Elias Cooley Henshaw

It is not known what was the origin of Elias' middle name "Cooley", but it is interesting to note that the Knox County, Illinois County Clerk in the 1850s was a "Zelotes Cooley".⁹

There seems to be no trace of Elias in Knox County, Illinois in the 1850 census. The closest possibility is an Ellis or Elias Hand (possibly a faded Handshaw), age 19, laborer, born in Indiana, living in the Pennington household.¹³ It is also possible that perhaps Elias was somehow missed in the enumeration of the 1850 census, or he was not living in Knox County at that time.

He married Sarah Ann Dossett^7,8,10,14 [Sarah Ann Dassett, Sarah Ann Dopett^7,10, Sarah Ann Dorset¹⁵], Mar 3 1853^7,8,10,14, Knox County, Illinois^7,8,10,14. Sarah, daughter of James Dossett & Tonzy (Tonsy/Thomy/Thompsy) Williams^{1,5,8,15,16,17}, was born Nov 2 1833^{1,5,8,15,16,17} [about 1837², about 1835⁴], Malden, Kanawha County, West Virginia^{1,5,8,15,16,17} [Pennsylvania⁶].

Elias apparently died sometime before 1860,¹⁸ or perhaps he and Sarah had separated by then,¹⁸ as he was not shown in the 1860 census.

Sarah, apparently widowed, was shown in the 1860 census (Jun 11 1860), Knox County, Illinois, living in the household of her parents:²

Note that the 1860 census of Knox County, Illinois does show Colin Henshaw #2315 (also born in Ohio), who might have been Elias Cooley Henshaw, somehow separated from Sarah Ann.¹⁸

Sarah remarried to John J. Lawler, Dec 5 1861, Knox County, Illinois.^8,16,19,20 Although the marriage record shows Sarah Ann Hanshaw [sic] married John J. Lolly,^19,20 he in fact was John J. Lawler.^5,8,16

Sarah and family were shown in the 1870 census (Jun 21 1870), Persifer Township, Knox County, Illinois:⁴

Sarah died May 22 1911, buried Lexington Cemetery, Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa.¹⁷

Sarah's obituary was published in "The Bedford Times Republican", Bedford, Iowa, on June 1, 1911 ("Sarah A. Dossett Obituary", page 4).⁵

Elias' mother's name was apparently Mary (Henshaw). A paper accompanying Elias' marriage certificate (addressed to county clerk Zelotes Cooley) reads:

See also: David C. Henshaw #2315 who was in Knox County, Illinois in 1850 (possibly brothers).

See also: Daniel Henshaw #4725 who also lived in Knox County, Illinois and might have been a close relative.

Sources

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