My third great-grandfather Benjamin Conaway was born in 1817. He was probably raised in
Coshocton Co., Ohio and is believed to be related to John and/or Charles
Conaway who both lived in Coshocton County from about the 1820s to about the
mid-1830s, when they all moved to Knox County, Ohio.
Benjamin
married Nancy Horn (daughter of Hartman and Hannah Horn) on Oct 1, 1837 in Knox
Co., Ohio. He is found on the census for Miller Township, Knox Co., in 1840.
1840 Census
Miller Township, Knox Co. OH, page 271
Benjamin
Conaway
1 male age
20-30
1 female
under 5
1 female
age 20-30
In 1841, on
August 13, Benjamin took on an apprentice. Joshua Conaway (son of John) “placed and bound his ward named Joseph
M. Riggs as an apprentice to the said B. D. Conaway to learn the art trade
mystery or occupation of carpenter and hande joiner which he the said B.D.
Conaway now follows . . . the said Joseph M. Riggs shall well and faithfully
dwell with a serve the said B. D. Conaway as an apprentice . . . until he shall
arrive at the age of twenty one years.” This was recorded at Knox County court
on Nov. 6 1841.
Curiously,
Charles Conaway owed a debt of $200 to Benjamin Conaway. The dates June 1,
1843; July 3, 1844; June 1, 1846 were on the note. What is the cause of this
debt? There is no evidence that Benjamin owned any land that he could have sold
to Charles, and his inventory of possessions at his death was fairly meager, so
I can't imagine that he loaned Charles $200. The debt was unpaid at the time of
Benjamin's death in 1846.
In 1844,
Benjamin Conaway paid $280 for 114 acres in Wells Co., Indiana. He didn't move
to Wells County, although perhaps he intended to do so eventually. I wonder where Benjamin got the money for this purchase.
On Feb 16,
1846 in Knox Co., Benjamin died (possibly of typhoid fever) leaving his wife
Nancy and their four children - Malana, Adolphus, Phytama and Alexander.
Another curiousity - Benjamin's father-in-law Hartman Horn was the
administrator of Benjamin's estate.
For many
years, I thought that John Conaway was Benjamin's father, but John's will lists
his children and makes no mention of Benjamin or Benjamin's children. Also,
there is no mention of John in any of the probate documents for Benjamin's
estate. The only Conaway mentioned in those documents is Charles. He purchased
a few items from the estate, owed (and paid) the debt of $200 plus $21 interest
to the estate, and was owed by the estate
$2.51 1/2 cents for sugar and corn Nancy "bought" from him shortly
after Benjamin died.
