William J. Pugh [Parents] was born ^{1, 2} about 1850 in Illinois, USA. William married ³ Mary Frances Smith on 18 Dec 1873 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.

William worked as Farmer.

Youngest child.

Adopted a young child named Mary Pearl Dove, who died when only 3 months old.

Mary Frances Smith was born ¹ on 9 Feb 1852 in Tower Hill Twp, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Mary married ¹ William J. Pugh on 18 Dec 1873 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.

Thomas Pugh [Parents] was born ¹ on 16 Jan 1782 in Randolph County, North Carolina, USA. He died ² on 22 Jan 1857 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. He was buried ³ in Austin Cemetery, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Thomas married ⁴ Anna Wakefield on 29 Dec 1835 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.

Other marriages:

Hall, Beulah Ann

Another early settler was Thomas Pugh, a native of North Carolina, who when quite young moved with his parents to the state of Kentucky, where he grew up, and married and raised a family. In the spring of 1819 he moved with his family to and located near the Cold Spring settlement, not far from the residence of Simeon Wakefield. The place is now known as the Milligan farm. Mr. Pugh was a man of considerable force of character, and enterprising to a high degree. At the time of his arrival here he had a family of three children, a daughter and two sons. The daughter is now deceased; the sons, John and Robert Pugh, are at present both residents of Tower Hill township. In 1830 Thomas Pugh purchased a farm one mile north of Shelbyville, and began the improvement of the same, and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1858 or 1859. It is related by Robert Pugh that, for many years after his father came to the county, they could find the horns of the elk and buffalo lying in many places on the prairies. Game at this period was found in abundance, there being plenty of bear, wolves, panthers, wild cats, deer, wild turkeys, and numerous small game. Thomas Pugh was quite celebrated as a hunter, and was the most successful Nimrod of the settlement. The nearest mill for the pioneers was at Greenville, in Bond county. It was a horse-mill, and occasionally when Mr. Pugh went to mill he would bring home with him powder and lead, salt and such other things as the Indians needed, which he would exchange for bees' wax, dressed hides, and other trinkets. Pugh was on very friendly terms with the red men, and was much loved and respected by them for his honesty. Robert Pugh says that in the early times bears were very plentiful, and one could hardly walk into the forests without encountering bear signs. The bears and wolves destroyed much stock for the pioneer. The hunter would frequently come across deer that had been partly eaten by panthers, wild cats, and catamounts; the latter were very numerous. Mr . Robert Pugh says that he killed twelve catamounts one winter; and that often large, fat hogs would come up with several pounds of flesh eaten out of their backs, the result of attacks by bears. These hogs were in a semi-wild state and were very vicious, and when in droves would frequently drive off the bears and other wild animals.

It may be interesting in this connection to mention a little trade made by Thomas Pugh soon after he came to the settlement. He gave a cow and calf for a log-cabin, and it was used in common by the whole neighborhood for miles around; to use Mr. Robert Pugh's language, the chain was "kept hot." Implements of all kinds were very scarce among the early settlers, especially those made of iron. [The History of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois]

Anna Wakefield was born on 5 Sep 1786. She died on 24 Mar 1854 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. She was buried ¹ in Austin Cemetery, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Anna married ² Thomas Pugh on 29 Dec 1835 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.

John Pugh [Parents] was born ¹ in 1744. He died ¹ in 1820 in Christian Co, Ky. John married Elinor Fruit.

Elinor Fruit [Parents]. Elinor married John Pugh.

John Hall Sr. was born ¹ on 15 Apr 1739. He died on 25 May 1836 in Fayette County, Illinois. John married Mary Pyle in Philadelphia, Pa.

Mary Pyle was born ¹ about 1755 in Pennsylvania. She died on 12 Aug 1846 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Mary married John Hall Sr. in Philadelphia, Pa.

Robert Pugh [Parents] was born ¹ in 1816 in Kentucky. He died in 1887. He was buried ² in Methodist Hill Cemetery, Tower Hill, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Robert married Margaret Rhodes.

Robert worked as farmer.

Other marriages:

, Nancy

Margaret Rhodes was born ¹ in 1817 in Tennessee. Margaret married Robert Pugh.

Robert Pugh [Parents] was born ¹ in 1816 in Kentucky. He died in 1887. He was buried ² in Methodist Hill Cemetery, Tower Hill, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Robert married Nancy.

Robert worked as farmer.

Other marriages:

Rhodes, Margaret

Nancy was born ¹ in 1840 in Illinois, USA. Nancy married Robert Pugh.

1880 Shelby Co IL census: FATHER'S PLACE OF BIRTH Kentucky;
MOTHER'S PLACE OF BIRTH Tennessee.

John Mabry Donnel was born ^{1, 2} about 1801 in Tennessee. He died ^{3, 4} after 1864. John married Elizabeth Jernigan about 1819.

John worked as Baptist Minister.

Other marriages:

, Delilah W.

He lived in Rutherford Co, TN after his marriage to Elizabeth Jernigan.

In 1827 (or 1829) He moved to Montgomery Co, IL. Lived in Vandalia, IL. (Port & Bio Records of Montgomery and Bond Counties IL)

The 1830 census show John M and: 1 male 10-15 (William L.), 2 males 5-10 (believed to be Robert and John M Jr.), 1 male 0-5 (probably Joseph).

