Sarah (Chaney) Crow Cain Goes to Coshocton–Maybe Part I

Locating migrating children in the early 18th century can be fraught with pitfalls. It would be much easier for genealogical research if people were required to live within five miles of their place of birth. However that’s simply not reality.

There are not always clear-cut records tying two same-named individuals together as being one and the same.  Name combinations that we think are “rare” may be be more common than we think. That’s why it’s usually best to list all located documents in chronological order, keep an open mind, think logically, and consider other possible scenarios. It’s also good to have estimated years of birth as well.

I’m not really certain when Sarah Chaney was born, but is was probably “around 1800,” give or take a decade. She’s one of ten children of Thomas Chaney–and one I’ve not traced.

The biography of her father, Thomas Chaney of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in an 1884 mug book references Sarah, indicating that she had married a Crow.The first name of her spouse is not given. Residences of any of Thomas’ children are also not given (other than son Thomas).  Thomas (the father) had nine other children, including Abraham Chaney and Elizabeth (Chaney) Rampley. Abraham and Elizabeth are known to have moved to Coshocton County, Ohio, where Thomas deeds Abraham property in exchange for him paying Elizabeth a set amount of money. The deed spells out the parent-child relationship between Thomas Chaney of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and Abraham and Elizabeth of Coshocton County, Ohio.

Too bad there’s not something similar for Sarah.

A Frederich Crow is listed in the 1820 US federal census in Bedford County’s Southampton Township, right after Thomas Chaney’s known entry. Frederich’s household only consists of male and a female between the ages of 16 and 26. It’s most likely a household of young couple starting out (although they could be two siblings living together following the death of their parents). The proximity of Frederich Crow’s household to the household of Thomas Chaney is suggestive of a potential relationship (given their ages and the fact that Thomas’ daughter Sarah did marry a Crow).

Jumping to Ohio…

Frederick Crow, of Bedford Township, Coshocton County, Ohio, (Will Book 2B, pp 309-311), writes a will on 18 November 1828, which is presented to and approved by the court at the March 1829 term. That will mentions real and personal property. Specific heirs are wife Sarah and children Daniel and Elizabeth. The children are minors at the time the will is written.

On 1 August 1830, a Sarah Crow marries an Aaron Cain in Coshocton County, Ohio.

On 12 August 1836, an Abraham Chaney is appointed guardian for Daniel Crow, son of Frederick Crow, who had turned 16 the previous April (Will Book C, page 375). $300 bond, Joseph Burns bondsman.

On 4 July 1842, Elizabeth Crow, aged 15 years, chooses Lawson D. [Hogel ?] as her guardian. $3000 bond with William Williams and Aaron Cain as bondsmen.

I definitely should keep researching this Sarah in an attempt to firm up the connection and make certain she’s actually the daughter of Thomas Chaney.

The Ohio references did not just drop in my lap. While reviewing Abraham Chaney’s census entries, I noticed that one of his near neighbors was a Sarah Crow.

And that was something to research further in the hopes that I had something to crow about.

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