Matthew T. Godfrey1

b. 1843, d. 25 June 1864
Family
Father*Henry S. Godfrey1 b. 18 Jun 1821, d. 28 Jul 1896
Mother*Armina Godfrey1 b. 1820, d. 18 Dec 1852
Birth*1843Matthew T. Godfrey was born about 1843 in New Jersey.1 
(Son) Census US 18507 September 1850Matthew was enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 7 September 1850 in the household of his parents in Stark County, Illinois. He was 7 years old and had attended school within the census year.1 
(Son) Death18 December 1852His mother died when Matthew was about 9 years old, almost immediately after the birth of her last child on 18 December 1852. His mother was about 32 years old, and left Matthew's father with five very young children.2,3,4 
(Son) Marriage13 February 1853Two months after the death of his mother, his father married a second time, on 13 February 1853, to Susan Gierhart.4,3 
(Son) Census US 186013 June 1860Matthew T. was enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 13 June 1860 in the household of his father and stepmother in Goshen, Stark County, Illinois. He was 18 years old.5 
Civil War (U.S.)*19 August 1861He was a resident on Goshen, Stark County, Illinois, when he enlisted on 19 August 1861 to serve in the Civil War for the Union. He was mustered in as a Private in Company B of the 37th Illinois Infantry on 18 September 1861 and, sadly, did not survive the war.6 
Death*25 June 1864He died of acute dysentery on 25 June 1864 in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas, at about age 21.7 

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Henry and Armina Godfrey, Year: 1850; Census Place: Stark, Illinois; Roll: 129; Page: 206a. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Armina “Minnie” (Godfrey) Faubion, Memorial# 205951158. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S2365] Documents and biography pertaining to the settlement and progress of Stark County, Illinois, online at www.ancestry.com, Chapter IV. Marriage record 1831-1866, page 80, 1853, and noting that Susan's surname was transcribed as Robertson, online at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/22367/…. Hereinafter cited as Documents and biography pertaining to the settlement and progress of Stark County, Illinois.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Henry Sheldon Godfrey, Memorial# 29660161.
  5. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Henry S. and Susan Godfrey, Year: 1860; Census Place: Goshen, Stark, Illinois; Roll: M653_229; Page: 814; Family History Library Film: 803229. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S207] U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, online at www.ancestry.com, record for Matthew T Godfrey of Goshen, Illinois, enlisted on 19 August 1861 and mustered in on 18 September 1861 in Illinois as a Private in Company B of 37th Infantry, Infantry; additional information: Enlisted, Union, survived the war, No, citing Historical Data Systems, Inc.; Duxbury, MA 02331; American Civil War Research Database. Hereinafter cited as Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865.
  7. [S2366] U.S., Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, 1861-1865, online at www.ancestry.com, death of Mathew Godfrey on 25 June 1864 in Brownsville, Texas, enlisted in the state of Illinois, served as a Private in Company B of the 37th Illinois Infantry, referencing Box# 5. Hereinafter cited as U.S., Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, 1861-1865.

Permelia Godfrey1

b. June 1846
Family
Father*Henry S. Godfrey1 b. 18 Jun 1821, d. 28 Jul 1896
Mother*Armina Godfrey1 b. 1820, d. 18 Dec 1852
Birth*June 1846Permelia Godfrey was born in June 1846 in New Jersey.1,2 
(Daughter) Census US 18507 September 1850Permelia was enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 7 September 1850 in the household of her parents in Stark County, Illinois. She was 3 years old.1 
(Daughter) Death18 December 1852Her mother died when Permelia was 6 years old, almost immediately after the birth of her last child on 18 December 1852. Her mother was about 32 years old, and left Permelia's father with five very young children.3,4,5 
(Daughter) Marriage13 February 1853Two months after the death of her mother, her father married a second time, on 13 February 1853, to Susan Gierhart.5,4 
(Daughter) Census US 186013 June 1860Permelia was enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 13 June 1860 in the household of her father and stepmother in Goshen, Stark County, Illinois. She was 14 years old and had attended school within the census year.6 

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Henry and Armina Godfrey, Year: 1850; Census Place: Stark, Illinois; Roll: 129; Page: 206a. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Permelia (Godfrey) King, Memorial# 175478152. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Armina “Minnie” (Godfrey) Faubion, Memorial# 205951158.
  4. [S2365] Documents and biography pertaining to the settlement and progress of Stark County, Illinois, online at www.ancestry.com, Chapter IV. Marriage record 1831-1866, page 80, 1853, and noting that Susan's surname was transcribed as Robertson, online at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/22367/…. Hereinafter cited as Documents and biography pertaining to the settlement and progress of Stark County, Illinois.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Henry Sheldon Godfrey, Memorial# 29660161.
  6. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Henry S. and Susan Godfrey, Year: 1860; Census Place: Goshen, Stark, Illinois; Roll: M653_229; Page: 814; Family History Library Film: 803229. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.

Susan C. Godfrey1

b. 1855
Family
Father*Henry S. Godfrey1 b. 18 Jun 1821, d. 28 Jul 1896
Mother*Susan Gierhart1 b. 1836, d. 1877
Birth*1855Susan C. Godfrey was born about 1855 in Illinois.1 
(Daughter) Census US 186013 June 1860Susan C. was enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 13 June 1860 in the household of her parents in Goshen, Stark County, Illinois. She was 5 years old and had attended school within the census year.1 
(Daughter) Census US 18709 July 1870Susan C. was enumerated on the 1870 census taken on 9 July 1870 in the household of her parents in Toulon, Stark County, Illinois. She was 15 years old and had attended school within the census year.2 

Citations

  1. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Henry S. and Susan Godfrey, Year: 1860; Census Place: Goshen, Stark, Illinois; Roll: M653_229; Page: 814; Family History Library Film: 803229. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S37] 1870 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Henry S. and Susan Godfrey, Year: 1870; Census Place: Toulon, Stark, Illinois; Roll: M593_278; Page: 450A. Hereinafter cited as 1870 United States Federal Census.

Thomas Godfrey Jr.1,2

b. 16 January 1792, d. 8 February 1864
Family
Birth*16 January 1792Thomas Godfrey Jr. was born on 16 January 1792 in New Jersey.1,3 
Marriage*18 September 1814He married Mary Young on 18 September 1814 in Cape May County, New Jersey. They were married by Stephen Young Jr., Justice.4,2 
Census US 1850*19 August 1850Mary and Thomas Godfrey Jr. were enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 19 August 1850 in Stark County, Illinois. Thomas was 58 years of age and a weaver with real estate valued at $150, and Mary was 54 years of age. Two of their children were enumerated with them. Elizabeth was 33 years of age and Hugh was age 22 and worked as a laborer.3 
Census US 1860*26 June 1860Mary and Thomas Godfrey Jr. were enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 26 June 1860 in Toulon, Stark County, Illinois. Thomas was 68 years of age and a weaver with real estate valued at $250 and a personal estate valued at $100, and Mary was 64 years of age. Their daughter, Elizabeth, who was 42 years of age and worked as a dressmaker, was enumerated with her parents.5 
Death*8 February 1864He died on 8 February 1864 in Toulon, Stark County, Illinois, at age 721 
Burial* and was buried in Block 16, Lot 3, Space 6, of Toulon Cemetery, Toulon.1 

Family

 Mary Young b. 1796
Children 1.Elizabeth Godfrey6,1,7 b. 3 Jul 1817, d. 26 Jul 1888
 2.Henry S. Godfrey+1,8 b. 18 Jun 1821, d. 28 Jul 1896
 3.Hugh Y. Godfrey+1,4 b. 22 Feb 1828, d. 27 Nov 1908

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Thomas Godfrey, Memorial# 65034951. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S1598] New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Records, 1670-1965, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of Thomas Godfrey Jr. and Mary Young on 18 September 1814 in Cape May, New Jersey, USA, married by Stephen Young Jr., Justice, referencing FHL Film# 001289231. Hereinafter cited as New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Records, 1670-1965.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Thomas and Mary Godfrey, Year: 1850; Census Place: Stark, Illinois; Roll: 129; Page: 195b. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Hugh Young Godfrey, Memorial# 64672756.
  5. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, Thomas and Mary Godfrey, Year: 1860; Census Place: Toulon, Stark, Illinois; Roll: M653_229; Page: 871; Family History Library Film: 803229. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Elizabeth (Godfrey) Cowperthwaite, Memorial# 52686673.
  7. [S1701] Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 9 July 1882 in Stark County, Illinois, USA, of Elizabeth Godfrey, age 66, born about 1816 to Thomas Godfrey and Mary Young, married Stacy Cowperthwaite, age 61, born about 1821 to William Cowperthwaite and Martha Justice, referencing Various Illinois County Courthouses, Marriage Records; Collection Title: Marriage Records. Hereinafter cited as Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940.
  8. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Henry Sheldon Godfrey, Memorial# 29660161.

Willis L. Godfrey1

b. 9 June 1857, d. 9 January 1897
Family
Father*Hugh Y. Godfrey1,2,3 b. 22 Feb 1828, d. 27 Nov 1908
Mother*Frances E. McCance1,3,4 b. 25 May 1831, d. 18 Jan 1901
Birth*9 June 1857Willis L. Godfrey was born on 9 June 1857 in Toulon, Stark County, Illinois.1,3 
Name VariationHis full name was Willis Leaming Godfrey.3 
Marriage*5 June 1881He married first, as her first husband, Nancy Elizabeth Masters, daughter of William B. Masters and Mary E. Sidner, on 5 June 1881 in Stark County, Illinois.3,5,6 
Arrested and Charged*5 March 1886 After being arrested and charged, Willis L. Godfrey of Toulon, Stark County, appeared before U. S. Commissioner Hoyne in Chicago, on 5 March 1886. Godfrey was charged with taking liquor to Toulon, a no-license town, from Wyoming and selling it to various people. He was held on $500 bond.7 
Divorce*Willis and Nancy were divorced.8,1 
Marriage*21 June 1894He married second, as her second husband, Mary Jane (Lovitt) Isom, daughter of Evan James Lovitt and Leah Stamets, on 21 June 1894 in Peoria County, Illinois.1 
Death*9 January 1897He committed suicide on 9 January 1897 in Peoria County, Illinois, at age 39.3,9 
Illness*9 January 1897 Long before alcoholism was recognized as a disease, Willis was likely a serious alcoholic. The newspaper describing the events of his suicide on the evening of 9 January 1897 in Peoria, Illinois, began their story by reporting that his wife, Mary Jane Lovitt, who was not named in the article, had separated from him and had been living in La Harpe for the past year with her brother, Willis Harris Lovitt, his wife, Mary, and their family. It was also not mentioned that Willis and Mary Jane's mother, Leah (Stamets) Lovitt, also resided with her son's family in La Harpe in 1897.

The news article, returning to the evening of January 9, reported that Godfrey had gone into a saloon in Peoria and called for a drink. When he was unable to pay for it, he and the bartender exchanged words, and Godfrey threw his coat on the bar and left the saloon. No one witnessed what happened next, although the supposition was that Godfrey went straight to the Illinois River and plunged in. Eleven weeks later, on Sunday, March 21, his body was found floating in the river and was identified by friends.

Godfrey was twice married. His first wife, Nancy Elizabeth Masters, who was not named in the article, secured a divorce, remarried and was living in Monroe, Nebraska; his second wife, as stated above, was living in La Harpe. Godfrey had been employed on several roads as a brakeman, but could not keep a job "due to his dissipated habits." The article concluded with the newspaper's editorial judgements that, "His evil ways dragged him down and when he did not have the price of a drink of whiskey he went to the river and drowned himself. This sad history is but the old story of the dreadful power of the demon rum."9,10 
Burial*He was buried without a gravestone in Block 59, Lot 1, Space 5, of Toulon Cemetery, Toulon, Stark County, Illinois. His sister, Isabell, and her husband, William F. Newland, would be buried there with him at their deaths.3 

Family 1

 Nancy Elizabeth Masters b. Apr 1862, d. 1943

Family 2

 Mary Jane Lovitt b. Mar 1853, d. 11 Feb 1907

Citations

  1. [S1701] Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 21 June 1894 in Peoria County, Illinois, USA, of Willis L Godfrey, age 38, his second marriage, born about 1856 in Toulon, Stark County, Illinois, to Hugh Y Godfrey and Frances E McCance, married Mary J Isom, age 42, her second marriage, born about 1852 in Ohio to Evan J Lovitt and Leah "Slummontes", referencing Peoria County Courthouse; Peoria, IL, USA; Peoria County Marriages, 1825-1915; Collection Title: Peoria County Marriages, 1825-1915, citing Marriage Register 1891-1895, Certificate# 1950. Hereinafter cited as Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Hugh Young Godfrey, Memorial# 64672756. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Willis Leaming Godfrey, Memorial# 227007267.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Frances E (McCance) Godfrey, Memorial# 64672726.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Nancy Elizabeth (Masters) Kerr, Memorial# 29718222.
  6. [S1701] Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 5 June 1881 in Stark County, Illinois, USA, of Willis L Godfrey, age 24, born about 1857 to Hugh Y Godfrey and Francis E McCance, married Nancy E Masters, age 20, born about 1861 to William B. Masters and Mary E. Henderson, referencing various Illinois County Courthouses, Marriage Records, and we note here that the source, identifying Henderson as Nancy's mother's surname, when her surname was Sidner, was an error, and because the actual record was not attached to the transcription of the marriage, we have not determined the source of the error.
  7. [S2361] Willis L. Godfrey 1886 Illinois Arrest, online at Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s, at www.newspapers.com, The Inter Ocean, (Chicago, Illinois), Saturday, 6 March 1886, page 8, arrest and charge of Willis L. Godfrey of Toulon, held on $500 bond. Hereinafter cited as Willis L. Godfrey 1886 Illinois Arrest.
  8. [S1824] Nebraska, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1855-1908, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 30 April 1891 in Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska, USA, of Nancy Godfrey, age 29, born about 1862 in New Jersey, daughter of Wm Masters and Mary Sidner, and George Kerr, age 35, born about 1856, son of G. A. Kerr and Deborah Clark, recorded in Platte County, referencing State Library and Archives, Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, Nebraska. Hereinafter cited as Nebraska, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1855-1908.
  9. [S2362] Willis L. Godfrey 1897 Suicide, online at Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s, at www.newspapers.com, The Quill, (La Harpe, Illinois), Thursday, 25 March 1897, page 1, article title reads "W. L. Godfrey Suicides", and crediting the Peoria, Illinois, papers of the previous Tuesday, reported the tragic death of Willis L. Godfrey, whose wife had been making her home in La Harpe, with her brother W. H. Lovitt and family, for the past year; on the evening of January 9, Godfrey, "the unfortunate man", went into a saloon and called for a drink; being unable to pay for it a few words passed between the bartender and Godfrey, when the latter threw his coat on the bar and left the place; the supposition is that he went straight to the river and plunged in; last Sunday his body was found floating in the river and was identified by friends; he was twice married; his first wife secured a divorce, is married again, and is living in Monroe, Nebraska; his second wife, as stated above, is living here; he had been employed on several roads as brakeman, but could not hold a job owing to his dissipated habits; his evil ways dragged him down and when he did not have the price of a drink of whiskey he went to the river and drowned himself; this said history is but the old story of the dreadful power of the demon rum. Hereinafter cited as Willis L. Godfrey 1897 Suicide.
  10. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Leah (Stamets) Lovitt, Memorial# 54448293, from the news article about her 87th birthday celebration posted on her memorial page.

Catherine Godfroy1

b. 1808, d. 14 April 1856
Family
Father*Francis Godfroy1 b. Mar 1788, d. 1 May 1840
Mother*Sac-a-che-quah1 d. 18 Mar 1840
Birth*1808Catherine Godfroy was born in 1808 in Indiana.2,3 
Marriage*She married Antoine Goodboo.2 
Children* Their children were Angeline, Louisa, Joshua and Jocco.2 
(Daughter) Will26 February 1840Her father prepared his will dated 26 February 1840 in Miami County, Indiana, naming his two wives, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-a-qua-tah, his six sons, Poqua Godfroy, James R. Godfroy, Thomas Godfroy, William Godfroy, George W. Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, and his five surviving daughters, Catherine (Godfroy) Goodboo, Louisa Godfroy, Sallie Godfroy, Frances Godfroy and Clemence Godfroy. A short time before his death he added a codicil, and the completed document read:

"I, Francis Godfroy, a Miami Indian, of the county of Miami, Indiana, being desirous to settle and dispose of my worldly affairs while in a sound mind, memory and understanding, do publish and declare this as my last will and testament:

"First, I desire my body to be decently interred, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named.

"Second, It is my will and I hereby bequeath to my beloved son, James R. Godfroy, one section of land, to include my mill on the creek below Peru, commonly called Pipe creek.

"Third, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, William Godfroy, one section of land lying on the Mississinewa river, being the section of land granted to O-san-di-ah at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of 1838, which I purchased of the said O-san-di-ah.

"Fourth, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, George Washington, the section of land lying opposite the town of Peru, on the Wabash, being the same on which Peter Gibout now lives.

"Fifth, I will and bequeath to my dearly beloved sons, Thomas Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, as tenants in common, three-fourths of the section lying above and adjoining the town of Peru, which said three-fourths of a section so bequeathed as aforesaid is a part of the section granted to me adjoining the town of Peru at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of October, 1834.

"Sixth, For the purpose of educating my son Gabriel, I hereby will and bequeath to him, in addition to my former bequest, the one-quarter section of land lying opposite my house, being the same purchased of John B. Richardville.

"Seventh, I will and bequeath unto my two wives, or the mothers of my children, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-kah-quet-tah, and my beloved children, my eldest unmarried daughter, Louisa, to my daughter Sally, to my daughter Frances, to my daughter Clemence, the four sections of land and improvements where I now live, during the lifetime of my said wives, to be decided in case of dispute by my executors during the lives of my wives. The two of the four sections of land aforesaid to include the houses and improvements, I will and bequeath to my said daughters, Louisa, Sally, Frances and Clemence, as tenants in common and to their heirs forever. The remaining two of the four sections aforesaid, I will and bequeath to all my children and their heirs and assigns, as well as those who are devisees to this will, as also Poqua, and the wife of Goodboo, to be equally divided among them all.

"Eighth, It is my will that after the personal property, which I may be possessed of at the time of my death, should be exhausted, that my executors, or the survivor of them, or the person who may administer on my estate, shall sell so much of my real estate as he or they may deem necessary for the payment of my debts, the same to be sold for such prices as he or they may deem reasonable. Such real estate to be sold as is not devised individually to any member of my family.

"Ninth, I will and bequeath such property as I may die possessed of, both real and personal, not heretofore disposed of, after my debts are paid, to be equally divided among all my children, share and share alike.

"Tenth, All the property devised to all the devisees in this my last will is hereby bequeathed to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

"Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and John B. Richardville, of the county of Allen, to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament. In the case of the death of either of them, the other to be sole executor, or in case one fails to serve, then the other to be the executor.

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty-sixth day of February, 1840.


"Francis Godfroy signed and sealed the document with his X mark

"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament, executed in the presence of the undersigned, who signed the same as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the testator subscribed their names as such witnesses at the request of said testator, the 26th day of February, 1840.

"Edward A. Godfroy signed his name
"Peter Andre signed with his X mark
"B. H. Scott signed his name
"F. S. Corn-wall signed his name"

In the codicil, provisions were made for defending the titles to several tracts of land bought by Godfroy from Wap-pa-piu-sha and other Indians by the employment of James Raridon as attorney, and that the sum of $1,000 should be paid by his executors to his wife, Sac-kah-quet-tah, immediately after his decease, the money to be used for the support of the infant children. The principal provisions of the codicil, however, were as follows:

"I do further will and direct that my executor or administrator lay off, within three months after my decease, on the quarter section of land immediately adjoining the town of Peru, town lots and streets in continuation and corresponding in size and width with the lots and streets in Peru, excepting only that portion of the said quarter section near the sand hill, suitable for tannery sites, for which purpose I desire that it should be laid off in lots of two acres each; that every fourth of the town lots and tannery sites be reserved and titles for the same executed to my son, James Godfrey, and the remaining three-fourths of each description of said lots be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the following conditions, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to be paid at the expiration of six months from the day of sale, the remainder in two equal payments at the expiration of twelve and eighteen months from the day of sale; and I hereby authorize and empower my said executor or administrator, when full payment is made by the purchasers, to make, seal and deliver deeds for the conveyance of said lots to the purchasers, their heirs and assigns, hereby vesting him with full power and authority to act in the premises as fully to every intent and purpose as I myself could do if living. The proceeds of the sales of the aforesaid lots I hereby direct my said executor or administrator to apply to the discharge of my just debts, and in the event of there being thereafter a surplus, that the same be by my said executor invested in bank stock, and the annual interest thereon be applied to the discharge of the taxes on my real estate”.4
 
Death*14 April 1856She died on 14 April 1856 at about age 48.2 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 

Family

 Antoine Goodboo b. 1808, d. 25 Jul 1856

Citations

  1. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, a site dedicated to transcribing historical and genealogical information helpful to researchers, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy Trails.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3630. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anthony and Catherine Goodboo, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Noble, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: 178; Page: 434b. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, Will of Chief Francis Godfroy, pages 36-39. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  5. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  6. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  7. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  8. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  9. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  10. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  11. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Edward A. Godfroy1

b. 1817, d. 11 February 1880
Family
Birth*1817Edward A. Godfroy was born in 1817 in Michigan.2 
Marriage*27 July 1852He married Sallie Godfroy, daughter of Francis Godfroy and Sac-a-qua-tah, on 27 July 1852. Edward was a cousin of Sallie's father.1 
(Husband) Death2 April 1856Edward became a widower when Sallie (Godfroy) Godfroy died on 2 April 1856 at about age 31.2 
Death*11 February 1880He died on 11 February 1880 at about age 63.2 

Family

 Sallie Godfroy b. 1825, d. 2 Apr 1856

Citations

  1. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024; Anthropological Report (Contractor), Social and Political Organization, Godfroy, digital pages 104-116. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3637. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.

Eliza Godfroy1

b. 1832, d. 8 January 1900
Family
Father*Poqua Godfroy1 b. 1809, d. 1845
Mother*O-zah-shin-quah1 b. Oct 1809, d. 25 Jan 1877
Birth*1832Eliza Godfroy was probably born about 1832 in Waltz Township, Wabash County, Indiana. Because our sources have consistently identified Eliza as the elder of O-zah-shin-quah's two daughters with her first husband, Louis Godfroy, we suspect she was born about 1832.2,3,4,5,6 
Name VariationHer Indian name was Ke-pa-ke-min-quah.1 
(Granddaughter) ResidenceIn 1845 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress, her maternal grandmother, Frances Slocum and her family which included on that date 22 individuals, were exempted from the Removal Order forcing the Miami from Indiana. The family lived on a prosperous farm and owned cattle, hogs, chickens and a large herd of ponies. Her grandmother's settlement included her two grown daughters, Nancy Ke-ke-nok-esh-wah Brouillette and Jane O-zah-shin-quah Bundy, their husbands, John B. Brouillette and Peter Bundy, and four granddaughters, Eliza Ke-pa-ke-min-quah Godfroy, Frances Godfroy, Ki po ki na mo qua and Ching-o-shing-quah. In 1846, the year of the forced Removal, Eliza's grandmother persuaded her white nephew, Reverend George R. Slocum, to come from Ohio and help her manage the farm.7 
Marriage*She married first, as his second wife, John B. Brouillette. Eliza, who was the daughter of the sister of his first wife, was John's niece by marriage.1,8,5 
Census US 185019 September 1850Ke-pa-ke-min-quah and John B. Brouillette were enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 19 September 1850 in Waltz Township, Wabash County, Indiana. The census taker had a difficult time with her name, and spelled it something like "E ca-pa-ca-no-quah" and we wonder if he started to write her English name Eliza and wrote the "E", and then tried her Indian name. In any case, she and John were newly married. John was 58 years of age and a farmer, and Ke-pa-ke-min-quah was age 18. Members of the couple's extended family were also enumerated with them in 1850, including Ke-pa-ke-min-quah's mother and stepfather, O-zah-shin-quah and Peter Bundy, her three sisters from her mother’s previous marriages and her two sisters from her mother and stepfather's marriage, Frances, Elizabeth, Melvina, Mary and Anna. The Brouillette household also included Peter Bundy's two adopted sons, Samuel and Jackson Bundy, and four individuals, three males and one female, whose relationships to the Brouillette or Bundy families we have not yet identified. Peter Bundy, whose surname was recorded as "Bendy", was 30 years of age, reported no occupation, and had real estate valued at $400. His wife, Ke-pa-ke-min-quah's mother O-zah-shin-quah, was 33 years of age and had real estate valued at $9,600. Her daughters, Ke-pa-ke-min-quah's sisters, Frances, Elizabeth and Melvina, ages 17, 13 and 11 years, respectively, were all recorded with the surname "Godfroy" and had attended school within the census year. The Bundy's two daughters, Mary and Anna, whose surnames were recorded as "Bondy", were also Ke-pa-ke-min-quah's sisters. Mary was age 3 years and Anna was five months old. Samuel and Jackson Bundy, whose surnames were also recorded as "Bondy", were ages 17 and 19 years, respectively, were working as farmers, and had attended school within the census year.9 
(Wife) Death17 June 1867Eliza became a widow when John B. Brouillette died on 17 June 1867 at about age 71.8 
(Daughter) Will10 July 1873Her mother, O-zah-shin-quah, prepared her will dated 10 July 1873 in Wabash County, Indiana. Her beneficiaries included her husband, Peter Wah-pa-pe-tah Bondy, whom she also nominated and appointed executor of her estate; her daughters, Rose Ann Pe-me-sah-quah Bondy, Hannah Sah-co-quit-ah Mongosa, Frances Wah-pah-nock-shin-quah Wilson, Eliza Ke-pa-ke-min-quah Brouillette, Elizabeth Ki po ki na mo qua Godfroy and Ching-o-shing-quah Tawataw; her sons, Judson Ke-pah-ke-kap-wah Bondy and Camillious Tak-quah-ke-uh Bondy; and a granddaughter, Nancy On-za-noc-ke-sum-quah Mongosa. Her will also mentioned her deceased sister, Ke-ke-nok-esh-wah Brouillette, and a son-in-law, Nelson Tawataw.10 
Marriage*20 April 1878She married second Thomas S. Cain, son of Francis Cain and Elizabeth Stewart, on 20 April 1878 in Wabash County, Indiana.11,1,12,13 
(Wife) Death8 October 1878Eliza became a widow for the second time when Thomas S. Cain died, less than six months after their marriage, on 8 October 1878 at age 53.11 
Death*8 January 1900She died on 8 January 1900 in Waltz Township, Wabash County, Indiana, at about age 651 
Burial* and was buried in Slocum Cemetery, Wabash County.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.14,15,16,17,18,19,20 

Family 1

 John B. Brouillette b. 1796, d. 17 Jun 1867
Child 1.Nancy Brouillette21 b. 31 Oct 1850

Family 2

 Thomas S. Cain b. 20 Jan 1825, d. 8 Oct 1878

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Eliza “Ke-pa-ke-min-quah” (Godfroy) Cain, Memorial# 199894143. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Eliza “Ke-pa-ke-min-quah” (Godfroy) Cain, Memorial# 199894143, her year of birth recorded as 1835.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John B. Brouillette, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Waltz, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: 178; Page: 358a; Eliza's Indian name was written by the census taker as something like "E-ca-pa-ca-no-quah", her age was recoded as 18 years old, and her year of birth estimated as 1832. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S2688] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes. This has been an excellent source for us as we've strived to learn more about the Delaware and Miami Indians, and their theft of little Frances Slocum. We've used quotes to identify information taken directly from Bodurtha's book. Additionally, the attached document has been copied directly from Chapter IV, so that you might enjoy his presentation of the full story as much as we have; Volume I, Chapter IV, The Story of Frances Slocum, pages 52-66, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as Bodurtha's History of Miami County : Volume I, Chapter IV, The Story of Frances Slocum, pages 52-66.
  5. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), John B. Brouillette, pages 23-27. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  6. [S2681] Charles Elihu Slocum, History of the Slocums, Slocumbs and Slocombs of America, genealogical and biographical, embracing twelve generations of the first-named family from A.D. 1637 to 1908, with their marriages and descendants in the female lines as far as ascertained, a supplement to and issued as Volume 2 of the 1882 edition, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Defiance, Ohio: Slocum, Charles Elihu, 1908), O-zah-shin-quah, pages 205-207. Hereinafter cited as History of the Slocums, Slocumbs and Slocombs of America, genealogical and biographical, embracing twelve generations of the first-named family from A.D. 1637 to 1908.
  7. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024; Anthropological Report (Contractor), Social and Political Organization, Bundy, digital pages 123-131. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  8. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Rev Jean Baptise “Tah-quah-ke-ah” Brouillett, Memorial# 34693804.
  9. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John B. Brouillette, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Waltz, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: 178; Page: 358a.
  10. [S2621] Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999, online at www.ancestry.com, will of O-zah-shin-quah, or Jane Bondy, of Wabash County, Indiana, dated 10 July 1873, Wabash County Will Records, Volumes A-B, 1842-1880, Book B, pages 220-228, Ancestry online images 371-375 of 482. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999.
  11. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Thomas S Cain, Memorial# 35731199.
  12. [S1566] Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage license issued to Thomas S Cain and Eliza Brouillett on 17 April 1878 in Indiana, United States, citing page 158 and referencing FHL Film# 002367471. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001.
  13. [S1444] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 20 April 1878 in Wabash County of Thomas S. Cain and Eliza Brouillett, referencing Works Progress Administration; Index to Marriage Records: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940; Series Title: Wabash County, Indiana; marriage Records 1861 - 1882 Book C Compiled By Wabash County Historical Museum; Book: 158; Page: 9. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941.
  14. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", 12 July 1990.
  15. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  16. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  17. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  18. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  19. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  20. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  21. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Nancy “On-za-noc-ke-sum-quah” Brouillett, Memorial# 34693876.

Esther Godfroy1

b. 1870
Family
Father*John Godfroy1 b. Oct 1848
Mother*Harriet Lacroix1
Birth*1870Esther Godfroy was born in 1870 in Indiana.1 
Name VariationHer Indian name was Kil-no-quit-tah.1 
(Daughter) DeathWe suspect Esther was very young when her mother died, probably in her mid-20s.2,3 
(Daughter) Marriage21 July 1877Her father married a second time, on 21 July 1877, to Mary J. Hartman.4,5,2 
(Daughter) Census US 188026 June 1880Esther was enumerated on the 1880 census taken on 26 June 1880 in the household of her father and stepmother in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. She was 10 years old and at school.3,6,7,8 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.9,10,11,12,13,14,15 

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  2. [S2649] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 21 July 1877 in Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, USA of John Godfrey and Mary Hartman. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012.
  3. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Mary "Godfrey", Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117. Hereinafter cited as 1880 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary J (Hartman) Godfrey, Memorial# 65809447. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, John Godfrey, Memorial# 148803851.
  6. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfrey, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  7. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna J. and Francis X. Aveline, (their surname spelled "Averline" by the census taker), Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  8. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Charles F. and Mary F. Strack, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  9. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  10. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  11. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  12. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  13. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  14. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  15. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Frances Godfroy1

b. 1832, d. 18 November 1896
Family
Father*Francis Godfroy1 b. Mar 1788, d. 1 May 1840
Mother*Sac-a-qua-tah1 b. 1786, d. 24 Feb 1869
(Family Member) Name Spellings In this research project, everyone with the surname Bondy or Bundy was a member of the same family. When Peter BONDY returned to the United States from Canada in 1840, his surname, as it was recorded, was spelled BONDY. By the early 1900's, Peter's surname, and the surname of most of his children, had begun to morph and was, in many cases, being recorded as BUNDY, although some of his children retained the BONDY surname. Over the years, as Peter made his way into the history books, he became known as Peter BUNDY.2,3,4,5 
Birth*1832Frances Godfroy was born about 1832 in Indiana.6 
Name VariationHer Indian name was Ma-ze-quah.7 
(Daughter) Will26 February 1840Her father prepared his will dated 26 February 1840 in Miami County, Indiana, naming his two wives, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-a-qua-tah, his six sons, Poqua Godfroy, James R. Godfroy, Thomas Godfroy, William Godfroy, George W. Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, and his five surviving daughters, Catherine (Godfroy) Goodboo, Louisa Godfroy, Sallie Godfroy, Frances Godfroy and Clemence Godfroy. A short time before his death he added a codicil, and the completed document read:

"I, Francis Godfroy, a Miami Indian, of the county of Miami, Indiana, being desirous to settle and dispose of my worldly affairs while in a sound mind, memory and understanding, do publish and declare this as my last will and testament:

"First, I desire my body to be decently interred, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named.

"Second, It is my will and I hereby bequeath to my beloved son, James R. Godfroy, one section of land, to include my mill on the creek below Peru, commonly called Pipe creek.

"Third, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, William Godfroy, one section of land lying on the Mississinewa river, being the section of land granted to O-san-di-ah at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of 1838, which I purchased of the said O-san-di-ah.

"Fourth, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, George Washington, the section of land lying opposite the town of Peru, on the Wabash, being the same on which Peter Gibout now lives.

"Fifth, I will and bequeath to my dearly beloved sons, Thomas Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, as tenants in common, three-fourths of the section lying above and adjoining the town of Peru, which said three-fourths of a section so bequeathed as aforesaid is a part of the section granted to me adjoining the town of Peru at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of October, 1834.

"Sixth, For the purpose of educating my son Gabriel, I hereby will and bequeath to him, in addition to my former bequest, the one-quarter section of land lying opposite my house, being the same purchased of John B. Richardville.

"Seventh, I will and bequeath unto my two wives, or the mothers of my children, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-kah-quet-tah, and my beloved children, my eldest unmarried daughter, Louisa, to my daughter Sally, to my daughter Frances, to my daughter Clemence, the four sections of land and improvements where I now live, during the lifetime of my said wives, to be decided in case of dispute by my executors during the lives of my wives. The two of the four sections of land aforesaid to include the houses and improvements, I will and bequeath to my said daughters, Louisa, Sally, Frances and Clemence, as tenants in common and to their heirs forever. The remaining two of the four sections aforesaid, I will and bequeath to all my children and their heirs and assigns, as well as those who are devisees to this will, as also Poqua, and the wife of Goodboo, to be equally divided among them all.

"Eighth, It is my will that after the personal property, which I may be possessed of at the time of my death, should be exhausted, that my executors, or the survivor of them, or the person who may administer on my estate, shall sell so much of my real estate as he or they may deem necessary for the payment of my debts, the same to be sold for such prices as he or they may deem reasonable. Such real estate to be sold as is not devised individually to any member of my family.

"Ninth, I will and bequeath such property as I may die possessed of, both real and personal, not heretofore disposed of, after my debts are paid, to be equally divided among all my children, share and share alike.

"Tenth, All the property devised to all the devisees in this my last will is hereby bequeathed to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

"Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and John B. Richardville, of the county of Allen, to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament. In the case of the death of either of them, the other to be sole executor, or in case one fails to serve, then the other to be the executor.

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty-sixth day of February, 1840.


"Francis Godfroy signed and sealed the document with his X mark

"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament, executed in the presence of the undersigned, who signed the same as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the testator subscribed their names as such witnesses at the request of said testator, the 26th day of February, 1840.

"Edward A. Godfroy signed his name
"Peter Andre signed with his X mark
"B. H. Scott signed his name
"F. S. Corn-wall signed his name"

In the codicil, provisions were made for defending the titles to several tracts of land bought by Godfroy from Wap-pa-piu-sha and other Indians by the employment of James Raridon as attorney, and that the sum of $1,000 should be paid by his executors to his wife, Sac-kah-quet-tah, immediately after his decease, the money to be used for the support of the infant children. The principal provisions of the codicil, however, were as follows:

"I do further will and direct that my executor or administrator lay off, within three months after my decease, on the quarter section of land immediately adjoining the town of Peru, town lots and streets in continuation and corresponding in size and width with the lots and streets in Peru, excepting only that portion of the said quarter section near the sand hill, suitable for tannery sites, for which purpose I desire that it should be laid off in lots of two acres each; that every fourth of the town lots and tannery sites be reserved and titles for the same executed to my son, James Godfrey, and the remaining three-fourths of each description of said lots be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the following conditions, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to be paid at the expiration of six months from the day of sale, the remainder in two equal payments at the expiration of twelve and eighteen months from the day of sale; and I hereby authorize and empower my said executor or administrator, when full payment is made by the purchasers, to make, seal and deliver deeds for the conveyance of said lots to the purchasers, their heirs and assigns, hereby vesting him with full power and authority to act in the premises as fully to every intent and purpose as I myself could do if living. The proceeds of the sales of the aforesaid lots I hereby direct my said executor or administrator to apply to the discharge of my just debts, and in the event of there being thereafter a surplus, that the same be by my said executor invested in bank stock, and the annual interest thereon be applied to the discharge of the taxes on my real estate”.8
 
Marriage*She married first, as his second wife, George Hunt Jr., son of George Hunt, in the early 1850s. Frances was a younger half-sister of George's first wife, Louisa Godfroy.7 
Marriage2 September 1858She married second Oliver Kissiman Sr., son of Jacob Kisiman and Catherine Wright, on 2 September 1858 in Miami County, Indiana.9,10,11,7 
Civil War (U.S.)November 1862Her husband served in the Union Army during the Civil War as a Corporal in Company D of the 99th Indiana Infantry Regiment, volunteering to serve from 11 August 1862 through 25 January 1863. He was injured and disabled in November 18629 
(Wife) DeathDecember 1862 and Frances became a widow when Corporal Oliver Kissiman Sr. died of his injuries in December 1862 at about age 25.9 
Marriage*10 January 1881She married third, as his second wife, Peter Bundy, son of Antoine Bondy, on 10 January 1881.12,7,3 
Divorce*The union of Frances and Peter was not congenial and they ended their marriage.3 
Will*8 June 1896She prepared her will dated 8 June 1896 in Miami County, Indiana, and her brother, Gabriel Godfroy, signed as one of her witnesses.13 
Death*18 November 1896She died on 18 November 1896 as Frances (Godfroy) Hunt Kissiman in Miami County, Indiana, at about age 64.13 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.14,15,16,17,18,19,20 

Family 1

 George Hunt Jr. b. 15 Mar 1818, d. 26 Jan 1860
Child 1.O-san-di-ah Hunt7 b. 1856, d. 1859

Family 2

 Oliver Kissiman Sr. b. 1837, d. Dec 1862
Children 1.Thomas Kissiman21,6 b. 23 Aug 1858, d. 27 Jan 1879
 2.Ladema Kissiman22,23 b. 7 Aug 1861, d. 15 Jun 1919
 3.Oliver Kissiman24,23 b. 1863, d. 29 Dec 1901

Family 3
Child 1.Lizzie Cain7 b. 1864

Family 4

 Peter Bundy b. 16 Jul 1813, d. 14 Jun 1897

Citations

  1. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, a site dedicated to transcribing historical and genealogical information helpful to researchers, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy Trails.
  2. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John B. Brouillette, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Waltz, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: 178; Page: 358a. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Rev Peter “Wah-pa-pe-tah” Bondy, Memorial# 34693723. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Rose Ann “Pe-me-sah-quah” (Bondy) Peconga, Memorial# 34693752.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Elizabeth “Ki po ki na mo qua” (Bondy) Godfroy, Memorial# 37551417.
  6. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Oliver and Frances Kissiman, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Erie, Miami, Indiana; Roll: M653_281; Pages: 95-96; Family History Library Film: 803281; Thomas's age recorded as one year, and his year of birth estimated as 1859. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  7. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/api/collection/GlennElizaC/id/…, PDF file name: GlennElizaC_3638.pdf. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  8. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, Will of Chief Francis Godfroy, pages 36-39. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  9. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, CPL Oliver Kissiman Sr., Memorial# 184217983.
  10. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Frances (Godfroy) Peconga, Memorial# 240888974; we note that the information on this memorial page is NOT for the Frances Godfroy, daughter of Chief Francis Godfroy and his second wife, Sac-a-quah-tah, who was born in 1832, died in November 1896, and married, as her second husband, Oliver Kissiman, as her third husband, Peter Bundy, and was NOT the Frances Godfroy who married Wilson “Ching-gwa-saw” Peconga; the Frances Godfroy who married William Wilson Peconga in 1868 was born about 1833 and died in 1904, and was the daughter of Louis Godfroy and O-zah-shin-quah, a daughter of Frances Slocum and She-po-con-ah, also known as Chief Deaf Man.
  11. [S1444] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 2 September 1858 in Miami County, of Francis Godfroy and Oliver Kisiman, referencing Works Progress Administration; Index to Marriage Records: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940; Series Title: Miami County, Indiana; index to Marriage Record 1850-1920 Inclusive Volume Original Record Located County Clerk’s Office, Peru; Book: C- 1; Page: 102. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941.
  12. [S1444] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 10 January 1881 in Miami County, of Peter Bondy and Francis Kisiman, referencing Works Progress Administration; Index to Marriage Records: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940; Series Title: Miami County, Indiana; index to Marriage Record 1850-1920 Inclusive Volume Original Record Located County Clerk’s Office, Peru; Book: C 6; Page: 387.
  13. [S2621] Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999, online at www.ancestry.com, will of Frances Kissiman dated 8 June 1896 in Miami County, Indiana, Miami Will Records, Circuit Court, Volume 4, 1895-1900, images 94-95 of 324. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999.
  14. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  15. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  16. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  17. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  18. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  19. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  20. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  21. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Thomas Kisman, Memorial# 37591879.
  22. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Ladema “Kil-so-quah” (Kissiman) Bondy, Memorial# 34693588.
  23. [S37] 1870 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Frances Kissiman, Year: 1870; Census Place: Butler, Miami, Indiana; Roll: M593_343; Page: 20A. Hereinafter cited as 1870 United States Federal Census.
  24. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Oliver Kissiman, Memorial# 240889749.

Frances Godfroy1

b. February 1833, d. 22 February 1904
Family
Father*Poqua Godfroy1 b. 1809, d. 1845
Mother*O-zah-shin-quah1 b. Oct 1809, d. 25 Jan 1877
Birth*February 1833Frances Godfroy was born in February 1833 in Waltz Township, Wabash County, Indiana.1,2 
Name VariationHer Indian name was found spelled Wap-pon-noc-shin-quah, and also as Wah-pa-noc-she-no-quah.3,4 
Name VariationHer Indian name was spelled Wah-pah-nock-shin-quah in the 1873 will of her mother, O-zah-shin-quah.5 
(Granddaughter) ResidenceIn 1845 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress, her maternal grandmother, Frances Slocum and her family which included on that date 22 individuals, were exempted from the Removal Order forcing the Miami from Indiana. The family lived on a prosperous farm and owned cattle, hogs, chickens and a large herd of ponies. Her grandmother's settlement included her two grown daughters, Nancy Ke-ke-nok-esh-wah Brouillette and Jane O-zah-shin-quah Bundy, their husbands, John B. Brouillette and Peter Bundy, and four granddaughters, Eliza Ke-pa-ke-min-quah Godfroy, Frances Godfroy, Ki po ki na mo qua and Ching-o-shing-quah. In 1846, the year of the forced Removal, Frances's grandmother persuaded her white nephew, Reverend George R. Slocum, to come from Ohio and help her manage the farm.6 
(Sister-in-Law) Census US 185019 September 1850Frances was enumerated with her mother and extended family on the 1850 census taken on 19 September 1850 in the household of her sister and brother-in-law, Ke-pa-ke-min-quah and John B. Brouillette in Waltz Township, Wabash County, Indiana. Frances was 17 years old and had attended school within the census year.7 
Marriage*2 September 1868She married second William Peconga, son of Pe-con-ge-oh and Mary Soek-o-chock-quah Robertson, on 2 September 1868 in Wabash County, Indiana. He was a grandson of Meshingomesia, and she was a granddaughter of Frances Slocum.4,8,9,10,11,12,1 
Married NameIn her mother's 1873 will Frances was identified as Frances Wah-pah-nock-shin-quah Wilson.5 
(Daughter) Will10 July 1873Her mother, O-zah-shin-quah, prepared her will dated 10 July 1873 in Wabash County, Indiana. Her beneficiaries included her husband, Peter Wah-pa-pe-tah Bondy, whom she also nominated and appointed executor of her estate; her daughters, Rose Ann Pe-me-sah-quah Bondy, Hannah Sah-co-quit-ah Mongosa, Frances Wah-pah-nock-shin-quah Wilson, Eliza Ke-pa-ke-min-quah Brouillette, Elizabeth Ki po ki na mo qua Godfroy and Ching-o-shing-quah Tawataw; her sons, Judson Ke-pah-ke-kap-wah Bondy and Camillious Tak-quah-ke-uh Bondy; and a granddaughter, Nancy On-za-noc-ke-sum-quah Mongosa. Her will also mentioned her deceased sister, Ke-ke-nok-esh-wah Brouillette, and a son-in-law, Nelson Tawataw.5 
Census US 1900*8 June 1900Frances and William Peconga were enumerated on the 1900 census taken on 8 June 1900 at 73 Chestnut Street, Noble, Wabash County, Indiana. William was recorded as 60 years of age and Frances was 67 years of age. They had been married for 32 years, were both able to read, write and speak English, rented their house, had no occupations reported, and Frances had given birth to no children.12 
Death*22 February 1904She died of pneumonia on 22 February 1904 in Wabash County, Indiana, at age 711,2 
Burial* and was buried in Slocum Cemetery, Wabash County, Indiana.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.13,14,15,16,17,18,19 

Family

 William Peconga b. 15 Mar 1844, d. 3 Jun 1916

Citations

  1. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), Frances (Godfroy) Peconga, Memorial# 240888974. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  2. [S1571] Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, online at www.ancestry.com, death on 22 February 1904 in Wabash County, Indiana, USA, of Frances Peconga, Native American Indian, age 71, married to William Peconga, born in Waltz Township, Wabash County, Indiana on February 1833 to Lewis Godfroy and Jane Slocum in Indiana, cause of death pneumonia, informant William Peconga, Peoria, Indiana, referencing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1904; Roll: 14. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017.
  3. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Wilson “Ching-gwa-saw” Peconga, Memorial# 201359383. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  5. [S2621] Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999, online at www.ancestry.com, will of O-zah-shin-quah, or Jane Bondy, of Wabash County, Indiana, dated 10 July 1873, Wabash County Will Records, Volumes A-B, 1842-1880, Book B, pages 220-228, Ancestry online images 371-375 of 482. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999.
  6. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024; Anthropological Report (Contractor), Social and Political Organization, Bundy, digital pages 123-131. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  7. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John B. Brouillette, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Waltz, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: 178; Page: 358a. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  8. [S1566] Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage license issued to Frances Godfrey and M W Wilson on 1 September 1868 in Indiana, United States, citing page 162 and referencing FHL Film# 002314126. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001.
  9. [S1444] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 2 September 1868 in Wabash County, of Frances Godfroy and W. W. Wilson, referencing Works Progress Administration; Index to Marriage Records: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940; Series Title: Wabash County, Indiana; marriage Records 1861 - 1882 Book C Compiled By Wabash County Historical Museum; Book: 162; Page: 7. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941.
  10. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, John B. Brouillette, pages 23-27.
  11. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, Francis Godfroy, pages 17-21.
  12. [S34] 1900 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William and Frances Peconga, Year: 1900; Census Place: Noble, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: 410; Page: 11; Enumeration District: 0123. Hereinafter cited as 1900 United States Federal Census.
  13. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", 12 July 1990.
  14. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  15. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  16. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  17. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  18. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  19. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Francis Godfroy1

b. March 1788, d. 1 May 1840
Family
Francis Godfroy
Father*Jacques Godfroy2 b. 1722
Mother*Saakacaahkwa3,4 d. 1823
Birth*March 1788Francis Godfroy was born in March 1788 near Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. His father was a white Frenchman and trader among the Indians along the Wabash river, and his mother was a daughter of Miami Chief Osage.1,2,5 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Palaanswa, which we also found spelled Palonzwah6 
Name Variation and his French name was Francois.7 
Marriage*In the early 1800s, he married his first wife, a Miami named Sac-a-che-quah.8,4,9,10,5 
Family Life* He had, at the same time, two wives and two families of children, and his marital arrangement was described as both polygynous and amicable. Between 1808 and 1818, with his first wife, Sac-a-che-quah, he had six children, three sons and three daughters; and between 1819 and 1835, with his second wife, Sac-a-qua-tah, he had another six children, also three sons and three daughters.8,11,12,2 
Historical Note*Francis Godfroy was chosen as the tribe's War Chief after She-po-con-ah retired from the position. During the earlier years, with Chief Little Turtle, the functions of Civil Ruler, or Principal Chief, and War Chief were combined. After Little Turtle's death, and John B. Richardville's election to Principal Chief, the responsibility of the War Chief was granted to She-po-con-ah, who was later known as Deaf Man, and was the husband of Frances Slocum. Shepoconah was a large, heavy set man and a great warrior until his hearing became affected. His headquarters were at the Osage village, near the mouth of the Mississinewa river. After he retired from the chieftainship, he moved further up the river and built a log house, where a settlement grew up that became known as Deaf Man's village.2 
Marriage*1818 In 1818, he married, as his second wife, Sac-a-qua-tah, daughter of ______ Coleman and a granddaughter of Chief Osandiah.8,4,13,10 
Land Grant*6 October 1818In the treaty of St. Mary's dated 6 October 1818, Francois Godfroy was granted a reservation of six sections of land, 3,840 acres, on the Salamonie river at La Petite Prairie, Harrison Township, Blackford County, Indiana and his brother, Louis, a reservation of the same size on the St. Mary's river in Mercer County, Ohio. On 2 December 1824, an agreement was made between Francis and Louis Godfroy to exchange one section of these reservations, "the sole object and purpose of the exchange being that the brothers may live near each other." And they bound themselves not to sell or otherwise dispose of the sections thus exchanged except by mutual consent.12,7,14 
Relationship Note* His brother, Louis Godfroy, was of significant importance to Francis throughout his life. Noted for their daring and bravery, they were distinguished from early manhood and commanded the respect of the entire Miami tribe. They had been leaders in the battles of Fort Wayne, Tippecanoe and the Mississinewa, as well as of several other engagements. During the 1820s and 1830s, recognizing that much of his success was dependent upon his political position within the Miami, and with his control over the treaty process, Francis maintained a political network which primarily involved consistent relationships with Miami leaders, such as Jean Baptiste Richardville, Francis LaFontaine, La Gros, Metocina, and Charley, who were tribal or village chiefs, or influential French leaders, or both, while also maintaining relations with John Tipton, the dominant Indian Agent of the period. His brother, Louis, until his death in 1833, was his partner in most of his business ventures.15,16,17 
(Son) Death1823His mother died in 1823 at the home of a pioneer family in what would become Jay County, Indiana. She was identified only as the mother of Francois Godfroy.18 
(Miami Chief) Indian Removal Act Copied in part, with minor changes, from the "Myaamia, A Living History: Myaamia Removal:

"Following the arrival of Europeans, the Miami were disrupted by waves of disease, war, and relocation. Beginning in 1795, the Miami were forced to sign treaties giving up ever-increasing amounts of their precious homeland to the government of the United States. By the 1830s, the Miami had only about 500,000 acres, which was surrounded by land controlled by the State of Indiana. Land speculators and settlers wanted this land too.

"In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. The goal of this act was to force all tribes to move west of the Mississippi. Throughout the 1830s, many tribes suffered their own version of the “Trail of Tears” most commonly associated with the Cherokee Nation’s forced removal in 1838. Throughout this period, the Miami resisted giving up their reservation in Indiana."19 
(Father of Groom) MarriageIn the very early 1830s, Francis Godfroy's son, Louis Godfroy, married Frances Slocum's daughter, O-zah-shin-quah. Their marriage produced two daughters and several grandchildren for Francis Godfroy and Frances Slocum to share.20 
Relationship Note*Francis Godfroy and Frances Slocum were good friends and, after the marriage of their children, Louis Godfroy and O-zah-shin-quah, they also became relatives with a shared grandparent relationship with their children’s children.20 
Description* Although his father was a white Frenchman, and the French was prominent in his character, his mother, Saakacaahkwa, was a Miami woman, and Francis always identified himself as Miami. As a youth he was noted for his physical strength, daring and bravery. He and his brother, Louis, were distinguished from early manhood, and commanded the respect of the entire Miami tribe. Francis was over six feet in height, weighed about 300 to 350 pounds, and carried the air of one "born to command." One historian named Stephens wrote that, "The most distinguished quality in the character of Francis Godfroy was his generosity. In this he was a prince. He was like a good old father to his tribe. His Mount Pleasant house was like an Indian village. A number of Indians were always feasting at his table. Generosity was extended to all. His home was like that of a lord of an English manor, or a king of a French feudal state -- here were horses and hounds, guns and ammunition, the chase and the feast. He was held in perfect reverence by his people."2,11,12 
Miami Removal1838 In the Miami treaty of 1838, the Miami National Council had agreed, for the first time, to consider the possibility of a future Indian Removal, and also contained, for the family of Chief John B. Richardville, the first Exemption from Removal. The Miami treaty of 1840 provided for two additional families, those of Chief Francis Godfroy and Chief Meshingomesia, to continue to receive their share of the annuities at Fort Wayne, Indiana, essentially exempting those families also from Removal. The family of Frances Slocum was exempted in March of 1845. Chief Francis LaFontaine requested an exemption in November 1845 for members of his extended family who were not already exempted as members of Chief Richardville's family, and even after the tribe's forced removal had begun in October of 1846, additional exemptions were made. In the treaty of 1840, as with the exemption for the Richardville family in the treaty of 1838, the term “exemption” does not appear. Instead, the treaty explicitly allows these families to be paid their portion of the Miami annual annuities in Fort Wayne, Indiana, rather than at the new reservation in what became Kansas. The assumption was that the families would have to remain in Indiana to be paid in Fort Wayne.

It was suggested in the excellent Aacimohtaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal source that Chief Godfroy's death in 1840 prompted Chief Richardville at that time to seek the 1840 Removal Treaty, which included an exemption from Removal for Chief Godfroy's family in Article V:

“And whereas the late war chief, (Francis Godfroy) bequeathed to his children a large estate, to remain unsold until the youngest of said children shall arrive at the age of twenty-one years. It is therefore stipulated, that the United States shall pay to the family of said deceased chief their just proportion of the annuities of said tribe, at Fort Wayne, from and after the time the tribe shall emigrate to the country assigned to them west of the Mississippi.” At the time of the Removal in 1846, 28 members of Chief Godfroy's family were exempted.21,22,23 
Relationship Note After Frances Slocum had been found by her white family and they asked her to accompany them with her daughters and son-in-law to Peru, Indiana, she declined to give an answer until she had consulted her trusted friend, Francois Godfroy.24 
Will*26 February 1840He prepared his will dated 26 February 1840 in Miami County, Indiana, naming his two wives, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-a-qua-tah, his six sons, Poqua Godfroy, James R. Godfroy, Thomas Godfroy, William Godfroy, George W. Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, and his five surviving daughters, Catherine (Godfroy) Goodboo, Louisa Godfroy, Sallie Godfroy, Frances Godfroy and Clemence Godfroy. A short time before his death he added a codicil, and the completed documents read:

"I, Francis Godfroy, a Miami Indian, of the county of Miami, Indiana, being desirous to settle and dispose of my worldly affairs while in a sound mind, memory and understanding, do publish and declare this as my last will and testament:

"First, I desire my body to be decently interred, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named.

"Second, It is my will and I hereby bequeath to my beloved son, James R. Godfroy, one section of land, to include my mill on the creek below Peru, commonly called Pipe creek.

"Third, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, William Godfroy, one section of land lying on the Mississinewa river, being the section of land granted to O-san-di-ah at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of 1838, which I purchased of the said O-san-di-ah.

"Fourth, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, George Washington, the section of land lying opposite the town of Peru, on the Wabash, being the same on which Peter Gibout now lives.

"Fifth, I will and bequeath to my dearly beloved sons, Thomas Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, as tenants in common, three-fourths of the section lying above and adjoining the town of Peru, which said three-fourths of a section so bequeathed as aforesaid is a part of the section granted to me adjoining the town of Peru at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of October, 1834.

"Sixth, For the purpose of educating my son Gabriel, I hereby will and bequeath to him, in addition to my former bequest, the one-quarter section of land lying opposite my house, being the same purchased of John B. Richardville.

"Seventh, I will and bequeath unto my two wives, or the mothers of my children, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-kah-quet-tah, and my beloved children, my eldest unmarried daughter, Louisa, to my daughter Sally, to my daughter Frances, to my daughter Clemence, the four sections of land and improvements where I now live, during the lifetime of my said wives, to be decided in case of dispute by my executors during the lives of my wives. The two of the four sections of land aforesaid to include the houses and improvements, I will and bequeath to my said daughters, Louisa, Sally, Frances and Clemence, as tenants in common and to their heirs forever. The remaining two of the four sections aforesaid, I will and bequeath to all my children and their heirs and assigns, as well as those who are devisees to this will, as also Poqua, and the wife of Goodboo, to be equally divided among them all.

"Eighth, It is my will that after the personal property, which I may be possessed of at the time of my death, should be exhausted, that my executors, or the survivor of them, or the person who may administer on my estate, shall sell so much of my real estate as he or they may deem necessary for the payment of my debts, the same to be sold for such prices as he or they may deem reasonable. Such real estate to be sold as is not devised individually to any member of my family.

"Ninth, I will and bequeath such property as I may die possessed of, both real and personal, not heretofore disposed of, after my debts are paid, to be equally divided among all my children, share and share alike.

"Tenth, All the property devised to all the devisees in this my last will is hereby bequeathed to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

"Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and John B. Richardville, of the county of Allen, to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament. In the case of the death of either of them, the other to be sole executor, or in case one fails to serve, then the other to be the executor.

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty-sixth day of February, 1840.


"Francis Godfroy signed and sealed the document with his X mark

"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament, executed in the presence of the undersigned, who signed the same as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the testator subscribed their names as such witnesses at the request of said testator, the 26th day of February, 1840.

"Edward A. Godfroy signed his name
"Peter Andre signed with his X mark
"B. H. Scott signed his name
"F. S. Corn-wall signed his name"

In the codicil, provisions were made for defending the titles to several tracts of land bought by Godfroy from Wap-pa-piu-sha and other Indians by the employment of James Raridon as attorney, and that the sum of $1,000 should be paid by his executors to his wife, Sac-kah-quet-tah, immediately after his decease, the money to be used for the support of the infant children. The principal provisions of the codicil, however, were as follows:

"I do further will and direct that my executor or administrator lay off, within three months after my decease, on the quarter section of land immediately adjoining the town of Peru, town lots and streets in continuation and corresponding in size and width with the lots and streets in Peru, excepting only that portion of the said quarter section near the sand hill, suitable for tannery sites, for which purpose I desire that it should be laid off in lots of two acres each; that every fourth of the town lots and tannery sites be reserved and titles for the same executed to my son, James Godfrey, and the remaining three-fourths of each description of said lots be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the following conditions, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to be paid at the expiration of six months from the day of sale, the remainder in two equal payments at the expiration of twelve and eighteen months from the day of sale; and I hereby authorize and empower my said executor or administrator, when full payment is made by the purchasers, to make, seal and deliver deeds for the conveyance of said lots to the purchasers, their heirs and assigns, hereby vesting him with full power and authority to act in the premises as fully to every intent and purpose as I myself could do if living. The proceeds of the sales of the aforesaid lots I hereby direct my said executor or administrator to apply to the discharge of my just debts, and in the event of there being thereafter a surplus, that the same be by my said executor invested in bank stock, and the annual interest thereon be applied to the discharge of the taxes on my real estate”.25
 
(Husband) Death18 March 1840His older wife, whom he had married first, Sacachequah Godfroy, died of apoplexy on 18 March 1840 at their Mount Pleasant home, near Peru, Miami County, Indiana. In a letter dated 19 March 1840, Francis wrote to Allen Hamilton: "I have the unpleasant duty to inform you of the death of my Dear Wife (that is the older one). She departed this World last evening."26,25 
Death*1 May 1840He died following a lingering illness, on 1 May 1840 at age 52, at his Mount Pleasant home near Peru, Miami County, Indiana, He died six weeks after the death of his first, older wife, Sac-a-che-quah, and his death left his second wife, Sac-a-qua-tah, a widow with eleven surviving children from her husband's two families.1,2 
Burial*He was buried on the rising ground a short distance south of his Mount Pleasant home. Many of his family joined him there and their burial place is now known as the Francis Godfroy Cemetery, Peru, Miami County, Indiana.1,2 
(Chief) Relationship Note For some time we had been puzzled by the identity of Shingoquah, whom we knew only as the second wife of James Aveline, and mother of Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy and her siblings. Frustrated after many wrong turns, we labeled her a Brick Wali and continued our research in the direction of her children. It was in the transcripts of the law suit referred to as "Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124", which spanned the years from 1935 to 1955, that we finally found the answers to our questions.

The Affidavit submitted to the court by Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy's son, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother, Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy, was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy "the younger", who was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shingoquah.”

