George KINGSTON and his Descendants

George's Notes:
1820 CENSUS, Sangamon, Madison Co, IL (August): 1 white male 16-25; 1 white male 26-44; 2 white females 10-15; engaged in agriculture.
1830 CENSUS, Tazewell Co, IL: "George KINGSON" is listed with 1 male under 5; 1 male 5-10; 1 male 30-40; 1 female under 5; 1 female 20-30.
1840 CENSUS, Tazewell Co, IL: George is listed with 1 male under 5; 3 males 5-10; 2 males 10-15; 1 male 40-50; 2 females under 5; 1 female 15-20; 1 female 40-50.
1840 CENSUS, Saint Clair Co, IL: George KINGSTON listed.
1850 CENSUS, District 56, Woodford Co, IL: 55 years, born IRE, farmer, $2,500. Living with wife, Susan and 9 children.
1860 CENSUS, Metamora, Woodford, IL: 65 years, born IRE, farmer, $13,000, $1,500. Living with wife Susan, and 6 children.
1865 CENSUS, Metamora, Woodford, IL: George KINGSTON, 1 male 20-30; 1 male 30-40; 1 male 40-50; 1 male 60-70; 1 female 20-30; livestock valued at $875.
1870 CENSUS, Panola Twp, Woodford, IL: 75 years, born IRE, without occupation. Living with son, George KINGSTON, and his family.
1880 CENSUS, Panola Twp, Woodford Co, IL: 85 years, born IRE, parents born IRE, retired farmer. Listed as "visitor" in home of Levi Hodson and family.

Naturalization Record: No. K - 523, George KINGSTON, Com. Law Rec, A (1841), page 442. Country of birth or Allegiance: Great Britain and Ireland. Record located in Circuit Court, Woodford County, Illinois (Eureka Court House). Naturalized on September 23, 1856.

US Tax Assessments for George KINGSTON:
October 16, 1862, Metamora; one two-horse carriage valued at $75, $2 tax due.
1864, Metamora: one two-horse carriage, C-8, $2 tax due.
Apri 24, 1865, Metamoa, one carriage, $1 tax due.

From History of Woodford County, page 208: George KINGSTON came from County Cork, Ireland, with his father in about 1816. They stopped in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and stayed there until 1818, then went to Saint Clair County, Illinois, and settled near Shiloh Church. After attaining manhood, George settled in Sangamon County, where he married Susan MILLER (niece of General WHITESIDE, the Indian fighter).George moved to Spring Bay Twp, about 1823; then, he settled in Metamora Twp., on a claim purchased from Conner. He came to Woodford County. by crossing the Illinois River above Peoria, probably at "The Narrows". (In this biographical sketch, George states that his grandfather served for some time in the army of Oliver Cromwell.)

Family information states that George came to the United States at age 17; this would be 1812. The family also said that George and Susan had 12 children, 7 of them still living in 1891.

History of Woodford County says George W. Kingston went to Panola in 1851.
1873 Atlas, El Paso, Greene Twp, Woodford County, Illinois: George W. KINGSTON, farming and stock raising, born Illinois. Is this the son?
Landowners of Illinois, 1876: G. W. Kingston, Woodford County,1 August 1881-21 Sep 1882: George boarded with daughter, Mary A. THOMPSON; he had a contract stating amount charged.

George was declared incompetent in 1881 and his son, John W. KINGSTON, was appointed conservator. The Inventory was filed 20 October 1881; recorded Book D, page 213 of Probate records. He owned Lots 4, 5, 6 in Block 46, Village of Metamora, at this time, but agreed to sell to Peter Burgman for $200. John W. KINGSTON purchased an 80 Acre piece from George W. and Mary E. Freese with his father's money while acting as conservator. The land was valued at $3,600. John W. acted as conservator from 18 October 1881 to 22 June 1883.

Have copy of Will and Estate settlement papers: John W. Kingston, Executor. Estate settlement lists C. W. KINGSTON, Columbus, Platte Co, Nebraska as a creditor: His father apparently stayed with him for several months at a time between 1874 and 1880, as C. W. asks to be re-imbursed for his board as follows: 3 months, 1874; 3 months, 1875; 5 months, 1876; 4 months, 1877; 4 months, 1878; 5 months, 1879; 6 months, 1880. This amounted to $410.

George was married to Susan MILLER by Z. Peters, Justice of Peace, in Madison County, Illinois; Marriage Record Index (1813-50); page 8, Certificate No. 295. (from Robert KINGSTON, 1994.) Record of marriage also found in Edwardsville Court House, September 1994. Marriage information also in "Early Marriages and Tombstone Inscriptions, Madison County, Illinois", page 17.

