 |
|
Born: about 1793 in Virginia
Died: after 1860, perhaps in Indiana or Missouri
Please note: Recently, I've found a man I believe to be Sylvester of
Rockcastle in the 1850 and 1860 IN censuses. Needless to say, that means he
lived past 1842, contary to information I've previously presented. This
biography will give the version as I now believe it to be. Following is a
discussion of the contradictions that arise and the reasons for connecting the
KY and IN Sylvesters. As usual, comments, opinions, and/or additional data
would be greatly appreciated.
The best data for Sylvester Renner in Rockcastle County comes from the
tax lists. He is in
the Rockcastle County tax lists pretty consistently at least from 1815 through
1830. In 1826, he is listed as having 30 acres of land, which was originally a
part of a land grant entered in the name of Renner. This land is most likely
part of a 100-acre
John Renner-John
Baker grant. It appears Sylvester and
Jacob Jr
temporarily split this land 70-30 in 1826 and paid the taxes on it. He
evidently lived on John's and Jacob Jr's land on
Long Branch most of
his life, although his location in the 1820 census perhaps places him on Line
Creek, where
Jacob Sr lived at
the time.
Also in 1826, Sylvester was a witness to the sale of a land warrant from John
Renner and John Baker to John Evans.
I believe Sylvester is in the 1820 RC census as the person whose name has been
transcribed as "Sally." To me, the name on the original record looks
to be "Silly" or similar as much or more than "Sally."
Also, there is no known "Sally Renner" for that time period. The 1820
census shows one adult male, one adult female, and one male child in the
household. The best guess for the identity of this boy is Ransom Renner, who
subsequently left KY by the early 1830s and moved to IN and then to IA. Ransom
fits the age and is the only Renner who named a child Sylvester.
Sylvester was in the War of 1812, serving from 23 Aug 1813 to 8 Nov 1813 in
Captain Johnston Dysart's Company of the 11th Kentucky Mounted Volunteer
Militia under Captain Charley C. Carson. He was paid $51.58, plus $50 for his
horse, which was lost during his service.
He hired John Jackman of Rockcastle County as his lawyer to collect the $50 for
the horse for him from the government on 18 Jan 1815. There's an accompanying
document, much like a deed, in which he hires Jackman. The first part of it
goes: "Know all men by these presents that I, Sylvester Reynor, of
Rockcastle County and State of Kentucky..." His name is spelled both
Rennor and Reynor within the record.
In 1830 or 1831, it looks as if Sylvester (and Ransom) moved to Indiana. He may
be listed in the 1840 Harrison County, IN, census; it's hard to tell for sure.
But he is clearly in the 1850 Harrison County and 1860 Washington County
censuses, with children and a wife named Sarah (born about 1801 in VA). Sarah
is likely Sylvester's second wife, since Ransom is too old to have been Sarah's
child.
In the 1850 census with the family is Solomon Collins (age 56, born in VA).
Solomon is in the Rockcastle tax lists variously until 1840; he served as a
chainman on several area surveys, mostly involving McClure land. He lived just
east of the Walnut Grove Cemetery on land that was part of a 1798 James Taylor
grant, part of which was owned, at various times, by Jacob Collins, Nathaniel
McClure, James Graves, and Henry Linville, who
sold it to John Mink in
1855.
At this time, it appears Sylvester had the following children, birthdates in
parenthesis are approximate: Ransom (1811), Anderson M. (1819), Arminda (1823),
George (1829), John (1833), Mary (1836), James Thompson (1839), William
Harrison (1841), and Adam (1843).
I've been unable to find the Sylvester or Sarah in the 1870 census. Sarah was
living with Anderson in the 1880 Laclede County, MO, census.
Discussion of contradictions:
There are two items which present problems concerning Sylvester and the
biography above. First is the tax list, where there is a Sylvester listed in
1839 and 1842. Second is the 1820 census record in which only one child is
shown. I believe there are potential explanations for both.
