| BirthCirca | between 1782 and 1784 | John Ryburn was probably born in Virginia between 1782 and 1784.2,3 |
| Tax | between 1806 and 1810 | John first appeared on the tax rolls for Washington County, Virginia in 1806, about the time he turned 22. He was listed as John Ryburn Jr. to separate him from his uncle who was recorded as John Ryburn Senior. John Jr. appeared for the last time in 1810.4 |
| Marriage | 16 Aug 1808 | He married first Jenny Reed, daughter of John Reed and Margaret Orr, on 16 Aug 1808 in Washington County, Virginia.5,6 |
| Court Record | 16 Aug 1808 | The day of their wedding John and Jane executed a power of attorney to Jane's brothers, Arthur and John Reid [Reed], to represent them in the sale of land Jane and her brothers inherited from their father, John Reid [Reed], in York [now Adams] County, Pennsylvania. |
| Cens-1810 | 1810 | Two years later John was listed as the head of his own household on the 1810 Washington County census. He was indicated as a 26-44 year old male. Also indicated was a female under 10 and a female 26-44 who would no doubt have been Jenny.7 |
| Migration | between 1810 and 1811 | John and Jenny appear to have migrated to Franklin County, Indiana, shortly after this census was recorded. |
| Court Record | 21 Feb 1811 | John registered his cattle brand in an official book at the Franklin County courthouse. His entry, dated February 21, 1811, states, "John Ryburns mark as follows two smooth crops of each ear". The early settlers used marks to identify their stock since the stock ran wild.8 |
| Court Record | Jun 1811 | In Jun 1811 he was included on a list of grand jurors in Franklin County.9 |
| Legatee | 22 Jul 1812 | John's father died in 1812 back in Virginia, leaving John $100 to be paid out of his estate but not until two years after the death of John's mother.1 |
| Land-Buy | 19 Oct 1812 | On 19 Oct 1812 John bought approximately 80 acres of land in Franklin County from Charles and Samuel Scott. The land was described as in the southwest quarter of section number 3, township number 8 and range number 2 (west) being all of the land lying north and east of the River White Water and to the center of said river in that quarter section. John paid $300 for the tract.10 |
| Tax | 1817 | The 1817 tax rolls for Brookville Township in Franklin County included John Ryburn, Hugh Reed and John Reed.11 |
| Cens-1820 | 1820 | Hash marks indicated the presence of individuals in the following age groups: 1 male (0-9), 2 males (26-44), 2 females (0-9), 1 female (10-15) and 1 female (26-44).12 |
| Widowed | | Jenny died in the years following the 1820 census. |
| Land-Sell | 20 Jan 1829 | Six weeks before his second marriage, John sold his 80 acre parcel on the river to Enoch McCarty for $500.13 |
| Marriage | 5 Mar 1829 | He married second Nancy (Shirk) Nelson on 5 Mar 1829 in Franklin County, Indiana.14 |
| Cens-1830 | 1830 | John and Nancy's marriage resulted in a combined Franklin County household containing 5 males aged 10 to 30 and 4 females aged 10-20. In addition, John was most likely the male indicated in the 40-50 age group, and Nancy was probably the female indicated in the same age bracket.15 |
| | The two families got along well together; in August 1830 John's daughter Margaret married Nancy's son David. And the following January John's daughter Ann married Nancy's son Robert. |
| 1835 | In 1835 John and Nancy apparently decided to avert any potential problems involving their childrens' inheritance(s). Since John sold his own land just before their marriage, he and Nancy were no doubt living on the land owned by she and her first husband, Adam Nelson. But legally Nancy was only entitled to a dower third of this land; the remainder belonged to her children, most of whom were now of legal age.
In April 1835 (using words that suggested his health was failing) John wrote his will, stipulating among other things that he had no claim to Nancy's land. The following month Nancy's son Robert initiated court proceedings asking that the land be divided and that his mother's dower be set off. This did not indicate friction within the family, but was a typical procedure required when land needed to be divided among a large number of heirs. The court determined that the land could not be divided equally so it decreed that Nancy's third should be set off and the balance sold. In November 1835 John Ryburn was appointed to represent Nancy's two underage children in the proceedings. Three of Nancy's sons purchased the balance of the land; the money arising from the sale was divided among all of Adam and Nancy Nelson Ryburn's children (or their heirs). Ironically, the settlement details were recorded in Franklin County court the month after John Ryburn's will was probated.16,17 |
| Death | before 30 Apr 1838 | John died before 30 Apr 1838 on which date his will was presented to the Clerk of the Franklin Probate Court.18,19 |
| Will-Recd | 30 Apr 1838 | The will, written on April 9th, 1835, mentioned John's wife Nancy and his 4 children [but only named his son John]. John willed to Nancy any interest he might have in her real estate. He also left her the money, notes, book accounts, stock and crops together with the household and kitchen furniture. John instructed that his horse, oxen, wagon and harness and all his farming utensils be sold and the proceeds divided among his 4 children. John's bible and gun were specifically left to his son John. The will also left the rest of his books and "that part of my fathers estate that is coming to me" to be equally divided amongst his 4 children. John appointed his wife Nancy as his executrix.20 |
