02 November 2010

Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Queen


Catharine A. Harker Queen v James H. Queen (Journal 6 p460  - 28 Feb 1865; Roll 17 case number 64 - Feb 1865)

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 2010)

The couple was married in Rochester, Perry Twp, Noble Co, IN on 18 Feb 1856.  Catherine, b 3 Feb 1837, pos in Huntingdon, Huntingdon Co, PA, was the daughter of David Beaver and Jane Norris Harker.  The Harker family was listed in the 1850 St. Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH federal census p81B as David 39 PA farmer, Jane 35 PA, Jacob 15 PA, Catherine 14 PA, Amos 11 OH, John 9 OH, William 4 OH, David 2 OH, Sarah 7/12 OH, and Rebecca Norris 17 PA. The Queen couple was enumerated in the 1860 St Joseph Twp, Wms Co, OH federal census p112a, as James 25 OH, Catherine 23 OH, and David 1 OH.  James H. Queen was a Civil War soldier, who served in Co H 14th OVI and rose to the rank of First Sergeant.  He may have been born on 29 Apr 1836.

Catherine stated that they had three children, David T. (7), Mary Jane (5), and John Bruff (3).  James was a habitual drunk for more than three years and was guilty of gross neglect.  He ran away to Nashville, TN where he was the keeper of a house of ill fame.  A legal notice was posted in the Union Press and a divorce was granted.  On 22 Feb 1866 Catherine had married a George Wanamaker and lived in Lincoln, Washington Co, Kansas as evidenced by the 1870 federal census p358B. Note than Catherine was listed as 33 OH.

Son John Bruff Queen was a premier auctioneer during the Oklahoma land rush and was given the honorary title of Colonel.  He also rode as a Pony Express messenger.  James H. Queen supposedly married a second time to Margaret Steen, a PA native.  They settled in Denver, Arapahoe Co, Colorado where he died c1900.  Catharine’s second husband, George Wanamaker, was murdered by his gold rush partner after an expedition to Colorado in the mid-1870’s.  

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Catherine Harker Queen was my husbands great aunt. Her father David Beaver Harker was my husbands gg grandfather. This is interesting to see this document which I have never seen in my genealogy research. I would be interested in obtaining a copy if you dont mind. Thanks for this informative web site. Beverly Harker harkersmith@aol.com

Unknown said...

Note: John B. Queen killed a man named L. S. Lebus a blacksmith in self defense on Dec 22, 1905? Article found in the Guthrie Daily Leader, Guthrie, Okla. on Mar 17, 1906. Richard Johnston, Fayetteville, Ga. Note: I'm not related but wrote a story about him on my Facebook Page "Choctaw Woman - Mela Comes Home".

Unknown said...

Much of the info in the first comment is out of context. Firstly, James H. Queen was born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland and migrated with his family to Maryport, England. His folks were Terence Quinn & Elizabeth McGuire. His children by his first wife Catherine Harker were David Terence Queen, John Bruff Queen & Mary Jane "Jennie" Queen -Fellows.

James H. Queen was in 3 Union regiments in the Civil War, not just one. 14th Ohio (3 month), 38th Ohio as 2nd Lt. and lastly Capt. Co. I, 10th Tennessee Inf. (Union). He was with this last at the time divorce was filed. He didn't "run away" to Nashville. He was stationed there. Drunkenness and abandonment were most likely true but running a cat house in Nashville while on duty highly doubtful. Although a superior officer approved of his resignation due to inattention to his command.

Catherine Harker was married 4 times, not just twice: James H. Queen, George Barnes-Wanamaker, Edwin Putnam & John Webster.

Capt. James H. Queen did later marry Margaret Steen and settled in Denver. It appears he tried with great effort keeping anonymous to his former family by taking his wife's maiden name "Steen" on city directories. Some of his sons with this second marriage actually are buried with the Steen name as well. Capt. Queen is my 3g grandfather and son John Bruff Queen my 2g grandfather. While very young John Bruff Queen did ride certain routes in Kansas formerly of the Pony Express during the 1870's. However the official Pony Express was very short lived having been disbanded in 1861 after the invention of the telegraph.