Family Record for the John McNeil Family of Parke County, Indiana

This is a family record of the John and Sally McNeil family of Parke county, Indiana.  This family record was found in the Civil War pension file of their son,Nathaniel McNeil .

In 1908, the youngest son of John and Sally McNeil, Nathaniel, needed to prove his birth date for his Civil War pension. Nathan had an old biographical dictionary (Lempriere's Biographical Dictionary) published in 1827 that had belonged to his father, John McNeil. Inside the dictionary was a written copy of the Family Record for John McNeil family. Nathan took this to a Notary Public in Garfield County, Oklahoma and the affidavit of the McNeil Family Record can found in Nathan's pension file in the National Archives in Washington DC.

**Note: There is a transcription error in the original copy. John's wife is listed as Dolly -- it should read Sally and was mistakenly transcribed at some point. Sally is a nickname for Sarah (Sarah Ann Caywood McNeil).  The Mathew Miller included in the list is the father of Nathaniel Strong McNeil’s wife, Malinda Jane Miller. Nathaniel’s two children, Violet and Lloyd, are also listed.  See note at bottom of post.

Nathaniel McNeil Deposition 1908 

John McNeil Family Record

 Transcription of above record:

(Page 1)
State of Oklahoma,:
County of Garfield,:
Nathaniel McNeil, being first duly sworn on oath deposes and states:
That he was 75 years of age on the 14th day of October, 1907, and that he was born on the 14th day of October, 1832.
That there is not a public record of his birth, and no baptismal record of his birth, but that there is in his possession a family record of his birth, which was kept in a copy of “Lempriere’s Biographical Dictionary” which was published in 1827 by D.F. Robinson & Co., of Hartford, and which was kept by affiants father John McNeil, who was born March 18th 1784, as shown by said record, and the record then proceeds with the dates of birth of the various members of the family, and shows the name of Nathaniel Strong McNeil, born October 14, 1832, and which refers to, and is the name of the affiant, but that the affiant has since maturity cropped the middle name “Strong”, and has never used it as a part of his name since. That ever since the death of affiant’s father in 1852, the said family record has been in the possession of affiant.
Nathaniel McNeil (signed)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th., day of January 1908.
Chalmers B. Wilson (signed)
Notary Pubic

(page 2)
COPY OF FAMILY RECORD.
A List of Ages.
John McNeil was born March 18th 1784.
Dolly (Dolly is probable transcriber error and should read Sally) McNeil was born in the (sic) of our lord 1791.
Our son John C. McNeil was born May 16th., 1814.
Thomas A. McNeil was born June 16th 1816.
William L. McNeil was born July 21st., 1818.
Neal McNeil was born June 23rd., 1820.
Sally Ann was born March the 20th., 1822.
Elizabeth was born February 29th., 1824.
James McNeil was born March 4th., 1826.
Pleasant McNeil was born January the 14th., 1828.
Andrew Sterling McNeil was born August 15th., 1830.
Nathaniel Strong McNeil was born Oct. 14th., 1832.

Violet Irene McNeil was born November the 28th., 1901.
Mathew Miller was born Feb. 7th 1839.
Lyoid [Lloyd] Oliver Jay McNeil was born Sept. the 21st., 1904.

State of Oklahoma,:
County of Garfield,: SS:
I, Chalmers B. Wilson, a Notary Public in and for said State and County do hereby certify the above and fore-going copy of the family record showing the name and date of birth of Nathaniel McNeil, the affiant who has signed and sworn to the attached affadavit, to be a true and correct copy of said record taken from the book described in said affadavit. The entire record including the name of Nathaniel Strong McNeil was made with old, acid ink, and no erasures, and the names after that beginning with Violet Irene McNeil have been made later with an entirely different ink. The said book of record was published in 1827, and ? I believe the writing to have been done at about the dates mentioned. Done at Enid Oklahoma this 29th., day of January 1908. Chalmers B. Wilson, Notary Public.


Note: The bottom three people on the above list are NOT immediate family members of the John and Sarah McNeil family.  Violet and Loyd are the children of their son Nathaniel Strong McNeil.  Mathew Miller is the father-in-law of Nathaniel Strong McNeil.  Nathaniel was 66 years old when he married 35 year old Malinda Miller and so Nathaniel was older than his father-in-law, Mathew Miller.  Nathaniel was 69 years old when his first child, a daughter Violet was born, and 71 years old when his son Loyd was born.

The book referred to in the above deposition in which the family record of the McNeil Family was kept: "Lempriere's Biographical Dictionary".

Lempriere's Biographical Dictionary, 
published 1827 in Hartford by the D.F. Robinson

"Lempriere's Biographical Dictionary" was published in Hartford by the D.F. Robinson & Co. in 1827. Author was John Lempriere. The book was made with period full leather binding, gilt-tooled smooth spine, and had engraved frontis showing portraits of historical figures. The book measured 4 1/2" W x 7 1/2" H and was 444 pages. Full title: Lempriere’s Biographical Dictionary, or Sketches of the lives and Celebrated Characters in Every Age and Nation. Embracing warriors, heroes, poets, philosophers, historians, divines, [etc.]. Also: Notices of One Hundred Eminent Living Individuals

NOTE: Updated June 2023:

The middle initial of "C" was removed from John McNeil name.  

The family record shown in this blog gives name for John as John McNeil.  And, since John McNeil is the name etched on the headstone, that is how his name will be presented.  John McNeil made multiple records during his lifetime -- marriage record, census records, land records and deeds.  ALL records show his name as John McNeil.  There is no record of a middle initial  "C" or  middle name.