Samuel and Hannah Winans

Samuel Winans and Hannah Woodruff are my g-g-g-g-grandparents. Samuel was born 20 Mar 1745/6 in Essex county, New Jersey, the son of Jonathan and Susannah (Mills) Winans. Hannah was born 3 Jun 1749 in Westfield, Essex county, New Jersey, the daughter of Hezekiah and Mary (Stites) Woodruff. They were married New Year's Day, 1770, in Essex county. They had the following children, all of whom were probably born in Essex county:

  1. Carman Winans, born 15 Mar 1772, died 1818 in Ohio.
  2. Stephen Winans, my g-g-g-grandfather, born 26 Mar 1774, died 11 Jun 1850 in Miami county, OH.
  3. Samuel Winans, junior, born 21 Mar 1776.
  4. Jonathan Winans, born 17 Mar 1778.
  5. Richard Woodruff Winans, born 3 Jan 1781, died 10 Jan 1863 in Miami county.
  6. Mary Woodruff Winans, born 16 Mar 1783, died 18 Apr 1843 in Miami county.
  7. Susannah Winans, born 15 Nov 1786.
  8. Sarah Winans, born 25 Oct 1788, died 3 Dec 1843 in Barclay, Sangamon county, Illinois.
  9. Frances Ellen "Fanny" Winans, born 15 Nov 1791, died 11 Dec 1886 in Miami county.

The research papers of Major Ira Winans, some of which were transcribed by Col. Warren E. Carey, provide the following information on Samuel's life:

Weaver, Farmer, Rev. War Soldier; to Piqua, Ohio in 1807 [HMC1 says 1809] ... By the attached excerpt [?], 'How Troy celebrated July 4th in 1827', of The Miami [Ohio] Union of July 6, 1916, it appears that Samuel Winans was a Rev. Soldier. Bible record leaves of this family in possession of James Campbell Todd2 of RFD #1, Box 16, Troy, Miami Co., Ohio, were submitted on June 15, 1916...

Mrs. Drusilla (Winans) Gearhart, on July 12, 1916, wrote (p. 7): "My great g't-gr-parents, Samuel and Hannah (Woodruff) Winans, are buried in Raper Chapel cemetery, Stanton T'p, Miami Co., Ohio, on land that he laid out for the Winans Family, that has been added to several times. I can remember having been there 60 years ago, anyway. The pastor is Rev. George Edward Carey. He has the papers I rec'd from Samuel Ross W[inans] and seems interested in them."...

Kenneth Winans of Springfield, Ohio, wr. on July 25, 1910, "Was in Piqua yesterday. An old Miami Co. history there, published in 1880,1 gives record of Samuel and Hannah (Woodruff) Winans as coming from N.J. in 1807. See his letter. Copy to Mrs. Ward Hunter, 8 Rundle Ave., Piqua, O., 8/19/1911" ...[an illegible diagram of Woodruff ancestry]... Mrs. S. Ward Hunter's letter of Sep 1, 1911 says that Samuel and Hannah (Woodruff) Winans came to Ohio, and their daughter (6) Mrs. Mary Winans,3 widow of (1) John (d. 1806 Oct. 8) (5) James; Jonathan; (7) Conrad; John (1st) with her two children (2) John Clawson [Winans], b. 1803 Aug 23; and (3) Samuel [Winans], b. 1805 Nov 21.4 In 1807, the journey being made by team, and they settled in Stanton township, Miami Co., Ohio.

Warren Carey added the following note:

Official Roster Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in Ohio, p. 405: Winans, Samuel (Miami Co.) Bur. Raper Chapel 2 miles north of Troy, O. GM by Miami Chap with bronze marker in 1904. Toast of July 4, 1827, "The Star Spangled Banner, Long may it wave, O'er the land of the free and home of the brave", given by him. Fur. info. Miami Chap.

The 1880 History of Miami County, page 279, lists Stephen Winans among the Grand Jurors for the January term of 1814.

Another cousin and fellow Winans descendant, Jerry Stout, transcribed Samuel Winans' will. She sent me copies of the "original" photocopies provided by Miami county which, unlike many early public documents, are highly legible. Minor corrections were made at various places throughout the will. I've included the last few lines of the will, including Samuel's signature, to illustrate the general legibility of this document. Jerry reminds us that the photocopies were most likely of "a recorded copy, not the original will which is usually buried somewhere in the courthouse." Hence, the signature we see below may not actually be that of Samuel Winans, but merely an indication by Clerk Telford that Samuel signed with his name, rather than "his mark", as we often see in wills and deeds from the early 1800s.

WILL OF SAMUEL WINANS, SR.

Miami County, Ohio Will Book A-4 pp52, Case #540; dated 17 July 1828; probated August Term 1830

In the name of God and man,5 I Samuel Winans, Senior of the State of Ohio Miami County being weak in body but in sound judgment perfect sincere and right mind and memory be God6 for the same do publish this my last will and testament.

To my Beloved wife Hannah Winans, I give and bequeath the following property that is to say one bed and every thing thereunto appertaining six chairs and all the kitchen furniture all the grain that is belonging to me on the place and one half that is in the ground The other half is Samuel Winans, Junr7, 13 now occupied by me or under my order that is to say the farm I now live on Lying and being in Miami County and State of Ohio It being the South East half of the South west quarter of Section 14 Township one range Eleven lying East of the great Miami River.

I wish the aforesaid Hannah Winans to have all the rents of my farm so long as she may live and also to have and to hold all the Interest money from bonds or notes so long as she lives her choice of one Cow and her choice of two hogs and her choice of two hives of Bees and her choice of six of the sheep.

