Ann Catherine Chestnut Adair

RESEARCH_NOTES: 1. She does not appear in 1856 Utah census under surname of Chestnut.

2. The 1856 Utah Territorial Census was taken because Utah was trying to get statehood to avoid some of the problems that later came. As a result they wanted as many people as possible and frequently included names of everyone in a family without regard to whether they were living or dead. As a result, some of the people listed with the family may not actually have been in the household in 1856. The Adair and Mangums listed included the following heads of households in the Provo and Payson City area: George W. Adair, James Mangum, Joseph Adair (wife Rebecca), Samuel Adair, and Thomas Adair. I am not sure who the Ann is that is listed here and so I am guessing that it is Ann Chestnut. Source for the following entry is FHL Film # 505,913; Ms d 2929 fd. 33, Payson City, p. 8: Samuel Adair Roxana " Ann " John M. " George " Jane " Newton " Rufus " Catherine " William " Joseph " Emily " Ezra T. " Joshua " Eliza J. "

3. US Census: 1860 Census for Washington, Washington, Utah, page 150 indicates house #1291 and family #1114 (Samuel Adair, Thomas Adair, Wesley Adair, James Richey, Geo. W. Adair, James Mangum, John Mangum, Valentine Carson, John Price, William Mangum, Cyrus Mangum, Samuel N. Adair are all listed as neighbors): Geo. W. Adair, 23, farmer with value-real estate of $200, personal property $275, birthplace of Alabama. Ann, age 16, MO. Sarah Chesnut, age 14, MO.

4. Is there a clue as to Ann's birthplace since her son lists her birthplace as Nebraska in the 1900 Federal Census, San Juan County, New Mexico, Precinct No. 6 Bloomfield (Hammond): Adair, George W. Head-W-M-Jan 1861- 39- Marr-20-Utah, Ala, Neb, Farmer " , Almira Wife- W-F- Oct 1860-40- marr-20-Utah, Ala, Iowa Many children also listed.

5. Daughter Jemima lists her mother's birthplace as Missouri in both the 1880 and 1900 censuses. Sister Sarah Chestnut's burial records lists birthplace as Missouri. In marriage sealing record of 1867 of Ann with George, birth is noted as 11 Apr 1844 in Missouri with last name spelled as Chesnut.

6. Jemima Ann Adair, Ann's daughter, was born 27 Mar 1863 at "The Muddy". Ann died in childbirth at the same time. I emailed Harold Cahoon , historian of Washington, Utah to find out where "The Muddy" was. His response: "The Muddy of wihci I am not an expert is south of Washington in the towns of St. Thomas, St. Joseph (now Logandale), and even as far south as Moapa. The Muddy referred to an area and not an exact location as in those that came to Washinton, etc."

7. Reviewed Rootsweb.com WorldConnect Dec 2002.

BIOGRAPHY: 1. Out of the Unknown by Edna Irvine; 1931; Deseret News 22 July 1931 B.Y.U. Film # D45d # 184; page 7; Copy in pos. for Chris R. Petersen, 1994: Deseret News, 22 Jul 1931, pg 14: "Picture three terrified children, the oldest only eight years of age, brutally bereft of parents and left on a lonely mountain in a perfectly strange locality! Just a few hours before they had been, perhaps wearily, but nevertheless happily, jogging along in a big covered wagon under the care of loving parents. No doubt, somewhere, friends and relatives often wondered why no word ever came from the little family that started for the California gold fields in 1849. All that can be told of the story is what has been gleaned from the older children. They were able to tell that their parents were William Albert and Johannah Chesnut. At any rate, before they entered Salt Lake Valley, the parents were murdered by teamsters and a like fate was about to be inflicted upon the children, but the oldest pleaded so hard that their lives were spared. They were tied to a cow and headed toward the settlement of the "Mormon" pioneers with threats of death if they told anyone of what had occurred. All day the forlorn tots trudged behind cows down the rugged mountain. By nightfall they had reached the settlement and were found and cared for by the hospitable pioneers. When their story finally became known, too much time had elapsed for any attempt to be made to trace the murderers and with the meager information obtainable it was impossible to trace relatives of the little orphans. The children were given permanent homes, in good pioneer families and grew to be respected citizens in the community." [Kerry's note: Ann was born in 1844; if she was 8, then the date of the murder would have been 1852 which coincides with the Samuel Jefferson Adair account of an 1852 plains crossing to Salt Lake City.]

