It is known that this Sears line is descended from the line of Henry Seers (Sears). However, there are some missing links, that have never been figured out. I have not been able to complete my history back to Henry Sears. I have traced as far back as Joseph Seers (Sears).
Joseph and Mary Seers (Sears). They are the parents of Thomas Sears. Joseph, died in Middlesex County, Virginia June 12, 1740. I have not found Mary's maiden name or any dates of birth or death for her.
Thomas Sears Sr.(born 1720) It is known that he married a girl named Elizabeth, but the date of that marriage is not known. Thomas Sears died the latter part of 1788 near Raleigh, North Carolina in Orange County. He and Elizabeth had 6 children: Joseph, Mary, Thomas Jr., John, Henry and William.
Thomas Sears Sr. and Elizabeth left King & Queen County, Virginia about 1775 and settled near Raleigh, NC. His will was written July of 1788 and was filed in Orange County, NC. Elizabeth Sears died sometime after 1788. Thomas Sears was born about 1720.
Their son John Sears was born in 1750 in King & Queen County, Virginia and on October 8, 1787. He married Matilda Mary HOBSON (Hopson?)in that same county. John and Matilda had 6 children: Hardy, Ivison, Henry, William H., Mary and Candace, Elizabeth Sears.
**note**There are no dates known for two of the daughters of John Sears, Mary and Candace. The only thing known is that Mary Sears married a man named Thomas HENDRICKS. No place or date of marriage.
John Sears was a private soldier during the Revolutionary War and his place of residence during that time was the state of Virginia. He enlisted in 1777 as a Private in Captain Moores company,
10th Regiment. He was born in Virginia, and died in Missouri. The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume 73.
He died in 1831 in Randolph County, MO. He had been hurt borying ground near Mt. Airy, MO. It is believed that John's wife died several years before he did. She was born in 1760 in King & Queen County, VA.
John and Matilda's son Hardy Sears came to Warren County, KY with them about 1805. He was 1st married about 1808 to Mary Polly Sears, who was his cousin. Some of the family must have been upset about the marriage of two cousins, so John Sears, Hardy's father, proved her to be 21 years off age and said that she could marry whom she chose. So, they were married and had 4 sons: Wiley, Elisha, Josiah and John.
Hardy later married Dicey RIGSBY in 1818 in Warren County, KY. They then came to Missouri in the fall of 1818 and located in Setner Creek Township in Randolph County, MO. They had 8 sons and 3 daughters: James, Willis, Mary Eliza, Wesley, Martin, Andrew Jackson, Henry, Martha J., William, Francis Marion and Missouri Ann.
Hardy Sears died March 25, 1856. Hardy Sears' will was written December 10, 1853 and listed his wife Dicy and children. They are buried in a cemetery a few miles south of Clifton Hill, Missouri. Dicy died April 4, 1865, Randolph Co., MO.
**********THE FOLLOWING IS THE HISTORY OF THOSE 15 CHILDREN FROM BOTH OF HARDY SEARS' MARRIAGES. (Mary Polly (Sears) and Dicy Rigsby Sears)**********
1)WILEY SEARS and wife Nancy lived near Mt. Airy, MO. Some records show Nancy's name to be Nancy Beals and others show it as Nancy RYALS.** I am certain that it is RYALS** Their daughter Lucinda Sears (1831-1856) was the 1st wife of William RYALS. William married second in 1857 to Martha J. Sears, daughter of Hardy Sears. It is not known what happened to Lucinda.
Wiley and Nancy's son Silas Watson Sears, (1843-1911) was an "Elder" in the Primitive Baptist Church and lived in Old Chariton area of Macon County, MO. Silas spent several years as a "Circuit Rider" for his church and raised a large family, which many of the descendants still live in the area of Macon, MO. Wiley Sears was born October 11, 1809 in Bowling Green, KY and died March 6, 1848 in Randolph County, MO. He and Nancy married on March 28, 1830.
2)ELISHA SEARS was born June 26, 1811 and died October 29, 1813, when he was almost two years old.
3)JOSIAH SEARS was born January 31, 1813 and died February 21, 1818, when he was five years old.
4)JOHN SEARS was born June 12,1816 and died in 1857. He married Mary RYALS on November 16, 1834 in Randolph County, MO. Mary RYALS was the daughter of Isom and Martha P. RYALS.
5)JAMES SEARS was born November 14, 1818 and died in 1898. He married Mary GROSS and they are buried in the gross Cemetery located about three miles North of Old Chariton Cemetery, near Macon County, MO.
6)WILLIS SEARS was born January 22, 1821 and died January 9, 1895. He married Elizabeth A. JACKSON on November 5, 1839 in Randolph County, MO. He and his wife are buried in the Chariton Cemetery.
