Heritage \ People \ James G. Birney \

Descendants of James Gillespie Birney

Family tree beginning with his father, James G. Birney, senior.

Courtesy of Ken Birney and Michelle Panton (March 2003)

James Sr. was born Co Cavan, Ireland. He ran away from home and sought his way to America at an early age. His family is mostly from the Kentucky area, though he first settled in PA. James Jr. is the one who once ran for President. -- I could very well have some of these people mixed up, I will not claim it is accurate, but it's the best I can do at the moment. I am still hoping to find some decendents from this family who could clarify things a bit. Contact me at birneygenealogy@sympatico.ca if you can help. -- Ken Birney

Editor's note: The following descendancy chart is a compilation obtained from a number of different sources, including written histories. The information provided here should not be interpretted as validated facts, rather it is a "best efforts" rendition of the heritage of this Birney family. -- Visit [Birney Genealogy Pages] to see the original chart and learn more about the history and genealogy of the Birney surname.

Parents:

1. James Gillespie BIRNEY I (b. 1767 County Cavan, Ireland; d. 1839)
--- Marriage 5 Apr 1791: Martha (Maria) REED (b. ? d. 1795)

James Gillespie Birney II and Descendants.

2. James G. II (b. 4 Feb 1792 Danville, Mercer Co., KY; d. 25 Nov 1857 Eagleswood, Middlesex Co., NJ; Cem. Williamsburg, Groveland, Livingston, Co., NY)
--- First Marriage 01 Feb 1816 KY: Agatha MCDOWELL (b. 1798 Bowling Green, Warren Co., KY; d. 1838, Danville, Mercer Co, KY; Cem. ?)

3. James BIRNEY III (b. 7 Jun 1817 Danville, Mercer Co., KY; d. 8 May 1888 Bay City, Bay Co., MI; Cem. Pine Ridge, Bay City, Bay Co., MI)
--- Marriage 01 Jun 1841: Amanda S MOULTON (b. 1819 PA; d. 8 Mar 1886 Bay City, Bay Co., MI; Cem. Pine Ridge, Bay City, Bay Co., MI)

4. James G BIRNEY IV (b. 1844 New Haven, CT; d. 1870 Fort Davis, TX; Cem. Pine Ridge, Bay City, Bay Co., MI)
4. Sophie Hull BIRNEY (b. 1848 New Haven, CT; d. 25 Jan 1909, Hopewell Twsp., Mercer Co., NJ - burial, Pine Ridge Cem., Bay City, MI)
--- Marriage 28 Jul 1892 at Trinity Lutheran Ch., Bay City, MI, to William T. BLACKWELL (b. 1841, Blackwell mansion, Astorial, LI; d. 14 Aug 1884, Manhattan, NY)
4. Alice A. BIRNEY (b. 1851/52, Cincinnati, OH; d. 17 Oct 1936, New York, NY) {Obit}
--- Marriage 24 Sep 1873 at parent's residence, Bay City, MI, to Frank E BLACKWELL (b. 1846; d. 10 Jan 1911, New York, NY)
5. Birney BLACKWELL (b. 01 Jan 1875; d. 23 Mar 1932, New York, NY)
--- Marriage 25 Nov 1913 to Margherita HUNGERFORD (b. ?; d. 5 Jul 1935)
5. Frank Engs BLACKWELL (b. 1877/78; d. 28 Apr 1951, Water Mill, LI, NY)
--- Marriage Name unk.
5. Alice Birney BLACKWELL (b. 1880/81; d. 14 Dec 1938, Plainfield, NJ)
--- Marriage 26 Nov 1907 to Francis Willoughby FROST (b. ?; d. 15 Dec 1935)
5. Jennet D. BLACKWELL (b. 1885/86; d. ?)
--- Marriage 3 Apr 1913 to James Harvey WILLIAMS, Jr. (b. 22 Mar 1882; d. 23 Feb 1942)

4. Arthur M. (May 25, 1849 Cincinnati, OH - Jan. 1882 Ft. Keogh, MT), buried: Greenwood Cem., Brooklyn, NY {Obit}
--- Marriage: Name Unknown.

3. William McDowell BIRNEY (b. 28 May 1819 Huntsville, Madison Co., AL; d. 14 Aug 1907 Forest Glen, MD; Cem. Oak Hill, Georgetown, D.C.)
--- Marriage: 13 Nov 1846, Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH: Catharine "Katie" HOFFMAN (b. 1825 MO; d. ?)


