The Will of James Eldred
Mary Ann Eldred Austin was the daughter of James Eldred and his second wife Hannah Hickok. Hannah is listed in the 1860 census as living with Mary Ann and her husband (William) Henry Austin.
When I was at my mom’s in May of 2005, I was very excited to see James Eldred’s will. The family story is that Eldred, New York was named after James Eldred, who would be my great great grandfather.
March 14th, 2006 at 7:39 am
My great grandfather referred to a James Eldred in his letters written during the Civil War. James and my great grandfather, Sherman, were both in the war at the time of the letters and Sherman and he must have been friends. Since the James Eldred mentioned above was 79 in 1856; the James that my great grandfather knew must have been his son? I visit your site weekly and am thrilled each time I find something new posted. I am so impressed with this site. Keep up the fantastic work.
March 14th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
Thanks so much for your comments, Cynthia.
I checked my family program and I only have the James Eldred listed that wrote this will. I have seen the name James Eldred for a younger man, but I don’t remember who his parents were.
Perhaps of interest, William Henry and Mary Ann Eldred Austin had a son James Eldred Austin (1855-1943), but he was not old enough to have been in the Civil War. He was nicknamed Uncle El. Uncle El would be a brother to my Grandpa Mort Austin, and therefore a brother-in-law to my grandma Jenny Leavenworth Austin.