On 3 Jan 1839 there is a land record for John Mabry Donnel in Fayette Co., IL. Purchase from Matthew Thompson. 25 Oct 1939 land record in Fayette Co., IL for John M Donnell and Elizabeth Donnell, his wife.

1850 Fayette Co. IL census. Household #18:  p. 675; Donnell, John M 49 farmer TN; Delilah 52 NC; Cornelius 14, Thomas 12, James 10, Lucinda C 6 (All born IL). It is likely that the James Donnell (10) in this record is the Jame Williams (20) found with John Mabry Donnel and Delilah in the 1860 census. And we suspact that all four children were step-children of John Mabry Donnel who belonged to Delilah Williams.

18 November 1851 deed of John M Donnell with Delila Donnell, his wife, in Fayette Co, IL. 14 September 1852 land record for John M Donnel with Delilah Donnel, his wife, in Fayette Co, IL.

He is found as John M. Donald (age 55) with Delilah (age 60) in the 1860 Williamson Co, IL census data. With them is James Williams, age 20 - perhaps a son of Delilah.

We see him in the 1865 Illinois Census in Grassy, Williamson County. There is a female about his age in the household; I assume Delila. And they are next to James Williams, likely Delila's son.

Records and details about the life and origin of John Mabry Donnel have been difficult to find. Family lore says that he was of "Scotch-Irish" heritage with connections to 'Clan Donald'. None of this can be documented. John Mabry was said to be a 'Primitive Baptist' minister, again we have no documentation to prove this other than the word of Sarah "Lizzie" (Neil) Donnel the wife of Re. George Washington Donnel.

Ancestry DNA evidence indicates a DNA connection between John Mabry Donnel (~1801-~1865) and the descendants of William S. Donnell (1806-1872) of Rutherford County, TN.

Elizabeth Jernigan [Parents] was born ¹ about 1806 in Tennessee. She died ² about 1845 in Vandalia, Fayette County, Illinois, USA. Elizabeth married John Mabry Donnel about 1819.

Marriage to John Mabry DONNEL abt 1819 is not documented.

That Elizabeth is the daughter of Jesse JERNIGAN is also an assumption. Sarah JERNIGAN is said to have traveled to IL in an ox cart with Betsy (JERNIGAN) DONNEL in 1829. This Sarah may be the Sally mentioned in the 1816 will of Jesse JERNIGAN, Stewart Co, TN. The will also mentions daughter Elizabeth (Betsy).

Daniel Royse [Parents] ¹ was born ² in 1785/1799 in Kentucky, USA. He died ³ in 1830/1840 in Ridge Twp, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Daniel married ^{1, 3} Hannah Royse ¹ before 1823.

Daniel Royce (Rice), English, d. when three children small. Born in Rush, IN according to Betty Burchard. Born KY according to Lynn Whiteside.

Ancestry DNA "ThruLines" for Rebecca (Donnel) Vermeer indicate that Daniel Royse was the grandson of Aaron Royse (1734-1818) and, possibly, the son of Hiram Royse (born 1764). Many clues for this are seen in "Frederick Royse, 1750-1825, Revolutionary War militiaman" [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/329422-frederick-royse-1750-1825-revolutionary-war-militiaman-pa-va-wv-ky-in-pioneer].

His birth state is seen as Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania in various records. I suspect that because he died young his children did not know where he was born. Or they confused their father with their step-father, Daniel Goodwin. Further, many sources give his birth as 1785 rather than the 1799 from Lynn (Donnel) Whiteside's research.

Hannah Royse [Parents] ¹ was born ² in 1803 in Kentucky, USA. She died ³ after 1880. Hannah married ^{1, 4} Daniel Royse ¹ before 1823.

Other marriages:

Goodwin, James

DOB from Betty (DONNEL) BURCHARD. Hannah may have been the cousin of her husband Daniel ROYSE.

Birth in KY (per 1880 Shelby IL census on daughter Mary DONNEL). Hannah Goodwin, mother-in-law age 75 is found in the household of Wm L Donnel.

John H McDonald was born ¹ on 23 Jan 1848 in Ohio, USA. He died ² in May 1923 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. He was buried ³ in Helton Cemetery (Middlesworth), Shelby County, Illinois, USA. John married ^{4, 5} Elizabeth Jane Donnel ² on 30 Oct 1870 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.

In the 1880 census he lives near Thomas McDonald, age 55, perhaps his father. Also in 1880 he is near Ella (McDonald) Carpenter, Thomas' daughter and Edward McDonald, age 28, and David McDonald, age 25, both probably brothers.

In 1900 Shelby Co census he is found with children Charles, Dora, and Samuel. In 1910 he is alone and found next to son, Charles.

Elizabeth Jane Donnel [Parents] ¹ was born ² in 1843 in Illinois, USA. She died ³ in 1898 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. She was buried ¹ in Helton Cemetery (Middlesworth), Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Elizabeth married ^{4, 5} John H McDonald on 30 Oct 1870 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.

John James Himes ¹ was born ² on 30 Oct 1841 in Ohio. He died ² in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. He was buried ² in Knobbs Baptist Church Cemetery. John married ³ Mary Ann Donnel on 30 Oct 1862 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.

Mary Ann Donnel [Parents] was born ¹ on 28 Oct 1846 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. She died ² on 7 Jul 1902 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. She was buried ^{3, 4} in Jul 1902 in Knobbs Baptist Church Cemetery. Mary married ¹ John James Himes on 30 Oct 1862 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA.