Indiana Wampler (1864 -1883), wife of George L. Knight

Indiana Wampler is listed, in her parent's household, Joseph Wampler and Cynthia Jane Smith, in the 1870 US Census and 1880 US Census in Monroe county, Indiana. On both census reports her age has her with an estimated birth year of 1864 and she is said to been born in Indiana, more than likely in Monroe county, Indiana.

Only other information I came across about her was a few family trees saying she married a George Knight. It seemed to come to a screeching halt after that. No children listed, no death information shared for her outside of maybe few online trees may share an occasional question mark (for the date) and "possibly in Monroe County" or more vague location of "Indiana".

[hm5-132]   Indiana, WAMPLER
b. 1864
m. George KNIGHT
l. [he1-3]Hans->[hm2-7]Christopher->[hm3-21]Adam->[hm4-51]Joseph=>
Source: Wampler/Wampfler Database

So, here is what I eventually found:

On 11 May 1883, Indiana Wampler married George L. Knight in Monroe county, Indiana. This marriage apparently happened on the weekend immediately right after she won her bastardy case against the very same George L. Knight. After the jury gave it's verdict in her favor, per the newspaper accounts, George seemed to have a change of heart and suggested, in the court house, that they marry that weekend.

"It took the jury about fifteen minutes to decide the Wampler Knight bastardy suit. After it was over, it is said that hte defendent shook hands with the mother and chucked the baby under the chin, thinking no doubt, that after all it is nice to be a pa."

"There was a large audience in court last Tuesday, the front seats were occupied largely by bald-heads. The attraction was the bastardy suit of Indiana Wampler against George Knight. The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff. Mr. Knight and Miss Wampler havod[sic] agreed to "kiss and make up," and will be married Sunday."
Source: Bloomington Courier, 12 May 1883, Page 4

"... The following are the latest marriage licenses: ... Geo. Knight and India Wampler. ..."
Source: Bloomington Courier, 19 May 1883, Page 1

Per another article, from the Indianapolis News, it shared the information that after the May marriage, the couple went to live in Brown county, Indiana. The article is vague, but using the September publication date in with the paragraph sharing "some ten days ago", as some kind of time reference, this would have Indiana Wampler Knight passing in late August of 1883 in Brown county, Indiana. The article was about Indiana's friends found her sudden death suspicious and apparently went to court to have her body, buried in Monroe county, exhumed. No mention of which cemetery she was buried in nor have I located, at this time, a later shared determination of the exam/coroner's findings.

"Some ten days ago the wife of George Knight died suddenly and under circumstances which led her friends to suspect foul play. She was living in Brown county at the time of her death, but was buried in Monroe county. The body was exhumed and the stomach taken out for analysis. "
Source: The Indianapolis News, 3 Sep 1883, Page 3

Not much is known about the child, who was the reason for the bastardy suit being filed that lead to Indiana Wampler marrying the baby's father. The newspaper articles I found did not mention the child's gender or name. In snooping around Google search results, the closest I came is an record, within a pdf file of Monroe county births, sharing that an Anna Wampler gave birth to a child on 5 Jan 1883 and, in the father column, was "NA". However, the child is listed simply as Infant Wampler. I should share a notation, from my side, that that alone does not have it "definitive" that it was Indiana Wampler who gave birth to a child on 5 Jan 1883, just sharing what I felt was maybe a "possibility" I have found so far and could try to use that date/time frame thought in hopes of locating more information.

I turned to George L. Knight, in hopes that poking around on his side of the paper trail would help lead to the child's name. Again I was hit with a brick wall. He had a child out of wedlock, in 1878, with a Catherine Eldrick in Brown county, Indiana. Some sources say he married Catherine Eldrick, and other sources don't say that they married although the child, William, had the surname of Knight. If George and Catherine married in Brown county, Indiana after she was pregnant with William Knight, they had divorced by May 1883 in order for George Knight to marry Indiana Wampler in Monroe county, Indiana.

Another source, at Rootsweb, shared that George L. Knight had 8 children. They listed the one child he had with Catherine Eldrick, but had him and Indiana Wampler not having a child. George L, Knight married a 3rd time, to Sarah Margaret Chandler, in 1899 in Monroe county, Indiana. The couple is said to have 6 children. So this information takes me to having the names of 7 of children: besides William, he had James Andrew, Maud Ellen, Henry Lewis, Eliza May, Minnie Alice and Gilbert Marshall Knight. I have not come across George Knight's obit at this time to compare the listing of survivors to the list of the 7 children's names shared in that particular Rootsweb posting.

