Muhlenberg County Kentucky

Old Muhlenberg Map

Family Group Records

Isaac Newman & His Descendants

Part 1

(The co-writers of this articles are both descendants of the original Isaac Newman, as will be brought out in the text.)

Hold up your hands, if you will, all of you who are Newman descendants. Now, which of you did not descend from Isaac Newman?

See - there are only a few.

An overwhelming number of people in Muhlenberg County, who claim Newman blood, descend from pioneer Isaac Newman, regardless of the part of the County from which you hail; or the fact that you may say, “We are not related to that set of Newmans.”

There are rare exceptions, but most come from the line of Isaac Newman by one or another of his two wives and eighteen children.

This paper will not attempt to trace all of the present-day descendants of this line, but will deal with the earlier generations, and occasionally, bring a line down to the present day. Possibly a later paper will attempt to detail the various present day descendants of this line, should individual families care to contact the writers with additional information.

The Early Newmans

Isaac Newman was the son of Thomas Newman and Mary (maiden name unknown at this time). Isaac was born in Botetourt County, Virginia on July 7, 1775. His father was born in England and died in Nelson County, Kentucky. It is not proven that Thomas Newman every lived in Muhlenberg County, though early census records indicate that he did. However, it must be remembered that anyone owning land in an area prior to 1800 was listed as a citizen of that area. Perhaps, Thomas, like his son, Isaac, owned Muhlenberg County land, but did not live here. Possibly, however, he did. Another possibility is that the Thomas Newman, who was listed in Muhlenberg County, was the brother of Isaac Newman.

Just prior to 1800, the great western movement swept a vast number of Virginians, North Carolinians and Pennsylvanians toward Kentucky and Tennessee. The wilderness west of the Appalachian Mountains was being tamed. The Newmans were among those who came during this historic westward movement. In 1785 the movement began in Brothers Valley, Pennsylvania and spread through Virginia and North Carolina, bringing more than 80 families into the Green River area of west Kentucky. The history of this, plus a list of the families involved is spelled out in the 1962 publication “Two Centuries of Brothers Valley” by H. Austin Cooper.

The 1799 tax list of Muhlenberg County did not list any Newmans. However, in 1800 the tax list showed both Isaac Newman and his father, Thomas Newman as paying taxes, but listing no acreage or family size. Isaac was surely a resident, and Thomas may have been. Isaac was in Logan County prior to the formation of Muhlenberg County, and paid his taxes there prior to 1800.

There seemed always, from the start, to be a close tie between the Newman family and the early Welborn family. Their lands adjoined in south Muhlenberg County and there were several marriages recorded between members of the two families.

For some reason, Otto Rothert, in his history of Muhlenberg County, does not deal heavily with the pioneer Newman and Welborn families. However, in a very detailed account, he repaints the brutal murder of Elizabeth Reid Newman, the young wife of Thomas Charles Newman, Jr., grandson of Isaac. The younger Newman is a product of one of the Newman-Welborn marriages.

For at least the first 50 years of the existence of Muhlenberg County, the only Newmans were those descended from Isaac.

In 1810, the only “Newman” listed was Isaac Numan, who with his wife, Rachel (Rhoads), had six small children. In 1820, he and Rachel had seven children. There was also a household headed by Thomas Newman, which surely was Isaac's older son. He had a wife and one child.

Another son, Jacob, joined the heads of household in 1830. Isaac was listed, with his second wife, Nancy (Unsell) and seven children. Thomas and Jacob were nearby. Each had a wife and four children. These were the sons of Isaac and Rachel.

The year 1840 was the last federal census which did not list the wives and children of the heads of households. In this, Isaac and his family, now totally 11, were still recorded. Also the son Thomas was recorded with nine in his family. A widow, Elizabeth, appeared for the first time with nine in the family. She was the widow of Isaac's son, Jacob, who died in early 1840. A new name was added, this of W.Y. Newman, who later was prominent in the tobacco industry in Greenville. He was the son of Thomas Charles Newman, Sr. and Lennie Welborn, and the grandson of Isaac.

Thus, with the coming of the more detailed 1850 census, the early Newmans were now fixtures of Muhlenberg County for more than 50 years. From their earliest in the County's southern portion, the Newman clan was now beginning to move to other areas of the County, becoming especially prominent in the Greenville area, as well as at Penrod, Belton, Beech Creek, Drakesboro and other communities already established, or just waiting to appear on a map.

The Life of Isaac Newman

As noted, Isaac Newman was born in Botetourt County, Virginia on July 7, 1775. He died September 14, 1862 at Penrod. He was buried in the old Newman family cemetery, just north of Rocky Creek, and west of US Highway 431. The cemetery has now been destroyed by man and beast. Twice married, both of his wives are buried in the same cemetery.

