February 2, 2009

Huffman's of Wayne County, OH

I have had several 'hunches' that my William Huffman is a brother of several of the Huffman's in Clinton township, Wayne County, OH, specifically, Nathaniel Huffman and Christopher Huffman. All were born in New Jersey, with Christopher born 1816 and William born about 1812.  

Nathaniel Huffman:
m. Mary Unknown
had son Levi Huffman born in 1830, Hunterdon, NJ.  
Moved to Wayne County, OH, then to Henry County, OH, where Nathaniel died. Levi moved back to Wayne and eventually to Porter County, Indiana. He had a son Levi Randall Huffman, who married Nellie Hannah Edwards. 

Christopher Huffman married Elizabeth Unknown and was married in NJ. Christopher was born about 1816. Christopher and Elizabeth had 11 children, moving to Wayne County Ohio, then to several counties in Indiana and then finally to Porter County, IN. One of Christopher's children (presumably) is living with William Huffman's family in Porter County, IN in 1880. Christopher died in Porter County, OH. His burial site is not known. 

William Huffman married Mary Kirkoff/Carcuf and was born about 1812 in New Jersey. They had four children: Jane Elizabeth, Maria Louisa, Oliver Huffman and Roxanna. William died in 1842 with the will in probate. His children all located to Porter County, Indiana as noted in previous posts and is my line that I am interested in.

I have no information on the parents of William Huffman, nor do I know where he was born. But, because of the migration patterns of the two other Huffman patterns, it makes no sense that the families are not related. I simply refuse to believe that they are not related. Perhaps this is naive, but it's just too coincidental. 

I have a descendants of John Huffman, born 1732, died July 2, 1801 sheet listing a William Hoffman with 9 children: 
Elenenor Hoffman b. 9-8-1804
Catherine Hoffman m. John Tway
Elisabeth Hoffman m. William Bowman
John Hoffman 
George Hoffman m. Bowman
Ann Hoffman m. Jacob Corson
William Hoffman
Christopher Hoffman
Mary Hoffman

Unfortunately, this family sheet does not list a Nathaniel Ho/uffman. 

A DNA test would be the simplest, unfortunately, the male Huffmans of my William are limited and most moved away from Porter County, IN. At best, there are only five that I can trace around the 1900s.