In 1889 there is a "notice" which ran in the Bloomington newspapers about land division amongst George Knight and his siblings. In those notices is also listed an Elizabeth Wampler. George's parents, James Hoagland Knight and Eliza E. Carter, do not appear (thus far in my poking around) to have had a daughter named Elizabeth and it seems that their son, George, is the only one from the family that married a Wampler. Could this Elizabeth Wampler be Indiana Wampler's child? Hard telling, as there isn't much to work with thus far with this mystery. Searching for an Elizabeth Wampler who was born in 1883 doesn't seem to help lead me anywhere. Due to the lacking of a 1890 US Census, no idea where Indiana Wampler Knight's child was living at - by 1900, a 17 year old child doesn't appear to be listed in George Knight's nor Joseph Wampler's households.

Per this posting, I have shared that I managed to come across a bit more information about Indiana Wampler's short life. That information is having me cross my fingers that it is hopefully helpful as I continue to try to find more information about her only known - but also 'unknown' - child, per her taking the father to court for bastardy and the newspaper accounts sharing that led to her marrying the father of the child that is not shared by many within their own research.

John Byars Wampler (1843-1885) and Minnie A. Buck's (1864-1896) Children

John Byars Wampler married Minnie A. Buck, daughter of Charles Marquis Buck and Hannah Wellborn, in a double wedding ceremony in August of 1881. (The other couple was W. Armitage and Maud Noyes. John was friends with the couple and also with Maud's brother, Alva(h) Noyes who would later marry Minnie Buck's sister, Hattie. Alva would later write a short book, "Story of Ajax", about his early adult years in Montana in which he would mention John and John's other brothers periodically within it.)

John B. Wampler died, in 1885, as a result of blood poisoning that came about due to infection in his leg. It is said that he was buried somewhere on his Montana homestead. Minnie remarried and died a few years later, in April of 1898, in California. (Her FindAGrave memorial page has Minnie's middle name being Belle, which I don't know where they got that from as in newspapers her middle initial was listed as A, not B.)

The brief 4 year marriage of John B. and Minnie A. (Buck) Wampler resulted in two children. A daughter named Lorene May Wampler, born in 1882, and a son named Walter F. Wampler, born in 1884. Reece Bowen Wampler, John Byars' brother who also lived in Montana at the time, applied and was approved to be guardian of the children.

Lorene May was born 19 Jun 1882, probably in Big Hole - where John B. Wampler had his homestead, but I have seen her birthplace listed as Butte, Silver Bow county, Montana online. She doesn't appear in an available census report with Reece B. Wampler. Sometime after her mother's passing, and before 1900, it appears that she went to Knox county, Indiana. She lived in that area for the rest of her life until her passing on 24 Apr 1976.

Lorene was married Charles D. Steffy, son of Joseph and Mary Purcell Steffy, on 28 Dec 1901 in Bruceville, Knox county, Indiana. This marriage resulted in three children together: Charles Curtis Steffy, who died around the age of 12, Walter E. Steffy, and a daughter, Nellie M. Steffy.

MARRIED.
Charles D. Steffy of Wheatland, and Miss Lovene[sic?] May Wampler of Fritchton, were married Wednesday by Rev. R. H. Hooke at the Upper Indiana parsonage.
Source: Western Sun - 20 December 1901 - Page 7

Walter F. Wampler was born 10 Dec 1884 - reportedly in Knox county, Indiana. I perused the Indiana birth index, on Ancestry, and cannot find a record for him there. Walter is listed in a 1900 US census report in Reece Bowen Wampler's household. On that census his birth information is listed as Dec 1884, which had him being 16 at the time. His obit also shared that he was born in Vincennes, Knox county, Indiana on 10 Dec 1884. (Some people are apparently attaching him to a 2 Mar 1883 birth where the mother's name is listed as Emma, but that date conflicts with the other information about him having a December birth date.)

Walter never married and he died 14 Nov 1905 in Nye county, Nevada, shortly before his 21st birthday, from pneumonia, and he is buried in Tonapah, Nye county, Nevada.

John Byars Wampler and his younger brother, Reece Bowen Wampler, both had sons they gave the first name of Walter to, per their own paper trails, but their sons were each born in different years. Reeece Bowen's son died in Chicago, Illinois in 1881 and was buried in Knox county, Indiana - his headstone has become worn down from weather and age, and apparently they referred to him by his middle name, Audley, versus as Walter.

Reece Bowen Wampler 1852-1931

Who's....Reese WAMPLER of Montana who married a JORDAN around 1880. (info from Rebecca Mock, sdmock@gte.net).
Source: Wampler/Wampfler Database - Who's This Wampler?

Answer: That would be Reese (or Reece) Bowen Wampler, son of David Guy Wampler and Jane Byars. He was born 21 Mar 1852 in Knox county, Indiana - probably in Palmyra Township, although I have seen him listed as to being born in Vincennes, which was not far from Palmyra Township. He is recorded in 1860 census taken 2 years before David Wampler passes away and also in Jane (Byars) Wampler's household for the 1870 US Census.

Reese Bowen Wampler and three of his of his brothers, John Byars, David Fleming and Thomas J. Wampler, went westward as adults. John Byars was the first of the four, he went to Big Hole area of Montana in 1865 time frame and appears he may been part of the Battle of Big Hole. David Fleming Wampler and his family followed around 7 to 8 years later and settled in Big Basin/Butte area of Montana. Reese B. and Thomas J. Wampler also went to Montana, but I haven't pegged down "when", but know Reece was there at least by 1872 time frame. There are references to all four brothers in early Montana newspapers, however Reece tends to feel like his name was mentioned more often.

Reese Wampler married Violet Josephine "Josie" Jordan, daughter of Harrison Jordan and Catherine Tuttle, 7 Dec 1873.

MARRIED. - At the residence of the bride's parents, Fish Creek, M. T., December 7, 1873, by the Rev. Hugh Duncan, Mr. Reese Wampler, of Butte City, and Miss Josephine Jordan.
Source: Bozeman Avant Courier ; 19 Dec 1873 ; Page 3

They had three children, two girls and a boy, but only their oldest daughter, Nina, lived to adulthood and married a Charles E. Morris, it doesn't appear that the couple had any children before Charles died.

The 1880 US Census, for the household, is the only report that lists all of Reece's children. Irma and Walter Audley "Kidd" Wampler are often listed in online trees as to passing away before 1901. The "before 1901" thought probably stems from an autobiographical sketch for Reece Bowen Wampler appeared in a book, published in 1901, about "Progressive Men of the State of Montana, Book 1". In that particular sketch, Reece shared that Irma and Walter were deceased, but he didn't share more exact information for when they passed away.

I haven't come across more information, outside of the census reports, for Irma. I did find more information about their son. Walter Audley Wampler was born 17 Nov 1879 in Montana, there is a birth announcement for a son being born to the family in a Montana newspaper. Walter Audley Wampler died 19 Jan 1881 in Chicago, Cook county, Illinois and was buried in Upper Indiana cemetery in Bruceville, Knox, Indiana. In the obit for the son, it is mentioned he was survived by two sisters - which would been Nina and Irma. Given that Reece stated two of children passed "before 1901":, and Walter Audley died in 1881, could this hint Irma may have died in the early months of 1900 since she is not listed in that particular census?

Died.
In Chicago, at the residence of K. K. Baldwin, on the morning of January 19, Walter Audley, only son of Reece B. and Josie Wampler, of Butte City, Montana Territory, aged 1 year, 2 months and 2 days.
Walter was born in Butte City, November 17th, 1879; and until some three months ago lived there, when his mother carried him to Chicago, where he sickened and died. Walter was a beautiful child, too fair a flower to beautify earth, and was transplanted in Glory. Oh the sudden transition from pangs of death to glory, when the Savior took him in his arms, for he said "Suffer little children to come unto me, and for bid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." On the day following his death his Aunt Bec brought his remains to his grandmother. His remains were interred, Saturday last, in the Upper Indiana grave-yard. This is the eighth grand-child - five of which are interred at Upper Indiana; four of that number were carried from their Grandmother Wampler's. Walter leaves his parents and two sisters to mourn for him; but his loss is their gain. ....
(The Butte Miner please copy)
Source: Weekly Western Sun - 4 Feb 1881 - Page 1

DIED.
... WAMPLER.- In Chicago, Illinois, January 19th, 1881, Walter Dudley, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Wampler, aged 1 year 2 months and 2 days. ...
Source: Helena Weekly Herald - 10 Feb 1881 - Page 7

Reece and Josephine lived in Montana for a good part of their marriage and also Nevada. A nephew named Walter, who was the son of John Byars Wampler, is listed in their household for the 1900 US Census and he appears to gone with them to Nevada where he later passes away. It is said that Reece and his wife originally moved to Portersville area, in Tulare County, California, due to Josephine's health. Josephine Jordan Wampler passed away in 2 Jan 1920 in California.

Reese Wampler is recorded alone in 1920 US census. After Josephine's passing, he remained in that area and his daughter, Nina, listed as widowed, is listed in his home for the 1930 US census.

