Charles Madden

~ ValarieC

I think there is enough evidence to say with certainty that Charles Madden was Elizabeth’s father. Just to recap from her biography, I was at a dead end with Elizabeth until I was contacted by a fellow researcher who is a DNA match on FTDNA.com. She provided me with some additional information, much of it I was able to confirm through independent research.

In Elizabeth and James Johnson’s 1850 household was a man named Harrison Madden. Since I had other records that indicated Elizabeth’s maiden name was either Madden, Maydine or Waydrie, I figured Harrison might be a relation of hers, most likely a brother and if so, her maiden name was Madden.

Our FTDNA.com match descends from Harrison and had located a probate record in Mercer County, Ohio that named Elizabeth Johnson as a sibling of Harrison and heir of their father Charles Madden and his wife, Sarah. The probate, 1850 Census and DNA match are the ties between Elizabeth, Harrison, and Charles.

Charles is living in Mercer County in 1830 with his family (tick marks match up with known children from the probate record). He may be the same Charles Madden living in Clark County, Ohio in 1820, just starting out his life with Sarah.

This is where online records end for Charles. The Harrison descendants have conducted additional research and have evidence for the rest of his story.

Screen capture of the Sarah (Sally Woods) Madden’s petition for administration of Charles’ estate. Filed in Mercer County and accessed from Ancestry.com, Court of Common Please, Adminisrators, Executors and Guardians Bonds, Vol A, 1824-1892.

Genealogical Summary:

Charles Madden was born between 1795 and 1804 probably in Montgomery County, Maryland likely to Benjamin Madden and Elizabeth (unk). He married Sally Woods on 9 September 1818 in Clark County, Ohio (marriage record was found). Charles died in the later months of 1834 or January 1835 (date of probate was 17 January 1835).

According to his probate file, Charles and Sarah (Sally) had the following children:

  1. Unknown boy born before 1820 (only evidence is 1820 and 1830 census).
  2. Elizabeth Madden born about 1820 probably in Clark County, Ohio. Married James F. Johnson.
  3. Benjamin Madden born about 1823 probably in Clark County, Ohio.
  4. Harrison Madden born between 1828 and 1831, probably in Mercer County, Ohio. Married 1) Catherine Holzer Kolb on 10 August 1862 in Auglaize County, Ohio and 2) Susan Spicer on 17 April 1878 in Johnson County, Kansas. He died in Douglas County, Kansas in 1880.
  5. Cynthia Madden born 3 September 1830 in Mercer County, Ohio.
  6. William Madden born 4 June 1834 in Mercer County, Ohio. He married Elizabeth Ayres on 19 November 1855 in Mercer County, Ohio. He died 14 June 1865 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Published by ValarieC