Ohio History Journal

GOVERNOR OTHNIEL LOOKER AND HIS

DESCENDANTS

In the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly,

volume 31, pages 215-217, there is a sketch of Governor

Othniel Looker. In it is copied a previous sketch in

which the statement was made that Governor Looker

left no records relative to his life succeeding his service

in the governorship and that he died unmarried. The

sketch at that time furnished from reliable sources by

the present writer, gave additional information that

almost entirely discredited the biographical notice that

had been circulated about Ohio for about half a century.

It was shown that he was married and that a number of

his descendants are still living in different parts of the

United States. The sketch contained also a record of

his service in the Revolutionary War and in the General

Assembly of the State of New York before he came to

Ohio. The children of Governor Looker there named,

were B. F., James, Harvey, Pamela, and Rachel L.

Recently much additional information has been received

on the descendants of Governor Looker from Mrs. Elea-

nor John Darrow, 2052 South Seventh Street, Cuyahoga

Falls, Ohio.  Mrs.  Darrow  is a great-great-grand-

daughter of Governor Looker. From her letter we

learn that Governor Looker had a large family. His

wife's name was Pamela Clark. Following are the

names of his children in the order of their ages:

(446)

Governor Othniel Looker and His Descendants  447

James H., John M., Samuel B., Henry Clark Miller,

Rachel, Alanson, Pamela, Franklin, and Maria Eloison.

Mrs. Darrow is the great-granddaughter of Henry

Clark Miller Looker. Henry Clark Miller, the great-

grandfather of Mrs. Darrow, was the father of Emily

Hewitt Looker who married Dr. Jehu John. The children

of this union and the dates of their birth were as

follows:

1. Myrtilla, born July 24, 1829.

2. Emily, born July 23, 1831.

3. Robert Newman, born February 21, 1835.

4. Jehu, born May 17, 1837.

5. Lovella, born April 16, 1839.

6. Mary, born May 2, 1841.

7. Columbus, born December 8, 1842.

8. William Paley, born November 5, 1844.

9. Henry, born May 27, 1847.

10. Theodore, born July 21, 1849.

Mrs. Darrow was the daughter of Henry John. Six

of these ten children were married and had families.

How many descendants there are from the other

children, grand-children and great-grandchildren of

Governor Looker is not known at this writing. Their

number is certainly very great. This information that

has recently come to our hands is quite different from

the old story that Governor Looker was unmarried and

left no descendants.

Mrs. Darrow has been gathering material to demon-

strate her eligibility to the D. A. R. She has submitted

to us a copy of a deed made by Othniel Looker to her

great-grandfather, Henry Clark Looker, which estab-

448       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

lishes the connecting link to Governor Looker required

by the National organization of the D. A. R. She has

loaned us a photograph of the monument to her great-

grandfather which is still standing on the old Looker

farm near the village of Harrison, Ohio.

The deed from Othniel Looker to Emily Looker and

others reads as follows:

OTHNIEL LOOKER            DEED TO        EMILY LOOKER

and others

THIS INDENTURE, Made this twenty-seventh day of

March in the year of Our Lord One Thousand, Eight Hundred

and Twenty-one, Between Othniel Looker of the County of

Hamilton and State of Ohio, of the first part and Emily Looker,

Robert Anderson Looker and Rachel Looker, children of Henry

Looker and Pamela B. Looker, his wife Witnesseth, that the

said party of the first part for in Consideration of the Sum of

Eighty Dollars to him in hand paid and for the Natural love

and affection, he bears to his Grand-Children the parties of the

second part, hath granted, bargained and sold, unto the said

parties of the second part, and to their heirs and assigns forever.

All that tract of land, hereinafter described being a part of

the Northwest Quarter of Section No. twenty in Township No.

Two in range No. One East of a Meridian line drawn from the

Mouth of the Great Miami River, being in the Middle of said

quarter Section, and bounded on the North by a Lot of forty

acres taken off the North Side of said quarter Section deeded

to Wm. Hutcheson, and on the South by forty acres Granted to

Nathaniel Crookshank being Eighty Rods North and South

and One hundred, and Sixty Rods East and West containing

Eighty acres of land strict measure.

To Have And To Hold the above described land and prem-

ises with their appurtenances unto the Said parties of the Second

part, and to their heirs and assigns forever, And the said party

of the first part doth, Covenant and agree to and with the parties

of the second part their heirs and assigns that he, the aforesaid

premises with their appurtenances unto the Said parties of the

Second part, against the lawful claims and demands of all man-

ner of persons or person whenever. Will Warrant and Forever

defend.

Governor Othniel Looker and His Descendants   449

In Witness whereof the said party of the first part hath

hereunto Set his hand and Seal the day and year first above

written.

Sealed and Delivered in the

Presence of

B. F. Looker                        Othniel Looker (Seal)

Jmas Haven

State of Ohio, Hamilton County S. S.

Personally Appeared before me George P. Torrence, Presi-

dent Judge of the North Circuit of the Court of Common Pleas,

for the date of Othniel Looker the above Granter and Acknowl-

edged the Written Deed to the his Voluntary act and Deed for the

uses and purposes therein Maintained In Testimony whereof, I

hear hereunto Set My hand and Seal at Cincinnati 27th day of

August 1821.

George P. Torrence

Rec'd and Recorded Aug. 28th 1821.               (Seal)

Mrs. Darrow    was notified that the records in the

Hamilton County Court House had been largely de-

stroyed by fire and that she probably would not be able

to find a copy of the deed transferring property from

Othniel Looker to her grandfather. In answer to this

suggestion she wrote under date of October 26, 1930:

Yes, I know Hamilton County records were in a fire years

ago. But the same day I took this picture of the tombstone I

called on the family who now live on this Othniel Looker farm.

in a neat little bungalow and she let me read their deed and

while I was reading it, I hastily copied a few lines that may

help you to help me.

The writer suggested to Mrs. Darrow that she make

an effort to get a photostat copy of this deed which she

did. This very clearly establishes her relationship to

Governor Looker.

In answer to the further question, "From what

source did you get the names of Othniel's children," she

wrote:

450       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

My father's family had this record and it has been in my

uncle's possession years. Rev. R. N. John, my father's brother,

gave it to me years ago. Uncle Robt. N. John has been dead

since about 1909, and a fire destroyed many of his valued rec-

ords. However, I know my list is absolutely correct.

She then gave the list of Othniel Looker's nine chil-

dren. The grandmother of Mrs. Darrow, Emily Hewitt

Looker, married Dr. Jehu John, and her grandfather

John built a stone house now standing near the little

bungalow on the old Looker farm. Mrs. Darrow then

gives the list of ten children of her grandparents. Seven

of the children of Emily Hewitt Looker and Dr. Jehu

John married and had families. In concluding her let-

ter Mrs. Darrow said:

Imagine beyond--the children and grandchildren--two gen-

erations since father's time--I am a woman fifty-five years old.

Othniel Looker's great-great-great-great-grandchildren are

widely scattered. I can put you in touch with numerous cousins

who have great-great-grandchildren. As far as I know I am the

only one who is among them trying to establish D. A. R. rights.

To accomplish this will mean so much to all of us.

Verily, investigation has carried us far beyond the

original sketch which for many years was accepted as

final to the effect that Governor Looker left no records

relative to his life succeeding his service in the governor-

ship, and that he died "unmarried."

From time to time since writing the previous sketch

to which attention has been drawn, items have occurred

chiefly in search for other information which are ap-

pended because of their relation to the only Revolution-

ary soldier who ever served as Governor of Ohio.

Mrs. Darrow also adds this additional note of genea-

logical interest: