Who is John D. Adams/John D. Henion?

John D. Adams married Mary Willis in 1857, in Lafayette, Sussex County, NJ. On his marriage record, he lists his father as Samuel Adams.

But before that (and for about 10 years after that), he uses the name Henion. Why?

In the Rev. Richard Mather’s genealogy book (written 1890), it says that Phebe Devore was married to William Adams in 1830. There are no records for that marriage in Sussex County. But it also says William Adams died in 1832 — therefore, he can’t be the father of John Adams born 1838. But there’s one flaw in the Mather genealogy book: it doesn’t mention ANY of Phebe Devore’s children or the fact that she has a second husband. So wherever Horace Mather got the family information about Phebe Devore, he didn’t get it from her or her children, and that makes it flawed unless he had a family bible or newspaper article with this information. If he’s hearing the story from someone else outside the family, parts of it could be wrong. (He’s researching in the late 1880s, and Phebe dies 1884, so there’s no reason why he couldn’t ask her kids unless he doesn’t know who they are. He’s talking to other people nearby in Sussex, NJ and Orange, NY.)

When John marries a second time, to Mary Elizabeth Mann in 1898, he uses the name John W. D. Adams (instead of John D. Adams) and names his father William Adams, not Samuel Adams like he said on his first marriage record in 1857.

So, the mystery to solve is: Who is John Adams and who are his parents? But there are some deeper mysteries to solve, too.

Some background notes to remember:

It’s important to know all these families intermarry: Chamberlain, Henion, Parliament, Black, Turner, Willis, Davenport, Pittenger.

Naturally, this means DNA lines are crossed repeatedly, and DNA matches may appear closer than they really are. Also, it’s easy to mis-identify a “DNA match” because the family names are the same, only to discover the “match” is through a marriage line not a blood line and is, therefore, not a match at all.

Many people in this family are part of the Presbyterian church, specifically the Presbyterian churches in Sparta (formerly called First Presbyterian Church of Hardyston), North Hardyston (aka “North Church” which is no longer there), and Hamburg, New Jersey. Many are buried in the Sparta Cemetery or North Church Cemetery

The Henion name is spelled a variety of ways on records: Henion, Hennion, Henyan, Henyon

Timeline

1830

Per Rev. Richard Mathers Book, Phebe Devore marries William Adams on 16 Oct 1830. I’m presuming that when Horace Mathers researched this book in 1889-1890, he interviewed people and looked at records, but I have not found a marriage record or any record naming William Adams. Many Sussex County marriage records are missing from 1830-1840.

In the Aug 1830 census, Rachel Whitehead Wade in Hardyston, Sussex, NJ has two females with her, born 1811-1815, and possibly these are Phebe Devore and her sister Elizabeth Devore. By 1825, both of Phebe’s parents are dead.

1832

Per Rev. Richard Mathers Book written in 1890, William Adams dies 14 Aug 1832. If this is accurate, he’s not the father of John Adams born 1838. I see no records of a William Adams dying in the area and no newspaper stories about the accident. It’s possible that Horace Mathers interviewed someone related to the family, but not Phebe or her kids directly, and that’s where the 1832 date came from. See below.

The Mering Family book (published in 1929, page 45) says the same thing: that William Adams marries Phebe Devore, and dies in 1832. This is Phebe Ella Hendershot Mering giving the account of her GRANDparents, William Adams and Phebe Devore. She says two important things that are not in the Rev. Richard Mathers book: 1. William Adams Sr dies in 1832, falling off a scaffold while repairing the chimney of the North Hardyston Presbyterian Church, and 2. that William Adams and Phebe Devore had only two children: William Jr and Mary Ann. I think Phebe Ella would know if she had an uncle John Adams who was a full brother to William and Mary Ann. (I’m guessing it’s Mary Ann who told Phebe Ella the story.) However, the book is wildly inaccurate about William’s ancestry and tries to tie him to the famous Adams family of Braintree, MA. I suspect Warren Mering didn’t do much research on the Adams side of his family. Perhaps he’s remembering what others have told him in the past. William Adams Jr is buried in Stillwater and Mary Ann Adams Hendershot is buried in Baleville Cemetery in Hampton Township. It’s possible these two siblings were closer to each other than their siblings in Hardyston?

I have my suspicions about this family story.

