[or-roots] early marriage record

[Harguess, Dale]

Interesting doesn't even begin to tell it.  I found Emanuel living in
California after the divorce and he had remarried and had about 6 more
children.  He later moved back up to either Oregon or Washington as I
found him again in the census.  I don't know where this name Stephen
came from as I have never seen Samuel listed as anything but Samuel.  He
had three children by a previous marriage, Minerva Ann Deford, Jasper
Deford and Jane Deford.  Minerva was born in Illinois or Ohio, I can't
remember which and Jasper and Jane were born in Iowa.
I found Samuel Deford living with wife Lucintha in the 1860 census in
Linn County Oregon.  Jasper, Jane and Ann were also living in the
household.
I have never seen or heard this story about the seduction and it is very
intriguing. 
After I had assumed Samuel Deford died, Lucintha remarried a guy named
Harris and was living I believe in the 1880 census with Minerva's
daughter also in the household and referred to as a boarder.  Her last
name was McCann.
I like to refer to Lucintha as the Witch of the west as she acquired
quite a bit of wealth through her three husbands and left everything to
her three Horner children and aced out the Deford kids.  Jane Deford was
raised by Lucintha from the time she was an infant but obviously she
cared not for her or her siblings.
I have never been able to find where Samuel Deford is buried and also
never have found their marriage.
Thanks for all the info.
Dale

This is an interesting research project.

The Oregon Donation Land Claim information that has been extracted by
the Genealogical Form, lists Emanuel as married to Lucintha Jane  on
8/25/1833.  A search on Ancestry shows an entry in Indiana marriages for
LaPorte County that matches that date and gives her full name as
Lucintha Jane Stilwell.

The 1850 Yamhill County census shows Emanuel in household 132.  The
wife is listed as Charlotte.  There is a William Stilwell living with
the family however which would lead one to believe that this Charlotte
is Lucintha.

The DLC entry also mentions them divorcing in Hillsboro, Washington Co
9/3/1855.  However I am not able to find a record of a divorce in
Washington Co for them on our index.  Again according to the DLC entry
Absolom Hembree is appointed guardian of two minor children of this
couple, Albert & Ann Maria, in Oct 1855.    In 1856 two men give
affidavit that Horner has not been on his claim because of difficulty
with wife and subsequent divorce.  In Oct 1855 Lucintha made out
notification on this DLC in her name.  In 1857 there is a guardianship
filed in Marion County for Stephen DeFord to be guardian for Ann Marie
Horner.  The papers say that her father is no longer around and DeFord
is married to her mother.  This guardianship is later resigned as
neighbors in Yamhill County file affidavits saying he is unfit, that his
daughter has told them that he "seduced her and threatened to cut her
throat if she told anybody."  In Sept 1875 Albert D Horner gives an
affidavit stating he is the son of Lucintha and names his two sisters
Helen Mar and Ann Maria; and makes claim along with their mother to this
DLC.  Lucintha is awarded a claim of 638+ acres by the government on
9/28/1875.

Another source on Ancestry gives a death date for Lucintha as 1886. 
However I do not find a probate or other record in our index here at the
Archives to  prove this date.  The entry on Ancestry does not cite a
source.

It also looks like Emanuel was living in Humboldt Co, Ca in the 1860
census.

You may want to check the online index for the Archives at 

http://genealogy.state.or.us/

and/or contact the reference staff here at the Archives to get copies
of some of these records if you don't have them already.

Regards,

Layne Sawyer
Oregon State Archives