Charles Hughes was on the ship "Vine" of Liverpool which sailed from Dolyserre (Dolserau) an estate on the Wnion River in Wales, and arrived Philadelphia 17.7mo 1684. He was listed as a manservant of David Davis who came with his sister Katherine and her daughter Mary Tidey (Tudor). Charles had 3 years to serve. They all apparently came from Denbighshire in Wales. It is near Dolgules (Dolgellau) in Merionethshire Wales.
There were 96 passengers listed on the ship. On the same voyage was Rees Jones who was from Llanglynin. Other passengers on the voyage were from Machinleth or Manhinteth (Machynlleth) in Montgomeryshire. Dr. Griffith Owen was also on this voyage. Griffith Owen was apparently the son of Robert Owen, the famous Quaker leader who lived at Dolserau.
Charles had a son, Francis Hughes Sr., who in turn had a son , Aaron Hughes. Aaron, and wife Mary Moore Hughes, had several sons. One was John Hughes, the subject of this biography. (click for a full Hughes descendants' chart).
John Hughes was born in Virginia, possibly Augusta County, on 22 Dec., 1772(1773 or 1774?). John Hughes married Susannah Hays in Jefferson Co., Tennessee on the 13th of December, 17961. In 1799 Aaron Hughes died on or about the 22nd of March of that year and John Hughes was named the adminstrator of his estate2. There are a few records for John Hughes in Jefferson County, TN before he an Susannah emmigrated to what is now Missouri.
In 1800/01 a John Hughes bought land from William Boyd3, and in 1808 a John Hughes sold a slave to Allen Bryan4. While living in Jefferson Co. Tennessee, their first 5 (or possibly 6) children were born. These were:
Pryor Hughes BORN 8 Dec 1797
Mary Hughes BORN 14/17 Sept 1799
Ella Hughes BORN March 1801
William Hughes BORN 2 Nov 1802
Hays Hughes BORN 7 Aug 1804
and possibly James Hughes BORN 4 Mar 1806
The remainder of their 12 chhildren were all born in what is now Washington County, Missouri. (at that time, Missouri was part of the Louisiana District, later Upper Louisiana, the Missouri Territory and finally the State of Missouri. These children were:
Mark Hughes BORN 19 July 1808
Mahlon Hughes BORN 3 March 1811
Elizabeth Hughes BORN 27 Oct 1813
John Hughes, Jr BORN 2 April 1815
Susannah Hughes BORN in Washington Co, MO
Sythian Hughes BORN 20 July 1820
The exact date of John and Susannah's move to what is now Missouri is not known, but they surely had moved by February 6, 1810 as is evident by a deed between "John Hughs of the District of Louisiana of the one part and Charles Carter of Jefferson County and State of Tennessee of the other part."5 Two other biographical sounces state that John and Susannah Hughes relocated in Missouri in 1806. One is the Biography of Captain John Hughes6 and the biography of their son Mahlon Hughes Although no exact record of just HOW they made this move, it is reasonable to assume they traveled by flat boat down the French Broad River to then down the Tennessee River, carrying both their boat and posessions over Muscle Shoals in Alabama, on down to the Ohio River and then on to the Mississippi River. From there they would have moved up the Mississippi to around Cape Girardeau or Sainte Genevieve, and finally cross country to Washington County.
The Hugheses settled in what is now Concord Township of Washington County, Missouri, where John Hughes built a buhr grist mill on the Big River, at the base of Hughes Mountain7. John and Susannah Hays Hughes were members of the Bellvue Presbyterian Church, the first Presbyterian Church west of the Mississippi River, per HOUCK'S HISTORY OF MISSOURI Vol 3, pgs. 228/229 footnote #458. A few years after their westward move the United States went to war with Great Britain in what became the War of 1812. On February 13th, 1813 appeared a decree under the orders of Fredrick Bates (acting Commader in Chief).
TETERRITORY OF MISSOURI GENERAL ORDERS The usual orders for the musters of battalions in the spring will now be given. The threatened invasion of our settlements by the northern indians , requires arrangements of another character. To repell and if possible to chastise these inroads, if they should be attempted, the acting Commander in Chief orders...
St Louis March 1st, 1813
That the volunteer companies commanded by Captain's Dodge, M'Nair, Callaway, Ashley, Young, Hughes, Millard, Ramsay, and Rankin, muster for inspection at their respective parade grounds on Saturday the 20th of the present month and hold themselves thenceforth in readiness to be called into actual service at a moments warning. .........."
It appears as if Captain Hughes' company, The 4th Mounted Riflemen9, saw no action since they were mustered in to service on September 9, 1812 (1813?) and out on October 25, 1812(1813?) and were under the command of Col. Henry Dodge.10 (I believe the decree that appeared in the newspaper appeared "after the fact.") Although they saw no action, it is clear that Captain Hughes and his entire company of Mounted Riflemen were prepared to defend Missouri against any and all invaders.
Based on this service, John Hughes applied for, and received a Bounty Land Warrent, and a pension. 11
John Hughes was also involved in farming. To this end, John, and his sons, obtained Land Patents from the US Government. Between John, his sons and one of his grandsons, a total of 20 land patents were acquired.
