Joe Dean called me to say that Judy had found the grave of James Richardson.  He is buried next to Ellen Richardson in Hurricane Cemetery, Williamson County Illinois.  The cemetery is located between Herrin and Carterville Illinois.  The inscription on his marker reads: Death 1843, aged 38y.  Ellen's inscription reads: Death: May 15, 1871, aged 71y.

This discovery has led to a flurry of searching.  My sister, Mary, has made a trip or two the genealogical library in Kansas City.  She has come up with some more information as follows:

There are no other Richardsons in the Hurricane Cemetery (unless their gravestones were not legible).  There are a ton (at least 3 dozen Whitecottens, one of whom - Josephine (Josie) married a Joshua (Josh) Glenn 'living on Herrin Prairie**' -- whose parents are James Glenn and Elizabeth Richardson.  Josh was born 12 March 1864, so he could be the son of Samuel Rankin's oldest sister.  Josh is buried by a few other Glenns and next to Josie's parents.  Josie is a couple of rows away with other Whitecottens.  Neither James nor Elizabeth Glenn are listed in the cemetery.

** In the 1870 census, Samuel Rankin's location (after the township #, etc.) was 'Herrin Prairie P.O.'

BTW -- I think we have the youngest sister, Mary Ellen's, birth year [1845] wrong.  If James R's date of death is correct (1843), then that was one looooooooooong pregnancy!  But since on the 1850 and 1860 censuses she is listed as 2 or 3 years younger than Susan Rebecca (b. 1841).  Also, I think Ellen's age of 70 at death would be incorrect -- on the censuses she is first 45 (counted after her birthday?), then 54 (counted before her birthday?).

The other two pages are from the 1868 tax records.  This might be before she moved in with Samuel (she is listed in his household in the 1870 census), as she has her own animals.  The land (145 acres in 3 parcels) is already in James' name.  I'm curious how that was worked out, and when.  Those parcels are in Township 8, Range 2 where the census puts them.

Neither James, Samuel or Ellen was listed in a book called "Family maps of Williamson County, IL: with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns, cemeteries, railroads, and more"   (some title!).  When I go back I will look at the maps and try to figure out who is on the land Samuel owned in 1868.  Also I turned up zip in a book called 'Original Land Grants'.  I think I don't know enough about how land changed hands, etc., to know what any of this might mean.

I will include the pdf files of the records as soon as I figure out where to put them.  This got me to searching the millitary rosters again and I found two Whitecottens inlisted into the same company as Samuel and Newton Pitcock.  This is giving more information as to the ties between the two famlies.

There is a thought that Susan Rebbecca might be a niece and not a daughter.

In doing some more digging on the Internet more information has come to the surface.  Samuel Rankins enlistment information has been found.  This document lists his birth place as Licking County Ohio.  Licking County is about 30 miles east of Franklin County.

sent me the above picture.  It is a scanned copy of a Xerox copy therefore the quality is not the best, but what can we expect.

It appears that the picture was made after the death of his first wife, Emily in 1883.  This conclusion is drawn from the fact she is not included in the picture.  This also leads credence to the fact the picture was taken in Texas, where Union Solders were not well received.  It was said he always wore his uniform coat when he had his picture made.

If anyone else has pictures please send them to me and I will get them included in the site.

I am working on the site again.  The web standards have been changed again and I am trying to adhear to the new requirements.  You will find that the basic page layout will be also change.  I do not know if this is good or not, but when I do a search on the web many times it takes me back to our site.  I also plan on getting a updated genealogy section posted.   So if you know of any corrections that are needed please send them to me.  I have also found that one of the Chandlers was Knighted.  I will post this and more infomation on the Chandlers as I dig it out.

I hope that the family will find this site helpful in keeping up with our history.  I wish to thank everyone for their contributions for with out you this site would not exist.  Please feel free to contact me with any corrections or additions.  We, the members of this family,  ask all to feel free to submit any stories or remembrances that they have of times gone by.