Robert Stafford and Sarah Bullock

5. Robert² Stafford (William¹ ) Born between 1780-1784 probably in North Carolina;¹ died summer of 1833² probably on 29 August 1833.³ He was the son of William and Fanny Stafford² [maiden name not known at this time].  Robert was born shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War.  Documentation has not been found to be certain where in North Carolina Robert was born, however, a biographical sketch indicates that Robert's father William and his siblings, Jonas, James and John, left Guilford County, North Carolina in about 1804 and migrated into Ohio and settled near Buckskin Creek in what is now Ross County.⁴   It is certain that conditions there were still very primitive since Ohio had just become a state in 1803⁵ and the region was generally an unsettled territory.  There were no roads in the area; there were no conveniences; and settlers had to cut their way through the heavy timber just to find and get to the property they had bought from the Federal government.  There was still an abundance of wild life including:  bears, wolves, foxes, deer, elk, buffalo and much more.   Within 9 years, James, Robert and Jonah Stafford moved their families again into the adjacent Highland County settling between Fall and Hardin Creeks on land owned by Benjamin F. Barrett, John Morrow and Jacob Tompkins. ⁴

Robert Stafford married Sarah Bullock in North Carolina in about July 1802.⁶  The only evidence found to date documenting Robert's marriage to Sarah is the marriage bond of 500 pounds that he and his brother, James, filed  in Guilford County.⁷  In 1810 Robert and his family are enumerated in Guilford County, North Carolina.  It is possible that his primary residence was still North Carolina and that he had left his family behind to make a home for them in primitive Ohio.⁷  The 1820 census provides evidence that Robert had moved west again, this time settling in Morgan County, Indiana.⁸  Again he moved to an unsettled area and into a region that had just become a state again.  Indiana was the 19th State admitted to the union on 11 December 1816.⁹  

There are 3 land patents that issued to Robert Stafford in what later became Morgan County on 13 November 1822.^10,11,12  Robert was not satisfied that this was the best place to make his home.  Within two years, he and his wife, Isabella Stafford, signed the warranty deed transferring ownership of these parcels of land to Thomas Watson, from Jefferson County, Tennessee on 16 June 1823.¹³  This time the Staffords did not travel far to make their new home and it was the last time he moved any great distance. In April 1825, Robert  purchased an 80-acre tract of land in Johnson County, Indiana.¹⁴ 

Robert Stafford died in the summer of 1833² probably on 29 August 1833.³  He left no will to help with the settlement of his estate, yet he left four minor children and his adult sons, who were all living in Indiana in Morgan and Johnson Counties.² The probate records list the following adult heirs for Robert Stafford:

• Sterling Stafford - Morgan County, Indiana

• Allen Stafford - Johnson County, Indiana

• Benjamin Stafford - Morgan County, Indiana

• Andrew Stafford - no place of residence listed on this page

The probate file states these heirs are all adults suggesting that they were all born prior to 1812, which would make them all over 21 years of age when he died in 1833.  It continues on to list his minor heirs and their residence:

• Grant Stafford - Johnson County, Indiana

• Robert Stafford - Johnson County, Indiana

• Lydia Stafford - Johnson County, Indiana

• James Stafford - Morgan County, Indiana

Although it is not certain that the children are listed in chronological order, they are listed by their status as adults or minors.  Using dates in the the probate file, it is possible to narrow the year of birth of his children.  The minor heirs would all have to have been born after 1812 in order to be less than 21 years of age when Robert died with the exception of his only daughter Lydia, whose age of majority may have been 18 years rather than 21.  Further research for Lydia documents her year of birth as 1832.²⁰ 

One additional person expected to be an heir to Robert Stafford's estate is his wife, Isabella Stafford.  Although no marriage record has been found to date for Robert Stafford and Isabella, the Stafford - Watson warranty deed documents that Isabella Stafford was the wife of Robert Stafford.¹²  Census records indicate that there was only one Robert Stafford living in Morgan and Johnson Counties at the time this deed was executed.  