• The North Hardyston Presbyterian Church burned down on 28 Feb 1830. It was rebuilt and dedicated by May 1831. Why would they be building a chimney on a brand new church? I’ve seen photos of the church; it only has one chimney.
• The Sparta Presbyterian Church (First Presbyterian Church of Hardyston) had extensive remodelling from Dec 1837 to Feb 1838 when it was rededicated. Perhaps they mean that church remodel? The mason was Charles Hurd, and if William Adams was a mason working on a chimney, he’s work under Charles Hurd. John D. Adams was born March 1838.
• The person who wrote the Rev. Richard Mathers book does not list Phebe and her second husband, nor does it list any of her Henion kids — Phebe is alive at the time the book was being researched, and her kids were certainly alive when it was published. That means the author did not ask the people involved — he got the William Adams 1832 death date from someone else. He doesn’t include Phebe Devore Adams Henion’s death date of 25 Jan 1884, even though the book was published in 1890.
• Plus, this is exactly the type of accident that would be reported in the Sussex Register newspaper. SR has a ton of these kinds of stories in this time frame. Why not this story? (The Sussex Regiser DOES announce the remodel and rededication of the Sparta Presbyterian Church in 1837/1838.) I have a PDF of the summary of important events announced in the Sussex Register, but I’ll go to the Sussex County Library and read the actual papers for the second half of 1832.
• There is no estate records for William Adams in Sussex County in all of the 1830s, and no guardianship records for his kids. He is not mentioned in anyone’s will, and has no land records.

The good news is that this puts Phebe Devore squarely in Hardyston area in 1832-1838, so her son John is likely born there, too. I’d guess Mary Ann Adams and William Adams Jr are also born in Hardyston; by 1850 they’re both farm laborers in Newton and marry shortly after in Stillwater Presbyterian Church.

1838

John D Adams / John D Henion is born in Sussex, New Jersey. His 1875 census says he was born in Sussex County (his half-siblings also say they’re born in Sussex County). Even though later census records say he’s born in March 1836, his parents say he is born in 1838 in their 1850 census, so it’s likely more accurate.

At this point, there are only these options:

• William Adams’ death date is wrong (I’ll check the local newspapers page by page, it seems like a newsworthy event and his kids are tiny kids when he dies, so they won’t know the exact date)
• Phebe Devore marries a second Adams man after 1832, John’s father.
• Phebe marries someone else before Samuel Henion (John’s DNA line does not have strong Henion DNA matches; Samuel Henion is not his father.)
• John Adams is illegitimate and he has an unknown father.

1840

Samuel T. Henion is on the 1840 census in Hardyston, Sussex, NJ. He’s 30-39, and has one son under 5, and a wife 20-29. Presumably this is Samuel, Phebe Devore Adams Henion, and John Henion/Adams — but what if it’s not? See 1841.

Nearby, Rachel Whitehead Wade has one male with her, born 1831-1835. Could this be John Adams born 1836? His later census records say he was born March 1836, not 1838.

1841

Half-brother Henry Henion is born in 1841, per their 1850 census. His gravestone says 1839, which would make HIM the child on the 1840 census, not John.

1850

1850 – John D. Henion first appears in the 1850 West Milford, Passaic, NJ census as the son of Samuel and Phebe Devore Henion. He appears to have been born around 1838 in New Jersey. (Later census records say he’s born closer to 1836.)

The 1850 census shows that Henry is born 1841, not 1839. That means the “under 5” on the 1840 census is John.

• Samuel Hennion 40
• Phebe Hennion 39
• John Hennion 12
• Henry Hennion 9
• Peter Hennion 8
• Rachel Hennion 6
• Louisa Hennion 3
• Joseph Hennion 1

• John Henion – born 1838 NJ (other records say March 1836, his census says born in Sussex County, NJ)
• Henry Henion – born 1841 NJ (his grave says born 1839, but almost all other records, including his death record, say 1841. His census record says born Ogdensburg, Sussex, NJ)
• Peter Henion – born 1842 NJ (his census says born in Sussex County, NJ)
• Rachel Henion – born 1844 NJ (death certificate says born 1844 in Ogdensburg, Sussex, NJ)
• Louisa Henion – born 1847 NY (this NY birth agrees with her later census records; she’s the only child born in NY, probably Orange County, NY right across the border from Sussex, NJ)
• Joseph Henion – born 1849 NJ (gravestone says 1848, census record says born in Sussex County, NJ)

In 1850, Samuel, Phebe and their family are living in West Milford, Passaic, NJ. Not to be confused with the “other” Samuel Johannes Hennion who is also living in West Milford in 1850, but is about 11 years older than Samuel T. Henion.

