An Abbott Chronology

Spencer Johnson Abbott was my great-grandfather. We did not know his ancestry until I started doing genealogical research. Still, my great-aunt Edna Abbott maintained that we were "Massachusetts Abbotts" when our family first came to America. I cannot find my Abbotts before the Revolution, cannot put the Evans line together, may have leads on Phillips further back. So much yet to find! But finding the Merrill line led to the Smiths and Stouts, and all the long history now known of them.

ca 1740 William Hudgens born.
ca 1750 Benjamin Abbott born.
1751-1755 Benjamin and Jemima Smith Merrill, with two young sons, move from NJ to Rowan Co, NC with other Baptists in this period.
ca 1760 Mary Hudgens born to Wm & --- Hudgens.
16 Mar 1781 Benjamin Abbott and Mary Hudgens marry in Rowan Co NC.
1790 Benjamin & Mary Hudgens Abbott are living in Salisbury, Rowan Co NC and raising a family. Their household has 4 children and 2 slaves.
1795 Sterling Abbott born to Benj & Mary in Salisbury: one of 6 kids.
1795 Wm Hudgens dies in Rowan Co; will leaves 11 slaves.
1813 Benjamin Abbott dies in Rowan Co; will
7 Sep 1816 Sterling Abbott, age 21, marries Nancy Merrill in Rowan Co, NC.
1817 James Madison Abbott born to Sterling and Nancy Merrill Abbott in Rowan Co NC
Sterling sells 130 acres on the NE side of the Yadkin (land left him by his father) to Jos Pearson for $5401
1819 Mary Evans born to Ellit & Elizabeth Speck Evans (names not proven)
1819/1820 Sterling and Nancy move their family to Lincoln Co TN district #1, and homestead near Lynchburg (now in Moore Co).
1820-30's James Madison Abbott becomes a blacksmith
Jun 1836 James Madison Abbott volunteers as a mounted horseman and goes to fight in the Seminole War in Florida for 6 months
Jan 1837 James is discharged in New Orleans after serving his tour
Jun 1838 James marries Mary Evans in Lincoln Co TN
1840 James & Mary, in Lincoln Co dist#1, have 2 baby boys now.
1848 James and Mary Abbott move their family to Golconda, Pope Co IL
1850 Nancy Merrill Abbott has died; her husband, Sterling, age 55, remains in Lincoln Co TN with a second wife, Frances (surname unknown, no marriage record found)
James claims bounty land from his military service.
1859 Spencer Johnson Abbott is born to James and Mary in Golconda.
1861 War starts, and 2 of Spencer's older brothers join the 6th IL Cavalry. Both will come home; one disabled by a bullet through the chest.
1863 Fannie Phillips is born in Paducah, McCracken Co KY.
1864 James Madison Abbott, abt 47, volunteers with Union forces. Assigned to guard stores, he becomes ill from exposure. He dies at Benton Barracks and is buried in St. Louis. Mary applies for a widow's pension.
1860's Sterling dies at his homestead in now Moore Co TN.
1870 Mary has 6 kids at home, plus 4 others, in the census.
Son Thomas is their neighbor.
1880 Mary is now living with son John and his wife and 5 kids.
12 Sep 1880 Spencer, 21 this year, marries Fannie Phillips at his brother Starlin's house in Golconda.
1884/6 Fred is born to Spencer and Fannie.
1889 Mary Evans Abbott dies in Golconda, Pope Co.
Spencer and Fannie settle in Oran, Scott Co. (date unsure)
1 Jul 1908 Fred Abbott marries Virgie Hawkins in Scott Co, MO. They live for a while in Illmo.
1911 Fred and Virgie are living in Pitman, Arkansas, and move to Maynard, AR at the end of September.
1912-1915 Sometime in this period, Fred and Virgie settle back in Commerce, MO.
Oct 1937 Spencer comes under a doctor's care for interstitial nephritis.
25 Mar 1938 Spencer dies in Scott Co MO.