John Sinnet in County Histories

Previously, I wrote about my great, great, great grandfather, John Elijah Senate.

John was born April 24, 1836 in Christian County, Illinois,¹Christian County, Illinois was formed out of Sangamon County on February 15, 1839. So, he was technically born in Sangamon County. and died September 19, 1929 in Sullivan County, Missouri. He married Margaret Hawkins in 1858 in Tazewell County, Illinois. John’s parents were Rhoda Hanon and John Senate.

What do we know of John’s father, the elder John?

Clues in Local Histories

In the late 1800s, regional authors compiled history books. These volumes contained the general history of an area as well as biographies of local citizens.

When utilizing a local, or county, book for family history research, one must remember that the biographies were likely submitted by persons who could afford to pay to have their information printed. I am also aware that the data in these books rarely have source citations.

One such volume is the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Rock Island.²Bateman. Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Rock Island. Chicago: Munsell, 1914. Sinnet biography on page 481. The editor explained his collection thus: “Especial care has been taken in collecting material of a biographical character facts and incidents in the personal history of men identified with the life of the state in its Territorial and later periods. This material has been gathered from a great variety of sources widely scattered, and much of it quite inaccessible to the ordinary Inquirer. … The supreme mission of the book is to record, fairly and truthfully, historical facts; facts of the earlier and later history of the State, and drawn from the almost innumerable sources connected with that history; facts of interest to the great body of our people, as well as to scholars, officials, and other special classes; a book convenient for reference in the school, the office, and the home.”

SINNET, John S., pioneer, was born at Lexington, Ky., March 10, 1796; at three years of age, taken by his parents to Missouri; enlisted in the War of 1812, but soon after the war, came to Illinois, and about 1818, settled in what is now Christian County, locating on land constituting a part of the present city of Taylorsville. In 1840 he removed to Tazewell County, dying there, Jan. 13, 1872.

Christian County History

The above-referenced biography indicates that John was an Illinois “pioneer” living in what was to become Christian County, Illinois in the year 1818.

John Sinnet is also listed several times in another, earlier-published history of Christian County:³Goudy, Calvin. The History of Christian County. Philadelphia: Brink, McDonough & Co., 1880. Transcribed by Karrie Blees, November 1, 2022. Passages selected for transcription were the ones that mentioned John Sinnet; spelling, italics, as in original [Karrie’s notes in brackets].

Township and City of Taylorville, page 113

From the best information possible to be obtained, the honor of being the first settler in what is now known as Taylorville Township belongs to John S. Sinnet. He located and built a cabin on a portion of land now embraced in the south-east part of Taylorville, not far from where the fair-ground spring is. He located there in 1818. In 1829 he sold out his improvements to Col. Thos. S. Young. The Brents family came soon after, and by some it is thought that they were settlers here before Sinnet, but as stated above, the best information is that Sinnet was first and the Brents came in 1820. The widow Brent brought her family with her.

Chapter III: Pioneers and Early Settlers, page 31

As mentioned above, Hanon’s brother-in-law, John S. Sinnet, Claiborn Matthews, with his family, Jacob Gragg, Eli Alexander and a man by the name of Kenchen, all came and settled in the county soon after Hanon’s arrival. The exact time of the arrival of these parties seems to be a conflicting question. In some instances we find that they came in the year 1818, and again in 1819; but it is undoubtedly correct to say that they came late in the fall of 1818, a short time after Martin Hanon settled, as he (Hanon) has stated.

John S. Sinnet was a native of Lexington, Ky.; born March 10, 1796. When three years of age his father moved to Missouri, where young Sinnet remained until the war of 1812. He enlisted, and served his term in that war, and was honorably discharged. Soon after leaving the army he came to Illinois, then a territory.⁴Illinois became a state December 3, 1818. See Illinois State Museum website. In the year 1818 he was married to Miss Rhoda Hanon, a sister of Martin Hanon’s. Soon after this event they settled in what is now Christian county. He located on land now including the south-eastern part of Taylorville. He/Sinnet built a cabin on the east side of the old Fair Grounds spring, in 1826. He sold this to Col. Thomas S. Young in 1829, and built another in the ravine, a little south-east of the junction of the O. and M. and W. St. L and P. [Ohio & Mississippi and Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railway companies]

Mary Sinnet, daughter of John S. Sinnet, was the first white child born in this county. Her birth occurred early in 1820.