Reece B. Wampler died 16 Jun 1931 by suicide. Newspaper report shares that he had expressed his concerns about his health and money thoughts, and even suicidal thoughts, to neighbors prior to June 16th.

OCTOGENARIAN DIES BY HIS OWN HAND
PORTERVILLE, June 17. - Ill health and financial worries are believed to have prompted suicide of R. B. Wampler, 80 years of age, who shot himself in the head with a shotgun at his home in his orange grove in the Worth district, east of here, last night. Wampler, who lived alone, had several times spoken of "ending his troubles," according to neighbors. John Uzzell, a neighbor, hearing the report of the gun, found the body and notified authorities. Time for the inquest has not been set. Wampler leaves a daughter, Mrs. Nina Martin of Glendale, who arrived here this afternoon.
Source: The Los Angeles Times ; 18 Jun 1931 ; Page 10

Reece's burial location is not known. His daughter, upon her death around 20 years later, was cremated so that opens the possibility she may have had her father cremated versus buried in Indiana, Montana or California cemetery.

Not The Daughter of Thomas Reed and Mary Russell So Cannot Be The Granddaughter of Charles Russell

Back in 2009 someone uploaded a PDF file to Ancestry.com about Charles Russell and his will. However, they titled the PDF upload with an insinuation that the Eliza Reed, named as a granddaughter of Charles Russell in his will, is the same Eliza Reed who married Blaney Palmer. This would have her mother being a daughter of Charles Russell, Mary, who married a Thomas Reed.

Problem is that the Eliza Reed mentioned in the will has a paper trail which conflicts with the assertion hinted, by the pdf file's title, that she and the Eliza Reed, who married Blaney Palmer, are one in the same person. They are not. The only way to have it work out that Eliza Reed, who married Blaney Palmer, was Charles Russell's granddaughter mentioned in the will would require Blaney Palmer Sr's wife, Eliza, to commit bigamy plus manage to live in two different areas, with both husbands, the rest of her life.

I know, so far this is a confusing read, but that's the part of the problem as the association is confusing because it appears, somewhere along the line, someone mistakenly thought that there was only Eliza Reed born in Ohio or something like that - and not open to the possibility there could been more than one or consider that Eliza/Elizabeth was a popular name.

Here is my breakdown of what discrepancies I noticed in the claim:
· · Eliza Reed, daughter of Thomas Reed and Mary Russell, is said to been born in Gallia County, Ohio. Eliza Reed, who married Blaney Palmer, is said to been born in Butler County, Ohio.
· ·: Eliza Reed, daughter of Thomas Reed and Mary Russell, married in Gallia County. Ohio. Eliza Reed, who married Blaney Palmer, married in Butler County, Ohio.
· · Eliza Reed, daughter of Thomas Reed and Mary Russell, is listed in the 1850 US Census for Gallia County, Ohio with her husband and two Russell cousins - no children for the primary couple listed. Eliza Reed, who married Blaney Palmer, is listed in the 1850 US Census in Ripley County, Indiana, with Blaney and their daughter, Mary.
· · Eliza Reed, who married Blaney Palmer, is listed in the 1860 US Census in Ripley County with Blaney and three additional children (so up to 4 children in the household). In 1860 Eliza Reed, daughter of Thomas Reed and Mary Russell, is listed in 1860 US Census with her husband, John, in Indiana - but not in Ripley County area.

As interesting as the children of Thomas Reed and Mary Russell were and all, and it would be nice to list parental names as well as siblings for Eliza A. Reed Palmer ... Mary Russell and Thomas Reed appears to being the wrong couple to attach Eliza A. Reed Palmer being their daughter; and, in doing so, would only have the tree, for her, go off track and be incorrect with listing her with the wrong parents and grandparents.

Goodness knows there were a lot of Reeds in Ohio in the early to mid-1840s and the hash-mark style of earlier US census reports doesn't make it easy to narrow down to just one particular Reed. However, we have the information, from Eliza's "In Memory Of" that one of the children wrote after her death and marriage records, that contain references to Butler County, not Gallia County, in Ohio as to being the main area likely of more interest. Eliza Reed who married Blaney Palmer married him in Butler county, Ohio in 1848 and there were other Reeds living in the general area of Butler county of where she married Blaney. Using personal research of the officiator of their marriage, and where the officiator resided at in the 1840s, I have it narrowed down to two possible prospects, and I am leaning more toward one couple as to being the likely parents, who lived in the same area of Butler county for the US census in 1850 (2 years after she married) and also in Butler County for the 1840 census. I have them listed as potential parents of her, with the phrase "possible - not proven" included as part of their names to make it clear, to others, that a piece of the puzzle is not yet been confirmed or verified, just that it is possible. Could that other male Reed be related somehow to Thomas Reed? Possible, but as I said - there were a lot of Reeds, from Pennsylvania and Virginia, who went to Ohio between 1810 and 1840s, and many were siblings or cousins.

