Genealogy of our Elwell Family in America
It appears that our Elwell family line can be traced back to immigrant Robert Elwell (1615-1683). Robert was born in England and died in Massachusetts. The entire family tree for our Elwells can be found on Rootsweb.com by clicking here.
For those who would like to view an abbreviated descendant report for Robert Elwell, please click on Elwell Descendants.
Families related to the Elwells include Bacon, Bassett, Bradway, Burch, Denn, Eads, Eaton, Fogg, Gleaves, Gregg, Halsnode, Hancock, Hildebrand, Hogg, Howell, Ivins, Kent, McClure, McNutt, Moon, Nutt, Roberts, Sheppard, Shreve, Spradling, Stout, Thurston, Wood, and many others. Some of the related families are discussed on this website. Click here to jump to this section.
The One Uncertainty in our Elwell Genealogy
Here are my thoughts on the Elwell ancestry from John William Elwell (my grandfather) back to Robert Elwell the immigrant. We know that John W Elwell's father was Perry Morton Elwell and that Perry's father was Samuel Roberts Elwell.
According to handwritten notations in our Elwell family bible Samuel's parents, Thomas S Elwell and Prudence K(ent) Roberts, were married on 12/12/1827.
The missing link question is "which Thomas Elwell was the father of Samuel Roberts Elwell, and who were Thomas' ancestors?" I believe that the book Elwelliana by Elizabeth Starr Versailles contains the missing link answer. On page 130 of this book can be seen the author's data on a Thomas S Elwell and his descendants. Some of the data is incorrect, but most is
accurate. A Thomas S Elwell did marry Prudence [middle name Kent not Keith] Roberts, again per our family bible. They did have children Rachel and Samuel Roberts Elwell (again, per the bible) who married Lucinda McClure. Samuel and Lucinda did have a child named Perry Morton Elwell who married Indiana Stout. Perry and Indiana did have a child named John [middle name William not McClure] Elwell, my grandfather.
How come I can not find the graves/gravestones of Thomas S and Prudence Elwell in Big Cedar Cemetery (Franklin County, IN) that the cemetery records show should be there? My conclusion is that the plots were purchased and reserved ahead of time by relatives who expected Thomas and Prudence to migrate from NJ to IN in the 1840's. But Thomas had the discourtesy to die unexpectedly in 1844 in NJ and was buried there. Prudence did migrate to IN and is shown in the 1850 census as
wife of Thomas Bennett (they both had been widowed and were married in March of that year before the census was taken). The census data for them shows 5 children named Bennett and two named Elwell living under the same roof. The Elwell children were named Samuel (about 8) and Rachel (about 11). Samuel married Lucinda McClure in 1863. Prudence did not occupy her Elwell plot because she died a Bennett, and I did find a Prudence Bennett gravestone elsewhere in Big Cedar Cemetery.
The ancestors of the Thomas S Elwell noted in Elwelliana have been documented in several books by several researchers, and they are consistent in their conclusions:
Thomas Sheppard Elwell, son of Samuel Elwell and Rachel Sheppard.
Samuel Elwell, son of Jacob Elwell and Martha Cook
Jacob Elwell, son of Samuel Elwell Jr and Susanna Elwell (they were 1st cousins)
Samuel Elwell Jr, son of Samuel Elwell Sr and Tamzen Paullin(?)
Samuel Elwell Sr, son of Thomas Elwell and Sarah Bassett
Thomas Elwell, son of Robert Elwell {the immigrant from England} and Joane Dolliver
According to handwritten notations in our Elwell family bible Samuel's parents, Thomas S Elwell and Prudence K(ent) Roberts, were married on 12/12/1827.
The missing link question is "which Thomas Elwell was the father of Samuel Roberts Elwell, and who were Thomas' ancestors?" I believe that the book Elwelliana by Elizabeth Starr Versailles contains the missing link answer. On page 130 of this book can be seen the author's data on a Thomas S Elwell and his descendants. Some of the data is incorrect, but most is
accurate. A Thomas S Elwell did marry Prudence [middle name Kent not Keith] Roberts, again per our family bible. They did have children Rachel and Samuel Roberts Elwell (again, per the bible) who married Lucinda McClure. Samuel and Lucinda did have a child named Perry Morton Elwell who married Indiana Stout. Perry and Indiana did have a child named John [middle name William not McClure] Elwell, my grandfather.
How come I can not find the graves/gravestones of Thomas S and Prudence Elwell in Big Cedar Cemetery (Franklin County, IN) that the cemetery records show should be there? My conclusion is that the plots were purchased and reserved ahead of time by relatives who expected Thomas and Prudence to migrate from NJ to IN in the 1840's. But Thomas had the discourtesy to die unexpectedly in 1844 in NJ and was buried there. Prudence did migrate to IN and is shown in the 1850 census as
wife of Thomas Bennett (they both had been widowed and were married in March of that year before the census was taken). The census data for them shows 5 children named Bennett and two named Elwell living under the same roof. The Elwell children were named Samuel (about 8) and Rachel (about 11). Samuel married Lucinda McClure in 1863. Prudence did not occupy her Elwell plot because she died a Bennett, and I did find a Prudence Bennett gravestone elsewhere in Big Cedar Cemetery.
The ancestors of the Thomas S Elwell noted in Elwelliana have been documented in several books by several researchers, and they are consistent in their conclusions:
Thomas Sheppard Elwell, son of Samuel Elwell and Rachel Sheppard.
Samuel Elwell, son of Jacob Elwell and Martha Cook
Jacob Elwell, son of Samuel Elwell Jr and Susanna Elwell (they were 1st cousins)
Samuel Elwell Jr, son of Samuel Elwell Sr and Tamzen Paullin(?)
Samuel Elwell Sr, son of Thomas Elwell and Sarah Bassett
Thomas Elwell, son of Robert Elwell {the immigrant from England} and Joane Dolliver
John W Elwell, Educator (1892-1980)
Our family's most recent Elwell on the male side is John William Elwell, who devoted his professional life to the education of elementary, junior high and high school students. Details of his life can be viewed by clicking on John W Elwell.
An Elwell Family Bible
John Howard has in his possession a bible, published in 1791 in New Jersey, which has handwritten notations on several of its
pages. The notations deal with various births, marriages, and deaths of ancestors in the following associated families: Elwell, Hancock, Kent, Roberts, and Sloan. These entries apparently were made by more than one individual over the years and can be viewed by clicking on Handwritten Bible Notations.
pages. The notations deal with various births, marriages, and deaths of ancestors in the following associated families: Elwell, Hancock, Kent, Roberts, and Sloan. These entries apparently were made by more than one individual over the years and can be viewed by clicking on Handwritten Bible Notations.
Big Cedar Baptist Church
After the Elwells and related families migrated from New Jersey to Indiana many of them became members of the Big Cedar Baptist Church in Brookville, Indiana near the Ohio border. The church was established in 1817 and was active for over 140 years. It was disbanded in 1959, but the cemetery is still in use today.
After the Elwells and related families migrated from New Jersey to Indiana many of them became members of the Big Cedar Baptist Church in Brookville, Indiana near the Ohio border. The church was established in 1817 and was active for over 140 years. It was disbanded in 1959, but the cemetery is still in use today.