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Dedication
Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 |
previous chapter top next chapter CHAPTER TENBack Through The Time TunnelWe now begin our journey backward in time, from the early 1900s to the 1600s in England, and into the 13th century in Germany. In Chapter 3, "Early Dad and Mom," I told as much as I know about their (Pearl's and Cecil's) early days, courtship and marriage. (Asterisks * indicate author's direct Bybee ancestor) For the Record: *Pearl J. Bybee, 1883-1961
So, I pick up here with my father Pearl's parents, Thomas Henry Bybee and Sarah Elizabeth Smith. *Thomas Henry Bybee, 1852-1924
Thomas, to the best of my knowledge, was a farmer for his entire life. Shortly after moving to Iowa, he and his brother William Lee together bought the small farm on which I was born, in Davis County, Iowa. (See Appendix for Land Record). He was also a carpenter and mechanic, as all farmers had to be in those days. I didn't really know him and can only recall seeing him once. However, a quotation of his, that I heard from my brother Clint remains with me. It seems that he was the first to awake in the mornings and would get my grandmother, Sarah, going by saying, "Time to get up, old woman!" Sarah's parentage has always been in question. Whenever I asked Pearl abut her parents, he always answered, "Grandma didn't have any parents!" And he did it with finality. I don't wish to bring any sort of black mark against Sarah. After all, whatever happened back then was not her fault. Perhaps this is one thing today that is better and fairer than then: Children born out of wedlock are no longer blamed for whatever mistakes their parents committed. If we had had that kind of thinking a century ago, I would probably be able to trace my ancestry ("legitimate" or not) through her father and mother. As it is, I cannot. My first cousin, Helen Horn Garrett, confirmed my suspicions about Sarah a few years back, when she asked me over the phone, "You know that Grandma was illegitimate, I suppose?" We have had a couple of conversations since that time and what little information Helen has did not lead to any further branches on the family tree. I asked around Moulton of those who I thought might have some information, but without results, as did my cousins Fred Horn and Cleo Catherall. After all, one hundred or more years not only erases memories, it also erases those who might have had the knowledge in an earlier decade. Helen said her mother, Blanche Bybee Horn, told her that Sarah's mother had an opportunity to have Sarah adopted, but that she preferred to keep Sarah and raise her, herself. Helen did pick up a name or two along the way, when she was a young school teacher in the farming community near Moulton. She knew someone who claimed to be a relative through Sarah's parents. When she asked her mother about this, she was told that this was a subject not to be talked about. Evidently Blanche, at least, knew of this somewhat doubtful heritage. Sarah and Thomas were married in Appanoose County, Iowa, on October 31, 1880. He was 29; she was 20. The ceremony was performed by Justice of the Peace Lewis Sultan, at "James Rumon," according to records in the Centerville courthouse. Whether this is the name of the owner of the home where the marriage took place, or something else, I can only guess. No witnesses are listed. Although Sarah lived more than twenty years after Thomas died, I never got to know her, either. For one thing, I was very much afraid of her. Perhaps it was her age. My first memory of her was when I was about five, and she was sixty five, then. At the time, that seemed ancient, but I think the fear came more from the fact that she never seemed to show any affection for any of us grandchildren. I have a picture of her when she was young, probably no more than in her twenties. She was quite pretty, very buxom and, I am told, had flaming red hair. Contrast this with the grandmother I saw as a child: gray, wrinkled, and of very small stature, probably due to her age. Add to this her cranky temperament and, well, she was not the type of person you could cuddle up to as a grandmother. I remember the time she stayed at our house at least for one night when my mother, Cecil, was away. (This was a very rare occurrence, and I can't for the life of me remember the reason for the absence.) It was not a happy time, as it should have been for the two of us. I only recall that once during the visit I had to dry the dishes