James Withinton (1806-1838) and Catherine Payan dit St. Onge (1810-?)

James Withinton

Born: 31 March 1806.¹

Christened: 14 June 1808 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri.¹

Married: 25 May 1824 in St. Louis County, Missouri.²

Died: 15 March 1838.³

Buried: 22 March 1838 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri.⁴

Catherine Payan dit St. Onge Parents

Born: 9 November 1810.⁵

Christened: 9 January 1811 in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.⁵

Died: ?

Children

1. Elizabeth Withinton (born 6 May 1825;⁶ christened 15 October 1825 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri).⁶

2. Baptiste Withinton (christened 10 April 1827 in Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri).⁷

3. Thomas Withinton.⁸

Notes on James Withinton

Alternate surname: Withington, Willington.
Was ths son of Thomas Withinton, Sr.⁹
According to his father-in-law, Peter Piant, James was a trader of some sort during his lifetime and did business in Santa Fe (presumably New Mexico).¹⁰ He also lived in Arkansas,^10,11,12 perhaps in the Ozarks.³
Perhaps he was a fur trader, because some beaver traps were inventoried in his estate.¹² Whatever his business was, it involved contacts in Arkansas and Western Missouri.¹²
James was not successful in making a living. According to Peter Piant, ". . . James always wanted money . . ."¹³ and was indebted to his father. According to the administrator of his father's estate, "James . . . was so much in debt to his father, he was ashamed to ask him for more money," the winter before his death.¹⁴ His probate proceedings show records of debts that he owed to his father.¹²
He was buried in a walnut coffin that cost $9.00.¹²
His brother-in-law, Samuel D. Walton, sued James's estate over a farm that Walton had bought at the estate auction. The case made it to the State Supreme Court, and was decided in Walton's favor.¹²

Notes on Cathrine Payan dit St. Onge

It is not known when Catherine died. In November 1842, her father, Peter Piant, was the guardian of her two children, Elizabeth and Thomas Withinton.¹² Perhaps she was dead by this time.

Sources

1. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 14 June 1808). Please note that the name in this record is "Jacques Withinton." All the parish entries at the time were in French, and this is likely James.

2. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (marriage record 25 May 1826).

3. Missouri State Supreme Court Archives, Walton v. Withinton (1842), p. 14.

4. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (burial record 22 March 1838).

5. Register of Old Cathedral parish, St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 9 January 1811).

6. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 15 October 1825).

7. Register of St. Ferdinand parish, Florissant, St. Louis, Missouri (christening record 10 April 1827).

8. St. Louis Probate Court case #01373. Thomas and his brother Baptiste may be the same person. I cannot find a christening record for Thomas and I can find no record of Baptiste after his christening. Also, I have no record of any of the three children after Thomas and Elizabeth were turned over to their grandfather's guardianship.

9. Missouri State Supreme Court Archives, Walton v. Withinton (1842), p. 1.

10. Missouri State Supreme Court Archives, Walton v. Withinton (1842), p. 20.

11. Missouri State Supreme Court Archives, Walton v. Withinton (1842), p. 36.

12. St. Louis Probate Court case #01373.

13. Missouri State Supreme Court Archives, Walton v. Withinton (1842), p. 15.

14. Missouri State Supreme Court Archives, Walton v. Withinton (1842), p. 18.