The following notes were sent to me by Dana Langworthy 7, Dec 2007. I am not working on this line at the present, however, as always welcome any information regarding any Hillpot family history.
I wrote you a few years ago updating you on my Daniel Earnest line and you included my findings on Daniel Earnest on your site. I have more and very compiling evidence that proves for a FACT that George Adam Earnest and his wife Elizabeth Samuel only had 6 children not 14. I have a copy of the Orphan Court record that states upon the death of George in 1817 his children were:
- Johannas b. Apr 14, 1786 who married Catherine Fetter in 1808. My 4th GGrandparents
- Eve b. 1794 married Michael Fetter
- Elizabeth b. 1790 married Jacob Dibert
- Samuel b. 1800. 1st married Elizabeth Dibert
- Margaret “Beckie” b. 1802. Married Michael Speece
- Catharine b. June 12, 1803, the books says 1793, it’s wrong. She married Christopher Dibert.
The last three are still in their minority in 1817 when their father George died per the orphan court document. The other children mentioned in the Indian Eve book on page 49 as George and Elizabeth’s children are their GRANDCHILDREN, the sons and daughters of Johannas! J This is a big misleading mistake in the Indian Eve book. The book says that the 14 children’s names were written in the Samuel family bible in two different handwritings by two different hands and one set was under the other set divided by a line, but they could not be grandchildren, why couldn’t they be, it makes A LOT more sense and evidence proves they were indeed grandchildren. Johannas and Catherine (Fetter) were married and started having children right away as those were the times right? Well the book would lead you to believe they were married in 1808 and didn’t have their 1st child Margaret until 1820, hmm, very unlikely, and from my research their children are:
- Daniel Earnest b. Jan. 10, 1809 died 4 Oct. 1882. Lived and died in Bates Co., MO. MY 3rd GGrandfather
- Polly Earnest b. Jan. 11, 1811
- Elizabeth Earnest b. Feb. 12, 1812
- Sally Earnest b. 15 Dec. 1814
- George Earnest b. 19 Mar 1817
- Mary Earnest b. abt. 1818
- Margaret Earnest b. abt. 1820 died 7 July 1896. Married W.L. Whittaker and lived very near her brother in Bates Co., MO.
- Michael Earnest b. 17 May 1825
- Eliza Earnest b. abt. 1828
- David Earnest b. abt 1834. Also lived near and with his siblings in Bates Co., MO.
The Indian Eve book also mentions another George between Michael and David, I believe this was another mistake, this George was really the George born March 28, 1817 who married Rebecca Ripley abt. 1833 and died June 17, 1842
I will gladly snail mail you a copy of the Orphan Court record and other records that support my claim. The one bad thing about Genealogy books is that they’re wrong before they’re even printed. This is my line and it’s been wrong in the book for nearly 100 years. I have spent countless hours researching this and would love if you would update your site to include this new and correct information on the children and grandchildren of George Adam Earnest and his wife Elizabeth (Samuel). You have an amazing site and have shed light already on the huge misconception of Indian Eve’s true identity so you know how frustrating it can be when you find concrete evidence that go against what was deciphered and written by Ms. Repogle in 1909. The email you have for me is dana_langworthy@yahoo.com, that will work as well as the new below email.
P.S. It is likely that that there were 3 other children of George and Elizabeth (Samuel) Earnest who did died young and were not alive when George died, hence not on the orphan court papers as all living children would have been named in court, they were: Molly b. 5/16/1788, Elizabeth 3/17/1797 and Natrina b. 3/6/1806.