Seeking Parents of Benjamin Conaway

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.  

Three Brothers Came Over From Ireland . . .

"Three brothers came over from Ireland," my grandmother said to explain the origins of her mother, Ruth Conaway. "Your Aunt Malana had the family history but she gave it to her nephews, Charles and Clair Conaway, and they lost it." With this bit of information, I began my research into the Conaways. I found three brothers who immigrated from Ireland, but thus far have not been able to conclusively tie our Conaways to them.

Adolphus V. Conaway, my great-great-grandfather,

 was the son of Benjamin and Nancy (Horn) Conaway

Here's what I do know. Ruth's dad, Adolphus Conaway was the oldest son of Benjamin D. Conaway and Nancy (Horn) Conaway. Benjamin and Nancy lived in Knox County, Ohio, an area so remote and undeveloped that even today, the Amish move there from Lancaster, PA, to get away from the crowds. Benjamin and Nancy were married in 1837 and had Malana (1839), Adolphus (1841), Phytama (1844), and Alexander (1845). About two months after Alexander was born, Benjamin died, possibly of typhoid. He was buried in the Dennis Cemetery, a small cemetery next to Dennis Chapel in Knox Co.

Dennis Cemetery, Knox County, Ohio

In 1840, Benjamin and Nancy were living in Miller Township, Knox Co. Nearby were John Conaway and his son Joshua Conaway. I believe John Conaway was Benjamin's father, uncle, or another relation with whom Benjamin had cast his lot. John and Benjamin were both carpenters, and in 1841, Joshua Conaway apprenticed his ward to Benjamin. He “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.” 

Benjamin Conaway agreed to teach his apprentice the 
"art trade mystery or occupation of carpenter."

John Conaway had been born in Maryland, but was raised in Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia). Evidence indicates that his parents were John Conaway, who was from Maryland and died about 1806 in Brooke County, and his wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth remained in Brooke County until between 1816 and 1820, when she moved to Ohio along with her son John. We find them in Coshocton County, Ohio (which borders Knox County) in 1820. 

On May 2, 1815, John Conaway bought 160 acres, range 9, twp 5, sect. 7, NE 1/4. He paid this off by 1825 and promptly began to divide the land into lots and establish a town, offering to assist purchasers in erecting their homes. Between March 8, 1828 and May 9, 1843, John sold lots of land to at least 29 different men for a total amount of $1,250. Some lots (numbered 1, 4, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22) were never sold. Presumably this was land John kept for family use or sold in parcels larger than a lot. A thorough search of the land records reveals no land purchases by either Benjamin or Joshua - it seems very likely that they lived on land provided by John. Click the link below to see the land owned by John Conaway - little is left of the small town that was once there.

John Conaway Land Patent

However, in the mid-1830s, John appears to have moved to Miller Township, Knox County where he built a saw mill on Vance's Creek. Here we find John, Joshua and Benjamin living in their own households when the U.S. census was taken in 1840. Benjamin would die only six years later leaving his wife, Nancy, with four young children.