For Samuel T Henion’s 1850 census record: The wife and children ages all align with the Samuel from 1840 Hardyston, NJ census and 1860 Sparta, NJ census. But, the birth years for the children seem different from what is on their gravestones. This is their parents reporting their age in 1850 — I think I trust their parents to know the correct ages in 1850.

If the 1850 census is accurate, John Hennion/Adams is born in 1838 and Phebe marries Samuel Hennion sometime after that, but before 1840. If John is born March 1838, that means Phebe was pregnant with John in the summer of 1837, so his father was alive at that time and living in Sussex County (and likely dead or divorced before 1840).

FYI, Rachel Whitehead Wade is living in Hardyston, Sussex, NJ in 1850. She writes a will naming Phebe Devore Henion (see below).

In 1850, Mary Ann Adams and William Adams Jr are living in Newtown Township, Sussex, NJ as farm laborers (a defunct township — they appear to be living in today’s Hampton Township). It’s possible one or both of them is with Rachel Whitehead Wade in 1840. They’re not with their mother and Samuel Henion.

1854

Rachel Whitehead Wade writes a will in Hardyston, Sussex, New Jersey. In it, she leaves her Hardyston, Sussex, NJ farm to Phebe Ann Henion, wife of Samuel.

She specifically leaves the farm ONLY to Phebe (not to Samuel).  In her will, the farm is to be shared equally among Phebe’s children after Phebe’s death. At this time, Phebe has the following children alive: William, Mary Ann, John, Henry, Peter, Rachel, Louisa, Joseph, Isaac, and Sarah.

HOWEVER, Rachel Whitehead Wade dictates that two children will be treated differently: John and Rachel will NOT inherit a portion of the farm, but instead be given $100. This is a lot of money in those days to give to a child, worth the equivalent of $3,600 in today’s month. John is 17 or 18, Rachel is 10.

Since Rachel Whitehead Wade’s husband’s death, she has purchased nearly 60 acres of land for $1,022 in 1852. If the six remaining children are to share the land, they’d get the land valued at approximately $170 each, but only after Phebe Devore Henion dies, so sometime in the future.

(Incidentally, Peter Henion sells this same farm in 1867 for $150. Why so little? Rachel Wade bought this land for $1,022, and Samuel and Phebe have not sold any of it between 1859 when Rachel dies and 1867 when Peter Henion sells it. It’s possible he’s only selling his 1/6 portion of the inheritance, but that’s not clearly spelled out in the property sale deed. A mystery!)

Side note: Rachel Wade’s husband, Samuel Wade, was previously married, and his daughter, Martha Wade Cory, is living at the time Rachel writes her will. In Samuel’s will, he leaves Martha $10, and leaves the farm to Rachel. But he’s not writing Martha Wade Cory out of his will: in 1833, he sells about 167 acres to David Cory, Martha Wade’s husband, for $1,600, about 2/3 the price David would have paid on the open market. I’m assuming that’s considered Martha’s inheritance, so she’s bypassed in Samuel Wade’s will except for a token amount. Samuel Wade dies in 1845.

WHY does Rachel single out these two children?

WHY does she leave her farm to Phebe Ann Henion in the first place? And WHY does she single out these two children for special financial gifts?

It’s clear she’s treating these two children differently. You can conclude two possible interpretations from Rachel Wade’s will in relation to these two children:

1. Simple explanation: John is the eldest male child and Rachel is the eldest female child. But that’s not true: Mary Ann and William Adams Jr are eldest. See below.
2. The two children who get $100 in cash are more important to Rachel Wade, but the other children are important, too. This would indicate that the relationship is between Rachel Wade and Phebe Devore Henion, and not a relationship between Rachel Wade and Phebe’s first husband, otherwise she wouldn’t have left the other children any inheritance.
3. The two children who get $100 in cash are not as important to Rachel Wade as the other six, since the value of $100 cash is less than the value of $170 land (but only after Phebe dies).
4. She wants these two children to have cash now, rather than wait to get land after Phebe Henion dies. Phebe at this time is in her 40s, so it could be several decades for Phebe’s children to inherit the land. John Henion/Adams is nearly 18, so might be considering getting married in the next few years and cash would come in handy. (But Henry Henion is nearly the same age as John, and he gets land not cash, so this theory might not pan out.)

