Devine Anderson | Sister

Devine Anderson married Elizabeth Brown in 1847 and is listed in the 1850 US Census with his new wife and infant daughter — and not in his parents’ household. As the 1850 US Census was the first census to list the names of household members beyond the head of household, this has made it difficult to identify other siblings or parents of Devine Anderson.

At the time of writing this post, his parents are yet unidentified, however, a sister has been identified as Jane Anderson, who also married in 1847. She married Isaac Webster on 14 Mar 1847, a few months before Devine Anderson married Elizabeth Brown. In the 1850 Census, Isaac and Jane Webster are enumerated in Lafayette Township, Fulton County, Illinois with two young daughters. Lafayette was shortly renamed Woodland Township and is directly east of Astoria Township where Devine Anderson was living.

Like Devine, Jane Webster in the 1850 census listed her birthplace as Virginia. By 1860, Isaac and Jane Webster had left Illinois for Kansas. She and her husband settled in Coffey County, Kansas, which is the Flint Hills. An 1859 Kansas State Census records that Isaac Webster moved to Kansas from Illinois in 1857. Isaac died in 1863, and Jane Webster remarried to Dr. Joseph Jenks, a physician also living in Coffey County.

Family Connection

A series of newspaper articles from Greenwood County, Lyon County, and Coffee County detail the relationship between a Elva Webster, Mrs. Jane Jenks, and Tabitha Crookham.

In 1891, the Hartford News announced that “Miss Elva Webster left Monday for a month’s visit with [unnamed] relatives and friends at Eureka. The little daughter of E. B. Webster will stay with Grandma Jenks during Miss Webster’s absence.”

In Oct 1895, the Democratic Messenger in Greenwood County reported that “Miss Elva Webster is at the home of her cousin, Mrs. Tabitha Crookham, quite low with typhoid fever. Dr. Grove is in attendance. Mrs. Jinks [sic], mother of Miss Webster is expected daily.”

In 1896, the Democratic Messenger reported that “Miss Elva Webster, of Eureka, spent Sunday with her cousin, Mrs. Crookham. ”

In 1909, the Hartford Times, a newspaper published in Lyon County, announced the visit of Miss Tabitha Croockham [sic], who “left Wednesday for her home in Eureka after a visit with her aunt, Mrs. Jane Jenks, and cousin, Miss Elva Webster”.

Birthplace

Both Jane and Devine Anderson list their birthplace as Virginia in the US Censuses for 1850 and 1860.

In 1904, the Hartford Times ran an article about the “Old Folks Reception” held by the Epworth League. The article ran a list of people who attended, their ages and their native state, among them, Jane Jenks, age 78 from “Loudon County, VA”

Devine’s birth year, derived from the 1850 US Census and his headstone, is 1823. Jane’s birth year, inscribed on her headstone, is 1825, which is consistent with census records that estimate a birth year of 1824/1825.

In 1820, the following Anderson households were identified as living in Loudoun County, Virginia:

Head of Household	Residence
Jno. Anderson	Leesburg, Loudoun, Virginia
Eliza Anderson	Leesburg, Loudoun, Virginia
Robt Anderson	Waterford, Loudoun, Virginia
Abraham Anderson	Waterford, Loudoun, Virginia
Jno. R Anderson	Aldie, Loudoun, Virginia

In 1830, the following Anderson households were identified as living in Loudoun County, Virginia. We would expect to see at least one male child between 5 to 9 and one female child 5 to 9 or under 5; households with at least one male and one female of the right age are marked as “likely” in the notes column.

Head of Household	Residence	Notes
Andrew Anderson	Waterford, Loudoun, VA	Likely (findagrave, Waterford)
Catharine Anderson	Hillsboro, Loudoun, VA	Likely
John Anderson	Bloomfield, Loudoun, VA	Likely
Eli Anderson	Bloomfield, Loudoun, VA	Unlikely
Bushrod Anderson	Bloomfield, Loudoun, VA	Unlikely
Elijah Anderson	Bloomfield, Loudoun, VA	Unlikely