Those Places Thursday: L. P. Newby's Queen Anne

Ancestral home of Leonidas P. Newby, Knightstown, Indiana

This is the ancestral home of my maternal great, great granduncle, Leonidas Perry Newby. It is located on west Main Street in the wonderfully quaint town of Knightstown, Indiana. According to the book "Henry County Interim Report - Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory", this home is an "Italianate/Queen Anne" style and was built in 1882. 

Leonidas's children, Floyd and Florence "Floss", were both born in the late 1870s and they grew up in this home. They both married and had families, but by the 1930 census, nearly the entire family of Leonidas was again living in this home. His wife, his son Floyd and Floyd's wife and one of their two boys, and his daughter, Floss Cooper, now divorced, were all living under his roof. 

In the 1940 census there were only three family members living there, Leonidas - age 85, his wife Mary - age 82, and their daughter, Floss Cooper - age 65. (Floss had one daughter, Mary E., with husband Paul Marsh Cooper, before they divorced, and Mary was married in April of 1930 and living in LaPort, Indiana.)

The current owner of this home is doing research on the house itself, and on the family of Leonidas. She contacted me earlier this week, after finding my blog and the various articles on the Newby family. I think we have both enjoyed the ensuing correspondence.

My mother remembered this home of her great granduncle but didn't remember if she had ever actually been in it. She was much more familiar with L. P.'s son Floyd. Floyd was the family attorney and was employed at different times to take care of family legal matters such as wills and deeds.

There's a fairly recent photo of this home at this link:  http://www.oldluresrock.com/KHS57/KHSBlog/houses/#105WM, 

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Sunday's Obituary: Mary E. (Breckenridge) Newby

Obit: National Road Traveler - February 25, 1950

                          Mrs. L. P. Newby

Mrs. L. P. Newby obit
National Road Traveler
25 Feb 1950

     Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Newby, 92, widow of L. P. Newby of Knightstown, died early Friday in Anderson where she had made her home for the past four months. Mrs. Newby was a native of Henry County and had resided in Knightstown all her life.

     Her husband was a prominent attorney and a world traveler of note and was prominent in Masonic circles, having served as grand commander of the United States of the Knights Templar. Mr. Newby made several trips to the Holy Land.

     Surviving are a son, Floyd Newby, Knightstown attorney; two grandchildren, Lewis P. Newby of California, and Mrs. Elizabeth Williams of Anderson; four great grandchildren and two sisters, Mrs. Julius Thornton of the Masonic Home in Franklin and Mrs. Grace Albertson of Columbus. A daughter, Mrs. Floss Cooper, preceded her in death.

     Services were conducted Monday with burial in Glencove cemetery, Knightstown.

Mary Elizabeth Breckenridge was the daughter of Robert B. and Julia Ann (Swain) Breckenridge and the wife of my maternal great, great granduncle, Leonidas Perry Newby.


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Tombstone Tuesday: Family of Leonidas P. Newby

Leonidas Perry Newby was the son of Jacob N. and Levina (Leonard) Newby and the brother of my maternal great, great grandfather, John A. Newby. He married Mary Elizabeth Breckenridge in 1876 and they had two children: Florence "Floss" Newby who married (and divorced) Marsh P. Cooper, and Floyd J. Newby who married Mary H. Lewis. Floyd was attorney for the sale of the farmhouse owned by my maternal great grandparents, Charles Lee and Ida May (Trowbridge) Newby, in Spiceland Township, Henry Co., Indiana. and also the attorney signing the will of Millie (Trowbridge) McMullen, Ida May Newby's sister. I have in my possession a copy of the complete title abstract for the farmhouse from the earliest date to the 1970s, and an original copy of Millie's will.

All five Newbys below are buried in Glen Cove Cemetery, Knightstown, Henry Co., Indiana
(These photos were all taken by me in 1998)

Leonidas Perry Newby b. 9 Apr 1855 - d. 25 Oct 1945

Mary Elizabeth (Breckenridge) Newby b. 1857 - d. 17 Feb 1950

Florence "Floss" (Newby) Cooper b. 3 May 1877 - d. 17 Nov 1948

Floyd J. Newby b. 9 Jan 1879 - d. 14 Jan 1962

Mary H. (Lewis) Newby b. 26 Aug 1882 - d. 1 Jan 1978

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Wordless Wednesday: Snapshot - Our Martin Lineage

Our Martin Lineage - Descendancy Chart

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Amanuensis Monday: The Will of John Martin, Jr. 1840

JOHN MARTIN, JR. 1762 - 1840

About Amanuensis Monday: John Newmark, who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog started a Monday Blog Theme called "Amanuensis Monday". John defines "amanuensis" as "a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

John Martin, Jr. was born in South Carolina in 1762. He entered into the service of the United States in the Revolution enlisting as a substitute for his father who was drafted at the age of 55 years. John, Jr. died in Lee Co., Virginia in 1840, Will probate 16th March 1840; he married Mary [Polly] Cooper who likely preceded him in death as she was not named in his Will. John Martin, Jr. was my paternal 4th great grandfather.

Will of John Martin, Jr.

    I John Martin Jr. of the County of Lee and State of Virginia being in a low state of health though in my proper senses do now make this my last will & testament in manner and form as followith.

    After all my just debts and funeral expenses are paid I give to my son James Monroe Martin, all my personal and real estate except so much as is herein provided for that is to say my land on which I now live, and also fifty acres adjoining the same on the west including the mill seat ... I once had a mill and an half of one hundred acres lying on trading creek that is the dry fork, running up on both sides ... creek including the mill seat and adjoining the lands of E....Hubbard and all my horses, cattle, hogs, sheep and every thing else that I may possess at my death.

    I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Jane Allen one dollar.  And whereas my sons Anson C., Wilkerson and John Martin have received each of them one fourth part of the tract of land on which I now live I therefore will them nothing.

    I do hereby constitute and appoint my son James Monroe Martin my executor of this my last will and testament hoping he will perform his duty faithfully and impartialy in every thing that relates to the aforesaid will. In testamony hereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this twelfth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.

                                                                                                John Martin (Seal)
Signed, Sealed & delivered
in the presence of
John Fulkerson

Jessee Vandeventer                    

Philip Long                                  

   At a court of quarter sessions begun and held for Lee County at the courthouse thereof on Monday the 16th day of March 1840 the last will and testament of John Martin deceased was further proven by the oath of Philip Long a witness thereto and the same having been before proved by the oath of another witness is ordered to be recorded. J. W. S. Morison C. C.

                                                   Probate 16 March 1840
                                                   [will book 2-112 Lee Co. VA]

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Tombstone Tuesday: James Monroe Martin

JAMES MONROE MARTIN  

July 6, 1809 - February 22, 1897

 Woodstock Cemetery, Pulaski Co., Kentucky

James Monroe Martin was my paternal third great grandfather, son of John and Mary Cooper Martin, husband of Susannah Grabeel. He was born in Rose Hill, Lee Co., Virginia and is listed in the Will of his father John Martin, who fought in the Revolutionary War in South Carolina. James and Susannah had 10 children: John, Lucinda Jane, Mary, Catherine, Nancy Eliza, William Franklin, Ursula Ann, Sarah Nelson, Rebecca Frances and James Daniel Sherman.

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