52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #31 – Jane Blakeney Welch

My 3rd great-grandmother was Jane Welch nee Blakeney. She was born about 1788 to John and Nancy Blakeney nee May, probably in Cheraws District, South Carolina in the area that eventually became Chesterfield County.

She married Elisha “Eli” Welch sometime around 1810; although no marriage record has been found, they likely married in Chesterfield County. The 1820 census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina had tick marks for two males under 10 years of age and two females under 10 years of age. By 1830, Eli was enumerated in Anson County, North Carolina, which was just across the state line from Chesterfield County. In addition to Eli and Jane, the tick marks reflected the two males but only one of the females from the 1820 census and added three more males under 5 years, two between 5 and 9, and two females between 5 and 9.

Eli and Jane moved to Fayette County, Alabama sometime before 1840 because that’s where they were enumerated for that census. The first and only census record that names Jane was the 1850 census record. Their daughter, Elizabeth Welch Threet was enumerated next to them.The household make up appears to be Eli and Jane plus their daughter, Sarah, and two sons, Hugh and Robert; Robert was my 2nd great-grandfather. In addition, James and Lewis were probably grandsons; unfortunately, censuses didn’t identify relationships until the 1880 census.

Neither Eli nor Jane were enumerated for the 1860 census. We found probate files for Jane Welch, which indicated she was widowed at the time of her death. The administration documents for her probate were filed June 6, 1856. A list of creditors included bills for home visits and medication that were provided to her almost daily from March 17 until April 14, 1856. This would indicate Jane died sometime between April 14, her last medical visit, and June 6, 1856 when probate was filed.

Eli and Jane owned two hundred acres of land so it is likely they were both buried on their land, but no cemeteries or burial records have as yet been discovered.

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This blog was prepared as a part of Amy Johnson Crow’s  No Story Too Small 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.