Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Charles? Chapman

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Descendants of Charles? Chapman

12. Benjamin Salmons³ Chapman (Henry Charles², Charles?¹) was born March 28, 1849 in Upham,rutland co. Cambridgeshire, England, U.K.¹, and died November 21, 1934 in Edison, Furnas Co., NE ². He married (1) Samantha Marie Bratton September 26, 1869 in Edward Bratton Home, Hinkletown, Iowa County, IA, daughter of Edward Bratton and Mary Parker. She was born September 02, 1851 in Hinkletown, Iowa County, IA, and died November 27, 1922 in Edison, Furnas Co., NE. He married (2) Anna King 1929 in Lincoln, NE. She was born Unknown in Unknown, and died Unknown in Unknown.

Notes for Benjamin Salmons Chapman:
Benjamin Salmon Chapman was born March 28, 1850, the second of six children. He was little more than three years old when he joined his father in Vienna, NY, with his mother and brother Charles.

On September 26, 1869, at the age of nineteen, Ben married Samantha Bratton at the Bratton home in Hinkletown, Iowa County, Iowa.

Ben and Samantha had seven sons:

William Edward Chapman, born November 18, 1870,
Ernest Albert Chapman, born May 5, 1874,
Clark Andrew Chapman, born January 29, 1877,
Frank Henry Chapman, born October 4, 1878,
Benjamin Irwin Chapman, born September 10, 1880,
Walter Chapman, born January 21, 1885,
Arthur Champan, born February 28, 1888.

Ben had trouble with his eyesight, resulting in his not being able to read. Samantha had to read for him.

Ben and Samantha moved quite a lot in those days. They lived first in Hinkletown, Iowa County, IA. Around 1870, about a year after their marriage, they moved to Chickasaw County, IA. They remained there four years, but then returned to Iowa County, IA. They then traveled by covered wagon to Saline County, NE. Ben bought a piece of railroad land in Saline County, NE for $1.25 per acre. He cleared the land, and began farming with his sons. It was hard work, but they managed to make a pretty nice farm.

There were many droughts in those days, particularly in 1893 & 94. In 1896, there was a bumper crop. Ben bought up a lot of western land, perhaps for speculation.

Samantha died November 27, 1922, at the age of 71, of an undetermined disease.

Ben then married Anna King, but the marriage didn't last long. They were divorced soon afterwards.

Benjamin died in his sleep November 21, 1934. It is presumed that Samantha and Ben are buried in Edison, NE.

Benjamin Salmon was born in Upham, Cambridgeshire, England, March 28, 1850. He was one year old when his father went to America. He was little more than three years old when he joined his father in Vienna, NY, along with his mother and brother Charles. That seems to be the only facts known about his childhood.

Owing to some deficiency in his eyes, he never was able to read or write. However, he was shrewd and, during his long life time, accumulated a considerable estate of western land.

When Ben was nineteen years old, he married Samantha Bratton at the Bratton home in Hinkletown, Iowa County, IA - a town long since out of existence. The wedding was held in the orchard before a large gathering of friends and relatives. The recorded witnesses are his mother, Mary Ann Chapman, and Malinda Welch, a cousin of Samantha. Malinda loved to tell that Ben was so excited that he had to be reminded to put on his coat.

They lived around Hinkletown for a few years, but they were not very content. They were married September 26, 1869. They moved to Chickasaw County sometime in 1870 where they remained three of four years but returned to Iowa County and there remained until the Spring of 1878, when they went by covered wagon to Saline County, NE. They took three sons with them - Willie who was born in Iowa County, IA - probably near Hinkletown, on November 18, 1870; Ernest Albert, born in Chickasaw County, IA, May 5, 1874, and Clark Andrew, born in Iowa County January 28, 1877.

They made their way to the home of Henry and Malinda Welch, who had been there for some time, bought land and were well established. They stayed with the Welch Family for a time. There was a good harvest that year. Ben and Malinda worked in the field helping harvest the grain. Samantha did her best to keep the house going. She had three small children of her own; the Welch family was four, pretty well matching her own in age. She was a busy young woman. One of the Welch children was almost a twin for Clark and was less than seven months in age.

