Catherine Lynn

1756 - unknown

James was commissioned by the Council of Safety on May 14, 1776 to be second Lieutenant of the company formed in the lower district of Frederick County.  He belonged to the 29th batallion and his Captain was Elias Harden.  (Sons of the American Revolution - Edward Hagaman Hall)

1. Dennis Lackland, b. 13 December 1783; m. Eliza Moore Appleby.  In 1810, the store in which Dennis was a clerk became Poolesville, Maryland's first Post Office. Dennis became the first Post Master and later purchased the store from John Poole, Jr.  Under Dennis, the store and land was soon foreclosed on, bought by his brother-in-law and sold in small parcels.  Dennis moved to Missouri in 1835.  Click here to learn of the home Dennis and his son Rufus built in St. Louis, Missouri.

2. Catherine Lackland, b. 28 December 1787; m. Ignatius  Davis (1759-1828) on 22 November 1806.

3. George Lackland, b. 15 September 1789; d. 28 June 1872; m. Eliza Edwards of Virginia, b. 15 November; d. 30 June 1870

4. James C. Lackland, b. 27 August 1791; d. 22 July 1862; James was Superintendent of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal 1830-1832. His son, Benjamin was murdered in 1849 by Philip W. Culver.

5. Jane Lackland, b. 1793; m. Robert Read 21 October 1817

6. Rossetta Lackland, b. 1793; m. Craven P. Breeding 24 May 1816

7. Eli Lackland, b. 1797

Lackland Family History

by Bob Gnuse

I grew up in Overland, St. Louis County , Missouri on Lackland Road, one of the larger streets in that town.  It wasn’t until long after I left home that I learned that the street was named after the Dennis Lackland family who established a farm in the area in 1835.  I was very surprised to find out that the large white house 2 blocks away, that I had always known as the Baker family house was the original farm house built by the Lacklands in 1844.  It is a two story antebellum style white house that is still occupied.  A picture of the house is available on the Overland, Mo Historical Society website and also on the Wikipedia article on the town.

 I have been gathering information about the family for several months and keep finding new leads to more information.  I am happy to present some of it here with the warning that a lot of it was gathered from various websites and may not be completely reliable.  However, I think that most of the errors are more likely errors of omission and I have tried not to jump to conclusions without some kind of support.

 EARLIER LACKLANDS

 Dennis Lackland was the son of James Lackland and Catherine Lynn.  Catherine was the fourth daughter of Judge David Lynn and his wife Elizabeth, and was born July 17, 1756.  Her husband James was also born in 1756.  James was the son of John Lackland who died in Charlotte County, Virginia in 1780.  His wife was Margery Edmonston, whose family was from Bladensburg in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  One of the Edmonstons was a judge in that county.

 John and Margery Lackland had at least 6 children, including Margery, Zadock, John, Elizabeth, James and Rachel.  Margery, who died before 1852 in Henry County, Tennessee, married George Hooper born 1764 and died 1832 in Rockingham County North Carolina.  They had children including John Lackland Hooper, Margery Hooper and Mary Ann Hooper.

 Zadock C Lackland died 1827 in Buckingham County, Virginia and was married to Sarah Cox, who died February 7, 1839.  They had 7 children including John, Rachel, Sarah, and Mary.  I think one of the others is Samuel W. Lackland whom I will discuss later.

 I have no information on John.  Rachel was married to Ambrose Ranson, the first of his three wives.  A son James Lackland Ranson was born in 1791.  He will also be discussed later.  Elizabeth married a man named Bibb.
JAMES LACKLAND

 Turning again to James and Catherine, they had seven children that I know of. 
James was a member of the Levy Court of Montgomery County, Maryland and was a County Commissioner from 1799-1801.  I hope to find out more about him when I have time to visit the library in Montgomery County.

 DENNIS LYNN LACKLAND

 Dennis Lynn was born Dec 13, 1783 and died in 1864. His wife was Eliza Moore Appleby, daughter of John and Margaret Moore Appleby of Berkely County, West Virginia.  I have found 5 children so far, but suspect there are more. 

