GREETINGS

Written in the 90s in Carrollton, GA excerpted from the

McCumsey Family Footprints and Ancestor Antics Newsletter

Greetings!
 For many years now, I have been researching the McCumsey family, waiting until I knew everything there was to know about the surname McCumsey before I began to publish information. To my dismay, the farther back in time that I went, the more difficult it became to trace the families.
Due to inaccurate spellings and the census takers writing what they "heard" (phonetic spellings), I have found the name McCumsey also was McComsey, McCumpsey, McCumsie, McComsie, McCumeskey, McCompsey, and McCumisky etc. So, really, none of us really know at this point what the original name was.
The earliest McCumsey ancestor I have found was a John McComsey from Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. He had a son named John and in that family the name was McComsey and McCumsey in the same records. Administration of elder John's estate had the name spelled one way and in the son's estate, the name was spelled the other way.
I, like Robert S. (Bob) McComsey, of New York, believe John McComsey to be the father of the McComsey/McCumsey line. His wife, Mary, could neither read nor write. She did use her mark (x) on signing official documents. When her husband John died in 1758, she turned the estate over to her son John for administering. Without a will, it is very difficult to trace family members.
In the 1770s and during the Revolutionary War, there were several McCumsey men. Some took the Oath of Allegience according to records. Others were just shown as serving and with whom. They were John McCumsey, 1778, Alexander McCumpsey, 1778, and Robert McCumsy, 1780.
I also have a record of a Robert McComsey who married a Catherine Wimmer on May 18, 1795 in Frederick County, MD.
I believe that the original John McComsey/McCumsey had several sons: John,Alexander, Robert,William and Thomas and perhaps Samuel.
In the 1790 Census of Strasbourgh Twp, Lancaster Col, PA, there are several McCumsey members: Thomas McChumsie, Samuel McCumsie and Robert McCumsie.
As I continue to research the McCumsey/McComsey surname, I am able to match parents, grandparents etc. in many cases, and the  picture becomes clearer. In any event, it seems that the family that stayed behind in the Pennsylvania area kept the surname McComsey and the family that moved west kept the surname McCumsey.
Since, at this point in my research, I can honestly say that I can't yet connect the relationship between some of the earliest McComsey/McCumsey members from the early 1700s. I can say that I have compiled an abundance of information on the descendents of Robert McCumsey who was born about 1756. I cannot confirm his parents, however. I do know that he is believed to have had a sister Margaret. This may help us locate the parents.
I did find some information that the estate of Thomas McCumseh in Franklin County, PA was in 1816. Book p. 288, Est. 1425. Admin. Robert McCumseh. Letters May 27, 1816.
The Robert McCumsey from whom I descend left the Lancaster, PA area and moved to Ohio shortly after 1828. His son Thomas (and perhaps a son, Alexander and William) were already living in Ohio in 1828.
In 1824, taxpayers in St. Mary's Twp, Auglaize County, OH included Charles McCumsey. In 1830 taxpayers were: Thomas McCumsey and William McCumsey.
Thomas McCumsey (b. 17 August 1787 d. 19 October 1852) was my third great grandfather. I have not confirmed all his brothers and sisters, but I believe them to be: Robert, Alexander, John and perhaps William and Samuel. I do know that Thomas was married at least two times. His second wife was Phebe (Phoebe) Wildy (Wilde). Some say it was Wiley. She was my 3rd great grandmother. They are buried in Elkhart County, IN. Thomas and Phebe had several sons and one daughter. They were in order of birth: William (b.1824), Lucas (b.1826), Robert (b. 1828), Richard (b. 1832), Abraham (b. 1834), Isaac, (b. 1837), Rachel(b. 1839), Benjamin (b. 1842), and John (b. 1845).
By his first marriage, I believe that Thomas had Charles, Susan and Betsy (Elizabeth). This is not entirely confirmed. Charles was remembered by one of the famly members who moved west and later located in Oregon.
It is my intent to find the descendents of each of the sons of Thomas. So far, I have found descendents of Wiliam, Robert (my line), Richard, Benjamin and John. I intend also to locate the brothers and sisters of Thomas (my third great grandfather).
The research continues. I would like to enlist the help of family historians for each line, so I need volunteers. As I research, I find family members in most every state and some in Canada.
The McCumsey/McComsey family women also have much to offer in researching the family...maybe even more than the men. We need to llocate them, so we can add their surnames to our files!!
If each of you would please take some time and update your family line that would help all of us. It would be a great blessing!
The Lord knew far in advance whom He would make members of this great family...whether we wanted to be born into this family or not, we were, and HE knows best. As for those who married into our family....welcome! Some of our new additions are the best historians.
Among the family ancestors and members today you will find engineers, railroad men, school teachers, farmers, printers, newspaper people, publishers, Sunday School teachers, carpenters, stone masons, gardeners, doctors, housewives, ministers, real estate agents....and more!
Come join us! I'd like to get a Family Historian from each state, too!...minimum...
 To our future generations: Perhaps by providing you with the footprints of your past, you will lay the foundation for the future by giving our children and grandchildren their heritage, values and memories!
 God bless!
 Judith McCumsey Miller

