Joseph W. WHAM
Joseph W. Wham (William, Benjamin) was born 30 Aug 1804 in Chester County, South Carolina and died 11 Sept 1858 in Marion County, Illinois. He is buried in Wham Hill Cemetery. Joseph experienced considerable in his short life and was an interesting individual.
In 1819, when Joseph was sixteen years old the family moved from South Carolina to Lincoln County, Tennessee. The move of William Wham and his family with other Covenanters was precipitated by the increased use of slaves in South Carolina. The Covenanter Presbyterian Church had strong opposition to slavery. The bitter split between slave owners and non-slave owners in South Carolina pitted neighbor against neighbor, a condition that was untenable.
Joseph had to leave his sweetheart, Isabella McMillan, and family tradition says that his father, William, slept by his side to keep him from slipping away and returning to South Carolina to his sweetheart. He eventually returned to take Isabella as his bride in 1822. Isabella was born about 1805 in South Carolina. She died 24 Nov 1829 in Lincoln County, Tennessee leaving Joseph with four small children to take care of.
The parents of Isabella are probably William McMillan and Jane Walker who lived and died at Land’s Ford, Chester County, South Carolina. They were married in Ireland about 1788. William was born in London, England to John McMillan. Jane Walker was born in Ireland about 1762 to Robert Walker and Jane Moron, who were married in Belfast, Antrim, Ireland about 1758.
Joseph W. Wham and Isabella McMillan named their first child, William, for her father and his father; their second child, John, for her grandfather on her fathers side or more likely for his uncle, John McNinch Wham, who drowned in Cane Creek; their third child, Robert, for her grandfather on her mother’s side and their fourth child Benjamin for his grandfather. I have often wondered what the “W” in John W. McNinch Wham, my great grandfather, stood for and I now suspect it to be “Walker”. The “Martin” in William Martin McMillan Wham is probably a tribute to the Rev. Martin who organized and led five ship loads of Covenanters from Ireland to South Carolina.
The children born to Joseph and Isabella Wham are as follows:
William Martin McMillan Wham was born 24 Feb 1823 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. He died in 1889 in Marion County, Illinois. He married Elizabeth Hicks on 28 Feb 1845 in Marion County, Illinois. She died 16 Sept 1845. She is buried in Fulton Cemetery in Marion County. He married Mrs. Sarah (Evans) Harmon on 2 Aug 1848. Sarah was born 21 Mar 1819 in Tennessee and died in 1922 in Marion County. Both William and Sarah are buried in Bell Cemetery in Marion County. No children from his first marriage and eleven from the second.
John W. McNinch Wham was born 22 April 1826 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. He died in 1870 and is buried in Wham Hill Cemetery. He married Elizabeth M. Wilson in Lincoln County, Tennessee on 24 Aug 1847. She was born in Tennessee and died in either Arkansas or Oregon, date unknown. There were seven children from this union. He married Mary Jane Humphrey on 7 Aug 1851 in Jefferson County, Illinois. She died in 1872 in Marion County. Her burial site is unknown. The 1870 Illinois Census has a Francis Humphrey, male, farm worker living with Mary Jane Humphrey Wham after the death of her husband. There were eight children born to this union and six lived to adulthood. John W. McNinch Wham and Mary Jane Humphrey are our direct lineage.
Robert McMillan Wham was born 2 Sept 1827 in Lincoln County, Tennessee and died on 10 Jan 1905 in Marion County. He married Margaret Lydia Dodson in Jefferson County, Illinois on 12 Sept 1850. Margaret was born 2 Nov 1829 and died 11 Mar 1905. They had ten children. Both are buried in Wham Hill Cemetery. They raised my grandfather, Franklin L. Wham after the death of his parents.
Benjamin Alexander Wham was born 1828 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. He died in 1848 in Marion County, Illinois and is buried in Wham Hill Cemetery. He never married. His death was a result of disease he contacted in the Mexican War.
In 1835, Joseph W. Wham and his family moved to Marion County, Illinois with others after the death of his father, William and his wife, Isabella. Slavery was again raising its ugly head and this time it was in Tennessee. The trip to Illinois was accomplished by loading wagons built by Joseph with all their goods and chattel. The wagons were pulled by two yokes of oxen. Joseph’s father, William,
was a wheelwright by profession and taught his son well. All able bodied adults and children walked. Isabella McNinch Wham (Granny Wham) Joseph’s mother rode in her horse drawn buggy.
