The Scotts

Although, my oldest daughter has been collecting genealogical information on my maternal side for quite a few years, we had done very little research on my paternal side.  Hence, in early 2006, I took up the quest to discover my Scott family history.  As I began this journey, I found much of the work already done by Morgan Scott, Doris Badgley, Shirley West, and other relatives I had never known.  Because of their research,  I have been able to trace back six generations of documented ancestry and have evidence of one or two generations prior to that.  I am also relatively certain that my ancestors originally came from Scotland, probably by way of Ulster Ireland.            

In earlier times, a family history was passed on by word of mouth and perhaps, recorded in the family bible. Occasionally, someone would take on the task of compiling a history based on the information obtained from various family members.  Such a history for the Scott family, attributed to Morgan Scott (1869-1953), was compiled circa World War I. Though containing some errors, most of Morgan’s work has been verified and has become the basis for our known family history.  After 20 years of research, Doris Badgley (1933-2007) enlarged on Morgan’s work, writing The Scott Family, published in Shelby County History and Families (Shelby County Historical Society, 1992).  Shirley West, in turn, updated Doris’ work, finding additional relatives and ancestors.  Shirley also tracked down the 1793 South Carolina land grant for one of our earliest known ancestors.  I picked up from there, adding much of the information for Powel O. Scott (1816-1899) and his descendants. Click here to view copies of various source documents .

Albert Charles Scott is the starting point of this ancestral search. He was born in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana on 11 September 1918 and was the older of Albert E. and Florence Scott’s two children. He graduated from Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis and ITT in Chicago. Scottie served with the U.S. Army during World War 2 and was a technical editor at Howard W. Sams in Indianapolis from 1952 to 1981. He passed away on 31 July 2005.

 First Generation

Albert Elmer & Florence Eleanor (Good) Scott

Albert was born in Indianapolis on 4 July 1896, the older of two children born to Charles P. and Lucy Iona Scott.  Albert married Florence Eleanor Good in Indianapolis on 5 September 1917.  She was the daughter of Horace Greely & Lucinda J. Good.  Florence was born as Roxy May Good in Dillman, Wells Co., Indiana on 7 December 1888.  She was admitted to the Grant County Orphans Home in 1899 & in 1901, was placed with a foster family (Daniel & Johanna Moran) in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana.  On 18 June 1905, she was baptized Catholic and given the name Florence.  We have found no information on Florence between 1910 & her 1917 marriage.  Albert died 29 June 1958 in Indianapolis and Florence died in Indianapolis on 28 March 1966.  They were buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. Their second child was a daughter, Margaret Estelle (28 January 1920-12 April 1996).

Second Generation

Charles Powell & Lucy Iona (Morris) Scott

Charles was born on 23 May 1876 in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, the only child of Joel and Margaret Scott.  On 11 December 1893, Charles married Lucy Iona Morris in Danville, Vermilion County, Illinois.  Iona, the daughter of George & Margaret Morris, was born on 16 December 1869, in either Indiana or Ohio.  Sometime before July 1896, Charles & Iona moved to Indianapolis, where both children were born.  By 1900, the family had moved to Fayette County, Indiana, and by 1910, had moved back to Indianapolis.  Both died in Indianapolis, Charles on 28 Oct 1920 and Iona on 14 March 1944.  They were also buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.

Horace Greely & Lucinda J. (Brown) Good

Horace, the son of John A. & Leah Good, was born in Indiana about 1857.  On 31 August 1888, Horace married Lucinda J. Brown in Wells County, Indiana.  Lucinda, who went by "Jenni", was the daughter of Henry & Lucinda Brown.  She was born in Indiana about 1867.  In addition to Roxy, they also had a sone William, born in May 1891.  Jenni divorced Horace after he reportedly abandoned the family in 1891.  She married John Vance in October 1892 & they had three children. Anna, Silvia & Bessie.  All five children were admitted to the Grant County Orphans Homes & eventually placed with foster families.  Horace died in Huntington County, Indiana in 1910.  Jenni reportedly married several more times and we have not found a record of her after 1899.

