Richard Mendenhall married Sarah Pearson on on August 14, 1817 in Miami County, Ohio. They are Walt’s 3rd great grandparents.

Richard was born to Joseph and Deidamia Hill Mendenhall in Guilford County, North Carolina. He was their oldest child. I know they had several more children but I’m not sure how many. Sometime shortly after his birth, the family moved to Jefferson County, Tennessee. Later, they moved to Miami County, Ohio.

Sarah Pearson was born on June 2, 1795 near the Bush River Settlement in South Carolina. Her parents were Abel and Anne McClure Pearson.

Sarah and her parents were Quakers, and so we have records of when they moved to Ohio in 1814. The records show her mother, Anne and several siblings being found of good character and able to be admitted to the local Quaker meeting at Newgarden Meeting. It is from the Redstone Meeting and is dated July 1, 1814.

Richard and Sarah Marry

On August 14, 1817, Richard Mendenhall married Sarah Pearson. Sarah and Richard had 9 children, including their daughter Rachel, Walt’s great, great grandmother. I found the registration of their wedding. There were married by William Mendenhall, JP.

The notation reads:

“The State of Ohio Miami County

This is to certify that after receiving marriage license granted according to law, I joined together as husband and wife Richard Mendenhall and Sarah Pearson on this day, 14th of August 1817.

Given under my hand the day and year above written William Mendenhall, JP.”

Richard and Sarah Mendenhall continued to live in Ohio, moving from Miami County to nearby Darke County. The 1850 census has them living in Patterson Township with their three youngest children.

By 1860, they were still living on the farm, but had a couple of boarders or hired hands living with them.

Sarah died on April 6, 1866 in Yorkshire, Ohio. Richard Mendenhall died on April 25, 1871. They are buried in the Mendenhall Cemetery. We visited it on a trip to Ohio some years ago.

I wrote about Richard in this post. I wrote about Sarah here.