The earliest record of my lineage of the Abrams line is 1788. My great great great grandfather is John Abrams (Abrahams). He was born on October 11,1788 in Virginia.He married Mary Kelso on 9-26?-1813 in Licking County Ohio. He died 4-4-1861 In Ottawa, Iowa (Clarke County) and is buried in the Ottawa Cemetery. His grave stone states 72y 5m24d. I calculate his birthday as October 11, 1788. I believe John had brothers named Stephen Abrahams who eventually settled in Madison County Iowa and also James Abrahams who settled in Delaware County Ohio. I believe John had at least two sisters Catherine and Margaret. All were listed as born in Virginia. A couple of children of John indicate in post 1860 censuses indicate that their father was born in WEST Virginia. Family lore has it that the Abrams came from Wales, he was a Presbyterian and a Mason. He is recorded to have voted in the 1848 Democratic primary in Round Prairie Twp,Jefferson County, Iowa.Mary Kelso was born in New Jersey and died May 7,1876 in Clarke County Iowa, aged 80 years, 6 months, 24 days. I calculate her birthday to be Oct 13, 1795. I believe one sister was Sarah Kelso who married Stephen Abrahams in Licking County, Ohio.
They had the following children:
Andrew Abrams was born 4-23-1815 in Licking County Ohio. He married Mary Ann Harter in 1838 in Licking County, Ohio. He came to Jefferson County, Iowa in 1847 along with family. In 1853 settled in Keokuk County Iowa where he lived until his death on 7-3-1900. He is buried in Brooks Cemetary near Hedrick Iowa. (Andrew is my great great grandfather)
Vincent Abrams was born 7-2-1816 in Licking County, Ohio. He married Julia Ann Mayfield 8-20-1840 in Licking County, Ohio. He died January 7, 1904 in Fremont, Iowa and is buried in McCormick Cemetary, Wapello County Iowa.
James Abrams was born in Mar 21, 1818 in Licking County, Ohio. He married around 1839 to Mary Knappe and later to Barbara and died in Noble County, Indiana on Oct 31, 1864
Mary Ann Abrams born 12-17-1819 in Licking County, Ohio. She married 12-10-1840 in Licking County, Ohio to James Harter. She died 10-24-1861 in Mahaska County, Iowa and is buried in Cedar Cemetary near Fremont, Iowa. (James Harter and Mary Ann Harter Abrams, my great great grandmother were brother and sister)
Joseph Abrams was born April 14, 1823 in Licking County, Ohio. He married Ann. At one point he lived in Keokuk County, Iowa and later Gutrhie County Iowa. He died Jan 20, 1892 in Adair Co, Iowa
John Abrams was born in 1826 in Licking County, Iowa. He appears with the family in each census including 1850 Jefferson County, Iowa. I cannot locate John after the 1850 census.
Margaret Abrams was born Sept 5,1825 in Licking County, Ohio. She married James O. Kirkpatrick 3-16-1848 in Round Prairie Township, Jefferson County, Iowa. She died 6-20-1887 in Brighton, Iowa.
Henry Abrams was born 5-27-1829 in Licking County, Ohio. He was married in 1859? to Francis Bratcher Lee and died 12-27-1918 in Macon, Missouri. He is buried at Mt. Tabor Cemetary. (This is the ancestor of my fellow searcher and friend Jim Abrams of Houston, Texas, who is now deceased)
Ellen J Abrams (Eleanor) born 8-4-1835 in Licking County, Ohio. She married James W. Cochran 4-9-1854 in Jefferson County Iowa (Glasgow) and died 3-13-1882 in Clarke County Iowa (Ottawa Cemetary)
Sarah Ann was born 1837 in Licking County Ohio. She married 9-30-1857 in Ottawa, Clarke County, Iowa to Asa C. Carson. She died 2-22-1903 and is buried in Ottawa Cemetary, Clarke County, Iowa.
Daniel Watson. Abrams was born 3-14-1841 in Licking County, Ohio. He married 6-4-1863 in Clarke County Iowa to Mary C. Haner and died 8-12-1926 in Clarke County, Iowa. He is buried in Maple Hill Cemetary, Osceola, Iowa. He is a twin brother of David.
David Jones Abrams was born 3-14-1841 in Licking County, Ohio and married 2-25-1864 to Lydia James in Madison County, Iowa. He died 3-22-1923 and is buried in Winterset Cemetary, Winterset, Iowa. (note: he is seen living on the farm of Stephen Abrahams, whom I believe to be the brother of David's father, John Abrams)
???William Thomas Abrams born 8-1-1851 in Jefferson County, Iowa and died 5-3-1854 in Jefferson County, Iowa. He is buried in the Old Fairfield Cemetary. ( A newspaper article stated that his parents were Mr and Mrs. John Abrams of Newark Ohio, which is in Licking County. Curious: would have made Mary Abrams 55 when she had William)