John Batten married Sophia Allen 10 August 1837 in Ash Twp., Monroe County, MI. This the earliest known record of John. There is a John Batten listed on the 1840 federal census for Genessee County, Flushing Twp, MI., with 1 male under 5, 2 males age 20-30, 1 male 30-40, 1male 60-70, 1 male 70-80. 1 female under 5, 1 female 20-30. If this is our John, then he would be one of the males aged 20-30, the female aged 20-30, would be Sophia, the female under 5 would be daughter Mary. If so, then who is the male under 5? Who is the other male 20-30? Who is the male 30-40? Who is the male aged 60-70? Who is the male aged 70-80? (This is not our John!!!) On the 1850 federal census Town of Wausau, County of Marathon, State of WI., John Batten is listed on page 59, dwelling 251, family 251, age given as 36, occupation is lumberman, birthplace is Vermont. His wife Sophia is aged 32, listed as born in Mich. Daughter Mary aged 13, born in Mich. Son George W. aged 7, born in Wis.. Daughter Clarissa aged 4, born in Wis.. Son Luther aged 1, born in Wis. John was counted twice on the 1860 federal census. First in the Village of Waupaca, County of Waupaca, State of WI., page 87, dwelling 817, family 692. His age is given as 48, occupation farmer, value of real estate $1000, value of personal estate $100, born in Vermont. Sophia is age 39, occupation farmer, value of real estate $600, born in N.Y. Son George W. aged 17, occupation farmer, born Wis. Daughter Clarissa Ingersoll age 15, occupation farmer, born Wis., married within the year. Son-in-law Moses Ingersoll aged 25, occupation Lime Burner, value of real estate $100, born in N.Y., married within the year. Son John age 8, born Wis., attended school within the year. Daughter Adeline age 5, born Wis. John was next counted in the Village of Farmington, County of Waupaca, State of Wis. page 737, dwelling 1039, family 885, age 48, occupation farmer, value of real estate $300, value of personal estate $150, born Vermont. Son Luther age 11, occupation farmer, born Wis., attended school within the year. The following is from OUR COUNTY OUR STORY Portage County, Wi. page 52: The first tavern-house in the limits of modern Portage County was operated by Luthern Houghton and John Batten, probably as early as 1842, One of the road districts established by the county commissioners on July 5, 1844, took bearing on "Houghton and Battens" and from the description it appears that it was located near the modern intersection of H-51-54 and Trunk B, where a community, known as Rushville, developed before Plover village was platted in 1845. The license to "keep tavern at Rushville for one year from date of this filing (Oct. 25, 1844)..." was issued in Houghton's name. The latter was also elected one of the three county commissioners in the first election at Plover in 1844; in 1845, Batten's name appears in the commissioners' sessions as county treasurer. It is said that there was some money missing from the county treasure and John was asked to resign. It doesn't appear he was ever prosecuted. John filed on land in Iowa County, WI, at the land office in Mineral point, on North West Quarter of South West Quarter, the East half of the South West Quarter, and the South East Quarter of the South East Quarter of Section 30, in Township 8 North, of Range 2 East, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, containing one hundred and fifty eight acres and seventy five hundredths of an acre. He paid $1.25 per acre for a total of $198.43 3/4. Receipt dated 2 Jan 1855. Cash file # 23062, National Archives record group no. 49 John also filed on land at the land office in Stevens Point, WI., on the South East Quarter of the North West Quarter of Section 36 in Township 32 North of Range 10 East containg 40 acres. He paid $1.25 per acre for a total of $50.00. Receipt dated May 20, 1854. Cash file # 1589, National Archives record group no. 49. John also filed at the land office in Stevens Point, WI, on the North East Quarter of North East Quarter of section 34 township 22 North, range 10 East containing 40 acres. He paid $1.25 per acre for a total of $50.00. Receipt dated July 6, 1854. Cash file # 2252, National Archives record group no. 49. Sophia filed on land at the land office in Stevens Point, WI, on the North West Quarter of South East Quarter Section 20 Township 22 North, Range 11 East containg 40 acres. She paid $1.25 per acre for a total of $50.00. Receipt dated Sept 2, 1854. Cash file #2854, National Archives record group no. 49. John's date and place of death are not known, however, it is said that he was "accidently" shot and died in 1863. This has not been proven! Sophia supposedly filed for divorce in January 1863 ( I am told that this record exists, although I have not seen it) and married Robert Fletcher in December 1863. I am told that the law at that time did not permitted a divorced woman to remarry for one year after the divorce was final. If this is true then John may well have died in 1863. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ From Information received from Lyle Hermance, Lincoln, NE email HermanceL@aol.com, 17 Oct 1999. John's birth date, place and death date and place. The following is from Portrait and Biographical Album of Lancaster County, Nebraska, by Chapman Brothers, 1888. "Having passed through the days of childhood with its round of ups and downs, he entered school, and was afterward apprenticed to Ebenezer Crane, of Springfield, to learn the trade of carriage maker and wheelwright, continuing after the close of apprenticeship for three years in the same establishment, for several years after this following the same trade in various parts, extending down to Maryland and Virginia. The first railroad to go through Maryland was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Our subject entered into contract with the company for work in his line, remaining with them for a considerable time, and afterward worked for the canal company along the Potomac River, until the canal was finished up to Hagerstown. Thence he returned to Pennsylvania, and engaged in carrying coal from Mauch Chunk to Philadelphia, by canal boat. From there he went to New York and Buffalo, and on into Canada, picking up any work or odd jobs that happened to be around, until he arrived at London, where he went into the lumber business near Port Kent, and continued in the same for two years. At the expiration of that period he went still further west, to Michigan, still engaged in the lumber trade, locating not far from the Monroe of today. In the year 1836, the time of settlement of Monroe, the condition of things was entirely different from that of today. We mention the name Toledo, and immediately there passes before the mind the bright panorama of a beautiful and extensive city, with its busy, bustling streets, its haunts of fashion, and its mansions of elegance. At that time there was not a house worthy of the name standing in Michigan; outside a limited circle of lumbermen, pioneers, State officals and relatives of such as were engaged in the State. Michigan was practically an unknown quantity, so that he is truly worthy of the name of pioneer of that state. Monroe was his home for about three years, and it was there that he found the lady whose heart and life beat in unison with his. He was united to Sophia Allen in 1836, and they have been the joyful recipients of a family of seven children, six of whom it was their privilege to bring to maturity. Their names are as follows: Mary, William, Clarissa, Luther, John and Adeline. Mary, the eldest child, was born in Monroe, whence the family moved to Galena, Ill., in 1839. During the two years residence in this palce, their daughter Harriet, since deceased, was born. From Galena, Mr. Batten went to the pioneer regions of Wisconsin, and engaged extensively in lumbering upon the Wisconsin River, making his home near Stevens Point, Wisconsin until the year 1870. It was in this place that the remainder of the family were born." Marriage record was found 18 March 1999 on Ancestry.com in Michigan Marriages before 1850. Also found on Monroe MI GenWeb page. The complete record from Marriages of Monroe county reads: Batten John Allen Sophia M'd 10 Aug 1837 in Ash Twp. by Elhunan Waldo page 122 E3.