Samantha Nancy Gray Dickerson 1827 - 1905

Samantha Nancy GRAY DICKERSON^1,A was born on 12 March 1827, in Mixerville, Bathe Township, Franklin, Indiana, United States, to Mr. Unknown^2,B and Elizabeth "Liz" GRAY².

Samantha's younger sister, Julia A. Gray², is said to been born in Butler County, Ohio. This would seem to hint that Samantha Gray also lived, for a short period of time, in Butler County, Ohio, United States before she, her mother and sister start appearing in United States Census reports as to residing in Ripley County, Indiana, United States.

The United States Census, 1850 on 9 October 1850, in Otter Creek Township, Ripley, Indiana, United States, at age 23, Samantha and her infant son, David L. Gray^3,C, are listed in her mother's household. No occupation listed for Samantha Gray Dickerson (nor her mother).

In the United States Census reports for 1860, 1870, and 1880 for Center Township, Osgood, Ripley, Indiana, Samantha is listed as Samantha or Nancy Palmer. Her occupation was generally one assigned for house wife thoughts. Samantha was listed to not being able to read or write.

Samantha Dickerson^A,B and John Palmer⁴ married 28 February 1873 in Versailles, Ripley County, Indiana. Prior to the civil service it is unclear about their marital status, but they may possibly been in a common law marriage. John Palmer passed away in 1885.

Court Report. April Term.
... Samantha Palmer vs Peter Maschino, receivership. Report of receiver approved. Receiver discharged.
Source: Versailles Republican; 27 May 1886 - Page 5

In the United States Census reports for 1900 in Center Township, Osgood, Ripley, Indiana, Samantha Palmer, aged 73, is listed as Head of Household.

Samantha died on 9 September 1905, aged 78, in Center Township, Osgood, Ripley, Indiana, United States. Robert Martin Palmer³ was the informant for the State of Indiana death certificate and he listed "Nixerville, Franklin"^D as her place of birth. Cause of death was said to be due to an abdominal tumor.

Samantha Nancy Gray he was buried on 10 September 1905 in Otter Creek Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery)^E in Ripley, Indiana, United States. Samantha Nancy Gray Dickerson and John Palmer were the parents of six or seven children: David L. [Gray] Palmer, James Sylvanus Palmer³, John Palmer^3,F

William Jesse Palmer³, Robert Martin Palmer, and Sarah I. Palmer³.

Samantha's brother-in-law, Patrick Michael McCormick^2,G, and Robert Martin Palmer handled her will and estate^H.

... Michael McCormich, of Osgood, was in town the first of the week and probated the will of Samantha Palmer deceased.
Source: Osgood Ripley Journal; 20 September 1905 - Page 8

Notations of Carol A. Wells-Perlaky:

A Samantha Gray appears on census reports and some earlier citations as to going by Samantha Gray. It is later, such as her 1873 marriage to John Palmer, where she starts appearing to list her maiden name being Dickerson. Presents a bit of a conundrum on how to list her name in the family tree since she went by Gray for over 20 years before she went by Palmer, even prior to the civil marriage, then Dickerson. I list her, on my side, with Gray and Dickerson both as her maiden names, which may seem a bit unwieldy, but given the circumstances, accurate in terms of how Samantha used the names while alive.
B First appearance of her father's name, in documents, is in 1873 when she lists a John Dickerson being her father on a marriage record. John Dickerson is also listed as her father on her later death certificate.
C David L. Gray appears in 1860 and 1870 census reports, for John and Samantha [Gray Dickerson] Palmer, as David L. Palmer. It is unclear if John Palmer was the birth father or "adopted" him.
D This is the first mentioning of exactly where she was born at in Indiana. Mixerville was an informal, unincorporated, area in Bathe Township, Franklin, Indiana area.
E Find A Grave memorial page, for Samantha Gray Dickerson Palmer, shares her grave site is not marked.
F Child's existence may be questionable.
G Husband of Julia A. Gray
H Robert Martin Palmer is said to inherited the bulk of the estate due to him taking care of Samantha after John Palmer's passing.

