America Jackson Graham Ryburn1,2

b. 9 February 1842, d. 8 January 1904
FatherWilliam McNeal Ryburn3 b. 1 Dec 1814, d. 16 Jul 1891
MotherJane Beattie B. Fullen4 b. 23 Aug 1815, d. bef 1859
Birth9 Feb 1842 America Jackson Graham Ryburn was born on 9 Feb 1842 in Glade Spring, Washington County, Virginia.1,5 
Cens-18601860 America was single and living at home with her father and siblings when the 1860 census of Washington County was enumerated. Her occupation was listed as "seamstress."6 
Marriage24 Oct 1865 She married her second cousin William Nelson Buchanan, son of William Ryburn Buchanan and Mary Catherine Keesling, on 24 Oct 1865 in Washington County, Virginia.4,7,8 
Cens-18706 Sep 1870 Following their marriage William and America lived with Mary C. Buchanan [William's widowed mother] in St. Clair township, Smyth County, Virginia. The 1870 census captured a snapshot of the household, which also included 23 year old James [William's brother]. In addition, two Buchanan children, Julian, age 4, and William R., age 2, were present.9,10 
  The 1870 census entry is confusing. William and America did not have a child named Julian, however they did have a son named Wiley Fuller, born in 1866. Is "Julian" a census error?

The young William R. Buchanan also presents a problem. The Smyth County death records list a William R. Buchanan, son of W.N. and A.J. Buchanan who died of bronchitis at age 2 months and 6 days on April 19th, 1869. As such he should not have been enumerated in 1870.11 
Cens-18801880  William's mother died in 1878 so she was not present when the 1880 census was enumerated. However, William and America had added several more children to their family, whose members were identified in 1880 as: Fullen or Fuller [was this Julian?] 13, John P. 10, James O. 8, Carrie 4, William R. and Minnie S., both three.12 
  William and America appear to have named their youngest son in memory of his older brother who had no doubt been named in honor of William's father. 
Migration1885 About 1885 America and William migrated to Atchison County, Missouri, with their children. William's brother James had settled there several years earlier.13 
Heir1886 America received a share of her father's estate when he died in 1891. She was also one of the heirs of her great uncles James, Mathew and Robert Buchanan [as an heir of her deceased mother, Jane Fullen Ryburn], and received slightly over $113 from their estate over the ten years from 1877-1886.3,14,15 
1891  America was widowed when William died in Missouri in 1888. She moved the children across the Missouri River to Nemaha County, Nebraska, in 1891. There she was enumerated as the head of the family on the county school census from 1892-1898.13,16,17 
Cens-19007 Jun 1900  Despite the fact that he was apparently deceased and buried, William was enumerated as the head of the family on the 1900 federal census for Douglas Precinct in Nemaha County. William was listed as fifty-nine; America was fifty-eight. They were reported to have been married 36 years, and America stated that she was the mother of eleven children but only six were living. One of those, John, age twenty-nine, was living in the household at the time.18,19 
ChildDeath  Another son, James had died in Nemaha County in 1893. 
Death8 Jan 1904 America died on 8 Jan 1904 at the home of her son J.W., northwest of Auburn in Nemaha County, Nebraska.13 
Burial She was buried in Sheridan Cemetery, Auburn, Nemaha County, Nebraska.20 
  The Sheridan Cemetery contains a plot for the Buchanans with a large stone bearing the family surname. America's individual stone simply says "Mother". Other stones bear the names of two of her daughters. There is also a stone that says "Father", which appears to belong to William, who died in neighboring Missouri. 

Related Links and Images:

Buchanan stone in Sheridan Cemetery - also smaller stone with inscription "Mother"
Where was Atchison County located? Find it on the Missouri map (also accessible via the Misc. Locations link in the menu bar at the top of any page). The map also shows the location of other Washington Co., Virginia families who migrated to Missouri.

Family

William Nelson Buchanan b. 1841, d. 22 Nov 1888
Children
ChartsDescendants of Mathew Ryburn and Jane Beattie
Descendants of John Buchanan and Ann Ryburn
Descendants of William Ryburn and Mary (?)
Last Edited7 May 2012

