A Surprise In Deed!

I have been doing genealogy for many years and I learned long ago that it is always important to visit courthouses and city halls for the actual documents. I have also learned to expect the unexpected.

I had an opportunity to travel to Butler, Bates Co. Missouri recently and spent quite a bit of time in the Bates County Courthouse.

In the 1880's, a few of my Badgley ancestors followed Martin Jones Badgley and moved from Belleville, Illinois to Butler, Missouri.  Martin J Badgley officiated at the marriage of my great grandfather Henry Isaac Ogle to my great grandmother Barbara Caroline  Roos in Butler in 1882.  After the death of Barbara in 1896, Henry returned to Butler and married M J's daughter Martha Isabel Badgley in 1897. I wanted to find the specific areas where they lived in Butler.   I was searching the microfilms of deeds looking for land purchases and sales.  Sometimes, with luck, you can find out much more than the land location.

I spent a great deal of time looking at many microfilms.  They were organized by year and then by Grantor and Grantee.  I never did find exactly what I was looking for, but there was one record that was exciting.  I found a will for Martin J. Badgley! ¹  Since there was a land transfer in the will it was included in the deed books.  It was a pleasant surprise.

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¹ Missouri, Bates County. Deeds. Book 85: 379-380.  Grantor Martin J. Badgley, grantee Priscilla Badgley et al.  Recorded July 30, 1888. Register of Deeds Office, Butler.

War of 1812 pension file – Abraham Badgley

I was looking into the War of 1812 pension files and was fortunate to be able to find a record for my ancestor, Abraham Badgley.¹

There is so much information on this one small form.

Soldier: Abraham Badgley
Widow: Cyntha A Badgley

Bounty Lands: 37814 40 50, 65698 120 55
Service: Pvt Captain Short's Co., Ill. mil
Date Enlisted: 3 Sep 1812
Date Discharged: 13 Nov 1812
Residence of Soldier: 1851, 1855 St. Clair Co., Ill
Residence of Widow: 1880 Iuka, Marion Co., Ill
Maiden name of Widow: Cynthia A.
Marriage Date: 7 Sep 1851 
Death of soldier: 7 Mar 1857, St. Clair Co., Ill
Soldier's Death Place: St Clair Co Ill
Widow's Death Date: abt 1881
Pension Number - #1: WO 39437
Pension Number - #2: WC 30293

This form is page one of 29 pages of documents about Abraham and his wife Cynthia.

There has been a huge push to collect money for the War of 1812 Pension Digitization Project. There are 7.2 million pages to be digitized and, so far, half of that amount has been completed. These documents are the most requested at the National Archives and it is so important that these fragile documents be digitized and made available free to everyone.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies has partnered with Ancestry.com, Fold3 and the National Archives to preserve these documents. Ancestry.com is matching every dollar donation.  Fold3 is making them available as soon as they are digitized.

Besides being a wealth of information for genealogists, these documents are a valuable piece of  American history.

If you think you have ancestors who were in the War of 1812, the current digitized records can be found free on Fold3 (Fold3.com). If you want to find all your ancestors who fought in the War of 1812 help to donate to Preserve the Pensions War of 1812 (http://www.preservethepensions.org).

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^1. Abraham Badgley “War of 1812 Pension Files,” database and images, Fold3 (www.fold3.com/image 280435761); citing War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, compiled ca. 1871-1900, documenting the period 1812-ca 1900, Record Group 15, National Archived, Washington, D.C.