2. From email of 26 Dec 2001 email of Norma Entrekin [nje@mindspring.com] in speaking of Samuel Jefferson Adair: "The Mangums and Adairs appear to have been family friends and it is thought they moved together from So. Carolina to Alabama about 1828 or 1829 and then later to Mississippi. While in Mississippi, the Mangums and Adairs heard of the Mormons and joined the church there. Shortly after this they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois to be with the Mormons. They were driven from their homes and were forced to cross the Mississippi River in the winter of 1846. Then they established residence in Pottawattomie County, Iowa. This was Indian territory, and they had to get permission from the Indians to settle and do a little farming. While living in Iowa, due to improper food and unhealthy drinking water, and general unhealthy living conditions, there were many deaths in the camps. Samuel's son Ezra Taft Benson Adair was born in Iowa at Mt. Pisgah and died one day later. The baby's mother, and Samuel's wife, Gemima died 2 days later of complications of childbirth at age 39 after having her 10th child. At her death, the living children ranged in ages from 2 to 15. One can only imagine his grief, at losing his wife, new baby and 7 other family members in less than 2 years. Samuel must have loved children, as he raised 3 extra ones; they were David L. Sechrist, Ann Catherine Chestnut, and her brother, Alfred Chestnut. While in Iowa, Samuel took David L. Sechrist to raise. Later, as they crossed the plains, he took the other two, the Chestnut children. He later adopted them. It is thought that their parents had died on the trip across the plains. When they arrived in Salt Lake, the Chestnut boy recognized his genetic father's team of horses. The driver of the team of horses told Samuel to shut the boy up or he would shut him up himself. (So, perhaps the driver had stolen the team of horses.) The girl, Ann Catherine Chestnut married Samuel's son, George W. Adair, and later died at 19 in childbirth, I believe, with their second child. The Adairs and Mangums first settled in the Payson-Nephi area. On the 3rd of March, 1857, the Mangums and Adairs left for Dixie [Southern Utah]."

3. See notes with Sarah Mary Chestnut for extensive biography of the Samuel Adair family and her husbands and families.

BIRTH: Date per website for Utah State Historical Society Cemeteries Database; 8 Jan 2002.

DEATH: 1. Date per website for Utah State Historical Society Cemeteries Database; 8 Jan 2002. 2. Per website ; "Cemetery/Death Indexes (1852-1996) in Washington County, Utah," compiled by Wesley W. Craig, Ph.D: "Ann Catherine Adair, b. 11 Apr 1844, d. 11 Apr 1863, Old Wash. City." 3. Typescript "Washington City Cemetery, Washington, Utah," by Cuba Hall Lyle, St. George, Utah, 1986 describes the incompleteness and lack of vital records in early Washington: "...the lack of complete LDS Ward records (only 1880 - 1900 and 1907- 1940's) for the Cotton Mission which began in Washington in the spring of 1857. Consequently, many of the early dates, etc., shown are from family records or memories. The Washington City Offices did not keep death and burial records by location until 1961 when the new sections were platted. Old ward records, city records, LDS family group sheets, federal census records and the 1871 and 1881 school census records of Washington City have all played a part in this material, but, for documentation, some could be questionable. So many families moved on to greener pastures and had no way to leave permanent grave markers." On this list the following are included: Adair, Ann Catherine, b. 11 Apr 1844, d. 27 Mar 1863, parents are William Albert and Johanna Chesnut, spouse is George Washington Adair. Adair, Emily Jane, b. 2 Nov 1855, d. 1860, parents are John Milton Adair and Eliza Jane Richey. Adair, Olive P., b. 27 Nov 1864, d. 28 Nov 1864, parents are George Washington Adair and Emily Prescenda Tyler. Adair, Rufus Columbus, b. 9 Feb 1844, d. 2 Aug 1858, parents are Samuel Jefferson Adair and Jemima Catherine Mangum. Adair, William Orin, b. 12 Oct 1873, d. 18 July 1876, parents are Samuel Newton Adair and Helen Gennette Brown. Carson, Hannah Marie, b. 14 May 1864, d. 14 May 1864, parents are Valentine Carson adn Hannah Waggle.

BURIAL: Place per website for Utah State Historical Society Cemeteries Database; 8 Jan 2002.

!ORDINANCES: Verified 27 Feb 2002. BAPTISM: Baptism/confirmation of Ann Chestnut; 15 Apr 1855; Membership card files; BYU 415,445 for Payson Ward, Utah Stake; Book 15584, Page 1,2, line 5; baptism by Joseph Curtis and confirmation same date by H. Pierce. ENDOWMENT: Ordinance Index does not show the following. Index card to St. George temple records, no. 11393, Book E, p. 672; Chestnut, Ann Catherine, b. 11 Apr 1844 in Missouri, d. 27 Mar 1863, father William Albert Chestnut, mother Johanna, m. to George Washington Adair; fam. rep. Jemima A.A. Hales; Bapt. in Church, End. 6 Oct 1881, sealed H./W. 18 Jun 1867; Note on reverse added "Baptized 30 Mar 1964, Proxy Afton H. King. All prev. Church blessing reconfirmed in the confirmation ordinances. Dan K. Hansen, Recorder." SEALING TO PARENTS: Ordinance Index, FHL Film 170715, p. 1101, Ord. 45573. SEALING TO SPOUSE: Ordinance Index, FHL Film 183396, ref. 9589: 18 Jun 1867 at End. House which is the same date as when Emily Tyler and George were sealed.

SOURCES_MISC: Boston Transcript or Boston Evening Transcript; 1929 ;18 Sept 1929, FHL Film # 014,740; 9049; Copy in poss. of Chris R. Petersen, 1994.

!ACTION: Look up censuses of children in all years to determine reported birthplaces of Chestnut girls. Change Date: 2 MAY 2003 at 05:36:57

Father: William Albert CHESTNUT b: Abt 1812 in Of, , Missouri Mother: Johanna or Nancy b: Abt 1816 in <, Illinois>

Marriage 1 George Washington ADAIR b: 27 JUN 1837 in , Pickens, Alabama Married: 8 NOV 1858 in Of Washington, Washington, Utah Children George Washington ADAIR b: 26 JAN 1861 in Santa Clara, Washington, Utah Jemima Ann ADAIR b: 27 MAR 1863 in Washington, Washington, Utah

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