The Hufford descendants of Doddridge Co.,West Virginia, have been my puzzle for the last many days.  They descend from Peter Hufford, son of Christian II, and grandson of the immigrant Christian (b. 1716).

I’ll share my puzzling here.  If you are able to correct, add to, or offer evaluation, I’d love to hear from you:  alicemariebeard@gmualumni.org

Peter’s father, Christian II, is one of the immigrant Christian’s 17 children who got short shrift in the 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY.  Only one of Christian II’s nine children made it into the book: Christian III (at page 200).

Christian II began his family in Frederick Co., Maryland; he was there for the 1790 census.  By 1800, Christian II was in West Bethlehem township, Washington Co., Pennsylvania, and he remained in Washington Co., PA, until his death in 1826.

According to the 1800 census, other than Christian II, there were four males in his household.  One was under 10; one was between 10 and 15; two were between 16 and 25.  We know of three sons: David, Christian III, and Peter.  David was born in about 1776 and Christian was born in 1780; they were the two between 16 and 25 in 1800.  That means that Peter was under 15 in 1800.  Better researchers than I have concluded that Peter was born in about 1788.

Peter’s first marriage was in 1811, to Catherine MYERS.  Peter farmed in Washington Co., PA.  In July 1829, Peter had (at least) five children and a wife who was six-months pregnant.  Their youngest child was little George, only two years old.  George died; how is not known, but the death of any child causes enormous family grief and fall out.  Sometimes that fallout includes the breakup of a marriage.

In 1830, Peter was in Washington Co., PA, with wife Catherine.  He reported his age as between 40 and 49, meaning born between 1780 and 1790.  The woman of the household was between 30 and 39, an approximate fit for his wife Catherine who was born in 1787 and would have been 43.  The children were as follow:

• two males under 5 (son John was 1; son Jeremiah was 5)
• one male from 5 to 9
• one female under 5
• one female from 5 to 9
• one female from 15 to 19 (dau. Eliza b. 1814, was 16)

Peter had two sons who would have fit into that 5 to 9 slot: Thomas, b. abt 1821, and Rollin, b. abt 1823.  However, the census listed only one male in that age range.  And, who were the two females under 10?

In 1834, Peter’s wife Catherine divorced him.  After the divorce, she had custody of their children.

In 1840, Peter Hufford was in Washington Co., PA, for the census.  He was between 50 and 59.  The household had two boys under 5 and two girls between 5 and 9.  The woman of the house was between 40 and 49.  Peter’s youngest child by his first wife was a son born in 1829; in other words, this was Peter’s second family.  It is possible (likely even) that the woman who was Peter’s wife in 1840 had herself been married previously; the older children in the household may be from her previous marriage.

That 1840 census is the last record I’ve found for Peter.

There had been some confusion with the Huffords of Luzerne Co., PA, because there was another Peter Hufford living there in 1850.  However, it’s a completely different person.  The Luzerne Co. 1850 Peter Hufford is in Luzerne Co. in 1840, as “Peter Huffart,” while our Peter Hufford is in Washington Co. in 1940.  So far as I can tell, the Peter Huffart/Hufford of Luzerne Co. has no relationship to the Huffords who descend from Christian b. 1716.

So, the last record I have found for our Peter Hufford is the 1840 census.

But Peter shows up in Doddridge Co., WV, named on marriage records for his children.

Peter and his second wife (Mary Ann) had at least five children:

• Hiram H. Hufford, b. 11-Apr-1836, d. 12-May-1915 in Cowley Co., Kansas; m. Mary L. MORGAN.  (Hiram’s cemetery information lists his parents as Peter and Mary Hufford.)
• Solomon Hufford, b. 9-Dec-1838, d. 14-Aug-1893 in Doddridge Co., WV; m. Eliza Nicklin GARRISON.  (Solomon’s marriage record named his parents as Peter and Mary A. Hufford, and Solomon named a son after his brother Hiram.)
• Isabel Florence Hufford, b. 1-Jan-1841; d. 4-Mar-1915 in Doddridge Co., WV; m. Francis Marion DOTSON.  (Isabel’s marriage record lists her parents as Peter and Mary Ann Hufford, and her place of birth as Washington Co., PA.)
• Sarah E. Hufford, b. abt 1845; m. Sylvannus DAVIS.  (Sarah’s marriage record lists her parents as Peter and Mary Ann Hufford.)
• William Hufford, b. 7-Jun-1847, d. 26-Jun-1922 in Doddridge Co., WV; m. 1^st Mary F. COTTRILL; m. 2^nd Mary Catharine BEE.  (William’s marriage record names his parents as Peter and Mary A. Hufford.)

The fact that Peter’s son William was born in June 1847 means that Peter lived at least into 1846.  It’s likely that Peter died in Harrison Co., WV, where son William was born, and where his wife Mary Ann was found living in 1860.

Burial information is known for nine of Peter’s eleven children:

• Eliza A. Hufford (Mrs. Henry Underwood)
• Rollin Hughes Hufford (physician)
• Jeremiah Hufford (physician)
• George Hufford (died at two years old)
• John B. Hufford
• Hiram Hufford
• Solomon Hufford (Co. D, 17th WV Infantry, Civil War)
• Isabel Florence Hufford (Mrs. Francis Marion Dotson)
• William Hufford

PAGE NOTE: Peter Hufford’s older brother Christian Hufford III is at page 200 of 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY. Peter and his descendants would be inserted after Christian III.