Flipside: John March and Elizabeth Cannon March of Columbiana County, Ohio

Seventeen year old Elizabeth Cannon, daughter of Lindsey and Elizabeth Fife Cannon, married twenty-six year old, John March, on May 29, 1827 in Columbiana County, Ohio. They are my maternal second great-grandaunt and granduncle. The Reverend William Reed of the Presbyterian Church performed the ceremony. John was born about 1801 in Virginia to Henry March and Mary Hollinger March.

This 1814 Columbiana County, Ohio probate record outlines where the Marsh/March children lived following the death of their father, Henry March. I do not know why they chose to live with other families as their mother Mary Hollinger March was still alive. I also do not know if these five children were all that Henry and Mary raised, or if there were additional not named in the document.

Untangling the Columbiana County March's in the 1800's is a challenge. At a minimum, the document above does link a Samuel, John, Phillip, Sarah and Catherine to Henry and Mary March.

There was also a Samuel March, brother to Henry, who relocated to Columbiana County, Ohio. More about him later.

On the 1830 Ohio Federal Census, John March is enumerated directly above his father-in-law, Lindsey Cannon and in 1840, he is on the same page underneath Lindsey Cannon by several names. Both census are from St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. A solid guess is that John is farming a piece of Lindsey's land or assisting with running the mill.

By 1840, John and Elizabeth had three children:

Mary March born in 1830, St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio
Thomas March born in 1834, St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio
Henry March born in 1836, St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio

1850 Ohio Federal Census
St. Clair Township, Columbiana County
September 11, 1850

John March was a farmer, on his own land in St. Clair Township. His father-in-law, had sold all his property in St. Clair Township, and perhaps, John purchased a piece of that land. I also noticed that his brother, Samuel March was enumerated a few lines away and was employed as a blacksmith. Lindsey Cannon's Mill had a blacksmith operation. Perhaps, Samuel March was employed there although the mill was owned by someone else.

John March, age 49, male, farmer, value of real estate owned $1800, born in Virginia

Elizabeth March, age 40, female, born in Ohio

Mary March, age 19, female, born in Ohio

Thomas March, age 17, male, farmer, born in Ohio, attended school within the year

Henry March, age 13, male, born in Ohio, attended school within the year

John March, age, 9, male, born in Ohio, attended school within the year

Martha (Jane) March, age 7, female, born in Ohio, attended school within the year

Sarah (A.) March, age 5, female, born in Ohio

Three additional children were added between 1840-1850

John March born 1841
Martha Jane March born 1844
Sarah A. March born 1846

All children were born in St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. Somewhere I must have seen that John and Elizabeth had a son named Lindsey March. I have not been able to find any documentation on him. If he existed, he must have been born and died in between census reports.

1860 Ohio Federal Census
Madison Township, Columbiana County
June 2, 1860

John March, age 59, male, farmer, value of real estate $2100, value of personal estate $100 or $500, born in Virginia

Elizabeth March, age 50, female, born in Ohio

Mary March, age 25, female, born in Ohio

Thomas March, age 23, male, farmer, born in Ohio

Henry March, age 21, male, farmer, born in Ohio

John March, age 18, male, born in Ohio

Martha J. March, age 16, female, born in Ohio

Sarah A. March, age 14, female, born in Ohio, attended school during the year

Ada March, age 5, female, born in Ohio

Is Ada March the daughter of John and Elizabeth? Elizabeth would have been age forty-five when Ada was born. I have not been able to trace Ada. The March farm was located near the village of West Point.

This is an 1870 land ownership map of Madison Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. John Marsh owns 151 acres in the southwest quarter of Section 2. A Joseph March owns land directly to the west of John and a Samuel March to the south. I do not think Joseph is a member of the descendants of Henry Marsh and Mary Hollinger Marsh....unless they had a son named Henry. I do not know if Samuel Marsh is John's brother, or from the other Marsh family. I am adding here that Henry March, father of John, did have a brother, Samuel March, who relocated to Columbiana County and he had two sons named, Joseph and Samuel. Further research.... Joseph March and Samuel March on the map are sons of Samuel March and John's nephews. WHEW!

1870 Ohio Federal Census
Madison Township, Columbiana County
June 1, 1870

John March, age, male, farmer, value of real estate $5000, value of personal estate $900, born in Virginia

Elizabeth March, age, female, keeping house, born in Ohio

Henry March, age, male, carpenter, born in Ohio

John March, age, male, works on farm, born in Ohio

Mary March, age, female, at home, born in Ohio

Sarah A. March, age, female, at home, born in Ohio

John has increased his estate by a little under $3000 in the past decade. Wellsville listed as the post office is a mystery to me. Wellsville is located down on the Ohio River and not in Madison Township. I checked the Horace Mack book to see is there was a Wellsville in Madison and came up empty. No Ada March from the 1860 census. Mystery.

1880 Ohio Federal Census
Madison Township, Columbiana County, Ohio
June 4, 1880

John March, age 78, farmer, born in Virginia, father and mother born in Pennsylvania

Elizabeth March, age 68, wife, keeping house, born in Ohio, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Ohio (she was born in Pennsylvania)

Mary March, age 49, daughter, at home, born in Ohio, Father born in Virginia and mother born in Ohio

Ella Stark, age 22, servant, born in Pennsylvania, both parents born in Pennsylvania

John March died in November, 1881on his farm in Madison Township, Columbiana County, Ohio at age eighty. His last will and testament lists his son, John March, Jr. as the executor. Monies are to be paid out to all of John's adult children and his wife, Elizabeth Cannon March will live on the farm until she dies. John is to live an work the farm until his mother dies.

John March was buried at Carlisle Cemetery, Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. Elizabeth Cannon March died on February 23, 1889 on the family farm, Madison Township, Columbiana County, Ohio at age seventy-nine. She was buried beside her husband at Carlisle Cemetery. Her parents, Lindsey Cannon and Elizabeth Fife Cannon are also buried there.

Children of John March and Elizabeth Cannon March:

Mary March--born in June 1830, St. Clair Twp, Columbiana County, Ohio; died March 28, 1907, Madison Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. Never married.
Thomas March--born in 1834, St. Clair Twp, Columbiana County, Ohio; died 1904, Columbiana County, Ohio. Married Nancy Catherine Gamble, October 18, 1866, Columbiana County, Ohio.
Henry March--born November 25, 1836, St. Clair Twp, Columbiana County, Ohio; died January 29, 1890, Columbiana County, Ohio. Married Maria Beulah Frost, December 5, 1872, Columbiana County, Ohio.
John March--July 8, 1842, St. Clair Twp, Columbiana County, Ohio; died May 26, 1924, Madison Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. Married Nancy Carrie Booth, 1871, Columbiana County, Ohio.
Martha Jane March--born September 14, 1845, St. Clair Twp, Columbiana County, Ohio; died December 27, 1908, Franklin Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. Married Thomas F. McKarns November 26, 1868, Columbiana County, Ohio.
Sarah A. March--born 1846,St. Clair Twp, Columbiana County, Ohio; died June 12, 1903, East Liverpool, Columbiana County, Ohio. Married Marquis H. Bough.
Ada March--probably not their child
Lindsey March--no records or documents

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