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Submitted by Russ Jenkins, RssJenkins@aol.com, July 22, 2001
KEARNS FAMILY HISTORY
Data from records of Pearl KEARNS McCAULEY
Of Scotch ancestry, Thomas KEARNS spent his early life in western
Pennsylvania on the Allegheny River.
He was noted for his integrity and personal kindness.
As far as is known, no one ever saw him angry.
By occupation he was a farmer, and a cooper
by trade. In our second war with Great Britain, the War of 1812,
he served in a company of
riflemen. After the war in 1819 he removed to Mohican Township, Ashland County, Ohio,
remaining there until 1848, and then settled in St. Joseph Township, Williams County,
Ohio, where he died 13 May 1854.
Of Irish parentage, his wife Mary was noted principally
for her great industry. She survived her husband
by a few years. Her father, William GREER
, served in the War of 1812. Her brother Thomas was born about 1807;
another brother,
James married Mary KEARNS, a sister of her husband.
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MILITARY RECORD OF THOMAS KEARNS
1779-1854 NATIONAL ARCHIVES - WAR OF 1812
State of Ohio ss County of Williams
On this second day of May A.D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four
personally appeared before me Alexander Kearns,
a Justice of the Peace duly authorized to
administer oaths within and for the county and state aforesaid, Thomas Kearns
aged
seventy-six years, a resident of said William County in the State of Ohio, who being duly
sworn according to law,
declares that he is the identical Thomas Kearns who was a voluteer
in a company of riflemen commanded by Captain Thomas Douglas in
Elizabeth Township in
Allegheny County and State of Pennsylvania. Was drafted in said company and went into
service under the command
of Joseph Elrod, Lieutenant, and under command of Major Johnson
in the War with Great Britain, declared by the United States June 18, A.D. 1812.
That he
was drafted at Elizabeth Township in the State of Pennsylvania on or about October the
first A.D. 1814 for the term of six months and continued in
actual service in said war,
for the term of seventeen days. And was honorable discharged at Somerset in the State of
Pennsylvania
after the British army left Baltimore as will appear by the muster rolls of
said campaign, said Thomas further states that he had a regular discharge made
by said
Joseph Elrod, which discharge was deposited in the Paymasters Office in Pittsburgh, State
of Pennsylvania. He makes this declaration
for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to
which he may be entitled under the "Act Granting Bounty Land to Certain Officers
and
Soldiers who have been engaged in the Military Service of the United States" passed
September 28, 1850. Sworn to and suscribed
before me this day and year above written and I
hereby declare that I believe the said Thomas Kearns to be the identical man who served as
affore said,
and that he is of the age above stated. Signed - Alexander Kearns, J. P.
(seal)
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KEARNS CEMETERY, St. Joseph Twp, Williams Co., OH
Kearns or Skelton cemetery in a field southeast of the intersection of
County Road 2-50 and
County Road C-60 NW of Edgerton. U. S. deed to Eli Farnham and later
acquired by Joseph Skelton. Supervised by St. Joseph Twp trustees.
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