Much of that land lying north of Rocky Creek at Penrod, on both sides of the highway, was once Newman property. Today, many of the older residents of the area still refer to the hill overlooking Rocky Creek's bottom land as “Newman Hill.” The late Walter Murphy and the late Levi Cox later owned parts of that Newman estate.

Proving that Isaac Newman was in the Logan-Muhlenberg area prior to his tax listing in 1800, is his first marriage in 1797. Isaac's marriage to Rachel Rhoads on November 10, 1797, came at a time when Muhlenberg County was still a part of Logan, prior to its establishment in 1798. Newman probably then lived on his farm near Penrod, but at that time it was a part of the great Logan County area.

His first wife, Rachel Rhoads, was the daughter of other pioneers, Daniel and Eva Faust Rhoads. Daniel was a brother of Henry Rhoads who was instrumental in establishing Muhlenberg county as it is known today.

Rachel Rhoads was born November 17, 1780 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The Rhoads lineage is much too involved to detail here. The continued connection between the pioneer Rhoads and Newman families is underlined in this fact. When Daniel Rhoads' first wife, Eva Faust, died in Nelson County, Kentucky, Rhoads took for his second wife, Elizabeth Newman, daughter of Thomas and Mary Newman. That marriage took place on March 10, 1794, presumably in Nelson County. Of course, that family later moved to Logan County. The part of that county in which they lived became Muhlenberg County in 1798.

Rachel Newman died on November 11, 1819. (This date is sometimes disputed, but is close, as her last child was born about 1818 and Isaac remarried in 1823.) She, as noted, is buried in the Newman Cemetery at Penrod. She was the mother of 10 children for Isaac Newman.

After her death, Isaac, then 28 years old, married young Nancy Jane Unsell, who was 18 at the time of the marriage on October 14, 1823 in Muhlenberg County. Nancy was the daughter of Abraham Unsell, Sr., and his wife, the former Anna Stovall. Nancy was born November 4, 1804 in Muhlenberg County and died at Penrod on July 31, 1865, being buried beside Isaac and Rachel. She bore eight documented children for Isaac Newman.

The farm at Penrod remained in the Newman family for at least one more generation. The Rev. Henry Green Newman, a Methodist minister and son of Isaac and Nancy, owned the land late in the century, or perhaps even into the early part of the 20th century. A granddaughter, Hattie Howes Cox (Mrs. Levi) and her husband owned a portion of that land through the middle of this century or later.

Children of Isaac Newman

In his first marriage to Rachel Rhoads, Isaac Newman fathered ten children. As documented by several family researchers they are:

Children of Isaac Newman & Rachel Rhoads

  1. Sarah (1798-1868) Married Henry Unsell.
  2. Thomas Charles (1800-1864) Married Lennie C. Welborn.
  3. Samuel (1802-1861) Married Eliza P. Dudley.
  4. Jacob (1804-1840) Married Elizabeth Welborn.
  5. Jonathan (1807-1863) Married
    1. Elizabeth Wood;
    2. Eleanor O'Hair in Edgar County, Illinois.
  6. Malinda (1808-1867) Married and divorced James Dudley Welborn.
  7. William Butler (1812-1900) Married Nancy G. Willis.
  8. Alney M. (1814-1855) Drowned in Tombigbee River. Marital status unknown.
  9. George W. (1815-1890) Married
    1. Dorcas Ashmore;
    2. Matilda Caroline Grisham in Clark County, Illinois.
  10. Mary (1818-?) Married? Stewart?

Sarah Newman (1798-1868)

Sarah Newman, the first child and first daughter of Isaac Newman and Rachel Rhoads was born March 18, 1798 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. On November 7, 1819 she married Henry Unsell, Jr., son of Henry Unsell, Sr., and Mary Unsell. Henry was born November 17, 1792 in Muhlenberg County. Sarah died in Ballard County, Kentucky on December 4, 1868 and her husband Henry died November 26, 1876 in Ballard County, Kentucky.

They were the parents of ten children all of whom were born in McCracken County, Kentucky, as documented by Glenn W. Dixon of Arlington, Texas, a descendant and family researcher.

Children of Sarah Newman & Henry Unsell Jr.