which she was washing. I still remember that she never got them very clean. Since I had to pass right by her house every time I walked between our home and the grocery store, I often stopped in. I remember that she was the only person (outside of the movies) that I ever saw "saucer" her coffee before drinking it. Some clippings that my sister, Hope, had found and kept makes me realize that Sarah was probably a much deeper person than any of us had ever realized. The clippings are from the Centerville Iowegian. Most of them are columns of a very popular Iowegian writer of the time, the early 1930s, Wickes Wamboldt. I know the date because on the back of one clipping is an article about the presidential candidacy of Herbert Hoover. I remember Walmboldt's writings, myself, but not the exact years. The columns were mildly humorous and homespun, nothing very deep, but at least most were philosophical. Other clippings included a poem by MacKinlay Kantor, "Seven Men From Clay," a reprint of an item of comment from the McAllen (Texas) Monitor entitled "Real Cause of the Depression," and an anonymous item and poem. The item told the ways to discern a newly married man from one who had been married for some time, and the poem was "The Captive Indian," with the recurring phrase, "White man, let me go." All of my pondering over these clippings, so carefully saved and preserved, has not come up with a common thread. But it does show me a side of Sarah that I never knew existed. I think I like her better, now. *Lee Bybee, 1818-1889
Thomas Henry's father was Lee Bybee, my great grandfather. When I began my genealogical research I didn't even know his name. I had one clue. It was that Thomas had a brother called Jehu, a biblical name. I felt that if I ever ran across a Jehu Bybee, it had to be one and the same. How many others could possibly have a name like unto that? While viewing a microfilm of the Barren County Kentucky census of 1850, straining my eyes over the poor reproduction and nearly falling asleep at the same time, I found listed under a Bybee family what looked like two sons named "John." I mused why there would be two living children with the same name when it suddenly dawned upon me that this was it; one of the "Johns" was really Jehu! And not only that, two other children in the family were named John. W. and William L., both of whom lived in Moulton during my younger years. A further bonus was the discovery of my great grandmother Bybee's maiden name, Dicey (which shows up with various spellings, but phonetically they all come out the same) Anne Button. More about the Button ancestors in another chapter. As a further confirmation of Lee as my ancestor, I will give an incident which will warm the hearts of any who have struggled over their family tree for a confirmation of a first find. Years ago, in the 1930s, when the Bybee Bros. grocery was still operating in Moulton, with Clint and Pearl running it, my brother Bob did something that helped me in the early 1980s. During his stint as a travelling salesman, he had lunch in a restaurant in Knoxville, Iowa. It so happened that the restaurant was owned by a distant Bybee family member, one of whom was interested in her genealogy. She had a sister who was connected with a Bybee furniture store in Knoxville. While paying his check, Bob evidently dropped a sales ticket from our grocery store, and it was found by the cafe's owner. She, or her sister, wrote to the store, saying they were interested in other branches of the Bybee family, and asking for information on ours. I never knew whether Clint ever responded or not; I always thought he did not. While I was banging my head against many dead ends in search of Grandfather Thomas` parentage, I wrote to the furniture store which I knew was still in operation. The original sister had died, but the other one answered my request for Bybee information, saying she had gone through the family papers and had found a letter from a Clint Bybee of Moulton, who said that his great grandfather was "Lee Bybee." Then she asked, "Is this any help to you?" Wow! Confirmation from two brothers, long since gone, was like a gift from heaven. Lee Bybee was born in Barren County, Kentucky in 1818, according to the 1850 census. (There was another Lee around those parts who was born in 1819; he married a Cassidy.) Lee was the son of Neal McCann bybee, Sr., and Mary "Polly" Evans. Lee's parentage is not too well documented, but was established by an amazing amount of work and deduction by two