That summer, Ben bought eighty acres of railroad land in Saline County, NE for one dollar and a quarter an acre. It was directly across the road from the Welch farm, and was raw land with no improvements of any kind. They put up a rude shelter for the time being and moved there in time for the fourth son, Frank Henry to be born there October 4, 1878.

Though Ben was not fond of trees, he said in his later years that he left Iowa to get away from the everlasting wood chopping, he took a timber claim and set out trees in compliance with the NE Tree Claim Law, receiving credit for every tree that he set out. He planted fruit trees as well as shade trees. He never had much success with the orchard trees but the Cottonwoods did well. Some of those sprouts had become huge trees when his son Walter visited the old home in 1945.

Ben made a good living on the Saline County land. He built a house like the one he grew up in, with the addition of a kitchen and pantry. He built a barn that was large for the times, and other small buildings as the need came. By 1892 the place was his own, he had seven sons. He became restive; perhaps he felt crowded.

His son, Clark, said of his Father, "He bought a piece of railroad land and made a down payment. He bought a dollar's worth of sugar, one pound of chewing tobacco and had exactly three cents left. He had a wife and three children to provide for. He was a man of pioneer spirit, with a courageous woman beside him. Together they dug in, built their house, and wrested a living from the soil while they finished paying for the place."

In 1891 he put a set of bows on his lumber wagon, stretched a wagon sheet over all, and set out with the intention of buying apples. He did return with some apples when he did came home after a long time. He had been out into the High Plains country and had bought himself another piece of land. His five oldest boys were vigorous young fellows and there was hardly enough room for them on the Saline County place which was, by that time, a thickly settled community. Out west, in Furnas County, NE, there was room to spare. He could have all the stock he could raise and his rambunctious sons would not be penned in.

So, in the Spring of 1892, he loaded a carload of stock and household goods and went out there. He had five young boys to take with him. His eldest son, Willie, was home with his wife and small baby, and they went along. But, they were not happy there and soon returned to IA. The second son Ernest was gone somewhere and was never at home much after he was a teenager. Ben kept the Saline County land for several years but finally sold it and invested in more Western land.

His was the common story of the prairie settler. In 1893 was a drought year, 1894 was worse, then it came back to a bumper year in 1896. There was drought through the years, prairie fires, blizzards and hail storms. They had their fair share of illnesses and other hardships, but they continued on and were one of the substantial families of Furnas County.

Samantha died November 27, 1922, at the age of 71 years. She had been ill for a number of years with an undetermined disease. Ben missed his home after she was gone. He had been greatly dependent upon her since she was his source of information and did all his writing and reading for him. He traveled for a while, visiting relatives and friends here and there. He then married Mrs. Anna King, at Lincoln, NE, but it was not a happy marriage and he soon divorced her. He spent his remaining years with his son Ben, whose home farm adjoined that of his fathers. He died in his sleep, November 21, 1934, and was eighty-four years old.

More About Benjamin Salmons Chapman:
Burial: November 24, 1934, Buried in Highland Cemetery, Edison, Furnas Co., Ne
Cause of Death: Heart Failure
Fact 1: 1853, Joined his family in NY
Fact 2: 1870, Moved to Chickasaw County, IA
Fact 3: 1870, Returned to Iowa County, IA
Fact 4: 1878, Moved to Miligan, Saline Co., NE
Fact 5: Settled in Edison, Furnas Co., NE
Fact 11: Bought railroad land to farm.
Fact 12: Samantha died of undetermined disease.
Fact 13: Ben remarried Anna King, but didn't last.
Occupation: Benjamin was a Farmer

Notes for Samantha Marie Bratton:
Samantha Bratton married Benjamin Salmon Chapman at her parents' home in Hinkletown, IA.

Hinkletown is a town long since out of existance. It was located east of North English, IA.

More About Samantha Marie Bratton:
Burial: November 29, 1922, Buried in Highland Cemetery, Edison, Furnas Co., Ne
Cause of Death: Undetermined
Fact 10: Buried in Highland Cemetery, Edison, Furnas Co., NE

Children of Benjamin Chapman and Samantha Bratton are:

+	46	i.	William Edward⁴ Chapman, born November 18, 1870 in Hinkletown, Iowa County, IA; died December 10, 1965 in Pleasant Valley Nursing Home, Sigourney, IA.
+	47	ii.	Ernest Albert Chapman, born May 05, 1874 in Chickasaw County, IA; died Unknown in Wagon Mound, NM.
+	48	iii.	Clark Andrew Chapman, born January 29, 1877 in Hinkletown, Iowa County, IA; died October 04, 1974 in Hemet, CA.
+	49	iv.	Frank Henry Chapman, born October 04, 1878 in Milligan, Saline County, NE; died Abt. 1952 in Aztec, NM.
+	50	v.	Benjamin Erwin Chapman, born September 10, 1880 in Milligan, Saline County, NE; died February 24, 1937 in Edison, Furnas County, NE.
+	51	vi.	Walter Chapman, born January 21, 1885 in Milligan, Saline County, NE; died Unknown in Hemet, CA.
+	52	vii.	Arthur Chapman, born February 28, 1888 in Milligan, Saline County, NE; died November 13, 1946 in Modesto, CA.

13. Alfred Sylvester³ Chapman (Henry Charles², Charles?¹) was born August 04, 1857 in Hinkletown, Iowa County, IA, and died June 13, 1943 in Wellman,washington co.,ia.. He married Eva Jane Adams July 18, 1880 in North English, IA [washington co.?], daughter of Joseph Adams and Sarah White. She was born September 12, 1859 in iowa, and died February 17, 1900 in Wellman, IA. near bunker hill.

Notes for Alfred Sylvester Chapman:
Alfred was born August 4, 1857. He had to care for his little sister, Emma when she was quite young. They grew very close to one another as a result.

Alfred married Eva Jane Adams, and they had five children:

Mamie Ellen Chapman;
Edith Blanche Chapman;
Ollie Mae Chapman;
Harrison Benjamin Chapman;
Alta Merle Chapman.

Alfred began working for farmers at a young age, and eventually had a farm of his own. He liked nursing, and was always willing to lend a hand when needed.

After Eva died, Alfred moved to Wellman where he bought a house.

More About Alfred Sylvester Chapman:
Burial: Unknown, Fairview Cemetery in N.W. Washington Co., IA
Cause of Death: unknown
Fact 6: Farmer
Fact 7: Alfred was a businessman & into nursing.
Fact 8: Lived in North English & Wellman, IA
Fact 9: Religion unknown
Fact 11: Lived to be 86 yrs old.
Fact 12: Never strayed far from his home.

More About Eva Jane Adams:
Burial: Unknown, Fairview Cemetery in N.W. Washington Co., IA
Fact 1: Eva was decendent of Pres. John Quincy Adams
Fact 2: born 2-15-1900?

Children of Alfred Chapman and Eva Adams are:

	53	i.	Mamie Ellen⁴ Chapman, born April 24, 1881 in North English, IA; died December 25, 1886 in North English, IA.
+	54	ii.	Edith Blanche Chapman, born October 15, 1882 in North English, IA near nira,ia. washington co.lime creek twp.; died February 19, 1967 in Wellman, IA.
+	55	iii.	Ollie Mae Chapman, born October 16, 1884 in Wellman, IA; died May 18, 1970 in maplewood manon,keota, IA.
+	56	iv.	Harrison Benjamin Chapman, born August 19, 1888 in North English, IA; died October 29, 1959 in oakland,alameda co.,ca..
+	57	v.	Alta Muriel Chapman, born August 30, 1899 in North English, IA; died December 18, 1980 in Moline, IL.

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