Third Generation

Joel & Margaret Jane (Davis) Scott

The second son of Powel and Mary Ann Scott, Joel was born on 3 January 1843 in Greenfield, Hancock County, Indiana.  He married Mary Frances Barnhart in Franklin County, Indiana on 18 January 1861.  They had two children and were divorced in 1866.  On 13 December 1872, Joel married Margaret Jane Davis, the widow of Abram/Abraham Misner, in Springfield, Illinois.  They stayed in the Springfield area for several years and moved to Fayette County, Indiana sometime before 1880.  Margaret was born in Gibson County Indiana on 16 June 1835 and died on 20 January 1921 in Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana.  (She may have been the daughter of John C. Davis who was born about 1790.)  After Margaret's death, Joel married his third wife, Martha Schriever, and moved to Milton in Wayne County, Indiana, where he died on 25 April 1925.  He was buried at Valley Grove Cemetery in Wayne County, his grave marked by a military headstone.  (Joel served in Company C of the 68th Indiana Infantry from 19 August 1862 until 7 June 1865.)  Although there is no marker for Margaret, we believe that she had been buried there also.  Martha survived him.

George & Margaret (Teague) Morris

George Morris was born about 1844 in Ohio and died in Indianapolis on 15 September 1923. His parents were Joseph Jr. and Sarah Morris. On 3 October 1867, he married Margaret Teague in Preble County Ohio. Margaret was born in Preble County in 1845. She was the fifth of ten children born to Andrew and Catherine Teague and died in Indianapolis on 12 October 1918.  George was also a Civil War veteran, serving with the 167th Ohio Infantry.

John A. & Leah (unknown) Good

John was the son of Benjamin Franklin & Nancy (Griffith) Good.  He was born in July 1818 in Perry County Ohio.  He married Leah (unknown) in Ohio about 1840.  She was born in Pennsylvania about 1824.  John died about 1887.  We have found no other information on Leah.

Henry & Lucinda (Bayman) Brown

Henry was born in November 1840 & was a veteran of the Civil War.  He died on 16 March 1904 at the Indiana State Soldiers Home in West Lafayette, Indiana.  Henry married Lucinda Bayman on 2 May 1865 in Bluffton, Wells County, Indiana.  Lucinda, the daughter of William Bayman (& mother unknown), was born in Covington, Miami County Ohio about 1837.  Both Henry & Lucinda were admitted to the Soldiers Home in 1899.  After Henry's death, Lucinda married Robert Bowman.  Lucinda died on 30 December 1925, also at the Soldiers Home.  She & Henry are buried in the cemetery at the Home.

Fourth Generation 

Powel O. & Mary Ann (Hammons) Scott

Powell was the fourth of Joel and Elizabeth Scott's thirteen children and was born 31 January 1816 in Franklin County, Indiana Territory. (The area that the family resided in later became part of Fayette County when it was established in 1819.)  Fayette County landowner maps for 1856 and 1875 both show P. Scott owning 20 acres in the southern portion of Section 31 of Jackson Township. Powel died 9 June 1899 at his home on or near the Bear Creek in Jackson Township.  He had married Mary Ann Hammons on 5 March 1837.  She was born in Brookville, Franklin County, Indiana on 27 July 1817 and died at her home near Everton in Jackson Township on 19 February 1903.   We have not found any information her parents. Both Powel and Mary Ann were buried at Nulltown Cemetery in Columbia Township, Fayette County. Their other children were Croghan (about 1840-1885) and John Powell (1849-1933).

Joseph & Sarah Ann (Coombs) Morris

Joseph was the son of Joseph (Sr.) and Kezia Morris.  He was born about September or October 1823.  On 24 August 1843, in Union County, Indiana, he married Sarah Ann Coombs.  She was the daughter of William and Mary Coombs and was born about 1827.  Their only child was George.  Joseph died on 19 August 1849 and is buried in the Campbellite Cemetery (also called the Doty Settlement Cemetery) in Butler County. Ohio.  His mostly illegible grave marker indicates that he was 25 years, 10 months and ?days old at the time of his death.  We have found no record of Sarah after the 1850 census (which showed her and son George residing with her parents in Union County, Indiana).