Citations

  1. [S831] William Mc Ryburn Bible. "America J. G. Ryburn was born February 9th 1842."
  2. [S1191] Clara Gardner Miller, Gardiner-Gardner Genealogy, p. 138. Source provides full middle names.
  3. [S713] William McNeal will (1891), Washington Co., Virginia Will Book 24: 132. William's will, dated 28 March 1891 and recorded 21 Sept. 1891 was witnessed by Wm Delp and Samuel Terrill. He asked the court to name his executor.
  4. [S6] Thomas Colley, Washington Co. VA Marriages 1853-1880, p. 41- 42. William N. Buchanan, 22y, sgl, b. Smyth Co. VA, res Washington Co. VA, farmer, s/o Ryburn and Catherine Buchanan AND America J.G. Ryburn, 22y, sgl, b. & resid WCV, d/o William M. & Jane Ryburn; 20 Oct. 1865.
  5. [S1017] Norvell, "Nemaha Co. Research," e-mail to D. Powell, 18 Nov. 2004. Mr. Norvell located 2 obituaries for America Buchanan in unidentified Nemaha Co. newspapers; provides date and location of birth.
  6. [S234] William McRyburn household, 1860 U.S. cens, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., Western District, p. 445 (added script), dwelling 575, family 562, viewed online at Ancestry.com, June 2003, image 83 of 361. Reported data includes: William McRyburn, 45, farmer, owns real estate valued at $12,000, personal prop of $1,000; Mary J. Dorsey, 21, housekeeper; America Ryburn 19, seamstress; cont. on following page: Adelaide (Ryburn) 17, spinster; Lavinia 12; Whitley 10; all born Virginia.
  7. [S52] Letter, Carolyn Ryburn to Diana Powell, 10 May 2001. Washington Co. marriage register lists date as 24 Oct. 1865.
  8. [S831] William Mc Ryburn Bible. "America J. G. Ryburn & Wm N. Buchanan were married Oct. 24, 1865."
  9. [S579] Mary C. Buchanan household, 1870 U.S. cens, Smyth Co., Virginia, pop. sched., St. Clair Township, p. 110 (stamped), dwelling 220, family 218, viewed online at Genealogy.com, Jan. 2003, image 31 of 40. The census taker enumerated: Mary C. Buchan [sic] 61, widowed, $700 real estate, $300 personal property; William N. 29, farmer; America J. G. 23; James W. 23; Juliam W. 4; William R. 2; all born Virginia.
  10. [S16] The presence and naming of William and America's two children on the 1870 census is confusing. The eldest child on the 1880 census, born abt 1867 was Fuller or Fullen who appears to be the same person as "Julian" on the 1870 census.
  11. [S1985] William R. Buchanan entry, Smyth Co., Virginia Death Register Vol. 1: 21 (1869).
  12. [S580] Wm N. Buckhanan household, 1880 U.S. cens., Smyth Co., Virginia, pop sched., St. Clair District, ED ED 85, page 110b (stamped), dwelling 113, family 113, viewed online at Genealogy.com, Jan 2003. The census enumerator reported: Wm N. Buckhanan, 39; America J. wife, 37; Fullen son 13; John P. son 10; James O, son 8; Mary J. dau, 6; Carrie dau 4; Wm R. and Minnie S, son and dau, both 3; all b. VA; all parents b. VA.
  13. [S1017] Norvell, "Nemaha Co. Research," e-mail to D. Powell, 18 Nov. 2004. Mr. Norvell located 2 obituaries for America Buchanan in unidentified Nemaha Co. newspapers.
  14. [S1015] Washington Co., Virginia probate records for James, Mathew and Robert Buchanan.
  15. [S7] Conclusions based on analysis of James Buchanan probate papers.
  16. [S1017] Norvell, "Nemaha Co. Research," e-mail to D. Powell, 29 Nov. 2004. Denny cites the 1892-1898 Nemaha Co. Nebraska school census records.
  17. [S16] America moved to Nemaha County in 1891, the same year her father died. Two of America's sons purchased land in Nemaha County less than 2 months after their grandfather's will was probated back in Virginia. Was there a connection?.
  18. [S868] William Buchanan household, 1900 U.S. cens., Nemaha Co., Nebraska, pop. sched., Douglas Precinct, ED 90, sheet sheet 3A, (p. 134 stamped), dwelling 47, family 47, viewed online at Ancestry.com, May 2004, image 5 of 15. Enumeration reports: William Buchanan, 59, b. 1841 (poss Jan. or June, is not clear), VA, marr 36 yrs, farmer, parents b. VA; America, 58, b. Feb. 1842, VA, marr 36 yrs, mother 11 children, 6 living, parents b. VA; John, son, 29, b. 1870 (poss Sept), single, parents b. VA.
  19. [S16] In addition to the question as to whether William was acutally alive in 1900 there is some doubt that America was the mother of 11 children; her obituary says she was the mother of 7 children.
  20. [S1017] Norvell, "Nemaha Co. Research," e-mail to D. Powell, 5 Jul 2004. Mr. Norvell cites tombstone records for Sheridan Cemetery at Auburn, Nebraska. Stone states, "Mother Buchanan, 1842-1904."
  21. [S1191] Clara Gardner Miller, Gardiner-Gardner Genealogy, p. 138.
  22. [S126] John Wilson Buchanan, California state death certificate no. 53-105971 (1953); information provided by wife, Caroline Buchanan.
  23. [S2854] "Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912", index, Family Search (https:/www.familysearch.org : accessed Feb. 2012), Index based in the International Genealogical Index. entry for female (unnamed) Buchanan; b. 1875, d 5 Jan. 1875 at Blue Springs, Smyth Co., VA; parents: Wm N. Buchanan and America Buchanan. Note: the same index included an entry for a male (unnamed) Buchanan, no age, d. 5 June 1875 at Blue Springs, Smyth Co., VA; parents: Wm Buchanan and Anna Buchanan. The underlying Family History Library film numbers are different (33991 and 2048585). The first entry (and film #) are for death register entries held by the clerk of the Smyth Co. court. The second entry (and film #) are for abstracts sent by the clerk to the Virginia State auditor. Therefore the two entries can be presumed to represent the same child. Although impossible to know for sure, it is likely the first entry is the more accurate of the two.
  24. [S126] Carrie Lavinia Beach, California state death certificate no. 56-095821 (1956); information provided by Alma M. Beach.