TWO MAKINSON BROTHERS &
FAMILIES COME TO AMERICA IN 1840-1841
Two brothers and their wives and children came to America between 1840 and
1842. George and Sarah's child Sarah was born in England in early 1840 and
their second child William was born in August of 1842 in central Missouri.
George's brother, Evan and his wife Martha Wain Makinson, traveled with them
along with their son George William Makinson who was fourteen years old when
he made the overseas journey.
The two couples stopped off near St. Louis and Martha began working in the
millinery business. She had owned such a business in England. Her husband,
Evan, and their son George went on to central Missouri in Linn County where
they bought land. Evan's brother, George and his wife Sarah and their daughter
Sarah went with Evan and his son to central Missouri.
EVAN MAKINSON
Evan Makinson married Martha Wain in 1822 at Blackburn in
Lancashire. The parish record says he was a shoemaker, boxer, etc. Later a
city directory listed him as a shop- keeper. An entry in the 1841 census lists
his living on Back King St. in Blackburn, Lancashire on the same street, if
not the same address as his brothers, Joseph and Thomas who were both
attorneys and Evan was a Minister.
An article found at the Fort Wayne, Indiana library adds to what is
known about this family. The following is a synopsis of what was found.
From History of LaSalle County Illinois vol. 2 part 1... GCS 977.301
L33h Published 1886 PP 98-99.
George W. Makinson, son of Evan and Martha Wain Makinson, was born in
Congleton, Cheshire, England, July 15,1826. He was reared and educated in his
native country, and in 1840 immigrated to America with his parents. The family
remained at Alton, Illinois for a short time where his mother worked in the
millinery trade a year, the father (Evan) and the son, George going to a farm
in Linn County, Mo, after which his mother followed them to the farm. He and
his mother moved to New Lenox, Will Co. Illinois, and in 1843 he worked at the
harness makers trade at Joliet. In the fall of 1844 he came to Dayton,
Illinois and worked in Green and Son's woolen mill about twenty years. He was
married September 21,1847, to Charlotte B. Evans, daughter of Joseph and Sarah
Delong Evans, who died in this county. (A grave marker records that
Charlotte died Aug 14,1889 and buried in Dayton, Ill cemetery). Mrs. Makinson
was born Feb. 12, 1828, in Chittenden County, Vt. She came with her parents to
Ohio and from there to LaSalle County, Ill in 1843. Mr. and Mrs. Makinson have
had seven children- Josephine, wife of J. W. Channel of Dayton, Ill; Anna M.,
wife of Charles J. Hudson, of Dayton; Jesse W., working in Ottawa, Ill;
Charles J., married and living in Janesville, Wis.; George L.; at home; Edgar,
born march 12, 1865 and died may 24, 1881, and Lottie E., born Feb 1,1871. Mr.
Makinson is serving his second term as Justice of the Peace. He also holds the
office of Postmaster, having served continuously since 1854 with the exception
of two years.
FROM CENSUS RECORDS-1900 STATE OF
ILLINOIS
VOL 34 Ed 78 sheet 9, LINE 11
Jesse Makinson H. b Oct 1855 age 44 b.
in Ill son of George W.
Makinson of LaSalle co. Ill
Elizabeth .S. W b. Sep 1864 age 35 b. in
Ind
Maude dau. b. Dec 1889 age 12 b. in Ill
Warren son b. Oct 1899 age 1 b. Wisc
George son b Oct 1891 age 8 b. in Ill.
1910 Soundex..........................................
miracode 106 1485 0393 Cook Co. Chicago
Jesse Makinson h 55 b Ill (son of
George W. Makinson (nephew of George W. Makinson, my 2nd great father) of
Lasalle Co. Ill)
Elizabeth S w 44 b Ind
Maude E d 22 b Ill
George W s 18 b Ill
Warren E. s 11 b WI
Elbert R. s 8 b Ill
Howard T s nr b Ill
1900 SOUNDEX ILL Census. roll 282 vol.
104 ED 120 Sheet 1 line 42
George Makinson b. Jul 1826 age 73 b.
England enumerated with George M Peterson, son in law. Kendall, Ill Kendall
Twp. Kendall Co,. This is the
George W. Makinson formerly of LaSalle, now in his old age, living with his
daughter and her husband...
He had a daughter Lottie E Makinson.