In his subsequent deposition, Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following answers to questions about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.27,28 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.29,30,31,32,33,34,35 

Family 1

 Sac-a-che-quah d. 18 Mar 1840
Children 1.Catherine Godfroy2 b. 1808, d. 14 Apr 1856
 2.Poqua Godfroy+36 b. 1809, d. 1845
 3.James R. Godfroy+1,37,2 b. Jul 1810, d. 21 Jul 1894
 4.Thomas Godfroy2 b. 1812, d. 10 Apr 1847
 5.Tac-con-ze-quah Godfroy2 b. 1815, d. b 26 Feb 1840
 6.Louisa Godfroy+2 b. 1818, d. 1849

Family 2

 Sac-a-qua-tah b. 1786, d. 24 Feb 1869
Children 1.William Godfroy38,2 b. Sep 1819, d. 19 Jul 1911
 2.Sallie Godfroy2 b. 1825, d. 2 Apr 1856
 3.George W. Godfroy2 b. 1827, d. May 1841
 4.Frances Godfroy+2 b. 1832, d. 18 Nov 1896
 5.Gabriel Godfroy+2 b. 1 Jan 1834, d. 14 Aug 1910
 6.Mary Clemence Godfroy2 b. 1835, d. 10 Sep 1868

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Francis Godfroy, Memorial# 5181233. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, a site dedicated to transcribing historical and genealogical information helpful to researchers, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy Trails.
  3. [S2674] Miami (Indian) University: Aacimwahkionkonci; Stories from the Land, online at https://mc.miamioh.edu/aacimwahkionkonci/, Francis Godfroy, Miami Indian name: Palaanswa; Father: Jacques Godfroy, a French merchant operating in Kiihkahyonki (what became Fort Wayne) and Detroit; Mother: Saakacaahkwa, online at https://mc.miamioh.edu/aacimwahkionkonci/people/94. Hereinafter cited as Miami (Indian) University: Aacimwahkionkonci; Stories from the Land.
  4. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024; Anthropological Report (Contractor), Social and Political Organization, Godfroy, digital pages 104-116. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  5. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3630. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  6. [S2674] Miami (Indian) University: Aacimwahkionkonci; Stories from the Land, online at https://mc.miamioh.edu/aacimwahkionkonci/, https://mc.miamioh.edu/aacimwahkionkonci/people/94
  7. [S2676] Indiana Historical Markers, online at https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/…, Number 05.1989.1, Godfroy Reserve Blackford County Marker Text Review Report 7/27/2011; Reserved by U.S. to Chief Francois Godfroy of the Miami Nation of Indians by treaty at St. Mary’s, Ohio, 6 October 1818, 3,840 acres on Salamonie River at La Petite Prairie, Harrison Township, Blackford County; reserve lands sold 1827, 1836;, reporting that with the exception of one date, the marker text for the Godfroy Reserve is correct. Indian treaties, maps, and the John Tipton Papers verified that Godfroy was a leader of the Miami Nation of Indians; in the Treaty of St. Mary’s, the U.S. granted Godfroy six sections of land along the Salamonie River at La Petite Prairie; La Petite Prairie was located in Harrison Township, Blackford County; and he sold his reserve lands in 1827.1 According to the National Atlas of the United States, a section in a township is 640 acres and that number multiplied by six equals 3,840 acres. Hereinafter cited as Indiana Historical Markers.
  8. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3343 and 3344.
  9. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…, reporting that Francis Godfroy's father was a Frenchman and his mother was a Miami woman; that Francis was over six feet in height, weighed about three hundred pounds, and carried the air of one '' born to command"; that his first wife was Sac-a-che-quah, the daughter of a white man named Cole, who was captured when a child in Kentucky by the Shawnees, grew up among the Indians and acted as interpreter at the treaty of Greenville in 1795; that his sister became the wife of White Wolf; that by his first marriage Francis Godfroy had six children: Poqua, Tac-con-ze-quah, Catherine, Louisa, James R. and William; that his second wife was a Miami woman named Sac-a-qua-tah, who also bore him six children: Sallie, George W., Thomas, Gabriel, Clemence and Frances; that his son, George Washington, when only fourteen years of age, was killed by a bolt of lightning, which came from an almost clear sky, in May, 1841, while he was sitting on his horse in front of his father's trading house; that the incident was regarded with profound superstition by the Miamis and a large, boulder near the place was for many years pointed out as marking the place of his tragic death.
  10. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Catherine "Sa-ca-che-quah" (Cole) Godfroy, Memorial# 244648911; our research indicates that this memorial has confused the Indian names of the two wives of Chief Francis Godfroy; his first wife was Sacachequah, a Miami or Pottawatomi, who died in 1840, and before her husband who died in May of that year; his second wife was Sac-a-qua-tah, her birth name Catherine Coleman; she outlived her husband and died on 24 February 1869.
  11. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), Francis Godfroy, pages 17-19. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  12. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  13. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…; reporting Chief Francis Godfroy's first wife as Sac-a-chequah, the daughter of a white man named Cole, who was captured when a child in Kentucky by the Shawnees, grew up among the Indians and acted as interpreter at the treaty of Greenville in 1795, and Godfroy's second wife as a Miami woman named Sac-a-qua-tah.
  14. [S225] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, The Treaty of St. Mary's granted Louis Godfroy six sections, (3,840 acres), upstream of the Shane tracts on the St. Mary's river. This is in T4S R2E of the First Principal Meridian, in Mercer County; viewed online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Land_Grants. Hereinafter cited as Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
  15. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51 (33-34), stating that as a youth Francis Godfroy was noted for his physical strength, daring and bravery; that he and his brother Louis were distinguished from early manhood and commanded the respect of the entire Miami tribe; that they were leaders in the battles of Fort Wayne, Tippecanoe and the Mississinewa, as well as several other engagements.
  16. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/4028/…, Networks of Wabash Valley Metis: 1820s and 30s, RG-04-01-40-B08-F40-005_Page-9, reporting that Francis Godfroy maintained a political network which, during the 1820s and 1830s, primarily involved consistent relationships with Miami leaders such as Jean Baptiste Richardville, Francis LaFontaine, Lagros, Metocina, and Charley--tribal or village chiefs, influential Metis, or both, while also maintaining relations with John Tipton, the dominant Indian Agent of the period; and of significant importance to him throughout his life was his brother, Louis, who was his partner in most of his business ventures.
  17. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3296
  18. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3295
  19. [S2788] Telling Our Story: A Living History of the Myaamia, online at https://teachmyaamiahistory.org/, Myaamia Removal, https://teachmyaamiahistory.org/contents/section5/readings/…. Hereinafter cited as Telling Our Story: A Living History of the Myaamia.
  20. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, John B. Brouillette, pages 23-27.
  21. [S3054] Aacimohtaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/07/02/…, article published by Diane Hunter on July 2, 2021, https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/07/02/…. Hereinafter cited as Aacimohtaatiiyankwi- Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  22. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet, https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  23. [S3056] Aacimohtaatiiyankwi, a blog serving as a space for Myaamia ‘Miami’ people to connect, reflect, and share. Our primary goal is to provide a platform for conversations about our community, places, ecological observations, and shared pasts. It also serves as a resource for educational opportunities that support a deeper understanding of Myaamia culture, language, and identity. Aacimohtatiiyaankwi is collaboratively authored by a dedicated team from the Myaamia Center at Miami University, the Cultural Resources Office of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and guests from the Myaamia community. Through regular posts, we share insights, stories, research, and observations that reflect the ongoing efforts to support Myaamia knowledge; online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org. Hereinafter cited as Aacimohtaatiiyankwi.
  24. [S2688] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes. This has been an excellent source for us as we've strived to learn more about the Delaware and Miami Indians, and their theft of little Frances Slocum. We've used quotes to identify information taken directly from Bodurtha's book. Additionally, the attached document has been copied directly from Chapter IV, so that you might enjoy his presentation of the full story as much as we have; Volume I, Chapter IV, The Story of Frances Slocum, pages 52-66, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as Bodurtha's History of Miami County : Volume I, Chapter IV, The Story of Frances Slocum, pages 52-66.
  25. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, Will of Chief Francis Godfroy, pages 36-39.
  26. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3331
  27. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/85/…; The deposition taken of Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following statement about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.

  28. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/7/rec/…; The Affidavit submitted to the court by Ira Sylvester Godfroy contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother Louise Aveline Godfroy was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy the younger who, was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shin-go-quah”.
  29. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", 12 July 1990.
  30. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  31. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…
  32. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  33. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  34. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  35. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  36. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633
  37. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Chief James Razidan Godfrey, Memorial# 82871660.
  38. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, William “She-quah-ah” Godfroy, Memorial# 148808584.

Frank Godfroy1

b. 5 October 1888
Family
Father*John Godfroy1 b. Oct 1848
Mother*Mary J. Hartman1 b. 1856, d. 18 Oct 1888
Birth*5 October 1888Frank Godfroy was born on 5 October 1888 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.2,1 

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634, reporting his year of birth as about 1889. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Frank Godfrey, Memorial# 139859676. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.

Gabriel Godfroy1

b. 1 January 1834, d. 14 August 1910
Family
Father*Francis Godfroy1 b. Mar 1788, d. 1 May 1840
Mother*Sac-a-qua-tah1 b. 1786, d. 24 Feb 1869
Birth*1 January 1834Gabriel Godfroy was born on 1 January 1834 in Blackford County, Indiana.2,3,4 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Cap-pe-way, which was later written Cop-pur-gow, and meant "White Blossoms."3,4 
(Son) Will26 February 1840His father prepared his will dated 26 February 1840 in Miami County, Indiana, naming his two wives, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-a-qua-tah, his six sons, Poqua Godfroy, James R. Godfroy, Thomas Godfroy, William Godfroy, George W. Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, and his five surviving daughters, Catherine (Godfroy) Goodboo, Louisa Godfroy, Sallie Godfroy, Frances Godfroy and Clemence Godfroy. A short time before his death he added a codicil, and the completed documents read:

"I, Francis Godfroy, a Miami Indian, of the county of Miami, Indiana, being desirous to settle and dispose of my worldly affairs while in a sound mind, memory and understanding, do publish and declare this as my last will and testament:

"First, I desire my body to be decently interred, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named.

"Second, It is my will and I hereby bequeath to my beloved son, James R. Godfroy, one section of land, to include my mill on the creek below Peru, commonly called Pipe creek.

"Third, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, William Godfroy, one section of land lying on the Mississinewa river, being the section of land granted to O-san-di-ah at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of 1838, which I purchased of the said O-san-di-ah.

"Fourth, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, George Washington, the section of land lying opposite the town of Peru, on the Wabash, being the same on which Peter Gibout now lives.

"Fifth, I will and bequeath to my dearly beloved sons, Thomas Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, as tenants in common, three-fourths of the section lying above and adjoining the town of Peru, which said three-fourths of a section so bequeathed as aforesaid is a part of the section granted to me adjoining the town of Peru at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of October, 1834.

"Sixth, For the purpose of educating my son Gabriel, I hereby will and bequeath to him, in addition to my former bequest, the one-quarter section of land lying opposite my house, being the same purchased of John B. Richardville.

"Seventh, I will and bequeath unto my two wives, or the mothers of my children, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-kah-quet-tah, and my beloved children, my eldest unmarried daughter, Louisa, to my daughter Sally, to my daughter Frances, to my daughter Clemence, the four sections of land and improvements where I now live, during the lifetime of my said wives, to be decided in case of dispute by my executors during the lives of my wives. The two of the four sections of land aforesaid to include the houses and improvements, I will and bequeath to my said daughters, Louisa, Sally, Frances and Clemence, as tenants in common and to their heirs forever. The remaining two of the four sections aforesaid, I will and bequeath to all my children and their heirs and assigns, as well as those who are devisees to this will, as also Poqua, and the wife of Goodboo, to be equally divided among them all.

"Eighth, It is my will that after the personal property, which I may be possessed of at the time of my death, should be exhausted, that my executors, or the survivor of them, or the person who may administer on my estate, shall sell so much of my real estate as he or they may deem necessary for the payment of my debts, the same to be sold for such prices as he or they may deem reasonable. Such real estate to be sold as is not devised individually to any member of my family.

"Ninth, I will and bequeath such property as I may die possessed of, both real and personal, not heretofore disposed of, after my debts are paid, to be equally divided among all my children, share and share alike.

"Tenth, All the property devised to all the devisees in this my last will is hereby bequeathed to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

"Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and John B. Richardville, of the county of Allen, to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament. In the case of the death of either of them, the other to be sole executor, or in case one fails to serve, then the other to be the executor.

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty-sixth day of February, 1840.


"Francis Godfroy signed and sealed the document with his X mark

"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament, executed in the presence of the undersigned, who signed the same as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the testator subscribed their names as such witnesses at the request of said testator, the 26th day of February, 1840.

"Edward A. Godfroy signed his name
"Peter Andre signed with his X mark
"B. H. Scott signed his name
"F. S. Corn-wall signed his name"

In the codicil, provisions were made for defending the titles to several tracts of land bought by Godfroy from Wap-pa-piu-sha and other Indians by the employment of James Raridon as attorney, and that the sum of $1,000 should be paid by his executors to his wife, Sac-kah-quet-tah, immediately after his decease, the money to be used for the support of the infant children. The principal provisions of the codicil, however, were as follows:

"I do further will and direct that my executor or administrator lay off, within three months after my decease, on the quarter section of land immediately adjoining the town of Peru, town lots and streets in continuation and corresponding in size and width with the lots and streets in Peru, excepting only that portion of the said quarter section near the sand hill, suitable for tannery sites, for which purpose I desire that it should be laid off in lots of two acres each; that every fourth of the town lots and tannery sites be reserved and titles for the same executed to my son, James Godfrey, and the remaining three-fourths of each description of said lots be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the following conditions, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to be paid at the expiration of six months from the day of sale, the remainder in two equal payments at the expiration of twelve and eighteen months from the day of sale; and I hereby authorize and empower my said executor or administrator, when full payment is made by the purchasers, to make, seal and deliver deeds for the conveyance of said lots to the purchasers, their heirs and assigns, hereby vesting him with full power and authority to act in the premises as fully to every intent and purpose as I myself could do if living. The proceeds of the sales of the aforesaid lots I hereby direct my said executor or administrator to apply to the discharge of my just debts, and in the event of there being thereafter a surplus, that the same be by my said executor invested in bank stock, and the annual interest thereon be applied to the discharge of the taxes on my real estate”.5
 
Marriage*The name of Gabriel's first wife, who was likely the mother of his daughter, Lavina, has not been identified.6 
Marriage*He married, as his second wife, Ki po ki na mo qua, daughter of Wop-Shing-Qua and O-zah-shin-quah.7,2,8,6 
Will*8 June 1896Gabriel signed as one of her witnesses when his sister, Frances (Godfroy) Hunt Kissiman, prepared her will dated 8 June 1896 in Miami County, Indiana.9 
Death*14 August 1910He died on 14 August 1910 in Miami County, Indiana, at age 762 
Burial* and was buried in the Francis Godfroy Cemetery, Peru, Miami County.2 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.10,11,12,13,14,15,16 

Family 1
Child 1.Lavina Godfroy17,2 b. 1854, d. 9 Nov 1888

Family 2

 Ki po ki na mo qua b. 25 Sep 1836, d. 28 Oct 1879
Child 1.Peter Godfroy+18,19 b. 12 Mar 1858, d. 5 Sep 1928

Citations

  1. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, a site dedicated to transcribing historical and genealogical information helpful to researchers, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy Trails.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Gabriel Godfroy, Memorial# 5181270. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3637. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  4. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3638
  5. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, Will of Chief Francis Godfroy, pages 36-39. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  6. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), Gabriel Godfroy, page 21. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  7. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Elizabeth “Ki po ki na mo qua” (Bondy) Godfroy, Memorial# 37551417.
  8. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, John B. Brouillette, pages 23-27.
  9. [S2621] Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999, online at www.ancestry.com, will of Frances Kissiman dated 8 June 1896 in Miami County, Indiana, Miami Will Records, Circuit Court, Volume 4, 1895-1900, images 94-95 of 324. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999.
  10. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  11. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  12. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  13. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  14. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  15. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  16. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  17. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Lavina “Chi-co-zah” (Godfroy) Bondy, Memorial# 34693632.
  18. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641
  19. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3640

Gabriel James Godfroy1

b. 1758, d. 1833
Family
Father*Jacques Godfroy1 b. 1722
Mother*Louisa Clothilda Chapoton1 b. 1741, d. 1762
Birth*1758Gabriel James Godfroy was born about 17581 
Death*1833 and died in 1833 at about age 75.1 

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3296. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.

