THE POLSON-CHENEY FAMILY

        Husband: Abraham Stansbury
           Born: 19 JUN 1807 in Chucky, Greene County, Tennessee
        Married: 07 JUN 1832 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
           Died: 19 AUG 1877 in McLean County, Illinois
         Buried: in Old Township Cemetery, Saybrook, McLean County, Illinois (1)
         Father: Ezekiel Stanborough
         Mother: Esther Neil
        Spouses: Eliza J. Robb
     Occupation: between 1850-1860 Farmer
     Occupation: 1870 Buyer and Seller of Stock (2)
       Religion: Methodist
           Wife: Mary Cheney
           Born: 13 SEP 1806 in Champaign County, Ohio
           Died: 09 AUG 1867 in Cheney's Grove, McLean County, Illinois
         Buried: in Old Township Cemetery, Saybrook, McLean County, Illinois (4)
         Father: Jonathan Cheney
         Mother: Catherine Owen
        Spouses: 
 Cause of Death: Consumption (3)
Children
01          (F): Hester M. "Esther M." Stansbury
           Born: 01 MAR 1833 in Illinois (5)
           Died: 06 AUG 1861 in McLean Co., Illinois (6)
        Spouses: John M. Lowery
02          (M): Jonathan C. Stansbury
           Born: 1838 in McLean County, Illinois
           Died: 19 APR 1863 in Milliken's Bend, LA
         Buried: in Old Township Cemetery, Saybrook, McLean County, Illinois (7)
        Spouses: 
03          (M): George W. Stansbury
           Born: DEC 1840 in McLean County,  Illinois (8)
           Died: 13 FEB 1844 in McLean County, Illinois
         Buried: in Old Township Cemetery, Saybrook, McLean County, Illinois (9)
        Spouses:

Additional Information

Abraham Stansbury:

Notes:
When Abraham was seven years old his father died, and his mother took over the running of the farm. Abraham worked hard on the farm and attended school very little. When at school he had a more thorough acquaintance with the schoolmaster's rod than with his books. He loved the outdoors and horses.

At age 22, Abraham started West to Illinois. The journey lasted 43 days, and it rained incessantly. From 1830 to the spring of 1832, Abrahan carried the mail between Eugen and Fort Clark. He traveled on the average, forty five miles per day, and made the round trip in seven days. Abraham was paid $12.50 a month to carry the mail. One of the stations where he stayed overnight was Jonathan Cheney's house, where he met his wife, Mary.

Abraham married Mary in 1832 during the height of the Black Hawk war. "A wedding at any time in the new settlement "caused talk" but this one at a time when it was not known what moment the red-skins might pounce down on them and carry the tomahawk, the scalping knife and the firebrand through the Grove caused many remarks. But Abram's faith was strong, and answered all by quoting the slightly changed apostolic injunction, "Better to marry than to enlist" " (From "The History of McLean County, Ill, Wm. Le Baron, Jr & Co, 1879; page 540)

Abraham commenced farming at Cheney's Grove by entering 1300 acres of land. He sold a part of that land for $23.00 an acre, a part for $30.00 an acre, and the timber land for $50.00. He then bought 324 acres which he divided into three farms.

Abraham was an old line Whig before becoming a Republican. He was a man of medium stature, with light brown hair and gray eyes. He had to wear glasses to read or write. (From pages 236 - 239 of "The Good Old Times in McLean County, Illinois by Dr E. Duis, 1874).

The 1850 Cheney's Grove Census recorded Abraham, 44, as a farmer from Tennessee. Mary, his wife, was also 44 and born in Ohio. The children Hester, 17, and Jonathan C. 13 were born in Illinois. A Matilda Gipson age 8 and an Esther Gipson age 2 months both born in Ohio were living with the Stansburys at the time of the census.

Abraham was living in the Township of Cheney's Grove, according to the 1859-1860 Cheney's Grove Directory. (From "Gleanings from the Heart of the Cornbelt", The McLean County Genealogical Society. Winter 2000, Vol 34, No 4, page 149.)

The 1860 Illinois Census for Cheney's Grove, Mc Lean County, listed Abraham as a farmer, his wife Mary and a male child age 22. The son was listed by his initials, J.C. Abraham had Real Estate valued at $12,500, and Personal Property valued at $2,000.

Mary Cheney:

Notes:
Mary taught the first school in Cheney's Grove. It was a subscription school. (From the Bloomington, Ill, "Daily Pantagraph" of September 9, 1907)

(02) Jonathan C. Stansbury:

Notes:
The 1860 Illinois Census for Cheney's Grove, Mc Lean County, lists J.C. as having Real Estate valued at $2,400 and personal property worth $500.00. He was living with his parents.

On August 11, 1862, Jonathan enlisted for three years as a private in Captain Bishop's Co., 116 Reg't Illinois Infantry. This company subsequently became Company F. He rose to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. (From "The History of McLean County, Ill, Wm. Le Baron, Jr & Co, 1879). On March 19, 1863, Jonathan was listed as sick and sent to the Hospital Boat. He died April 19th of unknown causes in Louisiana.

Footnotes

  1. George Alford, Ten Generations of Myers in America (1996: Family History Publishers, 845 S. Main St, Bountiful, Utah 84040), 519.
  2. Ibid., 519.
  3. Dr E. Duis, Good Old Times in McLean County, Illinois (Reprinted by Heritage Books, 1992), 238.
  4. George Alford, Ten Generations of Myers in America (1996: Family History Publishers, 845 S. Main St, Bountiful, Utah 84040), 519.
  5. Brøderbund Software, Inc., World Family Tree Vol. 10, Ed. 1 (Release date: May 6, 1997), Tree #3916.
    Date of Import: 29 May 1998.
  6. Ibid., Tree #3916.
    Date of Import: 29 May 1998.
  7. George Alford, Ten Generations of Myers in America (1996: Family History Publishers, 845 S. Main St, Bountiful, Utah 84040), 522.
  8. Ibid., 522.
  9. Ibid., 522.

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Revised: August 13, 2005
Copyright © 2005 Lisa Sorensen. All rights reserved.