She was born in 1871 and she married George M. Pederson in 1891 according to
the 1900 census. They had three daughters at that time, Geneva age 7, Mona age
7, and Frances age 2. Lottie's father, George Makinson, lived with the family
in Yorkville, Ill until he died March 31,1907 and was then buried in the
Dayton, Ill cemetery where his wife and a child, Edgar, were buried.
DAR grave records in Ottawa, Ill record the following:
Dayton, Ill Cemetery Row 13
Charlotte B Makinson wife of George W Makinson died Aug 14,1889 aged 61
yrs 6 mos.
Edgar A son of GW and CB Makinson died May 26, 1880 aged 14 years
Sarah Makinson died Nov 21, ..... Aged 81 years (she died in 1888)
George Makinson died Sept 20,1875 Aged 73 yrs 3 mos 20 days
Row 14
John W. Channel Mar 10,1849- Nov 22, 1900
Josephine Makinson Channel, his wife Oct 8, 1848- Nov 10,1920
In August 1998 an interesting sequel to this story developed. While
searching the Internet for Makinson’s, I found a home page for a James Craig
Brockway located in Chicago. One of his ancestors was a David Letts who
married this same Martha Makinson, who was former wife of Evan Makinson.
This was David Letts fourth marriage. He had buried his third wife in the
Dayton, Illinois cemetery where my 2nd great grandparents are buried. I
was already aware that Martha Makinson was the mother of George William
Makinson, my 2nd great grandparents nephew, and had he lived in
Dayton, Illinois at this period of time also.
What follows is the letter I received from Mr. Brockway
Subject: Re: Letts Family-Sixth Generation
August 14,1998
David Letts was my GGG Grandfather. One of his sons, Noah Letts, wrote a
journal in his later years. Since he was elderly when he wrote the journal it
is not always easy to follow and I also presume his memory may have been
somewhat fading also. The following are the references to Martha Makinson in
that journal:
"I think it was in the winter of 1841 that my father became acquainted
with an English "widow" lady by the name of Martha Makinson, who
lived near him while he was living on his Linn County MO. farm. She became his
fourth wife, and he will tell here something of her history while in England
and the cause of her coming to America.
There were two brothers living in England by the name of Makinson, Evan
& George. Each had a wife. George was a farmer, and Evan was a kind of
trader, but made no money. His wife learned the millinery business and carried
on a large establishment in some city there, and made quite a sum of money
while her husband was idle and made no money to help keep up expenses in any
form.
The two brothers took a notion to see America and they made an arrangement,
after Evan had induced his wife to give him one thousand dollars to bear his
expenses, and his wife to remain in England and continue her business till he
came back or sent for her to come to America. George brought his wife along,
and after landing in New York, they traveled west till they came to Linn
County, Mo. George was pleased with the prospect there where he could get
government land and concluded to stop on a claim near my father and James
(Noah's brother) and make him a home for himself and his wife. But his brother
Evan was not satisfied. He wanted to see more of America and went east and
settled in Michigan and went to preaching, a new occupation for him. He wrote
one letter to his brother, George, in Missouri after he had been there a few
months, but that was the last time he wrote, and his wife in England not
hearing from him wrote to George, and he wrote again to Michigan, but got no
answer, and so informed his wife.
Years went by and for a long time they supposed him dead, but not so, for
after a great many years, he went back to England to his wife. What excuses he
made, I can't say, but he told her how much they could do in America and
especially in her line of business, and finally persuaded her to sell out and
come with to America. After landing in New York, they went directly to
Missouri to his brother George. His wife brought with her a young lady, a
niece of hers, who she had raised and worked with in her business, by the name
of Hannah Hitten, a very pretty and accomplished young lady. After they had
been at George's some time, her husband, Evan, told her he would go and hunt
some place for business and buy them a home. So he took all her money,
something over $9,000 and left. Not hearing from him for some time, she began
to feel uneasy about his long absence, fearing death or robbery. She got
George to go to Michigan to the place he had been when he had written him a
good many years before, and when he arrived, he heard that a minister by the
name of Evan Makinson had lived there for a great many years and had left
there a short time with his wife and 5 children for Mexico. So that explained
the whole affair. George came back and informed his English wife. It most
prostrated her being left in a strange country without any money, and in a
country that her business was no advantage to her and George not able to help
her and as she knew nothing of the law, she advised with my father, and the
result was a divorce and a judgment for $10,000 against her husband. They
tried to locate him but all plans failed, and they turned their minds to find
a Panison for past troubles and the result was an engagement for
marriage by her and my father. (Pages 64, 65 & 66) -- - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - -.
