SIXTH GENERATION


36. Dominique ROUSSEAU was born in 1799.(136) (137)(138) 1 male 30 to 40 years of age
died "in his 46th year"
This is contested by a 1795-6 dating:

There was an issue of Kosciusko Co Historical Society's publication (I guess
"Newsletter" is as good a term as any) for Nov. 1989 with "A Tribute to Waldo
Adams" in there. A good deal of this article has to do with Mr. Adams'
research on Dominic Rousseau. Here is one paragraph (note: I'll mail you a
copy of the whole issue):

"According to Adams' research Rousseau was born in Montreal in 1795, about two
decades after the American Revolution. Rousseau grew up in a part of Canada
that had been settled by Tories who were loyal to the British crown and did not
want freedom from the English......Adams says Rousseau was familiar with the
American court system and the democratic process of government."
Adams claims that Dom died in 1845 in his 49th year. He was a French Fur trader about 1815 in Elkhart Co., IN.(139) according to Koscuisko County historian
SE of what is now Goshen, IN He was First Kosciusko Co. Pioneer - "probably first white man in County" before 1820 in Kosciusko Co., IN. (139) He was a storekeeper/trader at Rousseau's Little Turkey Creek Prairie Store about 1820 in Little Turkey Creek Prairie, Kosciusko, IN. (139) He appeared on the census in 1830 in Elkhart Co., IN.(140) He owned land record in Elkhart, IN on 28 May 1831 in Elkhart Co., IN. found in search in the
LaPorte/Winamac Database (Land office)

Residence; Elkhart INDIANA
Section: 14
Lot; N NE
TWSP: 37N
Range: 5E
80 acres He owned land record on 11 Jun 1835 in Kosciusko Co., IN. found in search in the LaPorte/Winamac Database (Land office)

Section: 27
Lot: NW
Twsp: 34N
Range: 6E
160 acres
Receipt: 002022

between Little Turkey Prairie and Lake Wawanee
just NE of Leesburg He owned assessed $3191 making him second largest landowner in county (after Ed McCartney) in 1836 in Kosciusko Co., IN. He owned land record in Kosciusko County, IN on 23 Sep 1837 in Kosciusko Co., IN. found in search for Rosseau in the
LaPorte/Winamac Database (Land office) He owned SW 1/4; sec22;twp34N, range6E; 160 acres federal grant on 2 Sep 1839 in Kosciusko Co., IN. He owned lots 221,222,223 in Warsaw Tax was $395 in 1840 in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN. He appeared on the census in 1840 in Kosciusko Co., IN. page 19 He resided moved into Leesburg about 1840 in Leesburg, Plain, Kosciusko, IN. (139) He was Remonstrated against moving county seat (Warsaw vs. Leesburg) in 1843 in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN. Dominique was a signer of petition He signed a will on 20 Jan 1844 in Kosciusko Co., IN. (141) From Kosciusko County Will Book 1; Page 13 26 Dec 1845

Will of Dominique Rousseau Deceased
-----------------------------------
I Dominique Rousseau of Kosciusko County and State of Indiana do make and ordain this my last will and testament. First. I give and bequeath unto my wife Agnes Rousseau all my Estate both real and personal that I may die propertied of upon the following conditions, that is to say, when my said son William Edward Rousseau shall arrive at the age of Twenty One years: he is to receive after deducting one third for the use of my said wife Agnes an equal portion of my said Estate, that is to say after deducting one third part of my said Estate
both real and personal for the use of my said wife Agnes during her life my said son William Edward Rousseau when he will arrive at the age of Twenty One shall be entitled to receive as his share of my said Estate one equal part of my said Estate both real and personal with my other children. It is also my will that when my son John Henry Harrison Rousseau shall arrive at the age of Twenty One, he shall receive as his portion of my said Estate both real and personal that amount my son William Edward Rousseau was entitled to. It is my will also that my Daughters Sarah Jane and Caroline shall receive each when they shall have arrived at the age of Twenty One, or when they shall have married, each an equal portion of my said Estate both real and personal with my said sons, William Edward and John Henry Harrison Rousseau. And further it is my will that my said wife Agnes shall have the use and occupancy of my said Estate both real and personal until my said children shall have arrived at the age of twenty one years, provided my said daughters shall not have married before they arrive at that agethen and that case (sic) they are to receive their portion when they marry. It is therefore understood that it is my will that my wife Agnes is to be entitled to one third part of my said Estate both real and personal during her life, and the management and control of the whole of my said Estate as aforesaid until my said children shall have arrived at the age appointed in the preceeding parts of this my will, or the happening of the Marrying of my said daughters. And in the event that any other children should be born to Agnes and myself, it is my will that they shall all share equal with my other children above named. It is also my will that when my said wife Agnes shall die that the third part of my said Estate which she shall be entitled to during her life shall descend unto my said Children to be equally divided.
And I hereby nominate and appoint my wife Agnes Rousseau my Executrix to this my last will and Testament. As witnesses my hand and seal this 20th day of January 1844.
Signed sealed and published in presence
of Richard M. Mondale (signature unclear)
W. G. Tramel (also unclear) Dominique Rousseau (with seal)

I, Dominique Rousseau, do hereby make and affix this as a codicil to my last will and Testament this 25th day of September A.D. 1844.
Namely, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Matilda Rousseau, born of an Indian mother, and hereby acknowledged my lawful daughter share and share alike with my children heretofore provided for in this will to which this is a codicil.

