Churchill-Bingham Letters

This collection of 36 letters were found in a barn in Monroe, Wisconsin. They are full of family and community news, marriages, births, and deaths. Our gratitude goes to contributor Fredi Perry.

Most of the letters were written to Caroline Elizabeth (Churchill) Bingham. A few were written to her husband, John Augustine Bingham. The letters began before Caroline Elizabeth Churchill left Ridge Prairie, St. Clair County, Illinois, about 1836.

Caroline was born 26 Jun 1824, St. Clair County, Illinois, to parents William Boardman & Almira (Humes) Churchill. She was married to John Augustine Bingham in 1843. Caroline died 25 Mar 1917 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Monroe, Green County, Wisconsin. A rough, beginning draft of the Churchill family tree has been started and needs the help of any interested parties.

There are letters from Caroline's cousin, Hannah Amelia (Weeks) Perrigo. The early letters appear to have been written when Caroline was receiving mail in Brighton, Macoupin County, when both women were single. There are letters from another of Caroline's cousins, Amanda Burt, and her daughter, Lavina Burt. One letter was written by Caroline's father, W. B. Churchill, to her husband, John Bingham. However, most of the letters were written to Caroline by her uncle, George Churchill.

"The letters get a lot more interesting when Caroline's uncle starts writing her the news. He was a bright guy, very much into the political issues of the day. And, he follows all the births, deaths, etc. in his letters."

George Churchill was born Oct. 11, 1789 in Glastonbury, Connecticut, to Jesse Churchill and Hannah Boardman. He died in Troy 11 Aug 1872. (found at Ancestry.com)

"I found this on George Churchill page 439 of Brink's History of Madison County, Illinois, under Jarvis Township -

George Churchill, who settled on section eight, west of Troy, was one of the most remarkable men who ever lived in the township. In early life, he had learned the printing business and after coming to the township, he at intervals went to St. Louis and worked in the printing offices of that place. He remained a bachelor, and his habits were peculiar and eccentric. He, however, was held in high estimation by the community, and was several times sent as a representative to the legislature. Here, though he was no orator, and indeed never attempted to make a speech, his talent as a ready writer came into play, and he drafted a considerable part of the bills brought forward by his side of the house. He was one of the most active opponents of the efforts to introduce slavery into the state in 1824. His votes in the legislature excited the displeasure of those opposed to his views, and he and Nicholas Hanson, a fellow member of the assembly, were burned in effigy, at Troy.

"On page 441, [history of the town of Troy] it mentions George Churchill's appointment as postmaster at Troy, which he mentioned in his letters.

The growth of the town was slow. It was not till many years afterward that the inhabitants were accommodated with a post office, and then the appointment was given to George Churchill, whose house was in the Ridge Prairie a mile and a quarter west of the town. This was in the year 1833.

"Angeline McCray must have won her suit as the heir, because on page 443 of the history, it states

By the will of Angeline McCray Dewey, widow of John S. Dewey, her estate, estimated as worth in the neighborhood of thirty thousand dollars, is left to five trustees ...

"Angeline McCray and Dr. Dewey were my ancestress's adoptive parents. She was Mary Blakeman Dewey.

"Anyway, I thought some of you on the list might enjoy finding out more about those in the letters." Gail

Also, on page 85 in Brink's History of Madison County, Illinois –

George Churchill made his home on the Ridge prairie west of Troy, in 1817, and was one of the most meritorious and deserving citizens the county ever had. He was born at Hubbardton, Rutland county, Vermont, in 1789. He learned the printing business in Albany, New York, and afterward worked as a journeyman in New York city, and then came West by way of Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Louisville and Shawneetown, from the last named place proceeding on foot to Kaskaskia. A view of the Illinois prairies made him resolve to become a farmer, and he entered land in township three, range seven, on which he lived till he died. He was a close student, a writer of fine ability, and a man who paid great attention to exactness of detail and the collection of historical data. He had amassed a large quantity of valuable matter concerning the early history of the county and this part of the state, but his papers were unfortunately destroyed in the great fire at Chicago, to which place they had been sent after his death. His habits were somewhat eccentric, and he never married. He was several times chosen a member of the Legislature and one of the warm opponents of the movement for the introduction of slavery into the state in 1824.

"I live in Wisconsin about 50 miles from this area. The 'Badgers' mentioned in here is referring to the miners who burrowed into the hill sides looking for lead and galena ore. There were very few women there then. Lots of times an abandoned mine became the home. 'Burrowing into the hills like Badgers' is how the name came to be. There are lots of old mines from Monroe, Green County, west to the Mississippi River and from the Illinois border north to the Wisconsin River. Wisconsin Counties included in this are western Green, Lafayette, Grant, and Iowa." Sara

"Thank you all for you input on these most interesting letters. … Today I organized the letters and put them in order, each in protective sleeves. I will attempt to transcribe these over the next few months and send them out to all of you. As you'll see, often I can't read a name and rather than stabbing in the dark, I've put a question mark. I've stayed with the original spelling. (I'm an editor and publisher and I don't mishspell usually.)" Fredi Perry 15 Jun 2000

Note: 'WT' mentioned in the transcription is an abbreviation for Wisconsin Territory.