It was arranged that my father and his fiancée (Martha Makinson) would all
go back together (to LaSalle County, IL). So my brother, James, took us all 3
to Brunswick on the Missouri River 40 miles from his home.
At Brunswick, an English minister married my father and the widow, Martha
Makinson. Now this must have been in the early fall of 1843. (Page 69) - - - -
- - -.
My father concluded that he and his wife would stay at Madison's (another
brother and my GG Grandfather Nehemiah Madison Letts who lived in LaSalle
County, IL) that winter before going on to his Will County farm that spring.
(Page 72) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
My father's fourth wife, the English lady, also died in October 1854. She
was buried in the same burying ground that James wife was buried, and again
father was left alone. My Father had remarkable good luck in marrying, in
getting good women, but had bad luck in losing them. He was a kind husband and
a good provider for his family." (Page 93)
I hope that this is of some assistance to you.
Regards,
Craig
I tend to believe most of the story in the foregoing. The reference to Evan
Makinson coming to this country alone and then sending for his wife later on
seems to be in disagreement with the earlier story of their son as published
sometime later about the history of LaSalle County and its inhabitants. There
is a sequel to this as of March 1999. I received a letter from a Warren
Makinson in California who also has a minister, Evan Makinson, in his family as
his 2nd great grandfather and who was in Missouri and Illinois at the same time my
family was there. I do not think it is the same man. However, further research
has shown that "my" Evan Makinson owned a farm in Linn County, Mo.
When he sold it, his brother who is my 2nd great grandfather, George, was the
lawyer who signed the deed. The sale is as follows:
Deed in the Linn County Deed Book A -1837 to 1844
"No all men by these presents that I Ivan Mackson late of Linn
County State
of Missouri...Parcel of land containing 200 acres or there abouts with
the
building erected therein and there unto belonging and situated in
Parsons
Creek in the county of Linn aforesaid now know ye that I the said Evan
Mackinson have made constituted and appointed George Mackinson of the
Township of Parson Creek my truly and lawful attorney... Evan Mackinson"
"This deed made and entered this 15th day of March 1842 between
Evan
Makinson of the County of Linn and Seth Botts of the same county....sum
of
$450.00....land situated and lying and being in the County of Linn
County
of Missouri towit the S W Quarter of S E quarter of Section 28, township
59
Range 21 containing 40 acres..... E. Makinson"
Now as to the story of Evan Makinson being a minister is documented by the
following data from church archives in two documents as follows:
Records of Minutes of the Annual Conference of the Missouri District of
The Methodist Protestant Church 4th day if Oct AD 1848.
Evan Makinson Minister Lamean Circuit (page 1)."7th Bro. Makinson's name came up he did not answer in person by
letter or by proxy.
On a motion by Bro. Landon his name was dropped from the Itinerant List. (page 3)
Minutes of the 5th Session" 21st September AD 1848"Bro. Evan Makinson appeared and claimed a seat, which after
some investigation was laid over." (Page 8)
On a motion by Bro. Nowlin, the Case of Bro. Makinson was taken up, and his
name reinstated on the Minutes. (page 10)
On a motion by Bro. Smith Bro. Evean Makinson was transferred to the
Michigan Conference" (Page 3)
Wrom: RCLBDXRQBGJSNBOHMKsp;
Attached is documentation about Rev. Evan Makinson in Michigan in 1849.This appears to match the corresponding information I received from the
United Methodist Church Archives at Central Methodist College in Missouri stating Evan Makinson was licensed in the Methodist
Protestant Church on the Lamean (Lamine) circuit in Missouri in 1847 and was
Transferred to Michigan. This also appears to match Craig Brockways' story about Evan Makinson going to Michigan, then not being there later
when his brother came to check on him.
I received a May 3, 1994 letter from James G Simmons Archivist The United Methodist Church, Detroit Annual Conference, Adrian College
Adrian, Michigan confirming Evan Makinson (or someone with a similar name) was in Michigan as a Methodist Protestant Minister in 1849. It
seems likely that there was only one Evan Makinson a Methodist Minister and one Evan Makinson went to Laporte Michigan based on the sparse
population of Midland Co (65people) The following paragraphs are from James G Simmmons May 3, 1994 letter to Warren Makinson:
'I did discover a notation, which I believe referred to Reverend Makinson. In a Methodist Protestant journal for 1849 which was a
typewritten translation of a hand written journal, there was a listing of the appointment of "E. Machinson at Laporte", there was
another notation that "E. Machinson transferred from the Mississippi Conference." Since the handwriting was not always legible, I would
suspect that the reference was to Evan Makinson from the Missouri Conference.