 A man named John Poole, Jr, who was the son of one of two Poole brothers who were early settlers of Montgomery County built a log building on a tract of land given to him by is father.  This building he used as a general store.  He sold nearby lots to others and this became the town of Poolesville, Md.  He hired Dennis Lackland as a clerk for his store.  The store also served as a post office and Dennis was the town’s first postmaster.  Years later, Mr Poole married a lady who had inherited a farm in another town, so he sold the store to Dennis.  Unfortunately, the store failed, for reasons I have not yet found out.  This occurred prior to 1828, because his brother-in -law Ignatius Davis bought the property and resold it and he died in 1828. The website of Poolesville Md. has a history section which recounts this story. I’m not sure what Dennis did for several years, but he moved to St Louis County  in 1835 and started a farm.  I don’t know how big it was at first, but under his son Rufus, it grew to 600 acres, almost a square mile. The road to his farm was named for the family.  The farm house is still located at 10417 Lackland Road, Overland Mo 63114.

Their Children
Dennis Summerfield was born April 1, 1828 and died September 27, 1835.
Lavinia Moore was born February 7, 1819 and died January 3, 1871.  She married Stephen Hempstead, born October 1, 1812 and died February 16, 1883.  He was a lawyer and became the second Governor of the State of Iowa, 1850-1854. They had six children, three of whom died young.  One son, Junius Lackland Hempstead was a recognized writer.

  Louisa Moore was born February 6, 1826 and died November 12, 1869.  She married Edward Nelson Parker and had six children.  Catherine Margery Lackland married William Mackey Mills in1834.  Mr. Mills would be a partner with Dennis’ brother James in a sawmill business.  She died in childbirth on July 25, 1838 giving birth to twin girls who only survived seven months.  A previous son only survived one month.

 One of the real stars of the Lackland family was Rufus James Lackland, who inherited the family farm after Dennis’ death in 1864.  Rufus was born in 1820 and died in 1910.  On August 23, 1840, he married Mary Susannah Cable of New York.  She was born in 1822 and died in December 1866. They had 10 children, 8 of whom survived until adulthood. His second wife was Caroline Eliot Kasson, the younger sister of William G. Eliot, the founder of Washington University (in St Louis), my Alma Mater.  He was 15 when the family moved to the St Louis area.  He worked as a clerk for a store on the levee downtown and later as a clerk on a steamboat.  He was a successful businessman and eventually got into the wholesale grocery trade.  He was shrewd in his investments and became quite wealthy.  A steamboat was built in 1857 which was named “The Rufus J. Lackland” after him.  I don’t know if he owned it or if it was just given his name.  The boat was piloted in July 1859 by Samuel Clemens, later Mark Twain. It was captured in 1861 by the Confederates and sunk.  In 1870, he became President of Boatmen’s Bank, one of the largest banks in St Louis.  He held this position for 40 years until he died at the age of 90, working almost until the day he died.  His obituary said that he was a multi-millionaire. 

 One of his younger daughters, Margaret, born 1858, died 1927 married Halsey Ives in 1887.  Ives was a professor of art at Washington University.  He was called on to be in charge of the art exhibits at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893 and the St Louis World Fair in 1904.  The art building from the St Louis fair was turned over to the city for an art museum.  Ives was named as its first director, and held that position until his death in 1911.

 Another of Rufus Lackland’s daughters was Mary S. born in 1856 (named for her mother, probably).  She married Thomas Taylor and had a son Rufus Lackland Taylor, died Sept 8, 1927.  He married Caroline Newman and they had two sons.  One was named for his father, Rufus Lackland Taylor, Jr.  He went to the Naval Academy and worked himself up to the rank of Vice Admiral and was named Deputy Director of the CIA in 1966.

 CATHERINE LYNN LACKLAND

 James and Catherine’s second child was Catherine Lynn, born Dec 28, 1787.  She was married to Ignatius Davis (1759-1828) on November 22, 1806.  This was his fourth marriage. He owned a mill in Buckeystown, Md. She was almost 19 and he was 47.  He had 23 children, but I don’t know how many by Catherine.  One was Catherine Lackland Davis who married Dr. Albert Richie.  I suspect another son was George Lynn-Lacklin Davis, a historian who wrote The Day-star of American Freedom in 1855, which mentions the Lackland family.