Why doesn’t Rachel single out the two oldest children?

Mary Ann Adams is the eldest, followed by William Adams, Jr. Why not give them cash, if the intention is to help the younger people get married and set up a new life together?

Mary marries in 1855. William Jr marries in 1854. Perhaps Rachel has already given money to them, and now wants to make sure that the next eldest son and next eldest daughter, both unmarried and currently living with Phebe in 1854, are taken care of as well. (There are Henion brothers OLDER than Rachel Henion, but they don’t get any cash.)

Are Phebe and Rachel related?

It was most common during this time period for people to leave land/property to family members. If a person didn’t have children, they often left property to nieces and nephews, or cousins. Rachel doesn’t have any children of her own

The Rev. Richard Mather book says that Phebe Ann Devore Adams Henion’s mother was Elizabeth Mather Devore (wife of William Devore) and Elizabeth’s mother was Phebe Whitehead. Rachel Wade’s maiden name is Whitehead. So there is some connection between Phebe’s Whitehead grandmother and Rachel Whitehead Wade, but I’m not sure exactly what it is. Perhaps Phebe is a grand-niece of Rachel. If the two girls with Rachel in 1830 are Phebe and Elizabeth Devore, then Rachel raised them after their parents died.

Rachel Whitehead Wade (born 1783) and Phebe Whitehead Mather (born 1776) both joined the Sparta Presbyterian Church in May 1819, so possibly they are sisters, which would make the most sense.

Phebe’s daughter, Eliza, has an obituary that lists her mother as Phebe Devore Henion. This is the ONLY place where Phebe’s maiden name is given as Devore. It’s always wise to suspect information that’s given by a third-party person two generations away. It’s just as likely that Phebe’s maiden name is Wade or Whitehead. (She names her daughter Rachel W. Henion, but I can’t find what the “W” stands for. Does Phebe name her daughter Rachel Whitehead Henion or Rachel Wade Henion, in homage to Rachel Whitehead Wade?)

But I have a TON of Devore DNA…and that makes me think Phebe is a Devore. Her death record does not indicate a maiden name. Rev. Richard Mather book says her maiden name is Devore. Mering family book says her name is Devore.

Phebe’s daughter Louisa’s death certificate lists her mother as Phebe Wade, not Phebe Devore. Phebe’s mother dies just a few years after Phebe is born, and her father likely dies young, too. Could she have been raised by her great-aunt, Rachel Whitehead Wade and that’s why Louisa’s daughter, Elizabeth (who provided the information on the death certificate), think her grandmother’s maiden name is Phebe Wade?

Rachel Whitehead Wade and her husband Samuel Wade are members of the Sparta Presbyterian Church, and they are both buried in the Sparta Cemetery. Many of Phebe’s children (including John Adams and his wife and children) are buried in the same cemetery, and married by the Sparta Presbyterian ministers. Samuel and Rachel Wade are buried in the “old” section of Sparta Cemetery, directly behind the Presbyterian Church, not in the newer section where the Henions and Adams are buried.

1857

John D. Adams married Mary Willis married Oct 1857.  Both are from Hardyston. They’re married in the Lafayette Presbyterian Church by Rev. Joel Campbell.

Rev. Campbell had just moved to the Lafayette Church in October 1856. Previous to that, he was the minister at the North Hardyston Presbyterian Church for 18 years, so he knew the Henion and Wade families, and may have been John’s minister when he was growing up. (Otherwise, why go all the way to Lafayette to get married when they live above Sparta?)

On the marriage record, John’s father is listed as “Samuel Adams”. Mary’s father is listed as Jacob Willis. Presumably, it’s Rev. Joel Campbell writing this as it’s his register that’s submitted to the County for marriage records. There is no Samuel Adams alive or dead at this time who could be a match for John’s father. It’s possible he means Samuel Henion. Or he means Samuel Adams of Wantage, who might have been John’s grandfather. This one is a mystery.

Rev. Joel Campbell would have known these families, having served in the area for 18 years, so it’s unlikely he would make a mistake. (Note: a new minister, Rev. Meeker, had been installed at the North Hardyston Presbyterian Church in May 1856 after Rev. Campbell left to start the Lafayette Presbyterian Church.)

