those records have been destroyed, and she is not recorded in Allegany County.  James married in Wood County, Virginia.  Of Joseph’s eight children, all but Washington and William remained in West Virginia and Maryland.

 

Elizabeth Jane Stafford Wiley

Elizabeth Jane Stafford was born about 1818 in Hampshire County, Virginia, according to the 1850 census.  She married Zale Wiley 12 September 1839 in Allegany County, Maryland, and they had four children—James, John Edward, Laban, and Elizabeth.  Elizabeth died between 1850-1852, and Zale married Sarah Jane Beall 25 November 1852.  Zale’s will is dated 11 November 1855, probated 25 November, listing four children—John Edward, Laban, Elizabeth Ann, and Eliza Jane—the youngest of which was his daughter by Sarah.  James must have already been dead.  Hampshire County records show that Joseph W.H. Pollock and David Gibson were named guardians over Zale Wiley’s children on 26 November 1855.

John Edward Wiley married Delilah Catherine Hart and lived out his life in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland.  In 1920, his cousin James Long was living in his household.

Laban Joseph Wiley may be the same man who married Mary E. Hott in 1870, Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, and later lived in Buchannan County, Missouri.  In 1893, he married secondly Mary L. Dowell in Macon County, Missouri.  He had at least three children—Jennie, born 1885; Archie, born 1889; and Frederick D., born 1894.  He died in 1925 and is buried in Saint Joseph, Buchannan County, Missouri.  His gravestone says he was a bugler in Company D of the 4^th Pennsylvania Calvary during the Civil War.

Elizabeth Ann Wiley was raised in the family of her aunt Susan Stafford Brace, lived with them the rest of her life, and died in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1902.

 

Washington Stafford

According to his tombstone and census information, Washington Stafford was born 05 September 1820 in Hampshire County, Virginia, and he died 28 May 1909 in Chenoa, McLean, Illinois.  He married Elizabeth Licklighter 29 November 1842 in Allegany County, Maryland.  She was born 05 February 1823 in Hampshire County, Virginia, and died 06 January 1902 in Chenoa, McLean, Illinois.  Elizabeth was the daughter of George Peter and Rosanna Cook Licklighter, who settled in Richland County, Ohio, in the 1840s.  Washington and Elizabeth are buried at Payne’s Cemetery in Livingston County, Illinois.

 After their marriage, they lived in Hampshire County, Virginia, until the late 1840s, when they moved to Coshocton County, Ohio, to live near Uncle Francis Stafford.  In 1852, they moved to Livingston County, Illinois, settling near Eppard’s Point, where they lived until 1890, when they moved to Chenoa.

 Washington and Elizabeth Stafford had ten children, nine of which are named, and eight of which lived to adulthood to have families of their own—James William, born 1843; John Wesley, born 1846; Joseph Milton, born 1849; Mary Louisa Flurer, born 1852; Matilda Catherine Foltz, born 1855; Lydia Elizabeth Schubkagel, born 1861; George B. McClellan, born 1864; Mazie Jane McNeil, born 1865; and Isabella Hanna, born about 1870.  Isabella and an unnamed baby born about 1858 died without marrying or having children.

 James fought in the Civil War with Company E of the 129^th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry.  After some travels out west in the 1860s, he returned to Eppard’s Point, married Katherine Hartman in 1871, and moved his family to Taylor County, Iowa, in February 1875.  In 1877, they moved to Grayson County, Texas, and finally in 1883, they settled just north of Vernon, Texas, in Wilbarger County on the Red River.  James established the first post office at Fargo, and this is where they raised their ten children. 

 John Stafford married Margaret Reidell and settled in Ringgold County, Iowa, Taylor County’s neighbor to the west.  They had two children. 

 Joseph married Sarah Elizabeth McDannell and they lived in Polk County, Iowa, and for a short time in Colorado.  They had four sons and a daughter.  In the 1880s, Joseph went to Colorado or Arizona with a partner driving a mixed herd of horses and cattle and was never heard from again. 

 George Stafford married Mary Weller and moved to Wilbarger County, Texas, before finally settling in California.  They had three daughters. 

 The Schubkagel and Foltz families settled in Kansas.  Louisa Flurer and Mazie McNeil remained in Chenoa, Illinois, at least until after the death of their mother in 1902.

 

John Wesley Stafford

John Wesley Stafford was born 1823 in Hampshire County, Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Licklighter 10 September 1853 in Allegany County, Maryland.  She was the daughter of George Peter and Catherine Licklighter and cousin to Elizabeth Licklighter who married Washington Stafford.  John and Elizabeth lived in Hampshire (now Mineral) County, West Virginia.  John died before 1871, when Elizabeth Licklighter Stafford married George Clise.  John and Elizabeth had four children—Joseph Berkeley, born 1854; George Milton, born 1856; Charles Greenbury, born 1858; and Susan, born 1859.  Joseph died as a baby.