On the 8th of March, 1840, he moved from Christian to Tazewell county, where he resided until his death, January 13, 1872, in the seventy-sixth year of his age.

Sinnet was twice married; the second time to a Miss Elizabeth Perdue. He had ten children by his first wife, and three by the last one. He was a great hunter. Mr. Sinnet was a member of the Methodist Church for over fifty years, and died in that faith. He was a member of the pioneer M. E. church of this county [Christian] which held its meetings at John Brent’s and Father Young’s.

Other bits about John

The Christian County History has other stories about John Sinnet:

The honor of being the first white resident of the country now comprised within the limits of Christian county, belongs to Martin Hanon. He was a native of Tennessee, born in April 1799, near the city of Nashville. He came to the territory of Illinois with his father, Michael Hanon, in the year 1812, and settled in Gallatin county, where he resided until his death in 1817. The year following his father’s death, young Martin, in charge of his mother and family, emigrated and settled in Christian county, in the fall of the year 1818. At first he pitched his tent on the south side of a large fallen tree. Their meat in one end of a sack, and other provisions in the other end, were balanced in the crotch of a tree, until a log cabin was extemporized. The scent of it soon attracted a pack of hungry wolves, and they were only kept at bay by occasionally throwing a fire-brand in their midst. There is nothing more terrifying to the wolf. He first settled and improved what afterwards was known as the Squire Council farm. John S. Sinnet, a brother-in-law of Hanon’s, and Claiborn Matthews with his family – Jacob Gragg, Eli Alexander and Kenchen – “the well-digger” – all came to and settled in the county Nov. 21st, 1818 – only a few days after Hanon. Their nearest neighbor in this county in 1820, was Ephraim Cooper, living on the North Fork. Martin Hanon, realizing that it was not good for man to be alone, soon after improving his claim determined to take to himself a wife. He went down into Egypt, wooed and won one of the fair daughters of that land, and was married in Shawneetown, on the 10th of October, 1823, to Miss Sally Miller. Among the usual attractions presented on such occasions to his young bride was that he possessed on his farm a thousand bearing apple trees. Judge of her feelings when on reaching her new home of which she had become joint proprietor, her husband directed her attention to ten acres of thrifty crab-apple trees. (First Settlement and Early Settlers, pages 30)

It is related that Hanon was very fond of attending all the railmaulings [rail-splitting] and corn shuckings, far and near; he was a lover of athletic sports, and he and Moses H. Brents were accounted the most popular gallants of the day. They often extended their tours far in to the Rochester prairie, till within hailing distance of the capital [sic] of the state. Martin was one of the best hunters of that day. On one occasion John S. Sinnet, Jake Gragg (mentioned below) and himself were out hunting. Sinnet wandered off and got lost from his companions. They came across three Indians, which moved them to hunt Sinnet. The Indians followed close behind them. They stopped and dismounted; so did the Indians. Hanon, not being well acquainted with the Indian character, became somewhat alarmed at their strange actions; and more especially as he knew Gragg to be a rash man. They examined their guns and picked their flints; and the Indians did likewise. Gragg, then, in a threatening manner ordered them to “puck-u-chee” (i.e., light out) [leave in a hurry] and they did. Gragg turned to Hanon and said, if Sinnet had been present he would have shot one of the Indians. It was the opinion of Hanon that they made a narrow escape. In that day Indians were quite numerous in this part of the country. (First Settlement and Early Settlers, pages 31)

Of the early history of Jacob Gragg, better known as “Jake” Gragg, and the “tall man,” there is but little known. He was a ranger in the war of 1812. At one time during the war he with others were taken prisoners by the Indians. Some they instantly killed, and others were reserved for more sever torture. Gragg used to tell that he successfully run [sic] the gauntlet from one end to the other without receiving serious injuries. This secured his safety, and he subsequently escaped.

