03 November 2011

Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - George Washington Covell v Mary Covell, c1858


By Pamela Pattison Lash

In researching the early divorces of Williams County, Ohio, I recently found a divorce detailing that I had missed.  I have not found any documentation in the Civil and Criminal Records but I did find an article in an old newspaper for the county.  If anyone can shed some light on the mysterious first wife of GW Covell, I would love to hear from you.

George Washington Covell (19 Feb 1828 NY – 26 May 1893, Osawatomie, Miami Co, KS; buried in Spring Grove Quaker Cem, Lane, Miami Co, KS)
M1 - Mary (unknown surname)
M2 - 12 July 1863, Scipio Twp, Hillsdale Co, MI, Laura Silsby

Note there is a tombstone with both George W and Lucina Covell (his mother) but none for his second wife, Laura.

Children:
Ella Lucina
Laura Ellen
Anna
Edward M

His parents:
Hiram Covell (1800 NY – 8 Sept 1865; buried in Heritage Cem, Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH)
Lucina C. Neff (24 June 1809 NY – 29 Oct 1888, burial in Spring Grove Quaker Cem, Lane, Miami Co, KS)

Hiram Covell was a Bridgewater Township Trustee in 1840

1840 Bridgewater, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 433; Page: 215; Image: 437; Family History Library Film: 0020179.
Covell, Hiram
1m 10-15
1m 15-20
1m 40-50
1f 30-40

1850 Bridgewater, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M432_741; Page: 49B; Image: 102.
h/h 681/683 Covell, Hiram 50 NY farmer
Susannah 45 NY
George 22 NY clerk

Republican Standard, 4 Feb 1858, p3
Divorce Notice
Notice is hereby given that my wife Mary has left my bed and board.  All persons are forbidden to harbor or trust her on my account, as I shall pay no debts of her contracting.  GW Covell, 1 Feb 1858

Williams Co, OH Common Pleas Court. March 1858, Hiram Covell v Moses Donaldson

Williams Co, OH Common Pleas Court, May 1860, State of Ohio v Hiram Covill

1860 Bridgewater, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M653_1052; Page: 103; Image: 209; Family History Library Film: 805052.
h/h 152/147 Coville, Hiram 60 NY
Lucina 55 NY

On 12 July 1863 in Scipio, Hillsdale Co, MI George W Covell married Mrs. Laura Lorenza Silsby Lamb.  Laura was the daughter of Elijah and Temperance Silsby.

Laura Lorenza Silsby (22 Aug 1828 Antwerp, Jefferson Co, NY – 5 Jan 1912 Trinidad, Las Animas Co, CO) Laura, a widow, married George Seely Lamb on 1 Nov 1845 in Lorain Co, OH. They were enumerated in the 1850 Phelpstown, Ingham, Michigan; Roll: M432_351; Page: 85B; Image: 573. George Seeley Lamb died on 19 Aug 1862 in New Ulm, Minnesota.  1860 Murray, Minnesota; Roll: M653_572; Page: 519; Image: 106; Family History Library Film: 803572. They had a son, Frances Edgar Lamb, born 1850 in Ingham, MI, and daughters, Emma Lamb and Alice Lamb, born 1856 WI and 1858 WI, respectively.

Her parents:
Elijah Silsby (26 Jan 1802 Windham Co, CT – 11 Feb 1860, Luttenton Cem, Pulaski, Jackson Co, MI)
Temperance La Due (15 July 1803 Scipio, Cayuga Co, NY- 4 Nov 1882 Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH)
1850 Scipio, Hillsdale, Michigan; Roll: M432_351; Page: 438A; Image: 223.

On 17 Nov 1865 Hiram Covell’s estate was probated (Williams Co Probate, case #995).

Lucina was a member of Liberty Chapel Church (UB).

1870 Bridgewater, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 36B; Image: 76; Family History Library Film: 552781.
h/h /237 Covell, George W 42 NY dry goods merchant
Laura L 41 NY
Laura E 3 OH
Lamb, Emma 13 WI
Covell, Lucina 65 NY widow, mitten knitter
Moors, Georgeanne 66 NY

1880 North West, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1077; Family History Film: 1255077; Page: 435B; Enumeration District: 1; Image: 0510.
h/h 45/47 Covell, George W 52 farmer NY-NY-NY
Laura L 51 wife NY-VT-NY
Laura E 14 dau OH-NY-NY
Edward M 5 adopted son OH-OH-OH
Lucina 75 mother NY-NY-NY
Stone, Temperance 76 mother-i-l NY-NY-RI

1885 Middle Creek, Miami Co, Kansas State Census. Microfilm reels K-1 – K-146. Kansas State Historical Society.
h/h 2/2 Covell, GW 57 farmer
LL (f) 56
Edwin 10

1900 Hudson, Lenawee, Michigan; Roll: T623_725; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 48.
Laura Covell 71 widow NY living with Hiram Covell – note she’s stated as sister, but I wonder if she’s really sister-in-law, making this Hiram a brother to her late husband, George W Covell; she’s listed as born Aug 1829 NY with 2/2 children

1910 Bucyrus Ward 2, Crawford, Ohio; Roll: T624_1163; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0006; Image: 214; FHL Number: 1375176.
Laura L Covell 81 NY mother of Francis Covell