Andrew & Catherine (Shaeffer) Teague

Andrew, the son of James and Susannah Teague, was born in chatham County, North Carolina on 12 December 1813.  On 4 February 1836, he married Catherine Shaeffer.  She was born in Pennsylvania on 26 February 1816 (parents unknown).  They had ten children, all born in Ohio: Mary (about 1838). Lucy (about 1840), Loretta (about 1842), John (about 1843), Margaret, Rebecca (about 1848), William (about 1849), Andrew (about 1851), Eva (about 1853) & Albert (about 1858). Andrew and Catherine both died in Butler County, Ohio; Andrew on 20 March 1901 and Catherine on 28 February 1882.  They are buried in the Somerville Cemetery in Butler County. 

Benjamin Franklin & Nancy (Griffith) Good

Benjamin, the son of John & Susannah Good,  was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania on 17 October 1791.  He married Nancy Griffith in Perry County, Ohio on 11 February 1825.  Nancy was born in Rockingham County, Virginia.  Nancy died on 18 August 1864 & Benjamin died on 16 August 1873, both in Warren, Huntington County, Indiana.  They are buried in the Masonic Cemetery there. 

William Bayman

We have very little information on William.  He was possibly born about 1805 in Virginia. 

Fifth Generation

Joel & Elizabeth (Salyer) Scott

According to family records, Joel was born in North or South Carolina on 11 February 1786.  Although we have found no "official" record of his birth, there are other documents and items that verify part of that information.  According to "History of Fayette Co" (Barrow, Frederick & Irving, 1917), he came from South Carolina around 1811 and settled in Franklin County, Indiana.  He is first mentioned in the Franklin County court records with the notation jury duty in August 1812.  In February 1816, Joel purchased land (from John & Elizabeth Salyer) in Jackson Township, Franklin (later Fayette) County. (The 1857 probate for Joel shows that he had a total of approximately 200 acres.) Joel died 29 July 1855 and was buried at Nulltown.  Three of his brothers (Charles, Jesse and Samuel) and his father (John) had arrived in Indiana before him and are shown in the 1807 Indiana Territory census.  Joel had married Elizabeth Salyer on 10 May 1809.  She was the daughter of Levi and Margaret Salyer and was born on 19 Oct 1793, probably in Greenville County, South Carolina.  We believe she died on 26 September 1834 and was also buried at Nulltown (no marker).   This death information comes from a 1939 letter that references a now lost family bible and gives the same death date for one of Joel and Elizabeth’s daughters, also named Elizabeth.  Joel and Elizabeth's children were Noble Felix (1810-1882), Sally (1812-1843), Mary S. (1814-1879), Powel, John Salyer (1817-1851), James Edward (1819-1879), Jesse (1820-1872), Nancy J. (1822-1857), Elizabeth (1825-?), Lavina (1827-1923), Charles Leonard (1829-1904), Levi Samuel (1831-1834) and Jeremiah (1833-1914). Joel married his second wife, Mary Martin, in Union County, Indiana on 24 December 1835. We have no other information on Mary. but believe that she survived Joel.

Joseph & Kezia (Smith) Morris

Joseph was born in New Jersey on 26 May 1792.  He married Kezia Smith, date and place unknown.  She was born on 13 January 1794, parents unknown.  They had seven children: John, Lydia, Joseph (Jr), Kezia, Mary Ann, Eliza and Richard.  Joseph died on 3 July 1850 in Butler County, Ohio and Kezia died on 14 July 1872, also in Butler County.  They are buried in the Campbellite Cemetery in that county. 

William & Mary (Dubois) Coombs

William was born in New Jersey about 1793.  He married Mary A. Dubois, date and place unknown.  By 1830, they were living in Union County, Indiana.  They had two known children: Sarah Ann and Allen.  Nothing else is known.

James & Susannah (unknown) Teague

James and his wife Susannah were both reportedly born in Chatham County, North Carolina: James on 12 November 1784 and Susannah on 30 September 1789.  While Susannah's parents are unknown, unverified research traces the Teague line back to 1635 in England.  James and Susannah were married about 1809 and reportedly had three children: Rebecca, Andrew and James. 