When Gragg first came to Illinois, in 1803, he settled near Troy, in Madison county. He first squatted on the place, afterwards owned by Martin Hanon, on Horse-shoe prairie, Christian county. He, too, was a celebrated hunter, and, with Martin Hanon and John S. Sinnet, hunted the deer and the honey of the wild bee in the forest. (First Settlement and Early Settlers, pages 31-32)

It was in this township that the first settlement in the county was made. Martin Hanon, and other following him, “squatted” here and made the first settlement, in the year 1818. Mr. Hanon improved the tract of land now better known as the Esquire Council farm. He built a cabin, plowed a little patch of ground, with an old barshear plow, between two hazel thickets, for a “truck patch,” where his widowed mother, who accompanied him to his new home, set out some “shillotts,” a species of onion, tansey, “old man,” [possibly Artemisia abrotanum] and other “yearbs,” brought along. Alexander Matthews, who came with Martin Hanon, built a cabin the following season, and, in course of time, put a ”housekeeper” in it. The following comprises the names of some of the families who first settled in this portion of the county. John S. Sinnet, Claiborn Matthews, and his sons Eli and Alexander, and Kinchen came soon after Hanon in 1818….In 1825 came…Robert Richardson, William Richardson… (South Fork Township First Settlers, page 159)

The Richardson connection was quite numerous, and this circumstance gave the name “Richardson settlement,” by which that section of the county was known for years. These families settled on the prairie in 1828. They were zealous members of the Methodist Church, and at an early day organized a society. Robert Richardson, Sr., Wm. Richardson, Sr., and John S. Sinnet were leading members. The first meetings were held in private home, and after a time Robert Richardson, Sr., set about building a church. Amos and Jesse Richardson, his sons, aided him in cutting and hauling logs to Elgan’s Mill, and then, at night-time, were granted the privilege of running the mill, free of charge, in sawing necessary lumber for the church. [Bethany Church. In 1867 a new building was erected 10 miles west of Taylorville.] (South Fork Township First Settlers, page 160)

One more County History

In 1904, J. C. McBride published a volume entitled Past and Present of Christian County, Illinois. On first page of McBride’s Preface, he acknowledges the work of  Calvin Goudy, editor of The History of Christian County (1880). McBride’s information about Hanon, Sinnet and the other settlers in/near Taylorville is word-for-word taken from Goudy’s work.

So, we do not need to repeat it here.

Questions:

Why is the name spelled SINNET and John Elijah spelled his name SENATE?
None of these county histories mention my direct ancestor, John Elijah Senate. How do we know that John S. Sinnet is the father of John E. Senate?
Do land records corroborate the details in these county histories?
War of 1812: what records exist?
What can we find out about his wife, Rhoda Hanon (sister of Martin Hanon)?

SOURCES

• 1
  Christian County, Illinois was formed out of Sangamon County on February 15, 1839. So, he was technically born in Sangamon County.
• 2
  Bateman. Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Rock Island. Chicago: Munsell, 1914. Sinnet biography on page 481. The editor explained his collection thus: “Especial care has been taken in collecting material of a biographical character facts and incidents in the personal history of men identified with the life of the state in its Territorial and later periods. This material has been gathered from a great variety of sources widely scattered, and much of it quite inaccessible to the ordinary Inquirer. … The supreme mission of the book is to record, fairly and truthfully, historical facts; facts of the earlier and later history of the State, and drawn from the almost innumerable sources connected with that history; facts of interest to the great body of our people, as well as to scholars, officials, and other special classes; a book convenient for reference in the school, the office, and the home.”
• 3
  Goudy, Calvin. The History of Christian County. Philadelphia: Brink, McDonough & Co., 1880. Transcribed by Karrie Blees, November 1, 2022. Passages selected for transcription were the ones that mentioned John Sinnet; spelling, italics, as in original [Karrie’s notes in brackets].
• 4
  Illinois became a state December 3, 1818. See Illinois State Museum website.