By Don Taylor

I continue investigating the siblings of Rufus Holton Darling. In this research, I was able to extend my knowledge of Rufus’ mother Sally Ann (Munsell) Darling. I learned that Sally moved in with her son, Abner, and his wife before the 1860 Census. By knowing Sally was in Wisconsin in 1860, I may be able to find her death records.

Research Family 2017 – Ancestor #96

List of Grandparents

Grandfather: Robert Harry Darling (1907-1969)
1^st Great-grandfather: Rufus Harry Darling (1857-1917)
2^nd Great-grandfather: Rufus Holton Darling (1816-1857)
2^nd Great-granduncle: Abner C. Darling (1811-1880)

Abner C. Darling (1811-1880)

Abner C. Darling was probably born on 11 October 1811 in Rome, Oneida County, New York. [i]

He was the 2^nd child of 8 children born to Abner and Sally Ann (Munsell) Darling. Abner grew up with seven siblings:

• Andrew W. Darling(1805-1864)
• Deidamia Darling (1813-?)
• Rufus Holton Darling(1816-1857)
• Sally Ann Darling
• Abner Darling
• Henry W Darling
• Hannah Darling
• Franklin C Darling

Childhood

Indeed, the building of the Erie Canal was a big part of his childhood. Construction began in Rome on July 4^th, 1817, with the canal connecting Rome to both the Hudson River and the Great Lakes by 1825.

By 1830, his family located further west, to Clarkson, Monroe County, New York. Clarkson is about 18 miles west of Rochester and about 8 miles from Lake Ontario. The 1830 Census appears to include a household of Abner senior and his wife, Sally.[ii] Also, are five boys and three girls. They appear to be:

•       Franklin (age 1)
•       Hannah (age 6)
•       Sally Ann (age 9)
•       Henry   (age 10)
•       Rufus    (age 14)
•       Deidamia (age 16)
•       Abner   (age 19)
•       Unknown (Possibly Andrew)

One child’s identity is unknown, but his age is 15 to 19.  It is possible that this child is Andrew, but other records suggest Andrew should be age 25 during the 1830 census.

Marriage

About 1834, Abner married Nancy Anne Green. They had two children while living in Clarkson, a daughter, Lucinda, (born 1835) and a son, Ned, who was born before 1840. The family moved from Clarkson, New York to Racine, Wisconsin about 1840. It appears that Ned died there before 1840.

Adulthood

Abner Darling (1811-1880)

Abner started a business in Racine and went bankrupt. After the business problems, Abner and Nancy moved on to Grand Chute, Wisconsin, where he began another business. I have not been successful finding him in the 1840 Census.

During the 1850 census, the family consisted of Abner, his wife Nancy Anne, and their daughter Lucinda.[iii] They lived in Grand Chute, Brown County, Wisconsin. In 1851, Brown County was divided, and part of it became Outagamie County.

The 1855 Wisconsin census indicates they were living in Appleton, but it is unclear if they moved from Grand Chute or if only the “closest post office” change.[iv]

In 1860, they had a very complex household. Besides Abner, Nancy, and Lucinda there are five other individuals in the house.[v]  Sally A. Darling, Abner’s 75-year-old mother is living with them. Also, there are four young adults living with them.  Harriet Reed, Wilbur Yoenne, Joseph Hammend, and Jos Colman. All ages 20 to 25. Jos Colman is interesting because, later that fall, Lucinda marries Henry Colman. I need to research and find out what the relationship might be between Jos Colman (b. 1840) and Lucinda’s husband, Henry Colman (b. 1834). I suspect they were all students at Lawrence College.

Education appears to have been very important to the Darlings. Lucinda, Abner and Nancy’s only daughter, attended Lawrence College and was the first woman to graduate from the school (in 1857). She went on to be an instructor in Latin at Evansville Seminary in the 1860s and later taught in the Madison and Sheboygan public schools. The Lawrence University 1930 yearbook, The Ariel, was dedicated to her.[vi]

Marriage 2

Abner’s wife Nancy died in April 1867. That following October he married Nancy’s niece, Sarah Green.[vii]  The 56-year-old Abner was 27 years her senior. They had three children together.

• Alice Wells Darling (1869-1920)
• Jessie Lucy Darling (1870-1917)
• Helen S. Darling (1878-1949)

The 1870 Census finds the family consisting of Abner, Sarah, and their daughter Alice.[viii] Also living with them are three other individuals.  Louisa Lowell, a 20-year-old domestic servant, and May Welland, a six-year-old girl whose relationship is unknown, lived with them.  Also was 68-year-old R. H. Green. This is apparently Robert Hunter Green, Sarah’s father.

The 1880 Census finds the family back down to Abner, Sarah, and their three daughters.[ix] Living with them still is Abner’s father-in-law, the 78-year-old Robert Green.

Death

Marker – Abner & Nancy Anna Green

Abner Darling died in the fall of 1880. He was buried at Riverside Cemetery, Appleton, Outagamie County, Wisconsin.[x]

Further Actions / Follow-up

• Document Abner’s property ownership in Outagamie County.
• Document Abner’s bankruptcy in Racine.

ENDNOTES

[i] This date is consistent with his Grave Marker and the 1850 and 1860 Census records.

[ii] 1830 Census (A), Abner Darling – Clarkson, Monroe, New York – Page 271. Source Citation
 1830; Census Place: Clarkson, Monroe, New York; Series: M19; Roll: 94; Page: 271; Family History Library Film: 001715 4

[iii] 1850 Census (FS), 1850 Census – Abner Darling (c. 1812) – Grand Chute, Brown, Wisconsin. “United States Census, 1850,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4D6-G1L : 12 April 2016), Abner Darling, Grand Chute, Brown, Wisconsin, United States; citing family 640, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4D6-G1L.

[iv] Wisconsin, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1820-1890, Ancestry, WI 1855 State Census Index – A. C. Darling – No Image. Outagamie County, Appleton Village, 1855. Ancestry.com. Wisconsin, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1820-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 1999.  Original data: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp. Wisconsin Census, 1820-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.

[v] 1860 Census (FS), Family Search, 1860 Census – A C Darling – Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin. “United States Census, 1860”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW9J-N11 : 1 October 2017), A C Darling, 1860. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW9J-N11.

[vi] 1930-12-22, Pages 1 & 13 – Injuries Fatal – Oldest Graduate of Lawrence Dies. Newspapers.com – accessed Feb 1, 2018. https://www.newspapers.com/image/290777127., Post Crescent, Appleton, Wisconsin.

[vii] Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911, Family Search, Abner C Darling & Sarah A Green – 1867. “Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK85-MHDG : 9 March 2016), Abner C Darling and Sarah A Green, 26 Oct 1867; citing Rock, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,527.

[viii] 1870 Census (FS), Family Search, 1870 Census – Abner C. Darling – Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin. “United States Census, 1870,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNSM-K4W : 12 April 2016), Abner C Darling, Wisconsin, United States; citing p. 84, family 631, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,229.

[ix] 1880 Census (FS), Family Search, 1880 Census – Abner C Darling – Grand Chute, Outagamie, Wisconsin. “United States Census, 1880,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNHH-VFZ : 14 September 2017), Abner C Darling, Grand Chute, Outagamie, Wisconsin, United States; citing enumeration district ED 126, sheet 238C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1440; FHL microfilm 1,255,440.

[x] Find a Grave, Abner Darling (1811-1880). Citation: Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 February 2018), memorial page for Abner Darling (1811–1880), Find A Grave Memorial no. 184635832, citing Riverside Cemetery, Appleton, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, USA; Maintained by Jeanne Weiland (contributor 49074152).