Pepper Family - Thomas Shawcross

For a long time Thomas Shawcross has been sharing his Pepper information with me. He sent me a draft version of "The Pepper and Francis Families" in 2000. As the information is labeled "Chapter 11", I assume that this is part of a larger tome of work. I'm taking this time re-visiting Thomas' work.

He begins, "Mary Pepper Dawson was the second of ten children born to Frederick and Deborah Gisburt Pepper (my 4th great grandparents), and she was the eldest sister of my great-great grandfather, Jacob Pepper. Note: She was also the sister of my 3rd great grandfather, John. Five years after his sister and her husband left Ross County, Ohio to settle in Warren County Indiana, nineteen-year-old Jacob Pepper left the Ross County farm on whch he had been raised and went with his brother-in-law to the new state of Illinois. Settling first in Peoria County, he married 16 year old orphan Naomi Francis on October 25, 1835. They lived in Tazewell County, Illinois before moving to "Illiana" (as the Illinois side of State Line City, Indiana was know), and subsequently to Warren County, Indiana." Note: Warren County is about 2/3 of the way up and on the west edge of Indiana...straight south of Gary.

Getting back to Frederick Pepper...he "was born in Pennsylvania, married the widow Deborah Gisburt Cellenor. Born Deborah Gisburt (or Gisburts) she had married and had three children (Yost, Conrad and Catherine Cellenor) before marrying Frederick Pepper. Frederick was a farmer and he married Deborah on Nov. 22, 1798 in Frederick County, Maryland." Checking the Atlas...Frederick County is at the far North West corner of the state...close to the Appalacian Mountains. Only Washington County is farther West.

"Deborah and Frederick Pepper had the following ten children: John (my branch of the family), Mary, Catherine, Henry, David, Charlotte, Susan, Jacob (Thomas Shawcross's branch), Mary Margaret, Daniel and Christina.

Deborah Pepper died on April 20th, 1856 at the age of 77 years and she was buried at Union Cemetery in Warren County, Indiana. Also buried there is her daughter, Mary Catherine Pepper, under the name Mary C. Smith. Mary's first husband, Edward Dawson, died in July, 1849 of 'disease of the spine,' and Mary then married Parrot Smith on Jan. 27, 1852. Mary Catherine died March 21, 1858, at the age of 55 years and she was buried next to her mother. Nearby are buried her first husband Edward Dawson and four of their children." Note: I have 16 children with the last name of Dawson, who are Mary's.