  1. Isaac Unsell (1820-?)
  2. Thomas Unsell (1821-1836)
  3. James Madison Unsell (1823-1869) married Sarah E. Hays
  4. Rachel Unsell (no data on her)
  5. John W. Unsell (1827-1882) married Alibria Union Billington
  6. Malinda Unsell (1830-?)
  7. Alfred W. Unsell (1832-1904) married Aribia W. Billington
  8. Elizabeth Unsell (1836-?)
  9. Elijah Unsell (1836-1932) married Minerva DeWeese
  10. Elisha Unsell (1839-1894) married Sarilda DeWeese.

Part 2

Thomas Charles Newman (1800-1864)

Thomas Charles Newman, the second child and first son of Isaac Newman and Rachel Rhoads was born March 9, 1800 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. On July 18, 1819, he married Linnie Caroline Welborn of Muhlenberg County. Linnie Caroline was born May 1, 1801, presumably in Virginia, shortly before the Welborns migrated to Muhlenberg County. They were the parents of fourteen children, as documented by Mrs. Robert Batts, a descendant, and by other census records.

Thomas Charles Newman, a farmer, died September 1, 1864 and his widow on April 19, 1873. Both are buried in the Newman Cemetery, four miles east of Greenville, Kentucky on Carter's Creek Road.

Children of Thomas Charles Newman & Linnie Welborn

  1. Wesley Green Newman, born July 2, 1820. He married Winnifred J. Terry November 15, 1835 in Logan County, Kentucky. They had nine known children.
    Children of Wesley Green Newman & Winnifred J. Terry:
    • William Thomas
    • Micajah
    • John W.
    • Mary E.
    • Walter G.
    • Maranda E.
    • W.E.
    • M.E.
    • Adella
    Wesley Green Newman died July 12, 1862 and is buried in the Terry Cemetery in Logan County, Kentucky.
  2. Nancy Jane Newman, born March 6, 1822 in Muhlenberg County. She married Benjamin Burkette Linton on February 2, 1843 in Muhleberg County. She died July 7, 1879 and her husband in 1894, both are buried in the Bibb Cemetery in Logan County, Kentucky. They were the parents of nine children.
    Children of Nancy Jane Newman & Benjamin Linton:
    • John W. (1843)
    • Thomas Alney (1845)
    • James N. (1847)
    • Benjamin F. (1853)
    • Fountain P. (1856)
    • Lennie Adaline (1858)
    • George William (1865)
    • Lillian M. (1867)
    • Rosa E.
  3. Frances Rachel Newman, born January 12, 1824. She married Moses Wickliffe Welborn (1819-1893), son of Robert and Nancy Wickliffe Welborn. They had ten children. She died December 24, 1899. She and Moses are buried in the Welborn Cemetery between Dunmor and Penrod, that being the Old Welborn Ridge farm. It is now occupited in the main by Pendley's sawmill.
    Children of Frances Rachel Newman & Moses Welborn:
    • Marion L. (1843-1877) is believed to have never married.
    • Maranda Catherine “Kate” was born in 1845. She married A.W. Whitaker on December 14, 1865. They have many survivors in the area, including Charles M. (Jack) Forsythe of Greenville. His mother, Ethel Mallory (Mrs. Pearl) Forsythe, was the granddaughter of Kate.
    • Mary E., who at the age of three, was listed in the census as weighing 60 pounds, that being the only record of her existence. There are no birth, death, or marriage records, but it is thought she may have married a Wilcox.
    • Emeline A. “Emily” born in 1849, married John Lehan, a railroad worker, in 1872. Her family later lived in California.
    • Nancy L. “Nannie” was born in 1852, on June 4, 1876 she married James E. Unsell. They had no children and both are buried in the Welborn Cemetery, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.
    • Jesse Young, (1854-1908) married Elizabeth M. Talbert on December 16, 1877, both are buried in the Welborn Cemetery. They were the parents of two children, Mabel and Willie.
    • Linnie Caroline (1855-1883) named for her grandmother, and called Carrie, married Jerry W. Matherly in 1876, and had three children.
      Children of Linnie Caroline Welborn and Jerry Matherly:
      • Lonnie, who is the father of the Matherlys in Russellville
      • Pearl, who married Kennerly Baugh
      • Myrtle, who twice married
        1. Shelby Anderson
        2. Elmer Davis.
      Myrtle, by virtue of her first marriage, is the grandmother of the co-writer of this narrative.
    • Shalam P. “Bud” lived on the old Welborn farm for many years and was active in the organization of Sugar Grove Church. His name is often spelled Shilom and Sholene, but he preferred Bud. He married Georgia Ella Welborn. They had 12 children.
      Children of Shalam Welborn and Georgia Welborn:
      • Boyd
      • Cecil
      • Nora (Penrod)
      • Iniz
      • Bernard
      • Guy
      • Mattie
      • Lillian
      • Ellis
      • Kenneth
      • Aileen (Southerland)
      • Ermine (Layton)
      • Flora
      Bud was born in 1863 and lived until the early 1920's.
    • George Peay was born in 1866 and is believed to have died young.
    • Milton H. was born in 1868. No other record is found.
  4. Elizabeth Ann Newman, born in 1825, married Arthur N. Davis on November 19, 1847. He was later to serve with distinction in the Civil War. He was also a prisoner of war. Capt. Davis also saw service in the Mexican War. He came from Tennessee to Kentucky in 1847, and in 1872 was killed by a falling limb on his farm, south of Greenville. Eliza, as she was called, died in Augusta, Butler County, Kansas.
    Children of Elizabeth Ann Newman and Arthur N. Davis:
    • Susan Adeline (1848-1920) who married Jesse C. Johnston in 1866 in Muhlenberg County
    • Mary Frances (1850-1925) married Alphus Amon Johnston in Muhlenberg County on September 16, 1866
    • Linney Catherine Cassander Jane (1851-?) married David Preston James
    • Britton Alexander (1858-1896) married Lenora Estella Woody in 1880
    • Ann Eliza (1861-1892) married Wm. Crawford Cornette
    • Samuel G. (1867-1881).
  5. James Eugene Newman, born December 7, 1827, married Marina Jane Dwyer in 1852. He died May 21, 1867. His wife was the daughter of Lewis Dwyer. She was born in 1831 and died in 1897 in Christian County. James Eugene was a farmer and a teacher. His first marriage was to Matilda Elizabeth Lambuth in 1850. She died during the birth of a son in 1851, and the son died two months later.
    Children of James Eugene Newman and Marina Jane Dwyer:
    • James Henry (1854-1904) married a Hughes
    • Indiana Thomas (1857-1932) married Colonel R. Johnson in 1873
    • Robert Wesley (1859-1894) who died in Pemiscot, Missouri
    • Claudius Grant (1862-1930) married
      1. Isabella Hays in 1886
      2. Margaret E. Blackwell in 1914
      Claudius fathered 13 children
    • William Sherman (1864-1872)
    • Malinda Ellen (1867-1897) married Charles Shepherd.
    After Marina was widowed in 1867, she married Robert Bruce Johnson in 1874.
  6. William Young Newman was born July 8, 1830. In 1850 he married Elizabeth F. Wyatt, daughter of Needham and Martha A. Mann Wyatt. W.Y. was a well-known tobacco farmer, who later turned to speculating in the crop. In Greenville, for many years, he was a tobacco buyer, who bought, “prized” into hogheads, and shipped the Muhlenberg-grown leaf to Louisville.
    Children of W.Y. Newman and Elizabeth Wyatt:
    • an infant son born and died in 1852
    • Nancy Jane (1853-1933) married Wesley McGee Reid in 1877
    • Martha E. (1856-1860)
    • Timothy Needham (1858-1884)
    • Lennie L. (1860-1881) married in 1880 to William Joseph Fish
    • William married[?] Sue Mary Lovell
    • Samuel E. (1867-?) married L. Emma Richie in 1892
    • Minnie Ollie (1869-1930) in 1887 married Joseph Linzy Mathis
    • Wyatt Black (1870-1915) married Jennie A. Penrod in 1896.