 GEORGE LYNN LACKLAND

 George was born September 15, 1789 and died June 28, 1872. He was married to Eliza Edwards of Virginia who was born November 15, 1794 and died June 30, 1870.  I have located seven possible children, although some may actually be children of Dennis. George moved to St Louis County in an area now known as Bridgeton, Mo. in 1828 and was the first of the three brothers there.  His farm was located on both sides of Old St Charles Road (yes it was “old” even then) about half way between Fee Fee Road and McElvey Road.  In addition to farming, George was a state legislator in 1840.  He, his wife Eliza and daughter Ann were 3 of the 10 charter members of Mizpah Presbyterian Church, which is still in existence.

 Their Children
 Benjamin E Lackland, died Dec 27, 1846 and George E. Lackland, born 1828 and died February 15, 1847 were both second Lieutenants during the Mexican-American war.  Both died at Santa Fe.

 Ann E. Lackland was born Jan 17, 1824 and died June 6, 1891.  She married Charles Singleton who was born March 6, 1817 and died March 28, 1892.  Helen M. Lackland was born 1834 and died 1920 and was unmarried.  Emily E. Pagaud who died may 19, 1886 may be in this family.  I found her in the Lackland family cemetery plot and assume she belonged there.
Another important person in the family was James Ransom Lackland, who was a respected attorney, prosecutor and judge in St Louis.  He had a small part in the Dred Scott case while working as a clerk, sending depositions to witnesses.  He also successfully defended another famous St Louisan, Henry Shaw of Shaw’s Botanical Gardens from a suit brought by a young lady who claimed he had promised to marry her.  Judge was very well respected by all reports. He was married to Cornelia Brown and had at least two daughters.

 His brother William H. Lackland was also an attorney and was in practice with his brother after he left the judgeship to return to private practice.

 JAMES C LACKLAND

 James was born August 27, 1791 and died July 22, 1862.  He married Matilda Crabb of Montgomery County, Maryland on December 23, 1817.  She was born May 10, 1796 and died June 15, 1860.  They had 9 sons.  James C’s tombstone says “Capt.”, so he was apparently in the military, possibly in the war of 1812.  He was appointed to the Montgomery County Agricultural Board in 1808.  He was secretary of the local Whig party in 1830. He was a superintendent on the C& O canal from 1830-1832,  He moved to Florissant (St Louis County)Mo in the fall of 1833 and in 1835 moved across the Missouri River to St Charles.  For many years he ran a sawmill operation.  One of his partners was William M. Mills who had married one of Dennis’s daughters. 

 Their Children
 Richard, James, Jeremiah (died 1834), Augustus T (born 1824, died July 31, 1909), Benjamin F (killed in 1847 at age 21 by a drunk PW Culver), Eli R. (born 1827, died June 29, 1897), Norman J, Henry C( born 1830, died Nov 3, 1908) and Charles M (born 1833, died October 19, 1915).  Eli was chief clerk of Scotia Iron Mines in Leasburg, Mo.  Norman was a merchant in Mexico, Mo.  Henry married Nannie Harden.  He was a state legislator, an attorney and a professor of mathematics.

 JANE LACKLAND
Jane was born in 1793.  She married Robert Read on October 21, 1817.

 ROSETTA LACKLAND
Rosetta was born in 1795.  She married Craven V. Breeding on May 24, 1816.

 ELI LACKLAND
Eli was born in 1797.

 BURIAL SITES
There is a Lackland family plot in the old Fee Fee Cemetery in Bridgeton, Mo, less than a half mile from George’s farm at the intersection of Fee Fee Road and Old St. Charles Road.  The three brothers and there wives are there, also George’s children, Benjamin E, George E, Ann E and her husband, Helen M and Emily Pagaud; Dennis’s children Dennis S and Louisa Moore Parker and James son Benjamin F.  Two other stones are not readable, but resemble Benjamin F’s stone, so I assume they are two other of James sons. Ella C, the daughter of Judge James R is also there.

 At least three of James sons are in Oak Grove Cemetery in St Charles: Augustus, Eli and Charles.

 I have just determined that there are 2 Lackland plots in Bellefontaine Cemetery, the very large and old cemetery in north St Louis City.  I was told there are 20 Lacklands there and a total of 45 people.  I assume many of the non-Lacklands are married daughters and grandchildren.  I expect to find the plots are for Rufus and Judge James R. and their children.