7)MARY ELIZA SEARS was born February 10, 1823 and died January 23, 1904. She married Noah GROSS on November 7, 1839 in Randolph County, MO.
8)WESLEY SEARS was born December 25, 1824 and died September 1, 1826. He was almost two years old at the time of his death.
9)MARTIN SEARS was born November 26, 1826 and died September 24, 1904. He married Anne RICE (or Price) about 1848 in Randolph County, MO. Martin and Anne had 8 children: James G., Martha, Missouri E., William, Francis Marion, Oliver Perry, Willis E. and John Hardy Sears. Martin Sears' wife Anne, died December 10, 1865 at the age of 36. Martin then married Malinda Jane DABNEY BERNARD before 1870. Martin and Malinda then had 2 children: Effa May and ALbert M. Sears. Martin and both wives are buried in Old Chariton Cemetery.
10)ANDREW JACKSON SEARS was born Septmeber 22, 1828 and died May 22, 1881. He married Fannie KERBY-PALMER who was the daughter of Asa KERBY and Martha Elizabeth HIGHSMITH KERBY. (Fannie was 1st married to John PALMER on 9-4-1851 and in the same year and same month, she then married Andrew Jackson Sears) It is not known what happened to John PALMER. She married Andrew Jackson Sears on September 24, 1851. (20 days later)They were married by Milton J. Sears, who was a Minister of the Gospel.
Fannie was born in 1833 and died in 1863. Andrew Jackson Sears then married Pernelia Jane TETER on October 6, 1864 in Macon County, MO. Pernelia was born in 1844 and died in 1888. She is buried in the TETER Cemetery, NE of Macon County, MO. Her parents were Paul TETER and Sarah PHAROS (or Pharris). There is no record of where Andrew Jackson Sears is buried.
11) HENRY SEARS was born August 21, 1830 and died January 19, 1899. He 1st married in the fall of 1866 to Mary F. FAULKNER, who was the daughter of John and Drucilla RATLIFF-FAULKNER. Mary was born in 1845 and died in 1877. They are buried in Clifton Hill Cemetery. Henry married 2nd to Mary E. CHRISTY on October 31, 1878. She was the daughter of Milton and Lovenia CHRISTY. She was born in 1847 and it is not known when she died.
12)MARTHA J. SEARS was born on February 13, 1833 and died March 16, 1865. She married William RYALS on November 24, 1857 in Randolph County, MO. William RYALS was 1st married March 13, 1850 to Lucinda Sears, the daughter of Wiley and Nancy Sears. Martha J. Sears is buried in Old Chariton Cemetery and her husband William RYALS is buried in the Locust Grove Cemetery in Callao, MO.
13)WILLIAM SEARS was born March 6, 1835 and died in 1851. He was 18 years old at the time of his death.
14)FRANCIS MARION SEARS was born April 25, 1837 and died in his middle age. He married Mary E. GRIFFIN in 1860 and 2nd to Martha McFADDIN in 1884.
15)MISSOURI ANN SEARS was born Septmeber 1, 1839 and died sometime before 1870. She was 1st married to James T. GORHAM and he was born in 1832 and died about 1859. She married 2nd in 1860 to Rev. James HUBBARD (1825-1901) and they had 5 children. He was a farmer and a local preacher in the Methodist/Episcopal Church South. He had settled in Sliver Creek, MO. about 1825 and moved to Macon County, Mo. about 1861 settling in Richland Township. He was married 3 times and Missouri Ann Sears was his 2nd wife. He is buried in LaPlata Cemetery in Macon County, MO.
****THIS CONCLUDES THE HISTORY OF HARDY SEARS' 15 CHILDREN:****
Of Martin Sears' children, Oliver Perry Sears was born in 1860 and died in 1934. He married Minnie Alice WAINSCOTT on March 20, 1889 in Macon County, MO. They were married by Silas Watson Sears (Minister of the Gospel), who was the son of Wiley Sears and the grandson of Hardy Sears.
Minnie was born in March 1869 and died one year after Oliver in 1835. They had 3 children; Arthur Clarence, Hazel C. and Raymond E. Sears. Minnie's parents were Ewing Marion WAINSCOTT and Sarah SIMPSON WAINSCOTT. Their son Arthur was born in Sarasota, WY on May 8, 1890 and married Jerushia Ellen EPPERSON on September 24, 1911 in Macon County, Mo. Arthur Sears and Jerushia Ellen EPPERSON Sears had 3 children: Roscoe Hugh, born July 22, 1919 in Callao, Mo. and a set of twins born September 5, 1928. One of the twins was stillborn. The other twin was named Oliver Paul Sears. He died February 2, 1982. Their daughter, Hazel C. Sears was born April of 1896 and died June 2, 1896 at the age of one month, three days old. She is buried in Old Chariotn Cemetery. Their 3rd child, Raymond E. Sears was born March 12, 1898 in Callao, MO. Raymond E. Sears married Verna SALISBURY DAVIS Sears and they moved to Roundup, Montana where Ray's parents, Oliver Perry Sears and Minnie WAINSCOTT Sears were homesteading at the time. This would have been about 1924. They had a son Merle A. Sears born March 6, 1920 and another son Kenneth G. Sears born in 1926.