The problem is, on Ancestry, if you search or look through the 'hints' shared by Ancestry's side for Eliza Reed - that 2009 PDF pops up near the top of those search results. Which means people see her and/or Blaney's name in the title of the PDF file and just click to attach it to (the wrong) Eliza Reed ... which only helps to continue having it pop up (erroneously) in the results for Eliza Reed Palmer. Therefore resulting in quite a few people who, based upon the 2009 pdf file "as a source", list Thomas and Mary Russell Reed to being her parents ... which means they naturally then add Charles Russell to being her grandfather. All this primarily seems due to that pdf file's title thoughts.

So the naming thoughts/false "research" shared only helps to continue sharing the incorrect information. Kind of similar to, as an example, on how people continue to list Blaney and Eliza Reed Palmer to having a son named James due to a census taker error in the 1860 US census where their daughter Jane was mistakenly listed to being a son named James - and they will even list that James as to passing away prior to 1870 versus just removing non-existent James as a child of the couple and correctly putting the 1860 census to Jane; even though they will tell you "I know" that James never existed. Why? I don't know. The only excuse I can think of to keep the fictional child on the family tree is to only continue the theory that " since Blaney and John both had sons named James, then their father must've been named James ..." and citing Irish naming tradition thoughts as the basis. Which that theory doesn't really pan out, since both men did not have a son named James ... but then you have people using one baptismal record to create a set of twins (therefore create a James William Palmer) for Sandford Palmer to say they have found the parents and grandparents for Blaney and John, but the only evidence being a "one size fits all" baptismal record and a marriage record for a William Palmer marrying and nothing else to even remotely connect Blaney to Sandford Palmer's family tree - and nothing, on Sandford Palmer's side, to connect him to being the father of a William James Palmer either (in terms of any later records or him every being said to have a son named William or James, born around 1803 or 1805, attributed to him)

Oh well, I digress ...

---

As a side notation, I have purposely chosen to not link the pdf file shared on Ancestry.com within this article. I am hoping that what I shared here will help shed a little light and prompt others to double check/research on their own (to see if their conclusions match mine when it comes to Eliza Reed of Gallia county, Ohio) and to, possibly, hopefully, edit their trees accordingly and perhaps, eventually, have the person, who titled the pdf file to include Blaney Palmer's name as part of it on Ancestry's site, to rename the pdf file.

Children of Harvey S. Wampler (1828-1885) and Martha Jane Harrison (1840-1914)

This posting serves as an update, of sorts, to information shared about Harvey S. Wampler (1828-1885) to share a little more about his children (than was previously shared).

Harvey S. Wampler married Martha Jane Harrison 30 Nov 1862 in Knox county, Indiana. Per the US Census reports, they resided in Washington Township and had at least six children: Joseph A., Elizabeth, Mary Ashby, Flora Ardelia "Della", Lillian M. "Lillie", and Nellie Dove Wampler. Martha Jane and the children remained in Washington Township after Harvey's death per the 1900 US Census.

Joseph A. Wampler was born, per census reports, in Jan 1864. His California death records list the full date of birth as 22 Jan 1864 and it was from those records where I got his middle initial. By 1910 he is in Washington and his occupation is listed as Logger for that year's census. In 1930 he is listed in Stockton State Hospital for Insane in Stockton, California. He died 18 Dec 1967 and was cremated. In the 1910 US Census he is listed being Single, in 1930 US Census and his death records his marital status is stated to being Unknown. I have not located his 1900 and 1920 US Census to help peg down around when he left Indiana for Washington and/or left Washington for California. I have not located marriage records - so he may have been a bachelor at time of death.

Elizabeth Wampler appears only in the 1870 US Census with estimated birth year for her is 1869. This leans thoughts to she probably died between when the census was taken in 1870 and before it was taken in 1880. Her burial location is unknown.

Mary Ashby Wampler was born 5 Apr 1871 and she married Jesse D. Grigsby. Together Mary and Jesse Grigsby had eight children. Mary died 3 Apr 1946 in Vincennes, Knox county, Indiana and is buried in Sumner, Lawrence county, Illinois next to her husband.

