Most researchers have been able to establish that Green Kennedy Cessna was born along the French Broad River where it crosses the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. His parents are identified as John Cessna and Elizabeth Nielson, whose marriage license dated 7 Sept 1798 is in the records of Greene County, TN. This county is next to Buncombe County, NC where John and Elizabeth bought several farms from 1799-1720. The origin of this John Cessna has been a mystery.
Recently, via Newspapers.com, a reference was found which indicates how John Cessna fits into the family tree. The article reads “Married on the 7th Instant, John Cessna, Esq, Late Sheriff of Greenville County, State of Georgia, to the amiable, Miss Betsey Neilson, of Nolichucky.” (Knoxville Register, 11 Sep 1798, page 3). Sheriff John Cessna has quite a long record of service in Greene County, GA. There are also records which indicate that he had adult children with him while living in Georgia. This family left Georgia in 1798. This would indicate that the marriage to Elizabeth Neilson was his second marriage and that he was at least twice her age when they married. Here are some references found in Georgia: 1786: John Cessna received land grant of 1500 acres in Washington County, GA. This land became Greene County and was a part of land granted to Revolutionary War Veterans. 11 Jan 1790: John Cessna was elected Sheriff of Greene County, GA. Other dates he is recorded as being Sheriff are: 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1798. 27 May 1790: Sheriff John Cessna Sr and John Cessna Jr. signed as witnesses on a deed between Charles Cessna and William Wilson. Note: Junior had to be 21 years old to sign, meaning he was born before 1779. John Senior had to be at least 21 at his birth meaning that he was born before 1758. Identifying John Cessna: In 1750, there were only four men named John Cessna living in America. They were… John Cessna, son of the Frenchman, born in Ireland about 1698, died in Shippensburg,PA Major John Cessna, son of John above, born 1726 in New Castle County, DE, died in 1803 in Bedford County, PA. John Cessna, husband of Pryscilla Foulke, Son of Stephen (a son of the Frenchman) and Patience Cessna, born about 1824 in New Castle County, DE, died in York County, PA in 1751. In his Will, he stated that he left three young children: Stephen, John, Ruth. These children would have been born between 1745-1750. And this son, John, is the only John Cessna who fits the age of Sheriff John Cessna of Greene County, GA; and husband of Elizabeth “Betsey” Neilson. The life and death of the other three Johns are well documented. History of Sheriff John Cessna of Greene County, GA. After the death of his father, his mother, Pryscilla Foulke, married Abraham Elliott in York County, PA. In 1764, Abraham Elliott moved the family to North Carolina. There are extensive records of the family in the Quaker church including reports of John Cessna being introduced at meetings in York County, PA, and letters transferring the family’s membership to Quaker meetings in Guilford County, NC. In North Carolina, his brother Stephen married Dolly Holton and began to use the spelling “Sisney” in his land records and Revolutionary War records. Ruth Cessna/Sisney married William Beeson in Rowan County, NC and died 21 May 1767 giving birth to their first child. John Cessna left a very vague record in North Carolina. He did not appear in the records for Quaker Meetings after he reached adult hood. The only solid reference to him is in the Estate of Col. McGee, on 13 Dec 1773, where, among the list of persons owning money to the estate are John Senseny, Stephen Sisney, and Lewis Hutten (Stephen’s father-in-law). No record of him has been identified during the Revolutionary War, but the sizable veteran’s land grant he received in 1784 would indicate that he was possibly an officer. John Cessna’s first family: The family of Green Kennedy Cessna indicate that he had family living in Natchez, MS. In the book “Hot Springs of North Carolina” it is stated that Green Kennedy’s father came to Buncombe County, NC from Natchez, MS. In his move from North Carolina, to Georgia, to Texas… Green K. Cessna stopped briefly in Natchez. References are found for John Cessna Jr living in Greene County, GA with his father. Land deeds indicate that John Jr also bought a farm along French Broad River in Buncombe County, NC that was directly across the river from his father and stepmother. In Natchez, MS we find three individuals in the 1820 Census who have not been linked to any other branch of the family. They are of the ages to be children of Sheriff John Cessna’s first marriage: Stephen W.H. Cissna, a newspaper man, born about 1790, who died 28 Aug 1823 Charles Cissna born about 1784-1794 William Cissna born about 1794 It is possible that these three men were also sons of Sheriff John Cessna, and thus older stepbrothers of Green Kennedy Cessna.
