A pretty small DNA match with tester MS led me back to Ohio. When MS and I exchanged emails we noticed there seemed to be a generation missing at about 1800. MS is a descendant of Joshua Rutledge who was born about 1821 and married Abigail Prior in 1842. He was buried in Asbury Chapel Cemetery with other Prior and Rutledge families. My Rutledge families.

I first thought "I must have information on Joshua", but I quickly realized I had no idea who his parents were and neither did MS. My immediate families were all accounted for, so it was time to cast the net wide and try to capture this mystery man.

My first cast was to my fellow cousins, but no one knew who Joshua's parents were. We all had some information, but none of us had bothered to find his parents. This was proof that he was not an ancestor of any of my other cousins.

Joshua lived in Muskingum County, Ohio, and on future census records stated he was born in Ohio. He married Abigail Prior in 1842 and lived near the Prior family in Hopewell township.[1] Joshua died in 1887 and was buried in Asbury Chapel Cemetery.

There were three Rutledge men in Muskingum county in 1830.[2] The eldest, William (1769-1849), is my third great-grandfather. William's last child was born in 1811. All his children have been accounted for. Elijah and Josiah, the other two Muskingum county men, are his sons.

Elijah was born in 1795 and married Margaret German in August of 1822.[3] He is of the age to have fathered Joshua, but Elijah had no male children that could be Joshua in 1830.[4]

Josiah was born in 1797 and married Anna Winegardner in 1820.[5] In 1830, Josiah had one son under 5 (John W.) and one 5-10 (who has not been named).[6]

In 1840, in Hopewell township, Muskingum county, Josiah and Anna have a son aged 20-30, and another 10-15.[7] Joshua married Abigail in 1842, so he could be this child.

Josiah's wife, Anna, died in 1850.[8] On the 1850 Perry County, Ohio census Josiah is a farmer with children John W. (21), Sarah E, Susan M, and James H.[9]

Next door is Joshua Rutledge with Abigail, Elizabeth A (age 3), and Abraham (4 months).[10]

After Anna's death, Josiah married Patience Stiles Prior in 1852.[12] They married in Muskingum County, perhaps where her family lived. Patience was 15 years younger than Josiah and the sister of Joshua's wife, Abigail.[13] Josiah married the sister of his son's wife.

Josiah and Patience are in Perry County in 1860 and 1870.[14] Josiah died in 1872.[15] Patience is living with her daughter Mary in 1880 in Perry County.[16]

I found no probate records for Josiah in Perry county, even though there is a death record there. The Probate Clerk confirmed the lack of records.

Joshua and Abigail named one of their sons Josiah and a daughter Patience, perhaps after his father and Abigail's sister (Joshua's stepmother). [17]

The Perry County Recorder's office found the deed that so far is the only evidence we have of the children of Josiah and Patience Rutledge. [11] Josiah's farm straddled sections 5 and 9 in Madison township. In 1875, the Rutledge Heirs sold the farm to their stepmother, Patience.

Joshua Rutledge and Abigail, his wife of Muskingum County, Ohio; Isaac F. Lenhart and Marinda E, his wife of Montgomery County, Kansas; John W. Rutledge and Nancy, his wife of Muskingum County, Ohio; Wellington Nisbaum and Susan M, his wife of Hancock County, Ohio; Sarah E. Hammit of Muskingum County, Ohio; James H. Rutledge of Hardin County, Ohio; Calvin Baird and Mary E, his wife of Perry County, Ohio; Zachariah McCammon and Eliza A, his wife of Muskingum County, Ohio.

By themselves and as attorney in fact, were paid $3100 by Patience Rutledge, for a part of the NE quarter of Section 9, township 17, and range 15 contained 33 acres and 25 perches; and 26 acres plus adjoining and lying in the SE quarter of section 4, township 17, range 15, for a total of 61 acres.

DNA

My sister and I share 33 cMs total with MS, however, the largest segment is just 8.97 cMs on chromosome 11.[18] Other matches in this area are descendants of William and Mary Rutledge (my 3rd great-grandparents).[19] The probability of MS and I being fourth cousins once removed is 53%.[20]

Conclusion: Based on the above evidence and a DNA match, Joshua Rutledge is the son of Josiah Rutledge and Anna Winegardner.

Welcome Cousin!

[1] Ohio, County Marriage Records, Muskingum County, 1842. Muskingum County Archives.

[2] 1830 US Census, Ohio, Muskingum County.

[3] St. James Protestant Episcopal Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland. FHL#14451 AND Ohio, County Marriage Records, Muskingum County, 1822. Muskingum County Archives.

[4] 1830 US Census, Muskingum County, Ohio.

[5] Tombstone, Asbury Chapel Cemetery, Muskingum County, Ohio and Muskingum County Ohio marriage records, 1820, Muskingum County, Ohio Archives.

[6] 1830 US Census, Muskingum County, Ohio

[7] 1840 US Census, Muskingum County, Ohio

[8] US Federal Mortality Schedule, 1850, Perry County, Ohio.

[9] 1850 US Census, Perry County, Ohio.

[10] 1850 US Census, Madison township, Perry County, Ohio. p.379.

[11] Deed Abstract - Rutledge Heirs to Patience Rutledge, 18 June 1875, Perry County Ohio, DV 18 page 362.

[12] Ohio County Marriages, Muskingum County, Ohio, 1852.

[13] 1850 US Census, Muskingum County, Ohio.

[14] 1860,1870 US Census.

[15] Tombstone, Asbury Chapel Cemetery, Muskingum County, Ohio.

[16] 1880 US Census.

[17] 1860,1870 US Census.

[18] FamilyTreeDNA, match report for Cindy Barber, 3 May 2021.

[19] DNA painter profile of Cindy Barber.

[20] The Shared cM project 4.0, dnapainter.com. 3 May 2021.