In researching the Methodist Church at Laporte and found that according to their history"the first services were held in 1855 by Rev
William Tuttle. Laporte at that time was on the Midland circuit. However the Midland cicuit wasn't organized until 1857. I suspect the Laporte Church
referred to in these notations was a Methodist Episcopal Church.
Probably the Laporte Methodist Protestant Church to which E Machinson was appointed was discontinued and its history lost. I did find out
that in 1850 there were 65 white settlers in all of Midland County which would include Laporte.
In the 1850 Minutes I did not find any reference to E Machinson. The conferences at that time were held in early September so I would suspect
that he arrived at La Porte on September 18th. Thus the explanation for
no mention in the 1848 journal.
James G Simmons-Archivist'
GEORGE MAKINSON
From the records of Blackburn St Mary's Parish Church in Lancashire County
of England we find that George was born on April 8, 1801 and was christened on
May 20,1801. In the 1834 directory of Blackburn, is an entry for George
Makinson of Sudell Court, under the directory heading of "Attorney".
His father mentions him in his will in 1823 and then again we find him listed
in the Mormon IGI index that his daughter Sarah Crowther Makinson
was christened on June 15, 1840. From the record in the Manchester Cathedral
for this date we also find that Sarah was born on May 31, 1840 and her fathers
occupation is listed as a grocer. As George's father was a grocer, he may have
listed his father's occupation when asked what "the fathers occupation
was for the parish register" or he may have been a grocer instead of a
lawyer at that time?
I have not found a record of the marriage of George Makinson and Sarah
Crowther It is likely that it will be found in Methodist church parish records
at Warrington where Jonathan Crowther, his father-in-law and preacher was
living at the time of his death in 1825. His older brother, John, married
Sarah's sister Mary Jones Crowther in 1825 in Warrington near Manchester
England. George was nine years younger than John so I presume he married later
than John. Sarah was George and Sarah's first child. George was 39 years old
when she was born and his wife was 34 years old at the time. It is possible
that a child could have been born earlier and not lived but no record has been
found.
We next know of George from the record of the 1850 US Census in Sullivan
County Missouri and on the family tree passed down through the family where it
is recorded that the first child, Sarah, was born in England and the other
four children were all born in Missouri. The census record and the family tree
are in agreement. The children were Sarah Crowther, William George, Mary
Elizabeth, John Thomas, and Lydia Jane. The father, George, is listed on the
census as a Lawyer. As a matter of record, it should be noted that in the
index of names for the Missouri census, that George Makinson will not be
listed, but instead, that of George Mahersor on page 309 in the Sullivan
County listing. Examination of this record shows the family with the name
spelled correctly. Sometime after 1850, the family moved to Illinois. They are
listed in the 1860 census in Henry County, Ill..
In a book entitled, History of Sullivan County Missouri (Gc 977.8 H62a,
11427 at Fort Wayne, IN. library), There is some information about
George Makinson's early occupation as a lawyer. The first circuit court
records that on the 22nd day of September 1845 at the house of Armstead C.
Hill within the county of Sullivan. The honorable James A. Clark, judge; Hiram
T. Elmore, clerk, and Enoch B. Morelock, Sheriff the first session of court
was held.. The first case was heard, and then the first attorneys were
appointed to practice before the court. Among the thirteen men enrolled as
practicing attorneys was George Meckinson.
My 2nd great-grandparents are buried at Dayton, Ill. next to the city
of Ottawa, Ill.. . The gravestone of George and Sarah has been
damaged and pushed over. The top of the stone had lain on the ground so long
it was almost buried in the ground. I guess it had been in that condition at least 30 years or
more. Five Makinson's were buried in the cemetery. Three of them were the wife
and two children of George's nephew, also named George William Makinson.
George, my 2nd great-grandfather died September 20, 1875, aged 73 yrs 3 months 20
days. His wife Sarah died November 21, 1888. The grave is located in row 13
next to the entrance side of the cemetery within four feet of a large tree.
The Makinson name is on the base of the tombstone as well as the top part that
had been almost totally buried in the ground.
I found a record of the George Makinson family in the 1860 census of Henry
County Illinois for the date of August 6, 1860 an entry on page 338 in Andover
township the following:
