launcelot scott

The photo is taken Nov 17, 1888. It is of Launcelot L. Scott Jr., son of Launcelot Scott and Jane ? whom I believe came from England. It is a professional photo taken by McDowell Studios in Nelsonville. Launcelot Scott Jr. is the brother of Hannah Catherine Scott, who married Lorenzo Dow Poston.....(they are all ancestors of mine)... Launcelot Scott is listed in the Athens County Atlas of 1905 as one of the early settlers and businessmen in the county, and one who started the coal mining industry. Regards, Patrick (See his census record below)

Soon after the location of the Hocking Valley Canal Eastern capitalists and other of our own State made extensive purchases of land along the line of the canal from Lick Run to Chauncey. Among the most extensive purchasers were Thomas Ewing and Samuel F. Vinton, who shortly afterward associated with themselves Nicholas Biddle and Elihu Chauncey, of Philidelphia, under the name of Ewing, Vinton and Co. The firm made an opening for coal about the time of the completion of the canal to Nelsonville. Their mine was located in the hillside on the Nelsonville seam of coal, at the Dorr Run canal basin, on what is now the west end of the incorporated village of Nelsonville

Shortly after the mine of Biddle, Ewing and Vinton was opened another opening by Fuller and Walker (James Fuller and A. B. Walker of Athens) was made a little further up the river. Then Clement Fay-(ancestor of the webmaster), John Crothers, C. Steenrod, Launcelot Scott, J. F. Sommers and L. Steenrod were found among the pioneer miners of the valley. Their mines were situated on both sides of the Hocking river at Nelsonville, and the coal was hauled in wagons from the mouth of the mines to the canal, dumped on the wharf and loaded on the boats with wheelbarrows. Steenrod and Scott operated in what is known as the old Steenrod works just below the village. They were in partnership but soon dissolved, Steenrod keeping the old works and Scott opening new mines in what is now known as Robbins Hill. These mines were successfully worked by Mr. Scott for a number of years when on his death, the business passed into the hands of Lorenzo Dow Poston, a son in law, who followed it up on a more extended scale.

Lorenzo Dow Poston- was born in Hampshire County, Virginia, March 22, 1812 and moved to Athens county in 1830 and engaged in buying and selling cattle until about 1835, when he moved to Nelsonville and went into the mercantile business. He owned a large tract of land in and near Nelsonville and in 1852 went into the mining business in which he was very successful. Nov. 26, 1835, he was married to Martha Wilson, who only lived about two years. Sept. 26, 1838 he married Lucinda Parkinson. They had five children, two of which are living- William W. and Lucinda, wife of E. P. Pendleton. In 1852 he was married to Miss Hannah Scott. They had three children, Winfield, Irvin and Clarence E. Mr. Poston died 12- 16- 1875. He was a man of fine business talent, and his death was mourned by all that knew him. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years before his death and had been Class Leader several years. When a young man he used to work by the month at any kind of work he could obtain. He obtained it all by his own good management and hard work. Mrs. Hannah Poston, wife of the deceased was born Sept. 15, 1830, in England and came to America with her parents when 3 and one half years old. They settled on the Ohio River and lived there until she was about ten years old when they came to Nelsonville.

Charles Augustus Cable, Cashier of the Merchants and Miners Bank of Nelsonville, and member of the firm C. A. Cable and Company, hardware stoves, tin ware, and furniture dealers, was born in Nelsonville, April 6. 1934. April 23, 1857 he married Sarah A. Scott, daughter of Launcelot Scott of Nelsonville. They have four children: Charles W. Cable, a physician of Logan Ohio; Don Carlos Cable, Teller in Merchants and Miners Bank; and Eugene W. and Edith G. attending school.

Charles Walter Cable, M. D. Nelsonville, was born July 25, 1859. He is the oldest of four children of Charles A. and Sarah A. Scott Cable, with whom he lived until manhood and received a high school education in his native city. At the age of seventeen he began the study of medicine under Dr. Richard Gundry, Superintendent of the Columbus Hospital for the Insane at Columbus and was under his preceptorship eighteen months, when he went to Athens and studied under Dr. A. B. Frame eighteen months. He graduated from the Medical college of Ohio, at Cincinnati in March 2, 1880. He then continued his studies until the following winter when he went to New York City and attended a course of lectures at the Bellevue Hospital Medical College from which he graduated from March 10, 1881. He then began the practice of medicine at Nelsonville. Oct. 12, 1881, he married Bessie, daughter of Elmer and Mary Cooley Golden, of Athens. They are both members of the First Presbyterian Church of Nelsonville.

State of Ohio, Athens County, ss. Before me, a Notary Public in and for said County, personally appeared Silas Dew, who being first duly sworn says that he is fifty years of age; that he has lived in or near Nelsonville, Athens county, Ohio all his lifetime; that he knew Lorenzo D. Poston quite well; that the said Poston died testate, on or about the 16th day of December, 1875, leaving surviving him his wife Hannah D. Poston, who has since died, and the following named children, to-wit; William W. Poston, Clinton L. Poston, Lucinda M. Pendleton, wife of Edward P. Pendleton, Winfield S. Poston, Irvin G. Poston, and Clarence E. Poston; that Dow L. Poston, one of the children of the said Lorenzo D. Poston, deceased, died prior to the date of the death of the said Lorenzo D. Poston, leaving surviving him two small children Lulu and Fred, as his only heirs at law; and that the said Lorenzo D. Poston, died leaving personal property much in excess of his debts. Signed Silas Dew. Sworn to me and signed in my presence this 5th day of August 1903. Signed W. E. Peters, Notary Public in and for Athens county, Ohio.

The attached photo is of Irvin Gilroy 'IG' Poston, (son of Lorenzo Dow Poston and Hannah Catherine Scott Poston - daughter of Athens County Early Settler Launcelot Scott). IG was born Sept 3, 1854 in Nelsonville, Athens County. Pictured with IG Poston is his wife, Josephine Brenaman Musser Poston.

A biography of IG Poston states the following: "Our subject was reared in Nelsonville and educated at the place and in Duff's Commercial College, Pittsburgh, Pa. He was married may 15, 1878 to Josephine, daughter of Joseph Mercer (deceased), and has been blessed with two children---Edwin and Blanche. He is engaged in dealing in thoroughbred draft and trotting horses, having a number of very fine horses of the Clydesdale and Spartan stock, among them being Fanny Clyde, Spartan Jr., and Madrid. He is doing a good business and is the owner of 300 acres of land."

IG carried on his father's brick business by opening the Martinsville Brick Company in Martinsville, Morgan County, Indiana.

IG Poston's wife, Josephine Breneman Musser Poston, is the great-granddaughter of Reverend Matthew Henderson. Ms. Musser-Poston wrote a biography of her life, from which the following was excerpted:

My father (Joseph Musser) was a Lawyer, practicing in Harrisburg, PA. At the time of his marriage to my mother, he was a widower with two lovely daughters, Emma and Dorcas, of whom my mother was very proud. In fact, she was so proud of them that she made over her laces and lovely silks for them. When we, her own daughters were growing up, there were no silks and laces left.

My mother and father went to house-keeping in Harrisburg, later moving to Washington, PA, where resided Ma's brother, Uncle Alex Murdoch. He was an eminent lawyer, at the head of the bar for years without ever taking a criminal case.

Not long after moving to Washington, Mr. Musser's health failed. At that time the disease now known as infantile paralysis was unfamiliar to doctors and no cure was known. He remained an invalid to the time of his death, which occurred some fifteen years later.

Because of Pa's illness, Ma was obliged to become the bread winner, so she established a private school for girls. It was during this time that tragedy came into our home.

Emma, Pa's second daughter, was terribly burned when her clothing caught fire from an open fireplace. The burns were of a disfiguring nature and Emma was very sensitive. She would never appear in public without a heavy veil. She was fourteen years of age at the time of the accident. One day, a famous surgeon from Philadelphia came to the home of Ma's cousin, a doctor. In the course of the conversation, the doctor related Emma's condition to the surgeon. He immediately became interested and expressed a desire to see her.

In those days, the doctors knew nothing about the grafting of skin. They made an incision, turning over Emma's skin. The surgeon used thirty silver pins to hold it in place. A large frame was made to fit over her, preventing clothing from touching her. She had to lie in one position under the frame for almost a month, before the pins could be removed. It was a marvelous success. The report went down in medical journals, as being the most successful operation of its kind on record. Emma always wore a velvet ribbon about her throat afterward and very few scars were discernable.

My earliest recollections of childhood are of an incident when as a lanky, long-legged, cross-eyed tom boy, I ran a rusty nail in my foot. I was obliged to go on crutches. It was so much fun and I became so adept at using them, that I would run races with other children. Finally, after months of using them, when no longer needed, Ma hid the crutches, fearing I might become crippled for life should I continue their use.

One of the stories my mother told me as a child concerned Matthew Henderson, her grandfather, who, in Chambers Encyclopedia, is called, next to John Knox, Scotland's greatest reformer.

He was the first Seceder minister west of the Allegheny mountains. He settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and established his church. The one-hundredth anniversary of this church was held in Cannonsburg while I was teaching there. The celebration lasted two days. He was an eccentric old gentleman, with a great sense of humor. A story is told of one of his church services. Two young girls with new calico dresses would rise, go out, and then return. Each time spreading their gowns proudly. Finally, the minister said, "Sit down lassies, sit down. We've all seen your new gowns." Needless to say they sat down.

One day, while Reverend Henderson was walking along the road, he met two young men who were the worse for drink. They were in a quarrelsome mood and wished to fight. Finally, the minister, removing his stove-pipe hat and laying it with his cane on a bank, said, "Reverend Henderson, you lie there. Now, Matthew, you pitch in." He rolled his sleeves and gave both boys a complete trouncing.

Launcelot L. SCOTT, JR.	Self	M	Male	W	36	OH	Coal Miner	ENG	ENG
Celia SCOTT	Wife	M	Female	W	33	OH	Keeping House	IRE	ENG
Frankie SCOTT	Dau	S	Female	W	12	OH	At School	OH	OH
Grace SCOTT	Dau	S	Female	W	10	OH	At School	OH	OH
Earl L. SCOTT	Son	S	Male	W	6	OH		OH	OH
May E. SCOTT	Dau	S	Female	W	4	OH		OH	OH
Nellie E. SCOTT	Dau	S	Female	W	1	OH		OH	OH

	Census Place	Nelsonville, Athens, Ohio
	Family History Library Film	1254993
	NA Film Number	T9-0993
	Page Number	274B

Winfield S. SCOTT	Self	M	Male	W	32	OH	Weigh Master Coal Mine	ENG	ENG
Effie SCOTT	Wife	M	Female	W	28	OH	Keeping House	VA	OH
Alfred SCOTT	Son	S	Male	W	4	OH		OH	OH
Mary FORESTER	Other	S	Female	W	17	OH	Servant	IRE	IRE

	Census Place	Nelsonville, Athens, Ohio
	Family History Library Film	1254993
	NA Film Number	T9-0993
	Page Number	294A