James K. & Elizabeth Scott family

There is some confusion as to when and where Elizabeth died- one record says 1863 in Daviess co. Mo., another says 1874 or 1878 in Madison co. Iowa, and I don't know what the source is for any of them. There is also no info on her maiden name. It was long thought to be Glenn- apparently one record stated that James was brother-in-law to the Glenns, Samuel Porter and Thomas Morrow, and that was interpreted to mean that Elizabeth was a sister to Samuel and Thomas. In fact, he was their brother-in-law anyway, being the brother of Samuel & Thomas' wives (Rutha B. and Anna Carolina).

To further complicate things, on the DAR application of Ethel Scott Fraser, submitted in 1959, she lists James' wife as "Elizabeth (his cousin)" (she also listed James' mother as "Ann Craytin", though).  This seems to come from a short history given at the 1956 anniversary celebration of Old Scotland Church near Jameson, Missouri.  It was beleived that the information came originally from Vesta Williams of Gallatin, Missouri, who was descended from Thomas & Anna Scott Glenn.  Thomas Franklin Scott also did research on this family in the early part of the 20th century, and listed Elizabeth as James' cousin as well.  However, there is some speculation that he was thinking of the James A. Scott (s/o John W. Scott II) who married his cousin, Letitia Jane Glenn.

There is also this: James Scott married Elizabeth Janes 21 Mar 1819 in Adair co. Kentucky.  James K. Scott's aunt and uncle David & Isabella Scott Clark lived in Adair co. Kentucky from about 1807-1826.  It's just possible that Elizabeth was the daughter of David and Isabella, was married first and had two sons, then married James K. Scott and had the Scott children with him listed below.  It would account for why the first two males listed in the 1820 census in their household haven't been found- they'd have a last name of Janes instead.  To make this work, though, John Wilson Scott (below) would have to have an incorrect birth date listed.

James was a minister in the Christian church, a physician, a justice of the peace, and served two terms in the state legislature from 1842-1846.  In the first election when Dewitt county was formed in 1839, he lost 263-206 in the race for Justice.  He was also foreman of the grand jury in Dewitt county in September 1847 and again in September 1848.  He is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery, but there is no stone, and I don't think there ever was.  Elizabeth was said to have been returned to Illinois and buried in Rock Creek, but there is no stone for her, either.

In 1840, James wrote a letter to a medical journal called "The Botanico Medical Recorder" that survives.  In it, he thanks Dr. A. Curtis for his "letter in relation to the health of my son", and says his "practice is so great that I have but little time to be at home, day or night".  He also says his "success is good in curing all curable diseases common in this country [but] [t]he most difficult... are chills and fevers, or cold extremities and warm head and body".  Curtis provided advice on curing chills, and admonished James, saying "[i]t is not right to neglect your own son, in your efforts to relieve the distressed.  Many [doctors] have neglected their own families and themselves also, till too late to do good... and this done injury instead of good to the cause".

In 1843, James and four other men were tasked with locating the county seat of Woodford county, Illinois, which they did at Metamora on 21 Feb 1845.

On 12 Feb 1850, James wrote a letter to Stephen A. Douglas, probably asking for help pleading the case for Dewitt county to recieve new construction projects from the state.  The letter will soon be available in the Stephen A. Douglas archives.

In the 1820 census, James & Elizabeth  had 3 sons under 10 years old; in 1830, they had 2 aged 10-15, 1 aged 5-10 and 1 aged under 5.  That would mean either Lorenzo's birthdate is very wrong (and possibly John W.'s, to allow enough time between their births) or there were two unnamed sons who died young, one in the 1820's and one in the 1830's.