So John and Mary chose to be married by Rev. Joel Campbell in Lafayette (8 miles away), even though the Sparta Presbyterian Church would have been closer (4 miles away) or the North Hardyston Presbyterian Church (5 miles away). They chose to be married by Rev. Joel Campbell, likely because he was John’s minister or because Mary’s family was living in Hardyston, temporarily, in 1857. Several of John’s half-siblings are also married by Rev. Joel Campbell in Lafayette, which makes me think this is the Adams/Henion family minister.

1860

On this Federal census record, John Adams is in Hardyston with Mary and son Theodore (age 2). It looks like the census taker started to write “He___” then crossed it out and wrote “Adams.”

1865

June 1, 1865 – NJ Census – Sparta, NJ  – John, Mary, Theodore, Sarah, and John Jr Henion, appears to be living with his mother, widow Phebe Devore Henion, and all Phebe’s younger children.

August 1, 1865 – John’s son, Samuel Adams, is born and dies within 3 months. The NJ death record says Samuel Adams. He’s buried in Sparta Cemetery in the family plot, on the same stone as his mother and brother. The death record has him listed as Samuel Adams, but the gravestone says “William Adams.” However, the grave plot wasn’t purchased until 1892 — nearly 30 years after he died — and that’s when the gravestone is carved. (But his parents are still alive in 1892 and should know the name they gave him! So, for some reason, they wanted “William” on his gravestone and not “Samuel.” See John D. Adam’s second marriage below — he names his father as William Adams, not Samuel, like he did for his first marriage.)

1866

John D. Adams “of Sparta Township” buys land/house from John D. Lanterman, in Ogdensburg NJ. This is the same land he later sells in 1897.

1870

In the 1870 federal census – John Adams is in Sparta with Mary, Theodore, Sarah, John Jr. All the names and ages align with the John Henion in the 1865 NJ census. Ogdensburg is part of Sparta township at this time.

31 July 1870

Jacob Henion born to John and Mary Henion in Ogdensburg per NJ birth records.

19 June 1875

Frank Henyon born to John and Mary Henyon in Ogdensburg per NJ birth records. Later records call him Francis D. Adams. (Is John’s middle name Devore, and he gives it to Francis, too?)

7 July 1875

In the 1875 New Jersey Census – John Henyan in Sparta with Mary, Theodore, Sarah, John, Jacob, and Frank (6 months old) Henyan. All names and ages align with 1870 census, and 1875 birth of Frank “Henyon.” John indicates he was born in Sussex County, NJ.

1880

Federal census – John D. Adams living in Ogdensburg with Mary, Theodore, Sarah, John, Jacob, Francis D. (Frank), and Mary. All names and ages align.

From this point forward, all records are for John Adams. He never uses the Henion name again and his children always use Adams on their records.

1890

Jacob W Adams dies, son of John and Mary, aged 19. He’s buried in family plot in Sparta Cemetery on the same gravestone as his mother and his little brother. Per gravestone, died January, 17, 1890 aged 19 years, 5 months, 17 days. That would make his birth date July 31, 1870, the exact same date “Jacob Henion” was born.

11 June 1892

John Adams buys a burial plot in the Sparta Cemetery, L/20. This is where Mary, Jacob and William are buried today.

On the same exact day, June 11, Joseph Henion (son of Samuel and Phebe, John’s half-brother) buys the plot adjacent to the John Adam’s plot, L/18.

So, in 1892, the Adams family and Henion family are still close to each other. They buy cemetery plots next to each other.

1895

NJ census – John D. Adams Sr and Mary Adams in Sparta, with children Frank D. Adams and Mary “Mame” Adams. With them is their granddaughter Anna K. Adams (daughter of John D. Adams, Jr. and Phebe Kinney Adams).

1840 Census Analysis

John D Adams is born about 1838 (or 1836 per other records).There’s no proof he’s the child with Samuel Henion in Hardyston, though it’s possible. But that would mean Phebe Devore and Samuel Henioin married after John’s birth but before 1840. If true, and if Henry Henion is born 1841 per his 1850 census, then there is a big age gap between John born 1838 and Henry born 1841 (per their 1850 census).

But if Henry Henion is born 1839 as his gravestone says, then he is the one with Samuel Henion in 1840.

John Henion/Adams says he was born in Sussex County, NJ and that his parents were also born in NJ. I have analyzed all the Adams census records in Sussex and Morris NJ, and Orange NY. I’ve looked at all Adams men across the entire USA who were born in NJ during the time period when John Adams’ father was likely born. I can account for most of the Adams men as either not having a son under 5, or having known sons under 5 in 1840.