Relationship to Carol A. Wells-Perlaky:

1 Maternal 3x Great-aunt through marriage
2 Indirect, through marriage
3 Maternal Cousin 3x removed
4 Maternal 3x Great-uncle

Resources for Samantha Nancy Gray Dickerson:

·   United Staes Census for Otter Creek Township, Osgood, Ripley, Indiana
· United States Census for Center Township, Osgood, Ripey County, Indiana
·   United States Census for Center Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana
·   United States Census for Center Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana
·   United States Census for Center Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana
·   copy of marriage record, not yet digitized by the county or state, shared on Ancestry online family tree by a descendant of John Palmer and Samantha Nancy Gray Dickerson.
· &nsbp; State of Indiana death certificate for Samantha Dickerson Palmer; Record No. 131.
·   Will of Samantha Palmer
·   Find A Grave memorial pages for Samantha, her husband, and children.
·   Osgood Ripley Journal
·   Versailles Republican
·   Ancesty message boards and online trees
·   Rootweb forums
·   Genealogy forums

John Palmer 1826 - 1885

John PALMER^[1] was born in 1826^A, in Ireland, to [FNU] PALMER^{2, A} and [FNU] [LNU]^{2, A}. He is stated to been a brother of Blaney Palmer³.

On 23 May 1843, aged about 17, he immigrated from Ireland to Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on the ship named [Bark] John Kerr^C. In 1843, aged about 17, John Palmer was naturalized^C in Indiana, United States.

In the United States Census taken on 9 October 1850, aged about 24, in Otter Creek Township, Ripley, Indiana, John Palmer is listed in the household of William H. Smith⁴ and with the occupation of Cooker.

United States Census for 1860, 1870, and 1880 John Palmer is listed to be living in Center Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana. Each of these census reports has John listed with the occupation of farmer and being able to read and write. Blaney and John Palmer were also neighbors.

OTTER VILLAGE.
... John Palmer wants to buy two good horses to work in his stone quarry.
Source: Osgood Ripley County Journal; 14 April 1881 - Page 2

John Palmer is listed with Samantha Nancy Gray [Dickerson]^5,E as his spouse on the 1860 through 1880 US Census reports. They did not marry until 28 Fe 1873 in Versailles, Ripley, Indiana, United States. They may have been in a common law marriage prior to 1873 and had a civil marriage for other, perhaps legal, reasons later.

John died 15 April 1885, aged about 58, in Ripley, Indiana, United States. According to his death notice, in the local newspaper, he died from paralysis (a stroke).

CZ.[??]
John Palmer died at his home Saturday morning, April 15; was buried Sunday, the 16th, at 3 o'clock p.m.
Source: Osgood Ripley County Journal; 23 April 1885 - Page 2

John Palmer, after a short sickness, paralysis, died Saturday morning at 8 o'clock and was buried Sunday afternoon on his farm^E. Mr. Palmer was an old resident of Center township, locating here in the sixties, since then engaged in quarrying stone^G with Peter Maschino⁴. His age was 58 years.
Source: Versailles Republican; 23 April 1885 - Page 6

John Palmer was buried on 16 April 1885 in Ripley, Indiana, United States^E. John and Samantha Nancy Gray [Dickerson] Palmer were the parents of six to seven known children: David L. [Gray] Palmer⁶, James Sylvanus Palmer⁶, John Palmer^6,H, William Jesse Palmer⁶, Robert Martin Palmer⁶ and Sarah I. Palmer⁶.

Notations of Carol A. Wells-Perlaky:

^A People often cite a christening record for a John Palmer, born 22 Dec 1822 in Larne, Antrim, Ireland to a William Palmer and Jane Morton for the above John's birth. John Palmer, however, has consistently been listed, starting with his immigrating to America, with an birth year of 1825 or 1826. His age, shared in his death notices, also help support the 1825/1826 birth year. Therefore I, on my side, do not officially cite the particular christening record for Blaney's brother and broadly listed him to being born in Ireland. Vania Howell (vaniahowell76 on Ancestry) has an online family tree where she listed John Palmer to being to born in Larne and shared the basis of that was "Per the Violet Tophe Papers, Ripley County Historical Society, Versailles, Indiana". Interestingly a John Palmer immigrated from Londonderry to New York, in 1843, aboard the Superb and his birth year was estimated to being 1822 ... could that been the Antrim John Palmer? Hm.
^B Parents remain, technically, as "unknown", although the more popular theorized couple, often listed as "being" his, and Blaney Palmer's, parents are William Palmer and Jane Martin. The 1822 christening record mentioned in the prior notation has some wondering if the handwriting transcription was in error or something and the mother's maiden name being Martin versus Morton. Blaney Palmer Sr.'s post, on this site, I shared about the theories, and theorized names, for the brothers. I also have two separate blog posts, about Sandford Palmer and Mary Ann Davies being their paternal grandparents and, when I revisited the Sandford Palmer Sr. thoughts, how the brothers did not appear to follow Irish naming tradition when it came to their children, which has it hard to say if William Palmer and Jane Martin were their parents or not..
^C There were several John Palmers who immigrated to the United States. The John Palmer, arriving in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, is closer in age thoughts to the John Palmer in my family tree.
^D Have to double check to make sure this is the correct John Palmer. This would have him preceding Blaney in going to Indiana and, in fact, making pretty much a straight beeline to Indiana, whereas it is a known Blaney went to Butler County, OH area between 1843 to 1848 as Blaney married Eliza Ann Reed⁷ in that area then they went to Ripley County, IN where John Palmer would also be residing at.
^E Samantha Nancy Gray [Dickerson] listed her maiden name as Dickerson and father's name for the first time, in terms of a paper trail I have comes across for her, on the marriage record, John Palmer did not list his parents.
^F A memorial page for him, on Find A Grave, states John Palmer was buried in Otter Village Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery) and that there is not a headstone or marker for his grave site. I am not certain if part of the family farm is included in the cemetery OR if his remains were later moved to the cemetery after Samantha or some of his children's passing OR if it is assumed he was buried there, since Samantha was, but he is still buried somewhere on what used to be part of his land.
^G Although John Palmer was consistently listed, in the United States Census reports, to his occupation being "Farmer", the newspaper advert from 1881 I came across help support he had been in the quarrying business as shared in his death notice and also family stories about him.
^H Child's existence could be questioned?

Relationship to Carol A. Wells-Perlaky:

1 Maternal 3x Great-uncle
2 Maternal 3x Great-grandparent
3 Maternal Great-great-grandfather
4 None to my knowledge
5 Maternal 3x Great-aunt through marriage
6 Maternal Cousin 3-times removed
7 Maternal Great-great-grandmother

Sources for Research on Blaney Palmer Sr.:

·   Supplemental Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf Coast Ports (Excluding New York), 1820-1874
·   Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 1800-1906
·   Record about Naturalization on Ancestry
·   Find A Grave memorial pages for John Palmer, his wife, and children
·   United States Census in Otter Creek Township, Ripley County, Indiana; Occupation: Cooker
·   United States Census in Center Township, Ripley County, Indiana; Occupation: Farmer
·   United States Census in Center Township, Ripley County, Indiana; Occupation: Farmer
·   United States Census in Center Township, Ripley County, Indiana; Occupation: Farmer
·   Osgood Ripley County Journal
·   Versailles Republican
·   Ancestry.com online message boards and family trees
·   Rootweb forums
·   Genealogy forums

Updated in May 2018 to share ancestry links as I did not have those in 2016 to share and to also include a notation about one of the children. Links to the two articles about Sandford Palmer were added in the notations about John's parents.

Elizabeth Gray and the Mysterious John Dickerson

Even though I am not directly related to her, Elizabeth Gray somehow deserves a blog post to help possibly explain, or shed a little light, on things when it comes to her daughters.

Elizabeth Gray was born 1801 in Nelson County, Kentucky to David L. Gray (b. ~1751, d. 1859) and Nancy Ann Blackburn (b. ~1769, d. 1823). Nancy Ann Blackburn, who is also said to been born in Nelson County, Kentucky, possibly was the 2nd wife of David L. Gray after he left Pennsylvania and went to Nelson County, Kentucky area. I have seen David L. Gray listed with a wife named Agnes and having some children with her in Pennsylvania - but I am not certain enough to state for sure. David L. Gray, originally from County Antrim, Ireland, was in a militia during the American Revolutionary War so could consider one day looking to see what the Daughters or Sons of the American Revolution may have in terms of information on David L. Gray and/or his family.