    After the death of Elizabeth in 1873, W.Y. married Luemma Jane Cornett, on December 2, 1874 in Logan County.

    Children of W.Y. Newman and Luemma Cornett:
    • Jackson Cornett (1876-1977) married
      1. Jennie Dwyer in 1895
      2. Frances Cleveland Greer of Boone County, Arkansas
      He fathered a total of twelve children.
    • Mary Emma “Doll” (1878-?) married Samuel Alexander Helsley
    • Lewis Garfield (1879-1965) in 1899 married Annie Elizabeth O'Neal
    • Harriet (1881-1970) married Silas Green Landram in 1899 and they were the parents of nine children.
    • Wesley Young (1882-1968) married Nina Pearl Johnson.
    William Young Newman died November 6, 1911, his second wife, Luemma Jane Cornett in 1921. They along with Elizabeth are buried in the Newman Cemetery in Muhlenberg County.
  7. Mary Susan Newman born 1832, married June 14, 1854 to Thomas D. Rust, a Baptist minister. They lived south of Greenville, near Rosewood. Thomas D. Rust died May 11, 1887. Mary Susan Newman Rust died February 23, 1904
    Children of Mary Susan Newman & Thomas Rust:
    1. Lennie Alice Rust, born June 24, 1855; married S.F. Gray on March 11, 1872
    2. Mary Ella Rust, born May 2, 1857; married Charles R. Carneal on January 10, 1864
    3. Mattie Ann Rust, born August 12, 1859; died November 29, 1892; married Lewis B. Allen on December 25, 1883
    4. Jennie Frank Rust, born October 16, 1861; died May 12, 1875
    5. Sarah E. Rust, born July 30, 1863; died August 13, 1867
    6. Louise Emma Rust, born September 4, 1865; died February 9, 1897; married Benjamin Richard Johns(t)on on September 2, 1886. Benjamin remarried after Louise Emma died.
    7. Willie May Rust (female), born May 20, 1868
    8. Sue Belle Rust, born March 26, 1870; died August 16, 1897; married a Johnson
    9. Nannie M. Rust, born June 30, 1872
    10. Nettie S. Rust, born June 23, 1878; died July 28, 1891 or 1897
    Rev. Rust was the census taker for Muhlenberg County in 1880.
    Additional information (not originally in article) on Mary Susan Newman Rust, Thomas D. Rust and their children provided by Marcie Simpson, the great-granddaughter of Louise Emma Rust & Benjamin Richard Johns(t)on.
  8. Marion Warder (Walter in Court records) Newman was born December 14, 1834. He died September 4, 1900. His wife was Sarah E. Bell, whom he married in 1861.
    Children of Marion Warder Newman & Sarah Bell:
    • Lucy A. (1863-?) married John Thomas Langley in 1885
    • Mary Ellen (1865-1885)
    • Elizabeth A. (1869-?) married Samuel Alexander Helsley
    • John T. (circa 1871)
  9. Telithia E. Newman (Lethia), born February 8, 1837, was twice married. She married Andrew Jackson Terry in 1857, and later Henry Jenkins. This information was found in the papers of Mrs. Batts and in Muhlenberg County Marriage Records.
  10. Lennie Caroline Newman, born March 10, 1839 and died February 21, 1843.
  11. Alney Ephriam Newman was born November 6, 1840 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He died November 5, 1894. On October 30, 1861 he married Nancy J. Smith, daughter of John S. and Leake Williams Smith. Later records on Alney and Nancy have them with no children, but Nancy, as a widow in 1900 and 1910 noted that she was the mother of one child, although it was never enumerated. Alney was also noted a tobacco buyer in Greenville. Alney is buried in the Newman Cemetery.
  12. Thomas Charles Jr., was born circa 1843 and married Elizabeth Ann Reid, daughter of Josiah and Sarah Maude Helsley Reid. In 1870, when their only child was about five years old, Mrs. Newman was brutally raped and murdered. Her assailant soon was arrested. After a court hearing, he was forcibly taken by a mob of men near the jail, dragged a short distance away and hanged. The full details of this event may be found on pages 362, 363, and 364 in Rothert's “History of Muhlenberg County.” The 1870 census shows T.C. and his son, Josiah T., living alone south of Greenville. On August 12, 1871, Thomas Charles, Jr., remarried. His new wife was Mary E. Smith, daughter of John S. and Leake Williams Smith. In 1880, he, Mary, Josiah and a child by his second marriage, Nannie P. (born 1875), were living south of Greenville, adjoining residences to his brothers, Marion and Alney.
  13. Henry Yost Newman was born December 11, 1844 and died September 9, 1852 in Muhlenberg County. He is buried in the Newman Cemetery.
  14. Jonah Newman, the final child, was born in 1846. Further records of Jonah have not been found. No census, past 1850, when he was four years old, reveals the whereabouts of Jonah. It is theorized that he died as a child.

Part 3

Samuel Newman (1802-1861)

Samuel Newman, the second son and third child of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman, was born in 1802 and died in 1861. On November 25, 1825, he married Elizabeth P. Dudley in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Although Mrs. Batts records his death as occurring in Muhlenberg County, no census record shows that Samuel and Elizabeth ever lived in the county after their marriage.

Jacob Newman (1804-1840)

Jacob Newman, the third son and fourth child of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman, was born in Muhlenberg County in 1804. He married Elizabeth Welborn (b. 1802), daughter of James and Elizabeth Dudley Welborn on August 3, 1822. Jacob was listed as head of his household in Muhlenberg County in 1830. However, in April of 1840, Jacob died, leaving Elizabeth as head of the household with eight children. On August 28, 1841, the widow married Jacob Riddle of the Laurel Bluff (Penrod) community. In 1850, they lived on an adjoining farm to Moses and Rachel Newman Welborn. Jacob Riddle and Elizabeth had two children of their own, Jeremiah (1842) and Mary Angeline (1845). Mary Angeline married James M. Hope.

Only two of Jacob Newman's eight children remained in this household at this time. These were Amy (this surely is Alney), 19, listed as a male, and Isaac, 15. Isaac N. is believed to have married Nancy Blackwell in 1855. Alney, in 1852, married Sarah Ann Hunt, daughter of John and Ann Jenkins Hunt. The marriage license reads “Abney.” Alney R. Newman died three months after his marriage. Mrs. Sarah Ann (Sallie) Newman married Marcus (Alexander) Kelly in 1856, and later in life was married to Perry Elzie Miller. Sarah Ann, by her second marriage, was the grandmother of the late genealogist Edward Manley.

The complete list of Jacob NewmanƆs children is not available, but Thomas P. who lived in the area, and Nancy Jane, who married Jeremiah Hope in 1842, are suggested as children of Jacob.

Nancy and Jerry Hope have many descendants living in the area today, in fact, almost any Hope in the south portion of Muhlenberg County for the past century, is a direct descendant of Jerry and Nancy Jane Newman Hope. These include, for example, Mary Katherine (Mrs. Austin) King of Twin Tunnels and Robert Lee Hunt of Lewisburg, to mention only two.

Jonathan Newman (1807-1863)

Jonathan Newman, the fifth child and fourth son of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman, was born April 21, 1807 in Muhlenberg County and died in December of 1863. He was twice married. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Wood in Muhlenberg County on December 27, 1827. His second marriage was in Edgar County, Illinois to Eleanor O'Hair. Since Jonathan is listed in no Muhlenberg County census, it is possible he left the area shortly after his first marriage and settled in Illinois.

Malinda Newman (1808-1867)

Malinda Newman, the sixth child and second daughter of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman, was born in 1808, and died in Schuyler County, Missouri in 1867. She married September 25, 1823 to James Dudley Welborn, son of James and Elizabeth Dudley Welborn. However this marriage ended in divorce in 1845, and in the same year, James married Malinda's half-sister, Zilpha D. Newman. Malinda and James had nine children.

Children of Malinda Newman & James Welborn

William Butler Newman (1812-1900)

William Butler Newman, was the seventh child and fifth son of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman. He was born in 1812 and died in 1900. He married Nancy G. Willis on November 26, 1835 in Muhlenberg County. Census records show this family in Van Buren County, Iowa in 1850 and 1860, then in 1870 they were in Schuyler County, Missouri and in 1900 they were in Cowley County, Kansas. They were the parents of nine children, all born in Iowa.

Children of William Butler Newman & Nancy Willis

Alney M. Newman (1814-1855)

Alney M. Newman, the eighth child and sixth son of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman, was born in 1814. This was the year of the famous Battle of New Orleans, in which Capt. Alney McLean was a hero. Thus, it may be assumed that this Newman child was named for the Muhlenberg County hero. There is no record of a marriage for the Alney M. Newman, and he was not listed in his father's household in 1850. A notation by Mrs. Batts stated that “he drowned in the Tombigbee River in Alabama in 1855.” This is the only clue to his later years.

George W. Newman (1815-1890)

George W. Newman, the ninth child and seventh son of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman, was born in 1815 and died in 1890, probably in Illinois. He was married to Dorcas Ashmore in Muhlenberg County on May 23, 1839. A second marriage occurred on December 10, 1840 in Clark County, Illinois, when he married Matilda Caroline Grisham. It can be assumed that his first wife died shortly after their marriage.

Mary Newman (1818-?)

Mary Newman was the tenth child and third daughter of Isaac and Rachel Rhoads Newman. She was born in 1818, but her date of death has not been established. Family tradition says she married a Stewart, but no first name was learned and no marriage record found.

Children of Isaac Newman & Nancy Jane Unsell.

Minerva Jane Newman (1826-1856)

Minerva Jane Newman was the eleventh child of Isaac Newman, and the first child and daughter of Isaac and his second wife, Nancy Jane Unsell Newman. Minerva was born circa 1826, and in August 1841, married David Smith. This family in the 1850 census, lived near Dunmor. Children listed in that census, which is the only census enumerating this family, were Mary A. (circa 1843); Nancy (1844) and James W. (circa 1847), but this list is not complete. David died in 1855 and Minerva in 1856. The children were found in the 1860 census in various foster homes, including some of their relatives.