George L. Godfroy1,2

b. 2 October 1850
Family
Father*James R. Godfroy1 b. Jul 1810, d. 21 Jul 1894
Mother*Archangel Richardville Oesew1 b. 1822, d. 5 Mar 1885
Birth*2 October 1850George L. Godfroy was born on 2 October 1850 in Allen County, Indiana.1 
Name VariationHis full name was George Lewis Godfroy.1 
(Son) Census US 188026 June 1880George was enumerated on the 1880 census taken on 26 June 1880 in the household of his parents in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. He was 29 years of age and at home.2,3,4,5 

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, George Lewis Godfrey, Memorial# 84261209. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfrey, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117. Hereinafter cited as 1880 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna J. and Francis X. Aveline, (their surname spelled "Averline" by the census taker), Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  4. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Mary Godfrey, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  5. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Charles F. and Mary F. Strack, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.

George W. Godfroy1

b. 1827, d. May 1841
Family
Father*Francis Godfroy1 b. Mar 1788, d. 1 May 1840
Mother*Sac-a-qua-tah1 b. 1786, d. 24 Feb 1869
Birth*1827George W. Godfroy was born in 1827 in Indiana.2,1 
(Son) Will26 February 1840His father prepared his will dated 26 February 1840 in Miami County, Indiana, naming his two wives, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-a-qua-tah, his six sons, Poqua Godfroy, James R. Godfroy, Thomas Godfroy, William Godfroy, George W. Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, and his five surviving daughters, Catherine (Godfroy) Goodboo, Louisa Godfroy, Sallie Godfroy, Frances Godfroy and Clemence Godfroy. A short time before his death he added a codicil, and the completed documents read:

"I, Francis Godfroy, a Miami Indian, of the county of Miami, Indiana, being desirous to settle and dispose of my worldly affairs while in a sound mind, memory and understanding, do publish and declare this as my last will and testament:

"First, I desire my body to be decently interred, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named.

"Second, It is my will and I hereby bequeath to my beloved son, James R. Godfroy, one section of land, to include my mill on the creek below Peru, commonly called Pipe creek.

"Third, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, William Godfroy, one section of land lying on the Mississinewa river, being the section of land granted to O-san-di-ah at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of 1838, which I purchased of the said O-san-di-ah.

"Fourth, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, George Washington, the section of land lying opposite the town of Peru, on the Wabash, being the same on which Peter Gibout now lives.

"Fifth, I will and bequeath to my dearly beloved sons, Thomas Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, as tenants in common, three-fourths of the section lying above and adjoining the town of Peru, which said three-fourths of a section so bequeathed as aforesaid is a part of the section granted to me adjoining the town of Peru at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of October, 1834.

"Sixth, For the purpose of educating my son Gabriel, I hereby will and bequeath to him, in addition to my former bequest, the one-quarter section of land lying opposite my house, being the same purchased of John B. Richardville.

"Seventh, I will and bequeath unto my two wives, or the mothers of my children, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-kah-quet-tah, and my beloved children, my eldest unmarried daughter, Louisa, to my daughter Sally, to my daughter Frances, to my daughter Clemence, the four sections of land and improvements where I now live, during the lifetime of my said wives, to be decided in case of dispute by my executors during the lives of my wives. The two of the four sections of land aforesaid to include the houses and improvements, I will and bequeath to my said daughters, Louisa, Sally, Frances and Clemence, as tenants in common and to their heirs forever. The remaining two of the four sections aforesaid, I will and bequeath to all my children and their heirs and assigns, as well as those who are devisees to this will, as also Poqua, and the wife of Goodboo, to be equally divided among them all.

"Eighth, It is my will that after the personal property, which I may be possessed of at the time of my death, should be exhausted, that my executors, or the survivor of them, or the person who may administer on my estate, shall sell so much of my real estate as he or they may deem necessary for the payment of my debts, the same to be sold for such prices as he or they may deem reasonable. Such real estate to be sold as is not devised individually to any member of my family.

"Ninth, I will and bequeath such property as I may die possessed of, both real and personal, not heretofore disposed of, after my debts are paid, to be equally divided among all my children, share and share alike.

"Tenth, All the property devised to all the devisees in this my last will is hereby bequeathed to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

"Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and John B. Richardville, of the county of Allen, to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament. In the case of the death of either of them, the other to be sole executor, or in case one fails to serve, then the other to be the executor.

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty-sixth day of February, 1840.


"Francis Godfroy signed and sealed the document with his X mark

"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament, executed in the presence of the undersigned, who signed the same as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the testator subscribed their names as such witnesses at the request of said testator, the 26th day of February, 1840.

"Edward A. Godfroy signed his name
"Peter Andre signed with his X mark
"B. H. Scott signed his name
"F. S. Corn-wall signed his name"

In the codicil, provisions were made for defending the titles to several tracts of land bought by Godfroy from Wap-pa-piu-sha and other Indians by the employment of James Raridon as attorney, and that the sum of $1,000 should be paid by his executors to his wife, Sac-kah-quet-tah, immediately after his decease, the money to be used for the support of the infant children. The principal provisions of the codicil, however, were as follows:

"I do further will and direct that my executor or administrator lay off, within three months after my decease, on the quarter section of land immediately adjoining the town of Peru, town lots and streets in continuation and corresponding in size and width with the lots and streets in Peru, excepting only that portion of the said quarter section near the sand hill, suitable for tannery sites, for which purpose I desire that it should be laid off in lots of two acres each; that every fourth of the town lots and tannery sites be reserved and titles for the same executed to my son, James Godfrey, and the remaining three-fourths of each description of said lots be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the following conditions, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to be paid at the expiration of six months from the day of sale, the remainder in two equal payments at the expiration of twelve and eighteen months from the day of sale; and I hereby authorize and empower my said executor or administrator, when full payment is made by the purchasers, to make, seal and deliver deeds for the conveyance of said lots to the purchasers, their heirs and assigns, hereby vesting him with full power and authority to act in the premises as fully to every intent and purpose as I myself could do if living. The proceeds of the sales of the aforesaid lots I hereby direct my said executor or administrator to apply to the discharge of my just debts, and in the event of there being thereafter a surplus, that the same be by my said executor invested in bank stock, and the annual interest thereon be applied to the discharge of the taxes on my real estate”3
 
Death*May 1841 and was killed by a bolt of lightning which came out of an almost clear sky in May 1841. His father, Francis Godfroy, the war chief of the Miamis, had died 14 months earlier, and his son, George, who was 14 years old, had been sitting on his horse in front of his father's Mount Pleasant trading post near Peru, Miami County, Indiana. The lightning incident was regarded with profound superstition by the Miamis, and a large boulder near the place was, for many years, pointed out as marking the place of his tragic death.2,1 
Burial*He was buried near his father in the Francis Godfroy Cemetery, Peru.4 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 

Citations

  1. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, a site dedicated to transcribing historical and genealogical information helpful to researchers, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy Trails.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3637. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, Will of Chief Francis Godfroy, pages 36-39. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, George W. Godfroy, Memorial# 37573564. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  5. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  6. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  7. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  8. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  9. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  10. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  11. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Ira Sylvester Godfroy1

b. 25 August 1885, d. 16 February 1961
Family
Father*Peter Godfroy1 b. 12 Mar 1858, d. 5 Sep 1928
Mother*Louisa Aveline1 b. 11 Mar 1860, d. 18 Jan 1924
(Grandson) Relationship Note For some time we had been puzzled by the identity of Shingoquah, whom we knew only as the second wife of James Aveline, and mother of Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy and her siblings. Frustrated after many wrong turns, we labeled her a Brick Wali and continued our research in the direction of her children. It was in the transcripts of the law suit referred to as "Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124", which spanned the years from 1935 to 1955, that we finally found the answers to our questions.

The Affidavit submitted to the court by Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy's son, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother, Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy, was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy "the younger", who was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shingoquah.”

In his subsequent deposition, Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following answers to questions about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.2,3 
Birth*25 August 1885Ira Sylvester Godfroy was born on 25 August 1885 in Indiana.4,5,6,7 
Name VariationHis Indian name was To-cin-yah.1 
Never Married*He never married.1 
Occupation*between 1938 and 1961 Between 1938 and 1961, Ira Sylvester Godfroy and his brother, James Clarence Godfroy, functioned as co-chiefs of the Miami Indians.1 
Death*16 February 1961He died on 16 February 1961 in Peru, Miami County, Indiana, at age 756,8,7 
Burial*18 February 1961 and was buried on 18 February 1961 in Saint Charles Catholic Cemetery, Peru.6,7 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.9,10,11,12,13,14,15 

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/85/…; The deposition taken of Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following statement about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.

  3. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/7/rec/…; The Affidavit submitted to the court by Ira Sylvester Godfroy contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother Louise Aveline Godfroy was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy the younger who, was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shin-go-quah”.
  4. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/5/rec/…, in his affidavit, Ira stated his date of birth as 25 August 1885.
  5. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641, reporting his date of birth as 25 August 1885.
  6. [S1571] Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, online at www.ancestry.com, death on 16 February 1961 in Peru, Miami, Indiana, USA, of Ira Sylvester Godfroy, age 75, Never Married (Single), born 19 August 1885 to Peter Godfroy and Louise Aveline Godfroy in Indiana, referencing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011; Year: 1961; Roll: 03. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017.
  7. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, Memorial# 35924150. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  8. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641, reporting his death on 26 February 1961.
  9. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  10. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  11. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  12. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  13. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  14. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  15. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Jacques Godfroy1

b. 1722
Family
Father*James Godfroy de Mauboeuf2
Mother*Mary St. Onge dit Chene2
Birth*1722He is believed to have been the James Godfroy born in 1722 to James Godfroy de Mauboeuf and Mary St. Onge dit Chene.2 
Name VariationHis English name was James.2 
Name VariationAlthough his name was most consistently recorded as Jacques, he was also found recorded as James Gabriel Godfroy, and as James or Gabriel.2 
Marriage*He married, as his first wife, Frances L'Evelette in Detroit, Michigan. She was an Indian woman.2 
Marriage*1758He married, as his second wife, Louisa Clothilda Chapoton in 1758 in Detroit, Michigan.2 
(Husband) Death1762Jacques became a widower when Louisa Clothilda (Chapoton) Godfroy died in 1762 at about age 21, and he lost his two baby daughters to death that same year.2 
Name Variation As the father of Miami Chief Francis Godfroy, he was called Old Godfroy.3 
Occupation* He was a was a white Frenchman and trader among the Indians along the Wabash river in Indiana. and his third wife, Saakacaahkwa, and mother of Francis Godfroy, was a daughter of Miami Chief Osage.1,4 
Marriage*He married, as his third wife, Saakacaahkwa, daughter of Chief Osage. Their marriage was recorded in Detroit, Michigan, and it was reported that, "In recognition of his valuable services as Interpreter with the Indians, James received, after the fashion of the Indians, as his wife, the favorite daughter of a Miami Chief."4 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 

Family 1

 Frances L'Evelette

Family 2

 Louisa Clothilda Chapoton b. 1741, d. 1762
Children 1.Gabriel James Godfroy12 b. 1758, d. 1833
 2.Mary Catherine Godfroy12 b. 1761, d. 1762
 3.Louisa Godfroy12 b. 1762, d. 1762

Family 3

 Saakacaahkwa d. 1823
Children 1.Louis Godfroy+13 b. 1785, d. 1833
 2.Francis Godfroy+1 b. Mar 1788, d. 1 May 1840

Citations

  1. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, a site dedicated to transcribing historical and genealogical information helpful to researchers, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy Trails.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3295. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024; Early Land Cessions and the War of 1812, 1795-1815, digital page 33. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  4. [S2674] Miami (Indian) University: Aacimwahkionkonci; Stories from the Land, online at https://mc.miamioh.edu/aacimwahkionkonci/, Francis Godfroy, Miami Indian name: Palaanswa; Father: Jacques Godfroy, a French merchant operating in Kiihkahyonki (what became Fort Wayne) and Detroit; Mother: Saakacaahkwa, online at https://mc.miamioh.edu/aacimwahkionkonci/people/94. Hereinafter cited as Miami (Indian) University: Aacimwahkionkonci; Stories from the Land.
  5. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", 12 July 1990.
  6. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  7. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  8. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  9. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  10. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  11. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  12. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3296
  13. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51.

Jacques Godfroy1

Family
Father*Louis Godfroy1 b. 1785, d. 1833
Name VariationHe was known as Jocko Godfroy "the younger".1 
(Father) Relationship NoteHis daughter, Shingoquah, who married James Aveline, was identified as a granddaughter of Chief Little Charley, who was a chief of the Eel River Miamis and a close associate of Chief Francis Godfroy, Jocko's uncle. If accurate, Jocko's wife was likely a daughter of Chief Little Charley.2,3,4 
(Father) Relationship Note For some time we had been puzzled by the identity of Shingoquah, whom we knew only as the second wife of James Aveline, and mother of Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy and her siblings. Frustrated after many wrong turns, we labeled her a Brick Wali and continued our research in the direction of her children. It was in the transcripts of the law suit referred to as "Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124", which spanned the years from 1935 to 1955, that we finally found the answers to our questions.

The Affidavit submitted to the court by Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy's son, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother, Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy, was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy "the younger", who was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shingoquah.”

In his subsequent deposition, Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following answers to questions about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.5,1 

Family
Child 1.Shingoquah+1 b. 1826

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/7/rec/…; The Affidavit submitted to the court by Ira Sylvester Godfroy contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother Louise Aveline Godfroy was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy the younger who, was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shin-go-quah”. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3640
  3. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641
  4. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/4028/…, Networks of Wabash Valley Metis: 1820s and 30s, RG-04-01-40-B08-F40-005_Page-9, reporting that Francis Godfroy maintained a political network which, during the 1820s and 1830s, primarily involved consistent relationships with Miami leaders such as Jean Baptiste Richardville, Francis LaFontaine, Lagros, Metocina, and Charley--tribal or village chiefs, influential Metis, or both, while also maintaining relations with John Tipton, the dominant Indian Agent of the period; and of significant importance to him throughout his life was his brother, Louis, who was his partner in most of his business ventures.
  5. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/85/…; The deposition taken of Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following statement about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.

