| Notes |
William II Stafford was born on 30 January 1814 in Ohio.1 He was the son of Robert and Sarah Stafford nee Bullock.2 Since Robert Stafford left Ohio with his family and moved to Indiana sometime before 1820 we can assume that William [II] Stafford lived the majority of his short life in Morgan and Johnson Counties in central Indiana. 3 He died at the young age of 34 years and is buried in Freeman Cemetery in Johnson County.1 He married another one of William and Mary Freeman's daughters in Johnson County, Indiana when he was 25 years old. Her name was Rebecca / Rebeca [as her name was sometimes spelled].4 William and Rebecca's parents were both from North Carolina.5
The 1850 census enumeration for Blue River Township records the names of each person living in a household. Census enumerators were to visit each household and document the order of the visits. This helps the reader to know that the Freeman and Stafford families lived in relatively close proximity to one another. We also learn from the 1850 listing for Mr. Freeman that he was a large land owner, whose real estate was valued at $10,000 in 1850.5 This census record also documents a connection between the Staffords and Freemans. There are three young Stafford children living with the elderly William and Mary Freeman. Research in William Stafford's probate files document that they are his children and William Freeman's grandchildren.6
Closer examination of the 1850 neighborhood reveals that Lydia Stafford lived in the household headed by Isaac Marshall,5 just 2 visits prior to the Freeman household. It is also interesting to note that Lydia's husband-to-be, William Everling, is living with William and Mary Freeman in 1850.5 Looking a little further from the Freeman household, we find William Freeman's other daughter, Charity, and her husband, Allen Stafford, living in the same neighborhood in the dwelling labeled number 607 by the census taker. Another family living in close proximity to William Freeman and Allen Stafford was the Levi Ray family. Levi Ray's daughter, Cynthia Ann, and Francis A. Stafford married in 1861.5, 7
The stones at the Freeman Cemetery provide evidence that William and Rebeca [sic] Stafford did not live long lives. William was 34 years at the time of his death and Rebecca only 24 years old. Both are buried in Freeman Cemetery.1 Links to pictures of their tombstones are given in the documentation section below. William and Rebeca both died in the 1840s leaving their three young sons orphaned. Their names were: Francis A., William W. and Lorenzo D. Stafford.6
Probate records for William [II] Stafford provide further evidence that the Freemans took responsibility for raising the Stafford children after their parents death.6 William Freeman's son, William A. Freeman was appointed guardian of one of William and Rebeca Stafford's son's estate.8 Some of the reports were filed in the Johnson County Civil Court by William Freeman, Sr. as he handled their affairs.
William Stafford left no will and apparently did not own real estate at the time of his death. The following probate files were located for his children:
Guardianship Reports filed by William Freeman in Johnson County Court of Common Pleas (20 October 1856); Johnson County Court of Common Pleas, Franklin, Indiana; received from the Johnson County Historical Society.
Guardianship Reports filed by William Freeman in Johnson County Court of Common Pleas (18 February 1861); Johnson County Court of Common Pleas, Franklin, Indiana; received from the Johnson County Historical Society.
Final Settlement Report by William A. Freeman for Guardianship of William L. Stafford (1864), Johnson County Court of Common Pleas, Loose Probate Files, Case No. 761; received from the Johnson County Historical Society, Franklin, Indiana.
Notice of Appointment of Administrator of the Estate of Lorenzo D. Stafford , deceased (1865), The Johnson County Press, Thursday, 23 November 1865, page 4, column 4.
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1814 - 1848 (34 years)
[1] 