52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #5 James Madison Rains
One thing I have learned in the short month of writing 52 Ancestors is that I know very little beyond vital information about my ancestors. It’s amazing how much genealogical information we have and equally amazing how much we’re missing. It’s the difference between our history and our heritage.
I’ve heard the name James Madison Rains (Raines) all my life … my Grandpa Raines used to talk about him but only as the father of his own grandpa Rains. There weren’t really many tales about him.
What I know about James Madison Rains
Madison, as he was known, was born in Virginia on June 10, 1827. Although not definitive, I believe his parents to be James (1803) and Margaret Copeland (1805-1884) Rains. This has been a hunt of many Madison Descendants over the years! DNA evidence[1]Family Tree DNA. Raines/Rains points to a John Raines born in 1715 Virginia who is an ancestor of James Raines (1803), but that only sort of helps tell me where Madison originated!
At some point, Madison moved to Tennessee and, on February 24, 1847, married Frances Ann Moseley (1825-1866). Together, they had eight children that I know of:
- Sarah (1847 – 1914)
- William (1849 – 1885)
- John Harrison (1852 – 1900)
- Nancy Elizabeth (1854 – 1934)
- Rev Thomas Jefferson (1858 – 1935, my line)
- Benjamin Franklin (1862 – 1940)
- Alexander Douglas (1863 – 1932)
- Francis Ann (1864 – 1952)
Sarah was born on December 22, 1847 … the family had moved from Tennessee to Union County, Illinois at some point prior to her birth. I have located them on the 1850 US census living just south of me in Union County. Madison was a farmer and neither he or Frances could read or write.
Madison died on October 27, 1865 in Murphysboro, Illinois. I have only family information regarding death, so I’m not positive of it … Madison nor Francis are found past 1850, no census, no death records, no grave site. No closure!
The only family story of James Madison Rains
My grandpa used to tell me that Madison and Frances died near the same time due to a pneumonia outbreak. Obviously, I can’t confirm that … except they did die just a few short months apart, leaving several small children that were then raised by Dr. James Lindsey in Pomona, Illinois.
As always, answering one questions leads to more questions … how did Madison end up in Tennessee with Frances? What brought them to southern Illinois? Did they have family here that I haven’t located (there was an early Rains settler in Union County, Illinois)? Did they really both die from pneumonia 4 months apart?
So may questions, so little time …
References
| ↑1 | Family Tree DNA. Raines/Rains |
|---|
Hi. Found you by google. I am researching my family history as well. My history runs deep through Monroe Co, now West Virginia. Raines and Copeland run heavily through my veins! I am trying to determine if Margaret Peggy Copeland is the sister of my ggggrandfather Jesse Copeland b 1815 Monroe Co. Records are few. My gggm was a Raines, Frances Ellen. Perhaps we are related.
Hi! Thanks for stopping by. I don’t have anyone attached to Margaret Peggy Copeland, but I haven’t spent any time researching that side either. Feel free to contact me via email if you want.
Hi Niki! I just found your website! I was doing some genealogical research on my mother’s paternal side, which happens to be Rains, and it seems we have a mutual ancestor as Madison is my 5th Great-grandpa. I am Earl Eugene Jr.’s granddaughter. You have a really cool site, and I just stole your potato salad recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Christy Barnett
Well, hello cousin! There are a lot of us! We’re a generation apart… Earl Eugene Sr. and my grandpa Jim Raines are first cousins. I hope you enjoy the potato salad 🙂