In 1928 they moved to White Sulphur Springs, Montana. (During these next few years, Ray's parents, Oliver & Minnie Sears moved back to Missouri). Raymond and Verna Sears and sons lived in White Sulphur Springs, MT for 14 years until 1942 and then moved to Townsend, Montana. In Townsend, Ray owned and operated an Electrical/Appliance store and was also a Justice of the Peace for four terms. Verna was a telephone operator.
MISC. STORIES AND INFO. OF SEARS ANCESTORS:
IVISON SEARS (brother of Hardy Sears) married Sarah RYALS in 1817 in Warren County, KY. She was a North Carolina native and was born in 1801 and she died in 1857 in Randolph County, MO. Ivison and Sarah came to Missouri in the Spring of 1818 and settled in Silver Creek in Southern Randolph County, MO., near Huntsville. Ivison was a Minister in the Baptist Church. I believe they had 14 children. Eight sons and six daughters all living to maturity. His estate was placed in Probate Court in September 1854 in Randolph County, MO. Their children were: Mathilda, Martha, Mary, Theophilus, Green, Elizabeth, John Milton, Oliver Pettis, Sally Ann, Malinda Jane, Lewis, Albert Franklin, Woodson Dillard, William Bennett. Following is the information that I have on these 14 children.
Mathilda born 1818 died 1845, married John ROAN on 12-10-1840/1838.
Martha born 1821/1823 died 1870, married Caswell COURTNEY in 10-1-1840.
Mary born 1824 died before 1857, married Valentine McCULLEY 3-2-1847.
Theophilus born 1823 died 9-18-1874, married Mary Jane CAVINS in 1849 and Cornelia S. HICKS?.
Green was born in 1825/1826 and died young in Huntsville, MO.
Elizabeth born in 1827, married John T. CAVINS of Huntsville, MO. on 1-29-1851/1850.
John Milton born 1-13-1830, married Cynthia A. OLIVER (b. 8-10-1833 in Clark, KY.) on 7-24-1851 in Huntsville, MO.
Oliver Pettis born 1832 married Martha BRADSHEAR in 1851.(possible 2nd wife, Susanna Elizabeth BRATCHER)
Sally Ann born 1833/1834, married Sam'l B. SKINNER in 3-11-1855/1850.
Malinda Jane born 1835/1836 died 1904, married Calvin SMITH of Huntsville, MO. in 12-18-1856/1854.
Lewis born 1-13-1837/1838, married Nancy J. BRADLEY on 12-14-1865.
Albert Franklin born 12-24-1839/1840 died 2-1-1898, married Hannah HOLDEN or (Holman?) on 12-18-1860.
Woodson Dillard born 1840 died 1863/1864 in Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis. He was a Confederate Soldier.
William Bennett was born in 1842/1844 died 10-1867, married Mary A. HUMPHREYS on 3-22-1865.
I have the information on some of the children that these children of Ivison had:
**End of information on Ivison Sears' Children.**
WILLIAM H. SEARS at the age of 2 years old, moved to Warren County, KY with his father. When about 16 years of age, they moved to Missouri and settled in the MT. Airy area of present Randolph County, then known as "Boone's Lick Country." He was first married to Sarah Alice (Sally) KERBY. William was married 3 times and had a total of 19 children ?, all living to maturity except for 3 of them. Nine children were still living in the 1870's. He became a Baptist Preacher about 1830 and officiated at the 1st wedding in Macon County, Missouri in 1837. He and "Elder" James RATLIFF worked together in organizing the early Baptist Churches of Randolph and Macon Counties. William and his 2nd wife, Jane were present on the 2nd Sunday in July 1836 to help organize "Little Zion" Church in Macon County.,Missouri. This church organization was dissolved in 1973. The last Minister was Floyd GROSS of Greentop, MO. (He was a descendant of Hardy Sears' lineage) William H. Sears was last married in 1847 to Drucilla RATLIFF FAULKNER-widow of John FAULKNER and the daughter of "Elder" William RATLIFF, Baptist Minister (Primitive), whose brother was "Elder" James RATLIFF. William H. Sears died in 1878.
MILTON JOHN SEARS was a Primitive Baptist Preacher in Randolph County, Missouri for many years. He lived in Huntsville, Missouri.