4. Richard Conway BIRNEY (b. 1847 Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH; d. ?)
4. Margaret Madison BIRNEY (b. 1849 Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH; d. ?)
4. Arthur Alexis BIRNEY (b. 28 May 1852 Paris,France; d. 1916)
--- Marriage: Helen Townsend CONWAY ? (b. 1857 MD; d. ?)
5. Richard Conway BIRNEY (b. 1876 France; d. ?)
5. Margaret M. BIRNEY (b. 1877 France; d. ?)
5. Edith S. BIRNEY (b. 1879 France; d. ?)
5. Helen BIRNEY (b. 1881)
5. Arthur A. BIRNEY (b. 1882)
5. James BIRNEY V (b. 1884)
5. William Verplanck BIRNEY (b. 1886)
5. Dion BIRNEY (b. 16 Jul 1889; d. Dec 1965)
5. Catherine BIRNEY (b. 1891)

4. Albert Alfred BIRNEY (b. 1853; d. 1863)
4. Florence Hallowell BIRNEY (b. 1854; d. 1895)
--- Marriage: Randolph GETCHELL (b. 14 Sep 1838)
--- Marraige: Edgar HOYT
4. Theodore Weld BIRNEY (b. 1854; d. 1897)
--- Marriage: Alice McLellan WHITE (b. 1858)
5. Catherine BIRNEY (b. 1893)
5. Lillian BIRNEY (b. 1895)

4. Katherine (b. 1856 Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH; d. 1936)
--- Marriage: Albert N SEIP
5. Albert Birney SEIP (b. 1893)

4. William Verplanck BIRNEY (b. 1858 Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH; d. 1908)
4. Ulric Hoffman BIRNEY (b. 1859 France; d. 1880 Texas)
4. Theodore W. BIRNEY (b. 1864 IL; d. ?)
4. Herman Hoffman BIRNEY, Dr. (b. 1866 IL; d. ?Philadelphia, PA)
--- Marriage: Elizabeth BOUDE
5. Herman Hoffman BIRNEY, Jr. (b. 1891 PA; d. 1958)
5. Knox Boude BIRNEY (b. 1892)

4. Elizabeth Fitzhugh BIRNEY (b. 1868; d. 1872)

-- Second marriage: Mattie C. ASHBY, of VA, father Confederate Gen. Turner Ashby. -- No known children.

3. Margaret BIRNEY (b. 1821 Huntsville, Madison Co., AL; d. 1822 Huntsville, Madison Co., AL)

3. Dion B BIRNEY (b. 8 Feb 1823 Huntsville, Madison Co., AL; d. 17 Aug 1863 Saginaw, Saginaw Co. MI)
--- Marriage 31 Aug 1845, Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH: Sarah Irwin CRAWFORD (b. 13 Jan 1829 Cincinnati, Hamilton Co., OH; d. 9 Jul 1894 Saginaw, Saginaw Co., MI)

4. Robert James BIRNEY (b. 11 Jun 1846 Kentucky; d. 930 Oct 1906)
--- Marriage: Leila Blanche STILLMAN (b. 8 Dec 1852 NY; d. 5 Nov 1894)
5. Dion Leslie BIRNEY (b. 21 Feb 1875; d. 29 Aug 1876 Saginaw, Saginaw Co., MI; Cem. Oak Grove)
5. Agnes Leila BIRNEY (b. 14 May 1876; d. 29 Jul 1908 Saginaw, Saginaw Co., MI)
--- Marriage: Franklin W. CALLAM (b. 13 Sep 1872 MI; d. Feb 1910)
5. Mary Irwin BIRNEY (b. 15 Aug 1879 MI; d. 3 Oct 1912 Spokane, WA)
--- Marriage: Edward Crouter MAXSON, Jr. (b. 14 Apr 1879 Candada; d. 3 Mar 1933)
5. Sarah Stillman BIRNEY (b. 13 Apr 1883 Saginaw, Saginaw Co., MI; d. 25 Oct 1940 Kalamazoo, MI)
--- Marriage: Edward Matthews EVANS (b. 9 Mar 1881; d. 9 Mar 1881 MI)

4. Anna LeMond BIRNEY (b. 15 Sep 1848 Saginaw, Saginaw Co., MI; d. 19 Jun 1923)
--- Marriage: Charles Seymour
5. Charles Birney SEYMOUR (b.1866-CT; d. < Mar 1918)
--- Marriage: Winifred GREER (b. MI)

4. Leslie Dion BIRNEY (b.11 Dec 1850 Saginaw, Saginaw Co., MI d. 13 Dec 1861)

3. David Bell BIRNEY (b.29 May 1825 Huntsville Madison Co., AL; d. 18 Oct 1864 Philadelphia, PA; Cem. Woodlands, Philadephia, PA.)
--- 1st Marriage: Anna B CASE

4. Agatha McDowell BIRNEY (b. 5 Apr 1848 Sayman City, MI; d. 29 Jan 1868 Philadelphia, PA)
4. Frank Case BIRNEY (b. 21 Nov 1849 Covington, KY; d. 16 Jul 1871 Mt. Holly, ?)
4. William G. BIRNEY (b. 21 Nov 1851 Philadelphia, PA; d.?)
4. Annabel Birney (b. 15 Sep 1853 Philadelphia, PA; d. ?)

