About Israel and Margaret Seward's Children

Israel and Margaret Seward had 11 children between 1818 and 1843, 8 boys and 3 girls.  10 of them reached adulthood.   All were born at the Seward homestead near Butler except their first child, William, who was born in Ohio.   5 stayed in the Butler/Hillsboro area of Illinois and 5 eventually moved elsewhere.  My research on the Seward children has not been exhaustive but here is a quick summary of what I've uncovered (in date-of-birth order):

William A. Seward (1818- 1888) - William was born in Ohio 15 months before Israel and Margaret settled in what what is now the Butler/Hillsboro area of Illinois.  As a young man he carried mail for four years on horseback from Hillsboro to Jacksonville, IL.   He stayed in the area and owned land which he farmed adjacent to the future town of Butler (the land likely given to him by his father).  Some of his land he deeded to the town of Butler when it was formally established in about 1856.  He later deeded more land to Butler in 1865 and 1867.   In 1841 he married Susan Fuller and they had 7 children.    In 1858 he "made a profession of religion and united with the Presbyterian Church of Butler" where he was ordained a Deacon of the church.  About 1865 he was elected and ordained a ruling elder.  My information shows he passed away in 1888 in Tucumseh, Johnson Co., Nebraska.  How he came to be in Nebraska is not known as he is believed to have spent most of his life in and around Butler/Hillsboro, IL.

George Carson Seward (1821-1897) -  George is credited with being the first "white child" born in what is now Butler Grove Township.   Like his older brother William, George stayed in the area living on and farming land near his brother and father.  Also like his older brother he for a time carried mail in the area as a young man and later also deeded land to the town of Butler when it was formally organized in 1856.  George married twice.  First to Harriet Casey in 1844 and then, after her death, to Unity Jane Phillips in 1848.   His first marriage produces 1 child and his second 7 children.  He died on his farm near Butler.

Charles Orville Seward (1822-1901) -  Charles married twice.  First to Margaret McCallie in 1847 and then to Jane Ellen Osborn in 1850 after his first wife passed away in 1848.  Charles had one child with his first wife and 8 with his second.  1850 census records show that Charles and his second wife were living at the time with his mother, Margaret Seward, at the original Seward homestead near Butler.  At the time his father, Israel, was in California for the Gold-Rush.   Charles apparently spent 4 years as a surveyor near Butler/Hillsboro and then, in 1858, moved his family to Minnesota where he was employed by the U.S. government as a surveyor and lived and worked on a farm he purchased.  He passed away in 1901 in Dakota Co., Minnesota where he is buried with his second wife.  There is a reference in a booklet written on the occasion of the death of his sister Mary to him having lived in  Farmington, Minn.

Henry Starr Seward (1824-1894) -  In 1851 Henry married Margaret Leveque.  I've uncovered nothing else about him except a suggestion that he may have headed to New Orleans.   A booklet written on the occasion of the death of his sister Mary indicates that he had lived in Los Angeles, Calif.

Mary Margaret Caroline Seward (1827-1923)  -  Mary, my great great grandmother, married Mathew Coudy in 1848 and the couple soon moved to St. Louis where they would spend the rest of their lives.   Mary outlived all of her siblings.  (See the accompanying biography of Mathew and Mary Coudy.)

Sarah Maria Seward (1829 - ?)  -  Sarah apparently died in infancy or early childhood.

Clarence Slayback Seward (1831-1916) -  Little is known about Clarence except that he is shown in the 1850 census as being with his father, Israel, in California for the Gold Rush and that he married Sarah C. Vroman in 1862 back in Montgomery County, IL.   They had at least 4 children (2 of whom are known to have died in infancy).   In 1874 Clarence is shown as owning land near that of his deceased father and brothers William and George.   Since Clarence and his wife are buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Hillsboro, IL it is probably safe to assume that he spent much of his life in the Butler/Hillsboro area though there is a reference in a booklet written on the occasion of the death of his sister Mary which indicates that he lived in Hoopeston, IL which is north-east of Butler/Hillsboro near the Indiana boarder.

Capt. James Glenn Seward (1834-1864) -  James died while serving in the Union army during the Civil War.  He likely never saw combat and died the day before his unit was mustered out in September of 1864, likely from disease.   Records show that he enlisted twice.  First as a "2nd Lieutenant, Co. C, 70th Illinois Infantry.  Organized at Camp Butler (Springfield) and mustered in July 4, 1862, for three months.  Assigned to guard duty at Camp Butler, IL, till October.  Mustered out October 23, 1862".   Then he again enlisted as "Captain of Co. H, 143rd Illinois Infantry.  Organized at Mattoon, IL, and mustered in for 100 days June 11, 1864.   Moved to Memphis, TN, June 16-19. Attached to 3rd Brigade, Memphis, TN, District of West Tennessee.  Transferred to 3rd Brigade July 12. Duty at Memphis, TN, till July 27.   Moved to Helena, AR, District of Eastern Arkansas, July 27-28, and duty there till September 10.   Mustered out September 26, 1864.   Regiment lost by disease during service: 55."  James died September 25, one day before his unit was mustered out (disbanded).  He is buried with his parents in the Oak Grove Cemetery, Hillsboro, IL.

Francis H. Seward (1836 - ?) -  Almost nothing is know about Frank except that he is shown as marrying Margaret Van Zant.   There is a reference in a booklet written on the occasion of the death of his sister Mary which indicates that he lived in Denver, CO.

Cornelia Louise Seward (1840-1916) -  Records show that Cornelia married Alexander Coudy on December 28, 1858 in Montgomery County (probably Butler or Hillsboro).   Alexander Coudy (abt. 1823-1864) was a nephew of Mathew Coudy who had married Cornelia's 13 year older sister Mary Margaret Caroline Seward in 1848.  Cornelia's first marriage was short lived as Alexander passed away in Dec. of 1864 and the couple apparently had no children.  Cornelia next married John Henry McGowan in 1866 and had at least 4 children.  1870 census records shows the family still in the Butler/Hillsboro area.  There is a reference in a booklet written on the occasion of the death of her sister Mary which indicates that she lived in Pana, IL (not far from Hillsboro).   She is shown as dying in Pana, Christian Co., Illinois in 1916 and it is not known when she moved to Pena from Butler/Hillsboro.  Her husband passed away in Butler in 1879 and she may have died in 1916 at the home of one of her children after having lived there for some time.

Edward W. Seward (1843 - 1922) -   Little is know about Edward except that that he married Mary Holderness and had at least one child.  There is a reference in a booklet written on the occasion of the death of his sister Mary which indicates that he lived in St. Louis, MO.   Seward researcher Jim Kuttler has indicated that Edward appears in the 1880 census in Galveston, TX, that he was apparently a music dealer, and that he is buried in Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, MO.