I also give and bequeath unto Stephen Winans7 my Beloved Son eleven acres of land on the place where he now lives Bounding on Lewis Dewese8 and John Clarks9 lines to run the same distance on Lewis Dewese's line and Josiah Skinner line.

I also give and bequeath unto Sarah Clark7 and Phaney Francis Statler7 my beloved daughters the balance of that piece of land where my son Stephen Winans now lives and a piece of land adjoining the place where David Clark10 now lives and east of the McKinney road to be equal between them and their Heirs & assigns Forever.

I also give and bequeath unto Susannah Underwood my daughter in Law11 fifty dollars. I also give and bequeath unto Sarah Scudder,12 Hannah Carey,12 Stephen Winans,12 Fraze Winans,12 Charlotte Winans,12 Susannah Winans12 and Catharine Winans,12 all the rest of any moveable Estate and all my money that is on interest after the Estate is settled these the Children of my son Stephen Winans.

I also appoint Samuel Winans, Junr.13 my grandson as guardian for my wife and Stephen Winans children that is under age. I also appoint Richard Winans7 my son and Hill Michel Blue14 to be my true and lawful executors of this my last will and testament hereby breaking all former wills by me made. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of July in the year of our Lord 1829.15

Samuel Winans

Signed sealed and delivered in presence of

Samuel McKean and Caleb Hathaway witnesses

Filed 18th August 1830, Telford, Clerk.

Samuel Winans died 6 May 1830. Hannah died 29 Oct 1833. They are buried in Rapel Chapel cemetery near Troy, in Miami county. "Census day" in 1830 was 1 June, so Samuel just missed the cut. In the 1830 census for Staunton township, Hannah is listed as 70-80 years age, living with another white female, 20-30 years old - a servant or a granddaughter? A 20-30 year old Samuel Winans appears in the preceding line, along with a female in the same age group, plus 3 male and one female children. This is quite likely the family of Hannah's grandson. Caleb Hathaway, who witnessed the signing of Samuel Winans' will, is lited on the next line.

Hannah's will was transcribed by Sandi Evilsizer Koscak from a book of Miami county wills:

Winans, Hannah
pg 117 dated Mar 1 1833 recorded Nov 5 1833
Dau Mary Furrow, Fanny Statler; dau-in-law Sally R Winans; g.dau Hannah Statler, Hannah W Winans.
Exec son Richard Winans
Wit: Mary Steen, C E Stewart
1 History of Miami County, published 1880 by W. H. Beers & Co., Chicago. The biographical sketch of Samuel's grandson, John C. Winans, on page 557, implies that the Winans family came to the Cincinnati area in 1807, then moved on to the Piqua area in 1809. In any event, Samuel was there by 1810, when his name appears in the Miami county tax list.
2 Ira Winans mentions in his letter to my grandfather, Samuel Winans Carey of 14 Mar 1917:
James Campbell Todd, Route 1, Box 16, Troy, Ohio, has records - leaves of family Bibles of Jonathan, Samuel, Richard Woodruff, John Clawson, Richard Maxwell Winans families. He resides on "Winans Farm" near Raper Chapel, 1/2 mile from Raper Chapel graveyard, 3 miles from Riverside Cem. at Troy, same distance from Rosehill cem.
James Todd and Drucilla Gearhart (1843-1926) are both descendants of Samuel's brother James, the latter also being Samuel and Hannah's great-granddaughter via their daughter Mary.
3 This is one of many examples of intermarriage among Winans. Samuel and Hannah's daughter married a John Winans (1769-1806), who appears to be her first cousin! Major Ira traces John's line backwards as follows: 4 Besides the two sons mentioned here, Mary and John had a daughter, Elizabeth, who died in infancy.
5 The usual formula is "In the name of God Amen". The Amen seems to be crossed out and replaced by And man.
6 This sentence doesn't quite make sense. Samuel may have intended "... memory, praised be God..."
7 These are all references to Samuel and Hannah's children. The children not mentioned in this will are: 8 This family goes back to at least 1820 in Staunton township, when Lewis Deweese was enumerated in the census there. Later in the 19th century, some Winans and Deweeses intermarried.
9 Possibly David's brother, John Winans Clark (1779-1859).
10 This probably refers to daughter Sarah's husband.
11 I assumed the reference to "my daughter in law Susannah" was an error when I first saw it. According to my own files, which are based on information received from Ira Winans, via Warren Carey, Samuel and Hannah's daughter Susannah, married a William Underwood in 1810. I have no further information on either of them and could find no Underwood entries in Staunton township in either of the 1820 or 1830 censuses. However, my search of the MVGI turned up a record of a marriage between William Underwood and Susana Winans in 1819. This date would fit in with the probate of Carman Winans' estate occurring in 1818. According to my same sources, Carman married a Susannah (or Susan) Harris, who was his own first cousin, the daughter of Edward and Rachel (Winans) Harris. Carman's widow would have been known as Susannah Winans. These were times when widows and widowers usually remarried as soon as possible. I am nearly positive that this Susannah Underwood is Carman's widow, but this still leaves the question: What happened to daughter Susannah?
12 As Samuel states, these are all children of his son Stephen. Hannah is my great-great-grandmother.
13 Samuel Winans "junior" (1800-1879) was Stephen's oldest son. The earlier reference to a Samuel junior is probably to him rather than to the Samuel who "ran away to sea".
14 The 1830 census lists a Mic'l M. Blue on the page after Hannah's entry, and a Sam'l McCann on a different page, a few lines after Stephen's entry. Blue was a very common name at this time and place.
15 Jerry transcribed the year as 1828. I say it's 1829, based on differences between the second and fourth digits of the number. What do you think?
This page was last updated 23 Sep 2011.