in search of robert kerlin

Hi C.,

Hannah Brooks is about the only way that I can connect Robert Kerlin to anyone. I started from that marriage announcement, in 1799. Really, Robert was not a common Kerlin name then. She had at least three sons and two daughters. I think that Westley was her son as well, she became a Methodist ( and a fervent one) very early in the history of the Methodist church in America..

I do have a website where I store my notes ( which I have done nothing about for the last 2 years- too many brick walls), Hannah’s info is here : http://robertkerlin.com/wp/?cat=30. She goes by the name of Hannah Stephens Kerlin ( again, misspelled at times as *Kerline*). I know that she is Hannah Brooks, because William, born 1801 is a brother of at least two of her other sons. True, Hannah Brooks could have died after a few months of marriage, Robert may have married another Hannah, but that is unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely.

And throughout the descendants ( male) the letter *b* ( at times *Brooks*) is very often a middle initial. More often than not.

Here is a copy of her will :

Hannah’s Will

Hannah S. Kerline Will
Will Book, page 414 Document #469

In the name of the Benevolent Father of all. I Hannah Stephens Kerlin of Mountpleasant in the County of Jefferson and the State of Ohio do make and publish my last will and testament.

Item First. It is my will that all my just debts and funeral expenses be fully paid.

Item Second, I give devise and bequeath to my son Robert A. Kerlin One hundred dollars to be paid when a sufficient quantity of my property is disposed of after complying with the first item ( above).

Item Third. I give devise bequeath the residue of my estate real and personal to my son Henry T. Kerlin and to his heirs forever.

Item Fourth. I do hereby nominate and appoint my son Henry T. Kerlin executor of this my last Will and testament hereby authorising and empowering him to compromise adjust release and discharge in such manner as he may deem proper the debts and claims due me.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirteenth day of March In the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty three.

Signed and acknowledged
by said Hannah S. Kerlin

Hannah S

her
X
mark

Kerlin

Seal

as her last Will and Testament
in our presence and signed by
us in her presence and at her
request.

Wm Hamilton
Jos Kithcart

And here, a copy of her obit :

Hannah’s Obit

Newspaper Index, Steubenville Ohio, 1806- 1852

Kerlin, Hannah S., Mrs.

DE, Jul 29, 1843, p.3, A10

Obituary

DIED- At her residence in Mount Pleasant, on the 21st inst., Mrs. HANNAH S.KERLIN, in the seventieth year of her age.

The deceased was a member of the Methodist Protestant Church. She embraced the religion of her Lord and Master in her youthful days, and so continued through all the vicisitudes ( sic) of life. Although severely afflicted for many months previous to her death, yet she bore up under it with Christian fortitude, and died with a full hope of a blessed immortality beyond the grave.

‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.’

[COMMUNICATED]

Was she Hannah Brooks ? I think so. Her oldest surviving son was William Brooks Kerlin. She was married  to Robert Kerlin, she was born in VA. Right time, right place.

The same year that I looked terribly stupid at that cemetery in Ohio ( somewhere I have photos of the tombstones…) we also stopped at Winchester. But it was a disaster.  We did not have a map, we were running out of gas and really had to move on, as my father was very ill at the time. I shall look up those street names for Robert’s property in Winchester. I wonder where it was, for Winchester did not strike me as a big metropolis-

best regards-

sue

This entry was posted on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 7:01 pm and is filed under EMail, Robert Kerlin, Robert Kerlin, Virginia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.