John H. Schamp v Jennie Jones Schamp
Further Aggravation for the Family of a Murdered Youngster, Divorce in Williams Co, OH, 1882
By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 2010)
Much has been written about the murder of little four-year-old David Schamp in Jefferson Twp, Wms Co, OH, on 13 June 1847. His family would suffer greatly from this senseless carnage at the hands of an old man with a forbidding countenance, Andrew F. Tyler, and a 16 year-old imbecile, Daniel Heckerthorne. On 26 Jan 1849 Tyler was hung in Bryan and Heckerthorne whose sentence was commuted to life imprisonment would die sometime after 1860. The Schamp family experienced other forms of grief as well.
Peter David Schamp, b. c.30 June 1813 in NJ married Anna Elizabeth Housell who was also b. NJ, 29 Dec 1818. In 1840 the couple resided in Bridgewater, Somerset Co, NJ. and would later move to Wayne Co, OH where several of their ten children were born; the two oldest were buried there. Sometime in 1844 Schamp and his family settled in Jefferson Twp, Wms Co, OH and he farmed 240 acres there. He also pursued the occupations of shoemaker and veterinarian. Peter and Anna would live to see eight of their children die young and only have their fourth son and their youngest daughter live to adulthood. These children were all buried in Floral Grove Cem, West Unity, Brady Twp, Wms Co, OH. Six youngsters were buried in a family plot on the Schamp farm but would be reburied with their father in Floral Grove. John H. Schamp, the surviving son, was made the executor of the estate, which would allow Anna, 1 bed, and bushels of grain plus a life interest in the estate. Over $2700 was owed by the estate to many creditors. On 7 Feb 1877 AW Hayes was authorized to move the six deceased Schamp children to Floral Grove. By April 1878 Eli Booth swapped a bed for a cemetery plot there for John H. Schamp's future repose. Things were sold outright to give heirs, John, Rebecca, and widow Anna over $1,000 each.
The Schamp children were as follows: Henry, Charlotte, David, John H., Susan, George, Jacob, Elizabeth Ann, Peter, and Rebecca Ann who married Franklin Pierce Allion, 3 Apr 1881. Surviving son John H. Scamp married Jennie Jones in Wms Co on 21 Sept 1878 (V4 p591). Jennie b. 1859, OH was the daughter of Newton M. Jones and Sarah B. Stahl who also married in Wms Co, OH on 8 Mar 1857 (V2 p157) and lived in Center Twp. The Jones family was enumerated in the 1860 Center Twp, Wms Co, OH federal census p82, as Newton 24 OH, Sarah 21 PA, Franklin 2 OH, and Philena 1 OH. Note that Philena became known as Jennie Jones. In 1862 the Jones family increased with the birth of son Simon E.
John and Jennie Schamp became parents with the birth of son Henry on 22 July 1879, Center Twp. In Nov 1879 Jennie would abandon John and refuse to live with him. A few weeks after the baby was born Jennie gave the babe into the care of John, his mother Anna, and sister Rebecca who had traveled to the Jones home in a buggy to pick up the child.
According to Journal 11 p569 and Roll 38 case number 1052 of the Williams County Civil and Criminal Court Records in Sept 1882 John Schamp sued his wife Jennie for a divorce. John stated that the couple had lived with his mother and sister. Jennie claimed she was forced to sleep in a parlor and had an adjoining bedroom with a place to hang her clothes. She further stated that she was not provided with any clothing or support and was forced to perform manual labor. She had to rely on the charity of friends to make her way and that she did not get along with her mother-in-law. By the 1880 Center Twp federal census the Jones’ were listed as Newton 49 OH with parents native of VA, Sarah 42 PA with parents native of PA, and children Franklin 22 OH, Jennie 21 OH, and Simon E 18 OH. Jennie was listed as single. In the 1880 Jefferson Twp federal census p528, John H. Schamp was enumerated as 34 OH, a divorced man; these census records were taken before the court action began.
On 12 Jan 1881 Jennie went with her parents to collect her belongings and said she would come back if John would build her a house of her own. He promised to work on building one. It appears that the couple did not reconcile even though no formal divorce was granted.
Another interesting court case regarding the Schamp family is found in June 1882, Roll 38 case number 988, where Ann E. Schamp sued son John H. Schamp over the distribution of the Jefferson Twp real estate. On 17 May 1889 Anna Schamp died and was buried with her family. On 20 Apr 1893 John Schamp at the age of 49Y died and joined his deceased family in Floral Grove Cemetery. Several months after his death his sister Rebecca Allion became the guardian for Henry P. Schamp on 2 Aug 1893. Henry 's name changed in the records from a "P" to a "T". On 1 Feb 1897 Rebecca sued Henry for the right to sell the Schamp real estate because he was suffering "waste and wear" and she needed money for taxes and his support. On 25 July 1900 Henry Schamp filed his final account as a minor and later that year Rebecca was given $180 for her role as his guardian. Henry received a $3,000 life insurance payment, real estate valued at $500, and rent on a house he owned of $50. In the 1900 Jefferson Twp federal census Henry Schamp was listed with the Allions as Henry b July 1879 (20) OH. He was not listed with them in later census records and his death is not currently known.
In the 1900 Center Twp federal census p11B, the Jones family was listed as Miles Jones b May 1831 (69) OH, married 44Y with 3 children, all surviving, wife Sarah b Mar 1838 (62) PA, and daughter Jennie b Apr 1859 (41) OH, a widow with one child surviving. The Jones household changed location by the 1910 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census p160, as father Newton had died and widow Sarah 81 PA lived on Center Street as head of house with her divorced daughter Jennie 51 OH. The 1920 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census p165 showed the pair as Sarah 81 PA and Jennie 60 OH; again they were classified as widows.
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