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In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s several branches of the family moved from Pennsylvania to new lands being opened up in Ohio. The following is a summary of most of those migrations.
1797 Cincinnati/Chillicothe In 1797, Stephen Cessna, (the son of Thomas, the son of Stephen, the son of the Frenchman) left his tavern in Pittsburgh and tried to start a business at Cincinnati. In 1799, when the Capital of the NW Territory moved to Chillicothe, he moved also and started a tavern there. In 1799 he moved his family from Pittsburgh: John bn 1779; William bn 1781; Mary; James bn 1789, and Elizabeth. His son, Charles, remained in Pittsburgh. Stephen also brought his second wife, Margaret Hegan and these children which they shared: Stephen Jr. bn 1794, Malinda bn 1799. Stephen and Margaret had there more children (Malinda, Eleanor, and Baldwin) while living in Chillicothe, Ross County, OH. 1799 Ross/Fairfield Counties At the same time the capital of NW Territory moved to Chillicothe, Thomas Cissna (the son of Capt. Evans, the son of John II) moved with it. He became an official surveyor for the Territorial Government. In the process of surveying Fairfield County, he picked out a place which he claimed and made his home. In 1806, his teenage nephew, Robert Cissna (Son of John, son of Capt. Evans, son of John II) came to live with him. Thomas died on a trading trip to New Orleans in 1816. In the late 1830’s Robert moved to Licking County, OH 1801 Chillicothe, Ross County Two cousins, Charles Cissna (the son of Stephen Cissna above), and Samuel Cissna (the son of Capt. Evans, the son of John II) were studying to be tailors under an apprenticeship with Theophilus Cisna (the Uncle of Stephen Cissna above, son of Stephen, son of the Frenchman). A flood destroyed Pittsburgh in 1800 along with its business climate. Charles and Samuel Cissna came to Chillicothe and started a partnership as tailors. They married sisters (Dorcus and Mary Wilcut). After the war, Samuel moved to Madison County, OH and Charles moved to Pike County, OH> Twelve Cessna Families Came to Military Reserves of North East Ohio It started as one large county. Columbiana was formed in 1803, when the Connecticut Western Reserve and US Military District were opened to public sale instead only to veterans of the Revolution. As the population grew, it was divided into new counties: Richland in 1806, Coshocton in 1811, Wayne in 1812, Holmes in 1824, and Ashland in 1846. Some Cessna family farms ended up in the records of three different counties as the years passed. 1806 Wayne/Holmes County Sometime between 1806 and 1811 John Cissna (the son of Capt. Joseph Cissna) and his brother James came up Killbuck Creek (via Muskingum and Ohio Rivers) to trade with the Wyandot Villages in present day Holmes County, OH. In 1810, John was living in Ecorce and Dearborn Twps. of Wayne County, MI. Then, on 28 Oct 1810, he filed a land warrant for 160 Acres in Prairie Township of Wayne County, OH (now in Holmes County). This warrant was issued at the Zanesville, OH at the US Land Office. When Wayne County was organized from Columbiana in April 1812, John Cisna was named the first Associate Judge. The War of 1812 started in June, so he had already established himself here before the War started. John Cissna and his wife Jane Glass-Cissna moved from Wayne County, MI to Prairie Twp. Wayne County, OH with the following children: Elizabeth born 13 Sep 1806 and Joseph Glass born 25 Feb 1809. In Wayne County, OH the following children were born to them: Robert Glass born 23 Oct 1811; John Jr. born 1814; and Mary “Polly” born 19 Nov 1817. John evidently moved back and forth between Ohio and Michigan because in 1811 he sold one of his farms on River Rouge to Jesse Hicks. In April 1813 he served as executor of his Sister in Law’s, Johanna Dicks-Cissna estate in court at Detroit. He brought her children to Ohio where they were adopted by his brother, James. John and Jane Cissna moved