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JOHN FORREST 1760-1829

The earliest of our Forrest ancestors discovered to date is JOHN FORREST who was born about 1760 although that date is far from verified. On the 1820 Census his age is given only as over 45. If he was as young as 18 when his first child was born, he could have been born as late as circa 1764. He, of course, could have been born much earlier.

John's birthplace has been given as both Virginia and Pennsylvania. The death certificate of one John's daughters refers to "John Forrest of PA" but John's sons John Jackson and David gave his birthplace as VA on the 1880 census.

Although we do not know where John was born or specifically where he lived prior to moving to Ohio, he does appear to have lived in Virginia where his first son, James, was born in about 1782. Also, in 1806 John marries his second wife Rosina Carpenter in Randolph Co, in what is now W. Va. Rosina was a daughter of Jeremiah Carpenter.

We know that John left Virginia in the early 1800s and was in Gallia County, Ohio in 1803. Gallia was the predecessor county of Meigs County, where John spends the rest of his life and raises his family of ten children. A history of Meigs County lists John and his eldest son James as early settlers of this part of Ohio.

John appears on 1812 and 1819 Meigs Tax Lists. In 1819, he was the owner of three horses, four cattle, with a tax bill of $1.30.

The earliest census record found for John is the 1820 U.S. Census. In that year, he is living in the Scipio area of Meigs County. Seven children are living at home: two boys and one girl between the ages of 10 and 16 and one boy and three girls between the ages of 1 and 10. Son James is living nearby in the township of Rutland.

JOHN FORREST may have had more than one wife. His first wife, whose name is unknown, was probably the mother of JAMES FORREST who was born in 1782 in Virginia (see for more info on James). Although a Meigs Co slander suit mentions a SERIAH and a history of Meigs County lists JOHN and AWZINA FORREST as a pioneer family, both Seriah and Awzina most likely are mispellings of "ROSINA" CARPENTER whom John married in 18XX, and was his last.

On 12 May 1826 JOHN FORREST purchased from WILLARD PEELE, JOHN DABNEY, and ABIGAIL MASON DABNEY, 160 acres of land located in the northeast quarter of section 32, township 7, range 14 in Meigs County. He paid $ for the 160 acres.

John's children were: from his first wife whose name is unknown, James (born 1782); from his second ROSINA CARPENTER: Thomas (born 1800-1810); Elizabeth (born 1804-1808); Eliza (born 1811); Mary (born 1819); Sally (born before 1817); David (born 1815); John Jackson (born 1825); Maria (born 1825); and Marinda (born 1827).

John died without a will on 19 December 1829. In the settlement of his estate, his wife ROSINA and SAMUEL DOWNING were made administrators.

John's last wife, Rosina, married LEONARD COOPER on 10 February 1831 and in 1836, ROSINA and LEONARD COOPER went to court for a partition of the land owned by JOHN FORREST.

In October 1833, Samuel Halliday was appointed guardian to David Forrest, Maria Forrest, John Forrest, and Marinda Forrest, minor heirs at law of John Forrest, deceased. In April 1836, Samuel Halliday appeared before the Court and made the following statement for his minor heirs: "[Defendants said] that the whole amount of the purchase money paid for the land [purchased from Gray] was part and parcel of the personal estate of John Forrest, deceased. These defendants aver that Leonard Cooper took the property of said estate to the amount of which...Cooper paid over to Gray for land. These defendants further state that said Cooper disposed of a large lot of hogs, the property of said estate of Forrest with which he purchased acres of land. All the horses, which were left upon the farm were disposed of by Cooper and the proceeds put into land. These defendants believe the hogs and horses and cattle were worth . The remainder of the stock not disposed of by him was driven from the farm of said Forrest and put into the possession of his son. The proceeds of the whole farm have annually been all disposed of by said Cooper, he refusing to allow these defendants as much flour as would make a single cake. These defendants state that while laboring hard they have been compelled to buy corn for bread with their own money that was raised by a tenant put upon their father's estate by said Cooper. These defendants further state that property left them by their father John Forrest to a large amount has been wasted some of which was never inventoried. These defendants would humbly submit to the court whether the said Leonard Cooper by taking the personal property of [the] defendants and converting it into real has acquired such a title as the court will sanction. These defendants humbly pray that whatever the court may see proper to do in the premises they will in all respects protect the rights and interests of these defendants."

In May 1836 each of the children received about 10 acres; Rosina received 53 and her husband Leonard Cooper 32.

The argument over the distribution of this land would be repeated in 1900 when the heirs of Maria Forrest Casey, a daughter of John Forrest, filed a land partition case in Meigs Co. versus the heirs of David Forrest, Eliza Forrest Ogden, Elizabeth Forrest Stidgers, John Forrest, Jr., and Mary Brown, daughter of John Forrest, Sr. In the same year it was divided between all parties.

Rosina's husband, Leonard Cooper died in 1836-1837 and she married her third husband, JOHN GILPIN, 4 July 1843. In 1850, Rosina is living in Meigs Co. with her husband, son John Forrest, and daughter Marinda.

John's children, with one exception, remained in Meigs Co. The obituary of John's daugher MARY ELIZABETH FORREST ELLISON states that she was "the last survivor of a pioneer family of eleven children, nearly all of whom lived to a ripe old age."

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