Signed sealed and published in presence
of (unreadable) Beck (?)
Richard M. Mondale (signature unclear) Dominique Rousseau (with seal)
********************************************************************** *********
Note: Caroline Rousseau, a child named in the will, died 27 Sep 1844, just two days after her father ammended his will to include his Indian daughter. Do you find this suspicious too? Did someone resent the added split? She was nine months old and lies next to Dominique in Leesburg Cemetery in Plain TWP, Kosciusko, IN.
Dominique Rousseau died 5 Dec 1845 during his 46th year, just a year after adding the codicil to his will.
Agnes lived to 1898 and married twice more. Samuel Rigdon Gordon in 1848 and William L. Webster in 1884.
Willian Edward Rousseau lived until age 48 in 1886.
John H. H. Rousseau (1840-1925) was my great great grandfather.
Sarah Jane Rousseau married William C. GRAVES (1862) and Elijah S. Blackford (1889), bith of Warsaw. She lived from 1842 to post-1889?
He Died due to cough (tuberculosis?) in 1845 in Kosciusko Co., IN. Another exerpt from a Kossciusko book (I can't find which book but it may have
been one with town histories & personal sketches) says "Dominique Rousseau
developed a cough which is believed to have been tuberculosis and died in 1845
at the age of 49 years. His burial site, today almost forgotten, is in the
Leesburg cemetery near the utility building." He died on 7 Dec 1845 in Van Buren TWP, Kosciusko Co., IN.(137) (139)(142) elsewhere Dec. 5th He was buried in Leesburg, Plain, Kosciusko, IN - Leesburg Cemetery.(137) He was French-Canadian. He was also known as Rosseau, Dominique; Dominic. (143) Kosciusko County, named for Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko of Poland - hero of the Revolutionary War, was originally Turkey Creek Township in Elkhart County. It split off in 1833.
Two Indian tribes were in the area. The native Miami tribe and the resettled Potawatomi under Chief Pierre Moran who were given a reservation there at Elkhart from 1821-1831. John's daughter Matilda could have been born to a mother from either tribe.

He was married to Agnes ERVIN on 13 May 1837 in Kosciusko Co., IN. (144)(145) guess from her age and first child's age acc. to census

marriage also listed as 5/13/1837 and 5/7 and 5/9

J.Felkner, Justice of the Peace

37. Agnes ERVIN was born on 1 Jan 1822 in Clark Co., OH. (44) She resided Goshen, Elkhart, IN in Dec 1831 in Goshen, Elkhart, IN.(146) She resided Turkey Creek Prairie near Leesburg in 1833 in Leesburg, Plain, Kosciusko, IN. She resided Warsaw between 1846 and 1850 in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN. (55) She resided Leesburg Prairie farm between 1884 and 1892 in Leesburg, Plain, Kosciusko, IN. She resided with G.W. Chapmans in Warsaw between 1892 and 1898 in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN. She signed a will on 30 Oct 1895 in Kosciusko Co., IN.(147) She was buried in 1898 in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN - Oakwood Cemetery. (44) She died on 21 Oct 1898 in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN. (44) She was also known as Ervine, Aggie Ervin, Anne Gordon, Erwin.(145) (44)(55) (146) Children were:

child i. Dominique ROUSSEAU Jr. was born on 29 Sep 1835 in Kosciusko Co., IN. He died on 19 May 1836. He was buried in Leesburg, Plain, Kosciusko, IN - Leesburg Cemetery.(137) He Died due to died as infant.
child ii. William Edward ROUSSEAU(148) was born in 1838 in Kosciusko Co., IN. He owned 154.43 acres on 19 Jul 1847. Indiana State Archives
Fort Wayne Land Office Records
1847/7/19
Section:3
Lot:NE
Twsp: T28N
Range: R11E
Receipt: 026103 He served in the military between 23 Oct 1861 and 19 May 1862 in TWELFTH REGIMENT-ONE YEAR Company E. He was buried in 1886 in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN - Oakwood Cemetery.(149) Oakwood Cemetery. The notation states
"On tombstone, Mable Rosseau, 1883-1887 (with William 1838-1886 & Birdie &
Mirtie) He died on 11 Jul 1886 in Kosciusko Co., IN. He was a merchant. He Died due to concussion of the brain. Oakwood Cemetery. The notation states
"On tombstone, Mable Rosseau, 1883-1887 (with William 1838-1886 & Birdie &
Mirtie)


Military:
ROUSSEAU, William V Private
Unit: 12th Co.: E Enlist: 23 October 1861


child18 iii. John Henry Harrison ROUSSEAU.
child iv. Sarah Jane ROUSSEAU was born in 1842 in Kosciusko Co., IN. (150)(61) She died in 1920. (61) She was buried in Warsaw, Wayne, Kosciusko, IN - Oakwood Cemetery.(61)
child v. Caroline ROUSSEAU(151) was born on 16 Dec 1843 in Kosciusko Co., IN.(143) calculated from 0-9-11 on tombstone She died on 27 Sep 1844 in Kosciusko Co., IN. (137) She was buried in Leesburg, Plain, Kosciusko, IN - Leesburg Cemetery.(137)

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