--Tax List: There is no Sylvester Renner in the tax lists from 1831
until 1839 (it must be noted that for four of those eight years, 1832, 33,
36,and 38, no tax lists have survived), then there is one who shows up again in
1839 and another in 1842. There are no more Sylvesters listed in any local
record after 1842. It's possible the Sylvester in those latter two years is
different from the one in 1815-1830, although we don't have later records of a
younger Sylvester. Data on children wasn't collected in the earlier tax lists,
but was in 1839 and 1842. According to those notations, the later Sylvester had
no children. It's also possible this could represent only one Sylvester who,
for some reason, came back down to Rockcastle alone periodically. The later
Sylvester paid no tax in 1839 and only on one horse in 1842.
--1820 Census: As noted above, the 1820 census shows a person who looks
to be Sylvester. The problem is that there is only one child in the household,
who I believe to be Ransom, and Sylvester had another child, Anderson, whose
birthdate is given as 19 Dec 1819. There are several possible explanations:
1. That isn't Sylvester in the 1820 census.
2. Ransom wasn't Sylvester's son and the child entry represents Anderson. I
find this problematic, since he fits so well into this family for several
reasons and doesn't fit with any of the other Renners.
3. The birthdate for Anderson is slightly off, perhaps he was born in 1820
instead of 1819. The 1850 and 1880 censuses give a date of about 1820; the 1870
of about 1819. That makes it pretty clear his birthdate was very close to 1819
or 1820. The exact date given by his descendants is indicative that there was a
family Bible or some other similar record, which is usually an accurate source.
4. Ransom or Anderson was living with someone else in 1820.
5. The 1820 census entry was simply incorrect (not an uncommon occurence).
Discussion of support:
There are a number of things which lead to placing the Sylvester in early
Rockcastle County both as Jacob's son and as the same person who shows up in IN
in 1850 (possibly in 1840, too). The relationship between Jacob and Sylvester
is discussed in the bio on Jacob, so I'll not rehash that aspect here, rather
I'll concentrate on the latter issue.
--Demographics: Sylvester in IN matches what we think we know about
Sylvester in Rockcastle in terms of birthdate and birthplace. The age is close
enough, given the very limited data we have early on. Sylvester in IN says he
was born in VA; Jacob's son Sylvester would have been born in VA.
--Solomon Collins: I believe finding Solomon in Sylvester's 1850
household, especially when taken with the other data, provides a strong
connection. We can definitively place a Sylvester Renner and a Solomon Collins
in the same place (they would have lived a mile from each other at the very
most) at the same time in Rockcastle. We can definitively place a Solomon
Collins in a Sylvester Renner's household in Harrison County in 1850. For it
not to have been the same two men would be a very big coincidence. I believe
Solomon moved to IN sometime after 1840, his last year in the Rockcastle tax
list. It's conceivable, if the Sylvesters in the tax list are the same person,
that Solomon went back with Sylvester. For what it's worth, I think Solomon was
married to either a McClure or Renner woman, probably the former. That's based
on a couple of things, including the behavior and interaction of Solomon with
the McClures in land-related matters. His involvement is typical of others who
married into the McClure family. It would not surprise me if Sylvester's wife
Sarah was either a McClure or Collins.
--Location: Harrison and Clay Counties in IN were destinations for many
Rockcastle area families, including various Brush, Church, Cromer, Langford,
and Ott clans. Also nearby Sylvester in Harrison were some Collins families.
While I can't yet prove Solomon was related to the Collins in Harrison, some of
them were descendants of Jacob Collins, perhaps the same Jacob who lived on the
same property later owned by Solomon. See the bio on Jacob for more Ott
speculation.
--Children's birthplaces: Sylvester's children match the data we have,
if the Sylvester in the 1839 and 1842 tax lists represents either two different
men or one who traveled back briefly. Based on the children's census birth
dates and places, the family moved to IN between about 1829 (George was born in
KY) and 1833 (John was born in IN). That fits well.
|
|