of my "cousins," Vicenta "Cina" Uribe Brower and Wilbur Lee Leedom, to whom I give my eternal thanks and gratitude. I quote their work and findings with their permission. Cina and Wilbur found court records from Chancery Court in Barren County KY circuit court of a case filed on 6 June 1846 concerning Edmund Payne and Vincent Payne, executors of the estate of one Reuben Payne, vs a Neal McCann Bybee family. In essence "Can" Bybee died intestate leaving an unpaid judgement in the amount of $3.57 plus court costs of $6.15 due a certain Reuben Payne. It appears this judgment was awarded to Reuben Payne on the 8th of May 1829, and on the "day thereafter" (9 May 1829) the deputy sheriff of Barren County was authorized to go and collect the sums. However, the deputy returned and said that the "defendant had departed this life before he had time to levy the same." Now, by 1846 Reuben Payne is deceased and the executors of Payne's estate are filing a new suit for payment of the unpaid debt. Since Can Bybee is deceased, a suit must be filed against "the following persons, his widow, children and grandchildren, his only heirs to wit:" 1) MARY BYBEE, the widow
children and heirs of Nancy Carpenter, dec'd (late Bybee)
children of Mariah Wade, dec'd (late Bybee)
From this suit and its record in Glasgow, KY, and through the known ages of children (of Neal McCann Bybee), and from known associations of Polly, Jonathan and other children listed in the suit, a good case has been made by Cina and Wilbur to establish that this Lee Bybee is our ancestor. Additionally, when I visited Glasgow several years ago I talked to genealogists who were familiar with the Bybee line. One of them told me that they had always assumed that this particular Lee Bybee, mentioned in the lawsuit, was the one who married Dicey Ann Button. Lee married Disey Ann Button, as indicated by the bond on record at the Glasgow, KY courthouse, which is quoted below: Know all men by these Presents, That we Lee Bybee and Jonathan Bybee are held and firmly bound unto the Commonwealth of Kentucky, in the sum of L50 (fifty pounds), to the payment whereof we and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, &c. jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this 11th day of March 1839. THE CONDITION OF THE ABOVE OBLIGATION IS SUCH, That whereas a marriage is shortly intended to be solemnized between the above bound Lee Bybee and Disey Ann Button of this county. Now, shall it always hereafter appear, that there is a just cause to obstruct the said marriage, then the above obligation to be void, else to remain in full force and virtue. TEST. Will Garrett /s/ Lee + Bybee mark his Jonathan x Bybee mark
(Following handwritten on the bond:) (Jonathan was Lee's brother, and Polly his mother. The friend to be "obliged" on the 11th was no doubt the officiating minister or a Justice of the Peace.) Lee and Dicey Ann later migrated to Missouri, then to Davis County, Iowa. They are buried in (now) unmarked graves in Orleans Cemetery, between Moulton and West Grove, Iowa. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge and ability, those of us in this line of Bybees believe Lee Bybee to be the son of Neal McCann Bybee, Sr. According to Davis County records, Lee died of paralysis, and Dicey died of heart disease and old age. I will interject here a few words on Dicey Anne's ancestry. Her side of the family has been traced back to Robert Button who came to Essex County, Virginia from England in 1666. He and his brother Thomas received a land grant of 3,500 acres and that area is still called "Button Ridge," according to Wertenberger's History of Virginia. The Button and Bybee families must have settled very close to each other in Barren County, Kentucky. In fact, some are shown in census records on adjacent lines. Many Bybees and Buttons intermarried, probably most of them before some migrated to Missouri, Iowa and other points west. There are also indications that they were at least acquainted if not actually friendly while both families lived in Virginia. For Dicey's full line back to Robert Button, see Appendix 3, Genealogical Charts). *Neal McCann Bybee, Sr. c.1767-c.1829
Neal McCann "Can" Bybee, Sr., was born in Franklin County, Virginia, c.1767-1771, son of John Bybee, Jr., and Elizabeth McCann. He was undoubtedly named after a relative of his mother, possibly her brother. It is believed that he served in the Revolutionary War, along with his father and several brothers. *John Bybee, Jr. 1739-1819