GENEALOGIES MOST WANTED

  The elusive McCumsey family has been found in PA and OH in the 1700s and early 1800s. I have found them also in the state of KY as early as 1788. Fayette and Jefferson County,  Kentucky were  formed out of Kentucky County, VA  in 1780. Woodford County came out of Fayette in 1788 and Shelby came out of Jefferson in 1792. In 1788, there was a John McCumsey signing a petition to divide Fayette Co.; in 1790 an appraisement and inventory of Robert McCumsey was given from “Will book of Woodford County”. The 1800 census of Woodford County gives both a John and William McCumsey. The 1810 census gives a William McCumsey in Shelby County. The 1820 census gives a William McCumsey in Jefferson Co.., none in Shelby Co, or Woodford. In 1830 and 1840 a William McCumsey in Jefferson Co. None listed in 1850 So one could surmise that the McCumsey families from KY either died or migrated elsewhere. Does anyone know, or would someone like to volunteer to follow up on this?

FAMILY FOOTPRINTS IN MANY STATES

New Jersey

Middlesex County Gravestones – Osage Cemetery

McCumsey, Arthur M. See William McCumsey

McCumsey, John, “Co. I 74 Regt. Ind. Inf.,” 1845-1914; wife Sarah Waggoner, 1847-1919

McCumsey,William, 1889-1963; wife, Sarah, 1891-1963; son Arthur M., 1915-1968;    dau. Viola N. Burrows, 1911-1981. In same plot with Hohn McCumsey and wife.

McCumsey, Viola N. See Viola N. Burrows

Burrows, Viola N., dau. Of William and Sarah McCumsey, 1911-1981. In John McCumsey plot

Maryland

Maryland Marriages 1778-1800

McComsey, Robert, 18 April 1785, Cath. Warner  2-FR-1151

Pennsylvania

Lancaster County Cemetery Search:

Brackvill and Neff Graveyard: Strasburg Twp., Lancaster County, PA

McCumsey, Major b. March 5, 1765 d. July 17, 1836 aged 71-4-11 A Revolutionary Soldier

Silver Springs Cemetery: West Hempfield Twp. Lancaster Co., PA

George W. McCumsey, 1872-1943, wife Ida, 1874- ____

Mellinger Mennonite Cemetery – East Lampeter Twp., Lancaster Co. PA

Sarah M. McComsey 1899-January 26, 1966

Quarryville Cemetery – Eden Twp, Lancaster C., PA

William J. McComsey  b. 1865 d. 1937 wife Lily Smythe b. 1870 d. 1939

Harry S. McComsey, Jr. 1919-1950 Infants Glen R. 1947, Karl D. 1949

Charles H. McComsey, 1888-1954, wife, Elsie E. 1894-___

Howard McComsey  1862-1946, wife, Anna B. Stoner 1867-1937

Joseph G. McComsey, 1876-1960, wife, Susan, 1873-1962

Claude M. Armstrong, 1913-1959, wife, Ella M. McComsey, 1914- ____

F. B. Mccomsey, 1873-1959, wife, Katie W. White, 1875-1943

Sanders P. McComsey, 1893-1955, wife, Sara J. Thomas, 1892-1962

J. Thomas McComsey, 5-21-1870 – 10-20-1961, wife, M. Margaret, 12-26-1869 –

2-9-1932

S. Anna D. McComsey , 8-02-1871 – 1-31-1941

Harry S. McComsey, 11-3-1864 – 1-11-1910 “Flag”, wife, Janetta (Bowman), 2-28-1875 – 6-1-1906

Sidwell S. McComsey, 1896-1961, wife, Emily N. Tollinger, 1902 - ____

Freddy S. McComsey, 1924-1960 Co. A 310^th Sig. BN., Children: Violet M. McComsey, 1915-1919, Mildred J. Mccomsey, 1926-1927

James R. McComsey, 1832-1909 C o. H. 152^nd Reg. Pa Vol., wife, Elizabeth A. 1833-1912, children, Ollie J., 1881-1907, James S., 1863-1895, erected by L. And T. McComsey

Martin C. Eshleman, WWI (no dates), wife, Violet McComsey (no dates) on reverse side of stone – Eckmans

James M. McComsey, 2-26-1890 – 1-7-1940, wife, Wynona J. , 4-5-1894 - _______

Daughter, Beryl, 1915-1915

Robert J. McComsey, 7-15-1914 – 11-18-1951, Lt. Col, U. S. Air Force – He led the U.S. Army Air Corps Fighter – Squadron on the liberation of the Phillipines, 9^th Fighter Squadron – 49^th Fighter Group, Landed and operated P 38^th Legte P. I.  Oct. 1944

Frank McComsey, 1857-1943, wife Evannah, 1860-1897, son Leander, 1893-1915

Elmer McComsey, 1866-1945, wife, S. Margaret, 1869-1912, children: Paul A., 1897-1918. Ethel E. Janney , 1899-1957

Edgar A. McComsey, 1891-1942, wife, P. Ethyl, 1896 ____, daughter, Virginia E., 1925-1933