 OTHER LACKLAND LINES

 I have tried to follow two other Lackland lines outside James and Catherine’s descendents.  I mentioned Samuel W. Lackland earlier who I think is a son of Zadock Lackland.  His wife is Elizabeth B.  The 1850 census for Jefferson County, West Virginia lists his age as 65, so he was born around 1785.  Elizabeth was 46, so she was born around 1804.  Samuel was involved with a resort named Shannondale Springs from 1830-1855, at least.  A history of the resort mentions him in April 1855, but he does nor show up on the 1860 census, but his wife and 19 year old son do.  I assume he died between 1855 and 1860.

 They had at least 5 children.  Francis, born 1830, died 1861. He was a Lt Col with the Confederate side.  He also was in one of the militias called in  when John Brown took the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry.  Emily R was born 1832.  Charlotte H was born 1833.  Edward M was born 1841.  The other son was Thomas born 1824, died December 29, 1874.  His wife was Martha Ellinor Willis, born 1830, died November 1878.  She was the daughter of Thomas and J. Willis.

 Thomas and Martha had 5 children that I know of.  Fannie was born May 17, 1855 and died March 29, 1953 at age 97.  She married Laurence Washington, born 1855, died Jan 28, 1920.  Laurence was the great-great grandnephew of President George Washington.  His father was the last owner of Mount Vernon.  The father was the aide to and tentmate of Robert E. Lee in the civil war.  He was killed in 1861.  His wife had died in 1860, leaving their 7 children orphans.  Fannie and Laurence had 12 children.  He worked as the head of the Congressional Reading Room at the Library of Congress for 25 years before his death.  They are buried at Zion Episcopal Cemetery in Charles Town, W. Va.

 Thomas and Martha’s second child was Samuel Watkins Lackland, born 1857.  He married Katharine Dorwin.  They had three children.  Frank Dorwin Lackland was born Sept 13, 1884 and died April 27, 1943 at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He spent his life in the army air corps and was  Brigadier General when he retired a year before his death.  His obituary did not mention wife or children.  Lackland Air Force Base in Texas was named for him in 1947.

 In addition to the General, Samuel and Katharine had another son Major Thomas Griggs Lackland born October 18, 1886, died September 22, 1956.  He married Alice M, who was born Oct 16, 1897 and died March 13, 1993.  They are buried in Fort Bliss National Cemetery near El Paso Texas.  A daughter, Roberta, was Samuel’s third child.  She married Dr. John Talbot of Washington DC and Middleburg Va.

 Thomas and Martha had three more children, Nellie born 1859, Willis born 1864 and Anna or Nancy b 1868.  A Nannie Lackland died September 3, 1952 who may be this last child.  She is buried in Zion cemetery in Charles Town.  Since their parents died while they were young, they lived with their Grandfather Willis and his two middle aged single daughters according to the 1880 census.

 I hope to get more definitive information by a trip to Zion cemetery this fall, when I have the time.

 The other line I followed outside of James and Catherine was Rachel Lackland Ranson, who I mentioned above. She married Ambrose Ranson who was born 1765 and died 1843 in Batavia Ohio.  Rachel was the first of his three wives.   I don’t know when she died, but she had a son James Lackland Ranson, born June 15, 1791 and died May 7, 1868.  He is also buried in Zion cemetery Charles Town.  He married Frances Madison Hite in 1820.  She was the daughter of Isaac Hite and Nelly Conway Madison, died 1802, the sister of President James Madison. 

 James and Frances had four children that I know of.  Deborah Frances was born November 27, 1825.  Ambrose was born January 27, 1827 and died September 20, 1831.  John L was born December 1822 and died January 22, 1837.  Georginia Hite Ranson was born 1822 and died December 3, 1860 in San Francisco.  She married Benjamin Franklin Washington on October 22, 1845.  He was born April 17, 1820 and died January 22, 1872 in a duel in San Francisco.  He was a grandson of Samuel Washington, the younger brother of President George Washington.  He had gone west during the gold rush with money from a number of investors from Charles Town, which was lost.  He stayed on as a newspaperman.