 George married Martha Lavine Bucy, and they had six sons who produced a large family that remains in the Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, area.  Charles married Anna Klosterman and had a son and a daughter.

 

Sarah Stafford Long

Sarah Stafford was born about 1824 in Hampshire County, Virginia, and died after 1880.  She married John Long, a boatman from the Hampshire County-Allegany County area about 1840.  John was born in 1818 in Virginia.  They lived in Hampshire County, Virginia, until about 1868, when they moved to Allegany County, Maryland, living there at least as late as 1880

John and Sarah Long had eleven children, all of them except the last born in Hampshire County, Virginia—Nelson, born 1842; Noah, born 1844; Catharine, born 1846; James, born 1848; Mary, born 1852; Daniel, born 1856; Amanda, born 1858; Elvira, born 1860; Virginia, born 1864; Philip, born 1866; and John, born 1869.

         

William J. Stafford

William J. Stafford was born in 1827 in Hampshire County, Virginia.    He went with his brother Washington and the Licklighters to Coshocton County, Ohio, in the 1840s, where he married Mary Licklighter 22 February 1849.  Mary was born 18 Mary 1825 in Hampshire County, Virginia, the daughter of George P. and Rosanna Cook Licklighter.  William and Mary Stafford and the Licklighters had settled in Richland County, Ohio, where all of their children were born.  Mary died there 14 Feb 1898.  William is recorded on the 1900 census, but died before 1910.  They are buried in the Four Corners-Zion Cemetery, Worthington Township, Richland County, Ohio.

William and Mary had six children—John T., born 1851; Martha H., born 1854; Arabella M., born 1856; William J. Stafford Jr., born 1857; Mary Ellen, born 1863; and Charlotte, born 1867.  John and Charlotte died as children and are buried in the Four Corners-Zion Cemetery.  William married Rachel Lovezilla, maiden name unknown, and they are also buried in the Four Corners-Zion Cemetery.

 

Susan Catherine Stafford Brace

Susan Catherine Stafford was born 1829 in Hampshire County, Virginia, and died 17 March 1921 in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.  She married William Brace Sr. 16 October 1849 in Allegany County, Maryland. William was born 1820 in Connecticut to parents who immigrated from Wales.  He was a veteran of the Mexican War, and was later employed by the B&O Railroad, and by the city of Cumberland as a civil engineer.

William and Susan Stafford Brace had seven children—William Jr., born 1850; Mary, born 1852; Charles H., born 1855; Harry C., born 1858; Susan C. Brace Hitchins Klives, born 1861; Thomas, born 1863; Theodore, born 1865.  Mary and Thomas died as children.  William was a lawyer and politician, first in Cumberland, then in Chicago.  Charles H. was a doctor for all of his adult life in Cumberland, Maryland.  Harry was a prominent newspaper man in St. Louis.  Susan and Edward Stanley Hitchins had two sons before she left them and married Charles Klives.  She died in St. Louis.  Theodore was in the wholesale clothing business in St. Louis.

 

James R. Stafford

James Stafford was born April 1830, in Allegany County, Maryland, and died 07 march 1902 in Wood County, West Virginia.  He left Hampshire County about 1851, settling in Wood County where he married Pulcharia Jackson 26 October 1852.  James fought for the Union Army, 15^th West Virginia Infantry, during the Civil War.  

 

Their children included Anna Maria Pocahontas “Pokey” Stoops, born 1853; Alice Rose Fleming, born 1856; Raleigh Cager Stafford, born 1858; Mary Stafford, born 1862; Herbert Stafford, born 1867; Caroline “Carrie” Stafford, born 1869; Garnett Stafford, born 1877; and Jeremiah, born 1880.  Their families can be found in the Wood County, Area, during the period 1870-1930, and many descendants still live in the area today.

Mary Stafford Ridgley

Mary was born in 1834 in Hampshire County, Virginia.  She married William Ridgley 28 April 1851 in Allegany County, Maryland, where they lived until the 1860s.  At that time, they relocated to Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia.  In 1892, William Ridgley was elected first mayor of the village of West Fairmont.  Their children included Charles, born 1853; Amanda, born 1855; David, born 1858; Emma, born 1861, Lloyd, born 1863; Mollie, born 1865; Frank, born 1867; William, born 1870; Elizabeth, born 1873; Cora, born 1876; and Charles, born 1880.  Of these, Charles¹, Amanda, Emma, Mollie, and Charles² did not live to adulthood.  Most of the others can be found with their families in Marion County, West Virginia, in the period 1870-1930.