Most of John and Susannah's children were married in Washington County:
Mary Hughes married Elisha Wallen 10 Oct 1815 (no record exsists)
William Hughes first married #1 Mary Kirkpatrick on 29 Aug 1822 (Bible record) then #2 Elizabeth Keller on 24 Aug 1834 (Bible record)
Hays Hughes married Sarah Boyd on 3 Mar 1826 (marriage book A)
Mark Hughes married Ellenore Campbell on 12 Oct 1826 (marriage book A)
Mahlon Hughes married Nancy E. McFarland 21 Sept 1837 (Ste. Francois Co. book A)
Elizabeth Hughes married Mordecai I Howard on 25 Aug 1831 (marriage book A)
John Hughes, Jr married Anna Dent on 28 May 1822 (no record exsists)
Susannah Hughes married James Kincaide on 15 Sept 1835 (marriage book A)
Sythian Hughes married Nicholas Yates on 17 June 1841 (marriage book A)
On 9 February 1855 Captain John Hughes died. He was buried in the Big River Cem., Washington Co.12, Mo.less than 2 miles from his homestead at the base of Hughes Mountain13. His last will and testiment was probated on February 16th, 1855.14 15 On of the executors was his grandson, John C. Hughes, son of Willam Hughes and Mary Campbell. Susannah Hays Hughes had died on 17 October 1852 and was buried in the Big River Cem.16
Some of Captain John Hughes' children remained in the Washington Co., Missouri area, others moved on.
Mary Hughes and husband Elisha Wallen also remained in Washington County. What is known comes from the biography of their son, Henry C. Wallen, and a brief biography of Elisha Wallen found in THE WAR OF 1812 AND INDIAN WARS, by Robert Parkin (1961).17
William relocated to Rockwall Texas where he died on 22 Feb 1875. He is buried in the Mt. Zion Cem., Rockwall Co Tx. His first wife, Mary Kirkpatrick Hughes died 31 Oct 1831 as a result of child birth with son William "Billy" Hughes BORNon 12 Oct 1831 and DIED 29 Oct 1831. Mary and son, William, are buried in the Big River Cem. One of William and Mary's sons, John C. Hughes, enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War.18 John C. Hughes died of disease on the Hospital Steamer, THE CITY OF MEMPHIS 19 19and is buried in Jefferson Baracks National Cemetery, St. Louis County, Missouri. During the war he wrote a series of letters home, to his wife Harriet N. Campbell Hughes. These have been compiled into a book, A SOLDIER'S DREAM OF HOME: THE CIVIL WAR LETTERS OF JOHN C. HUGHES TO HIS WIFE, HARRIET, compiled by Grata Jeter Clark & Jeffrey S. Clark. (Image of one letter).
Mahlon Hughes remained in Washington Co., and continued in the family business as a millright. His biography can be read here. The US GenWeb Archives site also has the biographies of Mahlon's sons James M. Hughes and John M. Hughes.
LAND PATENTS OF CAPT. JOHN HUGHES AND HIS SONS 1 - Marriage Record of John Hughes & Susannah Hays 13 Dec. 1796, Jefferson Co., TN
John Hughes Patent
#1 5/1/1824
#2 8/1/1838
#3 3/15/1837
#4 11/14/1837
#5 11/14/1837
Son William Hughes
#1 6/1/1849
#2 6/1/1849
#3 4/15/1853
#4 5/10/1824
#5 8/1/1842
Son Mahlon Hughes
#1 1/3/1856
#2 3/15/1837
#3 2/9/1861
#4 11/14/1837
Son Mark Hughes
2/9/1861
Son Hays Hughes
3/1/1860
Son James Hughes
7/15/1825
Grandson John C. Hughes
#1 9/10/1859
#2 12/15/1857
#3 4/15/1857
CENSUS IMAGES
1850 Capt. John Hughes
1850 Mahlon Hughes
1850 William Hughes
1850 Hays Hughes
1860 John C. Hughes pg 1
1860 John C. Hughes pg 2
1870 Hughes/Buxton
Hughes Descendants' Chart
Capt. John Hughes' Family Group Sheet
Mary Hughes & Elisha Wallen's Family Group Sheet
William Hughes' Family Group Sheet
Hays Hughes' Family Group Sheet
Mark Hughes' Family Group Sheet
Mahlon Hughes' Family Group Sheet
Elizabeth Hughes & Mordecai I Howard' Family Group Sheet
John Hughes, Jr.'s Family Group Sheet
Susanna Hughes & Rev James Kinkead's Family Group Sheet
Sythian Hughes & Nicholas Yates's Family Group Sheet
John C. Hughes' (son of WM.) Family Group Sheet
IMAGES OF THE WILLIAM HUGHES BIBLE
2 - Inventory and Probate Records of Aaron Hughes, Jefferson Co., TN
3 - Deed from William Boyd to John Hughes, 1800/01? Jefferson Co., TN
4 - Sale Receit of a Slave to Allen Bryan 1808, Jefferson Co., TN
5 - Deed from John & Susannah Hughes of Louisana District 1810, Jefferson Co. TN (partial)
6 - Biography of Capt. John Hughes, WAR OF 1812 & INDIAN WARS by Robert Perkin, (1961) pg 239
7 - HUGHES MOUNTAIN Natural Area Information Web Site
8 - HOUCK'S HISTORY OF MISSOURI Vol 3, pgs. 228/229 footnote #45
9 - Roster of 4th Mounted Riflemen
10 - Notice to the US Treasury Dept afirming John Hughes' Service re: Bounty Land Warrant Claim
11 - Pension Bounty Land Application of Capt. John Hughes for War of 1812 service
12 - Photo & Sketch of John & Susannah Hughes' Grave Stone
13 - HUGHES MOUNTAIN Natural Area Information Web Site
14 - Will of John Hughes, Washington Co., MO
15 - Sketch of John & Susanna Hughes' Grave Stone
16 - Biography of Elisha Wallen, WAR OF 1812 & INDIAN WARS by Robert Perkin, (1961) pg 286
17 - John C. Hughes Civil War Muster-In Sheet
18 - Drawing of the Hospital Steamer, THE CITY OF MEMPHIS
19 - Military records of John C. Hughes
View MORE Records of Capt. John Hughes.Copyright © 2008 Tom Caulley