their family, including all of their children from Wayne County, OH to St. Joseph County, IN in 1830. This is according to the records of two of their sons. They do not appear in the 1830 Census in either location. Family reports that John is buried in La Porte County, IN. 1810 Wayne/Holmes County James Cissne (Son of Captain Joseph Cissna) appears to have been a business partner and fellow voyager with his brother John. On 22 July 1807 he had his claim for 277.6 acres in Spring Wells Township of Wayne County, MI confirmed by the US Court. Confirmed means that he already owned and lived on this land, but when the new US Government took over the area, he had to have his claim approved by that court. On 6 Nov 1810, James Cissne applied for a warrant on 160 acres of land in Prairie Township of Wayne County, OH. This was about a mile from land owned by his brother John. Like John he had to have purchased it at the Zanesville US Land Office. From 20 July-24 August of 1812, James Cissna volunteered for the militia company of Capt. Henry Brush who was making an emergency supply expedition to Fort Detroit (early in the War of 1812). So, he was single and living in Chillicothe, OH at start of the war. On 22 May 1813, while the war was still going on, James purchased town lot #10 in the new town of Wooster, OH. He appears on the tax records of Wayne County, OH from 1814 on. The War ended in Feb of 1815. About 1816, James Cissne returned to the Shippensburg, PA where he met and married his first cousin, Elizabeth Cessna, the daughter of his father’s brother, James Cessna. It is probable that he is the namesake of his uncle/father in law. James and Elizabeth returned to Prairie Township of Wayne County, OH and gave birth to two children: Margaret Cissne born about 1818 and Joseph Cissne born 1821 and appears to have died in childhood. In 1814, John Cissna returned to Wayne County, OH with the orphaned children of their brother William: Anna, Robert C., Jane “Jeanne”, Sara, Hannah, and John. In 1814, James appears in Wayne County Ohio court to establish himself as guardian of these children. He later adopted them as his own. James’ household began to use the spelling “Cissne” in Michigan and continued to do so in Ohio. James and Elizabeth lived out their lives in Prairie Township. Note: If John and James Cissna were trading with the Wyandot Indians their goal would be to buy furs. These could be sold for the most money if transported back to Pennsylvania. The closer to the docks at Philadelphia and New Castle, DE the higher their prices. It was also at these places they would have been able to purchase trade goods (steel knives, hatchets, glass bead, European fabrics, etc) at the lowest prices. This would account for James’ visit to Shippensburg and marriage to his cousin. 1809 Columbiana County In 1809, Stephen Cissna/Cisna/Cisne is recorded in the History of Columbiana County as an early Resident, and a juror in an early court case. He is listed again in an estate of 1812 and in 1815 as a witness for a civil case. We have found no indication of who he is. But these siblings of Major John Cessna have children whose names we do not know: William Cessna born 1750, Theophilus Cessna born 1756. Stephen Cissna is the right age to be a child of them. Theophilus’ son, Theo Jr. used the spelling Cisney and we only have the name of Theophilus Jr. William’s children used the spelling Cessna. 1812 Chillicothe, Ross County In November of 1812, Tecumseh and a large alliance of Indian Tribes declared war on the United States and began to kill people around Detroit. Early in 1812 a large number of people from there sought refuge in Chillicothe. Among them were these children of Capt. Joseph Cissna (son of John II) and his second wife, Rebecca: Stephen P. Cissna bn 1780, Joseph Cissna Jr., born 1789; and David Cissna bn 1790; Evans Cissna bn 1785. These men remained in Chillicothe throughout the War of 1812, volunteering in various militia companies for active service. After the War, Stephen, Joseph & David