It is interesting to note that Isabella Stafford was not listed as an heir to Robert Stafford's estate.   Johnson County Civil Court records document troubles between Robert and Isabel Stafford¹⁶ as well as another incident between John Gaunce and Robert Stafford.¹⁷  It is possible that these troubles led to a divorce, however records documenting a divorce for Robert Stafford have not been found in Johnson or Morgan Counties.  It is possible that they divorced elsewhere.  A little more than a year after Robert Stafford's death, Isabel [sic] Stafford married Albert Walle in Johnson County, Indiana.¹⁸

Four of Robert Stafford's children worked together to try to save as much of his land possible during the final settlement of his estate.  Apparently, there was not enough personal property to settle debts incurred prior to Robert's death so when the land was sold, Sterling, Andrew, Benjamin and William purchased the land.²

Comments and hypotheses:

Evidence I uncovered while researching Robert Stafford's life caused me to draw different conclusions than those published by other genealogists.  The bullet points below list my hypotheses.  The evidence for my conclusions is shown in the table below listing the evidence I have collected for Robert Stafford with links to the documents.

• Robert Stafford married 2 times (1st) to Sarah Bullock in 1802; (2nd) to Isabella [surname unknown]¹³ - she may have been the daughter of Hezekiah Davisson, but this has not been proven.

• Robert and Sarah Stafford migrated from Guilford County, NC to Ross County, OH in about 1804.⁴

• Robert and Sarah migrated from Ross to Highland County, OH in about 1813.⁴

• Sarah died in Ohio about 1814-1816; based on information about the status of Robert Stafford's children listed in his probate file.²

• Robert left Ohio with his children by 1820.⁷

• Robert married a woman with the given name Isabella.  The evidence for this conclusion is provided in the warranty deed for the sale of the Morgan County land.¹³

• Robert Stafford's children did not all have the same mother.²  Note the gap in the ages of his children as were stated in his probate file.  It lists the children that are minors and those that are adults also specifying their places of residence.  The combined evidence presented in the documents below that support these conclusions.  The biographical sketch for his son, Benjamin, lists Sarah Bullock as Benjamin's mother.²²

Suggested research for further studies:

• Death information for Sarah Stafford nee Bullock, Robert's 1st wife.

• Need marriage record for Robert Stafford and Isabella

• Look for records in Highland County, Ohio for Robert Stafford.

• Look for court records in Morgan and Johnson Counties for Robert Stafford.

• Research is needed to determine more about Albert Walle and Isabel Stafford.

¹

The range for the year of birth of was extrapolated by combining the data from the census records enumerating his household in 1810, 1820 and 1830.

William Stafford household, 1790 U.S. Census, Guilford County, North Carolina, page 3, line 28; National Archives microfilm publication M637, roll 7.

²

Robert Stafford probate file, Johnson County Probate Record Book AA:15-17, Probate Court, Franklin, Indiana; Johnson County microfilm department, microfilm reel 218-B.

³

Robert Stafford tombstone, Freeman Cemetery, Johnson County, Indiana; photographed by Sharlene K. Miller, September 2005.

⁴

History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, (Cleveland: Williams Bros. Publishers, 1880), pages 398 and 494; Kansas State Historical Society microfilm published as publication no. 159, “Counties Histories of the ‘Old Northwest’: Series II, Ohio” (New Haven, CT: Research Publications, Inc., 1973). 

⁵

Historical Documents Celebrating the 200^th Anniversary of Ohio Statehood, http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/ohio-statehood/index.html; downloaded 21 January 2007.

⁶

Stafford – Bullock marriage bond (15 July 1802), Guilford County Marriage Bonds; photocopy received from North Carolina State Archives.

⁷

Robert Stafford household, 1810 U.S. Census, Guilford County, North Carolina, page 167, line 5; National Archives microfilm publication M252, roll 40.