Flora Ardelia "Della" Wampler was born 3 Oct 1872 and she married twice; first marriage was to Clinton Wood and together they had seven children, and Della's second marriage was to F. W. Griffin in Arkansas, which did not have any children. Della, per online trees, passed away in 1935 in Arkansas (I have not yet located death records), and this would mean that she and Clinton Wood divorced as he passes away in 1949.

Lillian M. "Lillie" Wampler was born Apr 1877. In the 1910 US Census she is listed in her mother's household in Washington Township, Knox county, Indiana and, per this census, Lillie had a daughter born, out of wedlock, 5 months prior and Lillie is also listed as giving birth to one child with that child still living, which helps determine that the little girl listed in the household is Lillie's daughter. Lillie later married Jesse Wilbur Johnson in 1916 and they had a daughter in 1917. In 1920 US Census they are residing in Terre Haute, Indiana, and Lillie's oldest daughter is listed with the Johnson surname. In the 1930 and 1940 US Census, Jesse and Lillie Johnson are back in Knox county and residing in Vincennes. I came across 3 marriage records, two of which were in Ohio, for the daughter Lillie had with Jesse Johnson - but, for Lillie and Jesse, I have not come across further info for them past the 1940 US Census. Lillie's oldest daughter's paper trail also seems to go cold after the 1920 US Census.

Nellie Dove Wampler was born in 1881. She first married Louis Riley Hemry and resided in Palmyra Township, Knox county, Indiana where they had two daughters prior to Louis Henry's 3 Nov 1914 death. Louis was the son of James and Margaret McMasters Hemry, and when researching him also look for him as Lewis Hemry or Lewis/Louis Henry. Nellie D. married Jesse J. Jones in the fall of 1915 in Knox county, Indiana and they had two children together. I have not located a death date for Nellie D.; she may have died in Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio as she and Jesse Jones are listed living there for the 1930 and 1940 US Census after the 1920 census that had them in Washington, Daviess county, Indiana.

So Harvey S. Wampler and Martha Jane Harrison did have children, and grandchildren as well.

Alexander Wampler (1812 - around 1845) and children born after his death

Had an error pop up in the family tree program I use saying I had a couple kids in the tree listed being born after the death of a parent.

So, sure enough I had this gal listed as being born 2 years after her father died. Which would be impossible - even if the mother was pregnant at the time the father passed "around 1845".

Found the gal's FindAGrave memorial page, it has her birth info being 4 Jul 1846. Which theoretically works with the father passed "around 1845" thoughts. Her FindAGrave has her name as Lee Ann - However, in other online trees and such, I've seen her more often listed as Leanna J. and listed with a birth year of 1848.

Alexander Wampler (son of Christopher Wampler and Elizabeth Kettering) was born 3 Sep 1812 in Wythe county, Virginia. He married a Matilda Brown in 1835 in Smyth county, Virginia ... I don't have her parents, yet, and she is said to been born around 1819.

In the 1850 US Census in Smyth county Matilda Wampler, per how the census taker listed the people, is recorded as to living two other women and their children. Matilda is listed with 3 children transcribed (from the handwritten census) as to being: Mary (F-6), Stephen (M-5) and Sander Wampler (M-3). Matilda is marked in one column as to being over 20 years in age and cannot read or write.

This appears to be the first census error shared for Matilda Brown Wampler and/or her children. The transcription is correct in some aspects. However, if looking at the image of the census page itself, we notice that Nancy has a " shared for her last name which means she shared the same surname as the person above her ... which we see an older male, Billingsley Roberts, is listed on the line above her, as shared in the screenshot below, who probably should been listed as the Head of the family instead:

No Lee Ann/Leanna J. Wampler listed with Matilda there. However I think Sanders may been a mistaken transcription of the handwriting, and what is thought to be an "S" is an "L" - and so maybe the census taker had written Leande(r), which could actually be Leanne and she is miss-marked as being a male child? Possible that is what happened as it has happened before. Recall that census takers did not take the large form around with them, but would take notes and then add that info from their notes to the form itself. So if he had sloppily written Leanne and just her age, then later on - when looking over the notes, he may thought he wrote Leander or something, which would been a male name.