moved to Spencer County, IN. Note: It is uncertain that Evans belongs in this family 1814 Wayne/Holmes County Some of the children of William and Hannah Dicks-Cissna were brought from Wayne County, MI to Wayne County, OH by John Cissna, after their mother died in 1814. Their father, William (the son of Capt. Joseph Cissna) had died before 1809. William and Hannah had the following children all born in MI: Anna born 9 Mar 1799; John born 16 Feb 1800; Jane “Jeanne” born 1802; Sara “Sally” born 1804; William Jr. born 1806. All of these children married and lived in Ohio except Jane who returned to Detroit and married Hiram Jones. 1818 Coshocton County Three brothers from Bedford County 20 miles SW of the homes of John and James Cessna in Prairie Twp In 1818 Jonathan Cessna, (son of Jonathan Cessna, son of Major John) and his wife Catherine Boor moved from Cumberland Valley Twp, Bedford County, PA to Perry Twp. Coshocton county. Children born to Jonathan and Catherine in Coshocton County were: Helen bn 1821; Louisa bn 1823; Jonathan Wilson bn 1824; Benjamin Franklin bn 1826; Oliver Perry bn 1827; Caroline bn 1827. In 1831, Jonathan moved his family to Hardin County, OH. These children were born there: Virginia bn 1832; William T. bn 1836; Harriet Eve bn 1838; John Martin bn 1841. Possibly as early as 1814, Charles P. Cessna, (Son of Jonathan Cessna, son of Major John) moved from Cumberland Valley Twp. Bedford County, PA to Perry Twp in Coshocton County. With him came his wife Anna and these children who were born in PA: James O. bn 1810; Sarah bn 1813; Jonathan born 1818; and Rebecca bn 1816-18. These children were born to them in Perry Twp. OH: Rebecca bn 1818; Mary C. bn 1820; Emaline born 1825; Charles Wm. born 1827; and Rachel Rebecca bn 1828-30. A daughter, Camilla, was born after 1830 in Hardin County, OH.. In 1832, Charles moved his family to help establish Hardin County, OH. John Cessna, (son of Jonathan Cessna, son of Major John) moved to Perry Twp. Coshocton County at the same time as his brothers Charles and William above. He and his wife, Mary McVicker brought with them these children who were born in Bedford County, PA: Stephen born 1805-10; Hanna; Elizabeth; Mary Jane; Jonathan bn 1810; Nancy born 1812; Rebecca born 1814; Rachel bn 1815-20; John Jr. born 1816-20; and Charles born 1817. In Perry Twp. these children were born to them: Joseph bn 1819, Maria bn 1819 died in infancy; William bn 1819; and Oliver Madison bn 1820. John Cessna died in April of 1832, just as his brothers Charles and Jonathan were moving to Hardin County. His widow and children remained in Coshocton County. Note: In 1824 Wm. McCoy started the first school in Perry Twp. and the children of these three families were enrolled. 1821 Coshocton County On 28 June 1821, Evans Cissna of Pike County, OH purchased a farm in Coshocton County (about 15 miles south of James and John Cissne in Prairie Twp.) It does not appear that he ever moved there because they are still in Pike County when they sell it to Adrian Wyncoop a year later. But Evans Cissna also appears on the 1825 Tax Roll for Holmes County, OH. This Evans could be the youngest son of Capt. Joseph and Rebecca Cissna. 1827 Holmes County, OH Two Brothers from Shippensburg In 1827 William Cessna, (son of James Cessna, son of John II and brother of Elizabeth Cessna), married Keziah Davis in Shippensburg and brought his family to Holmes County, OH to settle a few miles from James and John above. These children were born to them in Cumberland County, PA: Mary Ann born 1822; John Davis born 1823; James W. born 1824, William bn 1825. These children were born to them in OH: George Cessna (Mar 1828), Joseph Cessna (1832), Zaccheus Cessna (Apr 1835), Kesiah Cessna (Aug 1837). In 1835, he moved them again to Hardin County, OH where he helped established the county government and a township named Cessna. In 1827, John Cessna, (son of James Cessna, son of John II, and brother of Elizabeth above) moved his family to Prairie Twp. Holmes County, OH at same time as his brother William. The mystery around John is that he does not seem to have married or had a family. When James Cissne made his will in 1839 he mentions “Old Uncle John if he is still living”. And in the 1850 census, John is living with John Moorehead, who inherited the farm of James and Elizabeth where the Cissne family cemetery is located. In his father’s will, John only received $1. It seems that John lived in the care of others. Note: James Cessna, the father of these two men appears to have been settling his affairs at this time, and died in 1833. 1825-27 Holmes County In the late 1820’s Jonathan Alexander Cessna (unclear who is his father) moved to Wayne County and settled a few miles from John and James Cissne above. There, he married Susannah Beechler. The 1830 Census record that they have no children. These children were born to them in Holmes County: John Beechler bn in 1830; Ann Jane Cissna bn in 1832. In 1834, Jonathan sold his farm and moved from Wayne County, OH to Elkhart, Indiana. These children were born in Indiana: Mary bn 1835; Susan bn 1840; and George Cessna bn 1843. Various accounts of his descendants disagree as to if he was born in 1802 to Capt. Joseph Cissna in Detroit; or in 1802 in Cumberland County, PA; or in 1802 in Cumberland Valley Twp. of Bedford County. The name of his parents has not been established. Some accounts have his name as Jonathan Alexander Pinkerton De Cessna, and state his father was the Frenchman. 1829 Columbiana County John Cessna (the son of William Cessna Esq.; the son of Major John Cessna) moved from Napier Twp. of Bedford County, PA to Columbiana County, OH. His father had died in 1828 and ordered the farms sold. John married Jane Cook there on 16 March. The following children were born to them in that county: Elizabeth Ann bn 1830; Rachel G. born 1832; Almira bn 1835; Mary Jane bn1838; Evaline bn 1840; Maria bn 1843; Julia bn 1845; and William Butler bn 1848. 1832 Hardin County In 1831-32, three cousins moved to Hardin County from elsewhere in Ohio. William Cessna, (the son of James Cessna, Son of John II and brother of Elizabeth Cessna) married to Keziah Davis. William moved from PA to Holmes, OH in 1818. In 1831 he moved again to Hardin county. At the same time, Charles Cessna (Son of Jonathan Cessna, son of Major John) moved from Coshocton County, OH. Charles and his cousin William lived only 20 miles apart in Holmes/Coshocton. In Hardin County their children would intermarry. At that time also came 1818 Jonathan Cessna, (son of Jonathan Cessna, son of Major John) with his family. It is unclear if Cessna Twp. in Hardin County is named for William, or Charles, or Jonathan as all three families were active in the organization of the county. 1838 Holmes/Ashland County Two Brothers About 1838, two brothers, William and Stephen, (Sons of Theophilus Cisney. the son of Theophilus. the son of John Cessna II) came to Holmes County as single men. They married and established farms about 15 miles west of the homestead of James Cessna above. What had been Holmes County was now Ashland County. William Cisney, bn 1810 in Huntingdon County, PA married Elizabeth Elliott in Holmes County, OH on 26 March 1840. Their children were born in Ashland County: James H. bn 1841; George E. bn 1843; Prissella bn 1845; Sarah A. bn 1847; Rachel Cisney bn 1849. House of Cessna says that he then went back to Huntingdon County, PA where he died. His wife and children were living with her older brother, Hugh Elliott, in the 1850 Census of Clear Creek Twp, Holmes County, OH. Stephen Cisney, moved to Holmes County about 1838, and settled a few miles from the homestead of James Cissne, above. He married Hanna McCordy on 13 Mar 1845 and these children were born to them in Ruggles Twp. Ashland County: Sarah bn 1846, David bn 1848, Theopholus bn 1853, Eliza Jane bn 1855. Stephen Cisney died during the civil war and his widow remained in Ashland County, and never remarried. |
AuthorBill Cissna Archives
June 2023
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