--- 2nd Marriage: Maria Antionette JENNISON (b. abt. 1837)

4. David Bell BIRNEY, Jr. (b. 5 Jun 1861 Philadelphia, PA; d. ?)
4. Philip Kearny BIRNEY (b. 29 Oct 1863 Philadelphia, PA; d. 27 Mar 1866 Philadelphia, PA)

3. Arther Hopkins BIRNEY (b. 1827 Huntsville, AL; d. 1833)

3. Martha Reed BIRNEY (b. 1829 Huntsville, AL; d. 1833)

3. George BIRNEY (b. 1 Feb 1832 Huntsville, AL; d. 13 Nov 1856 Bay City, MI; Cem. Pine Ridge, Bay City, MI)

3. Florence BIRNEY (b.1835 KY; d. ?)
--- Marriage: Charles JENNISON (b. 1829 Baton Rouge, LA; d. Bay City, MI)

3. Georgina BIRNEY (b. 1836 OH; d. 1836)

3. Ellen BIRNEY (b. 1838 NY; d. 1838 NY)

--- 2nd Marriage abt. 1841: Elizabeth Potts FITZHUGH (b. 1803 Hampton-on-the-Hudson, NY; d. 12 Jan 1869; Cem. Williamsburg, Groveland, Livingston Co., NY)

• Note: When Elizabeth's father, William Frisby Fitzhugh (6 Oct 1761 - 28 Dec 1839), died she inherited a considerable sum of money. Her siblings were Rebecca Anne - married Frederick F. Backus, William Hughes, James, Henry, Robert Hughes - married Maria Carroll, Mary - married John T. Tallman, Richard Potts (28 Aug, 1793 -?), Daniel Hughes (20 Apr 1794 - 1881) - married Anna Frisby Dana, Samuel Hughes (1795 - 21 Feb 1849) - married Elizabeth Addison, and Ann Carroll (11 Jan 1805 - ?). Daniel and James G. became close friends, both speculated heavily in properties in the Saginaw Valley.)

3. Fitzhugh BIRNEY (b. 9 Jan 1842 Saginaw, Saginaw Co., MI; d. 17 Jul 1864 Washington, Washington Co., DC; Cem. Williamsburg, Groveland, Livingston Co., NY)
--- Marriage: Laura Strattan (b. Philadephia?, PA; d. ?)

3. Anna Hughes BIRNEY (b. 27 Nov 1843 Bay City, Bay Co., MI; d. 8 Mar 1846; Cem. Williamsburg, Groveland, Livingston Co., NY)

Siblings of James G. Birney II:

2. Anna Maria Reed BIRNEY (b. 4 Jul 1793 KY; d. 30 Mar 1859 Frankfort, KY)
--- Marriage 14 Jun 1809: John Jay MARSHALL Judge (b. 4 Aug 1785-Woodford Co.,KY; d. Jul 1846 Louisville, MD)

3.Humphry MARSHAL (b: 13 Jan 1812, Frankfort, KY; d: 28 Mar 1872, Louisville, KY)
Note: Brig. Gen. in Civil War, lawyer.

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Sources & Other Contributers of Data:

• [Birney Genealogy Pages] by Ken Birney.
• [BIRNEY, James & Amanda] 1870 US Census (Line 14), Michigan/Bay (includes Sophia and two others)
• [BIRNEY, James & Amanda] 1880 US Census, Michigan/Bay/Bay City (includes Sophia & 3 4 others)
• [BIRNEY, William & Catherine] 1880 US Census, DC/Washington (includes Katherine, William, Theodore, Herman; bro. Arthur & Helen, plus Richard, Margaret and Edith; plus 2 others)
• [BIRNEY, "all"] 1870 US Census, Michigan (20 entries: 2 Bay, 2 Saginaw and 16 other)
• Family data on Sophia Hull Birney and Alice A. Birney from Arthur W. Whittemore.