Both CONRAD CLINE & JACOB ALONZO CLINE were known to have migrated sometime before 1840 to Rush County, Indiana. Both married in that county as per Rush Co Indiana marriage records:
--CONRAD CLINE m SARAH JANE SMITH 11 Sep 1841 Rush County, Indiana
--JACOB CLINE m REBECCA HARVEY 1 June 1843 Rush County, Indiana
In the 1850 Union, Rush County, Indiana census we find
MATTHIAS CLINE age 88 (born abt 1762) Maryland
EVE CLINE age 74 (born abt 1776) Maryland
JOHN CLINE age 21 (born abt 1829) Kentucky; son or grandson?
CONRAD CLINE was also living in Rush County, Indiana in 1850, although not near MATTHIAS. JACOB ALONZO CLINE was living with wife REBECCA & two daughters in Liberty, Wabash County, Indiana in 1850 census.
Despite that, there is definitely evidence to indicate that this MATTHIAS CLINE is the father of both CONRAD CLINE & JACOB ALONZO CLINE.
MATTHIAS CLINE was living in Bracken County, Kentucky before 1820 census, which shows:
-- a male over 45,
--female (wife) age 26-44,
--two females age 10-15,
--one male age 16-25,
--three males age 10-15,
--and 4 males under age 10.
He is also listed in the 1830 Bracken County, Kentucky census, which shows:
--a male age 60-69
--female (wife) age 50-59
--one male age 20-29
--one male age 15-19
--four males age 10-14
--two males age 5-9
--two males under age 5 (likely grandchildren?)
MATTHIAS CLINE first appears in Rush County Indiana in the 1840 census, and then in the 1850 Rush County Indiana census.
The person who ties together both the Bracken County, Kentucky family and the Rush County Indiana family is REBECCA JANE CLINE, the daughter of MATTHIAS CLINE.
She was born about 1812 in Bracken County, Kentucky, and married on 13 Aug 1829, GEORGE PEARL, according to Bracken County, Kentucky marriage records.
In 1830 Bracken County, Kentucky census, GEORGE & REBECCA (CLINE) PEARL were living practically next door to MATTHIAS CLINE and family.
In 1840 Rush County, Indiana census GEORGE & REBECCA (CLINE) PEARL were living right next door to MATTHIAS CLINE and his wife EVE. In GEORGE & REBECCA's household were two young men too old to be their children, one male 20-29 (Dr JACOB ALONZO CLINE), and one male 10-14 (JOHN CLINE). The two eldest children of GEORGE & REBECCA, a boy WILLIAM & a girl MARGARET age 5-9, were enumerated in the household of MATTHIAS & EVE.
In 1850, GEORGE & REBECCA (CLINE) PEARL were living in Liberty, Wabash County, Indiana, very near to Dr JACOB ALONZO CLINE, his wife REBECCA, and two young daughters ELIZA & EMELINE.
By 1860, GEORGE & REBECCA (CLINE) PEARL had moved to Edgar County, Illinois, and can be found in census there next door to brother? nephew? JOHN CLINE b 1829 Kentucky, and wife ELIZABETH, who continued to live in Paris, Edgar County, Illinois until 1900, but were childless.
GEORGE PEARL died 1868 in Paris, Edgar County, Illinois, and REBECCA moved on to Palmyra, Otoe County, Nebraska, and then to Kansas, often living with or next to her children. REBECCA CLINE PEARL died 1 Dec 1903 in Palmyra, Otoe County, Nebraska.
But back to MATTHIAS CLINE b 1762 Maryland & his wife EVE b 1776 Maryland.
An 1825 deed record that I found showed that the family lived near the town of Augusta, Kentucky, right on the Ohio River.
They are not listed in 1810 Bracken County, Kentucky census, but their daughter REBECCA was born 1812 in Kentucky (Find-a-Grave shows 1809).
It is clear from census records that they had a very large family with many sons, and not all of their children have been traced.
Three of them are traceable in census records in Rush County, Indiana: JOSEPH CLINE b 1808 PA, CONRAD CLINE b 1814 KY & HENRY CLINE b 1815 KY. There was a LEWIS CLINE living in nearby Shelby County, Indiana who could possibly be an older son.
It is highly likely MATTHIAS was married previous to EVE, and had several children with his previous wife. EVE may have been previously married as well.
There was an ABRAHAM CLINE born abt 1797 in Pennsylvania who remained in Bracken County, Kentucky, and who may have been a son of MATTHIAS' from a previous marriage (EVE would have been age 11 at the time of his birth). The 1850 Bracken Co Kentucky census shows ABRAHAM with a son named MATTHIAS G CLINE.
MATTHIAS & EVE were both born in Maryland, which means that their respective parents probably came down the Old Wagon Road from Pennsylvania in the 1750s, settling possibly in Washington or Frederick County, as so many German immigrants did during that time period. It is possible that MATTHIAS was born in or near Hagerstown.
The fact that one of their older sons JOSEPH was born in Pennsylvania, and that the other possible son from 1st marriage ABRAHAM CLINE was also born in Pennsylvania, had me scrambling to see which communities in Pennsylvania were near Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland, and then scouring census records.
I did find a MATTHIAS CLINE of correct age living in Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (not far from Hagerstown MD) in the 1800 census, showing a couple age 22-44, one son age 16-25, one daughter age 16-25, and two sons under 10. This appears to be the only time period that this MATTHIAS CLINE was living in Shippensburg; he is not in previous or subsequent census records.
Clearly, lots more research needs to be done on this family! But at least records have helped to separate the two different men with the same name!
Be well, be safe, stay home & research on!
Betty
© Betty Tartas 2020
