William L. "Billy" Dodd, II

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gentisdl/genealogy/turnercrenshaw/t...
Born: 1782 - Botetourt County, Virginia
Died: 6 Jul 1852 - Sangamon County, Illinois
Father: William L. * DODD, I (1757-After 1823)
Mother: Mary * PIERCE (Est 1757-After 1823)

Married: 15 Sep 1807 - Virginia

Other Spouse: Agnes BLAKELY (Abt 1779-After 1816) - Est 1798

Other Spouse: Elizabeth Jane "Jane" RUTHERFORD (Abt 1805- ?) - 3 Sep 1846 - McMinn County, Tennessee

Noted events in his life were:

• Alt. Birth, 1779 - Amherst County, Virginia

• Migration, from Botetourt County, Virginia to - Jefferson County, Tennessee

at an early day

• Migration, from Jefferson County, Tennessee to, 1825 - Morgan County, Illinois

• Migration, from Morgan County, Illinois to - Iowa

stayed with his son, Josiah, remaining until failing health caused his removal

• Migration, Iowa to - Bradley County, Tennessee

• Migration, Bradley County, Tennessee to, 1844 - Loami Township, Sangamon County, Illinois

• Religion, devout member of the old Missionary Baptist Church

• Political, Jacksonian Democrat

• Occupation, farmer

most of his life

• Census, United States Federal, 15 Aug 1850 - Sangamon County, Illinois

Roll M432-127

Page 157A

Dwelling 434

Family 434

DODD William 71 M Farmer VA

Elizabeth 45 F VA

Hiram 13 M TN

Nancy 11 F IL

Hester 9 M TN

John 7 M TN

William and Elizabeth cannot read or write.

Hiram and Hester are attending school.

• Alt. Death, 1851 - Sangamon County, Illinois

• Biography, HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS AND HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY Volume II - Biographical Chicago: Munsell Publishing Company, Publishers 1912, 1912 - Sangamon County, Illinois

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilsangam/1912/dodd.htm

William L. Dodd, who had removed from Botetourt County, Va., to Jefferson County, Tenn., at an early day, came to Morgan county, Ill., about 1825, and remained until failing health caused his removal to Iowa. He then went to Bradley County, Tenn., but in 1844, returned to Illinois, settling in Sangamon County, where his death occurred seven years later. His life was devoted to farming and he was a man of high moral character, being a devout member of the old Missionary Baptist Church. In politics, he was a Jacksonian Democrat. He had the following children: Anna, Josiah, Sarah, Margaret, Charles, Mary, William L., Jessie and John. He died in Sangamon County and his wife in Jefferson county, Tenn.

• Biography, by Bill Hall, 2000 - Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois

William L's first known residence was Botetourt Co, VA. The name of his first wife, with whom he had 8 children, is not known. From VA he moved to Jefferson Co, TN, and later to Morgan Co, IL, in about 1825. He moved to IA either to visit or live with a son, after his health failed. He

moved back to Sangamon Co, IL about 1842-4 where he died 7 years later.

He was a farmer, devout Member of the Missionary Church and Jacksonian Democrat.

Quoting Mrs. Dodd: "William L. Dodd's first wife, the mother of [the first 8 children] died and he married again [Apparently, in IA]. Hiram Dodd was born to this union and the second wife was named Jane. She seems to have been married before and had a child. But a former husband or a relative had this child and she wanted it. After she married William L., she and he rode 2 horses and went to the place where the child was. She got off the horses, handed the reins to William and ran a picked up the child; got back to him and got on her horse. William handed her the reins and they turned and rode away. The other man sued William L. and finally got all his money and possessions; this accounts for his having lived in Iowa and Illinois and finally dying in Sangamon Co.

There were 2 girls born [after Hiram], but no one here knows if they were sisters or half-sisters to Hiram. Jane died in Tenn. and could have married again, after William died, and had these two girls before she died....

William L died when Hiram was 10 years old; his mother married again. He didn't like his stepfather and he left home; came to Sangamon Co, Ill and lived with his half-brother, Charles Dodd."

• Researcher, from the notes of May Dodd Ethridge

NOTE: There is some question as to whether his first wife may have been Agnes Bla(c)kley and not Elizabeth Leffel. I need to research this!!!! (mde 2/2000)

"There are many details still missing from the early life of William L. Dodd and his (first) wife."

"There are possibly leads in other early Botetourt County records:

Will Book C. pp 453 & 577, Will and Inventory - William Dodd (Jr.)

Will Book E. p 858 - Settlement of Estate - William Dodd (Jr.)

Will Book H. pp 24-25 - Inventory - William Dodd"

"A remote possibility for our Mrs. William L. Dodd is Elizabeth Rutherford. From the McMinn County, Tennessee Deeds, Vol.K, Oct. 1851 - Dec. 1854

Page 235. Elizabeth Dodd, widow of William L. Dodd deceased, late Elizabeth Rutherford of Sangamon County, Illinois, & one of the heirs at law of James Rutherford, deceased of McMinn County, Tennesse, appoints James H. Reagan of McMinn County, Tennessee, as her attorney to dispose or sell her interest in the estate of James Rutherford & the dower interest she has in her mother Nancy Rutherford, widow of the said James Rutherford. 19 June 1852, witness: S.B. Adams. Signed: Elizabeth (her mark) Dodd."

"Another deed indicates that Eliza Smith of Osage County, Missouri was Elizabeth Rutherford Dodd's sister and that their father had property in the Meridian Hiwassee District of McMinn County."

"The dates, McMinn County, and Sangamon County help make the case for Elizabeth Rutherford."

"At any rate, William L. Dodd lived for some time in Botetourt County, Virginia. About 1825 he moved to Morgan County, Illinois, later to Iowa, then to Bradley County, Tennessee, and finally in 1844 he returned to Sagamon County, Illinois where he lived until his death seven years later in 1851. His wife died in Jefferson County, Tennessee. He was a farmer, a devout member of the Missionary Church, and a Jacksonian Democrat."

From a record kept by Jesse Dodd (son of Charles Scott Dodd):

"The family of William L. Dodd moved to Tennessee from Botetourt County, Va., where they settled in Jefferson County. The mother died in the 1840's, and William remarried a woman named Jane. She had a son named Hiram, but did not have custody of him, and he was living with his parental relatives. (According to another version of this story, Hiram was the son of William L. and Jane - and it was another child who was in the custody of Jane's former husband's relatives.) Shortly after the wedding took place, William and Jane took two horses and rode to the place Hiram lived. Jane got off her horse, landed the reins to William, and picked the child up in her arms. She jumped on her horse, and the three rode away. (According to another version, the other man sued William L. and finally got all his money and possessions.)

This action was apparently William's undoing, as he soon lost everything. They fled to Iowa, and stayed there for a time with William's son Josiah. Then they moved to Loami, Illinois, for seven years. William was in poor health all this time, and died in 1849. William's brothers John and Thomas, and his sister Sally did not leave Virginia.

Recalling William L. Dodd's second wife Jane and her son Hiram. After William's death in 1849, Jane and Hiram returned to Tennessee, where Jane married a third time. Hiram did not like his stepfather and moved in with Charles Dodd. And, when Charles and his large family moved by covered wagon to Illinois, Hiram was with them. For the rest of his life, he used the name Dodd, and is buried next to his beloved Dodd family at Oak Grove cemetery in Loami."

(Above information gathered by David & Leonard Dodd)

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/KGYZ-B4L