However, the line of Minerva Newman Smith is traceable to today's generation through the second daughter, Nancy Jane, who was born May 10, 1844. She married Lafayette Lyons in 1866 in Muhlenberg County. Their son, William Wesley Lyons (1871) married Mandelia Binkley in 1895 and that marriage produced Frizella Lyons, who married John Mihelcic, an Austrian by birth, in 1913. They were later to live at Beech Creek Junction (Beechmont), and one of their children Tina Louise Mihelcic married Charles Elisha (Greasey) Collier. A product of this marriage is Brenda Collier Doss, an active genealogist, and co-writer of this article, now living in Greenville.

Zilpha Newman (1829-1915)

Zilpha Newman was the twelfth child of Isaac Newman, the second born to Isaac and Nancy Jane Unsell Newman, and the second daughter of the pair. She was born October 8, 1829, and November 27, 1845 married James Dudley Welborn, her divorced brother-in-law. Welborn had previously been married to Malinda Newman, half-sister to Zilpha. After the 1850 census was taken, James Dudley Welborn and family moved to Schuyler County, Missouri. James was the father of twenty children, nine by his first wife Malinda and eleven by Zilpha.

Children of Zilpha Newman and James Welborn

Zilpha died on March 16, 1915 in Winfield, Cowley County, Kansas, and is buried at Liberty Township Cemetery in Shuyler County, Missouri. James is also buried in this cemetery.

Part 4

Henry Green Newman (1830-191?)

Henry Green Newman was a Methodist minister, a Constable and a Justice of the Peace from Penrod in Muhlenberg County. He was the third child and first son of Isaac and Nancy Jane Unsell Newman. He was born May 28, 1830, and was known to still be living after 1910, although a death date has not been learned.

At the age of 23 he married Margaret A. Wood on March 24, 1853. She was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Williams Wood of near present-day Dunmor. Henry and Margaret were the parents of five children, and have many descendants who still reside in the Penrod area.

Children of Henry Green Newman & Margaret Wood

Henry and Margaret were listed in the 1900 census at Penrod, but before 1910, Margaret died. In 1910, Henry Green Newman was living in the household of his daughter Mary E. Howes at Penrod. Also in the home, was Henry's sister, Eliza, who was unmarried.

Isaac R. Newman was born October 22, 1856. In 1877 he married Mary Jane (Mollie) Penrod. They were the parents of at least four children, possibly more. These included Ella, Elsie, James B., and Estil. Ella was born in 1879, but little else is known about her. Elsie M. was born January 31, 1894. She married Thomas Eben Sumner of Penrod, son of Jack and Nannie Hughes Sumner of Gus, in 1911. Elsie had three children.

Children of Elsie Newman & Thomas Eben Sumner:

Elsie died February 3, 1923 and is buried at New Hebron. Eben's second marriage was to Grace Gaston. Isaac's next child, James B. Newman lived with his aunt and uncle, Luro and Bill Penrod at Union Ridge as a child. He later operated a service station in Beechmont.

Another child, Estil, lived at Ennis. He had a daughter, Louise Newman, who married Thurman R. Morgan of Ennis. Their son, Royce Morgan now lives in Beechmont. There are many more in this Newman line, which will be brought out in subsequent narratives on the children of pioneer Isaac Newman. Isaac R. and Mollie Newman did not appear in the 1900 or 1910 censuses and it is known that their children were living in various foster homes in this era. For instance, Elsie made her home with Dave and Ruth Sumner near New Hebron, prior to her marriage to Eben Sumner. Also, as noted, James lived with his aunt and uncle.

The death of Mollie Penrod has not been documented, but Isaac R. Newman died in Butler County April 2, 1900 and is buried in McKinney Cemetery, near Shiloh Church in that county.

Alexander E. Newman, son of Henry Green Newman, was born circa 1866 and in 1886, he married Nannie E. Patton, daughter of G.M.D. Patton, a merchant/farmer of Penrod. This family is not found in subsequent censuses and may have moved from the area shortly after their marriage.

Mary E. Newman, daughter of Henry Green Newman, will long be remembered in the Penrod area. She was born December 20, 1858 at Penrod, and died there February 9, 1954 at the age of 95. She married George Howes (Howse) of Indiana on August 12, 1883, and bore nine children, eight of them still living when she was left alone to rear them in 1900. Lovably, she was called “Granny” Howes by young and old the most of her adult life, and was considered by many, whether related or not, to be their lovable “granny.”

Children of Mary E. Newman & George Howes (Howse)

Several of this family are still well known in this area. Hattie, for instance, married Levi Cox, and lived for many years on a portion of the old Newman property, north of Penrod. Hattie had three children.

Children of Hattie Howes & Levi Cox:

Annie Howes married Paul Johnson.