⁸

Robert Stafford household, 1820 US Census; Delaware County, Indiana, Flat Rock Parish, page 33, line 18; National Archives microfilm publication M 33, Roll 14.

⁹

Indiana Historical Bureau, http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/ihb/resources/docres.html; downloaded 31 December 2006.

¹⁰

Robert Stafford, Federal Land certificate 1312, Morgan County, Indiana; downloaded from Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office website, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/; downloaded spring 2006.

¹¹

Robert Stafford, Federal Land certificate 1324, Morgan County, Indiana; downloaded from Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office website, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/; downloaded spring 2006.

¹²

Robert Stafford, Federal Land certificate 1325, Morgan County, Indiana; downloaded from Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office website, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/; downloaded spring 2006.

¹³

Stafford – Watson warranty deed (16 June 1823), Morgan County Deed Record Book A:109-110; Morgan County Recorder’s Office, Martinsville, Indiana; Family History Library film 1468442.

¹⁴

Robert Stafford, Federal Land certificate 5874, Johnson County, Indiana; downloaded from Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office website, http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.

¹⁵

State of Indiana vs Robert Stafford Indictment for an Assault & Battery, Johnson County Civil Circuit Court Order Book 2:4; Johnson County Historical Society, Franklin, Indiana.

¹⁶

State of Indiana vs Robert Stafford Indictment for an Assault & Battery, Johnson County Civil Circuit Court Book B:61-62; Johnson County Historical Society, Franklin, Indiana.

¹⁷

John Gaunce vs Robert Stafford, Johnson County Civil Circuit Court Book B:9-10; Johnson County Historical Society, Franklin, Indiana.

¹⁸

Walle – Stafford marriage record (15 July 1834), Johnson County Marriage Record Book 1:72; Clerk’s Office, Franklin, Indiana.

¹⁹

Isaac Marshall household, 1850 U.S. Census, Johnson County, Indiana, population schedule, Blue River Township, page 108, dwelling 601, family 601; National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 155.

²⁰

Everling – Stafford marriage record (17 November 1850), Johnson County Marriage Record Book B:28, Clerk’s Office, Franklin, Indiana.

²¹

Robert Stafford household, 1830 U.S. Census, Johnson County, Indiana, Blue River Township, page 78, line 3; National Archives microfilm publication M19, roll 27.

²²

Noah J. Major, The Pioneers of Morgan County: memoirs of Noah J. Major  (Indianapolis: E.J. Hecker, 1915), p. 272. 

Estate of Sterling Stafford, Deceased, Morgan County Probate Record (1846-1847):341-351; Morgan County Probate Court, Martinsville, Indiana.

²⁴

Stafford - Elliott marriage record (04 September 1828), Morgan County Marriage Record Book A:67, Clerk's Office, Martinsville, Indiana; received from the Morgan County Public Library in Martinsville.

²⁵

Allen Stafford household, 1850 U.S. census, Johnson County, Indiana, population schedule, Blue River Township, page 107, dwelling 607, family 607, ; National Archives microfilm M432, roll 155.

Stafford – Price marriage record (17 March 1835), Johnson County Marriage Record Book 1:82; Johnson County Clerk’s Office, Franklin, Indiana.

Stafford – Porter marriage record (01 November 1852), Morgan County Marriage Record Book C:12; Morgan County Clerk’s Office; document from the Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana.

Stafford – Fry marriage record (15 July 1854), Morgan County Marriage Record Book C:144; Morgan County Clerk’s Office; document from the Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana.

Benjamin Stafford cemetery marker, Williams Cemetery on Blue Bluff Road, Morgan County, Indiana, photographed by Argil Mahan in 2004; Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana.  

Grant Stafford household, 1850 U.S. Census, Bartholomew County, Indiana, population schedule, German Township, page 846, dwelling 780, family 788; National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 136.

John Butterfield household, 1850 U.S. Census, Morgan County, Indiana, population schedule, Clay Township, page 145, dwelling 31, family 313; National Archives microfilm publication M432, Roll 162.