James Godfroy1

b. 1845
Family
Father*James R. Godfroy1 b. Jul 1810, d. 21 Jul 1894
Mother*Archangel Richardville Oesew1 b. 1822, d. 5 Mar 1885
Birth*1845James Godfroy was born about 1845 in Indiana.2,1 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Kah-wa-cut-tah.2 
(Son) Census US 185013 September 1850James was enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 13 September 1850 in the household of his parents in Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. He was 4 years old and had attended school within the census year.1,3,4,5,6 
Civil War (U.S.)*5 June 1862 He was enrolled at age 18, on 1 February 1862, at Fort Wayne, Indiana to serve for the Union during the Civil War with the 11th Independent Battery Indiana Light Artillery. His battery unit was ordered to report for duty at Louisville, Kentucky on February 6, 1862. Four months later he was discharged, on 5 June 1862, at Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. The 11th Independent Battery Indiana Light Artillery, generally known as the 11th Indiana Battery, was an artillery battery in the Union Army during the American Civil War.7,8 
Death*He died unmarried, the next day after his return home from the Civil War.9 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.10,11,12,13,14,15,16 

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and "Elquah" Godfroy, (their surname transcribed as "Godfrory" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William and Susan Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125.
  4. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Richard and Sarah Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137b, image# 115 of 125.
  5. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Sarah Sites, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  6. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Julia Mason, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  7. [S2292] Web: Indiana, U.S., Civil War Soldier Database Index, 1861-1865, online at www.ancestry.com, reporting that James "Godfrey", age 18, born about 1844, was enrolled on 1 February 1862 at Fort Wayne, Indiana for service in the Civil War in the 11th Indiana Light Artillery; he was discharged on 5 June 1862, citing https://secure.in.gov/apps/icpr/search/Home/Detail. Hereinafter cited as Web: Indiana, U.S., Civil War Soldier Database Index, 1861-1865.
  8. [S225] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…. Hereinafter cited as Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
  9. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634
  10. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  11. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  12. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  13. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  14. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  15. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  16. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

James Clarence Godfroy1

b. 4 October 1880, d. 6 October 1962
Family
Father*Peter Godfroy1 b. 12 Mar 1858, d. 5 Sep 1928
Mother*Louisa Aveline1 b. 11 Mar 1860, d. 18 Jan 1924
Birth*4 October 1880James Clarence Godfroy was born on 4 October 1880 in Miami County, Indiana.1,2 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Co-pier-gah.1 
Name VariationHe was called Clarence.1 
Marriage*1 March 1919He married Mary Elizabeth Clark, daughter of James Clark and Matilda Jackson, on 1 March 1919 in Peru, Miami County, Indiana.1,3 
Children*Clarence and Mary had no children.1 
Occupation*between 1938 and 1961 Between 1938 and 1961, James Clarence Godfroy and his brother, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, functioned as co-chiefs of the Miami Indians.1 
(Husband) Death11 October 1955James became a widower when Mary Elizabeth (Clark) Godfroy died on 11 October 1955 in Wabash County Hospital, Wabash, Indiana, at age 75. She had been hospitalized the day before with 2nd and 3rd degree burns sustained after her clothes accidently caught fire. A newspaper reported that she had been burning trash when her clothes became ignited, and that her husband, Clarence Godfroy, who had been working in a nearby field, saw her predicament, but was unable to get to her side before she was badly burned. He ran a half mile to the nearest neighbor’s home but found there was no telephone, and that neighbor then went to another home and called an ambulance. Mary was taken to the Wabash County Hospital where she died the following evening.4,5 
Death*6 October 1962He died on 6 October 1962 in Peru, Miami County, Indiana, at age 826,7,8 
Burial* and was buried as Chief Clarence J. Godfroy with his wife in Friends Cemetery, Wabash, Wabash County, Indiana.7 

Family

 Mary Elizabeth Clark b. 12 Nov 1879, d. 11 Oct 1955

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Clarence J “Chief” Godfroy, Memorial# 5053662. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S1566] Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 1 March 1919 in Peru, Miami County, Indiana, United States, of James Godfroy of Butler Township, Miami County, Indiana, age 39, born on 4 October 1880 in Miami County, Indiana, son of Peter Godfroy and Louisa Aveline, married Elizabeth Clark of Peru, Miami County, Indiana, age 39, born on 12 November 1880 in Wabash County, Indiana, son of James Clark and Matilda Jackson, referencing page 118. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001.
  4. [S1571] Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, online at www.ancestry.com, died accidentally from 2nd and 3rd degree burns after her clothes caught on fire, death on 11 October 1955 after one day in Wabash County Hospital, Wabash, Wabash, Indiana, USA, of Mary Elizabeth Godfroy, school teacher, age 74, Married, born 12 November 1880 to James Clark and Matilda Jackson in Indiana, informant Clarence Godfroy, referencing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011; Year: 1955; Roll: 11. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017.
  5. [S2712] Mary Elizabeth (Clark) Godfroy 1955 Indiana Obituary, online at Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s, at www.newspapers.com, Leader-Tribune, (Marion, Indiana). Thursday, October 13, 1955, page 10, (Downloaded on December 28, 2024), reporting that Mrs. Mary Godfroy, age 74, a life-long resident of Wabash County, died Tuesday, 11 October, from second and third degree burns; had been burning trash the day before when her clothes became ignited; her husband, Clarence Godfroy, who had been working in a nearby field, saw her predicament, but was unable to get to her side before she was badly burned; he ran a half mile to the nearest neighbor’s home but found there was no telephone; that neighbor then went to another home and called an ambulance and she was taken to the Wabash County Hospital where she died the following evening. Hereinafter cited as Mary Elizabeth (Clark) Godfroy 1955 Indiana Obituary.
  6. [S1571] Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, online at www.ancestry.com, death on 6 October 1962 in Peru, Miami, Indiana, USA, of James Clarence Godfroy, age 82, Widowed, born 4 October 1880 to Peter Godfroy and Louisa Aveline in Indiana, referencing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011; Year: 1962; Roll: 15.
  7. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Clarence J “Chief” Godfroy, Memorial# 5053662, recording his death on 6 October 1962.
  8. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641, reporting his death on 7 September 1962.

James Godfroy de Mauboeuf1

Family
Marriage*He married Mary St. Onge dit Chene.1 

Family

 Mary St. Onge dit Chene
Child 1.Jacques Godfroy+1 b. 1722

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3295. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.

James R. Godfroy1

b. July 1810, d. 21 July 1894
Family
Father*Francis Godfroy2,3,4 b. Mar 1788, d. 1 May 1840
Mother*Sac-a-che-quah5 d. 18 Mar 1840
Name VariationHis full name was James Raridan Godfroy.6 
Birth*July 1810James R. Godfroy was probably born in July 1810 in an Indian village on the Salamonie river in what is now probably Wells County, Indiana.7,8,9,10,11 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Lumkecumwah.12 
(Son) Will26 February 1840His father prepared his will dated 26 February 1840 in Miami County, Indiana, naming his two wives, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-a-qua-tah, his six sons, Poqua Godfroy, James R. Godfroy, Thomas Godfroy, William Godfroy, George W. Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, and his five surviving daughters, Catherine (Godfroy) Goodboo, Louisa Godfroy, Sallie Godfroy, Frances Godfroy and Clemence Godfroy. A short time before his death he added a codicil, and the completed documents read:

"I, Francis Godfroy, a Miami Indian, of the county of Miami, Indiana, being desirous to settle and dispose of my worldly affairs while in a sound mind, memory and understanding, do publish and declare this as my last will and testament:

"First, I desire my body to be decently interred, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named.

"Second, It is my will and I hereby bequeath to my beloved son, James R. Godfroy, one section of land, to include my mill on the creek below Peru, commonly called Pipe creek.

"Third, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, William Godfroy, one section of land lying on the Mississinewa river, being the section of land granted to O-san-di-ah at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of 1838, which I purchased of the said O-san-di-ah.

"Fourth, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, George Washington, the section of land lying opposite the town of Peru, on the Wabash, being the same on which Peter Gibout now lives.

"Fifth, I will and bequeath to my dearly beloved sons, Thomas Godfroy and Gabriel Godfroy, as tenants in common, three-fourths of the section lying above and adjoining the town of Peru, which said three-fourths of a section so bequeathed as aforesaid is a part of the section granted to me adjoining the town of Peru at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of October, 1834.

"Sixth, For the purpose of educating my son Gabriel, I hereby will and bequeath to him, in addition to my former bequest, the one-quarter section of land lying opposite my house, being the same purchased of John B. Richardville.

"Seventh, I will and bequeath unto my two wives, or the mothers of my children, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-kah-quet-tah, and my beloved children, my eldest unmarried daughter, Louisa, to my daughter Sally, to my daughter Frances, to my daughter Clemence, the four sections of land and improvements where I now live, during the lifetime of my said wives, to be decided in case of dispute by my executors during the lives of my wives. The two of the four sections of land aforesaid to include the houses and improvements, I will and bequeath to my said daughters, Louisa, Sally, Frances and Clemence, as tenants in common and to their heirs forever. The remaining two of the four sections aforesaid, I will and bequeath to all my children and their heirs and assigns, as well as those who are devisees to this will, as also Poqua, and the wife of Goodboo, to be equally divided among them all.

"Eighth, It is my will that after the personal property, which I may be possessed of at the time of my death, should be exhausted, that my executors, or the survivor of them, or the person who may administer on my estate, shall sell so much of my real estate as he or they may deem necessary for the payment of my debts, the same to be sold for such prices as he or they may deem reasonable. Such real estate to be sold as is not devised individually to any member of my family.

"Ninth, I will and bequeath such property as I may die possessed of, both real and personal, not heretofore disposed of, after my debts are paid, to be equally divided among all my children, share and share alike.

"Tenth, All the property devised to all the devisees in this my last will is hereby bequeathed to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

"Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and John B. Richardville, of the county of Allen, to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament. In the case of the death of either of them, the other to be sole executor, or in case one fails to serve, then the other to be the executor.

"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty-sixth day of February, 1840.


"Francis Godfroy signed and sealed the document with his X mark

"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament, executed in the presence of the undersigned, who signed the same as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the testator subscribed their names as such witnesses at the request of said testator, the 26th day of February, 1840.

"Edward A. Godfroy signed his name
"Peter Andre signed with his X mark
"B. H. Scott signed his name
"F. S. Corn-wall signed his name"

In the codicil, provisions were made for defending the titles to several tracts of land bought by Godfroy from Wap-pa-piu-sha and other Indians by the employment of James Raridon as attorney, and that the sum of $1,000 should be paid by his executors to his wife, Sac-kah-quet-tah, immediately after his decease, the money to be used for the support of the infant children. The principal provisions of the codicil, however, were as follows:

"I do further will and direct that my executor or administrator lay off, within three months after my decease, on the quarter section of land immediately adjoining the town of Peru, town lots and streets in continuation and corresponding in size and width with the lots and streets in Peru, excepting only that portion of the said quarter section near the sand hill, suitable for tannery sites, for which purpose I desire that it should be laid off in lots of two acres each; that every fourth of the town lots and tannery sites be reserved and titles for the same executed to my son, James Godfrey, and the remaining three-fourths of each description of said lots be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the following conditions, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to be paid at the expiration of six months from the day of sale, the remainder in two equal payments at the expiration of twelve and eighteen months from the day of sale; and I hereby authorize and empower my said executor or administrator, when full payment is made by the purchasers, to make, seal and deliver deeds for the conveyance of said lots to the purchasers, their heirs and assigns, hereby vesting him with full power and authority to act in the premises as fully to every intent and purpose as I myself could do if living. The proceeds of the sales of the aforesaid lots I hereby direct my said executor or administrator to apply to the discharge of my just debts, and in the event of there being thereafter a surplus, that the same be by my said executor invested in bank stock, and the annual interest thereon be applied to the discharge of the taxes on my real estate”.13
 
Marriage*21 October 1841He married Mon-go-se-quah, daughter of La Blonde Richardville, on 21 October 1841 in Allen County, Indiana.14,3,15 
Census US 1850*13 September 1850Archangel and James R. Godfroy were enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 13 September 1850 in Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. James was recorded as age 28, although he was probably about 40 years of age. He was a farmer with real estate valued at $6,500, and was not able to read or write. His wife, Archangel, whose Indian name was Mon-go-se-quah, was recorded by the census taker as "Elquah". She was likely about 28 years of age, although she was recorded as 20 years old. The couple's four children, a suspected household helper, and three other members of the Godfroy's extended family, were enumerated with them in 1850. Their two oldest children, Mary and James, were 7 and 4 years old, respectively, and had both attended school within the census year. Their younger son, John, was 2 years old, and their baby daughter, Louisa, was age one. Catherine Sites, who is believed to have been a household or mother's helper, was also with the family in 1850. She was 18 years old. Archangel’s brother, George Ossem, and two of their cousins, Thomas F. Richardville and John Richardville were also enumerated in the Godfroy household in 1850. George was 19 years old, had no occupation and owned real estate valued at $6,000. Their mother, La Blonde Richardville, had died in 1846 naming Archangel and George as her primary beneficiaries. Thomas, who was 21 years of age, had no occupation and owned real estate valued at $2,400, was Archangel's 1st cousin 1 time removed. He was the grandson of her uncle, Joseph Richardville, and the son of her cousin, Crescent Richardville, both of whom were deceased. And John, who was 19 years old and had no occupation, was Archangel's 1st cousin. He was the son of her deceased uncle, Joseph Richardville.16,17,18,19,20 
Census US 1880*26 June 1880Archangel and James R. Godfroy were enumerated on the 1880 census taken on 26 June 1880 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. James was 61 years of age and a farmer, and Archangel was 58 years of age and keeping house. Neither of them was able to read or write. A son and five other family members were enumerated with them in 1880. Their son, George L., was 29 years of age and at home; the couple's niece, Mary Brownsberger, was 38 years of age; two grandnephews, John and James Schuff, were ages 13 and 10 years, respectively, and at school; a grandniece, Elizabeth Voltri, was 18 years old and at home; and a younger grandniece, Rosa Brownsberger, had been born in July and was ten months old. Everyone in the family was recorded as American Indian.

