John W and Lydia E Andrews Pyatt
John Washington Pyatt was born June 22, 1820, in Jackson County, Illinois, to Samuel Pyatt and Mary Phelps and died September 1887 in Perry County, Illinois. He is buried in the Galum Presbyterian Cemetery in Perry County, Illinois. He married on July 2, 1859, in Perry County, Illinois, Lydia E Andrews who was born c1830 in New York and was first married to ? Burnell. Their marriage license was for 'John W Pyatt' and 'Mrs. Lydia E Burnell' book 3 pg 132. I searched for a Burnell marriage to anyone named Lydia and found no match in the Illinois database.
I do not have children for John and Lydia.
On the 1850 federal census of Perry County, Illinois, John and his siblings appeared as follows:
- Pyatt, John W. age 30 born IL
- Pyatt, Izra age 21 born IL
- Pyatt, Nancy A age 19 born IL / sf
John W Pyatt was the Sheriff of Perry County in 1850.
Also living nearby was thier brother, Milburn Pyeatt. Soon after the census, Izra J Pyatt married Mary J Craig on December 26, 1850.
It was not until just before the 1860 census before John and Lydia married and appeared as follows:
- Piatt/Piutt, John W age 40 born IL / wm / married within the year / Clk County Court / $16500/$3000
- Piatt/Piutt, Lydia E age age 30 born NY / wf / married within the year
- Gillis, Jackson age 16 born OH / wm / farm laborer / att school
- Gillis, Francis age 14 born OH / wf / att school
- Gillis, George age 8 born OH / wm / att school
- Gilis, Frank age 5 born OH / wm / att school
- King, George age 18 born IL / wm / farm laborer / att school
This family was enumerated 2 July 1860 #706/706 pg 99B (Ancestry.com image 21/28) T5R3W Pinckneyville, Perry County, Illinois. John was indexed at Ancestry.com as 'John W Pink' (I found him searching with first name and age only in Perry County). I was curious about the Gillis children living with John and Lydia. I found 'Samuel J Gillis' age 6 born OH and 'Francis G Gillis' age 4 born OH on the 1850 census of Perry Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, with their parents, Samuel and Amanda Gillis. Samuel was listed as a 'pedler'. Did the Gillis' move to Illinois and then orphan or abandon the children? Did John and Lydia adopt them or just raise them? Guardianship records of Perry County, Illinois, might shed some light.
By the 1870 census John and Lydia appeared as follows:
- Pyatt, John W age 50 born IL / W M / Farmer / $20000/$2000
- Pyatt, Lydia E age 41 born NY / W F / Keeping House
- Gillis, George age 18 born OH / W M / Farmer
- Gillis, Frank age 15 born OH / W M / Farmer
- Bruer, Lucy age 13 born IL / W F / At Home
This family was enumerated #11/11 pg 273 13 Aug 1870 [Pickneyville marked through and changed to Denmark] ancestry image 2/20 (pg 3 on top left corner). Their neighbors were #9 Charles Preston, #10 Robert Preston, #12 A Y Wallis, and #13 H M Temple. At #79/79 was John's brother Ebenezer J Pyatt. Note that George and Frank Gillis from the 1860 census are still living with John and Lydia. I note that a George W Gillis married Susan Wagner in Perry County Oct 8, 1885 and Frank P Gillis married Etta M Chamness Feb 29, 1896.
By the 1880 census, the widowed John was living with Izra and family as follows in Pickneyville, Perry County, Illinois:
- Pyatt, Izri J age 51 born IL / WWM / Farmer / father born OH/mother born KY
- Pyatt, Fannie (Daughter) age 24 born IL / SWF / Keeps House / father/mother born IL
- Pyatt, Ann A (Daughter) age 22 born IL / SWF / Works In House / father/mother born IL
- Pyatt, Jennette (Daughter) age 20 born IL / SWF / Works In House / father/mother born IL
- Pyatt, John (Son) age 16 born IL / SWM / Works On Farm / father/mother born IL
- Pyatt, Robert (Son) age 14 born IL /SWM / Works On Farm / father/mother born IL
- Pyatt, George (Son) age 12 born IL / SWM / Works On Farm / father/mother born IL
- Pyatt, Mary (Daughter) age 9 born IL / SWF / father/mother born IL
- Adkins, W C (Other) age 29 born IL / SWM / Works On Farm father/mother born IL
- Pyatt, John W (Brother) age 59 born IL / WWM / County Comm / father born OH/mother born KY
I guess John progressed from County Clerk to County Commissioner. I found these records of Perry County, Illinois, office holders:
- 1875 County Commissioners: John W. PYATT, John BAIRD*, Elihu ONSTOTT
- 1876-1879 County Commissioners: John SCHNEIDER, John W. PYATT, John BAIRD*
- 1879 County Commissioners: Lysias HEAPE, John W. PYATT*, John BAIRD
- 1880-1882 County Commissioners: Thomas STEVENSON, Lysias HEAP*, John W. PYATT
These land records from Illinois public land claims are probably for this John Pyatt as they occurred between 1852 and 1855 when he is the only John that I have found in the area:
- PYATT, JOHN W FD NESW 15 06S 02W 3 4000 250 10000 February 03 1855 073 032 272 438156 0
- PYATT, JOHN W FD NWNW 19 06S 02W 3 4143 00000 0000000 November 27 1852 073 016 093 W 334189 0
- PYATT, JOHN W FD NWSE 15 06S 02W 3 4000 250 10000 February 03 1855 073 032 272
- PYATT, JOHN W FD SESW 19 06S 02W 3 4159 125 5199 December 03 1852 073 032 145 402100 0
Sources:
- Marjorie Legris mikemarg1@aol.com
- 1850-1880 federal census of Perry Co, IL
- Marriage records of Perry Co, IL
- Ebenezer Pyatt family information from Jean Vail copies
- Illinois public land records
- Perry County, Illinois, public officials
Updated Oct 2006
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