It is appropriate to include Edith with Alexander’s life as they were inseparable throughout their lives.  Edith was born in 1804,  prior to their family moving west from Pennsylvania to Ohio.  According to Jane McIntire’s letter, Edith was a ‘cripple’, however it is unknown what her disability was or even if it occurred at birth.  We simply do not know.  The sibling born before Edith was Rebecca, a child with epilepsy, as hinted at in Jane’s letters.  Edith and Alex were about four years apart with Richard born approximately one year after Edith.  Having children born in quick succession was not unusual for those times, however if Edith required special care as an infant, as did her older sister Rebecca, it’s not difficult to imagine how overwhelmed the household became.  As the children grew, perhaps Alex became Edith’s assistant, especially since yet another child, Isaac,  came to join the family in 1812.  Tragically Isaac fell into the fire when young and burned to death.  This is a family that experienced so many unimaginable hardships.  

Alex was born to Alexander and Elizabeth in the late winter of 1808 and christened on March 20, 1808 at the First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Fairfield, Ohio.  He grew up in the Clearcreek township helping out on the family farm.  His oldest sister Abigail married when he was only two years old.  His older brother Andrew was ten when Alex was born, but he was still surrounded with a lot of sibling playmates more his age.  Alex was almost twelve when his father died. 

In the 1830 United States Census, there are three males listed between the ages of 20-29, one female between the age of 20-29 and one female between the ages of 50-59 living in the home of their widowed mother, Elizabeth McIntire in Fairfield County.   This could account for Alex, John and Richard as none of them were married just yet.  John and Henrietta married in 1832 and remained in Clear Creek until before the 1860 census and after the death of John.  Richard and Sovenia married in 1832 and likewise remained in the area until around the time of her death in 1841.  Alex and his sister Edith appear to have stayed in Fairfield County.  Alex died in 1864 and is said to be buried near his mother in Tarlton Cemetery, Pickaway County, Ohio, however the stone is no longer visible.  In her latter years and after the death of Alex, Edith is likely living with or very near her only surviving sibling, Andrew, in Indiana.  

Alex remained in Fairfield County during his lifetime and it appears he may not have married.  Alex was committed to caring for Edith throughout her life and even provides for her after his death in 1864 as shown in his Last Will and Testament.  Further evidence that Alex had not married is the absence of provisions for a wife or children in this will.  You may find a copy of his handwritten will and a transcription in the DOCUMENTS section below.

Edith is listed on the census below as Alexander’s wife  along with girls Nancy and Elizabeth shown as their daughters.  They are in fact not his wife and daughters but rather Edith is his sister, who he continued to care for her and the girls are the daughters of Richard and Sovenia, who went to live with Alex in Clearcreek, after the suicide death of Phebe, Richard’s second wife.  A more detailed account of the tragedy may be found in Richard’s entry under the OUR FAMILY LEGACY section on the home page or here:

https://macintyrejourneys.com/elementor-6890/

Henrietta and her children were also living next to them (indicated by the consecutive dwelling numbers).  To have the family in close proximity must have been a comfort to both of their households after experiencing so much loss.  Alexander’s mother had already passed away (in 1838) by the time of this census.  And Henrietta’s husband John, Alexander’s brother had died in 1843,  The census shows that Henrietta’s four children were still with her, along with Richard’s two daughters living with Edith and Alex.  Those six cousins living close by would have been awesome!  

So that is my ‘take’ on the census, so if you were like me and listed Edith as Alexander’s wife and Nancy and Elizabeth as his daughters on your Ancestry tree, time to ‘fix that’!!