They had at least 9 children:

• Male born ca. 1815 (aged under 10 in 1820 census, Crawford co. Ind.)- this child might not exist, depending on how accurately you believe census reports.
• Male born ca. 1817 (aged under 10 in 1820 census, Crawford co. Ind.)
• John Wilson (M. D.) b. 22 Jan 1819 Hermitage Springs, Jackson (now Clay) co. Tennessee d. Dec 1854 Texas twp., Dewitt co. Ill. (while erecting a house) m. 24 Nov 1836 Macon co. Ill. Leuinda Blair b. 25 Feb 1820 Kentucky d. 13 Sep 1907 Dewitt co. Ill.;  8 children.  John or his cousin John W. Scott III was indicted for assault with a knife in Dewitt county in October 1851.
• Lorenzo Dow b. ca. 1817 or 1821 Crawford co. Ind. or Jackson (now Clay) co. Tenn.  d. Feb 1857 Dewitt co. Ill., never married.  His birthdate is a big question- he is listed as being age 29 in the 1850 census, but in his 20's in 1840 and 10-20 in 1830, so he seems in fact be older than John Wilson.  He owned land in Henry co. Missouri, and according to a scrawled note I have, "1841 Vernon co. Mo. among the missing", whatever that means (Vernon county wasn't formed until 1851).  He voted in the election in Dewitt county in 1844.
• Martin Henry b. 1823 Sangamon co. Ill. d. before 1882 m. 5 May 1845 Hannah Mariah Rosencrans b. 15 May 1829 Butler co. Ohio d. 11 Apr 1892 Dewitt co. Ill.  No children.  Hannah filed for divorce (under her middle name) on 13 July 1860, stating that Martin had been absent from the household (desertion) for more than two years.  Martin did not answer the summons and the divorce was granted (I believe it was thought that he had left the state).  I do not know where Martin went after 1850; he was not in Illinois in 1860, and I don't know the source of Hannah's death date.  She married 2nd 11 Aug 1861 Dewitt co. Ill. John Adam Schmidt, and they had 3 children by 1870.
• Crafton Porter (M. D.) b. 12 Sep 1825 Sangamon co. Ill. d. 4 AM, 8 Jan 1900 Lincoln, Logan co. Ill. (dropsy and heart failure) m. 5 Jun 1845 Rhoda Davenport b. 1826/7 Kentucky d. after 1900.  Crafton Scott was indicted along with a G. F. Davenport for larceny, pled guilty, and fined $10 each in Dewitt county in May, 1855.  He served in the Civil War, as a musician, mustering in on 4 Sept 1862 at Wapella, Dewitt co. Ill. and being discharged 17 Sept 1863 on account of a disability.
• Mary Ann b. 1830 Tazewell co. Ill. d. after 1900; last known living in Clinton co. Missouri.  m/1. 31 Aug 1853 Dewitt co. Ill. Ezra Smith Pierce s/o Ezra & Mary Rachel Hinshaw Pierce?  d. 1860/1 Madison co. Iowa, 4 children (however, in 1900 Mary reported having 7 children and 3 were living); Mary m/2. 16 Dec 1866 Madison co. Iowa  James Harris b. 1814/5 North Carolina  d. 7 Jun 1873 Madison co. Iowa, buried Winterset cemetery;  1 son.  Mary and Ezra moved to Daviess co. Mo. in 1855, and to Madison co. Iowa about 1859.  Mary Ann Harris and 3 of her children were in the 1880 census in Madison county Iowa, but not in the 1885 state census (or afterward); they were living in Clinton co. Mo. in 1900 but not after.
• James Campbell (M. D.) b. 22 Feb 1833 Tazewell (now Dewitt) co. Illinois d. 3 Sep 1902 Atlanta, Logan co. Ill. m. 12 Aug 1853 Narcissus Asa d/o Elijah & Susannah Asa b. 24 Jul 1835 Indiana d. 22 May 1920 Kenney, Dewitt co. Ill.  James and Narcissus are buried in the Evergreen cemetery, Dewitt co. Ill.  James inherited his father's library of books.  9 children, 6 survived.
• Lucinda M. b. 1834/5 or 1839 Illinois  d. 1896 Daviess co. Mo.  m/1. 21 Dec 1856 Benton co. Mo. James A. Garton b. 1828 Kentucky d. 1870's, probably Buchanan co. Mo.; Lucinda m/2. 1870's John M. Spandaw/Spandau/Spandal  b. 1837/8 Bavaria  d. after 1900.  James and Lucinda had 1 son and lived in St. Joseph, Missouri at least through 1870; in 1880 Lucinda had remarried and was living in the town of Grafton, Fillmore co. Nebraska, but shortly afterward they moved back to Daviess co. Mo.  James may have been a preacher; there was a J. Garton listed as performing marriages in Madison co. Iowa (where Lucinda's sister Mary lived) in Dec 1871.