Posted on by putnamsisters

12 Family Lines ~ 12 Months The Clough Family-Hillbillies?

Take a look at this picture and you’ll understand my mother referring to her husbands family as “hillbillies”.

courtesy of Diane Knight

The Clough Family was in California prior to the 1860 United States Census. Thy had migrated to California from upstate New York via Illinois, where many members stayed. But our branch of the tree continued west to Amador, Placer,and Nevada counties in California and later south to Tulare county.

So last time on this blog, I wrote about the  most recent generation of Cloughs that included my Great grandmother Ida May Clough. Her father was Orson Clough. I list 4 siblings for Orson: Benjamin Jr., Lydia, Mary Ann, and another brother.

Benjamin Jr. was born in 1810 in New York, married Lucinda prior to the 1850 US Census. Benjamin and Lucinda had one daughter named for her mother. While in the 1860 US Census Benjamin and Lucinda are found in DuPage, Illinois with two children in their household, they are both listed as 9 years of age. In the 1850 US Census Benjamin and Lucinda (found in Hamburg Erie county New York) only have one child Lucinda E. who is 10 months. About 1856 the entire extended family moved to Illinois.  Also the 1870 US Census shows Lucinda E as the only other Clough in the household with Benjamin (Jr.) and Lucinda. While the age could be incorrectly recorded in the 1860 census, looking at the 1855 NY State census we can find a W. Clough (4 years old) living with B.J. (Sr.)  and L. Clough and listed as gchild. While this does not prove who his parents are we later find William Clough born in 1851 son of Orson and Julia (Marsh) Clough in the 1910 US Census for Tulare county California, living with Ira Blossom (head of household) and his mother Julia(now married to Ira Blossom) where William is listed as stepson to head of household (Ira). Benjamin Jr. died 21 January 1889 in Illinois.

Lydia Clough born 1814 in N.Y. married Joseph McCain. They have two sons Byron born in 1849 in Illinois and Hyrum born in 1856. The year the rest of Lydia’s family moved out to Illinois. Lydia died 31 May 1888.

Next comes Mary Ann Clough born 1816 in New York. This sister to Orson I have not yet proved. Prior to the 1850 US Census only head of household was named and the other members in the house were mere tick marks on a spreadsheet, listed by age groups. So in Benjamin Clough’s household in  the 1820 and 1830 there are appropriate tick marks that could be Mary Ann. Some time prior to 1840 Mary Ann marries Ira Isham and moves to Dane county Wisconsin where she and Ira raise 7 children. Mary Ann is listed in a lineage book as:

…Granddaughter of Ira Isham and Mary Ann Clough, his wife, Gr- granddaughter of Johnson Clough and Lydia Amsdell, his wife, Gr-gr-granddaughter of Abner Amsdell and Susan Sirkin, his wife. Abner Amsdell (1757-1851) enlisted, 1777, under Capt. Daniel Shay, Col. Rufus Putnam. He was at the battle of Bemus Heights. In 1780 he was allowed a pension in Erie county, N. Y., as private, Massachusetts militia. He was born in Deerfield, Mass.: died in Hamburg, N.Y.¹

Mary Ann (Clough) Isham died 1896 in Dane County Wisconsin.

1850 US Census Erie New York

The last sibling for Orson is unknown at this time. In the 1850 US Census for Hamburg in Erie County New York the listing in the Benjamin Clough (Sr.) household shows:

Benjamin (65), Lydia (63), Orson (22), Heritte M. (31), Mariah A. (3), Laura (1), Abner Amsdale (90), and Julia Marsh (18)

While Heritte could be Orson’s wife, I discount that because, while looking at that listing of marriage records that my sister found for Orson and Julia Marsh.

Clough, …….

Henrietta M. and Charles C. Marsh June 27, 1836

……

Mary and Iser Isham Jan. 22, 1836

Orson and Julia Marsh Oct. 29 1851

…..

This is what I think in the 1850 Hamburg census that is Henrietta listed below Orson, his sister not sister in law. Possibly Charles has died, Henrietta has gone home to her parents household and has brought her sister-in law (Julia Marsh) with her to take care of the two young children.

The Mary Clough listed above could be the other sister of Orson who moved to Wisconsin, and who showed her parents as Johnson Clough and Lydia Amsdell. This does not prove her parents but does prove she is a Clough

This opens some doors for further research.What do you think?

My sister is still sorting this Family line out and I have just added to her job. At this point I will close the book on the Clough Family. Next time it will be the daunting Dougherty Line.

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