As I explained in the first article in this series, William “Billy” Cue, 1781-1865, An Original Mystery, there is a lot to learn about Billy. I am not sure where Billy was born, who his parents were, who were his earliest wife or wives. Billy’s son, John Cue Sr (1803-1895), named his birthplace as Pennsylvania but did not give us any information about the town, county, or area of the state.
As we continue to unravel the mysteries, we can focus on more solid information about Billy’s life and whereabouts. What we have are records that firmly placed Billy and his family in Clinton County, Ohio from around 1810 to around 1830. Ohio became a state on 1 March 1803 while the county boundaries were evolving, especially in the west areas of the state. Clinton County is in southwestern Ohio and was created in 1810 with land from Highland and Warren counties.
According to Billy’s son, James Cue (1809-1863), James was born in Warren County, Ohio in 1809. We don’t have resources that tell us exactly when Billy moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio. The records place Billy and his family in Richland Township in Clinton County after 1810. Since Richland Township was not part of the Warren County land before Clinton County was formed, Billy and his family probably moved to Warren County at some earlier date and later moved to Clinton County.
Here’s what we DO know!
- According to The History of Clinton County, Ohio, published in 1913, page 294, “William Cue, took out one hundred acres of land in the Tench survey and settled here in 1810.”
- In the 1810 Ohio Tax list, Billy was listed in Richland Township, Clinton County, Ohio.
- In the 1820 US federal census, Billy was in Richland Township, Clinton County, Ohio. The census records from that far back did not name anyone other than the head of household (Billy) and then showed tick marks in categories of Male and Female for persons in the household. There were 10 people in the household.
- Under 10: 3 males / 1 female
- 10 thru 15: 1 male/ 2 females
- 16 thru 18: 1 male
- 16 thru 25: 1 male / 1 female (yes, I know, but that was their categories)
- 26 thru 44: 1 male / 1 female
- Billy had at least five children who were born in Clinton County between 1811 and 1820.
- Nancy: 1811
- Rachel (unverified): About 1813
- Elizabeth: 1814
- Lewis: 1817
- Mary Ann: 1820
- Several of Billy’s children married in Clinton County
- John Cue Sr (1803-1895) married Effie Reece (1808-1884) on 29 March 1827. John and Effie’s oldest children, twins Isiah and Elias, were born there on 22 January 1828.
- Nancy Cue (1811-aft. 1870) married Richard Hall (1805-??) on 14 September 1828.
- Lewis Cue (1817-1893) married Sarah Floyd (1818-1900) on 10 August 1837. Lewis stayed in Clinton County for a time when Billy and the other Cue’s moved west. His six oldest children were born in Clinton County.
The most complete narrative we have about Billy and his family in Ohio is from the book The History of Clinton County, Ohio, published in 1882, page 759.
“William Cue came to Richland Township from Warren County, Ohio, in 1810, and settled in the Tench Survey, buying 100 acres of land from James Gallaher, in payment for which he was to clear land for Gallaher. His farm included what is now known as the “Ulysses Morgan” property, and the recent site of the “ burnt tavern.” The latter part he afterward sold to James Gillispie, who built the “burnt tavern,” and the fall and winter of 1813-14, sunk a tan yard. Gillispie died on the place, and about the year 1832 his family left the county. The Morgan property was sold by Cue to Joseph Hathaway, who left the county in 1817 or 1818. Cue, after selling out, bought another farm in the same survey, part of what is now known as the “old Bosworth” farm. He remained here until 1830, when he left the county.
James Gallaher, who owned land in Richland Township, came to the township in 1810, and sold some of his land to William Cue. In February, 1814, he moved his family onto the premises where he died in 1825, aged sixty-one years. He was born in Now Jersey, in 1764, and in 1796 emigrated to Warren County, Ohio.”
Many people have made an assertion that Billy’s wife was a Gallaher, perhaps Rachel or Bessie or Sara or Rachel Bessie Sara Gallaher and was a daughter of James Gallaher (1764-1825). It is certainly a possibility. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have enough information to conclusively declare that Billy’s wife was a Gallaher.
By 1831, Billy had sold his Clinton County property and was off to Illinois. Stay tuned as we follow Billy to his next location.
In this series, I am examining what I currently know and I am learning about the origins and life of William “Billy” Cue (1781-1865). This article is the second in the series.