1817: Paul KINGSTON was a subscriber ($20) to building new Methodist Episcopal Church at Shiloh Campground, site of the first Protestant church in Illinois.
1818, O'Fallon Precinct, Saint Clair Co, Illinois; John and Paul KINGSTON settled very early, just south of O'Fallon. They both left descendants there.
1826: Simon KINGSTON came from South Carolina. His son, Simon, (a druggist in Troy, Madison Co, Illinois) was the only descendant living at that time. He and his wife are buried in the bluffs near Caseyville Precinct, Saint Clair Co, Illinois. (Since they all settled in the same area, are these KINGSTONS related?)

Passenger Arrivals at Port of Philadelphia, 1800-1819: "KINGSON", George; on the ALERT, 3 Nov 1817; Roll 25, Lists 161-288. Is this our George?
Passenger Arrivals at Port of Philadelphia, 1800-1819 (The Philadelphia Baggage Lists), Baltimore Genealogical Publishing Co, Inc; 1986; Michael H. Tepper, Genealogy Editor: page 379, "KINGSON", George KINGSTON on the THOMAS, 6 Jul 1918. THOMAS departed from Liverpool 31 Oct 1815 and 21 Jul 1817. All passengers were from Great Britain, 3 Dec 1817, 6 Jul 1818, 30 Mar 1819. (National Archives Microfilm Published "M425", Roll 26, List 1-159.

Illinois Public Land Purchase Records, Ancestry.com: George KINGSTON purchased 80 Acres for $125; 12 Jul 1831; 40 Acres for $125, 13 Jul 1832; 40.37 Acres for $950, 31 Oct 1861.
From Robert KINGSTON: George W. and wife, Ellen, purchased 101 Acres from father, George KINGSTON for $6,100, 7 Oct 1875.

From P. SWANSON: "KINGSTON, George (Sr): One of the earliest of all permanent residents in Woodford Co, having settled in Spring Bay in 1823, only 4 years after Blaylock was found there. KINGSTON continued to reside in Woodford Co. many years and his name is frequently in the early County histories. He was on the first Petit Jury panel at Versailles Court in 1841. He was an old man and ill at the time of his son's famous trial in 1869."

US GenWeb Archives: 1850, Woodford Co, Illinois; George KINGSTON was involved in a lawsuit regarding the lawful ownership of a mare, worth $33. The suit was betweem Robert J. Cassell and Elisha Williams. It was deemed that KINGSTON was the lawful owner of the mare, but since he left it in the possession of Williams, the court decided that he longer had any rights to it.

January 14, 2014, Email from Trish Doherty in Ireland: "I really enjoyed reading the history of your family when I stumbled on it the other day.
Because you know that Keith's KINGSTONs were from County Cork - then we know we are cousins for sure as all West Cork KINGSTONS who have been DNA tested to date show that we are related and come from the villages around the Towcester area of Northamptonshire England.
The first record of a KINGSTON in West Cork is of a Paul who arrived to Bandon about 1600. Bandon is half an hour drive west of Cork City. This was during the time of the Munster Plantation when English settlers were brought over here (Ireland). The KINGSTONS were mostly farmers - they spread south and west from Bandon and mainly settled around the Drimoleague area which is about one hour drive west of Cork City - half an hour west of Bandon."
This was fascinating information. So, with Trish's encouragement, and after some serious thought, we agreed that Keith should enter the DNA program. He did this ten days ago and we have been told that we should have some results within the month. Will add such results to this website.

Susan 's Notes:
1850 CENSUS, District 56, Woodford Co, IL: 50 years, born KY. Living with spouse, George and 9 children.
1860 CENSUS, Metamora Twp, Woodford Co, IL: 59 years, born PA. Living with spouse, George and 6 children.

Ilinois Land Records: Aaron MILLER, Woodford Co, 80 Acres, 8 January 1836 (Sangamon). Abraham MILLER, 2 pieces, 10 December 1828 and 7 May 1830 (Sangamon). Adam MILLER, 2 pieces, Sangamon, 25 September 1829. Are they a connection?

From J. Daniel Mahar: Nancy MILLER (born April 1, 1779, Virginia) married General Samuel D. WHITESIDE in Madison Co, Illinois on 28 May 1804. He died 13 January 1866, in Christian Co, Illinois and is buried there in Hunter Cemetery. He was living with John A. and Elizabeth A. HENDERSON in Mount Auburn. (Elizabeth was Samuel's daughter.) Samuel's wife, Nancy, may have been born in AR; they had 11 children. Samuel was a Captain in the War of 1812 and married at that time. He was also a Brigadier General in the Black Hawk War. (See History of Whiteside Co, Illinois, by Charles Bent, 1877, and A History of Whiteside Co, Illinois, by William Bastian, 1968.)
The History of Woodford County, Illinois, page 268: It is stated that GeneraI WHITESIDE, the Indian fighter, was Susan MILLER's uncle. If Samuel WHITESIDE was Susan MILLER's uncle, then Nancy Miller WHITESIDE's brother may have been our Susan's father. (Nancy MILLER was born Apr 1789 in Virginia and died July 1, 1851. She was buried Old Canteen Creek Cemetery in Madison Co, Illinois. The cemetery is now gone.)