Joseph purchased considerable land in his name, as well as in his four son’s names.
In 1832, Joseph married Margaret C. Faris in Marion County, Illinois. Margaret was born on 15 Jul 1806 and died 24 Jul 1842. Joseph Wham surveyed and established Wham Hill Cemetery in 1841 and Margaret was the first to be buried in it. There were two children born to this union.
Isabella Jane Wham was born in 1838 and died 25 May 1925 in Marion County. She married John Cannon Storment on 19 Mar 1857. He was born 16 Feb 1837 and died 14 Apr 1891. They are buried in Wham Hill Cemetery. Seven children were born to this union.
Joseph Washington Wham was born 18 Jan 1840 in Marion County, Illinois and died 21 Dec 1908 in Washington D.C.. He was named after his father and George Washington. Joseph had an interesting career in the military during the Civil War and after as a pay master for the Army. A letter summarizing his accomplishments is attached. He married Mollie Smith. She was born 30 Jan 1846 in Greenville, Illinois to William Smith and Amanda Hall and died 5 Dec 1920 in St. Louis where her daughter lived. She was buried in Greenville, Illinois. Joseph is buried in Wham Hill Cemetery. One child was born to this union.
Joseph Wham married Elizabeth Shelton Luttrell in 1843. She was born in 1812 in Tennessee. Her parents are probably Michael Luttrell Jr. And Susanna Ann Shelton who were married in 1807 in Virginia. The 1840 Illinois census has Elizabeth Shelton Luttrell living in Michael and Susanna’s home. Michael Luttrell Jr. was born in Oct 1750/51 in Fauquier County, Virginia and died on 19 Dec 1844 in Marion County, Illinois. Susanna Ann Shelton was born about 1766 in Virginia. The date of Elizabeth’s death and place of her burial are unknown. Two children were born to the union of Joseph and Elizabeth Wham.
Michael Luttrell Jr. was reported to be a veteran of the Revolutionary War. I wonder, if he had any influence on the naming of his daughter’s children? Benjamin Franklin, General Gilbert Mottier Lafayette, Major General John Baron DeKalb, and Thomas Jefferson were all heroes of the Revolutionary War. The two children are as follows:
Franklin Lafayette Wham was born about 1843 in Marion County, Illinois. He never married. He died in Andersonville Prison during the Civil War on 24 Jul 1864. My grandfather, Franklin Lafayette Wham was named after this gentleman. Jefferson Dekalb Wham was born in 1844 in Marion County and died in 1846.
Joseph W. Wham married Nancy Ann Ray about 1851 in Marion County. Nancy was born in Illinois on 3 Nov 1822 and died on 21 Oct 1872 in Marion County. She is buried in Wham Hill Cemetery. The following three children were born to this union:
Thomas Jefferson Ray Wham was born on 21 Aug 1852 in Marion County and died 9 Jan 1926 in Marion County. Sarah Rachel Evangeline Wham was born about 1853 and died in about 1864 in Marion County. Hardin Shields Wham was born about 1854 and died about 1857 in Marion County.
When the Mexican War came along the 1st Division of the Illinois Sixth Regiment, Companies C and E was organized in May 1847. Joseph W. Wham resigned his position of Justice of the Peace in Marion County to get involved in the war. Some familiar names from Marion County were posted on the roster: Sergeant Joseph Wham, Corporal James Gaston, Private Augustus Beasley, Private William Beasley( Beasley family later married into the Sperry family), Private Samuel Rainey, Private Andrew Ray, Private Jesse Ray( Joseph’s four wife was from the Ray Family), Private John Wham, Private Robert Wham. Benjamin Wham was not listed on the Marion County roster, but we known he went because he later died from a disease he picked up in the war. All marched to New Mexico.
A family story has Joseph W. Wham and his four oldest sons walking the 80 miles to St Louis to volunteer for service in the Mexican War. The oldest son, Martin, was lame and the Army refused to accept him, so he walked the 80 miles back home. Joseph and his three sons marched with their regiment, from St Louis, Missouri to Albuquerque, New Mexico, a distance of over 2000 miles in two months and tree days.