Between the 1850 and 1860 US Census Matilda apparently remarried to a John Anderson (b. around 1804/9 time frame in Virginia) and the family is now living in Tazewell county of Virginia. Mary Wampler (the oldest daughter I have for Alexander Wampler and Matilda Brown) married Andrew J. Gillespie in Jan 1860, so she wouldn't appear in the mid-summer taken US census with her mother. Stephen is listed to being around 15 - which works with his paper trail info on him being born in 1844. No Sander Wampler listed, and he would been around 13 if he was 3 in 1850). Leanna J. Wampler is listed being around 11 (but her FindAGrave has her being born in 1846, which would had her being 13/14 years old - which would match up to the missing Sander/Leander Wampler's age and also help tilt the scale she was a daughter of Alexander Wampler, maybe born within a few months of his death if he passed in last half of 1845, with her being in the 1850 and 1860 US Census with Matilda). So I am going with the 1846 birth year for Lee Ann/Leanne J. Wampler in the family tree. although some online trees list her birth year as 1848.

The above image is a screenshot of John and Matilda Anderson's portion of the 1860 Census, but also shares census taker error number two? After Alexander's death and between 1850 and 1860, Matilda had at least three more children who are listed on the 1860 census as well: Emily (F-8), John (M-2), and America (F-under the age of 1) - all listed with the surname of Wampler. Which Alexander has been passed away for well over a decade by now - but apparently he nor Matilda Brown didn't have real good luck with census taker folks, in relation to how census takers handle recording their kids. Emily is probably a daughter of John Anderson (unless Matilda had a marriage between Alexander and him that Emily was a child of). The younger two are very likely children of John Anderson and _not_ Alexander Wampler, but .... they are being listed in family trees, by others, as Emily Wampler, John Anderson Wampler and America F. Wampler to being post-mortem children of Alexander Wampler due to a census taker in 1860 giving all the children in John Anderson's household the surname of Wampler.

In John and Matilda Anderson's 1870 US Census, taken in Tazewell county, they only have three children in the home: John A. and America F. Anderson, so that helps clear up the 1860 US Census error that had them listed with the surname of Wampler. Emily C. is still in the household, and she is listed with the same estimated birth year of 1852 and with surname of Wampler. If Alexander Wampler was her biological father, this would have his death thoughts change from "around 1845" to "around 1851/52". Emily C. never married and passed away 6 Sep 1882 in Smyth county, Virginia - on her death records she is listed as Emily C. Anderson and that her father was John Anderson. This record doesn't help explain why in 1860 and 1870 US Census she was listed both times with the surname of Wampler, even after Mary, Stephen and Leanna/Lee Ann were no longer with their mother.

With Matilda, I have seen her listed as to passing away in 1860s or 1870s, either in Wythe county or in Indiana. Appears neither of those thoughts are correct, but Matilda Anderson (nee Brown) passed away later, in 1888 in Smyth county.

Now that I got Lee Ann/Leanna J. figured out to being a child of Alexander Wampler, which started off this confirmation trek of sorts, and that the last two children (John and America) are not Wamplers but Andersons - where was Sarah Elizabeth (Jan 1841 - 1924) who is oft-listed in online trees being a child of Alexander and Matilda? She's not listed with Matilda Brown Wampler Anderson in the 1850 nor 1860 census. As images share, can't rely on online trees' info since majority of those, including the FamilySearch one world tree one, gave Alexander 3 children well after his death date thoughts ... and without the birth years of those later children raising the question, by folks' willingly sharing it, of how Alexander could have been the father. The only child, listed on paper, that is "up in the air" on being Alexander's biological child is Emily C. who is listed with an estimated birth year of 1852.

Christina Wampler Graybill 1753-1844 (or maybe 1771-1844?)

This is likely going to be re-visited (to add in more) or oft-linked to posting, as part of this is like a can of worms in untangling dates and (similar) names and such, then throwing in family lore thoughts.

In trying to research For Christina Wampler, said to be a daughter of Hans Peter Wampler Jr and his 1st wife, Anna Barbara, I came across two to three birth years given - here and there - for her: 1753, 1760, and 1771. There are also marriage dates for her and Johannes/John Peter Graybeal/Graybill of 1779 and 1786. Which I guess leads to Johannes/John Peter Graybeal/Graybill getting multiple birth year thoughts as well as I have come across 1750, 1755, 1762 and 1768/69 shared for him.

Now, due to the family lore that Christina Wampler was one of the children of Peter Jr and Barbara who were kidnapped in 1757 and later returned, through a treaty, in 1764 ... that would lean folks to using the 1753 birth year to have her fit into that narrative. Which would lean to Johannes/John Peter Graybeal/Graybill having a birth year of 1750 to 1755 to have him being close to her in age.

John Peter Graybill died in 1842 and the headstone inscription says he was around 70 years old when passing. Which mathematically would give him a birth year thought of 1771/1772. However his FindAGrave memorial page shared 1762 as his birth year. Why? I don't know, the page manager did not explain the 1762 birth year thought shared.