John Bybee, Jr., was born in Fluvanna County, VA in the vicinity of Ballengers Creek. He married Elizabeth McCann, daughter of Neely McCann, who later migrated to Fayette County, KY. He entered the Revolutionary War June 1, 1777 and can be found on the muster and payrolls of Camp Morristown, He served in the 15th Virginia Regiment under Captain William Grimes. Capt. Grimes was from Hanover County, VA, which was an adjoining county to Fluvanna and was known to have recruited his own company in his locality. It is also noted from the muster rolls in the Bureau of Archives that he served under Colonel Abraham Buford. (See Chapter 14, entitled, "More Bybee Untrivia.") John Jr.'s name last appears on the payroll of December 1779, so in all probability he was discharged about December 31, 1779. His name in the war record was spelled (or misspelled) John Bibby, which was nothing unusual because he always signed his name with an X, and no doubt the company clerk spelled the name to the best of his ability. (Note, however, that this was during the period that the family name was evolving. Many of our and John's ancestors were also known as Bibby, or by some such variation.) The next record of John Bybee, Jr. is a land grant signed by Thomas Jefferson, September 1, 1780, Book E, Page 621 conveying 82 acres of land on Daniels Mill Creek of Blackwater River in Henry County (later Franklin County) VA. He would have been at least middle aged in 1780 because his daughter Betsey married John Kelley in Henry County in 1781, John Bybee, Jr. moved from Franklin County to Barren County, Kentucky some time prior to 1799. He is listed on the tax lists of Barren County in Fathergild Taxpayers of Kentucky, showing him living there in 1799. He did not sell the 82 acres of land in Virginia, but merely moved off and left it. His name on the deed for this land was spelled Bibe. John's will is recorded in Will Book, number 2, page 155, in Barren County in the January Court of 1822. He was known to have settled on Glovers Creek in this county. This area is now Metcalf County, and is near Summershade, KY. The family cemetery where he was buried has been destroyed and now the land is cultivated. John Jr.'s children, as listed by Curtis Bybee:
*John Bybee, Sr. c.1706-c.1784
Herein lies a mystery! John Sr.'s wife is recorded as Sarah Giles, but other wives are listed as Judith, Jane and Jean--all also surnamed Giles. It is believed by many that these were sisters whom John married after the death of his first wife, Sarah. Others say that at least two of them are the same person, i.e., Jane and Jean. I don't know, and I doubt if anyone else does, either. John and one or more of his wives produced at least ten offspring, and there I will let the matter rest. John Bybee, Sr., owned about 1,500 acres of land lying on both sides of Ballenger's Creek in Fluvanna County, Virginia, in 1878 as evidenced by a deed of trust in Book #2, page 46, Albemarle County, VA. Fluvanna County was made from Albemarle and Louise Counties. Cornelius Bybee (his son), lived to draw a Revolutionary War pension, so a good record is in the Bureau of Archives in Washington, stating that he moved to Clark County, KY, in 1784 and to Monroe County, MO, in 1834. He died in 1841 in Audrain County, MO. Near Ballenger's Creek is a highway known as Bybee Road. On the highway is a post office known as Bybee. VA. (No longer in operation. See Chapter 12, entitled, "A Tale of Three Cities.") About one-half mile east on this highway is Bybee Road Baptist Church, which is a very nice church and has been rebuilt recently. Near this point is a cemetery which has only one stone with readable lettering on it, and this is Pleasant Bybee (son of John, Sr.) who died in 1835. Pleasant Bybee has a will filed in Palmyra, VA. This will shows the following children: Elizabeth, John, William, Sara and Sherrod Bybee. I find a power of attorney given to John Bybee son of Pleasant bybee Nov. 6, 1826, showing John Bybee to be in Ross County, Ohio on that date. Pleasant Bybee's will is in Will Book #4, page 56, Fluvanna County. (Preceding from writings of the late Curtis Bybee.) John Sr.'s children are listed below. There is no certainty as to which belonged to which wife: Bybee, Thomas, b. 3-24-1760
*Thomas Bybee, 11/17/1689-1728/29 b. York Co.VA
Thomas Bybee's will mentioned two sons, John and Thomas, and a daughter, Elizabeth. His will was probated on Feb. 17, 1729 in Goochland County, and the date coincides with the date of his death as given above. *John Bybee, c.1660-?
