Worden Folsom 1816-1870, Ohio-Illinois

Worden G Folsom was the son of Noah Folsom and Achsah Pelton. Family history and census records place his birth in 1816 in Wayne, Ashtabula, Ohio. The census records indicate his middle initial was, “G”. Achsah had an uncle named Worden Griffin. I suspect that the uncle may have been the source for his name. Achsah had a brother named Samuel Griffin Pelton named after her grandfather. There is an entry in both the Folsom and Pelton family histories for the family of Noah and Achsah. The Folsom history entry reads; ---------- “Noah, m. Achsa Pelton, and had 9 ch.” ----------- The history uses a phonetic spelling for Achsah’s name. It lists 7 of the children; Worden, Julius, Hannah, Barbara, Sally, Christiana, Ezekiel. Missing from the list is a son and a daughter Malinda Jane. ---------- The Pelton history notes that the family lived in Wayne, Ashtabula, Ohio. It notes that the family later left for Illinois with Noah dying on the way. The 1820 census in Wayne records the family of Noah Folsom and 3 children, 2 boys and a girl. In 1830 the family is in nearby Gustavus with 3 boys and 5 girls. ---------- According to the Pelton history in 1833 the family moved to Illinois. In the 1850 census taken in Putnam County Illinois we find the Family of Braxton Murphy with his wife Malinda J. Folsom living next door to the family of Worden Folsom and his wife Elizabeth. ---------- The Putnam County marriage records list a marriage between Braxton Murphy and Malinda Folsom January 20, 1840 and a marriage between Worden Folsom and Betsy Murphy on July 9, 1840. It seems that brother and sister had married brother and sister. ---------- The 1850 census list Worden, 33 born Ohio, Elizabeth, 28 -Illinois, William 8- Ill, Jeremiah, 3- Ill and Worden 0- Ill. ---------- The 1855 Illinois census lists W. G. Folsom and 5 children. He is living next to 3 of the Murphy brothers. The Murphy farm was located in Magnolia, Putnam, Illinois. ---------- In the 1860 census the family is living in Bath, Mason, Ill. Listed as children are William, Jeremiah, Worden, George, Frank. ---------- In 1865 the family is found in Hennepin. In 1870 the family is in Chillicothe. All of these locations are found near each other scattered out along the Illinois River. The 1870 census adds a daughter, Mary, to the family. ---------- In each of the census records Worden’s birth is estimated as 1816/17, born in Ohio. The census records record his trade as a silversmith or jeweler. ---------- The Folsom siblings all lived out their days in these same communities. Jeremiah, Worden and George are buried in a family plot in Chillicothe. James Franklin is buried in Havana, Ill. Hints from the census records point to Mary dying as a teenager. ---------- In the 1880 census Elizabeth is living in the household of their son George. She is listed as his mother and a widow. We do not have a death record or a burial location for Worden. But it is apparent that he died between the 1870 and 1880 census cycle. --------------------- Worden Folsom / Achsah Pelton / Mercy Griffin / Samuel Griffin / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth, CT