Hughes Family History

Hughes, Hughs, Huse, Hues

Searching through this big book for any clue to the ancestry of Ira, Josia and Desire Huse, I found only one Huse -- Joseph, who "went West" from his parents' house in Sanbornlon, New Hampshire. His descent was from Abel, to Thomas, Nathan, John and Joseph. At that time, "out West" might have been Greene County, New York.

The New York State Library, Genealogical Division, names several families with these names, but none that I could connect with my grandfather, Ira Huse.

In the 1830 Census for Greene County, Durham Township, New York, is the following record:

Ira Hughes, head of family, aged 34 (note the spelling), wife, aged 30, 4 children, under 10 years, 1 female, aged 70 years.

This is the first and only record I found of my grandfather. This record does not appear in the next census, as Ira had removed to Huntsburg, Ohio. The woman of 70 must have been Ira's mother or mother-in-law. She did not come to Ohio, but I could not find in the cemetery records of Durham either a Hughes or a Serrin.

There was a single Serrin family in New York in the 1790 census, none in other states. Hughes was not found in that NY census -- they may have moved shortly before Ira's birth. Greene County was part of a much larger Albany County [at] that time.

Ira had a brother Josiah, who remained in Geene County, lived at Athena, and is buried at Medusa, New York. There were also a sister Melissa (or Minerva), and Desire. This last married a Mr. Finch. She died from shock of a near-drowning in the Hudson River.

In the same census record is Orrin Hughes, aged between 30 and 40, who might be the son of Josiah of Livingston. These names Josiah, Orrin, appear in the family records later -- leading one to believe there is a connection. [Once such example is] an Orrin Seymour, child of Mary Hughes Seymour of a Missoui branch of the family (by Hiram). (There were two Orrins in the Huse family in early New Hampshire history, one quite well known.)

There are three different spellings among the later Hughes families. Ira was particularly careless, sometimes using the Welsh form, and sometimes the phonetic form, Huse. It may be he tried to be more accurate in answering the census-taker for there it is spelled nearly right, or maybe the census-taker spelled it to suit himself. In later years, the Ohio brothers decided to use the Welsh form, Hughes. These were Israel, Hiram, and Howard. It is said that when this idea was presented to Amos, he considered the gh superfluous, and decided on Hues. Hence the three spellings in one family: the easterners retained the name of Huse. Hues is dying out in Oklahoma; no boy babies.

Mrs. Carleton Lucille Meadows Hues (Mrs. James A. Hues) of Sayre, OK, recalled [in June, 1974] that Dr. Charles P. Hues (her father-in-law) reported that the family had come from New York and she thought originally from Wales. "The original name was none of the derivatives we see now, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was. Anyway, different family members shortened the original name some using Hughes, Hues, Hughs, Hewes - Some remained in NY."

Tilla apparently never saw the reference below -- but it is weak on the Connecticut reference:

"[Israel Ferris Hughes]... being a son of Ira Hughes, a New Yorker by birth, born February 22, 1796, and married October 13, 1822, and grandson of Israel Hughes, of Connecticut [emphasis added]. The last named was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and died in the service."
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio, 1893

Revolutionary War records show [that he was] killed with Ferris as [his] last name. [I] did not see a Hughes veteran from Connecticut.

From the close of the War of 1812, large numbers of families migrated to the western frontiers to take up land owned by the Government. Connecticut reserved the proceeds of the sale for the support of her schools. This was called the Western Reserve. General St. Clair was appointed Bovernor, and he established Trumbull County, with the county seat at Warren, Ohio. From this county in 1805, Geauga County was carved out and in 1810 from Geauga County, Cuyahoga County was cut off.

At the first election, General Edward Paine received 38 of the 42 votes cast and became the first territorial governor.

Warren, being the county seat, grew to be quite a town before Cleveland was ever thought of; so there must be a road across from the lake to Warren. The first road was known for many years as "The Girdled Road." It ran from the southeast part of Trumbull County, past the Salt Springs, through the northeast part of Middlefield, southwest part of Huntsburg, central Clairdon, eastern Chardon, to Concord on Lake Erie. The Painesville and Youngstown railroad, built in 1872, followed nearly the same route.

So Huntsburg was right in the line of progress. The Township was bought from the Government by Eben Hunt and John Brick of Northampton, Mass., and they induced many young families to leave eastern New York to take up land in Huntsburg. Many names found in the cemeteries around the Catskills are repeated in the Huntsburg "Graveyards."

In 1834, at the age of 38, Ira Huse removed from Durham, Greene County, New York, traveled with his wife and six children on the new Erie Canal to Huntsburg, Ohio. He cleared the land and built a house on the center road about two miles west of Huntsburg center. He occupied the home there until his death, as did his son Israel. The home has been remodeled, and is a fine looking country home. [1953]

(the following was inserted into the actual genealogy Tilla Leona Hughes Neff wrote; it is included here for convenience.)

As there were three Hughes brothers enlisted in the 41st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, it seems fitting to insert here notes taken from the book by General William B. Hazen on this Brigade. This Regiment was recruited from Geauga and Ashtabula counties; neighbors and friends of the Hughes brothers.

Killed at Chicamauga and buried at the National Chemetery at Chattanooga:
Frank Barker, Rosell Cornish, Philo Searl, Henry Stephenson, Henry Travers, Mortimer Watt, Josh Rogers. The grave of the last named is marked by a stone bearing only his name,

Killed at Picketts Mills, Ga., and bodies later transferred to Chattanooga among the unknown:
William Alexander, Maxwell Dayton, Horton Smith, Ira Hughes.

Killed at Stone River, Pittsburgh Landing, Tenn.: Harrison Hughes, grave 2, Section B, Hazen's Brigade, Joel Strong grave 50, Stone River Cemetery.

Wounded at Missionary Ridge, died later, Henry Derlam, also buried at Chattanooga. Of Company G, there were 13 killed in battle, 4 died of wounds, 18 died of disease.

[More information about the 41st Ohio Volunteer Infantry]
[More information about the battle at Picket's Mill]
[More information about the battle at Stones River]