Walker McCord married Jeannett Moore in the Spring of 1825, Mercer County, PA

(authored 2018 cosmetic changes 9/2024 - Homuth side)

The title phrasing is taken from Walker McCord's obituary published in the Boscobel Dial, December  2nd 1881.    Just as important is the declaration of what we assume to be his wife's maiden name, Moore.  She lived on to 1884 so we further assume she put the obituary together but even so other anecdotal accounts raise some questions - more later.

The principal purpose of this entry is to record what I and others know or surmise about her family origins.

Walker McCord Obituary - Boscobel Dial,
December 2nd, 1881 (WI SHS microfilm, Newspaper Collection)

This begins the story of a number of additional information sources about the McCord's and Jeannett Moore's ancestry - some explored here.  Mercer county is a far western county in Pennsylvania on the border with Ohio.

I reopened my files/recollections by seeing what now existed in the FHL (Family History Library) and was surprised to find her placed as a child of Daniel Chestnut and Isabella Blain.  I was aware of the Chestnut name being involved with her or the McCord's but did not recall this "placement as child".

FHL - Chestnut/Moore Questions

As I dug into it I determined that FindAGrave.com was the source for a more recent update of the FHL (Jeannett Moore - FindAGrave.com) now Jennett C Morr,  (but not on the gravestone, 1803-1884) nor in the FHL.  The FindAGrave contributor is not accepting messages so this identifying Jeannett as "Jennet Chestnut Morr McCord" or as above "Jennet Caldwell Moore" remains a mystery.  I pondered this and tried contacting by email several people who seemed to have been involved in the "Jeannett" mystery and got replies but no insights.

I next got into my paper records of the McCords, mostly from when we lived in California (1990s).  I had some handwritten notes of an 1880 Census record Boscobel, Grant County WI.  What popped out at me were the questions about where were your father and mother born.  Walker's parents were both identified as born in Pennsylvania.  Jeannett's parents were different.  My notes said her father was born in Ireland and her mother in Pennsylvania.

This is substantial evidence Jeannett is not a Chestnut by Daniel and Isabella.  To be absolutely certain I would need to find some of her "Chestnut" brothers or sisters living in 1880 and see how they responded or her "father" Daniel Chestnut born in the colonies.  I offer the latter, Daniel was born in Virginia not Ireland as she reports about her father in 1880 Census.

Daniel Chestnut in FHL records

So I decided to track it down again, some twenty years later.  Both Ancestry and FHL have the 1880 Census online, images and transcripts included.  They have worked from microfilm, I assume, but not necessarily the same "originals"?  However they generate the transcripts they both say her father was from Indiana.  I looked at the images and felt it looked more like "Ireland" than Indiana.  I scanned the image looking for other instances of "Ireland" and "Indiana".  Ireland is the winner with the FHL image, although faint, it is more legible.

Below is the Census entries for David McCord household which includes his living parents.  The first image is the lefthand side ... see lines 18 and 19

1880 Wisconsin - David McCord family

Walker McCord (Ireland father?) - 1880 WI Census

I also recalled that the Archives at the State Historical Society had manuscript (Series 1678 Vol 8 Shelf 2M/72/05-F2, Page A #51, Boscobel) copies of the 1880 Census.  So I proceeded to examine them in person and again "Ireland" was the winner.  Her father was not from Indiana - so remember always verify for yourself.  Her parents born in Illinois - seems unusual?

1880 Census Wisconsin - McCord