The census taker enumerated the household of Archangel and James R. Godfroy and the household of the couple's daughter, Anna J., and her husband Francis X. Aveline, as two households within the same dwelling number. Directly below them, on the same census page, was the household of James and Archangel's son and daughter-in-law, Mary and John Godfroy; and going up the page to the first household above Anna J. and Francis X. Aveline, on the same census page, was the household of James and Archangel's eldest daughter and her husband, Mary F. and Charles F. Strack.21,22,23,24 
(Husband) Death5 March 1885James became a widower when Archangel Godfroy died on 5 March 1885 at about age 63.15 
Death*21 July 1894He died on 21 July 1894 in Allen County, Indiana, at about age 843 
Burial* and was buried with his wife in Section B, Lot 55-56, of the Catholic Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Allen County.3,15 
Obituary Two newspaper articles attached to his Find a Grave Memorial page have each contributed to the appreciation we have for this man and his family. We sincerely thank our fellow researchers who have shared the information. The first was published in 1891, three years before his death, and the second was published on 22 July 1894, the day following his death.3 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.25,26,27,28,29,30,31 

Family

 Archangel Richardville Oesew b. 1822, d. 5 Mar 1885
Children 1.Mary F. Godfroy+32,16 b. 1842
 2.James Godfroy16 b. 1845
 3.John Godfroy+16 b. Oct 1848
 4.Louisa Godfroy16 b. 1849
 5.George L. Godfroy33 b. 2 Oct 1850
 6.Anna J. Godfrey34 b. 2 May 1855, d. 31 Jul 1909

Citations

  1. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfroy, (her given name recorded as "Elkosh" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: M653_243; Page: 730; Family History Library Film: 803243. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Francis Godfroy, Memorial# 5181233. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Chief James Razidan Godfrey, Memorial# 82871660.
  4. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, a site dedicated to transcribing historical and genealogical information helpful to researchers, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy Trails.
  5. [S2673] Genealogy Trails, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/, Miami County, Indiana: Indian Chiefs and Treaties, online at https://www.genealogytrails.com/ind/miami/…, reporting that Francis Godfroy's father was a Frenchman and his mother was a Miami woman; that Francis was over six feet in height, weighed about three hundred pounds, and carried the air of one '' born to command"; that his first wife was Sac-a-che-quah, the daughter of a white man named Cole, who was captured when a child in Kentucky by the Shawnees, grew up among the Indians and acted as interpreter at the treaty of Greenville in 1795; that his sister became the wife of White Wolf; that by his first marriage Francis Godfroy had six children: Poqua, Tac-con-ze-quah, Catherine, Louisa, James R. and William; that his second wife was a Miami woman named Sac-a-qua-tah, who also bore him six children: Sallie, George W., Thomas, Gabriel, Clemence and Frances; that his son, George Washington, when only fourteen years of age, was killed by a bolt of lightning, which came from an almost clear sky, in May, 1841, while he was sitting on his horse in front of his father's trading house; that the incident was regarded with profound superstition by the Miamis and a large, boulder near the place was for many years pointed out as marking the place of his tragic death

    In his personal appearance Francis Godfroy.
  6. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  7. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Chief James Razidan Godfrey, Memorial# 82871660, his date of birth recorded as July 1810.
  8. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633, reporting his date of birth as July 1809.
  9. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and "Elquah" Godfroy, (their surname transcribed as "Godfrory" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125; James was recorded as 28 years of age and is year of birth estimated as 1822. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  10. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfroy, (her given name recorded as "Elkosh" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: M653_243; Page: 730; Family History Library Film: 803243; James was recorded as 40 years of age and his year of birth estimated as 1820.
  11. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfrey, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117; James was recorded as 61 years of age and his year of birth estimated as 1819. Hereinafter cited as 1880 United States Federal Census.
  12. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024; digital page 143. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  13. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, Will of Chief Francis Godfroy, pages 36-39. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  14. [S1570] Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 21 October 1841 in Allen County, Indiana, of James R. Godfroy and Mon-Go-SE-Qua, referencing FHL Film# 2111101, item 2, page 315. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993.
  15. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Archangel “Mon-Go-Se-Quah” (Oesew) Godfrey, Memorial# 148749002.
  16. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and "Elquah" Godfroy, (their surname transcribed as "Godfrory" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125.
  17. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William and Susan Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125.
  18. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Richard and Sarah Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137b, image# 115 of 125.
  19. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Sarah Sites, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  20. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Julia Mason, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  21. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfrey, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  22. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna J. and Francis X. Aveline, (their surname spelled "Averline" by the census taker), Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  23. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Mary Godfrey, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  24. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Charles F. and Mary F. Strack, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  25. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", 12 July 1990.
  26. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  27. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  28. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  29. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  30. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  31. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  32. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633 - 3634.
  33. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, George Lewis Godfrey, Memorial# 84261209.
  34. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfroy, (her given name recorded as "Elkosh" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: M653_243; Page: 730; Family History Library Film: 803243; Anna was 3 years old.

John Godfroy1

b. October 1848
Family
Father*James R. Godfroy1 b. Jul 1810, d. 21 Jul 1894
Mother*Archangel Richardville Oesew1 b. 1822, d. 5 Mar 1885
Birth*October 1848John Godfroy was born in October 1848 in Allen County, Indiana.1,2,3 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Saw-Kok-qua.4 
(Son) Census US 185013 September 1850John was enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 13 September 1850 in the household of his parents in Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. He was 2 years old.1,5,6,7,8 
Marriage*1 June 1869He married first Harriet Lacroix on 1 June 1869 in Indiana.9 
(Husband) DeathJohn and Harriet's marriage ended, we think probably by Harriet's death in her mid-20s. John married a second time in 1877 and his and Harriet's daughter, Esther, was enumerated with John and his second wife in 1880.10,11 
Marriage*21 July 1877He married second Mary J. Hartman on 21 July 1877 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.12,3,10 
Census US 1880*26 June 1880Mary and John Godfroy were enumerated on the 1880 census taken on 26 June 1880 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. John was 31 years of age, a farmer, and unable to read and write, and Mary was 24 years of age and keeping house. Two children were enumerated with them in 1880. Esther, John's daughter from his first marriage, was 10 years old and at school, and Mary E., the couple's daughter, was eleven months old. Everyone in the household was recorded as American Indian.

In the first house above John and Mary, John's parents, Archangel and James R. Godfroy, were enumerated with John's brother George and additional family members. And next, in the first household above his parents, the census taker recording them in the same dwelling number as his parents, were John's sister and brother-in-law, Anna J. and Francis X. Aveline. And then, in the first household above Anna and Francis, was the enumeration of John's sister and brother-in-law, Mary F. and Charles F. Strack.11,13,14,15 
(Husband) Death18 October 1888John became a widower, possibly for the second time, when Mary J. (Hartman) Godfroy died on 18 October 1888 at about age 32.12 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.16,17,18,19,20,21,22 

Family 1

 Harriet Lacroix
Child 1.Esther Godfroy2 b. 1870

Family 2

 Mary J. Hartman b. 1856, d. 18 Oct 1888
Children 1.May Godfroy2 b. 26 Jun 1879
 2.John Godfroy2 b. 28 Apr 1880
 3.Laura Godfroy2 b. 23 May 1883
 4.Frank Godfroy23 b. 5 Oct 1888

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and "Elquah" Godfroy, (their surname transcribed as "Godfrory" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, John Godfrey, Memorial# 148803851. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  4. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633
  5. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William and Susan Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125.
  6. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Richard and Sarah Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137b, image# 115 of 125.
  7. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Sarah Sites, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  8. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Julia Mason, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  9. [S1566] Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of John Godfrey and Harriet Lacroix on 1 June 1869 in Indiana, United States, citing page 473 and referencing FHL Film# 002111268. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001.
  10. [S2649] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 21 July 1877 in Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, USA of John Godfrey and Mary Hartman. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012.
  11. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Mary "Godfrey", Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117. Hereinafter cited as 1880 United States Federal Census.
  12. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary J (Hartman) Godfrey, Memorial# 65809447.
  13. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and Archangel Godfrey, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  14. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna J. and Francis X. Aveline, (their surname spelled "Averline" by the census taker), Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  15. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Charles F. and Mary F. Strack, Year: 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 264; Page: 468a; Enumeration District: 117.
  16. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  17. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  18. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  19. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  20. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  21. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  22. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  23. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634, reporting his year of birth as about 1889.

John Godfroy1

b. 28 April 1880
Family
Father*John Godfroy1 b. Oct 1848
Mother*Mary J. Hartman1 b. 1856, d. 18 Oct 1888
Birth*28 April 1880John Godfroy was born on 28 April 1880 in Indiana.2,3 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Wah-pe-mun-wah.1 
Name VariationHis full name was John Joseph Godfroy.2 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, John Joseph Godfrey, Memorial# 84261248. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634, reporting his year of birth as 1879.
  4. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  5. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  6. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  7. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  8. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  9. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  10. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Laura Godfroy1

b. 23 May 1883
Family
Father*John Godfroy1 b. Oct 1848
Mother*Mary J. Hartman1 b. 1856, d. 18 Oct 1888
Birth*23 May 1883Laura Godfroy was born on 23 May 1883 in Allen County, Indiana.2,3 

Citations

  1. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Laura (Godfrey) Roe, Memorial# 232048028. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3634, reporting her year of birth as about 1882.

Lavina Godfroy1

b. 1854, d. 9 November 1888
Family
Father*Gabriel Godfroy1,2 b. 1 Jan 1834, d. 14 Aug 1910
(Family Member) Name Spellings In this research project, everyone with the surname Bondy or Bundy was a member of the same family. When Peter BONDY returned to the United States from Canada in 1840, his surname, as it was recorded, was spelled BONDY. By the early 1900's, Peter's surname, and the surname of most of his children, had begun to morph and was, in many cases, being recorded as BUNDY, although some of his children retained the BONDY surname. Over the years, as Peter made his way into the history books, he became known as Peter BUNDY.3,4,5,6 
(Daughter) MarriageHer father's first wife, who was likely Lavina's mother, has not been identified.7 
Birth*1854Lavina Godfroy was born about 1854 in Miami County, Indiana.1 
Marriage*She married Judson Bondy, son of Peter Bundy and O-zah-shin-quah.1,8 
Death*9 November 1888She died on 9 November 1888 in Waltz Township, Wabash County, Indiana, at about age 341 
Burial* and was buried in Slocum Cemetery, Waltz Township.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.9,10,11,12,13,14,15 

Family

 Judson Bondy b. 1855, d. 1 Feb 1918

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Lavina “Chi-co-zah” (Godfroy) Bondy, Memorial# 34693632. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Gabriel Godfroy, Memorial# 5181270.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John B. Brouillette, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Waltz, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: 178; Page: 358a. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Rev Peter “Wah-pa-pe-tah” Bondy, Memorial# 34693723.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Rose Ann “Pe-me-sah-quah” (Bondy) Peconga, Memorial# 34693752.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Elizabeth “Ki po ki na mo qua” (Bondy) Godfroy, Memorial# 37551417.
  7. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), Gabriel Godfroy, page 21. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  8. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Judson Cary “Ke-pah-ke-kap-wah” Bondy, Memorial# 34693555.
  9. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  10. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  11. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  12. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  13. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  14. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  15. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Louis Godfroy1

b. 1785, d. 1833
Family
Father*Jacques Godfroy1 b. 1722
Mother*Saakacaahkwa1 d. 1823
Birth*1785Louis Godfroy was born in 17851,2 
Baptism1801 and was baptized in 1801 in Detroit, Michigan.2 
Land Grant*6 October 1818In the treaty of St. Mary's dated 6 October 1818, Francois Godfroy was granted a reservation of six sections of land, 3,840 acres, on the Salamonie river at La Petite Prairie, Harrison Township, Blackford County, Indiana and his brother, Louis, a reservation of the same size on the St. Mary's river in Mercer County, Ohio. On 2 December 1824, an agreement was made between Francis and Louis Godfroy to exchange one section of these reservations, "the sole object and purpose of the exchange being that the brothers may live near each other." And they bound themselves not to sell or otherwise dispose of the sections thus exchanged except by mutual consent.1,3,4 
Relationship Note* Louis was of significant importance to his brother, Francis, throughout his life. Noted for their daring and bravery, they were distinguished from early manhood and commanded the respect of the entire Miami tribe. They had been leaders in the battles of Fort Wayne, Tippecanoe and the Mississinewa, as well as several other engagements. During the 1820s and 1830s, recognizing that much of his success was dependent upon his political position within the Miami, and with his control over the treaty process, Chief Francis Godfroy maintained a political network which primarily involved consistent relationships with Miami leaders, such as Jean Baptiste Richardville, Francis LaFontaine, La Gros, Metocina, and Charley, who were tribal or village chiefs, or influential French leaders, or both, while also maintaining relations with John Tipton, the dominant Indian Agent of the period. Until his death in 1833, Louis, was his brother's partner in most of his business ventures.5,6,2 
Death*1833He died in 1833 at about age 48.2 
(Grandfather) Relationship Note For some time we had been puzzled by the identity of Shingoquah, whom we knew only as the second wife of James Aveline, and mother of Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy and her siblings. Frustrated after many wrong turns, we labeled her a Brick Wali and continued our research in the direction of her children. It was in the transcripts of the law suit referred to as "Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124", which spanned the years from 1935 to 1955, that we finally found the answers to our questions.

The Affidavit submitted to the court by Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy's son, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother, Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy, was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy "the younger", who was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shingoquah.”

In his subsequent deposition, Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following answers to questions about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.7,8 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.9,10,11,12,13,14,15 

Family
Child 1.Jacques Godfroy+8

Citations

  1. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3296. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S2676] Indiana Historical Markers, online at https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/…, Number 05.1989.1, Godfroy Reserve Blackford County Marker Text Review Report 7/27/2011; Reserved by U.S. to Chief Francois Godfroy of the Miami Nation of Indians by treaty at St. Mary’s, Ohio, 6 October 1818, 3,840 acres on Salamonie River at La Petite Prairie, Harrison Township, Blackford County; reserve lands sold 1827, 1836;, reporting that with the exception of one date, the marker text for the Godfroy Reserve is correct. Indian treaties, maps, and the John Tipton Papers verified that Godfroy was a leader of the Miami Nation of Indians; in the Treaty of St. Mary’s, the U.S. granted Godfroy six sections of land along the Salamonie River at La Petite Prairie; La Petite Prairie was located in Harrison Township, Blackford County; and he sold his reserve lands in 1827.1 According to the National Atlas of the United States, a section in a township is 640 acres and that number multiplied by six equals 3,840 acres. Hereinafter cited as Indiana Historical Markers.
  4. [S225] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, The Treaty of St. Mary's granted Louis Godfroy six sections, (3,840 acres), upstream of the Shane tracts on the St. Mary's river. This is in T4S R2E of the First Principal Meridian, in Mercer County; viewed online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Land_Grants. Hereinafter cited as Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
  5. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51 (33-34), stating that as a youth Francis Godfroy was noted for his physical strength, daring and bravery; that he and his brother Louis were distinguished from early manhood and commanded the respect of the entire Miami tribe; that they were leaders in the battles of Fort Wayne, Tippecanoe and the Mississinewa, as well as several other engagements.
  6. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/4028/…, Networks of Wabash Valley Metis: 1820s and 30s, RG-04-01-40-B08-F40-005_Page-9, reporting that Francis Godfroy maintained a political network which, during the 1820s and 1830s, primarily involved consistent relationships with Miami leaders such as Jean Baptiste Richardville, Francis LaFontaine, Lagros, Metocina, and Charley--tribal or village chiefs, influential Metis, or both, while also maintaining relations with John Tipton, the dominant Indian Agent of the period; and of significant importance to him throughout his life was his brother, Louis, who was his partner in most of his business ventures.
  7. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/85/…; The deposition taken of Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following statement about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.

  8. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/7/rec/…; The Affidavit submitted to the court by Ira Sylvester Godfroy contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother Louise Aveline Godfroy was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy the younger who, was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shin-go-quah”.
  9. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  10. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  11. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  12. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  13. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  14. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  15. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Louisa Godfroy1

b. 1849
Family
Father*James R. Godfroy1 b. Jul 1810, d. 21 Jul 1894
Mother*Archangel Richardville Oesew1 b. 1822, d. 5 Mar 1885
Birth*1849Louisa Godfroy was born about 1849 in Indiana.1,2 
Name VariationHis Indian name was Pun-ge-she-no-quah.2 
(Daughter) Census US 185013 September 1850Louisa was enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 13 September 1850 in the household of her parents in Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. She was one year old.1,3,4,5,6 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James R. and "Elquah" Godfroy, (their surname transcribed as "Godfrory" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3633. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William and Susan Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137a, image# 114 of 125.
  4. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Richard and Sarah Beck, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 137b, image# 115 of 125.
  5. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Sarah Sites, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  6. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Julia Mason, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Wayne, Allen, Indiana; Roll: 135; Page: 138a, image# 116 of 125.
  7. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  8. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  9. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  10. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  11. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  12. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  13. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.