John & Susannah (unknown) Good

John was reportedly born about 1743 in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany).  He married Susannah (unknown) who was born about 1755.  John died about 1820 in Thornville, Perry County, Ohio & Susannah died about 1830. 

John & Mary (Hollingsworth) Griffith

John was born in Virginia about 1778.  He married Marry Hollingsworth in Shenanandoah County Virginia on 29 October 1797.  Mary was born about 1780 & died about 1854.  John died in Wells County, Indiana on 28 August 1853.

Sixth Generation

John & unknown  (Owen/Owens/Onley) Scott

We know very little about Joel's father. According to family history, he was born close to the North-South Carolina line and married a woman with the surname Owen or Owens or Onley.  They had 10 children: Samuel (1762-about 1829), Charles (about 1764-1839), Edward (1766-before 1850), Elizabeth (1772-1852), Jesse (1775-1843), Joel, Susanna (1790-1861), Frances (about 1791-?), Nancy (1792-about 1865) and Margaret (about 1793-?).  The earliest official record of John is a 1793/1794 South Carolina land grant, which gives him 100 acres on the branches of Gap Creek of the Middle Fork of the Saluda River in Greenville County.  The 1800 census for the Greenville District in South Carolina shows John and his sons, Charles, Jesse, and Samuel.  It also shows Levi Salyer whose son John married Elizabeth Scott, one of John’s daughters. Two of John's sons also married two of Levi's daughters (Joel married Elizabeth and Jesse married Margaret).  The Scotts and the Salyers came to Indiana about the same time and settled in the same area.  This tends to verify that this is the correct John Scott for our family.  The next and final record of John is the special 1807 Indiana Territory census.  Since he is never mentioned in any Franklin County records, we believe that he probably died before that county was officially established in 1811.  The 1820 census record for Joel shows one female over 45 in his household and the 1830 census shows one female between 80 & 90 in the household. We believe this is Joel's mother and would indicate that her husband (John) died before 1820.

Levi & Margaret (unknown) Salyer

Elizabeth's father, Levi was reportedly born about 1743 in North Carolina. He was shown in the 1807 Indiana Territory census as Levi Sailor and died on 16 August 1811 in Franklin County, Indiana. About 1762, he married Margaret (unknown) in South Carolina. They had 5 children, John (about 1763-30 August 1819), James (1770-30 November 1858), Charles (1774-1817), Margaret "Peggy" (about 1781-about 1811) and Elizabeth. The oldest son, John, was a veteran of the Revolutionary War (verified).

Seventh Generation

John & unknown (Manley) Scott

The only information we have on John's father is what is handed down in the family history and is unverified.  His name was also John and he married a woman with the surname Manley or Manly.  He came from Scotland, possibly by way of Ulster Ireland and eventually settled in the Carolinas.  They had two children: John II and Nancy. When the Revolutionary War broke out John Scott joined the American forces but his brother-in-law joined the British. During a skirmish where the two were on the opposite sides, Manley tried to kill John and did shoot his horse from under him. John threatened to kill Manley after the war but Manley begged off so after that there was peace in the family.

Both Johns (sixth & seventh generation) have been difficult to trace.  The 1790 US Census for Pendleton Co, Ninety-Six District, SC shows a "John Scot" (pg 83, col 1, line 36).  There are three John Scotts in the York Co, Camden District , SC for the same census (pg 29 & 30).  The 1779 Tax List for the Ninety-Six District has three John Scotts, with no County or Township shown.  A 1759 Rowan Co, NC Tax List shows one John Scott with no further information.  There are also several John Scotts shown on the 1790 North Carolina Taxpayers List, as well as the North Carolina census records (Randolph, Hertford, and Iredell Counties).  However, with so many John Scotts, residing in the same area in the mid to late 1700's, it is difficult to determine which one (if any) is correct.  We do know that one or both of our ancestors named John, were born sometime between 1700 and 1745 and that at least one of them lived in South Carolina around the end of the 1700s.  (We have determined that the John Scott(s) who married Margaret Thornton, Letitia Cleghorn and/or Letitia McKendrick are apparently neither of our John Scotts.) Hopefully, we will eventually locate some record of the younger John which will allow us to positively identify him or them and then trace back further into our family heritage.