The Spain Family

Last January, I made a trip to North Lewisburg, Ohio to (hopefully) discover more about my ancestors.
This area was home to the Spain line of my family, along with many other maiden names.

I'd done some ancestry research and found whom I was related to and their vitals, including their burial locations. Then, I started searching more linearly, rather than laterally, and found some interesting facts.

There is a creek that runs relatively west-east into and through Lewisburg, named Spain creek. Further research in The History of Champaign County the Spain family is credited with being some of the first inhabitants. They have a strong heritage here, hence the name of the creek.


There is a covered bridge here. I can imagine the horses and carriages now.

 

 

To read the inscription on the Historical Marker, click the photo. Use the back button when finished to return.

I love how the wooden floor is wearing through the blacktop, making its age more apparent.

The bridge is located on Inskeep-Cratty road. Mary Inskeep married Joshua Spain, so we are attached to that family line as well.

Maple Grove Cemetery holds many, many a Spain. As well as other large groups of family names; Inskeep, Townsend, Bishop, Holycross.

I have a land map showing ownership of Joshua and Sylvester Spain, the land surrounding the north-east boundaries of the cemetery. Thus, the following shots are looking out across what used to be family land:

A scan of the map, highlighted areas are land of family members I am aware of. Again, clicking will open a larger image.

In Maple Grove (also once referred to as Spain Cemetery) I had a hard time reading the older stones, especially because it was quite cold out and I grew impatient. However, I did find Thomas and wife Evea. There is a story about Thomas bringing the church bell from Urbana to North Lewisburg by wagon, ringing it as he came near. More can be read about this here, towards the bottom of the webpage. Thomas was the brother of my 6th great grandfather.

 

Anyhow, back to the direct lineage way of things that I've used for other ancestral lines in this blog. 

The name Spain, and the origination in Champaign County, Ohio comes from my grandfather's mother, Floreine Spain (b. 31 Mar 1904, Mingo, Ohio - d. 16 Dec 1993, Monroe, Michigan). She and my great grandfather are buried in Enon, Ohio, where they made their last home together.  

Floreine was a writer, our family has many works of hers stored away somewhere. I would like to someday see about publishing these either through a company or online, but that is an idea for another day. I haven't read them in full yet myself.

Floreine's parents are Frederick Josephus Spain (b. 24 July 1870 Mingo, Ohio - d. 10 Nov 1939 Marion, Ohio) and Manta Ann Medaris (b. 3 Sep 1882, Jamestown, Ohio - d. 16 Mar 1976, Enon, Ohio). I did not find their memorial in Maple Grove when I visited, though it is there, and another contributor at findagrave.com has uploaded photographs of their memorial. Manta was Fred's second wife, the first being Blanche Callahan. Their daughter was named Geneva Spain.

My grandfather remembers his grandmother Manta, as a very proper woman. When younger, he was helping her move when he discovered a very elaborate dress in a box. He asked her what it was and her reply was it was her burial gown and to box it back up. She was no where near expecting death at that point, but was prepared just the same. 

Another story passed down about Manta relates to Floreine. My great grandmother had 4 children. The last of which was my grandfather. Floreine was 36 when she had my grandfather, and her mother told her she was too old to be having children and shouldn't even be sleeping with her husband at her age. She allegedly chastised my great grandmother throughout her life for much of what she did.

Manta's parents are Gideon Medaris (b. 14 Dec 1852 - d. 14 Mar 1927, Yakima, Washington) and Elona Hord (b. 14 Nov 1857, Addison, Ohio - d. 17 Oct 1920, Yakima, Washington). I will have more on the Medaris family later, I don't have photos of their graves yet. 

Fred's parents are Sylvester Spain (b. 25 Aug 1837, Champaign County, Ohio - d. 18 June 1909) and Abigail Downs (b. 24 Feb 1838, Champaign County, Ohio - d. 9 Jan 1920 North Lewisburg, Ohio). They are buried together in Maple Grove Cemetery.

This is the backside of their memorial, I assume these are relatives as well but am unsure how they're related at this moment.

I don't know much about Abbie's parents, I have that her dad's name began with an A and he was born in either Ohio or Pennsylvania. For her mother I have a Jasmine A. Therus/Thomas born in Ohio...but I am not very clear on this.

Sylvester's parents are Joshua Spain (b. 16 Feb 1811, Virginia - d. 30 Sep 1877, Ohio) who was married 8 Jan 1835 to Sylvester's mother, Mary Inskeep (b. 24 Oct 1814 - d. 5 Apr 1865). The two of them are buried in Butcher Cemetery in North Lewisburg, Ohio.

Below is the sign for the cemetery:

Mary Inskeep's parents are Job Inskeep (b. 18 Dec 1778, Virginia - d. 29 May 1856, Ohio) and Patience Monroe Bishop (b. 29 Nov 1784, Virginia - d. 8 Mar 1864, Ohio). They are buried at Graham Farm Cemetery in Logan County, Ohio, near North Lewisburg. The cemetery is a small fenced in plot at the beginning of a driveway, near Township Highway 147. Most of the stones are very old, and there are only a few of them. 

The cemetery:

And Job's stone:

Job's parents are James Inskeep and Hope Collins, though I have no dates or locations for the two of them as of now. James' father is John Inskeep, born 1701 in Stadeley Green, Staffordshire, England.

Patience Monroe Bishop's parents are Jonathan Bishop (b. 7 Sep 1739, New Jersey - d. between 1816 and 17 Jun 1817) and Patience Munrow (b. 9 Mar 1742, New Jersey - d. 29 Mar 1828, Virginia).

Back in the Spain line, Joshua's Parents are Stephen Spain (b. 1781, Virginia - d. 11 Apr 1847, Ohio) and Martha (no data on her). I have that Stephen is buried in Maple Grove, but don't recall a photo of his memorial.

Stephen's parents are Joshua Spain (b. 1759, Virginia - d. 9 Dec 1840, Ohio) and Elizabeth Eppes (b. 1764, Virginia - d. 3 Feb 1844, Ohio). Joshua is listed on findagrave.com at Maple Grove Cemetery, but I did not find his memorial while visiting last January. I will be making another trip in warmer weather to find those I missed. 

Joshua Spain's father was John Spain (b. 1720, Virginia - d. 1798, Virginia) and I do not have a name for his mother. The line continues from there, in Virginia and eventually leads to Thomas Spain (b. 12 Aug 1620, Lincolnshire, England - d. Virginia).

I am missing quite a few memorials in the direct line of my ancestors, and hope to get that sorted out as I work through the data online and in visiting the cemeteries.

I very much enjoyed visiting North Lewisburg and will be returning. I feel a connection here, one I get when visiting ancestral land. There is always more research to do, so off I go...

Spain Creek Bridge, again, to leave you with.