Children of Annie Howes & Paul Johnson:

Annie's twin, Nannie, married James P. Maxberry; among their children is Laverda (Mrs. Mose) Rager of Drakesboro.

Zelma married a Lewis and lives at Cleaton.

Eliza Ann Newman (1832-191?)

Eliza Ann Newman, born in 1832, the fourth child and third daughter of Isaac and Nancy Jane Unsell Newman, was never married. Little is known of her life. She was living with her parents in 1850 and 1860 and is not located in another census until she is shown living with her brother, John M. Newman in Logan County in 1880. In 1910, she was living with another brother, Henry and a niece, Mary E. Howes at Penrod. There is no available record of her death.

Elizabeth E. Newman (1834-1926)

Elizabeth E. Newman, the fifth child and fourth daughter of Isaac and Nancy Jane Unsell Newman, was born in 1833 or 1834. She married James Coleman on December 24, 1860. They are believed to have lived in the Dunmor area. Graves at Dunmor Cemetery are marked to James Coleman (August 15, 1831 to March 6, 1907) and Elizabeth Coleman, wife of James Coleman (September 1839 to October 19, 1926). Though the dates of her birth on the stone and in census records do not correspond, it is believed this is the daughter of Isaac Newman. A baby's grave in the Newman Cemetery at Penrod is for Mary E. Coleman (1862-1863). Several other Coleman graves are at Dunmor and believed related to Mary and James. In 1870 they lived in Logan County, near Dunmor. Their children included Thomas, John, Amaliza (Annie Eliza) and Isaac. In the same location in 1880, additional children were James W., Martha E. and Allen. James Coleman, incidentally, was born in Ireland.

Mahala Newman (1834-1836)

Mahala Newman, the sixth child and fifth daughter of Isaac and Nancy Jane Unsell Newman, was born in 1834 and died in 1836.

Isaac Hardin Newman (1835-1903)

Isaac Hardin Newman, was born 1835, was the seventh child, but only the second son of Isaac and Nancy Jane Unsell Newman. He was married first to Louisa Jane Hope on February 19, 1861, which was followed by a marriage to Rebecca Ann Wilson on May 2, 1872.

His first wife was the daughter of Jeremiah and Nancy Jane Newman Hope of near Dunmor. However, much of their lives were spent in Butler and Logan Counties.

Children of Isaac Hardin Newman & Louisa Hope

Louisa Jane Hope Newman died December 30, 1870 and is buried in the Hope Cemetery in Logan County. Following her death Isaac married Rebecca Ann Wilson. They were the parents of six children.

Children of Isaac Hardin Newman & Rebecca Ann Wilson

The family of Isaac Hardin Newman and Louisa Jane Hope can easily be traced to today's generation through the family of their daughter, Corrilla Jeanette (Nettie) Newman. Nettie, born in 1865, married George C. Grise (b. 1864) on December 23, 1884.

Children of Nettie Newman & George C. Grise:

Burnie Benjamin, well-known as B.B. Grise, born in May of 1890, married Margaret Elizabeth Browning of the Lewisburg area. Mr. Grise ran the Black Diamond Coal Company store in Drakesboro.

Children of Burnie Benjamin Grise & Margaret Browning:

Isaac died in 1903 and Rebecca in 1915, and they are buried at Sand Springs Cemetery, as are many of their children. Other of their children are buried in the Fitzhugh Cemetery near Dunmor.

For the serious researcher, Isaac [H.] Newman is listed in some publications as Joseph N. probably because of the difficulty in reading the handwriting on these documents.

John Martin (Jack) Newman (1840-1921)

John Martin Newman, was known as Jack. He was born in 1840, the third son and eighth child of Isaac and Nancy Jane Unsell Newman. Two marriages are recorded for him, the first on February Zilman and Mary A. Wood [sic - the whole sentence]. The second marriage is recorded in Logan County, to Alexander Hardison, though this is believe to be in error. Her name in other records is Sarah Frances Hardison. The marriage took place on November 29, 1865. The Muhlenberg County censuses do not reflect the family living in the County after the marriage. However in 1880, John W. and Sarah Newman were listed in Logan County. Four children were in the family.

Children of John Martin Newman & Sarah Hardison

John died in 1921 and is buried in the Lewisburg Cemetery beside Sarah (1848-1931). Mary Susan [the first wife] (1843-1862) is buried in the Hughes Cemetery, Muhlenberg County.

Citation: Anderson, Bobby and Brenda C. Doss. “Isaac Newman & His Descendants.” The Leader-News [Greenville, KY], May-June 1993.

Updated August 3, 2017