Ancestral Clues and Lessons: Thomas Chaney

Thomas Chaney was born in Maryland in the 1780s and died in Bedford County, Pennsylvania in the 1850s.

Some things I’ve learned from researching Thomas:

  • People leave children out of their will. Records clearly indicate Thomas had ten children. Only a few are mentioned in his will. Thomas indicated that his other children had been provided for before his death. Those children are not named.
  • Names get abbreviated in records. Thomas’ 1810 census enumeration lists him as Thos. This is a good reminder when searching online indexes that do not take these variants into account.
  • People buy real estate in places they never live. Thomas lived in Bedford County from the 1790s until his death. He purchased property in Coshocton County, Ohio, being referred to as “of Bedford County, Pennsylvania” on every deed. The property was eventually sold to his son who did move to Ohio.

Thomas is my 4th great-grandfather.

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