Sanders M. McComsey, 1859-1932 ,wife, Susan A., 1851-1927, son Daniel E., 1888-1918 Co. M 316 Inf. , 79^th  Div. Killed in action in Argonne Offensive 9-28-1918

MCCUMSEY FAMILY PICTURES



Top row from left to right: Robert W. McCumsey, Sr. and Dennis McCumsey (deceased)

 Next row: Virgil McCumsey (deceased) , Donald McCumsey (deceased) , Geneva McCumsey  (Ryerson) (deceased) , Florence Lewis McCumsey, (deceased) Darlene McCumsey (Neitzel) (deceased) and Raymond McCumsey



Top row from left to right: Patricia McCumsey (Price) in the arms of  her mother, Betty Taylor McCumsey (deceased); Robert W. McCumsey Sr.; Kenneth McCumsey in the arms of his father, Ralph McCumsey (deceased)  Next row on left: Robert W. McCumsey, Jr.;  Judith McCumsey (Miller); Reva McCumsey (Vandenboss); Sandra McCumsey (Swanson) (deceased) ; Donna McCumsey (Howard) ; Della McCumsey (deceased); Florence McCumsey (our grandmother) (deceased)

 Front row: Barbara McCumsey (Ballenger); Kathleen McCumsey (Howe); Pamela McCumsey (Simmons); and Linda McCumsey (Ryan)

LIFE IN THE 1500s

                    

                Baths equaled a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the

 house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and

 men, then the women and finally the children, last of all the babies.

By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.

Hence, the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

                Houses had thatched roofs. Thick straw piled high, with no wood

 underneath.  It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the pets,

dogs, cats and other small animals, mice rats, bugs – lived in the roof.

When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip

 and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, “ It’s raining cats and dogs outside.”

Also, there was nothing to stop them from falling into the house. This

posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings

 could really mess up your nice clean bed. So they found if they made beds

with big posts and hung a sheet over the top, it addressed that problem.

Hence, those big beautiful 4 poster beds with canopies.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt;

 hence the saying “dirt poor”. The wealthy had slate floors, which would

get slippery in the winter when wet. So they spread thresh on the floors

 to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding

more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping

outside. A piece of wood was placed at the entry w ay, hence a “thresh-hold.”

They cooked in the kitchen in a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every

Day, they lit a the fire and added things to the pot. They mostly ate vegetables

 and didn’t get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner leaving leftovers

 in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometime the stew

had food in it that had been there for a month. Hence, the rhyme: peas porridge

hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot, nine days old.”

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused

some of the lead to leach onto the food. This happened most often with tomatoes,

 so they stopped eating tomatoes….for 400 years. Most people didn’t have pewter

 plates, but had trenchers…a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl.

 Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms got into the wood.

After eating off wormy trenchers, they would get “trench mouth.”

England is old and small and they started running out of places to bury people.

 So, they would dig up coffins and would take their bones to a house and reuse the

grave. In reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch

marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they

thought they would tie a string on their wrist and lead it through the coffin and up

 through the ground and tie it to a bell.  Someone would have to sit out in the

graveyard all night and listen for the bell. Hence, on the “graveyard shift” they

would know that someone was “saved by the bell” or he was a “dead ringer.”

ROBERT LEROY MCCUMSEY AT SURPRISE PART AT THE WILSON'S



Robert Leroy McCumsey (my grandfather) is the person in the top row on the extreme right side. Florence Lewis McCumsey, my grandmother is just to his right side below him. She is wearing glasses.
This photo was taken at a Surprise Party at their good friends, The Wilsons.



MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE

Robert Woodrow McCumsey, Sr. and Betty Jane (Taylor) McCumsey
Judith Ann McCumsey, Robert Woodrow McCumsey, Jr., Barbara Jean McCumsey and Sandra Lee McCumsey
first four children of Robert and Betty

I started this journey of family research in the early 1970s, long before the internet was a reality. In time, I came to rely on the Internet in my own genealogy and indeed a lot of research was already done for me. I received invaluable help from many family members who were also researching the family.

Many of you have helped me both financially and emotionally with my work, and I thank you all. Members of the McCumsey, McComsey and McCumpsey families were all subscribers to the newsletter that Dick and I started when we lived in GA. "McCumsey Family Footprints and Ancestor Antics" was the name of the newsletter and it was sent to all parts of the United States.  To all who joined me in that endeavor, I thank you. I so much appreciated the opportunity to get to know you.

My goals were to trace the McCumsey family back to the immigrant ancestor from Europe and then take it farther and discover the life they had in Scotland or Ireland. It is my prayer that each of you will continue to love and honour our family enough to pass the torch on to future generations. Perhaps we can leave our footprints deeply enough so that they will have a path to follow. That is why we have founded "McCumsey Family Footprints and Ancestors Group" on Facebook. May it always be a guiding light to follow and may God always lead the way.

Now, I would like to continue this journey with this blog to update what is happening in the family and any new news that any of us may find newsworthy. After all, it takes all of us, working together, to keep this all on track.

God bless you all!

Judith McCumsey Miller