Christina Wampler Graybill is stated to have died in 1844, and buried in same cemetery, has a headstone inscribed saying she was around 74 years of age at passing, which would mathematically place her with having a 1770/71 birth year.

So where does the 1760 birth year for her stem from? Maybe from some of the transcriptions shared on Ancestry** of her marriage records, for 1779 and 1786, listed her birth year being 1760. No image file is shared of the handwritten record used for the transcriptions to get a bit of a look at the handwriting. Problem I personally have with the online shared transcriptions is that two very different marriage years is listed for the couple and 6 to 7 years apart.

Decisions, at least on my side, come into play on which to use for "birth year" source: kidnapping year thoughts, the online shared transcriptions of marriage records or headstones where the inscription likely was based on information shared by Peter and Christina's family/children? The marriage record transcriptions would have her born after the other children were abducted and so would nix the kidnapping story, shared in later years by her children and their children, about her identity being confirmed due to her, after the return, singing a lullaby/children's song that her mother used to sing to her (and the other children). However, another tree branch also claims it was their mother whose identity was confirmed due to her recognizing/singing that same song - so can't really rely on the story if more than one branch is claiming it as "their (grand)mother did it". The headstone inscription itself, however, does not mathematically work with Christina and the kidnapping narrative though - she would had to been closer to around 94 when she died if using estimated birth year of 1753.

So, going back to touch base with birth year of 1771/1772 for Christina. Hans Peter Wampfler/Wampler Sr. had a brother, Johannes Christian Wampfler/Wampler, who came to America later, in 1747, who had a son named Hans Georg(e) Wampfler/Wampler - who had a daughter born September 7, 1771 in York county, Pennsylvania, named Christina. Could there been two Christina Wamplers born in 1771? Yeah, it's possible.

When looking at the marriage dates, which I came across two for this couple then bringing in the headstone inscriptions, for the same couple ... well, the headstone information nixes the 1779 marriage year. Which would also nix several children, attributed to them, being their children. The 1786 marriage year is slightly better, as Peter - if he had been around 70 years in age in 1842 - would been around 18 years old, if using the 1768/69 birth year, or around 15/16 years old, if going by 1771/1772 birth year via the headstone, when marrying in 1786. Which the 1760s and 1770z birth year thoughts would also work more easily in having him being a son of Johannes/John and Hannah - using the 1737 or 1747 birth year thoughts for the parents. In using the 1771/72 birth year for Christina would work for the 1786 marriage year as she would been around 14/15 when marrying. But they have children (Henry ~1778, John ~1780, and John Peter ~1783) attributed to them, but the birth years would only work with 1753 or 1760 birth year for Christina ... which would have to bump John Peter to the 1750/55 birth year as well.

One thing that is consistent, even with the marriage records' transcriptions on Ancestry, is that she is listed to being a daughter of Peter Wampler. Her mother's name is not listed, but Peter Wampfler/Wampler Sr. is not attributed to having a daughter named Christina - and his brother, Johannes Christian, did not have a daughter named Christina either. Hans Georg(e) Wampfler/Wampler's daughter, Christina, is said have passed away before 1817.

However, once past that, the rest is a can of worms. If I go with the headstones' information then it goes against the grain of those who feel she was born in time to been one of the kidnapped children but also the parentage thoughts of some children attributed to the couple. If I go with the 1753 date, that throws John Pater's parentage into a loop unless I have her marrying someone almost 10 years younger than her. If I go with 1760 date for Christina's birth thoughts, that doesn't work with the kidnap thoughts but does work for the kids attributions with either marriage year ... which the 1771 birth year doesn't work for the 1779 marriage year thoughts at all, so would have to go with the latter 1786 marriage year which doesn't work at all with at least 3 of the children.

So, for now, I am going with the headstone inscriptions, which - as I already said - likely was based upon information from her and/or her children closer to the time of Peter and her passing and will list the other year thoughts about birth in a notation for Peter and Christina. However, going this route would mean a 1779 marriage year would not work for either one of them and so throws parentage/age of three kids up in the air. Which means I will have rely more on paper trail thoughts to try helping have the children properly attributed. And I will have to see how it goes from there ...

___

** as a notation, given majority of Ancestry's records require a paid subscription to view, I am debating on sharing links that some people would not be able to use/find of use due to not being paid subscribers of a site - so that goes for MyHeritage, FindMyPast, et al that also have paid subscriptions to view majority of the records. This is not a negative as it forces me to try to locate more citations to add from my side of the researching online thoughts.