Seventh Generation

303. Robert R. Bedwell^139,408,409 was born on 14 Mar 1806 in Jefferson, Kentucky.⁶⁵ He died on 3 Sep 1878 in Sullivan County, Indiana.⁶⁵ He was buried in Bedwell Cemetery, Sullivan County, Indiana.⁶⁵ • From a biography of his son David M. Bedwell in A History of Sullivan County, Indiana, Thomas J. Wolfe, Editor, Vol II, The Lewis Publishing Company, New York, page 160:

"One of a family of seven children, Robert Bedwell was born in Kentucky,and was a small child when he came with his parents across the country to Sullivan County, oftentimes finding the way by means of blazed trees. Growing to manhood, he entered government land in Jefferson Township, and having cleared an opening in the dense timber built the log cabin in which his son David was born, riving by hand the boards that covered the roof. There were neither railways nor canals, and Vincennes was the nearest market and milling point. For a number of years thereafter deer, wolves, panthers and other wild beasts roamed at will in this vicinity and the energetic women of the household were accustomed to card, spin and weave and make all the clothing worn by the members thereof. After clearing a portion of the land he sold out and removed to Cass Township, purchasing the land now owned and occupied by his son David M. A few acres of the land had been cleared and a log cabin, with a frame addition, containing one room, had been erected. Continuing his agricultural labors, he resided here until his death, September 3, 1878, in his seventy-third year. He married Rebecca Pitts, who was born in Virginia, and came to Indiana with her parents, Macey and Barbara Pitts, pioneer settlers of Sullivan County. She survived her husband, passing away September 25, 1892, in the eighty-fourth year of her age. Of the fourteen children born of their union, thirteen grew to years of maturity, namely: Elizabeth, Sarah, James, Polly Ann, George, Thomas, Rebecca, Robert, David M., Stephen, Alexander, John W. and Eliza. "

• 1850 Census for Hadden Township, Sullivan County, Indiana shows Robert Bedwell, 44, a farmer who owns $300 in real estate, as head of household with: Rebecca, 38; Sarah, 21; James, 18; Mary, 17; George, 15; Thomas B., 12; Rebecca, 10; McElroy, 8; David, 5; Stephen, 4; and Alexander, 2.

• 1860 Census for Cass Township, Sullivan County, Indiana shows Robert Bedwell, 54, a farmer born in Kentucky with $850 real estate and $350 assets, as head of household containing: Rebecca, 41 (should be 47), born in Virginia; Sally, 31; McElroy, 20; Rebecca, 18; David, 15; Steven, 13; Alex, 11; John W., 9; and Eliza, 6. The children were all born in Indiana.

• 1870 Census for Cass Township, Sullivan County, Indiana shows Robert Bedwell, 63, a farmer born in Kentucky who owns $1600 in real estate and $350 in assets, as head of household with: Rebecca, 60, born in Virginia; John W., 18; and Elias L., 16, male. Only Elias is shown as literate. (Note: did the census taker make a mistake? The other sources all show the youngest child to be Eliza, a female, but here the listing is for Elias, a male. The age is the same...)

Robert R. Bedwell and Rebecca Pitts were married on 15 Apr 1827 in Sullivan County, Indiana.⁶⁵ Rebecca Pitts^65,410 (daughter of Mason (Macey) Pitts and Barbary Ann Hackler) was born on 14 Feb 1809 in Virginia.⁶⁵ She died on 25 Sep 1892 in Sullivan County, Indiana.⁶⁵ She was buried in Bedwell Cemetery, Sullivan County, Indiana.⁶⁵ Robert R. Bedwell and Rebecca Pitts had the following children:

+1029	i.	Sarah Bedwell.
+1030	ii.	Elizabeth Bedwell.
+1031	iii.	Mary Ann Bedwell.
+1032	iv.	James Bedwell.
+1033	v.	George W. Bedwell.
+1034	vi.	Thomas B. Bedwell.
1035	vii.	Rebecca Bedwell411 was born about 1840 in Sullivan County, Indiana.
1036	viii.	Robert McIlroy Bedwell143,144,411 was born on 21 Sep 1843 in Sullivan County, Indiana.65 He died on 29 Nov 1861 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.5 • Joey Asbury notes: "According to Bedwell Beaux and Belles: A Brief History of the Bedwell Family, he died in 1862 in the Civil War, but his tombstone says he died in 1861 at Indianapolis."
+1037	ix.	Rev. David M. Bedwell.
+1038	x.	Stephen P. Bedwell.
+1039	xi.	Alexander Bedwell.
+1040	xii.	John Wesley Bedwell.
+1041	xiii.	Eliza Louella Bedwell.