Speaking of family, Elizabeth was the 3rd child of twelve children that David L. Gray and Nancy Blackburn had during their marriage:
·: &nsbp; Isabel Gray (1796), m. Leonidas Peter Clem
·   Matthew Gray (1799), m. Nancy Dickerson
·   David L. Gray Jr. (1803), m. Nancy Knotts
·   Elinor Gray (1804), m. Martin Rhinehardt (or Rinehart, Rhinehart, or other spelling variatives of the surname)
·   Nancy Gray (1806)
·   Whitford F. Gray (1808), m. Sarah McCarty
·   William Gray (1810), m. Rose Ann Hansel
·   Susan Gray (1812)
·   John Gray (1814), death year unknown - only said to have died at a young age as a result of an accident. The wording has it sounds as though he did not live to his teens and/or adulthood,
· &nsbp; Martha Gray (1816)
·   Mary Gray (1819)

David L. Gray and Nancy Ann Blackburn moved from Marysville area of Nelson County, Kentucky to Bathe Township, Franklin County, Indiana between 1811 to 1814 time frame. I don't have a birth location for Susan, but John and the younger two daughters are said to been born in Franklin County, Indiana.

In 1827 Samantha Nancy Gray [Dickerson] was born in Mixerville, Bathe Township, Franklin County, Indiana to Elizabeth Gray, aged 26. This is where the mysterious John Dickerson starts making his in and out appearances in the story as, in her 50's, Samantha Gray lists him to being her father and switches her maiden name from Gray to Dickerson. Samantha's middle name is a nod to her maternal grandmother, Nancy Ann Blackburn.

Could Samantha's father been related to Nancy Dickerson who married Elizabeth's brother, Matthew Gray? Maybe. AFter Nancy married Matthew Gray, they - along with her parents, went to southern Indiana and lived the rest of their lives there. Nancy, to my knowledge, did not have a brother named John attributed to her parents. So the theory is John Dickerson may been a cousin of Nancy who did not live in Franklin County area, but may went there (with his family) to visit her family - and that helped lead him and Liz Gray to meeting.

Sometime between 1827 to 1838 Elizabeth Gray and her daughter, Samantha, were residing in Butler County, Ohio. Liz or Elizabeth Gray is not listed as Head of Household, with 1 or 2 young children, for the 1830 or 1840 US Census. This may be due to Elizabeth had some sisters who, after marriage, resided in that county so Liz may have lived with one of her sisters; families. Hard to say for sure since the pre-1850 United States Census only listed the Head of Household by name, and the rest of the household were hash marks divvied up by age, gender, and citizenship status then added up to get a total number of persons within the household.

How it is known that Liz Gray was in Butler County, Ohio is due to the birth of her second daughter, Julia Ann Gray, in 1838 when Elizabeth was 36 years old. Julia's middle name, as like with Samantha's middle name, may been a nod to her maternal grandmother, Nancy Ann Blackburn. Again, John Dickerson tries to weave into the story as some speculate he was also the father of Julia A. Gray ... and some say it was a John Dickerson who fathered Julia,but a different John Dickerson who was from Kentucky and his family later resided in Ohio ... and then there is the story that it was cousin, or brother, of John Dickerson (who came to live in Ohio). On Julia's death certificate her son listed her father to being "unknown" and, unlike Samantha, Julia is not known to name her father while alive.

In 1850 Elizabeth Gray is residing, with her two daughters, in Otter Creek Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana by the time of the United States Census. Her family tree helps to explain how she probably came to residing in that area, as her brother, Whitford Gray, and his family are listed to residing nearby to Elizabeth. She may have followed her brother to Ripley County, Indiana, as it is theorized, while she lived there, he helped support her and her children as she didn't own a lot of property. Another story, however, for why Liz Gray goes to Ripley County, Indiana is that she followed that ever elusive John Dickerson ... as there is a John Dickerson who lived in that same area of Ripley County with his wife and children. Coincidence? Some don't think so. I personally lean to the thought she followed her brother to the area due to it makes more sense that he would help her get a small house/small bit of property for herself and her children more so than John Dickerson.

Within the 18%0 United States Census there is a male infant, David L. Gray, listed in Elizabeth's household. Some list that child to being the son of Elizabeth despite she would been 48 years old at the time of his birth, but she did have two children out of wedlock so she could possibly had a 3rd. However the wee one named David L. Gray, whose age is listed in number of months, is actually the son of Elizabeth's oldest daughter, Samantha and John Palmer, whom Samantha later marries, is regarded - by those who have him in their family tree - to being the child's father. As one may have already easily guessed, David L. was named after Samantha's maternal grandfather.

For the 1860 United States census Elizabeth is listed to residing in Center Township, Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana. Samantha Gray is living with John Palmer and they have had more children together by this time. So Elizabeth Gray's consisted of herself, Julia A. Gray, and Julia's two children: a son named Andrew Gray (b. 1855) and a daughter named Irville Gray (b. 1858). Irville Gray is listed as Irvin Gray and, in some online family trees, erroneously to being a male, or a son, versus female.

