The Buckalew Family

Ancestors of Elizabeth Buckalew Whiteside

What It Means To Be A Buckalew[1]

We represent the legacy that is America,
Carrying the lifeblood of Old World peasants,
Yeomen, scoundrels and would-be kings.

Some of us have lived hand-to-mouth,
Proudly poor, without lacking nobility;
Others have lived well, beyond the wildest dreams
Of the roughest border reiver
Or the wildest backwoodsman.

Through good times and bad,
We've always kept going,
On foot, on horseback
And even in oxcarts,
Until one can say that our descendants
Literally, to the last one, have fulfilled
The lofty promise of the 19th Century,
Manifest Destiny.

As we approach the close of the 20th Century,
Those of us who are now cannot help reflecting
On the accomplishments and failures of those who were;
Seeking out a worthy legacy for those who are to come.

It is only fitting that we designate
To these pro-generations a gift
The greatest accomplishment
Of our collective pasts
Simply and lovingly given,
Proudly and emphatically displayed,
In all their glory OUR EARS.

Written on March 27, 1999 at the 3rd Annual Bucklew Genealogy Conference
By Jane Ann Bucklew Hutt

Introduction

          The Buckalew family website posted by Les Buckalew (which is unfortunately closing down in Dec. 2004) has a lengthy article discussing the possible origins of this name.  Some believe it is French, others Scottish, others Dutch.  The spellings are many, including Buckalew, Bucklew, Buckelew, Buckaloo, Buckeloo, Buckellew, Buckalieu, Buckelieu, Buccheuch, and others.

1st generation

Francis Buckalew

(1640-1750)

Martha (Unknown)

            NOTE:  The information that follows is from the Buckalew Family website posted by Les Buckalew.  He writes:  "I do not have hard proof that Francis was the son of William and brother of Peter Buckalew, but age and location make it seem plausible if not probable.  Francis could very well have been William's eldest child.  He immigrated in 1665, settling on Long Island, then South Amboy.  He and his brother Gilbert married in this country.  Gilbert spelled his name Boileau.

          "From an undated transcribed letter written by John W. Buckalew to his niece Mrs. Martha Jones:  'Gilbert and Francis Boileau, two Huguenot brothers, left France in 1663 in consequence of the continued persecutions of the Roman Catholic Church ... Gilbert remained near New York and retained the name of Boileau while Francis, my great-great-grandfather, removed and settled near South Amboy, Middlesex Co., NY, where his name changed to Buckalow.   Francis Buckalow had 4 sons.  Three of them lived to aggregate 300 years.  Francis died at 110 years.  He married a French Huguenot woman in  America by whom he had the four sons."

          Francis Buckalew was born 1640 in  France and died 1750 in South Amboy, Middlesex County, NJ.  He married Martha and they had four sons, including:

          Samuel Buckalew (1696-1792) m. Mary Campbell

2^nd generation

Samuel Buckalew

(1696-1792)

Mary Campbell

            NOTE:  The information that follows is from the Buckalew Family website posted by Les Buckalew .

          Samuel Buckalew was born in 1696 in South Amboy, Middlesex Co., NJ, the son of Francis and Martha Buckalew.   He married Mary Campbell who was born in Monmouth Co., NJ.  They  had four sons including:

          Andrew Buckalew (1731-1805) m. (1) Sarah, (2) Jane Fling (d. 1805)

3^rd generation

Andrew Buckalew

1731-1805

Jane Fling

d. 1805

            NOTE:  The information that follows is from the Buckalew Family website posted by Les Buckalew.   

          Andrew Buckalew was born in 1731 in Cranbury,  South Amboy, Middlesex Co., NJ, the son of Samuel Buckalew and Mary Campbell. 

          His first marriage was to Sarah Parker and they had 7 children:  Rachel, Samuel, Hopeful, Mary, William, Nathan Parker, and Sarah.

