The story of James Agnew (1808-1880) and Mary Freeman Agnew (1828-1883)
James was born in 1808; in every census account, he says he is from PA. In 1850, he is living in the Cincinnati area. There is a William Agnew, born in 1806, also in Hamilton County, Ohio, who could be his brother.
James marries Mary Ann Freeman on Jan.2, 1848. They have a baby boy, Alfred, in Sept. 1848. By August 1850, James is living in Fulton Township, Hamilton County, Ohio. He is a ship carpenter. Other locomotive engineers and house carpenters are listed living nearby. His wife Mary, born in Pennsylvania, and little Alfred live there with him. There is a Samuel Agnew, age 72, from Pennsylvania, with him at that time as well. The census record has an asterisk * by Samuel’s name which leads to the bottom of the page and James Agnew age 8. The census says this James Jr. was born in Ohio. Mary is only 22 and was not married to James Sr. at the time of his birth. I do not think Mary is James Jr’s mother. Why is James Jr. listed at the bottom of the census page? What does this mean? Samuel is the last one listed in the Agnew household. The asterisk by Samuel’s name then links to James age 8, at the bottom of the page. Their last name is incorrectly transcribed as Agnewe on ancestry.com.
James and Mary have more children. Mary E. is born in 1851; Lizzie in 1854; Herman in 1855; Sarah B. “Sallie” in 1859; and Hellen is born in 1872 and adopted by the 1880 census.
In 1860, James Jr. is living with William Agnew in the same Hamilton County area. (This is my best guess, as the James here is now 18 years old.) James Sr. and Mary Ann seem to drop off the census map in 1860. In 1870, James, age 61 is a farmer, Mary Ann, age 42,“keeps house” & they are living in Sycamore Township, Hamilton County, P.O. Montgomery. Alfred is 21 and “at home” – was he sickly? Mary E., 19, is a school teacher; Elizabeth, 16; Herman 15; and Sarah B. or D. age 10; all attend school. Mary Ann confirms she was born in PA. & the rest of the family in Ohio.
By June 1st, 1880, the family is in Sycamore Twp., Hamilton County. Daughters Mary age 29, Lizzie age 26, Sallie age 20, and adopted daughter Hellen age 8, all live at home. James lists both his mother and father as being born in PA but himself in Ohio. Mary Ann lists herself and both her parents as born in PA. Hellen’s father was born in Ohio but her mother in Indiana. She was born in Indiana as well.
Signs linking them to being Shakers are that all the daughters live at home and are not married? In 1880, to be 29, 26, 20 and not married would not be the norm. The fact that all of them are seems unusual? However, assuming they are not ALL adopted, then James & Mary Ann had a lot of kids. This is another mystery.
Sallie dies 29 days after the census taker came to their door in 1880. She is buried in IOOF Laurel cemetery, Montgomery, Hamilton County, Ohio, near Cincinnati. Six months later, James Sr. dies here as well, on Dec. 28, 1880 and is buried in though we have not yet confirmed the stone. Mary Ann lives 3 more years and dies Feb.11, 1883. They are all said to be buried together in this cemetery. Their son Alfred lives to age 87, had 2 wives and at least 3 children in his lifetime, and is buried in Ontario, California. His middle initial F. (for his mother’s maiden name of Freeman) is on the gravestone.
This story now seems to lead back to Pennsylvania. The next generation back, for both James Agnew Sr. and Mary Ann Freeman, begins in Pennsylvania where all their parents were said to be born. Perhaps one is Samuel Agnew, b. 1778, who was visiting them in 1850. There may possibly be an older sibling to James named William, born in 1806, and they both end up in Ohio, Hamilton County. Another important question is, who is James Jr’s mother and what happened to her? Was she Indian? Was she James Sr’s first wife and from PA as well?
Doctor Grandma 