*Edmond Biby, c.1637-c.1700
Edmund Bibby--born 1637 on the original American Bibby homestead granted to William Bibby and wife Mary, the deed for which is recorded in Book I, Volume I, first record of deeds in America. Inheriting much Virginia land from his father's estate, he later increased these holdings. Edmund died on his original 400-acre farm which was located on the lower peninsula, next to the farm of Capt. William Epps with whom he was also long associated. At his death he owned nearly 3,000 acres of choice Eastern Shore lands. He died on or about the year 1700 on his Eastern Shore estate with numerous descendants. (I find listed two wills by Edmond Bebee and Bibbe in 1660 and 1696, respectively, both in Northhampton County; and an inventory of his property (Bebee), dated 1697, Northhampton, presumably after his death.) *William Biby, 1598-1637
The following item was taken from a book entitled: "Our Early Ancestors: The original Lists of Persons of Quality; emigrants; religious exiles; political rebels; serving men sold for a term of years; apprentices; children stolen; maidens pressed; and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700, with their ages, the localities where they formerly lived in the mother country, the names of the ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars. From manuscripts preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England."
American ancestor of the Biby family, who landed at old Accomack Plantation on the "Eastern Shore" in Virginia in 1620, seven months before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth rock. In one of his many lawsuits (many for that period, 1622-24) he stated that he came from Western England. He was born in 1598 at Coppull, Standish Parish, Lancaster County, England. Married Mary (___?___) before leaving England. She did not join him until the spring of 1636 arriving on the ship "Margaret & John." Their son Edmund, was born the next year. Edmund was no doubt named for Sir Edmund Scarborough, with whom William Bibby was associated. He died on his original 400-acre farm which was located on the lower peninsula, next to the farm of Capt. William Epps with whom he also was long associated. (In "Muster rolls of Settlers in Virginia" I find listed: William Bibbie, age 22, in the SWAN, 1620." (Additionally, in "Family and Local Histories," William Bibby is listed as living in Elizabeth Cittie, in 1624. (He is also listed in "The Living and the Dead in Virginia," February, 1623, as residing "at the Eastern Shore." (These dates coincide with dates given above, i.e., born 1598.) The colonists on the ship "Swan," on which William came over in June 1620, were "yeoman" farmers from West England, which term is generally used to designate Northwestern England. The Biby family originated in Lancashire or Lancaster County on the Irish Sea in Northwestern England, which originally formed part of the Medieval Celtic Kingdom of Strathclyde. On the final division of the Kingdom in 1124, the northern portion was annexed to Scotland, with England taking the southern portion in which the Bibbys have resided since 1280, the strong probability being that they resided there before the division when its citizenry was 100 per cent Celtic (Scotch-Irish). Liverpool and Manchester are the two principal cities of the county which is celebrated for the production of coal for commerce and the manufacture of linens, silk, wool, etc. It is the chief cotton goods manufacturer of the world. The county's population is over four million. Lancaster, the county seat, is located on the site of an ancient Roman camp. It was twice burned by the Scots in the 14th century. Lancaster County was a possession of the British royal family. After 1124 (the Duchy of Lancaster). John of Gaunt, forth son of Edward III was made Duke of Lancaster in 1361. founder of the House of Lancaster. Henry IV, V, and VI were his descendants. English records (also) show: Name Period William Bibby 1280-1340 Henry Bibby 1300-1365 Nicholas Bibby 1420-1479 Thomas Bibby 1545-1625 William Bibby 1598-1637 Old Lancaster records show "George Byby" (Bibby) of Coppull married Jenet Howorth, May 4, 1621. This was, no doubt, a brother or cousin of our own American ancestor, William Bibby, 1598-1637. Other records show wills filed as follows: Dates Filed Name Village County 1677 James Bibby Coppull Lancaster 1688 William bibby Worthington " 1689 John Bibby Coppull " 1757 Matthew Bibby Worthington " 1759 William Bibby Worthington " 1808 John Bibby Liverpool " The last entry, John Bibby, Liverpool, 1808, was a very prominent ship owner. His fleet of more than a dozen ships was one of the most prosperous engaged in English coast trade. His biographer claimed his descent from the Coppull, Standish Parish, Bibby. Nine generations of the American Bibys owned and tilled their own farms, which in no case was less than 400 acres, in some instances nearly 4,000 acres. (End of quotation from book.)
 Thomas Henry Bybee  Sarah Elizabeth Smith Bybee  Bert, Sarah and Pearl  Daisy Bybee Catherall, Pearl and Blanche Bybee Horn |