Charles C. FORCE (16/9/1816 Martin County, IN - 31/12/1855 Martin County, IN)
= (4/9/1840) Elizabeth COX (11/1816 IN - 9/12/1882 Martin County, IN)

From Catherine Lang's DAR application:

age 30 in 1850 census; living Perry Township 1850. From mother's notes, 38 yrs 3 mo at death (Dec 31,1855)

From Margaret Force's notes:

148--Film 442938-1850 Census-Perry Twp, Martin Co, Ind..Pg.44-R.29-F.29
#376 CHARLES FORCE--32?-Farmer-$11,395--IND.

From Catherine Lang's genealogy:

Charles Force, Whitfield's eldest son, who'd purchased Whitfield's 162 acres of land lying east of the East Fork of White River, married Elizabeth Cox on September 13, 1841. They were each 24 years old. Elizabeth Cox was a woman of some means. She was part owner of a 200 acre farm near Waco, Texas, and part owner of a dry goods store. They purchased the farm from Whitfield in 1844.

Charles, like his father was a brick mason and a farmer. Charles and Elizabeth had seven children: Laura born Feb 1842 and died Oct 15, 1843, Ann Elizabeth born March 1845, died 1890, Clara born Dec 8, 1847 died June 1935 (88 years old), Mariah born Aug 15, 1850, died in 1931, Thomas Whitfield born Aug 2, 1852, died Dec, 1911, Seth Charles born Jan 15, 1855 died June, 1933 (age 78) Amanda born Sept 7, and lived only a few hours.

Charles contacted pnuemonia in his 39th year and died Dec 3, 1856, leaving a widow with five children, the oldest being ten years old and she only a few weeks pregnant.

Just what acreage the Force farm held at the time of Charles' death is not determined, maybe more than 162 acres or maybe less. At any rate, in 1856, just one year after his death, the taxes were $18.22. This included state, county and township school taxes.

No division of the land was made between the widow, Elizabeth Cox Force and her children until 1873. At the time there was 176 acres. The courts made the following division of the land: Elizabeth Cox Force, the widow received 60 acres. Ann and her husband, John Tolliver, 26 acres. Clara and husband Mason Sherman, 40 acres. Mariah, not yet married, 26 acres. Thomas W. 26 acres and Seth C. 20 acres. Seth was only 18 at the time. Maybe the courts thought he didn't need it. But why was Clara given 40 acres and Ann, Mariah and Thomas given 26 acres?

In 1877, Seth and Thomas purchased the 26 acres of Ann and John Tolliver and the Tollivers moved elsewhere. They paid $400 for the 26 acres. Later, they purchased the 40 acres of Clara and Mason Sherman and they moved to a farm near Mt. Pleasant. Later still, they bought Mariah's share. Seth and Thomas formed a partnership which lasted until 1906, when another farm farther south was purchased for Thomas.

Per info in the New York Genealogical and Biograph. Record entitled "Peter Smith of Jamaica, Long Island, and some of his Descendents," dated July 1954, page 161, died at High Rock, Ind.

Married by Allison Henderson, Associate Judge, M.C. recorded 11-14-1840
Center Township, Martin Co, Indiana 1870 Census (note same below)

From Catherine Lang's DAR application: age 63 in 1880 census; living in Perry Township in 1850.

From Margaret Force's notes:

Film #545841-1870 Census-Center Twp, Martin Co, Ind

From Margaret Force's records:

Film-1254298-1880-Center Twp, Martin Co, Ind. Pg9(389)-R.82-F.89

(Note by CTF: Father from Tennessee, mother from Virginia?)