Biography of Elizabeth Shawhan (1828-1917)

Elizabeth SHAWHAN married Napoleon Bonaparte GREEN, son of William GREEN and Mrs. Elizabeth (_______) COOPER, 27 February 1824 in Petersburg, Pike Co., Indiana. Napoleon was born __ ___ 1816 in Woodford Co., Kentucky, and died 23 February 1881 in Grayville, White Co., Illinois.

This marriage ended in a bitterly fought case in the courthouse in Petersburg over custody of their three minor children, Joseph, Henrietta and James in 1866 and 1867.Please note that this family lost 3 of their first born 5 children before they reached 8 years. All of these deaths occurred in a 4 year span (1852-1856). Even I can see that life was not all a bowl of cherries for Napoleon and Elizabeth and may have contributed to their divorce. I investigated the court proceedings and learned that Elizabeth left Napoleon and all the children and went to live with her father, near Bowman. Napoleon held custody of the children until settlement of their divorce.

My mother once told me that Grandpa Napoleon brought a baby home to Grandma Elizabeth. At the time I thought this a bit far fetched, Several years later, I was searching through the 1880 census of White Co., Illinois, for Cyrus LINDSAY my great-great grandpa whom I had reason to believed living there. I found Cyrus LINDSAY and living next door to him was great-great grandpa Napoleon Bonaparte GREEN. What a coincidence! Here in Grayville, living side by side at Grayville, Illinois, in 1880 were my mother's grandpa and my father's grandpa. It was like striking gold.

There was no question about it. I had found the correct Napoleon Bonaparte GREEN. He was the correct age, place of birth, and with the same occupation. Now, here he was in Grayville with a new wife and family. The puzzle was falling in place. The picture became clearer.

I passed this 1880 census data onto my second cousin, Lucy Bloomquist. Lucy came up with a marriage record for Napoleon and Lucinda S. Stanley that occurred 3 years after his divorce from great-great grandma Elizabeth (SHAWHAN) GREEN. Using the data from both records we were able to determine that Lucinda was about 16 years old and Napoleon was 52 at the time of their marriage. What an optimistic and self assured man was Napoleon. It's hard to imagine how he ever lived to be 65 years old.

Now, this brings to mind the remarkable tale that mom told me years before. Did great-great grandpa Napoleon B. GREEN actually bring a baby home to great-great grandma Elizabeth?

The first child listed in the 1870 and 1880 census reveals that Napoleon and Lucinda had a child by the name of James GREEN, who was born in Grayville in about 1867. Due to the nature of the taking of census records, when you try to determine ages they are subject to error + or - 6 months. Thus, James Green's birth could have been 1866. If this year is correct, then Lucinda would have been 14 to 15 years old when James was born.

Since great-great grandma Elizabeth testified, "Because of abuse and ill treatment," she was forced to "leave Napoleon and go to the home of her father in July 1865" this throws water on the idea he actually brought a baby home to Elizabeth. That is, unless he brought Lucinda 12 to 13 years old in 1865. However, at the time of the Circuit Court hearing held in Petersburg in October 1866, where Napoleon was the complainant, Elizabeth could well have been aware of Napoleon's activities. Perhaps this is what she meant was "abuse and ill treatment." Apparently she did not file for divorce prior to 1866.

To see their children, read the biography of Napoleon Bonaparte GREEN.

Sources

!BIRTH-DEATH-BURIAL-BIRTHPLACE: Tombstone inscriptions in Section C of Walnut Hills Cemetery in Petersburg, Pike Co., Indiana.
 

RESIDENCE: Interview with my sister, Oleva (LINDSAY) COOPER.

!SPOUSE-MARRIAGE: Her marriage is recorded in the office of the Pike Co., Indiana, County Clerk as occurring 27 Feb 1844.

!CHILDREN: The 1850-1860 Federal Census of the Town of Petersburg, Pike Co., Indiana,

!DIVORCE-CHILDREN: Taken from Causes #2428 in File Box 71, File 1, and #2346 in Box 67, File 9 in 1867 reveal that Napoleon B. GREEN vs. Joseph SHAWHAN, James SHAWHAN and Elizabeth GREEN whereby the Court ordered the above to have the bodies of Joseph GREEN, Henrietta GREEN, and James W. GREEN, the children of
Napoleon B. GREEN, before the Hon. John BAKER, Judge of the 3rd. Judicial Circuit, at the place of holding courts in the town of Petersburg, County of Pike and State of Indiana, on the 23rd day of October 1866 to do and receive what shall be ordered concerning them and have them there this visit. Napoleon B. GREEN's attorneys were: McIntire and Adams. The order was signed by the clerk, J. P. GLEZEN 19 October 1866.

!COMMENT: I learned from my grandfather, James W. GREEN, named above, that his father, Napoleon B. GREEN failed in this attempt to get custody of his children and he was raised by his mother in the home of his grandfather, Joseph SHAWHAN and to the best of his memory, he never knew what happened to his father after the divorce. His father's death certificate reveals that he went to Grayville, White Co., Illinois in 1867.