Rowley Registry
Published Local Histories

Don't Believe All You Read !

Travis, William,
A History of Clay County, Indiana,
Vol I, pg 461, 1909

Largest Landowner Died A Pauper

“When Elijah Rawley entered the land on which he built the original mill on Eel river, at the Old Hill, the patent, or title, by his direction, was executed to his little daughter by his first wife, Minerva Rawley, which, later on, involved him in much trouble, of which he had not taken any forethought. From the proceeds of his mill and a six years’ service as clerk and recorder of the county he accumulated sufficient means to make further investment in lands and in course of some years became the largest land-holder in the county. The daughter married Jordan Beauchamp, who, on learning that his wife held the title to the land on which the mill was located, demanded possession, and on refusal of Rawley to comply, brought suit to eject his father-in-law and acquire possession and control. The case was bitterly contested and kept in the courts for six years or more, the son-in-law winning and gaining possession in the end, the costs in the case, which were in excess of the value of the property involved, falling upon Rawley.  The enforcement of collections by the court necessitated the levy of executions upon other tracts of his lands and their sale “under the hammer,” his creditors also pressing their claims for legal process, until his land holdings were exhausted and he left penniless and homeless.  In his declining years Rawley became a citizen of Vigo county, where he spent his last days in the county asylum, dying there a few years prior to the Civil war.”

Rebuttal

Upon investigation by Mary Gibbens, it was found that Jordan Beauchamp is not the villain Travis made him out to be.

The first land Elijah sold in 1833 was to Edward Wurtx of Louisville, Kentucky, and the deed was signed by Elijah Rawley and Lavina Rawley. He continued to buy land—the buyer’s wife does not have to sign the deed. It was not until he sold all his rights to the house and lot in Bowling Green in a Quit Claim deed that his second wife, Elizabeth, signed the deed.  I have check with records in Jackson and Lawrence County and did not find a marriage record for Elijah but maybe he married her in North Carolina. He probably married Elizabeth in Clay County, but the marriage records burned, so unless there is a Bible record somewhere, we will never know.

I feel certain the Elijah in Owen County in 1860 is the same one who owned land in Clay County. He has two brothers, Evan and John, both of whom were in Owen County. I did not find a burial record in the Owen County Cemetery Book. I did not find Elijah in the 1820, 1830, and 1840 Indiana Census Index. He was not listed in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 Clay County Census.

In addition to the land Elijah entered from the government he also bought 555 acres plus Lot 4 in Block 13 in the town of Bowling Green. He bought his land in lots of 40 acres, 80 acres, and 120 acres. Then the roof fell in.

In the October term of 1842 in the Clay County Circuit Court, Levi Osborn recovered a judgment against Elijah of $347.20 plus $10.25 in court costs. At a Sheriff’s sale the land was put up for auction. The 120 acres interested only one bidder, Solomon Huffman, who bid $70.25. Solomon got the land and the money went to pay Levi Osborn. This was not enough so another 40 acres went up for sale. At the auction only John Williams bid on it and got the land for $91.00. This went on until Levi got his money.

Thomas Height filed a judgment in the Jackson County Court at the October term in 1820 against Elijah for $583.57 and one half cents plus $15.49 and one half cents court costs. His lawyer showed up in the Clay Circuit Court and more of Elijah’s land went on the auction block to pay his debt. George Hooker of Clay County had a judgment against him for money owed. Thomas Beasley of Lawrence County, Indiana, got a judgment against Elijah for $294.66 plus $10.25 costs in the Lawrence Circuit Court in 1820. His lawyer brought this to the Clay Circuit Court. When the land went up for auction, few people would bid on it. Those who did, bid very low prices, and it would sometimes take 120 acres to get $150.00. By 1848 his property was almost all gone.

In 1851 Gordon Beauchamp and Minerva Beauchamp filed against Elijah in the Clay Circuit Court for money due them. They evidently had two bills the court gave them one cent on one and $40.53 on the other. This was paid with one of the last pieces of land Elijah had. This was the only suit they filed. It was not Gordon Beauchamp who caused Elijah to lose all his property. It had to be Elijah’s poor management.

I had always believed this story in the Clay County history even though I knew there were a lot of mistakes in the book.  Elias Cooprider was the Sheriff when Gordon and Minerva filed their suit against Elijah. As Elias grew older, he was a “yarn spinner”. William Travis was collecting information for his book which was published in 1909. Elias Cooprider told Travis may stories including the one concerning Gordon Beauchamp. Had Travis taken one look at the records, he would have found that story untrue. Gordon Beauchamp has gone down in history as a villain. I feel I must find more evidence to vindicate him.

Elijah and Elizabeth’s children listed in the 1960 Owen Col. Census were: John Walter, b 17 Jan 1843; James, born 1845; Susanna, born 1852; and Mary, born 1854. Further research shows Elijah died about 1865 in Owen Co. and Elizabeth died about 1881 also in Owen Co. Burial records have not been found for them. Isaac Henry Rawley sold 2/3 share of Elijah’s land in Owen Co. John Rawley in 1882. They may be older sons of Elijah.

Article by Mary Gibbens; R.R. #2 Box 301; Center Point, IN 47840 (if anyone has any information on this family, please contact us.)

Published in The Researcher, Clay County Genealogical Society Inc., Volume 11, Number 2, Spring 1990.

Rowley Registry Records:

 Elijah Rowley

Minerva (?) Rowley

Elizabeth (?( Rowley

John Walter Rowley

James Rowley

Susanna Rowley

Mary Rowley

Isaac Henry Rowley

John Rowley

 
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Modified December 23, 2009