THE JAMES MCELROYS OF FRANKLIN AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO
THE JAMES MCELROYS OF FRANKLIN AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MOUpdated December 5, 2005 | |
VALERIE JEANETTE INGE-WRIGHT | "You are told a lot about your education, but some beautiful, sacred memory, preserved since childhood, is perhaps the best education of all. If a man carries many such memories into life with him, he is saved for the rest of his days. And even if only one good memory is left in our hearts, it may also be the instrument of our salvation one day." --- Fyodor Dostoyevsky I started research on my Family Tree during the summer of 1992. One of the things that inspired me, was the sad memory of my great-grandmother speaking of her years in an orphanage. What started as a quest to find the name of the orphanage and the reason why she was there, has turn into an obsession that words could never express. Twelve years later I finally found her and her brother listed as one of the inmates of the St. Louis Colored Children’s Home,in the 1900 St. Louis City Census. The report was almost impossible to read. Finally, I ran across several new transcriptions of the census report. Her first name had been listed as a variation of her actual name (Lou Ella instead of Stella). I verified this information by checking the birth month, date, year and place of birth both siblings. Most of the information I have obtained has come from relatives and friends, including a magnitude of assistance from complete strangers. Some of the people I knew, and most I never have met. Since my journey into my family’s history, I have discovered that I have many more relatives than I ever thought possible! My heartfelt thanks go out to all those who have answered so many, "JUST ONE MORE QUESTION!" Everyone is welcome to join me in this Quest! "WHEN THE ROOTS GET DEEPER, THE BRANCHES GET STRONGER AND, THE LEAVES KEEP GROWING" --- C. Warren I am still searching for information about the McElroy family that resided in Kentucky in the early 1800's and moved to Franklin and then St. Louis County, Missouri in the mid 1800's. These McElroys were white, however from the census reports some resided with or was married to a black or mulatto. The earliest records that I have are: James McElroy born April 1828 in Kentucky.He married Susan F. ? born January, 1845 in Kentucky. She was the daughter of Polly Clark (born 1820 in Kentucky). The McElroys moved from Kentucky and settled in a section of St. Louis County where the land was purchased from Jean Baptists Douchouquette and John Sarpy, by two brothers; James C. and John C. Marshall. The Marshalls were from Fairfax, Virginia and moved to Missouri around 1832. Later a portion of the land was subdivided and sold. Land was deeded in 1885 to Susan and James McElroy by M. L. Gerould Trustee for creditors and children of Jane K. Murphy in Webster Subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri (Central Township) The child of James and Susan is: John Leonidas McElroy (John or Lee) was born in 1860 in New Haven, Missouri (Franklin County). He married Mary Watts who was born in St. Louis County, Missouri. On both of their birth certificates American is listed as race. In the 1880 census John was listed as mulatto. He died September 30, 1902 in Webster Groves, Missouri. I cannot place John Lee or Mary anywhere from 1880 until his death in 1902. I am looking for information about who might have migrated from Kentucky with my McElroys. |