However, I have very few DNA connections to the Adams family of Wantage, Sussex, NJ. It’s a huge, sprawling family…I should have many DNA connections if John D. Adams is the son of one of these Wantage Adams men.

Insley dies in April 1844. In May 1844, his father re-writes his will, naming Insley’s two daughters, but no other children of Insley.

So the next step is to look for 1840 Adams men in further counties, like Orange, Sullivan and Ulster, NY, or Monroe or Pike, PA.

Conclusions

John’s legal name appears to be Adams. He marries under this name, buys land under this name, and his estate probate is in this name. All federal census records use Adams after 1850. It’s only in the 1865 and 1875 NJ census he uses Henion, and when his sons Jacob and Frank are born.

Whether it was always legally “Adams” or not, who knows? I asked a lawyer who specializes in genealogy about the procedure to change your surname in the mid-1800s. She said you would simply announce it and begin to use it, as long as you weren’t trying to defraud someone or escape a criminal/civil charge under the old surname. John stays in his community; people clearly know who he is.

It’s also possible the Rev. Richard Mather family history book is incorrect. Phebe Devore might never had a husband named William Adams, or that he died much later than 1832. And Phebe’s parent’s marriage record clearly is written as her mother’s maiden name being Matthews NOT Mather. But these Sussex County records often hop between Mather, Mathers and Matthews for the same person, so that’s another point of confusion.

There are several possibilities I’m looking into, all based on whether John and Rachel are the natural children of one of these four adults, the illegitimate children, or the adopted children.

I’m focusing on both John and Rachel because of the way Rachel Whitehead Wade’s will is written. Here are some possibilities of the connections among these people. I’m aware some of these are a stretch, but I have to consider ALL possibilities at this point:

1. John and Rachel are the natural children of Samuel Henion by a first wife, and Phebe and Samuel don’t marry until much later than we supposed (after Rachel is born in 1844). DNA does NOT point in this direction, see below. We know they’re married by 1854 because Rachel Wade’s will names them as “Phebe wife of Samuel Henion.” Samuel Henion is 14 years older than Phebe, and this is commonly caused by a man marrying, his first wife dying, and then marrying a younger second wife. But if John and Rachel are the children of Samuel, this poses two questions: Why does John change his name to Adams? and Why do Peter and Henry use the surname of Henion if they are Phebe’s children by an earlier marriage (unless she was married to another Henion first)? Because of the DNA being so clearly Devore, I don’t think this is a strong possibility.
2. John and Rachel are the natural children of Phebe Devore Henion by a first husband (or, at least, John is). One researcher told me that the marriage of Samuel Henion says his wife is Phebe Adams, but I haven’t seen any proof yet, nor is there an original marriage document for them. If true, this would mean Phebe Devore was married to an Adams first, then to Samuel Henion second, which seems to be accurate.
3. Rachel Whitehead Wade can’t be Samuel Henion’s first wife as she marries Samuel Wade in 1809. But she could be Phebe’s mother; Phebe is born in 1813 and Rachel is born in 1783. Also, Rachel marries when she’s 25. What if Whitehead is her married name, not her maiden name and she had a first marriage?
4. John is a natural child of Phebe, and his father was an Adams. If this is true, I should have a lot of DNA connections to the Adams families in the region, and I don’t. Perhaps other descendants from this line do, and my line didn’t get much Adams DNA? Unlikely, but possible. If you have are from this line and have a DNA kit on Ancestry.com, and would like to help me unravel this mystery, please contact me.
5. John is an adopted child, and his father or mother was Adams. If his mother is Adams, he’s either illegitimate or changed his name to inherit under his mother’s family’s estate. I don’t see him mentioned in any existing probate records for Sussex County, and DNA does point to a Devore maternal connection.
6. John is the illegitimate child of Phebe Devore Henion, Samuel Wade, or Rachel Whitehead Wade, or one of their siblings/cousins. DNA should help prove/disprove this theory. If this is true, then any male could be John’s father and DNA should prove it out.
7. John and Rachel are adopted children of unknown parentage (perhaps a sibling or cousin of one of the adults), and he chooses Adams out of thin air. Stranger things have happened! But DNA seems to indicate a strong Devore connection, so this theory might not pan out.

What does the DNA say?

Sadly, John Adams does not have any living Adams male-line descendants who could take a YDNA test. This would have been so helpful!

If Samuel Henion is the father of John Henion/Adams, then I should find shared matches when I look at John’s siblings. I do see shared matches on the Devore side. I DO NOT see matches on the Henion/Hennion side. I’m still trying to prove/disprove this, but so far, there are no shared Henion matches between my John Adams and his siblings. This leads me to believe John (and perhaps sister Rachel) is not the son of Samuel Henion. If not, then who is his father?

I don’t have a lot of DNA connections to the Adams families in the region. I’ll keep searching for possible DNA matches.

I’d love to hear from other descendants of Samuel and Phebe to see if they have DNA connections to this John Henion/Adams family. If Samuel and Phebe’s other children have clear Henion DNA matches, that might prove that John is not the son of Samuel. I’ll update this blog post as I get more information.

I clearly have Devore DNA connections that are solid. But Whitehead and Mather matches are sketchy. While I appreciate the time and effort people put into writing and researching the Devore and Mather family books, they might be inaccurate. Family recollections are okay, but records and DNA matches are the best proof.

Family Connections

These families intermarry often, so it’s helpful to see how they’re related. This can affect your DNA matches.

• John and Mary Willis Adams’ children:
  • daughter, Sarah Adams, marries Mark Turner. Mark’s mother is Nancy Sheldon, and Nancy’s mother is Sarah Willis, the aunt of Mary Willis Adams. Essentially, Sarah Adams and Mark Turner are second cousins. So, the Adams and Willis families intermarry.
  • son, Frank Adams, marries Irene Brown. Her parents are Darius and Hilia Catherine Davenport Brown. Hilia’s sister, Phebe Davenport, marries David A Keefe. David and Phebe Davenport Keefe’s daughter Mary, marries Theodore Adams, son of John and Mary Willis Adams. David and Phebe’s daughter, Carrie, marries James Willis. So, the Adams (or Henion), Davenport, and Willis families intermarry.
  • son, Theodore Adams, marries Mary Keefe, daughter of  David and Phebe Davenport Keefe (see above)
  • daughter, Mary Adams (called “Mame”) married Frank Lewis Chamberlain. Samuel and Phebe Henion’s daughter, Rachel, marries Richard Chamberlain, likely from the same family line out of New England. Richard Chamberlain Sr’s son, Halsey, is living with Charles Wade in 1850. Charles Wade is related to Samuel Wade (Charles Wades’ father, Simon, was Samuel’s cousin). So, the Adams families and the Chamberlain families of Hardyston are connected.
  • son, John D Adams, Jr, marries Phebe Kinney and Martha Maxwell. Martha’s sister, Lydia Maxwell, marries Arthur Chamberlain, son of Noah Chamberlain and grandson of Benjamin Chamberlain Jr of Hardyston. (Noah Chamberlain and Richard Chamberlain are first cousins.)
  • Nearly all of these people are buried in Sparta Cemetery.
• Samuel and Phebe Devore Henion’s children:
  • Henry Henion marries Levina Malvenia Turner. I don’t know if she’s related to the Mark Turner who marries Sarah Henion.
  • Peter Henion marries Alice “Anna” Castimore. The Castimores and the Chamberlains intermarry often.
  • Rachel Henion marries Richard Chamberlain Jr. Richard Chamberlain Sr lived in Hardyston, and was probably from the Benjamin Chamberlain Sr line through his son John Chamberlain of Hardyston and Byram.
  • Louisa Henion marries Horace VanOrden. I’m not sure who his parents were.
  • Joseph Henion marries Elizabeth Taylor.
  • Isaac Henion marries Mary Devore. Mary is the daughter of Uzal Devore and Eveline Twitchell. Isaac and Mary’s daughter, Margaret, marries James R Hubbard. James Hubbard’s mother is Mary Elizabeh Devore, daughter of Uzal. They are first cousins. So, the Henion and Devore families intermarry.
  • Sarah Henion marries Charles Babcock
  • Eliza “Lydia” Henion marries Britten Decker. After Britten dies, an unknown man named Clark. In her obituary, it says her mother’s maiden name was Devore. It’s possible that Phebe Devore Henion is the sister of Uzal Devore, but I can’t prove it. DNA and marriage records seem to prove that they are half-siblings with the same father (William Devore) but two different mothers.