          Andrew moved from New Jersey to Allegheny Co., MD, and from there to Coshocton Co, Ohio.  Many of his children moved with him.  Andrew returned to Preston Co., VA (later WV) where he died in 1805.

          When Andrew was 49, in about 1780, he second married Jane Fling, daughter of William Fling and Elizabeth.

          Andrew and Jane had 7 children:

          i.        George Buckalew

          ii.       James Buckalew (1783-1842) m. Elizabeth Cunningham

          iii.      John Buckalew

          iv.      Margaret Buckalew

          v.       Jane Buckalew

          vi.      Ann Buckalew

          vii.     Hannah Buckalew

          Andrew Buckalew did not serve in the Revolutionary War.  It is said he accidentally cut off part of his foot, maybe this kept him out.  It is doubtful this had anything to do with his death.  He probably died of an illness.  He and his second wife Jane died within a few hours of each other in late 1804 or early 1805.

          Andrew and Jane were buried in Allegany Co., MD.

4^th generation

James Buckalew

1783-1842)

Elizabeth Cunningham

1785-1856

            NOTE:  The information that follows is from the Buckalew Family website posted by Les Buckalew and from Ruth Coward Cunnningham's book Arthur Cunningham About 1755-1829, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia & Ohio, and Some of His Descendants,  published 1991.

          James Buckalew was born January 1783 in Loudoun Co., VA, the son of Andrew Buckalew and Jane Fling.

          Elizabeth Cunningham was born 10 December 1785 in Bedford Co., PA, the oldest of six children of Arthur and Hester Cunningham.  (see CUNNINGHAM.)

          Elizabeth apparently had a first marriage to a man named Jackson.

          James served in the War of 1812 in Captain Adam Johnston's Company, known as Johnston's Riflemen, Virginia.

          James Buckalew, age 33, and Elizabeth Cunningham Jackson were married 27 June 1816 in Monongalia Co., WV. 

          They had 12 children:

          i.        Elizabeth Buckalew (1809-1867) m. Jeremiah Whiteside  

                             (see WHITESIDE)

          ii.       Jane Buckalew (b. 1811)

          iii.      Parkinson (Park) Buckalew (d. 1845) m. Elizabeth Ray

          iv.      George Buckalew (1815-1856)

          v.       John Buckalew (1820-1887)

          vi.      Phoebe Buckalew (1821-1844) m. John Sumeny

          vii.     Nancy Buckalew (1822-1966)

          viii.    Mary (Polly)  Buckalew (b. 1824)

          ix.      Rachel Buckalew (b. 1826) m. Aaron Keller, M. Barfoot

          x.       Samuel Buckalew (1827-1906)

          xi.      Christina Buckalew (1829-1899)

          xii.     William Buckalew (1829-1892

          James Buckalew died 22 June 1842, age 59, in Mechanic Twp., Holmes  Co., Ohio.  He was buried in Old Elliott Methodist Cemetery, Mechanic Twp., Holmes Co., Ohio.

          The 1850 Holmes Co., Ohio census, p. 132, Mechanic Township, shows Elizabeth, a widow, as head of household.  Her daughter Phebe Sumeny died in 1844 and the Sumeny children are living with their grandmother:

          Elizabeth Buckaloo 66, b. PA,

          Rachel Buckaloo 27,

          Samuel Buckaloo 23,

          William Buckaloo 20,

          Tena Buckaloo  22,

          Samuel Sumney 14,

          Elizabeth Sumney 12,

          William Sumney 9

          According to Ruth Coward Cunningham:  "Not long after this census, there were many changes for this family, marriages and travel.  The Sumeny children went to live with their father.  Elizabeth traveled to Hancock, Illinois, with at least her son Samuel."   She died there on 15 September 1856, at age 70.   She was buried in Chili Cemetery, Chili, Hancock County, Illinois.   Photographs of Elizabeth's and other family members' tombstones in that cemetery are in Ruth Cunningham's book.