Elizabeth Gray never married. Last record I have come across for her is the 1860 United States Census in Ripley County, Indiana. To date I have not come across a death notice for her in local papers for that area. After the death of his wife, Sarah McCarty, in 1876 in Ripley County, Indiana, Whitford Gray and some of his children left Ripley County and headed west. Whitford Gray died 25 Aug 1888, aged 80, in Lawrence, Douglas, Kansas, United States. His obit did not mention any of his siblings. Could it be that Liz had also passed away before Whitford Gray decided to leave the Ripley County area?

Burial location for Elizabeth Gray is left blank on my family tree. Given that her daughters were buried in Otter Village Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery) it may be that Liz Gray was also buried in that cemetery? Or perhaps, like John Palmer was said to been in his 1885 death notice, she was buried on john and Samantha's family farm?

John Dickerson was never listed to living with her and/or her children. It is unknown if John Dickerson ever acknowledged, in any way, that Samantha was his child or if she ever had any kind of relationship with him (even in her adult years).

Before closing this post, there is more to share about Elizabeth's daughter, Julia Ann Gray, and Julia's children. I cannot locate Julia or her children for the 1870 United States census, but she was likely still residing in Ripley County. By the 1880 United States she is listed to being married to Patrick Michael McCormick (b. 1826), she would been his second wife. I later found information that the marriage was in January of 1878 in Ripley County. No children resulted from their union.

Michael McCormick appears in earlier newspaper articles, prior to his marriage to Julia, as Pat or Patrick McCormick. It is after he is married ot Julia that he is going by Michael McCormick. Patrick Michael McCormick immigrated from Ireland in 1852. Michael McCormick passed away 1 August 1906 , aged 80, in Ripley County, Indiana. Exact burial location, on my side, not known.

Old Resident Dead.
Michael McCormick, an old resident of this place, died at his home here Wednesday night from a complication of diseases. Mr. McCormick was a well known character about town, having been a resident of Osgood for sixty years and served as Justice of the Peace for several terms. Funeral services were held in the Catholic church Friday morning by Father Tovil[?] and the remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery here.
Source: Osgood Ripley Journal; 8 August 1906 - Page 1

Julia Gray McCormick passed away 14 May 1914, aged 70, in Ripley County, Indiana. She was buried in Otter Creek Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery) in Ripley County, Indiana.

Deaths.
NcCORMICK[sic] - Mrs. Julia McCormick, aged 73, died Thursday of cancer of the stomach. Funeral Saturday morning at the home by Rev. Sheldon, burial at Otter Village. Mrs. McCormick leaves one son.
Source: Osgood Ripley Journal; 20 May 1914 - Page 1

Julia Gray McCormick's obit shares her daughter, Irville Gray, died before 14 May 1908. I can't peg it down more than that as I cannot find her, or her mother, for the 1870 US Census and by the 1880 US Census she could been married as an explanation for why she is not listed in her mother's husband's household. So this leaves anytime between the 1860 US Census to prior to the death of Julia Gray as to when Irville Gray passed away.

Andrew Roland Gray married Fannie F. LNU, and they had two sons and two daughters. Andrew R. Gray passed away 11 July 1937 in Ripley County, Indiana. His youngest son, William David Gray, was the informant for Andrew's death certificate and listed a Rollen Gray being Andrew's father. Andrew Gray was buried in Otter Village Cemetery (also known as Tanglewood Cemetery in Ripley County, Indiana.

And there we have the story, as known or theorized about to date, about Elizabeth Gray and the Mysterious John Dickerson. Although his 'true' identity (in terms of which John Dickerson or if that was his actually his name, as some wonder if a John Dickerson was Samantha's father) is still a puzzle some work on periodically, it is hard to deny he did play a large role in the story as he, in one way or another, even in theories only, managed to pop in and out through the years. And to this day people still wonder about him. Elizabeth Gray could be viewed as to being in so in love with John Dickerson that she would follow him to Ripley County even if he married another woman. She could also be viewd as to being bit headstrong and that she didn't follow him to Ripley County out of love, but to be near enough to him that he would be, or his family, would sometimes have to cross paths with her and/or her daughters. It could be that she went to Ripley County more due to her brother than anything, or anyone, else. Those who could share hints or more insight, or even secrets, are long gone now.