JOHN ROAN (1817-1901) was a Baptist Preacher, a native of North Carolina. He came to Missouri in 1836. in 1846, he and his family moved to Macon County, MO. and settled just North of present Atlanta, MO. He was married to MATILDA (MARY) SEARS.
MILTON A. RAMJAL was a grandson of John and Matilda (Mary) ROAN. He served several years in the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1900's. He helped compile alot of this family history in the early 1900's as well.
SALLY ANN SEARS was listed in 1884 as being the wife of Henry SHEPPARD of Chariton County, MO.
LEWIS SEARS was a Baptist Minister in Texas County, Missouri in 1884.
WILLIAM BENNETT SEARS was a merchant at Rends, Randolph County, Missouri. He died at his home in October 1867.
WOODSON DILLARD SEARS was a private with Comapny G-1st N.E. Missouri Calvary (Confederate Side). He was listed as 22 years of age in 1863, making his year of birth 1841. He enlisted on July 30, 1862 by Col. Joseph Porter. He was a member of Col. Porter's Guerella Regiment. He was in the battle of Kirksville and maybe a couple other battles, before he was captured on October 14, 1862 in Monroe County, Missouri. He was held prisoner at Palmyra, Missouri October 22, 1862. He was received at Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis on October 24, 1862. He died there in prison, sometime after 1863 and no dates have been found OR a place of burial.
***UPDATED INFORMATION** I am still researching the burial place of Woodson Dillard Sears. If anyone has any info on him or Gratiot Street Prison in the year of 1862-1864, please contact me. I also found information on the battle of Kirksville and that his company consolidated with the 2nd N.E. Missouri Regiment to become Franklin's 7th Missouri infantry Regiment-under Col. Cyrus Franklin.
WILLIAM RATLIFF, the father of Drucilla, was a brother of "Elder" James RATLIFF, who worked with "Elder" William H. Sears in organizing many of the early Primitive Baptist Churches in Randolph and Macon County, Missouri. William RATLIFF was originally a Primitive Baptist Minister, but later joined the Missionary Baptists. He brought his family to Missouri about 1840 and became active in the Baptist Ministry throughout Macon and adjoining counties. He died in the fall of 1860.
JOHN T. FAULKNER (1st husband of Drucilla) was born September 26, 1820 and died November 29, 1844. Their daughter, Mary Frances married HENRY SEARS, son of Hardy and Dicey RIGSBY Sears.
SARAH I. SEARS was Stephen RATLIFF's 1st wife. She died in the Nebraska Territory as it has been told. They are the ancestors of Victor E. Williams, (compiler of some of this family history). Stephen RATLIFF's 2nd wife was Mary Jane SMITH and Sarah Elizabeth EPPERSON was their daughter.
MISSOURI ANN SEARS was 1st married on September 2, 1858 to James GORHAM in Randolph County, MO. She then married 2nd to Rev. James HUBBARD, a native of Garrett County, KY. (no dates found for this marriage) He settled in Silver Creek, Randolph County, MO. in 1825 and moved to Macon County, MO. in 1861, settling in Richland Township. He was a farmer and local preacher in the Methodist/Episopal Church South. They had 5 children.
WILLIS SEARS and wife are buried at Old Chariton Cemetery. There are many descendants of Noah and Mary Sears GROSS still living in Macon County, Missouri.
JAMES SEARS and wife, Noah GROSS and MARY SEARS Gross, and FRANCIS MARION SEARS and wife are all buried in the Gross-Gordon Cemetery located about 3 miles North of old Chariton Cemetery, near Macon County, MO.
MARTHA J. SEARS RYALS is buried in Chariton Cemetery and her husband, William RYALS is buried in the Locust Grove Cemetery in Callao, MO. William RYALS was 1st married March 13, 1850 to Lucinda Sears, daughter of Wiley and Nancy Sears. Lucinda was born in 1831 and died in 1856.
OLIVER PERRY SEARS and WILLIAM HENRY SEARS are brothers. William Henry Sears was a Church of God Preacher. William was married to Mary Anne COOK. She was born in February 29, 1852 and died August 5, 1940. Her father's name was William COOK. Mother's name is not known. William and Mary had 3 children that are recorded:
1) Mada Mosielle Sears 8-81879 to 2-28-1958. born in Arkansas
2) Essie Mae Sears 11-11-1882 to 1-29-1933 born in Arkansas
3) Oscar Martin Sears 9-15-1886 to 1957.
All of these children were born in the farmhouse that "Uncle Billy" built. William Henry Sears' nickname was "Uncle Billy".
***note*** If you are a descendant of any of these people and you think ANY of this information may be incorrect, please contact me.
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